A word (or several)

Over the weekend we cleared out the shed. I say “we” but really, I mean “he”. In fairness, most of the crap in there was the boyf’s and not mine. It’s much tidier in there now. I even managed to get a space on the shelf for my few plant pots and tools. I’m not very green fingered, but I am enjoying trying!

So, after we (this time I do mean we) took all the crap from the shed to the tip (everything from bike tyres to cardboard boxes) we made a start on the living room cum dining room.

You see, we live in an old Victorian terraced house. Once upon a time it would have been two rooms downstairs, but at some point (probably in the 70s or 80s) the owners decided to knock through and make it into one long awkward room instead of two small dark rooms. While I can see the logic, I’m not a fan of knocked-through. It was one of the things I compromised on when we chose this house. I’m going to be less easily swayed this time, I promise.

Anyway, for the last year or two we have had the “dining room” end at the front of the house and the “living room” end at the back. It works well that way round, except for the wiring issues.

However, we’re thinking about selling the house and moving somewhere with a little more space, preferably a drive and/or garage, space for chickens and possibly further livestock*, out-buildings would be nice, or more rooms than we need inside.

Of course, there’s no way we can afford a house which has all of that, and is in a fit state to move in to without much work, and so we need to consider that. After the nightmare** that fitting the kitchen has been, I’m not especially keen to do it again. However I’m not enamoured with new-builds because they tend to have very, very small gardens.***

Anyway – where was I? Oh yes, the room. So since we eventually want to sell the place we’re going to put it back to the “conventional” way around. Or rather, we partially have, this weekend. It’s not so great at the moment because we’ve only moved the sofas, computer, fridge**** and dining table and chairs. This has not worked because there’s a big old bookshelf in the way of where the sofa should be, and therefore the sofas overlap in a bit of a mad way at the moment. We can live with it until we move the bookshelves, DVD shelf, CD shelf, Hamsters and the Welsh dresser. (Indeed).

Yeah, so not content with the chaos we had, we’re making more.

On the up-side, we have made an appointment with our mortgage lender and our bank to talk money, because if we can’t borrow what we think we need, we’re not going anywhere for now.


I’ve a lot planned for the next few weeks, it always gets a bit hectic around this time of year.

Firstly I’m off to Harrogate on Friday for the Knitting and Stitching show. This will be my third year there! I’ve given myself a much smaller budget this year than last, mainly because I already have quite a lot of yarn^, but also because of my next point…

Secondly we’re going on the work “London Weekender” trip. Mainly because the overnight stay is in our old university town of Harrow (well, almost – it’s in Kenton) – the boyfriend and I met at uni, and have fond memories of Harrow especially. We’ll probably do some free stuff in the day, like visiting the Natural History Museum^^. I’m also thinking about going to one of the London LYS, but I’ll check if they’re open first.

Monday next week we’re at the mortgage people.

Wednesday we’re at a party/dinner/charity thing.

Then, the weekend after that my folks are visiting to help turn the kitchen door around, to take away the fridge (and hopefully some of the tools) and such. I also plan to buy an iPhone that weekend as we will have been paid.

And then!

Christmas party: 4th Dec (before which I need a haircut)

Two whole free weekends pass before my Team Christmas Lunch (on a Tuesday), then Mum and Dad are visiting for Mum’s birthday – we’re taking her to Betty’s.

After that there’s just One Week until Christmas!^^^





*Potentially including goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks and/or geese. But probably not a cow.
**Okay, so it hasn’t been that bad, but being without a kitchen for a time is not fun, I get fatter and don’t get to cook (which I enjoy), and we spend too much money on takeaways.
***Not that our yard is that big, but I don’t want a six bedroom mansion with a garden the size of a postage stamp.
****So we have a new fridge in the kitchen, but I promised my Mum she could have the old fridge freezer, so it’s standing in the middle of my “dining room”.
^Now, I’m not going to suggest that I have enough yarn, or dareIsayit, too much, but I do have a lot.
^^If we actually make it there, since this will be at least our third “trek” to Kensington, and we’ve not made it into the museum yet!
^^^closely followed, six days later, by my birthday. No it’s not a cool day to have a birthday on. Most people I might think of inviting out to do something (usually a quiet meal, depending on if I’m working on the 1st Jan^^^^) are already doing something to celebrate the New Year, and I don’t like hijacking parties%.
^^^^I know, I picked the wrong job. I sometimes (every year for the past 5, maybe 6) have to work on the 1st January. Last year I was out drinking til about 5am. Even a gourmet burger on the company didn’t help much with that hangover. Boo.
%Especially not parties with people “singing” to SingStar (srsly, I thought I was not very good at singing, compared to these guys I’m Pavarotti!), and trying to have “incidents” involving areas of Newcastle that I don’t fully understand but know that one is bad…

First FO of January, and progress...

Yes, I've finished the Ickle Bag (aka Teeny Tiny Felted Tote) gifted me by Crafty Drama Queen

Also, I've made progress on the curtains (pics on Flickr) and on my quilted picture (from my MIL)

So today's been pretty successful!

Also, I got a lovely birthday card from Lint which is funny because of something silly he did. It's also sweet because it's a fantastic card about a penguin who paints itself pink but then wears lots of knitting. You have to read it. If you know me, and are at my house just ask because it'll be up on the shelf until February (when I'll take em down for L's)

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

Yes, today I'm 26. No, it's not old. Since I plan to live to be at least 100 it is only just over a quarter of the way there. But, as it's my birthday it does mean that I can spend a few moments thinking about what has been good about the last year - what I have managed to achieve in one form or another. Sometimes achievements are simply managing to get round to things we should have done ages ago. Sometimes they are learning something new (or something you've been afraid to try).

My achievements in the year are some selfless, some personal achievements, some demons beaten (I can drive!) and some simple things which have changed my day-to-day existence.

There's lots more I want to do, and while my "to do" for next year might still be about hanging pictures and baking, I'm beginning to distil a sort of idea of what I want from the future. To be honest it's not really what I expected, and I don't know whether I can do it. However, one thing which will never change is my desire to prove I can do things, especially if other people don't think I can. I want to iron this out into a plan (which will probably begin with sorting out the money, again!)

So anyway, here they are:

1. Donated to a charity each month by DD
2. Learnt to knit
3. Joined pilates classes
4. Recommended Leon for his job
5. Bought a new computer (when the old one blew up…)
6. Knit my first pair of socks!
7. Bought another car
8. Got back down to a size 12 for my holiday
9. Learnt to crochet
10. Learnt to drive
11. Played frisbee on the beach!
12. Hired a car in the US!
13. Joined ravelry
14. Ran in the Race for Life again
15. Went to Florida and visited the family
16. Discovered sweet potato and smoked mackrel (not together)
17. Got a promotion at work
18. Participated in Secret Pals
19. Came 2nd in the PTH
20. Read a poem at James and Rachel's wedding
21. Completed the "medium" level on Guitar Hero 2
22. Created 24 knitted items, including 9 gifts
23. Discovered the joy of wearing flat shoes sometimes
24. Fancy Dress twice (or 3 times if you count the overdressed Xmas curry)
25. Got measured for a properly fitting bra (trust me ladies, it will change your life!)
26. Learnt what a "French seam" is

Knitting Update!

So, Christmas has happened, and therefore I can reveal my knitted gifts!
You'll have to go to my Knitting Blog where you can see the three Irish Hiking Scarves, One-Skein and matching gloves, Garden Scarf,Two stripes and stripes forever and another One Skein

Oh, and it's my birthday tomorrow, so expect some sort of "in my 26th year" type post tomorrow (or maybe early Jan if I actually go and have fun on my birthday. Unlikely as I'm at work...)

I'm casting on the Manly Sweater tonight I think, I've read the pattern and distrusted it, but now I realise it's okay because it's the back not the front that I was reading. :)

Happy knitting!