A pictureless post again. I'm workin' on stuff, there will be pictures, plus the DSM has one he wants me to put on for him, and I like to indulge him when I can.......
It has been a bit busy, busy busy recently. Working backwards, book group, dentist, bookgroup today. Yesterday - went on a car hunt. No, not a car treasure hunt, but looking for a new vehicle for himself. And whoop de doo, may just have found it at the first attempt. Had managed to persuade him that we needed a slightly bigger something or other to get all the gear in for workshops, fairs and so on. (Failed to persuade him that this should be another, larger Suzuki, but can't win 'em all.) Did succeed though, as we went looking for a Peugeot 307 Estate. The first one seems fine, getting an AA check to make surer. Watch this space.
I fell in love with the place we went to. We had intended to go only to proper garages, but this one was someone trading from home. A farm, they were obviously sort of trying the self-sufficiency bit, had chickens and geese and horses and all sorts. Had had sheep, but they had wandered off all over the surrounding area, which did not surprise me at all when he told me they were Herdwick!
Sunday, we stayed in and hid from the rain and recovered from Saturday....
When we went to York with my sister to visit the mater. It was her 89th birthday today, when we couldn't visit, so we went earlier and took her a nice picnic lunch as she won't go out at all now. I find visiting her so depressing, for all sorts of reasons, some a credit to me, many others definitely not. Interestingly, I was talking to someone this morning who seems to have had very similar experiences with her mother. She used to phone her brother before talking to her mother to find out what frame of mind she was in - or he did likewise. Her mother and mine sounded like sisters separated at birth.
I came home and picked up a new knitting project. Handspun yarn. It felt like heaven in my fingers. Knitting anything would have felt good, but somehow my own handspun had that extra something that put the world to rights for a few moments, gave a sense of real peace. I can only think that it is because it is one's own creation, that the pleasure and satisfaction of creativity are curled around every single fibre, that it feels so good. Whatever, it worked the cure for me that night.
And in further good stuff - we seem to have some light at the end of the tunnel. The DSM has taken several steps forward in recent days and is much more positive. Really seems interested in getting back to work, and has much more energy. I am so pleased for him.
OK, and for me too, if I am being honest!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Surprise, surprise
Photos. We had to boot up the pc today, so I took the easy route. Quickly did a few snaps and uploaded them. I know, I know, an easy matter as well to put the right software on to the laptop, but I can't find the oomph to do that. So, sue me......
First up, the lace purl socks. I really liked this pattern and will definitely do it again some time. No socks on the needles at the moment, a state of affairs that I am sure will not last long. I have some good stuff to choose from. but I need to do a few more samples for the class this summer, so it may be bags and wrist warmers for a while.
I was given lots of pretty beads for my birthday last year, and needing little instant gratification in my life, not to say a little colour, I very quickly strung these. No great shakes skillwise, but they are eyecatching and feel good to wear. I'm happy with that for now.
Then these are the ones from last year's holiday purchases. Two simple stringing pieces and then a simple spiral, so I managed to step it up a gear! I've not been beading for several months and I don't have the depth of skill-base that I can just slip right back in to it, so I need to do a bit of work building up again. All good fun for the kiddies, though. I fully intend to undertake a project rather more demanding in the near future
I'm not beating myself up. Craft is as ever my lifeline at the moment, fibre craft in particular, but working with beads, things of beauty, can help a lot too. Creating something with my hands, no matter how basic, is very restorative - well, we all know that, eh?
Hey de ho, onward and upward.
First up, the lace purl socks. I really liked this pattern and will definitely do it again some time. No socks on the needles at the moment, a state of affairs that I am sure will not last long. I have some good stuff to choose from. but I need to do a few more samples for the class this summer, so it may be bags and wrist warmers for a while.
I was given lots of pretty beads for my birthday last year, and needing little instant gratification in my life, not to say a little colour, I very quickly strung these. No great shakes skillwise, but they are eyecatching and feel good to wear. I'm happy with that for now.
Then these are the ones from last year's holiday purchases. Two simple stringing pieces and then a simple spiral, so I managed to step it up a gear! I've not been beading for several months and I don't have the depth of skill-base that I can just slip right back in to it, so I need to do a bit of work building up again. All good fun for the kiddies, though. I fully intend to undertake a project rather more demanding in the near future
I'm not beating myself up. Craft is as ever my lifeline at the moment, fibre craft in particular, but working with beads, things of beauty, can help a lot too. Creating something with my hands, no matter how basic, is very restorative - well, we all know that, eh?
Hey de ho, onward and upward.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Mixed emotions
I have been meaning to write a blog entry for days now, and not getting around to it. I wanted to take some photographs, and time just wasn't somehow on my side to get that done - so no words, either.
Trouble is, I tend to use my laptop now as it is way, way faster, doesn't have nervous breakdowns all over the place, and - I just like it....But I haven't yet got around either to loading the camera software, so I need the pc booted up for that, and.....
Boring, innit?
I have been doing stuff. Went for some more or less instant gratification with beads - strung a few bits and pieces to put a little bit of new glitz into my life. Did a simple spiral, mossy green multi beads same as the strung pendant, plus little green pearls. Pretty. These were some of the beads I bought on the last trip to the States. I have plenty left to go at. I have some lovely beads from a beadmaker who is on Sheep Thrills, Gayle Herring, that I want to get to (I'll add a link to her website at a later date). The last bead I got from her is a charming little thing, and I want to suspend it from a St Petersburg chain. Trouble is, the instructions I have for that are a tad incomprehensible. Except that the ageing brain is telling me that there was a Beadwork project for that a few issues ago, so I need to go hunt it up.
I spin, I knit. Nearly finished the Manx Loghtan. Not sure what to do with it. I am tempted to use Tunisian crochet for a bag. Simple stuff, remember? The blue scarf is nearly done. For indulgence, I am wheel spinning some ancient Treetops Colour Harmonies I found at the bottom of the stash. See, I get around to some things some of the time!
Today, I spun yards and yards of the blue silk. In public, kind of. Today was a Big Day.
Today, I accompanied the DSM to his new place of work - the office move has finally taken place (so much for my cynicism that it never would). So much, too, for my cynicism that working at home would never be an option. Of a sudden, a miracle - a laptop has materialised! (We have yet to get it to work, have some doubts on that score, connecting to the internet, I mean.) I was very impressed, we spoke with his immediate two managers and they had a whole plan to propose. Seemingly, the company has a "rehabilitation" process, takes place over four weeks, he can work what he can manage and it doesn't get billed to his project. They had a good scenario for what he could be doing workwise to ease himself back in, and all in all, it went extraordinarily well. This should kick off officially some time in the next couple of weeks, but actually he is hoping to begin unofficially almost immediately. Except that as soon as we were home, the black dogs began a'howlin', I suppose that was inevitable. We can deal.
The offices were super, and I really liked his coworkers, too. who didn't seem at all fazed by my presence. I only sat in on the actual meeting bit, took myself off to an adjacent "quiet area" while he did a few necessary things, drank ersatz cappuccinos from the free drinks machine and as I said, spindle spun yards and yards of blue silk. Two of the women came up to talk to me, but the men just ignored it (not me, the spinning.)
So, all in all, we are getting there. It is going to seem very strange when he does go back. But before that, probably, we have the cardioversion set for 11 June - had a very unsettling thing happen apropos, phone call from the hospital the day before he was due to have the exercise stress test cancelling it because he was "not suitable". Threw us both into a bit of a panic, but turns out that what they meant was that there was no point, with arrhythmia there would be no usable results.
Pity they couldn't have said that - I've had enough rollercoaster rides recently, thank you very much.
Trouble is, I tend to use my laptop now as it is way, way faster, doesn't have nervous breakdowns all over the place, and - I just like it....But I haven't yet got around either to loading the camera software, so I need the pc booted up for that, and.....
Boring, innit?
I have been doing stuff. Went for some more or less instant gratification with beads - strung a few bits and pieces to put a little bit of new glitz into my life. Did a simple spiral, mossy green multi beads same as the strung pendant, plus little green pearls. Pretty. These were some of the beads I bought on the last trip to the States. I have plenty left to go at. I have some lovely beads from a beadmaker who is on Sheep Thrills, Gayle Herring, that I want to get to (I'll add a link to her website at a later date). The last bead I got from her is a charming little thing, and I want to suspend it from a St Petersburg chain. Trouble is, the instructions I have for that are a tad incomprehensible. Except that the ageing brain is telling me that there was a Beadwork project for that a few issues ago, so I need to go hunt it up.
I spin, I knit. Nearly finished the Manx Loghtan. Not sure what to do with it. I am tempted to use Tunisian crochet for a bag. Simple stuff, remember? The blue scarf is nearly done. For indulgence, I am wheel spinning some ancient Treetops Colour Harmonies I found at the bottom of the stash. See, I get around to some things some of the time!
Today, I spun yards and yards of the blue silk. In public, kind of. Today was a Big Day.
Today, I accompanied the DSM to his new place of work - the office move has finally taken place (so much for my cynicism that it never would). So much, too, for my cynicism that working at home would never be an option. Of a sudden, a miracle - a laptop has materialised! (We have yet to get it to work, have some doubts on that score, connecting to the internet, I mean.) I was very impressed, we spoke with his immediate two managers and they had a whole plan to propose. Seemingly, the company has a "rehabilitation" process, takes place over four weeks, he can work what he can manage and it doesn't get billed to his project. They had a good scenario for what he could be doing workwise to ease himself back in, and all in all, it went extraordinarily well. This should kick off officially some time in the next couple of weeks, but actually he is hoping to begin unofficially almost immediately. Except that as soon as we were home, the black dogs began a'howlin', I suppose that was inevitable. We can deal.
The offices were super, and I really liked his coworkers, too. who didn't seem at all fazed by my presence. I only sat in on the actual meeting bit, took myself off to an adjacent "quiet area" while he did a few necessary things, drank ersatz cappuccinos from the free drinks machine and as I said, spindle spun yards and yards of blue silk. Two of the women came up to talk to me, but the men just ignored it (not me, the spinning.)
So, all in all, we are getting there. It is going to seem very strange when he does go back. But before that, probably, we have the cardioversion set for 11 June - had a very unsettling thing happen apropos, phone call from the hospital the day before he was due to have the exercise stress test cancelling it because he was "not suitable". Threw us both into a bit of a panic, but turns out that what they meant was that there was no point, with arrhythmia there would be no usable results.
Pity they couldn't have said that - I've had enough rollercoaster rides recently, thank you very much.
Monday, May 14, 2007
A totally whiny post with nothing but a few rows of garter stitch.
I just wrote this post, published it, too.
I put it on a private textile forum where it had no business to be. I now have shame to add to everything else, even though I did get it deleted before, I think, too much harm was done.
Never being one to waste effort, I tried to copy it before deleting, but bloody Blogger doesn' t seem to let you do that any more. Or maybe it is still me, as I still fell, let's face it, like crap.
That was one of the offences - bad langwidge. Carol said "fuck" in public, twice, in fact.
Let's go again more bare bones, I still need to whine, and just why the hell shouldn't I, want to make something of it? (Getting belligerent now, not sure what that means.)
Thursday morning, 6am the DSM had to wake me up from a peaceful slumber......on the bathroom floor.
Yeah, that was the first "O Fuck."
I'll spare the descriptions, should anyone still be hanging around. Gastric flu', in spades. I had fainted. The DSM, understandably freaked, not being able to raise the out of hours doctor, called an ambulance, because it took ages for me to be able to function enough to actually get myself up off the floor, not least because of the ensuing major panic attack. They do a good check - better than the alternative, which was a ride in to hospital. All the time, I was thinking, gads, now the neighbours will think he has had another heart attack.... I checked out ok for everything except the gastro.
I'll also draw a veil over the next couple of days, when lying down and a little gentle groaning were about the equivalent of a marathon.
Then, the DSM got it.
Double Fuck. There are times when you just hate the Multiverse..........
However, the aforementioned did grant a reprieve in the shape of himself not getting anywhere near such a bad attack, so now we are both making some progress. Although still feeling, well, let's be honest, vile, spiritually if not physically. It will go, I know, in Time. I'm just not doing patient very well at the moment.
And it took me until last night to manage even a little garter stitch knitting. Do Not Scream at me for this. It is the blue spindle spun yarn, and the rather nifty pattern from The Knit Stitch where you start with a triangle and then knit lengthwise, makes kind of like a little fichu. My theme at the moment is simple spinning, simple projects. I like it.
Oh, boy, that's it, I'm done. Energy all gone for now. But I am up to a little light soap opera watching.
And might even knit.
I put it on a private textile forum where it had no business to be. I now have shame to add to everything else, even though I did get it deleted before, I think, too much harm was done.
Never being one to waste effort, I tried to copy it before deleting, but bloody Blogger doesn' t seem to let you do that any more. Or maybe it is still me, as I still fell, let's face it, like crap.
That was one of the offences - bad langwidge. Carol said "fuck" in public, twice, in fact.
Let's go again more bare bones, I still need to whine, and just why the hell shouldn't I, want to make something of it? (Getting belligerent now, not sure what that means.)
Thursday morning, 6am the DSM had to wake me up from a peaceful slumber......on the bathroom floor.
Yeah, that was the first "O Fuck."
I'll spare the descriptions, should anyone still be hanging around. Gastric flu', in spades. I had fainted. The DSM, understandably freaked, not being able to raise the out of hours doctor, called an ambulance, because it took ages for me to be able to function enough to actually get myself up off the floor, not least because of the ensuing major panic attack. They do a good check - better than the alternative, which was a ride in to hospital. All the time, I was thinking, gads, now the neighbours will think he has had another heart attack.... I checked out ok for everything except the gastro.
I'll also draw a veil over the next couple of days, when lying down and a little gentle groaning were about the equivalent of a marathon.
Then, the DSM got it.
Double Fuck. There are times when you just hate the Multiverse..........
However, the aforementioned did grant a reprieve in the shape of himself not getting anywhere near such a bad attack, so now we are both making some progress. Although still feeling, well, let's be honest, vile, spiritually if not physically. It will go, I know, in Time. I'm just not doing patient very well at the moment.
And it took me until last night to manage even a little garter stitch knitting. Do Not Scream at me for this. It is the blue spindle spun yarn, and the rather nifty pattern from The Knit Stitch where you start with a triangle and then knit lengthwise, makes kind of like a little fichu. My theme at the moment is simple spinning, simple projects. I like it.
Oh, boy, that's it, I'm done. Energy all gone for now. But I am up to a little light soap opera watching.
And might even knit.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Ride on, baby
Spent yesterday out with a friend, a pleasant interlude and not too expensive! By which I mean we have a bad habit of going to favourite emporia, when I visit her it is generally Borders, when she comes to me it is Variegations. I am slowly building up a collection of stuff from there and elsewhere to get all artsy-fartsy with. ATCs are gradually impinging on my consciousness - actually, I came home inspired yesterday and can see all sorts of ways I could incorporate handspun yarn, so......
But (hah!) - that is not what I wanted to say. Had the best belly laugh for ages. I was driving home, and paying attention to the road as I was, I saw the cyclist as part of the bigger picture. Moving past him, I didn't see the finer detail.
My friend did.
He had sponsorship. One presumes. He had the requisite slogan emblazoned on his lycra.
In large letters across his backside - and apparently, that meant right on target, if you get my drift - were the words......
Liquid gas.
But (hah!) - that is not what I wanted to say. Had the best belly laugh for ages. I was driving home, and paying attention to the road as I was, I saw the cyclist as part of the bigger picture. Moving past him, I didn't see the finer detail.
My friend did.
He had sponsorship. One presumes. He had the requisite slogan emblazoned on his lycra.
In large letters across his backside - and apparently, that meant right on target, if you get my drift - were the words......
Liquid gas.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Down the road apiece.......
I suppose, rather, over the tops and not so far away.
Yesterday, in this continuing phenomenal weather (I am sorry to keep going on about it, but we can neither of us remember such a prolonged spell of such good weather, winter, spring, summer or fall, in more years than we care to contemplate) we drove over the tops to Otley.
Otley means - Adelaide Walker. I - we - love going there. For one thing, the little building that used to house the shop is now an excellent cafe. It has been established by a young Italian, and it is quite fascinating to go occasionally and see what the next development is. He really understands the restaurant biz (I suspect it is in the blood) and is slowly and gradually bringing the place up - and it has always been good. I hope to have my 80th birthday party at his Michelin starred Bradford or wherever restaurant!
But mostly we go to buy good fibre from AW. We had ordered the greater part of our supplies for the SS workshop from them, and the visit was to pick that up, but I had warned the DSM that I couldn't be expected not to indulge in anything particularly tempting that might be there. Well.......
They had a fibre of unknown origin. Fibres, really, a mixture of silk (by the aroma and lustre) and. Best guess, cashmere. I looked at it very carefully, and I certainly was happy to think it was. It had been burn-tested, and it was definitely all natural protein - I had wondered if the high-lustre element might be viscose or similar, but no. It could not, of course be sold or priced as cashmere. It was being sold as merino and silk. An extremely luscious merino and silk. I bought 500 grammes for around £15.
What fibre-lovin' human could possibly resist that, eh?
The other good thing about visiting AW at Otley is that from where we live, the best way to travel is via Ilkley. Ilkley means many good things - real shoes shops, checked out now for the next trip, the super sweet shop where we bought a lovely big box of chocs for the DSM's aunt 's birthday (oh, and six Charbonnel et Walker truffles managed to fall in to our bag....) But best of all, it means Betty's. Actually - by the time we got there after doing our bit of shopping, it seemed to us rather too hot in there to be able to relax and enjoy our tea, so we just bought stuff from the shop (tea room blend tea, two loaves of bread and - ahem - two curd tarts. Frankly, anyone who has never had a Betty's curd tart has never lived.
I dragged out the Masons tea service when we got back, and we indulged.
Everything should stop for tea. Once in a while.
Yesterday, in this continuing phenomenal weather (I am sorry to keep going on about it, but we can neither of us remember such a prolonged spell of such good weather, winter, spring, summer or fall, in more years than we care to contemplate) we drove over the tops to Otley.
Otley means - Adelaide Walker. I - we - love going there. For one thing, the little building that used to house the shop is now an excellent cafe. It has been established by a young Italian, and it is quite fascinating to go occasionally and see what the next development is. He really understands the restaurant biz (I suspect it is in the blood) and is slowly and gradually bringing the place up - and it has always been good. I hope to have my 80th birthday party at his Michelin starred Bradford or wherever restaurant!
But mostly we go to buy good fibre from AW. We had ordered the greater part of our supplies for the SS workshop from them, and the visit was to pick that up, but I had warned the DSM that I couldn't be expected not to indulge in anything particularly tempting that might be there. Well.......
They had a fibre of unknown origin. Fibres, really, a mixture of silk (by the aroma and lustre) and. Best guess, cashmere. I looked at it very carefully, and I certainly was happy to think it was. It had been burn-tested, and it was definitely all natural protein - I had wondered if the high-lustre element might be viscose or similar, but no. It could not, of course be sold or priced as cashmere. It was being sold as merino and silk. An extremely luscious merino and silk. I bought 500 grammes for around £15.
What fibre-lovin' human could possibly resist that, eh?
The other good thing about visiting AW at Otley is that from where we live, the best way to travel is via Ilkley. Ilkley means many good things - real shoes shops, checked out now for the next trip, the super sweet shop where we bought a lovely big box of chocs for the DSM's aunt 's birthday (oh, and six Charbonnel et Walker truffles managed to fall in to our bag....) But best of all, it means Betty's. Actually - by the time we got there after doing our bit of shopping, it seemed to us rather too hot in there to be able to relax and enjoy our tea, so we just bought stuff from the shop (tea room blend tea, two loaves of bread and - ahem - two curd tarts. Frankly, anyone who has never had a Betty's curd tart has never lived.
I dragged out the Masons tea service when we got back, and we indulged.
Everything should stop for tea. Once in a while.
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