Craft actually

yellow

This post was intended for my week of colour *last* Friday but I've just looked up from my computer to find that another week has wooshed by.

I have been unusually attracted to yellow recently and when I saw this at Pigeonroof Studio's etsy shop my finger hovvered over the "Add to Cart" button for a microsecond before decicively clicking.

I have some definite ideas for a shawl design for this and as soon as I have finished writing up the current pattern I'm working on I will start sketching and graphing. I'm absolutely itching to start working with this yarn.

Here is some more yellow that I have been admiring:

1. 347.1, 2. DSC_0701, 3. Aestlight2, 4. Aestlight1, 5. mars 2008 065, 6. Shetland Square Lace Shawl

What happened to my missing week you ask?

Work has been particularly busy. I have started working 5 days, up from doing 4 since I returned to work from maternity leave. This has been a bit of a shock to my routine in itself so added to that our firm recently merging with a big US firm and preparing to move offices next weekend its been hard to keep up.

At home we have some visitors from the antipodies. Smithy's best mate, wife and two year old are staying with us as a base for their Eurpean travels and my sis arrived on Monday which is fantastic. She was brave enough to volunteer to look after S today.   

I have been determindly been scraping out some knitting and creative time with all this going on and have embarked on a little plan to put some of my designs "out there". Its a little bit confronting. To help me along I signed up for an online Design 101 course with Shannon Okey (Knitgrrl) and it has provided much needed learning and support. Its really helped me organise my ideas and design process so far. I'm totally loving the process although at times I am very happy to drift away with rows of stocking stitch for my Citron shawl.

In the midst of this I have been managing a meagre amount of exercise which I keep saying needs to be my first priority but I'm not acting on. I went for a couple of walks after work with my sis this week which was lovely - motivating and relaxing. I've also made a small but important change to my diet of having a healthy cereal for breakfast instead of sugar and fat laden Pret breakfast baguettes.

What has had to give is firstly housework. I have pretty much given up on attempts to cook meals. Stocks of toilet paper and detergent are getting dangerously low. Luckily my guests and Smithy have been more than capable of fending for themselves. Slightly more disturbing is the difficulty I've had finding clean clothes for work but that is still within acceptable limits. Thank goodness for the new dress down Friday policy. But what I am finding horrible is that it has also meant noticibly less time to spend with Sophie and because of that I'm not sure how long the current routine will be sustainable. I'm looking forward to lots of cuddles on the weekend.

Free weekend

We were planning to go on our first family camping trip this weekend. Last weekend we bought a big 6-man family tent with three rooms. Quite a leap from our tiny two man tent that Smithy and I used to squeeze into. So we were really psyched to take S for her first camping trip but given the weather forcast, although its sunny (yay!) its also going to be really cold. I got too nervous at the thought of it going down to 0 degrees C at night and even more nervous about the thought of S having to get into our bed on the inflatable mattress with us. She moves around so much we would be seasick in minutes!

Not going away means that we suddenly have a whole long weekend ahead of us with no plans which is a very liberating feeling.

We will be enjoying the garden and the bulbs might open up so I'm glad to be around for that.

 

The magnolia is peaking now which is spectacular as always. Its pretty windy today so a carpet of petals is starting to form on the grass.

 

And I couldn't resist sharing how good Miss S's instincts are... yarn appreciation from a young age. She goes straight to the jewels of the stash.
 

A little bit crazy and a little bit English

So we're going to Singapore for a week. I'm sure they have baby food there. But I might not have time to find it. The obvious solution is to cart several kilos of mushed up food and desiccated milk halfway round the world right? Right? I know. Its a little nutty. More embarrassing is that we have been living in England so long I'm nervous there won't be regular tea readily available. Oh I'm sure there will be green tea everywhere you look... but your regular builders now that I'm not so sure. 

Minnow sez you crazee ladi how dar u leev mi

Wish us luck for the 12 hour flight tomorrow. It might be a bit different with a baby who can now move around of her own accord. And I hope we are all over our tummy bug that has meant a LOT of loads of washing the last couple of days. I discovered that yes you can put a sheepskin in the washing machine (sorry Lynn :)) 

Now its getting late and I really have to decide what knitting project to take. To a tropical island. Me crazy ...nooooooo.

xo

Happy tunes

Thanks so much for everyone's lovely words and thoughts for Andrea and great suggestions for uplifting music. She is going pretty well when I've spoken to her this week despite there being nothing nice about chemo. 

This is the mix I've put together... its eclectic to say the least but I like it! Robbo has a bit more indie taste than me so it might be a bit pop-y for her but she can skip some of the more cheesy ones!

Sweet Home Alabama - Lynryd Skynryd

Sing - Travis

Feel - Robbie Williams

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Super Trouper - ABBA

Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

I Can See Clearly Now - Jimmy Cliff

Black Balloon - The Goo Goo Dolls

Everlasting Friend - Blue October

You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban

Fly Me Away - Goldfrapp

Mint Car - The Cure

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Angels - Robbie Williams

Imagine - John Lennon

Over the Rainbow - Eva Cassidy

Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera - Vivaldi

I've been knitting like a demon on the blanket/shawl. I'm using this pattern by Marie Grace

I'm loving it - simple yet effective and going round and round in a square is really quick. Loving the Blue Sky Alpaca Melange too in cornflower.

And just to get your mouth watering...here are some florentines I made this morning for Friday drinks DVD with the mummies. Good old Australian Women's Weekly recipe.

F*cking B*stard B*llocks cancer rears its ugly head again

My best mate Robbo started her first cycle of chemo today. She found out last week that she has four new tumors since her operation on her lungs six months ago. Three on her liver and one in the original site. 

From what I have read leiomyosarcoma (LMS for short) is a real little bastard of a cancer but Robbo is being incredibly brave and amazing. She hasn't cried at all on the phone even though I've been calling her every day trying to make her (just kidding). She is following a strict anti-cancer diet and has been meditating every day since around when she had her first operation about two years ago based on principles from the Australian Gawler Foundation.

I am bouncing off the walls over here hoping it is all going ok for her today in Brissie. I probably would have been on a plane over there by now if Sophie's passport had come through but I'll just have to wait until our trip in a couple of months. In the meantime I've cast on for a shawl for her for something to keep my hands busy. When she first found out about the LMS I had the same urge to make something and knitted the clapotis but I was never fully happy with it (too small) so I'm going to try again.

Please, please say lots of prayers or send healing vibes, whatever your thing over the next few days. I really believe it makes a difference.

I have also been meaning to mention Flibbertygibbet's efforts at making a difference. She is doing the Race for Life in May with an I Knit London team and is giving away some GORGEOUS sock yarn to someone who donates so its a nice chance to contribute to a very good cause. I am considering joining her although will have to work out logistics with the Bean. I may do a day event instead as that one is in the evening.

PS: Oh yes and I want to make a CD for Andrea but am pretty hopeless at keeping up with good music so if you have any suggestions for uplifting cool tunes - pop, classical, indie, whatever - leave a comment please! I will send a little something to a random commenter (maybe a little something from the Alpaca stash - depending on if you're a knitter or not!)

 

Spring

Its Spring (whoohoo) its a sunny day and the buds are starting to form on the magnolia tree.

Time for a spring clean of my priorities I think!  I usually enjoy having a bit of a roundup of the year and setting new years resolutions but this year the lack of sleep meant that any thoughts other than "how long since the last feed?" just flittered away from me. So before my maternity leave is over and I'm back at work I had better make some plans! Its all about the lists for me...without them I achieve nothing. And I like the satisfaction of crossing things off too much.

1. Look after Sophie and play with her (I like to start off with something I know I'll definitely do!)

2. Revive my etsy shop and make a few things ideally each week but realistically would be happy with a few things a month.

3. Photography - get out the DSLR and use some of the skills I learnt at my course this time last year 

4. Too many knitting projects to mention

5. Make a log cabin quilt for myself (or Sophie) like this one from Machine Made Patchworks

6. Enjoy weekends with Smithy, go for weekends to the country, go for picnics in the park (hoping for a nice summer this year!) and see lots of friends and family

7. Pay some attention to fitness, maybe get out for a run occasionally

8. Cook new recipies every week

9. Sew clothes for Sophie (and maybe me too)

10. Blog more and find the balance between doing this stuff and writing about it.

How am I going to do this is what I'm trying to figure out. Some ideas....

1. Get going more quickly in the morning

2. Don't procrastinate on boring admin - get it out of the way quickly

3. Focus on one thing at a time

4. Lists (more lists?!!)

5. Enlist Smithy to spend more quality time with Sophie :)

I've been seeing this book Getting Things Done pop up on blogs here and there. Looks kind of interesting but I wonder if I would just be procrastinating by reading it! Has anyone read it? Recommended?

general rambling

I took a day holiday from work today and it was a sunny beautiful day. Maybe one of the best days of the year. It was a nice break from the gloom and doom of the city this week.

I met up with the girls from our antenatal group for coffee in Peckham Rye park - great little cafe and great cake! Afterwards I went on a much longer walk than expected to find a local vet for some decent flea treatment for the kitties and then restored my strength with not one but TWO pies! not good.

I totally forgot to take some photos of some recent yarn and crafting efforts and missed the lovely light today. I've started knitting something which may be the first of my christmas knitting in Mirasol Pina - its 80% baby alpaca and 20% bamboo and is the most squidgy soft yarn I think I've ever used. Its just lovely and I am thinking of what I can make for the Bean with it as well (although I don't think it would be very hard wearing - its just too soft!)

I am a bit disappointed to miss Ally Pally again this year as I've never been and it seems to be quite an experience but I don't think I'm up to the physical challenge and my bank balance isn't either. Ah, maybe next year!

I have one more week of work which will take most of my energy so probably won't post much next week but am hoping to get back into it again more regularly when I'm on leave. Whoohoo! I had a taste of it today and I liked it!

and the winner of the final weeks giveaway is....

....Bekka! Bekka is an amazingly productive crafter and is about the same amount preggers as me. She has a cute blog.

I wrote the title of this blog about two hours ago but a tummy bouncing around like there's a trampoline on the other side, Misty suddenly deciding to be charming and exposing her irresistibly schmoochy belly for cuddles and Russel Crowe being suprisingly entertaining in A Good Year has resulted in complete distraction.

Anyway, that last paragraph has taken another good half hour so I'm just going to quickly share a recent purchase that I'm extraordinarily pleased with. Its Olav Grimmigsson the Viking by Sandra at Herzensart. I love her sculptures.

 

(photo by Sandra )

He's bigger than I expected but I guess you get that with vikings.

Happy Blogiversary to me!

Craft Actually is two years old! I am planning a birthday giveaway for my loyal readers but like all presents I am giving this year it will be late. I just posted a pressie to my sis last week....her birthday was in February. Bad sister. So if I get organised for a little something next week I will be very impressed with myself.

In the meantime thank you for all your lovely comments on the blog, on photos and in emails. I think the best thing about having the blog is the interaction and feedback and my "imaginary friends" out there. Sometimes when I'm tired or uninspired I think I'm a bit crazy for keeping it going but most of the time it keeps me going. So stay tuned next week for presents!

In the meantime check out these links...

Cupcake Sachets by Norma Lynn - Cute crochet cupcakes for charity - and eyecandy.

Cupcake Blog - A blog dedicated to cupcake recipies - it has now closed but is a beautiful and amazing collection as well as as the blogroll - who knew there were so many blogs about cupcakes!

And fabric junkies must check out this stash on Quaint Handmade - The organisation is amazing and the fabric collection drool-worthy. Very noice. (via Design Sponge)

Tash's overlocker

Warning: slightly maudlin post.....

In this picture P took on Tues I'm using Tash's overlocker. We gathered for her birthday last week in a London bar, and being a Wednesday lot of the knitters were there. Mark always made us very welcome although weirdly we have only got to know him well since Tash left. He is going through the painful process of packing up their flat and moving away from London. Part of this means winding up the Tay-o (how she always pronounced The Tao) and I am really going to miss those updates because Tash was always a bit of an enigma before but now its a last link that will go.

I'm still a bit pissed off that she's gone. Not at her of course. We knew her time with us was special but we didn't think she would go so soon. Tash and her "Bella Figura" fooling us all. Its like cancer appeared at the party that was just getting really going like a nasty policeman confiscating the music and sending evreryone home early.

I love looking at this photo page though and I think even if you didn't know her you can see how cool she was. She was a chick who had an overlocker, a Vespa and a passion for Pete Doherty - a complete one of a kind. I usually try to mind my manners and not swear on the blog. But to borrow a phrase from a good friend - Tash was truly cool as fuck.