So Much To Do

I am absolutely exhausted - this is the third time I am trying to write this entry in two days. I am just not right in the head (literally, I'm a bit giddy).

Well, yesterday I did make it to Lincraft which was good but I didn't find much there that I wanted to buy which was not really a surprise. I did pick up six skeins of the same cotton yarn I sent Deb for the Holiday Gift Exchange - except I chose pink, of course...but then sanity prevailed and I put it all back. I didn't feel like purchasing rubbish just for the sake of taking something home. I must try and get to Spotlight tomorrow, it might be the last chance I have for a while if mum is coming home on Friday.

I did buy some more FIMO! to play with (so many colours to choose from - some are even glittery, which is extra-lovely - what luck!), and I bought a few other bits and pieces so it wasn't a complete loss. I managed to buy some new clothes, too, which is great for summer - it was exceptionally hot and steamy yesterday so I was able to wear one of my new outfits when I went it to see mum. She liked it a lot, I think it cheered her up that I looked extra-nice for her.

Today has been much cooler than yesterday but very windy, my little clothesline kept blowing over which didn't do much to improve my mood but then there are other good things that happened so it is a bit of a trade-off. I managed to get some cleaning done, not as much as I wanted but that was more due to not feeling up to it anyway, than real laziness...for a change. I don't know how my day will be tomorrow, I guess it's a matter of wait and see.

On that note, I am heading off to bed - 9:05pm...I'm like a geriatric...

Fairy Floss

All that whinging and moaning must've paid off - just after I wrote my entry yesterday I saw the postie on his bike going down one of the side streets and then he came back to our place and left a little package in the mailbox for me, it was my eBay delivery and I am in two minds about the items I received but I will just chalk it up to experience and be happy with the two that I think are good and nevermind the two items I think weren't so good. I have e-mailed the seller but no response so I don't think I will be buying from her again - which is a big loss for her because I have no impulse control and there was a lot in her eBay store that I liked the look of.

It was quite late, after three I think, when I saw the postal van pull up and my cottons from Crochet Australia had arrived. I will definitely be ordering from them again, I'm very happy with the cottons that arrived and they came quickly which is good for my short attention span.

Metallics (not cotton but equivalent to the 4ply), variegated, plain and plain with sparkles! Oh, and a Freddo Frog, too - even if the cotton had been rubbish, I would've loved them for the Freddo!

All the beautiful colours of the rainbow (well a few of them anyway) - a bit like fairy floss and so pretty.

I started using the dark pink (top) yesterday and it crochets beautifully, it is from Turkey so I am sure that is why it is so good...I think, although I am not sure yet, that it is a bit stiffer than the Panda cotton but I like the way it looks and feels so far. I am just using my very favourite doily pattern (always), so I can make 9 more at least and that is not including the metallics - not sure if they will make good doilies but I will try a few things with them, if I can.

Who needs itty-bitty thread when there is such beautiful 4ply cotton around? The size 10 thread and tiny hooks are enough to send me blind - I couldn't imagine using size 60 or sewing thread as some masochists do! Maybe I will try one day but I don't know if I will while there is 4ply cotton around that I can use instead.

Right now, I've almost got my second granny-square finished for my felting project, I need to do another six granny squares, six rounds in each as the two bigger ones are twelve rounds. I don't know if I'll do that or if I'll just be lazy and join the big ones together and call it a bag. I will see how long it takes me and what I feel like doing...

AKA The Scullery Maid...

Today...is not a Lincraft day *sniff*...it still could be, except I have a load of washing in the washing machine (and more needing to be done!), the dishwasher running (I hate using the dishwasher), the kitchen sink full of more dishes, the cutlery drawer emptied onto the bench, the contents of the pantry emptied onto the other bench, my bed piled high with clothes, crap all over my floor. I want to clean out the fridge, too but I think I might leave that, it's not urgent...

I really don't think it would be wise to waste my time at Lincraft when I have so much to do here. At any rate, I have bullied a friend into coming shopping with me tomorrow so if I can get everything sorted out here, tomorrow will be a carefree and relaxed shopping day. I bet I don't get anything finished today, though - especially not if I keep taking breaks like this one but I think I am entitled to an early lunch break.

No postman has arrived yet and I'm devastated - it's almost midday...I wonder if he will come a bit later on? I hope so. I wish they would be consistent in their arrival times.

I was told by mum not to visit this morning so I will go in this afternoon when my sister gets home instead. I'll try and get there tomorrow morning as mum is expecting one of our friends to turn up and it would be nice to see her while she is there...

One granny-square has been completed for my felting experiment, I don't know if I've got enough of the same colours to make the other one, but I do have some black which would match nicely so I'll see if I can get that sorted out tonight when I have nothing else to do.

Balls of FIMO!

It is very nice to be home again, just popped in to see mum and she is much brighter today so we're all very happy with that. Apparently, she may be able to come out on Wednesday or Thursday, we'll see how she goes but that would be excellent. I will have to speak to my boss tomorrow and arrange another week of leave, otherwise they might not let her come home if she will be by herself, they were pushing for a rehab placement but mum refused.

Had my eyebrows done yesterday and I'm wearing a short-ish dress today (unusual for me), it looks very nice on so I'm feeling happy about that. Had a bit of a "Marilyn moment" when I stopped to get petrol, it was a bit breezy out there but nevermind. My sister and I are going to book ourselves in for a pedicure maybe next Saturday as it is getting to the very good weather for open-toed shoes and my feet need to be prettied up a bit. I did paint my nails before we left (open shoes on) but I didn't have time to let them dry properly so they're a bit smudged. Will take it all off later on and redo them...I might as well take advantage of the freedom of not having to wear my clunky old duty shoes every day.

I have tried following a bag pattern for felting with my crappy wool (it's not really crappy wool, just not as nice as what Secret Pal sent me so I'm willing to sacrifice it for a trial run) but, for some reason, I am having trouble wrapping my head around "ch X amount, hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in each ch across, ch 2, turn...hdc in each stitch across". It's actually very simple and I've never had trouble with something so basic before but I am not ending up with straight edges! I think using the larger hook is throwing me off a bit because I might be making up spaces that really aren't spaces? I think this is an opportunity to consult my "Crochet Answer Book"!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my orders arrive tomorrow because I am just about on the edge of my seat for the items, I only have that awful Sullivans' cotton left and I truly can't think of any use for it - it just feels so bad compared to the Panda. I have lovely proper cotton from Secret Pal but I am not sure what I will do with it...I did come across some pattern leaflets that had some interesting designs that I might order in the future but I will have to get to Spotlight and see what they have there. Tomorrow is definitely a Lincraft day, I need to get some summer-y clothes so I can get out of my jeans a bit more often and while I am there, it's just a hop-skip-and-jump to Lincraft. I need more FIMO!, too - goodness only knows what I can get up to with a few more colours here. Did I ever mention how I keep coming across random little lumps of FIMO! all through the house? I must have some in my hand and go to do something and just leave it anywhere, I keep finding these little FIMO! balls in the strangest places...

Only one hank of undyed KnitPicks "Bare" left, I am saving it up because once it is dyed, then it's all finished. I will have to think of things to make with the very strange colours I've ended up with, maybe some squares and a new rug would be nice - I haven't made one for mum yet and I know she feels a bit left out by that. Don't know how keen she'll be on purple and green with orange and pink but I think it has the potential to look quite nice. I don't know if it's too nice to felt, I will have to ask Secret Pal for his / her opinion. My Secret Pal is full of good advice and useful information!

I am not much good as a Secret Pal myself, I am sure - shame on me! Pull your finger out, Michelle and bloody well get sorted! I don't think I'm doing too badly as a Holiday Gift Exchange partner though, although I have my doubts about the Hubby Swap - no word from Esta yet and it is making me a bit grumpy...I will have to e-mail the coordinator again and see if she might be able to sort that out for me because it's getting me a bit down, to be honest. I hate this not-knowing, worrying that the package went astray (although I strongly doubt it did).

I am going to continue to tackle this stupid, mind-boggingly simple pattern for a while and see how I go...

Sent and Received...

This week has been so wonderful, I have had to spend most of my blogging-time taking photos and writing entries - some took me a long time to do (like the Secret Pal goodies) because blogger is very naughty when I try to upload more than one photo at a time.

Today it's time to show all the beautiful items Shell sent me on Monday - I only put up a picture of the box but there are other things, too, that deserve a bit of time under the spotlight!

The item missing is the angel pen, because I must've left it in the car and I am still in my pyjamas so I don't want to go and look for it - but I will, when I get dressed.

I kept the doily under the items because it matches them all so nicely, but the doily is a gift - I hope the recipient doesn't come here or I'll be in a bit of trouble, won't I?

Since Deborah has received her first box for the Holiday Gift Exchange, I can upload a picture of what I sent - and I pinched her picture because it was so much nicer than the one I took...I didn't think to take a photo until it was all in the box and then I was too lazy to unpack it and get a proper photo. The only item that is very hard to see is the "Holiday Ornament", it's really quite pretty.

There's a copy of "Yarn" magazine (the 'colour issue' apparently), a little packet of assorted purple beads, a purple "Lincraft" shopping bag (the alternative to plastic shopping bags - eco-friendly!), Panda 4ply cotton thread (dark purple variegated), Sullivans 4ply cotton (light purple, pastel variegated), white crochet thread (size 10 - I forgot I put that in there, I was looking for it yesterday to send again!), bright pink crochet thread (not sure of the size), shiny purple crochet thread (not sure of the size again), four balls of purple cotton yarn, a blue satin jewelry 'roll', I thought Deborah could use for storing necessities for projects in her WIP bag (like the required hook, safety pins, stitch markers, pattern etc) or for jewelry, whatever she wanted...and inside the jewelry roll was the pretty ornament. I think that's all pretty accurate, but I might be wrong. I better apologise to Deborah, I thought I had sent three Panda 4ply cotton, not 1 Panda and 2 Sullivans. I really hate that stuff! If I ever guy it again, I will commit myself to a psychiatric ward...

The next package is almost completed, I will send it off today if I can - I seem to have misplaced some of the things I wanted to put in there (which seems to be happening very frequently, I think it's the dementia setting in...).

I am expecting two very special deliveries this week (three, if I count what Deborah is sending me, too but I am not sure if it will arrive this week or not) - I put in an order at Crochet Australia through the week, they sell Panda 4ply cotton and have a better range of colours than I've seen in Spotlight (and slightly cheaper, too) as well as metallic thread (equivalent to the 4ply, yay!), and a different brand I hadn't tried (but I liked the colours) - these are all for very special projects I have planned, I sense a lot of nice gifts being made. The other delivery I can't go into much detail about but if what I receive is half as nice as I hope, then it's going to be fantastic.

Who's a Lucky Little Vegemite?

I am sure the yarn photos don't need any explanations, I don't think I could come up with mere words that would do justice to all that beautiful yarn, anyway...but I will eventually write down the names / blends and put that list here, so everyone can be properly jealous of my yarn-stash!

Please forgive me if I've forgotten anything - every time I start to go through my latest delivery, I get side-tracked by particular items and a bit dumbfounded, I must admit...

My picture-taking skills are getting worse and worse, it would seem. The only explanation I can offer is that my hands have been shaking constantly since about Sunday night...excuse the poor layout, too - Blogger frequently sends me crazy when I try to upload pictures or place them where I want them...

One of my very favourite items sent was the beautiful felted bag (purse) Secret Pal made for me, the colours are reminiscent of the ocean and it has the cutest button closure I think I've ever seen - apparently, it's like a "Peanut Butter Cup" but I saw it as a cupcake case...either way it's just gorgeous and I love it a lot. Great size, too - fits everything I need, a few extras and prevents me from filling up my bag with rubbish (which I tend to do if I've got a bag big enough, never can find anything in those ones!).

A close-up of the very cute button closure..

KnitPicks "Bare" merino, for use with the next item, lots and lots of Kool-Aid sachets. I have dyed almost all of it, got the last hank untouched and one currently absorbing colours in the kitchen - I've had so much fun with it and I think I've got some very pretty dyed hanks of merino, now. I may need to go back and try to re-dye the first one, since I left quite a few 'bald patches' but I don't think it will be a problem, it might even turn out better.

Dyeing is another one of those 'magical processes', I would say - a bit like felting and spinning and all those fun things...

I am hesistant to admit it, but I think you made a bit of a mistake, Secret Pal! I have 17 packets of Kool-Aid left and only one hank of undyed yarn...I am sure you really meant to send me another 14 (at least!) but I can forgive you for forgetting...all this extra Kool-Aid is taunting me now!




A beautiful shell-embellished bag / purse handle which my sister has already claimed as her own, so I will have to either finish the modified textured shaped purse or start a new one for her, maybe as a Christmas present although I am not sure if I'll get around to it in time. Eek.

A pair of gorgeous tortoiseshell-looking bag / purse handles which I adore and will be saving for myself, because I am selfish and greedy like that...


"Yarn Bra's" which makes me giggle even though I know it's childish - I am looking forward to trying these on my precious yarns because I would hate to end up with tangles as I often do...with the bras, there is a beautiful paper gift-bag with matching tissue-paper (Secret Pal must think I'm a nut for saving all the other tissue-paper sent with items...), an instruction sheet on dyeing with Kool-Aid and a crochet pattern for a blanket!


A lovely, big box of See's Candy (chocolates) - a two pound box this time, if I remember right (am I right, Secret Pal?) - and a box of chocolates for my mum (which was a terribly sweet and much appreciated gesture) as well as a Thanksgiving / "Fall" card for me, a "Get Well" card for mum and three books for mum, also. I went in today and started reading one while I was there, she's read two already and she said she enjoyed them...so thanks on behalf of mum, too!

Crochet magazines - how lucky am I? "Interweave Crochet", "Crochet!" and "Crochet Today" - I took them with me to the hospital today and I had a good look through them all, wonderful patterns and so much inspiration! I am looking forward to dragging out all my books and patterns to try to find the right ones for the beautiful new yarns I have, I will definitely have to make some of the gorgeous patterns in the magazines, though.

"Crochet Answer Book", which I am sure will come in very handy when I can't do something, I think I will read it through at least once to begin with and absorb a bit of information that way and then refer to it for specific problems. I think it is a very valuable addition to my library!

The most beautiful necklace, made by a local (to SP) artist, a very sweet little heart and the loveliest crochet hook charm, I love it even more because SP is a knitter but doesn't look down on crochet...

More gorgeous hooks: wooden Brittany hooks, the dark (Forest Palmwood?) wood hooks and the bone hook...and the most beautiful Californian Abalone hook, it is truly amazing to look at, more like a piece of jewelry or a decorative piece but apparently strong enough to put up with the abuse I will throw at it (carefully, of course) and it feels exceptionally comfy in my hand, so that is even better!













Donna Kooler's "Encyclopaedia of Crochet" which looked so familiar to me because I am forever having a quick browse at the pages on Amazon.com and I have certainly had my beady little eye on it - great projects, lots of very good information!

A polymer clay book with wonderful projects to feed my FIMO! habit - things I hadn't even thought of and certainly wouldn't know how to do otherwise, I hope I can get to Lincraft and buy some more colours soon because I am just itching to get started. Very, very sweet of you, Secret Pal, to send me that!

An Elvis Costello CD which I have to keep reminding myself not to call "Elvis and Costello"...listened to it twice now and I think it's great.

And...a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Please excuse how empty the bag looks, I have been enjoying them a lot (and sharing!) - did I really think a diet was ever going to work? I can't say I care too much, I'd rather have the Peanut Butter Cups!

The very best thing about you, Secret Pal, apart from your amazing generosity, is that you listen and ask questions and pick such wonderful things for me, I am incredibly grateful!

Lazy Michelle

Another hectic day. In most respects, I would much rather have spent the day playing with yarn but it wasn't the way my day worked out and I must say, I really can't complain because I had another great day and I did get in a little bit of time for yarn-stroking and showing off my goodies.

Speaking of goodies, I must seem a most ungrateful person - to not organise all my items, take photos and share with the world what wonderful people are in my life. I feel as if I'm being lazy but I really did have a busy day...







This is the beautiful yarn I was sent by my Secret Pal - barring, of course, the bare Merino from KnitPicks which I prefer to call "The Naked Yarn" because...it's nude! Not for much longer, though - one skein is finished, one is drying, one is dyeing and one is soaking in preparation for dyeing. I am having an absolute blast, it is so much fun to play around with colours and ideas. The first one wasn't perfect but nevermind, it is a pretty colour and I got very valuable advice and suggestions from Secret Pal - so fingers crossed that the rest turn out well, too.

Back to the photos - there is so much to describe, soysilk, alpaca, merino, cashmere, silk - it's all so beautiful, like a very gorgeous, fibre-y rainbow. I am brainstorming at every opportunity and really enjoying the process of thinking of what might work for each different type, what I can make with the quantities I have, will the yarn suit something decorative or something 'useful' etc. The pictures are worth a thousand words (each!), but I will write more about the individual yarns tomorrow when I get home from the hospital. I will happily devote the entire afternoon to my Secret Pal goodies!

I Wish All My Days Were Like This...

I'm sensing a bit of a theme this week - and I'm loving it so far, I hope it continues - I've just had the most fantastic day! I feel like the troubled weeks I've just been through were a little test and now I'm getting a reward of some kind. I don't know. I feel like I should be a much better person to have such good fortune these last few days and I know I'm not always as good a person as I want to be...I suppose I will just use this as inspiration to try and be better every day and be as good a person as I am capable. It's very humbling, really.

I got up at the crack of dawn (5am or 4:56am to be exact) but I enjoyed my early-morning awake time chatting to Secret Pal so it was all good. I had to go out after a while and then I was sleepy so I got into bed at 8:20 and set my alarm for 9:30 - just felt like I needed that extra hour or so. I didn't fall asleep for about half an hour and then I had a bit of a fright when the doorbell rang just after 9am and the dogs went berserk!

It was the mailman arriving, how lovely! He had a big box for me from my Secret Pal. I haven't even gotten proper photographs of everything yet but I will continue tomorrow. It's almost midnight and I'm a bit sleepy but I've set everything up on the dining table ready for inventory and mug-shots so I just wanted to put this in here and send out a huge thank you to my Secret Pal for such incredible generosity and thoughtfulness.

I now have lots of new projects and ideas in mind (some already started) and lots of new things to play with so I will have so much more to write about soon. Right now I need to go to sleep and I'll continue this in the morning. I didn't want my lovely Secret Pal to come here and not have updated the blog a wee bit. There's a lot to be said!

Wonderful Surprises!

It looks like this is my week for fantastic surprises, I've almost forgotten my nerves (almost!) and I am so delighted that Shell sent me such beautiful things. I can't show what she sent me to use for Deborah's gift exchange - which was what I was expecting - but I can show what she sent for me. How wonderful!

That's a beautiful box that Shell made herself and look how well it matches the pink doily I made!


And there's a close-up of the dragonfly which I thought was so pretty, it would have to be a butterfly - but I like dragonflies and butterflies (all winged things) so it's absolutely gorgeous as far as I'm concerned, whatever it is called!

(About seven hours later)...I got other lovely things, too: a little beaded angel, a pen with an angel on it, some pretty notepaper, some lovely green-tea scented incense and a little elephant. If I remember correctly, it's good luck when an elephant has its trunk up (and this one does). I will get more pictures tomorrow but I am so worn out right now that I think I will go to bed as soon as I finish my cup of tea.

Thanks, Shell - you boosted my spirits enormously! Those timely gifts and some excellent advice from Secret Pal is what got me through today, I'm sure.

You are both very precious to me!

I will be keeping an ear and an eye out on the door tomorrow, in case I get another wonderful 'surprise' from the postie...I may have to go to the post-office and pick it up myself although I would actually prefer to avoid that, if I can...still, if that is the way it has to be, you can be pretty certain I will risk life and limb* to get it in my clutches as soon as possible.

I reckon it's just about time for me to go to sleep, I have had a very stressful but wonderful day.

* preferably not literally!

What's Your Sign?

I did write another post last night but my website host was doing maintenance so I couldn't publish it. I thought I'd just wipe the slate clean and start again this morning.

I am so nervous, my tummy's all in knots...there's not much I can do about it now, though, just take each minute as it comes. My sister wrote to me that Pisces is having a lucky day which is sure to be a good omen for me...except I am not Pisces! She always gets a bit confused with my sign. SMH had a really awful horoscope for me but apparently, SMH is always bad...I am sure she is frantically searching for the best Aries horoscope she can find, and failing that, she will probably just change the sign and try to boost my mood a bit (yes, she just e-mailed me with a very positive and happy sort of horoscope for today - at least, I think it's for today, who knows where she found it?)

I spoke to mum this morning and she says she's feeling pretty good, she might be off the IV again tomorrow which will make her so much happier. I made a tuna-pasta salad for her last night (I had some for dinner) so I will take that in this afternoon, and I've done all the washing we had. Mum is such a grub, I don't know what she managed to get on one of her T-shirts but the stain just won't come out...I washed it and then scrubbed it but it's still there! I hope it's not so noticeable when it dries properly. She's stuck in her pyjamas today but I am sure she'll manage until I bring the clothes back. I bought her a really nice dressing-gown that she hasn't worn yet so she can just pop it on if she wants to go for a walk.

I've got the ends of another item to weave in and another almost finished, I must be getting a bit quicker with the crocheting because the first time I tried this pattern it took me ages - I must admit, that was mainly due to the fact that I hated the pattern (picots, how I loathe thee!). I loved the way it looked when I was finished and now I adore the pattern, it's very easy and pretty. I should get them both sorted out tonight while I am at the hospital and then I will have to succumb to the Sullivans brand or go and buy more Panda. I will post pictures soon.

Anyway, I am off to chain-smoke and sit in a nervous, jittery heap for the next few hours. Should be lots of fun...

On A Crochet Roll...

I feel like dog's balls...I overslept this morning and I was functioning so well on little sleep that the extra few hours have made me feel worse, rather than better. Apart from that, I feel wonderful because mum is doing so well.

She was in bed when we went in to see her in the afternoon yesterday but she looked a lot better and she agreed to get up and go outside for a smoke. It was a bit difficult for her to manoeuvre into the wheelchair but she managed. She said she didn't even enjoy her cigarette which is a great thing because it might mean she doesn't smoke when she gets home. When she is back to normal, she may want to smoke, I don't know what will happen. The bandage is off her leg and the incision is hideous but not as bad as it could've been (I took a photo!). She used the frame the walk to the bathroom and back while we were there, she sat up for dinner (even though she refused to eat any - she had some kofte and salad earlier) and then she got herself back into bed and dozed off.

Apparently she feels much better today (25% 'independent') and we will go back and see her this afternoon. She's upset because she washed her hair and now it looks 'horrible' so we will take the hair-dryer in and do her hair for her if she wants.

All the ends are woven in on the item I finished yesterday, and I have just finished another one, too. I did the majority of it yesterday at the hospital then a bit more when I got home and the last little bit just now. I've got the ends left but they are really not that much of a problem. I think I will have these coming out of my ears - at the rate of one a night, I've got at least another twelve to look forward to. Some are going to be gifts but I think while I can, I will make lots and put them aside for those 'unexpected' (or 'forgotten' in my case) special occasions, so I've always got something I can use as a last minute gift.

I need to go shopping, I haven't been fun shopping for ages (it feels like forever) and I need to buy some more things for the exchanges I'm in (Holiday Gift & Secret Pal). I wanted to have more done and posted by now but it has been really hard to focus on anything properly for the last few weeks. Now I'm in a much better mood and a bit less stressed, I really haven't got an excuse. I am in danger of running out of my nice 4ply cotton and only have the crappy 4ply cotton left, so if I don't go and buy more of the nice stuff, I will be forced to use the barbed-wire-masquerading-as-cotton instead and that might just send me over the edge. It's vile and disgusting to crochet with but the colours are so pretty, I always end up buying it! I only have myself to blame, don't I?

I will go up to the big post office early in the week (not the one I usually go to) and buy a proper box so I can send some things to my spoilee - since I am not on schedule, I will try and make up for it by sending as much as I can fit in. Deborah's next package is not as difficult, as I already have quite a bit of it sorted out.

Mum would kill me if I put up any photos of her so I will show the view from the hospital instead.

Happy Days Are Here Again!

A finished project - yay me! Not one I can discuss here, though, which is a bit unfortunate - but I am so happy that I was able to get it done. I started it while I was at the hospital last night and had it almost finished by the time we got home, then I managed to do a bit more before I went to sleep and finished it off this morning while I was (very enjoyably, as usual) chatting with my Secret Pal. Just got some pesky ends to weave in but I am not even going to let them bother me.

Taking more 'supplies' with me this afternoon, so I might even get something else finished and I've got quite a few afternoons in my future where I think I will just have nothing else to do but sit and crochet - and no worries, either (touch wood) as we got great news this morning about mum.

She is up, eating, exercising and all those good things - she has decided she would enjoy some kofte tonight so I will start that shortly and have it ready to take in this afternoon. I wasn't too impressed that she was so disinterested in my lovely cooking yesterday but I will let it slide, just this once...

Anyway, better go and get started on them now.

A Rose -

- by any other name...would be a pear, if memory serves. Aren't pears and roses related? I can't be sure without looking it up and I am far too lazy to do that at the moment.

I added a little decoration to the end of this hook - a FIMO! rose and a few extras. I like the way it turned out although it isn't all that exciting or perfect, it's a bit of fun and makes these boring gray metal hooks a little bit more pleasant to look at.

It actually looks pretty awful in the extreme close-up so I resized the image down a bit. It looks much nicer in real life.

I am just sitting here with a cup of strawberry tea - don't usually like flavoured tea but I do like this one, haven't had any for months so I couldn't resist when I saw it while I was at the shops.

Neither my sister or I are sleeping well - or even functioning all that well at the moment. We are just having a quick break after doing some tidying up and shopping before we go in to visit mum. Apparently things are improving in one sense and declining in the other. Oxygen sats decreased and temperature increased which is a bit of a worry but I think she'll be alright.

The key to a tolerable visit is keeping busy! I love mum but it is fairly boring if all she wants to do is sleep - and if we're both standing on either side of the bed and peering down on her, she will just get cranky and send us home again. I think we'll have to take 'shifts' - one can relax while the other does whatever is needed and we've got a few bits and bobs to keep her amused, some nice 'cooling mist' (she says she is too hot in the room), rose-scented moisturiser and things like that. Apparently she is still refusing to eat, I was going to make some kofte (meatballs) for her but she has passed on the message (loud and clear, I might add) that she will definitely, unequivocally, emphatically, positively not eat them if I bring them in tonight And I thought I was a good cook, too...

I will make some tomorrow for us (my sister and I) anyway, so she might be tempted if I take some in.

I'm taking lots of crocheting supplies with me (various yarns, hooks and patterns) because I don't know what I will feel like doing while I am there. I have to get a few doilies started and finished but maybe not tonight, I don't think I can focus on tiny stitches and cotton but I will see how I go. I have lots of ideas but I am having trouble getting the results I want, even with old 'tried and true' patterns - either the yarn is wrong, the hook is wrong, maybe it is just me that is wrong at the moment?

I did find my second "Star-Flower Shawl" while I was tidying up (I had put it in a 'safe place' and then I forgot where that was) so I might make some progress on that if I can also find where I put the pattern. I would lose my head if it wasn't firmly attached to my neck!

Post-Op 1

What is there to report? Well this morning was horrible, my sister and I went in to see mum before her surgery only to find her surgery had been moved up and when we got there, she was already in theatre. I suppose it was better for her because when I spoke to her on the phone earlier in the morning, she said she was getting more anxious as the time went on. It was very upsetting for me, though, because I wanted to see her before and give her a hug and a kiss, be a bit reassuring and things like that but that just wasn't the way things went.

I was not in the best frame of mind when I got home but my very lovely Secret Pal (hi!) cheered me up - I bet you didn't know what a job you'd be in for when you signed up for the exchange but it's too late to change your mind now! I do appreciate it, though - I hope that is obvious.

We left here at 3pm to go and see her again and when we walked in, she was slumped in the bed and I have never seen anyone with such a horrible colour - she looked like she was gone and I have, unfortunately, seen enough people in that situation to know what death looks like. She was incoherent with pain, unable or unwilling to use her PCA. As far as I'm aware, she hadn't been out of recovery for very long, I think she lost a lot of blood because she needed a transfusion and then her BP was really low. It was very distressing for me to see her like that - mum is my rock and I do rely on her a lot...I didn't think I could be strong for her but I was and I am very glad of that. I feel like maybe I gave a bit back to her for all the times she's helped and supported me. Can't ever really pay the debt, I suppose but I hope she doesn't see it as a debt to be paid off...

Once she started getting some morphine into her, things improved and I am so glad that she was peacefully dozing when we left (we were evicted, by the way, she'd had enough of us)...I had to keep pressing the PCA button for her and she wouldn't eat but oh well, we will see her tomorrow again. I told her I would phone her every 15 minutes through the night if she didn't promise me she would use the morphine but I am not that cruel (I just hope she believes I will do it!). She said the surgery was an absolute breeze with the spinal block and the Surgeon had the BeeGee's playing for her but once the spinal block wore off and she had no pain-relief she was in a mess.

Anyway, I think I will leave this for now, I am a bit drained and need to just forget about it for a while now. It was so much worse than I can put in words but much better when we left.

Fancy That!

Finally! Blogger has been very temperamental for the last few hours, I was trying to do a few different things and not having any luck with publishing. It seems to be working now, so I'm very happy with that. We shall see if my good luck holds up until the end of this entry...

Yesterday was another strange day - up so early (4:30am and I'm not entirely sure why), worked all day then I went straight from work to the hospital with mum and my sister...we stayed with mum for a little while, got her settled in and met the afternoon nurse who is Irish (which probably explains why the Irish lady I work with featured in my dreams which were exceptionally odd, even for me). After that, we went shopping and got a few 'treats' for mum then I came home (about 7ish), had something to eat and tucked myself into bed by about 7:30 although I was still watching the clock well after eight. I woke up just after 1am and have been here ever since. A few cups of tea, a bit of reading, lots of blog-fiddling and not much else.

The weather was quite eccentric yesterday, too which just added to the over-all peculiarity that was Wednesday - and I think it's going to be a bit miserable and dreary today. Of all the days to be stuck in hospital, a cold and windy day is probably easier to cope with than a bright and beautiful sunshine-y day. Mum is having her first surgery today, I believe around two o'clock but that is just an estimate, it could be earlier or later. I hope she will be alright. She was far too miserable when we left her yesterday and I think we will try and get in this morning to see her before she has her operation and then again this evening if she feels up to it. I will definitely take something to keep me busy, I do not cope well with boredom.

I'm jingling like Christmas bells, since mum had to take off the two bangles that she wears and I am wearing them now, so I've got three rattling up and down my arm whenever I move. It's a nice sound, at any rate.

Mum looked so little and forlorn when we tucked her into her bed (with her Seraphina shawl, I might add) so it's probably just as well she got back out or else I might've agreed to take her back home with us...it was probably a bit early for us to be putting her to bed, anyway (just after 5pm) but there's really not much other fun to be had in places like that...we resisted the tempation to put the bed-rails up - it would've been a bit mean to make a severely arthritic knee-replacement patient climb over them if she wanted to get out, wouldn't it? Or would it...

I was helping one of the ladies at work with her knitting yesterday (me, helping someone with knitting? Ludicrous, I know! - I usually just cast on / off for her, and pick up the odd stitch she drops but I snuck in a few rows when I had the time) and I discovered that I am actually a lot quicker than I remember, I'll credit the crocheting with that. I do not find the patterns look as daunting as they used to but I don't know how well that will translate in practice. I still look like an awkward spazz but that can't be helped! All the knitting I've done in the last year or two has been scarves on massive needles (12mm and 15mm) and I am just too ungainly with those but with normal sized needles, it's not bad at all. She showed me (again) how to knit the way she does and I think I will take some needles and wool with me today and just practice. If mum or my sister annoys me, I will just poke them with my needles - crochet hooks are too blunt and short to be effective as weapons.

Ooh, the other exciting thing I discovered is a crochet 'cast-on' which I have never before heard about in my very sheltered knitting and crocheting life - so much more appealing to my lazy self than laboriously using two needles - I'd really much rather chain 200 (heck, I'd rather chain 2000) than cast-on 20. I don't even know if I cast-on correctly, I've seen it done so many ways but mine usually looks okay. I must investigate! Seems those knitting magazines are not quite as useless as I thought. Do not fear, I haven't gone completely mad, everything sounds good in theory - The thought of doing a (knitted or crocheted) gauge swatch is still enough to drive me to drink! My poor little hands are already shrieking with pain in anticipation of actually doing any knitting.

Speaking of the Seraphina shawl (I was - up there in brackets somewhere) - I found the pattern, which actually wasn't very difficult at all and gosh, it's so pretty. I love the design and eventually I will make one (or 379, if the mood strikes). So many patterns, so little focus!

Hair-Washing Drag Queens...

I have decided that I will have to go on a diet. Not a stash diet, or a yarn diet (not really much of a point with those here) but an actual diet.

You see, if I am ever to start crocheting clothing, in something other than cheap acrylic, I don't want to have to bankrupt myself buying the yarn. Either make myself smaller or find really big, cheap skeins so I don't feel awful ordering / buying eleventy-million for one article...or just make itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie items? I haven't really decided yet. I don't enjoy diets, they make me cranky.

A little birdie told me that I will soon have another package on the way from my Secret Pal...I am very excited to see what my fairy godmother(/father?) might send me this time. Truly, Secret Pal, I have already been ruined for all future Secret Pals, I can't imagine how you could possibly better the first box but I am sure if it can be done, you have found a way to do it.

I bought some knitting magazines (they're British, I think) because one had a crochet pattern on the cover and the other had a little 'crochet magazine' attached. Quite interesting reads, some nice patterns for knitting and the odd idea or two for crochet. I also bought a magazine-book thing of knitting patterns which are lovely but I am not sure what I will do with it. Perhaps I don't need a diet at all - I just need to switch to knitting (I hear crochet uses more yarn?)...but I am so not a knitter. Beautiful patterns in the book, I wish there was a way I could convert them to crochet but I am not that clever. Maybe I will have to send the patterns to Secret Pal with a list and instructions?

Shell has sent me something she's made for me to use in the Holiday Gift Exchange and I am looking forward to receiving it and sending it off to Deborah, I will take some photos before I send it and then I will post it here. Shell did a wonderful job with what she made and it's one item I am sure Deborah will love.

I haven't heard from Esta, regarding the Hubby Swap - I'm not sure if I should be worried or not but I wouldn't think it would take so long to send. I suppose it's just a case of wait and see. Maybe the items were so disappointing, she'd rather ignore them?

I went to the hairdresser yesterday after work - my idea of heaven is having my hair washed by someone else (there's that laziness again)! My very favourite hair-washer was at a hairdresser I used to go to a few years ago. She was wonderful. Very tall, really beautiful woman but a bit mannish from some angles because of her height and some particularly strong features (I thought she was a drag queen when I first met her - and I'm still not convinced she wasn't). I think one of her hands was about the size of my whole head and it always felt as if I'd end up with a fractured skull after she washed my hair. It was great, though. Wasn't so satisfying yesterday in comparison but still fantastic so I am definitely not complaining!

Anyway, after my hair, we went out for dinner, mum's "Last Supper" for a while. It was a nice night. We're dropping mum off at the hospital this afternoon and then she will having her first surgery tomorrow. She's a bit nervous but it can't be helped. She has a beautiful shawl to keep her company while she's there - and the soccer is on tonight which is a bit sad, we always watch the soccer together but I suppose we'll have to make do with phone calls and SMSs if we can get away with them - and then there's the footy on Saturday. Probably do her good to have things to watch when we're not there, keep her occupied and out of trouble, I hope.

The Most Important Thing...

All day at work yesterday, I was thinking of the underwear ads that Pat Rafter did - "Very Comfy Undies".

Now I know what Dan Akroyd's character meant in "Evolution" when he threatened "Ira" and "Harry" with the crotch-biting prison clothes...

Edited to add: Lest anyone think that I do nothing at work but contemplate underwear (quite often) and Pat Rafter (almost never), it was just because I was wearing particularly uncomfortable undies. It goes without saying that I won't be wearing those ones again (I just felt the need to say it) and I'll spare you all the gruesome details.

Rainy Days and Mondays

I had planned on an early night, so I will write a post here and then hit the hay. I had a good day at work, no complaints at all. I woke up to a lovely e-card from Shell and I thought it would be just the ticket to send a few - spread the joy, and all that. So I did.

After work, I went to the post office and posted Deborah's first package. I took some quick photos of the items in the box before I sent it but I can't show them here, yet. I am so excited for her to receive it and I hope she likes what I have sent...it cost me just under $30 to post AirMail ($29.25 if I remember correctly) which was about what I was expecting for a 1.1kg package - I just wish postage wasn't so expensive, I would rather have spent that $30 on more stuff for Deborah but, as the saying goes, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride...

I bought a puffy envelope thing (I believe that is the technical term) to mail the first items for my Spoilee. I feel so guilty I haven't sent anything to her yet but it won't be long before I get this first one out of the way. Perhaps after that, I will have a better idea of what she might like. I've mentioned my Swap Anxiety here before, haven't I? It's out in full force over the Secret Pal items, let me tell you. I feel a lot more comfortable with what I am sending Deborah, because I have a better sense of what she may like (I hope!).

I worked on my current WIP (the mystery project, I think we'll call it) and I am a bit unsure of how it will turn out but if I complete it and it's horrible, it will stay with me. If it's half-way decent, it will be a gift. I've made my peace with that! It was suggested to me that I should give it as a gift if it doesn't turn out well and I do understand the logic there (non-craftsters will appreciate it and not see the mistakes) but I wouldn't feel very happy giving something I thought was awful as a gift. I never see my items as perfect but if they're gifts, they've got to be fairly good at least.

It rained a little today, it started while I was having my break at work so I got rained on a bit a few drops of water never hurt anyone. I did move to a sheltered area (the only sheltered area) not long after it started, so of course it stopped as soon as I did that. It bucketed down again just before midday, the sky went quite dark and it was ferocious for about five minutes and then it was just annoying.

I remember when I was little and we'd have massive thunderstorms, especially in Spring - the sky would turn yellow, then there'd be streaks of purple-gray colour and then the rain would start. I love the smell of rain. My sister and I were a bit scared of the thunder and lightning back then but we'd still stand on the balcony and watch the storm. There's something truly beautiful about the way the world looks after a good rain like that, everything is so much fresher and brighter, all the trees and plants are such a vivid green. I haven't seen that for years...

The Good Stuff!

After having such a miserable, humid day yesterday (weather-wise), it feels a bit strange to wake up and be cold! I had my air conditioner on when I went to bed and I never got around to turning it off. Usually I'm still wide awake an hour or so after I get into bed and then I turn it off but I must've gone out like a light the second my head hit the pillow, which was great at the time but not so great when I woke up at 3:30am feeling a bit like I was in Antarctica. Never happy am I?

Anyway, enough about that.

Started yet another project, one I surely can't mess up, last night. I'm hoping it turns out nicely and I can send it to someone (not tellin' who!), and I will be sure to get pictures of it when it is done and received. Now I've probably jinxed myself and will probably end up with a tangled, unrecognisable crocheted thing.

I keep telling myself that it isn't always the end-result that counts but the process. Am I right or am I deluded?

Other things are still on various hooks, so to speak: a doily, my version of the "Textured Shaped Purse" (slow but sure?), the second baby bootie, knitted squares to get joined up, the second Star-Flower shawl, presents for Christmas, coathanger covers etc...I've been playing with "FIMO!" a lot, too. I made some little beads I think might end up as nice stitch-markers - I haven't made a stitch marker before but I am a bit anti-safety-pins now (and it all seems simple enough in writing).

I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head.

I found a very nice pattern I think will be suitable for the lovely corn yarn from Secret Pal, but I haven't quite worked up the courage to start it. I may have to try the pattern in acrylic first and see how it goes. If it turns out to be a bit beyond me, at least I'll know before I sacrifice 'the good stuff' (yes, that is how I actually refer to it, by the way - all my Secret Pal stash is the good stuff...).

I have the first box ready to go for Deborah and also for my SP9 spoilee, I sense a visit to the post-office in the very near future (like this afternoon). I finished some very interesting items for Deborah over the weekend but I think I will send them last. Might make something similar for my spoilee, too.

No time to waste, off to work very soon - already looking forward to coming home!

A List!

Things I have discovered this week:

• I have crochet-related ADD.


• I am very good at ignoring things I don't particularly want to do.


• Not all patterns are perfect...but it's usually my fault.


• Buy in haste, repent at leisure (or "make sure you're buying the colour you actually want").


• Corn yarn is apparently very hard to dye (see above).


• The hooks are much nicer in America...and the music is very interesting, too.


• Karaoke yarn is easy to crochet with but frogging it is risky (the moral to this story - don't make mistakes!).


• I hate Sullivans' brand crochet cotton! I think crocheting with barbed wire would be easier on my hands.


• God help me if I have to make a pair of anything, the second one will always look like it was made with different yarn, a different-sized hook and following a different pattern.


• Spending money goes along way towards curing all the ills in the world...

Managed to get rid of a few of the black clouds hanging over me today which has put me in a very good, creative frame of mind (I am nothing if not hopeful!).

Oh yes, one last thing. My new name is "FIMO! Star - the artist formerly known as Michelle". I will explain later.

The nature related photo for today is:


I couldn't resist the lure of the spider photo for long, could I?

Just a harmless garden spider as far as I'm aware (and I wouldn't like to be corrected if I'm wrong, thanks very much). I usually only notice them after I've already stuck my face into their web while looking at something else...

Oh dear...

I am very much afraid that I have developed dementia. I sure can't think of any other reason why I would be staring right at a pattern, the simplest pattern you can come across and still misread it. I am not usually this bad. I think I am regressing.

My neck is very sore from being bent over a crochet hook and my eyes are strangely itchy.

So, since I have nothing else crochet-related I feel like sharing...have a bee:





Have two!

Pretty, aren't they?















...if only you knew how close I came to sharing the photo of a massive spider I found outside in the garden...

Attack of the Blobby Thing...

The title is in reference to my latest 'completed' project - so hideous I can not bring myself to upload a picture...besides that, I don't want to give too much away, since a better version (if I can manage it) will be sent off to Deborah as soon as it is done.

Speaking of Deborah (and we were, so it's not that much of a stretch) here are the hooks she sent me:


Lovely, aren't they? Bright and fun and colourful. I did use one today - and, typically, it was the silvery one. I wanted to use the pinkish one but this particular pattern called for a slightly smaller hook so the 3.75mm it was.

I didn't get a good photo of the case (because I forgot) but it isn't as if it's going anywhere...

I almost stuck the hook through my lip while I was busily MSN'ing with Secret Pal - had to put the crochet aside to type and the most convenient way was to stick the hook in my mouth, freeing up hands and keyboard. See, I'm not really very elegant, am I? It was a lot worse when I put the safety pin in my mouth though because I didn't realise I had it turned the wrong way 'round. I won't be doing that again in a hurry, let me tell you! Bit frightened of those safety-pins now but they are convenient stitch-markers.

I didn't have the terribly productive day I was hoping for but I (started and) finished the novel I was sent by Secret Pal - "Knitting Under the Influence". It was a very enjoyable read, nice and relaxing - just the ticket, I was saving it for a day like today. I did enjoy the USA references ("sunny side up" is in there, Secret Pal) and also the fabulous yarn shop mentions...one day I will really have to go over and see for myself. I may end up a drooling, yarn-stroking mess but these things can't be helped, I suppose. If I do end up in a straight-jacket, I hope they will at least let me pick what it is made of! If I was a drinker, I would try some of the cocktail recipes in the back, too - there is one that does appeal to me so maybe I will try it and see what it tastes like.

Here We Go Again!

And just when the internet thought it was safe from Hubby Swap tales of woe...I have another! Several, actually...

I somehow managed to forget part of the Hubby Swap items at home on the dining table while I went off and posted the rest before work this morning. I feel like such an idiot, because I specifically referenced the item in the card I wrote, so now the card makes no sense and it is not as if I can just pretend I sent everything I had planned, is it? I sent a PM to Esta and I can see another trudge to the post office in my future. I do have other things to be sent elsewhere so it is not such a hardship but I was really looking forward to ticking off the Hubby Swap ("Hubby Swap - completed!") on my list. I am dedicating an awful lot of time to lists lately and, as usual, I misplace them, delete them or entirely forget about them when I really need them. Kind of pointless but I feel so efficient while I am writing them up.

I bought a satchel that was far too small for the Hubby Swap items, so I would've had no hope of fitting this last little bit in, anyway. I wish I had noticed before I wrote the address on it, I could've gotten a bigger one instead. I am really not in fine form so early in the morning and another sleepless night didn't help.

While I was at the post office, I did buy some yarn / knitting related magazines. One claims to be Australia's best "knitting and crochet" magazine - I am sure it is Australia's best but that is not such a hard feat to achieve as there is no competition - one crochet pattern does not a best magazine make, as far as I'm concerned! The other is claims it has "knitting and more" - more what, I would dearly love to know, because I couldn't find much 'more' in there.

All that aside, I didn't buy them for me...I hope the intended recipient enjoys them (I admit, I did have a stickybeak as I have not bought any for me as yet and they aren't as bad as I might be making out, just not as good as I think they should be).

To add insult to injury, I managed to rip the cover of a book I bought as another gift, I will have to find a pretty sticker and cover the mess I made taking the price-tag off. Who in their right mind puts a massive and ugly price tag on the front cover of a book, knowing full well (wouldn't you be paranoid, too?) it will take half the cover off with it? Luckily I didn't take it off until I was in the car, or I may very well have throttled the guy at the counter of the post office. And all this before 6:30am.

I won't go into the details of the other nasty surprise I had, today - suffice it to say it involves yarn which was ordered online and is decidedly different from what I thought I ordered. That'll teach me to pay more attention, won't it? I am sure I can be forgiven for thinking that I am really having an appalling week but then...

...we come to the fun things. Mishaps and unpleasantries aside, there is so much to be thankful for, there are lots of lovely people in my life (here and online) and some very enjoyable swaps and exchanges, new friends being made and new discoveries every day, new projects to attempt (and old ones to finish), a break from work coming up and lots of other things I am overlooking that I really shouldn't be.

Deborah sent me some very lovely hooks today and a crochet-hook case which I have not been able to find around here (although I am lead to believe that they do really exist in this country). I never understood the great "Boye vs. Bates" hook debate - and these Susan Bates' hooks are so lovely, I understand it even less! Really, I did think most crochet hooks served their function quite well without any frills or fanciness (or pretty colours) but I must say, having something that is functional, as well as pleasing to look at and unusual (to me) is really loads of fun. I will enjoy using these, Deborah, and I love the fact that both the US and mm sizes are displayed on the hooks, I won't have to rifle through the pages to find the conversion charts or look it up online. And, really, there can be no such thing as too many hooks.

I am determined to start and / or finish (or both, I am nothing if not unrealistically ambitious) several crochet projects tomorrow and I will enjoy the crocheting even more while using a beautifully carved and super-light wooden hook from my wonderful Secret Pal and a very funkily-coloured Susan Bates hook from my lovely "Holiday Gift Exchange" partner, Deborah.

The colourful words are intended to be substitutes for fun photos, just so you know. Note to self: take more pictures!

The Last of The Hubby Swap...

I haven't done anything crochet-related today, not unless chatting to Secret Pal and looking at yarn online counts. Does it? I think it should. I have thought about crocheting and done a bit of mental planning...and oh yes, I heard from my spoilee which helps, too.

Today was a funny day - much better than yesterday, that is for sure. Not a particularly good day or a bad day, just different. Good and bad, at different times. I might have to start going for more walks again, I enjoyed the quick one I took this morning.

I am just about to finally start weaving in the ends on the beanies. I must get them posted tomorrow morning or I will be in a bit of strife - I hate that I have left it so late and I am not too impressed with what I am sending but I hope the recipient will be pleased.

I'm waiting on an arrival from Ecoyarns, it should come in tomorrows mail, I hope. Something for the Holiday Gift Exchange so I can't go into much detail but maybe I will be more in the spirit of things when it is here.

Secret Pal, I used my Halloween Pen tonight - did you know the little pumpkin lights up? I didn't, so it was an extra surprise.

I am easily amused, I suppose. Still, it's better to take a bit of enjoyment out of things whenever you can, it sure beats the alternative! That's it for me, must finish these items because I won't have time to do them in the morning.

Having a bad day?

I bet mine has been worse!

There are bad days and then...there are bad days. It doesn't even have to be a full day! It seems as if just a few hours or minutes is all it takes for things to fall apart. Up until about 3 hours ago, my day was pretty darn good - lack of sleep aside.

And this doesn't even have anything to do with crocheting! For once, I have real problems to worry about. Sometimes we just need things in perspective, I guess - it doesn't seem like such a problem if I can't get the "Textured Shaped Purse" to work out (although I must admit, it doesn't help).

Felt like I might have a stroke earlier, thankfully I feel a bit better now...

On to the important stuff, nobody can say my priorities aren't right!

Here is my current "Textured unShaped Purse" square. I think it is turning out okay, I am adding a round of trebles because the shell pattern keeps the edges a bit curvy, I am just winging the trebles, I hope I get them fairly even and can match the second piece.

Might not even do a second piece, maybe I'll just make a fabric back but that is the lazy way out.


And a bit of a close-up of the stitches.

I am hoping it will look nice when it is finished, with a lining and handles but I will just be very happy to actually have it finished and see what it looks like. Not trying to jump the gun but at least it is a little goal.

I think it is way past my bedtime, so I might just leave this here. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Shell Purse - Take Four!

I should just go back to bed and refuse to get out until tomorrow. Write the whole day off as a complete mistake and start fresh in the morning.

I woke up late this morning, I don't know how I managed to oversleep again - Friday I can explain because I was quite prepared to not go to my course anyway, and it wasn't really that important. I never get up late for work, haven't been late a single morning and wasn't this morning (thankfully) but it was a close-call. I woke up at 6:10am when I am usually up and about at 5am - so quite a sleep in all things considered. Luckily I do allow myself a lot of time to spare but I am absolutely not going to leave the house without having a cup of tea, so I took the time out this morning to do that. Had to take a cab to work, had the taxi-driver from Hell, cost me money I wasn't willing to spare but that is just the way life goes sometimes.

In the cold light of day, I hate the way the purse turned out even more than I did last night so I am racking my brain, trying to come up with ways to fix it without ruining the yarn. I will get there, eventually. I may just ignore the actual purse pattern and try to just crochet a square / rectangle of fabric using the shell stitch-pattern instead. I knew I shouldn't have cut the yarn when I finished the sides and didn't like them, so I have to hope that I use about the same amount of yarn...I can't be bothered joining and weaving in ends.

I couldn't find my batteries and in the process of looking for them, knocked a pretty mug off my desk and it smashed all over my floor. Between mum and I, we will have no mugs left! The good news is that I did find the batteries and I saved my See's Candy box from following the mug, I wouldn't have been able to eat them if they landed on the floor, especially considering the shards of porcelain they would've landed in. Thankfully, something went right today!

I am not even in the mood to show the purse, so I will instead show Secret Pal the lovely lilac flowers we have in our garden (I just ate a chocolate that tastes like bubblegum - some kind of berry I imagine. Quite tasty at any rate...the filling was the same colour as the lilacs!).

Shell Purse - Take Three!

Another day is finishing, almost time to go to work again...it's only quarter to eight but I don't know how late I will be able to stay up tonight, my head is absolutely throbbing so I just took two panadol and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they work swiftly.

Secret Pal and I took our chat to MSN today (as well as e-mail), I have enjoyed that! I hope you have returned safely from the dentist, Secret Pal, without too much discomfort and are sleeping well right now (it is after midnight where you are, according to The World Clock)...did you have fun on MSN, too?

I feel as if my"Crochet Mojo" (thanks, Shell!) has disappeared today, nothing I wanted to try worked out and I was trying a few things, let me tell you...I was getting very dejected and then I frogged what I had of the "Textured Shell Purse" because I wasn't happy with the way it was turning out.

I started it again - this time, I decided the Karaoke deserved a chance and I must say, I do love the way the karaoke feels. I found the 100% wool to be a bit slippery on the metal hook and it kept splitting on me. The very dark purple probably wasn't the best idea, either, as I was having trouble getting my hook into the right stitches and spaces. It is much better with the Karaoke and the colours are working up beautifully, too. I wish my Holiday Gift Exchange partner, Deborah, wasn't allergic to wool because I think these colours would be perfect for her. Not to worry, I am sure I will find a home for this purse when it is finished - if I finish it, as I hope to. I am still seeing a bit of wonkiness along one of the edges but I know I followed the pattern properly so I will see how it works up in the next few rows. I've got 10 rows to go to finish the back and then I will be able to get started on the front. I don't have any fabric to line it with, but I may be able to massacre an existing item if I have anything that would be suitable or else I might have to take a trip into Spotlight (what a hardship!) tomorrow after work. The pattern is a bit open (I don't think it is supposed to be) so I might see if I can double line it, with the right side of the fabric visible from the outside and inside, I think that would look a lot nicer than seeing the wrong side of the fabric through the crocheted bag. Perhaps I am biting off more than I can chew but I have faith that mum will help me out, she is a good seamstress and I am not!

My room is a lot tidier than it was, but still far from finished. I gave up because there was just too much to do. I filled the recycling bin up with all my rubbish and I think the paper shredder has given up the ghost, too. It might need a break after such a workload today. I must call everyone who keeps sending me mail and ask them to not send me any more statements or paper mail - all my bills are sorted out online and I feel entirely responsible for the decline of our forests after the amount I had to shred today.

Because I was so busy cleaning and I was also a bit lazy and didn't feel like getting out of my pyjamas all day (see? Lazy!), I didn't get to go shopping for anything but I am not too worried, I have a pretty good plan sorted out for everything at the moment. If only I dedicated myself so well to other aspects of my life as I do to crocheting and the swaps etc that go along with it, I would be the most well organised person!

As I was telling Secret Pal earlier, I have indulged in a few of those chocolates and they are delicious. I am not sure here, but I do think one of them had an apricot filling of some description, I hate apricots but it smelled apricot-y - yet it was very tasty! Maybe I am wrong and it wasn't apricots, I was very pleasantly surprised so whatever it was, I did enjoy it. I have eaten four. I am very proud of myself for not gobbling down the whole lot, box and all!

I have been so spoiled by so many people these last few weeks, most of all my Secret Pal, so I have decided to be good and stick to my original plan for my spoilee, no matter how frustrating I am currently finding this situation. Never mind, I forget that there is a lot longer to go than has already passed. Not everyone is a newbie at it, like I am, so I must be patient. That being said, I am not taking responsibility if I choose the wrong colours or things to send, I am not psychic, after all!

I still haven't found my camera batteries and I am most annoyed by that, I don't know where I could've possibly put them, I looked everywhere today but they were nowhere to be found. I wanted to take a picture of my cupboard where I have put all my lovely things - from the Secret Pal thus far and the Winter Scarf & Halloween swaps. Speaking of Winter Scarf Swaps, I wonder what I will use the yarn for, it is so soft and lovely...Secret Pal, don't be cranky that I haven't used the yarns you sent yet - I know what I will use them for I just haven't worked up the courage to start - and now I am a bit frightened of ending up in a horrific mess with the yarn winder, too.

There is another spider in my room but this time it is a Daddy Long Legs and I don't mind them - luckily, because they are everywhere. I turn around and there's another one around. Perhaps he is the reason why the other spider has disappeared? I have heard Daddy Long Legs eat other spiders, I don't know if it's true but I will believe it and feel much better!

When I have some extra time and when I feel like poking myself in the eye with a sharp stick (or a blunt crochet hook!), I have a project planned but I am not going to say what it is yet, so I don't really know why I am bothering to write this here.

I wonder what would be a better option for a wall-hanging / purely decorative piece. Acrylic? Something else? I think acrylic would work well, but I am open to suggestions if anyone should have any.

Anyway, I am off to find my little row counter (I bought it for knitting many years ago but since I do not knit, why can't I use it for crochet?) and then I will continue with the bag I am making. Good luck is always appreciated!

Edited to Add - I am one crochety (grumpy) crocheter tonight! I have finished the crochet part of the Textured Shaped Purse, (I keep calling it the textured shell purse but I am wrong). I don't know why one side is so terribly wonky, I think there is an error in the pattern but I did check for corrections and there were only two little minor ones on the website, I don't think they made much difference to have them corrected or not. I am not one hundred percent happy with how my bag turned out but I love the way the stitch pattern looks and I do love the way the karaoke worked up. I wonder where I went wrong? Oh well, I have crocheted the pieces together but I might undo the stitches and try to sew it together and adjust the wonky bits.

Pictures as soon as I can find camera batteries...

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my...

If you exchange Lions for "Secret Pal", Tigers for "Holiday Exchange" and Bears for "Christmas Gifts (and everything else)", then "oh my!" is right - I am overwhelmed, but in a good way...

I overslept this morning and I am blaming the rotten little spider for it, I did end up going to bed but I kept the light on and I feel as if I slept with one eye open, I kept waking myself up to make sure it was still there. At 5am when I woke up, I checked the spider for the last time, he was still there and then I fell back asleep and when I woke up (much later, I might add - too late to do what I was supposed t0) the buggery thing wasn't there. I don't know where he is and I am done caring, if he wants to kill me in my sleep, well I trust my little doggie to eat him on my behalf.

The wonderful email exchange is continuing between Secret Pal and myself, I am enjoying it very much and believe Secret Pal is, too. I wish the same could be said for my spoilee or "known pal" as I will call her now because I am not feeling very generous at the moment. I had high hopes for the sending / giving aspect of the Secret Pal, maybe moreso than the receiving aspect, because I can't control what I am sent but I can what I send out...with little input (next to none), I am finding it a bit difficult. I will keep my end of the 'bargain' and contact her when required and send a package but instead of lots of spoiling, I think I may just send one package towards the end and be done with it. Perhaps that is not very kind of me, I may rethink that in the future, depending on whether or not my known pal ever decides to reply. Maybe I am just cranky because there's a rogue spider on the loose?

I have almost finished my Hubby Swap items to send out, a bit late but I hope Esta and her husband don't mind. If I can get to the post office in the morning, I will send tomorrow but, if not, then I will send on Monday...which brings me to...

The Holiday Gift Exchange! Deborah and I have been PMing each other and I have come up with some ideas I think are just wonderful (maybe I am wrong?). I know I did give the URL for this in the questionnaire, so I am not going to give too much away but if you are reading Deborah, I have decided on themed packages...and that is all I will divulge! Oh yes, why Monday brought me to this topic is because I am hopeful I will be able to send the First Themed Package on Monday (when I will more than likely be posting the Hubby Swap items, see there was a link).

I have again started the "Textured Shell Purse" (from where else but "Fabulous and Flirty Crochet"?). I am using 100% wool in a very nice dark purple colour. My wool is a bit thinner than what was called for in the book so I am using a 5mm hook instead of the 5.5mm recommended. Did I measure for gauge? Of course not - it's a purse, how important can gauge be for a purse? I'll probably end up giving it to my sister if it turns out alright, in which case she can put up with an oddly sized purse (and she better love it!)...If it turns out really badly, I can just try felting it and end up with a little coin purse instead.

I think the pattern is coming along nicely, even if it's bit lumpy-bumpy and skewiff, I will definitely have to line it but maybe that won't be too bad an experience.

I haven't found the batteries for my camera yet so I can't share any pictures which would be terribly unfortunate if I had any pictures to share.

That's about enough from me, I have a room that still needs tidying, crochet patterns to peruse, a purse to finish (among other things), Hubby Swap items to organise, shopping lists to write (Secret Pal & Holiday Gift Exchange), and goodness knows what else...oh yes, a spider to locate and humanely remove if possible - if not, then I will just have to ask mum to kill it for me.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

I am not very happy right now - there is a big, black spider hanging off the ceiling near my air-conditioner and I am very frightened it's going to start moving ar