Meet Frank!

Time for an update - just a quick one, without pictures as I haven't got any photos to add...unless I have an overwhelming desire to show off my new shoes, which I don't to be honest.

The job I mentioned briefly some time ago is mine, I went for the interview, waited on the edge of my seat to hear the verdict, was told I got it, resigned from my other job...now I'm just working out my notice (which is heartbreaking in a way) and then it will be time to start. I'm looking forward to it - any job where you can squeeze in a bit of crocheting (or knitting) has to be a Good Thing. Maybe it's the inspiration I need?

Oh, I have got a photo to share! This is Frank, the car I considered for about three seconds before I said "I'll take him!" He's got too many k's on the engine, a leaky door seal (maybe) and a windscreen possessed by ghosts which make it impossible for me to see where I'm going for at least the entire drive to work in the morning...on the other hand, the price was right and he's not too bad now I've girlie'd him up a bit (there are frangipani stickers on the back and a few other bits and bobs - pink is the theme, is anyone surprised?).

I started crocheting something with that lovely pink yarn Deborah sent me for the Holiday Gift Exchange but that's all I can say since right now it's just a blob of 'something' - I know what I want it to be but the reality is (sadly) a bit different to my fantasies. We shall see. I did attempt some snowflake patterns with the thread and an itty-bitty steel hook (I haven't used the steel hooks before) but I think I was sending myself blind trying to see what I was doing...

I have some lovely things on the way (mail-wise) thanks to a wonderful "Fairy God Mother" so I am definitely looking forward to those!

Right now I suppose I had better get ready for work - four days to go...

Holiday Gift Exchange

I came home to a lovely surprise yesterday! I saw a package on the porch and I wondered "hmm..." because I haven't ordered anything and I'm not participating in any swaps...what could it be? Maybe it wouldn't be for me and then I would be horribly disappointed because I love packages with my name on them but when they're for other people here it is not so exciting...

The package Deborah sent back in November '06 has arrived! I think we'd both given up on it, really, but it got here in the end. Deborah sent it by surface mail (as she thought she might have done) and it did get held up in customs (it smelled very nice, almost too nice to be legal I'm sure) but - almost three months later - here it is.

She sent me some lovely items for the Holiday Gift Exchange:

I am looking forward to making some snowflakes and getting ready for this Christmas, I am a few weeks behind schedule (what's new?) but I should have plenty of time to make enough to cover the tree...

The lovely little snowmen will probably go on display near my "Halloween dolls" - we're heading towards Winter so they are quite appropriate to have out. I'll keep the ornaments to put on the tree - I'm looking forward to Christmas already!

The black wrap is very pretty and will definitely be useful as the evenings get cooler, the pattern on it is beautiful, sparkly is always a Very Good Thing in my book...

Scented candles, candle holders and some very pretty yarn (I haven't got a clue what I'll do with it, as usual - but eventually I will think of something!) - one item not pictured is the drawer sachet which mum has pinched but everything in the box is scented with it anyway. All in all, a very unexpected Christmassy delight, I think February is a very good time to bring back the holiday cheer.

All Rolled Up

Just for you, Shell - the colours look a bit nicer this way I think...the big stretch of green in the blue-green one is a little off-putting, it's not too bad. The hanks are loose and sloppy but they're staying put for now, I did my best! I will have to learn the art of twisting properly...

Dyeing Fun Continues

I did end up getting a pair of gloves to use when I do my dyeing, except I haven't used them yet so my hands have been perpetually stained with Kool-Aid this last week. Here are the fruits of my labour:

50% Merino / 50% Silk - 8 ply

100% Cotton - 8 ply

100% Silk - 4 ply

100% Silk - 2 ply

Popping In...

Just a quick update before I forget I ever had a blog.

I had an interview on Friday for this possible new job, now it's a waiting game to see if I'm offered the position. If it's offered, I'll take it but if not, I'll keep plodding along where I am now...

I did receive some orders last week, lots of lovely CDs to listen to and some dyeable yarn and Kool-Aid, too. I have a hank of 8ply cotton drying which is now quite a pretty salmon pink and some 50% wool / 50% silk I just finished dyeing(8ply again) which is green and blue. I'll take some photos this afternoon when I get home from work.

I wasn't very happy with the way the yarns turned out to begin with but now I'm starting to like them both. I used four different flavours for the blue / green and I started off with the two lighter shades - I didn't like it much then but after adding the two darker shades I think it looks quite nice. Don't know what I'm going to do with it, maybe I need to join some new swaps or exchanges...the cotton will more than likely be a gift.

My fingers are now a lovely shade of green on my left hand and blue on my right hand - I hope it comes off after I have a shower because I can imagine the questions I'll be asked today if the colours don't fade. I suppose I should know better than to stick my hands in bowls of Kool-Aid without gloves, shouldn't I?

I have two skeins of superwash merino (5ply), two skeins of silk (4ply and 2ply / laceweight) and one skein of something truly delicious (4ply) to keep playing with. I am sensing a big pink explosion in the kitchen...

I want to try some of the "Landscape" / "Landscape Elements" Dyes, so I might wait until I've used up the Kool-Aid and then give it a go - it would actually be more cost-effective than the Kool-Aid. If I am going to continue with the dyeing, I will definitely invest in a pair of rubber gloves. Not the sexiest look but better than strangely coloured hands!

I heard back from my SP9 Hostess, which has made me feel a bit more positive about SP9 in general...It doesn't seem as if my package has been delivered to my spoilee yet (since I haven't heard from her and I haven't received the delivery confirmation slip yet) so I really don't know what to make of that. Sign-ups are open for SP10 until the end of the month but I don't think I will participate. Still, I have two weeks to change my mind if I am so inclined.

I am running behind on the Charity Blitz items, February has been a very hard sort of 'theme' for me, nothing I started turned out right. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to do something tonight and just get it in the mail tomorrow.

I guess that's about all from me for today.

Stardust Scarf

I figured I am well overdue for an update and now is as good a time as any. I've been in a bit of a crocheting-and-life-related funk lately but that is really no excuse to neglect my blog. Secret Pal 9 is officially over. Still no response from the person I was 'spoiling' - I have sent the hostess for my group an e-mail with some of my thoughts, I hope she replies but I suppose she is not obligated to do so now.

Finally! A finished item from my SP9 Stash...I used the first skein of KnitPicks Bare wool that I dyed and made a scarf for my friend who loved the way the colours turned out. It was either make something with it or just give her the unused wool as a gift but I thought she would appreciate something made. I started on Saturday morning and worked on it on-and-off all day. Quite an incongruous sight, to say the least: Michelle on the sun-chair in the garden with a bikini on in full sun, crocheting a winter scarf...

The colours are actually pretty even, it does almost look as if the bare patches were intentional (we can call it 'variegated' now instead of 'poorly dyed') and I am very glad about that! I was a quarter of the way down the first long edge for the last row of the border when I realised I didn't have much yarn left and started to wonder if I would have enough to finish? I contemplated frogging back and then starting the border in half-trebles to conserve yarn but I absolutely hate undoing my work. I just figured I'd continue and maybe I'd be lucky but if not, then I'd have a better idea of how much yarn I needed to save, a second row of double-crochets would suffice if that is all I had the yarn for. Is it wrong to pray that you don't run out of yarn while you are crocheting?

I put a tassle on each corner, cut my yarn and wove in the ends and this is all I had left, which pleased me greatly - it's annoying to have a good length of yarn left over that is too short to do anything useful with!

It needs to be blocked but I am anti-blocking so if she wants it perfectly pinned out, I will tell her she can do it herself. I kept getting whiffs of artificial-cherry-scent when I was crocheting with the yarn and I quite liked it - I can smell the grape in the purple and green one, too...

I also started knitting another scarf with the pink, orange and yellow yarn I dyed - I love the way it was knitting up but I was doing very sloppy yarn-overs and making a mistake in the fourth row so I did have to rip it all out but I will start again, eventually.

This poor little creature was waiting in a garden pot for me when I got home from work. Mum has been living in fear of the blue tongue lizards in the garden (and garage) for many months now, so it was quite funny that she picked up the pot yesterday from the garage, took it outside, saw the lizard in it and had a minor freak-out.

She was determined to drive him down the road into the bushland where she was sure he would be happier so I distracted her by taking her out to visit a friend and gave my sister instructions to liberate the lizard and allow him the freedom of his chosen habitat (our garden / garage). Mum was not pleased when she came home but it's for the best. Lizards are nice to have around, I believe they eat spiders which is always a good thing in this country...

More crochet-related entries to come this week, I hope - looking forward to the arrival of some orders (and maybe more fun with Kool-Aid, too?). I may or may not buy a car this week, too, it all depends.