Rain, rain, rain and other things that have annoyed me this week...

Question 1) Why in hell's name is it still raining??? It's meant to be August! I am normally pretty sanguine about the weather but this is getting a bit much even for me.

Question 2) Why are car insurance companies so SHIT. IBuyEco have been taking direct debits out of my account since April even thought they wrote my car off after a crash in March, removed it for disposal / destruction / whatever (sob), then paid me the settlement (less the excess etc - still waiting - another story grrr) but when I rang them they told me that the policy had never been cancelled and I wouldn't get a refund ( asked them how in hell's name I could still be driving around in a car that they themselves wrote off???). They are the WORST company I have dealt with to date, really confusing and generally crap. When I get back from Kent next week they are going to get so much grief.

On a good front we managed to get train tickets from Bristol to Kent for £64 for both of us. This is £30 less that the coach. Not sure how but not complaining....

Number two son has reappeared after more than a week's absence. I get so worried about him and yo-yo between wanting to completely brain him and being relieved when I do see him and know he's ok. I don't really think I am very good at bringing up teenagers - I really want this bit to be over - sometimes it is so awful I just despair. The drugs is the worst part.

Anyway, got to get ready to go to Kent tomorrow for my grandmother in laws funeral. She was 96. RIP.

July in the rain - again!

Earlier this afternoon Jane and I were sat in the garden baking in the sun - too hot to take the dogs out even! Then, thunder and lightning and pouring rain. Followed by more baking sun followed by more torrential rain. It is still very very hot tho... Wierd weather.

Weston Pier - so terrible! Haven't been there for years but used to take the kids there when they were little. I hope they rebuild it - it will be terrible if they just leave it to fall apart :(

Yesterday afternoon we went to see Phill, Bagpuss and friends (Phill Jupitus, Loaf and Barry Purvis) at the Watershed. It was great - Bagpuss, the Clangers (a big-screen Ironchicken!!!!!!), Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Pogles Wood and the Pingwings which were amazing - I had never seen them before - and they were knitted as well! They recorded the session for Oliver Postgate who is now in a nursing home in Kent and we all got to wave to him! What wonderful programmes they were - amazing imagination and knocks the pants off anything there is now (except Spongebob Squarepants some one said!).

Spent the rest of the weekend making things from the Guardian Rebel's Knitting Guide and emailed them to Guardian this morning - see if they publish them on the website. Also spent ages updating Ravelry and sorting photos on my laptop. Not sure where today has gone (heh heh). Better do some more practical and useful stuff tomorrow...

(thunder again now...)

No sign of number 2 son since Saturday - sure he will roll in soon wanting food and bath... bloody teenagers :/

Borders and Juliette

Borders knitting group last night which was great fun! it is great to have a Stitch n Bitch every week - within walking distance of my new job! How cool is that!

Started Juliette (see Ravelry...) using Brown Sheep Cotton fleece (double) in PURPLE of course. It is looking great. Had to rip back the row before the lace which involved a lot of k1f,b,f&b in same stitch which with yarn double is a b*tch! Anyway, this was because I didn't check how many stitches I had after knitting on after the sleeves - that'll learn me!

Joined Hat Attack and Ravelympics on Ravelry. For Ravelympics I am going to make the bias knit cardigan from Issue 6 of 'Let's Knit' Magazine - using up a whole load of green(ish) yarns from the yarn cupboard of doom... Erinrae invited me to the Innocent Smoothie hats group so will do some of those as well. Perhaps had better send off the hats already made for Save the Children or whatever it was (!).

On the home front - son number 1 may have a job! hurrah! great news. Son number 2 says he has better things to do that get a job so no cake for him! Decorating must start soon as only have until September to do all these tasks before the big birthday party and the MSc.

Anyway - bluesman will be waiting for me, loitering in the town centre with intent so better go.

Back again

Well haven't been here here in a while! har de har har har...

Lots happened since last year but mainly have just given up my full-time job as I will be starting a Masters degree in September. Working part-time from now on. Hopefully will have more time to other things - apart from decorating and getting house cleared out from under a mountain of crap.

Been going to Get Knitted quite a lot and intend to start going to more Stitch n Bitch meetings - now I will be working in the centre of town I can potentially go to one every Wednesday - whoopee!

back soon (!)

All Ravelry-ed out!

Trying to type with a dog leaning on my arm!

Came home early today and set to work on Ravelry - spent ages on flickr sorting out photos after spending ages sorting them out on my laptop! Still, managed to get some stuff on the Ravelry. Must try and get as far as the forums tomorrow. Must also try to actually do some knitting this weekend.

Going to the Bristol Guild tomorrow to see a friend's knitting exhibition and also have to complete a job application, write to my mad aunt and try and do some cleaning. I need a holiday!

Going mad!

Well, I said on the first post that some of the technical bits on here did my head in and so I have just spent about an hour trying to get a picture on my profile and in the end had to get the husband to do it! So irritating!!!!!!

Anyway - leaving that aside, stayed at work to do some machine knitting last night and when i left the car's immobiliser had locked up again (there is a leak and it had been raining) so I couldn't drive and had to leave the car at work. Managed to scrounge a lift home off one of the porters and had to walk 3 1/2 miles to work this morning (of course the car worked fine as soon as I got there as I predicted) the reason I had to walk as opposed to taking my bike was that when I opened the shed this morning it HAD NO WHEELS!!!!!!!!!! Thank you number one son for cannibalising my bicycle for to mend your own. God I hate teenagers sometimes.

Had to take number two son to the open evening at City of Bristol College this evening - seems a pretty cool place and the students were pretty positive. Of course his mobile went off in the middle of the presentation... He has his eye on another sixth form as first choice but it all depends on his GCSES as he can only do 5 on account of being expelled (twice) earlier this year. Long story. But at least he is thinking about his future in positive way and is determined to make his A levels count despite his past record.

Anyway, apart from that they are pretty cool - this is them playing the ubiquitous playstation:

It wasn't all bad today as I got these in the post from the lovely Texere Yarns :

I got the corsage kit as I wanted a flower loom but couldn't find one on it's own - apart from on ebay but got out-bidded! The chunky knitting dolly is just something I have wanted for ages - have started to make a cord with some little big wool left over from making DRAKE by Sarah Hatton (see Rowan Studio, Issue 2). So now I am cheered up with some new knitting things I will trundle over to Ravelry to do some more over there.

First post

Well, I have been in blogland before but get frustrated with the technical bits that I couldn't get my head around! So here I am again - this time I will stick at it longer!!!

I have started again as I have received my invite to RAVELRY - hurrah! So now I am completely knackered (husband is nagging me to go to bed, I am laughing at him because he is going out for a cigarette and it is CHUCKING it down) because I have been photographing everything knitting wise in the house and putting it on to a flickr account and looking at Ravelry. This is a steep learning curve for me!

Anyway - need to go to bed as have to see man about new job in the morning and don't want to look like Bride of Dracula (well, maybe that will take more than a good night's sleep...)

Here is a picture of small dog: awww! He found camping in the 'summer' very confusing - I think he thought we were completely mad! (Maybe he had a point this summer...). see y'all later...