Goddamn it.... Some changes needed

---Ok; so that was fecked up---
I was at GB the other night. Said to one of the girls who I know reads my blog 'what did u think of my last post?' she says 'yeah ur sound thingy doesnt work' to which I said 'I posted since then'..... No you havn't....

To which point I discovered that the blog publisher I have been using on my phone to publish blog posts... Doesn't work. According to it there's 5 new posts since I started using it. Nope... None. So I'm gonna type them all up again and post them the old fashioned way. Then try and get a new remote blogger. Bear with me; I'm at work today and all weekend, then hoping for some overtime next week. But I'll probably backwards blog (the re-type) on Tuesday.

I also found out why the sound thingy didn't work and I'll be redoing it soon too. Note to self asking questions =good thing

The Good teh Bad and hte Ugly

---You'll Giggle---

The other Day (Monday) my mum asked me (Convo below)
M:' what do you do all day on that computer?'

E:I write to my blog, I am trying to podcast so I do that, I go on Facebook, I play endless Games like Sims and FB games and if it's kinda boring I knit.

M:Wait; What's a blog?

(Yet another time where I ask myself I how I became so computer happy whaen neither of my parents know how to work one)

E: ..... It's just a website where I write about things I do and things I make.
M: I'm sure the only person wanting to read that would be Craig
E: no.... I'm sure lots of people read it

I do find it annoying that I can't find out who read my blog other than going into GB and some of the seniors coming up to me and going 'you're blog's fun' But I know that none of my Family read it. That in itself is kinda sad, but anyway.

---The good---
There's a new Page to this blog (mostly because I only just found out how to do it) and it's about my newest venture into Mitten knitting. Take a Look. it's exciting to be starting something lol :)

---The Bad---

All other projects have been going along swiminly. Although I have doubts about the amount of Yarn that I have left for Craig's Cricket Jumper. I may need to buy another ball (yes another ball of Hayfeild bonus...... which is the massive 400g / 840m/ 920yrds ball ... planet-like thing of slightly off white/cream Aran weight yarn. I hope I won't need to but I might)

Also,The app on my Phone that I am trying to use for the podcasting thing for this doesnt seem to be working. Going to be posting a 'Test' soon if it ever gets through my email system.

---The Ugly---

Irealised I never even showed you a picture of the Christmas Secret Santa Hat which I was trying to knit for GB's secret Santa..... and I won't. it's made out of a white wool for the bottom ribbing and a brown Sidar Click for the mainwork. I don't like it. I don't even like it enough to show it to you... and I won't have people talking about me......
well I'd rather they say
'That Aki's a chicken, not putting up a picture just pecause it's ugly? What a moo!'
than
'I seen that picture on Aki's blog... Don't look... I heard A girl in England threw up because of it'
So I won't.
 It's going to be talking buddies for the world-cup socks at the bottom of the stash.

---More Good---

Because I like to leave you close to the happiness that I found you in I have started a new Hat. I started it on Tuesday morning and was working at it all through GB and after it. It's Fair-isle, and made from 2 DK weight yarns.
One is the Yarn left from the World -cup socks (don't worry, it still has a full ball and a half in it's bag, should I ever want to re-incarnate it.)

and the other, contrast Yarn is a yarn from Jenni, A red wine colour which She didn't like.... from a company that I don't recognize (it's called Concorde, from Waterwheel, 100% Acyrlic.... I cant even find it on Deramores)

I'm taking some of the pattern from issue 25 of 'The Knitter' ( a magazine which I love and would appeciate a subscription to) it's the main cover pattern, just the Hat, because the cowl doesn't look that good to me. I'm just finishing the Snowflakes and moving onto little Squares just above them. I shall show you a picture of it when it is finished. This is probably going to be a present, I wont be wearing it... but I'll find something to put it onto.

Well I think that shall do me for awile. I'll contact you all in a couple of days to do the test thingy. Until then my dears:

Toodles

XX

From Aki

Almost.... finished.....

---All Knitting and no work makes Lise.....very happy---

So After the cautious post last time where I didn't actually mention that it was my last day of work... and that I didn't know if I would get back to work or not.

Well On Friday I got a Call from My Line Manager (Richard; he's nice). Here's how it went
E:'Hello?'

R: Hello Ellisa?

E:Yea, that's me (I didn't recognize the voice)

R: It's Richard here
E....
R: From Tescos
E: Oh right! oh Hiya (I set down my needles; I have a habit of trying to knit while I'm on the Phone)
R: Hiya; just ringing to inform some good news
E: ooooh (Yes; I actually did go 'ooooh')
R: Yeah; since all the Christmas temps were so good this year we're offering all of you Permanent Part time jobs
E:OMW seriously?
R: Yeah; so are you free to do Saturday and Sunday

E:(while signaling to Mum that it was Ricard) um yeah I think so

R: how's 12 til 6 and normal hours Sunday? (mum mouths 'Richard?' and I point and my work clothes)

E: that's great (while frantically trying to write with my left hand; while my right held my phone)

R: there's some overtime available

E:ok what days?

(I won't bore you with the details of what overtime I got lol)
R: Ok; that's you sorted then

E: Yep, see ya tomorrow at work

R:yeah bye
E: byes (*hangs up)
Mum: What the heck have you wrote?
E: my hours for going back to work
Mum: I can't read any of that (it's not that bad is it? (==>)
E: well I got back

Mum (as it slowly sinks in)....... OMG! LOVE THATS BRILLIANTFANTASTICRINGYOUR FATHER! RINGCRAIG!WANT WINE TOCELEBRATE?

So in short: yes I got back; to a Permanent Part time job; but unlike the rest of the people like me who got back I can take overtime during the week; they all have School lol; so that's gonna keep me well sorted. A Happy bunny it made me.

---Knitting news ---

Demamores (link) have just put onto their site Rowan Kidsilk Haze. It's the Yarn that inspired the Yarn Harlot to knit such masterpieces as the Birch Shawl (pictured) and it is tempting me to try something of the Same thing. A 25g ball of this glorious Yarn cost £7.95.

There is 210m in that 25g ball (kidsilk doesnt weigh very much) which means 3 would be way more than enough to  knit up a Shawl (Steph says 2 and a 1/3rd, but I'd be tempted to make it just a little bit bigger; cus really: what can you make out of a little over a half a ball of Kidsilk Haze?

Ah well; it does have some good features (like coming in both white and Purple, actually called Cream and Blackcurrant)and Demamores has some tempting offers... like buy 10 balls and save £9.... trouble is it all has to be in the same colour.... that 3, nearly 4 Shawls all in the same colour..... I think I'd have to just bite the bullet and only order 3 of each of the 3 colours I like (cream, Blackcurrant and Trance, I do like the rest..... but maybe later on in Life...)

Craig's cricket Jumper continues to be the main project that I'm working on, I'm onto the shaping at the top (where it branches off into two sides, for each side of the V neck) and I've got the Right side practically done.

Then I need to  re-join and do the right. Will probably be finished before Valentine's Day (well I bloody well hope so anyway) Sorry; no pictures becase I seem to have lost my cable that connects my Iphone (aka: ican-do-anything-just-watch-me-phone)to my computer and by the time I find it again I will have finished the left side..... and it won't reflect what I've said.... and I'm damn well not putting down my needles just to go look for a stupid cable lol.

---Notes from the Last post---

As for the competion in Kate's Blog; no I didn't win anything; but I'm sure the Yarn went to a very good home/Stash.

The test thing that I will be trying to do; is record my blog (as a kinda podcast) so that If you don't really want to read a lot... or scroll becasue you're knitting... then instead you can listen to my voice... or you can do both and see if I change words or anything (I will; I know it, cus I'm like that )

---Ok; this is the bad news---

Ok; since I'm doing these twice a week now I'm gonna have less and less to say, so this is gonna be a short one. I'm going to stop here before I run out of things to talk about next week

I love every single one of you (one more; sorry but he IS my other half)

See ya's all then I try and do the 'test thing' to see if I can make this podcast-type thing a reality.

Toodles XX

I've been a bad blogger.

----Apologies----
I've been a bad blogger..... As I have failed to provide you with recent updates through the Christmas period. I didn't even try to post, what with working horrible, long hours over Christmas and getting 2 days off in 2 weeks worth of 9 and 10 hour shifts every day.... I lost track of my internet-y life. I am sorry.

My facebook is a mess, please don't pay attention to it,

My Ravelry hasn't been updated in so long it's starting to feel neglected.
I have a lot of other people's blogs to read (I read a lot of blogs, If you think no-one reads you're blog because there's no comments, chances are: I've read it, I'm just not much of a commenter... I'm trying to Change that though, more on that later
And Lastly(in this section) I have a good-ass blog to write. because people miss my blog (or I like to believe that they do.... the way you miss Grass when it snows.... but as soon as the snow's gone you wish you had made 1 more snowman, another snow-Angel... or stored a snowball in the freezer for a very good prank in the middle of summer ) pictured is Lady in the snow, so cute. ^^

---New Year---
New year is the time for resolutions! My last years one Failed around Febuary.... But I am determined to make these stick (these; yes, I'm making more than 1, 4 in fact)

1. Instead of making myself an unhealthy list of things to knit about a month before Christmas, I will be working on them all through the year. So excuse me if it's July and I turn up knitting a Gingerbread Man, or an eccentric scarf.... Socks aren't actually that weird but still

2. Update Internet Life more- that's Facebook; Ravelry and this Blog. I'm going to aim for at least 2ce a week. I have a new do-hicky on my phone which lts you post to your blog from anywhere, so I'll be using that almost religiously
3. Update my recipe book - some of my readers may know this, but I love to cook. I own more cookbooks than I can store anymore, which is why I bought a recipe book. this means that I can write down the recipe's that I like from a book and then send that book up to the attic, stored for when I get my own place and I can store them properly, near the kitchen.
4. Comment! - Every blog that I read from now on I will comment on. This is every blog from the mighty gathering of knitter-blog readers that is A YarnHarlot post, right down to blogs who; like mine, don't get very many readers. Tree Falling in the Forest and All that.

---OK, I know I've been avoiding it---
Yeah, there's a good reason why all the knitters that I listen to, and read start their holiday crafting as early as I did, but they only do 3, maybe 4 items...... I tried to do 8. doomed from the beginning, but I didn't know that until I started ALL of them and realised that NONE of them would get anywhere near done.

So I tried to stick to one, Craig's Cricket Jumper, But I realised too late that this was the largest project..... therefore it would take the longest anyway. Needless to say it is not done. None of my holiday crafting got done, except for a Singular Gingerbread Man and his tiny scarf. (Which I took with me to Larne's Inver Garden Centre, for their craft Fair; he was sold for an unspecified amount.... cus it was higher than the price even I was expecting.

Craig's Present is the thing I have been working on, it's around-about 70% done. I have 1 more pattern repest to do, then I have to do the V neck and the shoulders, then attach to the back, and knit the caps on the sleeves lol. It's looking to be more of a Valentine's Gift than a Christmas gift anymore :/ sorry sweetie.
Also sorry to Nadine - Her Xmas present was supposed to be something supreamly Guitar-hero related, but that didn't happen (she got coffee instead, something that I think pleased her at least as much as the still secret guitar Hero thing. She shall be getting her Guitar hero related thing tho, for her birthday, which is on Febuary the 13th (and she'll be 20! An old fogee like me :D)

---Apart from knitting and Job---

Apart from Knitting and my job :I havn't really been doing that much. There's beeen a few nights out with Craig, Like the Winter Formal in my Church, At which I felt we had to Dress up Quite a bit, So we I ... both of us got Craig into a suit... that was Fun. Apartently we look like proper grown-ups in this photo. Therefore I like it quite a bit lol.
We also went to a rugby match on the 29th of October (yeah, that was a while ago sorry) it was Ulster vs Munster. it was fun. But now I really want a rugby Shirt ....
During the incredibly snow-y winter it was difficult for any of us to see our friends; so we organized a night out to the Harmony Chinese in Glengormly. It was really just to exchange presents and Cards, while catching up on what everyone was doing, and having a very good meal. Tashi and I set out our plans for World domination.... all we need is money lol.

---The coming Year (2011) ---

Many of you may know that this year both me and My other Half will be turning 21 (woo-hoo!!!) That means there's gonna be quite a massive party coming up in our honour. We're thinking as close to our birthdays as possible (the 3rd and the 7th of July) so people try to keep that roundabout week sorta clear! People say I'm always hard to buy for so about 2 months before the party I'll post a small wish list here for both of us. You are free to use it/ don't use it, but it's just to give ideas. But because I don't want to think about it too much, I'll stop talking about this now :)
This year I also hope to be going to 2 weddings (maybe 3, depending)... or rather 1 Full Wedding and 1(poss 2) wedding receptions.
I will also be going to 1 fundraiser for my little cousin( I shouldn't call him Little - he's 19 and taller than me....) to go over to Malawi, in South Africa to help with something. I think he's going to help build a school or houses or something :). Gooooood Luck to him

---Yarn Tales---

I was let loose with my Chrismas money and my work pay in a Yarn shop early December. I wasn't looking for anything for the Christmas Knitting (that didn't get done) but I was looking for things to do after knitting all the chrismas projects. I have in my mind that I want to make a Carigan for myself (I know: I still have a shrug on the go, I'm finishing that as soon as I get Craig's cricket vest off the needles and onto his back. I also wanted to do another pom-pom scarf, becasue the one I have at the moment is too fat and too short. I want a long thin one. 6 poms to a side instead of the 15 that I decided on last time. Rather than rip out my Hard work I wanted to buy another Ball. I found a pattern on the internet for the Cardigan that I want to make, it requires 5 balls of DK weight Yarn. I went to my LYS (local Yarn Shop) which is Selections in Carrickfergus.

(I've heard there's another in Newtownards and a few in Belfast but I dont know where...This is why I want to open A Yarn Barn for God sake!)

Anyways I went in and I looked about for a DK weight Yarn that there was 5 or more Balls of (6 was what I was actually going for, cus I'm on the larger side and it wouldn't do any harm to have an extra ball flying about) and I seen these (->)

There was 4 balls of 1 dye Lot and 1 of another. you can tell which one is the odd one out (the top one, label showing) but by the time I am finished you won't know where 1 ends and another begins :). I also Got a nice Pom-pom Yarn in an Almost Lime-green. (shown with Craig's Vest in the background) I love that colour, I might add some White Tassels, with some of the Green treaded through it. The shop didn't have any of the Can-can yarn that I wanted in Stock, But I have plenty to get on with without trying to Master a new Yarn. I might have it as an Eater Challenge for myself if I can find it instock.

I have been looking at the Deramores Website way too much.... I(link) love nearly everything on there and I really want to cut down on my Stash Yarn..... but some of them are sooooo good I might just have to spend my Winter paycheck online. At least it's better than looking at the Nimu Yarn page.... which is too tempting, because it wakes me want to knit something that I swore I wouldn't do until I am engaged, and that is Knit a Shawl. A Lace shawl (propably in White or in Purple) And that's only as a Challenge to myself (link to Nimu)

Also hilarious t-shirts about knitting have cuaght my attention (link) as well as buttons. they just make me giggle.

---I guess thats it---

I can't really write about anything else without sounding like a ranting Lunatic..... that is more than I do already. I may be getting a new addition to this blog that I hope everyone shall enjoy. just as soon as I figure out how to work it lol. I'll probably test it on this post; then test post it in about 3 days, just to see if it worked. Oh and before I forget: Lazy Kate Creates is giving away some gorgeous Yarn this week; all you have to do is comment (hop on by at Lazy Kate Creates) I've aleady commented :) and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for a good chance at the yarn.
I will blog again before the week is out.Until then; I'll be working on Craig's Cricket Vest and Nadine's Present. toodles :D

Last Picture: Icicles off my conservatory. looks cool as heck :)