Trip to Dublin

---So much for that then----

I didn't post last Thursday. That was because I was on Nightshift. I therefore had to sleep till 3pm to cover not sleeping all night. When I woke I had to get ready for a Romantic trip to Dublin with my other half; In short = no time for blogging.

I seemed to have had a bit of camnesia; as I didn't take any photos the entire weekend. Sorry about that.
We visited the Guiness storehouse in Dublin (very fun for Craig and myself) Craig had to drink 2 pints of Guiness before Lunch. Why? I don't like the taste of it. I know;I know; Why go If you don't like the taste of it? To make Craig happy thats why. (and it was a very interesting tour anyway.)

Today I have been recording and doing odd little bits to make the blog fully function almost back to normal again. There will be a new tutorial video on Thursday (If my new copy of Adobe Premire actually gets up and running) and then another video next week too (to say sorry about the yearly hiatus)

----Photo----

I've realised I havn't posted a picture of myself in so long - so here's one of myself supposting a Tiny top Hat.

Thanks for reading

Akitombo
XXXX

Clean-up Done

I actually did this on Monday - but I'm posting about it now - I've changes the background and got rid of the bar- thing (because when I went to edit it I could' remember how to - so I didn't.

I'm blogging to you from my bed - I've just woke up (I know its about 3pm - I was on Nightshift; give me a break) and now I'm going to turn on my playstation and try to Finish Assassin's Creed. (yeah - using the NEW blogging poster App on my Iphone.

I will record a video for this blog tomorrow. a little how to, but that'll be Thursday's post.

I will hopefully be heading into town on Wednesday or Thursday (dunno which yet) to get the new Handbag (which I have been saving for) from Cath Kidson

Until Thursday - toodles

Aki XX

False Starts and when I don't learn

===What happened there??====
OK; Work killed me over the past few months. In the 4 weeks over Christmas (ie the 17-12-12 > 7-1-13) I worked a total of 137 hours that's almost 35 hours a week.I crashed and burned over Christmas and I'm still feeling the effects now.

So I'm tring to do so many things this year - 2012 was pretty crappy; except for the end of it. But instead of making a big thought-provoking list of posts I'm just going to do what everyone else seems to do.

I will now post every Thursday unless something big has happened, something has been finished or stuff like that; when I will most probably post that day.

I also have a NEW non-buggy blogger app for my phone; so I can make posts on the move. Although these posts will not have photos - I think I can live with that.

===What I plan this year===

Finishing. I want to finish things. I'm only allowing myself to purchase crafting materials if It will help a current project or if I'm on holiday (most probably Dublin) So this year will see the completion of the shawl of many stitches (ethereal) and various other things I have lying about gathering dust.

I know Craig and I aren't going away on Holiday this year (mostly - we can't afford it)So I might do a tiny blog challenge over July because work will be slow and we won't be going anywhere.

I've also started a tiny book club with my friends. (just a small mention ^^)

Another small note: I'm slowly leaning Spanish again (I know - really it's just busy-work)

===Clean-up ===
I have been quite ruthless today (there's an interesting word:ruthless. Ruth means friendship so ruthless would mean unfriendly...aint words great?)
I frogged 2 hats. They were intended for the same person but I forgot about them and she forgot about them; so I'm just harvesting the yarn and the project bag.

I will also be cleaning up the blog's appearance (I don't know the last time I changed that bar - thing and most of the projects have been either frogged or finished)

===A note on Last year====

A few have expressed that they were disappointed that I didn't post the promised videos. I'm sorry about that. I will try to do a few videos to make up for it ( I already have one in the pipeline) And I know I've lost readers from last year's blog-hiatus. I hope I will get some more followers and I also pray for comments.

I know I'm only a small blog writer but I still would like people to comment or like my post of this on Facebook or.... really just something. (I think that's why I stopped, I felt like I was just sending this stuff into the void and no-one was reading it)
Oh and I also must appologize to any of my Ravelry friends. I stopped going on the forums for most of last year and I've only just got back to them. Sorry about that.

Here's to a new start

Aki XXX
(Thanks for sticking around)

is this thing on?

Hi everyone; yes it's me: I finally got round to doing a post. hope you didn't miss me THAT much ^^

Sorry it took so long; the past couple of months have been riddled with sickness(sad times); deaths(sad times),engagements(that make me happy then depressed)and work(time-consuming,life-consuming and a drain on my happiness)

Therefore I just didn't feel like blogging. but while clearing out my room the otherday I found my list for things I was going to do with the blog. and I felt sorry that I hadn't posted in ages (I don't even want to calculate how long it is)

So today I remembered NaBloPoMo is starting again and I remembered how hard but rewarding that was to do.
I've resolved to post again; to do NaBloPoMo again. I'll try to do some of the challenges everyday and I'll try to post backwards as well.

Hope I can get some support in this.

Aki
XXX

Good Lord!

---Appropriate title no?---
A post!!!
Sorry it's been so long since I wrote anything here; I disappeared into the world of work for awhile; immersing myself in Night shifts and 11 hour days that were grouped so close together it left me barely any room for much else.

I apologise(yet again) for my absence. I know I said that in my last post that I would have the video posts up by the end of May. Here we stand well into June and nothing has rose to the surface. For this I can only make excuses. I will try my best to get the posts done to a fitting standard in the next few weeks. I am however still taking a small Holiday over Summer. My work time points my conscience to the well known drab that I need: Craft time.
During the last couple of weeks I have had precious little time to call my own; that I have time or am in the mood for crafting (7am with no sleep=not in the mood)

That said: I had last weekend off. My knitting bag called to me and I managed to get something actually finished. 1 sock of the pair of socks that I call 'Inspired by spring socks' They are for my tootsies and fit me quite well.
I have cast on the second sock and already I can see that these socks will be Fraternal rather than identical because of the colour changes.

----Dreaming of dreams----
Is it bad that I'm dreaming about days in the future when I will have my own shop? I'm already looking at this tutorial (here) and dreaming of making a couple of my own for clothes making and display purposes.
I realise that this is far off dream; somewhere in between getting married and having kids (I want this shop before kids...I'm just that way) but as a child cannot help but dream what she wants to be when she grows up; I am dreaming of my livelihood in this shop.

So please ignore me if I seem to go off in a daydream; I'm probably putting a new handmade dress on a mannequinn made according one of my friends' measurments. Or chalking on the shop's noticeboard that there's a sale today. Anything to make that dream seem a little bit closer.

Sat daydreaming
Aki XXX

Here comes the Summer!

---I seem to do this alot....sorry----

Ok; I know What I said... I also know that it has been way too sunny to stay inside to do... Anything basically.
I have been knitting outside, machine stitching outside and cross stitching outside.
Yesturday was 23'C; which may not be Hot for some places but for Good old Norhern Ireland: that's Hot. I have therefore been making the most of it.
---Yesterday---
Yesterday Craig took me to the park for a BBQ. We had the usual though-fair; Burgers and sausages; we also got some chilli prawn skewers and BBQ pork Kebabs. It was a lovely day sat near enough on the beach looking like I was holiday and knitting. I stupidly didn't take any pictures. Don't be angry.

I worked on an imaginary project. (ie: a project which I have no pattern for but that I have devised in my brain.I'm making it out of Yellow Cotton (because it's hot)

---And now today---

Today it's raining. I've realised that I am working a lot and therefore the Room I use most has become messy with the traffic of getting ready day after day. I set myself to today clear out this trffic so I actually have room for moving in and out of the sewing bit of the room. During tidying I came across a ball of Yarn that I had bought ages ago from that craft Fair that was absurdly expesive.

And now I ask you: What the hell do I do with this ball of Yarn? It's in a lovely moss green ... thing is ... it also has the texture and the knitablity of Moss. it's mistake ridden, fun-fur like and when I try to knit on 5mm needles (the size suggested) I end up parting, tearing and  knitting through the yarn. It short; it's hell to work with. had this been a yarn that I had paid £2 for I would happliy cut it up into tiny pieces and use it for stuffing I would go out of my way to insure none of this yarn was seen by me again.                         But it just so happens that I didn't pay £2 for this ball.... no.... the label on the back of the ball band tells me I paid £5.99 for this. £6!!!! For a ball of yarn that would send even the savvyest of knitters running towards the malabrigo and nice sock yarn.

I must have been a little less knitterly than I am now.But the frugality of my inner being will not allow me to throw this Yarn away. I must make something of it... a Hat, Mossy wristers..... Anything.

Aki

XXX

A lot will happen tomorrow; here's why:

---Rugby---
Ok; I'll be frank; I don't know that much about rugby. I know some of the basics and I know most of the important team names. I'm also very proud of my home team, Ulster, making it to the Finals of the Heiniken Cup this year. The match, against Leinster, kicks off tomorrow. I know my Better half Craig has been quite Literally beating his chest about this all week.

I'll be very happy (and a little deaf) if they win tomorrow.

---What this has to do with the Blog---
I will be sitting in one place for practically all day; rather than knitting (which I would normally be doing) I shall be writing. I'm taking a big file-block onto the sofa with me and my schedule which I drew at the start of the year and I'm going to write all the one's that I physically can with a Man screaming beside me.

I will then type these up and have them all put out before Tuesday night. Then I will post Tuesday's blog (Today as my left hand) and hopefully everything will be back to normal.

So yes; A lot will happen tomorrow. The result of the match will probably determine the overall mood of myself and of Craig over the next few days; so here's hoping that everyone does well

SUFTUM!

Aki
XXX

Books on my shelf

---Books---                                                                                      (please note I'm time-travelling)
I'm going to list all the book that I have out on my shelf. Why? Even I forget what I have sometimes and it is good to re-evaluate space and layouts of things that I use most often. Here goes:

NB-I'm not classing magazines as books... else this should take the rest of the day to write. I'm also not including Manga. For the same reason.

Knitting books

• 3 Yarn Harlot books
• Modern top-down Knitting (gorgeous book that I got recently)
• Glamour Knits
• The Knitter's Bible
• Inspired Cable Knits
• Big Girl knits
• Vintage Gifts to Knit
• Not tonight Darling I'm Knitting
• Heirloom Knits
• Knitting in no Time

Cooking books

• Two Greedy Italians
• Christmas with Gordan
• Ken Hom's Quick Stir-fry
• Various Baking books.

Other books

• Fifty shades of Grey (I haven't stared this yet; but apparently it's good and sexy.)
• The secret Life of Dresses
• The House of Silk
• The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Gun Seller (Hugh Laurie)
• Rose Labyrinth

Please note these are not ALL my books but the books that I read/refer to most often.

Aki
XXX

Apologies

I must apologise to all my frequent readers. I have not posted since Febuary. That's nearly 2 months of updateless blog. There's a reason for that:

I have been working non-stop  since Valentine's weekend. Over the past 2 months there has not been a week that I have not been in work 6 days out of 7. (some weeks 7 out of 7)

Thankfully I have had 2 weeks now when I' only in 3 days a week; I have been able to recover.

I'm going to time-travel a little bit. I'm going to go back and do all the posts that I should have done, so I should be up to date by the end of this week. Except the video ones; which wil be up before the end of the month.

So if you see a lot of activity on my blog - I'm contacting a certain Doctor and will be timetraveling.

Thank you for your pacience with me.

Aki
XXX

PS: blogger's changed while I was away.... it's strange.

In my Handbag

I'll take it this means my everyday handbag; the brown one that Craig's Mum and Dad got me for Christmas.

It's brown carpet-y material on the outside and chocolate brown linen lining. It's got a front zippy pocket and then the big main bag pocket; complete with secretive zip and mobile flap (which fits my Ipod but not my phone...given that my phone IS the the Iphone I find this strange.

Inside is....

• My purse - Brown FOSSIL purse containing £25.26, all my membership cards including my Tesco's priveledge card and Boots card,an assortment of coupons, 2 plasters, a movie stub (Despicable me!!!) Recepts for Primark, Tesco (3) and Monsoon, and 1 button...
• My makeup Bag - Marimekko bag containing Lipstick (iced coffee; Avon),No7 Mini Metallic Eyeliner set, Maybelline Moisture extreme Lip liner (in shade 95), 17 VaVaVoom eyeshadow kit, 17 compact mirror, 17 Metalic Eye Liner (purple) Barry M Kohl pencil in Black)and Natural collection Powder(neutral)
• Hand Lotion
• 4 indiviually wrapped mints
• 1/2 a packet of Lockets
• a Hello Kitty Umberella
• Lemon Muffin Lip Balm
• 5 pens (2 are for work
• a teaspoon (for yogurts in work)
• Wet wipes (apparently they're supposed to smell 'Exotic'... they don't smell at all)
• Appointment book (bookmarky ribbon in May 7th)
• Recept for Diesel at Tescos (£20)
• 2 Boots Fragrance testers; one Juicy Couture(VIVA) and one Beyonce
• A hairclip
• 4mm Crochet hook
• a Googly eye (I don't know where the hell this came from)
• AND a clothes peg, painted blue.

That was interesting. It also gave me a chance to cleam out my bag and my purse.

Aki XXX