Flibbertygibbet

I have learned my lesson(s)

Life Lesson 1:

Do not ask a three year old what she would like for her birthday

Certainly not in a casual manner.  For she may have an answer ready.  She may also be a particularly dear little girl, who deserves to have to her birthday wish honoured, even if she's not actually technically your god-daughter, she's XH's god-daughter and you're - well, you're just in there, part of the package.  You may also have told him that you're taking care of her gift and he's paying for it because you know what, that's just the easiest thing. 

Do not ask a three year old what she would like for her birthday, because she may, without skipping a beat, reply:

"A chocolate dinosaur".

Ah hah.

And you may just be soft enough in the head to follow through.

They're monsters.  Not in the scary sense, because they actually possess dopey grins - and what could be either one tombstone tooth or a tongue poking out - but because they take a staggering 100g of chocolate each.  That's a family sized bar in each one (the smaller moulds I wanted were sold out).  I started off using Green and Blacks, as I usually do, and then realised that not only madness but penury that way lay, so I switched to good old Cadburys. 

Life Lesson 2:

Dad knows best

Certainly when it comes to chocolate.  Well he would do as he was a baker and confectioner.  I had an impromptu lesson in tempering chocolate, so it will be interesting to see if the next two dinos are shinier than these.  And whether the first two set.  Yes there will be more - there are six children coming to the party with us (at the Natural History Museum, where else?) and you can't get away without enough for one each.  Despite the fact that each one has their annual chocolate requirement contained in one brontosaurus-shaped package.  Perhaps their parents will be able to convince them to split them.  Yeah, that's an idea...

* * * * *
Lots of work coming up so will pop back to the blog as often as I can.  In trying to get everything done, I'm very conscious that not only is it St Patrick's Day on Saturday, it is also the Eurovision Song Contest.  It's a bit like a lunar eclipse on Halloween, snow on Christmas Day, winning the lottery on your birthday, or maybe in this case extra white sauce on the bacon and cabbage. (especially if it's the gammon and colcannon at the Empress - had lunch there last week and the food rocked).   The icing on the barmbrack cake, as it were.
I fondly remember the Eurovision from college.  I mean, the music is rubbish, obviously, but for a couple of years back in the early 90s, when Ireland didn't seem to have much to shout about, we were certainly able to win the Eurovision. Again, and again.  It also spawned the clickety-legged spectacle that is Riverdance, it was the interval entertainment in 1994 (I'd dispute that the contest didn't create a financial burden for RTE - as a media student back then, we were continually told how the budgets had been slashed in order to pay for the Eurovision) and watching it always turned in to a fairly mental night.   It's up there with the Late Late Toy Show which is - or certainly was in the Gaybo days - seminal Irish television and such a strong feature of my childhood.  It was basically a seasonal show where they featured toys that would be 'big' for Christmas - sending Santa into a frenzy if he had already allocated Johnny's and Mary's pressies based on that letter they sent him in November... I always wanted my parents to go the Toy Show because the main catchphrase, which the audience was just dying for, was '...and there's one for everyone in the audience!', it was the mother of all freebie giveaways.  Ah yeah, brings a smile, and I'd bet that anyone Irish who's about my age would agree. 

So the question is, where could we go on Saturday night to celebrate the auld national holiday, and also be able to see the Eurovision?   What a perfect night!  Roll it there Colette...

BTW there's an interview with myself and Rebecca in the Irish Echo this week, if it's available in your area and you'd like to check it out.  She also has a wonderful new blog that you must visit...

**Edit:  As Caroline's comment so rightly says - it's a qualifying thing for the Eurovision only today.  Sure who'd want to watch that kind of rubbish?

Luck of the Irish

So this is the March competition, running here and on the shop website.  For the month that's in it, this is your chance to win a lucky shamrock  - an original handcut silver pendant .  Measuring about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, it comes on a sixteen inch sterling silver chain.

To enter, simply leave a comment on any blog post between now and the end of March.  International entries welcome!

Result

When I met up with Helen and Ting at The Big Chill House Hootenanny, Helen asked me what I'd been up to for the weekend.  And my mind went blank. 

Seriously, what had I spent my Saturday doing?  Raise eyes from navel, young lady!

Oh yeah.  Working on freelance stuff.  Making the prize for the little competition that will be appearing shortly - because I like the irony of announcing a game of chance on an 'unlucky' date - even though it won't be a Friday this month.  I've been reminded how superstitious I am recently by the growing collection of lucky pennies that I've been accumulating, which are rattling around in my coat pocket.  What can I say, the old rhyme has stayed with me:

Find a penny,
Pick it up,
All day long
You'll have a penny good luck

I sort of rewrote the last line when I was a child, because by then a penny had literally lost much of its value, and was exchangeable only for the smallest of sweeties and I remember when my favourites, Fizzle Sticks, went from a penny to 2p to 3p and the harsh realities of inflation hit me, as my 10p sweetie money went from buying ten fizzle sticks to five to... you get the picture.  My teeth probably thanked me though.

We Irish are a pretty superstitious lot generally, it's fairly well ingrained in our culture, which may be why I do feel compelled to pick up those pennies.  It's also something I've been thinking about for the theme of some of the small quilts I'm working on, and well as reading a book of relatively disturbing Irish fairy tales (they have much more in common with the grim Brothers Grimm original works than the Disneyfied versions we usually get nowadays.)

So hopefully someone can back me up on this - recently I was out for a walk in the park with Pauline and Jen,  and I saw a single magpie.  So I sort of pretended to spit, and waved at him.   
And they looked at me like I was sort of acting crazy.  Crazier than normal crazy.  But it's not like I asked him how his wife was, which is obviously just silly.

The Big Chill House - great venue.  Fab pies. Enticing burlesque, great music, frequently hysterical comedy, particularly Phil the Naked Canadian Comedian.  No, that's not his stage name but it probably should be, and that's how he ended up by the end of the evening.  Trying to start a 'Nude Farm' up on the balcony.  Classic "you had to be there" comedy but it was just brilliant.  I was laughing too hard most of the time to remember the names of the rest of the comedians - or indeed the bands -  so I'm hoping Ting will remind me later.

And contrary to my recent spate of showing stash and supplies rather than finished pieces, here's the necklaces I made from the semi-precious beads I bought last week.  Hell, they barely even made it into stash.  It's a record for me.

Rosequartz beads and 'hisbiscus flower' pendant

Dyed mother of pearl 'polo mints'.

Now I just need to get cracking on the rest of the wardrobe.

For Baby Lucy

I sort of forgot that I finished this.  It's being delivered tomorrow.

It's simple but I'm really pleased with the colours.  I hope Lucy's mum will be too. 

Confession time

There were a lot of rubbery arms in Liberty.  Knitterooney's arm got twisted into snaking forwards and grabbing some beautiful deep red Kidsilk Haze, amongst other bits and pieces, though it did take us a while - she was sticking to her "I have given up yarn for Lent" vow most devoutly until Dollie Daydream 'explained' that Lent wasn't about giving things up, rather it's about doing good deeds.  Being kind of karmic, you know.  Knitterooney will be out feeding stray little old ladies, watering kittens, and helping plants to cross the road for the next week (or something like that) in penance - I'm just hoping she got home in time to stash the stash before it was spotted.  I did offer to shelter it at my place for a while, till the heat dies down...

Dollie was actually very restrained in her purchases, and came back bearing a medium-to-large sized bag, I was impressed. 
Then she caved and snared the fabulous birdie fabric, hah!

I was probably the worst of the lot.  Though this morning I rationalised that I did actually stick to my budget because the biggest piece of material is actually a gift for someone else - for G's baby's dress.

I bought the piece in the middle - a Kaffe Fassett print to tie in both my Swap Strips from the January Strip (arranged around the top right/right) and the Purl Soho fabrics that Helen brought back from New York.  There's more to be liberated from the stash for this but I'm very excited about my quilt now!

Because I am obsessed by cupcakes at the moment, but resisting making two dozen for myself (though it was suggested at knitting that I shouldn't hold back, I could just go for it and then bring them into Foyle's on the Tuesday morning - which I am considering, if I can figure out a way to transport them safely) I went for this low-fat option instead:

It's going to be an apron.  I'm pretty sure of that.

Hey, question:  I'm trying to find jumbo ric rac, for the new Tie One On apron theme. I have seen the skinny stuff, in Liberty funnily enough, but I'd like to get some of the chunky one.  Does anyone know anywhere in London or any UK online sellers that stock the thicker versions?  I have seen it on US websites and that's probably where I'll end up, but if anyone knows anywhere local, please shout.  I wonder if VV Rouleaux does it...

And I'm slowly getting this crochet business on the go: I've got the yarn (see below - plus there's some cotton in the stash that might work too.)  I've got the venue (round our kitchen table).  I've got the tutor and the participants.  Now I just need to put them all together.

A trip to the post office is almost overdue, there's about eight separate things to go out - just a few more bits to put  together for the fabric swap.  Here's the sneakiest of sneak previews...

A Very Merry Unbirthday

So it's not my birthday yet.  But it's my birthmonth.  As previously noted, this month is going to be a bit odd, lots of anniversaries, notable dates etc.  A lot of  'Oh for god's sake get over it', said, with a smile.  I realised that my last post made it sound like I was upset but actually, once I type out a post like that, it really does get it out of my system.  Seriously, type and it's gone.  But thanks for all the encouragement and 'chin up' comments.  It's up.

On Monday I met up with two friends that I did my masters with, P is living in France now and she called on Friday to say she was coming over for meetings and did I want to meet up - yup!  It spurred me on to track down the other college friend, I, (she does live in London again now after a stint in Barcelona, and she's famous for losing mobile phones every three months or so ;-) but I found her) and we all went out.  Turns out that I is a knitter - ah hah, it's contagious!  So glad to have tracked them both down again, though P has returned to Toulouse, but I is coming to knit with me soon, and is also signed up for the crochet class I'm organising.

Yesterday: knitting at Foyles, a trip up to a new yarn shop at Kingley Court that I clued me in to, (I've completely forgotten the name, but apparently they also have a stall at Covent Garden market?) then dashed into the beadshop opposite.  Wonderful little place, filled with interesting things at very reasonable prices.

And to mark my unbirthday, I bought some little treasures.

Destined for necklaces, it does look like I just purchased things that co-ordinated with my knitting bag, which is the backdrop in the photo above.  They reminded me of the Liberty print fabric below, on the left, which is destined to be a dress - though I'm thinking now perhaps dress and skirt:

Afterwards I dashed home and another dear friend, G, came over to collect me and The Heaviest (But Most Beloved) Sewing Machine in The World and dropped it to the little man, five minutes down the road - G also brought her own machine, to be serviced, and we'll be having Sewing Stitch and Bitch meetings very soon.

Onwards to The Empress.  Pauline, you'll be delighted - or at least mildly interested - to know that they are doing afternoon tea now - and IT ROCKS.  Tea, scrumptious finger sandwiches, scone with clotted cream and jam, a slab of perfectly spiced gingerbread and two fingers of chocolate biscuit cake - each?   For £7?   Fabulous stuff.  I was on a sugar high for the rest of the day.

Evening time was spent working on ironing out some last minute stuff on the March fabric swap - got as many people as possible in, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what is sent and received.  Then I revised some designs for new projects, both for myself and for my little shop - I'm very excited about making my first small quilt - just need to get some Bondaweb (anyone know where you can buy it in London?  I've found it online but typically, want. it. now.) and have a couple of ideas for bigger quilts combining embroidery and quilting.  So many projects, not enough time!  I'll be running a little 'Hurray it's March' competition soon - can you see my mental reframing there, lol, and have to make the prize.  Soon. Because I've told you all about it, so now it's real!

Tonight, it's off to knitting very briefly, then over the road to Liberty to meet Caroline, for chatting, sipping (of complimentary drinks - my favourite kind) and a little purchasing.  I'm doing three freelancing jobs at the moment which is unprecedented, and also means I can almost justify acquiring some circular needles on the 15% off day.

So yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind.  It was also the seven year anniversary of when I met XH, our official anniversary before we adopted the wedding anniversary instead (well, for that one year anyway) 
The thing is, I had a great day.  Busy, happy, amongst friends, creating and with only the briefest spare moment spent on a few seconds' space of requisite sadness. Then that was over and I realised how much there is at the moment that is very good indeed x

More like it

I decided to do top-down because I was casting-on on the tube journey and didn't think I'd manage the Figure 8 - basically I just wanted to get these underway.  In order to knit them pretty quickly, I'll be doing afterthought heels again.

Saw XH yesterday, it was fine at the time but I was quite upset last night.  It's time to start the plans for moving on - or actually doing something about them, rather than just vaguely identifying what needs to be done.  I'm definitely swimming through treacle at the moment.

Here Kitty

I'm going to a christening tomorrow, and this is Charlotte's present.

A bit like the bunnies, the kitty's back is made of leftover quilt squares.  These ones are leftover from Charlotte's quilt which was the first one I made. I first saw prairie points on Thimbleanna's blog in a February post - and realised they would make perfect kitty ears.  And the tutorials on Primrose Design were an ideal refresher in basic stitches, as I haven't done any embroidery since - primary school?

I had some supervision - wedged in behind me,  "helping".

No Change

Well, my mood is much improved by the sweet comments from you people, and I was encouraged to finish the socks.

And I still loathe them.  Despise them and detest them.  Maybe even resent them somewhat.  In fact I'm a little surprised by the vehemence of my reaction to them.

1.  They're not long enough, admittedly I had a little wool left over and could probably have made them a couple of centimetres longer.  That wouldn't have stopped them from being ugly as hell.

2.  All of the vibrant pink ended up in the left sock.  To me it looks like it's two different balls which came from different dye lots, when in fact it's one hank divided in two.

3.  The hank looked so promising. I expected to knit up more like the heel:

Yes, I will wear them around the house.  Grudgingly.  Because I am too chronologically parsimonious not to, after spending all that time on them (world's slowest knitter here). Yes, I learned about the Figure 8 toe cast on, the  Afterthought Heel and the Three Needle Cast off.  Hooray, long live learning and new experiences, blah blah blah grumble mutter [insert expletive of choice].  Now give me some pretty socks.  Let's get some Lana Grossa on the pointy sticks and see if we can't improve on this.  It can't be hard. 

Where has it gone?

Where has what gone, I hear you ask.

...This week...
Well, it was partly handed over to a lingering lurgy.  It's almost gone.  The illness and the seven days or howeverlong since I last purged posted.

...My sewing mojo...
I arose this morning, possessed with enthusiasm for getting the machine back out - I seem to have been spending far too much time with two pointy sticks and glorified string, rather than my first - or should I say original - love, which is sewing.  So I started on the wool stash bags this morning, but I seem to have banjaxed the Singer,  to use the technical term.  So I've got to figure out how to get it down the road to 'the little man' which is probably going to involve a taxi as I've no car any more and it weighs roughly the same as I do.

...My Jitterbug joy...
More news on the almost-completed socks will be posted tomorrow.  They have been a learning experience, that's true.  That's the most positive thing I can find to say about them.  I'm hoping to look on them in the bright light of morning and rediscover some enthusiasm for them.  Even the tiniest little bit.  No holding your breath there in the back.

...My career prospects...
Actually, I don't want a career as such, unless it's flexible enough to let me still attend knititng group on Tuesday mornings.  Joking, God of Work Opportunities - though it's typical that you'd start listening just when I start mucking about...I didn't get the job that I'd interviewed for, because they want someone who's got more financial experience which is perfectly fair.  The interviewer recommended me to a recruiter though, who's  putting me forward for some stuff which is flattering.  We'll see what happens. 

...My head...
Well, I know where that's gone, right up my--
I know it's time to get out of the schlump and see what other opportunities are going to present themselves this week.  I think getting that no on the job dented my confidence more than I'd thought it would, even though I'm not entirely broken hearted about this job itself, but it would have given me some security, focus, independence, and money of course too.   I was this close (you know how close, thumb and forefinger a mini-milimetre apart) to just booking a flight and going home to my mum.  In fact I still may do that, but later on this month and for slightly different reasons.  And having arranged for someone to look after the cats before I go.  March is always a noteworthy month for me  - the anniversary of when XH and I first met, which will naturally be bittersweet this year; St Patrick's Day, which normally passes in a blur of me watching people from all other nationalities celebrating my national holiday, which amuses me; my parents' wedding anniversary and my birthday.  Three years ago on my 30th birthday XH took me to NYC and proposed.  I never know whether to celebrate my birthday or not and this year it's going to be an even more difficult decision. 

My lovely Irish mammy says 'What's for you won't go by you.'  which can be interpreted as 'things work out the way that they are supposed to.' In this case I think I have to trust that I'll make the right decisions about marking all of March's anniversaries and dates this year.   Mums do always know best.