Happy New Year to you too

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Go 2008!

And more!

Photos!

And a resolution begun before the New Year!

My favourite Christmas present

Seriously, it almost made me cry. Well, I am a bit hormonal!

Have you got a good photo to put on here? I have just put away my camera, but I will take a photo if you haven't.

Christmas Knitting

Well, it's been a very busy week, knitting wise.

I like your post - extremely good resolutions. Do socks count as adult wear?

Things I have knitted this week:

A sock for Andrew. Woohoo for the sock.

A hoodie. I luuuurve this. Mucho. See ravelry for details.

A bootee - will finish its pair and then make another pair, for some friends.

What a week!

Is it my turn yet?

Well, I don't think I've posted for a while so I'm guessing it should be about my turn.

Shame then that I don't have any photos!

I started a post the other day with an invaluable lesson I learned in the pain of weaving in a billion and one ends (in particular the backgammon board but in reality I seem to have a glutton's punishment for choosing knitting projects with large amounts of knitting in to do as pointed out in my knitting group). If you have an end that is impossibly short (i.e. less than the length of your needle), then sew the wool needle into your piece backwards so the needle hole is sticking out just where your end emerges and the rest of the needle is already in position of the sewing. Then all you need to do is thread the end into the needle, push it through the pre-positioned loops and - voila! the end is sewn in.

(YES I WAS BORED)

I had a number of "good thoughts" today which would have made my 3 things post except that I'm not doing that today. Mostly as I can't remember what I thought of. Just that I did.

Instead, then, I will post some rather random and a bit pointless New Year's Resolutions. (Pointless because I don't agree with the idea of trying to change fitting in with a calendar year. Random, er, you decide.)

1. I will do a triathlon this year.
2. I endeavor to have a romantic entanglement. (How DO you do this?)
3. I will post ALL my wool stash on to Ravelry - including the unlabeled, half-finished and quite frankly gross yarn I have accumulated over the years.
4. I will complete a knitted item for a(n adult) human to wear. Possibly even me.
5. I will purchase at least one of the following: a motorized vehicle of some description, an ipod, a set of knit picks or a magazine subscription for something completely decadent, possibly a knitting mag, or craft thing, or even Which? (Gosh, I really do know how to push the boat out!)
6. I will get a part time job in Plymouth.
7. I will go to the cinema/theatre more often.
8. I will read either the BMJ, the Lancet or the Practioner at least once a week in the University library.
9. I will do yoga. Somewhere, sometime, as it seems right.
10. I will get off my lazy arse and download pictures for this blog more frequently. (So that would be twice a year, then.)
11. I will not be dictated by even numbers or multiples of ten.

Yeah, so I made up the last one only because I hate lists of set numbers and although mine was created spontaneously it came to ten and then my imagination/memory let you.

I think they are mostly do-able but I'm stumped on number two. How do you create these situations? Perhaps I should have added the clause about 'without spending money specifically on it'. I refuse to pay money to join dating clubs or websites. Maybe I shouldn't but I still don't trust the internet and hate the idea that some corporation is profiting from my lonliness. Bastards! Weight watchers got 6 months subscription out of me and, yeah, sure it worked (bastards!) I resented paying for this clearly sensible advice. Perhas 11 should be 'relax about money'? But with four more years of study ahead of me I think the purse strings should be as tight as possible. As long as it's a knitted purse with quality and interesting yarn strings...

Musing on sock heels

So, the heel I turned is a german one, apparently. Which seems to mean that there are 'seams' that go along the side of the heel. I would prefer a 'seam' (for want of a better word) to go diagonally up the heel (Am I making any sense?). Anyway, do you think I could borrow the simple sock recipe from your new book? Am I allowed to say that? I now want to do myself a pair but made fom much thicker yarn on bigger needles, sort of bedsocks style, or slipper replacements. And in a much friendlier colourway!

I've taken a photo of Andrew wearing the half finished sock:

I've just turned the heel of a sock

Honestly! It looks slightly loose where I've picked up stitches but I'm hoping you are right when you said it will sort itself out when it's finished.

Now I need to knit the foot and toes.

Socks socks and socks

I finished another (mini) sock but I have no photos so you are going to have to believe me.

No other knitting, in spite of over 12 hours of train travel in the past four days. Shame. (Incidentally, no bloody progress on the report either, in spite of over 12 hours train travel in the past four days.)

Three Positive Things

Day 2.

1. I saw a bus driver dressed up as Santa Claus. This cheered me up immensely.

2. I needed a book the library - I was thinking of doing a project on Raymond Brigg's When The Wind Blows - and only two of his 37 listed works were in my campus library (there are three University campuses) and one was the one I needed. Sorted!

3. I got my PBL feedback from my tutor and I got an Excellent score! This is my first 'excellent' all term (I failed a Core Competency and have been getting satisfactory in all other aras) and I'm really pleased with myself.

Now to research my study topic... use of hormone therapy in transsexuals... and knitting.

A new project

So, I'm half way throuhg mum's Christmas present which looks good but is massive and I'm not sure will felt. Ah, she'll hate it whatever. I'm trying to do a second mini sock, mostly because I've done the first. I'm currently doing an SSU (Student Selected Unit) which essentially boils down to a 2000 word report written over three weeks.

So naturally I will spend about two weeks and six days trying to decide what to write it on. I've already changed my mind three times since Monday - one per day!

However this post isn't about that and it isn't about knitting, either. I'm killing some time in the computer room before going to meet up with some other (mature) students. We're going to watch an autopsy video. I'm, irresponsibly, more excited about communal wine drinking.

But it isn't about that either. While killing time, I decided to read the Sydney Morning Herald, and found this article about learning positive thinking, which anyone who knows me, knows isn't my speciality.

First project: Write down three positive things that happened today:

1. I found my young persons railcard! Woohoo! That saves £5 replacement cost. I also dwelt on the fact that I am still eligible for a YPC, in spite of my 27th birthday looming nine days away...

2. I got some personal emails. I felt a bit lonely and bored last night and was wildly procrastinating from working so started emailing very, very old friends and acquaintances. I'm not sure I didn't come across as a stalker. But it felt good. And I got replies. Yay!

3. I had a fantastic left-over curry sandwich for lunch. It had (stolen - sorry Lora) spinach leaves, tarka dahl and mushroom bahji and grated carrot on seedy bread. I do love my food. It's usually the highlight of my day, which is why it is important that it is good.

Geek alert!

I've catalogued my needles on ravelry.

I put all the Denises as 60 inch circulars.

How do you add blog posts to ravelry?

I'm guessing it has something to do with typing something into the box with RSS source or something writtn next to it. But what?