What / Where

This weekend I was sans internet, sans mobile phone. I picked up the keys for my new house on Friday and spent the weekend there. All I had with me was what I was able to get into my biggest suitcase, since I didn't dare drive down given the icy roads. However, into that suitcase I managed to fit my blow up mattress, bedding, a saucepan, mug, cutlery, towel, in short everything I would need for a weekend.

The house is as lovely as i remember, although I realised that it doesn't have any lights - like literally no light fittings! That's a little bizarre. I managed to get hold of my mum to bring me a couple of lamps so I wasn't sitting in the dark. The village is lovely, my only issue was it was cooolld. The house was ok but only if I had the heating on permanently, it soon got really cold over night, but I figure that's because it was freaking cold, this has been the coldest week all winter (and it's nothing compared to Boston / Toronto at the moment. Although I am sad to note that after being similarly freaking cold in Charlottesville, it's 20 degrees there today). Plus the air mattress is directly on the floor. I'll take some rugs and blankets next time I go down cos hopefully the roads won't be icy anymore and I can drive down.

When I wasn't exploring my new digs (the shower is awesome incidently) I was knitting, listening to the radio (DAB reception sucks somewhat though :( - no Planet Rock, had to turn off Radio 4 on the second night because the signal was just going crazy), listening to audiobooks, watching stuff I had saved up on my mac. It was a nice quiet weekend, (though I didn't know that there is literally no mobile signal there. I had 'no service' all weekend, even going outside I could get no bars which occasionally seemed to let text messages through. I'm going to try and get the landline and internet fitted as soon as possible there since I can survive here on mobile and mobile internet.

My main problem was that I didn't sleep well - it was too damn quiet! No sirens, no drunken shouts, no lift making screechy noises! And I had the awesomest cab driver ever on Friday - a very posh old boy, artist or writer type I'm guessing, seemed like cab driving must be his winter job!

I still haven't posted the reasons for all this change - but I was going to do it last Sunday, instead I managed to do something stupid on the new computer and had to restore it to back up - uh oh! I hope I don't do anything stupid again soon since I left the other computer at the new house!

can't blog - knitting now

Apparently a snowstorm is on the way. I highly doubt this is a snowstorm in the true sense of the word, because in the true sense of the word, England doesn't know what a snowstorm is, and it will probably therefore be a few flakes of snow. However, I am taking of advantage of the situation to knit mittens after I was seduced by wool (Rowan Cocoon) yesterday against my will.

I will tell that story, I promise. I'm writing this entry using Ecto software which I am trying out. I'm hoping it will make it nice and easy to write - my prime problem i blogging is remembering to go to a webpage to do it. Or write an email to do it. Yep, I'm rubbish. Let's see if this works...

Things I have recently learned

1) That the ability to blog by email and cellphone is cooler and geekier
than I had ever dreamed. On the go blogging, sudden thought blogging,
ability to post to two journals at once without cut and pasting. Not losing
entries because of browser crashes. Heaven.

2) That you don't have to type in a full web address for most websites. Just
the word will get you in on Firefox. Ebay, Amazon, Yarn Harlot. It's
awesome. And I feel a little silly for all that time wasted typing www and
.com or .co.uk.

3) Google Reader. Thanks Fox_C on LJ. How did I not know about this earlier?
It's amazing. Although it was supposed to save me time by not checking a
million sites in the morning, but since finding lots of interesting links I
can easily spend two hours perpetually checking my subscribed feeds as they
update.

4) Ilife 08 rocks. I haven't played around too much yet, but the new iphoto
is great (or more possibly it's pretty good and I never actually knew how to
use it before). I can foresee tons of time wasting with Garageband, and if I
had a video camera I would be making videos galore on imovie.

5) .Mac also rules. I'm planning on switching my personal email to them as I
get too much junk on gmail (my own fault, I kept giving it out), but it
mainly rules for it's backup system. Now it doesn't matter if I lose my
external back up drive in a drive by whatever, I always have a virtual copy
of everything crucial. It is expensive though, so if you intend to get it at
any time, make sure you use all it's features to get your monies worth; back
up, idisc, web galleries (like flickr but nicer). Build a website, go crazy.

6) I have no idea if Leopard rocks yet because it hasn't arrived yet. I'll
update you.

7) I can get two horrible migraines in the space of a week. Sabre's obit
would have been a whole lot better written if it hadn't been written whilst
under the influence of said second migraine.

8) The import function on Goodreads sucks. (again, thanks fox-c!).
Seriously. Or maybe the export on Bookpedia sucks. But I had to go through
what I uploaded item by item deleting the mound of duplicates it found
(despite having the correct ISBNs!). But it looks like a great website,
better than librarything, so I plan to get more of my library in there over
the weekend.

9) speaking of bookpedia, the entire suite of -pedia software rocks. It
looks a little like itunes but enables you to build not only an inventory of
your book/cd/dvd collection, but a list of what has been borrowed and by
whome, and a wish list.

10) I'm also test driving iworks since a) after I finish my degree it won't
be crucial to stick to Microsoft Office, and b) Office likes to crash.

Right, now I've written that little lot, if anyone wants to recommend me
more mac compatible software, feel free!

A post in honour of Sabre King the Wonder Dog.

Sabre King the Wonder Dog is leaving this life later on today, and I thought
he probably deserved a post in his honour.

Sabre was born on April 1st (no joke) 1994, and was a very beautiful black
and blue border collie pup. As he got older the blue somehow mutated to
brown. He was diagnosed with Cushings disease a couple of years ago, which
explained his unfailing appetite and thirst, and just recently a cancerous
lump was found, untreatable, meaning it's time for him to go and play
football in the great big field in the sky.

Despite being at the end of his life, when my sister, brother-in-law and I
arrived at my mum's doorstep at the weekend, this dog bounded joyfully
around us, jumping up, and basically acting every inch the puppy Sabre, and
not the sick dog at all!

Although never my dog, I did look after him on occasion (I never
successfully took him on a walk as he wouldn't go with anyone but my
parents! He's literally grind his heels into the ground!). When he was a
younger dog, and when my parents lived at their old house with masses of
land, he'd have his walk in the morning, and then enjoy a game of footie in
the afternoon (it was a bugger getting the ball away from him I can tell
you). He also used to enjoy indulging his sheepdog tendencies by rounding up
the ducks and chickens, and sometimes us. He'd also run after the odd
rabbit.

He will be sorely missed, especially by my mum, who has become his sole
parent since my dad moved to Oz. I suspect she will slightly enjoy the
cleaner house, lack of general ill dog smelliness, and no vets bills
however. I'm sure these benefits will not make up for the loss of her only
housemate however. I wanted to post a pic of Sabre, but I can only find an
old puppy pic which will need scanning. I'll add it later!

*raises glass*: To Sabre. May he rest in peace, when he's not rounding up
various assorted animals above.

Testing Email posting

Testing email posting

fetchingly so

I have finished one of my fetching gloves; did the proper Picot cast off, even though others said they didn't like it; I figure it was about time I learnt the cable cast on, so did, and I actually like the look of the picot edge, so I kept it. The thumb was also easier than I thought it would be; I did it pretty much on the fly; made sure I kept the stitches tight, and it looks great. I think when I've done the other they will need blocking just to make thumb look more even. I still have some ends to sew in as well, but what can I say, I'm lazy!

Also started the right front of the Central Park hoodie; then started it again when I realised there was yet another effing mistake in the pattern - AAARGH! god damn you, I pay for this pattern, is it so hard for you to get it right?!!

My copy of 'Street Smart' also arrived this week; I have wanted it since I saw the urban aran cardigan mentioned on Yarn Harlot's site, and then saw it. I figured that I can easily work out how to do my own from the info given on Jared's site. When I got the pattern book (off Ebay US by the way; I recommend until it's reprinted, it was a bugger to find in the UK; cost me $8 from US including shipping). I wanted to make everything else in it too - oops! urban aran first though, and I"m not sure when. just in time for winter I guess. Depends what I have to occupy me over the summer I guess!

I am visiting my sister and then my mother for easter; the former will put up with me knitting, whilst the latter will teach me crochet! yay!

I figured it was about time I started this!

OK, so welcome to my knitting blog. I have another blog elsewhere but I don't really update it much. I've had a blogger account for a while though, so thought I would use here for my knitting blog.

I've been knitting since about 2005, when I got the stitch n bitch book. I've now knitted most of the scarves in it, and since discovering ravelry have discovered that there are actually other patterns in the world! I originally learnt to knit as a little kid, but to be honest I don't remember if I actually knitted anything, or if I just, you know, knitted!

I currently have three projects on the go; I tend to make projects only for myself; a) because I'm selfish b) because I'm poor c)I'm not yet confident enough to make things for anyone else, and d) I'm not convinced anyone would like what I made them. Oh and e) I've never seen any of member of my family in anything knitted! I guess I could turn that around though, right?! The three projects are all things that are teaching me things. The Central Park Hoodie which I just fell for when I saw and got the yarn and pattern then and there, a pair of socks (just using a tutorial pattern off the internet to teach me how at the moment) and the fetching fingerless gloves which everyone seems to be knitting or has knitted.

I have a queue of several things some of which I may even get round to! Mostly this is because I get the favourites and queue buttons confused, and also because I like choice. I have no idea what I will actually make next; I'm guessing it will depend on what yarn I can afford, or whether I'm going to use up the lambs pride which is in my stash.

Sadly I don't get to knit as much as I would like; I'm a law student when I'm not knitting, which takes up a lot of my time.

Anyway, I'll try to keep this updated with my progress; can't guarantee my writing will ever be as humourous, nor will I ever knit as fast as the amazing Yarn Harlot.