Crafty birthday treats!

It was my birthday on Monday - boo, quarter of a century. I hate birthdays, bad things have happened around my birthday quite a few times so I'm always bracing myself for catastrophe at this time of year. But what did cheer me up was the big pile of pressies hubby got me! Including some Denise Interchangeable Needles which now pretty much complete my needle collection as they will serve me for all my circular needle needs, and this fab crochet book. I'd seen it in a magazine a while back, then my friend at work was leafing through a copy, and without even asking for it my hubby picked up on the fact that I wanted it and bought it for me! How sweet, and here was I thinking he ignored all my craft talk!

Current craft projects are little knick-knacks for the potential tabletop sale at church (although I've yet to hear when this is). I'm alternating between knitting the bottoms of cupcakes (I'll do the tops later, just want to see how many I can make after my last ball of beige yarn ) and crocheting little pink flowers. For the latter I've discovered the Magic Ring technique of starting crochet in the round, which is very handy indeed. I'm still mastering it though!

Songs in my Head recently

(Is this the way to) Amarillo - Tony Christie (quality)

Avenues and Alleyways - Tony Christie

Islands in the Stream - the Comic Relief version

That dreadful Christmas song 'Neighbours' keeps playing, which make me want to bang my head on a table until it gets out of my head

That equally dreadful Diet Coke song that Duffy sings (Duffy, what are you doing?)

Songs in my Head recently

'Ruby Tuesday' - don't know who by but not the Rolling Stones version, the whiney lady version

'Canned Heat' and 'Virtual Insanity' - Jamiroquai

That song from 'Slumdog Millionaire' again (haven't even seen the film!!)

'Just Because you Feel Good' - Skunk Anansie

200 word Review: 'The Unadulterated Cat' by Terry Pratchett

Ahh, a bit of light relief! Normally this book would be a bit short and whimsical for my tastes, but after a heavy tome it was just what I needed. The title says it all – it’s about cats. Not any cats though, Real cats. Not pedigrees, not well-groomed fluffy things with long, saccharine names. Real cats chase cars, leave dead things in your hall and do their business in the neighbour’s garden.

Now, I don’t know if Millie is a Real cat or not – on the one hand, she has very few teeth, is a mishmash of different breeds, and will happily eat off the floor. On the other hand, she is an indoor cat, so can’t kill things or spoil people’s flowerbeds. Mind you, the book does say that, “Real cat is what you are, not what is done to you.” Maybe if we could let her out, she would be fully Real.

Anyway, I’m going off point. This is probably because the book is so short I’ve not got much to say about it – but I did enjoy it, and I think anyone with a cat that’s even slightly Real will find something to chuckle at in it.

200 word review: 'The Name of The Rose' by Umberto Eco

Here are three words that inspire terror in me – Mediaeval Murder Mystery. I found mediaeval times the least interesting part of History at school, and I’m not a huge fan of violence and death either. So, when I was given this novel as a gift, I almost didn’t read it, but I gave it a go.

I can appreciate that this is probably a very worthy novel. According to the introduction, it’s a translation of a translation of a 14th century manuscript by Adso, who narrates the story of a series of murders in a monastery. It delves deeply into Church history and theology, and I’m sure someone who is interested in that would love it. Unfortunately, I'm not. I found the theological discussions dull and bewildering, I became frustrated by the amount of Latin in it (what’s wrong with footnotes to translate?) and I stopped caring who was killed or who was doing the killing because there were so many characters I lost track of who anyone was.

If ‘mediaeval murder mystery’ sounds like your cup of tea, who knows, you might love this. But if those words make you want to run for the hills, then don’t bother.

Songs in my Head - Weds 4th March

'I'm in the Mood for Dancing' - The Nolans (oh yeah ...)

'Up All Night' - Take That (on the radio this morning)

'Wired for Sound' - Cliff Richard (distressing)

Songs in My Head - Sunday 22nd February

'Islands in the Stream' - the Comic Relief version (it was on TV last night)

'Flashdance' (was also on TV last night on the same show - 'Let's Dance for Comic Relief' - which was far more entertaining than I expected)

'Ghetto Superstar' (that song from years ago which borrowed the tune of 'Islands in the Stream', so not that random a song)

Stash Wars: The beginning of the end?

Well I got my doll assembled quicker than expected:

Isn't she cute? I altered the pattern a bit from what the magazine said, using cream instead of pink on her clothes, giving her black shoes and a funkier black hairstyle, leaving out some felt embellishments and a little yarn bag that, frankly, I didn't have the patience to make, and sewing her eyes on with black yarn instead of buying craft eyes. I also added the flower in her hair myself, using a bit of a pattern from 'Stitch'n'Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker' by Debbie Stoller. After making her I decided her name was Susie (although I'm sure that the future daughter she's intended for may change that!)

Here's what my stash now looks like:

Much more manageable. I've been told that my church may be having a tabletop sale to raise funds for refurbishment in May so I'm thinking of making some little trinkets to sell there, maybe some flower pins with the bright pink yarn, cupcakes with the beige and pastels, and possibly something clever and inventive with the blue ribbon, black mohair and leftover remnant of Blueface Leicester. That should reduce it a bit more.

But this isn't actually my entire stash - Mum told me that this week my new edition of 'Let's Knit' arrived, along with two balls of yarn. Yay, free stuff! I've no idea what it's like so I'll have to wait until I se Mum in a few weeks, but I'm sure the magazine will have patterns for it if I'm stuck for ideas.

Songs in my Head over the past few days

'Two Ladies' from 'Cabaret'

'Bag It Up' by Geri Halliwell (deeply distressing)

That new U2 song (is it 'Get on your Boots'? It sounds way too much like Muse whatever it is)

That ' like a wink and a smile' song I had in my head the other day

'Gives You Hell' by All American Rejects

That song from 'Slumdog Millionaire' would I think I should hate but I actually love - don't know what it's called, it goes 'All I wanna do is ... and a ... and take your money.'

New scarf and new dolly!

Well, I've been getting busy with my every-reducing stash recently! First I used the last of the gorgeous Bluefaced Leicester to make a funky scarf:

The pattern is from 'Let's Knit', a frankly brilliant magazine that my Mum gets for me and it's actually designed to go with the beret I made a while back and sadly lost somewhere between home and work one morning. The pattern had to be adapted as I didn't have enough to make it as wide as it should be, so this is a half-width version but I think it still looks good. I love the zig-zaggy pattern, created by short row shaping, and think it really sets off the beautiful yarn. I really recommend Bluefaced Leicester, I'm really sensitive to wool but wear this scarf load now and it rarely itches. And it's British!!

My current project which is nearing completion is from the same issue of 'Let's Knit':

It's an amigurumi doll, which is a Japanese crochet craze for making little creatures or people. I think this is probably bigger than your usual amigurumi piece but never mind. I just need to sew her together and then I have a brand new dolly - I just need to name her!!

I'm not sure what to do next, I'll post up a picture of my remaining stash after I've finished dolly.