Lurgy and chocolate skulls....

Woke up today feeling less than perky...sniffly, fluey and with a facial carbunkle that would frighten cats.....large sharp-fanged cats. My body is a temple.....have you seen pics of the Parthenon recently????

So, a day at home with my laptop, cold remedies and a chance to mess around with my blog settings. Hence the new background to the blog header.

Now one of the rather eagle-eyed amongst you has already sussed out that this header is a close-up photo of some rather delicious skull candies. They taste like strawberry and milk chocolate but I don't think that there is much cow-juice in them...more hydrogenated fat and sugar...you know the type of thing. Hydrogonated fat, as in the culinary version of artery-blocking-quick-dry-cement, with an oom-pah addition of teeth dissolving sugar. Ah bliss!!

Well the "observant one" suggested I must have bought a small bag of these candies specifically for this photo opportunity. Of course I may have had the artistic foresight to do such a thing..but that would be a....NO.

I am ashamed to admit that Sinbad had bought a WHOLE TUB of these for the Piratepurls and myself.......maybe he thinks sugar rush will distract me from yarn enhancement?


This is the same Sinbad-the-parent who confirmed with our dentist-with-flashing-white -teeth-and -figure-to-die-for ( a female dentist, just in case you were wondering) that he agreed with allowing children to have a once a week sugary treat. Hmmmmmm...........

In her eyes, he can do no wrong. After my last dental exam she said "Your husband has LOVELY teeth. A quick flash of the Plant from The Little Shop of Horrors passed through my brain.

So I have now a justification for the confectionary skulls...they are blog-art. I can smile demurely at said dentist on my next visit.

I found an anonymous chocolate quote on the web.....
'This guy found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, and he gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! There was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! There was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women... poof! He turned into a box of chocolates.
'Anonymous'


Not much knitting today....until the cold remedy kicked in to stop me sniffing like a tap, I was going for the stuff-tissue paper up nostrils approach. This is surprisingly effective but bending over a sock in progress gives enough gravity to reduce the tissues "cling" factor. By the way, if you are thinking of trying this at home I do not recommend you answering door to postman with tissue "in situ". I don't know if it was the "psuedo-Walrus" appearance of my face with two coils of white tissue emanating from my nostrils OR the Walrus look in conjunction with the not-insignificant carbunkle...but said postman was less than chatty when I opened door to receive a do-not-bend envelope. Maybe he was just having a bad day.

Anyway...the envelope contained a Rebecca 27 magazine bought from the lovely Queen of The Froggers....
http://queenofthefroggers.blogspot.com/

QOTF has been especially helpful in writing me some guide-notes for this pattern, The Apricot Jacket , which I specifically bought the book for.





I think it's fair to say that several knitters have referred to the instructions of this gorgeous cardigan in less than glowing terms...so all help gratefully received. This is a future knit as I must finish my WIPs. It is a gorgeous cardi though.......

Speaking of WIPs...The Piratepurls are very keen on Dr Who. This led me to, in a rash moment, offer to knit them a silver and black Dalek. On the surface this did not seem to be a particularly onerous task, as the finished article would be about 8 inches high.Unfortunately Pirate Murdo had obviously suffered oxygen-deprivation in a previous keel-hauling and had omitted to read the pattern before making this generous offer...there are 24 plus bobbles on the darn thing.....and (again in a moment of madness) I chose to knit it on 2.5mm needles with a multiplied yarn. As if this insanity was not enough I embroiled others in the madness and suggested a Dalek-along...so I feel I must finish my silver friend. I intend to make him into a 2-rolls-high toilet-roll-holder. House Doctor eat your heart out. PS...I have since found out that my delightful offspring have offerred my services to one of their friends who also wants a Dalek................

Here are a knitting and a crochet Dalek pattern if you want to join in!

http://www.entropyhouse.com/penwiper/who/extermaknit.html

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5927584

Right...off to knit!!!!!!!!

And so it begins.........

Well, someone called N suggested I sould have a blog...not sure why...
maybe to stop me commenting on hers :o)

OR

It could be that my dazzling wit and intellect is such that she thought I should share it with the world....Hmmm....ok it is probably to keep me occupied so I post less on others blogs and forums.

So here we go!!!!Today has been a "good day". Porridge for breakfast...yum.... there is something wholesome about porridge in the morning. Makes you feel all warm inside and virtuous...also while away a happy few moments looking at the strapping chappie in his kilt that adorns the Porridge Oats package.

Porridge is not just an attractive man on a packet....







"Doctor Johnson proposed to define the word ‘oats’ thus: ‘A grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.’ And I replied: ‘Aye, and that’s why England has such fine horses, and Scotland such fine people.’
–James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., ch. 14 (1791) "

Moving swiftly on....

This wholesome repast/ballast is also good preparation for "Yarn Dyeing"
Dyeing yarn is always fun...especially when

a/ you have lost the instructions for chemical dyes you have only used once before

b/ Your children exhibit total confidence in you by saying...we won't blow up, will we..before retreating several feet towards door and asking if you have written a last will and testament.

c/ I am a mature adult and know ALL about taking precautions...despite having two children...so I took the well-proven approach of using the longest handled spoon I had and pouring ingredients in one at a time. Definitely the way to go. I learned a lot about safety around ingredients after dropping a large piece of mercury tape down sink hole in school chemistry lab some ...ahem...several years ago....anyway, I digress...

Ignoring flashbacks from old Jeckel and Hyde movies and opening all windows to the fullest and...ta daaaa..... we now have blue mix yarns and purple mix yarns drying in the bathroom.









I just hope blue and purple fingers are "in" this year. ....not a look I would recommend. Note to self to check rubber gloves not punctured by Wonder-Whippet BEFORE dyeing next time round. This dog's preoccupation with rubber is of concern.......it is not based on anything he has witnessed. This is a wholesome establishment...for heavens sake, we are porridge eaters!


Some progress has been made on the Spiral Socks...the slip stitch gives a wonderful effect.




There is a KAL here...

http://craftythreadsnyarns.myfreeforum.org/about4701.html


I am using a self colour from The Yarn Yard and it reminds me of Kingfishers we can occasionally see on a river nearby.