Posting from my mobile

As the title says, I'm making a blog post from my mobile! Yippee!

The reason for this fancy technological post is that I've just completed my first piece of fairisle! Double Yippee!

I know its unblocked but isn't it so beautiful?
No its not. It's quite ugly and misshapen but I worked it out and I did it so triple Yippee!

Podcasts

Hi Guys

How are we all?

I'm great.

A quick update of what's happened in my life in the last month or two. I went to Florida for a jolly holiday with the family for a couple weeks. Very fun. Took the nieces and nephew to Disney World and then moved down to Clearwater to see the sand and palm trees but not the dolphins, there were no dolphins.

I also handed in my notice at the IT company where I work. I'm off to go work in a craft shop. I'm sure its not career brilliant but I know I will have a jolly fun time and love every minute of being surrounded by so much ribbon.

Third item of news that I guess belongs on a blog that's meant to contain craft stuff, I got a sewing machine! Yippee! I love it. It's all new and shiny so I don't have to try and repair it every five minutes like my old machine. Previously I have never really sewn more than a straight line but since I know a lot of people who can't even do that I decided that means I must be an expert already. I took myself to my new place of work (I needed to hand in a form, mentioned I just got a sewing machine and was lovingly guided to the fabric section) and bought a pattern and some fabric to get started. A nice lovely skirt with a ribbon trim. It turns out I know nothing. It was terrible. I had no idea how to cut out a pattern which meant meant I was working on fabric which was half the size it was meant to be and then I had no idea how to overlock a hem so I had a very crinkled, frayed, half sized piece of fabric. This was when the mother in law popped round and showed me how to do the lot. I'm so grateful. she sat with me for FOUR HOURS! while we went through the whole lot, she taught me so much. So now I get to go back to considering myself an expert again. Yippee!

As the title of this post says, Podcasts.

I have so many items sat at home waiting to be finished. a bow on my skirt, a border on my cardigan so I can't use this post to show off any finished items. However if I had waited until they were finished I'd forget all about updating this blog so I thought instead I'd list a few of my favourite podcasts

First of all I''ll go through my knitting favourites
Knit.Spin.Cake www.knitspincake.blogspot.com
Auntieaipee tells us all about her life, her knitting and wind farms. It often comes with a cake recipe too


Electric Sheep www.hoxtonhandmade.com/electric-sheep-podcast
hoxtonhandmade reads amazing lectures about a variety of subjects and then updates us on the fun side of knitting

Knit 1 Geek 2 knit1geek2.mt-pockets.org
Karen and Maggie tell us about their adventures in knitting and then update us on the world of geekdom

And then non-knitting related podcasts -
Friday Night Comedy Podcast from Radio 4
We either have The News Quiz with Sandy Toksvig or The Now Show with Hugh Dennis. They are very funny and a more humorous way to swag for the pub quiz.

Jay and Silent Bob get Old
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith meet once a week to take about life and such, this one is normally VERY rude by the way. It was started as a way to keep Jason Mewes off the drugs but its very funny listening to their stories.

The Perfect Ten with Phil and Phill
Phil Jupitas and Phill Wilding are meant to answer ten questions in thirty minutes but they usually go off topic and just have a bit of a laugh. This one also gets rude in places but not as bad as Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. Unfortunately though this is a great podcast I think I've only seen it updated once in the whole time I've subscribed to it.

Stuff You Missed in History Class
This is one of the hundreds (14) podcasts that the How Stuff Works website offers but its my favourite. The episodes are shorter than my usual podcast (usually about 10-20 mins long) and feature a different but very interesting subject each time. Its updated a couple times a week but it goes back to about 2008 so I'm still listening to the backlog of it.

This American Life
This is the podcast of a Chicago radio station. Once a week they have a different subject and look at it from some very interesting but mostly unique angles. It often contains a mix of real life interviews and fiction as well as other things.

The last one I love which I want to mention quickly though I'm going to have to run for a bus very soon is The Yogspod. There's these two fellas, Simon and Lewis who run a YouTube channel for computer games. This is how I found them. I'm not so big on computer games but Simon and Lewis are just as terrible at them as I am. They are just lovely to listen to, they are SO British and very very funny. The podcast contains absolutely no mentions of games, it's just funny stories and made up tales of fancy from Simon and Lewis usually has to try and ground him a little. Quite daft and will not broaden your mind.

Right, I'm going to have to run now. I don't even have time to read back for grammar errors so I hope I've been a careful typer.

Til next time!
Tori

Florida build up

Good Afternoon People!

Yes its been forever, yes I've cheered up after my miserable whiny post from last time (although things got a lot shitter before they started improving)

Most important things first, on Monday I go to Disney World Florida!!

All the family will be there, Mum, Step-dad, both sisters, both brother in laws, all the nieces, the lone nephew and my long suffering boyfriend. 

I have planned some knitting for the flight though I'm a bit nervous about it. the TSA and Direct Gov may both say you can take knitting but what if I get a grumpy security man? I don't want to cause a scene. 

I have decided on a loose fitted jumper called Boxy by Joji Locatelli for my travel knitting. Its a lot of stockingette but I think that would be good for while I listen to podcasts and watch The Avengers on repeat. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/toric/boxy
I decided to do it in a green half wool half acrylic yarn I've had in my stash for a while, I have just enough yarns for it so I've decided to do the ribbed edges in a cream all wool yarn I have to give myself a little extra wiggle room (I live in constant fear I'll be short of yarn). 

I'm hoping to get some yarn shopping in while I'm away. There's some yarns which (as far as I can tell from listening to pod casts) seem pretty standard in America that I would really like to try out such as Cascade 220, Lionbrand and RedHeart. So I plan on finding a nearby Joanne's or Michael's and seeing what I can find.

I have a few other projects I have recently finished and would like to mention (since I'm a little bit pleased with myself). I took part in this years Ravellenic games and made myself a pair of socks. 

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/toric/blue-and-green-socks---ravellenic2012

I'm kinda proud of them because they are my first pair of socks that don't have a daft mistake and I made the pattern up all by myself. I used the Texere yarn Jura in lime and kingfisher. I loved this yarn. Several people commented it was a bit course but I think that's a good thing for socks, specially after my jitterbug socks when all fluffy. Also the colour is fantastic, I think its a tad bit brighter then in this photo. 

The other project I finished that I'm quite pleased with is my bias wrap. I made this to go with my dress for my step sisters wedding after I realised that the colour of the Kid Silk Haze I had in my stash was the same colour as my dress. It took my a very long time to do and it was a very boring knit. I hate doing scarves and wraps because its the same pattern over and over again. But eventually I got it done and it looked fantastic. Unfortunately I got too drunk at the wedding and forgot to get a decent picture of me wearing it so the best I've got is a picture the boyfriend took of me just as my heels sunk into the grass (it was a very wet day, when the rain finally stopped and we ran out for photos all the women were stuggling with the mega soft ground)

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/toric/bias

See you soon x

*sad face*

Hi There!

If anyone actually follows what I write here and is sat impatiently waiting for the restaurant review I promised in my last post well here's why there wasn't one, we didn't go. The more we looked into the place the weirder it got. And well, most important, it didn't have an alcohol licence and neither myself nor the boyfriend were up for eating sober so we sacked it off and went to Chiquitos instead. It wasn't the night I'd hoped for at all. I wanted fun times and tequila etc but we were both super dooper tired and after maybe two drinks we sacked it off and went home. I think I may have fallen asleep on the sofa with my head on his shoulder while we both looked at funny pictures on the internet together both to tired to even laugh properly.

As you might be able to tell I've been suffering from the grumps a little lately. I'm blaming it on a combination of my joints being particularly sore recently and having zero money. I've had to cancel on a bunch of friends and our planned activities because a, I can't afford that particular activity b, I physically wouldn't be able to carry said activity or both c, I can't afford it and it involves being physically active.

This all really hasn't been helped as everything I own keeps breaking. My computer is knacking up and our dryer is eating all my clothes and I feel shit enough about the clothes I own (I put on a lot of weight very quickly and I can't afford to replace everything with the next size or two up so a lot of stuff is quite snug fitting) but now they all have big holes in them. I'm trying really hard not to be so materialistic but you have no idea how heartbreaking it is having to walk out the the wheely bin in the back yard and just dump armfuls of clothes in there. Not just any clothes either, some of my most favourite and most expensive items. I already felt plenty unattractive as it is and now I can't even hide behind an outfit I always thought was flattering.

As for the joint pain issue, I'm finally getting tested. I took my mum to the doctors with me and they kind of just looked at her and went 'oh yeah, you're mum does have a ton of genetic joint problems, maybe we should take notice of you'. So my last week had been full of blood tests and x-rays and phone calls to say 'we didn't take enough blood, can you come back so we can have more?'. I don't think any of this will help me, there's no magical cure, I'm not even sure they'll find anything, they didn't last time I got x-rayed. But hopefully its a step in the right direction and one day I'll be able to participate in group activities again.

/moan

Cinco De Mayo!!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo!!

Super excited. I'm going to try this new place in Durham that I stumbled across http://www.beachtaco.co.uk/ fingers crossed it all works out OK. I tried to ring them to ask if I needed to book or not (I literally have no idea what this place is like) and the girl on the other end of the phone told me she didn't need my name to take a reservation :s weird.

Anyway, after that I plan on drinking tequila based cocktails and then after that I plan on not being able to see. I'll update you with a restaurant review possibly on Sunday depending on how much tequila I drink.

Finish-itis

I'm having a completely weird time at the moment (in relation to knitting) and its my darling sock yarn blankets fault. I LOVE knitting this blanket. I love watching it grow and seeing all the pretty colours and I can't wait until its finished and myself and the boyfriend can snuggle up underneath it.

I've received a lot of donations from my knitting group, in fact I'm not sure if there's anyone left who hasn't donated (and I am very grateful to them all!) but i keep wanting more which means I'm desperate to finish loads of 4ply projects so I can have my scraps.

I've finished my Hermione everyday socks that have been sat neglected on the needles for far too long.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/toric/hermiones-everyday-socks
I'm very glad they are finished. I love them. As soon as they were cast off I put them straight on. I love how the yarn turned out too, they look far more like they have a vague stripe to them instead of the pooling I usually experience with jitterbug yarn.

I have also finished my featherweight cardigan (which I don't have a picture of yet :( ) and despite this being a super annoying knit (I mean really? sleeves? most boring things ever) I really like this finished cardigan. I get loads of complements when I wear it out and I'm sure I'll get a lot of wear out of it as it goes with pretty much every item of clothing I own.

I also finished the boyfriends hat. This isn't one of my 4ply adventures but I was very much spurred on to finish this. I think it was a combination of my finishing binge for everything else, the boyfriend constantly asking me if it was done and the fact I hated knitting it (k1 p1 forever :s ).
Though I think it was mostly because my non-knitting family kept laughing at me for making him a hat. They were all so sure it was going to be horrid and the boyfriend would have to wear it all the time because I've never knit him anything before. I was getting lots of 'haha are you going to put a big pompom on it?' no of course I'm not. 'haha why are you knitting him a hat? It's April?' well darling family, in case you haven't noticed yet it may be April but its 2 degrees Celsius outside and my boyfriends job often takes him up Scottish hills past the snow line.
I'm sure you can tell that typing this out is bringing back all those memories of me knitting away in a dark room sat with the family fantasizing about making my darling sister eat the remaining yarn once I'm done.
Anyway, the hat was finished. Though the knit was boring (k1 p1 k1 p1 k1 p1 k1 p1 k1 p1 yargh!!) I am happy with the hat, its an attractive looking hat for a man and the rib makes it stretchy so i didn't have to stress about the fit.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/toric/wasatch-backcountry-hat

And then after my finishing binge I didn't have a clue what I wanted to cast on. I could even decide if I was in the mood for garment, accessory or sock. I've been padding for time with some teeny tiny baby items for the step brother who is having a baby soon (via his wife) and the fabulous sock yarn blanket.
I have cast on the lace shrug from Glamour Knits by Erika Knight (bought for me by the best mate Nik for my birthday, thank you chick!) with a mohair/merino blend in a pale green. However I'm a bit unfamiliar with lace knitting  so this will have to be kept as in-the-house knitting.

And hopefully I will remember to keep my blog updated when the inevitable start-itis begins :)

Thank you anyone who reads this, much appreciated

dumb people

Some of the people i work for can be so dumb it hurts my head. They don't know that they're even doing it too.

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Rock Shows and Craft Shows

Feeling pretty poorly and I have nothing to do so I thought I’d write myself a blog.

Today is Friday and I’m very excited as tomorrow I’m off to see Avenue Q and then on Sunday I’m going to see the Kerrang tour to see New Found Glory. I saw New Found Glory at Leeds Festival and they were awesome so I cannot wait to see them again. Unfortunately the other band playing, Sum 41, had to pull out due to illness and were replaced with another band called The Blackout but they are worlds apart in terms of music style and I’m not sure how well this will go down. I’ll be seeing them with my friend Lisa who is a big fan of the band so I'll have to enjoy they for her. After all she stayed with me all the way through The Strokes at Leeds Fest.

Also, while on the subject of music, I bought my first ever Nine Inch Nails song last night, I don’t know why this would be important but for some random reason I feel it is. I also bought my first ever tracks by Death Cab for Cutie and They Might be Giants and some night 80s stuff by Go West but you don’t see blogging about those do you (:p I bought other music too, good music, don’t judge me on just these bands please or you’ll think I’m weird)

On to crafts, Myself and Lauren will be trading at Miscellarium in August with our joint craft venture Non-Conformist Crafts. We went to the Maker Market last weekend and meant Fiona (organiser of Maker Market and Miscellarium) and Daniel (trader at Maker Market and organiser of Miscellarium and owner of Impossible Gears) face to face.

They both seemed amazingly lovely but I was just too hungover from the night before to say anything interesting so I’m sure they both think I’m a right sap. But there’ll be plenty of other opportunities in the future to show them how amazing and brilliant I am. I bought a necklace from Daniels stall and I LOVE it. I wear it all the time however the pendant is the inside of a watch and it’s a little bit too pokey to wear all the time and I keep catching scarves etc in it. But that’s part of why I love it.

As for the crafts I’ve been making myself. I have been finishing off some bits for Non-Conformist crafts. I have finished the bag that could stand up for itself. I have made a pattern and some mock ups of gloves/wrist warmers with a little bit of a ruffle on them. I’m not sure if they are overly special as there are probably a lot of slightly ruffley gloves/wrist warmers out there but I’m quite proud as its my first pattern I’ve made that has worked without any major issues. I've also sorted out all the flower pins to take those too.

I finally joined the rest of the world and cast on a featherweight cardigan for myself. A lot of people have tried to talk me out of it as its dull and its quite shapeless, or at least I'm told its just a straight body with loose arms, well that's exactly the type of cardigan I want to knit for myself so I guess we're all in luck aren't we? I've also cast on a jumper which i can not remember the name of right now but it has a low low neck line, sleeves that look like they have actual poof to them and from the bust down its all rib. I can on with the King Cole Galaxy that my mum bought me for Christmas and I'm enjoying working on it a lot, its quite mindless so far as it's all rib but I've been in the mood for mindless projects I can carry around without needing lots of patterns etc. Which brings me on to my socks. I love the look of them and I love the yarn I'm using but I'm sick of carrying notes with me so I know where I am in the pattern so they are getting neglected. Which yet again brings me to my next project, I've started a sock yarn blanket and so far I really love it. I have all my scraps in the wooden bowl Alan's parents got me on the coffee table and I make squares while I watch telly. I've had some donations from my knitting group of sock yarn scraps to go towards the blanket (which are great as I'd like to to be as colourful and different as possible) but unless I start finishing some 4 ply projects soon I'll run out of scraps and I'll have to stop which will suck so I need to keep my head down and get those socks and the featherweight done!

I feel this has gone on long enough but I wanted to mention that I'm trying to go for another stash down year. I tried last year and got to about May and then continued as I always do (spending loads). This year it was barely past the new year mark before I was buying more yarn but so far I have only bought in decent quantities (so I can actually make something instead of wondering what to do with a single balls worth of something) and I've only bought stuff in sales that was at least under two pounds. I know I can't stop all together but I have so much I want to save up for this year with holidays and hopefully moving in with Alan, that I hope I can at least be sensible with it and try to keep my spending down.