More about Magenta

My Mini City

2008-02-09T20:33:00.000Z

This seems to be latest thing in one forum I visit. The more visitors your city receives the bigger it grows. Not wanting to be left out I had to create my own. You can find it (if you want to lol) here

It's been a rough week...

2008-01-11T22:05:00.000Z

..at work and so tonight I decided to spend a little of the money I received at Christmas. I didn't dare splurge on yarn because the stash is threatening to take over the house at the moment and I really really really must do a bit of destashing, so instead I bought myself a year's subscription to Rowan International. Now I know that eventually it will result in more yarn thanks to the welcome gift, but at least I'm giving myself a little time to destash while I wait for it to arrive.

I'm also thinking about making some Easter chicks (pattern courtesy of HilaryD) for the children's group at Church. Ah but I'd have to buy some yellow yarn wouldn't I? Yes but it's for the children, so that makes it ok....hmmmm....clever me? ;)

Some pics from my visit to Madame Tussauds

2008-01-09T19:02:00.000Z

Ok...as promised, I've uploaded some of my pics from Madame Tussauds. Actually looking through them, I didn't take as many as I thought I had...I was probably so busy ogling all the waxworks lol. One thing I have noticed though, is that the waxworks look a lot less lifelike in the pictures than they do in real life...odd! I'm not much of a photographer though, so that could be the problem. These are the ones that turned out best.

I'm Back!!

2008-01-06T21:29:00.000Z

Well we had a wonderful weekend in London. At first we didn't even know if we were going to get there. Heavy snow here in Northern Ireland on Thursday evening (more or less unexpected too) meant that I spent a very depressing morning on Friday listening to repeated news reports on the radio that all flights in and out and Belfast City Airport had been cancelled, and watching the airport's website to see if there was any news.

In fact very few flights were cancelled, but there were lots of delays. We were due to fly out at 4.40pm and were assured at check-in that our flight would be leaving on time. We didn't get into the air until 7pm, but we were luckier than some. I bumped into an acquaintance at the airport whose flight had been delayed since 2pm and still no news as to when it would take off as we were being called to board. By the time we reached our hotel (and by hotel I mean Travelodge) the kitchens had been closed for the night and naturally I was very hungry, not having been able to eat all day, so we dropped off our things and went in search of some sustenance. Managed to find a kebab shop open and ate our fill before returning to our room and falling into bed, only to roll out of it what felt like five minutes later to start our very busy Saturday!

More about that tomorrow though...or maybe the next day. Right now I need to curl up in bed and catch up on some rest. Who wants to join me in my campaign to have an extra day added to the weekend?

London-bound

2008-01-02T20:19:00.000Z

My sister and I are having a weekend in London this weekend. It was planned months ago, when we booked tickets to see 'Joseph' in the Adelphi. I can't believe it's come round so fast! But now there is more excitement. I've just booked tickets for a visit to Madame Tussaud's. I've always wanted to visit and I can't believe that I am really going! Expect lots of pics next week some time!

Socks in progress

2008-01-01T17:14:00.000Z

I'm also currently working on a pair of socks, future owner yet to be determined. The yarn is Opal Rainforest 2 Butterfly that's been languishing in my stash for a few weeks now begging me to knit it up. One sock is completed, it's sibling (no matter how hard I try I never manage to create twins) is still on the needles.

Seaweed Scarf

2008-01-01T17:03:00.000Z

Well in keeping with my resolution I thought I'd make a couple of posts and show off my current WIP's. I'm knitting this seaweed scarf from 'Simply Knitting' for my mum. I'm loving the way it's turning out and the yarn (rowan scottish tweed 4ply) is, in my opinion, a thing of great beauty. I fell in love with it on the website and it's even more loveable in real life. It's a very slow knit though, I expected it to knit up a lot quicker than it is. This is it, about one third completed.

New Year's Resolution!!

2008-01-01T12:10:00.000Z

Ok, so I normally don't do New Year's Resolutions because..well to be perfectly frank about it I never manage to keep them. But I was looking for a picture of my departed cat ( I lost everything when my hard drive passed away not so peacefully a few months ago and I had to buy a new computer) and I remembered that I'd posted one my blog all those months ago, so I've spent a few weeks trying to remember 1)the name of the blog and 2) how to access it and now that I've got all that figured out, I'm here and completely horrified to see that it's almost a whole year since I updated it.

I am so ashamed. And also a little thankful that probably no one reads it anyway lol!

Therefore my New Year's Resolution (along with learning mattress stitch) is to come here regularly and update my blog for all to see. Hurrah!

My Poor Baby

2007-02-02T18:47:00.000Z

I have sad news today. My poor little cat was knocked down by a car this afternoon and killed instantly. I am totally devastated. She's been with me for fourteen years ... she was my adored baby and I...well...I was her housekeeper. I can't begin to describe just how much this hurts and how real this grief is. What has really touched me though is the amount of neighbours who have knocked my door today to ask if I'm ok and to tell me how sorry they are about my cat. Most of the time it seems that people are too caught up in their own lives to worry much about anyone else, but when people display that level of kindness and caring it sort of restores your faith in human nature.

Frog Princess

2007-01-22T17:40:00.000Z

That's me! I'm about to start frogging something I've work hard on and thought I was making great progress with (sob!). I promised my sister a pair of knee high socks. I promised her I'd come up with a design of my own (not the basic sock anatomy you understand, just the actual pattern). I spent ages working out lacy patterns. One had too many stitches to fit in with the sock pattern. One didn't have enough. One didn't just look quite right. Try as I might, I just couldn't find a way to put into stitches the fabulous sock I could see in my head. Finally I came up with a very simple 2 row pattern that approximated what I was trying to do, and more importantly, my little sis loved it. So I steamed ahead and was halfway up the leg when she came back for another visit. Tragedy! It seems I'd done my calculations wrong and I didn't have enough stitches on to begin with...it's not going to fit and so the frogging must begin. Here is a pic of it in it's pre-frogged state..not a great pic mind you. *Makes mental note to brush up on photography skills*.

Completed Hedera

2007-01-16T13:41:00.000Z

Finally got my Hedera(s) finished after frogging a few times. I'm really pleased with the way these have turned out , epecially the toe which doesn't seem to have developed 'donkey ears' like a lot of sock toes do. I wonder if this is anything to do with decreasing stitches on the final row.

They're now on their way to my brother's fiancee to keep her tootsies nice and warm :)

Hedera Horrors

2007-01-13T18:31:00.000Z

Argh! My second Hedera is driving me mad! I should point out that I love this pattern, it's interesting to knit with each round different and it's so pretty knit up, but for some reason at the moment I can't seem to keep my mind on the pattern.

I should have finished the pair last night, but just at the end of the gusset decreases I noticed an error I'd made in the pattern right at the start of the gusset decreases. I sat examining it for about 10 mins while I did battle with myself....'no one would ever notice it'....'but I know it's there'...
In the end I couldn't bring myself to leave it, especially as I'm not keeping them but passing them on to my brother's fiancee, so a-frogging I did go. After ripping it back, I set the knitting aside for the night, deciding it would be better to come back to it fresh today. And indeed that seem to work, for this afternoon I picked it back up and was progressing merrily...or so I thought.

Just as I finished the last pattern repeat before the toe I realised I'd made the exact same mistake, but thankfully not so far back this time. I'm frogging again people...at least this time I only need to take it back one pattern repeat, and then I can finish it. I'm determined that it will be completed tonight!

The Joy of S.E.X. Part ll

2007-01-12T18:15:00.000Z

More stashy loveliness arrived in the post this morning. Two balls of Opal Rainforest from Angel Yarns, one Owl and one Tiger. And a little extra surprise..a lovely strawberry sweet which is in my mouth right now! This will be the last stashy excitement that I'll have for a while, as I've put myself on a yarn diet until my considerable stash of sock yarn is used up. Oh dear...don't know how I'll cope!

My stash

WIP update

2007-01-11T18:58:00.000Z

One Hedera has been completed and the second one is well underway...I'm halfway up the leg at the moment. I took the completed sock and the one I'm working on home with me yesterday when I went to visit my parents for 'showing off' purposes and to get a bit more done. They dutifully 'oohed' and 'aahed' over to my great satisfaction and I made a lot of progress on the second sock. Such was my joy at all this glory, that when my future sister in law popped in I produced the completed sock for her to see, prepared to bask a little more.

She fell in love with it. I think I've lost my hederas folks. It's my own fault for being vain lol.

I've also completed the back of my teeny aran jumper..this is knitting up very quickly and you're never bored working on an aran. I can't wait to get the rest of it done to see how tiny it is when it's all completed and made up.

I've been tagged by Fiona

2007-01-11T17:26:00.000Z

Here are the rules:
Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Ok...6 weird things....just the 6? lol

1. I eat orange sandwiches

2. I always salute single magpies and say 'Goodmorning Mr. Magpie, how are your wife and kids?' I get some very strange looks when I do this

3. I have terrible sense of direction, I used to get lost in a one-bedroom flat

4. I sleepwalk. To my kitchen. If there is chocolate anywhere in my kitchen I will find it when I sleepwalk....and eat it. My sense of direction is excellent when I am asleep

5. I am colour blind

6. I am afraid of snow.

I am tagging...

Knittings nice(http://happyyarns.blogspot.com/)
Millie
Jess

and uhm....everyone else I know has already been tagged :(

The Joy of S.E.X.(Stash Enhancement eXercise)

2007-01-10T23:20:00.000Z

Today I am feeling full of wonderful stashy joyfulness! I got two squishy parcels in the post this morning. The first was my yarn from the Posh Yarn Sock Club (top picture). I have promised myself that any socks I knit with the sock club yarn will be kept for me and not given away to anyone who admires them....hmmm...wonder how long that resolution will last lol!

My second squishy parcel was some lovely purple Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn I ordered to knit a pair of knee high socks I'm currently designing (in my head) for my little sis. I couldn't believe that this arrived this morning since I only ordered it yesterday afternoon from The Woolly Workshop...I'm very impressed with the service and I'll certainly be shopping there again! :)

Dirty Stopout!

2007-01-10T09:02:00.000Z

This is my baby. Since we moved house last year she's taken to periodically staying out overnight. I know that this is normal for cats, but it's something she'd never done before. She's also getting old...almost fourteen now, so when she does decide to have a night on the tiles it always freaks me out a little in case this time she's gone for good. She decided not to come home last night and I lay in bed awake for most of the night listening to the wind and the rain and wondering where on earth she'd got to and hoping that wherever it was, she was warm and dry. The reprobate was probably curled up in front of someone's fire enjoying smoked salmon while I lay there fretting. And yet I wonder....she certainly came in like a shot when I called her this morning. Currently she is purring like a motorbike and tucking into some food, but I bet it won't be long before she's going crazy to get out again.

It's hard to be the mother of a teenage girl....

Teeny Aran Jumper

2007-01-09T13:50:00.000Z

Being a multiple WIP kind of girl, I also have a teeny (first size) aran jumper OTN at the moment. I'm knitting this for my boss who is expecting her first baby in April...better get moving on it fast!

Having a go at Hedera

2007-01-09T12:15:00.000Z

I decided to go ahead and have a go at Hedera. I'd been waiting until I got some solid sock yarn, but this colourway in my stash caught my eye so I've just cracked on with it. Can't quite decide whether I like the colour or not.