back in the race

So the net's back up. Turned out our modem was busted (i feel rather guilty for suspecting bunny-chewed cords). My mind is slowly returning, save for the fact that i realised this afternoon that i'm coming down with the flu. This was, of course, after google-ing my symptoms, realising it wasnt low blood sugar because i'd been eating for once and it probably wasn't a brain tumour... started to get the body aches on the way home and that sorted the conundrum for me. Clearly i should have added "stupidity" to my list of symptoms, eh?

In the last couple of weeks a lot has happened. Our car died. We are car-less. I am used to buses but if it weren't for kind friends with cars, the cupboard would be distinctly bare (it's a pain in the bum to carry tins home....)
The bunnies got a bath after knocking over and then playing in the contents of a bowl of casserole. They were rather indignant.... and i would have been too. They looked like drowned rats.
Tomorrow they are having their testicles (pronounced test-ick-leeees if you please) removed and their immunisations. I havent told them yet... i hope they aren't too cross. Monkey said he would be very cross if i cuddled him, took him to the doctor and then the doctor lopped of his nuts. We'll see.

There has also been knitting.
I finished Monkey's tiger socks. It's very cute, he runs about wearing them and growling. he LUBS them.
Finished back piece of Mum's cardi. Slow going but the end result is gorgeous. i have about three weeks til her birthday so lets hope my bus gets delayed often to give me time.
I'm also onto the sleeves of the origami cardi. I love this. The Totem is just amazing, the feel, the spring, the colour... I am in love. Of course, doing the dratted sleeves at the same time feels like it's endless but it'll be done before i know it. especially if i spend all weekend hiding from the world.

I also did a little bit of online auction flirtation. Or perhaps, full blown commitment? It was all my faculty executive's fault, he showed me this sight where there were the contents of manchester stores that had gone out of business... for auction. at ridiculous prices.
Luckily i have some long-term savings squirrelled away, and after some talking myself into it... well. The first installment arrived yesterday, and this is a third of what i won.George, feel free to show your DH. This third of the new stash came to approx 600 50g balls. I have no (or very little) shame, i consider this to be an investment, and after working out what i dont want and can sell on and what i can overdye and sell on... i come very close to breaking even.
I dont know if i quite have the nerve to post a quantitive pic of the new stash... perhaps when it's all safe home. But curious parties may like to watch my incoming stash on ravelry... mind you, i've only scratched the surface.
do yourself a favour and dont watch my ebay sales too closely over the next month, paticularly if you are of a weak disposition.

I suppose it's everyone's right to tell me it's disgusting etc. feel free. But i am SO happy. I keep pinching myself. And i'm sorry if this came across as smug, i didnt mean it to. I was actually debating wether or not to mention it... but caved in, far too excited.
For curious parties, it was here. No manchester stores up at the moment but it could happen again, one never knows.

The fibre whore,
Ms Spider

ETA the link. all yarn is usually listed under online sales, homewares ang gifts and then manchester. it's a clunky site but perhaps worth the effort?

dead

hi chaps and chappettes. in case you hadnt noticed, my net is down. has been for 9 days. i am just posting this from work... but you all need to know if you need to contact me do it through ravelry, call me or maybe drop a line to Taph because i cant get anywhere near my email... school blocks it.
peace.

slow start

Just a quick post to say "no-one had a better Sunday than me".
There was food (Taph's amazing zucchini and fetta fritters with lime, artichokes and drum carder: this woman understands the art of the garnish like no one on earth ;).
There was fibre (two gorgeous 50g batts that are still enjoying the naming process) (fibre fiends playing along at home may recognise the sparkle in the bluer one - some of the Jewel of Denial glitteratti from the last EGMTK fibre club offering snuck into this batt).

and last night i finished some yarn i've had on the bobbin for a while so now i'm allowed to play with Intertwined (also from Taph for ones birthday on the 3rd).
this is 66g and 130 metres. It is white optim/silky merino plyed against jet black tussah silk. Dedicated readers may recall a similar skein in alpaca at the beginning of my spinning career but i believe enough time has passed that i can get away with calling this one 'Humbug' as well.

A delayed thankyou to everyone who made my birthday so wonderful. I am truly blessed to have such excellent friends and you all made my day :)

school is great but i am tired.

Peace out
Ms Spider xo

on being a ghost

Hello ladies, excuse the dazed expression on my face. Does anyone else feel like they’ve been rather heavily dosed with tranquilisers? Or is it just a side effect of three days teaching PD in 30 something degree heat? Whatever the reason, I am slightly.. exhausted. This is my fourth day back at work and the last three days ended with my collapsing in a heap and sleeping through til dinner..

This has (not surprisingly) seriously impacted my knitting.

I have done a little more on Coachella but a realisation that the guage is not perfect and the drape isn’t quite me has slowed me down (knitterly denial has not allowed me to stop altogether). I do like the fabric I’m creating so I’m a little unsure where to go from here.

This morning on the bus I did a few cms of monkey’s 6ply Tiger socks (these are clearly not as miraculous as the parrot socks as I started them weeks ago).

Nothing has really held my interest: i want to knit, i really feel like knitting but i don't quite know what to knit. So i think if i get through this week with plans for next week and on top of everything then on Sunday I will allow myself the birthday gift of casting on whatever the hell i feel like. Thing is, I'm not quite sure what that is yet.

Alright, back to the salt mines

Peace,

Ms Spider xo