Blood, Sweat and Tears

There are certain things you can do without when you have crafty projects to finish urgently. I'd had a bad few weeks of stuff getting me down so the last thing I felt like doing was picking up hook and wool and cracking on with my 2 already late projects. Then just as the urge to crochet returned we were hit with hot weather and believe me the last thing you want to do when it's 27 degrees + is sit with a large woollen object draped across your lap. Now that the temperatures have cooled I am working away like a mad woman determined to finish no:1 project for a friend. Having eczema is a pain in the ass as mine flairs up with stress and heat (oh joy) so I have cracked thumbs and fingers which are heavily plastered while I work away and today I have pins and needles in my right hand and arm - Gimme A Break!! 

Once the above is finished I will get the baby blanket out of the way, finish off a late birthday present and then concentrate on finishing off some of my own UFO's. From now on I crochet/knit/paint/sew only for love and not for money.
I have treated myself to a couple of Knitpro Symfonie wooden crochet hooks so I'm awaiting their arrival with anticipation....

A Whiter Shade Of Hell

After several weeks of dog related stress and upset I've kick started my creative mojo into touch as I have 3 projects with urgent deadlines - 2 for July and 1 for August. I had a bit of an 'Eeek' moment last week when I actually realised how little time I had left to get all these things done. It's not very easy to get motivated by something you don't enjoy doing which is why I'm trying to finish crocheting the white (yuk) baby (bigger yuk) blanket first. I don't do babies or children so this will be my 1st and last project in the dreaded white for a horrible pink, pudgy pooing and screeching thing.

My other 2 secret projects should inspire me a bit more as they're a little more on the 'dark side'.

The bill from the Vet's from Timmy arrived - much joy. I'll give them their dues they did wait 10 days before sending it but that didn't soften the blow of £765.04 and no dog to show for it. I'm slowly coming to terms with his not being here but he's very much missed. I still have to collect his ashes but I'm putting that off a bit longer as it's all too final when you have that small wooden box in front of you.
I am guilty of surfing dog rehoming websites and forums - only looking you understand. 
This is where 'just looking' gets you.........

Do not be fooled by that innocent fuzzy face. This is Kimi and he's an endless bundle of whirring energy which is probably a good thing as he's keeping me fit with his 6 walks a day. We only went to have a look (honest) as his photo looked so much like Timmy is was spooky. He came home with us that day on trial and that was that - paws well and truly under the table. He's a stray, estimated age of 7-8 which I think is way out as he's more like 3 or 4. He will never fill the huge hole that Timmy left but he's good company for Izzy and he keeps me busy.

As Andy Murray has reached the Wimbledon men's final this afternoon I'm hoping to spend my afternoon crocheting like a woman possessed whilst grimacing at the TV. Just think of those french women in days gone by who would have ringside seats for the guillotine or public hangings and knit away furiously. That pretty much sums me up!

Heavy Heart

Well today's blog was going to be about me getting back on creative track and having a mad spurt at knitting Owl tea cosies but the best laid plans etc the day has turned into one of sadness.

My 10 yr old Yorkie - Timmy, was admitted to the Vet's again on Tuesday with yet another bout of Pancreatitis. The fact that he was diabetic always makes matters worse and despite him perking up a bit by Thursday he hadn't eaten for 7 days and it was feared something more physical was going wrong with his digestive system. I knew when the Vet phoned me this morning about my daily visit that we had reached the end but you're never quite prepared for it all the same. Thankfully he went peacefully and although I am beside myself with grief I know that he is no longer in pain and no longer suffering from recurring bouts of illness and daily injections for his diabetes. 

Here was a dog I never planned on having but who had such a huge impact on my life that there is a large hole now that can never be filled.

I picked him up from Sheffield as a favour to a dog rescue, the plan being I would take him to a foster home in Hull. The family giving him up seemed grief stricken as they handed him over with a nice dog bed and half a tin of dog food. Things weren't as they seemed though as he wasn't the 'healthy' animal they'd led people to believe. He had dreadful teeth, a huge bald patch on his back and he carried his back leg. I remember sitting in the foster woman's living room while she screeched down the phone to the person who ran the rescue that he was going to cost them a fortune and that no one would want him because he was a large dog. I remember having to utter the line 'I'll adopt him and pay for his vet treatment' several times before I was heard by the over dramatic, silly cow of a fosterer and that was it, he was my dog even though I'd just adopted another one to keep my small elderly Ninja company. He had a lot of teeth out and all of his inoculation's done that week and I then had 3 dogs to get chipped and jabbed in order to get their pet passports so we could bog off around Europe. I'm sure people thought I was mad but I never regretted my decision. He was grumpy, didn't like being bathed brushed or examined by Vet's (many nearly lost fingers). He didn't tolerate being mauled by children, grew anxious when left for any period of time, ate like it was his last meal, didn't know how to walk properly on the lead or how to play. Over the last 3 years he has turned into thee most loyal companion who would follow me from room to room and have to sit by me and sleep by my side of the bed. He enjoyed being groomed and I could touch his legs feet and tail with minimal grumbling. He loved treats, ate a variety of food - all of it better than he was used to. He liked his routine and displayed odd quirks. He loved to sit in the car as long as it wasn't moving; liked to sit outside and watch the world go by; had a keen eye for the lady dogs and he would wait for permission to eat Izzy's dinner. He was learning how to play with toys and in recent months surprised us by starting to give a paw or sit up and beg for treats. As I'm sat here with him for the very last time I just can't imagine a life with him not in it.

Oh The Shame Of It

Oh dear. I had what seemed like a really good idea this morning and that was to get out all of my UFO's (unfinished projects) to see just what I had 'on the go' and what could possibly be finished off and put to use. That good idea turned into the show of shame when I realised I have just under 30 things lurking in my craft box and wardrobe in varying stages of completion.

 Goth Doll #1 which I'm knitting for a friend.....

 ....Goth Doll #2 which is for me....

....my assorted squares blanket....

....a commissioned blanket.....

 ...wool and pattern to knit mice....

......circular crochet cushion # 1....

......circular crochet cushion #2....

....err another cushion!

Assorted squares to be made into something though gawd knows what - a scarf maybe?!

 ....tiny squares - again don't know what they're going to be....

.....another granny blanket....

 .....a vintage patchwork piece I inherited which is older than me and apparently made by Nun's!!! This needs to be made into something special I think....

3 cross stitches - 1 was started by my Mum over 15 years ago and I need to finish it, and a Stars and Stripes apron that needs sewing up....

...wool I bought in St Ives but can't decide on what to make with it.....

..... 4 festival/gig t-shirts that need customising a year on....

......king size patchwork quilt I started in 1995 to take my mind off being shacked up with an alcoholic. It just needs backing but guess which twerp sold her sewing machine!!!?

Several years worth of patchwork and bunting fabric ( I have a fabric fetish)....

Tie dye fabric I bought in Lancaster 2 years ago to make ankle skimming skirts with - except now I don't wear long skirts anymore....

......more patchwork and bunting fabric....

......dog fabric that my Mum was going to make into a waistcoat for me......

.....VW Beetle fabric which I intend on making into bunting for my 'not yet purchased but desperately wanted' VW T25 campervan...

.......batik fabric I bought to make into curtains for the motorhome but which will now make curtains for my campervan (see above)....

.......and finally......Mohair I got at a bear fair to cover the tatty bear (Scruff) I have had since I was a baby.

Blimey. I'm out of breath now. I think I need to set myself some targets to get this lot finished. I'm hoping to join another craft group which meets in the village pub twice a month so that may just spur me on.

Back To School

This morning my bag was packed with a brand new funky cow notebook and new biro's and my alarm was set for 5.40am.  No normal person gets up at that ungodly hour but I had a new job to start at 7am - yes you read that right - a job, a proper job too and not a 'we're going to piss you about' agency job either. I'm only a common old Administrator doing 25 hours a week but it's a small staff of 8 and I have a boss who makes the tea. Perfect. I may have had to give up my beloved craft club but I get to have conversation on a daily basis and get paid for it. Add to that I get to wash my car with the company jet was if I do so wish!! Wahay who needs bonuses and overtime.

It's been 2 and a half weeks of hell as I had to give up my stomach medication so the Doctor could do some blood and other tests on me (ever felt like a guinea pig?) After a severe cock up on their behalf I had to bring the 'puff test' home to do and as it is now winging its way to Glasgow to be tested I can now launch myself at my tablets like a jittering junkie. And why the hell not. It's been 19 days of not eating properly and feeling like crap so tonight the long suffering BF took me out for my 1st proper meal in an age. All in all a good start to the week.

I received half a dozen eggs and a thank you card for my poster making efforts for the craft fair and jazz concert - it's really nice to be appreciated. My creative stash to sell at the fair now consists of 1 granny blanket, 7 hanging birds, 1 penguin and 6 owls....

Twit-twoo

...and I'm baking cakes Saturday morning to sell and helping out as well just to prove that not everyone under 65 in this village is a Mercedes driving, child breeding stuck up ignorant cow.

Diabetic Dog's latest round of tests for Cushing's disease has come back as negative! He has every symptom going yet he falls into the 10% that show as negative and possibly require a 2nd blood test - oh joy at around £100 a pop. The alternative is to monitor his symptoms or possibly have his blood glucose levels tested a 2nd time - again around £100 a time. Why does everything at the moment require shed loads of cash? I'm fed up of saying 'If I sell the van' as half the population of the UK appears to be watching it on ebay and a small group of knobheads keep making offensive and low offers. I must bite my tongue and bide my time I guess.

Happy Campers

I'm attempting to crack on and finish some of my crafty UFO's. As I now have an overwhelming longing for one of these.....

(it could be a long wait as my motorhome is still up for sale). Any spare moments are spent scouring ebay (bad idea) looking at the good, the bad and the downright ugly. After poring over hundreds I know what I don't want which is a good start. I've even been thinking about names!!! Anyone would think I was knocked up such is my obsession. It will definitely be kitted out with crochet - blankets, cushions and gawd knows what which is why I'm currently working on my odd square blanket.....

I'm also trying to knock out as many Owls. penguins and birds as I can for the village craft fair in a few weeks

and now I've offered to do the posters and bake cakes for the event too!! No wonder my craft class cohorts think I'm such an asset to the village! I've lived here 4 months and in that time I've joined the craft club and the WI, taken on the delivery of the parish news once a month (think of it as a paper round for the over 40's) and rendered the President of the WI speechless (the appearance of my knitted hat). Village life is never dull - well it is a lot of the time but I've come to the conclusion that re-opening the village shop would soon sort out that problem and I'm also up for that challenge. 

Crowning Glory

Yay I finally finished my tea cosy pattern hat yesterday and I love it. This is it (and yes I was dead lazy and used the wool ends as decoration instead of sewing them in).....

This is me wearing it......I can cram all of my pink sheep hair into it and it keeps my ears warm against the arctic blasts.....

But.......

...the dog wears it better than I do  :)