20th Feb already :-( Where does it go? Mum always says that time goes faster the older you get...she's not wrong.
Anyway. What's been happening down here in the deep South?
Well, a couple of truly bananas weeks at work culminated in me making a stupid rookie mistake, I'll find out tomorrow what the outcome is. Hopefully it won't mean looking for a new job...
A very promising couple of dates with a very nice chap has fizzled out in a rather disappointing fashion.
And my computer has been making horrible "dying donkey" noises and throwing out strange errors.
So all in all, a bit shit to be honest :-)
~♥~
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Friday, 31 December 2010
Well that was the year that was
Well 2010 is nearly done. Can't say I'm going to miss it too much, especially the first half. The second half was okay. I'm hoping the improvement will carry on into the shiny new year :-)
So, a quick roundup of 2010, lets see how far I've come (ha) and what happened through one of the more stressful years of my life :-/
In January I was on the dole, having been made redundant for the second time in my life. That was weird, and hard when you're the only person paying the bills and putting food on the table. It lasted until April. I also had the chimney fire, and had no heating until May. In the coldest winter for god-knows-how-many years. I got really good at chopping logs.
In February I split up with the other half. That was hard. Really hard. It took a long time to recover from that, and a lot of soul-searching and general suckage.
March I had to give notice on my little cottage. That was just a mighty kick in the teeth - no work = no money = no house. Fortunately my ass was saved a few weeks later. I did however forecast Seb Vettel as a future F1 World Champion :-)
In April I got a new job, at the shipyard in Govan. It was good, the money was hugely welcome and I got to climb up an aircraft carrier. I also visited my first major fibre festival, Wonderwool. Around now things started to slowly look up.
The next few months were pretty quiet. I focused on earning some money, chilling out about a lot of stuff, a lot of crafting, a little decluttering and watching motorsport and cricket. In August I went to the PicKnit in Glasgow with Casey and Jess, which was so cool.
In 2010 I also took part in the Ravelympics, scoring seven medals, and did the Tour de Fleece which was pretty neat too.
In October I got word of the new job, and in November got made an offer AND moved house. I moved over 400 miles, from rural Ayrshire to the Royal County of Berkshire, and started a job which I hope will last a good long time. I still don't really know my way around very well, but I'm planning, as spring approaches, to get out and about a bit more and get a feel for the lie of the land. It seems really pretty here, there's a great big forest to explore, lots of archaeology to go and see, a canal, some promising towns to visit and London is only a short train journey away too. My house is warm and cosy, if a bit on the small side. I'm struggling to find a place for everything, so I've been decluttering and generally getting used to a smaller space. My poor living room is stuffed with furniture :-) I may have to despatch my old horrible armchairs to the tip and either move in the smaller ones I ganked from my Mum (which I was going to put in the "garden room" - an icebox in winter and, I imagine, a sauna in summer) or get a couple from IKEA. The carder and combs don't have a home yet, and might have to be kept in their boxes except when I'm using them, which is a shame but you know, it could be a lot worse :-)
So all in all, I'm looking forward to a new year. I've pretty much had the new start already, moving down here, so now it's just a case of building on that.
Enough of this frivolity, I have some fibre content for you.
I've been doing some thread crochet. I finally found some colourful crochet cotton while I was in Stoke. Dunno what it will all be yet, but I'm quite enjoying it. 1.25mm hook, hoars. Fear the doily. I should add, the last piece (in white) isn't my work, I acquired it in a bag of crochet cottons from a car boot sale. Pretty ain't it?
While I was up in Stoke, I took lots of knitting (naturally):
Sweater in Scottish Tweed chunky, no pattern. I ripped back about four inches when I realised the waist shaping I'd done was total arse, but I'm now back on track. I think.
I knitted a sock!
This is from Wendy's book, Socks from the Toe Up, and it's the basic slipped stitch heel version. The yarn is what I dyed at the workshop Ange and I did with Lilith. Merino cashmere baby. Second one is on the needles and well up the foot already. Not washed yet, and my first attempt at working on two circs which I LOVE.
I bought a little bit of yarn:
Regia Hand-dyed Effect in a lovely peacock colour which I can't get to photograph properly.
I also swatched for an Epic Project:
This will become Jules' Sweater. Fifty-three inch chest, not including ease. I'm not saying any more, I'm just going to go and sob quietly in a corner for a while.
I've been spinning:
Mohair / BFL, also dyed by me at Lilith's. I'm spinning it into a soft single, then I'm going to knit myself a wrap in it. Hopefully. If there's enough. Hmmm.
Finally, in a nod to my former life as a potter (sigh) I treated myself to this:
Moorland Pottery, it's one of their Stokie range. It actually says on it:
"Ay up ow at oraight"
which won't make any sense at all unless you're from Stoke-on-Trent. I love it and want most of them. They need to start making tea and coffee jars to match. It's just a shame it's not bone china, which I actually prefer for mugs. I intend to take this to work and confuse the life out of my Southern colleagues.
Well that's it for 2010. It's quarter to eight at night, I've had no dinner yet (oops) so I'd best go fix myself something and settle in for a quiet evening on eBay looking for curtains. As it's new year I might treat myself to a wee dram of Laphroaig as well.
Happy New Year xxx
~♥~
So, a quick roundup of 2010, lets see how far I've come (ha) and what happened through one of the more stressful years of my life :-/
In January I was on the dole, having been made redundant for the second time in my life. That was weird, and hard when you're the only person paying the bills and putting food on the table. It lasted until April. I also had the chimney fire, and had no heating until May. In the coldest winter for god-knows-how-many years. I got really good at chopping logs.
In February I split up with the other half. That was hard. Really hard. It took a long time to recover from that, and a lot of soul-searching and general suckage.
March I had to give notice on my little cottage. That was just a mighty kick in the teeth - no work = no money = no house. Fortunately my ass was saved a few weeks later. I did however forecast Seb Vettel as a future F1 World Champion :-)
In April I got a new job, at the shipyard in Govan. It was good, the money was hugely welcome and I got to climb up an aircraft carrier. I also visited my first major fibre festival, Wonderwool. Around now things started to slowly look up.
The next few months were pretty quiet. I focused on earning some money, chilling out about a lot of stuff, a lot of crafting, a little decluttering and watching motorsport and cricket. In August I went to the PicKnit in Glasgow with Casey and Jess, which was so cool.
In 2010 I also took part in the Ravelympics, scoring seven medals, and did the Tour de Fleece which was pretty neat too.
In October I got word of the new job, and in November got made an offer AND moved house. I moved over 400 miles, from rural Ayrshire to the Royal County of Berkshire, and started a job which I hope will last a good long time. I still don't really know my way around very well, but I'm planning, as spring approaches, to get out and about a bit more and get a feel for the lie of the land. It seems really pretty here, there's a great big forest to explore, lots of archaeology to go and see, a canal, some promising towns to visit and London is only a short train journey away too. My house is warm and cosy, if a bit on the small side. I'm struggling to find a place for everything, so I've been decluttering and generally getting used to a smaller space. My poor living room is stuffed with furniture :-) I may have to despatch my old horrible armchairs to the tip and either move in the smaller ones I ganked from my Mum (which I was going to put in the "garden room" - an icebox in winter and, I imagine, a sauna in summer) or get a couple from IKEA. The carder and combs don't have a home yet, and might have to be kept in their boxes except when I'm using them, which is a shame but you know, it could be a lot worse :-)
So all in all, I'm looking forward to a new year. I've pretty much had the new start already, moving down here, so now it's just a case of building on that.
Enough of this frivolity, I have some fibre content for you.
I've been doing some thread crochet. I finally found some colourful crochet cotton while I was in Stoke. Dunno what it will all be yet, but I'm quite enjoying it. 1.25mm hook, hoars. Fear the doily. I should add, the last piece (in white) isn't my work, I acquired it in a bag of crochet cottons from a car boot sale. Pretty ain't it?
While I was up in Stoke, I took lots of knitting (naturally):
Sweater in Scottish Tweed chunky, no pattern. I ripped back about four inches when I realised the waist shaping I'd done was total arse, but I'm now back on track. I think.
I knitted a sock!
This is from Wendy's book, Socks from the Toe Up, and it's the basic slipped stitch heel version. The yarn is what I dyed at the workshop Ange and I did with Lilith. Merino cashmere baby. Second one is on the needles and well up the foot already. Not washed yet, and my first attempt at working on two circs which I LOVE.
I bought a little bit of yarn:
Regia Hand-dyed Effect in a lovely peacock colour which I can't get to photograph properly.
I also swatched for an Epic Project:
This will become Jules' Sweater. Fifty-three inch chest, not including ease. I'm not saying any more, I'm just going to go and sob quietly in a corner for a while.
I've been spinning:
Mohair / BFL, also dyed by me at Lilith's. I'm spinning it into a soft single, then I'm going to knit myself a wrap in it. Hopefully. If there's enough. Hmmm.
Finally, in a nod to my former life as a potter (sigh) I treated myself to this:
Moorland Pottery, it's one of their Stokie range. It actually says on it:
"Ay up ow at oraight"
which won't make any sense at all unless you're from Stoke-on-Trent. I love it and want most of them. They need to start making tea and coffee jars to match. It's just a shame it's not bone china, which I actually prefer for mugs. I intend to take this to work and confuse the life out of my Southern colleagues.
Well that's it for 2010. It's quarter to eight at night, I've had no dinner yet (oops) so I'd best go fix myself something and settle in for a quiet evening on eBay looking for curtains. As it's new year I might treat myself to a wee dram of Laphroaig as well.
Happy New Year xxx
~♥~
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Interesting Times
Well, I'm moving.
Assuming my credit checks go through and nothing goes pear-shaped that is, *cross fingers* I'll be off down to Berkshire in a couple of weeks.
AAARGH.
I've started packing (slowly), I'm sorting out paperwork and forms and writing emails and shelling out the £££ and trying to work out what to do with utilities and bleargh. Head = Mince. I'm sure it will all work out in the end, but all I can see at the moment is OMG EXPENSE and OMG HOW THE FUCK AM I GOING TO FIT ALL THIS CRAP IN A VAN???
The wonderful Jules is sorting out transport - I've told him we're gonna need a BIG van. I'm leaving that one in his capable paws - if it won't all fit, guess who's going to have to do two runs? :-D (love ya chick!!!)
So it's all a bit epic here atm. I can't seem to get motivated to pack much, mainly because I'm full of cold and a headful of snot is not conducive to box-packing. However, I have made a small start and tomorrow will be a trip to the big B&Q on the way home for a sack truck and more storage boxes for the stash. I'm also going to run a cardboard box mission to Sainsbury's. I've even ordered some of those vac-pack bags off eBay for the bedlinen and clothes and what-have-yous.
It's going to be fun.
Anyway, last week was exhaustingly good. Went down to the parentals, ate cake, went to Fibre Flurry (very good), went house-hunting in Berks (successful on the 1st attempt, see disclaimer above *grin*), went to two Jane Thornley workshops in Glossop (great fun and AMAZING food and lovely yarn and Jane is adorable), went out with Jules in his new old Mini (it's so cute!), got given a very large toy sheep (thanks R, only you could think of that), got a new Golding (!!!) drop spindle off a Raveler and finally got my hot, sticky little mitts on the Alice Starmore books I've been jonesing after since January. Phew. Here's some pictures, and with that I'm away to pack another box before settling in with some knitting and the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Assuming my credit checks go through and nothing goes pear-shaped that is, *cross fingers* I'll be off down to Berkshire in a couple of weeks.
AAARGH.
I've started packing (slowly), I'm sorting out paperwork and forms and writing emails and shelling out the £££ and trying to work out what to do with utilities and bleargh. Head = Mince. I'm sure it will all work out in the end, but all I can see at the moment is OMG EXPENSE and OMG HOW THE FUCK AM I GOING TO FIT ALL THIS CRAP IN A VAN???
The wonderful Jules is sorting out transport - I've told him we're gonna need a BIG van. I'm leaving that one in his capable paws - if it won't all fit, guess who's going to have to do two runs? :-D (love ya chick!!!)
So it's all a bit epic here atm. I can't seem to get motivated to pack much, mainly because I'm full of cold and a headful of snot is not conducive to box-packing. However, I have made a small start and tomorrow will be a trip to the big B&Q on the way home for a sack truck and more storage boxes for the stash. I'm also going to run a cardboard box mission to Sainsbury's. I've even ordered some of those vac-pack bags off eBay for the bedlinen and clothes and what-have-yous.
It's going to be fun.
Anyway, last week was exhaustingly good. Went down to the parentals, ate cake, went to Fibre Flurry (very good), went house-hunting in Berks (successful on the 1st attempt, see disclaimer above *grin*), went to two Jane Thornley workshops in Glossop (great fun and AMAZING food and lovely yarn and Jane is adorable), went out with Jules in his new old Mini (it's so cute!), got given a very large toy sheep (thanks R, only you could think of that), got a new Golding (!!!) drop spindle off a Raveler and finally got my hot, sticky little mitts on the Alice Starmore books I've been jonesing after since January. Phew. Here's some pictures, and with that I'm away to pack another box before settling in with some knitting and the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Friday, 10 September 2010
My neighbours think I'm weird
I can't imagine why.
Hebridean dries on the line. Machine washed! Who knew?
As promised, the Artemis handspun:
It is IMPOSSIBLE to photograph properly.
The Texel singles:
and the batts and resulting yarn (a blend of Texel and Balwen):
Again, very hard to photograph.
Use your imagination.
Right, remember I was waiting on some Viking combs?
Well I'm not any more. Bit of an epic breakdown in communications, I cancelled the order and got in touch with Wingham Wool Work, purveyors of the Peter Teal-style English wool combs. There's a month wait, the website says. So I dropped them a wee email, and got back the fateful reply "Oh, we've one set in stock!"
My credit card nearly got singed, I got it out of my purse so damn fast.
MINE MINE MINE GIMME WANT NOW!!!1!1!!!1!
So they're on their way. I think it is fate. These are what I wanted originally, but the price defeated me somewhat. However, when I bought Genevieve the Ashford Joy, I had originally budgeted for a SpinOlution Mach II. Buying Genevieve instead meant I had enough for the proper combs. happydance
I learned Andean plying! Sandy showed us how to do it at the last Spin Saturday at Gourock - thanks Sandy! I even bodged myself a tool, as Kevin Rhodes is out of stock and Michael Williams doesn't seem to read his emails very often (and I HATE using the phone) the tool is better than your hand for a lot of singles, especially if you prefer having circulation in your fingers.
Here is my version:
Elegant, huh? Polystyrene and a knitting needle. Works a treat. I like Andean plying. Originally it was only used for the leftover singles, but I've been using it on the whole lot. It means the whole skein is plied the same in one go, rather than having a mini-leftover-lonely-skein at the end, and I can control the singles better it seems. Of course it means you don't have to carry a kate around with you too. It also means I'm not forever taking the flyer off Genevieve, which I prefer. All but one skein I've managed to fit on the standard Joy bobbin.
In other news I have been cooking:
sadly not home-grown, but Sainsbury's special offer :-)
and I am dreading next week. Monday there are "major" roadworks on the M8, and then on Thursday the Pope is coming for a visit. As I'm not a Catholic (though I can play one on TV, seven years of Catholic school you know) I won't be attending the Mass in the park (I hope it doesn't rain), but I would like to be able to get to work...Maybe the boss will let me work from home that day. They're going as far as closing a lane of the M77 to use as a bus park. Wow. It's going to be bedlam.
♥
Hebridean dries on the line. Machine washed! Who knew?
As promised, the Artemis handspun:
It is IMPOSSIBLE to photograph properly.
The Texel singles:
and the batts and resulting yarn (a blend of Texel and Balwen):
Again, very hard to photograph.
Use your imagination.
Right, remember I was waiting on some Viking combs?
Well I'm not any more. Bit of an epic breakdown in communications, I cancelled the order and got in touch with Wingham Wool Work, purveyors of the Peter Teal-style English wool combs. There's a month wait, the website says. So I dropped them a wee email, and got back the fateful reply "Oh, we've one set in stock!"
My credit card nearly got singed, I got it out of my purse so damn fast.
MINE MINE MINE GIMME WANT NOW!!!1!1!!!1!
So they're on their way. I think it is fate. These are what I wanted originally, but the price defeated me somewhat. However, when I bought Genevieve the Ashford Joy, I had originally budgeted for a SpinOlution Mach II. Buying Genevieve instead meant I had enough for the proper combs. happydance
I learned Andean plying! Sandy showed us how to do it at the last Spin Saturday at Gourock - thanks Sandy! I even bodged myself a tool, as Kevin Rhodes is out of stock and Michael Williams doesn't seem to read his emails very often (and I HATE using the phone) the tool is better than your hand for a lot of singles, especially if you prefer having circulation in your fingers.
Here is my version:
Elegant, huh? Polystyrene and a knitting needle. Works a treat. I like Andean plying. Originally it was only used for the leftover singles, but I've been using it on the whole lot. It means the whole skein is plied the same in one go, rather than having a mini-leftover-lonely-skein at the end, and I can control the singles better it seems. Of course it means you don't have to carry a kate around with you too. It also means I'm not forever taking the flyer off Genevieve, which I prefer. All but one skein I've managed to fit on the standard Joy bobbin.
In other news I have been cooking:
sadly not home-grown, but Sainsbury's special offer :-)
and I am dreading next week. Monday there are "major" roadworks on the M8, and then on Thursday the Pope is coming for a visit. As I'm not a Catholic (though I can play one on TV, seven years of Catholic school you know) I won't be attending the Mass in the park (I hope it doesn't rain), but I would like to be able to get to work...Maybe the boss will let me work from home that day. They're going as far as closing a lane of the M77 to use as a bus park. Wow. It's going to be bedlam.
♥
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Random on a Thursday
As it's now Friday and I forgot to post this last night, it's even more random ☺ especially as it's now all temporally confused as I've added things this morning. Heh.
I had (yet another) epiphany this week. I’m good at these. This one struck me whilst driving to work. Okay, not quite the road to Damascus, but near enough *grin* I was miserable about going to work. I didn’t want to get up and go out and be bored for 10 hours then come home and have dinner and go to bed. So I smacked myself firmly round the back of the head, and informed myself that a) I have no choice if I want to eat; b) being miserable about it MAKES IT WORSE and it feels like the days last an eternity; and c) I simply CANNOT do All The Things I want to, but if I go about with a more positive attitude I tend to get a lot more done.
Well duh. So now I’m trying to be more positive and what have you and trying not to worry myself about my little anxiety issues(ironic, huh) and allergy weirdness (my sinuses SERIOUSLY dislike air conditioning but they’re just going to have to deal with it) and that insect bite on my hip? That I’ve had for like, two months? That is still going ITCHITCHITCH? It really isn’t Lyme disease. Seriously, brain, it isn’t. It’s an itchy insect bite that you’ve been going SCRATCHSCRATCH at for weeks so it’s no wonder it’s not better yet.
Moar Randomz:
Facebook. Why? I mean, really? It’s awful. I could go on forever. I do not want to see your stupid “omg poor kiddy needz an operation WONT U THINK OF THE CHILDRENNZZZZ give us all your fucking money NAOW” all over my wall. Bleh.
Hyperbole and a Half is quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen for a very long time. This post about horror movies is so me it’s unreal. Nice to know I’m not alone ☺
It was so foggy this morning it looked like November. Hmmm. Winter is coming. Need to knit faster.
You know, first thing this morning I had so many things to write down. Now I can’t remember half of them. Typical.
Bruce Dickinson rocks HARD.
Dating. I’m starting to think that I’m really not that bothered you know. After all, as things are at the moment, if I want to spend all weekend spinning, eat fishfinger and cheese butties, walk round the house half-naked or in sweatpants with a rag round my head to keep my hair up, listen to very odd music or sit half the night playing Solitaire on the PC…NO ONE CARES.
I found that if you mix Texel and Balwen fleece on the drumcarder you get a surprisingly awesome batt. By varying the percentages, you can grade the colours. That was an exciting evening at my house.
Formula 1 – I miss it. Hurry up with the holidays already.
I want to KNIT ALL THE THINGS. So I’m not casting on ANYTHING new until I’ve either finished something, or know exactly what ONE thing I need to knit straight away or I will OMG DIE. So far, nothing’s winning that contest.
Music – Following a thread on LSG, I’m delving into some new-to-me music at the moment. So far, Fever Ray, Lykke Li, Neutral Milk Hotel and Seasick Steve are going on the playlist. Also it reminded me of the deep love I have for Tom Waits, Tindersticks, Smashing Pumpkins and Björk. Also, we7.com. Full of win ☺ Lots of free music to stream, very reasonable downloads and it’s part-owned by Peter Gabriel. The radio feature is pretty neat too. Okay, there are ads, but you just ignore those.
We’re starting up a Guild! The Clyde Coast Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. I am very excited. The plan is to have meetings split between Gourock, Dunoon and West Kilbride, which means everyone should have chance to attend and we all get to see a bit of the area. The idea got mooted at the last spin Saturday and it seems to have legs. We’re all very keen anyway!
My Viking wool combs STILL haven’t arrived. I wish P&M Woolcraft would extract digit.
One of my colleagues finished today – he brought pies and bridies in for us, but I’m resisting after having looked at the innards of a bridie last time we had them. Bluuuuurgh. It’s a miracle I’m not dead. Really. So he gave me his chocolate biscuits instead ☺ Yum.
I loves my new wheel. We’re still getting used to each other but we’re making good progress. I struggled somewhat with fancy coiled-yarn plying as the flywheel wants to go the opposite way when I stop treadling. However by the end of the yarn I was starting to get in the way of it. The resulting yarn I fear will suck badly, but that's not the wheel's fault ☺
I really want to knit a Season 12 Doctor Who scarf.
All 14 feet of it.
Shoot me now. Maybe I could weave it...
~*~
I had (yet another) epiphany this week. I’m good at these. This one struck me whilst driving to work. Okay, not quite the road to Damascus, but near enough *grin* I was miserable about going to work. I didn’t want to get up and go out and be bored for 10 hours then come home and have dinner and go to bed. So I smacked myself firmly round the back of the head, and informed myself that a) I have no choice if I want to eat; b) being miserable about it MAKES IT WORSE and it feels like the days last an eternity; and c) I simply CANNOT do All The Things I want to, but if I go about with a more positive attitude I tend to get a lot more done.
Well duh. So now I’m trying to be more positive and what have you and trying not to worry myself about my little anxiety issues(ironic, huh) and allergy weirdness (my sinuses SERIOUSLY dislike air conditioning but they’re just going to have to deal with it) and that insect bite on my hip? That I’ve had for like, two months? That is still going ITCHITCHITCH? It really isn’t Lyme disease. Seriously, brain, it isn’t. It’s an itchy insect bite that you’ve been going SCRATCHSCRATCH at for weeks so it’s no wonder it’s not better yet.
Moar Randomz:
Facebook. Why? I mean, really? It’s awful. I could go on forever. I do not want to see your stupid “omg poor kiddy needz an operation WONT U THINK OF THE CHILDRENNZZZZ give us all your fucking money NAOW” all over my wall. Bleh.
Hyperbole and a Half is quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen for a very long time. This post about horror movies is so me it’s unreal. Nice to know I’m not alone ☺
It was so foggy this morning it looked like November. Hmmm. Winter is coming. Need to knit faster.
You know, first thing this morning I had so many things to write down. Now I can’t remember half of them. Typical.
Bruce Dickinson rocks HARD.
Dating. I’m starting to think that I’m really not that bothered you know. After all, as things are at the moment, if I want to spend all weekend spinning, eat fishfinger and cheese butties, walk round the house half-naked or in sweatpants with a rag round my head to keep my hair up, listen to very odd music or sit half the night playing Solitaire on the PC…NO ONE CARES.
I found that if you mix Texel and Balwen fleece on the drumcarder you get a surprisingly awesome batt. By varying the percentages, you can grade the colours. That was an exciting evening at my house.
Formula 1 – I miss it. Hurry up with the holidays already.
I want to KNIT ALL THE THINGS. So I’m not casting on ANYTHING new until I’ve either finished something, or know exactly what ONE thing I need to knit straight away or I will OMG DIE. So far, nothing’s winning that contest.
Music – Following a thread on LSG, I’m delving into some new-to-me music at the moment. So far, Fever Ray, Lykke Li, Neutral Milk Hotel and Seasick Steve are going on the playlist. Also it reminded me of the deep love I have for Tom Waits, Tindersticks, Smashing Pumpkins and Björk. Also, we7.com. Full of win ☺ Lots of free music to stream, very reasonable downloads and it’s part-owned by Peter Gabriel. The radio feature is pretty neat too. Okay, there are ads, but you just ignore those.
We’re starting up a Guild! The Clyde Coast Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. I am very excited. The plan is to have meetings split between Gourock, Dunoon and West Kilbride, which means everyone should have chance to attend and we all get to see a bit of the area. The idea got mooted at the last spin Saturday and it seems to have legs. We’re all very keen anyway!
My Viking wool combs STILL haven’t arrived. I wish P&M Woolcraft would extract digit.
One of my colleagues finished today – he brought pies and bridies in for us, but I’m resisting after having looked at the innards of a bridie last time we had them. Bluuuuurgh. It’s a miracle I’m not dead. Really. So he gave me his chocolate biscuits instead ☺ Yum.
I loves my new wheel. We’re still getting used to each other but we’re making good progress. I struggled somewhat with fancy coiled-yarn plying as the flywheel wants to go the opposite way when I stop treadling. However by the end of the yarn I was starting to get in the way of it. The resulting yarn I fear will suck badly, but that's not the wheel's fault ☺
I really want to knit a Season 12 Doctor Who scarf.
All 14 feet of it.
Shoot me now. Maybe I could weave it...
~*~
Friday, 9 April 2010
in which there is a mild improvement in confusion levels...
Well. That was an interesting week. I got offered the job in Glasgow! Yay me! (Don't ASK about the one down South, what a fuck-up that was and NOT on my part) I now have a pile of forms to fill in, a medical next week at oh-dark-thirty and hopefully that's me for a few months.
So I have decided that for now anyway, I'm not moving house. I'll confirm it all this weekend with the landlords, but I spoke to the main man and he was cool with it, so that's one thing off my plate.
Also to add to the interestingness, I got another call today about another job where they seem to be OMG SUPER KEEN and might want to offer permanent. Which is promising, but we'll have to wait and see.
I have been crocheting and knitting and spinning, but I have no exciting photos so you'll just have to use your imagination. I finished the Scroll Lace scarf. It's still drying but very nice, in Drops Silk-Alpaca, I had to totally re-do the maths as the yarn is much heavier but it's worked well. I spun and plied the Bruise batt, that's also drying but dudes, 325 yards??? Woohoo. I am well pleased with that.
So now I know I will have some moneyz, I can start preparing for Wonderwool! Only another couple of weeks :-) Hopefully lots of spinny things coming my way. At least this time I don't need lots of equipment (well, maybe another wheel but the one I want I don't think will be there) so I won't be weighed down like I was coming back from London...
Not long after there is a machine knitting thing on over in Perth, so I'll probably tootle over there for a look-see. Mmm, cones. Don't ask me about the knitting machine though. It's sitting on a shelf in the lounge looking at me sadly. It really needs a major overhaul, and I just don't have the motivation at the moment.
I'm also starting to think about holidays this year. I didn't go anywhere really last year, so it would be nice to do something this time round. I'm thinking maybe go somewhere with good yarn :-) I'd love to do Shetland, but the ferry scares me too much and the flights are expensive. Maybe I should save up.
~*~
So I have decided that for now anyway, I'm not moving house. I'll confirm it all this weekend with the landlords, but I spoke to the main man and he was cool with it, so that's one thing off my plate.
Also to add to the interestingness, I got another call today about another job where they seem to be OMG SUPER KEEN and might want to offer permanent. Which is promising, but we'll have to wait and see.
I have been crocheting and knitting and spinning, but I have no exciting photos so you'll just have to use your imagination. I finished the Scroll Lace scarf. It's still drying but very nice, in Drops Silk-Alpaca, I had to totally re-do the maths as the yarn is much heavier but it's worked well. I spun and plied the Bruise batt, that's also drying but dudes, 325 yards??? Woohoo. I am well pleased with that.
So now I know I will have some moneyz, I can start preparing for Wonderwool! Only another couple of weeks :-) Hopefully lots of spinny things coming my way. At least this time I don't need lots of equipment (well, maybe another wheel but the one I want I don't think will be there) so I won't be weighed down like I was coming back from London...
Not long after there is a machine knitting thing on over in Perth, so I'll probably tootle over there for a look-see. Mmm, cones. Don't ask me about the knitting machine though. It's sitting on a shelf in the lounge looking at me sadly. It really needs a major overhaul, and I just don't have the motivation at the moment.
I'm also starting to think about holidays this year. I didn't go anywhere really last year, so it would be nice to do something this time round. I'm thinking maybe go somewhere with good yarn :-) I'd love to do Shetland, but the ferry scares me too much and the flights are expensive. Maybe I should save up.
~*~
Saturday, 3 April 2010
In which confusion reigns
My life seems to be getting unnecessarily complicated.
This does not amuse me.
As you know, I have until the beginning of May to remove myself from this house. Also as you know, I have a standing invitation to return to the family nest. Which is fine.
Except. I have an interview (HURRAY!) in Glasgow next week. If I get it, I will need to relocate up nearer the city pronto.
I also have a good lead on a position WAAAAY down South. Which would also mean relocating, but to the opposite end of the country. I very much like the look of this particular position, BUT I'm unlikely to know anything definite until well into next week (ruddy Easter.) By which time I might have an offer in Glasgow.
The other problem is that I need to give notice to the council, the electricity board, Sky and BT (oh NOOOO) that I'm moving. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO YET!!! And ideally, I'm supposed to give a month's notice to all of them. That'll be Tuesday then.
See the dilemmas? COMPLICATED. Aargh. All I can realistically do at the moment is sit and wait and see who wants to offer me a job. My head is mince at the moment :-)
So anyway. In a very successful attempt at distracting myself from OMG I HAVE TO MOVE ALL THIS STUFF AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO AAARRGH I have been keeping busy.
I have carried on spinning that fine purply stuff (Bruise). It looks exactly the same as the last bobbin, so I'll not bore you with a picture.
Here's the ate-a-clown-then-threw-up yarn - spun bulky thick-and-thin-ish and plied with a metallic thread:
I did some more carding:
and corespun another crazy batt:
I finished the Crazy Freeformish Cotton Throw, which has been over two years in the making (all the trimmings from darning in the ends went into the previous batt):
That's a not-quite-finished shot, it now has the gaps filled and a wee edging on it. It weighs a ton :-)
There were lambs outside my window one morning:
I started a new project:
Ysolda's Scroll Lace Scarf, from Yarn Forward magazine a wee while back.
Ange and I went to Ayr and bought yarn (and fibre, and jeans, and some new cute T-shirts and a new skirt, oops)
and I spotted an AWESOME sale on sock yarn, and I may have bought two sweater's worth (yes, I am going to knit myself a sweater out of sock yarn):
Mmm, Kaffe Fassett colourways. Nom nom.
And that's it for now :-)
~*~
This does not amuse me.
As you know, I have until the beginning of May to remove myself from this house. Also as you know, I have a standing invitation to return to the family nest. Which is fine.
Except. I have an interview (HURRAY!) in Glasgow next week. If I get it, I will need to relocate up nearer the city pronto.
I also have a good lead on a position WAAAAY down South. Which would also mean relocating, but to the opposite end of the country. I very much like the look of this particular position, BUT I'm unlikely to know anything definite until well into next week (ruddy Easter.) By which time I might have an offer in Glasgow.
The other problem is that I need to give notice to the council, the electricity board, Sky and BT (oh NOOOO) that I'm moving. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO YET!!! And ideally, I'm supposed to give a month's notice to all of them. That'll be Tuesday then.
See the dilemmas? COMPLICATED. Aargh. All I can realistically do at the moment is sit and wait and see who wants to offer me a job. My head is mince at the moment :-)
So anyway. In a very successful attempt at distracting myself from OMG I HAVE TO MOVE ALL THIS STUFF AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO AAARRGH I have been keeping busy.
I have carried on spinning that fine purply stuff (Bruise). It looks exactly the same as the last bobbin, so I'll not bore you with a picture.
Here's the ate-a-clown-then-threw-up yarn - spun bulky thick-and-thin-ish and plied with a metallic thread:
I did some more carding:
and corespun another crazy batt:
I finished the Crazy Freeformish Cotton Throw, which has been over two years in the making (all the trimmings from darning in the ends went into the previous batt):
That's a not-quite-finished shot, it now has the gaps filled and a wee edging on it. It weighs a ton :-)
There were lambs outside my window one morning:
I started a new project:
Ysolda's Scroll Lace Scarf, from Yarn Forward magazine a wee while back.
Ange and I went to Ayr and bought yarn (and fibre, and jeans, and some new cute T-shirts and a new skirt, oops)
and I spotted an AWESOME sale on sock yarn, and I may have bought two sweater's worth (yes, I am going to knit myself a sweater out of sock yarn):
Mmm, Kaffe Fassett colourways. Nom nom.
And that's it for now :-)
~*~
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Still here! Still here!
Just about :-)
Until May anyway. Yes, I have had to take the fateful step of handing in my notice on my beloved, if chilly, cottage. There's little to be gained by staying any longer, sadly. The job market here still seems terribly depressed, and I'm having no luck with applications south of the Tartan Curtain either - maybe my location is putting people off? I don't know.
So, unless a miracle happens and I get offered a job in the meantime, I will be off back to Staffordshire. My parents have very kindly said I can stay with them until I can get back on my feet financially. Well, I can stay as long as I want actually. It makes sense, as even if I can't command the sort of salary I've been used to, my bills will be reduced to just the car, mobile, investments and internet, rather than the £1000 or so I'm shelling out now each month on rent, tax and utilities.
It's going to be hard though. I will have to put a LOT of my things in storage, and go from a three-bedroomed semi-detached house to one 11 foot square room. Gulp. How long do you think it will be before I get cabin fever? I am determined to make room for the stash, a goodly selection of books, the computer, Caroline the spinning wheel and my rigid heddle loom though. Even if it means throwing out half my clothes :-)
The privacy and peace is going to be a factor as well. Here it is tranquil, the only regular noise (apart from next-door's grandson when he's visiting, who sounds like he is wearing size 10 army boots most of the time) is the sheep baa-ing, the buzzards mewing, an occasional hoot from a coal train and a very distant sound of the A78. Occasionally you can hear the hum of the power station, or the faint sound of their tannoy. At the parents', although it is much better than it was, there are other houses each side, and a main trunk road right in front. The TV is always on, and my parents are both retired so are usually at home. Aargh. There are no snowy mountains to gaze upon, or a beach to stroll on either. Sigh.
It would play hell with my sex life, except I don't have one any more. Le sigh.
There are upsides. I won't need the potassium iodate tablets Ayrshire and Arran NHS dropped round a few days ago (for use in the event of a release of radioactive iodine from the station grin) I won't have to cook unless I want to, I imagine, and there are shops and a pub and civilisation within walking distance. I have good friends down there too, and of course the family, even though I might curse them sometimes :-)
So that's where I am at the moment. I'm still crossing my fingers that a job comes up before all this becomes a fait accompli, but it's not looking too promising. Well, hope springs eternal, right? :-) I would love to get back on the railway if I can. Yes, sad I know. I like trains. No I'm not a trainspotter. I just like the whole thing with trains and stations and all the possibilities they offer. Also I like big, mechanical, noisy smelly things. I should have been a mechanic :-) I enjoyed working on site, although I never went on track. (I don't have the tickets for it.) Shame, cause I'd find it really interesting trackside I'm sure, if a little nerve-wracking - 125mph train right past your earhole :-) Okay, there were times when it sucked, but find me a job that doesn't suck sometimes!
Anyway. I have been knitting:
The Serina shawl from Yarn Forward magazine, done in Fyberspates Scrumptious 4-ply in "Little Foxes" colourway. I'm actually up to the knitted-on edging now, which is of course taking a frigging eternity to finish.
I did some spinning:
This was some left-over-from-plying singles, mixed up with odds and ends in my fibre box. Mainly merino, some Jacob, silk, BFL, Shetland and synthetics. About 200 yards of something approximating a 5-ply / sportweight. Ish. Maybe a DK. I've not tested the WPI yet, it varies a bit through the skein. Which is a good thing. I like my handspun to LOOK like handspun, you know?
Next up I want to work up some Scottish Tweed Chunky into a top-down sweater, maybe a cardigan. I also want to do another shawly-scarfy thing, maybe Ysolda's Scroll Lace, maybe I will design something. Don't know yet. I want something that isn't a standard triangle, more of a stretched-out one, so that it will wrap round my neck better and not have loads of fabric all dangling about. Suggestions gratefully received :-) Also I got "Socks from the Toe Up" by WendyKnits and now want to knit about a zillion pairs of socks.
I wove a poncho-thing! Using stuff from my Berber Jacket, and a pattern out of "Intertwined" by Lexi Boeger, I wove a longish piece of fabric, cut it in half (aargh that was stressful) added a bit of commercial fabric and poof! A poncho-thing. It's not quite finished yet though. It needs something, I just don't know what. Yet.
That's it in progress. Crazy warp. Good fun.
That's me for now. I need to go wash dishes and clean the bath - the landlord wants to bring someone round this afternoon who might move in after I've gone :-( Apparently I don't need to clean or tidy or anything, but I don't want to appear a total sloven :-)
~*~
Until May anyway. Yes, I have had to take the fateful step of handing in my notice on my beloved, if chilly, cottage. There's little to be gained by staying any longer, sadly. The job market here still seems terribly depressed, and I'm having no luck with applications south of the Tartan Curtain either - maybe my location is putting people off? I don't know.
So, unless a miracle happens and I get offered a job in the meantime, I will be off back to Staffordshire. My parents have very kindly said I can stay with them until I can get back on my feet financially. Well, I can stay as long as I want actually. It makes sense, as even if I can't command the sort of salary I've been used to, my bills will be reduced to just the car, mobile, investments and internet, rather than the £1000 or so I'm shelling out now each month on rent, tax and utilities.
It's going to be hard though. I will have to put a LOT of my things in storage, and go from a three-bedroomed semi-detached house to one 11 foot square room. Gulp. How long do you think it will be before I get cabin fever? I am determined to make room for the stash, a goodly selection of books, the computer, Caroline the spinning wheel and my rigid heddle loom though. Even if it means throwing out half my clothes :-)
The privacy and peace is going to be a factor as well. Here it is tranquil, the only regular noise (apart from next-door's grandson when he's visiting, who sounds like he is wearing size 10 army boots most of the time) is the sheep baa-ing, the buzzards mewing, an occasional hoot from a coal train and a very distant sound of the A78. Occasionally you can hear the hum of the power station, or the faint sound of their tannoy. At the parents', although it is much better than it was, there are other houses each side, and a main trunk road right in front. The TV is always on, and my parents are both retired so are usually at home. Aargh. There are no snowy mountains to gaze upon, or a beach to stroll on either. Sigh.
It would play hell with my sex life, except I don't have one any more. Le sigh.
There are upsides. I won't need the potassium iodate tablets Ayrshire and Arran NHS dropped round a few days ago (for use in the event of a release of radioactive iodine from the station grin) I won't have to cook unless I want to, I imagine, and there are shops and a pub and civilisation within walking distance. I have good friends down there too, and of course the family, even though I might curse them sometimes :-)
So that's where I am at the moment. I'm still crossing my fingers that a job comes up before all this becomes a fait accompli, but it's not looking too promising. Well, hope springs eternal, right? :-) I would love to get back on the railway if I can. Yes, sad I know. I like trains. No I'm not a trainspotter. I just like the whole thing with trains and stations and all the possibilities they offer. Also I like big, mechanical, noisy smelly things. I should have been a mechanic :-) I enjoyed working on site, although I never went on track. (I don't have the tickets for it.) Shame, cause I'd find it really interesting trackside I'm sure, if a little nerve-wracking - 125mph train right past your earhole :-) Okay, there were times when it sucked, but find me a job that doesn't suck sometimes!
Anyway. I have been knitting:
The Serina shawl from Yarn Forward magazine, done in Fyberspates Scrumptious 4-ply in "Little Foxes" colourway. I'm actually up to the knitted-on edging now, which is of course taking a frigging eternity to finish.
I did some spinning:
This was some left-over-from-plying singles, mixed up with odds and ends in my fibre box. Mainly merino, some Jacob, silk, BFL, Shetland and synthetics. About 200 yards of something approximating a 5-ply / sportweight. Ish. Maybe a DK. I've not tested the WPI yet, it varies a bit through the skein. Which is a good thing. I like my handspun to LOOK like handspun, you know?
Next up I want to work up some Scottish Tweed Chunky into a top-down sweater, maybe a cardigan. I also want to do another shawly-scarfy thing, maybe Ysolda's Scroll Lace, maybe I will design something. Don't know yet. I want something that isn't a standard triangle, more of a stretched-out one, so that it will wrap round my neck better and not have loads of fabric all dangling about. Suggestions gratefully received :-) Also I got "Socks from the Toe Up" by WendyKnits and now want to knit about a zillion pairs of socks.
I wove a poncho-thing! Using stuff from my Berber Jacket, and a pattern out of "Intertwined" by Lexi Boeger, I wove a longish piece of fabric, cut it in half (aargh that was stressful) added a bit of commercial fabric and poof! A poncho-thing. It's not quite finished yet though. It needs something, I just don't know what. Yet.
That's it in progress. Crazy warp. Good fun.
That's me for now. I need to go wash dishes and clean the bath - the landlord wants to bring someone round this afternoon who might move in after I've gone :-( Apparently I don't need to clean or tidy or anything, but I don't want to appear a total sloven :-)
~*~
Friday, 26 February 2010
Myers-Briggs
Well, following a thread on Ravelry, I decided to take a Myers-Briggs test. I've done these before, and I got the same result again. I'm putting it here so I don't forget the results - you may just want to skip this post altogether :-)
Result: INTJ
Rational Portrait of the Mastermind (INTJ)
(from http://keirsey.com/)
All Rationals are good at planning operations, but Masterminds are head and shoulders above all the rest in contingency planning. Complex operations involve many steps or stages, one following another in a necessary progression, and Masterminds are naturally able to grasp how each one leads to the next, and to prepare alternatives for difficulties that are likely to arise any step of the way. Trying to anticipate every contingency, Masterminds never set off on their current project without a Plan A firmly in mind, but they are always prepared to switch to Plan B or C or D if need be.
Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than, say, one percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. Once they take charge, however, they are thoroughgoing pragmatists. Masterminds are certain that efficiency is indispensable in a well-run organization, and if they encounter inefficiency-any waste of human and material resources-they are quick to realign operations and reassign personnel. Masterminds do not feel bound by established rules and procedures, and traditional authority does not impress them, nor do slogans or catchwords. Only ideas that make sense to them are adopted; those that don't, aren't, no matter who thought of them. Remember, their aim is always maximum efficiency.
In their careers, Masterminds usually rise to positions of responsibility, for they work long and hard and are dedicated in their pursuit of goals, sparing neither their own time and effort nor that of their colleagues and employees. Problem-solving is highly stimulating to Masterminds, who love responding to tangled systems that require careful sorting out. Ordinarily, they verbalize the positive and avoid comments of a negative nature; they are more interested in moving an organization forward than dwelling on mistakes of the past.
Masterminds tend to be much more definite and self-confident than other Rationals, having usually developed a very strong will. Decisions come easily to them; in fact, they can hardly rest until they have things settled and decided. But before they decide anything, they must do the research. Masterminds are highly theoretical, but they insist on looking at all available data before they embrace an idea, and they are suspicious of any statement that is based on shoddy research, or that is not checked against reality.
Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Ulysses S. Grant, Frideriche Nietzsche, Niels Bohr, Peter the Great, Stephen Hawking, John Maynard Keynes, Lise Meitner, Ayn Rand and Sir Isaac Newton are examples of Rational Masterminds.
Careers
The Mastermind (INTJ) is very focused as well, but more on an internal vision. They are good at solving problems and like to work on tough intellectual puzzles. They are often led into technical positions such as scientific researcher, design engineer, environmental planner. The developing field of genetics benefits from their intensity as does the field of medicine. In education they are most often found at the college and university level. In the professions, they may be a lawyer, a business analyst, or strategic planner. Some have a strong artistic/creative bent and may become an artist, inventor, or designer. Whatever they do, they do it with intensity. Says Kim, "I am constantly teaching myself something new in order to solve the problems that I encounter. My husband leaves me alone when he sees that I am caught in what he calls my "Thinking Time." I'm unwinding knots even in my sleep."
from http://typelogic.com/intj.html
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.
INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.
INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.
In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.
Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.
Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.
Result: INTJ
Rational Portrait of the Mastermind (INTJ)
(from http://keirsey.com/)
All Rationals are good at planning operations, but Masterminds are head and shoulders above all the rest in contingency planning. Complex operations involve many steps or stages, one following another in a necessary progression, and Masterminds are naturally able to grasp how each one leads to the next, and to prepare alternatives for difficulties that are likely to arise any step of the way. Trying to anticipate every contingency, Masterminds never set off on their current project without a Plan A firmly in mind, but they are always prepared to switch to Plan B or C or D if need be.
Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than, say, one percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. Once they take charge, however, they are thoroughgoing pragmatists. Masterminds are certain that efficiency is indispensable in a well-run organization, and if they encounter inefficiency-any waste of human and material resources-they are quick to realign operations and reassign personnel. Masterminds do not feel bound by established rules and procedures, and traditional authority does not impress them, nor do slogans or catchwords. Only ideas that make sense to them are adopted; those that don't, aren't, no matter who thought of them. Remember, their aim is always maximum efficiency.
In their careers, Masterminds usually rise to positions of responsibility, for they work long and hard and are dedicated in their pursuit of goals, sparing neither their own time and effort nor that of their colleagues and employees. Problem-solving is highly stimulating to Masterminds, who love responding to tangled systems that require careful sorting out. Ordinarily, they verbalize the positive and avoid comments of a negative nature; they are more interested in moving an organization forward than dwelling on mistakes of the past.
Masterminds tend to be much more definite and self-confident than other Rationals, having usually developed a very strong will. Decisions come easily to them; in fact, they can hardly rest until they have things settled and decided. But before they decide anything, they must do the research. Masterminds are highly theoretical, but they insist on looking at all available data before they embrace an idea, and they are suspicious of any statement that is based on shoddy research, or that is not checked against reality.
Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Ulysses S. Grant, Frideriche Nietzsche, Niels Bohr, Peter the Great, Stephen Hawking, John Maynard Keynes, Lise Meitner, Ayn Rand and Sir Isaac Newton are examples of Rational Masterminds.
Careers
The Mastermind (INTJ) is very focused as well, but more on an internal vision. They are good at solving problems and like to work on tough intellectual puzzles. They are often led into technical positions such as scientific researcher, design engineer, environmental planner. The developing field of genetics benefits from their intensity as does the field of medicine. In education they are most often found at the college and university level. In the professions, they may be a lawyer, a business analyst, or strategic planner. Some have a strong artistic/creative bent and may become an artist, inventor, or designer. Whatever they do, they do it with intensity. Says Kim, "I am constantly teaching myself something new in order to solve the problems that I encounter. My husband leaves me alone when he sees that I am caught in what he calls my "Thinking Time." I'm unwinding knots even in my sleep."
from http://typelogic.com/intj.html
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.
INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.
INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.
In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.
Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.
This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.
Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Fed Up on a Sunday
I realised this evening that I am fed up. I'm sure it's a passing phase mind, but just for tonight I am In A Funk. This is because I have things that need finishing which are getting on my wick. I have weaving to do:
but the warp is giving me FITS and I'm not enjoying it much. It's a 10/1 linen warp doubled, which is a bit like fishing line, and I cannot keep it tensioned evenly. One end will be twanging like a guitar string whilst another is sagging sadly. Grrrr. It's supposed to be a rug - the weft is a rough aran wool that I dyed an eternity ago, which is too scratchy for much else. I'll keep ploughing on with it, but it's a "bit-at-a-time" job otherwise I'll take scissors to it :-)
I have plying to do - I spun up some leftover raw Jacob, carded with some BFL, trilobal nylon and a few odds and ends. It was not great fun to spin, and the plying is killing me. I'm using a cone of very very fine "Kash / Seta" (whatever that is) which I had off a car boot sale. It's lovely soft stuff, but it's full of breaks and snaps as soon as look at it. You can't even pull it straight off the cone, you need to unwind it carefully. Aaargh. I'm about halfway. I keep doing a bit more of it but it's nearly as frustrating as the weaving.
I did do some successful spinning though -
This is the single, it's now plied up with another similar bobbin. Handcarded, hand-dyed merino, commercial merino top, some yarn snippets and metallic sparkly bits. I'm slowly piling up the handspun, and I'm going to knit myself a luridly stripy sweater with it. Oh yes.
A note on the hand-dyed merino. I bought 500g of "merino", expecting nice rovings or top. In fact I got what I can only assume are the leftovers from combing, smooshed up into a sort-of roving. The staple is about an inch. If it's merino, I'll eat it. Disappointing. Always check your fibre when you have the chance folks!
Full Moon
Pretty huh? I was fetching in the washing when I spotted it.
The Job Situation
Still sucks ass. Nowt much to report. I'm trying, but I'm not getting very far at the moment. I might end up completely re-doing my CV AGAIN. Only downside is as I use OpenOffice, the formatting seems to go off a bit when you view in Word. Maybe I'll try saving in .RTF format instead. I re-did it on the advice of an HR person, but I'm starting to think she didn't know her backside from her elbow. I have seen a part-time job just up the road, but I'm torn. I could do with the money, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot for taking a full-time position. Dilemma. I think I might leave it. See how I feel in the morning!
Improving My Mind
Just recently I realised there are an awful lot of classic books I have never read. I have never read Jane Austen for example (I KNOW, I'll surrender my Female Card at the door)so I've been polling the lovely people of the Completely Pointless group on Ravelry for suggestions.
I've now got a list of about 200 books. Eep.
Tomorrow I hit the charity shops in Largs :-)
~*~
but the warp is giving me FITS and I'm not enjoying it much. It's a 10/1 linen warp doubled, which is a bit like fishing line, and I cannot keep it tensioned evenly. One end will be twanging like a guitar string whilst another is sagging sadly. Grrrr. It's supposed to be a rug - the weft is a rough aran wool that I dyed an eternity ago, which is too scratchy for much else. I'll keep ploughing on with it, but it's a "bit-at-a-time" job otherwise I'll take scissors to it :-)
I have plying to do - I spun up some leftover raw Jacob, carded with some BFL, trilobal nylon and a few odds and ends. It was not great fun to spin, and the plying is killing me. I'm using a cone of very very fine "Kash / Seta" (whatever that is) which I had off a car boot sale. It's lovely soft stuff, but it's full of breaks and snaps as soon as look at it. You can't even pull it straight off the cone, you need to unwind it carefully. Aaargh. I'm about halfway. I keep doing a bit more of it but it's nearly as frustrating as the weaving.
I did do some successful spinning though -
This is the single, it's now plied up with another similar bobbin. Handcarded, hand-dyed merino, commercial merino top, some yarn snippets and metallic sparkly bits. I'm slowly piling up the handspun, and I'm going to knit myself a luridly stripy sweater with it. Oh yes.
A note on the hand-dyed merino. I bought 500g of "merino", expecting nice rovings or top. In fact I got what I can only assume are the leftovers from combing, smooshed up into a sort-of roving. The staple is about an inch. If it's merino, I'll eat it. Disappointing. Always check your fibre when you have the chance folks!
Full Moon
Pretty huh? I was fetching in the washing when I spotted it.
The Job Situation
Still sucks ass. Nowt much to report. I'm trying, but I'm not getting very far at the moment. I might end up completely re-doing my CV AGAIN. Only downside is as I use OpenOffice, the formatting seems to go off a bit when you view in Word. Maybe I'll try saving in .RTF format instead. I re-did it on the advice of an HR person, but I'm starting to think she didn't know her backside from her elbow. I have seen a part-time job just up the road, but I'm torn. I could do with the money, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot for taking a full-time position. Dilemma. I think I might leave it. See how I feel in the morning!
Improving My Mind
Just recently I realised there are an awful lot of classic books I have never read. I have never read Jane Austen for example (I KNOW, I'll surrender my Female Card at the door)so I've been polling the lovely people of the Completely Pointless group on Ravelry for suggestions.
I've now got a list of about 200 books. Eep.
Tomorrow I hit the charity shops in Largs :-)
~*~
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Not Frozen Yet
I'm still here, a little chilly but doing my best with the open fire in the lounge and a few electric heaters. Oh and lots of fleeces and woollies :-) I'm really grateful the landlord said I would be recompensed for the electricity - my meter is virtually smokin', it's whizzing around so fast :-(
So anyway, I am pressing on with the daily grind. This being redundant business is rather odd. I imagine retirement is a bit like this, but I always figured I'd have a bit more of a plan for when that happens. You know, like having a late-onset midlife crisis, dyeing my hair purple, buying a sports car, that sort of thing. This "being-on-the-dole" thing is rather different. I think it's because it's involuntary. I don't really want to be sat around all day. I am supposed to be working. I like going to work, well as long as it is not the soul-sucking Pit of Hades where I was last.
Anyway, I duly registered myself for Jobseeker's Allowance at the weekend and went for my meeting at the Jobcentre yesterday. I honestly never thought I'd end up on the dole queue again. I'm trying very hard to not feel like a failure. I was in this situation eight years ago, and here I am again back in it. Bugger. Mind you, last time I only lasted three weeks on the dole before I got a new job, but last time we weren't in the throes of a stinking recession. This time though, I have a much stronger CV and a defined area of expertise. So there's something in my favour.
Enough self-flagellation, on to happier subjects. It is finally starting to melt outside, so I managed to extract the car from its icy tomb and toddled off to Saltcoats. This was after my lovely plumber rolled up unannounced at 9am to have a look at the heating situation and found me in my dressing gown drinking tea. Hee. Poor man. I duly rolled up at the Jobcentre (after walking straight past it twice!) and did all the paperwork-stuff. I then had a surf round the charity shops, and came out with some VHS tapes to watch. £1 for three, you can't complain at that :-) A quick stop-off at the LYS for some purple yarn (for my Ravelympics project, more on that later) and some sewing thread for plying, then over to Ange's for a quick lunch, then onto Once A Sheep at Gourock for some quality yarn-fondling. Karen has a lovely shop there, not long opened, and has already parted me from fairly considerable quantities of cash already! She's an Ashford dealer, what can I say? I came back this trip with some more Ravelympics yarn - Kureyon, Silk Garden, Manos Wool Clasica and a bit of Debbie Bliss. Oh and an Ashford yarn gauge, because I've been looking for one for ages. I was very much in need of yarn-fondling, it has been a trying few days for several reasons, so this cheered me up muchly.
Spinning
A wee gallery of what I've been up to. (The last one is just some of my fibre waiting to be spun up - I needed another piccie for the mosaic!) I am LOVING spinning. It is so relaxing, and yet constructive. Big big fun. I'm still using the spindles as well, I'm currently spinning a very fine bluey-green which will be used to ply a thicker wheel-spun yarn - again for the Ravelympics. I can't spin super-fine on the wheel yet. More practice needed for that.
Ravelympics 2010
Okay. I signed up with the Completely Pointless group on Ravelry - Team Ooh, Shiny! (hahahahaha) and I'm planning to do a Berber Jacket, one of Jane Thornley's designs. Mine will be in blue-green as one colour, with purple-orange as the other. All stranded colourwork!!! I think I have all the yarn now that I need, a lot of Kureyon with various other bits and bobs. I'm also spinning for it as well, and dyeing both yarn and fibre. I'd like to use set-in sleeves rather than the drop-shoulder, but I don't think I'll have time to mess with the pattern. I'm sure drop-shoulders will be fine. I'd also kinda like to knit it in the round, and steek it, but again, not sure. I need to sit down with the pattern and have a really good look at it.
Yeah, so I'm crazy. What's new there? :-D
Well that's me, off to stoke up the fire a bit and think about going to Knit Night. I don't really want to go out, as it's cold out there and I have a cosy fire, and I also have a scratchy throat, but a bit of socialising would do me good and I need to get milk too :-)
~*~
So anyway, I am pressing on with the daily grind. This being redundant business is rather odd. I imagine retirement is a bit like this, but I always figured I'd have a bit more of a plan for when that happens. You know, like having a late-onset midlife crisis, dyeing my hair purple, buying a sports car, that sort of thing. This "being-on-the-dole" thing is rather different. I think it's because it's involuntary. I don't really want to be sat around all day. I am supposed to be working. I like going to work, well as long as it is not the soul-sucking Pit of Hades where I was last.
Anyway, I duly registered myself for Jobseeker's Allowance at the weekend and went for my meeting at the Jobcentre yesterday. I honestly never thought I'd end up on the dole queue again. I'm trying very hard to not feel like a failure. I was in this situation eight years ago, and here I am again back in it. Bugger. Mind you, last time I only lasted three weeks on the dole before I got a new job, but last time we weren't in the throes of a stinking recession. This time though, I have a much stronger CV and a defined area of expertise. So there's something in my favour.
Enough self-flagellation, on to happier subjects. It is finally starting to melt outside, so I managed to extract the car from its icy tomb and toddled off to Saltcoats. This was after my lovely plumber rolled up unannounced at 9am to have a look at the heating situation and found me in my dressing gown drinking tea. Hee. Poor man. I duly rolled up at the Jobcentre (after walking straight past it twice!) and did all the paperwork-stuff. I then had a surf round the charity shops, and came out with some VHS tapes to watch. £1 for three, you can't complain at that :-) A quick stop-off at the LYS for some purple yarn (for my Ravelympics project, more on that later) and some sewing thread for plying, then over to Ange's for a quick lunch, then onto Once A Sheep at Gourock for some quality yarn-fondling. Karen has a lovely shop there, not long opened, and has already parted me from fairly considerable quantities of cash already! She's an Ashford dealer, what can I say? I came back this trip with some more Ravelympics yarn - Kureyon, Silk Garden, Manos Wool Clasica and a bit of Debbie Bliss. Oh and an Ashford yarn gauge, because I've been looking for one for ages. I was very much in need of yarn-fondling, it has been a trying few days for several reasons, so this cheered me up muchly.
Spinning
A wee gallery of what I've been up to. (The last one is just some of my fibre waiting to be spun up - I needed another piccie for the mosaic!) I am LOVING spinning. It is so relaxing, and yet constructive. Big big fun. I'm still using the spindles as well, I'm currently spinning a very fine bluey-green which will be used to ply a thicker wheel-spun yarn - again for the Ravelympics. I can't spin super-fine on the wheel yet. More practice needed for that.
Ravelympics 2010
Okay. I signed up with the Completely Pointless group on Ravelry - Team Ooh, Shiny! (hahahahaha) and I'm planning to do a Berber Jacket, one of Jane Thornley's designs. Mine will be in blue-green as one colour, with purple-orange as the other. All stranded colourwork!!! I think I have all the yarn now that I need, a lot of Kureyon with various other bits and bobs. I'm also spinning for it as well, and dyeing both yarn and fibre. I'd like to use set-in sleeves rather than the drop-shoulder, but I don't think I'll have time to mess with the pattern. I'm sure drop-shoulders will be fine. I'd also kinda like to knit it in the round, and steek it, but again, not sure. I need to sit down with the pattern and have a really good look at it.
Yeah, so I'm crazy. What's new there? :-D
Well that's me, off to stoke up the fire a bit and think about going to Knit Night. I don't really want to go out, as it's cold out there and I have a cosy fire, and I also have a scratchy throat, but a bit of socialising would do me good and I need to get milk too :-)
~*~
Friday, 27 November 2009
God's Great Banana Skin
Thanks to Chris Rea for the title inspiration...He's doing a tour next year! Awesome. But I may not be able to go, because I don't know where I will be. Why? I have been placed "at risk of redundancy." Which means, in a nutshell, I am out on my sorry ass if my employers can't find a suitable redeployment for me. Bugger.
I'm not panicking (yet) - I've got craft fairs to focus on (tomorrow and Sunday at West Kilbride! Aargh!) and there's a few weeks before it will all be definite one way or another. So probably the New Year before anything drastic happens. However it is a stinking time of year to try and find anything new, and this recession is still biting Scotland pretty hard. So there's a fair chance I'll end up packing up and moving somewhere else, which is fine and not a problem, but it's just a pain to organise! I guess I'll just have to hire a big van if the necessity arises...
~*~
I'm not panicking (yet) - I've got craft fairs to focus on (tomorrow and Sunday at West Kilbride! Aargh!) and there's a few weeks before it will all be definite one way or another. So probably the New Year before anything drastic happens. However it is a stinking time of year to try and find anything new, and this recession is still biting Scotland pretty hard. So there's a fair chance I'll end up packing up and moving somewhere else, which is fine and not a problem, but it's just a pain to organise! I guess I'll just have to hire a big van if the necessity arises...
~*~
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Well this week has flown so far. I think this is down to my advancing years, my mother did warn me this would happen :-) Appraisal with the boss went well, he seems a happy bunny so that's good, the yarn money should keep flowing. Also I may be getting to spend some time over in Edinburgh, which is of course the home of K1's other shop and MCA...and of course Tynecastle where I shall have to go and pay my respects. So that might be rather good...apart from getting there which will be an almighty pain in the rear. One hour to Glasgow, then a trip across to Queen Street then the express across which takes about 1/2 an hour I believe. Oh well.
The Dad sweater is progressing well, it accompanied me to Knit Night where suitable sympathy was expressed at having to knit a 48" jumper in double knitting. One sleeve is completely finished, with the phoney seam added, the body is at about 10" long and the second sleeve is about 4" in. So it's going fairly well. I'm not going to say too much as I do not wish to arouse the ire of the knitting gods :-)
I finished a woolly hat for myself (I'll put the pictures in later, I'm at work just now) - I admit, this was going to be for charity but I liked it so much I'm going to keep it and I've already cast on for some (vaguely) matching mittens. Yarn is Wendy Fusion in Allspice (I think) on a 5.5mm needle. I'll have to knit a replacement for the Mission to Seafarers. Fortunately hats are ideal commuter knitting so I should be able to knock one out pretty quick, then I really must get them posted off.
Excitement planned for the weekend - a Stash Sort, to check for m*ths and just generally reacquaint myself with the lower strata, and if I get chance I might pop up the road to a quilt exhibition. Not that I'm going to start on that just now. Absolutely not. No. *whimper*
~*~
The Dad sweater is progressing well, it accompanied me to Knit Night where suitable sympathy was expressed at having to knit a 48" jumper in double knitting. One sleeve is completely finished, with the phoney seam added, the body is at about 10" long and the second sleeve is about 4" in. So it's going fairly well. I'm not going to say too much as I do not wish to arouse the ire of the knitting gods :-)
I finished a woolly hat for myself (I'll put the pictures in later, I'm at work just now) - I admit, this was going to be for charity but I liked it so much I'm going to keep it and I've already cast on for some (vaguely) matching mittens. Yarn is Wendy Fusion in Allspice (I think) on a 5.5mm needle. I'll have to knit a replacement for the Mission to Seafarers. Fortunately hats are ideal commuter knitting so I should be able to knock one out pretty quick, then I really must get them posted off.
Excitement planned for the weekend - a Stash Sort, to check for m*ths and just generally reacquaint myself with the lower strata, and if I get chance I might pop up the road to a quilt exhibition. Not that I'm going to start on that just now. Absolutely not. No. *whimper*
~*~
Friday, 24 October 2008
bullet points
Brief Update as things are busy busy Chez Moi.
Friend visiting for a week from Sunday…here are my current preoccupations:
· Much cleaning is ensuing…place was getting a little Withnail-ish for my liking
· I am concerned about the lack of heating upstairs
· terrible rattling noises are coming from the dormer in the bedroom which she will be sleeping, mainly because of the howling maelstrom outside
· the window in there is still letting the rain in (thankyou my efficient landlords)
· I need to scrub the bath, even though it will still look like a hippo has been wallowing in it because the enamel’s worn away, at least I know it is clean even if it doesn’t look it
At least I thought to get some curtains for the window in her temporary bedroom, which cost me £3 (love you charity shop!) and have been washed today, so just ironing and hanging them to do tomorrow, all being well. I’ve mopped the floors, hoovered half the house (other half tomorrow) and shaken out all of the rugs:
Dad’s sweater is coming on, albeit a little slowly, but there is only so much grey stocking stitch a girl can stand in one session.
I felt the need for a little pizzazz in my life, a little less “working to a pattern” and fretting about gauge, so:
I’ve gone a bit freeform. It’s scarily addictive. This will hopefully be a hanging to go over the fire in the lounge, I’ve decided much as I love the picture of Inverie Bay, it doesn’t work where it is currently. As soon as I work out where its new spot is, I’ll shift it.
Other stuff:
· Sewing machine died, in the middle of making a case for my DPNs. Not amused, but I finished the case by hand, and sent the machine off for a wee holiday to Ayr with a nice man called Sandy. He told me the foot pedal was full of spiders. How embarrassing. :-)
· I’ve begun stocking up on quilting kit (see above for minor hiccup in timing.) Because what I need in my life is another fibre hobby, naturally. Ahem.
· I haz a sofa! Well, sort of. I picked up a sofa and two armchairs last week in the village saleroom. I must admit, it is as ugly as sin. However that’s what throws were invented for, it is comfy and I am not short of a crocheted blankie or two to throw over it. How much? £40. For the lot. I also snaffled two bedside cupboards FINALLY, another £40 then a tenner for delivery. £90 total – yay me. Credit crunch? Moi? Only thing is, because the sales and deliveries and that are all run by the Initiative volunteers, they’ve not been able to deliver it yet. Fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow…
· My train packed up yesterday on the way home from work. Arrived at Saltcoats, after coming past some fairly dramatic waves, the sort that make me want to make a hearty donation to the RNLI and thank my lucky stars I’m not a fisherman. We pulled in at the station, usual OP, then *click* out went the lights. Eventually they were restored, and we proceeded on our way. A sheepish announcement came over the Tannoy from the guard – “We would like to apologise for the delay. This was caused by a wave breaking over the train and cutting off the power.”
So…let me get this straight. This is First ScotRail we’re talking about, and this line is one of many that runs close to the sea up here. You’d think they would have come across this problem and sorted it by now, surely... So anyway, my train had a fit of the vapours because it got wet. That is kinda funny J but it does make me hope a nice tasty job comes up closer to home soon, because if the train is going to die each time the sea looks at it sideways, it could be a very long winter of commuting ahead…
· Speaking of the “W” word (work, that is, you with the dirty mind at the back, stop it) they’ve announced redundancies. Oh great. The guy who sits almost opposite me is one of them. He doesn’t seem to be too worried, but even so. Gulp. I hope its not catching. I have visions of having to return to Staffordshire and live in Mum and Dad’s shed, condemned to endless evenings watching EastEnders. Either that or packing the yarn and moving to some semi-derelict black house on a wee island somewhere where I can survive on a barter economy and maybe growing vegetables, with the wind howling and me huddled round a peat fire at night-times to stave off hypothermia.
· My hair has gone insane. I think it’s the weather.
· It is raining. Again. I know this is Western Scotland and it rains a lot, but really? It’s a miracle the whole western half of the country hasn’t rotted away or dissolved. However, on the positive side, I think I am becoming more accustomed to it. I am growing webs between my toes and my gills are coming on a treat.
· I have burned my way through almost half a ton of solid fuel and almost quarter of a ton of coal in an alarmingly short space of time. I need to devote some time to timber-hunting on the estate (I can help myself to any fallen wood) and I also need to knit faster so I have more woolly jumpers and hats.
· I think I have tennis elbow from shovelling coal (coalman’s elbow?)
Enough already…time for more freeforming before bed. Night all.
~*~
Friend visiting for a week from Sunday…here are my current preoccupations:
· Much cleaning is ensuing…place was getting a little Withnail-ish for my liking
· I am concerned about the lack of heating upstairs
· terrible rattling noises are coming from the dormer in the bedroom which she will be sleeping, mainly because of the howling maelstrom outside
· the window in there is still letting the rain in (thankyou my efficient landlords)
· I need to scrub the bath, even though it will still look like a hippo has been wallowing in it because the enamel’s worn away, at least I know it is clean even if it doesn’t look it
At least I thought to get some curtains for the window in her temporary bedroom, which cost me £3 (love you charity shop!) and have been washed today, so just ironing and hanging them to do tomorrow, all being well. I’ve mopped the floors, hoovered half the house (other half tomorrow) and shaken out all of the rugs:
Dad’s sweater is coming on, albeit a little slowly, but there is only so much grey stocking stitch a girl can stand in one session.
I felt the need for a little pizzazz in my life, a little less “working to a pattern” and fretting about gauge, so:
I’ve gone a bit freeform. It’s scarily addictive. This will hopefully be a hanging to go over the fire in the lounge, I’ve decided much as I love the picture of Inverie Bay, it doesn’t work where it is currently. As soon as I work out where its new spot is, I’ll shift it.
Other stuff:
· Sewing machine died, in the middle of making a case for my DPNs. Not amused, but I finished the case by hand, and sent the machine off for a wee holiday to Ayr with a nice man called Sandy. He told me the foot pedal was full of spiders. How embarrassing. :-)
· I’ve begun stocking up on quilting kit (see above for minor hiccup in timing.) Because what I need in my life is another fibre hobby, naturally. Ahem.
· I haz a sofa! Well, sort of. I picked up a sofa and two armchairs last week in the village saleroom. I must admit, it is as ugly as sin. However that’s what throws were invented for, it is comfy and I am not short of a crocheted blankie or two to throw over it. How much? £40. For the lot. I also snaffled two bedside cupboards FINALLY, another £40 then a tenner for delivery. £90 total – yay me. Credit crunch? Moi? Only thing is, because the sales and deliveries and that are all run by the Initiative volunteers, they’ve not been able to deliver it yet. Fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow…
· My train packed up yesterday on the way home from work. Arrived at Saltcoats, after coming past some fairly dramatic waves, the sort that make me want to make a hearty donation to the RNLI and thank my lucky stars I’m not a fisherman. We pulled in at the station, usual OP, then *click* out went the lights. Eventually they were restored, and we proceeded on our way. A sheepish announcement came over the Tannoy from the guard – “We would like to apologise for the delay. This was caused by a wave breaking over the train and cutting off the power.”
So…let me get this straight. This is First ScotRail we’re talking about, and this line is one of many that runs close to the sea up here. You’d think they would have come across this problem and sorted it by now, surely... So anyway, my train had a fit of the vapours because it got wet. That is kinda funny J but it does make me hope a nice tasty job comes up closer to home soon, because if the train is going to die each time the sea looks at it sideways, it could be a very long winter of commuting ahead…
· Speaking of the “W” word (work, that is, you with the dirty mind at the back, stop it) they’ve announced redundancies. Oh great. The guy who sits almost opposite me is one of them. He doesn’t seem to be too worried, but even so. Gulp. I hope its not catching. I have visions of having to return to Staffordshire and live in Mum and Dad’s shed, condemned to endless evenings watching EastEnders. Either that or packing the yarn and moving to some semi-derelict black house on a wee island somewhere where I can survive on a barter economy and maybe growing vegetables, with the wind howling and me huddled round a peat fire at night-times to stave off hypothermia.
· My hair has gone insane. I think it’s the weather.
· It is raining. Again. I know this is Western Scotland and it rains a lot, but really? It’s a miracle the whole western half of the country hasn’t rotted away or dissolved. However, on the positive side, I think I am becoming more accustomed to it. I am growing webs between my toes and my gills are coming on a treat.
· I have burned my way through almost half a ton of solid fuel and almost quarter of a ton of coal in an alarmingly short space of time. I need to devote some time to timber-hunting on the estate (I can help myself to any fallen wood) and I also need to knit faster so I have more woolly jumpers and hats.
· I think I have tennis elbow from shovelling coal (coalman’s elbow?)
Enough already…time for more freeforming before bed. Night all.
~*~
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Queen of the Stone Age
oops, can't believe it's been so long since I posted. Well, I have been a bit busy. Winter is on its way and it's gonna be FREEZING in this house I reckon. Well, it would be, if it wasn't for this:
That is my piece of Stone Age technology. Well, Iron Age actually. And do you know what? It's great. Apart from the regular feeding, which when you have to go out in the howling maelstrom to fetch fuel, saw logs and chop kindling, is no mean feat, it's a dream. Toasty warm. It just takes up rather a lot of time to look after it...and my fingernails may never be the same again, let me tell you. Oh and I have coal dust in all sorts of unexpected places (like up my nose.) However the 500kg of fuel I ordered is going down at an alarming rate...
I have had another success (and cause of bloggus interruptus):
Oh, the wonders of IKEA. Finally my CDs and DVDs are off the floor, and my books are onto a shelf that can actually (just about) bear the weight ;-)
And no, I didn't do this all by myself...for starters how do you think I could fit a 2m+ high shelf unit in my car, hmmm? A very nice little elf did most of the work, so mmmmwwwwwaaaaah big kiss thank you!
All this lovely new shelfiness means that the other shelves are fairly empty so I can put out my ornaments (when I ship them up here) and excess yarn / works in progress etc. on there. This means I may be able to see the lounge floor sometime before Christmas which would be nice.
And yes, there has been knitting. More woolly hats for the Mission to Seafarers, and I've started this:
answers on a postcard as to what it is...and no sneaky checking on Ravelry either ;-) I took this along to my first ever Knit Night in the village yesterday, which was jolly fun and I shall hopefully be attending regularly from now on. It was a nice change to get out of an evening, I'm normally about as sociable as a shark on acid, other than carefully selected companions, but the company of yarn people is always pleasant so I think I can cope with that level of sociability. Once a week. Rest of the time I'm back in my true hermit colours...suits me just fine.
What else to say? Work is as usual, I'm limiting the yarn intake successfully and watching the purse strings (gotta watch that credit crunch, y'know?) which seems ok so far. I did buy some more DPNs, and I want to get Vogue Knitting and Interweave Crochet, but other than that I'm going to be good, I need to pay myself back for all the stuff I've shelled out on the house! Oh, I need to sort out a sofa, but that's an ongoing project and if I have to buy one, IKEA do a nice one for about £250. As long as no-one is expecting posh Xmas pressies that should be fine ;-)
Right, that's me, I need to go and have some dinner and check the range. Later folks
~*~
That is my piece of Stone Age technology. Well, Iron Age actually. And do you know what? It's great. Apart from the regular feeding, which when you have to go out in the howling maelstrom to fetch fuel, saw logs and chop kindling, is no mean feat, it's a dream. Toasty warm. It just takes up rather a lot of time to look after it...and my fingernails may never be the same again, let me tell you. Oh and I have coal dust in all sorts of unexpected places (like up my nose.) However the 500kg of fuel I ordered is going down at an alarming rate...
I have had another success (and cause of bloggus interruptus):
Oh, the wonders of IKEA. Finally my CDs and DVDs are off the floor, and my books are onto a shelf that can actually (just about) bear the weight ;-)
And no, I didn't do this all by myself...for starters how do you think I could fit a 2m+ high shelf unit in my car, hmmm? A very nice little elf did most of the work, so mmmmwwwwwaaaaah big kiss thank you!
All this lovely new shelfiness means that the other shelves are fairly empty so I can put out my ornaments (when I ship them up here) and excess yarn / works in progress etc. on there. This means I may be able to see the lounge floor sometime before Christmas which would be nice.
And yes, there has been knitting. More woolly hats for the Mission to Seafarers, and I've started this:
answers on a postcard as to what it is...and no sneaky checking on Ravelry either ;-) I took this along to my first ever Knit Night in the village yesterday, which was jolly fun and I shall hopefully be attending regularly from now on. It was a nice change to get out of an evening, I'm normally about as sociable as a shark on acid, other than carefully selected companions, but the company of yarn people is always pleasant so I think I can cope with that level of sociability. Once a week. Rest of the time I'm back in my true hermit colours...suits me just fine.
What else to say? Work is as usual, I'm limiting the yarn intake successfully and watching the purse strings (gotta watch that credit crunch, y'know?) which seems ok so far. I did buy some more DPNs, and I want to get Vogue Knitting and Interweave Crochet, but other than that I'm going to be good, I need to pay myself back for all the stuff I've shelled out on the house! Oh, I need to sort out a sofa, but that's an ongoing project and if I have to buy one, IKEA do a nice one for about £250. As long as no-one is expecting posh Xmas pressies that should be fine ;-)
Right, that's me, I need to go and have some dinner and check the range. Later folks
~*~
Sunday, 24 August 2008
I am Woman...Hear Me Roar
Or whimper, as the case may be. Quick catch-up, as I have been remiss with the blogging. Training course - complete, good, hard work, waiting to see how much has been retained. Good dinners. Marginally more clear on what I'm actually going to be doing for a living :-) and the training course only covers the techie part, which is not my first responsibility, the rest I have to figure out as I go. Won't be the first time.
Coming back was interesting to say the least. Virgin Trains from Euston to Glasgow Central at an unholy hour of the morning (06.44, ffs) No WiFi!!! WTF??? Anyway. Uneventful. Knitted quite a lot. Passed Lichfield, felt sad and wanted to get off. (Train didn't stop - probably a good thing, but in hindsight, shame it didn't) Went through Stafford without stopping, wanted to get off to see old workmates and my Mum and Dad. Nearly got off at Crewe, but thought, no, get home, car's stuck on railway car park all on its own, house could have blown away, best get back. Got to Preston.
You know how some days you're the windscreen, and other days you are the bug? This day, I was the bug. Crew changed, and we're still standing at the platform. Tannoy announcement - Flooding at Carnforth. Ah. Problem. Eventually, they terminated the train (sounds painful) and we were summarily turfed off. I went for a fag to consider my strategy, and got rained on. Heavily. Eventually, buses were announced. I damply pondered this. Trains were standing at every platform, confused passengers roamed aimlessly, some sat on suitcases, many glued to phones and cups of waiting room coffee. Bus was going to Lancaster. I considered some more. No trains going North, trains terminating at Lancaster...= bedlam there too. So, I did what any sensible girl does in this situation. I damply phoned my Dad. "Daaaaaaaad, what am I going to dooooooo?" He immediately suggested something that I had already thought about - jump a service back to Crewe, get picked up by him and write the day off as a loss re: travelling, spend the night there (Mum's cooking - excellent) and try again on the Friday. Excellent plan. Enquiries about services to Crewe met with blank expressions from the staff (admittedly, they were having a bad day) and eventually I found one myself. Back we went, I duly hauled my ass across Crewe station and was scooped up by Dad outside. To discover his car was terminally sick and we barely made it back to Stoke. *sigh* Car was dropped in at the garage to the inestimably marvelous Tony, and I settled down for an afternoon of Olympics, watching Dad fall asleep on the sofa, eating biscuits and having a very welcome visitor, if only briefly. Following morning, car fixed by Tony (fuel filter, very easy but seemed terminal at the time) I was ferried up to Crewe by Dad, who was treated to a huge cup of tea and a very large raspberry muffin for his trouble, he indulged in a bit of trainspotting and eventually I hopped onto the Glasgow train. Apart from sharing a carriage with a loudly exuberant African extended family, who had brought enough food, drink and luggage with them for a small army (including a suitcase full of mugs, jars of coffee and a very large Thermos)and who kept sitting on me (I nearly stabbed one with my needles when she sat on me again for the nth time, but they were my KnitPicks and they're expensive)I finally pulled into Glasgow ten minutes early, and very nearly kissed the platform in joy. A short wait, onto the local service, back to my station, car collected intact and started no problem (I love Japanese cars) and the house hadn't fallen down. In fact, it had improved. Not only have they tarmac-ed the road up to the house, the landlord had fixed my wonky laminate and re-set the front step which was wobbling alarmingly.
On the doormat, and delivered by the neighbours were some treats - my NCIS DVD's (Seasons 1 & 3), printer cartridges and my Tesco Clubcard points vouchers. So, I decided to go shopping. I bought some new work clothes (all my old trousers are too big, to the point of only being held up by my hips) and I also bought this:
so I can have this:
Porridge with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sultanas, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Lovely. I also treated myself to this:
I then realised that the lawn had grown to the point where I was expecting to find David Attenborough out there with a film crew, and there was no way my poor little mower was going to manage without some heavy-duty help. Its mainly the edges, suffice to say that there are Issues with my lawn. So, this morning, at 9.30 (on a Sunday, please note) I trooped up to B&Q and bought:
Yes, its a strimmer. Its only a little girly electric one - I was very tempted to get the big manly petrol one, but it would be a bit overkill, the lawn's bad, but not THAT bad, and it was taller than me. I probably wouldn't be able to start it anyway. So I spent a happy hour or so zapping about the very wet lawn edges. I discovered that strimming is Hard Work, makes your arms all achy, and you get grass in places you would not believe. I also realised that what my lawn really needs is digging up and starting again (Not going to happen) but it looks marginally better when you cut the edges and strim off the three foot high bits. If it will stay dry for a couple of days I may even manage to mow it. I felt quite smug at being the proud owner of a strimmer - "Look! I Am Woman Who Know How To Use Power Tools. Respect Me." However, I've decided that strimming is definitely a job for the boys. Too much like hard work and you get grass in your hair and green fingernails. I'll stick to knitting. Speaking of which - we have hats!
For the Mission to Seafarers.
~*~
Coming back was interesting to say the least. Virgin Trains from Euston to Glasgow Central at an unholy hour of the morning (06.44, ffs) No WiFi!!! WTF??? Anyway. Uneventful. Knitted quite a lot. Passed Lichfield, felt sad and wanted to get off. (Train didn't stop - probably a good thing, but in hindsight, shame it didn't) Went through Stafford without stopping, wanted to get off to see old workmates and my Mum and Dad. Nearly got off at Crewe, but thought, no, get home, car's stuck on railway car park all on its own, house could have blown away, best get back. Got to Preston.
You know how some days you're the windscreen, and other days you are the bug? This day, I was the bug. Crew changed, and we're still standing at the platform. Tannoy announcement - Flooding at Carnforth. Ah. Problem. Eventually, they terminated the train (sounds painful) and we were summarily turfed off. I went for a fag to consider my strategy, and got rained on. Heavily. Eventually, buses were announced. I damply pondered this. Trains were standing at every platform, confused passengers roamed aimlessly, some sat on suitcases, many glued to phones and cups of waiting room coffee. Bus was going to Lancaster. I considered some more. No trains going North, trains terminating at Lancaster...= bedlam there too. So, I did what any sensible girl does in this situation. I damply phoned my Dad. "Daaaaaaaad, what am I going to dooooooo?" He immediately suggested something that I had already thought about - jump a service back to Crewe, get picked up by him and write the day off as a loss re: travelling, spend the night there (Mum's cooking - excellent) and try again on the Friday. Excellent plan. Enquiries about services to Crewe met with blank expressions from the staff (admittedly, they were having a bad day) and eventually I found one myself. Back we went, I duly hauled my ass across Crewe station and was scooped up by Dad outside. To discover his car was terminally sick and we barely made it back to Stoke. *sigh* Car was dropped in at the garage to the inestimably marvelous Tony, and I settled down for an afternoon of Olympics, watching Dad fall asleep on the sofa, eating biscuits and having a very welcome visitor, if only briefly. Following morning, car fixed by Tony (fuel filter, very easy but seemed terminal at the time) I was ferried up to Crewe by Dad, who was treated to a huge cup of tea and a very large raspberry muffin for his trouble, he indulged in a bit of trainspotting and eventually I hopped onto the Glasgow train. Apart from sharing a carriage with a loudly exuberant African extended family, who had brought enough food, drink and luggage with them for a small army (including a suitcase full of mugs, jars of coffee and a very large Thermos)and who kept sitting on me (I nearly stabbed one with my needles when she sat on me again for the nth time, but they were my KnitPicks and they're expensive)I finally pulled into Glasgow ten minutes early, and very nearly kissed the platform in joy. A short wait, onto the local service, back to my station, car collected intact and started no problem (I love Japanese cars) and the house hadn't fallen down. In fact, it had improved. Not only have they tarmac-ed the road up to the house, the landlord had fixed my wonky laminate and re-set the front step which was wobbling alarmingly.
On the doormat, and delivered by the neighbours were some treats - my NCIS DVD's (Seasons 1 & 3), printer cartridges and my Tesco Clubcard points vouchers. So, I decided to go shopping. I bought some new work clothes (all my old trousers are too big, to the point of only being held up by my hips) and I also bought this:
so I can have this:
Porridge with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sultanas, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Lovely. I also treated myself to this:
I then realised that the lawn had grown to the point where I was expecting to find David Attenborough out there with a film crew, and there was no way my poor little mower was going to manage without some heavy-duty help. Its mainly the edges, suffice to say that there are Issues with my lawn. So, this morning, at 9.30 (on a Sunday, please note) I trooped up to B&Q and bought:
Yes, its a strimmer. Its only a little girly electric one - I was very tempted to get the big manly petrol one, but it would be a bit overkill, the lawn's bad, but not THAT bad, and it was taller than me. I probably wouldn't be able to start it anyway. So I spent a happy hour or so zapping about the very wet lawn edges. I discovered that strimming is Hard Work, makes your arms all achy, and you get grass in places you would not believe. I also realised that what my lawn really needs is digging up and starting again (Not going to happen) but it looks marginally better when you cut the edges and strim off the three foot high bits. If it will stay dry for a couple of days I may even manage to mow it. I felt quite smug at being the proud owner of a strimmer - "Look! I Am Woman Who Know How To Use Power Tools. Respect Me." However, I've decided that strimming is definitely a job for the boys. Too much like hard work and you get grass in your hair and green fingernails. I'll stick to knitting. Speaking of which - we have hats!
For the Mission to Seafarers.
~*~
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