no posts for a while

My husband has broken the computer so I won't be posting for a while.

I don't know when or if we'll be able to get it fixed but I can't post from work as I'm meant to do proper work there. So I might be quiet for a while, but I will still be knitting...

Cake

I am getting a bit disheartened with my diet I've lost 10 lb's which is great. Now all I want is some chocolate or cake or just something really sweet. Banana's have been helping to curb my cravings and I know it's only been 3 weeks but sweet cake and chocolate is all I can think about today. I can't buy any sweet things as they don't sell reduced calorie cakes in portion size, you have to buy six and if I bought six I'd eat six so it's best if I don't buy any.

Instead I've been knitting cakes and lots of them. I've been working on a designs for a chocolate sand which. I'm not completely happy with it but here's the prototype. I've started my second sample today and have tried using moss stitch for the cream I think this ones going to work out better.

I thought I'd also share a picture of my awful kitchen with you. It's being ripped out this weekend and I'm having it replaced with lovely real wood units and new counter tops I even get to have new flooring which'll make my day and I get a wall mounted oven I can't wait. Its practically the last room in the house to be finished well except my studio and the garden which is still half done.

A day to myself

Today I was woken by the papers when they landed on my sleeping tummy and a cup of tea. How lovely you think? Mr lcd sounds like a keeper... Well so did I until I looked at the clock and saw it was half past 5 in the morning. I'd forgotten he was working today.

I still can't decide if it was a lovely gesture or he just wanted me to get up because he had too.

So I sat with my cup of tea in bed, I was wide awake now you understand, reading my favorite morning papers the News of the World for the celebrity d list scandal and the Mail on Sunday for the weekly out rage of how England's deteriorating and the oh so lovely You magazine full of fashion, other peoples lovely houses and very calorific Sunday baking. I'm low brow and shallow but that what Sundays are for especially as I'm not eating chocolate anymore.

In the end I got up about 9.30, after a little doze, had my diet breakfast, Greek yogurt, dried fruit and toast this week and the retired to my studio to take advantage of my me time.

I have no pictures of what I've been up to but I show the finished articles later this week. I managed to knit 3 cashmere cushion covers in pale beige, pink and blue. Which are now in the washing machine felting, ready to be made up on Tuesday or Thursday. I think I'll finish them with the tiny buttons or the wide grey ribbon I got in Matlock.

I don't know why I'm choosing as I've still got enough yarn left to knot about 5 blankets, so I can do both options but what to do first? I'm impatient and want to see the finished article now, as I'm already thinking about ten more projects I want to work on.

I've also put in an order with my brothers girlfriend to pick me up some more cashmere when she's at mason mills this week. I maybe going a bit mad but it's so nice to knit with and washes so well.

I've also knitted six new cupcakes this weekend and completed a sample for cables black chenille cushion covers. I'm thinking either bright pink or slate grey buttons.

Now I'm going to switch off for a bit. I've got on my vitamin replacement face mask and I've run a hot bubbly bath so now I will love you and leave you and contemplate my lovely day.

I've been busy

These are my new shoes I love them but made the mistake of wearing them to work on Friday when we had buckets of rain. My mum gave me a good telling off... why is it no matter how old you are your parents can still make you feel like a teenager?

This picture is taken of my new shoes on my hand made rag rug. I will warn you it wasn't the most time efficient thing I've ever made. I started it when I first got married and then three years later when we bought our house I finished it.

Today was a finishing off day and a tidying day. I've tidyed my studio and knitted some cashmere samples from the yarn I got last Thursday and now they are in washer to see how they felt up so I can start making cushion covers.

I also decided to use my free afternoon to sort through my almost finished bags. You notice I say bags. I have many half made bits in my studio because I love the knitting but not so much the finishing. I also motivated myself into doing my mending it wasn't much but I had been putting it off for about six months.

Now my studio is almost clear and I've got a small new pile of finished bits and I feel all clear to start new projects like little knitted chenille hearts for valentines day.

New hot water bottle covers

New cakes

Knitted flannels

Please forgive me, I've no self control

Not only Have I had lovely comments and help full suggestions from lots of lovely people this week I've also broken one of my resolutions... I'm sorry.

No it wasn't my diet (no chocolate or puddings for almost two weeks now) but it was the following resolution;

• I promise my husband and myself I'll spend as little as possible on pretty things this year, that include craft bits.

I broke it with a bang yesterday. Please forgive me but I didn't have the usual coffee and cake that I have on a Thursday when I have a day out with my mum.

My brothers girlfriend texted me on Wednesday night to tell me she'd seen cashmere cones on sale for £6 a cone. The temptation was too great I had to go and look.

So on Thursday my Mum and I headed off to Mason Mill in Matlock, Derbys to have a look. They did have cashmere thread on sale but they also had ribbons and buttons and sewing thread on sale too. I hate to admit it I went a bit mad...and also bought myself pale pink impractical shoes with a bow on the front which are covered in sparkly bits, I really like the sparkly bits.

So I completely over indulged in yarn buttons ribbons and shoes but I did lose 4lb's this week, so please forgive me if I've no self control when shopping.

It's all about the buttons

New things in my shops

Why am I so incompetent I keep writing in the title of my post then I manage to post with no text it's happened twice now. So sorry to anyone who gets my feeds you have received blank posts twice in a row.

I have however manage to list some new items on my Etsy shop and I've also listed some items on Ebay so now I just have to sit back and see how it goes.

this is my new etsy listing

and these are the scarfs I'm selling at http://www.ebay.co.uk/ under the name bluefluffy76 if you'd like to take a look.

Now all I've got to do is find some craft fairs in my neighbourhood i.e. Derby/Nottinghamshire and I'm away.

I've made a start

I have started my diet and my first weigh in is on Wednesday.

I'm finding it quite easy to follow, at the moment and don't feel any of my usual cravings for chocolate but I'm not going to speak too soon as I've only been following it properly for three days. I had to wait for my day off to do the big 'diet food' shop.

I've chosen the low GI diet plan, which seems to be fitting in with my shifts at work. I've made double quantities of the recipes specified and put one portion in the freezer so by the end of week two I'll have a few meals put aside for the days when I'm working late.

I forgot to say that in this months Red Magazine there's an offer to get the first four weeks free with tesco diets, you have to sign up for 10 weeks at least there is a saving at the start.

But beside the diet which I see many of you are interested in I've also been knitting some bits and pieces which have now been listed in my Etsy shop. It was getting a bit neglected but I think if I list different knitted things I'll be picked up on more searches so maybe someone will see something they like.

The first new thing I've listed is this hot water bottle cover which I love but I've no use for as I sleep next to a human radiator.

Next I've made and designed a range of knitted cherry buns I'm keeping one set for myself to go on my dresser. I'm currently working on new designs while watching Sex and the City on DVD which I've borrowed (stolen) from my bothers girl friend I want to do some pink iced cakes with flowers and beads but I can't get the flower design to knit how I want it to look.

Finally I've started listing my scarfs today it was the hand knitted blue scarf I finished in the summer and tomorrow I'll be listing The purple blue slightly felted scarf you can see below.

I'm off now to watch the last 8 episodes of series two and finish some cloths I've been working on and the flowers that are getting me so frustrated.

New Year, New Me

I've been thinking long and hard about what I want from 2008.

Ideally I'd like to go at least part time at work and concentrate on my knitting and designing I'd also like to be a happier person.

Here they all are, set out for everyone to see and to make me focus on what goals I want to achieve.

1. I want to lose weight this year. It's been slowly increasing since I got married and now I feel frumpy and not like me, some thing has to be done so I've joined tescodiets.com today and I start tomorrow.
2. I want to start concentrating on my business more and start doing craft fairs and get a decent shop set up on-line (if you're reading this bob please finish my site)
3. I'd like to make more effort to keep in touch with friends.
4. I promise my husband and myself I'll spend as little as possible on pretty things this year, that include craft bits.
5. I'll be more appreciative of what I've got and stop looking at what other people have got.
6. I'll start sewing this year quilts, clothes and bags.