Super days.

Firstly this song ('Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley) is killing me, Listen to it here for free I love it so much, it has the most special memories associated with it for me. Hopefully will be this weeks number one, first downloadable only song to ever make it to number one. Go on listen to it twice, its very addictive.

I went to see Marie last night, whilst I was there she just happened to give me my birthday present from Toronto, and even more exciting its fleece artist!!

I had to lighten the picture so the colours are a bit washed out. The boucle is stunnng as it the fiber. Thanks Marie!

Finally, I've been so excited about my results from my study, I just had to have a go at my analysis ASAP. I am a researcher and I have to run stats on data all the time, mainly its pretty prescribed, and although I understand the principles, I'm not an expert. Now doing my results for the first time I just want to understand everything, I now realised why people get so good at statistics when they do Phd's with their own data, you just are so motivated to want to know everything so you can get it right. I think this experience will probably make me a squillion times better at my job.

Now where are those stats books......

I do still knit by the way.....just on some socks in a new colour of mine, pics sunday.

Back to normal.

The weekend went so well, and we had a wonderful time. I got to run quite a large number of participants and I have a feeling there is going to be some interesting results. Not only that but I got to talk to so many people about their experiences that its really confirmed in my head that the research is worth doing. 

I also got to meet lots of really great people and accidently purchased some wool!

So on the left hand side is some orange/red and green yarn, I didnt actually purchased this from the show but I wanted to include it. It's beautiful, v soft sock yarn from Hello Yarn. It really is the nicest stuf I have ever touched. I think even though its sock weight I would love a jumpermade from this. Then that lucious green shiny silk is from Hipknits I am going to make the beautiful cardgan designed by Anna. I could have spent a fortune on that stand. We had lovely chats, it was fab!

The big dark red skein above is actually 4 skeins from silkwood angora's. The colours in this were irresistable. It's between 4 ply and dk weight and its going to take me ages, but I am determined to knit a cardigan from it.

Ok so next I have to show you this pic. Its Anth learning to fingerknit on the BHK stand, once he had learned how to do it, he made a fluffy scarf in about 20 minutes and decided to use some of my foxglove to make a chain and then knit it on larger needles later. Hilarious! Not too sure what I think about this, after all I'm the knitter in this family, there is only room for one of us:

Finally sat night I went out for dinner to the most wonderful vegetarian restaurant in west Kensington called 222 veggie Vegan Restaurant, they had Gluten free options for nearly all the dishes, I was very impressed, and the portions were big, which is always high on my list. What made it even more fun was the company! I got to eat dinner with Cath, Anna (who makes the most beautiful stitch markers, might be selling them on the website soon), Erssie (who is such a scream, and is an extremely talented designer), and the lovely Abbey and her husband Chris. Abbey sometimes designs things for me, and she is also very talented. It was so much fun! Oh yes here we are:

Right so now I need to finish my noro cardi, then I can get on witht he hip knits silk.....I can't wait!

My head is still on.

Lots to do, but sort of on target thank goodness, apart from the fact that I broke  the photocopiers half way through printing my questioniares and still haven't heard about ethics, but I have very good coping mechanisms when it comes to times like this, I just lose my ability to give a @#*k. So I'll just focus on something I do have control over. Impossible statistics for 4pm this afternoon, yeah. Thats a good plan.

*added later*

Went to see ethics woman.

Nearly cried.

Got an emial 10 minutes later to say it had been approved.

Tried to work on statistics, nothing worked, everything just went completely wrong.

Went to toilets. Cried alot.

Went to meeting a bit sniffly. Bosses just complete stars, and were not worried in the slightest.

Now 5pm need to go do the photocopies. Don't feel like crying at the moment, but I'm sure that could change at any moment.

If you are coming to Olympia for the show, come and do my experiment, or just say hello, I'll be on the stitchlinks stand.

My head is going to fall off.

So thursday is the stitching show at olympia. I still have not heard whether I have my ethical approval for the experiment yet. Without it I can't run the study, the whole point of my being there. Then I still need to print all my questionaires out which I can't do until my ethical approval is back, and the photocopiers are running out of ink and I don't have any photocopy credits left. Then of course I need to write a sock pattern for the kits for stitchlinks by tomorrow, print the labels and package the yarn. And I have an importnant meeting tomorrow for my normal research stuff, so I need to run and check all my analysis etc.

Why do I do this to myself?

My head will fall off soon.

No really it will.

Naughty blogger.

It seems like ages since I did a proper post. I think we have gone all relaxed in our house after the viva, so not much going on at all really, actually that's a complete lie, but I like to think that my life could be quiet if I wanted it to.

So what have I got for you today? well, a lovely blog reader, Laurie suggested panta for my sprouting hair, and I love it. So I dyed her some wool in a sort of coal colour, and look what she made from it.....

Lovely or what.

In return she sent me this cutie little cat:

Sorry about the picture, It's not the best, but its adapted from this pattern, take a look, its so cute. So thanks Laurie!

Oh and here is mine, but not on because I'm having spikey hair today:

I am completely obsessed with red at the moment, all my shoes, jumpers and accessories are red.

What else....... um......., oh yes I purchased this lovely specimen from Getknitted the Saturday before last on their open day. It a lantern moon needle case,

and I accidentally bought 3 pairs of lantern moon needles to go in it, in fact only the best needles get to go in this one, so they are all going to have to be lantern moon.....

And finally, tomorrow is my birthday, being 28 is a bit weird because it feels like its nearly 30.

Because I've been so busy recently, I haven't been looking after myself very much, and had a complete panic about 4 weeks ago.

As a result I have been making a bit more effort with eating, exercise, and it has payed off big time, the main things are cutting down on alcohol and I have completely cut out tea and coffee, and have been eating fruit like its going out of fashion. The main thing I have noticed is that my skin is fantastic, it hasn't been this good ever. This is a major relief seeing as I have had skin problems since I was about 20, but now you'd never even know. Not only that but I'm glad to say that everything is still standing up in the right direction and I feel more confident and enjoying my life a million times more than when I was 21 or even 25. So I'm going to really enjoy my birthday tomorrow, and obviously I am celebrating it in knitting style! I am going to my favourite Japanese restaurant for dinner, with a fair amount of my stitchn'bitch group, and then we are off to Yarn 'n Yarns for Claire's hen party, how cool is that? it'll be a scream, now all I need is some cash so I can buy some yarn.....cause I need it!

And finlly here is a little pic of my fluffy munchkin being silly:

aholiday!

Finally I am actually having a rest this weekend, I am going to stay with my brother in Peterborough, debbie his wife works voluntarily at an rspca shelter, and so as a result they have quite alot of pets, including a chinchilla, I wonder if you could spin chinchiila hair.......

Anyway I'll have much more time to do my knitting on the journey and I'll try and post the naught things I purchased at get knitted last week......

J xx

He passed!

No knitting for me this evening,

Anth passed his Viva with flying colours, he is now officially Dr Anthony Brown! how cool is that?

Anyway I'm off to the pub just about now, and I don't think I will emerge for many hours, by which time I will be in no fit state for knitting.

Probably not tomorrow either.

Ps anyone see the article 'the feel good factor' in simple knitting this month? I had no idea I was capable of such sentances.

J xxx

Ahh i need my knitting...

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I might make one of each to cover all options. Thanks for the blog reader who eamiled me and suggested panta, I've made it and I love it, (and thanks fran as well). I'll post a pic later when its all a bit calmer in my house.

So today Anth has his Phd Viva at 10am. Its slightly tense here, he's very nervous, can't keep still, and didn't sleep all night.

So As soon as I know he's passed, (cause i'm absolutley sure he will) I'll post.

Phew, where my kntting........

Cable denial.

Hmm, so I think you guys are right about giving myself the extra days, even if it was my fault that I started late because I messed my wool dyeing up. I do like the look of the medals though.

Up until now I have been in cable denial, so much so that when I look at my rogue, the cables are invisible. They are starting to come back though, and tonight is stitchn'bitch the perfect place to become reacquainted with my sleeves.

In two weeks I am 28, being so dangerously close to 30 is prompting some anxiety and review of life, combined with my new house (fingers crossed) I decided that I need a bit of an overhaul/ new start. More fruit and veg, water, cut out caffeine, and definitely less alcohol. I started yesterday.

Unfortunately this morning I felt so droopy eyed, they were all red, and sore, and I felt really grumpy, I though I must be sickening for something, so made sure I ate a mountain of sardines on toast, (I swear by sardines) and swigged down my green tea.

Got completely mad with anth, I can't remember why now, and stormed to work, and struggled to keep my eyes open in my experiments all morning.

I've been waiting for the sore throat, but nothing.

Now I have the shivers and the starts of a small migraine. I actually thought to myself 'oooh a nice big coffee will make you feel better'. Ah. But I've given up tea and coffee. Then it struck me. I have caffeine withdrawal. Without my 3 mugs of tea and two mugs of fresh coffee in the morning and that's before work, no wonder I was grumpy and slightly shouting, no wonder my eyes keep drooping closed, and my head is thumping.

I'm sure that can't be the excuse for my muppet hair can it? which prompts the question, does anyone have any 'I'm growing my hair out so I need a fashionable, something I can get away with indoors, head covering solution? I look dreadful in scarfs.

Anyone who comes up with a solution which I like and will wear, gets some yarn.