Ginny's Yarn Along.

It's been a while since I joined in Ginny's Yarn Along and I thought it's about time I started regularly sharing again.  I tend to listen to audio books while hooking away.  I'm currently listening to A Classical Education by Caroline Taggart, and when I fancy a bit of none thinking listening, Dan Brown's Inferno.   I don't actually recommend Caroline Taggart, as there are historical errors and honestly it's a bit feeble..but hey, it's something to listen to, and shake my head at when I hear yet another historical date mistake!  For example she claims Homer was 9BC, when it's accepted it's 8BC, and she gets in a muddle about Athens' empire.

Dan Brown's Inferno.. well, it's easy reading.  I'm not a huge fan of Dan Brown as he just rehashes stories without originality... but it was a free book on audio, and well, the reference to Dante was bound to draw me, as I love Dante, and the art and literature inspired by Dante.  I confess I am quite enjoying listening, despite my personal feelings about the Author.

As for the hooking, this is a lightshade I'm making for my lounge.  I had one of those globe paper ones, but it's got ripped and ruined over the years, so I'm using the metal guts to make a new crochet one - in freeform.

I need to pin this out, as I plan to incorporate Irish Crochet technique for joining the circle motifs.  Then after that I'll add a "row" of squares, and then mixed motifs, paisley, flowers, spirals.  I want this to be gloriously colourful, bohemian and well, over the top fantastic :-)

And if it I like the end result, I shall make a few for Hooky Delights

What a week!

Spent in bed for the most part. 
Nasty little germs invaded and sucked all the energy out of me.  One of the weirdest illnesses I've had a for a while.  Started off with a banging headache and throat so sore, razor blades comes to mind.  Next day those symptoms were gone.  Yay! I thought, just a 24 hour thing.  Hah, not so much. 

Extreme tiredness.  Going to the bathroom had me sweating and puffing - I mean seriously, it's less than a 5 second walk to the bathroom from my bedroom!  I forced myself to drop Rye off at friends and they would bring him back in time for bedtime.  Each day he would ask me if I feel better, and his beautiful little face would drop when I shook my head and would drift back off to sleep.  Too tired to even crochet!

I confess I was beginning to fear I'd develop some sort of fatigue problem, my gawd it's horrible.  I drove to a friends house to pick up Rye, I parked across the road from her house, and just crossing the road and climbing the 3 small steps in front of her house, had me panting, sweating and feeling dizzy.    Just sitting up in bed for too long would have me feeling exhausted and needing to lay down again.    I have pretty much slept a week away. 

Today, much better.  This whole illness has been terribly inconvenient though, I was suppose to visit some dear friends at the weekend, alas I've had to cancel.  Downside of self employment is poorly equals no pay.  I'm just thankful I had not mentioned the weekend away to Rye.

Rye is sparking off a lot of parental excitment.  He is using his workbooks independently and is just flying with his handwriting.  And today I gave him 60p pocket money; 3x 20ps and explained that a finger of fudge is 20p, which is one of the pennies I'd given him.  I asked him how many finger of fudges he could buy with 60p and he said 3.  We also talked about saving up, and how saving his money would mean the next time we visit the post office, he would be able to buy a toy car himself.  He opted for buying himself some chocolate however, and to my suprise choose one bar.

 And a Ginny Yarn Along photo.  I'm hooking Rye a hoodie from some of the Araucania yarn.  Oh my gosh this yarn is sublime; so soft and tactile.   The feel of this yarn between my fingers is so pleasurable.  As you can see this is a top down jumper.  The yoke and arm holes I hooked last week and yesterday, beginning to feel much better, I hooked the hood part and started work on the body.  Rye is very excited and loves his jumper.   Again I've vaguely used a pattern for the method and then winged and prayed the rest.  The pattern was actually for a baby hoodie, so I've had to size this up dramatically, even more so that I'm making it even bigger because I want it to fit Rye next winter!  This yarn has a beautiful drape.  I'm using a 5.5mm hook and gosh it's practically hooking its self.

The book is Storm Front by Jim Butcher, it's the first in the Dresden Files series.
The other book is Granny Square Book, the book hosts beautiful granny square variations and also projects along with tips on how to create one's own creations from granny squares.  It arrived yesterday and I've been salivating over quite a few of the patterns. 

Once my current WIPs are finished I think a new blanket might be in order... perhaps one using up the odds and sods in my stash too...

Ginny's Yarn along and a TaaaDaaah.

So, I thought I'd join in the yarn along, especially as it includes books.  The last few years I've not read much apart from parenting/home education/aspergers/autism/crochet/cookery type books and these days I'm finding I do have the time for more indepth reading, be it fiction or not.  Pre-Rye I loved fantasy, thrillers, romances, historical novels and crime.  I feel the need to widen my repetoire.

So I smile as I upload this photo:

There was a fair bit of gluttony over the festive period, and frankly I'm in need of some turbo charging!  So I've joined Jason Vale's international 7 day Juice Detox, which begins on 9th Jan.  This is the follow on book for continuing to change one's eating habits.  I no longer make New Year Resolutions; but I did at the Yule ritual make a wish that 2012 would be the year I lost weight and became much healthier.  This is the beginning of the wish taking shape.

And the crochet.  It's going to be a snail for Rye, I never did get it finished in time for Yule or his birthday, and there's not much to do.  I reckon this month will mostly be about finishing off any hang over projects... and there's a couple.  Oh, and as I like to give hand made gifts for Yule (and birthdays too) and always end up trying to cram a dozen things into the last few weeks.  I have promised myself I will make at least one item each month and pop it into a "gift box".

The item I will make this month will be the Sweet Eleanor Scarf by Qunice Tart

Oh and the first finished make of 2012 is a dolly blanket.  The squares were originally made for a different project, but were not needed in the end, so they've been sat around for ages.  Not really "my" colours, but mindie likes pink, the pram has pink sides.......so it works.