Knit Tastic

I've got in some good knitting so far this weekend - despite interruptions. The not-a-poncho has the main body almost done. Need to decide what kind of collar I want and start the button band. Then I've also designed the first bit of the latest wedding blanket and done the first two of 49 squares. It's looking good! You can see it on ravelry here.

Despite Sian and Pooch's tag team efforts to annoy me it is kind of nice having her here this weekend. I got her Godiva chocolates instead of an easter egg and here she is finishing the last one this morning. About 9am this morning. That's the Byrne way. She's got the ribbon from her chocolates on her head. That is also the Byrne way.

That's Pooch in the background - very proud of his eggs. They were pretty good eggs.

Sian has been taking mucho photos while she's been here which is her thang - not knitting. She's really good at them too. Here, totally without permission, I bring you the first published work of Sperm-Breath Byrne. "Somerset House".

She's off taking more at South Bank today. I'm here. Knitting. Life's good.

How come knitting doesn't count as a legitimate weekend activity?

I am feeling got at because people want me to go out and do things this weekend. This is despite the fact I made it clear weeks ago that I would be staying in, relaxing and mostly knitting for this holiday.

I know a lot of people like their work and thrive on the whole work thing. It gives them a sense of satisfaction and a buzz and some of them even enjoy it. My career to date has involved encouraging people who aren't really interested to do career development just in case they become less employable by not doing it. It's difficult to get a sense of satisfaction from that. Some aspects are enjoyable but I have never made any secret of the fact that I work to live and that if I had another way of paying rent, bills and funding my yarn habit I'd pack it all in.

Don't get me wrong - work isn't a living hell. I enjoy interacting with people and not everyone I speak to nowadays is swearing at me. In fact I was corrected the other day when I asked someone to stop swearing in a phonecall because they kept calling one of the Supervisors a bitch. "It's not swearing." she told me "It's a noun, not an adjective." What I didn't say, not wishing to lengthen the conversation, is that so is "cunt", but I'd still call it unnecessary language when discussing career development. That though is beside the point - if I had an alternative I would not be working as a career development 'expert'. I might volunteer a day or two a week at a charity shop or something like that just to get interaction with people but largely I'd be at home listening to the radio or an audio book or watching tv and knitting, thinking about knitting, or planning knitting.

In my free time - the time I fund by working - all I really want to do is knit. Call me an obsessive, call me sad, call me boring, but that's what I want to do. It doesn't hurt anyone, it won't give me cancer, it's not exciting to watch but then I'm not doing for attention. I just want to knit. I don't demand everyone around me knits - but I would prefer it if they respected my right to spend my spare time doing something that is relaxing, therapeautic and which I really love.

I am a knitter. Hear me roar.

Pie!

I am loving this. So simple. So...maths.

My dad, since he retired, has become a committed forwarder or forwards. A recent one was full of amazing images - and they were all amazing but two particularly caught me. I always love the articles in National Geographic (which I am still reading every month about 6 years after starting my subscription) about weird and wonderful flora and fauna. So naturally I loved this one.

I was looking through the rest, marvelling at the fragility and beauty of life etc etc when I saw this one.

Hmph. Just makes you think a bit. How many bullets did it take to make the back of the van that lacy?

When in rome...

...eat chips.

This is one of my colleagues - a certain Sam - doing his homage to the Cadbury eyebrow girl.

It's had me in stitches all day.

Saw my best friend last night for the first time in months which was awesome. She is getting wed to Pooch's best friend in August and this little something arrived in the post today, which will be magically transformed into a little something for them as a wedding present.

I had a rubbish day at work today, just for a change, so have cheered myself up with a new ravatar. Only thing is - I think it came out a bit angry.

Stitchmarker Heaven

Aren't these adorable?

From sheep to bobbin to ball to sock. When I saw them on Ravelry I just couldn't resist. You can get them here. I have some of their buttons I got a few years ago too and when I got those I talked about them on the podcast but the site has changed a bit since then. I got a special surprise included too...

My name in glass! And as for the cake - pretty darned perfect! Hoorah!