Shop shop shopping

Sian and I went to the far flung outskirts of london to visit Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush today. There was a tonne of shops (which I guess is the point of shopping centres) but also lots of good food.

Steam pork buns are my favourite of all chinese food. Mmmmm. Unfortunately I seem to have been enjoying my food a bit too much recently and am looking a little on the chunky side. I just do love the sweet stuff. Ah well. People give up crack. I guess I can cut down on chocolate.

I finally met up with Nickerjac again last weekend and got to play sandpits with the increasingly adorable Pete as well as being introduced to their two cats. I had forgotten how small kittens are. It was Pete's birthday recently and lots of fun was had at the toy shop and with presents. He is so well behaved and a joy just to watch, never mind play with. Nic also had my japanese books from when Lucy did a bulk order from amazon.jp.

One of them is a stitch dictionary so is obviously yum. One of the others is a sewing book with lovely clothes. I love this dress...

You can see it better in this one.

The other is norweigan knitting and has some lovely techniques. I love this hat and the crown.

I feel I should have a crown.

Having admired Mingled Yarn's baby towel I made good on my decision to make one for Pooch - being modelled here by sistero uno - siano.

It doesn't quite meet in the middle - they just make towels like they used to - but it does allow him to do a great jedi impression.

I also did some cooking - cherry pie! It was the recipe from the 'what to eat now' with the crazily enthusiastic Val something or other who communicates mainly through noises like "mmmmmm".

I've highlighted my own special touch - pastry cherries. Mmmmmmm.

Leaving the best til last...my parcel finally got to me from my secret pal. Hoorah!

She did say it had a theme and there is no greater theme to anything in life than red with white polka dots. There is a gorgeous Kath Cidston mug, tissues and mirror for my handbag. An awesome oven glove and insulated box just right for packed lunches with a can of pepsi max. Mmmm, pepsi max. Plus some brilliant cup cake cases and cherry green and black chocolate. Mmmmmm. And finally....saving the best til last.....some dotty yarn yarn bonny. It's so pretty and perfect for the vanilla socks I wanted to make.

Thanks Secret Pal! I love everything!

Oh my god! Look at that!

This is what my colleagues kept saying to me on monday when I slept badly and woke up with a really stiff neck. I couldn't turn it to the left at all and it was inclined at about 20 degrees off centre. So of course they thought this was a gift from above and spent all day trying to trick me into looking to my left because it either hurt me or made me turn my whole body like an old-school robot (I work with 3 guys). Three days later and I've now got about 70% movement back but I'm very achey. I went for a walk-in massage yesterday and that helped a bit although about 30 seconds in she (the masseur) paused and said "I don't think 10 minutes is going to be enough for you". I hear you, sister.

This week was potentially going to be quite stressful:

• work
• time of the month
• starting new meds (changing anti-d)
• sian moving in

Instead of the above the main stress has turned out to be my neck - so it just goes to show there's no point worrying as however bad you think something might be it will be something else that ends up biting you in the arse. The changing meds in particular has gone very well although I'm only three days in but I had a week's break from the other one first and haven't had any side-effects so I'm counting myself as lucky. It's never gone this smoothly in the past.

Of course there has been the occasional ray of sunshine. This is where one of the baby blankets has ended up.

Laura and Blanket. It's a strange name for a child but there you go. Laura is looking great and the baby look like an absolute honey. I was hoping to go and visit them this weekend but the Pooch has deadlines coming out of his hedgehog ears and so will be working for the whole thing. I thought to cheer him up I might make him one of these, which Mingled Yarn has made for her loved one. Just need to find a towel large enough.

On a warm day in August.

As a Secret Pal hostess I try and check the blogs of my group once a week, usually at the weekend. One of them has posted this photo....THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO LIVE.

Polka dot house. How cool?

Something else I've found - a knitting survey from a real research project. Takes about 10 mins to do.

Meanwhile, boy! Can I knit stocking stitch!

It's yet another baby blanket. It started out with butterflies on but they were rubbish so now it is stocking stitch with a leaf border. And to go with it I'm doing a leaf motif cardi and hat in green - they don't know yet whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Knit on.

I think that's about it - my sister sian has moved in with us temporarily. We shoe horned all her stuff into the spare room yesterday although she has just discovered she's taken her good clothes down to my mum's and only got the second tier stuff with her. I can't help suspecting that it's an excuse to shop.