Dyeing, Drying and Tyeing!

Phew! What ahectic week its been! I didnt realise setting up anEtsy shop was so time consuming. apart from dying all the yarn and re-skeining some of it I've had to re-photograph alot of it as my pictues were crap! Rachel showed me a really long winded way of upuloading pictures via Abode , then saving them to my folder. These pictures were too big for Etsy so I loaded them onto photobucket, re-sized them, which took forever and then uploaded them to Etsy. I was on here for hours with my eyes whizzing round in my head!! Then one day last week i was playing and chose an new upload option via some 'wizard' or other, (Sam would collaps laughing at my technicallity!!). This wizard gizmo saved the piccies staright to a folder and then I uploaded them straight to etsy!! Grrrr Non of that faffing about! anyway heres some of my latest dying;

BFL -colourway-party purple

BFL-colourway Lagoon

Merino 2ply cobweb lace-Partypurple

BFL-Victoria Plum.

I just love this BFL. Its so soft. I'm looking forward to making some socks of my own out of it. When re-skeining I got some knots in this skein so decided I cant sell it- How sad!!!!

This is actually my fave colourway so far-cherry-choc.

As far as my own knitting goes Its going very slowly as I've been spending the time doing the Etsy stuff, then being too knackered to knit!

But heres my progress,

This odd looking thing will eventually be a cushion cover!!Its fiddly as you pick up stitches to make frills and picking up a straight row on black is really hard. Its all done in Rowan and has cost me a fortune and I have enough yarn fro 2 cushion covers so I'll plod on

Next my lace jacket from Beads Buttons and Lace. I've managed to sew half of it wrongly with the seam on the outside!!! so it needs unpicking. there is a lace border to knit all the way up along and down which will take forever!

And last but not least my Jaywalker socks in Noro Kureyon Sock.

I read a funny remark on another blog and I cant remeber who's!! As this yarn is rather scratchy the comment was 'It'll either soften up in the wash or exfoliate your feet as you walk!!' Which I found very apt and amusing.

FM

I've been up and down like a yo-yo. I've now used up all the energy I had last week dying and skeining etc and I'm exhausted. My legs are killing me and I've had to be pushed up the stairs again from behind like a stuborn mule litterally!!!

I spent all of yesterday in bed and am off up there again now. no dying or re-skeining this week. Not that my stuff is exactly selling at the mo. Isp'ose it takes time to build up a shop.

I'm annoyed though as I missed Rachels art night at school, the chance to see her GCSE exhibition and she was awarded a prize for outstanding acheivemnt in art.

I need to rest as this weekend is my best pals sons Barmitzvah so there are steps to climb in the synagogue, hard wooden benches to sit on and aluncheon to be got through!!

Last Satruday we went to another friends house warming afternoon tea. it was nice but when we got home I went straight to bed and stayed there till Sunday mroning!! I missed art and an aromatherapy massage yesterday as I couldnt walk. Grrr!!!!

We are officially the worlds worst parents!!!

the law according to Josh!!! he loves and addores his hair. its his pride and joy. He was asked to get it cut at school as its long and passed his collar so he asked hubby to trim it. Only hubby's trim was about 3 " off it! Well you should have heard the tantrum when he saw it. 'You've ruined my life, I'm going to kill myself. My hair's the most important thing in my life' on and on hysterical!!! he cried himself to sleep. he wouldnt get up fro school, he texted Norman at lunchtime saying every one was laughing at him and he refused to speak to either of us for 24 hrs, then he started grunting at me, but is only just about speaking to his dad now!!!!

We apologised. O.K we made a mistake we're not perfect! But the way he carried on you'd think we'd cut his leg off or something.

Rachel has finished her exams and is home. Am I getting any help? Not alot!! I said to her she had to help and normn is frazzled tying to cope with me, the house, the kids and work, so yesterday she ironed 3 t-shirts and that seems to be it.

Sam is home for the summer in true teenage grunting, snarling style!!! he's working, hating it as its 'boring' and mundane sow e all know about it. But its money and when you're a student you cant scoff at money. If he moved himself, got off his backside instead of waitng for us to hand things to him on a plate he might have secured something he enjoyed! Gawd kids!!!

CINDERS KNITS ETSY IS UP AND RUNNING!!!!!!!

I'm soooo excited. I havnt blogged for ages, partly through being ill with the blasted FM. BUT mainly because I've been dying yarns. I adore dying yarns and built up quite a supply which I knew I'd never knit up, after all how many pairs of socks can I knit !!!! I know you're all going to tell me a girl can never have too much sock yarn!!!So I've been thinking of setting up an Etsy shop for a while , then my online pal Vixx set up a gorgeous one called WildFireFibres which seems to be proving succesful so I decided to follow suit.
I decided Etsy is an easy option as Its just a hobby. I dont expect to end up in the league if HipKnits and Fyberspates!!! And If I'm not too good I can leave it again until I feel able to dye more yarn.
You can find me Here- CIndersKnits-Etsy ANd!!!!! Ta, Da!!! I've already made a sale!!! I cant beleive it.
I have my last 3 skeins soaking in the sink and am off to dye them soon. Then I'm waiting for Mr Postie to bring me more supplies. Its soo exciting.
I havnt been doing alot of knitting. A few more rows of the Jaywalker socks and I started the lace border for my lace blouse. Its a 12 row repeat and is going to take ages to knit up and around the whole border of the jacket.

FM
On the FM front things eased up for a short while. I didnt feel as rough and was able to get up the stairs unaided which was a help. The lady who does my aromatherapy massages belongs to ym gym so she kindly offered to take me with the wheelchair which was wonderful and very kind of her. I managed 2 lenghts of the baby pool and a good soak in the hydrotherapy pool with all the jets.It was so good to go out as I'd not been to the gym for 6 weeks.
Of course it didnt last! Friday I had a funeral to go to, next doors dad, then I'd told Rachel we'd go to Manchester shopping for her holidays. I spent 4 hours on my scooter. I ws a bit knackered to say the least Saturday and yesterday. I spent yesterday setting up my Etsy shop so my eyes were boggled by the time I got off the computer. I've got more to add, but I'm to bog eyed at present so I'll post this and add bits as I need to.

Secret Knitting Projects revealed

KNITTING

it was rachels birthday last wednesday so here are the knitted monkeys i made for her. now dont laugh. The first one is a complete and total disaster!!! Its supposed to be the PG Tips 'Monkey'. the pattern being the original ITV digibox Monkey . But lets just say that I have actually knitted Monkeys genetically modified evil twin 'monkey-Pig-Thing'!!!!! It just looks really scary and a cross between a monkey and a pig!!! otherwise known as a punky or a mig!!!! The second monkey is felted and I quite like him. Rachel was suitably non-plussed and I have taken the felted monkey myself! good job the yarn for the whole lot only cost £6!

I'm knitting a cushion cover for the lounge as part of the furnishings for when its decorated . I's like to knit all the soft furnishings myself if I can.

I've taken up the lace jacket I started last year but there was a mistake in the back so I've had to undoe miles of lace!!! Plus dear Josh spilt a smoothie in my knitting bag last year. I'd forgotten about it until I frogged a few feet of stiff yarn!! just as well i undid it really!

I've dyed some lovely teal lace for myself. its silk. Silk absolutely stinks when you wet it . Everyone in the house was moaning about how our house smelt like a pig stye!!! I dunno why it pongs quite so much but it does. wet wool smells far less. I've also been doing some dying for presents so no photos of that! I've just soaked some wool now and am off to dye it once I've finished on here. I love dying and the whole process. I love thinking up colour combinations and seeing how it all comes out once its 'cooked'.

As part of the Angel yarns forum Sockathon I've cast on some Jaywalker socks on Kureyon Sock. I just adore this colour combination. The yarn itself feels a bit hard and scaratchy so we shall see how it knits up

.

and look at these fab vintage patterns I found at the centre that I attend my art class at.I gave them all my old pattrns which I regeret now. Theyw ere 80's patterns. But someone else brought these 60's patterns in so I nabbed them for my collection. If you can see clearly enough on the photo , just look at thoae 2 blokes!!!! Lovely!!

FM

Same old same old I'm afraid. Up and down like a yo-yo. But a little bit improved from the last few eeks. I've had a really busy week. Monday I rested actually. I was supossed to be supervising RAchels cooking for her party on Wednesday night, but Hubby turned up in the kitchen and banished me!!! I just shouted instructions from the lounge whilst I sat and knitted. I've been out to lunch twice this week. Once on Wednesday with Mum and dad to a pub and secondly with my pls on Friday also for a pub lunch. two lots of baguette and chips! naughty me!!! I went for my massage on Tuesday and in between I've mainly rested or lspet on the bed. My legs are killing me and feel like I've just run up 10 flights of stairs.

Last Sunday we were invited up to Leeds to meet up with my cousins which was really nice as I've not seen them for a bout 6 years! considering we're 50 mins away from each other its bad really but we all get caught up with our own lives.

I was only thinking that with FM you really find out who your friends are. I can honestly say that The only people who regularly bother with me are my 2 old school friends Mandy and Karen. I did have a circle of 4 couples who have formed themselves into a clique and I may aswell be invisible. It did used to get me very upset that the 'gang' were all going out and chatting on the phone and not including me, but now I've decided I couldnt give a shit basically. infact I'm not even going to bother phoning them. if they're that concerned about me they know where I am.

Home

We just about survived Rachels party! she was supossed to sort out the food, but guess who ended up sitting in the kitchen like Cinderella !!!By 10am I was sick of the noise and was desperate for some peace and quiet. I was too ill to go out. hubby took Josh to the pictures but I wasnt up to it. ah well! at least its only once a year!

Josh was hilarious when we went to leeds. The family havnt seen him since he was a toddler. They were all going on about how gorgoeus he looked, how he should be a model! Mr vein was in his element strutting around like a peacock!!!! Its been half term but is been O.K. I did offer to have a freind of Josh's sleep over, but I felt so yuk and unable to cope that they stayed at his friends house. Then hubby took him out on business on a train one day which he loved. Last night Rachel wanted the family to go out for a meal for her birthday but she chose Pizza Express. YUk!!! the kids enjoyed it but it wasnt for us adults and it was too noisy. I feel very fat and overstuffed this week 3 meals out!!! its either litterally feast or famine!!! i'll be stuck in for weeks now with no socialising at all.

Plus We made a vat of chilli and a huge sweet and sour chicken for rachels party so I ate chilli virtually every night last week. Good job it wasnt cholesterol testing week!!!!

Sam is home this Friday for the summer. I cant beleive he's had a whole year at uni. it goes so quickly.