Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for?

I have a skein of Red Heart Super Saver Economy Yarn in what I believe is Ocean 0995 (I've lost the lable) that I recieved from OnePinkHippo in a yarn swap last year. It's a lovely yarn, but as I only have 1 skein of it, and I can't buy it over here, I am saving it for something nice. And not too big.

Day 30 - Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Last day of the 30 Day Meme! It's been fun - I won't know what to blog about now lol

This weeks theme - Robots!

MicroMechanical Butterfly Necklace
ScienceKitty

Petra the solar powered zombie furby
TinyMinds

Steampunk Sculpture - Alice in Wonderland Caterpillar
CatherinetteRings


Robot and Toaster are Friends
SleepyRobot13


WIGGLES 2 - Your Faithful Friend
Reclaim2Fame

Day 29 - Hopes, Dreams And Plans For The Next 365 Days

Oooo, I'm not sure! I suppose mainly I'd like all my family to be well. I hope my brother doesn't get picked on this year and that my Mum learns to put her feet up every now and again.

I hope to lose at least 2 stone by Christmas, when I'm gonna go to Camden and buy loads of new, smaller, clothes! I've lost 10 pounds so far. I also hope to eat healthier and do more exercise.

I plan to write more amigurumi patterns, and may ever write a pattern for my own hat and gloves for Christmas time. I'll be spending most of my time crocheting for the stall in December - I hope that goes well and that I have a great time like last year.

I'd like to start doing volunteer work at a local charity shop. I desperately need something to fill my time and I don't think there's much chance of me getting a job.

And in general I'd like to have a bit more fun! Going to gigs with my brother, enjoying my crochet work, look into going to Japan next year and to continue talking to the friends I've made. I'd also like to do more cooking, I like cooking. Cakes...

Day 28 - This Year, In Great Detail

At New Year I'm in a better than normal mood. I'm usually abit glum around New Year. In January I book up to do the Brentwood Craft And Gift Fair again in December. I do alot of crocheting, making things like Shaun and Timmy the Sheep and Puff The Dragon. I get really sick mid month and throw up at my GP's *rolls eyes...* The Haiti earthquake hits the same day :( I start a diet and by the end of the month I've lost 10 pounds, yay! January is my busiest month ever in my shop and I do a Monsties Giveaway on my blog.

In February I make some things for my stall in December and I also make a toy for a friend's baby. Me and my friend Jill decide to arrange a yarn swap, so I'm constantly shopping for that. I get a friend code from my friend Sarah and we play together on Animal Crossing on the Wii. On Valentines Day my Nan dies :( It was a horrible shock and we all really miss her. And March is my Nan's funeral and interment.

Also in March I do lots of crocheting and clean my room. I buy some new things for it too and generally get myself sorted out. My diet wobbles abit when I put on 4 pounds :( I get my yarn swap stuff from Jill and I find I've been spoilt! :D

And that's my year so far.

Day 27 - This Month, In Great Detail

God, do I really have to do this?!

At the start of the month was my Nan's funeral. It was a sad day, but as far as funerals go it was nice. R.I.P Nan :(

The first half of the month involved clearing my Nan's house. It was really difficult for my Mum and Aunt. That got finished around the 14th March and the keys handed over.

I started clearing my room too about half way through the month. I had an awful lot of stuff to go through but I got it all done and actually made myself alittle bit of space. After doing that I bought myself a new laptop and telly. I'm still in the middle of converting files from my old PC to this laptop...

My Mum and I went to the cinema at Festival Leisure Park (Bas Vegas...) to see the new Tim Burton film - Alice In Wonderland. It was good! I hadn't been to the cinema in about 10 years so it was exciting lol!

My brother went to Brixton to see Steel Panther afew Fridays ago, and I went with my Mum and my Dad to pick him and his friend up. There were men in 80's wigs, tiger print tights and underpants walking around the streets of Brixton late that night. It was weird...

Last week was my Nan and Grandad's internment.

It's been a strange month all in all - one I don't want to repeat any time soon.

Day 26 - Your Week, In Great Detail

Each day is roughy the same for me, so it's difficult to remember what I've been doing! But I'll do my best.

Monday was a normal day - just sitting around and crocheting. I think that day I started to crochet an amigurumi version of my favourite childhood toy - Ted!

Tuesday I continued with Ted. I also had a run in with my new laptop when I was on the net and a virus thing popped up on Deviant Art. It got me worrying...

Wednesday was my Nan and Grandad's internment at Pitsea Cemetery. My Grandad died in 2001 and my Nan kept his ashes. She died herself last month and both their ashes were put together and buried at Pitsea. It was an emotional day. R.I.P Nan and Grandad :(

Also on Wednesday I finished Ted. I gave him to my Mum but I plan on making more and putting them up for sale in my Etsy shop. I want everyone to have a Ted!

Thursday, my Mum and I went to PC World to ask about this stupid virus thing that'd been bothering me. They said it was nothing to worry about. Phew!

Friday I explained in yesterdays post. On Saturday my parents went to London but I stayed at home. I slept in a bit , got up and went on here. In the evening I did some more crocheting.

And today I've just been on here and watching my new TV. Grrreat.

Day 25 - Your Day, In Great Detail

To start with - my days are soooo boring it's not worth mentioning them in great detail lol! And today is only a few hours long for me so far, so we'll do yesterday.

I got up at about 8:30am, got ready and did my weekly weigh in. I've gone up 1 pound from last week :( Then I went for my appointment with my phsyciatrist (Sp?!). Yay. I go to see him about twice a year now - he's really good and actually knows what he's talking about, which I've found is rare after 9 years in the mental health service.

After that I went with my Mum to the town to do the twice weekly shop. There I bought some yarn in Wilkinsons.Whenever I go in there I just HAVE to buy some lol!

We came home and I had my lunch, which was a Weight Watchers sandwich from Asda. I had a shower and after that had a little sleep. I got up at about 4:30pm and had my dinner.

After dinner I went on my computer and did some general looking round, then I started crocheting a Happy Poo lol! I made it for my cousin's husband Lee - he thought it was highly amusing when I mentioned I can crochet a poo lmao!

In the late evening I put Film 4 on and watched 2 films - Don't Say A Work and The Cell. They were ok. After that it was early morning and time to go to bed.

Told you it was interesting. And that's a good day!!

Day 24 - Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Etsy Friday


This weeks theme: Knit!

Sweet Dreams Funky Chunky Valentine's Baby Hat in Plum Pudding
TrickyKnits

Sour Apple Stripes Market Bag
ArianaJaquysh

Chickies Amigurumi Easter Chick Plush Toy Knitting Pattern
cheezombie

Black and Red Heart gloves - Fingerless mittens
Pilland

Knit Crochet Cabled Moccasin Slippers, Lime Green Grass
natalya1905

Day 23 - A YouTube Video

Just because...

Day 22 - A Website

Knit-A-Square.com
Photo (c) Knit-A-Square

This is a website for the charity Knit-A-Square. It is a charity that collects 8''x8'' knitted or crocheted squares from people around the world, and makes them into blankets to give to the orphans of South Africa.

On the website there is an outline of what the charity does, patterns to make all different types of squares, patterns for clothing and hats and all the information you need to send off your squares and stuff when you've finished.

I like this website, and the charity itself. It's really nice to just crochet a square without having to think too hard about what you're doing, and also it's great to crochet for a good cause. And the website is packed full of information to help you along the way.

Day 21 - A Recipe

Volcanoes/Butterfly Cakes

This is an ancient recipe of my Mums...

You Will Need:

For Cake:
4oz Margarine
4oz Caster Sugar
4oz Self-Raising Flour
2 Eggs
2 Desert Spoons of Milk
Pinch Of Salt
2oz Dried Fruit (optional - personally I hate dried fruit so alway leave it out...)

For Butter Cream:
Icing Sugar
Vanilla Essense
Margarine

Jam or chocolate cream/pieces

Method

Cake
1. Put all ingredients in a bowl
2. Mix for one minute
3. Place cake cases in a baking tray

4. Put a dollop of the mixture in each cake case

5. Bake on middle shelf of oven, Gas Mark 5 (approx. 375F 190C) for 15 mins

Leave to cool

Butter Cream
1. Take a small amount of icing sugar and place it in a little bowl
2. Add a drop of vanilla essense
3. Add a small amount of margarine
- There's no exact measurments for this - just keep adding the ingredients until you get the consistence you want.

When cakes have cooled, cut a hole in the top of each one to create a kind of crater. Fill each crater with the butter cream and jam/chocolate.

Take the little piece of cake you cut out and cut it in half. Place the 2 pieces on top of the cream and jam/chocolate to create butterfly wings. Or just plop the while thing on top, like in the example above lol!

Tada! :D

Day 20 - A Hobby Of Yours

What do you think I'm gonna put for this?! Lol! It's crochet, of course. I was going to put that as a talent of mine, but I don't really have any other hobbies so I left it for today.

I first had a go at crochet when I was little - just chain stitches. I used to make really long chains - I didn't know what to do with them - I just liked making them. Then about 2 years ago I found out about amigurumi and I really wanted to learn. So I found some tutorials on YouTube and taught myself. The first thing I ever made was a tomato amigurumi (See photo). Just a simple red ball with green felt for leaves. Then it was a chick - again just a simple ball shape with felt feet this time.

The first pattern I ever wrote was for an amigurumi I called 'Zack The Prozac' lol! It was about 3'' tall and had a smiley face embroidered on it. I still have him now on my amigurumi shelf. As I got more confident with crocheting I tried things like granny squares and hats. My first hat was a big earflap hat that I got the pattern from off Craftster.org. It was way too big but I liked it anyway.

I think my favourite thing I've ever crocheted is probably the Eggberts. I made my first Eggbert - King Eggbert - when I was fairly new to crochet and was practising making an egg shape. He now lives in my Mums car. He's very different to the Eggberts I make now - you can see all his stuffing and the stitches are really loose. I still love him though! And I love crochet!

Day 19 - A Talent Of Yours

I don't know if I can still do it or not - but I used to be ok at playing the piano.

I've always been quite musical, and my first instrument was the piano, or a little toy one I got one Christmas when I was about 4. When I was about 7 my parents bought me a real piano - we still have it in our living room, I love it. It's all out of tune now though.

I took proper piano lessons when I was little too, at a ladies house in Whitmore Way, Basildon. It was £10 an hour, and that seemed an awful lot of money to me in those days. I loved it though. When I was taking my options for my GCSE's I chose Music and piano was my instrument of choice. I didn't do too well in the written exam- I was only really intereted in the playing.

I still get the urge every now and again to have a go of my little piano in the living room. I'd hate it if ever my parents decided to get rid of it...

Day 18 - Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Finally my camera started working again! Yay! So here's what I got from the wonderful Jillz when we did a Yarn Swap!


I got all this yarn! There's Red Heart, Sugar N Cream, Fancy Yarn - all sorts. I've already used the brown yarns to make a doll...


The brown, chunky, wavey yarn worked great as hair, and the Red Heart Sports Weight did great for socks and a dress. I have plans for the rest of the yarns - I'm in the middle of making a duster out of the Sugar N Cream stuff and I'm gonna make some ami's with the worsted weight. And a scarf with the fancy stuff. Ooooo the possibilities!


I got more! There was also a Crochet Today magazine (which I've heard so much about but never been able to get); googley eyes, cute buttons (as you can see I've already used one of the little bug ones!) And also a cute little octopus ami! I forgot to take a picture of him - he's sitting infront of my DVD's on my nearly cleared bookcase :D

And that's what I got! Once again a MASSIVE Thank You Jillz for swapping with me - it's been really fun! If ever you wanted to swap again I'd be only too pleased! :D

Day 17 - An Art Piece (Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, etc.).

I can't draw to save my life, so I picked something by someone else.

This is a pencil drawing by my brother Glen, of Nikki Sixx and Kat Von D. He's always been really good at drawing ever since he was little - a talent I've always been jealous of. It must be so nice to just sit there and draw something. To draw something well lol He has drawn loads of pictures but I think this is one of his best - it looks like a photo! :D

Day 16 - A Song That Makes You Cry (Or Nearly)

Days - Kirsty MacColl



This is a sad song itself, but it's doubly bad for me because it reminds me of when our pet fish Seaman died. I loved that fish so much - we had had him for over 10 years. He lived in the kitchen in his tank and was never any trouble. He went a bit weird towards the end - it wasn't nice to watch. So this song upsets me for that reason.

Day 15 - A FanFic

Wow, I haven't read a Fan Fic in years! I think the last one I read was about the band The Darkness on a Dan Hawkins forum. I couldn't possibly quote it...

Day 14 - A Non-Fictional Book

Brain Lock - Jeffery M. Schwartz



"... We all have our little quirks - habits and behaviors - that we know we'd be better off without. We all wish we had more self-control. But when thoughts spin out of control, becoming so intense and intrusive that they take over against our will, when bad habits turn into all-comsuming rituals that are performed to rid us of overwhelming feelings of fear and dread, something more serious is happening..."

This is the opening paragraph from the book Brain Lock by Dr. Jeffery M. Schwartz. It's a book about OCD and how to live with it. I've found this book very helpful in times when it all gets too much for me. The picture above is what my OCD looks like...

Day 13 - A Fictional Book

Celephais

"... Kuranes had awaked the very moment he beheld the city, yet he knew from his brief glance that it was none other than Celephais, in the vally of Ooth-Nargai beyond the Tanarian Hills, where his spirit had dwelt all the eternity of an hour one summer afternoon very long ago, when he had slipt away from his nurse and let the warm sea-breeze lull him to sleep as he watched the clouds from the cliff near the village. He had protested then, when they had found him, waked him, and carried him home, for just as he was aroused he had been about to sail in a golden galley for those alluring region where the sea meets the sky. And now he was equally resentful of awaking, for he had found his fabulous city after forty weary years..."

This is a bit of my favourite story from the book The Call Of Cthulhu And Other Weird Stories by H.P Lovecraft.

Day 12 - Whatever Tickles Your Fancy

Bedroom Clear-out

Throughout my life my room has always been, well, not messy - just full of stuff I don't really need. My family call it the Black Hole, 'cos when something goes in, it never comes out lol!

As I'm getting older I'm getting a bit fed-up with it being so full, so last week I decided to have another clear out, but this time I'm being really strict with what I can and can't keep.

I've always been a hoarder you see - I've got things from every point of my life so it's difficult to get rid of stuff. But it needs to be done. So far I have found old school books, the original grey-brick Gameboy, a Major Morgan, Sooty videos and all sorts of stuff. Them things I kept.

These are some of the things I want in my new room -


I'd love a new telly. I figured I have enough room on my desk for a 19'' one, which I the biggest I would've ever owned. I like this one with the Ipod dock...


Another electronic thing I'd like is a laptop. At the moment I'm using our old family PC. It's a great computer but takes up alot of room. So I think I'd be better suited to a nice shiny new laptop, like this one.


I'd really like an armchair at the end of my bed. I'd be able to watch my new telly and use my new laptop in it, it'd be mega comfy! I like this one from Ikea...


I'd also really like one of these posters! I've seen them around loads of places, and found that they sell little A4 versions on Ebay.co.uk. It'd look nice above my desk...

They're just a few things I'd like. I don't want much, do I lol! I spend about 90% of my time in my room - I literally live up there. So it's important to have it how I'd like it, if that makes sense. I'll let you know how it goes...