Procrastination is my middle name

I really am terrible when it comes to getting work done. I can pretty much find ANYTHING else to do to avoid doing work. I have discovered baking.

Oaty vanilla biscuits, recipe courtesy of marzipan

I made a batch on Friday night and my flatmates hoofed them down, so they definitely get the thumbs up! I made another batch today and they are fast disappearing – having them right next to me when I’m sitting at my desk is clearly a bad idea!

Made from a video tutorial here

I tried to make this skirt a little while ago but I screwed it up, and I’ve only just found the patience to try again – this one came out much better! I even wore it out, which is a sure sign that I’m happy with it (normally if something I make isn’t quite right, it ends up in the back of a cupboard somewhere, never to be seen again)

Now I’m off to find something else to do instead of work…!

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The Hobbit – DONE…

… A while ago!

I know the photos of the books are a bit surplus to requirement, but I hate pictureless posts!

I tried to read Lord Of The Rings years ago and didn’t get past the first chapter – I just found it too hard-going. So I wasn’t looking forward to reading The Hobbit, but I’m glad I did! I was surprised that I actually really enjoyed it, and – gasp! – I’m actually quite looking forward to reading Lord Of The Rings.

But my next choice was Moby Dick.

I love the cover on this copy – it looks like a “proper” book!

Which, I am sad to say, I am finding almost impossible to read. I am really not enjoying it in the slightest. I’m about 20% of the way through it and that 80% is going to be SO difficult -_- But I am determined to read it cover to cover so I can cross it off the list properly. I think my next book will be one that isn’t on the list – I’ve got several now that I’ve not got round to reading yet.

I was going to go to John Lewis tomorrow and buy some yarn to knit a replacement pair of Dashings for the OH (the spanner left them in a restaurant, where they promptly disappeared, d’oh!) but the weather forecast sounds pretty treacherous for tomorrow, so I may end up walking to the park down the road to take some snowy pictures! Have you got snow where you are?

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Did you have a good Christmas?

The mince pies were delicious…

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WTF

Somehow Christmas is here again. I haven’t got half the presents I need to get, I am out of money and TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVE *panics*

Instead of doing important things like knitting last-minute gifts or baking, I have been playing with my new camera.

Wish upon a falling star…

I did make some mincemeat though.

It even tastes better than shop-bought!

Now, to actually make some mince pies, along with the other 974 things I need to do tomorrow…

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You know it’s been too long since your last post when…

… You have to sign back in to WordPress, even though you left it to “remember me”.

My excuse is that the rubbish winter light means I can’t take anything other than appalling photos of things I want to blog about, and I don’t like posting without pictures. Anyway, hopefully that won’t be an issue in the near future (squee!) but in the meantime I shall just do a quite run down, catch-up sort of post, until I get my act together.

 

• I bought a new sewing machine <3 A Janome 525S – it's definitely an improvement on my last machine! Far less plastic-y, and with some nifty features (automatic 1-step button hole, amirite?)
• Today I found Cass Art in Islington – I think it’s my new favourite shop. It took a lot of willpower not to spend a ridiculous amount in there.
• Ummm… Errrr… I really am living a fascinating, hectic life in London, honestly I am…

So yeah, you’ve not missed much. My brain is currently filled with about three craft ideas, which is far more than I normally have. I just keep putting off executing those ideas until I’ve “got that material” or “worked out how to do it” etc. I’m so bad at procrastinating and putting things off in case they don’t go right, d’oh! I’ve had one mitten, all but finished, sitting on my desk waiting for a partner for weeks, but I finally got round to sewing that one up and casting on for the next last night. So I’m getting there VERY slowly.

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Leeds

At the weekend, I went to Leeds to see a few of my friends, and I thought I’d share with you a couple of shops that I recommend

Firstly was Baa Ram Ewe, a fantastic yarn shop not far from the city centre. When I arrived, they were just finishing a dyeing workshop, so the shop was very crowded (it’s a tiny little shop). However, there was plenty of gorgeous yarn crammed in, and I nearly succumbed to the lure of some undyed sock yarn (I’ve found somewhere in London that sells Koolaid!) but I caught myself and reasoned that I already have several skeins of sock yarn, and I am a very bad sock knitter. I love that they stock local yarns from the Yorkshire area. Big thumbs up there.

Next was Rose & Co., a very sweet apothecary selling toiletries, including bath bombs that you could easily mistake for real cakes. Downstairs is the clothing section, with lots of vintage-inspired clothes and accessories – right up my street!

Finally, Yum Yum Beads, my favourite shop of the weekend! Yum Yums sells a lovely variety of beads, findings and kits, with lots of jewellery made by the very talented staff hanging around the shop for inspiration. I bought some pendants there the last time I visited Leeds, but for some reason failed to buy chain. After literally months of looking online for somewhere to buy a chain that would match, I finally got some from Yum Yums <3

‘Scuse the peeling, grubby windowsill!

That’s my favourite – I love the details on the key!

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Sew, sew, sew…

A leopard print purse for my sister’s friend

And a FOURTH damask purse, along with a polka dot one, for two more of my sister’s friends

People really seem to love that damask fabric, I’ve made 3 for other people and I’ve got another SEVEN to make D:

And some mittens for one of my friends

And with all this sewing I’m surprised I had time to move to uni! But I did, hence the lack of posts from me. It’s a bit strange, living in London alone, but I think I might get on OK with it! I found three amazing fabric shops in Soho the other day, whilst on an epic search for interfacing (found some eventually, although it was more than TWICE the price of the exact same brand I can get at home! ) but hopefully I will blog about those in the near future

And whilst I had my camera out, I took this photo…

I think it sums up my interests quite well – crafts, languages and music

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Purse

Purse made from this tutorial

I’m so pleased with how this turned out! I did a practice one using cheap lining fabric and it looked… Different, to say the least. So I was terrified this was going to look rubbish too, but I pressed it after every step, and I pinned, and tacked, and sewed slowly, and it all worked out fine!

I can see all my cards, I don’t have to fold notes up into quarters, the change won’t fall out when I open it…! Perfect!

Even the snap closure went without hitch! Although I need to find something to cover the back of it on the tab – I’m thinking a pretty button. I shall have a look in the haberdashery tomorrow and see if I can find anything suitable

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100th post!

Yep, I’ve been blogging for over three years and have only just reached 100 posts! I’ve been putting off blogging for the last week as I felt I needed something good to post, but I’ve just acquired lots of littleish things to mention really!

Going back to the 5th… I decided the night before to go and see Muse in Teignmouth, Devon (a 600 mile round trip!). And it was worth it. Much craic (as my Irish Muse friends say) was had, and the whole weekend was brilliant.

Queue a week of recovering! I finished Cloud Atlas during the week. I wasn’t looking forward to reading the book, but I was definitely drawn into it, out of curiosity more than anything. The end was a bit… Well, I didn’t feel like the ends were all tied up neatly, and I find that a little frustrating sometimes!

Then the weekend just gone… I met up with Cherry Makes… (who has summed up the weekend far better than I could in her latest post!) and Aino (as yet blogless ) at iKnit on Saturday. OMG! It was brilliant!

250g of Wensleydale tops from the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepshop, 2 skeins of Pure Cotton from Woolfish and stroopwafels from The Dutch Knitters!

The basketweave square was started when we stopped off at the Macmillan stand – we were each given wooden needles, a huge choice of Rowan yarns, and sweeties by the lovely ladies at the stand. I’m hoping with a bit of blocking my square will be big enough! It’s a tiny bit narrow at the moment.

Then after iKnit, we met up with more Muse friends, and went for tapas (SO good!) and then on to see Amanda Palmer at the Union Chapel, London – another fantastic gig. It was eerie, going to a gig in a fully functioning church, with the audience all sitting in pews. I’ve never been to an all-seated gig before but the atmosphere was brilliant.

And after all that excitement…

…I have a stinking cold.

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Stuff

Well, time certainly flies, doesn’t it! I suppose a fair bit has happened since my last post (although it doesn’t feel like it!) – the main thing being I got into university! It feels like it’s been such a slog to get to this point, but it is so exciting to finally be at this point. 34 days until I move to London!

I’m almost 200 pages into the 529 pages of Cloud Atlas, and I will admit it is growing on me. I was a bit non-plussed when I started it, but as the story(ies) progress, it is intriguing to see how it is going to pan out.

(Almost) The rest of the tomato crops

Today I went to my grandma’s, and picked some blackberries and elderberries from her garden. I was surprised to see the extent of the blackberries – they were seemingly everywhere. I didn’t get very many (a lot of the berries were puny little things, or withered) but hopefully I can put them into a crumble or something with some homegrown apples my mum was given.

Two new fat quarters

I couldn’t resist these fat quarters when I saw them in the fabric shop yesterday! I love delicate, intricate patterns like these, and I really like the blackcurrant-red on off-white colours – a little bit of a departure for me from my usual blacks! I’m hoping I can squeeze a headband and a covered frame from a quarter, but I think it will take some squidging!

My next post will mark a bit of a blogging landmark (well, for me, anyway!)

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