The Polar Problem

OK - I haven't written any posts recently but I declare it ISN'T MY FAULT! Honestly. No really. You believe me, don't you?

Anyway, the reason for the lack of updates is my hubby has been working very long hours recently and, as a result, no scrabble and so no updates. So, in an attempt to not be completely useless I have decided to start cataloging some of my knitting here too. I started to learn to knit about 7 months ago now so that I could knit my sister a throw for christmas. I completely underestimated the time it would take and my ability to be distracted and so it still has to be finished but luckily it is built in squares so whenever I go and see my sister I stitch on another couple of squares while I am there.

My first knitting project was a polar bear. He is SO cute - I have a thing about polar bears and I found the pattern so then made five in quick sucession, four of which have gone on to new homes, just the original remains.







Isn't he just the cutest, with his little smile and teeny ears? And SO easy to make as well.

However, from here on in their have been a litany of unfinished projects. Yes that's right - the blanket is still being worked on, the England scarf, which I learnt to double knit in order to start, will be ready for the World Cup in 2010, two VW hats for John, niether of which actually worked, the gnome I started has a hat, a body but only one arm, no legs and most importantly no beard!

Not content to leave knitting unfinished, I have also taught myself to crochet in that time too! This time I did it so I could make my Nan a plant holder for her birthday (Nan and Grandad both insist they are too old to be bought anything for their birthdays but we can't not give them anything - after all they are the best grandparents a girl could have - but it so hard to think what to make sometimes!) I crocheted this out of garden twine and was left with blisters where it was so coarse but I was really pleased with the outcome and I shall post pictures of it if I remember to ask Nan when I am over there. I have crocheted a couple of squares for Kristy's Blanket and also some flowers and leaves to be sewn on, but I haven't got round to attaching those just yet.

And this brings me round to the polar bear again. You see he is part of the problem. I could get one of those knitted, sewed and stuffed in the space of an evening easily and I have become spoiled. As one of the Generation X-ers, I am used to instant gratification, not having to work at something for days and days on end for the final joy of a finished article. I have been spoilt by a cuddy toy...

So in the light of all this, I have a free afternoon and I am determined to get at least one project finished. Question is, which one?

Edit (17:01) - I have also joined a new web ring for us brit girls : YAY Brit Gals!

Scrabble Desolation

OK, obviously in a fit of pique at my winning streak, my hubby has been resistant to suggestions of scrabble playing recently. So instead I thought I would share with you another Ipod audio gem. By this I mean podiobooks. The concept behind this is SHEER GENIUS! Keen amateur writers read their own books for you delight and delectation and, if you love it, you can give a donation which goes partly towards running the site and partly to the authors. Even though the installments are mostly all uploaded already, podiobooks only downloads one to you itunes once every so often, with a interval that you can set yourself. And if you are feeling greedy and want the next installment NOW THIS MINUTE you can log in and press a button to release the next installment and voila! you listening pleasure is ensured. Were I you, which I am not as you can probably tell I don't dress nearly stylishly enough, I would go and sign up right NOW!

Ipodding Geeky Bliss

I have to recommend the podcast that I have begun listening to recently. The Word Nerds is an etymology podcast, where three American gents (Howard and Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang) natter about the origin of English/American words. I love this podcast, the guys are intelligent, interesting and amusing and I often learn something, despite that fact having Americans teaching me about a language that they don't bleeding well speak properly rankles a little! Theydo occasionally get it wrong however, there have been a number of references to how us English use words which just are either plain wrong or a little off-center, but that is to be expected as they don't live here.

Anyway, enough whittering on on my part - go listen to it!

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Firefly RULES!

You scored as Hoban 'Wash' Washburne. The Pilot. You are a leaf on the wind, see how you soar. You have a good job, and a stunning wife who loves you (and can kill people). Life is good, which is why you can't help smiling. Now if you can just get people to actually listen to your opinion things would be perfect. Hoban 'Wash' Washburne 88% The Operative 69% Simon Tam 63% Capt. Mal Reynolds 63% Kaylee (Kaywinnet Lee) Frye 63% Inara Serra 56% Zoe Alleyne Washburne 50% Jayne Cobb 50% River Tam 50% Shepherd Derrial Book 44% Which Serenity character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Revenge is a dish best served SCRABBLED!

Well, the first proper entry for a scrabble game and I WON! However, it wasn't smooth sailing...

Firstly, while I made our tea, I foolishly let John set out the scrabble board. He "helpfully" picked out our letters for us so we could just start - as you can hopefully see, the results were a tad biased, mine tiles being on the left. (Click on any picture to enlarge it).



After returning the tiles to the bag, we pulled tiles and John was to go first. And it was then that his little plan to fix the tiles backfired.


His first go was therefore 0 points, while he swapped his tiles. The game then ran smoothly-(ish) until John tried to put down the word "quipe". I challenged and, while I was checking in the handy dictionary, John took a sneeky peek and saw the word "Quipo". So, cheat that he is, he used it the next go! There is no edd to the man's evil streak. Just look at the cheat's little cheating face.



Has anyone every looked so evil? Anyway, here is the final board :




And I feel vindicated, because after all, as my old Mum says, cheats never prosper!