Tagged

I've been tagged by Scarletti, so here is a little insight to the Tales From The Plain psyche.

4 jobs I've had
You all know what I do now, so I though I'd tell you about life before teaching:
1. My first ever job was my Saturday job. I was a late starter and didn't begin until 16, after my O-levels. I worked in the local bakery for appalling pay, but the upside was the hours - 7am until 1pm - the early start offset by having all of Saturday afternoon free to spend with my boyfriend of the time. I loved it though, and worked all the way through Sixth form, ending up running the sandwich bar part on Saturdays. It was good for holiday work, too!
2. Also during my time in Sixth Form, I did piece work for the chap my Mum worked for. He did electrical assembly, so I occasionally went into the premises to cut lengths of wire for them, but mainly worked at home, sorting and wiping the memory from computer chips... at 2p per chip I was hardly likely to make a fortune, but it was the best money I've ever earned whilst watching Neighbours, let me tell you!
3. After my A-levels and then during the holidays of the first couple of years at Uni, I worked shifts in a local pizza factory. Money was great, shift hours suited me (6am-2pm or 2pm to 10pm) and we had a real laugh. Not many of my friends worked there, most of the rest of the students fell into the Benetton Beauty category (which I SO was not), but the full-timers were great. A lot of my family worked at different parts around the factory and I felt a real sense of belonging, being a good solid working class girl unlike most of the other students. Maybe it was because I could see that without working my a**e off at school that would be where I would have ended up? I loved the work, but the most I ever had to do was three months at a time, it might have felt different if I couldn't see an end to it. I ended up running a student line there in my last summer - yet another employer who recognised my amazing organisational skills? Or realised I was a bossy boots...
4. My first real job, after Uni, was at Sellafield, first as a Commissioning Officer, then as a Training Officer. Very interesting and I often wonder what might have happened if A had got a job that way instead of in Manchester. I suspect we'd now be facing an uncertain future...

4 favourite movies
God, I am so lightweight...
1. Highlander. There can be only one....
2. 10 Things I Hate About You. Shakespeare and Heath Ledger - what's not to like?
3. The Shawshank Redemption. Still love the sense of surprise when they take the poster off the wall.
4. Monty Python's Life of Brian. Close run thing here, could easily have been Holy Grail, but that film's lack of ending knocks it off the list.

4 places I've been
I've catalogued trips since 2006 when I started blogging, I'll travel back in time...
1. Italy - I love it and I've visited more times than any other country. My love affair started on a school trip in the 1980s and continues.
2. Philadelphia. This was my first trip to the States and we landed about three hours before they shut the airport in the snow storms of February 2003. A and I didn't get to take the train trips to NYC and DC that we had planned. In fact we didn't get to do a lot of what we'd planned, since a number of museums and sites closed for the duration, but we did get to wade around in knee height dry snow a lot (we've never been skiing so we've never done that), watch with fascination as the authorities cleared the snow and spend the whole day in one of the best Science museums I've ever visited. We also laughed a lot at the Brits who were stranded in Philly who had originally been bound for Florida and a Caribbean cruise who had nothing but shorts and sandals and couldn't even play out in the snow...
3. New Forest. We went on holiday every year when I was a child, I loved it! Nine years ago I went back and it's still great.
4. Lefkas. The least anglicised of the Ionians (which include Corfu, Kephalonia and Zakynthos) and a gem, particularly if you stay north, away from the one hideous Brits Abroad resort.

4 places I've lived
1. I grew up in a rural market town on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border. Many family are still in the area and it is truly beautiful. However I couldn't afford anything bigger than a maisonette, so I can't see myself ever returning. I have in the last two years found myself increasingly watching Midsomer Murders to catch glimpses of familiar scenes...
2. Liverpool. I lived in Wavertree, L15, which by the time I left was far too close to L8 for the insurance company...
3. Whitehaven in Cumbria. My flat was about 1 minute's walk from the quayside, I often took a walk along the pier to the lighthouse before breakfast. Interesting smell of fish if the wind blew the wrong way, though... From pictures I've seen, it's been really smartened up, so I'm guessing no one fishes from it anymore.
4. Stretford, Manchester. When A and I first managed to get a place together when I was training to be a teacher, we lived in a lovely flat right on a motorway junction. Sleeping with the windows open just wasn't an option.

4 favourite TV shows
1. QI
2. NCIS
3. CSI (all varieties)
4. Most BBC adaptations of Austin Gaskell, Thackery, etc. Although ITV did some cracking Austins last year.

4 favourite radio shows
1. Wake Up to Wogan
2. Chris Evan's Drivetime
3. Folk and Acoustic with Mike Harding
4. Simon Mayo's Music Club.
Hmm... as you can tell, I only ever tune in to Radio 2...

4 favourite foods
1. steak, medium rare
2. lasagne
3. dauphinoise potatoes
4. puddings - all of them, but particularly sponge, with custard

4 places I'd rather be
1. The Lake District
2. Bologna
3. Cornwall
4. Milan

I'm going to be a rebel - I'm not blogging from home so no rules apply - if you want to, consider yourself tagged!

Maybe there's something in this...

What Nicola Means

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

1978, 2005...

.. and now 2008!



I've shrieked myself hoarse, and can't believe we've done it again. We wait 27 years and then win the Grand Slam again only 3 years later.* What a brilliant match!

Llongyfarchion!

*Mind you, if I was Pope Benedict XIV, I might be feeling a little worried now...

Heroes

Today, I met one of my childhood heroes, Johnny Ball.

I've never actually met a hero of mine before and it wasn't quite as I expected. Although on reflection, I don't know quite what I had expected.

The presentation had been arranged by the Local Authority for junior and Secondary teachers, but I convinced my Head that I needed to go ("The man's a genius", I breathed headily. She'd been throwing the fliers away as she didn't think that I'd want to go to a talk by the man who used to do the animal programmes on the telly... Between howls of laughter, The secretary and I broke the news that Johnny Morris had been dead for some time...)

Anyway, I think Johnny aimed his talk at an audience of mathsphobes, perhaps, as he talked a lot about looking for the joy in the every day place of maths in the world. It was refreshing, however, to be reminded that the Government has made the maths curriculum very narrow and that we need to widen it out somewhat to find the magic. Besides, anyone who managed to use the word "bollocks" in relation to government education and assessment policy in the first sentence is always going to get my attention.

I also got to stand on stage and be a glamorous assistant, too!




It's an easy mistake to make, I guess...

February FOs

The good thing about not casting anything on is... I'm finally finishing some things! Do you realise for all the knitting in January, I didn't actually finish anything?


My Red cable hat was the first finished object this year, on February 12th.

Pattern: Simple Hat and Scarf set from Cables Untangled
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK
Needles: 4mm (I think)


Then a few days later, I finished Eleanor's Pinwheel. The sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed there is NO loopy border (even though it was in the photo at the end of January...) About a week before her birthday, I realised I would never finish the border in time so I ripped it and just did a plain cast off. Although I tried hard with the sleeves, I still didn't make it in time for her birthday. In fact, although I finished it 8 days late, I'm ashamed to say I still haven't sent it*, since I wanted to show it to a couple of people first. Slacker.











Pattern: Pinwheel Sweater
Yarn: Alpaca Select DK in various colours
Needles: 5mm
Mods: I added an extra two rows to nearly every colour (couldn't quite squeeze enough out of the penultimate colour though!) then knitted 13 inch sleeves. I think it's going to last her for some time...


Finally, at 8 minutes to midnight on Friday 29th, I finished Dad's Christmas socks, just in time to count for my February socks for the Sock a Month Knitalong.

Pattern: my own, based on 5x2 rib
Yarn: Fabel by Garnstudio, bought in Gothenburg in the summer
Needles: 2.5mm



(*Edited 3-3-08: have now put it in the post, thankfully!)

Just a quickie...

For those sceptical readers out there, I would like to say that it is now over three weeks since I started my Lenten casting on "fast". I have not cast on any new projects at all. I did cast on some knitting for the finishing techniques course I attended last weekend, but since it is a mini set of shoulders (shaped by short rows) with a three needle cast off and stitches picked up round a mini neck, it can't count as no-one could use it for anything. Since I started I have finished two garments (pics to follow) and the third should be finishe by the end of Friday.

My strongest test, however, will start Saturday, since the is the start of the Sock Knitters Pentathlon 2008. Luckily I am not really a speedy kniter, so the fact I can't start immediately probably won't make a great deal of difference in the grand scheme of things - I know I'm not quick enough to be in with a chance for the medals, anyway.

School is hectic again, I don't know what it is about the Spring term this year - maybe it's because we keep trying to cram 8 weeks work into 5 week blocks...

Anyway, I will drop by soon,

TTFN

Enough Already!

It is a week since Super Tuesday and still the British media are ruminating on the long-drawn-out process of selecting American Presidential candidates.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I am interested in the fact that there could be some groundbreaking choices made in the final scheme of things, but it's a long way off and I'd probably feel more positive about the whole new gender/race thing if the potential Republican candidate was Condaleezza Rice as opposed to some old white bloke (no offence to old white blokes or members of the Grand Old Party intended).

Last time I spoke with C she was giving careful thought to her vote. She has probably already made up her mind, but just in case she hasn't, I thought she might like to consuider this option, courtesy of The Panopticon:



Go Dolores!

Of cats and (work)men

Last week we had some electrics done, ensuring we are no longer running five appliances and a dustbuster from one double socket in the utility room (Why build a utility room and add plumbing for a washing machine and dishwasher and space for a tumble dryer and then only put one double socket it? No, I don't understand it either. Gets even worse when you get creative with space as I have). Anyway, the electrician also fitted more sockets in the bedroom so I am no longer running 6 gang socket under the bed - the only way to run two bedside lamps, two alarm radios (we're so short-sighted we need one each within squinting distance) and the dual control electric blanket from a single socket, and a new control board so that we are now in line with the latest elecctric regulations. This means we can have the electric shower fitted in the bathroom next week, but will necessitate having to find the fusebox key and trudge outside to reset the fuse everytime a lightbulb pops.

I love Elfen Safety.

However, the cats found it a stressful experience and spent nearly all day in the garden. Luckily it wasn't too cold.

This morning the plumbers who are fitting the new bathroom next week popped round "just to have a look". After declaring themselves pleased with the room itself ("Nice and straightforward, Des" "Indeed, Dave, indeed") they asked to look at the control board. As I headed for the front door with the fusebox key, they said "No love, not the meter box, the fusebox", to which I pointed out that when the garage was converted to an office , the fusebox was put outside.

There was much sucking of teeth as they looked at the position of the box and the flat roof above the office. They then hummed and hawed as they worked out how far away it was from the downstairs toilet and where that was in relation to the upstairs bathroom (not underneath unfortunately). "How are we doing, mon ami?" asked Dave. "Sacre blu!" replied Des.

I feel that I am about to get a bathroom fitted by Del Boy Trotter...

And baring in mind they were here for 20 minutes at the most, over 2 hours ago, Lil is still trembling, jumping with fright everytime I move a foot.

Next week could be a long one. What a shame I am back at work by then...

Lent

I'm not much good at giving things up. The moment I think I can't have something, I want it. The image of it fills my mind and consumes my being.

Or something.

Anyway, I'm already trying to eat more healthily, so there is little point and indeed no feeling of sacrifice to be gained from giving up something I'm not eating much anyway. The same goes for alcohol - not exactly a sacrifce when my monthly alcohol intake is about one unit.

So to actually mean something, anything I give up for Lent has to actually pinch slightly. Which is when I came up with my own interpretation of a Lenten Penance.

I am going to give up casting on. No more new projects until Easter. This is a wonderful chance to clear the decks after my bout of startitis last month.

And believe me it will be painful since I did want to knit pair of gloves to keep my hands warm...

But I'm committed.

Wish me luck.*

*Of course in the way of many dieters, I had a binge last night and cast on for a jacket for me... but Shrove Tuesday doesn't count as part of Lent, right? Just think of it as my Pancake Jacket...

Glitter and Sparkles!

Yesterday afternoon, A and I and my Mum and Dad fought our way through the result of the North West's severe weather warning (*cough* - a sprinkling of snow less than a quarter of an inch deep!) to go to the Manchester Evening News Arena to see the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour. It was so cheesy - and I loved every single minute of it! Kate Thornton's sparkly shoes, Len Goodman's risque comments, Craig's deadpan delivery, even Christopher Parker's dreadful Paso Doble! A coped manfully with it, we were on the back row right at the very top, so looking at the dance floor was a little like looking at a Subbuteo table, which provided A and I with much laughter, pretending to flick the dancers around the floor. However, it wasn't really his thing, since as he said, watchign it on the screen was no different from watching it on the telly at home, apart from the fact that he couldn't lie on the couch and drink beer.

However, as he pointed out, it was probably no different from two week ago when I was less than thrilled by Newcastle's performance against Bolton at St James'. The last time I had seen Newcastle play was not long after Keegen took over the post last time around, in the Spring of 1992. They played a blinder of a game against Swindon Town, beating them 3-1. This time, the football was dire.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I went, since the pre-match atmosphere was ecstatic, but 15 minutes into the game, the Toon Army just stopped singing, as they realised that King Kev may have arrived, but his magic wand had obviously got lost in transit. Never in all my time of watching football live (and remember, most live footballl I've seen has been either Macc Town languishing in lower divisions or small club football like Whitley Bay Town) have I seen such an appallingly lacklustre performance. I have never sat at a live sports event before and wished I'd bought my knitting.

Nuff said.

I am such a slacker...

About a month ago, Hansu awarded me this:



How nice is that?

The blurb that accompanies it states:

"Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration, and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."

Of course, being me, I decided I needed to think hard about who I would award it to... and then didn't do anything about it!

So, here are the people I will be awarding it to:

Right back to Hansu, because I love seeing what she knits living in a climate that removes the option of wearing a hat and mittens;

Puikottelua, another Finnish knitter, who has the most inquisitive cat I've seen in a long time;

Krafty1, who always has somthing interesting on the needles;

AJ at iKnit.iPurl, who knits in a completely different climate;

The Lazyblog at Lazy Kate, who posts gorgeous pictures of fibre;

My friend L who blogs about her gorgeous daughter;

Snuffy at To Miss With Love, who is always thought-provoking;

Stomper Girl, who blogs about life (one day I might have one...);

ManiacMum, who always has a story to tell;

and the stalwart Mrs T, because crabby old bitches are indeed the bedrock of the nation and should be duly recognised.

After thinking I'd have problems finding 10, the problem is actually stopping... there are others I could have mentioned too...

Weekend WIPs

Well, I have some photos and I have some breathing space, so would you like to see what I have on the needles at the moment?

Firstly - Dad's socks. You know, the ones I was giving him for Christmas...

Well, I started the second one with a flurry of action early in the New Year, but then got sidetracked by...

...an urgent need to cast on Embossed Leaves from Favorite Socks. This is a nice soothing pattern, but has been temporarily put aside for...

... a Pinwheel Sweater for my cousin's little girl's first birthday in two weeks time, which has now reached the mind-numbingly slow loopy border...

... which necessitated casting on for a cable hat last night having attended a cable and aran workshop at Fibre + Clay yesterday.

Mmmm.

Bad case of startitis, I feel.

Fish Socks?

Work has been very busy for the last two weeks. There hasn't been much time for knitting, although when I do knit, I'm knitting like a fiend, to crack a couple of deadlines. Pictures of FOs will follow, honest.

I haven't even made it to the Knit Gatherings since term started, so apologies in advance to C, because I haven't made any WIP Wednesday posts. When the battery is recharged, we'll aim for the weekend.

Anyway, this post is by way of a query. Some of you are regulars, so maybe you'll be able to help me out. Someone called Yvonne has posted a comment here but hasn't left anyway to contact. She mentions ocean sock yarn to make fish socks and I wondered if any of you could help me - because her comment certainly sounds like I should know what she's talking about. Have I ever mentioned fish socks? I don't think I have, but...

Yvonne, if you read this, I have left a comment in reply, but I can't contact you directly. If you could clarify for me, I may be able to help more.

Or maybe not.

My current ramblings make Lime and Violet sound sane...

New Year's Resolutions

A and I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. They always get broken and make you feel downhearted and a failure. However, we have both been seized by an impulse since Christmas to "sort out" the house. It's been like Life Laundry at Plain Tale Towers in the last week and a half. Lots of things have been taken to charity shops or the tip, furniture has been moved, electricians and bathroom fitters have been consulted. The sitting room looks great - very clean lines and loads of space - most stash and all knitting books are now upstairs in bookcases. The office still looks a heap, the contents of the wardrobe are halfway through a cull and therefore on the spare bed and we still have far too many books and other clutter in the back bedroom, but things are moving. I just need to go and tidy the dining table where I've just been working - I am determined to tidy up after myself this year (ooh, that sounded like a resolution, didn't it?)

Whatever you are hoping to achieve this year, I wish you all the best.

Festive Knitting

Happy New Year!

Well, I should be working, but I thought I'd rather update you on a few knitterly things instead.

I knit a few things for the festive season, for a variety of people.

First up, a pair of fingerless mitts for my sister-in-law to stop her freezing on the way to work (and indeed when she nips out for a fag...)

Pattern: Fetching from knitty.com
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (bliss to work with)
Needles: 4mm DPNs
Mods: The contrast cast on and cast off (thanks Elizabeth, would never have thought of it!), plus I added an extra cable before casting off to make them a little longer. After trying the second with the extra cable, I frogged the first back a bit and avoided the picot cast off.

Then I completed a bobble hat for my 10 year old niece (her request, I hasten to add!) and a beret for her step-sister.

Bobble Pattern: Ski hat with pom-pom from Teach Yourself Knitting
Yarn: 100g Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky
Needles: 6mm bamboo DPNs

Beret Pattern: Renee from Let's Knit magazine (Issue 2)
Yarn: Rowan Little Big Wool
Needles: 7mm and 20mm straights

Then a little something for my Mum:

This is the first time I have completed a lace project. If you've never tried it, this is a lovely to pattern to start with. Here are some before and during blocking shots:

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence
Yarn: Posh Yarn Emily 4ply in Coronet - unfortunately I couldn't quite squeeze it out of one 100g skein, so I needed to use 8g of the second. If I'd known I wasn't going to make it, I'd probably have added a couple of extra repeats...
Needles: 5mm Addi circular.

Finally, Dad got a sock.

Yep, just the one... But I have checked it and the modifications I made from last time have made a perfect fit, so I'll now go on and start the second one! Photos will follow on completion.

I haven't actually picked up the needles since I finished Dad's sock on Saturday (eek!) but I have had a wonderful time playing with my presents from A - a ball winder and a swift!

Pictured is the first yarn I wound into a centre pull ball. I got so excited that I forgot to actually take a photo whilst it was all in process, but there you go... I am easily pleased.

Christmas Eve...

..and do you know, I think I'm done?

Well okay, the washing needs sorting, folding and putting away, the neighbours' cards need writing, the sittign room needs a quick tidy and I still have one hat to finish for a Christmas pressie, but other than that...

I finished work on Friday and knitted an entire beret whilst watching James Bond - not bad huh? However, it isn't the bobble hat that was asked for, so I tracked more yarn down of the right weight and colour on Saturday and, after finishing some birthday handwarmers, I cast on for the bobble yesterday.

I will post pics of my Chrstmas/festive birthday knitting on a while (want to give them first)

So, since I'll be far too busy being a sloth, this will be it for a while. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a great New Year! See you in 2008!

It's Official

There are other people as mad as me, honest! Read about them here, in the Wall Street Journal.

Lace Knitting

Today I spent a lovely day at Fibre + Clay on a one day course on Lace Knitting. One doubt I will ever make anything as beautiful as the Christening Shawl that Franklin Habit made for his niece, but I can aspire…

Mystery Object Revealed

Remember this? When Mrs T thought it might be a loo roll holder, I didn’t know whether to take a huff or not. Then I flicked through Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer(of Woolly Thoughts fame) new book on toilet roll holders and decided they were no longer the hideous crinoline ladies of yore.


However, it was not a loo roll holder. Sorry Mrs T!


It was in fact, something that I reckon Mrs T might like to knock up for Little Miss T at some point in the future. If you can knit a hat in the round, you can knit this…

This is the Pinwheel Sweater from Elann, which was a joy to knit. The main body knit up very quickly, the sleeves took a little longer as I didn’t like my tension and ripped the first one half out. The Alpaca DK is really soft, although the recipient’s mother may yet curse me for giving a handwash garment. I love it and I want to knot another one, for my cousin’s little girl and then a big one for me, although that will probably be in neutrals.

Pattern: Child’s Pinwheel Sweater from elann.com
Yarn: Alpaca Select DK in various shades from blue to red
Needles: 5mm DPNS and circulars, 4.5 DPNs
Cast on: 8th November 2007
Cast Off: 1st December 2007

He’s just a boy totally dressed in corduroy*

Because, when I’m up to my eyeballs in the Christmas play, trying to hear readers, attempting to sew gold beads onto the camel outfit, trying to hear readers, assessing the safety implications of children on stage with broken limbs, finishing off reading assessments, trying to fit in all the lessons that get squeezed during rehearsals, trying to hear readers AND finding a replacement for a Wise Man at the eleventh hour (well done that child, word perfect within 50 minutes), what I really want is to make people out of plastic bottles and mod-roc, painted and dressed, to personify “Go Tell It on the Mountain” arranged around the font to decorate the church for Christmas…


* Sorry Gedge. When you wrote this, I really don't think you imagined people made out of plastic bottles. But as Laughing Boy reached for this fabric to dress his person, the line kept running through my head.