Happy Birthday to meeeeee!!!

Yeah!! Saturday was my birthday!!! Another year younger...I've decided to count backwards from now on! Or maybe I'll just start at 0 again. Anyway, in the morning, I had to attend an RSPCA regional meeting which took up the whole day. But it wasn't that bad really. Actually quite interesting. Left there at about 3. Then rushed home to the O2 store to get my new phone AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT IN STOCK! OH the disappointment!! I was looking forward to it all day! I think my OH could see the disappointment on my face! Oh well. I spoke to them this morning and they will send me one when they are in stock again...and so I wait. So to cheer my up, the OH took me to Cath Kidston and let me pick to gifts for my birthday. So I chose this sewing box

and this knitting bag

All very nice!!! I chose the sewing box because my other present is a new sewing machine!! Which I'll get tomorrow as they were out of stock too!! It is the Singer 7446 and it has a one-step button hole!! My favourite!!! I hate making button holes! I'll post some pics as soon as I get it.

The bird feeder has finally caught on and is visited by the tiniest of blue tits! He's so cute!! And still a bit fluffy.

Oh and I frantically knitted all week to finish my Lelah top to wear for my birthday and ran out of yarn with only 1 inch to knit!!!!!!!!!!!! AAARRGGGGHHH!!! Annoying. So will pop down to Peter Jones for the extra ball and finally finish the top. It's looks stunning!!!

ETA...OH has so far lost a total of 6.2kg or 0.97 stone on his diet!!! Well done!!!

And another thing....got referred to eye doctor for the thing on my lid...dammit...was worried about that as I'm not comfortable with people scratching in my eye while I watch!!

What I should be doing today...

Today, I should be working on my assignment for college and again, no motivation. I bought a new window bird feeder that you attach to the window with suckers. So I'm sitting here watching the feeder. So far the birds are ignoring it! DAMMIT! I'm so excited!
Also, I'm about to go to the doctor again. I feel like I'm falling apart at the minute. I have a bump on my eyelid which I thought was a stye at first. But it has been almost 2 months now and it looks like a pea. Very visible bump right there on my eye. It looks even worse when I wear eye shadow. I was at the doctors last week and were given antibiotics. But it made me feel so sick that I stopped taking it. I had really bad stomach cramps. So rang the doctors again and am going back. Sometimes I am very disappointed with the healthcare in this country. Especially the gp service. I attend my local NHS hospital every three months for check ups on an auto immune disease. And was also in hospital for 2 weeks in isolation. And I received great care. But every time I go to a GP service, I feel let down. So today I'll be heading down there again so see what nonsense I'll be told this time. This is apart from an inflamed hip that is being treated by my physio (also heard via a friend who is seeing the same physio that she is very worried as 'I am in a bad way') How scary. I think the stress of living with uncertainty in the UK is all too much together with all the college work. Luckily college will be over by October so I can't wait!! I kinda see the light at the end of the tunnel. And at that stage, I can start working on a full time basis again..
Which brings me to my next problem...what to do??? I don't really know.

Anyway, knitting is going well. I've decided to abandon the Endpaper knits and I just can't get the tension right. They just seem to be too small all the time. So they are going in hibernation. In the mean time, I've started the Lelah top and it looks great. I wanted to finish it in time for my birthday on Saturday but don't think I'll manage. My arms hurt if I knit too much in one go. I had to stop last night whilst itching to finish it! DAMMIT! So watched a very bad Steven Segal movie instead.

Oh well, gotta go take a bath so I'm clean for the doctors and then off to the O2 store. I'm due for an upgrade on my phone and want the Samsung Tocco. Well actually I want the new IPhone but will have to wait a while. Here it is...

Nice isn't it!

Phew....

Busy again as usual. So many things....the RSPCA has been keeping my busy almost every weekend. Anyway, this weekend, I will have my free wash and blow at the salon that did my hair so nicely-see previous post. I can't wait!! Another day with nice hair!! It's such a story to get my hair to do anything. It has it's own mind-just like some cats! hahahaha!!

I've also made some progress on the Endpapers and am about 2 inches in. Doesn't sound like much but I am concentrating so hard not to knit too tightly all the while following the pattern. But now I keep messing up. I realise that I am just not a colourwork knitter. I can do lace patterns but not colourwork. And the problem is....I LOVE how colourwork turns out! BUMMER! Anyway, it is my bus journey knit so will just keep at it and hopefully finish it some year!
I've also started the Lelah top. I popped down to Stash in Putney last week and bought some yarn. But after I knitted up about an inch, I just didn't like the look of it. Also, I keep sneezing when I knit with it...so will probably keep it for someone else. Instead I bought some Rowan All seasons cotton in a lovely rusty red colour. Inevitably I reached for the black and teal but decided that I should jump the boat a bit and choose something else! I really just have black clothes in my drawer. Not because I'm a goth of some sort, but mainly because it is easiest to wear and dress up with accessories. Anyway, so rustic red it is. I started it last night and looks ok. They suggested quite large needles, but on the 6,5 the lace pattern was lost. So I dropped down to the 5,5 and looks much better. Though I feel like this will be a repeat frogger!!! ribbup ribbup!
Pics to follow...ps...still don't have a camera so excuse the bad quality.

Oh and the bird feeder is almost done! The birds have literally laid into it BIGTIME! They actually queue up-and I don't mean all the same birds...no....all different species of birds. Very facinating! I also encountered another wildlife friend last night...a female stag beetle. She was gorgeous. Very large-as long as my whole thumb and not at all frightened of me. Anyway, she was walking across the path, so I moved her into the garden. I definately don't want some yob squishing her. Apparently they are endangered. So there...did my bit for nature! (Pic to follow too)

Also sent all the socks (see Finally post) off to my family in South Africa and lo and behold...it hasn't arrived. I'm so disappointed. Unfortunately the postal system in South Africa is very corrupt and if Mr Postal Worker thinks there is something nice in a package, he will open it and take it home. Or even take the whole package. I tried to be clever and just wrote knitting on the custom sticker but they must have had a good feel and decided to steal it. DAMN!! I'm really disappointed as I slaved over my father in laws socks for AGES as the pattern was horrible to me....and now they are on someone else's feet. Really really REALLY sad...

Oh...

And I've had to frog the Endpaper mitts. I realised that they were way to tight... :-(
Starting again on larger needles...not happy!

Here birdy birdy!

I always try to feed the birds wherever I live. So on Monday I bought a fat feeder to hang on the balcony. And the birds love it!!! I have a peanut feeder too but it hasn't been that popular. I do see some birds on it but only tiny ones. Well, this new feeder is being attacked by magpies! They love it! It's hilarious to see though. I've hung it on the balcony. The magpies try to get to it and have to hang sideways. But as they are so big, they keep sliding down! Hahahaha!!! I'll check back everyday to see how long it lasts. Here is a picture of it last night.


I've also finished my ninja socks. They are very comfy! Yeah!! And they look so cool! They are the fastest knit and great for a gift. I literally did them in a week and I only knit about and hour every night. Here they are...mmmm...laptop messing about again...I'll try again later.

Oh hasn't left his room since the new Mac arrived. In a way, it's a blessing as I get some quiet time to knit or do whatever. I've also been having trouble with my hip. I had the knee operation in November and seems like it's all related. Your body tries to compensate for damaged bodyparts by overusing other parts. Hence the painful hip. Luckily for me, I work for private physiotherapists. I'll tell you, they sure can hurt a person!!!! Apparently my bum muscles are non existent (explains my african bum) and a tendon in my groin is so tight you can play a song on it!!!! And releasing the damned thing is torture! I have so many exercises that I won't have time for anything else. Hopefully it will transform my african butt into a supermodel butt!!! Whooheee!!

p.s. my friend in Canada has been the best ever. She got me some translations for the Phildar patterns FOR FREE!!! Some company said that she could have it for free-no charge! How fabulous! I can't wait for it to arrive. Then I can finally start on my knits.