Isn't it weird...

...how the mind works..
Sitting here working on my assignment, my mind unconsciously drifts towards our whole visa situation. And suddenly you find yourself looking the world around you through different eyes and I realise the following:

Things that I will miss in the UK:
*My best friend!
*Public transport
*Availability of yarn
*Beautiful buildings
*Wimbledon common
*Cosmetics in every brand you can think of
*Clothing in every brand you can think of
*Summer in London (when it's around, that it!)
*Quaker Oats
*Ikea(!!!!!!!)
*Nice chocolate

And things that I won't miss:
*Miserable weather
*The District line - especially in summer ( and it's equivalent the 93 bus)
*My work
*Definitely the Home Office!
*Chavs
*Crap Friday night tv

Still, even though there are things that I won't miss, I still feel like I will miss ALL of it! The good and bad. And the ability to moan about the bad and laugh about the good. It still feels unreal that we have to pack up and leave. Tonight will be the first viewing for the flat! :-( And we really loved this place.
The rockstar is intent on throwing most of our stuff away or selling. He'd better not eye my yarn!! That's going with me! I've already increased my sock yarn stash! BOOHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Still there is still hope for another development but it's still too soon to say...

Oh and I've dyed my hair back to brown. I had a terrible regrowth that would drive a hair stylist to tears but I refused to pay £90 just for a roots touch up! HONESTLY!!! It's only like 2 inches of hair!!!! I should add extortionate salon prices to my bad list!
Good old £4 box of hair colour from Boots and I'm a brilliant brunette again! WHOO!

OK I'm positively shaking from hunger...no really..I'm shaking..so I'm signing off.

Say gello to my leetle friends...

These guys came to visit yesterday....







And the sunset later that night...

Norman Family Aghan update

I've completed another 2 squares on the afghan-square 4 and 5.
Pictures here..




It's coming along nicely. I'm definitely happy with square 5. My tension is getting a lot better and the stitches are even-well, even enough for me to be happy in any case!
I've still not done much on my assignment. I've been too sidetracked by the visa situation. But hand-in is a week away so I will have to do some serious research from today. There may be some new developments for us but it's far too early to tell you lot about it...so you'll have to hang about a bit longer.


Anyway, here's a good example of the day to day weather changes in London.
Last night was a beautiful evening in Wimbledon...


And here is what we woke up to this morning...

What a difference!
I saw this awesome spiderweb on the balcony.

Thank yous

Just a quick one to thank everyone who has replied/ sent a message on Ravelry. I guess that's the great thing about Ravelry...just when you think you are alone, you realise that everyone is right there! The rockstar's employer may have found an alternative but it is still just an idea. And even if the 'idea' materializes, we would still need to go to SA for the interim. Anyway, thanks again everyone! ((hugs))

ps...got absolutely bugger all done on my assignment today. Shit!! I only have a week left and an empty assignment....gotta get it together FAST!

Bad news continued...

So bad news have been confirmed. We have to move back to South Africa in the next two months. :-((
This week has been a week of soooper emotions...sad, cross, rattled.....
Thanks to Her Majesty's home office, we are deemed not clever enough to join society in the UK. Our visa has been turned down and we have no other options left but to return to SA. We originally left to better ourselves and find a better life. Living in South Africa has it's advantages such as weather and space, but crime and work prospects were definitely not an up. We have been so unhappy and uncertain the past week. Just the thought of leaving our home of 6 years and all my friends, including my best friend, behind is just too much. That's not even thinking of packing up a house, shipping and all the other nonsense that goes with moving internationally. I'm trying to keep things together as I still have an assignment to complete for uni. Thankfully, it's my last one so I won't be losing out on my degree though I'll miss out on the graduation ceremony.
Oh well....all things considered, we had a great time in the UK and will miss it sorely. We've considered it our home and made every effort to integrate ourselves into society. Unfortunately the South African name is blighted by individuals who take the immigration system for a ride and so we were dealt with accordingly.

On the bright side, we get to see family again and will go back in high summer. I'm not going to stop blogging or knitting though!!!!! NEVER!

Anyway, on to happier things...

A friend had her birthday on Tuesday and I made some very speedy Fetching as a gift. I have to say, these are super fast to knit and really easy. Even the rockstar wants a pair-though I'm not sure he will need them in SA (it's just too hot!)



I've also finished off my handwarmers by adding some felt leaves. The colouring of the yarn made me think of leaves changing colour just before winter comes.
I also finished up Hello Kitty by adding some whiskers, a red felt heart and some seaming on her jeans. She's so gorgeous!!





I've also finished another square for my afghan-sorry no pics yet. Continental is ok. I'm still struggling with my gauge but will keep plugging on. It's still early on so I'm sure it will sort itself out.

So over and out for now....

Good news

I've passed another two subjects at uni, so I am literally on the home stretch. My final assignment is examining contemporary development in the business environment, focussing on British Airways. Pah...I'm tired already and haven't done NEARLY enough...plus we are moving office as of tomorrow so this week will be a loooooooong and hard one...

Bad news

Isn't it strange how people handle bad news in different ways? We got some bad news...life changing news in fact. Weirdly enough, I took it quite well. I think that secretly I was expecting it. The rockstar, on the other hand, went from disappointment to wondering why to red fury. Unfortunately it's not something that we can do anything about. We gotta take it lying down. Oh well......
I'm working on my last assignment for uni so am trying to concentrate and not get distracted by this. I just need to pass this final one. Hold thumbs...

Call an ambulance!

This weekend I did the unthinkable...I burnt my fingers! Which meant no knitting!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! I pretty much erased my fingerprints on all but one finger on the left hand, leaving lovely blisters. So how did I do it, I hear you ask? Well, I was helping a friend at a corporate event, running food to and from the kitchen/ marquee. Someone had just taken a metal dish containing chicken from the grill, where it was keeping warm, and placed it on the counter. And I, stupidly, tried to pick it up. It didn't hurt really. I just realised that I suddenly wasn't feeling anything in my fingers?! And let go. Then realied, WHOA! HOT HOT HOT! Quickly doused my hand under cold water. But 2 hours later I was still in agony. It just wouldn't stop burning. Of course it doesn't help that I carried on working, serving food to 300 people, trying not to cry out loud...'one or two pieces of chicken, sir?'
Anyway, 2 sambuca shots didn't stop the pain, neither did some ibuprofen, at which stage I was starting to zing!
I was sent home.
Anyway, I think that I've recovered fairly well. My fingers don't hurt anymore. They just feel like I have plasters on them-kinda dead to the touch. But I'm sure that will go away as soon as the skin comes off.
So....knitting was out of the question and I turned to crochet. I'm busy with some amigurumi-Hello Kitty to be exact! I LOVE HELLO KITTY!!!

One day I'll go to Hello Kitty land...one day.....

Anyway, last week I finished some hand warmers from my Iknit day yarn. I used my own made up pattern of k2p2 all the way, with a small thumb. I just have to weave in some end but here they are...


Their exactly what I wanted-something basic. I left with a whole bunch of yarn though so will have to have a think about what I want to do with it.

And here is my lunch for today....mmm...bento.....

I ain't dead...

...just working too hard. Well, seeing as I haven't blogged for some time, this will probably be quite a long one. Last week was Iknit London day with the Yarn Harlot. I went along with the rest of the gals of the Wandsworth knitting group on the Saturday. Oh what fun! When we arrived there was a queue pretty much around the block consisting of ladies of all shapes and sizes-and a few men too.

Once inside after getting properly wet thanks to London weather, we were greeted with a ton of stalls bearing yarns and assorted. There were so many charity knit projects on display and some were actually quite good...such as....
Ingrid Wagner with her giant knitting needles.
Myself, Amy and Louise all had a go on some smaller versions..

The knitted sheep and cupboard.....


Later the afternoon there was a great vintage knits fashion show and I must admit, for someone that tends to prefer modern items, many of the vintage knits were absolutely FAB! I can't wait for the accompanying book to come out. I can definitely see myself making many nice things from it.
Here are few pics of the show including some dapper gentlemen enjoying a cuppa...





I especially like the red balloon sleeve top..mmm....

And finally the day was finished off by a classically funny talk by the famous Yarn Harlot!! I must admit, she was hilarious!!
At the presentation, I saw the following....
A man knitting socks, CONTINENTAL STYLE!!!! I was in awe...and he was wearing hand knit socks too!

A spinner...

And a whole row of knitters...


Phew....I'm tired now...

More sunsets...

Sunset...

The Norman Family Afghan

I think that I've finally figured out continental knitting for my 'Learn to knit afghan'. Though purling is still a bit strange, I can do it-though not that fast. I think my gauge is also ok. I'm definitely looser on purl than knit. But I'm sure that is something that will sort itself out as I progress through the different squares. I'm currently on the 4th square which is a moss stitch with weave pattern. None of the squares have so far been difficult. I could probably in all honesty knit the whole afghan 'english' style with no problems. But I really wanted to knit continental.
Anyway, proof of squares 1,2 and 3




But for now, the afghan will have to wait. Innocent Smoothies have started their Big Knit 2008. Innocent has asked for knitted hats (with handy patterns provided on their website). Their smoothies are sold wearing these little hats. For every little hat sold, they donate 50p to Age Concern who provide heat, food and blankets to the elderly in winter.I really think that this is a very successful and worthwhile campaign and so am hoping to support them again this year. If you are interested in knitting some hats, use their patterns provided or do your own thing( as long as they fit on a smoothie bottle) and send them on to:
The Big Knit
Fruit Towers
1 The Goldhawk Estate
Brackenbury Road
London
W6 0BA
Before 17 October 2008. Oh and don't forget to include your name, address and number of hats included. Whoo!!