Quick and dirty

Work has been fluorescent hell from the moment I came back from vacation on Monday. Frustration level is high, anger level is getting lower.
Haven't had a single second to knit since Sunday. Worked, worked, cried, didn't sleep - lather, rinse, repeat.
It's been bad, really bad. So bad I told my manager I had enough of the company and its people. I think he was somewhat surprised by my outburst of anger and frustration, but it felt good to get things off my chest.
Having a nice cup of tea now and will cuddle up with cats and knitting in a couple of minutes.

On the positive side: we arranged our summer vacation in September, we will venture to our favourite town across the canal again and stay in Edinburgh for slightly more than a week.
I wonder if I get my crochet hook through customs again...my trusted glitter hook from I Knit London. I will buy yarn locally for the flight back, my project at that time will be securely packed in the suitcase - as usual.
Flight and hotel are booked, it only needs to be September. I'm counting the minutes! Knitting and whiskey, what more can I want?

The last thing I finished Sunday night was a little neckscarf out of Perle 5 yarn, a lovely creation by Sassa Lynne. It's been worn already on Monday to the office.



It's nothing special, a really simple design, but it uses up the complete hank and shows the colours beautifully. I have another two hanks, a greenish and a yellowish one and I will be raiding her shop shortly for a new idea, something layered...
One can't have enough hats and one can't have enough things to wear around the neck.

And now I'm off - though not without my song of the day, or better: the chorus I've been belting out for the past thirty minutes in intervals of about two minutes:

'S tu mo Leannan, Leannan o
'S tu mo Leannan, Leannan o
'S tu mo Leannan, 'S tu mo Leannan
'S tu mo Leannan, Leannan o

Exiled

Searching my heart for its true sorrow,
This is the thing I find to be:
That I am weary of words and people,
Sick of the city, wanting the sea;
Wanting the sticky, salty sweetness
Of the strong wind and shattered spray,
Wanting the loud sound and the soft sound
Of the big surf that breaks all day.

Always before about my dooryard,
Marking the reach of the winter sea,
Rooted in sand and dragging driftwood,
Straggled the purple wild sweet pea.
Always I climbed the wave at morning,
Shook the sand from my shoes at night,
That now am caught beneath big buildings,
Stricken with noise, confused with light.

If I could hear the green piles groaning.
Under the windy, wooden piers,
See once again the bobbing barrels,
And the black sticks that fence the weirs;
If I could see the weedy mussels
Crusting the wrecked and rotting hulls,
Hear once again the hungry crying
Overhead, of the wheeling gulls;

Feel once again the shanty straining
Under the turning of the tide,
Fear once again the rising freshet,
Dread the bell in the fog outside,
I should be happy!—that was happy
All day long on the coast of Maine.
I have a need to hold and handle
Shells and anchors and ships again.

I should be happy, that am happy.
Never at all since I came here.
I am too long away from water;
I have a need of water near.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

The weekend is almost over :-(

What have I been up to this weekend?

I coloured my hair blue-black. While it is a rather harsh colour on me I like it in combination with the colourful wardrobe I recently started wearing.



Seen Indiana Jones. I liked the movie, it's simply a well-made action flick and I really don't understand the hooha of Russia's yesterday communists. Who might want to study their own history a bit more closely, yet open mindedly.
No spoilers from me, you have to go and see the movie for yourself. I had a good time, a couple of good laughs and even one scream. You go and figure where!

Knitted. Finished another neckscarf out of Sassalynne's Perle cotton, continued Astrid's Evilla hat (she wrote the pattern, but she won't get the hat ;-)) and started the Cinema sweater. Knitting in the dark with black yarn can only been done blindly. My Crystal Skull with blind eyes sweater. Pink and black, yes ma'am!

Decided that our summer vacation will happen in autumn (September)and will be spend in Edinburgh. I discovered a yarn shop there (k1yarns), we discovered that we still haven't seen everything we wanted to and we are lusting for the wonderful smoothies that one shop up at the Castle could make. So even if it rains...Edinburgh it will be.

Found my access card - which means I have no excuse to not show up tomorrow at the office. What a pity :-(

Following the Phoenix Mars Mission. Though I found the news that Jupiter is growing a third eye a lot more interesting. I'm sorry, Mars, but you are dull compared to Saturn and Jupiter. Still, the astronomy-holic in me is curious.

The day is nearing its end for me, I will knit some more, listen to Schandmaul's latest CD, maybe watch some TV and then have a date with Nyx's son Hypnos and the Oneiroi.

Silver necklaces and pendants

I love wearing things around my neck.
Scarves, scarflettes, necklaces - it doesn't really matter and I often combine.

Today I was wearing my spiral collection and a seahorse pendant my husband got me.
From left to right:
- Newgrange slab inspired necklace, bought in Ireland at Newgrange
- another Irish spiral, bought online
- a Scottish spiral, a Sheila Fleet design after a found in Skara Brae, a place I'd love to visit. I acquired this piece in Edinburgh, Scotland.
- an oxidized copper spiral, bought earlier this year at Elf Fantasy

I also own a copper spiral necklace with matching earrings.

Many of my rings also feature spirals - my wedding ring is a spiral design, next to it I wear a huge spiral (on my pinky).
On my left hand's ring finger I wear a matching spiral ring to the Sheila Fleet pendant, with a spiral/wave ring from Brittany on top of it.
The other rings vary, depending on day and outfit.

I love spirals for a reason I can't explain. They have a certain beauty that speaks to me.

When the mailman rings twice...

..well, this time he only had to ring once as I was at home. Funny, it's the first time we actually met (he commented on that), usually I'm at work and he has to leave the parcels at my neighbour (thanks for that!).

Being a naughty girl (what else is new) I looted Astrid's Dutch Obsession the other day, right about the time a promo was sent out. So I got a surprise from Astrid and within two working days my little treasure bag arrived:



The Gedifra Fiocco Oro family:



The Gedifra Capriola family:


The Gedifra Aldato cousin:


The one member I have no words for, she is the beauty queen:



And no family meeting without the obligatory group shot:

Call is an obsession

"It's been quite a ride. Heavens, his mother was furious when she found out about them. She hoped college would seperate them and put an end to his foolishness. Little did she know! Letters flew backwards and fowards, not a night passed were they wouldn't call one another. "I still believe in you."
Three years, only three years - then she would have her fashion degree and he would start working in his father's company. She touched the necklace he'd given her, then she looked at the ring.
Little did they know..."

Sometimes I love Polyvore!
Time to cuddle up with the needles and a ball of Arabella yarn, this cardigan can be salvaged, I tell you! It's looking great for being 10 year old, though some stains wouldn't come off. Wait until I'm done with it...

Music and knitting

Well, after watching Pretty in Pink about four times in the last two days (and I feel another run for later today - well, call me obsessive, but there IS a craft scene in the movie I adore) I was reminded of a song that perfectly describes me.
Suzanne Vega has been a favourite of mine since Marlene on the Wall and I remember seeing her in concert way back in the 80s.

Left of center

If you want me
You can find me
Left of center
Off of the strip


In the outskirts
In the fringes
In the corner
Out of the grip


When they ask me
"What are you looking at?"
I always answer
"Nothing much" (not much)
I think they know that
I'm looking at them
I think they think
I must be out of touch


But I'm only
In the outskirts
And in the fringes
On the edge
And off the avenue
And if you want me
You can find me
Left of center
Wondering about you


I think that somehow
Somewhere inside of us
We must be similar
If not the same
So I continue
To be wanting you
Left of center
Against the grain


If you want me
You can find me
Left of center
Off of the strip
In the outskirts
In the fringes
In the corner
Out of the grip


When they ask me
"What are you looking at?"
I always answer
"Nothing much" (not much)
I think they know that
I'm looking at them
I think they think
I must be out of touch


But I'm only
In the outskirts
And in the fringes
On the edge
And off the avenue
And if you want me
You can find me
Left of center
Wondering about you
Wondering about you

Pretty in blue

What could be better than watching Pretty in Pink and working on completing a long outstanding WIP - a straight forward garter stitch jacket in bright blue and complementing colours?
There is a cat sleeping behind my computer screen and a mug of tea right next to me.
Two other cats are sleeping somewhere around here as well and I will return to my embroidery - oh, wrong movie ;-)