Because I'm a sister...

It's my little sister's birthday in about two weeks. Little means two years younger, but taller than me. We look totally different - she has dark long hair, something she got from our Mom. I have my Dad's eyes and hair, though have a striking resemblance with my Mom.



We live in different countries and don't see each other very much. But when we do it's usually fun.
We can fight like dogs, though.
We both have wonderful husbands, who get along as well.
I have totally weird parents and grew up all over the place, but at the end of the day I love my family for what they are. None of us is easy to live with, we are quite some characters, but one thing is for sure: we stick together when times get rough!

My sister...I won't see her on her birthday, but the weekend after. The whole family will gather at her place. For us, it's going to be at least a 4 hours journey after work on Friday evening, with a noon departure on Sunday.

I'm buying presents now. I got her a Halloween candle in Edinburgh - she likes decorating for the seasons.
To go with that I got her a pendant, made by Oliviamoon


I'm the more frilly person - you know, lace, artsy, beads...
she is a more down to earth, no nonsense person.
She is also going to get this from me, made by LTCreatesJewelry:

I think it's going to suit her style very well.

The present will also include her and her husband's favourite snack from here, an audiobook for her to fall asleep to and who knows what else I can come up with.
Oh, yes, some gardening stuff - she will be moving and getting a little garden. Tulips! Garden gloves! Yes! A present in a bucket!

Since I was raiding Etsy again I got myself this:

High Tea Spoon by yipestoo
Yep, that's what Scotland does to you ;-) It will go perfectly with my "Scottish" perfumes I got from all over the place. Like Glasgow from BPAL, Stormy Nights from You Stink Soap and some others. I love me my perfume oils...

Oh, and it demonstrates very nicely the difference between my sister and me, don't you think? Though I would wear this pendant myself as well and have similar items. But my heart is playfully creative.

Some mineral eyeshadow in purple and pink leather from sassygraceboutique and again more lovely yarn from Sassa Lynne. All for my shawl, a long work in progress and perfect for travelling by train.

Currently knitting a cropped sweater out of Debbie Bliss Soho in purple-grey yarn. Waiting for more to arrive and being made into a long vest. Need to get some matching ribbon yarn somewhere, but that has time. After this vest Versatility will be cast on.

Time to crawl between the sheets and surround myself with cats. Tomorrow is the last day off, Monday will find me (grumpily) in the office again. And that is something I still don't look forward to, though I do feel better after three weeks of vacation. A burnout doesn't go away over night and it's babysteps I take, but I feel the progress. But without help this journey would be impossible and I'm glad I'm getting the support I need to find myself and my mojo back.

And off we go....

Tea and knitting

I should probably rename this blog into something similar, seeing that coffee for me is now a treat and I drink more tea than ever. The coffee around here is appalling and has a certain similarity to tar, so when I can get GOOD coffee I get it, otherwise it's tea.
At the moment it's a blend called Greene Cappucchino and simply delicious. Got it at Castle Fest and it's almost gone now.

We went out to get a new ironing board and some tea strainers (I call them tea strippers, stemming from a misunderstanding at the Elephant House..."Did you just say tea stripper?") and a Turkish cookbook.
With a husband who can't eat meat or fish, peas or any kind of beans (including soja) things are getting interesting in the kitchen. I found this book at our local Turkish fruit and vegetable shop, regularly frequented by us because of the variety and freshness. It has a lot of yummy recipies with and without meat, which often can be ommitted. There is an eggplant dish I'm eyeing...
My husband has a kidney condition, causing his body to get too sour and producing stones. It could also cause gout.
When he got diagnosed the doctors told him that nothing could be done food-wise...yeah, right! A little research and we found lots of information. And it works, his pH is fairly balanced and we can see it tip to the bad side when he eats meat or drinks alcohol in larger quantities and regularly.
And a happy husbands makes a happy me! :-)

The weather has turned into this grey, but not cold autumn weather I don't appreciate. It's a neither-nor weather...spending the afternoons knitting.
I got my first Noro, the Kureon sock yarn whilst in Edinburgh and started a neckwarmer. Honestly, I don't know what the hype about Noro is. The colour combination I got is really nice, but the yarn feels like twine and its thick-thin consistency makes it difficult to work with on smaller needle sizes.
I'm knitting the Pudorosa neckwarmer out of it, the lace part was done on 3,5mm needles, the neck part is done on 2,5mm needles. I like the smaller size better.
I will have plenty of yarn left and consider a matching pair of fingerless gloves. Mrs Beeton seems to fit the bill nicely.

Once done I will start my first ever KAL: Versatility! I adore the pattern, but as usual will adjust it. I'm not a bobbles person, it makes me look even wider than I already am, so off with them!

And this is a picture of three recently knitted items combined:



A purple sweater and a black-silver vest have been teamed up with The Sidhe are having a party (beret), The Sidhe are covering up (shawl) and My secret garden (neckscarf), a brooch made out of a spoon and matching earrings (purchased in Helsinki a couple of years ago and absolutely loved by me). Also wearing my purple leather purse (so seventies and so practical). With this neither-nor weather I prefer a shawl over a coat or jacket and will have to make more. Something tells me that the new office will be rather nippy in winter, I'm sitting right next to a window front, with the heaters at my feet. Combined with an airco system this is going to be interesting. Layering is key, I tell you.

Today's outfit is my interpretation of the movie Ladies in Lavender. We saw this in Edinburgh on TV back in the B&B one night...
A perfect movie to knit to.

And now off to more knitting and tea. Slainte, my friends.

I am (Queensryche)

It's Monday and I'm having this week off!
We met with the father in law and I presented myself to the world dresses like this:



Shirt: Miss Etam
Skirt: C&A, size 54 (EU)
Trousers: C&A size 54 (EU)
Shoes: not worn, later Birkenstocks size 38
Pendant: Plumevine on Etsy
Bracelet: a scrunchy. Yes, as in hair scrunchy. Makes great accessoire!
Perfume: Rainbow Serpent by Mythos Mixtures
Hair: Kinki Kappers by Kai, a bubbly lovely lady! Little boy meets pixie. Blowdried in 30 seconds flat and some Fudge Fat Hed ruffled through - ready in 5 minutes. Love it to bits and pieces
Weather: cloudy with sunny intervals, chilly in the morning and lovely during the day


And some knitting has been done was well while I was in Edinburgh! I still need to weave in the ends, but I have a lovely and warm shawl, matching The Sidhe are having a Party I made some time ago!


And yes, that's part of our living room.

A lot of change is happening, most of it inside me. I'm happy with certain decisions I made and I'm trying to change my attitude towards certain parts of my life I don't have influence of or can't change. The therapy is showing its first signs of working and I rediscover me and the world. Now I have started to redesign my surroundings and return to parts I missed and won't life without.
Things can be a lot simpler than they seem and than we make them.

And this one sums me up quite accurate:





You Scored as Zoroastrian Pagan

The Zoroastrian Pagan is a rare breed who follows the teachings of Zoroaster, the religious reformer. He believed that there were no gods, and it was naive to put faith in them and give them names. What one should focus on is merely serving one side of the cosmic duality; work on good or light deeds, and the world would become more good or light. Pagans of this variety are rare, but often feel like they get more done without the hassle and clutter of pantheons and gods. They're smart, analytical, and occationally cynical.

I am a star

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

All the laundry is done and a lot of ironing needs to be done. But not tonight!
Tomorrow we team up with my father in law to go grocery shopping, Tuesday will find us in one of the two capitals this country has, where we will raid the LUSH shop and cause general chaos and mayhem.

Tonight I'm mellow and not moving much. Tea, audiobook and lace knitting is what the witch doctor ordered.

Honey, I'm home!

We are back! London trip is cancelled - due to the fire in the tunnel earlier this month our train is actually cancelled and we are making use of the good weather here and will have a great last week around here. Today was spent getting this grown out and decoloured mop cut back into shape. Actually very little cutting and only a great colour this time.


Edinburgh was great! I miss it already. I miss the tea we got at Elephant House, I miss sitting and knitting in public places.



I wasn't the only one, mind you:

Meet Heather MacMahon! Her accent is barely understandable for us non-Scots ;-)

I bought Rowan yarn in dusty purples and pinks at Jenners and John Lewis and my first Noro and Manos del Uruguay Classica Paris. The Kureon Sock yarn is already being worked into a neckwarmer.

I miss Fabhatrix and Armstrong. This place has to be seen to believe it! I bought two aprons I plan to combine with trousers and blouses and WEAR TO WORK.





We both got hats at Fabhatrix and if I wouldn't have already a crush on him I would so crush on my husband all over again. He looks swell!





I ADORE the wee man brooch I got. I can't remember the artist for the life of me, something with hippie and stitch.

We walked like the proverbial mad men! We went to the Royal Botanic Garden and had a blast with the squirrels!


And look at these flowers!





The best things in life are for free - and so was the admission to the National Museum! As usual I ditched anything popular (I mean - if you have seen one Roman ruin you have seen them all. Sort of.) and was mainly found in Scottish History before the forementioned Romans, gazing at the Pictish stones and then downstairs at findings from around 3000BC - Skara Brae and other neolithic places.



I have plenty more - but my personal favourite is this:


It's not retouched by any means. I love this tree - would you believe it's standing in the gardens by the castle that was Hogwarts?

The best things cannot be retold. The stories we heard. For any strange reason, strange little me attracts elderly folks and we got to hear a lot of stories... from a former sailor, now 77 years old, a 91 year old lady on the quest to buy a trolley and resting on the bench next to me, a blind gentleman on the bus, who wanted to know everything about the land we came from and introduced me to his guide dog...and so many more.
Meeting the artist who made the flower brooch I attached to my felt hat.
Discovering K1.
Seeing the Registration office being dressed up for a movie shot - a scene from sometime in the 30s I'd say by the cars and the bobby, but we had to venture on, so I don't know what movie was shot.

I could have stayed.
I got offered a job. Part time only...but a job.

One day....
And only if I can bring the cats! Pooka totally lost it last night, she was so happy to see us back. Silly and she were fighting over us. They have been thoroughly cuddles, fed and brushed and then cuddled some more.

Is 11pm too late for tea?

Almost!

Almost on vacation! I have three working days left - I have Wednesday off on Doctor's orders (will be evaluated after the vacation in October) and a team dinner tomorrow night! Not my normal team, but the guys from the emergency unit shutdown three weeks ago. It's going to be fun to meet the faces to the voices that called me out of bed Saturday morning at a quarter to two ;-)
Nothing posh, but I appreciate the gesture a lot.

Before I start daydreaming "with the heart of a Lothian" - I finished my last Knitting in Public Transport project, a cotton neckscarf made out of Sassa Lynne's wonderful dyed yarn. I love the colours, they look great with purple, pink, blue and spice up black and grey as well! Finished it yesterday and wore it today!



Okay - vacation!
We will start off in Edinburgh, with some travel direction Northumberland and up to Glasgow planned. High chance of rainy weather, but nothing Docs and a raincoat can't solve. A concert (Paul McKenna Band) is also planned. Hoping to run into Tim again...
Botanic Gardens! Sheila Fleet! Tea and haggis! Yummy! Really!

We will then come home for a couple of days, do the laundry and get myself to the hairdresser (thinking loud and hard of this, though not in blond:

before taking the train (yes, train) to Brussels, then to London. The thought of the tunnel makes me quiver, but the thought of flying again makes me sick. I can swim better than I can fly and flying scares me. Well, as long as it doesn't take off, land or flies a curve I'm fine. Cute and cuddly, lads, cute and cuddly!

Edinburgh is by plane...but the next time I will take the train from London to Scotland - it might take longer and be more expensive, but the view of the landscape and the comfort are worth it! I love train rides! I could tell stories...of the journey to Greece (three days in the train), the two lovely ladies we met on the way to Bray, Ireland, the various rides to destinations in Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands...

London - Forbidden Planet is calling and the last time we were there we discovered Neal's yard and a bead shop somewhere there. Oh, Edinburgh has a nice one, too. And so does Haddington.

Will visit K1yarns in Edinburgh and hopefully I Knit in London. The goal is to only buy very special yarn, something I can't get around here or not as easily. Tili Tomas is high on my wishlist and something handspun/dyed. Which will be turned into neckwear or headwear. And knitting magazines!

Forbidden Planet in London and Coda (great Folk CD shop - I LOVE folk, especially anything Celtic (and no, not the Dubliners, thankyouverymuch) and British. Think Oysterband, Dervish, Omnia, Faun, Cecile Corbel, Shooglenifty...) in Edinburgh are dangerous locations for wallet and credit card, should I have any savings left I'm going to get myself a Couture Bubble Wrap (oh yes) and maybe some earrings. Something big and dangling...in silver...oh yes.

What is the worst place a knitter can cut herself?
Top of her right index finger...blimey, I'm knitting lace on 2.5mm needles and keep poking this one spot. Tried switching projects - knitting tweed lace on 4.0mm needles. And yes, bingo, found the spot again. Argh!

Tea time! Time to wind down, scrub face and teeth, cuddle the cats and pester the husband! In exactly that order!