Life

So, I'm officially 40 now.
Doesn't feel different than 39 so far ;-) And as long as no one expects me to grow up I'm fine with that.

I don't really know if it related to this magical number (why is 40 so special? 18 was special, 21 was special, but 40?), but quite a few things have changed and are changing in my life.

I quit my job after seven years.
I will start a new job in a completely different environment. Until the contract is actually signed I will keep quiet about what it is and why I love it already ;-)

We celebrated the day itself by answering phone calls from all my loved ones!
We had a double appointment at my (or is it "our" now?) hair dresser for cut&colour for two (nothing wrong with a man colouring his hair!).
Before that we had coffee and cake (lime pie for him, nut cake for her) at the best cake and cookie place I know of: Koekela
You have to have cake on your birthday - and 11:30 am is a perfect time for that.
We also got an assortiment of brownies to go and share with the family.
We had a linner (too late for lunch, too early for dinner) at our favourite joint Kiem Foei

I got myself my first ever tattoo:


A Pictish crescent and v-rod as inspiration, design by yours truly.
I have a thing for many things Celtic, Pictish, Scottish, Viking, Saxon...and neolithic. I get bored with Roman and Greek, I love Mesopotamian finds, Egypt is so-so - but anything early medieaval or earlier, especially Northern Europe, makes my heart beat faster.
After having seen Pictish Stones in Edinburgh
and finds from Skara Brae
I knew that my first ever tattoo would be something like this. Celtic spirals have been done to death and it's challenging up to difficult to find something unique.
I wanted clear lines, no shading - one of the things I like about these old designs is the simplicity.

I'm planning the next designs already. Small symbols to add to my crescent and a piece on my upper arm. I see more spirals in my future ;-)


I finished Raspberry Latte:

Yarn: handspun on a top whorle drop spindle

Pattern Storm Cloud Shawlette on Ravelry

Needles: 8mm

I really like the pattern, it's easy to follow and due to the semi-circle it produces the ways of wearing it are endless. Here I'm wearing it like I would wear it underneath a coat.

I have crocheted a centipede:


That was fun! And it's gigantic and lives around my neck sometimes!

And I treated myself to more yarn:
2 hanks of supersoft and cuddly Royal Alpaca in curry They will become an Oscilloscope Shawl
3 balls of Mochi Plus They will become a modified version of Knitty's Tychus

Since I resigned, I find myself more inspired - I have my lust for knitting, reading and cooking back. And I'm actually getting stuff finished and done - even more long overdue Merino tunica is all oversudden growing and loved again.

40 - not bad at all.