Paparazzi - the natural way

We got a new toy to play with - a digital SLR (Canon EOS 1000D for the curious), and it has been such a lot of fun! First I read the manual about apertures, shutter speeds (ISOs?) and depth of field.

Then I snapped the cat and took what I think is my favourite picture of all time. The detail in his cute little face if you look at the Flickr version is amazing! He looks so peacefully you'd believe he was sound asleep ... which he wasn't. He was closing his eyes to try and avoid the pain of yet more flashes going off in his face. (Just kidding ... or am I?)


Then I snapped my knitting, and played with depth of field on a yummy skein of Old Maiden Aunt cashmere (I wasn't very good at it).


Then we went out 'in the field' for some of nature's paparazzi fun. I promptly forgot all about apertures and the like, and took all of the photos below with the auto settings/focus. The camera makes a great kat-shh noise - even if they added that noise in, I wouldn't care! I feel like a real photographer.


The Kelvingrove Heron (the new one - s/he seems to have scared the regular Heron away). I got really close (we are still waiting for our telephoto lens to arrive) ...


... too close in fact, and scared him away.



Then I pointed and shot at the trees, and got some rather good (if blurry) pics of blue tits and squirrels.



And lastly, a couple of kissing pigeons framed by a triangle of branches.

(They all look better when biggened on Flickr)

tumbleweeds

The never-ending scarf continues. I could put up yet another pic of the same scarf, but really ... as beautiful as it is, I think you've got the jist!

Our router little green light changed to a red light for some inexeplicable reason on Thursday. Who'd have thought such a small light could bring so much sadness? Rang my dad and went through reinstalling router, resetting router, changing all leads and bits for other leads and bits. Restarted computer about a bazillion times. No joy. Without the internet my lovely expensive laptop became nought but a worthless rectangle of metal and plastic.

Phone Tiscali's technical help to get told the line is fine and that is the full extent of their technical help ... visit PC World's techical help who look at (and don't touch) router and tell me it's broken and point to where the fresh new ones are. *Sigh*

I nearly wept when that little green light finally went on again 56 hours later. It's amazing just how much we use the internet for every little thing these days. We were going out for a meal on Saturday somewhere in Edinburgh and couldn't logon to get the postcode for the satnav. I had eBay things selling that had ended on Friday night, so had to get my dad to read out all the addresses of what had sold over the phone. And most importantly, I couldn't get onto Warcraft!!

We also had some fun with the washing machine *crackle* bang ... wait for the washing machine guy to come out on Saturday to tell us the motor's gone and it's flatlined. (He's so lovely, he didn't even charge us for the callout!)

Of course we couldn't get on the internet to check out which machine we should buy to replace it (The boy and I discovered that we can't make an expensive consumer move anymore without checking loads of consumer feedback websites)

Then I rave on about getting a Dyson rollerball hoover, and the next day smoke starts curling out of our (crappy) existing hoover. Boy doesn't believe I haven't sabotaged it in some way ... *pleads innocence*

Dad helpfully tells me how to fix it a few days later (bugger!)

My chores in the house include hoovering and doing washing, and my main distraction in Warcraft. Do you think that cosmic forces were at work to make me finish the never-ending scarf or what?

Beads n' yarn n' stuff

Lots of crafty fun this weekend - we had a bead meetup to sample the delights of the Bead Company in the west end (next to the new Tesco on Dumbarton Road) It was ... overwhelming! There were 2 floors of beads of every kind, and we spent a l-o-n-g time in there. I bought lots of fun beads to make stretchy bracelets.


I especially love the apple-y bracelet I made - it's so Sanrio! There was an incident, when I learned the strength of super glue and had a bit of cardboard stuck to my finger for a few hours...


Before the bead-fest I did a dash around the SECC who were hosting Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft - I'm so lucky to live in Glasgow so that I can do this kind of thing on a whim. I made it round in less than an hour - slowed only by the fact that I shouldn't be spending money when I'm trying to save for my web designer classes.

Bought some yummy Sublime Angora Merino - 6 balls for only £1.99 a ball, and 10 balls of Debbie Bliss Soho for only £19.99! I'm not so sure about the Debbie Bliss - yarn fumes may have factored here!

I usually avoid her stuff as I find it pilly - although the colours are stunning. Hoping that the Soho won't go that way. Hmm... maybe I'll check Ravelry to see...

.
.
.
.

I'm back! No mention of pilling, but a few 'this is scratchy' comments, so guess it won't be a scarf then. Although I think I have a higher tolerance of scratchy yarns.



I also succumbed to Old Maiden Aunt's buttony hat kit - which is literally drool-soft and squooshy. Really love the red buttons too - Chosen by Karie and a great choice! Can't wait to cast on ... in fact, with the never-ending blue scarf being the only thing I am knitting at the moment, I'm pretty much lusting after every other project there is right now.

Julia at my knitting group suggested only casting something on once three things have been cast off. This seems like a good solution to me. Others felt that as it is a hobby, I should enjoy myself and cast on and knit whatever I fancy. I fear with me this would just result in a mass of 50-odd guilty WIPs, and none of the satisfaction of finished objects.

I enjoy knitting but I love finished objects too - and have been thinking of all my WIPs and getting re-excited for having them done.


And some more fabby knitting -but I can't take the credit for these. A gorgeous pair of Fair Isle armwarmers arrived in the post yesterday, knitted by my Granny. I love them! It was a real surprise, and now I'm a knitter I can appreciate the hard work that has gone into them. Thank you granny! :D

That's me for now - I've got a bag of Pick 'n Mix, a never-ending scarf and Desperate Housewives waiting for me on Sky Plus.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ...

... I dunno, gotta put something in the title section. It's been a long Monday, and I couldn't upload yesterday cos Flickr had 'hiccups' - which is funny the first time, but not after you've hit refresh 900 sodding times.

Anyhoo - I made pancakes last week - not for Shrove Tuesday, as I have knitting group that night. More of a pancake sunday really.


Remembered that we forgot to buy a special pancake turning device - like the fish slice thing, but bendier - last year and vowed once again to buy one so that next years pancakes will be easier to flip. (No, I can't just flip it - pancake making is stressful for me, and I'm not wasting it by sticking it to the ceiling!)



Yum!


We are also getting into the spirit of spring (I realise the weather is forecast for heavy snow tomorrow - I am in denial) and started meddling in the garden. We built ourselves a dead wood pile. I'm pretty sure that the neighbours think we're bat sh*t crazy, but *meh* we want bugs 'n beetles n' things so that the birds come more.

It was a long dark few months after coming home one evening to some feathers on the ground, and zero birds after that. Local cats I think.

We built a much higher, safer bird feeder, put multiple tasty treats on it, and waited. Tossed out loads of snow-laden damp uneaten food. And waited. And waited some more. And finally, this weekend were rewarded with the return of the sparrows!

Also a pair of cheeky starlings who made off with their own weight of fat-cake ... they cost us a lot in bird food. Surely they can get their fill of food from the Asda carpark along with the rest of their kin muching on crisps and Doritos?



I was desperate for some flowery colour, so we bought some primroses, mini-daffodils, crocuses and roses. I know - a true gardner's plant - I think we'll probably kill it, or infest the neighbours' roses with some rose-killing disease by accident... anyone with any rose-living tips/links please leave them in the comments.


We've also been walking around Kelvingrove Park in the mornings before work in the past week and came across what looks like a guerilla knitting project ... different coloured yarn tied to branches all over the park - could this be for birds nests? Does anyone know anything about this?

Tried to Google and found nothing... I'm so curious!




On the knitting front, the never-ending lace stocking stitch scarf continues to grow 1 mm for every 10 hours of knitting. I'm going to my knitting group tomorrow night and I shall not moan about it, just knit on, zen-like and calm in the face of lacey-adversity*

Bye for now!

*Disclaimer: this blogger cannot be held liable for emotional distress to surrounding knitters, should her zen-like state crumble and descend into a whinge-fest...

yawn ... *stretch*

Yawn ... yep, I've been in hibernation for quite some time! Think I'd like to stay under the duvet for another couple of months but thought I'd better show my face around here, before I had no readers anymore.


So, what have I been up to? Well, some haggis to keep out the cold - and it was the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns this year. If you haven't tried it - it's yummy and a great winter staple (and if you're a bit squeamish most shop-bought haggis isn't wrapped in a sheeps stomach anymore)!


It finally finally snowed 'proper' in Glasgow (it was deeper than this) after many years of waiting. The last good snow I remember was the winter of 1995/96, when we came back to student digs to find the water pipes had froze and burst, flooding everywhere, and filling the place with delightful (and some not so delightful) firemen.

Growing up in warmer lands, I am totally excited by snow - I love it!! Once, about 3 years ago, we woke up on a Sunday in March to find about a foot had dropped unexpectedly overnight. It was all gone by Monday, but for Sunday it was great. Everything was so quiet and people were out on the streets. We walked to the supermarket as we couldn't get the car out - it happens so rarely here that tyre chains, snow shovels and the like just aren't needed.


I took this shot of the birds on the frozen pond in Queen's Park - we stood hand in hand at the edge and watched the local neds skittering Buckfast bottles across the pond, and then slowly making their way over to retrieve them. I wasn't crossing my fingers and muttering 'please fall in' at all...


And we did a bit of birdwatching too. This was at Vane Farm.


On the knitting front, I've been making good progress with another version of Under the Hoodie, this time with some New Lanark yarn and my first attempt at colourwork, making up the Horde logo from World of Warcraft. It's going quite well I think.

Although I haven't been spending ALL my time away from this blog in Azeroth gaming. I have also been having a mid-life crisis of sorts. I had a seminar thingy for my work held at the Glasgow School of Art - which is where I studied Graphic Design. This led to a bit of a 'what the hell am I doing with my life, working in a law library!?!?!!? So after a wee wibble about this, I pounced on what I think I want to do with my life; web development and web design.

Now I'm busy figuring out software needs, courses, possible volunteer work etc. etc. to figure out if freelancing this could lead to a bit of life satisfaction. Not that I'm unhappy - but I feel I'd like to be more creative - and also extra money would be nice! More yarn and all that!


I've also been crocheting a bit - this is the fault of my knitting group. As if I don't have enough (at least 8) projects on the go already, they've decided that we should have a crochet appreciation meet this Tuesday. I can hear them saying 'nobody forced you into casting on something else Elaine, this is a voluntary thing'. Honestly, the mere suggestion of a new thing to try and I'm right there. I wish I could be more project monogomous, but it's just not in my dna!


So that's me for now. Promise I won't leave so long again!

Festiveness

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

This was my favourite picture of the year - taken by the boy, during the Olympics, as I tried to finish Honeycomb Vest before the Olympic torch was extinguished.

I'm still here ...

... but I'm spending all my time in Azeroth - it's not addictive, not a bit ...

In the meantime, the Women's Institute is conducting a survey on violence against women - it'll take about 15 minutes to do - if you're female, click here to take part

oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!

I'm having a yarn-gasm! Due to the fact that there is no daylight anymore in Glasgow for the rest of the autumn & winter the photos just can't illustrate the extreme softness and beauty of this yarn. The girls at my knitty meetup had a good feel though, and they can back up my claims of yarny heaven, I'm sure!


The pattern is Leaf Lace scarf, by Ann Budd. Rav says it was from Interweave Knits Spring 2000, but I got it in a later Interweave scarf pullout booklet. It's a great knit because the lace is simple enough to do while watching the tv, it goes fast, and you can't get further than a few stitches without being made aware of any mistakes that have been made, so there's no need for lifelines really.


I also got a hot tip at last week's knitting meetup to folksy.com - the UK etsy. I went straight on and bought exactly the same item, because it's just too cool. A project bag from Plain Jane Textiles - so well made, and with a lovely personal touch.


I'm sitting here this evening updating my blog to the sound of about a million fireworks. It's been quite a good day - spent my day at work (in an academic library) updating the "US Elections" display with the happy news. Whether it was the complete media overload of the election I don't know, but the mood today has been quite infectious - even though it isn't our election. A general sense of excitement and relief that a new improved time may be on the horizon, which will hopefully impact positively upon us all.

Ooh, bang! whizz! I love Bonfire Night in Glasgow. There's so many fireworks displays; big 'proper' ones in the city, smaller 'proper' ones in the parks around Glasgow, and tiny ones in people's gardens. From our flat we can see across the fireworks and smoke covering the whole city.

Unfortunately the cat is now utterly terrified of all the noise and banging. This time last year he watched the fireworks from the window with me, but in the Spring some wanna-be nedlets thought it would be hilarious to throw mudbombs at our windows while he was napping on the ledge. It gave him such a fright, and he's lost his nerve ever since.


We also went to the Necropolis at the weekend for a wee wander - and got some pretty shots. This was about 4 o'clock when the sun was just starting to set. We hoped to see some deer, but it wasn't really the right time of day. A sparrowhawk nearly crashed into us though!

The gravestones and tombs were really ... wow. You can tell this is the final resting place of richest members of Glasgow, and the view up there is amazing.

I just can't stop ...

Despite the fact that it has rained for 40 days and 40 nights, we decided to go to Lochwinnoch today. M&S had a deal on roast chicken, tatties and apple pie so we felt the best way to appreciate a yummy Sunday roast was to precede it with a bracing walk in some sleety rain.

It rained worse yesterday so as you can see above, the last part of the trail was abruptly shortened by a wee flood...


One of the resident Herons looked quite content with the weather though.


This is me outside one of the hides. You can see that it's standing in water, where usually it's standing on land ... It was a rare 5 seconds when it stopped raining and the sun came out - I didn't have time to take down my hood before it darkened and the rains began once more.


More flooding - I had a great plan to take some 'action' shots of Garter Stitch Mitts IV, but it was so cold that there was no way my hands were coming out of the thick fleeced-lined (and shop bought!) mittens. All the shots are curtesy of the boy, as mittens this big render any attempt to use my hands pointless.


So instead, here's a couple of shots; one from the watch point in the RSPB reserve, and one at home. The yarn is from the Teoshandspun in Skye. A handspun, handyed pure silk that it so loverly! I modded the dk garter stitch mitts pattern for this aran-chunky weight yarn, using 4.5mm needles to get a good dense cosy fabric. I'm very pleased with them.