Life
There may be those among you who recognise this title as a Barenaked Ladies song. But it sums up how I feel today.
Sleep is vastly overrated. It's 25 to midnight, and I'm here, after having looked up the address of my nearest Argos Extra (need to get a light for the bathroom), and trying to work out if I'm hungry or not.
I've just gone for a couple of bourbon creams - that's better.
Life is crashing around me at the moment, not in a negative way, just in a busy one. Off on hols in two days, so I'm stressing trying to get everything done. We're having a new bathroom put in while we're away, so I'm stressing about the prep work we need to do for that. Then the day after we come back, I have an interview for a new job. These are all lovely things, but lovely can still be stressed, especially when you add to that the fact that the cat is going into a cattery for the first time since she's been with us - will she revert to psycho type on her return?
Plus, if I get this new job, I will be very happy, and extremely skint. For God's sake, I'm 40 years old, without a shred of savings, and no contingency money at all. When will I grow up?
Knitting.
I've finished the first of Kelly's socks, and am a short way through the second. All good so far.
Writing.
Have done bugger all, but plan to write my synopsis on holiday, as well as re-draft the first 1000 words for a comp.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Alle-bloody-lujiah!
Writing
I have finished first draft!
Let the bells chime, let the voices sing, let me dance, let me eat chocolate.
91,777 words.
Yippee!
I'm now going to put it away until after Christmas - buy myself a little objectivity, and then start on 2nd draft.
My shoulders ache, but I'm a happy bunny!
Knitting
Brenda's tea cosy is also finished - another Christmas present sorted, and I've started on some socks for my niece Kelly. First time I've done socks,and I'm finding them a bit fiddly, but it's early yet.
I'm also dyeing a bit of yarn - some dusky pink I was given. I don't have a problem with dusky pink, but I had a bit of a glut, so I'm off to paint it pretty colours in a mo.
Life
What life - I've been finishing the first draft!
I have finished first draft!
Let the bells chime, let the voices sing, let me dance, let me eat chocolate.
91,777 words.
Yippee!
I'm now going to put it away until after Christmas - buy myself a little objectivity, and then start on 2nd draft.
My shoulders ache, but I'm a happy bunny!
Knitting
Brenda's tea cosy is also finished - another Christmas present sorted, and I've started on some socks for my niece Kelly. First time I've done socks,and I'm finding them a bit fiddly, but it's early yet.
I'm also dyeing a bit of yarn - some dusky pink I was given. I don't have a problem with dusky pink, but I had a bit of a glut, so I'm off to paint it pretty colours in a mo.
Life
What life - I've been finishing the first draft!
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Positive thoughts
Knitting.
I've finished the first half of Brenda's tea cosy, and my niece would now like some socks, so I'm going to be knitting like crazy until Christmas!
I've been invited to join ravelry, which is very exciting. My ravelry name is LahLah.
Writing
The pace has picked up - I'm half way through chapter 20, the climactic chapter of the novel, and I'm having a whale of a time working on it.
Life
Yesterday was much better than I thought it would be. We went to the crematorium, and looked at Mum's entry in the book of remembrance. Then we all went for a huge lunch (ate far too much), and laughed all of the way through it. Mum liked us all together and laughing, so we all felt it was more respectful to her memory than wailing and gnashing teeth.
When I got home, I got an email which may lead me into a new job. I will tell more, when things are progressing.
I've finished the first half of Brenda's tea cosy, and my niece would now like some socks, so I'm going to be knitting like crazy until Christmas!
I've been invited to join ravelry, which is very exciting. My ravelry name is LahLah.
Writing
The pace has picked up - I'm half way through chapter 20, the climactic chapter of the novel, and I'm having a whale of a time working on it.
Life
Yesterday was much better than I thought it would be. We went to the crematorium, and looked at Mum's entry in the book of remembrance. Then we all went for a huge lunch (ate far too much), and laughed all of the way through it. Mum liked us all together and laughing, so we all felt it was more respectful to her memory than wailing and gnashing teeth.
When I got home, I got an email which may lead me into a new job. I will tell more, when things are progressing.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Lazy sunday afternoon
Knitting
Having now completed Brenda's cardigan, I'm working on her tea cosy. She's decided she wants an old fashioned one in yellow and grey squares. I'd got too shades of yellow at my last trip to a yarn shop, but no worries.
I've been rummaging through my grandmother's old patterns, and found just the thing, but I've had to make it a little bigger, to suit her pot.
I've never made one of these before, and it goes against the grain, as the pleats are formed by dragging the yarn across the back -i.e by doing it wrong!
I'm also going to start to put together all the "stash using up" squares into a blanket. That will be a mission, but I'm in no hurry.
I'm now on ravelry, which is rather exciting, so I must get all my works onto there.
Writing
I completed an assignment for the Writers' Bureau course this morning (I've had it for ages, and have been too busy writing to do any of it!
My guilt is assuaged.
Life.
Tomorrow is the 1st anniversary of my mother's death. Nuff said.
Having now completed Brenda's cardigan, I'm working on her tea cosy. She's decided she wants an old fashioned one in yellow and grey squares. I'd got too shades of yellow at my last trip to a yarn shop, but no worries.
I've been rummaging through my grandmother's old patterns, and found just the thing, but I've had to make it a little bigger, to suit her pot.
I've never made one of these before, and it goes against the grain, as the pleats are formed by dragging the yarn across the back -i.e by doing it wrong!
I'm also going to start to put together all the "stash using up" squares into a blanket. That will be a mission, but I'm in no hurry.
I'm now on ravelry, which is rather exciting, so I must get all my works onto there.
Writing
I completed an assignment for the Writers' Bureau course this morning (I've had it for ages, and have been too busy writing to do any of it!
My guilt is assuaged.
Life.
Tomorrow is the 1st anniversary of my mother's death. Nuff said.
Friday, 9 November 2007
Crack open the Champagne!
Knitting
Okay - perhaps my title is a bit OTT but I have finished Brenda's Cardigan! Yeah!
The next thing I must do, is ring her sister in law, and tell her not to give Brenda any more copies of Woman's Weekly, as that's where the pattern came from.
I'm only joshing - it's a beautiful pattern, but I'm glad it's behind me.
Now I'm to start on her yellow and grey tea cosy - picture to follow, once I've started it.
Writing
A bit of an oddity today, as I wrote a piece of copy about my work for our local paper. I've asked for a byline, which I don't expect to get, but you never know.
Life
We ordered a new bathroom today. It's a bit scary and grown up. I know best beloved and I are both 40, but neither of us do much in the "grown up house owner" line, so it's all a bit strange, but hopefully it will all work wonderfully (or it will be wonderful if it works, one or the other!)
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Getting there
Knitting
I have all but finished Brenda's cardigan. The main pieces are all complete, pressed, gathered and sewn together (or should I say "all are safely gathered in"?), and I'm just working on the front band now - about three feet of 6 stitches per row garter stitch.
As a result I went onto You Write On, so that I could read and knit at the same time.
Writing
For those of you who don't know, "you write on" (see links) is an arts council funded website. People can put on chapters of work in progress, for others to read and critique. Thus far, I've looked at four pieces, and so when I launch Ursula onto the unsuspecting world, four people can read it, and tell me what they think. (I'm not sure I want to know - that's the scary part, after all).
It's a good scheme. I must confess, I wasn't keen on the piece I read tonight. Partly not my sort of stuff, but also a classic mistake of chapter one being full of dull exposition (with a bit of hook, so not all bad), and chapter two being where the story actually starts. The author can certainly write, but I'm not sure how well they can self-edit. It's the hardest part, and I'm very grateful for my writing girls, who help me with all of that stuff.
Life
Tired today - because of a late night writing group yesterday. Off for bath and bed in a moment.
Came to a conclusion today that I'd like Christmas put back a month - I haven't got time for it at the end of December!
I have all but finished Brenda's cardigan. The main pieces are all complete, pressed, gathered and sewn together (or should I say "all are safely gathered in"?), and I'm just working on the front band now - about three feet of 6 stitches per row garter stitch.
As a result I went onto You Write On, so that I could read and knit at the same time.
Writing
For those of you who don't know, "you write on" (see links) is an arts council funded website. People can put on chapters of work in progress, for others to read and critique. Thus far, I've looked at four pieces, and so when I launch Ursula onto the unsuspecting world, four people can read it, and tell me what they think. (I'm not sure I want to know - that's the scary part, after all).
It's a good scheme. I must confess, I wasn't keen on the piece I read tonight. Partly not my sort of stuff, but also a classic mistake of chapter one being full of dull exposition (with a bit of hook, so not all bad), and chapter two being where the story actually starts. The author can certainly write, but I'm not sure how well they can self-edit. It's the hardest part, and I'm very grateful for my writing girls, who help me with all of that stuff.
Life
Tired today - because of a late night writing group yesterday. Off for bath and bed in a moment.
Came to a conclusion today that I'd like Christmas put back a month - I haven't got time for it at the end of December!
Monday, 5 November 2007
A barrier broken
Writing
I have broken the 80,000 word barrier. Damn, it feels good!
I don't know that I've ever written this many words on one project before. I say I don't know as my first ever novel, the aptly titled Wasted Time was mostly hand written, so I've no idea what the word count is.
Running to Love, my twice-rejected Mills and Boon was only 52k words, and Finally, the book with the dullest heroine ever only made it to 62k, so I'm feeling good about Ursula, the current masterpiece.
I've also just avoided a sex scene too. Not that I have a problem with sex scenes (and my writing of this was praised in a critique of Running to Love), but I don't think it's appropriate for this work, so I've got a seduction, but I leave the shagging to the imagination of the reader - it's bound to be much more erotic that way.
Knitting.
I've finished the lace part of Brenda's cardigan - which feels like quite an achievement. I was getting heartily sick of the pattern, so it's good that I've just got a shaped bit of stocking stitch and then the edge band to do.
I've also made another rose, this one with more petals, and this one actually looks like a rose, so I've pitched the pattern to one of the knitting mags.
I've had another idea for a knitting article too, so I'll mull that around for a few days.
Life
Work is dull. C'est la vie. It keeps me in printer cartridges and yarn. This weekend was a beer and curry weekend (well, I don't drink beer, but "Appletiser and curry" doesn't do a lot for my street cred). It was a good 'un, mostly spent with friends, talking about books, being lent books, and having a good laugh. I like weekends like that.
I have broken the 80,000 word barrier. Damn, it feels good!
I don't know that I've ever written this many words on one project before. I say I don't know as my first ever novel, the aptly titled Wasted Time was mostly hand written, so I've no idea what the word count is.
Running to Love, my twice-rejected Mills and Boon was only 52k words, and Finally, the book with the dullest heroine ever only made it to 62k, so I'm feeling good about Ursula, the current masterpiece.
I've also just avoided a sex scene too. Not that I have a problem with sex scenes (and my writing of this was praised in a critique of Running to Love), but I don't think it's appropriate for this work, so I've got a seduction, but I leave the shagging to the imagination of the reader - it's bound to be much more erotic that way.
Knitting.
I've finished the lace part of Brenda's cardigan - which feels like quite an achievement. I was getting heartily sick of the pattern, so it's good that I've just got a shaped bit of stocking stitch and then the edge band to do.
I've also made another rose, this one with more petals, and this one actually looks like a rose, so I've pitched the pattern to one of the knitting mags.
I've had another idea for a knitting article too, so I'll mull that around for a few days.
Life
Work is dull. C'est la vie. It keeps me in printer cartridges and yarn. This weekend was a beer and curry weekend (well, I don't drink beer, but "Appletiser and curry" doesn't do a lot for my street cred). It was a good 'un, mostly spent with friends, talking about books, being lent books, and having a good laugh. I like weekends like that.
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Inspiration
Writing.
I went to a great talk yesterday by Jane Wenham-Jones. She's a great speaker - 1 hour off the cuff - and we went away very inspired. There wasn't necessarily anything new in the talk (read more, write every day, persevere), but she's such an approachable and honest person, telling it in a "warts and all" style, which leaves you feeling a realistic enthusiasm for keeping at it, and getting those words on screen. Although she did tell the slightly depressing tale of one published author, whose first published novel was the 11th she'd written. Christ! I don't think I have that much perseverance!
Knitting.
My mate Bren (she of the red lacy cardigan) wants a tea cosy too. I asked her what colour, and she did to me the same as someone else last year - she wants a colour I don't have in my stash (and there aren't many colours missing). She wants yellow, and I know from the last time I made a penguin, that I don't have much Orange or yellow. So, oh dear, I had to go shopping. In a small town near to here there's a lovely little wool shop, which sells top and budget end yarns. So I got the yarn for the tea cosy, and also some cottons which were in the £1.25 per ball basket. There were a couple of balls of sock yarn in there too, but I was an honest girl, and said to the lady "These shouldn't be here, should they?", and unfortunately, I was right.
I went to a great talk yesterday by Jane Wenham-Jones. She's a great speaker - 1 hour off the cuff - and we went away very inspired. There wasn't necessarily anything new in the talk (read more, write every day, persevere), but she's such an approachable and honest person, telling it in a "warts and all" style, which leaves you feeling a realistic enthusiasm for keeping at it, and getting those words on screen. Although she did tell the slightly depressing tale of one published author, whose first published novel was the 11th she'd written. Christ! I don't think I have that much perseverance!
Knitting.
My mate Bren (she of the red lacy cardigan) wants a tea cosy too. I asked her what colour, and she did to me the same as someone else last year - she wants a colour I don't have in my stash (and there aren't many colours missing). She wants yellow, and I know from the last time I made a penguin, that I don't have much Orange or yellow. So, oh dear, I had to go shopping. In a small town near to here there's a lovely little wool shop, which sells top and budget end yarns. So I got the yarn for the tea cosy, and also some cottons which were in the £1.25 per ball basket. There were a couple of balls of sock yarn in there too, but I was an honest girl, and said to the lady "These shouldn't be here, should they?", and unfortunately, I was right.
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