Lou-quacious Yarns
Can’t deny it, this is cute. Pretty good problem solving skills showing there, too. If a bit of a tendency towards overkill…
Watch This Dog’s Adorable Apology After He Steals A Baby Girl’s Toy – The Meta Picture.
In other news, I may be back to blogging again. Maybe possibly hopefully!
I can’t remember if I’ve written about this before – probably not, considering how infrequently I’ve actually been blogging!
But anyway. Coding for fun! Some time last summer (I think) I discovered CodeAcademy and I’ve been playing around on there ever since. At the moment I’m going through their revised / new Javascript course, even though I’ve already done the original one. Because I’m a geek and it’s fun. I’m also working through the “Code Year” track, and I’m planning to do the PHP and Ruby ones after that.
It’s good for keeping my brain in gear. :-)
Mind you, I haven’t done much over, again, the last six months due to wonky-brain issues – more on that another time. I’ve just started up again this week, though. Unfortunately, where I picked up was right at the end of the original JS track, and I’d done something weird with my code. Oops! I haven’t tracked the bug down yet, but I’ll go back to it later on. Doing the easier exercises on the new track should help me get my head back into the right place for that.
An excellent post on what not to say to people with manic depression / bipolar:
On: Manic Depression « squeegee182.
I think I can count myself pretty lucky that it’s been a long time since I’ve had any of these things said to me. It makes me realise how awesome my friends and family are, and how much their (your!) efforts to understand really help me. Thank you all! ♥♥♥
It has just occurred to me that when I’ve been working on a post for this blog (on and off, but still) for nearly a week, then that post is probably really too long and it’s time for me to stop and think again. I mean, really. So, I’m going to break it up into two or three posts instead, and be much calmer about the whole thing. It’s only a blog! And that’s my little bit of life perspective for the week. You’re welcome.
I very nearly forgot altogether, but yesterday was my “blogoversary”. The tenth anniversary of starting this blog, in fact.
It doesn’t feel like ten years, but then there have been some years where I’ve barely blogged at all, or at least times when I’ve been mostly using Livejournal or similar platforms instead. As I think I’ve said in previous anniversary posts, this blog has gone through a few changes in terms of its back-end platform – Blogger, Movable Type, and now WordPress – over the last decade. I feel pretty settled now, though. And at least I’m managing to post more, if not regularly.
Perhaps with this new blogging year, I should make that a mini-resolution: to pick a day and blog regularly once a week. After all, if I can blog every day for a month, I can do once a week at the least. In fact, since it’s Friday today, why not have Friday as my must-post day. If I can’t think of anything else to say, at least I could do a weekly round up. Preferably it’ll kick start me (again) into posting more frequently than that. Right then, I’m going to go off and stop talking about posting, and actually make a start on posting something with Real Content. Good night.
I’ll be starting some voluntary work at a local library soon, helping people on the computers and internet. I’ve got to go in for a sort of induction day and an interview, but as I understand it, they’re trialling a tutorial programme to help people who aren’t used to computers, and my role would be to support them using that, and then provide refresher info and help afterwards. Sounds like fun! (No, I’m not being sarcastic, it does.) I’m looking forward to it, and it’ll be good to have something else regular in my schedule.
This evening I’ve been working on my Clapotis [Ravlink] while watching the Glastonbury coverage, and I’ve now tinked back so that I have one repeat of the straight section less, and therefore hopefully enough yarn left now to finish the project. I’d better have, because I’ve started on the decrease section again! Actually, I haven’t got very far into that… maybe I should pop a lifeline in just in case? Better safe than sorry.
Well, I had intended to keep on posting as much as possible for NaBloPoMo, but it turns out that wasn’t to be! My landline was dead as a Dodo for a few days, and my internet connection with it. BT fixed it today – they didn’t have to come here, so I assume it was a problem at the exchange – so at least I’m back just in time to take part in IComLeavWe instead. Or sort-of as well: I might as well have a go at posting every day for the rest of the month, at least. NaBloPoMo does keep running year round anyway, so I might try again next month. I think they have themes for months that aren’t November, which might also be a help if I run out of inspiration! Or I could borrow an idea from Paula, who has been using an alphabet theme for this month. That could definitely be fun.
Anyway, IComLeavWe is the name-smush for International Comment Leaving Week, so starting today and continuing until 28th, I need to leave comments for at least five people every day, and return at least one comment (assuming I have any here to answer back to, I guess!). Off I go!
I’m afraid there’s not going to be any topical posts just yet… I’m starting to feel more awake, but my brain is pretty fuzzy! I’m currently reading other ‘thoners blogs, and playing Hammerfall on Facebook to keep myself awake. It seems to be working! I’m also getting up and walking around every couple of minutes. I’m really uncomfortable in this chair now – I’m thinking I might swap it for a dining room chair. That should make me sit differently, and hopefully help.
OK, welcome to Sunday! Ten hours down, fourteen to go. Since I’m feeling all virtuous after having made a monster long post about a bipolar topic, and having done housework, I’m going to go and answer some more comments and hopefully find time to visit some other blogs and comment there.
PS – this song is made of awesome!
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Listening to: Bat For Lashes – Trophy
via FoxyTunes
Recently, I’ve been spinning as much as knitting. Jo has lent me her spare spinning wheel which is an Ashford Kiwi and I’ve been having lots of fun with it. I still need lots of practice, and so far I’m using some of the fibre that came with my drop spindle. There’s no fear of me running out of stuff to spin, though: even before Jo lent me her wheel, I had some of the yummy fibre from her Etsy shop. I now have six 100g-ish braids of hers, and I’ll post some pics here soon. Not right now though, because I’m about to upgrade my photo gallery as a prelude to the whole site upgrade – which should be quite soon now! I’ve got some really gorgeous colours in BFL and Merino, and the Merino/Tencel is even more delicious, but you’ll just have to take my word for it until the upgrade is all done and dusted.
In other Etsy news, my friend Rae has opened her Etsy shop, Angel Rae Arts. She’s selling some very cool (and cute) fridge magnets. I love the buried treasure one (which is from a photo taken when she was visiting me a few years ago!), and also the caffeinated cat one (painted) which really reminds me of the Xandermog. *g* The original one’s been sold already, but she’s done some more that aren’t identical, but very similar. Yay!
Ooops, only just got this entry done. And I can’t even think of much to say. Um. It’s been a pretty average day, really. A normal one, even. I did housework*, the postman delivered the last parcel I need for Christmas (phew!), I knitted, I even wrapped one present, and I went over to Mum’s this evening. I’ve actually had the computer off for most of the day – most unusual!
I haven’t watched any telly either: we had a yummy Chinese takeaway at Mum’s, then played board games. So I’m going to set the Beeb iPlayer to download the Strictly Come Dancing final shows and Casualty for me overnight, and watch those tomorrow. I very nearly got “spoiled” for the Strictly final, I think, by foolishly looking at my LJ friends page: someone was talking about it, but I only got as far as seeing that she’d mentioned Strictly and hurriedly scrolled back up! *g* Of course, now it’s really tempting to go back and read to find out who won. Or look at any number of news sites. Or Twitter. Oh internets, sometimes you tell me too much! It’s all too overwhelming!! ;-) I’m off to bed!
* although there’s still some to do tomorrow because my brother picked me up earlier than I’d anticipated
I’ve been working away on Christmas presents again today, and I got to the casting off part. Only I managed to do it too tightly the first time. D’oh! So I dug out some online tutorials to help me decide which technique was going to be easiest to use instead. Ta-daa:
Knit Wiki: Binding Off Techniques (text instructions)
Techniques with Teresa: Binding Off at Knitty – various techniques for flexible bind offs, including the sewn bind off. (Instructions with photos)
Techniques with Teresa: Binding Off, Pt 2 at Knitty – decorative bind offs. (Instructions with photos)
Tubular Bind-Off in K1 P1 rib (Instructions with photos)
k1p1 invisible bind-off tutorial – a lovely flexible bind off that I’ve used for toe-up socks when I’ve done them. Has similarities to the Tubular bind off. (Instructions with photos)
In the end I went with the sewn bind-off, and it came out perfectly. Plus, it’s dead easy – always a bonus.
Now to go and cast on the next thing…
Got back from Knit Jam a short while ago. Hi Jo! Hi Lesley! Hi Leila! Hi everyone else! And there are lots and lots of everyone elses now that we’re meeting at Aardvark. I suspect the scrummy cake has something to do with it! I really hope it carries on with this many people in the new year :-)
Anywho, I got a good chunk of knitting done, but there’s still more to go, so I’m off to slave over some pointy needles for a little while more before I go to bed. Not for long though: I’m tiiiired!
I’ve been Christmas shopping today, and now I’m utterly wiped out. Zzzzzzzz!
However, I did manage to make some progress on my christmas prep, as listed out yesterday:
And as it happens, I actually managed to get pretty much everything present-wise today. There’s just the online shopping to do, and maybe a couple of other bits, and then I’m done. Well, I have to shop for the present that Mum is getting me (awesome boots), but I might have to go further afield. Still, I haven’t looked in that shop in the old town yet. I’m more likely to find something I like there, at least… but I might leave it until sale time. We shall see.
In the mean time, I think the next most important things are writing and posting the cards (and presents!) that need to go, and getting on with the knitting! So since I need some level of concentration for that, I’ll be off to bed now. With a reminder to myself not to loiter on the internets all day tomorrow, cos I have other things to do. Maybe I should stick a post-it note on my monitor with a reminder?…
Since I haven’t posted in a million years (or four months, which is the same thing in internet-time), I thought I’d mention that I am still here! Alive and kicking, and all that. Mostly accidentally kicking the cat, actually, but if he will sit under the computer desk, what does he expect? Aaaaanyway….
I think what I need to try and do is get back into the swing of regular posting. Even though it’s been years since I’ve actually been doing that. But I want to try it, so I’m going to do a sort of NaBloPoMo of my own… only starting today and running until 6th January. Which is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and even though it’s a coincidence that it works out like that, it feels kind of appropriate. So even though I’m not doing a calendar month of posting, I will be posting for a month up to the end of the Christmas season proper. :-) A festive BloPoMo!
So, that’s my end-of-year resolution! Now, I have to go and write my list of people I’m buying presents for and sending cards to. Do you think I’m running a little late? Well, let’s hope not! Which reminds me…
If you’d like a Christmas / holiday / whateveryouwannacallit e-card, drop me a comment including your email address (which won’t be published on the site) and one will be winging its way to you soon! If you’re in the UK and my budget allows, I might email you for your snail mail address so I can send a ‘real’ card out… let me know if you’d be up for one of those too. :-)