Wow, today is the last day at work - thank freaking F*&%$. I really need the time off, this year has been.... well another year. At least in 2008 I'll actually have some annual leave!
For the last three maybe four years I've been casual and any time off I've wanted to take has been without pay.



Being that today is my last day at work for two weeks I probably wont get around to blogging at home. I've been really bummed lately that most of the blogs that i visit haven't been updating very regularly at all, some haven't blogged at all since November! But it is a busy time, every spare moment is probably being dedicated to frantic knitting of Christmas gifts!

I plan to use the time to do a bit of extremely late spring cleaning... every room from top to bottom.......... f'n A

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Used to be bags, but really there's nothing like ripping apart a wrapped present

2. Tree; Real or Artificial? We always had artifical when i was growing up.

3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Um i dont have one... no room in our unit... and no point i'm not putting up a tree just for the hell of it.

4. When do you take the tree down? we used to take it down after new years

5. Like eggnog? not really but i've never had the traditional stuff

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Hell No

7. Favorite gift received as a child? my Cabbage Patch Dol

8. Hardest person to buy for? My husband and his mother!!

9. Easiest person to buy for? ME!!!

10. Worst Christmas gift? it wasnt for christmas but I was given a little change purse in the worst shade of green with some awful embroidery on it that there is no way in hell i'd ever use!

11. Mail or email a Christmas Card? I dont send out Christmas Cards... I think they're a waste of time and paper.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Santa Clause movies are alright.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Christmas Eve

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Chocolate... wait thats every day :)

16. Clear or colored tree lights? Coloured

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Ewww christmas songs... BUH BOW!

18. Travel during Christmas or stay home? Stay home... Hubby cant get time off work for christmas its his busiest time of year.

19. Can you name Santa’s reindeer’s? Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Prancer & Vixen .... okay I cheated on this one :(

20. Angel or Star on Tree top? Star

21. Open presents on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve? Christmas Day

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? How busy the shopping centres get... and trying to find a park in one is near impossible!!!

23. Bake at home or Buy? B.. ake??? I know not this word!

24. Lights outside? Eww too cliche' and seriously arent we supposed to be environmentally concious now-a-days? how is having lights on during the dead of the night helping the environment!!!

25. Mistletoe? Not an Australian tradition...

I've gotten myself just short of 9" into the Orangina top by Glampyre



at 9" I plan to cast on for the back separately knit till its also 9" then join the two pieces in the round and knit them both till the end. Of course I'm now procrastinating... mainly because i want to wait until my options arrive and i can start knitting the back piece on them.... privately its cos i need a break from the stitch pattern, it gets pretty monotonous after a while. I hate to think what its going to be like once I'm knitting in the round.

So in my moment of weakness the Fiery bolero pulled its first punch and got me to cast it on. I've just finished casting on the extra stitches for the sleeves and i now have about 16cm of stockinette in front of me. Unfortunately no photo's at this stage.

I'm using Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Violet for the bolero, I really do like this yarn. For the price you pay its pretty good, I think it has a funny smell though. It might be the acrylic in it. And the yardage is great, i think it's only going to take three skeins to do this - I've got 6!

Last Thursday I was able to get off work early and went down to my local yarn store to peruse for a gift for my swap Buddie to cover the cost of posting my options to me. I'd already sent a small box of Tim Tams to say thank you and Emily's other half seemed to appreciate them, so I put together a box with 4 hanks of yarn for Emily and 3 packets of Tim Tams for her and Rob.

I'm hoping that she'll freak out when she sees the yarn, its a blend of merino and possum hair.... POSSUM HAIR!! I couldn't resist, its definitely unusual and very Australian! The colourway sounds a bit odd, orange green and browns - i picked it cos it encompasses all of her latest fav colours and I think it will look pretty good knitted up into a scarf or hat and neckwarmer (not enough for a scarf and hat I think).

I've spent quite a bit of money on this last swap, i guess I'm lucky that i can afford it.

But possibly not for much longer, we did a bit of house hunting this weekend... it didn't end well but i wont go into that... we're hoping to have some debts paid off in the next 6 months and then start hitting the banks for a loan. Then we can really start looking seriously. Hubby wanted to start looking now so we can get an idea of what particular suburbs are like that are within our estimated price range, but I'm afraid that we'll find something that's just perfect and not be ready for it... then we'll be constantly comparing everything we see to that house and may not find something as good. That's my fear, I don't want that to happen.

But really in the housing market 6 months is a long time.

Well the 11th Secret Pal swap is over, I had a really good time i had great buddies on either side so i feel really lucky. Apparently there were some not so good times... but with 600 odd people participating its kinda to be expected.

Emily my spoilee has enabled me to get some knitpicks options interchangable needles - YAY! she posted them on the weekend so hopefully they'll be here before Christmas. To say thankyou for doing that I sent her a box of TimTams - which her and her other half both loved... but seriously you cant go wrong with TimTams... if you like chocolate you'll lurve them!!
So now I have plans to put together an awsome yarny&chocolatey surprise to pay them back for the shipping cost.

Michele was my Spoiler from NSW, I recieved her final package on Monday - and boy did she save the best for last!

I almost screamed when I opened the envelope and saw this cheakily peaking back at me:



mmmmmmmalabrigo!!! Squeeeeeee. In an aswome deep blue colour! OMG, OMG, OMG!! Now I have to figure out what i'm going to turn this into!! But there WAS more in there... as i discovered after i'd calmed down a bit :)

For Example: Blue Sky Alpaca Silk blend, its soooo soft and the bestest shade of red! About 8 more of these and I could make the most AWSOME Something Red..... HA yeah right and about 100-200 bucks later!!



And also 4... count em FOUR little hanks of serioulsy fluffy and georgeously cololoured mystery yarn, which turns out Michele got in a mystery box from e-bay - wow bit of a risk there! Apparently they're most likely Angora/Mohair blends here are some closeup's:

This one's my Fav!








This last one has a lot of fluffy strands that give it a kind of halo... I have a feeling that Emily would really like that one.... if she was more into blue :)!



And there is the obligitory family shot - very excitng! Thankyou so much to everyone involved in SP11 - I had a great time, and I think the hostesses have earned a well deserved break!

Merry Christmas Everyone :)