Creativity
And I have been incredibly impressed with some peoples creative talents whilst surfing the net for free crochet patterns (of which I now have ...................LOTS!! Or is that more accurately......... squillions - yis - lol).
I have found dozens of blogs, where people 'show off' their skills, and so they should - there are some very talented people out there. It makes me envious in a way because I just never would dream of some of the things that they not only imagine, but manage to turn into something beautiful with just some wool and a hook.
But then I have my own creative 'talents' , one of which I posted yesterday and then took down again coz I came over all embarassed about posting it, as if I really was 'showing off'. I was just proud and excited, so maybe thats not the same thing - lol.
I have also noticed a tendency for crocheters to have a slightly weird sense of humour, and we have been in stitches at some of the things blogged about. Maybe its the creative brain, but its great. Do knitters have the same sense of hilarity I wonder ??? *tongue firmly in cheek*
But the other thing is - these people are actually making stuff - and that twinged at my conscience - less time surfing and more time actually making the stuff I have downloaded. So I went in search of some wool today - just a little, and I was absolutely gobsmacked at the lack of choice and the cost of it. Some balls were £4.00 a ball, for plain old boring dk!! And there was a choice of about 3 types of wool and about 3 colour choices in each. Boring.
So where have all the real wool shops gone ? We have one teeny one that I know about in town, which is expensive and so small you cant browse and touch because the owner is watching you like a hawk, and there are about 3 different cctv cameras in a space of about 10 sq yards. I went in there only once looking for stitch markers for someone. Ended up making some instead.
Comf - shall I put some in your parcel for you ?? I have some you can have with pleasure.
And this haberdashery area of dunelm mill where we went today. Oh, and Boyes - dead cheap but not much choice.
But you know - I really REALLY wish I hadnt just given away the 6 binbags of wool I had collected, when we moved to Lincoln. 6 bin bags of the stuff!!! Boston had loads of places to buy wool and I was always on the look out for the oddments in the cheapy bins so I could make this heirloom afghan that I started when Nic was a baby, but my ex husband hated it, so did Terry, so it went with the bags to oxfam *sigh*
I tell you - no-one will ever persuade me to part with a stash of something like that ever again. Grrr!!
So - what has happened to all the wool shops ? Has it all gone online ? But where is the fun in that ? its pretty, but there's no touching and comparing like in a real wool shop, and its sad really.
But - I am going to try and get over the weirdness of posting my creations on my LJ - I will show em off proudly when they are ready to be shown. I will never match the skill and dedication of some of the crocheters out there but I can have my own small area of creativity.
But I bought some knitting needles - 20% off - lol. As Nicola is desperate for a Bob - a blue felted thing I found on my travels. But its knitted. And as she is mooching around white as a sheet and full of snot at the moment, I let sympathy get in the way of common sense and agreed. But Oh dear - its knitted on the round - whatever the hell that means - lol. I am not a knitter, can you tell ? PMSL.
And after spending another hour with mum on the phone as her technical advisor (unfortunately my sister bought a second hand tower with Windows millenium edition on it, with just about every antivirus software known to man installed on it. Obviously the previous owner was a touch paranoid. And it all seemed to combine to mean that the pc was so scared of catching a virus, it wouldnt even go online!!! And AVG cant be installed because their OS seems to be too old for the new edition *sigh*. ) Anyway - I asked mum if she had any knitting needles she no longer used, only to be told she had given all of them to me years ago. Oh dear *heart sinking to knees sensation* - guess where they must have ended up - aarrgghhh!!! The shame and guilt of it !!
So anyway - at least thanks to freecycle I have about 800g of a nice neutral yarn that I can start using. But this cant go on - my creative inclinations stifled by lack of funds and availibility !! *sob* And oh the irony - to now have the time and inclination but not the funds.
Maybe this is another incentive to give up smoking - lol
So, such alot still that I want to do with my days, getting there gradually in my change of roles from clutter queen to declutter demon!! About 5 large boxes filled and I have only scratched the surface. I am toying with the idea of opening an ebay shop to try and flog most of it, coz its decent stuff, but would have to have the following categories - books, clothes, more books, dvds, and random assorted crap - lol. Not that its crappy you understand, but I am working on the principle of if I dont use it or love it, it goes. And if I havent worn it in over a year and I dont love it - it goes too. Just wait til I get my hands on the concealed, dark and yet terribly intriguing territory of the girls rooms - har har !! never again will Nicola have the biggest room - it just gives her more space to spread the chaos!!
Oh gods - look at the time!! I gave in to my tiredness at a stupid time of day - 7 ish and went to sleep until just gone 9, and now I am wide awake.
Next week we have Prom night, and Prize giving, and it looks as tho (proud mum alert) Bex is in line for best student of the year award, as there is only one other lad who has the distinction star and she has more 'points' than him!! *excited*. You see, my Bex suffered terrible bullying because of her dyslexia whilst at school, she was called 'retard' amongst other things, and yet a mere 9 months after starting at college and having terrible traumas and angst about every assignment, I watched her knock out 2 stunning essays in less than 2 hours. She knows her stuff and now has the confidence to demonstrate it. And this is a real case of giving the finger to all those who put her down at school. Apparently she wants to be a herbitologist - not sure I spelt that right but its someone who specialises in reptiles *shudder* How on earth did I - snake phobic little and squashily round person that I am, produce a child so slim and with such a love of scaly things ?? Must be karmic, gotta be!!
Oh - and Nic - bless her - saw me drooling over some beads on sale on ebay, which would have cost over 80 quid to buy separately, and she treated me, they were under 20 quid!! What a bargain!! So I have parcels coming in the next few days *more excitement* *bounce*
So - lots to do. How could I ever have thought I would be bored ??
Anyway - away to bed with me now, else I shant be fit for anything in the morning.