Sometimes

you just have to bite the bullet. I missed my sewing machine more than I ever thought I would. I suddenly had a rash of ideas for things to make and sew. Knitting just wasn't enough. Something had to be done. Credit card debt be dammed. Or perhaps not.
I rang the insurance company and they said that yes the machine was covered on my policy. Hurrah. But I only had a Cascade, a low level cheap as chips machine. No worries said the insurance company, if you can't replace your Cascade, and I can't ( sob,sob not, little dance of joy around the room) then we will cover the cost of another machine so long as it isn't excessive. OK so not the $12000 one then. I guess I can settle for something a bit less flash.
Faster than a greyhound out a trap, or roadrunner getting away from wiley coyote I was at the sewing machine shop in Takapuna. No need to browse, straight to the point. An hour later and I was home again with my new machine.
I have my Bernette 82E and she's just Darling. I love my insurance company, although I still hope the naughty Elf will own up, if only for me to thank them now.
We have been getting along fine, much better than my old Cascade. I swear that machine really did hate me. The Bernette sews straight lines, doesn't tangle the thread, or snap the needle. She's as good as gold. She has a gazillion features like an automatic needle threader and a button so you don't have to use the foot pedal.



I made this nifty little booklet to store my circular needles. I didn't have a pattern and apart for wishing I'd managed to make the pockets face each other I am very happy with the end result.



I also made this knitting needle roll, using the same process I used for the pencil case roll I made Daisy ages ago. This time though I gave the material a bit of a helping hand by ironing on some interfacing so it has more body to it. The cover on my machine was made by Josie



Again I like the way this turned out. My little machine is so clever.


This is going to be a Christmas present for my daughter. She's having teenage issues right now, exams, sisters being annoying, her best friend leaving school and heading to college and on top of that the recession has meant she's lost her after school job in the local wool shop. Hopefully this will bring a smile to her face on Christmas morning.


What's that Mouse?


Yes you bring a smile to my face every time I see you.

I don't know what I did

but I am definitely very very sorry. Let me explain. As I have already posted about previously my dear computer went to blog and browse in the great webland in the sky. I looked around, counted the cents carefully, then recounted to be sure and decided that the budget could just stretch to a new box. Just!
However DH wanted more and so took the new computer into the repair shop and had extra memory added, plus the old puta's hard drive copied and loaded. He wanted a faster sleeker machine with everything he'd had before.
Hmmm that doubled the price of the new computer and left me feeling seriously short of cash. I am the only person earning in our house. Still never mind I am clever and female. I can save a bit of money by sewing a few Christmas presents. Great idea.
Except someone, and no-one in our house did it, crept into the house, obviously while we were all there as there was no evidence of forced entry, dropped my sewing machine on its end, cracking the casing and slamming the turning circle inwards so it won't move anymore. Then and this is the clever part, they picked it back up, placed it on the sewing table as it had been, replaced the cover carefully so the damage wouldn't be discovered until someone, (ME,) went to use it. So to the gremlin, pixie, elf or who ever I've upset can I please tell you I am very sorry. Oh and could you please pop by in the same manner as before and replace my broken machine with a a nice new Bernette 82E.



Or if I haven't been good enough for that then a Bernette 56. Please.
Or this very sweet pink machine

What a lot of extra time

I seem to have found. Nothing at all to do with not being able to spend hours blogging or checking out Ravelry. Nope someone has clearly added several hours to each day for me to enjoy. I have been busy although that just costs me more as I have a need to fill the perceived void created by daring to use anything from the stash. Clearly the balance of the universe is at state should this stash equilibrium not be maintained at all times.
I have finished the Second bell curve skirt and when Puta II arrives ( along with the lottery win and all my ships come in) I will post a picture. I love the shade of red I chose. It quite deep and is going to look fab with boots. I have also knitted a black cotton skirt with a ruffle. Sorry to leave you imagining but it will be worth it. I am almost finished with a hoodie from the new Patons range. It's for Sydney my 15 year old daughter who was complaining I never knitted anything for her anymore. I'm using smoothie and so far I am impressed by the yarn. It has a cotton feel even though it is, dare I say it, 100% acrylic. I have found though that it looks nicer and flatter when knitted in the round rather than back and forth, but that could be linked to my left handed way of knitting. I have also found it seems quicker on metal needles instead of my beloved bamboo. I found this out by accident as my bamboo circulars snapped halfway through a round and I had to do an emergency transfer to the nearest set of needles which happened to be steel.
I have also been reading. See I told you more hours had been added. My current book is the latest offering by Barbara Erskine, The Warrior's Princess.

Gone but not forgotten

We are sad and mourn the loss of our dear friend Puta, even though there were times we fell out, when Puta stubbornly refused to respond to simple commands like save or end. When Puta took delight in hiding folders or forgetting to save, or taking her own sweet time to load pages. Through the dark times when some nasty words were said, and some ugly threats made we never believed the end would come so soon. We thought we had forever, she was still young barely out of warranty. We didn't realise how much we loved Puta till she decided to play her trump card and left for Motherboard heaven in the sky, where now she can play with megabytes and ram and her disk is for eternity. We who are left behind must carry on but it is so hard without her. I can't blog, or email, I can't go on ravelry. I cannot write and that leaves a huge hole in my life. One day, when the time is right we will let another Puta into our lives. But not just yet, we have to let go first.
Oh and save up the money of course.
Just one of the reasons why I've been a bit cyber quiet lately.

Monster post

What Your Cute Monster Says About You

You are a giving, open, loving person. You truly want the world to be a better place. You appreciate what you have in life. You are very content. Your inner demon is sensitivity. You are very sensitive, and your sensitivity can be a double edged sword. People think you're cute because you're generous. You are easy to love - it's part of your charm.

The Cute Monster Test

I love swaps

I actually received this swap a couple of weeks ago but time has been on the elusive side. I can say no when absolutely necessary or when it's something awful, but I am a sucker when it's right up my alley so to speak. So I found myself being swamped with requests to "entertain" children because I was teacher and therefore must be good at it. Hmmm. I don't think I quite entertained a class but still...
I am not complaining, even though it has made life rushed and complicated and the craziness carries on for a couple more weeks or so.
The swap was from Laurie in the USA and was part of the magazine swap arranged by Periwinkle. I didn't get my name down for the original swap but held my hand up a bit late. Laurie and I agreed that we wanted to do an exchange straight away and then another one nearer Christmas. I think I did rather well. I am still pouring over the magazines and especially the Ring O Tara skirt. I think it looks fabulous but I can't quite afford to knit it just yet. It's a possum and Merino blend which is selling here for $15.00 for 50 grams. I need a 600 grams so 12 x $15.00. It's on the wish list.

I am keeping an eagle eye out for bits to pop in Laurie's next swap, the magazine part is easy.
I love the yarn she included as well and have a number of ideas as to what I might like to make with them.
I have been enjoying my Simply Knitting subscription from the UK as well. I have so many projects ticked and marked that it can seem a bit like wading through mud with progress. This sock calendar is going to get a lot of wear and tear especially as I intend to master knitting socks with two circular needles.