Soraya's Rather Large Granny Square

I thought I should share my latest work in progress. Should I worry about the number of things that are 'in progress' at the moment? I am getting concerned that one day I might get crushed under the weight of all the half finished cross stitch and crochet projects that are stacked precariously around the TV.

I think I am a little mad for starting this one. I got the idea from a post at purl bee for a project called 'Joelle's Giant Granny Square'. The name says it all really, and I thought 'I can crochet a granny square- I can do this and I don't even need to read the instructions'. So I started with crochet cotton and a size B (2.25mm) crochet hook. After a while I thought 'perhaps I should have read the instructions'. But not being one to admit defeat at a poorly thought out crafty project I am soldiering on. My 'giant' granny square is about 15cm at the moment- about 20% of the way to the proportions of Joelle's giant granny square. And while it takes about 30 minutes at the moment just to complete another round of this crazy project I idly ponder over how long it will take to do a round when it gets close to completion... and whether I should invest in another ball of crochet cotton.

I am reminded, while working my way around another row, of a similar craziness I embarked on when I was about 9. I had learnt to knit at school and we were encouraged to take the knitting home to practice. I had managed to weasel a pair of needles from somewhere and had a small ball of probably about 10m of horrible acrylic plum wool. I boldly started knitting convinced that I could knit my horse a woollen rug out of it. In reality the rug had to be 6ft in length and probably about the same in width to successfully cover a moderately sized horse. Needless to say I didn't finish it. If I had tried I probably would have run out of wool first, probably because I only had 10m of it. Things don't really change do they?

Crappy crape

We had a long weekend this weekend thanks to show day. I had a go at making an 'easy' summer dress that I came across on threadbanger. Well it probably is easy but I stupidly used crape because it was cheap. Stupid crape... I took a photo of the mess that resulted but inadvertently deleted it instead of saving it- Crap!

So I took Jack for a walk, because things had reached that stage where it is best to walk away rather than trying to persevere. I remembered being asked about what the town looks like, so I took this photo of a random street. They all pretty much look the same.

Deja vu

Last night I dreamt that I was in a truck and it was rolling slowly forwards. I was trying to stop it but nothing would work and eventually it rolled through the wall of the shed we were in and out towards a steep terraced hill. I kept trying to stop the truck until the last minute when I jumped out as it toppled over the edge of the hill.

I scrambled to the top of the hill and turned to see it was the drill rig I have been working with over the past couple of weeks. I could distinctly hear it crashing down the hill as it fell down each terraced section and I woke up before it hit the bottom. This afternoon I got a phone call from the owner of the drill rig I had been working with to be told it had been dropped while it was being transported. All I could think of was the image from my dream of the truck rolling down the terraced hill...

Crochet Rocks! Man!

I have just gotten back from a holiday in Adelaide for the week, and had a wonderful time roaming around the place munching on cheese and sipping wine. We also were 'forced' to sample quite a few sweets and even went as far as buying a few jars of the nicest ones (I'll post a photo once it arrives, it was too large to take home in my luggage).

.

On getting home and going through my emails after neglecting them for a while I found a fantastic message from my aunt- with a new crochet challenge. Crochet rocks! The picture to the left is from Designsponge, and has inspired me to give it a go. I could use some paperweights to stop all the crap sliding off my desk at work (some people would say to tidy up the desk into neat little piles, I would say those people lack depth and imagination).

.

You can buy them online (actually you can buy a photo of a pile of crochet rocks), but I thought 'piffle, I could make that' and found some great instructions from A Foothill Home Companion. I already have the yarn and a crochet hook, I just have to find a suitable rock... I may have to settle for a lumpy piece of bauxite or a bessa block up here. I don't think we have these lovely smooth beach rocks, although a whole boat did turn up after a storm once. But someone set fire to it and the burnt out husk is still there. I'll have to take Jack for more walks along the beach as part of a rock hunt...

Happy Financial New Year

Its the first of July and everyone in the NT are letting off fireworks and scaring the crap out of every dog for miles around. I was particularly embarrassed when Jack gave a girly sook and leaped into my lap while a small spoodle barely paid it any attention. I have a large red hairy bag of jelly for a dog.

.

Here is a hastily snapped photo of a firework being let off next to my bedroom window. Needless to say Jack didn't know where to squirm, and settled for knocking my feet out under me and scampering off.

.

I was asked about 'firecracker night' and what it was all about. Stupidly I started off by telling them it was Independence Day... Doh! That's a movie (although it does sometimes resemble scenes from this movie), no its Territory Day where an independent NT Government is celebrated. Ironically by blowing stuff up. Brilliant!

.

Remember remember the... arh... 1st of July

James the baby bird

A baby bird fell out of its nest and was handed in to our department at work. It was named James after the guy that found it.

James is totally mad, but then most birds are a bit mental in their own way. I feel a bit odd about the fact a wild bird will purch on my hand but my pet budgies go crazy and flap about the cage when I try to hang out with them.

Now I know how Jack feels when he can't fly around the room with them...

Champagne tomorrow... sigh

Despite being incredibly slack and not posting anything for the better part of the month, I have finally managed to vacuum out the car. It is something I havent done since October last year and it was getting pretty scary in there. Even with the dreaded uni report hanging over my head, procrastination never reached a point where I felt it was incredibly urgent to grab the vacuum cleaner, haul it down two flights of stairs and across the carpark. Eventually I did (last weekend) and now, less than a week later, the mystery gravel has returned. ARGH! Damn mystery gravel!

.

Anyway, I was told yesterday that the dreded uni report passed and I have now finished uni for good. So I was ready to break out the champagne, which has been chilling in the fridge since Janurary in anticipation of this wonderful day, only to find that I may have to go in to work over the weekend thanks to a crisis. So no Champagne for me. Reminds me of a song... champagne tomorrow, champagne yesterday, but never ever champagne today...

.

I also, quite stupidly, left the cable for my camera at work so I can't upload any photos I took during the last couple of weeks while I was in Brisbane. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I was in Brisbane the week before last. On my way there I stopped off in Darwin (its kind of on the way... a bit) to see what my husband looks like and got to see the new machines we recently bought. I was pretty impressed.

.

I will upload some of the photos I took in Brisbane when I get my camera cable back and give a few highlights from my trip.