Round we go again

Just starting my rotation for the 5th time round now and no changes. Its working well and progress is being made on these 5 pieces so I am sticking with it for the moment.
This year I am not religiously keeping up with my Chatelaines and have decided to just stitch them inbetween my rotation if I feel like it or pop them into my rotation at a later date.
I think the only way to get my WIP count down this year is to stick to the rotation and try the tactic of finish 2 start one but only if its a despearate need. So far I have started MIX this year and the baby hat, but have finished the hat and two other things so I am doing ok.
Talking of the baby hat, I got a thank you letter and picture today and it looks great. The baby was even wearing the outfit I bought her when she was born-not sure if that was coincidence but was lovely to see.
My 6th assignment went in this week and that means we are 2/3 through-time has really flown on this one, but its been great.

Phone update

So far so good. I have received and sent texts-well once I got the text prediction thing switched off. I wanted to write NOT which is so simple but instead it made Noomuuu. I think that was Moomin speak lol, but now got that sorted and so far no more freezing going on.
My phone is slightly different to the picture I posted as it has an all pink key pad with charcoal/black lettering which lights up to a snazzy blue. The charm is also not quite as pink as that and has a pale pink strap. Otherwise its the same and I 'think' the changes might be from ultra limited edition to special edition. Judging by the number of poppy phones out there this edition I got is certainly not ultra limited and I do know that one had donations to breast cancer care. I am not sure whether this one has actually but it is a lovely phone and fingers crossed it carries on behaving.

Knitted baby hat with ears

I finished this tonight:




It is my first knitted garment finish. It is for a 3-6 month old baby and is knitted in Sirdar Snowflake DK prints in the lilac colourway.
I only needed a small portion of help with a small part of the pattern and with sewing the ears on. Otherwise it is all my own work lol.

Watch this space!!!!

Not long after I last posted I went back to my phone and it started freezing. After much playing about, changing of settings and head scratching I decided to restore it to the default settings, charge it up and leave it alone for a bit. So far it is ok and is behaving as I would expect but watch this space as I may have to rename myself mobile phone killer lol.

New phone

Well folks I had to go into town and get a new mobile today. Mine was only 4 months old and was a 30th birthday present from mum and dad. But last night it just wouldn't stay switched on. So we came to an agreement in that we would send it back to Orange as we got it online and if they send a replacement mum and dad would have it. So with that in mind they would give me some money towards a new one as they are unhappy my birthday pressie has broken. After much looking round town I got this little number:





Its so gorgeous and not too exspensive either. I am really pleased with it even if it was completely unscheduled and not on my agenda at all.
However I am to say the least a bit miffed with the other phone going wrong after such a short time which is one of the reasons I went for a different make and bought from a local shop this time.

Forgot to say

How could I forget to post that last Saturday I used a Christmas voucher towards A-Ha's new album Analogue. It is absolutely brilliant with a fabulous mixture of mellow and rock and Morten Harkett sounds as great as ever. They also came into the charts straight at number 10 last week with the single Analogue (all I want).

Long may they live. :-)

Whats been happening in the last week?

Well this last week has been mostly ok but there have been some down points. Lets look at the good first. I managed to reach the final in the Silkweavers contest with this:



I was really pleased as this was the first time I entered the competition and out of the 4 pieces I submitted this was my favourite. It was also the only one I didn't stitch in mind for the competition but just liked the threads on the fabric and the scan came out well too.
Also good is that the new machines started to arrive at the unit last week and I have now been on them 3 times. I can honestly say I don't feel as drained after dialysis each time on these and I am hoping this is good for the future as we will have 10 of these eventually. I should get to be on them most of the time as I need a special facility on them to help me not develop a long-term condition, which they felt I may have but its looking likely it was something else more minor. Actual results come out on this at my next clinic appointment but as the symptoms have gone with making my calcium higher I think it was probably that.
The bad is all wrapped up round this illness. I have felt mostly ok but I am to say the least tortured about what to do in regards my transplant options. Since walking away from the group it hightlights how isolated I also feel now in the kidney world, but that began even before Sara's death. We were each others kidney rock as well as normal every day life supporters and its so difficult to bear the loss. I just so miss the phone ringing every other day for a gossip and general chat. If Sara wasn't ringing me I often rang her and it was few days that would pass without us speaking either about the group and work we were doing or just about anything and everything.
Its funny as I have had many good friends in my life and a couple go back to school or college days but there was just something about this friendship. It was the kind that makes you believe you have known each other forever, the kind that knows exactly what that person felt about most things. In a nutshell it was a rare thing which makes it all the more difficult to bear. There are only one or two people who understand what it mean't and it was a wholly mutual thing and its going to be almost impossible to find again. Which is why 7-8 months on from leaving the group it hurts as if it was yesterday and I still ask what I could have done different. Could I have changed the course of events? Could I have coped with it better? Was I wrong to walk away? But each time I come back with a resounding no as it was a set of circumstances and people coming together at a time that wasn't good for me. I wonder if I hadn't had so many health concerns and if I wasn't grieving the loss of a loved friend and determined to keep it how she wanted then maybe it could have been different. But maybe some things are mean't to be and for whatever reason it was my turn to leave.
Maybe I wouldn't have done my course if I hadn't walked away and that is going well and I am doing lots of research into the next one. I have narrowed it down to about 4 lol but at the moment I am seeing how it goes as new courses and pathways are opening up all the time.
Ultimately who knows why some things happen and what the meaning of life is and with the transplant issue I have been considering this alot lately. I have made some decisions which involve me having to have my say over the 4 + years of error and taking it from there. But as usual wherever life takes me I have good friends to see me through and great projects to stitch and knit.:-)