Normal service is resumed…

…well sorta. I did some knitting yesterday! Admittedly not very much, but all the same. A little while ago I dug out this (first pic) project, it had been in hibernation for ages because I was a bit bored of all the stockinette in 4 ply but I found it again when I was looking for another mindless project to take over from the plain socks I finished a while back. I did a few centimetres but then realised I couldn't find the pattern and had no idea if I had overshot where the shaping need to go, so it was off to the land of nod again. Luckily I found the pattern yesterday, inevitably while I was looking for something else, which remains lost, but nonetheless, it is found and I have achieved knitting! It is with some guilt, though, that I have to confess that the entire time I was doing it I was thinking about sewing. Does this make me an unfaithful knitter? I received Weekend Sewing on Saturday and it is such a beautiful I can't help but plan what to make. There are also several (and no, Chris, for the hundredth time several does not mean the same as seven. Oy) free patterns on Burda Style which I'm itching to try. Unfortunately I can't get on with any of that stuff until I have a functioning sewing machine, so for the time being I will just have to think about sewing while I knit. No matter how dirty that makes me feel.

Oh no – not another stash!

Still no knitting done – what is wrong with me? However, on the crafting front I have purchased a whole load of new sewing books and I can't wait to get back behind the sewing machine. This is slightly unfortunate at my machine is very ill, but I have been promising myself a new one as soon as I have lost a whole stone. The good news is that I am nearly there, just another 5lb or so to go (sound easy when I put it like that eh!). Realistically I think I'll just get it after payday. The reason for waiting was twofold, firstly it was going to act as a reward for getting off my rapidly expanding bum and secondly because I couldn't really see the point of making clothes when I fully intend not to fit in them for long. However, one of the books I purchased, Making Vintage Bags, arrived yesterday and as they aren't size dependant I can't wait to get cracking. Some of the patterns are just lovely and I can see everyone getting handmade bags for Christmas and birthdays this year. Also arrives yesterday was Make Your Own Clothes. I've had a quick look through it and nothing is really jumping out at me, but there are a few useful basic patterns there. The PatternMaker software that comes with it looks pretty useful though, particularly as you can input your own measurements before printing the pattern. I am now expecting one more book to arrive, but more on that one once I've got my hands on it.

More importantly, this week saw the arrival of my new cross trainer – yay! Chris and I built it together with very little fuss (now that must be a sign of a successful relationship) and now my very own torture device is set up in front of the telly in the spare room. I have been on it every day since we built it and I have never sweated so much in my life! It does seem to be getting a bit every day though so hopefully I will be more than ready to take on my 5k charity run by May. I completed the run in around 35 mins last year and I would love to do it quicker this year. Not that it matters, I'll get sponsored whatever, but it'd be nice. The clocks go forward next week I think so I'll be able to actually get outside after work and try some proper running. Maybe, I'll even be able to find a way to enjoy it this year!

Why can't I knit!!!!

No need to panic I haven't got a terrible injury stopping me from knitting - although it came close, more on that later - it's just that I have totally lost my mojo. I'm definitely going to have to start a new project because my current WIPs are just not inspiring me. I think this is the longest I have gone without knitting for years and it is making me feel quite weird! However I have been fairly busy elsewhere so I have been distracted. I have been keeping up with my exercise, and have now dropped half a stone - yay me. Our lodger finally decided to move out so we now have the spare room back. This is great because my new cross trainer arrived today. Check back tomorrow to see if we put it together correctly! Hopefully the rest of that stone will be history fairly soon too. Maybe I can knit and cross train together - hmm, worth a try.

Chris had his birthday party last Saturday. It seemed to be a success, the last people left at 4:15am so I think they were enjoying themselves! Chris went missing for about an hour and we eventually found him snoozing in the garage. He has no explanation for this, other than that he was tired. I blame the Guinness. Guitar Hero World Tour saw lots of action, which was cool until I woke up in the wee small hours with what seems to have been some sort of guitar playing RSI. Luckily it only lasted a few hours so my future knitting prospects are safe. I did feel like a bit of a loser though, surely only huge nerds play video games long enough to cripple themselves?!

Right, well I'm off to peruse my knitting queue and see if I can find something to get my mojo back.

Happy Birthday Chris!

No-one believes you are going to be 29 – again! He he, today Mr. Hannah Celebrates his 33^rd birthday. I don't think he has had a very exciting day, he is still out of work so he is at home all day and I have been at work but I got him 2 DVDs and an X-Box game so I think he has been celebrating by watching Lara Croft's bottom all day! He had a birthday tea with his family on Sunday, which was nice and he is having a big party on Saturday night so I'm not feeling too sorry for him. Happy Birthday Chris – you old fart!

Well once again I have been up to not much at all. Still exercising like it is going out of fashion and it seems to be going ok, I think I am at roughly W-5lbs, although the party food Chris' Mum brought round on Sunday may have adversely affected that! I have also promised that we can have whatever Chris likes for dinner tonight so I may not have a weigh in for a few days til I can be sure I have worked it all off. My non knitting continues apace (if that is not a complete paradox). I think I am just not sitting still long enough at the moment and I'm finding that even a couple of rows of 4x3 ribbing on my Sloppy Joe is enough to put me off the idea when I do pick up some knitting. I also seem to have lost a stitch on the socks I am knitting and rather that solve the problem I have just put them aside in the hope that they will miraculously be ok when I pick them up again. Am I alone in this kind of delusion?

I have signed up to do the Race for Life again this year. This may be slightly mad as I haven't managed to forget how much I dislike running as a sport after last year, but it is for a really good cause and the atmosphere on the day is really lovely. Sponsor me here if you like. Me and my Mum are fundraising together this year as we know a lot of the same people so it's easier. We won't be running together though as she has no intention of running and I don't intend to walk the whole way. Oh well! I'm promising that as soon as the clocks go forward I will start to go out running again and get back into training, watch this space to see how that goes. I hate running way more than I hate 4x3 ribbing – maybe the Sloppy Joe will get done while I am trying to avoid jogging. There is always a silver lining!