How to cheer yourself up!

I AM IN A GOOD MOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!! I am in a massive, big, fat, good mood and I think it's made even better by the fact that I haven't actually felt good in a very long time. But things are looking up!

Why? Well, let me tell you...

On Friday my oldest friend asked me out for a drink on the Saturday. Usually, I'd say no because I'm mostly miserable, skint and busy but this time, I did what I said I'd do for my new years resolution and said yes. I left early because I didn't want to be too hungover for the lesson the next day but it was marvellous catching up with old friends. I decided that I couldn't face doing any commissions whilst I was there so I grabbed a ball of lemon Bamboo Cotton, a big hook and made a dishcloth. Ahh, easy crochet and all for myself. Lovely. I finished it the next day and it looks like this:

Marvellous

I had a hippy-hoppy-happy fantastic lesson on Sunday. Little Ollie was too cute (even though I don't like kids!) and his mum, Helen, was marvellous as always. Here's what the shop looked like before we started:

And here's what we made: 

Ollie's was some sort of Treasure Island in the sunset. 

And his mum's was an abstract inspired by the sea (I think?). 

I love them both equally. But I'm not showing you what a state the shop was in when they left. 

And then, I had a day off - sort of. Where I signed up to get a FREE eye test at Specsavers and chose some glasses, in advance because I definitely need them, and the glasses will only be £25 lenses included! However, my bus didn't turn up on Tuesday in the morning when I'd booked to go so I had to miss the appointment and rebook it for this Sunday at 10.20. Because of the frame of mind I was in, and every single other thing in my life was going wrong, I thought that that was a bad thing. But actually, it's not an early time to get up in particular, I'll get to take my time and not worry about opening the shop, maybe I'll grab a coffee wearing my new glasses afterwards. It's got to be a good thing. 

And then, I went home and did a load of looking for a present for my mum's birthday. I decided to get a cross stitch kit and a frame for her to make a cross-stitched fire screen because she's been on about doing what for literally ever. I went to John Lewis - shock horror! There was one thing that I didn't mind but it was definitely too small so I went to search for somebody that knew that they were talking about and surprise, surprise, there wasn't anybody. But whilst I was talking to a perfectly pleasant non-knitting, non-cross-stitching assistant she told me that they might be able to order something in from Coats. And I was like 'OMG - I can order something in from Coats!'. So now, I'm not stuck to what John Lewis can provide, I have access to the whole bloody lot and I'd give myself a good discount! 

So I came home, went online and discovered that they don't do anything even remotely like I want/need. Oh dear. So Jem, my Coats rep (who incidentally had some GORGEOUS designs in the new Rowan book. Not that you should buy it, just admire the designs...;)), told me about a shop that she also reps for that might help me and I rang them and I spoke to a lady who knew what she was talking about. What a thing! She told me about a designer called Thea Gouverneur - you should seriously check out her work even if it's never crossed your mind to cross a stitch before - seriously beautiful designs, incredibly intricate. 

And I found this one:

My mum would go mental for (and possibly over) that! Mental. But I'm not even going to give you a clue as to how much it costs - more than two jumpers worth in our yarn, I'll tell you that for free. I'm thinking about it anyway.

Then a good dinner and then a load of knitting which meant that my commissions are over. Well, I announced on facebook that they were over but actually they're not. Near enough though, they will be tonight....maybe tomorrow...

And then the next day I got a letter from a company called Elavon who told me that I owed them £20 - but £10 urgently, which had to be paid by.like.right.now. Well, I called them and they passed me on to Payzone, who passed me back to them, who passed me back to.... blah blah blah. Anyway, despite their best efforts to make me pay £10 a month for the next two years for NOTHING they bloody FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mwahaha! I think they think that they can just fob me off but I'm like a dog with a bone. Provided I can knit/crochet whilst I'm listening to their drivel I can put up with anything and I think it's my sheer bloody minded-ness that makes me win these battles every time. Every time. Don't mess with my you wankers!

So, that brings me neatly up to today. And now I have the pleasure to announce to you - our new yarn. Which I promised would get it's own blog post, but if I'm honest, with me potentially going on holiday next week - I really don't have time. So here: 

Nice ey??? 

It's on the internet - click here. And I started this pattern a little while ago and, I haven't finished it, but to be fair I've barely been doing it for all of these commissions but I wanted to tell you that I've knitted pretty much the whole front in one bloody ball! One ball! All the way up to the patterning! What a thought. I love love love love love love love it!

Right, I'm off to get the patterns for the Shades on the internet. It may be tomorrow now but we'll see. 

Love Eleanor. :)