Life is inherently ironic. Well, Alanis Morrisette reckons so, although her interpretation is arguably more "Life's a bitch when timing's a bit off", but that's another online discussion to be had.



After ongoing IT frustrations with the new work laptop provided meant productivity's almost ground to a total halt, I found this:

"My New Computer

I’ve just taken delivery of an up to the minute, spanking new computer and I’m finding it hard work setting it up and getting going, so I’m keeping the old one going while I get used to the new one. But when I’m up and running with the new computer its going to be so much better.

My old computer is a dear friend. We know each other, but we’re not functioning as well as we used to. We get stuck more frequently. There are so many things I can’t do. I can’t open many files attached to emails. I used to, but now all that comes up is “Sorry this view is not available”. I can’t load the software to handle running a website. I slow down and often I don’t have enough memory. I have to remember not to do too many things at once or I run out of memory and the whole thing seizes up and closes down.

A bit like me really. Only I can’t just send off for a new computer and discard the old one. I’ve got to make do with the old one and try and work out what is causing the seizing up and how to release a bit more memory. You can buy extra memory for the old computer. We did that, but actually it didn’t seem to solve anything - obviously something fundamental is causing it to work less well than it did. I also used to be OK (after a fashion). I did wonder occasionally if I was only functioning in part of me, I felt a bit shallow - was there more I wasn’t tapping into? But I got by. Had the occasional breakdown, seize up, overheat. But not enough for anyone to get a ‘mechanic’ in for more than a cursory glance.

Now after a good run at life, seemingly functioning pretty well, I’ve found the breakdowns are more frequent, the lack of memory, especially working memory, almost a permanent problem. Frequently nowadays, just as on my old computer, a message pops up on my screen “There seems to be another network running underneath the one you are using - do you want to shut it down?” I press the ‘yes’ button, but it keeps on appearing. If I knew why that happened I could do something about it...

But now I’ve found some (mostly old) files that I didn’t know were there, ones that were taking up space and making me feel shallow. Sometimes they pop onto my screen without any warning. When that happens occasionally I can find the ‘close’ button. Often I can ‘minimise’ and carry on with the intrusive file in the background. But other times the old file overwhelms and the system shuts down and I need time out before ‘booting up’ again. In the end I’ve had to find an ‘engineer’ who is happy to take on a long term project and work on the memory and seizing up problem while trying to keep me up and running in between times."

Life imitates IT. LOL.

Sigh. I used to have an unsigned copy of this poster. Just don't tell me how much it would be worth! : (



On behalf of all the other old sods remembering their star-wars-struck childhood memories watching Blue Harvest on Beeb 3, have a happy May 4th - or what's left of it!

Some good advice spotted in a Manchester shop window. It's been six weeks or so since my last post, so this will be a combined round-up and catch-up - hopefully without sounding like a virtual rodeo...



Overall, it's been a difficult time thanks to a visit to the Neuro in early March, whose advice I purposely didn't start to implement since after Easter when there wasn't as much going on. He decided I wasn't holding up on the first lot of AEDs (meds), so started me on another drug as well (Keppra). Without going into too much detail, they've been somewhat disruptive and have caused something completely unexpected.





On the flip side, there's been a fair bit going on worthy of mention. Starting off with the more subdued end of the spectrum, my 40th was celebrated in fairly quiet style, with the exception of some ace cards and a funky cake. Can't have a birthday without one!



On the day after Mr W & I went to Manchester for some window shopping and a treat meal at Wagamama which was great fun. We had a nosey in Selfridge's too, with a peek at their Yo! Sushi bar:



A day later, workmate M & rellie P took me for lunch at M's local foodie pub which was a nice, relaxing break. M surprised me with a giant box which turned out to be filled with helium balloons, including one which played 'Wild Thing' when you hit it!



Birthday celebrations continued with a lovely fibre surprise from Ursula; some blueface Leicester fibre and Kool-Aid sachets. Thanks U! It didn't take me long to spin it up and now have an ace multi-coloured crocheted scarf as well as some left over handspun which I don't quite know what to use on just yet.





Suffice to say, it's been tucked away with the other hand-dyed wools for special use. Possibly a special bag to felt or a groovy hat of some kind.



My beautiful Lendrum wheel has been put through its paces, as I've been using it a lot throughout. While I've already spun up all the fibre I can lay my hands on, I've mainly been doing a ton of plying as it was a long overdue task to put together the many weird stash yarns into something much more knittable. Hand on heart, I think I've actually managed to finish the job, combining everything that was 'odd' into something much more interesting: See the pic of what's left after some keen try-out knitting up.





Etsy has yielded some surprises too. Sales from my shop have been growing gently and I've experimented with trading with three very creative folks. Jen traded some fun and beautiful goodies from her two shops, dvrdown.etsy.com and jennleejewelry.etsy.com, while Amber swapped for some of her excellent bags from bendawndavis.etsy.com and Mai-ling of alphaomega.etsy.com traded one of her hand-painted wristlet purses for some of my work. Thanks to all three!



Once things steady out somewhat with my daily routine, I'll be listing on Etsy more regularly, with more knitting accessories and woolly finished objects for sale.



M threw two ace parties over the last few weeks too, one of which was a surprise do for her Dad's 60th birthday. I was asked to be official photographer of the moment when he realised he's been dragged in under false but fun pretenses, and got a cracking snap but it's on her camera.



Talking of cameras, Mr W dragged me out the house yesterday and chauffeured us round Manchester and Stockport. Why? Well, if you're into 'Life on Mars', you might well appreciate what iamian, RAMC181 and the good folks at The Railway Arms have done in identifying locations from the show. To see where we went, clicky here to see the pics on Flickr.

I heart Easter weekend big-time: You don't need an excuse to indulge in a near-fatal degree of chocaholism, Nature starts to urgently burst forth like a muscly, bare-chested Fireman and it's the first of many Bank Holidays that exhort you to take official quality time off.



Even though I'm on holiday this week anyway, I've actually been pretty busy with all manner of gratifying but needful tasks, in particular selling on eBay like a woman (dis-)possessed. All the nail extension kit must go as 'false nails' - as my Mam would say - have been a complete non-starter unlike the facials, waxing, manicures & pedicures which are still on offer. And I need to free up space to accommodate wool stash and craft addiction apparatus before an intervention by Environmental Health.



So today is a proper day off with no work of any kind. While Mr W catches up on "Zooper-Lee-aggue" on telly, I've had Radio 2's Mark Radcliffe and Lisa Tarbuck providing generation-appropriate anthems like Lloyd Cole's "Perfect Skin" and Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" while I stuff my fizzog with Hot Cross buns and ovoid shaped, vegetable fat-filled delights.



W's demob-happy state last night triggered this orgy of indulgence, when home cooking was spurned in favour of a fish & chip supper treat once seasonal chocolate had been delivered to rellies and mates. When idle channel-hopping turned up the Grey's Anatomy season 3 premiere on five, I was doubleplus happy. The new series was supposedly turning up in February but finally it's here. Ahhhhhh... Hello M by the way, my SIL hospital-drama pusher.







Still on the theme of telly delights, "Ashes To Ashes" has grown into a favourite despite initial misgivings. Like other viewers, I wasn't sure about openly trotting out the same premise once more, which inevitably dispenses with any vestiges of the surreal mystique which made "Life On Mars" unmissable, but the writers have made up for that with crisp development of established characters and yet another cracking soundtrack. Who cares if it panders to the thirty-and forty-somethings remembering their youth? Jumping on a bandwagon somewhat slower than his beloved Quattro, I've finally joined the ranks of women like workmate Mel and succumbed to the chauvinist charms of Manc Lion Gene Hunt. How can you fail to fall with lines like "You are surrounded by armed ba*****ds! and "I'm his DCI, not his bloody Akela!".



And finally Esther, just a quick gratuitous plug for my Mad March Hare Etsy sale. From Monday 24th March, there's 40% off 40 items in my shop for a week so swing by, grab a bargain and if you mention the blog on a 'conversation' (Etsy message), I'll chuck in a freebie too.

The lovely Lendrum DT arrived late on Thursday, so that evening and the whole of yesterday developed into one long, blissful learn-to-spin-on-a-wheel session.



Let me introduce you to the newly dubbed 'Wheel of Justice': All together now - "# Spin, Spin, Spin the Wheel of Justice, see how fast the b*****d turns...#"



Please excuse the crappy photography; I'm just getting used to my new phone, a bargain £60 Sony Ericcson from Tesco to replace my geriatric 4 or 5 year old Nokia 3650. Shame, it was a great phone but just won't hold a charge despite two replacement batteries.



Anyway, the wheel comes with a 3-bobbin lazy kate with tensioner which is a string & hook arrangement; nicely simple but it works, plus the jumbo plying head and fast flyer. I'd got the complete package - the wheel deal (groan) - with as I've loads of fine weight yarn due to sock obsession, some of which would be much better plied up. The Lendrum was ordered from P & M Woolcraft and they'd kindly put in a selection of practice roving to play with in a mix of bright colours without having to worry about ordering some separately or ruining expensive stuff.



Like the Lendrum Saxony, its traditional sister model, The Wheel of Justice is made from finished Canadian maple and feels very sturdy. The bearings are very smooth so everything moves very quietly. When swapping to the jumbo head for bulky yarn or larger-capacity plying you need to change the drive band for a larger version, but this is easier than it sounds. Simply slot out the circlip securing the footman (drive batten attached to the wheel itself), slide out the drive cable and replace with the larger band, then slot back that circlip. Other users keep the larger band on according to various forum posts so that's something to bear in mind.



Due to not knowing anyone local with a wheel, I'd never actually had a go on one before hence all the ponderous trawling of reviews and asking online spin friends for info. When the wheel arrived there was a bit of head scratching to suss out the scotch tension so that the bobbin would simultaneously rotate and take up the yarn evenly with a decent amount of twist but this was sorted out by Thursday bedtime.



The basics sussed, yesterday turned into a road test for the fast flyer with its higher ratio whorls:



Here's a bobbin full of plied up pink cotton, very light linen in green, a white & red lace weight and a slubby space dyed tencel, a good strong colourful yarn which will probably end up as a bag.



After lots of practice plying to get used to adjusting everything and learning the difference between ratios, I finally had a crack at spinning some roving. A few times I lost the end of the fibre with treadling too fast, so there was some repeated rethreading to do. Ne'er mind, it helped me understand what I was doing wrong. After a few more adjustments, I ended up with this strange mix:

As you can see there's a lot of variance between the fine stuff and what's getting on for bulky weight so that's an obvious area for improvement: I'm really looking forward to learning how to draft and spin at consistent rate like the experienced folk out there in Rav land. Meanwhile my short term mission is to get enough hand spun to make a keepsake scarf, the fibre equivalent of infant school kids making their first gaudy coloured clay bowl.



It's great having the wheel now so I can get some serious practice during the break, alongside planned de-junking and knitting activities, all of which are in the words of Judge Nutmeg himself, "Always a pleasure, never a chore".