Don't mention the war!

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.

One of the major stresses of this build so far for me has been the measuring. I have been responsible for ordering the doors, windows and rooflights. These make up a HUGE percentage of the exterior of the building. The lanterns alone take up 4.5 square metres.

There are nights I have lain awake calculating and recalculating the numbers. When it came time for Cappy to make the spaces I triple-checked the measurements so I could be certain that what I sent the joinery was correct. The rooflights were standard sizing so when Lovely Roofer Darren was placing the joists we followed the numbers shown on the website exactly.

My rooflights arrived today. The nice delivery man drove over three hours to bring them to me. It took six of us to manhandle them up from the road not so much bc they are heavy but they are big. The small one is 1.5x1m  and the other is 2.5x1m. CK and I watched while they lifted the first one up onto the scaffolding, at on point there was a slight slippage and overbalance. I confess. I put my hands over my eyes and turned into CK's shoulder. We watched from the metre square open hole on the landing. There was much "To me.To you", wriggling of corners and gentle pushing before Philthebuilder called a halt. My heart sank.

With the lantern safely up off the ground Philthebuilder measured hole. My faith in  Lovely Roofer Darren was justified, the gaps were spot on. He then measured the (and I massively emphasise this) made to measure roof lantern and found it is out by 5mm. 5mm is about 3/16th of an inch. A minimal amoount but enough that my fecking rooflight doesn't fit!

The dimensions on the big one were checked before they even thought about lifting it into place. Turns out this one was too long.  So they chocked them both up in their cavities and put it into the 'Too tricky to deal with during a torrential storm' basket.

At this point I gave up and went to my go-to stress release for the day. Rosie and Sage, Lovely Tom's six month old terrier puppies.

My blood pressure dropped immediately.

Let the birthday countdown commence!

Back at the beginning of October I came up with THE BEST idea for a birthday present EVER! So for the last few weeks Princess Curly Wurly has been playing on the Converse website designing her very own Ox Star Players. There has been much hilarity and squealing as she played with all of the bazillion different colours and patterns available. Then this weekend it was crunchtime.

Unlike her beautiful and kind mother her mean and horrid father had been keeping an eye on the calendar and tallied the delivery time with the approaching birth date and so forced a decision by Sunday night. In the last 24 hours there has been wailing and gnashing of teeth, a little bit of hair pulling and quite a lot of handwringing. She had narrowed it down to seven designs but the final choice eluded her. 

I say eluded, I mean avoided.

There were black check ones with orange eyestays, chevron and star. Dr Seuss stylee ones, all aqua and red. Blue ones with white stars and blue laces and green ones with gold eyelets. Finally time had run out completely and she had to choose.

It was like herding cats but every way she turned metaphorically her mean and horrid father was standing there forcing a decision.

This is what she went with.

 Funky without being weird and different without shouting it too loudly. And just in case she starts a storming trend up here on The Hill her name will be printed on the side of them so they will always find their way back to her.

CK's confusion explained.

Source: geekinheels.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Is altruism real?

Heavy post title huh? But I saw pictures on a blog the other day that I knew within a millisecond would gladden the heart of a blogfriend on the other side of the world so I sent him the link.

I was right, he did love the crafty goodness I pointed at him and told me he had favourited the site. Now I want to share this ace piece of info with the friend who lead me to the pictures but I don't want 
a) her to feel like I am being a bossy old moo who 'clunks' names.
b) put any pressure on the creator of said fabulous crafty goodness by knowing random strangers in a different hemisphere are oohing and aahing over her work.
and
c) anyone to think I am anticipating thanks and appreciation
At the same time I want the creator to know how well received the crafty goodness was.

On a lesser scale it is the same situation when handing over a baby knit recently. It was for a friend's brand new nephew. No one asked me to do it, I just wanted to make something small bc all babies should be welcomed by as many people as possible. I winged the sizing a bit and wanted to check with the proud aunt today that things fitted. She was effusive in her praise and gratitude and I almost felt like there was an air of me fishing for the compliment.

Do we ever really do things out of the goodness of our hearts or is there always a payoff, even if it is just quietly feeling good about our act/ion?

Always a drama.

While on our walk this morning My Assistant chased a cat.
Very fast.
She came back. Eventually.

Things could have turned out so much worse.

Not quite Silver Roses.

Saturday is a big day at Sylv's house.

Thought a bouquet of these might add to the undoubtedly elegant and stylish venue she will have created.

Good luck Sylv.

Posh Yarns Love Story

Another win at Posh Yarns this weekend.

Oh yes indeed.

Yarn Details:Rosalind Aran, aran weight 80% superfine alpaca / 20% silk, 180 yards (165m) per 100g

My mother vs David Butler.

My mother pushed him out of his chair last time they were in the UK (not that they were travelling together you understand). However he picked himself up and went on to design a rather smart man-oriented fabric line.

It is good to see someone make good.

;-)

God must get bored

with all of those people bothering him all the time.

Do you think he operates some sort of 'take a ticket' scheme?

Things we did over Summer part three

"You know, I think I could drive that."

Ominous crashing sounds

Was sitting here browsing online patterns for bag daughter might take to Paris in 10 days  ' being an 'on the ball building project manager' and cross referencing builder's measurements with joinery quote when suddenly there was some aggressive tapping sounds followed by grainy tumbling noises. These were quickly drowned out by the ominous crashing sound of bricks from my back wall falling to the ground.

My actual back wall. That is, the wall that will stop Thursday's predicted rain from blowing into the space which is currently, temporarily, home to my kitchen.

The tapping continues intermittently as does the grainy tumbling noise. I cross my fingers the ominous crashing is finished.

Bloody stupid Blogger. I wrote this yesterday. There are no builders breaking through here at my house at 11.33 pm.

Things we did over Summer part two

There was growing.

At the start of the season we planted up the Lower 40 and promptly left it alone - the ultimate in organic gardening if you will.

For some unfathomable reason Physalis grew.

I wish they had ripened.

Things we did over the Summer part one.

 I have been enjoying somewhat of a knitting frenzy over the Summer holidays just past. There were several successful Sunday nights over at Posh Yarns and even more amazingly, there were knitting completions. Lace and cables if you don't mind. Sometimes even on the same scarf!  

Princess C-W was quite taken with all of this finishing amazement and requested to knit some wristwarmers. I gave her some 10mm needles and we found some big ole yarn that she loved and she made a start.

destructoBoy then asked if he could knit something too. I had a ball of Sirdar super-chunky yarn in a blue he quite fancied and with a commitment that shamed we girls he knitted up a storm. However one ball of super-chunky yarn on 12mm needles doesn't really go very far so a couple of days after he started we went at bought another ball.  He decided a green would make an excellent contrast. Within two more days he was done. Finished. Completed.

Despite its blurriness I love this picture because it shows just how chuffed he is to have created his 'scarf of two halves'.

This picture lets you see the scarf in all its glory and him in all his dagginess.

Ooo look! There's a parcel.

On returning from my regular post-school drop-off dog walk My Assistant and I found Cappy had placed the post inside the house for me. There was a parcel with my name on it. A HUGE soft and squooshy parcel.

So we took it out into the sunshine to open it.

Oooo look! There are munkehs poking out. Looking at the background I think they are planning on helping Cappy and Barry with the build.

Turns out to be from Missus Katy Monkey. And you know what that means right?

Oh yes.

My Birthday Quilt has come home.

Look. Look.

It is way bigger than I had anticipated (my bed is enormous so the scale is all whacked) and way, way more fabulous. All of that gorgeousness and generosity of my lovely bloggy and real world friends and family combined together in a piece of practical art.

Wanna have a look at the back? Katy told me the backing was a gift and it would be a reminder of her (as if I would be likely to forget her!).  It has both blue and GINGER monkeys!

After taking the pictures of the quilt I took it back downstairs, then went outside with Cappy and Barry's coffees. This is what I found when I came back in.

What?? I prefer the munkehs.