Ball O' Yarn

Hi guys!
This last few days have definitely been a bit of a whirlwind but there isn't actually all that much to tell.

I've mostly been working at the petrol station lately and en route to one of my afternoon shifts I stopped by the local cafe for a cuppa. While I was there I saw a sign in the window advertising for new waiting-on staff. Since the garage job is really only an emergency/temporary kind of post I asked one of the lasses working there what sort of hours the job would be for. Next thing I know I had the cafe owner herself sitting opposite me and my cake giving me a full interview - surprise! Before I knew it she was offering me the post! Now I told her I'd obviously have to think about it and speak to those at the garage so I'd get back to her but when I explained the encounter to the garage owner I got another surprise - they started offering me enough hours to match what the cafe offered. So, basically, I'm waiting to see what both say and we shall see where I end up.

Other than that I've spent most of my free time recently knitting. I finished my dread beanie pretty quickly and it's gone down really well - I'm already making my first one to sell and have a couple more on order! So excited about this and I'm now knitting away like mad, not that I'm complaining! I've also been having some wonderful conversations with some fellow 'dreadheads' about different wool and the processes it goes through before it can be knit - all very interesting.

(My lovely new beanie)

Oh, in case you're wondering about the post title being a bit odd it, like all my other posts is the name of a song. I quite enjoy this way of choosing my post titles, not least because it gives me the chance to listen to some different musicians that I've sometimes never heard of. This particular song - an old folk song - is a bit of a funny one in terms of lyrics but the title fits nicely at least!

As many of you will know we celebrated Earth Day this week. Now I didn't have too much time to go gallivanting out into the countryside but I did spend a little time out in the garden photographing some of the lovely flowers we have in bloom at the moment.

(nice to see a bit of colour coming through)

For those interested in my Uni work the picture below pretty much sums it up - I'm growing beans!

(Beans, beans a wonderful fruit, the more you eat, the....well you know the rest!)

So that's what I've been up to lately, see you all again soon!

Born to Be Wild

Hi guys,
I'm sorry I have been a terrible blogger over this week - I've been doing some many things worth blogging about but all these things have left me no time to blog! Actually I had planned to get this written up and posted yesterday. I had the computer set up and ready, tea in hand when we had a bit of a 'who turned out the lights' moment. It turns out our house was one of over 200,000 homes left without power last night in a power-cut covering pretty much all of northern Scotland.

(A map showing the extent of last nights power cut courtesy of BBC News Scotland) 

So on to what I'd planned to say last night:

This last week and a half has been so busy I'm not sure I remember everything I got up to over the period but I shall try my best!
Not long after giving you all my last post I finally got round to having my first proper motorbike lesson (in that really short, casual, non-classroom based kinda way). Now, I have actually already done my Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) which you have to do before you can even have a learners permit. I also spend some time riding around in India a couple of years ago but I've never ridden a manual. So although it was short I think my mini lesson on my other-half's bike in the yard went quite smoothly.

The morning after the bike lesson was lovely and sunny, almost warm even! As both of us had the day off work we decided to have a look around town. The weather inspired me to pick up some gardening things while he got some new fishing gear, although what he bought I have no idea,  fishing is one subject I know nothing about.
On this little day-out I also bought some new fabric for a skirt I'm planning on making out of a pair of old jeans. If it works out  it'll let you see some pictures!
This was all followed by the other-half treating me lunch - definitely the way to anyone's heart!

Typically the weather turned awful as soon as we headed back to the house so I never did get any gardening done before work that night.

The following day was another busy one - although for a change I wasn't working. My mum picked me up from town and we headed to the other end of the island to a place called St Margret's Hope. The community center was having a bit of a table-top sale along with full breakfasts so we made sure to get a long to that. We picked up a couple of plants and despite attempts to declutter the house, we got some more books too.

Next it was off to Sandwick beach for an event called 'Bag the Bruck' where groups get together once a year to clean up the beaches. I do think this should be done more often otherwise it's a bit like fighting a losing battle but once a year is still better than nothing! Unfortunately the weather was horrendous so only one of my mum's Wildlife Explorer's members should up with his dad but between us we did get 10 full bin bags so I guess that counts as a success.

(Mum doing her bit to help despite the awful weather)

Following getting soaked on the beach we went to visit a good friend of ours Pam for coffee and a catch up - as a bonus we got to see her new puppy Axel and her not-so-little kitty too.

Finally we had one last stop before the supermarket and home. When I was travelling last year I stayed with an English couple in Portugal and it turns out her mum stays in Orkney too. At the time it was mentioned that I could maybe help Mandy's mum get set-up with Skype and finally I've been able to do it so they can Skype whenever they like - something I was very happy to help with.

(John, me and Mandy pressing grapes. Mandy's mum - the new Skype pro!)

 This week I also got to be helpful in a very different way. A friend of mine is a Celebrant (someone who can perform weddings) and see was looking for a witness for a wedding she was doing. No one else was coming forward so I offered to help out. The couple were a wonderful pair from Ireland. Although in their later years they had decided to hop on the motorbike and elope to Orkney to get married. The day was wonderful, the ceremony had all of us tearing up and the couple were just lovely.

I think that's all the exciting stuff really although I'd say that's given you plenty! If you really like I could tell you all about my Uni experiment growing beans or about my three jobs but I think Ill just leave you here, in the hope that you'll be back for more soon, and aren't too confused by my posting inconsistency!

Ciao :)

Another Manic Monday!

Well although I didn't have a super early start to the morning it was all hands on deck as soon as I did roll out of bed - I had a phone call from my old boss asking if I could cover a few shifts this week, starting tomorrow. This wasn't exactly a complete surprise as we had already been talking about it but starting tomorrow did mean that I've spent most of the day so far getting my latest university assignment out of the way.

Now luckily it seems to have been a relatively easy assignment, part of a maths module I'm currently studying, and now it's just waiting to be posted tomorrow. Typically I actually started this assignment almost two weeks ago but everybody loves a bit of procrastination right?

By the look of it the rest of the day is now going to be spend looking for the perfect knitting patterns. At the end of last week I was commissioned to make a nice thick pair of leg warmers but they're to be in a colour not easily found up here on the island so it was onto the Black Sheep Wools site for a bit of a root through their stock. Well the wool has arrived today and looks great, and with it was the wool I bought to make a little something for myself.

Lately I've been having to forgo the wearing of proper hats because with the amount of hair tucked under them they tend to just POP right off my head - very frustrating when you already have to battle the winds to keep your head-wear from swooping off into the sea. I have so far made myself a couple of very nice headbands but I'm going to make a nice big baggy dread hat - a bit like Bob's Marley's super famous 'rasta hat' but with some more 'me' colours, after all I've never even been to Jamaica...yet. However first on the list is the pair of leg warmers...and another scarf.

Now, I would like to say how "I wish it were Sunday" but to be honest Sunday, and the rest of the weekend was pretty busy too! I was working in the Legion on Friday night for a heavy metal gig we had in. Although some of the other staff weren't so keen on it I really enjoyed it. We had a Shetland band called Ten Tonne Dozer down to play and a band called Hybrid Constellation were launching their album over the weekend.

Saturday consisted of a trip down town and a peek around the charity shops before a long overdue trip to the swimming pool then more work. This time we had piper called Fred Morrison performing. He was pretty good too but I only found out this morning that he once played with Capercallie - now that was a surprise!

Come Sunday afternoon it was back for another shift in the bar before heading over to the climbing wall. I've been going a fair bit this year so far but I was pretty chuffed with myself this week as I managed to convince my mum to come along and join in too! Don't worry - she has actually done a lot of climbing in the past so it was like some cruel joke. It's been a few years since she was last on the wall but she did well so hopefully that's my climbing partner problem fixed! And I think it worked very nicely as a Mother's Day present with a difference.

(Bit different to the climbing at the wall this weekend but here's me testing myself in Spain last summer!)

Well I'd best get on with these leg warmers so I'll see you next time!

Here Comes the Sun

As of yesterday we have now had approximately three nice sunny days up on Orkney this year. However it is only March, and after all we're not meant to get nice sunny weather until the tourists start showing up - it's a natural ploy to convince them it's perpetually paradise up here - not that I'm a conspiracy nut or anything...

Anyway, having been warned of the lovely weather on it's way my sister Melanie and I along with the 'mother-taxi' (just kidding mum!) and the pup went up to the Ring of Brodgar - a neolithic henge and stone circle surrounded by lochs and open fields. Mel was after some photos of a very cute fox cowl she'd just made from her first pattern and I was hoping she could strike a pose with a couple of my finished  items too. 

It was still a bit nippy and we did have to time our shots for when the sun was clear of cloud but it could definitely be classed as a success! 

(a lovely cowl I made a short while ago - more details here)

While mum was out at her new job I went into town for a 'business meeting'. First though it was off to our favourite coffee shop - Trenabies for a cuppa.

Now the business meeting - well I don't know if I can really call it that. A friend of mine has an interesting business idea and wanted to meet up and discuss it and see if I would like in....so if that works out smoothly you might all get to hear about that too!

Next it was time to catch up with an old friend from school, before heading over to the other half's place to knit. My latest project is a super long black and purple, stripey scarf for another good friend. It's taken about a week already but it's almost finished now so hopefully I get to post that off to her very soon!

Well today has been dedicated to finishing a uni assignment so I'll speak to you all again soon, 

Ciao!