sweet home california

yes, i'm back home in orange county california and have to admit that i've been spending more time in shops buying hair dye and bleach than yarn!  my daughter is gonna multicolour dip dye my ends for me - wohoo, i can't wait...

i actually came over here travelling extremely light - its amazing now i'm an extra-small instead of an extra-large how little room my clothes take up!  so anyway, am travelling with just a ball of sockyarn and have been free forming away on little skulls mostly.  photos to follow if they actually become anything!

now, off to check the weather forecast and see if i'll be sunbathing again today. x

ghoulie gossip

well, i'd post another photo of my daughter, but i think she has been in the press enough the last few days.  will be interesting to see how much of the actual truth the british press manage to report on - rather than what she wears - a bit of fashion tip with your gossip??? right now she is passed out on the sofa in black silk pajama bottoms and a cashmere cardigan...lol.

so what other gossip have i got for you all this week? well i passed on some of my old clothes and boots today to one of my geeky stitchy girlfriends...she's lost two stone so is a couple sizes behind me - nice to know my custom boots are going to a good home - they were just too baggy or looked like wellies on me now i've lost around 5 stone and hit my target weight!

another bit of girlie gossip is i've created another hooking monster...my beautiful and lovely receptionist caroline  has come over to the crochet side and is joining our office granny square crochet-along...and i've got even more recruits for tomorrow!

...and i'm hoping to launch my seasonal limited edition etsy shop - inspired by the crocheted garland that i've been making for our hallowedding first anniversary party.  can you all believe that 've been mrs. piany for almost a year?  we are thinking of having a nice halloween tea on a boat in bristol, and i'm hoping to get some of the local bellydancers that i know there to perform...but until then i'm crocheting my black nail varnished fingers to the bone.

so far i've created just the basic granny triangle bunting in traditional halloween colours, pastel day of the dead garland, dark halloween alien skull garland, and other spooky inspired bits and pieces!  i know that i'm making them to set up the shop and sell on, as people have been asking me to ---- but it's all so cute i wanna keep it!!!

so i know it is early but what are your hallowe'en plans?

the good the bad and the ugly

phew, what a weekend that just was...

the good.

i have managed to deliver most of my july bunting orders now. especially with the help of my daughter, ravenisis. so big big thanks to her and if you want a special crochet bunting hooked by a suicide girl burlesque super star please let me know. i've decided that with my day job and my bellydancing schedule i just don't have enough time to fill an etsy or a folksy shop - they look stupid when half empty - so i'll just be offering my bunting here on the blog, in my friend gerard's shop iknit london (yes it's a yarn shop with a bar in it!!), and might put some up on ebay.

i'm always massively proud of my talented daughter and watching her crochet, i've realised that she crochets even faster than i do! (if you've seen me work that is really saying something) raven's a bit of tight hooker luckily, so means her and i don't need the same hook - which is good as i only have one broken wooden 4mm left in my bag...

...4mm is my teaching hook. so i tend to give them away.

my latest student is my work colleague agata who is going to teach me needle felting in return!

today is our bitches make stitches lunch date. i can't wait for a big pot of tea and a chilled out hour (or two) in the middle of the day.

for the rest of my july orders, i just need to sew the labels on and box them up and we are good.

the bad.

as you all know from previous posts, amy winehouse was not my favourite person but it is absolutely horrible to lose your life so early, talented or no. i really feel for her family. and i hope she truly does rest in peace.

the ugly.

i really can't believe that my daughter's boyfriend of three years, reg traviss, is such a fame hungry fucktard. his actions both before and after amy's death just make me sick. the pain he has caused my daughter over the last year is inexcusable. i've never disliked someone so much in my whole entire life...and i have an ex husband (R.I.P.) that left me for my best friend after i waited years for him to get out of of prison...so that really is saying something.

karma is a big fat ugly bitch and one day is gonna spiritually hit that boy like a ton a bricks.

life.

i' so so sorry to those of you that are coming here looking for crochet, and lately only getting trashy posts...

...my life hasn't been very crafty lately at all.

and to tell the truth i'm findin' the fallout of the article below hard to deal with.

my daughter is telling the truth. i wish i could show the txt messages on her iphone to the whole world. and now all those times i wished i had cctv that followed me - well, damn if only i did! i'd love to be able to show you all how he lied to my face the spent then night at our house.

ugh.

it's been so hard watching my daughter go through this. especially as it's been so globally public.

the internet is a big part of my life and my work, but dammit sometimes!

well...its finally out!

and hopefully we can move on from all the horrid family stress it has been causing.

here's my daughter's side of the story in the news of the world this morning.

it's bad enough to find out your partner is cheating, but to have it spread all over the global press has been horrid for my daughter. i'm so glad that she finally found the strength to end it all and speak out. very very brave of her.

looking forward to life getting a bit more back to normal, whatever that is!

and my weekend of quiet crafting?
not happened.

yet.

but i still have tonight!!!

saturday nights alright for fightin'

so despite me being a confirmed hooker, i seem to be part of a lovely little gang o' ladies who have named themselves knit1 eat1. i think that they came to this decision while i was passed out cold at the dinner table of ms marmite lover's underground restaraunt, because i'd never have agreed to such a thing!

but as i learned the other week when i let my hairdresser cut my hair while i napped...if i'm going to siesta then i'm going to have to live with it. and gosh darn i really can't wait for my hair to grow - think i am needing a falso pony tail for belly dancing definitely.

anyway, let's recap why i was a asleep at the table and NOT crocheting at the underground restaraunt. for this we have to back track to thursday night where it all started... so here's a timeline:

thursday night

7:00 arrive for sushi and sake with thayer prime

9:30 go to she says women in digital birthday party which sucked so drank brambles

10:00 head over to the cellar door and consume dirty gin martinis and lots of free champagne as i am still celebrating my birthday as it is still april and i was born on the first.

friday day

lunch drinks with my accountant at the crown clerkenwell green

then beers in the studio at my desk

straight home because i'm dead tired

saturday day

11:00 training really darn hard with my trainer ivo

13:00 double vodka at the ship in soho

15:00 another at the intrepid fox

17:00 sundowner on my roof 'the bloomsbury skyline club'

saturday night

11:00 head to the cock tavern to watch my daughter ravenisis perform

midnight drinking 'dudes' at the el camino in soho with the swingin' film crowd

...this is where it ALL goes wrong!

01:oo am decide to head home as feeling tipsey, but unfortunately have to go passed the crobar to get home, where i firstly fall off my stripper heels straight on my ass then stand up and go straight over on my nose. go home to clean myself up and go to sleep.

which would have been okay but...

06:00 am my door buzzer is going and my daughter is locked out.

so i decide it's a good time for a disco nap.

then stay up the rest of the morning cuddling my blondeboy and drinking bloody mary's

sunday day proper

11:00am finally fall asleep

high noon wake up with an ice pick in my eye socket and take loads of painkillers and slather arnica on my face and then get stuck on the tube at baker street for ages.

14:15 finally make it to ms marmite lover's and have a glass of cava, then more bubbles, then a glass of the nicest red i have ever let between my lips.

went straight home

did not pass go

missed my daughter's sunday night show at the cellar door.

i am a bad mother

a horrid guest

and a pretty crap crocheter lately!

find cassie!

firstly - for anyone back home or anyone that knows anyone back home can you please have a look at this blog post and pass it along if you can? nother crafty vixen could really use our help in trackin down her daughter cassie who has been missing since the 8th...there is a possibility that she could have run away, and may be headed towards Virginia. thanks so much for having a look - just in case we can help in anyway.

as a mom i can't even imagine what she is going through - just thinking about my daughter ravenisis going missing makes me sick. my daughter means everything to me and i'm so lucky - shes my best friend as well as my only family over here in london...and i'm so proud of her! we had a great day together today at the V+A for their quilt exhibition. she got me the tickets for my birthday last weekend.

i do have to say tho-that i really don't think i've seen that many menopausal women in one space ever before in my life! what is it about patchwork and the change?

alternatives

so i had to find somewhere to hide the kalima heart - so decided full view was the best! it's now in the liberty bag of beautiful deep dark rich coloured yarns next to my bed...hope that is a good enough place - as the new mister blondeboy is moving his lovely big black four poster canopy jungle vine bed into my room tomoro!!!

shitting myself but also fine.

and chillin' out making swedish bunnies as my scandofamily annmarie seienstyle is coming to stay on friday - for alternative fashion week...and my daughter's 25th birthday, yikes.

i am oooold.

strange

this is strange...i'm as far as i can go on my two big projects, so spent a nice chilled friday night in with my daughter and her bf, searching through some of my favourite patterns and trying to figure out what i might have the yarn to create...mmmm...i might have settled on just making some washcloths for now just to keep me busy - yes i know i can be a process crocheter sometimes - but i find it really fucking meditative, ok!!!

and i've found now i have loaded patterns onto my kindle that it's just another place i need to remember to look for ideas...o no what have i done???

if its tuesday it must be volupte

well i hated most of the changes that i made to the dreadlock scarf so hacked a few rows off - it's mohairy type fuzzy yarn so it doesn't matter as it won't really unravel - and if it does, i'll just tie it back together - it will add to the voodoo juju look and feel of the creation. i do like the scrumblie type ruffles i added to the ends though and the thickening width at one end so have left...will see how it wears next time i wrap it roundme...

...but not tomoro!
as my daughter is doing her show at volupte.
so i need to look smart - am thinking the vintage polka dot laura ashley skirt suit if i can get it zipped up! not worn it since the first weekend i went to stay with the new blondeboy last october, so might'nt fit any longer as i piled on the weight last time i was sick with the alien growth thingy.

so fingers crossed.
otherwise tomoro lunchtime will be spent shopping and i never have luck.
at all.

o wait - i forgot my blue satin off the shoulder dress!
i'll just need someone to ziiiiip me up. phew.

hi hi hi heels = tower power!

woke up this morning and i hate to say it but it was so nice to be in a girlie fresh bed! guess this is what i hate about not fucking women these days, and having a luscious - but very manly blondeboy. i wasn't pushed out of bed all night by his 6'2" of lovely, and my bed still smelled of vanilla upon waking...yes i know i am anything but vanilla when he is around! so as i cuddle up in the navaho tunisian crochet afghan on my bed, feet cuddled upon my big stuffed white tiger, i reflect on all the threadbanging that has happened in the last 48hrs while he was gone...

...because my daughter ravenisis and i were threadbanging hard!
(while watching aLOTof celebrity big brother 7 UK)

well isis finally finished the bright granny square throw for her bed - it matches the hotwater bottle cozy that i made her and yarn very much courtesy of the lovely karina (fishwhiskers) taking me round every shop in bristol....the weekend i met my blondeboy! aw - what a lovely reminder...

and i think i've got as far as i can with my aum project!
now it just needs laying out but my knee hurts to bad to kneel on the floor to do it as i fell over at my daughter's gig at the cellar door the other night - my hi hi heels got caught up in the bar stool and the long long fringe from my all saints leather bag and i went down hard...and i'd only had one martini (but no food for days gotta shift this belly as it's now getting difficult to read the word RELENTLESS tattooed across my c-section scar)

so as i'd got as far as i could, i the decided to finish the electric boy's scarf as i think my scandos are back at the beginning of feb for the alternative fashion week shows. if not then we are all off to krakow together at the end of feb for annmarie seienstyles' 30th birthday - i've already made her a gorgeous deep red lurex snood to wear for the occasion! for xmas she gave me a swedish amigurumi book and i've created a drunken bunny from my translation of the pattern (photo)

ok- so better hit SAVE as the blondeboy is on his way from paddington station as i typed this...and i've put on my special pretty crystal chandelier nipple jewellry for the occasion!

hips, lips, tits = power!

well i know i've been quiet...
it's the last day of my extended xmas vacation - or you could look at it as the second day of a really mad long weekend before going back to work...and i can't sleep! so am up early and trying not to wake up the whole house, so using this little bit of quiet time to update you on my xmas crochet and other crafty bits i've been up to!

firstly, the xmas presents were really well received!
the blondeboy loves his aum hot water bottle cover, but so far i've been using it more than he has, and he packed so quickly to go back home today that he forgot it, so i'm cosied up to it and keeping my hips warm...as we were out late late late tonight - and i only went to bed a few hours ago...

my daughter was performing at a little club called the cellar door down on the strand. it used to be a men's public toilet and is infamous for the cruising that used to go on there...i was rushing getting ready tonight as at the last minute i decided i could do the icy sidewalks in high heeled boots...so i actually rushed out for a night at the burlesque club with my crochet but no make up bag!

could have been a disaster. but luckily i remained lipsticked and shine free.
but didn't spend any time working on the electric boy scarf as the club was surprisingly full even with the snow! from those that i talked with it was full of locals that were making the most of the quiet streets of covent garden. it has been lovely and quiet - like an episode of the avengers. did anyone else ever notice how surreally quiet and empty the streets always were on that show?

o what a weekend!

that was surreal for sure...

started out friday quite drunk on red wine as all the directors were out of the office...what is funny is even though we are supposed to finish at 4pm on a friday we all still hung out drinking and playing pool and talking shop til i had to catch my train. the fiance was there too - his job thing is bad (but i think its for the best) and he's officially out lookng now - so if anyone has any digi-wigi-doo-dah head of production type jobs please let us know!

as he was there and as well as losing his job his house was also broken into the same day, we had NOther bottle of wine, and i'd had some codeines for my neck so was quite wiped out by the time i got my train to bristol to stay with fishwhiskers...still i managed to make more skully squares on the ride, but in the end we didn't manage to yarnbomb bristol at all...guess i'll have to go back in the spring to string up my skully graffitty all over like little fresh blooms.

but that seems a long long way away. i reckon i got the last train into london last night! the streets of london were so pretty and snowy. my daughter and i had a nice drink then at midnight decided we needed nibbles so went out to yarnbomb and buy chocolate and chilli crisps (still my fave!) but instead ended up building snowmen with strangers. sooo fun!

snow though meant that pretty much all transport was down all day in london, so my office was closed...been working from home which means i'm home at a decent time to settle in and continue all my finishing of bits and body parts i crocheted this weekend...i managed to make:

• a purple dalek
• 2 slices of pie
  
• 2 corkkscrew scarves
• another little pile of skully squares

i dont think i've forgotten anything...so off to stitch and stuff the night away!

sunday missing everyone

sunday but no knitroast but took my daughter for a nice nutty roast and a bit of crochet anyway.
yummy very full tummy. now for some dvd's...