Yarn Fun At Christmas

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone. I've been busy doing the usual festive things, visiting family and eating too much. 

I did make some gifts this year. One of may favourites was this knitted DS lite case for my little sister.

Inside it has 4 pockets for games and fastens with two little buttons. You can find the pattern here for free at crayondistaster.

I also got my own creative juices flowing with a gift for my friend Ben. He's a big kid and loves the CBBC puppet Oucho. I've never seen it but I've heard it's entertaining. Anyway, what better present than an Oucho. Using this picture of the cactus puppet I made my own version.

Here is my crocheted creation hiding among some presents. Not bad for my first shot at Amigurumi...

Hope Santa brought you everything you wanted and in case I don't post for a bit; HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Break From The Yarn

I have been tagged, not by the RSPB, but by Riohnna I have to write 7 random things about me, which I’m pretty sure might be the title of a film.

Seven Random Things About Me (now in widescreen)

1. I can juggle. I was taught by a colleague who also taught me to play Texas Hold’em. Not simultaneously mind, it is impossible to juggle whilst bluffing (prove me wrong I dare ya!)

2. When I worked for a debt management company I got so sick of the job I started signing false names. Someone out there has an IVA signed by “Mickey Mouse” and also “Bob Carolgees”

3. I am not a good flyer. Well, mainly it’s the taking off and landing I hate but also the crashing. Especially the crashing.

4. I was involved in a Podcasting craptacular called Ben Baker’s Sexual Corridor. I also write with Ben Baker very occasionally here. The series tried to be funny and edgy. But I was a uni student at the time so it was more likely cheesy and pompous with just a hint of self-importance.

5. I used to write a blog called Louise Is Not A Porn Star. It was fairly popular, but mainly due to very misguided google searches. As a result it was probably very disappointing for internet perverts what with it being a comedy site named after a mishearing of a conversation about how I used to work in a Pawn Shop.

6. I am obsessed with fungus. I love walking in the woods and finding mushrooms and toadstools. It broke my heart this year when the Fly Agaric did not come back in the garden. And no, I did not eat it.

7. I recently was developing a stomach ulcer. I am now indebted to a crazy Australian scientist who found out it could be cured by antibiotics after he drank a load of the bacteria H.Pylori. My stomach has never ever felt so good. And you thought Neighbours was the only good thing to come out of Australia.

Now there are rules...
1. Be nice and link to the person(s) who tagged you.
2. Share 7 random, weird, unknown things about yourself on your blog.
3. Tag 7 other people to join the meme.
4. Comment on their blogs so they know

...but I’m going to have to break them. I don’t know 7 fellow bloggers well enough to tag, but if anyone wants to do it feel free. Also if you’re reading this on my Facebook feed then go on indulge me in the comments section.

In other news I've completed the blue dog coat but Dudley won't stand still long enough to let me get a snap of him. I've also made some more fluffy bunny slippers which look a little like these (Caroline - I'll be posting them out to you just as soon as I can get to the Post Office!)

Winter Woollens!

It's been an eventful day here in the Elusive Loo household. Weather reports had suggested we should be expecting cool weather and mother nature didn't disappoint. We woke up to a substantial covering of 6 inches of beautiful white snow. The Other Half and I have been battling against ice and snow all week and fortunately our 4x4 had managed to get us to work but this morning was a little different.We ventured out across the moor on foot to assess the state of the roads. We found the track we live up completely covered and the snow very deep in places. It was a cold but pleasant morning walk, but when we got down to the tarmacked road to find it totally covered with no grit lorry in sight. Somewhere in the picture below is a road. I'm not sure where. I'm hoping it will be more visible tomorrow!As you can see the snow was well above our wellies so we admitted defeat and returned to the comfort and warmth of our house. At about 11 o'clock we tried to get to work in the car. We managed an inch forward then an inch backwards, then an inch forward and an inch back again. We rocked backwards and forwards for a while and after managing to move the car a foot in the wrong direction we decided to give it up as a bad job.

Later we took another walk across the moor to see if the roads had improved (they hadn't). Here is the view: Apart from getting to work, the other problem we have is how to keep our skinny greyhound from shivering like crazy. I finished a polo-necked jumper for him a couple of days ago and am pleased to say Mr Dudley Doo has been happily wearing it as he skips over the moor.

Instead of working I've been spending the day knitting a blue version of the Dudley coat. It's almost finished and has been a very productive way to spend a cold day!

(As I have typed this a grit wagon has been trying to get up the road below our house. It eventually gave up and reversed very slowly back where it came from!)