The Bloggy Diet Raffle Prizes

OK then, you wanted it, so here we are. The prizes! I'm unsure about how to do this, so have grouped the prizes into 'lots' - hope you think this is alright. I'm a bit concerned that there are 9 lots and 12 of us joined in, but I've grouped some together. We won't all win a prize - the idea at the start was that the more weight you lose, the more tickets you get and the more chances you have to win. It could well be that you win more than one prize. I am also aware that I've lost a lot of weight and could win all the prizes (Ooh, goody, no big postage bill for me then!), but I'm not going to let myself win more than one. Of course, I may not even win one, you never know. Tis the very nature of raffles.

First up, 8 big fat skeins of Fibre Spates Blue Faced Leicester. Love this. Want to win this.

Next is Nimu Yarn and Thistleknits yarn. Love these, want to win them.

Lot number 3 - Rowan and something pink and silky, the name of which escapes me. These are gorgeous and I want to win them.

Number 4 - Felt studio hand spun and Posh Yarn. These were my donation. I love them both and really would like to win them back.

More delicious sock yarn and some very lovely beads in a handy box, beadalon something or other - sorry, bit thick about beads. But guess what, I want to learn and love the sock yarn so want to win these too.

Knit picks yarn with a very pretty baby cardigan pattern and a kit to make your own poppies. I like poppies, love the yarn - don't have any babies (cardi would not fit 15 year old son) so would make something else with the yarn. But it's so soft, I want to win this too.

OOOOOOhhhhhh, fabric. Love fabric. Want to win this too.

More fabric - particularly fond of this lot and want this to join my very small fabric stash.

And finally a Della Q needle case and 2 sets of bamboo sock needles to put in it. And I so need this prize. A bit of organisation in my life would be good....


So there we are. All the prizes. Like them? Want them? Well you know what you have to do.

Stop eating the chocolate, cake, biscuits and sweets. Stop eating crisps, cheese, sausages and bacon. Go shopping and look for cottage cheese and fat free yoghurt. Life is hard sometimes isn't it?!

I will draw the raffle soon after New Year's day 2010. Good luck one and all.

Whingeing

Well much like my Internet Buddy, I seem to have lost the desire to blog lately. It seems that as soon as I get on the computer, all the ideas I've had throughout the day have disappeared. My mind has gone blank (not that that's anything new...) So I just end up going on Ravelry for a bit.

And as we all know, Ravelry is a time warp. You can be on there for only five minutes and all of a sudden, 2 hours have passed, the children are still up and still fighting. The tea pots remain unwashed - the tea often hasn't even been cooked - and all the jobs you needed to do are still not done. Just because you were looking what to knit next, what new yarns have crept on and what on earth could you do with that last 3 metres of yarn. Ravelry. Pah. It is a wicked place in deed.

It is weigh day today and I have lost another pound (didn't lose anything last week). It is now becoming very difficult, I seem to have been dieting forever and all I want to eat is a big fat slice of chocolate cake. I've had enough cottage cheese to last a lifetime, more vegetable soup than is humanly good for a girl and enough of anything that isn't drenched in butter, chocolate or cream. I keep trying to convince myself that I've not got far to go, that my final 6lbs that I want to lose can easily be gone by Christmas. But it's not easy is it?

Must try harder. Must not crave badness. Will enjoy eating diety foods. Will delight in the pleasures of fat free fromage frais, natural yoghurt, sugar free jelly and ryvitas.

Oh joy!

Maybe next time the weather is good, I'll gather together all the raffle prizes and take some pictures. That might give me the kick up the backside I need.

Finished - again!!!!!

Would you believe it? I've finished something again. Me! The Scrappy Lengthways Scarf for my dad for Christmas. I have loved knitting this and will be making one again - I mean, what a perfect way of using up all those scraps of sock yarn. This version is made with Posh Yarn (yes, I know, I'm banging on about the glorious Posh stuff yet again) Sophia - cashmere 4-ply. Heaven, absolute heaven!I just love the way the stitches look on this - sort of like weaving. I almost hope dad doesn't like it so I can have it back. But I know he'd be far too polite to say 'good grief, it's a bit bright for me!' So I'll just have to make myself another one. I really need a new scarf.... (wardrobe is already bulging with scarves!) I think I might fancy a cashmere Baktus as well.

So what do I do when I've finished something? Finish something else? One of the many something elses lurking throughout the house? Do I cast on another Christmas present? Or do I just start something completely different , just for me, not even for a present?

Well, as the Queen of Startitis, it's pretty obvious isn't it? Using the many leftovers from the Mystery Blanket, I decided to start a cushion cover. There are nearly as many cushions in this house as there are scarves, but 'need to use' bears no relation with 'need to knit'.

I always fancied making an elephant somewhere in the blanket, so have had to settle for one on the cushion instead. I am determined to make this a quick knit. Too much else to make to dawdle. So perhaps tonight I will get off this computer and knit, instead of 'just popping over to Ravelry for a quick browse'.

And I know it's been ages since I last blogged - becoming very lazy about this lately - but just had to show you the birthday cake that mum made for eldest son. We do chocolate in this house! (As well as cushions and scarves!)

Needless to say, I am not looking forward to weigh day tomorrow. I'm anticipating a gain this week. Still, can you blame me?

Weigh day

I'm down another pound - how about you?

Help needed

Somebody please make me get off Ravelry where I am browsing patterns, wondering what to cast on next. I have got more than enough on my plate so to speak and if I don't get off the computer and knit, then nothing wil get done and no-one will have a present this Christmas.

Make me do it please.

Late again

Sorry about this. I'm very late again with Saturday Pudding. It has not been a calm weekend at the Stash Basket. Stress levels have once again hit record heights. Won't bore you with the details, let's just get straight down to business. Food.

This was my diet pudding. Baked apple with home made mincemeat (have you made yours yet?) and natural yoghurt. It was very nice - could have done without the yoghurt and had custard instead, but hey, what's a diet for but to wish for something far more delicious?

And this is what the rest of the family had for pudding. Chocolate sponge in a chocolate sauce with chocolate ice cream. I wouldn't like this. No way. Chocolate? Sponge? Ice cream? All the things in life which I don't like. Couldn't have eaten this at all. Hot, steamy chocolatey, syrupy. Bleurgh.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Weigh day

I was away last week so didn't get weighed, but went along today to discover my fate...

The good news was that I'm down another 3.5 lbs. So excited! I wore my new trousers today and a friend said they looked too big! Not sure I was banking on buying more new things quite so soon.

Off to do some school work now that I've been putting off for ages. I just want to knit though.

To make a change.

Finished!!!!!

I've finished another something! Meet Baktus - quite possibly the most lovely, easy, comfy, cosy thing I've ever made. Forgive the rubbish photo (think the camera was on the wrong setting).

I will definitely be making another one of these - bit longer next time, but oh it's so lovely, I really think you ought to make one.

Have you seen this? Minute for Madeleine. Where is she? Somebody must know.

Just like any other day...

Here's the Halloween pudding - chocolate cake with cobweb and green icing. Mr Stressy didn't like the green icing (just normal buttercream with food colouring!)

Mornings at our house are manic. Is ours the only home to have mad mornings? Well, I need to re-phrase both those last 2 sentences. My mornings are manic, Mr Stressy and boys have calm mornings.

Alarm goes off at 6.45. I get up and make a cup of tea while Mr Stressy goes back to sleep for 10 mins. I take tea upstairs then head straight back down to make the packed lunches. Mr Stressy has a shower, boys stir bleary eyed and come down to watch TV, raiding the biscuit tin on their way. I empty the washer and hang up the wet washing. Boys shout me to come and watch some funny thing on the telly. Put down wet washing and go to see some inane rubbish on the goggle box. Finish hanging washing up. Empty dishwasher and put pots away. Set up breakfast. Line up lunches ready for collection. Mr Stressy comes downstairs and complains that the condensation on the upstairs windows is very bad and can I please wipe them down as he is far too rushed.

He goes to work. I dry the windows. Eldest son goes into bathroom then heads back downstairs to torment brother. Much yelling and screaming, Peacekeeper Mum rushes downstairs to restore order. Having nearly won the Nobel Peace Prize, it's my turn to use the bathroom. Half way through shower, knock on door - eldest son needs money (don't they always?). Leave the peace of a shower and drip back downstairs to find cash. Dry hair, slap some make up on, get dressed, charge back downstairs, grab breakfast then leave for the relative peace of work.

It is no wonder I often arrive somewhat frazzled. Where am I going wrong? Answers on a postcard please.