Dyeing. In a nice way.

This is what's happening chez Sulks at the moment:

pink carnage.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe I have been dyeing my hair for a zillion years - when I STILL manage to make a mess like this:

Yikes!
The grouting over the bath has a definite pinkish glow to it after nine years living here ;-)

I am struggling lately with this pink hair lark - am I waaaay too old to get away with it? One day I might like to meet some blokie, but suspect (ok, am 99% certain) that the pink hair will be a definite put off for many a man. The colour it was at a certain woolly event recently was way too garish for me, but I left it too late to cover it up or try and wash it out a bit.

I don't know - to go darker or lighter? I am blonde under this lot, quite fair blonde but look godawful with bleached white hair. It looks vile black and when my roots come through it looks like my hair is floating on my head, not the best look I have ever managed.

Took a break to rinse the dye out - it looks like it's a damned good match for my bathroom walls which is novel and not the intention! Wilkes fuchsia, rather lovely and very deep. Richer in reality than in this piccy.
Great for walls - hair? Hmmmm....
Have slapped a deep conditioning treatment on, and a facepack - I look stunning.

Being an old fart, I remember when hairdye was incredibly hard to get hold of, especially where I lived - train to York or Darlington to find any. Toyah had her makeup and hair range out in the early 80s (yes I am old) but it was cheap and nasty - even then I knew it was cheap and nasty! As for gel etc - one cheapo type in a tub, one strong type of spray - sugar and water, hairdryer, hairspray = excellent mohican but chased by wasps most sunny days.

Bleached hair then food colouring worked quite well, I had pink streaks when I was 13 and haven't looked back since! I think it's been every colour under the sun, the day I moved to York to go to art college I shaved the sides off and dyed it bright blue, gave my landlady the shock of her life when I came back downstairs.
I got married with it in a green and red mohican thing, with full blown Toyah flames makeup - subtle eh.

But now - let's just say it is rather a long time since I was 13. Or at college. I am feeling very fat (thank you medication and lack of mobility), frumpy, stuck in a rut and OLD. There is definitely one reason for this - apart from the hard to ignore fact that all are TRUE - having lusty thoughts about someone who is younger than one's daughter is a wake up call!

Can you tell I am a bit off kilter with all the rambling?
Thursday is Methotrexate day and I have been feeling as sick as a dog since last weeks injection. Really bad today, yuk - hospital tomorrow for the usual scans then the consultant so have a list of alternative anti-emetics to discuss with them. Throw in a pretty dire stomach upset (also I suspect due to the meths), a very painful neck, flare ups in knees and right hand and you have a pretty miserable Sulkycat.

Thank goodness for my luvverly family and friends, seriously needed at the moment to keep my little pink head above water.

Moan over for now.

On a lighter note - after the evil little red beetles attacked my beloved lilies earlier this year I threw most of the plants away - I left one, stripped all the leaves from it and left it to it. I am thrilled to see it has done this:

Absolutely beautiful - my very favourite flower. Tis the little things that matter and this little thing has made me incredibly happy today.

Busy.

The sunshine made me do it .

Today was glorious - I went out to potter in the garden and realised I looked like a mad old bag lady in my many scruffy layers, so changed into leggings and a SHORT SLEEVED tee shirt - and it was warm, real genuine proper warm!

I planted some seeds, tidied some pots and then brought PSidney out - he loves the sun, so he sat on my knee and scoffed lettuce them nuzzled in for a snooze while I read my book. My hands are very swollen and sore so stroking his little fat warm body was perfect.

I have though managed to get some dyeing finished and listed on Etsy - amazingly some sold within minutes of listing it, which I am absolutely delighted about. I don't get that sort of 'I am good at my job' thing anymore, so knowing someone likes my craft work gives me a bit of that back.

These are what I listed today:

You may need sunglasses.

I have more ready to plait, photograph and list hopefully tomorrow, energy reserves and hands willing.

Hasn't done much to improve the clutter and mess in the living room though ....

I have new neighbours, yuk - no offence to them as they are possibly (hopefully) perfectly nice, but I have been spoiled by having an empty house next to me for over a year, it has been bliss. These are tiny houses, terraces, and their chimney breast is next to mine so I can hear pretty much everything. The last neighbours had a little boy who seemed to think he was a sire, constantly weeeeeooooooweeeeeoooooooo over and over and over again.

Here's hoping these aren't too noisy - I think I am turning into my mother. Help!

The Triffid has now passed the two foot mark, and is almost 26 inches tall. Another foot or so and it might not fit on the window sill ...

I hope you have had a lovely weekend, and had plenty of sunshine.

Toodles.

G'day.

Everyone OK?

The Triffid is continuing with its Triffid like ways - ie upwards.

It is now an utterly ridiculous 23 inches tall - it seems to be growing almost one inch per day (yes that is a tape measure next to it, near my specs) and yes I AM becoming abnormally obsessed. More of these needed next year, they have a wonderful comedy element to them.
The Christmas Cactus has just started to grow its little red tips so that should start flowering in the next few weeks, it never blossoms over Christmas but usually goes bonkers around May / June. Each to their own, I rather like a rule breaking plant.

I am knitting away still on the SkellyBones cardi and really enjoying it - the first side isn't perfect but I can see what needs altering and should be able to sort it for the second side.
I plan to write this up (famous last words), I really think I should be using my time more wisely (although what could be more wise than trying to give this poor little stumpy bod the rest it obviously needs?) and try to get some patterns out into the big blue yonder.

This is where I am as of this morning. I am not planning a skull on the front or a hood, or bones on the sleeves, but I do fancy a skull on the back with a pink bow (to go with my beloved Ravelry avatar). With a full black skirt this could end up being quite cute for Spring. Or utterly daft ;-)

Anyway, it is keeping me occupied, I am enjoying it and I am enjoying the fact I made the grid for it.
And yes that IS a mint wrapper under the cushion.

What else? More dyeing, I have been struggling with terrible back ache lately which has just started to ease off (an old injury, knackered it twice, once was a bad riding accident the other the dangers of teaching! ie loads of books to carry) so bending over the table outside sets it off - so one hank of fibre a day. But I managed to do a bit yesterday and another today - yesterdays in particular is looking really good.
I don't tend to go for soft or subtle colours (which is possibly not a surprise to anyone at all), but vibrant rich colours.

Piccies to come.

Some knitting for a 'Thing', a wotsit, a doodah.

And I am continuing to sort and sell various wool (and some clothes) on Fleabay so that's all good. Upstairs is still chaotic but slowly it's getting there, wherever 'there' may be.

Thassit for now, hope all are well.

Dyeing to show you!

Finally my brain and body -and the weather - all worked in relative harmony and I was able to do a small amount of dyeing. My back and hands are dreadful so it was through gritted teeth, but the pleasure from actually doing something just about balanced the pain.
I am soooo brave ;-)

I am very pleased with this - and there was me worried the colours would NOT be bright enough!

There is a length (oo er) in deep purples and deep pinks drying in the bathroom at the moment - all to add to Etsy soon. These are Falkland, which I have been spinning lately for the first time and really enjoyed (nice long fibre, very easy to use).
I love colour - I don't wear colour, but do enjoy the chance to indulge in brights and clashing colours.

I have also finished three blocks for the throw I am knitting - this one is for meeeeee. My daughter has one, my mum has one so it is my turn.

Absolutely love this one - all knit in Wendy Mode Aran, which is very soft yet has enough body to make the cables 'pop' nicely. This pattern was from a collection of cable blocks, a booklet the name of which I have forgotten at the moment.

This second one was bought from Ravelry (the pattern that is, not the knitting!). I have used her designs before and find them easy to follow.
Finally this one which is also from the booklet.

Each measure roughly 12 inches square - I think 4 x 4 should make a decent snuggly sized throw.

The weather here has changed and apparently (depending on which weather report you read or listen to!) snow is on the way as from tomorrow. Grrr, just when I was really enjoying planting things and pottering in the Teeny Tiny Garden. I have three large plants to go outside, but might hang onto them for a few days indoors until the weather does what it needs to do.

My mood is different at the moment, much more upbeat. My body is knackered - tired out and full of pretty bad pains, but for whatever reason I am chirpy - whether that is from being outside more, from seeing things grow, from making myself 'do' more I don't know but long may it last.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

colour

just an assortment from the last couple of days... i almost missed the bus getting this shot today! from the bottom of the hill near my house, right next to the bus stop of prettiness (theres isnt much thats pretty near here, except for this nice countryfied bus stop with a chunky wooden bench (the rest of the area is manky as hell!)


a bunch of these and white (dying rapidly) freesia in my living room at the moment - i always wanted to be able to afford to have fresh flowers in my house all the time, and i can - i dont have much, but i do have the flowers!
these nasturtiums are ENORMOUS! they are trying to trap the postie i think, with their curling stems and cheeky little bright faces spreading aroiund the path

all gone now, but this summer (yes, that week that the sun shone, that was it) i had a mass of purple and lilac violas and pansies, really really lovely

and last but not least - adventures in kool aid - this has been posted off to my swap partner on ravelry, i really like it- sadly theres a touch of brown where the greens and pinks met, but apart from that i am pleased with it (i LOVE pink and green together)...hope you like it aksunflour!! (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/sulkycat)