I'm back and I'm crafting again

I'm not going to apologise for not posting - it seems every second blog has such a post - but suffice it to say that I'm back and I'm making stuff. Not right this second, of course, but later today and yesterday and no doubt tomorrow as well. I can't share what I'm making just yet, because it's baby stuff for my friend whose due date was yesterday. Hopefully soon!

Little update on what's happening Chez CCL: we've moved down to the Kent coast. I feel like I've come home (I'm from East Kent originally). We've rented a lovely large top floor flat which overlooks shared private gardens for local residents only (how posh!). I've set up my own business and am working from home. Hubby has got himself a swish job in the Big Smoke (yes, where we just moved from, doh!). And Mr V has settled into nursery after several false starts - he only goes three afternoons a week, but that's enough for now to give me time to get my work done.

All very exciting. Hopefully some crafting news soon :)


Photo of a local park back when we had snow (taken by Hubby).

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The Saga of the Broken Back

Due to popular request - well, OK, just Lauren then - here is the saga of my broken back.

Shortly after I started my new job in central London, I rediscovered the "joys" of travelling on the underground. For some strange reason I just didn't enjoy being packed into heaving carriages like a giant sardine, nor did I relish being late for work every damn day when we were inexplicably held in the tunnels. So, I hatched a plan.

Having seen lots of people with very cunning folding bikes on the train into London (yep, we chose to live in the sticks), I thought that I should get me one of them. After a day's careful research I decided on a badged Dahon (or perhaps it's de-badged), which is basically a really good folder, but made for another company and sold cheaper. Just 100 Great British Pounds later and I was the proud owner of said bike.



I merrily cycled from London Waterloo station to work each day for nearly two weeks. It took me a while to learn the route, but I was starting to get confident and would bore anyone who took even a vague interest with tales of my travels. But alas, this biking mania was not to last.

On March 3 I was patiently waiting to cross the road to my office, when traffic came to a standstill and a nice lorry driver beckoned me across. Across I went, but sadly did not have the sense to check the bus lane first. Bam! I was hit by a moped and deposited rather unceremoniously onto the tarmac.

I knew something untoward had happened, because I could hear myself moaning very loudly, but was powerless to shut myself up. Lots of policemen turned up - rather an excessive amount actually - and I was eventually taken to hospital.

To cut a long story short, I have a compression fracture of the 11th thoracic vertebrae. I can walk, talk etc, but I'm not allowed back on the bike yet, nor am I supposed to pick up the baby. I have been doing that lately quite a bit though and everything still works.

Silver lining to this was that I had to stop breastfeeding at night and within 3 days of Dad being in charge, VV started sleeping through the night. Who knew it could be that easy! After nearly 11 months of next to no sleep I am now a new woman, albeit one with a sore back. Hoping to get back in the saddle soon - the bike fared much better than me and is sitting, folded next to my desk at work, begging to be let out again.

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Change is a-coming

I've been thinking about the form this blog should take, because changes are afoot in the cactuslover household - I'm going back to work! Not only that, we're moving to the UK and Hubby is going to stay at home with VV.

I'm both excited and scared about going back to work after nearly a year of being at home with my lovely VV. I'll miss him like crazy, but I'm looking forward to having some brain exercise.

All this means that I will have way less time on my hands for crafting. Boo! Hiss! That's been true for a while now, since VV got mobile, but it'll be evenings-only come February. I can see crochet becoming even more attractive to me, since I can be sociable (and watch TV) while I do it.

So, either my blog goes all quiet for ages between projects (rather like it has since Christmas, while we've been packing and organising) or I go to plan b. Plan b is to continue blogging my creations, but also flag other cool craft stuff I come across. That should keep the tumbleweeds at bay.

I've been wondering (from the start, really) whether I should write more about the happenings in my life, but my internal jury is still out on that one. Whatever happens, things will change and change is always interesting. Stay tuned!

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One Skein Scarf

I really wanted to have a handmade Christmas this year, making all the presents for family and friends. Real life had other ideas, but I actually did better than I thought. This is what I managed:

• 4 boxy pouches, filled with Finnish chocolates
• A one-skein scarf from Happy Hooker
• A beret from a pattern in Sept/Oct 07 Crochet Today

Photos to follow after the big day, so that in the remote possibility that someone from my family reads this the surprise isn't ruined. Although that already happened to my daft sister who "accidentally" opened the present as the postman handed it over. Quite how she didn't realise it was for Christmas when it was wrapped in Christmas paper and came in a Christmassy packet, I don't know.

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I'm back!

I didn't actually go anywhere, just got in a bit of a "what is the point of this blog if no-one is reading it" frame of mind. But someone commented this morning and that was the cure (thanks kawaii crafter!).

However, just as I started to ramp up my enthusiasm, VV made a grab for my tea (lukewarm, so no danger) and threw it all over the laptop. I mopped up quick-sharp, but after a few minutes the laptop went into a coma. Whether it's forever or just a recuperative rest to dry out, I don't know. Luckily we're a nerd family with multiple computers, so I can still get my netfix.

And boy, am I glad I imported my Firefox bookmarks into iGoogle the other day. It was a random urge at the time, but perhaps it was fate...

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