Productivity

I have been very productive this week indeed. I finally conceeded that no matter what I wrote it would be better than nothing and so I've completed and posted off my ChildLine volunteering application form. Haven't heard anything back from Samaritans or that place around the corner so if ChildLine comes to nothing I shall head down to the volunteering centre in person and say "USE MEH!" in my biggest most enthusiastic voice possible.

I've got my Christmas list sorted (not my list to Santa, but my gift shopping list!) Yes, I know it's pretty early in the year, however given our budget and the people to buy/make things for I've decided to get an early start. Most of my gifts will be made...there's no two ways about it, it's cheaper to buy materials than it is to buy nice ready prepared gifts. Ben, possibly, will also be at the hand made fairy's mercy this year. But anyhow, just looking at the list, considering I have pretty much my entire family's birthdays to provide for all in one big go between now and Xmas (a miracle of family planning on my parents behalf, but also a blessing that they've decided to come down to Liverpool around that time for a short break away so we can have a mid year xmas lol) which is not fun for my purse or my time. Anyway, it's all a matter of staying organised. I have to do lists, to make lists, to buy lists, flying out of my ears left right and centre.


On that note would you believe I've actually gotten round to sourcing out -nice- boxes for my handmade jewellery? Since I started I've given any gift jewellery in my own jewellery boxes...ie the boxes that jewellery gifts to me have come in...which was not ideal in the first place because I had to be careful not to give away anything with another company's label on it, not to give something in a box that came from the recipient in the first place, and because frankly I like to keep my jewels in their own boxes as opposed to getting them all mixed up together in a jewellery box if I can help it at all.


But yes, I've found a place that does pretty, colourful boxes plus filling and also crepe paper and ribbons all for a nice price. For some people you will be thinking "yeah, so what?" but I feel like I've taken a step towards making it all that more professional and not just "aww Bex is making pretties, bless"


I'm coming close to finishing up that hat I started knitting on Saturday. It feels like I've never put the blasted thing down, and the progress is slow. I've had a fair few slip ups, some I've been able to rectify (like starting with 110 stitches and then realising, somehow, I'd increased that to 120) some are just messy and careless (holes from a few dropped stitches, wonky rib stitch) and one just perplexes me (starting a row of knit, as per the pattern, then when I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing, switch to purl...I don't even remember doing it :s). I hope the people at John Lewis don't laugh me out of the shop when I hand it in...but given the ammount of yarn I'm planning on buying from them on pay day they'd be best not to...anyhow. This is it so far, the hat of wonky wonder:

Only a couple more centimetres of stocking stitch to go, and then I shall be ready to shape the crown and then it's just a case of sew it all up and there you go, the first hat I have ever made ^_^


I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch, you know, but despite the inperfections, I'm rather proud of this ^_^