Cakes, Cakes and More Cakes

I won Nanwrimo. Reached 50K about 9:08 last night but the novel isn’t finished. There are major gaps like I need to tell Giselle’s story. But first I need to recover from the effort. This is the first novel-length writing I’ve done in two years and to bang it out in 30 days while I was slammed at work, completed a two-day meditation training retreat and was just over the bout of bronchitis was exhausting. I must admit, it was so good to write again and to have characters living in my head.

The Haggis Hunt is on. If you’ve never heard of it or never done it, here’s a link: http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/camera.cfm?camera=10
I stumbled on this about years ago. There are prizes; I’ve none won but it is a nice diversion. Last December when Graham was briefly working nights, we were having one of our long conversations and I was hunting haggis. It’s the night he taught me to correctly pronounce Leicester Square.

I have found that by leaving the last paper towel on, you know the one that’s glued on to the roll, and turning over the roll to Toupie, it makes a wonderful and cheap toy that he genuinely enjoys.

As a break from the writing this weekend, I wound cakes. This is a Brunswick yarn (the company is now defunct) that I have had for at least 15 years, maybe longer. Some of the reviews on Ravelry suggest it is a little scratchy. I have four skeins. I see a cowl, maybe a hat and maybe leg warmers. The skeins are 190 yards each.

880 Yards

I wound this on my ball winder. It's 880 yards of Merino lace weight. Fortunately, it fits in a gallon size baggie!

I Know I Have Mail

Couldn't resist getting a shot of Toupie on top on the monitor.

November, Nanowrimo and Knitting

What a busy month. I've either been novel writing or knitting. Both are coming along although I'm worried that I'll need another skein or two for my cowl and the colorway is out of stock at the moment.







Here's how it looked last week:

Meanwhile, Toupie has been having adventures with the laundry:

I picked up two cans of Fancy Feast that were out for give away in the pantry at work. I wasn't hopeful. Toupie has either ignored or nibbled at wet food in the past. After a slow start on the first can, he finished it overnight. The next night, I knew his enthusiasm just wasn't because I was home from work; he finished can two. Oh, the dissapointment on his face tonight as I explained there wouldn't be any wet food until tomorrow.

Knitting, Nano and All that Jazz

Sorry I’ve been away. Two things have happened. The circular needles I was using for my cowl broke putting that project on hold. Quick needle order placed first thing Monday will hopefully arrive tomorrow. But why oh why do my needles always break when I’m knitting on the bus?

Second, I am participating in the Nanowrimo contest again this year. I haven’t written since I did the contest in November 2007. The first couple of days were awful. My sentences clunked along. I’m so rusty, but today I can feel it all starting to come back to me. Here's a link: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Here is the synopsis I quickly composed for my profile on the Nano site:

Who killed Indira Patel and why? The successful South Asian business woman had made enemies. A husband betrayed by a long ago affair; her hostile relations with local Muslim businessmen; the hardship she'd imposed on her employees by shutting down the pantry, or were the rumours true that her public championing of the Hindu community was just a front.

While Trevor LIttlejohn and his CID staff try to solve the murder, Indira's spoiled daughter is left at a personal crossroad. Does she have what it takes to assume the reigns of the business. The lives of sixty people hang in the balance while she comes to a decision. She finds support and guidance on the road to her decision for the most unlikely of sources, a motherless 17 year old girl.

Third,
I cut the tip of my index finger on a knife the other night while looking for my corkscrew for a neighbour. It doesn’t bother me when I knit, but has made typing a bear but I am soldiering on!