Stuff & Eight things ...

Yesterday afternoon I felt the need to do some mindless piecing, so I thought it might be fun to have a try at the Split Nine Patch blocks that I've seen so many times on peoples blogs. I really like it! I got three blocks done before I was diverted by other things, but judging by how many blocks I'll be able to make with the squares I have, I'm one third the way toward a lap sized top. I'll add borders and call this one done.

I have a few things I really need to work on - I need to make up one more tree block (I think I showed them recently) and then I can put together a quilt which is to be a surprise friendship quilt for a quilting friend turning 70. A whole pile of girls in my class have made up blocks, and it's going to be really lovely. I have until about August 8 to complete the quilt, so I should get busy. You all know how I can be with deadlines tho ... I'll probably get busy on it come August :-)

And here are my latest sock finishes. You saw the plain one the other day, but I actually had to do some frogging on it. I realised after I tried it on that I'd made the foot too short. I read the wrong bit of the pattern and had made it 12cms instead of 15cms. Last night I snipped off the grafted part of the toe and ripped it back to where I'd started decreasing, then increased the length by the extra 3cms and finished up again. With all the grafting practice I'm getting, I don't even have to read the directions any more! I really like the two colour sock, and this natural colour will go with so many of my clothes. Yay! for Ebay and a vintage yarn find :-)

Last up - the other day Jodie from Quilting in Paradise tagged me to reveal eight things about myself. I'm so bad at these meme's, but I thought I'd give it a try, hopefully these are kinda random things:

1. When I was a teenager, I once kind of scammed a used car sales person. I ran out of petrol this one day, and I was really stuck. I was across the road from this dealership, so I went across and pretended to be really interested in a car. I took it for a test drive and organised for Marty to get some petrol for my car. The guy hassled me for ages afterwards to buy the car, but I figured it was penance for 'using' the dealership's car.

2. Speaking of Marty ... I can remember the very first day I laid eyes on him like it was yesterday. I was out on a date, and saw him walk by - I thought he was so very cute and I remember my eyes following him as he walked. I was 15 at the time. He was kind of friends with the person I was out with, but it was 4 years later before we would spend any time together.

3. We built our first home together when I was 22. Afterwards we vowed we'd never build again. Not that we'd had a really bad experience, but it was hard work getting the house set up. In 1999 we decided we had outgrown that house and bought a larger established house. We have now declared we'll never buy established again - so I guess that means we're stuck here!

4. Regarding houses - I really hate cleaning house. In fact, I hate the thought of it more than anything else. Once I get into it, I don't mind it so much, but I have to force myself. Having said that, I get really edgy when the house gets too messy. I almost don't know where to start. Thank heavens for Flylady!

5. I totally rely on my laptop, and can't imagine how I ever lived without one. My schedule is in there, and if it's not in the schedule it doesn't happen. All the budgeting and my work - and anything and everything else is in there. This is why I almost freeze in fear when the laptop 'burps'. Hubby tells me to backup more often ... and I should listen to him more too :-)

6. I wash my hands a lot! I don't like the smell of food (or anything else) on my hands. I don't know why, because I'm not OCD or anything, but I just like my hands to smell clean.

7. Here's a naughty one ... I had a lot of problems turning 30, it really messed with my head. So, to reclaim my youth I went and had some body piercings. I'm not going to share where ... but some people who read this will know what I'm talking about. Sufficient to say I don't have those piercings anymore!

8. Hmmm ... what else shall I tell you ... I know - I love rubbishy TV. Things like Big Brother, Cops, Cheaters ... you know, stuff that has no value at all. I don't know why - maybe it's to see how the other half live or something. Hubby can't understand it at all!

Well, that's it - I've done my eight. Not as hard as I thought it would be, and probably not as interesting either. Now it's your turn ... I'm not sure who's already done this or not, so if you would like to do it, consider yourself tagged!