Great advice for Insomniacs.

Loom knitting.  Really.  I fortunately am not a sufferer of Insomnia, but there are rare occasions when I do wake up in the night, and can't get back to sleep. Laying awake for hours is such a waste of time, and of course, frustrating.  But, if it ever happens again, I'm going to get loom knitting, because boy, does it make me sleepy!!

I have wanted to knit for many years, and mum has tried to teach me on many occasions, but it's like maths, the lights turn off and I can't do it.  Then I recently came across loom knitting.  I'm not exactly sure how, or where, but it suddenly popped into my mind that it exists.  So I bought one.  I probably bought the most unsuitable yarn to learn with, because it was thick and double something, but it was the softest Alpaca mix I could find. 

I managed to knot knit a few inches following a You Tube tutorial. Thank god for You Tube, because I sure did not understand the instructions accompanying the loom.  

Here is my first attempt at loom knitting...

There are a few errors, and I couldn't finish the ends because I didn't have a crochet hook. Anyway, I really love Kidsilk, so I ordered some, and have just managed to knit another couple of inches. Kidsilk yarn is at the other end of the thickness spectrum, to say the least, and its quite a different outcome, but, I like it.  I think.

It took me 30 minutes to knit 2 inches, and since I was almost falling asleep, I figured I should write a blog post to wake me up.

I'm not sure if knitting is seriously boring, or if it challenges my ability to concentrate.  I will keep at it, and then decide.  And I must remember to hide the yarn.  Cats like yarn.  They especially like to unravel it, I discovered.

The Kidsilk ~

I have also been busy playing with my room box for dolls, and making some furniture and bedding to go in my Etsy shop.

The bedroom ~

My friend Joelle has opened her Etsy shop - she makes the most adorable clothes and furniture - here is a Middie sized coat she made..

Check out her shop too ~ The Pampered Dolly

The wooden floor I spent days creating is shifting.  I guess I should have bought the correct sized skirting board, and placed it over the top of the floor boards to neaten it up. Next time I will get it right.

I finally came up with a design ot make a 'real' dolly lamp. Magnets are so useful ~ they are holding all the pictures, shelves and coat racks up on the walls, and also keeps the mini LED light in place...

I hope to update my Etsy shop on Monday 30th with some beds, bedding, and a few other furniture pieces.

Having spent the past year as blind as a bat, I went to the Opticians for an eye test... the result are these...

I haven't decided if these bifocals are my friend, or enemy. I'm supposed to wear them all the time, but they are insanely difficult to get used to.

And finally, an image of my snuggle buggle SuperCat.  He wanted to join in on the photo shoot.

Sometimes, I feel like this..

It would be great to stop thinking, just once in a while :) Buttercup here looks so chilled, and without a care in the world.  She is just being (or rather, sleeping)  I love that.

Its been a busy couple of months, we adopted a new pup.  Her name is Molly.  She is pup number 12.

My beloved parents came to stay for two weeks.  It was great.  I miss them.

And since then, I have been obsessing over a large room box, primarily to use as a photography space for the things I make.  I don't play with dolls.  Really.  I don't.

I've been working on a bed design, and in the process of making lots of bedding sets. 

Dolly sized laundry sack ~

And when not obsessing over doll related stuff, I have been working in the garden.  We have 7 more acres to un-jungle.  We haven't got very far, but we intend to get it all straight by the end of summer in preparation for some new animals.  The animals will hopefully keep the land nice and tidy :)  but what animals do we choose.....