princessdeia

June 26th 2008
Filed under General

I have just realised that last weekend marked my one year anniversary on Ravelry – I was a little shocked it had only been a year to be honest – it seems like so much longer!

I thought I would list some of the reasons I love Ravelry…

1. I have finally managed to organise my stash, if I want to make some socks I can log on the Ravelry and look at all my sock yarn rather than have to hunt around the boxes – plus I can then see if someone else has used this yarn for a project and what it looks like knitted up.
2. I have discovered new patterns – yes we all see the new Knitty patterns when they go online, but would I have discovered Le Slouch or the February Lady Sweater without it.
3. Friends, the iKnit, Socktopod and Westenders groups make it so much easier to get out and knit with others.
4. De-stashing, I have no idea how I would have found the use of all my yarn if it wasn’t for ravelry – I am assuming it would have involved hours of googling!
5. Killing time reading the forums when I should be working (admit it you all do it).

Without a doubt I have become an organised knitter – now if only I would find a Ravelry for my paperwork

June 12th 2008
Filed under General

I am planning on getting around to posting about my adventure in America, however I have been kept away from the P.C. So far since I have been back I have been to Kent, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and then back to Buckinghamshire.

What little time I have had to myself I have been working on my Clapotis (This is my current Viral Knitting Project). I can’t believe it has taken me so long to knit this pattern… Am I the last knitter on earth to make this shawl?

May 23rd 2008
Filed under Travels

An important part of my life has always been my desire to travel – without a doubt this love came from my father. I have the memory of watching a documentary on whether the Hanging Gardens of Babylon existed, and my Dad explaining to me about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and how most of them had been destroyed. Years later we would discuss what the “must see” sites of the world would be now and we never did complete a final list.

Last summer, the new Seven Wonders of the World were announced, when I read the list a smiled knowing my dad had managed to see all these wonders, but also that I was lucky enough to share some of these experiences with him.

Our first major family holiday was for six weeks to India; although the holiday was intended for us to spend time with our family it was important for my dad that we saw the country as well. Although I was still very young for this holiday I remember the long coach ride from Delhi to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal. I had no idea then why the building was so important as far as I was concerned it was a place I had seen on the news when Princess Diana went there alone.

Over the years we continued to have many family adventures, but the last time all four Desais went away together was to China. For me personally it was a memorable trip, it was it was the start of my journey to giving up meat (and as a result I lived off rice and chocolate for two weeks), without a doubt the highlight of the holiday was the walk along the Great Wall of China at Badaling.

The following year my sister and I intended to have our own adventures, but when my parents told me they planned on spending three weeks travelling around Mexico, I decided to tag along. Early one morning towards the end of the vacation we were up at 5am to avoid the crowds and see Chichen Itza, we ended up spending the whole day there climbing ‘the castle,’ exploring the throne room and walking around the ball court.

The link to the Seven Wonders doesn’t end there, after Jason and I got engaged, my parents, sister and I started planning our final Desai Family holiday to Peru so I could see Machu Picchu before I got married, (Jason decided against joining us on the trip as he feared the spiders). Unfortunately a month before we were due to leave my dad was diagnosed with cancer and the holiday was cancelled.

So having seen three of the seven wonders I became determined to see the other four as a legacy to my dad. As the new most important man in the life, Jason has already started this quest taking me to Rome to celebrate our first wedding anniversary so I could see the Colosseum, and he is even talking about ways to avoid the spiders in Peru!

Published with wonder of WordPress, whilst I am away.

February 21st 2008
Filed under General

Last month, Laura and Emma came up with the fabulous idea of getting all the Socktopus fans to make Alice a blanket for her wedding next month. It started with a group on Ravelry, and then we all secretly knitted our strips, before getting together for a “sewing party.” I have to admit I did no sewing at all; somehow I managed to knit another strip.

The plan was to throw a surprise knitting shower for Alice on Saturday and present her with the blanket all was going well for me until Saturday morning when I cracked my tooth, whilst the lovely ladies drunk, knitted and wore fake moustaches I sat at home in pain watching My So Called Life on DVD.

On Sunday, we were meant to be having a romantic meal to celebrate Valentines Day (Jason had to work late on the 14th), but instead we stayed at home watching the Ultimate Bourne box set and eating soup and ice cream.

After a trip to the dentist on Monday, I am now feeling a lot better and just to make sure everything is going my way my amazing husband has booked a weekend away for us next week to Rome so I can cross another wonder off my list.

January 5th 2008
Filed under General

1. Tree Decoration, 2. Jelly Belly Machine, 3. Kate Spade Books,
4. Newest Member of the family, 5. wii Bowling Scorecard, 6. Ill!,
7. Dashing Finished, 8. Midwest Moonlight Finished, 9. Monkey Toe

My Christmas started out great, at home with pretty tree, surrounded my my family and getting some fabulous presents. We got to catch up with the extended family at my in-laws Ruby wedding anniversary, I even got to finally meet the newest member of the family… and then over the weekend the deadly virus struck and I got the flu! I was even too ill to knit. So I didn’t get to finish all my projects in 2007.

October 11th 2007
Filed under General, Travels

You can’t help but notice my absence over the last few weeks, this was mainly due to me being in the Southern Hemisphere.

Last year, when my father was first taken ill, he made us make a few promises, one of them was no matter what Jason and I would get married on the 3rd March and the other was, that we would take his ashes to the Umgeni River in South Africa.

Traditionally, Hindus have their ashes scattered in the Ganges River, in Durban the crematorium can perform a ceremony where they use water imported from the Ganges before the ashes are scattered into the river.

My dad loved to travel, so rather than make this trip something more, we decided to do some travelling around South Africa. None of us had really seen South Africa – even though my mum and sister were born there (Mum only went to Cape Town last year), I had been over 10 years ago, so it was a real chance to travel.

We started off in Durban, then flew to Cape Town. This city has so much to offer, amazing both in the way of culture and scenery. Finally, we headed up north to Jo’burg, Sun City and we went on safari.

More photos.

July 31st 2007
Filed under Socks, Summer of Socks

One of Jason’s old school friends got married in Las Vegas last autumn, unfortunately we couldn’t attend the wedding – but they had a Wedding Reception for their family and friends this weekend in Cambridge.

The reception was in The Old Library of Trinity Hall, which was an amazing venue – whilst we had welcome drinks in the courtyard we watched all the punters – waiting for one to fall in! Their wedding cake was Vegas themed and so obviously we loved it!

Having watched the punting, we had to take part and after dinner, we had our little adventure (although Jason didn’t join in). having no idea about punting I ventured into a boat with some guests from America – which was the right choice as we were in the only boat with wine! Whilst enjoying the sites of Cambridge we discussed amongst other things our favourite Family Guy Quotes, mine being the whole Cookie Monster Addiction scene.

Last night, whilst at home suddenly realised that like my favourite blue monster that I am an addict, only I am addicted to Cookie A sock patterns and not choccy-chip treats. I cast on my Pomatomus socks last night and at around midnight I realised I had completed the ribbing and almost on repeat of the pattern (about 20 lines), I think I am hooked on the pattern.

April 11th 2007
Filed under General

One of the worst things about being busy is not having the time to blog, what makes it worse is that is the best time to blog because you have something interesting to write about. Plus in the future you would like a record of this time and all you have to show for it is blank webpages.

So far 2007, has been one of those busy times.

January, was really just a blur, we had family over for my dad’s funeral, everything was put on hold.

By Feburary, all we could focus on was the wedding, there was still so much to be done (favours, stationary, out-of-town gift bags), we spent two weeks of 14 hour days getting ready…

Then in mid Febuaray we had more shocking news, Jason’s partner in the shop announced he had monetary problems, and as a result had been adviced to declare himself bankrupt, within a week the shop was shut and we were both unemployed.

We decided to put everything on hold once again until after the wedding and honeymoon and now we are trying to rebuild our lives. I had spend a lot of time on the website, we have made some decent contacts and done a lot of research. Not being one to accept failure, I have decided to try and run the store as a web based business in the short term.

I have put together a page outlining some of the information to do with our wedding, mainly to post on all the wedding forums I am a member of.

March 4th 2007
Filed under General, Wedding

The sun shining all day,
deer on the horizon,
being surrounding my our closest friends and family,
tears and laughter,
wonderful food,
lunar eclipse

This is what I will remember about my wedding day

January 17th 2007
Filed under General

On the morning of the 6th January 2007, my father passed away.
Last winter he was taken into hospital with suspected heart failure, whilst there he discovered he had Renal Cancer with Bone Metastasis. Due to the strain on the heart they decided not to operate and instead monitored him regularly.

My father had been diabetic for years and this was never a problem until Christmas day, when he was taken in hospital in the early hours of the morning, after suffering a hypo. – However he was back at home for his Christmas lunch.

On the 4th once again we thought my dad had suffered a hypo in the evening, and once again called the ambulance however, this time we discovered it was actually the cancer.

Without a doubt my father has been the most influential person in my life. He arrived in the UK with nothing, quickly saved up enough for my mum to travel from South Africa so they could get married. For years, my parents thought they could not have children and when my mum had my sister they were over the moon – 17 months later I was born and they were so grateful for their two blessing, as a result of this we were completely spoilt.

With the exception of knitting all my other passion stem from my dad. As a young child my mum worked evening so my dad looked after my sister and I. He would sit in his armchair, my sister on one arm rest me on the other, watching Batman or a Western on BBC2, which undoubtedly lead to my love of comics. I remember sitting on his knee in the cinema begin scared of the monster at the beginning of Empire Strikes Back.

My dad was determined to offer my sister and I the opportunities he never had encouraging us into further education and showing us the world. As teenagers, our family holidays were to The West Coast of America and Grand Canyon, India, China and Mexico. Leading to my love of learning and travel.

Even as an adult he spoilt, his daughters and even his future son -in-law, if we dreamed of something for our birthdays or Christmas he would always be one to buy it for us, even if he didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Whether it was an iPod, designer handbag or something in a little blue box.

At the moment we are taking each day at a time but I still feel like my world has come crashing down around me.