It’s common for fantasy stories to have a medieval backdrop – castles, men (or women) on horseback and fire torches instead of battery operated torches. Of course, writers don’t have to use this setting. They can do whatever they want, because it’s fantasy! That’s the beauty of the genre.

Anyway, by accident I stumbled on a great resource for those of you who do have a medieval type world (like me). The page is called Medieval Demographics Made Easy and I believe it will help anyone get started on a world that is believable.

In an effort to make this website easier to follow for everyone, I’ve installed a Feedburner plugin.  I’m not entirely sure how it works, but I’m sure that will become clearer with time.

Also available is a “subscribe by email”, which is something I’ve wanted to add for a while.  Now it’s here.  :)

Now I want to figure out how to install feeds onto the home page.

Edit:  Cool, Google Feedburner also has a rss feeds that I can add to the upcoming new home page.

Health: Due to ongoing health problems, I haven’t had much to say on the internet. I’ve been too caught up in … pain, to be honest. However, the intense pain (headaches mainly) seem to be subsiding, leaving me with niggly pains that I am able to cope with. I find I’m clearer minded now and able to think about things. This means I’m feeling more positive and able to get things done.

Writing: Apart from this week (but the week isn’t over yet, so maybe I’ll still get some words down), I’ve been writing about 2,000 words a week for Whispering Caves. I think that’s a great achievement, considering what I’ve been through. Anyway, I’ve hit the 15,000 word mark. It is the first draft and I already know the first edit/rewrite is going to be a major one, but that’s OK.

Website: Some slight changes have been made, mainly to the navigation bar above. The home page will change on the weekend, when I have time to code what I’ve already got planned in my head. More on that at a later date.

Personal: I recently wrote a post about feeling isolated. This was written after several weeks of very little sleep and intense pain. Now that I’m feeling a bit more on top of things I’ve been thinking about what I wrote then and what I feel now and have decided that the house is important to my future security. It’s something I’ve strove for for a long time and I would be wrong (and stupid) to let it go without a fight. With this in mind, I think it’s time for me to “embrace” my decision to move to the new location and plan a future there. This may mean finding a new job in the area — even a part time job, if I can’t find a full time position — so that I get my life back. Until now, I have been holding on to my current job because I dreamed I’d be able to move back to the old location. But I’ve never been able to afford there. I can’t see why that will change now or in the future.

More on Writing: I’ve made a decision to do with the Cat’s Series (chapter books for 9 to 12 year olds). I won’t go into details now, but I’m excited about where I intend to go with these manuscripts. Stay tuned for announcements.

I found myself thinking about book covers yesterday afternoon, as I visualised my unpublished books on the shelf of a book shop.  :)

Whispering Caves isn’t finished yet, but I have always had an image in my mind that I associate with the cover.  However, Cat’s Eyes is finished and because of that, I concentrated on that cover more.

Later in the evening, out of boredom, I opened Photoshop and tried to put my thoughts into an image.  It was difficult!  When I went to bed several hours later, I had a cover that appealed to me, but there’s the big problem…

…I’m a lot older than the intended audience.

This morning, I left my warm bed and decided to research the covers of children’s books and I found From A Childs View: 30+ Creative Children’s Book Covers.

To me, some of the covers shown in the post look old fashioned (and perhaps they are).  The ones that appeal to my young heart are the ones with vibrant colours.  They stand out from the rest.  They scream “READ ME” and isn’t that what every author wants?

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but remember when preparing one that just about all readers do, so investing time into a brilliant cover is worth the effort.

Due to the colder months, I’ve been doing a lot of knitting.  As most of the projects I’ve started are small, I’m finishing more than normal.  As a result there seems to be an influx of craft posts on this website and I feel as if there are actually too many.

As I learn new techniques and find tips on the internet that I want to record for future use, I want to post about them but at the same time I’m hesitant to do so.

Yesterday, I made the decision to create a new website – My Knitting Bag – where I can freely post to my heart’s content.

From now on, all tips and resources will be posted there, not here. Although all my knitting achievements will be recorded there, I may share photos of some of the projects I complete here as well, but other than than everything else will be recorded over at the new website.

There isn’t much to see over there yet. Posts have been scheduled for the coming week, but they are literally the posts on craft you can find on this website as at today.

So if you are a crafty person, I hope you’ll head over to My Knitting Bag and make yourself known to me.

In all the years I’ve knitted, I have always done larger projects – vests, jumpers and complete baby outfits. Never, have I thought about doing any small items. However, over the last two winters, I have found myself concentrating on smaller projects – hats, scarfs, wrist warmers and, at present, fingerless gloves. I’m not really sure why this is. Maybe it’s because I’ve had a long break from knitting and wanted to reacquaint myself with patterns and techniques. Or maybe it’s because I realise now that small doesn’t mean easy. Anyway, I have never considered knitting slippers before, but when I saw these in a kit, at a very reasonable price, I thought “why not”.

The wool was really difficult to work with, especially when casting on and knitting the first few rows. I almost gave up right then and there, but decided not to be silly and carried on. That difficulty aside, the wool is so soft when knitted. It’s absolutely lovely to touch and the slippers are quite warm, despite there not being much to them.

The pattern was for a medium ladies foot. Being tall, I have a larger than medium foot but that didn’t make me hesitate at all. I’m a loose knitter, and knew the finished product would be larger than the measurements required…and they were.

There is meant to be some fancy crochet work around the opening, but I can’t crochet so that didn’t happen.

They have been finished for well over a week and my next project is progressing nicely.

Want to Play? by P.J. Tracy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Want to Play? (also published as “Monkeewrench”) (Amazon) is a mystery thriller written by mother/daughter team who use the pseudonym P J Tracy.

A group of five friends who compile gaming software soon discover that someone is using their latest game – Serial Killer Detective – as a basis for murder. When they report the discovery to the police, they quickly find themselves on the top of the suspect list.

I picked this book up as I flew out of the house to catch a train. I wanted something to read on the long trip and the book was on top of the pile. I didn’t have time to be choosy. To be honest, on the train when I looked at it more carefully, I didn’t expect much from it. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the book to the first page and the writing style snagged me straight away.

I liked the sense of humour and the colourful characters. I also liked the way the mystery unfolded – little by little, without making me get edgy because the next bit of information was too long in coming. I also enjoyed the thriller side of the story. Wondering what had happened in their past to make them the people I was reading about. Wondering what was around the next dark corner.

My only complaint about this book is that at one point I felt the crudeness was getting too much to handle. In some ways it felt sexist and I started to get annoyed, but then that side of things settled (or maybe I just stopped noticing) and I began to enjoy the story again.

I especially liked how the story didn’t get too technical or wasn’t too focused on the forensics side of things. In my opinion, there was a good balance of information given without it getting bogged down in facts and figures, which becomes boring.

Want to Play? is an interesting read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to be entertained, wants the pages to almost turn themselves, and experience a well thought out story with characters who put defined images of themselves into your imagination.

To the left you’ll see the first pair of wrist warmers I’ve ever knitted. I used some cheap wool left over from another project I knitted last year. They are knitted on straight needles, as I wasn’t confident enough to knit “in the round”.

The pattern is one that I adapted myself as I couldn’t find one that met my requirements (or one that used Australian terminology). It is so easy, a beginner knitter will get these done in no time at all. I finished them in two one-hour sittings. Now that I’ve finished them and have enjoyed their use, I’ve moved up the ladder to a harder pair and this time I am knitting in the round. I’ll share the results when they are finished.

Following, is the pattern for my Easy Wrist Warmers. The instructions make warmers for a small ladies hand. Cast on extra stitches for larger hands and adjust the length, if required.

Materials:

8 ply yarn (you won’t need a full ball)
1 pair 3.75mm and 4mm needles
tapestry needle

Gauge:

6 sts = 2.5 cm

Instructions (make 2):

Cast on 36 stitches using 3.75mm needles. Work 3cm in K1 P1 rib (I did 8 rows).

Swap to 4mm needles and work in stocking stitch until work measure 11cm (I did 20 rows). Continue in K1 P1 rib for another 3cm (I did 8 rows).

Cast off in rib. Using tapestry needle sew seam together using mattress stitch, leaving gap for thumb in desired place.

I’m a rebel when it comes to knitting. Why? Because I never knit a gauge! All those committed knitters out there will be cringing and calling me the worst names…and I deserve every name thrown at me.

I spend the money buying the yarn. I spend the time knitting the project. I then spend time cursing the fact that it doesn’t quite fit, for whatever reason (usually it’s too loose). Who can I blame for this? No, I can’t blame the person who created the pattern. I can’t blame the wool or the bumpy train ride. I can’t even blame the dog. I can only blame myself because I was too lazy to knit a gauge. Actually, in truth, I am too eager to get stuck into the actual project instead of “wasting precious time” knitting a “stupid” square.

Aware that I’m a loose knitter, I do make allowance for that when I start knitting. I might use smaller needles or knit the smaller size, but that doesn’t always fix the problem. I really should do what all good knitters do – knit a gauge.

What is a gauge and how is it knitted?

A gauge swatch is a piece of knitting – usually 10cm (4in) by 10cm, or a bit larger to get a proper measurement (using the yarn and needle size suggested in the pattern). The patten instructions usually tell you what stitch pattern was used to establish the gauge and you should work the swatch in the specified pattern to get the same results.

Always measure the gauge on a flat surface, not on your knee or on the arm of a chair. Always use a rigid ruler, not a cloth tape measure (which stretches over time). Placing the ruler at the edge of a stitch, count the stitch over a 2.5cm (1in) area – stitches across and rows up. If you get the right number of stitches and rows, then you’re ready to start the project. If you don’t, then you need to do another swatch.

If there are too many stitches across, it means you knit tightly and you should go up to the next size needle and try again.

If there are too few stitches across, it means you knit loosely (like me) and you should go down a size needle and try again.

However, if the stitches across are right but the rows up are wrong then the problem is the wool. Too many rows means the wool is too thick and too few rows means the wool is too thin. (If you are using the wool recommended for the pattern, you shouldn’t have this problem. If, however, you are using an alternative wool then this could be a problem.)

Once you’ve adjusted your needles and wool so that you are getting the correct number of stitches across and rows up, then you can finally start knitting the real thing.

Sometimes I laugh at my own wit. Not often, mind you, because I’m told my sense of humour is sick – and that doesn’t mean great and wonderful, it means the old fashion “sick” (totally rotten). But I think the people who say that are all weird in the head.

Anyway, let me get back on track. Today, I want to talk about health — my health, in particular — and the wonderful (sometimes misguided) science of medication.

Three months ago, I felt fine. A bit tired maybe and I had a few headaches, but nothing I couldn’t cope with. Then I had a niggling feeling in what looked like a scratch on my face, so I went to the doctor. It’s been all downhill from there.

I had to have a biopsy done on that scratch, which turned out to be a skin cancer. Better out than in, as they say. Now I have a lovely scar under my eye but at my stage of life, I don’t care about that.

When I visited the doctor, after a brief whack over the knuckles for not following up on a blood disorder I have, he ordered me to have a ton of blood taken and tested. So then I had a scar on my face (at that time it was a black eye too) and a huge bruise on my arm where they took the blood. No problem. I’m passed being chosen for Ms World, so what does it matter?

The results were not good, so the doctor sent me to a specialist. The specialist also gave me a whack over the knuckles and then told me to have more tests. One of them was a bone marrow test. Still no problem. Black eye and scar on my face, large yellowing bruise on my arm and now a hole in my back followed by a reaction to the dressing which left a messy rash there too (which is still clearing up).

Still not satisfied, the specialist puts me on medication. Now, I know it was necessary. I’m in a high danger zone for a stroke. I’m having the warning signs on a daily basis. Medication is necessary. I know that. But…

The medication makes me drowsy.

Great, I think to myself. I’ll take it at night and will sleep better, which in turn will make me feel better.

Wrong!

Correction, the medication makes me drowsy for two hours and then I’m wide awake staring at the ceiling for the rest of the night. Let’s do the math. I go to bed at 9.30pm because I have to get up so early in the morning. I sleep for two hours, which means I wake up at 11.30pm and remain awake for the rest of the night.

Not good.

I continued on with my life. Getting up and going to work, even though I’d only had two hours sleep. This was fine to begin with but sleep deprivation has a way of playing with the mind. After ten nights, I started feeling exhausted and this in turn made me feel other things. Apart from the obvious – feeling worthless and having bad thoughts – suddenly I didn’t care about anything (myself, my job, my house…everything, really). And on top of this, the headaches intensified due to the lack of sleep.

Something had to change.

I approached my bosses and told them what was happening. Then I told them that I would no longer take the medication at night. I intended to take them at work. Their eyes widened, but, hey, I’m backed into a corner and have no other options. I know it. They know it. I can’t continue to have virtually no sleep as depression is setting in and who knows where that will lead. On Thursday, I took my tablets at 8.30am. By 9am my brain had disconnected and I felt like an alien on a strange planet. I couldn’t think yet I was meant to be working. My speech was slurred yet I was meant to be answering the phone. I got extremely upset, because this medication is meant to lessen the risk of stroke, yet how am I supposed to function when I’m taking it? And this is long term, not for just a couple of weeks!

Anyway, by 10am, I felt my brain reconnect and I started functioning as a human again, but in slow motion. By 10.40am I was pretty much back to normal. In the afternoon, when I usually feel like a siesta, I was wide eyed and happily working my butt off.

I sleep well that night.

On Friday morning, I did the same thing. I had the same experience. As the people I work for and with know my situation, they just stayed away from me until my brain reconnected. Luckily, the phone didn’t ring, so I didn’t embarrass myself there.

But is this a life I want? Is this what I can look forward to in the future? Yes, I can now sleep a lot better. That is better for my mental health, so maybe as I catch up on the sleep I’ve missed, I’ll be more able to cope with the situation. However, I’m not allowed to be stressed but I have to be a zombie at work for an hour or so, which makes me stress.

I return to see the specialist in two weeks. He will be told what’s happening and hopefully he will offer a solution to the problem, or maybe my body will grow used to it. I don’t care which of these things happen, all I know is that I don’t want to be a zombie for two hours each and every day. I have enough trouble being a human!

So, yes, I make myself laugh over my own wit at times. But it’s good that I can laugh. I need it. Seriously, I really need it. And the ups and downs (quite literally) of my medication will have me laughing all the way to a mental institution, if I’m not careful.