Felting woes and other stuff.

Prepare yourself for a long rant-babble type of entry today.
This working from Midnight until 8 am is working out quite well for me this week. I had convinced myself that it wasn't to my taste at all however I think I am going to have to reconsider that mindset. Working the time slot meant that last night I was able to do all the work things I had to do and still have time to cruise around wikipedia for quite a bit of time and get some research done for the embroidered concertina book I want to make.
Yesterday I went to my Cloth Doll Club totally guilt free as I had already been at work. I have had the occasional sick day to go to dolls.
My friend Yvonne gave me Janet Arnolds Patterns of Fashion book 1 and 2 she is such a wonderful friend and I bought a silk/rayon sari length from one of the other girls that I am going to make into my belly dancing outfit. About 6 meters of embroidered silk/rayon for $60 dollars. I got a bargain there.
Thursday I went to my embroidery group again guilt free as I had already been to work. So last night after doing the work stuff I crocheted a sample piece of the wool I have used to make a huge jacket. It is in the photo below (the jacket not the sample).


I was assured that it was shetland wool when I bought it and that it would shrink and soften when washed so I had to work it quite loosely. So I did that and thought to myself night before last 'Self how much did this shrink anyway?' I have vague recollections of doing a sample piece last year but that memory could be a chocolate overdose delusion speaking to me or wishful thinking.
So I crocheted a little piece of trebles and gave it a hell of scrub in the kitchen sink which is usually enough and it softened up beautifully but didn't shrink at all, even though it has matted a bit. So I thought 'Oh crap', The thing which is based on a pattern from Lily Chin's Crochet Couture with added sleeves and I played around with it a bit and it is now nearly two meters across. The sleeves which I crocheted straight on are long and weren't on the original pattern which is more of a vest.
Anyway there are a lot of treble crochets there let me tell you. So last night while watching late night TV at work in between cups of tea and reading my book and doing the few little work bits and pieces that came my way I crocheted a 20 cm circle. I thought that as the jacket is a big circle the rectangular piece I failed with was not the best choice to play with.
I am going to do another circle I think and felt one as is. If it doesn't shrink enough or at all I have a plan that hopefully I won't have to use.
The color is gray with little flecks of blue and pink that you can't really see in the photos. I plan to overdye it after washing and shrinking with food coloring, water and vinegar.
I dyed a felt bag that way last year and it worked beautifully. Here's hoping that I haven't spent a lot of time crocheting some acrylic horror it feels like wool damn it and I bought it from a friend who assured me it was shetland wool. It is 4 ply and was a cone for a knitting machine which my friend still has and I am contemplating buying. But don't tell Greg.
I also got to spend an hour and a half on the phone with the phone/broadband company who keep screwing up my bill I usually spend about $160 for mobile/home/internet but the last few months they keep sending me bills for over $500 and after my heart starts beating again and I hide it from Greg I spend hours on the phone trying to sort it out firstly with some one with an english name and an accent that sounds like an Indian (from India) who learnt English from a Texan before I get cross and have to apologise and ask to be put through to someone with less of an accent because I can't understand them.
Anyway hopefully it is sorted now and I don't get another heart stopping bill. Also my cordless phone is dead it is ten years old so I am going to bit the bullet and get a new one.
Ranting is over I am off to bed so I can go to my belly dancing class tonight. Hpe the weather is being kind to you. It is hot here again. I want to see a bit more rain, we have had a little bit this week nothing like the eastern states of Oz are getting. Here's hoping for more.