Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Having a bit of a WIP 'round...

It has been a month of WIP frenzy. Each night I put my hand into the Big Bucket o' WIPs (tm), and play Knittlotto (tm), knitting on whatever gets hauled out. A little concentrated effort on a couple of projects which may have been hanging around for a while has resulted in this:



Clapotis 2, started in May 2009 finished in November 2009 (Touch Yarn Merino and utterly gorgeous)


This:


Radiate from Knitty.com, in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Luscious Single Silk in Citrine

and some secret Christmas Knitting (which isn't all finished yet)

There are also a couple of single socks and a bit more done on several other projects which have been lurking in the undergrowth for a while.

So the whole stash honesty thing doesn't look nearly so bad at present:

Knitted: 1300 grams

Inward enhancements: 1700 grams

Slightly better stats this month!

The aniversary of Mum's death passed with a family trip to beaustiful (but slightly rainy) Strahan on the West Coast of Tasmania.

There was some of this:


And some of this:


And almost a whole day of this:
The trip on the West Coast Wilderness Railway was a wonderful day despite the rain. The original was contructed over a century ago, and has been revived as a tourist route, with a 50 year old diesel locomotive for the first section, from Strahan to the base of the mountain, and then a 111 year old stem engine - named Percy because he is green - takes over and the line becomes a rack and pinion (sort of like cogs) to go over a mountain and down the other side to Queenstown.

The train stops at all the old stations along the way, includes a lovely lunch of Tasmanian gourmet bits and pieces and the kids had a wonderful time. A long day, but really interesting.

Strahan itself is lovely - and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been down there for 17 years. We had crayfish and the local hotel had a wonderful restaurant. The old railway link between the town wharf and Regatta Point is now a walk along the side of the harbour. Macquarie Harbour is, in fact, the second largest in Australia after Port Philip Bay (Sorry, Sydneysiders!)

I intend to visit again, long before another 17 year hiatus!

There have been lots of things happeneing - mainly at the school, with the year winding up - I have atteneded sports carnivals, inter-school sports, swimming lessons, the fete, the garden opening, and have the disco (lots of kids from 5 to 12 in 'crazy' dress hitting the town until the heady hour of 8pm) and the school picnic coming up.

The time thief has struck again, because I cannot believe we are currently in December - woe is me!

Back to the scheduled Christmas Knitting!

16 comments:

amy said...

Look at you go! Love your FOs. Now don't you just feel productive? ;)

MadMad said...

What beautiful pics - what a stunning place! And speaking of stunning, Ms. "Waisting" Away - man, look at me go with those 5:30 a.m. puns! - you are going to disappear!

Love the disco image, too, btw! Heh! (Though, truthfully, I'm glad *I* don't have to do it....)

Anonymous said...

nice pictures..
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Alwen said...

I love trains. One of my great-grandfathers was an engineer (engine driver?) when I was a little girl. Our son loved Thomas the Tank Engine, but now feels he is too big. *sniff*

knightlyknitter.wordpress.com said...

I wondered what you'd been up to! Concentrated WIPing obviously pays off though :)

Bells said...

Oh crayfish from strachan. One of my favourite food memories as a kid!!!

Great FOs! I love the idea of a WIP lotto!

PenCraft said...

Radiate is gorgeous! I love the color choice, the rose, the fit, actually all of it!

Donyale said...

I gotta say - you are one prolific knitter Mrs Tink....lovely gear as always.

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

Wowsers....you are really making those needles fly.

As for the pics, all I can say s breath taking! Can't wait!!!!

Rose Red said...

Strahan is a lovely place hey. Shame about the drive there though (although maybe it's better now than when we did it nearly 10 years ago?). The train trip sounds very cool.

And hey, look at you go on the WIPS. Wanna come over to my place and finish some of mine?

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photographs of a beautiful island. I really must make the pilgrimage there one day.

Honouring your mum in a lovely way.

And those knittted items progressing! I have a rollneck collar I'm adding to a favourite jumper of my dad's, a Peter Rabbit nearing completion, a lace scarf wherein I keep making mistakes, and another scarf in garter stitch but the yarn hooks every 3 lines or so. You've inspired me to plough on!

Anonymous said...

whoohoo in finished UFOs!! I really gotta get onto mine after New Year I think! they are starting to get out of control.

Great piccies! thanks for sharing them :)

Lynne said...

I love Strahan; it's a quaint little place. I didn't know about the railway - perhaps it wasn't running in 1996 (the last time I was there).

Donna Lee said...

What a fine crop of fo's you have there. And how good you look! Go you!

I have decided I like train rides. They are a great relaxing way to travel.

Amy Lane said...

Train landmarks can be so much fun-- we have a r/r museum near us! Your FO's ROCK! I love the Citrine sweater, and you can't go wrong with Clapotis!

Leonie said...

WIP lotto sounds like a fine idea. It may be the only way I actually get to a couple of very sadly neglected WIP's....
The rewaisting looks like it is also progressing very well, Congrats!!