S.E.X. in Wang; Or, the Chilling Conclusion!

OK, we’re about to leave Canberra. Did you know, you can hide.. sorry… carry 2 packs of Zara and 10 balls of sock yarn in the front zip pocket of a medium sized case? Just in case you ever need to know (Yes, Georgie, I’m looking at you!)

We hit the road and by dint of stopping at a certain American fast food place and the judicious application of lollypops we survived the drive to Rutherglen – where we stayed at a wonderful unit complex in Corowa.

It was substantially cooler, so we immediately purchased some wine (in fact we stopped at 2 wineries on the way) and scouted takeaway food options. Settled in, got tired kids asleep, and I plotted.

Thursday was winery day, including lunch at a wonderful place called The Pickled Sisters Café (which just happens to be smack next door to a very nice winery – gosh!) and then we visited a couple more – and the children fed turtles at Pfeiffers winery.

Friday was my day – I have been in training for this one for a while! I organised lunch at Brown Brothers at Milawa, a quick trip to the Milawa cheese factory, and planned a route which led past Australian Country Spinners at Wangaratta!! They sell wool there for a bit over $27/kilo!!! And some is cheaper! (and some a bit more expensive!)

I planned our stop there for pre-lunch – because I am not totally insane! I have a very real appreciation of what happens when I have a few glasses of wine and am let loose in the vicinity or yarn!

I had a lovely time (if the place hadn’t been nearly full, especially of lovely grandmotherly ladies, I would have rolled in it all!) I bought lots and lots of Jet and Country Silk, Shadow Tweed and Country Prints, and Patonyle, Patonyle, Patonyle!! Including a 600gr monster cone (Patomonster) of printed Patonyle (heelllloooo, Baby Surprise Jacket!). And some Velvet Deluxe. It almost didn’t fit in the car, but when I suggested we just tag the kids and freight them home so there was more room in the car for wine and wool, the Accountant wasn’t impressed!

The Princess offered to sit on the wool, and Destructoboy is only short, so there’s lots of room under his feet. Besides, packs of yarn are flat and squooshy. You can used them to pad wine bottles.

So after spending most of the day drifting around Rutherglen, we tootled Melbourne-ward and back onto the ferry for the trip home. I still find myself chuckling over my not-stash (sale wool does not count – nor does gift wool, or wool you’ve almost forgotten buying). I occasionally hug my Patomonster.

And you all know my secret now. That’s right – Yarn magazine issue 9 came out while I was away – and it has my article in it!!!! Woo hoo! (Happy dance, happy dance!)

Shoesday + 1

I scored 97% on this test, but seem completely unable to paste it over while trying to leave a stupid dating service ad behind - so you'll just have to believe me and pop on over to Frog Ponds Rock to take the test yourself.

Well, as you can see, I am officially a Drunkard – did this little test a few days ago, courtesy of Frog Ponds Rock and discovered what I have suspected for a long time! Although I have been known to enjoy the odd wine, I actually think my knowledge came from years as a barmaid and cocktail waitress, as most of the drunks I know have no idea of the origin of their grog, they just like to drink it!

In honour of RoseRed and her telepathic powers, here for Shoesday + 1 are the shoes she made me buy – merely by thinking about it, 3 states away. It is still Shoesday somewhere in the world, I’m sure!


Aren’t they lovely – the heels look like kitten heels in profile, but are actually wide and they are really comfortable – the gorgeous little strap can go over your foot or behind your heel – I adore them and am seriously thinking that a pair in every colour would be a wise investment! Who said I was easily influenced!


This the front of my silk garden swing jumper (from the Ink Flared Sweater design at Black Dog Knits).

And this is the back. Although as they are both the same it is entirely notional and some days I may just feel like wearing fire colours, and simply turn it around!

And this was a gift from the lovely and blogless Jill. Norah Gaughns Asymetrical Cardigan from a Vogue Knitting (last year I think) in Bendigo Alpaca in Matrix. She actually knitted it for herself, was unhappy with the hang and gifted it to me!!! Aren’t I lucky – it really is exquisite, and although it currently isn’t alpaca weather, I predict much wear in Autumn and winter next year!

We are definitely in the Countdown to Christmas phase of the year. Today was the Playgroup breakup and visit from Santa. This provoked enormous excitement and a huge sugar overload! But everyone had a great time- and I wore my new shoes!

Sunday was circus in the park. The Princess performed admirably. As predicted all 10 small clowns forgot most of what they were meant to be doing – but they looked really cute and had such fun, it really didn’t matter! On the trapeze, the Princess remembered everything, and did it well, so was made much of. It was a lovely day out except for a little mild sunburn (despite me trying to slather lots on I must have missed 2 spots!) My fair Welsh skin will add more freckles – at present I hope to have escaped the rather attractive red and peel phase. I do not tan, and do not bother to try – I believe in hats, sunscreen and long sleeve shirts – but apparently can’t put sunscreen on unless in front of a mirror!

Friday is the last swimming lesson, next week is school breakup and picnic and then it’s really Christmas and summer. Just to put the icing on the metaphorical cake – the Princess is likely to be on the school float in our local Christmas Parade. She is quite beside herself and has to be sternly reminded about being good! The Christmas parade is usually the Saturday before Christmas but has been brought forward this year. It is at 6pm and is followed by a free community sausage sizzle and carols by candlelight in the local park. Lots of fun, and we are regulars (except when it rains).

Christmas and my hundredth post are both appearing on the horizon. I wonder which will strike first?

Rubber Ducky, You're the One....

Sssssh! Can you keep a secret? I sneak off for baths! That’s right – I slope off at early hours of the morning when I waken early and can’t sleep, and submerge myself amongst bubbles with a book, a face mask and my glasses fogging up!

Why do I sneak off like that? Well, much as I love my children, the only way I can claim a little time for myself is to sneak down to the bath very early on a Sunday morning and spend an hour floating in bubbles. Then I get back into my pyjamas and sneak back into bed. If I don’t get the timing absolutely right, I end up with a 5 year old girl – screaming (literally) down the stairs into the bathroom, stripping as she runs until she jumps in with me.

I really don’t mind my little girl joining me in the bath, and playing games and splashing. It’s just that my baths are a quiet and relaxing time, and always, by the time she gets there, the water is starting to cool off and I have to stay for another half an hour in increasingly cold water playing boat, bubbles or whatever other game she invents!

Yesterday was a lovely spring day – which can only mean one thing – spring cleaning! We attacked the courtyard, pulling up weeds, tidying the pot plants and planning plantings in the big bed against the wall. All winter, the courtyard gets no sun, then around now it starts trapping the sun, and the old red bricks of the wall start preventing frosts. So this year, instead of grass, I’m going to plant tomatoes and lettuces (and maybe a cucumber) in the bed to catch the sun. The warmth of the wall means no frost there as well, so even a late frost shouldn’t get my tomatoes!

On the Seven Things Challenge:
IN:
Well, the shoes – obviously – 2 pairs of Birkis (pls see previous post to admire their beauty!);
1 apricot top from the Op shop, and 4 patterns from same;
1 boys summer hat and 2 tops for children (winter sale at local children’s wear shop);
Vogue Knitting and Creative Knitting;
1 skein Marion’s sock yarn;
My Sublime lay-by paid off (plus the stash bag gift and 2 balls cheap Jo Sharp DK);
My Lay-by from Local haberdasher paid off - 4 balls leaf green Patons, 2 Christmas presents and buttons for the squatty sidekicks;

In: 17 balls of yarn, 15 other items

OUT:
2 bags cot sheets, baby blankets and ancillary stuff for the child care centre
1 toy also for above
1 bag of clothes for Lifeline
1 breadmaker (running) needs new washer and probably loaf tin – ready for Lifeline
3 Patons patterns – to Taph!!!
9 bags of childrens gear listed on Ebay (not yet sold – finishes tomorrow)

Out: 17 bags of stuff!

That has to be in front, doesn’t it?
I’ve also organised pram, cot, portacot, car seat and so on to be listed in the classifieds – though that will be next week.

We also attacked the wine cellar – although that does not qualify as de-cluttering because we work out what needs to be drunk, but organising it did mean removing and re-organising all the half empty boxes, so maybe it qualifies – 5 empty boxes gone!

Further to a post from a while back, I have seen two movies this week I really enjoyed – for entirely different reasons.

We watched 300 the other night, and I was very impressed. It was stylised and stylish, used lots of CGI as an integral part of the look, told an old story well (even if it did takes some liberties with Herodotus), and I really enjoyed it. Deeper than it looks – lots of allegory and poetry mixed with the mythology. I can see that it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was mine – and considering some of the pap I’ve noticed recently, a huge step up!

The second was ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, also a non-Hollywood production. This is Spanish (the Spaniards are making some noteworthy films) and set in the era of the Spanish Civil War – gorgeous, interesting, phantasmagorical, surreal. In the words of Molly Meldrum ‘Do yourself a favour’. It was beautiful, but not great for complex knitting (subtitles!).

Knitting. Here is one repeat of the cable pattern from Juno’s collar.

I am enjoying it, but I can’t let my attention slip at all! Luckily, the pattern is written out, rather than charted (I’m not great at charts), and is a 16 row repeat over 38 stitches. I’m having trouble coping with the cable needle – which keeps trying to escape, especially on the cables at the very beginning of the rows – first stitch goes onto the cable needle! So far, I’ve only had to tink half a row (although I’m sure that will change).

I love the way the cables look, and I’m very proud of the 3D nature of the knitting, but I cannot see any way in which I am likely to become a FAST cable knitter. In one and a half hours last night I did one pattern repeat. 16 rows over 38 stitches- hour and a half! – even the monkey socks I could do 2 repeats at least! (11 rows over 60sts on DPNS)!

All tips on increasing speed and growing 3rd hand gratefully appreciated!

Let's talk about Spring, Baby!

Let’s think about spring for a moment. I love spring. The first day I can wear shoes without socks always feels as if we are finally on the way to summer. In this little piece of Tuscany we like to call Tasmania, spring is a fabulous season. Daffodils, jonquils and narcissus blanket gardens and grow wild in paddocks. The grass is so green it’s almost blinding. Little white lambs gambol and caper (gambolling is a thing only a little lamb can do) and run back to their mothers and bounce off again.

Fruit trees burst into blossom. They explode so quickly, I am always surprised you don’t hear a “BANG”. The deciduous magnolias put some real effort into their blooms and so do the camellias. Rhodos and azaleas look splendid. Trees start gearing up to put on leaves again. Spring is fun when you have four real seasons.

My major complaint about living in Queensland was that we were left very short of seasons. You really only had wet, dry and jacaranda (though I adored jacaranda and the way they stood in lakes of purply blue petals). The lack of proper seasons was reflected in the fact there were no proper spring flowers – if you wanted tulips or daffodils you had to put bulbs in the crisper of you refruigerator. No raspberries or currants, no good apples and pears, I missed proper summer fruit – although I was deeply in love with mangoes.

I adore all the seasons. Spring with its lushness; summer with its fruit and warmth; autumn with the crunchy leaves and harvest; winter with blustery winds and very occasional snow. I missed the seasons in Queensland and in Hong Kong. I love being back in Tasmania and watching the rounds each year.

Late spring brings the joy of lilac and crab-apple. One of my friends swears by checking the warmth of soil with her bottom – if the soil’s too cold to plant things, so is her bum!

Spring is done properly here. I saw my first bumble bee yesterday. I know that they were introduced to Tasmania, probably smuggled in by tomato and capsicum farmers. I know that they compete with native bees. But they’re so gorgeous and furry and buzzy and just too darned cute for words, how can you not love them!

Life is good and generally happy. Still de-cluttering – started a new bag for Lifeline last night, and I need to get some stuff listed on ebay (maybe tomorrow) and try to clear out another room. Currently 3 rooms of our house are junk rooms! This means they contain boxes and piles of junk that need to be sorted, housed or disposed of. Much of the junk comes from my Dad’s house. When he died I inherited most stuff, and when my stepmother moved out of the house 2 years later I got more! All of this needs to be sorted, and much will move on to new homes, one way or another.

Some of it has serious sentimental value and some has historical value. So it needs careful sorting and cataloguing (a task best accomplished without assistance from children! I plan to tackle the dining room at the weekend, then perhaps the big room the following week. Bits and pieces in between!

If I get this right, I’ll end up with more room for yarn, books, and shoes. A win all around, I think.

For those who are interested, the Birkenstocks came courtesy of ebay – just type in Birkis and your shoe size (European style). The cat ones also come in sheep, lion, cow, pig and horse varieties.

So here’s a toast to spring! Join me in a glass of something bubbly and alcoholic – oh it must be champers (let the appellation controlee lot deal with that one)! Yay, Spring!

The Lure of the Foreign Legion

Good afternoon.

I am hereby submitting my resignation as Mother and joining the Foreign Legion. While I realise this will force me to learn French, that’s OK – I also understand that there is very little toilet training involved and someone else cooks your meals and washes up.

I am also quite taken by the idea of solitude, hot desert sunshine, a complete lack of children and the possibility that someone else may have to do my washing and ironing. If I fail the recruitment test, I will immediately put my hand up to become a nun, preferably in a silent order. Although that may involve cooking, I can probably cope with that as long as I get some time to knit. I will also get some time where I am not:

a) Shouting;
b) Checking that people are listening to me;
c) Getting them dressed;
d) Putting them on the toilet
e) Being bitten on the face – in public;
f) Trying to give children a cultural experience while they run around like mad things, shouting;
g) Apologising to other adults and children for my childrens’ behaviour;
f) Hoping the floor will open up and swallow me when I am exposed as an appalling parent.

From the above, you will probably gather that it has been a BAD DAY.

Unfortunately, I don’t think they let you resign from Motherhood. I am counting the hours and minutes until the Accountant appears at the door and I can drink my first (and second and third) glass of wine.

It started out inauspiciously at 6.30am, with a gentleman ringing our doorbell to tell us that one of the neighbour’s cows was out on the road. Generally, cows on the road are considered a BAD THING. Anyone who hits a cow with their car, no matter how appallingly badly, stupidly or illegally they are driving is in the right and the owner of the cow is at fault. A cow can do a great deal of damage to the average small car (or even the above average large car. The cow also comes out of it badly.

This meant throwing on clothes, calling the farmer (who lives about 25 minutes drive away) and walking quickly the 500 metres to the cow, whereupon the man who’d come to the door had already got the stupid animal into a paddock – entirely wasted walk in the cold.

I compounded the awfulnes of the day by opening the refrigerator door and having an entire, unopened bottle of wine fall to the floor and smashing, meaning massive and delicate clean-up operations involving 750ml of very nice wine and a shattered bottle worth of glass spread all over the floor while trying to get lunch for children. I am shattered at the idea that this bottle was wasted, but luckily it was in the back room on lino, not in the kitchen on floor boards - with children (perhaps it would not have shattered if it hit floorboards? A depressing possibility).

I took the beasts – sorry – children to the school performance of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, a particular favourite book of ours. It was sweet, the Preps (5 and 6 year olds), Grade 1s and Grade 1 & 2 combined class (it’s a small school) each doing the same piece, with increasingly more speaking and singing as the age group increased.

Why is it that other children sit quietly, watch the performance and clap at the end, while mine crawl all over each other, other children and any adults unwise enough to sit near us? I am so going to make it my life’s work to embarrass the pants off them as they get older. Destructoboy even found an alternative route out of the hall, and took off at high speed across the school grounds.

So I’m tired, grumpy, and in need of caffeine and wine (not necessarily in that order). And knitting. I definitely need the calming and restorative powers of knitting. I finished the first side of Juno the other night and got up to the increases on the second front. I actually thought I’d done the left front and was working on the right, but closer scrutiny (I’m really bad at telling which is the right side when knitting rib) suggests that I’ve finished the right and am working on the left, so there you go. Regardless, one side is done and I’m doing the other. Probably finish that tomorrow night (frogging and the knitting godess permitting) and start sleeves. Hurrah – looking forward to taking a great leap into the unknown and knitting that collar.

No, no little discreet cables for me to practice my first cabling, Uh uh – I’m going the gusto – it’s a huge and very visible cable collar for my foray into this new skill.

Off to herd cats – sorry – children. Have a nice night – I intend to get these munchkins into their beds at the earliest opportunity. And then sit knitting quietly until my bedtime. I even start a new book in bed tonight – just finished Kim Harrison’s ‘For a few demons more’, great fun.

I’m wilting at the sheer excitement of my life!

See you on the dark side of the moon...

My Interweave finally arrived so I have been perusing it – and finding that I’d like to knit – well – almost everything (as usual!). My package from Ecoyarns arrived (noticed that Ms 2Paws has also ordered some A-maizing – it really does feel gorgeous and will drape just beautifully, I think. And it’s on sale! What more could you want!

The fabulous Luna eclipse last night brought out my inner wolf – a blood-red moon has a rather chilling effect – you just KNOW that the walls between realities have become very thin indeed. I, of course, was at a P and F school fete meeting – so I interrupted it regularly to check eclipse progress (and stand outside with a glass of wine – our meetings are very civilised). You know that you don’t actually have a life, when your big excitement is slipping the leash and attending a P and F meeting! If you’d like to check out photos of the eclipse, check Kate’s blog.

Whilst browsing idly through the latest Interweave I discovered an ad for an Australian company which appears to have no Australian retail outlets – but heaps in the USA – check out Wagtail Yarns from Childers Queensland – what exceptionally lovely looking yarns (yes, yes and tops for spinners),

Juno’s back still not finished (see above), but very close. I’m hoping that with the drudgery of the ribbed back out of the way, the ribbed sleeves and ribbed fronts, and ribbed bands will just FLY past! Until I get to the excitement of the collar!

Whilst at last night’s meeting, I said hello to Gracie, the guinea pig. Which reminded me of yet another one of my weird animals. Yes, settle down children, sit quietly and let Auntie Tinkingbell tell you a story.

At the end of grade 3, my parents bought me a guinea pig. Originally, it was meant to be a Christmas present, but they were hiding it in my step-grandfather’s garage. My step Grandad was extremely deaf, refused to wear a hearing aid and revved his cars until he could hear them. This was very hard on clutches and cars, and Mum decided that if the guinea pig didn’t end up deaf, it was likely to die of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. So they gave it to me early. Henry was duly christened Henry Tremblenose the First (last and only), certified male and carried off to join the menagerie.

Henry was a nice guinea pig. He talked, was a great judge of character (tended to wee or poo on people he didn’t like), had a lovely hutch outside, from which he occasionally escaped, to be returned slightly soggy by the Labrador Retriever. He came inside at night and slept in a box lined with ripped up newspaper next to Dad’s homebrew barrel. He had bread and milk and night and guinea piggy stuff during the day. He made valiant efforts to eat down the lawn for us.

Then poor little Henry started to lose his hair. He also started to suddenly fall over, shriek and be unable to get up. This baldness and paralysis were deeply worrying. He used to recover, but the shrieks tended to shred everyone’s nerves. We initially put it down to proximity to the homebrew, but he didn’t improve when we moved him elsewhere.

We took him to the vet (the same vet we owned half a white pig with). Poor Henry turned out to be Henrietta. Henrietta was also apparently losing her hair from sexual deprivation. And the paralysis was psychosomatic (the guinea pig version of hysterical blindness).

Henry started to have hormone drops in her nightly bread and milk. Her hair grew back. We acquired a friend for her in the shape of a rabbit (no, not another guinea pig – one was enough – we didn’t want to be knee deep in the dratted things). Henry eventually died at the extremely advanced age of seven.

The moral of the story is…….. well, I think it’s that sexual deprivation causes hair loss. It may also be that it’s not the alcohol causing your paralysis at all (a comforting thought). Maybe it’s just that we all need friends. And bread and milk. And alcohol is not as bad for you as you thought.

Unfit Mothers and Approaching Spring

Spring is definitely almost here. Maybe. Certainly just around the corner. If it wasn’t for the frost last night today would have been a pearl of a day.

Social interaction day for mum – we went to play group, which means getting together with other mums and chatting, while our little dears play – or tear each other limb from limb - depending on the age group, the audience and the desirability of the toy involved.

Luckily, being a beautiful day meant lots of outside play, so I could stand around ‘supervising’ them, while actually knitting my travelling sock (blue faux fairisle Patonyle), and occasionally saying ‘No’, Well done’, or ‘STOP THAT!’.

I tuck the ball into the wrap over bit of my Lift and Separate, and knit furiously, got the cuff and some leg done today.

Last night I almost finished the Turtle Walk socks – one more pattern repeat and the toe and we’re outta here! They look just beautiful. New broadband allocation tomorrow so you can see pictures – and just for Rose Red I will include some of the shoes!!

Even ordered my Happy Clappy KAL yarn (A-maizing from Ecoyarns), so I’m feeling ready to go. Mind you, I was seduced by the fact that silk was on sale so I ordered some of that too – I’m a lost cause – really I am.

I felt slightly better when I read the Yarn Harlot’s post today, at least about the WIPs – with just 2 pairs of socks, I am way behind her WIP level. But Juno beckons, so at least I have 1 ball – hand rolled, so it’s a ziplock candidate. I also won some Knitpicks DPNs on ebay – in a 2.5mm – which the LYS doesn’t stock so I’m feeling waaaaayyyyy ahead of the game.

Kids are being kids today – so there’s been an awful lot of following them around cleaning up messes – including THAT sort of mess – so I’ll be very pleased to have a glass or so of something alcoholic tonight. Dinner’s almost certainly sausages, new Kipflers and broccoli – cooked while I read the gourmet delights I COULD be cooking from the new Delicious.

Tomorrow I’ll make something more exciting and worthy of respect.

I’ve decided that I am an unfit mother. I’m so unfit I pant when I run up a bill. So I’ve decided to work on becoming fitter. This means walking – not being nicer to the children! It’s always been well known I’m a completely unfit mother that way – Fiona O’Loughlin is my role model for motherhood – except for the ciggies – gave them up long ago and have no intention of starting again – just the wine, humour, and lack of respect for modern parenting methods – that’s what I like about her!

Drunken unfit mothers of the world unite!!! You have nothing to lose but your dignity!

WIPs and WNIPs

Thanks for all your comments re wine – it’s just lovely to know I have so many soul sisters out there, willing to drop everything and have a glass (or two, or three). Willing to drink while cooking (even it the cooking just consists of making toast!). If you’re ever coming to Tassie, let me know and I’ll put the sparkles on ice! Here’s to you!

We had a happy family day yesterday. Took a trip to the northern Capital for some shopping before the Princess’s 5th birthday on Thursday, and Destructoboy’s 3rd, 15 days after that. (Yes yes – they were both supposed to be Virgo’s, and both turned out to be Leos – Princess was 6 weeks early and Destructoboy 2 weeks early – both C-sections – I’ll give you all the details later – over a bottle of wine). The Accountant and I are both Aquarians – me with Leo rising, which makes for occasional fiery exchanges.

The Accountant kept Princess occupied by taking her to look at toys which we had no intention of ever buying for her – but it’s amusing to watch her run from one thing to another! I raced off with Son in stroller and on the way back to rescue the Accountant, the Shopping Goddess smiled. I found 2 really nice tops reduced to $9 (yes $9) from 60 – of course I bought them – need you ask?

I’ve been sympathising with Georgie on her shopping woes – as it’s well known that you never find anything you like when you look for it – only when you’re (a) in a hurry to get somewhere else; or (b) you have no money, and your credit card is maxed out. As I don’t wear ‘work clothes’ any more – only jeans and t-shirts (at least I’ve finished the preganancy/breast feeding/ pregnant and breast feeding/pregnant/breast feeding four and a half years so I’m out of maternity bras and forced t-shirt wearing). T-shirty things minimise ironing (which eats into my knitting time)

Grabbed the tops, had lunch with In-laws and played in the park and then the best bit!

Picked up my wonderful and now entirely functional coffee machine. The genius coffee machine doctor had finished it, the In-laws collected it for me, it cost a quarter of what I feared and it’s back home.

I love my coffee machine! This meant I could have a latte this morning, Princess could have her frothy hot chocolate and Destructoboy could have a babycino. Hurrah!

Oh dear – I’ve almost finished the Swing Jumper – it’s been such fun knitting something easy, that just whizzes along – I’ll finish the second sleeve tonight and start sewing it up after blocking it and tomorrow will put the crochet edge on the neck and bottom and Voila! An FO (and of course now that I’ve committed myself by saying all that aloud, the Knitting Goddess will strike me down for Hubris!)

I’ve also almost finished the travelling feather and fan scarf (which I will put the sort of pattern up soon as it’s the second variation I’ve knitted). Just half a ball of Jet to go and the ends to weave in.

What will I start next? I have no socks currently on the needles, so I think I will get the June Red Bird Sock of the Every other Month Kit (Polyglot) on the go. This is knitted in Collinette Jitterbug and the colourway is ‘Mardi Gras’ – so cheery and fun – just have to wind the skein into a ball.

It really is imperative that I start these as last week I received my little parcel from Canada and it was my August kit, which was the yarn (Scheepjeswol Cotton 8) for 2 pairs of socks and patterns for 2 pairs – an easy lace, and a tangier variation – 1 pair aqua and 1 pair jade green. As these are cotton, I’ll probably save them for summer knitting but if I don’t get a move on it’ll be October and another will arrive and I’ll start getting overwhelmed.

Considering that my stash currently contains wool for around 50 pairs of socks (at a conservative estimate) it’s time I got a move on!

This week also bought the arrival of some Rowanspun 4 ply and the buying of some Noro and Silk Road, so I think I need to get my head down and backside up (at least metaphorically as it’s very hard to knit in that position!)

Possibly I will take a couple of evenings to make some Squatty Sidekicks so I’m getting ahead on the whole Christmas thing. And then it will be time for Childhood, followed by Juno. And then more socks and then some Fibretrends knit then felt animals. And then the Katia Cardi in the Knittery boucle. And then the Kauni cardi. And the Turtle walk socks by Spidey. And the swing jumper again. And the Black Dog jacket – maybe in silk garden. And the Arcadia jumper. And the, and the and the,

Reset. Reset. Reset.

So much knitting, so little time!

Some days, wine is the only answer

Some days wine is the only answer.

I love wine. I love visiting wineries – tasting and smelling all the different varieties. I love matching wine and food – having dinner complemented by the right wine. I adore the glass or two in the evening, while I cook and then eat dinner. I love it when the man delivers 5 cases of new wine – whoops.

I have found that unless we actually visit wineries, I prefer to buy my wine over the internet or by mail-order. I have found a wonderful company who only charges $5.00 per case delivery anywhere is Australia – which is great, because some places charge 28 dollars a case to deliver to our little island.

I shouldn’t really buy wine, because we have lots in the cellar. But most of the cellar is red. I generally prefer a glass of white while I’m preparing food, and the Accountant doesn’t really drink white, so enter the cases from the nice people who send wine around Australia.

This year we have had two shortish holidays as a family. At Easter, we visited Canberra (hi there all my ACT friends) – and drove back to catch the ferry through Rutherglen – a lovely winey time and because we had the car we could stock up just a little!

Then in May we went to Western Australia. This included a few days in Margaret River – strangely enough, another wine area. We tried to buy only what we were going to drink while we were away (thus removing the likelihood of heavy, clinky cabin bags when flying home) but of course we were seduced.

You know you are a parent with munchkins when you choose a winery because (and only because) it has a playground. But we lucked out – turned out that Watershed wines not only had a playground, it had lovely wines and an excellent restaurant. Some days you just can’t lose!

And sparkles! Don’t get me started on how much I adore sparkles! Sparkling Red is a favourite, but pink champagne (style wine – just in case Appellation Controlee come after me) and white sparkles are also great.

Red bubbles are great with Indian and Thai food (fruitiness offsets spice perfectly), and pink and white for any other time – particularly a glass for while I’m deciding whether to have a(nother) glass. I don’t get to drink sparkles much at present – even I can’t justify opening a bottle and drinking the whole thing! It really doesn’t keep and the Accountant isn’t a great sparkles man. Ho hum!

So mainly white it is. The Accountant’s doctor recommended that he drink a glass of red a night, which he is doing – I just drink it because I like it! 2 glasses and I’m a happy bunny – no more than two, because my knitting tends to suffer if I have more than that.

Besides, there are days, and every mother knows it (even if we often don’t admit it in public), when the children have been holy terrors, you’ve shouted, and screamed and cajoled and threatened and coerced until everyone is fraught and fed up. Those days wine IS the only answer.

What was the question again?