In Praise of Spring!

I know, I know. It’s been a week. The weather’s been cold and mainly rainy and I haven’t taken photos. It’s been school holidays. I’m still not human (I sound as if I’ve been smoking 5 packs a day and 20 cigars – and I haven’t smoked for 7 years). Mind you, it’s a pack a day if we’re talking tissues. I’m feeling mainly better and haven’t taken nightime cold and flu tablets for nearly a week, so I’m basically drug free.

I bought some de-stash. I tried to buy yarn from 3 different places today and COULD NOT actually buy from any of them, despite my attempts. So today is obviously not the day to buy yarn. One place didn’t have the quantities I wanted, and then told me I didn’t qualify for the free shipping, at the next the shipping was as much as the yarn and the third kept throwing me into another site and not letting me log on. It’s a sign – and I’m am paying attention.

No yarn for me today. On the up side I did get my Rowan (finally), my Interweave (twice – finally), a new book (Custom Knits), my Wollmeise sock club parcel (mmm – pretty!), and Flair is likely to be finished tonight – and I will have a full skein of sunshine yellow Malabrigo left over!

I frogged both Wicked and Juliet, so will cast on (long after the KAL and general frenzy have finished) the February Lady Sweater. In green Malabrigo from the Wicked.

I am still loving work, and have lured my boss to the dark side, by showing her the forbidden delights of Ravelry, Knitty.com, and waving the Rowan 44 under her nose until she caved. She is in charge of costumes for a local production of Dad’s Army, so Pikey’s garter stitch scarf lives at work and we knit on it while waiting for things to upload/down load or people to call back.

The children are generally childish. The Princess is on an excursion to the northern Captial today (God help them) and Destructoboy has been trying to spell ‘rice’ using Scrabble tiles. For most of the morning.

We all had an excursion to the same northern Capital on Tuesday, mainly for the purposes of shopping. The Princess has suddenly decided that she either a) hates everything in her drawer; or b) that none of it fits her. So she was equipped with 4 long sleeve and 2 short sleeved tops and 3 pairs of legging things, and 2 pairs of shoes. The Accountant has needed new shoes for nearly a year, so he got kitted out. I bought 2 $50 tops reduced to $9.95 on a whim, and trotted into the Doomlight of Spot in the hopes of picking up cheap Jet. Instead, they actually had nice buttons and I bought 3 sets of 6, and 10 balls of Yarn Bee aran bamboo/cotton in a dark olive-y green. This is for ‘Hey Teach’ and as a project has been nominated it does not count as stash.

I’m about to tidy up, wash up, finish the second load of laundry and put on the dishwasher. I hate the fact the Aussie dollar has gone from parity with the US dollar a few months ago to less than 80 US cents today. It means I have to think a lot more before buying things from over there. Probably good for my carbon footprint and my wallet – but it does take a lot of fun out of it.

I’m slowly catching up with all the blog posts. I’ll get there eventually – probably by the end of the weekend. Or maybe not, as my weekend job is currently editing Amy Lane’s new book, Bitter Moon 2 – which is an absolute cracker and a great read. I managed (amongst the ironing, cooking, washing, washing up, children, gym and shopping for food) to get nearly 300 pages done last weekend. I will try for some more in a minute, before going to the library and collecting Princess.

Enjoy life. But don’t write too many blog posts about it – I’m having a hard enough time catching up as it is!

Unclean! Unclean!

Well, it’s a return to plague house conditions here, that’s for sure. I referred to the condition of Destructoboy and myself as Mucusfest – and really, that’s very apt.

We are not nice to be around at present, what with the coughing and the trails of tissues and the assorted leaks and swearing (from me) and complaints (from Destructoboy). I have the attractive pink-eyed and -nosed look of a rabbit with myxomatosis and the IQ to match. I can’t get through a whole senten…. Sorry? What were we saying? Oh, that’s right, how I can’t get through a whole sentence without being…something. Or other. Sorry, my train of thought just de-railed. Again.

So we’re a plague house and not taking it very well either. Princess swanned off to a Party Day at Vacation care in the Accountant’s car while those of us left behind snuffled and coughed. I really think she’s getting the best of it. Being sick tends to make me cranky. And grumpy. And more untidy than usual.

Luckily, I had a visit last night to cheer me up. The lovely, but blogless, Jill dropped in and we discussed nice adult things like knitting, and patterns and the Divine Norah (Gaughan). She was also there when my Rowan 44 finally appeared, nearly a month after everyone else’s. I am not sure whether it is the original or the replacement sent by Rowan – but it is certainly lovely.

Apart from a small amount of yarn acquired from a fellow Raveller’s de-stash, I haven’t bought any yarn for a whole 2 weeks. I think this may be some kind of record. Or it may be prompted by the dire state of my yarn budget. Or the fact that I’m saving up to do a big order in a few weeks. After all, I’m hardly deprived. I have the odd skein to keep me busy.

In knitting news, the end of Flair is in sight, and I have decided to frog Wicked. I adore the green Malabrigo, but the shape is unflattering for me. So it will become something else – hurrah for seamless top-down construction, which should make it easy to unravel.

Work is going well and I am thoroughly enjoying it (especially seeing my first proper story in print). There’s another week of school holidays to go. My survival is possible – though not assured!

Life goes on....and on....and on

It’s been an odd week. The first week of spring is always like this. The four seasons in one day weather (if you don’t like the weather now, come back in 15 minutes). The struck down by sickness feeling which regularly affects people – including me. I’ve been deep in a lurgy, which combines all the drama of coughing like an asthmatic seal with synchronised nose-blowing and general grottiness.

I’m still loving the new job and have been let loose on the unsuspecting general public to interview them and then write stories.

I’ve just received the e-manuscript of Amy Lane’s new book, Bitter Moon II and am dying to get stuck into editing it (and finding out what happens to everyone from BMI).

School holidays are looming and I will be lucky to see the Princess. She apparently wants to attend most days of the vacation care program, and the days she is not doing that she wants to visit friends and play.

Destructoboy has the same lurgy as I do and is much happier. As long as there is something to dismantle or a mess to be made, he’s a happy boy.

I have been knitting. I am so enjoying Flair, and knitting with sunshine yellow Malabrigo is guaranteed to lift the heart, even when the weather outside is cold, windy and wet.

I have managed extra knitting time due to the fact that the Princess has been having rehearsals for the major show for the Circus school. I get to sit in cold halls and theatres and knit while I wait for the three minutes my daughter is on stage along with 10 other 5-7 year olds, none of whom are entirely sure what they should be doing. Doesn’t matter, they all still look cute, charming and funny. This will not be the case when they are 10.

I received some not-stash this week from Wollmeise and from BMFA courtesy of the wonderful Rosered. I have not taken photos. Forgive me.

That’s it really. In between required duties, I have let the house run to wrack and ruin and the dishes pile up. I’ll do it when I feel better – or over the weekend. Whichever comes first.

And now, back to our scheduled programming....

I apologise for the break in transmission. Life has been topsy-turvey and I am trying to be super organised. I have always admired those women who had children, held down jobs, blogged and crafted (you know who you are), but now my admiration knows no bounds!

I would also like to point out that I work only 2 days per week in the actual office (which requires clothes which do not shriek ‘Mum at home with kids!’; and make up to hide time’s worst ravages, and because I really like lipstick!), and one day equivalent from home. This requires me to make 4 lunches and get three other people organised and dressed and out the door and dropped off at school and childcare and read to and kissed and goodbyed and ensuring I actually have the stuff I need and stories and notebooks and so on – is it any wonder I didn’t make it to the gym on Friday and Monday?

And that is just for TWO days a week. Imagine doing it five days a week? As I said, my admiration knows no bounds. I also said ‘women’ because, although I know some men do this – or share perfectly equally in this morning madness, the burden seems to fall much more on women.

In addition, there have been circus rehearsals (for the big show on the 5, 6 and 7 September), birthdays and various others bits and pieces to keep me occupied.

There has been knitting.

I finished a cowl and Le Slouch beret from the American Beauty Malabrigo I received in a de-stash.

The Gorgeous Francis is finished – in Crystal Palace Crème (a lovely wool silk blend).

I have increased my sock stash (because I have SOOOOOO much time on my hands – LOL!

I have worked. I love the work so far. I love planning stories and organising to interview people and then thinking about the best questions to ask them and sniffing around for things which might be interesting and trying to come up with more ideas to start the whole process again.

My boss is great – and also a knitter!

In addition to the madness that life has become (and which will soon, I am sure, fall into a routine), I spend most of any time at home fighting with Destructoboy over the computer. We gave him some really good educational games for his birthday, and he adores the Noggin site, and I can hardly get at the keyboard.

I also rather rashly, and in a spirit of optimism but expectation of disappointment, threw my hat into the ring of insanity which was the Wollmeise Sock Club lottery. And I got in!!!!

This means that unannounced parcels of Wollmeise will appear for me at regularish intervals. It also means that my credit card went into cardiac arrest - but hey!, that's how it is sometimes!

This is not stash because:

1. Wollmeise is too beautiful to be stash;
2. Sock yarn does not count as stash;
3. International yarn never counts as stash;
4. By the time the second one arrives, you've forgotten how much it cost, so it transmutes into a gift - and gifts are never stash

Have I forgotten any rationalisations, Zeph?

So hopefully, normal transmission will resume as soon as possible. Until then, blogging may be a once a week activity!

The Exciting News

Hurrah for knitters and crocheters (although the Political party is called Fibertarians and headed by Dolores the Sheep, I believe!)!

And a special thank you to Alwen - who remembered that it was Riga in Latvia (not Iceland) who did the mitten thing - and I should have known that, having read Folk Mittens!

Just a short post today (I know - and it's been such a long time since I did any photos - but I've been really slack about taking pictures of new stash - whoops - and FOs - of which I have a few - forgive me and I will rectify this soon). There has been a little accumulation of stash, from a number of enablers, and some books and some clothes - I've been too ashamed to blog it all, especially when Taph is doing such a great job with her de-cluttering. I'm also about to deal the the second birthday in just over 2 weeks! Aaargh!

So, just to let you in on the news......



I'm about to go back to work - a little earlier than I had planned, but when a fabulous opportunity opens up, it seems rather churlish to ask it to come back in 12 months. I'm a going to be (drum roll, please Maestro) a journalist!!

In training at first, of course, because I have lots to learn. I will be working for our local weekly paper and occasionally for the local daily and I am beside myself with excitement - and also as happy as a clam! Being paid to write and talk to people and think of ideas! How wonderful!

And strangely (or possibly not so strangely), this blog has played its part. The people who matter (PWM) read the blog and liked its style.

So next Friday I scurry out the door with a packed lunch and tidy clothes for my first day at work. I will update you with the trials of Tinkingbell the cub reporter (in general terms only, of course), but first I need to deal with Destructoboy's fourth birthday.

See you in a bit!

If we ran the world......

If knitters ran the world it would be an entirely different place.

I’ve been thinking about this recently. As I am a current affairs junkie, I seem to be up to pussy’s bow with doom and destruction. Bombings, stampedes, dictatorships, the four horsemen of the apocalypse – it’s all go here on Planet Earth.

And then I thought, ‘What if knitters (and crocheters) ran the world? What would it be like?’

Well, let’s see. No-one would be cold. That’s a given. Children, babies and adults – warm and woolly. Have you seen the amount of knitted articles given to charities? – hats for the homeless, for prem babies, jumpers for Mongolia, for Afghanistan, for everywhere you can think of. Multiply this into a national goal and put some funding behind it!

Children would learn to knit in school. This happens in Steiner schools, so why not every other school. It is considered to develop manual dexterity, creativity, colour sense, mathematical skills and it makes a nice line in potholders for Mothers’ Day.

The national sheep flock would not be dwindling – and there would never have been a wool stockpile.

We would have wonderful foreign relations with fibre producing countries. Mongolia (cashmere), Alaska and Canada (quiviut – arctic musk ox fibre), Tibet (pashmina – but only sustainably), Egypt and the Middle East (camel), the continental USA (buffalo – and let’s face it, the whole of North America has fabulous spinners and dyers), India and Nepal (silk), Thailand (banana fibre), New Zealand (possum), the United Kingdom (rare sheep breeds), Germany (Wollmeise), Russia and the states of the former Soviet Union (Orenburg lace), Scandinavia (colourwork) and so on.

The meetings of ASEAN and the G8 would look a lot less silly if world leaders were clad in knitting and crocheting – in fact, do you remember the major conference in which every leader received a traditional pair of mittens (I’m thinking Reykjavik – but am more than willing to be corrected). What a fabulous gesture that was.

As well, a side effect would be a lifting of both the profile of, and respect for, ‘womanly’ arts. Instead of being categorised as ‘weird hobby’, the skills and challenges may be more widely appreciated!

On the domestic trench war – sorry – home news front, Saturday was the Princess’s sixth birthday. 20 children were here, luckily the weather was good and I, very sensibly, hired a magician who also did balloon sculptures. He kept the kids (and some parents) brilliantly entertained until food time, and then it was home time. The Princess was beside herself with excitement, amplified when her Aunt (my SIL) and partner appeared – a lovely surprise, flown in from the National Capital. I didn’t drink nearly as much wine as such an occasion normally warrants, so it was considered a success all round!

My circumstances may also be changing soon, in a very exciting way – watch this space! Off to do domestic things – like check when the P & F meeting is and try to remember to order more gas! Ciao!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Thanks for all the nice comments on the house. We do love it, but it is really hard to heat (which is why I have the shivers and frozen fingers) and multicoloured carpet is just wonderful for hiding crumbs and general dust.

I am not the greatest of housekeepers, and would prefer to knit, blog or do almost anything than actually vacuum, so this is good!

Although it is an utterly beautiful day, it is freezing - frost still hasn't melted in the shaded areas, there is a LOT of snow on the mountains, and the estuary is as still as a mirror - brrrr!

Yesterday afternoon was spent in the 'green gym', as Taph calls it - we mowed the lawns for the first time in ages, so there was lots of raking and barrowing around cut grass and fallen leaves, This was all 'helped' by the children!

I'm still waiting to see everyone's homes or at least the places they love! - Zephyrama posted hers and told the wonderful story of her house - including its ghost!!

We don't have a ghost - we thought we did when we first moved in - we'd hear sort of chirpy noises in the quiet of the night and couldn't track down the cause - it sounded a bit like someone walking on a squeaky floorboard. Had us baffled for months.

We kept hearing it, and finally, when we were having a second phoneline installed the Telstra guy heard it too.

"There's our ghost", I said.

"That's not a ghost", he replied. 'The batteries in your smoke detector need replacing - that's the noise it makes to remind you!"

How prosaic! I much preferred the ghost!