What I Did On My Holiday (Part 2)

Just before we get in to Canberra, I realised there was a bit of a gap in the blog! I hadn’t put up the lovely parcel I received from MadmadHousewife (finally – after customs and Quarantine had finished with it – and just slightly before we decided it had obviously been lost in the mail). This wonderful book:

and some maple syrup candy and lollypops (which seem to have disappeared – no idea where!). This arrived literally just before we boarded the boat and after the car was stuffed to the gunwales, so I didn’t get a chance for a proper look inside until we got home – so many things to make and what a great way to bust stash! I’m going to practice next week when some projects get under control.

These also got finished – either just before we left – the Nutkins in the Knittery merino/Cashmere in the Sea Life colourway

The Noropups were finished on the road.

Back to the trip. We arrived safely (didn’t throttle over excited children on long car trip – 6 or so hours in the car can be eased by the judicious application of lollypops). The wonderful Bells had organised a little lunch meeting with some of the Canberra Bloggers, so having packed husband off to work in Queensland and consigned children to the SILs care I sallied forth into central Canberra.

We had a lovely lunch and I got to meet Bells (who delivered a small package I had asked her to purchase for me when a certain Canberra shop had Zara for 2 dollars a ball! And she is even lovelier in person), Georgie (glowingly pregnant and even younger and slimmer than her blog indicates), Jejune (bouncy and generous and not yet purple) and the wonderful QuiltingMick (a fabulous crocheter and blogger and a joy to chat with).

It is so great to meet blogpals in real life (and a little nerve-wracking, too! – I knew I would like them – after all, we’ve been chatting and emailing and such – but what if I disappointed them? What if they were expecting someone wittier and funnier and more glamorous? If they were, they were nice enough not to let me know!). Much knitting and crocheting and petting of yarn took place – along with a bit of eating and drinking. The waiter even asked for some socks!

After lunch, when everyone except Jejune and I had to make their way back to offices, she offered to guide me to the two shops I wanted to visit. I’m afraid I rather enabled her at the TS14+ shop while I picked up one or two items. I was also lucky to get out of Borders without making any purchases. We gave Jejune a lift home after shopping and she met the poppets and SIL – Thank you Jejune – for your navigational and guiding expertise!

Easter passed in its usual haze of chocolate and excitement. We visited the National Gallery, Questacon and Dinosaur Museum. The Easter Bunny visited us and the children turned into feral chocaholics with the frenzy of an Easter Egg Hunt. On Easter Monday the girls had organised another little get together.

For an isolated knitter, the internet and her blogpals are a lifeline. Yarn people (knitters, hookers and spinners) are generally fun, generous and slightly obsessive. Meeting them in the flesh is a wonderful treat, and I hope to do it again soon! And if any of you are coming to NW Tasmania, let me know!

So Monday was spent with Bells, Georgie, Taph and the Happy Spider. Just lovely to see Taph and Spidey again (I met them last year) and so lovely to let yarn fumes wash over us and chat and knit and pet yarn and exchange tips and patterns and stories. I even received a present from the Happy Spider – some of her glorious sock yarn in Blackberry!

Thank you all again for your time and generosity! I looks forward to lots more meetings – both virtual and real – and a special thanks to Georgie and Bells for being such great organisers!!

Next post will cover Rutherglen and deal with WHAT HAPPENED AT WANG! (A tale to chill your hearts and credit cards, dear reader!)

Return of the Prodigals

Gosh – it really is nice to see some rain at last! I know you mainlanders are figuring you’ve had about enough rain, right about now – but we’ve had none so – every drop is welcome! After the driest spring in memory, a dry winter and the driest recorded December and January, a few wet days is just lovely. You can actually feel your skin relaxing into its accustomed wrinkles!

We drove through rain on the way back from Hobart. Had a very satisfying visit to the fleshpots – mainly catching up with friends (with just a little retail therapy thrown in! Caught up with some recently married friends (well, nearly 12 months ago – but we haven’t really seen them since the wedding!) and saw photos of their honeymoon – they stayed in several wine growing areas in France! Paul also proposed in a vineyard and they got married in a vineyard and (is anyone seeing a theme here?) yes, they do indeed enjoy wine.

We spent Saturday with the Knightly Knitter and her family – left the men holding the babies and shot through to the joys of Salamanca and SnB. Kate acted as a very good conscience as I was distracted by sparkly stuff and swooped, magpie like, on anything which glittered in the sun! I managed to escape with only ONE skein of hand painted sock yarn from the lovely Spindle Tree – the spinners and dyers co-op, and some earrings and hair thingies. For me, a very restrained Salamanca!

Hobart SnB is in a lovely café and all the members were very welcoming (sorry – not sure what happened there – I suddenly became a Rotarian!). The Hobart SnB girls rock – they were great and I had a fun time! - It is always fabulous to knit in public with anyone else – but better with ten or so – some very nice stuff being knitted and fondled! Thank you, it was wonderful to meet the real people behind the blogs and Ravatars.

After releasing males and playing with children and a fabulous dinner we packed the thoroughly overtired and excited children off – spent Sunday with other friends and their kids and then still other friends (our rare visits to Hobart are like that – we try to visit all the people we haven’t seen since last time).

Monday was retail therapy – the Accountant, after castigating my clothes last week had decided to buy me clothes he approved of! His comment was that I used to wear much better clothes when we met. We met in 1988 and I moved in in 1989. This means I was 20 years younger, at least 2 sizes smaller and had a higher disposable income – much of which I spent on great clothes (some of which I still have in the hope I will one day be that slim again – we all have our dreams!). I also had no children and worked – so I did not wear SAHM clothes. But given that fact he was offering (and it would be nice to wear things which were not pull-on ¾ pants and t-shirts…..) I accepted!

I am now the proud owner of 3 gorgeous tops which I have promised to wear! (and not just leave in the wardrobe and admire!) It was a great weekend! Kids had a great time and I got to catch up with people I adore – and meet some new knitters!

Thanks Hobartians for your hospitality – we’ll try not to leave the next visit so long. And besides – 3 or so hours each way means a finished Noropup sock, a cast on Nutkin and a pair of Vog ons!

And when I went to the Post Office on our return? 2 packages – my RSC pack for 2008 including the Dragon Dance yarn and a package from a lovely knitter in the USA who I assisted to ahem, destash – so a skein of Yarn Ahoy and some Vesper Sock Yarn from Knitterly Things! I really must get some stuff off the needles so I can get some more stuff on!