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!)

Thursday? Let's have a drink!

Thursday already!?

What’s happened to the week? It seems if I’m not attempting to be in 2 places at once, I’m trying to get the kids to be in 2 places. How did I get this busy?

Partly it’s the stunning bounty from our orchard. I have never seen a year like this for plums. Crops are so heavy they break the branches. And the d’Agen plums look glorious – all blue bloom with purple and red highlights. Can we do a sock yarn this colour?

I’ve already dealt with the Victoria plums – they’re my plum sauce plums; the d’Agens are being turned into prunes in the dehydrator, the blood plums were eaten, and the greengages and golden drop aren’t quite ready. In addition, the tomatoes are just starting to really hit their stride (Note to self – next year, don’t plant 9 tomato plants – 8 of which are various types of cherry tomato – even if they are yellow, white and red. Just plants 4 plants and make them BIG ones!)

Pears are just starting to ripen and quinces are a way off yet!

Knitting is happening. The Nutkins are nearly finished, the bag swap main bag has its main bit nearly finished, I’m on those dratted lace inserts for Bella. I’d love to wake up and find them done, but this is unlikely to happen as a) there are no knitting fairies and b) it will actually require knitting to be finished!

Unfortunately, yarn buying is still happening! The Knittery had a sale – I immediately panicked and bought 4 skeins of sock yarn – just in case there suddenly wasn’t any more! I am the proud owner of 1 skein of slim sock in Royal Velvet, 2 skeins of merino cashmere sock in Bloody Mary and Autumn and 1 skein of chubby sock in Barley grass! Yummy! I absolutely adore the merino Cashmere – I’m knitting my Nutkins in this and just love touching it!

The most wonderful thing happened this week! - I received my parcel from the fantastically talented author, Amy Lane! I was lucky enough to help edit her 4th novel – Bitter Moon 1, and she sent me a thank you pack (will work for wool and books!) It contained the new book – and I got an acknowledgement – how cool is that!, 2 or her other novels, an official editorial team T-shirt and a skein of Shaefer Yarns Anne, in a gorgeous forest green/khaki/dark turquoise colourway! And the books were signed and so were the bookmarks and there was a great yarny card too! Thank you so much Amy!! I’m looking forward to Bitter Moon 2 – and I’m making progress on Vulnerable!

Here are the pictures! That seems enough for a Thursday post! (Oh and thank you all for the good wishes for the Accountant’s birthday! – He had a lovely time, adores his drumkit and we had a beautiful grown-up dinner with very nice wine.)The weekend is bringing a North West Coast Knit together on Saturday, and a chenille bag making class on Sunday! Busy crafty times ahead – will report later.

The Joy of Saturdays

Don’t you love Saturdays? The weekend stretches ahead of you, full of promise. This Saturday is especially special. Today is the Accountant’s birthday. This morning I woke early and went for a 30 minute walk (my third this week) and when I got back the kids and Accountant were stirring. We led him down to his birthday present and he was so excited!!

Although he really liked the DVD of ‘The Young Ones’, he was a bit surprised at 2 long pieces of wood in his present. So we lead him into the big room and there it was! A drum kit! I think most men of a certain age have fantasies about playing in a (insert preferred style of music here) band. Given the plethora of jokes about drummers, I thought drums might be the idea for a not terrifically musical man. He plays piano a bit and reads music but doesn’t really play any instruments. This is also the Accountant’s long held dream, and I think if someone with the drug ingestion history of Charlie Watts can do it – so can the Accountant. He hasn’t stopped smiling since he saw them – and has sneaked in there several times this morning for a tap!

I will also organise a few lessons – just to get him started!

Things are moving along on the knitting front. The first Nutkin is finished, the stocking stitch part of Bella is done and the shoulders sewn together. The front and bottom of the main bag for my bag swap partner is done. (No – no photos – I know you guys can’t keep secrets – look how you keep telling me about yarn bargains and sales!)

Speaking of sales I had 2 falls off the yarn buying wagon this week – although both were intended to happen rather later in the year, sales triggered them rather earlier. First, the Bendi Bargain Room had Cameo – but it was going rather swiftly, so I communicated with a kind, Bendigo based Raveller, sent her some cash and she purchased some for me and popped it in the post – it should get her next week. Thank you again, Mamasue!

The second yarn event was The Knittery having a sale. I am currently knitting the Nutkins from old (as in not the latest incarnation) Knittery Merino/cashmere yarn – in, from memory, Sea Life (a gorgeous spring green, turquoise and caramel colourway). I can’t tell you how lovely this is to knit – soft as soft, great stitch definition, no splitting! Beautiful! In addition, my lovely tea-cosy swap partner, Sheila, included a skein of their sock yarn in my parcel. Their yarn is just lovely – so I succumbed to the siren call of a sale!

A skein of chubby sock in Barley, merino cashmere in Bloody Mary and Autumn and slim sock in Royal Velvet are winging their way across Bass Strait and should arrive early next week. They won’t be counted in my Ins and Outs this week (neither will the Cameo) because it hasn’t actually reached here yet!

IN

1 Vogue Knitting Mag
1 mug
5 metres material
1 Chenille bag kit (for class next weekend)

OUT

More bags mags etc (recycling)
4 balls sock yarn (ebay)
Socks, child’s backpack, 2 hats, 2 pairs toddler shoes (gift)

This week is good – the net loss is around 10 items.

But wait, there’s more! I still have enormous amounts of clutter to shift, and also need to do a little de-stashing. If I get a chance on My Free Monday (MFM) I will have a play in the stash, and see if more can be shifted!

The other nice present is that my Stepmother is going to look after the Princess and Destructoboy tonight, so we can go out to dinner. This is the third time in around 18 months, so is an exciting prospect and a lovely gift! Will report back later. Ciao!

How to have a Happy Monday!

Ssssshh!!!

The house is quiet. The computer is on and no-one is crawling all over me trying to get to the keyboard. It’s Tinkingbell’s child free Monday!

I have the latest VK (mmmm!). I have coffee. I have been into the local haberdasher and craft shop and bought fabric – because gorgeous fabric is 5 dollars a metre. Some de-stashing Lorna’s Laces arrived in the mail. I read my bloglines blogs, downloaded a couple of patterns, checked Rav, and sorted the Opal and Heirloom I’ve decided to destash on ebay.

Lorna's Laces in Goldhill

Lorna's Laces in Bucks Bar

I’m going out for lunch with the Accountant today. Two adults having lunch – with no children!! Goodness!!

The Nutkin progresses and one shoulder of Bella is done. I want to cast on my RSC sock. Here is the Dragon Dance yarn, and here again, nestled in the gorgeous project bag the Knighly Knitter made for me.

I have decided to work a little harder at becoming fitter and slimmer, and at regulating the stash. I’m not putting myself on a yarn diet, but I am going to attempt to make mindful purchases. Not all the yarn in the world REALLY needs to be mine. Some of it is meant for others. Sheep are unlikely to become bald tomorrow. I will think more about what I need!

The decluttering will continue.

IN

The destashing Lorna’s Laces, Vesper, Yarn Ahoy, No No Kitty mentioned previously.
1 skein of sock fro the Spindle Tree
1 VK magazine
4 books (Hobart trip)
1 glass bowl (Hobart trip)
1 gorgeous project bag (gift)
3 tops (birthday gift from the Accountant)
Fabric (lots-ish – around 8 metres in total)

OUT
4 skeins Rowan 4 ply (prizes)
2 small project bags (prizes)
Pile of boxes, plastic containers, bottles etc (recycling)
3 pairs of shoes (rubbish)
5 tops, 1 skirt, 2 jumpers, 2 polar fleecies (Lifeline)


Off to lunch! Eat, drink and be merry – for tomorrow we may de-tox!

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!