I am a domestic Goddess! (Stop laughing down the back!)
I am making lamb foot-long pizza from this month's Delicious magazine. I don't like the confit idea too much, so I have made a double lot of onion marmalade from a recipe in the Women's Weekly Healthy Heart Cookbook (if you've got it kicking around it lives with a crusted lamb recipe!). This has meant I have been in floods of tears while onions were sliced because I am the world's worst onion slicer and cry for hours.
Many years ago, the Accountant used to wear contact lenses, and had no problem with onions. We used to eat a lot of French onion soup in those days, and this onion marmalade was a staple for things like barbeques and cold meat. Then he had laser surgery on his eyes, threw away the contact lenses and now is almost as bad as me in the onion department!
It's the first really lovely warm springlike day we've had today. The washing line is full and being breezed and sunned upon, things have been tidied up and stash has been enhanced. (Drat)
Rosered has been recording all her yarn ins and outs. I am too scared to do that. There has been some enhancement going on to what some people may refer to as my stash. After a recent large order, and the fact that I also did a Bendigo order while the Allegro was still on sale and then this morning found out the aran and cotton had been reduced (even though the colours are less than inspiring) I was forced to order some nut brown. Just in case.
I have not yet photographed my gorgeous sunshine yellow Flair, although I have worn her several tiimes. The Wicked I frogged has morphed into a February Lady Sweater, and I think I will like her much more that way. I have managed to knit 10 garments so far this year (when the FLS is finished) which I am quite proud of, although my sock knitting has suffered. So for Southern Summer of Socks I will be finishing WIPS and pushing over new boundaries (toe-up and 2 at a time). That's the plan.
I also intend to join Bells and knit a Shetland Triangle in Wollmeise (Indisch Rot, I think), and there is a KAL of the knit for yourself variety, so I may do 'Hey Teach' or Sprout for that.
Work is great, but time consuming, and I will be handing back Amy's manuscript, edited, over the weekend. (another reason why not a lot of blogging has happened - I have been deep in the world of Bitter Moon2 and thoroughly enjoying it!)
Have a lovely week - I'll try and get photos ready for next blog post!
Ciao!
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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?
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.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Let's Go Fly a Kite!
It’s been extraordinarily busy around here, for some reason. Yes, you-know-what is on the horizon (altogether now, fingers in ears ‘Laalalalalaala’), but it’s really all the other things that go along with the end of the year and the end of the school year.
In the last week or so, we’ve had the election, we’ve had the Small Schools Sports Carnival (try saying that 3 times quickly, especially after a couple of glasses of wine – or summer evening G&Ts), where the Princess came second in the sack race and in the relay, was given a sticker for participating in the obstacle race and the running and everyone had a wonderful time. In 10 days we have the playgroup break-up and visit from Santa and before that the Circus show in the park – Princess will be in this – as a clown (it’s pretty funny just watching 10 five year olds try to do anything – they don’t even need to do anything overtly ‘funny’) and on a trapeze – yup – one term of circus school and she’s going to be on a trapeze – I will try and remember to take photos – I generally forget – I’m such a bad mother.
Yesterday, I ditched the editing and took the plastic kite from 2 dollar shop which ‘Santa’ left in a stocking last Christmas and has never been out of the packet and flew it outside. I ditched the editing (sorry, Amy), and ran outside and we flew the kite (it flew really well – let me recommend the crappy plastic kites which look like octopi and jellyfish to you), played ‘Grandmother’s Footsteps’, swung the children dizzingly around in the air, spun them and chased them and generally had a great parenting time!!
We’ve also had swimming lessons and general madness (from the children – I just yell when the decibels reach unacceptable levels.). I have nearly all my postable Christmas presents ready to go, and have to write overseas Christmas cards to assure those people we only contact at Christmas that we are actually still alive. This means that they should be awake to the possibility that we will descend upon them at some unspecified future date and act like a plague of locusts, while lolling on their best furniture and asking them to peel grapes for us.
The In/Out/Shake it all about Challenge continues (in a scaled down form – but just you wait for a couple of weeks).
IN
3 Knitting mags – Interweave Holiday (Yes, it finally arrived), Simply Knits – with attached calendar and the new Vogue Knitting
I’ve already admitted to all the Op-shopping and the Lush package
A Rowan Studio brochure
A Red Bird Knits sock kit for November. This is absolutely gorgeous and consists of 2 balls of Lana Grossa Meilenwieit yarn – wool, silk, cashmere and polywhatsit. Yum!! And the pattern is great – highly textured and detailed – pop over to the website and check it out!
OUT
8 military books (eBay)
1 Parcel children’s clothes – eBay
1 box of china and stuff - Lifeline
1 magnadoodle – binned
1 Large pile children’s artworks (sshhh – recycled or binned depending on materials)
To prove that I am, indeed, the sad and tragic person the Accountant believes me to be, I acted in an uncharacteristically organised way yesterday. All day I’d had a really bad pain in my abdomen. ‘Goodness,’ I thought ‘What if it is appendicitis? I should do something.’ So I pulled out some sock yarn, matched it to appropriate patterns, popped each kit into a ziplock bag and all the bags either into a big project bag (4) or the downstairs stash cupboard (6). Into the project bag I also popped my knitting essentials bag – DPNs, darning needles, tape measure, scissors, etc. etc). This took around half an hour. At the end of that time, I looked around and thought, ‘There, if I need to go to hospital, I’m ready!’
The more perceptive of you may have noticed that here is no mention of underwear, toiletries or changes of clothes. That is because all I need for a hospital trip is KNITTING! Apparently.
To round out today, I would like to thank Raven from Trampled by Geese. She has nominated me for the Nice Matters Award – oi! You down the back – stop snickering – the Award is ‘for those bloggers who are nice people; good friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspirations. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.’ Thank you so much Raven, I’m very honoured. I promise to use my awesome powers for good - and I'm really very chuffed that she thought about this blog that way. Thank you again!
I also get to nominate seven people for this award. Here they are, in no particular order.
Taph, for Unravelled. Her knitting for the homeless and efforts to declutter her life and live better are an inspiration;
Bells, cooking and knitting and inspiring all those people with the Southern Summer of Socks (especially the newbies we have caught in our (knitted) sock net)
Jejune for living her life caring for others
Rosered, for the SSoS and for initiating Shoesday (and sending me telepathic vibes forcing me to buy footwear
Alwyn, for her knitting lessons and philosophy and ‘can-do’ attitude
MadMad Housewife – for her sharp and witty take on life and always making me laugh
Nora, for sharing her aesthetic, and proving that a thing of beauty is a joy
And (because it’s always worth overdoing)
Happy Spider, because she inspires me and got me into this whole blogging thing anyway!
I’d love to nominate Raven back, but the rules say the love flows outward – so there you go – have fun with it!
In the last week or so, we’ve had the election, we’ve had the Small Schools Sports Carnival (try saying that 3 times quickly, especially after a couple of glasses of wine – or summer evening G&Ts), where the Princess came second in the sack race and in the relay, was given a sticker for participating in the obstacle race and the running and everyone had a wonderful time. In 10 days we have the playgroup break-up and visit from Santa and before that the Circus show in the park – Princess will be in this – as a clown (it’s pretty funny just watching 10 five year olds try to do anything – they don’t even need to do anything overtly ‘funny’) and on a trapeze – yup – one term of circus school and she’s going to be on a trapeze – I will try and remember to take photos – I generally forget – I’m such a bad mother.
Yesterday, I ditched the editing and took the plastic kite from 2 dollar shop which ‘Santa’ left in a stocking last Christmas and has never been out of the packet and flew it outside. I ditched the editing (sorry, Amy), and ran outside and we flew the kite (it flew really well – let me recommend the crappy plastic kites which look like octopi and jellyfish to you), played ‘Grandmother’s Footsteps’, swung the children dizzingly around in the air, spun them and chased them and generally had a great parenting time!!
We’ve also had swimming lessons and general madness (from the children – I just yell when the decibels reach unacceptable levels.). I have nearly all my postable Christmas presents ready to go, and have to write overseas Christmas cards to assure those people we only contact at Christmas that we are actually still alive. This means that they should be awake to the possibility that we will descend upon them at some unspecified future date and act like a plague of locusts, while lolling on their best furniture and asking them to peel grapes for us.
The In/Out/Shake it all about Challenge continues (in a scaled down form – but just you wait for a couple of weeks).
IN
3 Knitting mags – Interweave Holiday (Yes, it finally arrived), Simply Knits – with attached calendar and the new Vogue Knitting
I’ve already admitted to all the Op-shopping and the Lush package
A Rowan Studio brochure
A Red Bird Knits sock kit for November. This is absolutely gorgeous and consists of 2 balls of Lana Grossa Meilenwieit yarn – wool, silk, cashmere and polywhatsit. Yum!! And the pattern is great – highly textured and detailed – pop over to the website and check it out!
OUT
8 military books (eBay)
1 Parcel children’s clothes – eBay
1 box of china and stuff - Lifeline
1 magnadoodle – binned
1 Large pile children’s artworks (sshhh – recycled or binned depending on materials)
To prove that I am, indeed, the sad and tragic person the Accountant believes me to be, I acted in an uncharacteristically organised way yesterday. All day I’d had a really bad pain in my abdomen. ‘Goodness,’ I thought ‘What if it is appendicitis? I should do something.’ So I pulled out some sock yarn, matched it to appropriate patterns, popped each kit into a ziplock bag and all the bags either into a big project bag (4) or the downstairs stash cupboard (6). Into the project bag I also popped my knitting essentials bag – DPNs, darning needles, tape measure, scissors, etc. etc). This took around half an hour. At the end of that time, I looked around and thought, ‘There, if I need to go to hospital, I’m ready!’
The more perceptive of you may have noticed that here is no mention of underwear, toiletries or changes of clothes. That is because all I need for a hospital trip is KNITTING! Apparently.
To round out today, I would like to thank Raven from Trampled by Geese. She has nominated me for the Nice Matters Award – oi! You down the back – stop snickering – the Award is ‘for those bloggers who are nice people; good friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspirations. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.’ Thank you so much Raven, I’m very honoured. I promise to use my awesome powers for good - and I'm really very chuffed that she thought about this blog that way. Thank you again!
I also get to nominate seven people for this award. Here they are, in no particular order.
Taph, for Unravelled. Her knitting for the homeless and efforts to declutter her life and live better are an inspiration;
Bells, cooking and knitting and inspiring all those people with the Southern Summer of Socks (especially the newbies we have caught in our (knitted) sock net)
Jejune for living her life caring for others
Rosered, for the SSoS and for initiating Shoesday (and sending me telepathic vibes forcing me to buy footwear
Alwyn, for her knitting lessons and philosophy and ‘can-do’ attitude
MadMad Housewife – for her sharp and witty take on life and always making me laugh
Nora, for sharing her aesthetic, and proving that a thing of beauty is a joy
And (because it’s always worth overdoing)
Happy Spider, because she inspires me and got me into this whole blogging thing anyway!
I’d love to nominate Raven back, but the rules say the love flows outward – so there you go – have fun with it!
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