The story so far, dear readers, is not for the faint-hearted.
Our heroine, who has been battling a spring cough and lurgy, decided to take action last night and informed all and sundry of her intention to sleep in on Saturday morning. Nothing would get her out of bed, she declared, but the last trump.
Enter the morning, in a burst of sunlight - and the knowledge that one of the heroes of the epic, Destructoboy, has not only thrown up in his bed, but has then made a conscious decision to sleep in it.
Strangely, this had the effect of galvanising a very sick mother into motion and imploring the Accountant to (and I quote) "Will you stop wandering around with that damn pillow, you are spilling vomit everywhere!"
Strange how every time I consider actually getting something approaching 8 hours of sleep, something like this happens.
So I have the traditional spring/summer lurgy, which up until this morning consisted of feeling a bit yuk, and a dry polite cough. This morning, however, I sound like someone who has been smoking five packs a day and sleeping rough for the last 10 years. Not nice.
In happier news, I am a gnats whisker from finishing Radiate, and am devoting the next seven days to finishing WIPs - so hopefully, the Clapotis and a pair of socks will be off the needles.
Then I will throw myself into Christmas knitting (already organised), and Christmas presents, and into trying very hard to keep all the balls I am juggling in the air - instead of dropping the lot.
There are no pictures in this post.
Aren't you glad?
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knitting. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Oops, I did it again (with apologies for even knowing the name of this song!)
Well, yes. It is the weekend again. And yes, I did not blog this week. And I read everyone else's blogs and try to keep up with comments, but really, if you all go out and have such a good time and then you go and sign up to Blogtoberfest, and then you blog every single day and you are not only doing stuff but blogging, well, it makes me feel just a bit inadequate.
My life sort of rolls along.
I'm knitting the same thing I was last weekend (because I had to frog more than half and re-do it).
Then I was exhausted after running, and visiting Kaydale Lodge, and the Leven Canyon. Kaydale is one of the few places in Australia to grow fritillarias and trilliums, and they are currently in bloom. They also do wonderful lunches (mainly with their own produce) and are very close to the Canyon (Different link).
We walked to the lookout up a sloping path, and it was windy and beautiful and catch-your-breath spectacular. And then we decided to walk the loop back to the car. This entailed walking down (thank all the little gods and goddesses - DOWN and not UP!) 697 steps, to the bridge and creek at the bottom.
697! Can you imagine how you'd feel walking up the dratted things? Down was bad enough - my hamstrings and lower back hurt for a couple of days, and I am fairly comfortably fit at present!. How do I know how many stairs there were, you may ask? (I did hear you asking!)
Because there are benches on the way and each bench contains information on how many stairs to the bottom from that bench, how many to the top and how many to the next bench, both up and down. I'm quite proud that I only had to read them, and not sit on them.
And then once you reach the bridge at the bottom, you have to get back up to the car park, and that means a long and very steep path. We all did it, and despite the slightly sore legs, even the kids had no problems. In fact, this may be a record, because neither of them whinged at all!
The only other news is that swimming lessons for small people have started. This has meant a total frenzy of excitement (and me having to purchase a smaller swimsuit). Destructoboy was really excited up until he had to actually get into the pool, but the kids are told that swimming classes are non-negotiable. They must be able to swim.
They don't need to be competitive swimmers, (because who wants to be getting up at 5am in the cold and dark to take them to the pool for squad training - not me!), but they must be competent and safe.
Too many children drown every year in Australia, in pools, dams, rivers and the sea. My children will not join them if I have anything to say about it (and I do). So swimming it is. The Princess loves it - as far as she is concerned, any moment not spent in the water in summer is a moment wasted. She is competent, confident and has absolutely no style! A bit like me really.
Destructoboy can't swim yet, but in a few weeks he will. Not that my vigilance around children and water will relax, but at least I can feel calmer when I see them in a pool.
My life sort of rolls along.
I'm knitting the same thing I was last weekend (because I had to frog more than half and re-do it).
Then I was exhausted after running, and visiting Kaydale Lodge, and the Leven Canyon. Kaydale is one of the few places in Australia to grow fritillarias and trilliums, and they are currently in bloom. They also do wonderful lunches (mainly with their own produce) and are very close to the Canyon (Different link).
We walked to the lookout up a sloping path, and it was windy and beautiful and catch-your-breath spectacular. And then we decided to walk the loop back to the car. This entailed walking down (thank all the little gods and goddesses - DOWN and not UP!) 697 steps, to the bridge and creek at the bottom.
697! Can you imagine how you'd feel walking up the dratted things? Down was bad enough - my hamstrings and lower back hurt for a couple of days, and I am fairly comfortably fit at present!. How do I know how many stairs there were, you may ask? (I did hear you asking!)
Because there are benches on the way and each bench contains information on how many stairs to the bottom from that bench, how many to the top and how many to the next bench, both up and down. I'm quite proud that I only had to read them, and not sit on them.
And then once you reach the bridge at the bottom, you have to get back up to the car park, and that means a long and very steep path. We all did it, and despite the slightly sore legs, even the kids had no problems. In fact, this may be a record, because neither of them whinged at all!
The only other news is that swimming lessons for small people have started. This has meant a total frenzy of excitement (and me having to purchase a smaller swimsuit). Destructoboy was really excited up until he had to actually get into the pool, but the kids are told that swimming classes are non-negotiable. They must be able to swim.
They don't need to be competitive swimmers, (because who wants to be getting up at 5am in the cold and dark to take them to the pool for squad training - not me!), but they must be competent and safe.
Too many children drown every year in Australia, in pools, dams, rivers and the sea. My children will not join them if I have anything to say about it (and I do). So swimming it is. The Princess loves it - as far as she is concerned, any moment not spent in the water in summer is a moment wasted. She is competent, confident and has absolutely no style! A bit like me really.
Destructoboy can't swim yet, but in a few weeks he will. Not that my vigilance around children and water will relax, but at least I can feel calmer when I see them in a pool.
Monday, June 29, 2009
New Look (What do you think?)
You may have noticed that the blog has had a bit of a makeover.
I decided that I needed a new look - well, yes, I need a new look, take that as read - maybe six feet tall, slim, pale and masses of flaming red curls - no, sorry, that's Nicole Kidman. Sigh.
No, I decided the blog needed a new look. So when I tidied it up, I did a bit of a paint job.
I may play with it some more. We'll see. I like the colours though.
Breaking news.
Our wild social life has included a birthday party for a one year old, and having the in-laws and the lovely but blogless Jill over for lunch. Other than that, life has proceeded as usual, with the added excitement of winter and the on-going lure of hibernation.
The most exciting thing which has happened is my discovery of The Dresden Dolls - check out this film clip of one of their performances. They describe themselves as Brechtian Punk Cabaret and I have been loving their stuff. I am further investigating Amanda Palmer's solo catalogue. I love finding new and interesting music. This dark burlesque genre has passed me by until now.
Finished the Kim jumper last night, still needs to block, and the day is grey and rainy, so photos later. Today is the end of the financial year, so it seems I will need to update stash honesty. As months go, it hasn't been too bad.
In:
Four sock club packages (Four! Count 'em! What was I thinking?) All came in June. That's 5 skeins of sock yarn, or 600gr.
A slight lapse at a wool shop sale - 10 x 50gr Grinasco Tango, 2 x 50gr Kaffe Fassett Regia. I blame Rose Red for these. If she hadn't put me on to the Grinasco, and made the Kaffe socks....
Total from there 600 gr
Total in: 1.2kg
Knitted:
As I don't count things unless they are actually finished I can't include half a clappy or half a pair of socks. Drat.
Kim - 5 x 125 gr - 625 gr.
Destashed:
1.6kg re-homed to Ravellers
One large bag of not-terribly-good yarns sent off to school for finger/French knitting - say 750gr
AT LAST!
In - 1.2kg
Out: 2.975kg
I'm afraid next month may not look quite so good, but I hope to have more finished objects, so I can count more....or some tidying up may lead to further re-homing. We'll see.
Happy New Financial Year to you all - may your assets ever exceed your liabilities!
I decided that I needed a new look - well, yes, I need a new look, take that as read - maybe six feet tall, slim, pale and masses of flaming red curls - no, sorry, that's Nicole Kidman. Sigh.
No, I decided the blog needed a new look. So when I tidied it up, I did a bit of a paint job.
I may play with it some more. We'll see. I like the colours though.
Breaking news.
Our wild social life has included a birthday party for a one year old, and having the in-laws and the lovely but blogless Jill over for lunch. Other than that, life has proceeded as usual, with the added excitement of winter and the on-going lure of hibernation.
The most exciting thing which has happened is my discovery of The Dresden Dolls - check out this film clip of one of their performances. They describe themselves as Brechtian Punk Cabaret and I have been loving their stuff. I am further investigating Amanda Palmer's solo catalogue. I love finding new and interesting music. This dark burlesque genre has passed me by until now.
Finished the Kim jumper last night, still needs to block, and the day is grey and rainy, so photos later. Today is the end of the financial year, so it seems I will need to update stash honesty. As months go, it hasn't been too bad.
In:
Four sock club packages (Four! Count 'em! What was I thinking?) All came in June. That's 5 skeins of sock yarn, or 600gr.
A slight lapse at a wool shop sale - 10 x 50gr Grinasco Tango, 2 x 50gr Kaffe Fassett Regia. I blame Rose Red for these. If she hadn't put me on to the Grinasco, and made the Kaffe socks....
Total from there 600 gr
Total in: 1.2kg
Knitted:
As I don't count things unless they are actually finished I can't include half a clappy or half a pair of socks. Drat.
Kim - 5 x 125 gr - 625 gr.
Destashed:
1.6kg re-homed to Ravellers
One large bag of not-terribly-good yarns sent off to school for finger/French knitting - say 750gr
AT LAST!
In - 1.2kg
Out: 2.975kg
I'm afraid next month may not look quite so good, but I hope to have more finished objects, so I can count more....or some tidying up may lead to further re-homing. We'll see.
Happy New Financial Year to you all - may your assets ever exceed your liabilities!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Happy Again!
Thanks so much for your lovely comments - I'm back to my usual happy self now!
I will admit, though, that despite it looking terrible and chipped, I still have not been able to bring myself to remove my holiday nail varnish - because that would mean I was back to real life, where there is no point in wearing nail varnish because after a couple hours of normal wear and tear it looks awful.
A while ago, Bells posted a lovely, laughing wedding photo. So I thought (always being original) that I would do the same. The Accountant and I have been together for more than twenty years, and in a few weeks will have been living together for 20 years, but we only married in 2001.
We sort of eloped, in that we told noone, except the Accountant's sister, that we were getting married, just invited out parents (and step parents) for lunch, and after the main course, sprang on them the fact that the celebrant was due in 10 minutes, and we needed to get changed. We married in May, in the garden, under the oak tree. Our dog was there. A horse looked over the fence. It was informal and fun and cheap. Then we drank sparkling shiraz and ate cheesecake.
It also got us out of all the to-ing and fro-ing about who should be involved in the wedding and flower girls and bridesmaids and so on. I did buy a new outfit, since worn to other weddings. It was a lovely day, and one of the last photos of my Dad (He's the one laughing next to me.) The Accountant's sister was best person - she held the rings and bouquets and so on, and took some photos.
Knitting has been happening. The new jumper is up to the armholes, and I am loving the yarn and pattern and looking forward to wearing it. Children are back at school, life is happening in spite of me, and on Tuesday I finally got to see the third episode of Cranford and knitted while they were at school.
Life is full of small joys!
I will admit, though, that despite it looking terrible and chipped, I still have not been able to bring myself to remove my holiday nail varnish - because that would mean I was back to real life, where there is no point in wearing nail varnish because after a couple hours of normal wear and tear it looks awful.
A while ago, Bells posted a lovely, laughing wedding photo. So I thought (always being original) that I would do the same. The Accountant and I have been together for more than twenty years, and in a few weeks will have been living together for 20 years, but we only married in 2001.
We sort of eloped, in that we told noone, except the Accountant's sister, that we were getting married, just invited out parents (and step parents) for lunch, and after the main course, sprang on them the fact that the celebrant was due in 10 minutes, and we needed to get changed. We married in May, in the garden, under the oak tree. Our dog was there. A horse looked over the fence. It was informal and fun and cheap. Then we drank sparkling shiraz and ate cheesecake.
It also got us out of all the to-ing and fro-ing about who should be involved in the wedding and flower girls and bridesmaids and so on. I did buy a new outfit, since worn to other weddings. It was a lovely day, and one of the last photos of my Dad (He's the one laughing next to me.) The Accountant's sister was best person - she held the rings and bouquets and so on, and took some photos.
Knitting has been happening. The new jumper is up to the armholes, and I am loving the yarn and pattern and looking forward to wearing it. Children are back at school, life is happening in spite of me, and on Tuesday I finally got to see the third episode of Cranford and knitted while they were at school.
Life is full of small joys!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Post-Holiday Blahs
We're back, and I have a severe case of the post holiday blahs.
We arrived back late on Wednesday night, and the house-sitter had done her usual wonderful job. The first day back was a beautiful sunny winter day, just right for all the post holiday washing.
But since then it has been cold and grey and drizzly. The kids are in quarantine because we passed through the swine flu capital of the universe (Melbourne Airport) and after running around on a sub-tropical island, have a severe case of cabin fever.
The holiday itself was grand. We spent a week on the Gold Coast, where the children sampled the delights of the theme parks and the Princess adored Rollercoasters and the Giant drop. She made the 120cm height restriction by 2cms - and then insisted on repeating the experience. Destructoboy preferred merry-go-rounds, although he did like river rides and flume rides and the associated wetness.
Club Med Lindemen Island was lovely - although the swimming pools were freezing, even for a Tasmanian! The kids club was next to the circus school, so they had high trapeze (yes, both the 4 and 6 year old loved this), bungy bounce, their own swimming pools, and enormous climbing fort, tennis, archery, putt-putt golf, beach stuff and lots of other activities, including starring spots in the nightly shows.
I put the cocktail list to the test, was hugely active in order to be able to eat a reasonable sampling of the food which someone else had cooked - and which other people were going to wash up after. Other people cooking, washing up, cleaning and tidying up is a mothers' dream holiday!
But since we've been home I've had a severe case of blahness. There is no real reason for this, except perhaps the winter weather and its greyness. So I have been catching up on blog reading (but not commenting much, my apologies). I have cast on another jumper (of course) and pecked at the holiday socks (one done and most of one to go). I haven't done much more on the half done holiday Clapotis.
But currently it's all about the colours of a tropical sea. All my current knitting is blues, greens and turquoise. The socks are in Fleece Artist Trail Socks in Angel Fish, the Clapotis in Touch Yarn in gorgeous turquoise washed with greens and blues and the Jumper is Fleece Artist River in Nova Scotia. So maybe it's about the Fleece Artist, too.
I had all four sock club packages get into my hands either the day we left or the day we arrived back, and they are all lovely, but now I have to wait at least 2 more months for the next packages. Sigh.
It's a good thing that I have the thought of Bendi to sustain me - and the thought of my lovely kids being able to see their friends at school on Tuesday when their quarantine ends. No Hamthrax so far!
We arrived back late on Wednesday night, and the house-sitter had done her usual wonderful job. The first day back was a beautiful sunny winter day, just right for all the post holiday washing.
But since then it has been cold and grey and drizzly. The kids are in quarantine because we passed through the swine flu capital of the universe (Melbourne Airport) and after running around on a sub-tropical island, have a severe case of cabin fever.
The holiday itself was grand. We spent a week on the Gold Coast, where the children sampled the delights of the theme parks and the Princess adored Rollercoasters and the Giant drop. She made the 120cm height restriction by 2cms - and then insisted on repeating the experience. Destructoboy preferred merry-go-rounds, although he did like river rides and flume rides and the associated wetness.
Club Med Lindemen Island was lovely - although the swimming pools were freezing, even for a Tasmanian! The kids club was next to the circus school, so they had high trapeze (yes, both the 4 and 6 year old loved this), bungy bounce, their own swimming pools, and enormous climbing fort, tennis, archery, putt-putt golf, beach stuff and lots of other activities, including starring spots in the nightly shows.
I put the cocktail list to the test, was hugely active in order to be able to eat a reasonable sampling of the food which someone else had cooked - and which other people were going to wash up after. Other people cooking, washing up, cleaning and tidying up is a mothers' dream holiday!
But since we've been home I've had a severe case of blahness. There is no real reason for this, except perhaps the winter weather and its greyness. So I have been catching up on blog reading (but not commenting much, my apologies). I have cast on another jumper (of course) and pecked at the holiday socks (one done and most of one to go). I haven't done much more on the half done holiday Clapotis.
But currently it's all about the colours of a tropical sea. All my current knitting is blues, greens and turquoise. The socks are in Fleece Artist Trail Socks in Angel Fish, the Clapotis in Touch Yarn in gorgeous turquoise washed with greens and blues and the Jumper is Fleece Artist River in Nova Scotia. So maybe it's about the Fleece Artist, too.
I had all four sock club packages get into my hands either the day we left or the day we arrived back, and they are all lovely, but now I have to wait at least 2 more months for the next packages. Sigh.
It's a good thing that I have the thought of Bendi to sustain me - and the thought of my lovely kids being able to see their friends at school on Tuesday when their quarantine ends. No Hamthrax so far!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
It's all about the knitting, folks!
Despite my best resolution, life (and knitting) intervened.
I did think about popping in a post last week which said `Can't blog - knitting.', but decided I needed to knit more than I needed to blog. Here is the result of my labour:
Taadaa!
The Placed Cable Aran, from Interweave knits, in 10 ply Luxury from Bendigo Woollen Mills, in the Leaf colourway. This should also qualify me for Lynne's Textured KAL.
This absolutely flew off the needles, and set a new record by being finished in 11 days. I can't believe I actually knitted a jumper in 11 days, but here's the proof. Cast on May 13, cast off May 24. The only mods I made were too make it slightly longer (could have been even longer) and to convert the sleeves, so I picked up stitches and knitted them from the top down to eliminate seaming - Oh and I knitted the body in the round to the armholes, so the only seams are at the shoulders. Took 3.25 balls of Bendi, so a bit over 1000m.
I am thrilled with it, love the pattern, the yarn, the colour and the finished product.
I also thought, although it isn't the end of the month, I'd get stash honesty out of the way. We're off on holiday on Wednesday and I don't anticipate any arrivals of squooshy parcels between now and then, so we might as well do it now.
In:
8 balls of Tango and 5 balls of Superior (both of which I blame Rosered for): 525gr
5 balls of Bendi Luxury (see above FO): 1 kg
6 skeins of River: 600gr
2 skeins of BFL 2/8: 500gr
Total In: 2.625kg
Knitted:
650gr Luxury (placed cable)
600gr Allegro (gathered sweater)
100gr socks
150gr Jet (Princess's jacket from Zeph)
Total knitted:
1.5 kg
In other words, almost twice as much has come in as was knitted - despite a knitting frenzy. Sigh.
June should be better, mainly because I won't be in a position to buy any yarn, so although some sock club yarn (ahem) may arrive in my post office box, I should also be able to be about square, knitting wise.
In other news, the birdie appears to have settled in with the resident population of Little Wattle Birds, the schools holidays are much too long (this is the first day - they are tooooooo long!) and life rolls along.
We are still warm and although somewhat damp here, have been spared the utter downpours of Queensland and Northern NSW. However, with our usual perfect timing, we are about to holiday in the epicentre of this weeks floods. What fun!
If I don't get back here before we leave, have a love fortnight or so, and I'll see you in mid June!
I did think about popping in a post last week which said `Can't blog - knitting.', but decided I needed to knit more than I needed to blog. Here is the result of my labour:
Taadaa!
The Placed Cable Aran, from Interweave knits, in 10 ply Luxury from Bendigo Woollen Mills, in the Leaf colourway. This should also qualify me for Lynne's Textured KAL.
This absolutely flew off the needles, and set a new record by being finished in 11 days. I can't believe I actually knitted a jumper in 11 days, but here's the proof. Cast on May 13, cast off May 24. The only mods I made were too make it slightly longer (could have been even longer) and to convert the sleeves, so I picked up stitches and knitted them from the top down to eliminate seaming - Oh and I knitted the body in the round to the armholes, so the only seams are at the shoulders. Took 3.25 balls of Bendi, so a bit over 1000m.
I am thrilled with it, love the pattern, the yarn, the colour and the finished product.
I also thought, although it isn't the end of the month, I'd get stash honesty out of the way. We're off on holiday on Wednesday and I don't anticipate any arrivals of squooshy parcels between now and then, so we might as well do it now.
In:
8 balls of Tango and 5 balls of Superior (both of which I blame Rosered for): 525gr
5 balls of Bendi Luxury (see above FO): 1 kg
6 skeins of River: 600gr
2 skeins of BFL 2/8: 500gr
Total In: 2.625kg
Knitted:
650gr Luxury (placed cable)
600gr Allegro (gathered sweater)
100gr socks
150gr Jet (Princess's jacket from Zeph)
Total knitted:
1.5 kg
In other words, almost twice as much has come in as was knitted - despite a knitting frenzy. Sigh.
June should be better, mainly because I won't be in a position to buy any yarn, so although some sock club yarn (ahem) may arrive in my post office box, I should also be able to be about square, knitting wise.
In other news, the birdie appears to have settled in with the resident population of Little Wattle Birds, the schools holidays are much too long (this is the first day - they are tooooooo long!) and life rolls along.
We are still warm and although somewhat damp here, have been spared the utter downpours of Queensland and Northern NSW. However, with our usual perfect timing, we are about to holiday in the epicentre of this weeks floods. What fun!
If I don't get back here before we leave, have a love fortnight or so, and I'll see you in mid June!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Birds, Beasts and Relatives (with apologies to Gerald Durrell)
The strangest thing happened yesterday.
I was in the garden, picking off the last of the apples on the tree, and a bird came up and sat on the branches quite close to me. I chatted to it, as you do, told him he was brave and so on, when he flew on to my shoulder.
Now this didn't quite freak me out - I am an animal person, I can deal with most things, but a wild bird? Landing on my shoulder? Last I knew, I was not Snow White or Cinderella or one of the Disney cartoon princesses who regularly go into forests and have assorted livestock land on their heads.
This guy was a juvenile Little Wattle Bird (about 12 inches or 30cm long), and has a long beak. I would say he was a teenager - a young adult with some of his juvenile plumage still. He landed on my window sill a few days ago and just sat there when I tapped on the window. Now he is landing on my head or shoulder and is more than happy to perch on my finger.
My children are rather amazed. Obviously Mummy has supernatural powers over animals. Here he is, letting me get very close to take his picture. When I rang a friend in the local animal rescue service, her theory was that these birds are quite easy to hand rear, but in the very high winds we have had recently, he may have been blown away from home. He's probably a bit dependant on humans, and wants to be fed.
I wouldn't mind, but now he has taken to stalking me - following me from window to window and trying to sit on me when we are outside. Weird.
If you have lost a Little Wattle Bird, please feel free to contact me.
There has been knitting happening.
Here it the finished Gathered Pullover 2, in Bendi Allegro in Scarlet. I really like the feel of the fabric this makes. It was just a bit splitty to knit with, which I had expected, but is lovely. Great stitch definition. I made the neck higher and the shoulders wider. It took a while because it was the carry along mindless stoicking stitch for ages. Strangely, when I fnally paid some attention to it, it was finished very quickly.
I also finished the 2 parts Zephyrama, 1 part Tink jacket for the Princess. Zeph had sent me the mostly finished child's One Piece Ribby Jacket, in Jet, along with the extra to finish it off, due to the fact she had started it for her daughter and said daughter had grown out of it before it was finished. I think it will fit the Princess for a while. She likes it. The buttons are clear, with pink and black butterflies. She chose them.
Just because you need some proof of knitting, here is Ms Rosered, ensconced in our very messy family room, helping the Princess with her knitting. You might recognise the Pearl Buck Jacket.
Of course, much of this weekend has been taken up with the festival of bad taste and excreable music which is Eurovision. While Norway was both cute and a reasonable song, my favourites were Moldova (great boots and costume, funked up folk song and folk dancing), Portugal (once again, the folk song and costume), the Ukraine (those boots, those Trojans!), Turkey (yay, Dum Tek Tek), Estonia (gorgeous singer and song, Arwen with a fringe), Bosnia Herzegovina (who doesn't love some nice performance art?) and Armenia (great costumes).
Greece was rather up himself, the Azerbaijan entry was tediously ordinary, Iceland sounded like Celine Dion and most of the others were forgettable. The hosts were hysterical. While Barbie was cute, her co-host was a sleaze who kept peering down her dress and squeezing her. I kept thinking of the Fast Forward comedy duo, doing the Russian TV presenters "Viktor, you are very unattractive man''. If you missed out, you can watch it here.
I will try to be a better blogger, at least until we go on holiday. The stretch of glorious late autumn weather continues, with cold nights and lovely days - but winter is breathing down our necks, rather like the Russian Eurovision host.
I was in the garden, picking off the last of the apples on the tree, and a bird came up and sat on the branches quite close to me. I chatted to it, as you do, told him he was brave and so on, when he flew on to my shoulder.
Now this didn't quite freak me out - I am an animal person, I can deal with most things, but a wild bird? Landing on my shoulder? Last I knew, I was not Snow White or Cinderella or one of the Disney cartoon princesses who regularly go into forests and have assorted livestock land on their heads.
This guy was a juvenile Little Wattle Bird (about 12 inches or 30cm long), and has a long beak. I would say he was a teenager - a young adult with some of his juvenile plumage still. He landed on my window sill a few days ago and just sat there when I tapped on the window. Now he is landing on my head or shoulder and is more than happy to perch on my finger.
My children are rather amazed. Obviously Mummy has supernatural powers over animals. Here he is, letting me get very close to take his picture. When I rang a friend in the local animal rescue service, her theory was that these birds are quite easy to hand rear, but in the very high winds we have had recently, he may have been blown away from home. He's probably a bit dependant on humans, and wants to be fed.
I wouldn't mind, but now he has taken to stalking me - following me from window to window and trying to sit on me when we are outside. Weird.
If you have lost a Little Wattle Bird, please feel free to contact me.
There has been knitting happening.
Here it the finished Gathered Pullover 2, in Bendi Allegro in Scarlet. I really like the feel of the fabric this makes. It was just a bit splitty to knit with, which I had expected, but is lovely. Great stitch definition. I made the neck higher and the shoulders wider. It took a while because it was the carry along mindless stoicking stitch for ages. Strangely, when I fnally paid some attention to it, it was finished very quickly.
I also finished the 2 parts Zephyrama, 1 part Tink jacket for the Princess. Zeph had sent me the mostly finished child's One Piece Ribby Jacket, in Jet, along with the extra to finish it off, due to the fact she had started it for her daughter and said daughter had grown out of it before it was finished. I think it will fit the Princess for a while. She likes it. The buttons are clear, with pink and black butterflies. She chose them.
Just because you need some proof of knitting, here is Ms Rosered, ensconced in our very messy family room, helping the Princess with her knitting. You might recognise the Pearl Buck Jacket.
Of course, much of this weekend has been taken up with the festival of bad taste and excreable music which is Eurovision. While Norway was both cute and a reasonable song, my favourites were Moldova (great boots and costume, funked up folk song and folk dancing), Portugal (once again, the folk song and costume), the Ukraine (those boots, those Trojans!), Turkey (yay, Dum Tek Tek), Estonia (gorgeous singer and song, Arwen with a fringe), Bosnia Herzegovina (who doesn't love some nice performance art?) and Armenia (great costumes).Greece was rather up himself, the Azerbaijan entry was tediously ordinary, Iceland sounded like Celine Dion and most of the others were forgettable. The hosts were hysterical. While Barbie was cute, her co-host was a sleaze who kept peering down her dress and squeezing her. I kept thinking of the Fast Forward comedy duo, doing the Russian TV presenters "Viktor, you are very unattractive man''. If you missed out, you can watch it here.
I will try to be a better blogger, at least until we go on holiday. The stretch of glorious late autumn weather continues, with cold nights and lovely days - but winter is breathing down our necks, rather like the Russian Eurovision host.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Is it May yet?
Oh dear.
Over a week since I blogged, and such a lot has happened.
First (and most importantly) a visit from the lovely Rosered! She escorted her mother to Tasmania, but slipped the leash for a couple of days and came to visit. So lovely to finally have a face to put with the shoes!
We knitted and drank coffee and champagne and ate some nice things - and she brought me a lovely darning mushroom! It was a lovely visit. I dragged her along to circus school, and pointed her towards the LYS and the nice shoe shop - and strangely, she came back with yarn and shoes, having found a hitherto unmined source of Grinasco Tango. And a pair of orange shoes. How unlike her!
This of course, meant I also had to do a quick dash to the LYS too, and grab some of the Tango, and somehow 5 balls of Superior (70 cashmere, 30 silk laceweight) slipped into the bag with the Tango. It probably wanted company.
It was a wonderful visit, and so lovely to meet her. I hope she comes back to visit again soon!
Friday was Agfest day. In keeping with tradition (well we did it last year and twice in a row must make it a tradition) a girlfriend and I consigned our respective children to the tender care of their fathers and did a dash to the delights of Agfest.
An utterly wonderful day, so sunny and hot we were out and about in t-shirts (the last gasp of the Indian Summer). There was a lot more fleecy and fibre-y stuff than last year - mainly alpaca, but a wool shop from Moonah (who also sell Ashford gear and knitpicks needles) had a stall. Overall I was very good and only bought 1 ball of alpaca - hand dyed, 2 little bags of tops and one ball of silk garden sock. Some plants, bulbs, soap and lovely hand cream etc came home with me though.
Which brings me to stash honesty. These purchases, having been made in May, do not count in April's total (heaves sigh of relief).
April:
In: 800 grams
Knitted: (wait for it!) 100 gr - Black Rose socks
700gr - raglan cardi
100 gr - fish hat
100gr - Lighthouse gansey socks
Total - 1kg knitted - so I finally managed to knit more than came in! At last!
On a much sadder note, thank you so much for all your lovely thoughts on my poor little Hobson. And thank you for sharing your cat stories, too. It is awful to lose a fur friend, and I miss him dreadfully. Thank you.
And a big Happy Mother's Day, and to those who aren't yet, but will be - Happy Day to us all!
Over a week since I blogged, and such a lot has happened.
First (and most importantly) a visit from the lovely Rosered! She escorted her mother to Tasmania, but slipped the leash for a couple of days and came to visit. So lovely to finally have a face to put with the shoes!
We knitted and drank coffee and champagne and ate some nice things - and she brought me a lovely darning mushroom! It was a lovely visit. I dragged her along to circus school, and pointed her towards the LYS and the nice shoe shop - and strangely, she came back with yarn and shoes, having found a hitherto unmined source of Grinasco Tango. And a pair of orange shoes. How unlike her!
This of course, meant I also had to do a quick dash to the LYS too, and grab some of the Tango, and somehow 5 balls of Superior (70 cashmere, 30 silk laceweight) slipped into the bag with the Tango. It probably wanted company.
It was a wonderful visit, and so lovely to meet her. I hope she comes back to visit again soon!
Friday was Agfest day. In keeping with tradition (well we did it last year and twice in a row must make it a tradition) a girlfriend and I consigned our respective children to the tender care of their fathers and did a dash to the delights of Agfest.
An utterly wonderful day, so sunny and hot we were out and about in t-shirts (the last gasp of the Indian Summer). There was a lot more fleecy and fibre-y stuff than last year - mainly alpaca, but a wool shop from Moonah (who also sell Ashford gear and knitpicks needles) had a stall. Overall I was very good and only bought 1 ball of alpaca - hand dyed, 2 little bags of tops and one ball of silk garden sock. Some plants, bulbs, soap and lovely hand cream etc came home with me though.
Which brings me to stash honesty. These purchases, having been made in May, do not count in April's total (heaves sigh of relief).
April:
In: 800 grams
Knitted: (wait for it!) 100 gr - Black Rose socks
700gr - raglan cardi
100 gr - fish hat
100gr - Lighthouse gansey socks
Total - 1kg knitted - so I finally managed to knit more than came in! At last!
On a much sadder note, thank you so much for all your lovely thoughts on my poor little Hobson. And thank you for sharing your cat stories, too. It is awful to lose a fur friend, and I miss him dreadfully. Thank you.
And a big Happy Mother's Day, and to those who aren't yet, but will be - Happy Day to us all!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Indian Summer
The lovely Kate at Kiss My Frog gave me this award a little while ago (and it's not that I forgot, I just kept getting distrac....look - a bunny!) Sorry - and I was very happy to get such a nice award. Now I have to pass it on. Kate has already mentioned some of the people I would have named, so in order to spread the love a bit I thought I'd try and link you up with some new names.
Miss Cindy2paw and her gorgeous labby friends is an obvious one - crafty, friendly and always something wonderful in her blog
QuiltingMick - Crochet liberationist, crafter and enabler - always one to watch
Zephyrama - not posting as much these days, but always interesting when she does
Yarning to Write - with Amy you always get something unexpected - bits of a new book, children, cuteness and cussing - all in one great package
A Little Bit Crafty - can you believe someone can knit THAT small!
MadmadHousewife - the glories of yarn, wine and children (not necessarily in that order)
Last but definitely not least, Julie the Samurai Knitter - I never come away from reading her blog without having learned something surprising!
I even have an FO to blog
Here is the Raglan Jacket
Adapted from the topdown raglan cardigan recipe (but turned into a swing jacket)
7 skeins of Manos del Uruguay wool I scored in a Ravelry de-stash
The 5 buttons were 5 cents each in one of those button bargain tins in haberdashery shops where you trawl through to try and find some that match
Love it - lovely and warm and gorgeous selection og colours.
Obviously, monogamous knitting on Wips, instead of Knitlottotm means you actually get things finished.
Next stop - Cherie Amour and the last sleeve and a half
In other news, by the end of tomorrow I will be unemployed and I'm quite looking forward to it. I'm excited and already thinking of all the things I will be able to do.
This weekend quinces will be becoming both jelly and paste (a great recipe which boils the quinces and then turns the liquid into jelly and the pulp into paste - and the paste takes ages and needs welders gloves because it spits sugar and quince which sticks to your skin and burns the way toffee does.) Paste takes around 3 hours.
I will also pick walnuts - we usually end up with between 35 and 50kgs of walnuts - we have 21 mature trees - and pick over the apples and think about making another batch of roasted tomato sauce. I'm not sure if I have squirrel (hoard hoard hoard for winter) or bear (eat store eat) tendencies at this time of the year. Probably squirrel - I'm too much of an insomniac to be a bear. I use the harvest to feed us and try and capture autumn and summer in the depths of winter.
So far, we are having an indian summer. It is balmy and gently breezy and the breeze is warm. I know that there is only 1 month till winter officially begins. I must think about knitting......
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I Have Been Knitting but Life has Intervened
Knitting and life have both been happening - usually simultaneously! Often with an extra serving of chaos and disorganisation. This has been ably assisted by children. Work has also been putting its oar in and so although life has happened, blogging hasn't.
Here are some FOs - the gorgeous yellow Flair which I adore
and the even more beautiful green February Lady Sweater
Sorry about the photo quality - but at least there ARE photos. I have started a Liesl in cotton fleece.
Work is busy - life goes on.
More later.
Monday, August 4, 2008
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!
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!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Ooooooh, It's Magic!
Aha – I have discovered magic loop – but by complete accident!! I’ve always been a bit scared of magic loop – I knew how it worked (in theory at least) but I’ve never tried it. To tell the truth it always seemed a bit – well – messy, really. As I understood it, there was a fair amount of pushing and sliding and fiddling about – give me DPNs any day!
But the other day I was attempting to knit a small tube on 2 circs (also something I’ve never tried before) and suddenly I realised that one of the circs was flapping helplessly, only held in place by a single wrap of yarn twisted around it while I – I was knitting round and around on one needle with a bit of it held either side of the working stitches and half the working stitches on each side of the loop – and you know what? It was easy! It wasn’t scary at all!!
And yes, there is some fiddling. And yes, there is some pulling and settling of stitches. And yes, I may not be doing it by the book (which I own but have never *blush* read), But it looked close as dammit to my understanding of magic loop – on an old style 80cm circ with the fairly inflexible cord but a smooth join! So I’m sailing on with my swap knitting, on magic loop. It’s much easier than knitting with 2 circs!
On a different note, some people have suggested that perhaps I have a, ahem, “little problem” with yarn. Well, you have to rely on your friends to tell you the truth! I just decided to organise the ancillary stash. This is the stash which lives in 6 plastic 55litre tubs in the junk room. This is not the stash which has taken over the walk in linen cupboard (making it un-walk-in-able). Nor is it the stash which lives in project bags, ready to go, in the back porch area. It is not even the stash which dwells in the downstairs cupboard (which is mainly – but not exclusively – sock yarn. To my certain knowledge there are - umm - around 4 jumpers worth of other yarns down there).
No, the ancillary stash is the more recently acquired, out-of-Accountant’s-sight stash. This is the stash which won’t fit where the other stashes live. This is also the stash which I hope the Accountant won’t necessarily notice as he virtually never goes into the junk room. (Mind you, I hoped that about the linen cupboard – it is not an area he is wont to frequent – unfortunately he had to make an emergency visit during the great gastric upset last winter – so he finally noticed what had been hiding in there. There’s much more these days).
So, I thought I could organise the tubs by yarn weight. That way, if I was suddenly struck by a bout of startitis, I could just grab the next favourite pattern and head for the appropriate tub.
I emptied out all the tubs, gasped at the amount of yarn, sorted it into piles (4ply, 8 ply/DK, Aran/Worsted, bulky, bits) and decided to count jumpers worth as I packed it up. This is adult jumpers, so we’re dealing with between 600 and 1600 grammes – or between around 1100 – 2000 (or in one case 2400) metres per lot.
I have enough yarn in the overflow stash for 47 adult jumpers.
I’ll just repeat that – 47 jumpers.
Now, I know that I also own around 8 or 9 jumpers worth (or jackets or cardigans – large items of clothing) which lives downstairs and is ready for me to cast on.
I also know that at least 25 jumper’s worth lives upatairs.
In addition, I have well over 100 skeins of sock yarn, patiently waiting for my attention.
In and around this, there are odd balls and skeins, in varying weights and sizes, bits and pieces, and a sizeable stash of lace weight.
So over the next few weeks, I am going to make a real effort to organise the stash. As I organise it, I am likely to find a proportion of yarn I have fallen out of love with. I am hoping to de-stash this yarn. Some will go to charity. Some will be presents. Some will be set aside for consideration. Some will be seeking new homes.
I don’t necessarily want less. I just want yarn I love.
NB – Quick note to Zephyrama. I entirely understand that by the Rules of Stash, I actually have only a little Bendigo wool, which was not purchased on sale, residing in my stash. I have referred to my – yarn collection – as stash, only for the purposes of illustration, not to suggest in any way, shape or form, that it is possible not only to have ‘stash’ – but ever to have ‘too much stash’. Thank you.
But the other day I was attempting to knit a small tube on 2 circs (also something I’ve never tried before) and suddenly I realised that one of the circs was flapping helplessly, only held in place by a single wrap of yarn twisted around it while I – I was knitting round and around on one needle with a bit of it held either side of the working stitches and half the working stitches on each side of the loop – and you know what? It was easy! It wasn’t scary at all!!
And yes, there is some fiddling. And yes, there is some pulling and settling of stitches. And yes, I may not be doing it by the book (which I own but have never *blush* read), But it looked close as dammit to my understanding of magic loop – on an old style 80cm circ with the fairly inflexible cord but a smooth join! So I’m sailing on with my swap knitting, on magic loop. It’s much easier than knitting with 2 circs!
On a different note, some people have suggested that perhaps I have a, ahem, “little problem” with yarn. Well, you have to rely on your friends to tell you the truth! I just decided to organise the ancillary stash. This is the stash which lives in 6 plastic 55litre tubs in the junk room. This is not the stash which has taken over the walk in linen cupboard (making it un-walk-in-able). Nor is it the stash which lives in project bags, ready to go, in the back porch area. It is not even the stash which dwells in the downstairs cupboard (which is mainly – but not exclusively – sock yarn. To my certain knowledge there are - umm - around 4 jumpers worth of other yarns down there).
No, the ancillary stash is the more recently acquired, out-of-Accountant’s-sight stash. This is the stash which won’t fit where the other stashes live. This is also the stash which I hope the Accountant won’t necessarily notice as he virtually never goes into the junk room. (Mind you, I hoped that about the linen cupboard – it is not an area he is wont to frequent – unfortunately he had to make an emergency visit during the great gastric upset last winter – so he finally noticed what had been hiding in there. There’s much more these days).
So, I thought I could organise the tubs by yarn weight. That way, if I was suddenly struck by a bout of startitis, I could just grab the next favourite pattern and head for the appropriate tub.
I emptied out all the tubs, gasped at the amount of yarn, sorted it into piles (4ply, 8 ply/DK, Aran/Worsted, bulky, bits) and decided to count jumpers worth as I packed it up. This is adult jumpers, so we’re dealing with between 600 and 1600 grammes – or between around 1100 – 2000 (or in one case 2400) metres per lot.
I have enough yarn in the overflow stash for 47 adult jumpers.
I’ll just repeat that – 47 jumpers.
Now, I know that I also own around 8 or 9 jumpers worth (or jackets or cardigans – large items of clothing) which lives downstairs and is ready for me to cast on.
I also know that at least 25 jumper’s worth lives upatairs.
In addition, I have well over 100 skeins of sock yarn, patiently waiting for my attention.
In and around this, there are odd balls and skeins, in varying weights and sizes, bits and pieces, and a sizeable stash of lace weight.
So over the next few weeks, I am going to make a real effort to organise the stash. As I organise it, I am likely to find a proportion of yarn I have fallen out of love with. I am hoping to de-stash this yarn. Some will go to charity. Some will be presents. Some will be set aside for consideration. Some will be seeking new homes.
I don’t necessarily want less. I just want yarn I love.
NB – Quick note to Zephyrama. I entirely understand that by the Rules of Stash, I actually have only a little Bendigo wool, which was not purchased on sale, residing in my stash. I have referred to my – yarn collection – as stash, only for the purposes of illustration, not to suggest in any way, shape or form, that it is possible not only to have ‘stash’ – but ever to have ‘too much stash’. Thank you.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
What Did You Do On The Long Weekend?
Another quick one (by which I mean no photos!).
We’ve had a very full and happy house this weekend – an old friend of mine (the one who I’ve been friends with since kindy – or should that be ‘with whom I’ve been friends’? Not sure) stayed for Thursday and Friday night – he had come up to visit a great aunt for her 100th birthday. It’s always fun while he’s here – we drink wine, tell silly stories and he does jobs around the place – this visit he decided his job was to collect walnuts, so he’s filled the vast basket with his endeavours.
And we also had the Knightly Knitter and her wonderful family to stay! It was a bit squooshy, and the weather didn’t cooperate – Kate and I managed very pleasant early morning walks, but later in the days it got cold and rainy.
It was lots of fun – the children enjoyed each other’s company, the menfolk chatted and looked after kids and played about, Kate and I knitted and talked about knitting and blogging and her new job. She gave me a crash course in downloading podcasts (No, I hadn’t been able to work it out on my own – I could listen to the current one but couldn’t find the back issues, so now I can listen to Lime’n’Violet, Stash and Burn, Cast On and Sticks and String - in my copious and child free time – ROFLMAO!!!).
I did a tiny bit of enabling when I took her into our little town and showed her Picture Patchwork (yes – it has Amy Butler fabric and patterns), a new shop which sells nice clothes and yarn called Simply Us and we both succumbed to the lure of wool silk, and our local clothing/craft/haberdashery/hardware/camping/menswear/shoe shop and supermarket. Each of the bits has a separate shop inside a shop and they are all interlinked – the Hardware shop and supermarket bits actually have doors between them, and they sell great clothes. And Shoes. And have just expanded their range of yarn.
Kate liked it so much she bought stuff and I put some shiny red shoes on lay-by.
We had fun. We cooked and talked and played with kids and knitting books and yarn. We drank wine and played in the garden when the weather permitted. We picked mushrooms in the paddock and made pizzas. All in all it was a fun long weekend. I don’t know about Kate’s children – but mine were exhausted by last night! You and your family are welcome any time!
In knitting news, I have finished most of the knitting on the Slouch Rib Cardi – I should have the bands done tonight, leaving only the remaining sewing (most of it) and the buttons to do. Then it’s onto Tahoe and the other 16 things I want to knit in the next week! So much knitting, so little time!
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and funny stories about things up noses. The Lego Man’s hand was undamaged in the incident, and so far Destructoboy has managed to restrain impulses to shove extraneous objects up any orifices. I hope this restraint continues well into puberty!
We’ve had a very full and happy house this weekend – an old friend of mine (the one who I’ve been friends with since kindy – or should that be ‘with whom I’ve been friends’? Not sure) stayed for Thursday and Friday night – he had come up to visit a great aunt for her 100th birthday. It’s always fun while he’s here – we drink wine, tell silly stories and he does jobs around the place – this visit he decided his job was to collect walnuts, so he’s filled the vast basket with his endeavours.
And we also had the Knightly Knitter and her wonderful family to stay! It was a bit squooshy, and the weather didn’t cooperate – Kate and I managed very pleasant early morning walks, but later in the days it got cold and rainy.
It was lots of fun – the children enjoyed each other’s company, the menfolk chatted and looked after kids and played about, Kate and I knitted and talked about knitting and blogging and her new job. She gave me a crash course in downloading podcasts (No, I hadn’t been able to work it out on my own – I could listen to the current one but couldn’t find the back issues, so now I can listen to Lime’n’Violet, Stash and Burn, Cast On and Sticks and String - in my copious and child free time – ROFLMAO!!!).
I did a tiny bit of enabling when I took her into our little town and showed her Picture Patchwork (yes – it has Amy Butler fabric and patterns), a new shop which sells nice clothes and yarn called Simply Us and we both succumbed to the lure of wool silk, and our local clothing/craft/haberdashery/hardware/camping/menswear/shoe shop and supermarket. Each of the bits has a separate shop inside a shop and they are all interlinked – the Hardware shop and supermarket bits actually have doors between them, and they sell great clothes. And Shoes. And have just expanded their range of yarn.
Kate liked it so much she bought stuff and I put some shiny red shoes on lay-by.
We had fun. We cooked and talked and played with kids and knitting books and yarn. We drank wine and played in the garden when the weather permitted. We picked mushrooms in the paddock and made pizzas. All in all it was a fun long weekend. I don’t know about Kate’s children – but mine were exhausted by last night! You and your family are welcome any time!
In knitting news, I have finished most of the knitting on the Slouch Rib Cardi – I should have the bands done tonight, leaving only the remaining sewing (most of it) and the buttons to do. Then it’s onto Tahoe and the other 16 things I want to knit in the next week! So much knitting, so little time!
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and funny stories about things up noses. The Lego Man’s hand was undamaged in the incident, and so far Destructoboy has managed to restrain impulses to shove extraneous objects up any orifices. I hope this restraint continues well into puberty!
Monday, April 21, 2008
You Put The Hand In, You Take The Hand Out...
Just a short update today:
Knitting:
The scarf is finished and I will post photos later (given the fact I am posting the parcel today!)
The Slouch rib cardi needs one and a half sleeves and the bands – other than that it is all done (LOL)
I have been matching yarn and patterns and coming up are: Montparnasse, Tahoe, Cherie Amour and Pearl Buck – in no particular order. There are also unfinished socks, the Gathered Pullover and some requested mittens in there. And some baby knitting.
I have been spending too much time on Ravelry and lusting after other people’s knitting. And stash. So I’m going to make a huge effort to get more of my own knitting done, from my existing yarn-that-is-not-stash.
Other stuff:
In other news, the Knightly Knitter and her family are coming for the weekend. This is exciting, but also means I must tidy up some of the general high level of clutter around the place. I also need to terrorise the dust antelopes (some people have dust bunnies, but not this chicken, no siree!), and make sure there are some surfaces for cooking. Due to enablement by Ms Cindy2paw I acquired the AWW Winter cookbook and think some things from that may appear – last night we had chicken with olives and preserved lemon. Tonight it’s home made sausage rolls (full of cunningly hidden veggies!). Delicious magazine also arrived.
Fun in the Afternoon:
Now, I have discovered that having a good relationship with the reception staff of your local medical centre is crucial. Ask me how I know!!
For some reason, known only to himself, Destructoboy decided to put the teeny tiny little hand of a Lego man up his right nostril! Now, when a teeny tiny Lego hand gets put up the nose of a 3 ½ year old, it stays put – especially because his attempts to fish it out before letting Mum know drive it further up. Remaining calm (he wasn’t – he was deeply upset that he wouldn’t get the *&^*&*%%% hand back!) I whisked him into the car and off to the local doctors’ surgery.
Knowing all the staff really helps – when I explained the situation we were raced into an examination room, the first passing GP was frogmarched in, an examination assisted by magnifying glasses took place and anaesthetic was sprayed up Destructoboy’s nostril. It was really lucky the doctor could actually see the hand, because otherwise it meant a trip to hospital and a visit with the ENT specialist– but there is no ENT outside the northern capital – 100km away, and I don’t think they are there all the time – only some days! And an operation under general anaethetic – and wouldn’t THAT be fun!
A quick prod and grab with the tweezers and Destructoboy’s Lego man got his hand back. He perked up immediately (he had been very quiet and worried until then – said his nose hurt and was crying about the loss of the hand!), and promised never to put anything anywhere it wasn’t supposed to go. He got a lollipop to take away the taste of the anaesthetic. I really hope I don’t have to go through that again any time soon.
Just a quick update on the de-cluttering:
In
1 knitting magazine
1 Delicious Magazine
1 cookbook (enabled by Cindy2paw)
2 balls Moda Vera Sock yarn, 2 balls green variegated Jet, 3 balls of blue Jet to finish cardi, 8 buttons (Doomlight of Spot visit)
7 Buttons for Slouch cardi (thus converting a 20 dollar cardi into a 44 dollar cardi via 14 bucks for buttons and 2 extra balls of wool!)
7 Balls Bendigo - 3 wisteria and 4 sprite because it is discontinued and I love it!
Out
3 wooden jigsaws – to child care centre
6 shopping bags of stuff (clothes, boots, shoes etc) Lifeline
1 large bag boys shoes – gift
1 bag girls stuff – gift
Shake it all about
Vintage hues scarf – gift
Hope to have some pictures later in the week. There are some items on the way which have fallen out of other people’s stashes and into mine! Off to have lunch and recover from the flat out fun of being a mother!
Knitting:
The scarf is finished and I will post photos later (given the fact I am posting the parcel today!)
The Slouch rib cardi needs one and a half sleeves and the bands – other than that it is all done (LOL)
I have been matching yarn and patterns and coming up are: Montparnasse, Tahoe, Cherie Amour and Pearl Buck – in no particular order. There are also unfinished socks, the Gathered Pullover and some requested mittens in there. And some baby knitting.
I have been spending too much time on Ravelry and lusting after other people’s knitting. And stash. So I’m going to make a huge effort to get more of my own knitting done, from my existing yarn-that-is-not-stash.
Other stuff:
In other news, the Knightly Knitter and her family are coming for the weekend. This is exciting, but also means I must tidy up some of the general high level of clutter around the place. I also need to terrorise the dust antelopes (some people have dust bunnies, but not this chicken, no siree!), and make sure there are some surfaces for cooking. Due to enablement by Ms Cindy2paw I acquired the AWW Winter cookbook and think some things from that may appear – last night we had chicken with olives and preserved lemon. Tonight it’s home made sausage rolls (full of cunningly hidden veggies!). Delicious magazine also arrived.
Fun in the Afternoon:
Now, I have discovered that having a good relationship with the reception staff of your local medical centre is crucial. Ask me how I know!!
For some reason, known only to himself, Destructoboy decided to put the teeny tiny little hand of a Lego man up his right nostril! Now, when a teeny tiny Lego hand gets put up the nose of a 3 ½ year old, it stays put – especially because his attempts to fish it out before letting Mum know drive it further up. Remaining calm (he wasn’t – he was deeply upset that he wouldn’t get the *&^*&*%%% hand back!) I whisked him into the car and off to the local doctors’ surgery.
Knowing all the staff really helps – when I explained the situation we were raced into an examination room, the first passing GP was frogmarched in, an examination assisted by magnifying glasses took place and anaesthetic was sprayed up Destructoboy’s nostril. It was really lucky the doctor could actually see the hand, because otherwise it meant a trip to hospital and a visit with the ENT specialist– but there is no ENT outside the northern capital – 100km away, and I don’t think they are there all the time – only some days! And an operation under general anaethetic – and wouldn’t THAT be fun!
A quick prod and grab with the tweezers and Destructoboy’s Lego man got his hand back. He perked up immediately (he had been very quiet and worried until then – said his nose hurt and was crying about the loss of the hand!), and promised never to put anything anywhere it wasn’t supposed to go. He got a lollipop to take away the taste of the anaesthetic. I really hope I don’t have to go through that again any time soon.
Just a quick update on the de-cluttering:
In
1 knitting magazine
1 Delicious Magazine
1 cookbook (enabled by Cindy2paw)
2 balls Moda Vera Sock yarn, 2 balls green variegated Jet, 3 balls of blue Jet to finish cardi, 8 buttons (Doomlight of Spot visit)
7 Buttons for Slouch cardi (thus converting a 20 dollar cardi into a 44 dollar cardi via 14 bucks for buttons and 2 extra balls of wool!)
7 Balls Bendigo - 3 wisteria and 4 sprite because it is discontinued and I love it!
Out
3 wooden jigsaws – to child care centre
6 shopping bags of stuff (clothes, boots, shoes etc) Lifeline
1 large bag boys shoes – gift
1 bag girls stuff – gift
Shake it all about
Vintage hues scarf – gift
Hope to have some pictures later in the week. There are some items on the way which have fallen out of other people’s stashes and into mine! Off to have lunch and recover from the flat out fun of being a mother!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Help Me Knit While I'm Asleep!
How hard can this blogging be? I ask myself. It can’t be so hard – I’ll fit it in around life and children and knitting and Ravelry and reading other blogs and thinking about knitting and domestic life and very occasional desultory housecleaning. Not a problem.
Well, I’ve finally subscribed to a blog reader to tell me when new posts are on all your blogs (why didn’t I know about this and do it oooooohhh six or so months ago?). That helps, but my Rav usage has rather expanded, especially because I’m now a group moderator – remember the SPECIAL POWERS? I figure that with great power comes great responsibility – so I check pretty regularly on the groups I’m in (which have also expanded – somehow I’m in 14 groups now).
I’ve been fighting for computer time with the children and the Accountant. I’ve also been using the computer for legitimate (work type) purposes. And trying to do other things, such as cook meals, pick off all apples infected with codling moth (4 apple trees – 2 big and old), pick plums from this years bumper crop and turn them into plum sauce and try to beat the garden into submission.
Well, I’ve finally subscribed to a blog reader to tell me when new posts are on all your blogs (why didn’t I know about this and do it oooooohhh six or so months ago?). That helps, but my Rav usage has rather expanded, especially because I’m now a group moderator – remember the SPECIAL POWERS? I figure that with great power comes great responsibility – so I check pretty regularly on the groups I’m in (which have also expanded – somehow I’m in 14 groups now).
I’ve been fighting for computer time with the children and the Accountant. I’ve also been using the computer for legitimate (work type) purposes. And trying to do other things, such as cook meals, pick off all apples infected with codling moth (4 apple trees – 2 big and old), pick plums from this years bumper crop and turn them into plum sauce and try to beat the garden into submission.
I’ve also discovered the magic of dyeing and the kids and I spent a morning painting skeins of 14 ply from the stash, mordanted with vinegar overnight, with food colouring. We had a great time and the wool looked fabulous. This was Monday. By Thursday morning I had finished Destructoboy’s beanie (Taph’s bulky beanie pattern). I haven’t done Princess’s hat yet, but I will. Soon. It’s been a bit hot for knitting 14 ply.
I’ve had a couple of little stash enhancements – these are 2 little Noropups (Kureyon sock yarn) who were looking for a home.
This was from a swap – the lovely Spiraling wanted an Interweave and I love sock yarn – it’s a gorgeous almost solid turquoise-y blue and I see some embossed leaves socks in its future.
Just to prove there has been knitting happening – here are one and a half Kaibashira socks:
And here is the cotton, stocking stitch section of the Bella Blouse (at last!)
Other than that, life rolls on. I want to learn to knit in my sleep. If you’re very good, one day I’ll show you the numerous sock project bags (yarn and appropriate pattern in a ziplock bag, ready to pick up and knit.
Oh – I almost forgot the most exciting news! I’m in the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin’ Sock Club 2008. I’ve paid. They post out on the 21st of January. Wouldn’t it be nice if the first package happened to arrive on my birthday?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sox, Sox, Sox - Is That All You Ever Think About?
Well, sometimes - but I also think about shawls and jumpers and jackets and cardis and hats and patterns .....
It's hard to explain to a muggle (especially a muggle husband) the true, pure joy of knitting. The fact that the knitting itself is great and so is the giving or wearing of an item you made, with your hands. This creation is a very primal thing, I think.
I imagine that anyone who creates anything feels a surge of pride that their hands and minds have created this beautiful thing.
I have a bent (enough sniggering down the back) for creating useful, functional and sometimes wearable items. As a potter, I specialised in ware, that is, things which people could use to eat or drink from, or to serve food and drink. I admired those who specialised in sculpture or 3 dimensional art pieces, but that was not where my skills or inclination lay. I have sewn and enjoyed it (although since the advent of children, my sewing machine has not had much of a workout!), and I love to cook (but not clean, as you already know!).
I love to create things, and that was my one problem with my academic career. Although I am the proud holder of several degrees, the problem with academic life is that for all the work you put in, you don't always have anything really tangible to show for it. You have words, or reports, or project notes, and although in the hands of a poet or writer words can be beautiful and revolutionary, in the hands of an academic essayist or researcher, that is not usually the case. Your academic words may change the world, but they are rarely as beautiful or fulfilling as the things you make with your hands.
Mind you, it's still miles better than any words I wrote back in the dark days of working for the public service, specifically in the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service, for those of you too young to remember this institution)!
Knitting not only allows me to create beautiful object which I enjoy wearing and giving, but it also allows me to exercise my mind (all that maths and creative visualisation), and to design. My first ever socks design is on the needles and is working really well at present (small break for sacrifices and libations for Knitting Goddesses).
I have posted my first completed socks on the SSS blog and am working on the second pair - don't expect close-ups though - if they work I'm aiming for my first knitty.com rejection!
Ins and Outs and Shake it all abouts:
A better week this week than last! The de-cluttering fairy has been helping me this week!
IN:
3 balls Jet, 3 prs knitting needles, fridge magnets and plastic table cover stuff - from the Doomlight of Spot!
3 balls yarn for my tea cosy swap
1 swift and ball winder (courtesy of the lovely Donyale)
1 top, 1 girl's dress, 2 bamboo handles, 2 doll's dresses (op-shop)
1 layby paid off (stocking stuff for children - 4 boys t-shirts
3 books knitting patterns (gift in from stepmother!)
OUT
1 pair shoes (gift)
1 large bag clothes (op shop)
1 bag hats and toys (child care centre)
4 bags children's clothes (ebay)
1 cot (sold)
1 car seat (sold)
25 kg of walnuts (sold)
1 book (gift)
4 pairs girls shoes (gift)
The work continues - I hope to have several boxes leaving the house this weekend!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Is knitting better than sex?
Which is better?
Talking about knitting, knitting, or talking about knitting while actually knitting? (Or is it talking about knitting while knitting and eating brownies stuffed with dried cherries?) As I have no stitch and bitch group in my immediate vicinity, and very few people who either understand or share my knitting obsession I rely on my blog pals to fuel this particular interest.
Have had a great few knitting days. Friday was the visit from Jill the Super-cabler! And then yesterday I had a visit from the Knitting Knight’s road trip. A lovely day spent playing with yarn, talking about knitting and food and socks and yarn and knitting and children and gardens and knitting and stash and knitting and so on.
The Knitting Knight’s family is just lovely and supportive of their mother’s knitting prowess. I also received a gorgeous handcrafted sock knitting bag from the young male Knitting Knight (his first outing on the sewing machine – and mightily impressive – photos later). Kate made me highly envious with her Dish Rag Tag - so I think I will be forced to sign up next year.
It was a lovely weekend and great to meet co-bloggers (bloggista?) in person. She has, of course opened the floodgates and now can expect a return visit from Chez Tinkingbell at a future date!
OK
Here’s the ‘In, Out, Shake it all about’ list.
For sheer quantity, this one will be hard to beat!
Out:
4 tonnes (cubic metres) of firewood
2 trailer loads to the tip – this includes dead furniture, old guttering tiles sacks and stuuf including treated wood and wood with paint
7 bags of childrens clothes – sold on ebay
10 skeins of Rowan 4 ply – sold
2 balls sock yarn – sold
2 more bags of sheets and toys to the child care centre
4 (?)forgotten – patterns to Taph – evil laughter
3 toys – gifts
1 bag bibs and smocks – childcare centre
1 bag childrens shoes – gift
2 pairs boys shoes – gift
1 bag – lifeline
In
1 knitting pattern book
4 balls Jo Sharp Kid mohair
20 skeins of Rowan 4 ply
1 handcrafted sock knitting bag from a young friend of mine
1 apricot shirt from the op-shop
Shake it all about
8 cloth nappies turned into dusters/ wiper uppers
I’m very taken with the de-cluttering – but seem to have spent such a long time (and so much effort) cluttering, feel that a high level of de-clutter may take a while.
Off to survey the possibilities for round 4 of de-clutter. More later!
Talking about knitting, knitting, or talking about knitting while actually knitting? (Or is it talking about knitting while knitting and eating brownies stuffed with dried cherries?) As I have no stitch and bitch group in my immediate vicinity, and very few people who either understand or share my knitting obsession I rely on my blog pals to fuel this particular interest.
Have had a great few knitting days. Friday was the visit from Jill the Super-cabler! And then yesterday I had a visit from the Knitting Knight’s road trip. A lovely day spent playing with yarn, talking about knitting and food and socks and yarn and knitting and children and gardens and knitting and stash and knitting and so on.
The Knitting Knight’s family is just lovely and supportive of their mother’s knitting prowess. I also received a gorgeous handcrafted sock knitting bag from the young male Knitting Knight (his first outing on the sewing machine – and mightily impressive – photos later). Kate made me highly envious with her Dish Rag Tag - so I think I will be forced to sign up next year.
It was a lovely weekend and great to meet co-bloggers (bloggista?) in person. She has, of course opened the floodgates and now can expect a return visit from Chez Tinkingbell at a future date!
OK
Here’s the ‘In, Out, Shake it all about’ list.
For sheer quantity, this one will be hard to beat!
Out:
4 tonnes (cubic metres) of firewood
2 trailer loads to the tip – this includes dead furniture, old guttering tiles sacks and stuuf including treated wood and wood with paint
7 bags of childrens clothes – sold on ebay
10 skeins of Rowan 4 ply – sold
2 balls sock yarn – sold
2 more bags of sheets and toys to the child care centre
4 (?)forgotten – patterns to Taph – evil laughter
3 toys – gifts
1 bag bibs and smocks – childcare centre
1 bag childrens shoes – gift
2 pairs boys shoes – gift
1 bag – lifeline
In
1 knitting pattern book
4 balls Jo Sharp Kid mohair
20 skeins of Rowan 4 ply
1 handcrafted sock knitting bag from a young friend of mine
1 apricot shirt from the op-shop
Shake it all about
8 cloth nappies turned into dusters/ wiper uppers
I’m very taken with the de-cluttering – but seem to have spent such a long time (and so much effort) cluttering, feel that a high level of de-clutter may take a while.
Off to survey the possibilities for round 4 of de-clutter. More later!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
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!
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!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
I have a dream....
Absolutely typical spring weather we’re having today – pours with rain, blows with wind, sun comes out, everything goes still, warms up, buckets down – repeat the above in different order. Couldn’t be more typical spring if it tried. This means the children are housebound (at least in the cold, rainy, blustery bits) so they have been fighting.
In addition, there have been up to 7 children in the house today at varying times. I love drop-ins – and because our house is big (and my standards are low) it’s a pretty good place for kids to play on rainy days. The children weren’t here alone – their mums dropped in as well – an excuse for coffee and a gabfest. One of the mums is an import from the USA – her DH is working at our local (frequently under threat and much maligned) hospital – this hospital has rather become a political issue recently – personally I don’t care who pays to run it – they’re my taxes and I want a local hospital – politicians certainly don’t have to travel an hour to their nearest hospital!
I’m teaching her to knit – I tried to get her started on dishcloths – and that’s what I’m encouraging her to practice on, but she’s currently just practicing the knit stitch with a ball of nice wool and some bamboo needles I gave her. I believe that learning knitters should have nice materials to start with – I also believe that scarves and novelty yarn are things that novices shouldn’t have to start on.
While I now knit scarves with aplomb, for new knitters they are an often insurmountable endurance test. Why do we make new knitters start on scarves? Start on something small and achievable – like dishcloths, or hats or even mittens. Small, achievable and providing an enormous confidence boost when finished.
Let’s not even talk about novelty yarns and the beginning knitter – whose great idea was it to give new knitters something impossible to see the stitches in? The only advantage is that if a stitch is dropped you can’t see it and the knitting doesn’t particularly unravel.
It’s as if we say, ‘In order to join our Illustrious Order of Superior Knitters, you must complete this endurance test. Here, knit this scarf, which will take you forever (or at least seem like it). Knit it with awful, horrid feeling wool, on yucky plastic needles. You will not be able to see your stitches, so you will never know where and when you are succeeding and when you have difficulty. Do this thing and we will allow you to knit with yarns which feel lovely, on beautiful needles and make superb easy things which will boost your confidence a give you a sense of achievement. But only after you have been completely put off the whole idea..’
And we wonder why many enthusiastic learners never get past the scarf!
Since I have become a born again knitter, I am extremely evangelical in my approach to this knitting stuff. I love to spread the word about the wonderfulness of knitting. So I try to start beginners on lovely yarn, with needles that feel nice in their hands. I try to pick easy projects and stay away from scarves (other than for teddy).
My newly knitting friend hadn’t brought her knitting around for a while. In the middle of her practice bit was a section which looked a little odd. I examined it closely and realised that in that section she had knitted through the back of the stitch – so 2 inches of her knitting was twisted stitches. It looked nice, but different to the rest. She said she thought it felt strange while she was knitting it! We’re back on track now. I’ll get her onto purl soon – and then the world is her mollusc!
It still amazes me that all knitting is just those 2 stitches and some pointy sticks. Lace, cables, aran, colour, fairisle, intarsia, tank covers, clothes, seat covers, tea sets, art works, hats, afghans and booties. All 2 stitches. Incredible. Unbelievable. As Elizabeth Zimmermann says – ‘If children and people of limited intelligence can master this, how much easier must it be for us, with our superior intelligence’, - or words to that effect.
So take your life in your hands. Liberate some nice yarn from your stash (thickish is good), buy some nice needles on sale or from the op-shop. Prepare to be a missionary in the name of the yarn. Be evangelical. Spread the word.
Teach someone to knit something today. But not a scarf!
In addition, there have been up to 7 children in the house today at varying times. I love drop-ins – and because our house is big (and my standards are low) it’s a pretty good place for kids to play on rainy days. The children weren’t here alone – their mums dropped in as well – an excuse for coffee and a gabfest. One of the mums is an import from the USA – her DH is working at our local (frequently under threat and much maligned) hospital – this hospital has rather become a political issue recently – personally I don’t care who pays to run it – they’re my taxes and I want a local hospital – politicians certainly don’t have to travel an hour to their nearest hospital!
I’m teaching her to knit – I tried to get her started on dishcloths – and that’s what I’m encouraging her to practice on, but she’s currently just practicing the knit stitch with a ball of nice wool and some bamboo needles I gave her. I believe that learning knitters should have nice materials to start with – I also believe that scarves and novelty yarn are things that novices shouldn’t have to start on.
While I now knit scarves with aplomb, for new knitters they are an often insurmountable endurance test. Why do we make new knitters start on scarves? Start on something small and achievable – like dishcloths, or hats or even mittens. Small, achievable and providing an enormous confidence boost when finished.
Let’s not even talk about novelty yarns and the beginning knitter – whose great idea was it to give new knitters something impossible to see the stitches in? The only advantage is that if a stitch is dropped you can’t see it and the knitting doesn’t particularly unravel.
It’s as if we say, ‘In order to join our Illustrious Order of Superior Knitters, you must complete this endurance test. Here, knit this scarf, which will take you forever (or at least seem like it). Knit it with awful, horrid feeling wool, on yucky plastic needles. You will not be able to see your stitches, so you will never know where and when you are succeeding and when you have difficulty. Do this thing and we will allow you to knit with yarns which feel lovely, on beautiful needles and make superb easy things which will boost your confidence a give you a sense of achievement. But only after you have been completely put off the whole idea..’
And we wonder why many enthusiastic learners never get past the scarf!
Since I have become a born again knitter, I am extremely evangelical in my approach to this knitting stuff. I love to spread the word about the wonderfulness of knitting. So I try to start beginners on lovely yarn, with needles that feel nice in their hands. I try to pick easy projects and stay away from scarves (other than for teddy).
My newly knitting friend hadn’t brought her knitting around for a while. In the middle of her practice bit was a section which looked a little odd. I examined it closely and realised that in that section she had knitted through the back of the stitch – so 2 inches of her knitting was twisted stitches. It looked nice, but different to the rest. She said she thought it felt strange while she was knitting it! We’re back on track now. I’ll get her onto purl soon – and then the world is her mollusc!
It still amazes me that all knitting is just those 2 stitches and some pointy sticks. Lace, cables, aran, colour, fairisle, intarsia, tank covers, clothes, seat covers, tea sets, art works, hats, afghans and booties. All 2 stitches. Incredible. Unbelievable. As Elizabeth Zimmermann says – ‘If children and people of limited intelligence can master this, how much easier must it be for us, with our superior intelligence’, - or words to that effect.
So take your life in your hands. Liberate some nice yarn from your stash (thickish is good), buy some nice needles on sale or from the op-shop. Prepare to be a missionary in the name of the yarn. Be evangelical. Spread the word.
Teach someone to knit something today. But not a scarf!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
On the Wonder of Books
Quite exhausted from yesterdays rant.
On the knitting front, I am halfway up the first sleeve – so I may go very close to a two week jumper on this one (yay!) – thank you, Ms Black Dog.
I had some positive feedback yesterday from the rant – thank you ladies – When I work out how to deal with teenage attitude in my not-yet-five year old without screaming and yelling and threatening to cancel birthdays I’ll let you know!
Today I thought we could talk about books.
I love reading – and would like to be better at reading and knitting at the same time. I’m currently reading ‘The Book of Lies’, having just finished the first 2 Lily Bard mysteries by Charlaine Harris. I’d read all the others but not those. I enjoyed her ‘Southern Vampire’ series so much, I just had to check out her others – enough humour and sex, without taking anything to seriously.
You may have gathered that I am a science fiction and fantasy fan, with love of children/young adult books as well as the grown up ones. I adore the classic children’s books – Winnie-the-Pooh (NOT the Disney version – yech yech yech!), Wind in the Willows, Milly-Molly-Mandy, Paddington Bear, anything by Roald Dahl, Alan Garner, and J P Martin’s Uncle books.
I’m very much in love with all the Tamora Pierce series – particularly because they have great female central characters in non-traditional areas, Phillip Pullman (I understand there is a film of Northern Lights coming starring Our Nic), John Flanagan, Joan Aiken and Nicholas Stuart Grey (sadly out of print, but email Penguin Books and keep asking for them – that’s what I do). My excuse is that I buy all these for the children when they’re older, but the truth is that I just enjoy them.
Growing up on a farm as an only child, with 2 TV channels (which didn’t transmit 24 hours a day – no morning TV in those days, and it finished at 10.30pm with ‘Thought for the Day’ and the National Anthem) I read. And read and read and read and read – I read out the children’s section of the local library before I was 7 and then got a special dispensation to take out adult books.
Someone I know suggested that the best way to get kids to read was to give them a torch, and then forbid them from reading after you turn out the lights, and there may be something in that (certainly my children are more likely to do something I have told them not to, than something I tell them to do!)
I envy Taph her ability to set books free into the wild – I can’t give up books (unless I really hated them!). Books, to me, are friends. My favourite shops are my LYS and bookshops – new or second hand, don’t care. My favourite bookshop is Galaxy in Sydney. I don’t often get there, but I mail order regularly (if less frequently than BC – Before Children). I’m currently still working through last December’s order – the local library has been providing me with all the books I requested in the last few months, and library books get priority over the ones I own.
I love the smell of bookshops, especially second hand bookshops of the sort Terry Pratchett describes, where books are stacked and piled in no apparent order, and manage to bend into L-space. I don’t get enough time these days to smell eau-de-tome, but enjoy it whenever it is offered.
I also re-read books – unfortunately if you hoard enough books, you don’t get enough time to re-read all the ones you want to – but I’ll get around to it when I work out how not to mess up my lace knitting every time I get to an exciting bit in Chapter 7.
Enough already. Have think of something wonderful to do for dinner with leftover roast lamb. Unfortunately ‘Delicious’ is a bit light on for ideas on how to use up leftovers, so I guess I’m on my own for that one!
On the knitting front, I am halfway up the first sleeve – so I may go very close to a two week jumper on this one (yay!) – thank you, Ms Black Dog.
I had some positive feedback yesterday from the rant – thank you ladies – When I work out how to deal with teenage attitude in my not-yet-five year old without screaming and yelling and threatening to cancel birthdays I’ll let you know!
Today I thought we could talk about books.
I love reading – and would like to be better at reading and knitting at the same time. I’m currently reading ‘The Book of Lies’, having just finished the first 2 Lily Bard mysteries by Charlaine Harris. I’d read all the others but not those. I enjoyed her ‘Southern Vampire’ series so much, I just had to check out her others – enough humour and sex, without taking anything to seriously.
You may have gathered that I am a science fiction and fantasy fan, with love of children/young adult books as well as the grown up ones. I adore the classic children’s books – Winnie-the-Pooh (NOT the Disney version – yech yech yech!), Wind in the Willows, Milly-Molly-Mandy, Paddington Bear, anything by Roald Dahl, Alan Garner, and J P Martin’s Uncle books.
I’m very much in love with all the Tamora Pierce series – particularly because they have great female central characters in non-traditional areas, Phillip Pullman (I understand there is a film of Northern Lights coming starring Our Nic), John Flanagan, Joan Aiken and Nicholas Stuart Grey (sadly out of print, but email Penguin Books and keep asking for them – that’s what I do). My excuse is that I buy all these for the children when they’re older, but the truth is that I just enjoy them.
Growing up on a farm as an only child, with 2 TV channels (which didn’t transmit 24 hours a day – no morning TV in those days, and it finished at 10.30pm with ‘Thought for the Day’ and the National Anthem) I read. And read and read and read and read – I read out the children’s section of the local library before I was 7 and then got a special dispensation to take out adult books.
Someone I know suggested that the best way to get kids to read was to give them a torch, and then forbid them from reading after you turn out the lights, and there may be something in that (certainly my children are more likely to do something I have told them not to, than something I tell them to do!)
I envy Taph her ability to set books free into the wild – I can’t give up books (unless I really hated them!). Books, to me, are friends. My favourite shops are my LYS and bookshops – new or second hand, don’t care. My favourite bookshop is Galaxy in Sydney. I don’t often get there, but I mail order regularly (if less frequently than BC – Before Children). I’m currently still working through last December’s order – the local library has been providing me with all the books I requested in the last few months, and library books get priority over the ones I own.
I love the smell of bookshops, especially second hand bookshops of the sort Terry Pratchett describes, where books are stacked and piled in no apparent order, and manage to bend into L-space. I don’t get enough time these days to smell eau-de-tome, but enjoy it whenever it is offered.
I also re-read books – unfortunately if you hoard enough books, you don’t get enough time to re-read all the ones you want to – but I’ll get around to it when I work out how not to mess up my lace knitting every time I get to an exciting bit in Chapter 7.
Enough already. Have think of something wonderful to do for dinner with leftover roast lamb. Unfortunately ‘Delicious’ is a bit light on for ideas on how to use up leftovers, so I guess I’m on my own for that one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
