Oh dear.....

Well, here I am, a little late and with almost too much news for a single post.
News of my demise has been greatly exaggerated - I have just been suffering from computer fatigue, due to assignments, required tutorial postings and general fighting and scrapping with administrators and bureaucrats. And then there were exams. Sigh.

I have however, been knitting ('I knit so I don't kill people' has become a mantra).
There has been knitting. Here is A Little Something (Sundara Silky Merino Aran - from a Ravelry de-stash):


A second Tempest (longer - in Somoko)


A Transverse Cardigan, in Classic Elite Renaissance (also from a Ravelry de-stash)

A Tea Leaves cardigan in Sanguine Gryphon Traveller. This may be my favourite cardigan yet. The pattern is lovely and the wool is gorgeous.


There is a bit of a selfish knitting theme going on here, partly because most of my cardigans and jumpers are too large on me this year (happy dance!) but also because it is comforting to be making oneself something pretty when wading through a pile of assignments. I have also been trying to shop heavily from my non-stash (as it is well known that I have NO STASH).

Partly this is motivated by the rather large quantity of - ahem - insulation which appears to live in our spare room (amongst other places), and partly because, while organising it, I discovered how much beautiful - ahem - insulation - I appear to possess. So I am using it, rather than merely patting it and admiring it.

I seem to have actually knitted more than I have acquired over the last few months. This is A Good Thing, especially with the Bendigo Wool and Sheep Show on the horizon, and the near certainty that I may acquire at least something knittable while I am there.

But it hasn't all been slaving over a hot computer and forcing the family to eat what ever I can throw together in 20 minutes.

No, no.


Just after Easter we escaped to Coles Bay for a wedding. The Accountant's God-daughter married her beau, in a most beautiful ceremony held practically on top of a mountain, overlooking Moulting Lagoon, the Swan River and across toward Swansea. Beautiful day, stunning bride and amazing location. Because of this, we had a lovely weekend away and the weather was perfect, as was the wedding. (I love a good wedding.)


My lovely Step-mother came with us, and looked after these two monsters while we attended the wedding, and the reception later.


After the stress of the assignments, and my practicuum (which was wonderful and exciting and took place in a 'challenging' school, with a very experienced teacher, and a fun and very lively class), we took a holiday. In fact, I actually truanted from my course for the final week. I made sure all assignments and tutorial work was done, packed the lightest text book for exam study and we headed off for two weeks in Fiji. I studied and knitted in a hammock, snorkelled every day, taught the Princes to snorkel, saw sharks and rays and lots of lovely fish and coral, kayaked and found 2 lost Fijian Crested Iguanas while knitting in my hammock.

The finding of the escaped iguanas then gave me an excuse for spending as much time in the hammock as possible. When people asked what I was doing, I could reply that I was looking for iguanas, with a perfectly straight face. I basically finished some Vesper socks (still have to put in afterthought heels), started some Duckies socks, and almost finished a Citron shawlette (hate that word).
The Citron would actually have been finished - had the Knitpicks cable not broken - grrrrrrrr!

So that's it really. You are up to date. Now I am on holiday (as much as a mother ever is!), the kids are back at school. The Princess still has her 4 Fijian beaded braids in and is resisting all attempts to remove them. Destructoboy is missing his splashes in the pool and unlimited access to pineapple and paw paw. The Accountant is missing the warmth and relaxation, and I am missing my hammock.It is the shortest day today, and utterly freezing. We had a hard frost this morning. Fiji seems very far away.

Excuse me, I need to go and knit something.......

Bad, Bad, Naughty Blogger!

I can't believe we are suddenly in March and I blinked and missed February entirely (at least blog-wise). My abject apologies. I think it is that time thief again. I truly can't believe it is March, and therefore, Autumn.

There has been a frenzy of what the Princess calls 'hibernation cooking'. It has only been chilly once, but when school starts, you know the countdown is on.

I have so far turned 20kg of tomatoes (not mine, unfortunately, this year) into roasted tomato sauce, which now resides n the freezer. I have turned the early plums into plum sauce. I have the second last plums (the D'Agen plums) in the dehydrator, becoming prunes. And I have acquired a slow cooker. A really big 6 litre slow cooker. Yesterday I turned 2.5kg of beef shin into an enormous amount of Osso Bucco, half of which has joined the roasted tomato sauce in the freezer.

I joined the Ravelympics in an effort to get some WIPs sorted. I finished a Stash,


a self designed Cowl


and the Ishbel


and I managed to finish the Rocking Sock Club socks from the November package, a lovely CookieA sock called 'Raven Swirl'.


I'm currently not too far off finishing a Damson for my lovely Step Mother. Unfortunately, her birthday is tomorrow, and I don't think I am going to get there.

Yarnadan was not a success. Despite some de-stashing and frantic knitting I managed to finish or dispose of around 1 kg or yarn. A bit more than that came in, but I am not admitting how much. There were some sock club parcels, a few moments of madness on the internet, and about 8 socks and 8 jumpers worth may have come through the door. Drat.

I am feeling quite good that there have been no yarn purchases this month. Some yarn has come in, due to sock club memberships, but I have not actually gone searching and slapped down boodle for balls (or skeins), so that's a win.

One of the main reasons for the blogging silence has been that my kids returned to school, and they are both at school five days a week this year. This has meant I had time on my hands. "Aha", I can hear you saying. "If she has all this time on her hands, why hasn't she been updating us with her no doubt riveting life and all the exciting things she is doing?"

Now, a normal, sane, adult type person would say, "Hmm. Time on my hands? Great, I'll clean the house. Or knit more, or catch up on reading or do some gardening." That is what a sane person would say.

I thought, " Great. Time on my hands? Why don't I go back to university and get another degree. I know, I'll do a Master of Teaching and I'll specialise in primary school.''

Not only am I doing this, I decided that it would be a really, really good idea to do it online.

And to do it full time.

So I am currently a student, a full-time student, part time mother and casual cleaner and house person (very, very casual!). I may be the owner of the messiest house in Northern Tasmania.

So, instead of posting exciting things on the computer, on an irregular basiis, I've been...

Well, I've been posting slightly less exciting things on the computer on a regular basis. So far, I've been a student for two weeks and I'm not behind yet. That's got to be good, right?

The really interesting thing will be how I manage to juggle the full time practical in-class requirement, when I am sent forth to practice my skills on unsuspecting children.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Strange and Odd....

I'm glad I didn't make any rash New Years Resolutions about yarn diets or such, because if I had done, I would have to be out the back giving myself a stern talking to.

I was hoping to get through the whole month of January without buying any yarn. I didn't.

Why aren't you at least pretending to be surprised?

So, for February, I am going to declare 'Yarnadan', a month devoted to contemplation, planning and higher pursuits (like knitting and cleaning), and not low and carnal pursuits (like cruising the internet and shoving people out of the way - in a virtual, cybershphere manner - to grab yarn at a Wollmeise or Sanguine Gryphon update).

Besides, February is a short month and I might make it.

As well as some beautiful yarn which may be making its way towards me, there is also the matter of a New Zealand Sampler Box which will hopefully hit the Tasmanian shores in a day or so. This, of course, is not buying yarn. This is more in the manner of a 'research exercise'. Sampler boxes are fun show-bags of lovely bits and bobs, including fibre and notions which allow you to touch and try before you buy. I have been lucky enough to buy a couple of the new Australian ones, and now managed the first New Zealand one.

The grand plan for some unspecified future date is to knit up some of the samples into swatch squares and make a sort of patchwork blanket from them. Sometime between now - and when I turn ninety!

The time thief has been here again - the summer holidays are almost over - in less than three weeks, the kidlets are back at school. And we have only a week of January left! I'm glad I'm not the only one affected by timethiefitis. Check this:

(There was an unsuccessful attempt to embed the youtube video in here which, as you can see, failed completely. Never mind. Just follow the linky!)


Seems as if Kate Miller-Heidke has the same trouble!

Of course, part of the trouble has involved connecting my Christmas Wii and playing lots of silly games which we are mostly bad at, but are lots of fun. I think I damaged my hamstring, possibly 100pin bowling, or maybe trying not to wet myself laughing as I attempted to beat the Accountant in a canoe race. We are enjoying it immensely, and it is bringing out amazingly competitive streaks in my children!

This weekend we are off to Cradle Mountain. Hope to get in lots of walking and see lots of animals and have a lovely time. I am even hoping to actually finish something in the knitting line, but as I haven't managed to do that in weeks, I see no reason why it is likely to happen in the next few days!

Twenty10 - It's a Year, not a Game (or maybe it is a game.....)

Happy 2010 everyone (insert sounds of fireworks, party poppers, sirens etc here).

I went to bed before midnight, but got up again because the noisy neighbours around where we were staying in South Australia started letting off very loud fireworks at midnight - and I LOVE fireworks. I got up and stood outside in my PJs watching rockets and sparkly things head skyward and laughed and made faces and left my mouth open.

Did you all have a marvellous Christmas and a very Happy New Year?

I'm not sure about 2010 so far, I was really just hitting my stride with the old one, just getting used to writing 2009 on things and then they change it. Seeemed to fly past, but I think it is just the time thief again. Maybe 2010 should be the year I find out who is stealing all my days and weeks.

In deference to the season, a little summing up is in order.

2009 was the year that:
-My children were both at school for the first time
-We worried about husbeast
-I knitted 13 pairs of socks, 9 jumpers/cardis, and assorted blankets, scarves, shawls etc
- I created too many WIPs and think I should do something about them
-I joined 5 sock clubs (a few too many, I think)
-I seemed to add rather a lot of 'insulation' to the house
-I sorta learned to spin
-I worked off 18kg (round of applause please), although I still have 12 to go
-I started (gasp) running - sort of
-I went to Bendigo and met lots of my wonderful no-longer-imaginary friends
-Australia seemed to go to the pack as far as climate and environment are concerned
-The 30th anniversary of the Mt Erebus aircrash
-Started the year as a journo, ended it as a redundant journo

In short. lots of good stuff happened, some not-so-good stuff happened, and some downright bad stuff happened (bushfires, floods, GFC, Copenhagen failures, Japanese whaling).

In other words it was a pretty normal year all round. Welcome to life in general!

So here are the last finished projects from 2009.



Felted wine socks, knitted from stash yarn, pattern from Yarn Magazine issue 1, gifty knitting.


Gumdrops socks, knitted in BMFA STR lightweight from the sock club, july, 2008 (did I mention about too many sock clubs?)


Arch-shaped socks knitted in BMFA STR Mediumweight in Iolite.

What does Twenty10 hold? Hard to predict, but probably some good, some not so good and some bad (see above).

Bendigo again, I hope. School for both the kids, more activity, more knitting, some spinning. I might be going back to Uni and I can almost definitely say there will be ups and downs.

The rest? Well I can give you a definite maybe on that!

Happy 2010, everyone!

Having a bit of a WIP 'round...

It has been a month of WIP frenzy. Each night I put my hand into the Big Bucket o' WIPs (tm), and play Knittlotto (tm), knitting on whatever gets hauled out. A little concentrated effort on a couple of projects which may have been hanging around for a while has resulted in this:



Clapotis 2, started in May 2009 finished in November 2009 (Touch Yarn Merino and utterly gorgeous)


This:


Radiate from Knitty.com, in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Luscious Single Silk in Citrine

and some secret Christmas Knitting (which isn't all finished yet)

There are also a couple of single socks and a bit more done on several other projects which have been lurking in the undergrowth for a while.

So the whole stash honesty thing doesn't look nearly so bad at present:

Knitted: 1300 grams

Inward enhancements: 1700 grams

Slightly better stats this month!

The aniversary of Mum's death passed with a family trip to beaustiful (but slightly rainy) Strahan on the West Coast of Tasmania.

There was some of this:


And some of this:


And almost a whole day of this:
The trip on the West Coast Wilderness Railway was a wonderful day despite the rain. The original was contructed over a century ago, and has been revived as a tourist route, with a 50 year old diesel locomotive for the first section, from Strahan to the base of the mountain, and then a 111 year old stem engine - named Percy because he is green - takes over and the line becomes a rack and pinion (sort of like cogs) to go over a mountain and down the other side to Queenstown.

The train stops at all the old stations along the way, includes a lovely lunch of Tasmanian gourmet bits and pieces and the kids had a wonderful time. A long day, but really interesting.

Strahan itself is lovely - and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been down there for 17 years. We had crayfish and the local hotel had a wonderful restaurant. The old railway link between the town wharf and Regatta Point is now a walk along the side of the harbour. Macquarie Harbour is, in fact, the second largest in Australia after Port Philip Bay (Sorry, Sydneysiders!)

I intend to visit again, long before another 17 year hiatus!

There have been lots of things happeneing - mainly at the school, with the year winding up - I have atteneded sports carnivals, inter-school sports, swimming lessons, the fete, the garden opening, and have the disco (lots of kids from 5 to 12 in 'crazy' dress hitting the town until the heady hour of 8pm) and the school picnic coming up.

The time thief has struck again, because I cannot believe we are currently in December - woe is me!

Back to the scheduled Christmas Knitting!

Quick update for honesty!

Just a very quick update, because we are getting ready for the school fair and I have a whole lamb or so to get into the oven for roasting (I am not joking about this!)

Although it is after the end of the month, I think I should very quickly do an honesty update.

This month was good until the closing stages, when I somehow ended with the acquisition of the equivalent of 110 x 50gr balls of yarn

I have no idea how this happened - partly it was Ms 2paw escorting me to The Doomlight of Spot(tm) where they had $1 a ball reasonable yarn and Anchor Magicline for less than that and I may have acquired around ooooooh 40 balls.

Partly it was Rav destash, partly the thrill of actually being present at 2 Wollmeise updates. I have no idea how the rest happened - it just sort of stuck to me as I moved about, I think.

I managed to finish items using less than 400gr or yarn.

I have got lots of nearly finished things - so Next month will not doubt look much better.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go and wrestle some lamb, and have a cup of tea, a Bex, and a nice lie down.......

Back to the Plague House

Yes. It is still winter, and around here that means lurgy time.

I have been ill. I have been aching all over, unable to swallow, running a fever of 39 degrees (that's 102.2 for Fahrenheit users) ill. I have been exhausted, dropping asleep in chairs ill. And let's not mention almost nodding off while driving the car yesterday, shall we?

It's been two weeks since I posted. I have been alive (just) and have organised 2 further birthday parties since we last spoke. On the weekend between the children's birthday, we have the grandparents to a party for both of them, so they don't have to travel twice in two weeks.

Then we had the seven kids from kindergarten for a PJ party after school on Monday. We had fairy bread, sausage rolls and little red sausages. We had pass the parcel and musical cushions. We had a supervised trip to the top of the tower and a birthday cake with bright blue icing and sparklers. It was lots of fun, and I was totally knackered afterwards.

You really can't have a party without fairy bread. In case there are people reading who don't know the glories of fairy bread, I'll explain.

You take really good quality, really really fresh white bread, spread it with butter or margarine.

Then you tip 100s and 1000s (a type of multicoloured, tiny, round sprinkle) into a plate and press the spread side of the bread into it. Then you cut it into 4 triangles and stack onto plates. Every self respecting Aussie kid loves fairy bread. I've been at a 40th birthday party where the crowd demolished 4 loaves worth of fairy bread at 1.30 in the morning - and asked for more.




I've even had a couple of days when I was too sick to knit - despite being home alone. Now that's sick. I have also been a very bad parent, and stuck on a 150 minute Spongebob DVD and instructed Destructoboy to watch it while I dozed in the chair. A very poor mother indeed.

I've also been avoiding buying yarn. I counted my indie sock yarn stash and what I discovered made me put my head between my knees and breathe very deeply for several minutes. In fact, the next project ready for my needles is the Vine Yoke Cardigan from the latest Twist Collective, and the yarn was shopped from stash (it's green Naturally Sensation - a merino/angora mix I bought while on holiday for $2.50 a skein).

That's the next project though. Before that I need to finish the second sleeve on my Tempest, do the bands and sew in a million ends.

Other than the plague (or 'tonsilitis' as the medical profession call it), the most exciting thing to enter the house has been this:
The first fibre and yarn sampler pack from Ewe Beaut. Lots of pretties in there for a convalescent to play with.

I'll get back to more regular posting soon.

Ooops!

It followed me home, Mum. Can I keep it?

The Votes are IN!

Today is like glass.

It is like crystal - ready to shatter if you shout. The air is so clear and crisp it acts like a telescope - you can look at distant hills and feel almost that you could put your hand out and touch the trees and rocks. The sky is a pale winter blue, without a cloud. The grass is so green it almost makes your eyes hurt, and breathing the air makes you feel alive and full of energy.

This of course means that last night was so cold and the frost so hard, the pipes froze and it took ages to get water to run at all, let alone heat up for a shower. I really don't mind the frost, because it means that the days are so beautiful.

Thank you for all the lovely comments on the new look. I'm not sure that it makes me look 23 (but thank you anyway, Madmad), but it is cleaner and fresher. After blogging for however long (I really can't remember - although I have a feeling it may be two years), the place needed a spruce up.

In addition, knitting is going well. Kim (the jumper) is finished in the divine Fleece Artist River (an alpaca/silk/wool mix). I swear, I was tempted to knit myself sheets from this, as it felt so soft and gorgeous. Instead, I chose to knit Kim, a knitted-in-one-piece-but-folded-like-origami number. It is not quite a cardigan and not quite a jumper, joined at the crossover, but nowhere else. It is warm and gorgeous and I like it very much.

I am hoping to have the red Flair finished before Bendigo (which is only next week! Squee!) as I suddenly feel that I have no warm clothes at all. Stop sniggering, you down the back.

The wonderful Taphophile sent me a parcel of fleecy comfort, because I was practicing my spinning and ran out of prepared fleece to keep practicing. There were also other goodies in the box - some lovely fibre for when I get better, some books for the children and some cards - but they seem to have scattered quickly to the four winds before I could take a photo. Thank you, Taph.

In other happy postal news, on Monday I received these fun things. Finally, two pattern books I have been craving for ages - Heartfelt and Thrown Together, and some Fleece Artist Somoko from the lovely Ladies at Knitting inspirations. This colour is called Forest Fairy, and is utterly delectable.




There was also a case of Sangiovese. I am very happy. I am off to enjoy some more of the day, before we return to our regularly scheduled winter weather programming, which involves grey skies, wind, fog and drizzle.

Ciao!

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!

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!

Hoppy Easter!

Another FO! There has been knitting happening - instead of the lucky dip system, I actually became monogamous, and these gorgeous socks were finished.


Specs:
Pattern: Lighthouse Gansey Socks by Anne Hanson (on Knitty.com)
Yarn: Yoyo String and Fluff in Crankyberry
Sticks - 2.75mm dpns
Time - from March 3 until April 6 - in a non-monogamous fashion.



Lots of fun and an easy and satisfying knit. I may make these for the Accountant's somewhat larger feet!

In other news, as soon as daylight saving ended it got cold - I understand there was snow in the mountains, and it was necessary to wear a cardigan. Winter is not far away, and for knitters and spinners and fibre fiends in general that can mean only one thing - Bendigo wool and sheep show.

And this year, I will be going.

I have bitten the bullet and booked accommodation and one or two blogpals may be there as well.

I have put the Accountant on notice that he will be the responsible adult in the house on July 17, 18 and most of 19.

I cannot describe how much I am looking forward to this. Wool, fibre, blogpals, Ravellers and knitting - all in one place. Squeeeeeeee!

Other stuff.

I have been trying very hard to be good. And apart from a small slip off the wagon involving the very tail end of a Wollmeise update, I have been pretty good.

I have decluttered another 3 bags for Lifeline and got rid of some more - stuff - like boxes and bags and so on that have been sitting around forever. I have been doing lots of work, because my inner quality controller and work ethic will let me do no less than my best, job or no job after April 23.

I am still knitting on the ongoing projects, but when I finished the gansey socks, I cast on Blackrose (another knitty.com pattern in BMFA Raven clan, Thraven) I did the ribbing and first pattern repeat last night and it looks gorgeous. Can't wait to do some more on it.

Easter is coming, and I am fairly sure the Easter Bunny will be visiting us. I hope he visits you all too! Happy Easter! (and for pun-lovers - Hoppy Easter!)

A pinch and a punch for the first of the month!

April Fool's Day!

And that sneaky person who steals my time has been active again! I swear (frequently and loudly) that someone has stolen at least part of February and March, because we are a quarter of the way through the year, and I'm sure I haven't taken full advantage of it.

I have been spending lots of time in the kitchen. The tomatoes have kicked in and I forgot one or three zucchinis, which immediately expanded to fill the space available.

I have relished, chutneyfied, roasted, jammed and preserved - currently, if you stand too still in my kitchen you are immediately turned into relish. This has meant somewhat less time for knitting, but maybe I will have more time for leisurely pursuits after the 23rd.

I have continued with at least some of the de-cluttering - 7 shopping bags of clothes (mine and the children) trotted off to Lifeline last week, and 2 boxes and an outgrown activity table went to the child care centre. I think I have mentioned before that our local childcare centre is a not-for-profit organisation, and they do a great job, so good quality outgrown toys go off there to be played with.

I have so many WIPs around that in the evenings when I finally sit down and knit, I just reach down and snag a bag and knit on whatever is in it. This so-called system may explain my lack of finished objects for the past several weeks!

In the March stash honesty situation, I was doing very well, and I hasten to say that I didn't buy very much. I did, however, receive both presents and prizes, which rather put me behind the eight-ball, but I am not complaining!

So, In:
13 books (11 were for review)
2 cds (for review)
1 DVD (review)
8 balls of jo sharp silkroad aran (prize from Serendipity's blog)
1 jo sharp book (ditto)
2 knitting mags, 2 skeins of sock yarn (prize/gift from Zephyrama)
4 balls sock yarn and 600gr Plymouth Outback and 1 book (gift from Amy)
3 skeins of sock yarn (I weakened)
2 sock club parcels
5 skeins of undyed from the Knittery

Total yarn in: 2.5kgs of yarn (oh my! That is scary!)

Out:
as above

Knitted: 6oogr (raglan cardi and socks)

I really, really, really, really need to knit faster.

Or with heavier wool.

And I need to read faster too.

Autumn Sneakiness

Autumn is sneaking up on us....Ssshhh!

It's dark when I get up in the mornings, and daylight savings doesn't finish for another 2 weeks. We have had some cool nights, there has been a little rain, mushrooms are springing up and occasionally I smell fires in the evening (the good kind!).



Knitting has been happening, but not much has been finished. This Fish Hat is one of my few FOs for ages. Here it is being modelled by its recipient, Destructoboy. He chose the colours, and loves it. We are waiting for cooler weather. Princess would like one too. Along with a number of other knitted items she has requested


Thank you for all your wonderful and positive thoughts. Now I have got over the hurt feelings and wounded pride (`They don't love me enough', `I should be indispensable'), I am actually feeling very good about not having a paid job. Of course, I shall miss the `paid' bit, but I am seizing the opportunity and learning to spin, and helping out more at the school. I shall be quite happy when April 23 rolls around.

However, I have been having a serious attack of the blahs. Zephyrama suggests it is because I am the twilight zone, and I think she is right. At the moment, it doesn't really matter how good a job I do, I still have no job in 4 or 5 weeks. Of course, it matters to me, and to my boss, but it has no effect on the outcome.

This has made me unsettled (along woth general magpie-ness) and flat feeling. I was definitely feeling like that yesterday. Hard to get motivated, blahness and general not quite happiness. And this arrived.



A parcel from the wonderful Amy Lane. You may remember that I edited the second book in her Bitter Moon duology (and the first one, but that's ages ago). So just when I was feeling flat and blah, here is a box from the USA containg a copy of the book (Yay!), sock yarn, more sock yarn, 3 enormous hanks of Plymouth Outback Wool in a happy, sunny coolourway (enough for a jumper), a little wooly, sheepy tape measure and a knitters pin. Thank you Amy!

Perfect timing and a wonderful gift!

Just for Rosered, here are some orange shoes. They are pretty and comfortable and ORANGE.


When I have a little more free time, I will tidy up my blog. I seem to have not touched the sidebars and so on for ages, so there's another little uncluttering job to be done.

I have continued the de-cluttering. A further 6 bags of clothes are off to lifeline, and two boxes of books and toys are off to the child care centre.

Amy's parcel has ruined my in/out stash figures for this month. I had knitted much more than came in until then - but I'm certainly not complaining! If I knit faster, maybe I can still match the amount!

The Magpie Gene

Just for Rosered! I kept promising pictures of the red Dorothy shoes. (I keep wanting to click my heels together and chant `There's no place like home! There's no place like home!' whenever I wear them). And the others are lovely black dressing up to be a grown up shoes. See the heels? Highish, yet solid.

Now back to the scheduled programming.

I think I have a magpie - ooooh look! Something shiny!

Where was I?

Of course, yes, I have the ability to become easily distract.. (shiny! pretty! Ohh!)

Sorry.

Right. I have donned my blinkers and now I should be OK.

I tend to become distracted by pretty shiny stuff - which can be just shiny in the metaphorical sense. New! Exciting!

It happens every so often with yarn or knitting related products - ooh new patterns! NEW YARN!!!!! New projects!

And I currently have a very bad case of magpie-itis! I have been very good this year (look - nearly a whole quarter of the way through!)

I have bought very little yarn. Just the sale yarn in Gawler, South Australia, and the sock club yarn. There may be some yarn on order which has not yet appeared on my doorstep, so that does not count.

I have received some knitting magazines, and have finally got 2 books which were ordered from the Book Depository a while ago, but overall, I have been strong, I have not succumbed to my inner magpie (or my inner packrat).

All good.

But I have been... nervous, unsettled and not quite contented. I have been looking for my next project, given I am on the sleeves of this project and have finished a fish hat for Destructoboy. There are 3 pairs of socks on the needles and the interminable stocking stitch pullover, but I wanted more. I wanted the perfect project. A cardigan jacket. Longish, loosish, fashionable, warm, to be knitted with yarn from the not-stash.


I searched Ravelry. I scoured the queue and project lists. I looked and looked and looked. Back through magazines, through books and patterns. Then last night, I remembered where I had seen it. In the first Debbie Bliss Magazine. Apparently, the instructions are a bugger to follow, and it isn't charted. But I've found the pattern. And I own the yarn (thanks to a de-stash last year).

I feel better now. More settled, happier. All systems go. Oooh! look! something sparkly.......

And another thing....

First, an apology. After reading Alwen's blog for, well, forever, I still managed to spell her name incorrectly in the last post. Sorry, Alwen.

And for some reason, no kid's books (juvenile fiction) went onto the list - so here's a quick rundown - authors only:
Phillip Pullman (His Dark Materials series),
Tamora Pierce - anything at all,
John Flanagan - The Ranger's Apprentice series - particularly good for boys;
JP Martin - the Uncle Books;
everything by Nicholas Stuart Grey (sadly currently out of print, despite a barrage of emails to Penguin);
some Enid Blyton;
Susan Cooper - the Dark is Rising sequence;
anything by Diana Wynne Jones,
Rudyard Kipling, the Just-So stories and Jungle Book - and Kim and lots of others;
Cornelia Funke
CS Lewis, the Narnia Books
JK Rowling Harry Potter
all the Graeme Base books

Oh - lots more! So I'll stop now before I get carried away!

Destashing:

In:
5 books
3 mags
4 pairs of shoes

Out:
4 pairs of shoes (2 binned and 2 to Lifeline)
Pile of Mags - lifeline
1 bag clothes - lifeline



In: Stash
3 sleins of sock yarn (1 replacement for sub-quality; 1 club; 1 prize) = 300 gr

Out: Stash
300 gr ( Cherie Amour - not yet finished)
100gr (socks) = 400gr!!!

For the first time my knitted stash outweighs in incoming. I feel very virtuous.

I spent the weekend doing the job of a 19th century skivvy. I swept, mopped and scrubbed, then swept again, our verandah prior to painting. Our verandah is 3m wide and 12m long, plus a return of 6 metres. It took a long time. The outlaws were here on Sunday and I made the gorgeous choolate and dried pear brownie desert from this month's Delicious magazine (except I used cherries instead of pears) - utterly gorgeous and swooiningly rich.

In fact, this months delicious only arrived last week and has already been used for 4 recipes and I intend to cook some more out of it this week. Obviously a particularly useful isse!

Off to play snap with the 4 year old and think about what to cook for dinner.......

First. The knitting news'

The show off stranded socks are finished - a fun knit and I adore the Blue Monn yarn - Socks that Rock mediumweight - makes great boot socks ready for winter.




Next, a WIP

Cherie Amour from Knitty.com, in Shadow tweed from Wangaratta and what should be a bulky and quick knit. Folks, this took 5 tries - either I didn't leave enough tail in the cast on, or I couldn't count to 12 - 5 tries - Finally fixed the problem by using stitch markers. I like the pattern and I think it will be a nice autumn jumper.



This gorgeousness is the Shetland triangle (finally, you all sigh, better pictures!)

Isn't it gorgeous?

13 pattern repeats, Wollmeise 80/20 in Indisch Rot ran out of yarn halfway through the cast off! Had to raid the Christmas sock club yarn which was similar (though darker reds) - a very lucky save! I was not looking forward to frogging the edging.

Currently on the needles are 2 pairs of socks - the self designed toe ups in Lorna's laces (more details to follow at some point) the first of which is almost finished.

Have just cast on the Lighthouse Gansey Socks. I went to Princess's Milo cricket on Saturday WITHOUT MY KNITTING! Luckily I had both the emergency knitting and the car knitting, o I was safe, but it has made me a little paranoid.

I am about to cast on another pair of socks, the Blackrose socks, because I saw Bells version and fell hopelessly in love. I just happen to have some Thraven sock yarn wound into a yarn cake. Fancy that!

I also have a Gathered Pullover, for mindless stocking stitch knitting, a scarf and a stash. I think I need to knock over some WIPs. I want another Clapotis and the Long Lacey Summer is almost over. Most of my lace ahs been socks (apart fromt he Shetland Triangle and Cherie. There's always time for shawls over winter.

Other news.

I finally get to see my dentist tomorrow after 5 weeks of intermittent agony due to biting down on something on the second day of our holiday and doing something nasty to a tooth. It would convice me it was OK until a weekend, or at night. i was glad to get home and call my dentist, but an emergency appointment was for 2 weeks in the future. I am tired of pain and painkillers and will be pleased to have it fixed.

Thanks to the positive vibes and good wishes of you all, the Accountant is OK. He needs to have regular 3 monthly check ups for a while, but I am considering him OK, for all intents and purposes.

The munchkins are back at school and enjoying it. Destructoboy loves kindi and the Princess is happy with the new male (gasp) grade 1 teacher.

We spent Sunday de-cluttering 1 room! So we are well and truly into the decluttering stakes. I have bought no yarn since my last post (although I have got 3 books incoming) and am continuing to find things to love in my stash. Alwen is right, all those yummy yarns inspire me no end and I remember all the plans I had for them. But like all addictions, I'm taking it day by day!

Most people I know, think that I'm crazy!

Let's just start by reminding people to give blood and plasma, and that you can donate to bushfire victims by clicking this link.

Some random things about the last month:

1. All the time we were in South Australia I had cold showers. The cold water was about the same temperature as our hot showers at home.
2. I don't like hot weather - but I managed to knit on regardless - socks don't make you as hot as knitting jumpers
3. I still remember the 1967 bushfires here in Tasmania. All my extra clothes, our extra sheets and towels went to help the victims. My dad had to drive to Hobart just after and said he could never get rid of the sight and smell of all the dead farm animals.
4. The country's response to the Victorian bushfires re-affirms my belief in the basic goodness of humanity. At least most of it. There are some people around I refuse to classify as human.
5. Arsonists usually have bed wetting problems until their late teens. Many also torture animals and are sexually dysfunctional. I often wonder if this were more widely publicised whether some people would be as keen to light fires.
6. A while ago there was a great kid's book about lies. My favourite was `Wine makes mummy clever'

I am not a big dreamer. I don't remember dreams often, and tend only to remember large technicolor numbers when I am hot. Except for when I was pregnant, dreams are an occasional thing. Last night I dreamed I was engaging in a new sport called `Extreme de-stashing'. You had to hunt down the yarn which had been de-stashed in inhospitable and difficult locations, like volcano craters, on the top of mountains, deep in the rainforests and so on. I was extremely good at this and was vying with Zephyrama and Bells for the championship title.

Do you think this was a premonition?

I have decided that this year, given the state of the world economy, the general suckiness of the Australian dollar and the state of my stash, I will be attempting to use my stash more, as a source of inspiration. I am going to stash down in 09. This is not a yarn diet (we all know how diets always bring on binges) but I will try and be increasingly mindful of purchases. There is also the fact that I am a member of several sock clubs to consider.

I know there will be 2 purchases from overseas this year, but I think I would like to limit my spending to those. As far as possible, I would like to be surprised by the non-stash - and most of this years planned projects are already mated with the yarn I have. Let's see how well I do!


I just thought I'd try an update on the `Seven things' thing - given that I've fallen woefully behind. Taph is being so good, but I rather fell by the wayside. This time I'm going to combine it with Rosered's stash honesty policy.

For January:

In
2 prs trousers
1 pr bathers
4 tops
1 skirt - Yes Jejune, you were right. I had a small falling down at the TS14 sale

12 skeins of Naturally 10 ply merino angora 70/30 (but it was on a sale table for $2.50 a skein and therefore could not be denied!)
Yarn as mentioned previously from the LYS closing down sale (lots)
1 sock club kit
1 Valentines present from MadMad with a skein of DB pure cashmere (and some other gorgeous goodies like notecards and a little bag and cuticle cream and soak) Thank you so much!

Out
8 bags of clothes to Lifeline
2 boxes of toys to local childcare centre
about 300 old magazines and newspapers - recycling

Shake it all about
3 pairs of socks and 2 single socks

Total yarn in: 3.2kg
Total used: 400gr

Drat! I'll try to do better next month!

Wha' happened?

Forgive me blogpals, it’s been far too long since my last confession – sorry – posting.

I have sinned (a little) and my stash on Rav has needed some serious updating. I’m only going to show the most absolutely recent acquisitions here. I stopped admitting my non-stash because it all got a little overwhelming. So, I have not been either as brutally honest about what’s come in as Taph, nor as organised as Rosered. That is going to change.

I was feeling rather good about not having bought yarn this year – but then succumbed to the lure of a Ravelry destash. I have bought yarn, but by Zephyrama’s rules of stash, as it’s a de-stash, it is not stash, but re-housing. Some yarn has drifted in over the Christmas period.

I received some re-housed Cascade from Zephyrama in a wonderful Crimbo cheer parcel which involved presents for the children and a fabulous anti-cancer cookbook for the Accountant. The Accountant, by the way, has finished being Radioactive Man (but I still make him wear the costume), and all looks fine, His neck looks sunburnt and peely, but he is well, and hopefully will be staying that way. I put it all down to the power of knitting. He also managed to be the only mortal who has actually put ON weight during radiation, because he figured he had carte blanche to eat ice cream until it came out his ears.

There was an order from the Blue Moon sale at the beginning of December, but that only arrived a week or so ago. I ordered some more Twisted and some sock yarn (sock yarn – really? How odd!).

That arrived this year, but is really a purchase from last year. So this is going to be the year of mindful purchases. It’s no good saying there will be a yarn diet, because we all know they do not work. I’m just going to be more careful. And I’m going to knit – a lot.

The Shetland triangle is having its edging done, after 13 repeats (thank you Bells), I’m hoping to block tonight or tomorrow and will have piccies then. Donyale’s wonderful Mojo pattern is turning into wonderful socks (my first ever toe-ups).

Everyone is in a fever of excitement because we go on holidays next week. I have already packed the knitting bag (of course) and have been working furiously, trying to clean the house, get at least one week ahead at work and wrangle children. I am very over school holidays at present.

See - it doesn't look nearly as much if you spread it all out.......

Now you’re up to date. I will blog again before we go. Enjoy the summer which has finally arrived in NW Tasmania.

So, this is Christmas!

Look at us - running down the slippery end of the year and into a new year in 2 days time.

All that anticipation and excitement for Christmas over and done with, and the strange, disconnected week between the big day and the year's end almost over. We had a very busy Christmas. We cleaned all Christmas eve, because of the gathering on Christmas day, including doing some preparation for Christmas dinner, were woken at 5.50am by a very excited Princess, who had found the stocking Santa left her (Santa does the stockings and mum and dad do the big presents under the tree in our house. Everyone who stays under our roof on Christmas eve gets a Santa stocking. They follow the rule of 'something to eat, something to read and something to play with' as an absolute minimum.)

Then it was stuff the turkey and get it roasting, get the pudding organised, open presents, get back to the kitchen, wash up, tidy, move furniture, get organised. I think, apart from wolfing lunch, I didn't sit down until after 4pm. Rosered - I was also wearing gold espadrilles with 4 inch wedge heels and ankle straps - and I admit I was glad to take them off when everyone finally left.

It was busy and fun and we had batteries and the Princess adored Dougal and he is her new favourite toy. She didn't even seem to notice that she hadn't received the Baby Born which was on the top of her Christmas list.

Santa managed to find the blue necklace and golf bat requested by Destructoboy (whew!) and he adored a remote controlled robot chosen by his sister (and paid for by his parents). All good.

It's been pleasant having everyone home and not really having anywhere we have to be (apart from the Accountant's radiation appointments). We have finally finished the last of the leftover turkey (in fritters last night) and now have to get to work on the ham (pasta and peas and ham tonight I think). We had cherries (lucky I ordered early, because they sold out - and I gave half my order up to a distressed lady who had promised some to her daughter). I had champagne and the Accountant and I both enjoy the Mighty Boosh DVDs - we've been laughing ourselves sick!

Christmas is over for another year. I am more thankful than I can say for all my blog and knitting friends. 2009 is on the horizon, and I'm back to work on Monday. Sigh.

I've managed a sewing day - project bags and skirts for the Princess and me; finished 2 pairs of socks from the WIP pile, done 6 repeats on the shetland triangle and had a play in the stash.

New Years Resolutions? Knit more. Learn to spin. Spend more time doing fun stuff with my family. Knit more. Buy less. Have fun. Knit more. Eat less, exercise more. More of the same, really. What about you?

Happy New Year, everyone!