Blasting into the 3rd Dimension!

I turned a heel the other day. This is something I have done around 50 times now (yes - about 25 pairs of socks) and every single time I am overcome by my own cleverness. This is not an arrogant thing. It’s not hubris. It’s wonder and amazement. I stare at the heel I’ve turned and I am captivated by how lovely it is. I am entranced that I have actually knitted into the third dimension! I can hardly believe that I have done something as wonderful as this.

I can’t imagine this feeling wearing off. I can’t imagine one day going ‘Oh yeah, another heel. Big deal.’ I can’t imagine one day being so blasé about this amazing trick that I won’t care anymore.

Thank you for all your nice comments on the last post. I know that there are lots of us Knitters out there. I know I am not Robinson Crusoe on this one. But it is nice to be reminded that there’s a crowd of us, excited about knitting and crocheting (yes, I am talking about you QuiltingMick – I don’t want to be on the CLF’s hitlist!)

Here are some pretty photos for you.

The Tahoe in all her glory. I adored knitting this, loved the pattern, loved the Zara – and the bands are from the Patomonster from Wang. I have the horrid feeling I need to move one button though. Damn!

And here is a stash addition. Somehow, these cones of golden cashmere silk (70/30) fell into a bag addressed to me – how could that have happened? Now I need to find the perfect pattern for such gorgeousness.

And just because all you Canberrans got to have a serious fibre orgy, I gave in and made a little order from the Loopy Ewe. I’ll show you pictures later. After I’ve finished fondling. At least long enough to take a photo.

And my weekend holds two social events. A Tupperware party on Friday night. And a Stitch and Bitch at the Anvers Chocolate Factory on Sunday. By the fire. Because down here in Tasmania it was really cold today.

WIP it, WIP it good!

Yes, it’s time to get amongst the WIPs! The knitting on the Tahoe has finished (all except the bands), and it took nine and a half balls of Zara. Have I mentioned how much I love knitting with the Zara? I have also decided that ‘Lime green’ is not a good description of its colour, so I have decided it is ‘Wasabi’. The bands are knitted in a variegated Patonyle I bought from ACS at Wanagaratta (the Patomonster comes into its own) and the colour of that is medium and pale blue, spring green and white. I have to find some nice buttons, and do an enormous amount of sewing up (sides, inserting sleeves, shoulders, hems on bottom and sleeves and bands) and it will be mine!

Then, I am going to whip the WIPs into shape. I have 3 part pairs of socks which have been lurking, trying to attract my attention since the end of March, so the idea is that they will be finished before the end of the month. I am also around a third of the way up the body of the Gathered Pullover, so it would be good to make some progress on that. There are so many things I want to knit and to wear, that getting some finished would be good!

Somewhere in the last two years I have slipped from being a product knitter to being a process knitter. I have also become a capital ‘K’ Knitter in that time. Knitting has become a central plank of my identity. I see myself as a Knitter, Blogger, mother, cook and so on – but knitting is definitely one of the first things to come to mind if I think about myself. I still love the products of my hands (and just threw out another 2 manufactured jumpers to prove it), but the process of knitting – the learning, extending my knowledge, honing my craft – has become immeasurably important to me.

I’m enjoying the stash-busting cardigans. And to prove it I cast on a Juliet this morning! I have had some rather gorgeous bulky weight Jade marinating in my not-stash for a couple of years – and now was the time to use it – a short sleeved over-cardi, knit in the round from the top down, in bulky wool with a garter stitch yoke and a lace body – what could be nicer?

But I’m also enjoying socks, and felting, and knitted toys, and scarves, and shawls. I am enjoying the planning, the perusing of patterns, the stash-diving and finding the perfect yarn to match with the pattern. I have slipped from product to process knitting incrementally. I’m still not a complete process knitter, but I can see such a thing in my future. Maybe not all the time, or for every project, but it’s there – beckoning.

That was the week (or so) that was...

Yet another week or so has zipped past! I’m sure someone is stealing my days and weeks – I can’t believe the year is nearly half over – and I’m sure I have no memory of February whatsoever – other than the Princess starting big school – but that was only one day – so someone has, yet again, made off with the rest of the month (and bits of April, and May as well)!

So the last week as a quick whip through, in the order in which I remember it!!

I have no idea what happened from Monday to Thursday. Use your imagination, make it as exciting as you like and then let me know – I’ll take it. I have the feeling that really I did Mum stuff – washing, tidying, cooking etc. Your ideas are bound to be better – I’d like to have jetted to the Bahamas for a secret meeting with Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp, whilst eating Beluga Caviar and drinking Tattinger, but realise this is unlikely to have happened. I think it was more probably the laundry.

On Friday we went to the opening of a friends microbrewery, Seven Sheds. He makes ale with his own hops, local malt and water, and sparkling mead (MMMMM!) with local honey. That was fun, even if I missed afternoon tea because I had to collect the Princess from school. As you can imagine, the event was groaning with local, state and federal politicians – if they’ll come to the opening of an envelope, how much more likely are they to attend an event with free beer?

The brewery is wonderful, the mead and ale fabulous and if you’re near Railton, Tasmania, you must drop in (beware though – both are extremely strong!).

Saturday was a girls day out to Agfest. A friend of mine and I callously abandoned our children to spend the day drifting about Tasmania’s premier agricultural showcase. We had great fun – we stopped and talked to people, only visited the stalls we wanted to see, had our hands done at demonstrations, our boots polished collected free stuff to make enormous show bags for our kids and husbands, ate exotic tempura mushrooms and drank homemade ginger beer, bought yarn, fibre, chocolate, soap and girl stuff. We patted alpacas, calves and goats, grabbed free fibre samples and bought fibre, rovings and tops (and yarn) from the alpaca tent, talked to llamas and men with fencing stuff and generally had a wonderful day. We got there at 8am and left at 4pm – we had about 10 free calico and coloured shopping bags, lots of handouts, heaps of stuff for the kids and sore feet – best day I’ve had in ages!

Sunday brought the in-laws over for lunch, which the kids loved and Monday was our 7th wedding anniversary. The Accountant and I went out to lunch at Anvers. This a the local chocolate factory and cafe - the food is fabulous, nearly all local and lots of it contains chocolate (including the home made beef, mushroom and stout pie - with chocolate and chili!).

The rest of this week has been mum stuff – especially today, which was the special Mothers’ Day assembly and morning tea at the Princess’s school – lovely singing and poems by the kids and the most beautiful picture of me by my daughter (I apparently have blue and green hair, triangular dresses and a big smile). – All in all and bit happy tearful at the loveliness of it all.

So now you’re up to date – knitting continues. Here, especially for Ms Madmad is the Slouch Rib Cardi

Admire the damn buttons please – they cost nearly as much as the yarn!

Tahoe is growing – second front is cast on tonight – I am deeply in love with the gorgeousness of Zara and want to wear it all the time – except when I am wearing Malabrigo, of which some snuck into my stash in the last few days. Mmmm Malabrigo!

Ciao! Promise to be a better blogger in future!