Category: Knitting

I’m sick. I’ve been pretending that I’m ok for a few days, but today I have the sore throat, sneezing, coughing, and swollen glands thing happening. So in order to proceed with the list, I am doing some “research” from bed.

The RSPCA has a few bunnies, but they all look quite small – and the RSPCA doesn’t bother with describing rabbit personalities (maybe they think they are all the same?), so it makes it hard to adopt from there when you are seeking a particular personality. But they do have ducks! And chooks – even budgies. So if you’ve been thinking about getting chooks, this could be a good chance.

The Keysborough shelter in Melbourne have a few likely candidates, and I have emailed the carer to ask about personalities. Leigh lives for the bunnies she cares for, and I am sure she will have an opinion on the right match for Custard (if she thinks it’s a good idea to get him a buddy).

Apparently 2007 has been unofficially declared “Knit from your stash year”, but I’m afraid that just isn’t going to happen. I will use some of my stash yarn (my Lornas Laces is waiting patiently for just the right inspiration), but yarn shops of Sydney will rejoice in the knowledge that I intend to buy more yarn. Especially if the TC buyer comes back from his trip with the tasty supplies that Kris told me about on saturday night.

I have started to create a button for the anti KFYS (Knit From Your Stash) movement, but my drug addled brain and photoshop are not compatible right now.

As for specific projects, I am going to use some stash yarn (I have 10 balls each of burnt orange, lime green, and purple) that I am going to dive into for a little jumper/cardi/jacket for niecephew to wear next winter. I promise I won’t use all the colours together.

And for this project, I will break out my Christmas present from Mark, that I picked up from Karen and Chris on sunday. Karen and Chris took their baby daughter Lee to the US this year for the first time to meet the extended family. While they were there, they picked up a few things from Knitpicks…

I got the basic kit with a few doubles in the 3mm-4.5mm range (the needles I tend to use the most), a few extra cables, the pattern holder thingy, a few extra sleeves, and the needle sizer with the nifty viewing window. I believe Karen has an extra set that she’s going to ebay, if anyone is interested, let me know and I will post when she puts them up.

Can you feel the love?

I start on monday fortnight. I have the use of a company car, and a letter of offer will be sent sometime this week (hopefully). The pay is a big step up from my last job, but I’ll have to work bloody hard to earn it – and learn what a spirometer is (amongst other things).

I haven’t done ANYTHING else today (except make my own coffee). I am watching Oprah, and sitting in bed with my foot up. I had plans to be all busy and start to get my life in order, but hell, getting a job is enough of an achievement for one day, don’t you think?

In other news, Mark has officially resigned, so we keep the status quo, with one job between us.

I have two weeks to dry clean all my old business suits that still fit me, and possibly buy at least one summer weight jacket, a few tops, and a few pairs of pants (or a skirt to take advantage of the first tan I’ve had in years). I also want to pack up all the clothes that definitely don’t fit, give away things that I can bear to part with (like about 10 bras that I’ve never worn), and sort out the wardrobe room.

Also on my list of things to do are

1. Organise the craft room/study. We need bookshelves for all the books, and I need to sort the stash, and craft supplies. Make the rec room look like a happy place to be.

2. Make a knitting project list. Buy yarn for specific projects, and consult the stash BEFORE I buy anything new. Also, I want to make time for knitting, since I won’t be knitting on the train anymore.

3. Weed the roses in the front, prune and fertilise. Perhaps even plant a new one.

4. Try to get in charge of the weeds in the backyard. Plant some basil and at least have a little herb garden happening before I go back to full time work. To be able to come home and get a salad together from the backyard is a huge luxury, and one I’m not willing to do without any more.

5. Make a decision about Custard. He needs a friend, and I am terrified of him attacking Monkey if we keep up the bonding process. Maybe we’ll find a big, mellow, girl bunny to love on Custard. He’s lost two bonded partners (as well as Grasshopper) in his short life, and he really seems depressed living on his own.

6. Organise our laundry system, and linen closet.

7. Get rid of the junk that Sarah helped us sort a few months ago, and do some more sorting of the garage.

8. Have a total attitude adjustment, and get over the sense of humour bypass I’ve been experiencing since we came back to fair Sydney. My life is pretty good, and though it’s normal to feel sad at the loss of a beloved furry friend, and a bit at sea without a job, and a little out of sorts at being plucked from a tropical island and landed back in suburbia, I am determined to be a happy and cheerful person that doesn’t wallow. Wallowing is soooooo last year.

Basically, I want to revamp my life. Put more in, get more out. Be more organised, do more exercise, plan meals and eat better, eat less, drink less booze, and be healthier. 2007 is going to be a better year, because I am going to stop expecting things to fall into place. I am going to push them.

Small problem with out hosting company not being overjoyed about the growing popularity of my blog. Apparently, more traffic = more downloads, and once we went more than 15% over our bandwidth limit for the month, we got shut out.

So we gave them more money, and we have double the bandwidth for the next 12 months. I am going to have to host my images somewhere else in future though – especially for picture heavy posts like the Nundle trip.

Glad to be back, but a little stressed – in the next 2 days I have to pack, tidy and clean the house for the wonderful Damian who is housesitting for us, sort out a knitting project for the plane/train/bus, and sort out what is going on with my lungs. Got a doctors appointment at lunchtime today to review my asthma treatment plan, and then a wee yarn crawl with the lovely Emma.

We tried bonding Custard With Blueberry and Monkey, but Custard ended up with a torn ear, and I am loathe to put him under that pressure again, but I also hate the thought of him being lonely. Grasshopper is mending well, and hopefully will be able to join the general population in the condo when we return from Vietnam.

We have travel insurance (thank goodness we applied for that before my lungs went haywire), we have visas (thanks to Mum for both), and as soon as we have tickets we’ll be ready to start packing.

Grasshopper is moving around a little better today, probably because of the pain meds, and he is eating well. I had an email back from the new vet, and we’ll continue to keep a close eye on him this week.

My new “unvented” stitch pattern is a winner, and I have finished the first hat (finally got the degreases working satisfactorily), and am well on my way to completing the second, proof of concept hat. I’ll write up the pattern, and hopefully someone will like it enough to knit it.

Next, to research what I can take on the plane. It’s not a terribly long flight, but I am a bit anxious about not being able to knit on the plane. I am also starting to think about travel knitting. I’ll need something lightweight, something a little bit interesting but not too over the top challenging. I’m thinking lace, because a big project can still travel light, and provide a few good solid weeks of knitting, and something not too furry in case the weather is warmish. We’re scheduled for a mild winter, a little like a Sydney spring, but there could be some warm weather at some point.

Some warm weather would be nice. I need to keep absorbing the rays 😉