Category: Knitting

Mum and Dad are giving Mark and I a honeymoon. I’m in tears typing this. I feel like I should say no, that it’s too generous – but we need need need a holiday so much. I could barely speak when mum told me this afternoon, and am still having a hard time believing it’s true.

Tomorrow we’ll start talking when, and where, and how long, and how much spending money we’ll need, but for now, all I can thing is I’M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH MARK, ON A PROPER HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

(Celia – if you’re reading this, I need to know where your beach with internet access is)

And in other important news, David (one of the Courthouse knitters) has just started a knitting podcast. Download it here or subscribe through iTunes. And if you are an iTunes account holder – write him a review.

So I did the extra 5 repeats of the first chart, and the first two “rest” lines of the Lily of the Valley Chart #1- then put the shawl down for a few days for two reasons.

Firstly, I wasn’t looking forward to finding an odd number of stitches, and having to do maths to make the larger shawl work.

And secondly, my first experience with nupps wasn’t a happy one.

But I found a great tip on the Swallowtail Shawl Knitalong. I have finally found the joy of shared experience while working on the same project. Apparently you can slip the first two wraps, purl the last three together, then pass the slipped wraps over. It’s MUCH easier than trying to purl all five together at once, and it seems to look exactly the same. Also, I am knitting this on addi turbos, that are notorious for their blunt tips.

So, thanks very much for the tip, and if you’re considering a project with nupps, don’t be discouraged, there is an easier way – and you’ll still get that spectacular look.

…. to make you feel loved. It’s been ages since Mark and I have entertained, and tonight we had some friends over for dinner. Nothing fancy (except Mijal’s amazing dessert), just a cleani(ish) house, good friends, a relaxed atmosphere, and I feel fine.

I spent this morning being waxed, plucked and manicured, got to Rubi + Lana’s for the S’nB about 5 minutes before they closed, and then spent all afternoon shopping/cleaning/cooking, but it was all worth it.

I’m now tucked up in bed with a 10kg kitten at my feet, and life seems a whole lot better than it did last week.

Lee is a few months old now, and it was before she was born that the Courthouse knitters decided to knit her a blanket. Some idiot (me) thought that 10cm squares would share the workload the most fairly. But of course, I have never done that much seaming in my life, let alone seaming randomly sized swatches, in extremely random gauges, fibres, and construction. There is knitting, modular knitting, crochet, and tricot. There is cotton, polyester, wool, acrylic, eyelash (though the knitters referred to those squares as pubes..), there is baby yarn, there is handspun (my first), there is mystery yarn from Argentina, and even a square that looks like scrambled egg.

So it is only thanks to Mijal, Emma and Christophe that this project was finally completed. I crocheted a border (sounds impressive, but it was a LOT easier than all that seaming and weaving in ends), and blocked it, and we finally were able to present it to Chris and Karen this afternoon. It was still damp, but hey, all the ends were woven in (thanks Kellie).
It’s roughly 70cmx80cm, and there will never be another one like it.

And this is the gorgeous Lee, modelling an umbillical cord hat I knit for her before we knew that she was going to be a female type person. Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton. Lovely stuff, but sadly discontinued (I think).

Tomorow will see another unveiling. Stay tuned!

Byron markets were on the morning of the wedding, so I got up early and went to check them out. Mostly I bought baby stuff, and a card (for the happy couple) by a local photographer.

These singlets are the ultimate baby souvenir from Byron, so of course I had to get a couple (the kid may turn into a hippy even if we shelter him/her from the evil influence of tie-die)…

And the socks….. $5 a pair. Pretty reasonable until you consider that EVERY DAMN STITCH IS HAND KNIT!!!!!!!!!!!

I bought 4 pairs. Would have bought more but the money ran out, and the bank of Mark wasn’t as impressed as I was.

P.S. Have decided not to feel sorry for myself. It may not work, but it’s the only strategy I have right now.

Just when I thought it was safe to talk to people again, I was loosing sight of my deep despair, and my Dad has to have surgery again. “No problem”, says our plucky heroine, “he’ll be right as rain in no time, and it surely won’t be cancer”. I was given flowers by a lovely man, good Aussie “Premium Non Vintage Cuvée” by a lovely woman. I asked my boss if I could work part time (so far so good), Custard bunny seems to be keeping up his weight (if not actually gaining a whole lot), and life in general doesn’t suck as much as it could. I am even making good progress on another Swallowtail Shawl for someone who could possibly read this blog, so I have to be a little ‘neaky.

And now two more crappy things have happened to my nearest and dearest. My great aunt Patsy (George‘s sister, is dying. And Marguerite, my mother’s sister broke her pelvis in a cycling incident. I told her that knitting is a much less risky sport, but she has this thing about keeping fit.

Mag is in surgery now, and I waiting to hear if she is up for visitors tonight.

P.S. I have pictures of the bears face, but they aren’t pretty. I have sent them to the local koala rescue service, along with details about where I saw him, but his eyes were in a pretty sad state – not for the weak of stomach. I will get around to posting holiday pics very soon, there are some wildlife shots that I can show people who have delicate digestion.