Category: Knitting

Knitting as Blood Sport.

Freaky Child

First of all, there is the strange triangular patch of hair on the top of his head that curls, like a cartoon baby.

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Secondly, it’s hard to photograph without studio lights, but you can see if you look closely here – his left eye (to the right of the picture) is darker and browner than his right eye, which is a kind of slate grey. First noticed by Andrew his Fairly Odd Parent, I thought he was delusional, or it was a trick of the light. But now, at least a week later, the difference is still there.

In knitting news, I am still working on the socks I started for dad’s birthday last year, and hope to finish them very, very soon. So that I can start a new project to take to Opera in the Domain!

I have just received official confirmation that my parents are willing to look after Inigo for the night, so that Mark and I can have a child free night to catch up with friends, knit a little, enjoy fabulous music and a schooner or two. Or five.

If you’re interested in coming along, and haven’t already heard about it on Ravelry, or Kris’ blog, drop me a comment and I’ll send you the details.

Welcome Oscar George Lane!

Born sometime today, 3.2kg, Miriam and Oscar both doing well. No other details available at this point. I am absolutely dying to see a picture at least, but I respect their desire for some time without visitors. I am sure I’ll get to spend plenty of quality time with all the Lanes in the not too distant future.

I’ve been having contractions all day, some coinciding with actual pain, but nothing to get excited about. Went to pub knitting, and am glad I did – sitting around at home focussing on my belly would quickly drive me insane. Thinking that Inigo is considering making an appearance over the next couple of days, but he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry.

Saw Kerry today, and she looks happier and more relaxed than I have seen her in months. It looks like the final senate seat will go to the liberal candidate, and Kerry will be free to pursue other interests after the middle of the year. Like being an Auntie!

Am also close to making a decision about the camera. Harvey Norman has the Canon 400D body with 18-55mm, and 75-300mm lens for $1188. I played with Andrew’s 350D today, and it is a very nice camera. It also handles low light really well, and has a good, cheap portrait lens available. Of course, if I have an ugly baby, I won’t need such a good camera….

Thanks Andrea!

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Still haven’t sorted out the camera thing. Mark has hidden the little point and shoot camera, my good camera is still AWOL, and my old camera uses a card that I don’t have a card reader for (well, I can’t find the damn thing since the move). So please forgive the dodgy webcam shots.

Picture #1 is of the organic merino soaker kit I ordered from ecoyarns thanks to a generous gift voucher from Andrea, and picture #2 is the adorable bunny hat she knitted for Inigo/Ampersand/The Passenger. Who I was convinced had turned in the night, until I got kicks and punches on both sides of my belly about half an hour ago. Life remains interesting.

The supervising midwife made a comment that she didn’t think that having a totally passive baby would agree with me. I was thinking that a totally passive baby would be a godsend, but now that Alex is getting more and more charming by the day, I am starting to see her point. I have amended my order for a passive baby to a healthy and happy baby that sleeps enough to prevent insanity in the maternal unit.

I have always said that the secret to happiness is low expectations…

Party Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who came to the party. I had an absolute ball – even though we didn’t have a chance to talk to anyone all day! Mark and I were so busy being social butterflies, there wasn’t a moment to just sit and enjoy the love. And there was a lot of love. So many people turned up that we ran out of chairs in the first hour, and we probably ran out of food too (not that I was capable of noticing!).

Apparently, we do have more than nine friends 🙂

There were knitters, and non-knitters. And they even talked to each other.

And since I completely forgot to take pictures, check out Donna’s post for some great pictures of the beasties, and Kate’s extensive coverage.

Once again, thanks to everyone who made it such a special day.

How to rescue a crap day?

So, Monday is court day, and I spent today finding a lawyer.  Looks like I’ll probably lose my licence for 12 months.  There is a chance I can escape a conviction – but I can’t afford to bank on it.  It’s been an emotional roller coaster, and I left the last solicitors office in tears today. 

As well as the isolation of being without a car (and with a small child – the concept of which is completely doing my head in), there is also the risk that a criminal conviction could jeopardise my accreditation as a celebrant. 

I also managed to lose my phone (and assume it was stolen), which added a certain something to the day.

So a big thank you to Justine, who  timed the arrival of her gorgeous gift perfectly.

I will take pics soon, and also of the beautiful gifts from Emma, when I find the card reader for my old camera.  My beautiful new camera has been misplaced in the move, and I am trying desperately not to get hysterical about it.

So the big news (we’ve been pretty short on news here at Merrylands Manor), is that we have come pretty close to deciding on a name.

I    N    I    G    O

Of course, we may still get a better idea – or we might meet him and decide that he is definitely an Ernest, not an Inigo.  But I have done a subversive cross stitch of the name, and it’s looking good.

And in PARTY news.  We only have nine RSVP’s so far.  Surely I have more than 9 friends?

Another version of the house hippo

Here.

Not much to blog about at Merrylands Manor. Housewarming invitations should be out this week, and I am still struggling with trying to get the last of the house unpacked. Two things are impeding me, 1) we’ve run out of storage. Mark has just bought some new bookshelves, so I can finally unpack my books, many of which were put into boxes more than a decade ago. And I have to talk to builders about getting a built in wardrobe put in the bedroom, so we can put away the rest of the linen and clothes.

And 2) my complete lack of any drive whatsoever.

Ampersands blankie is nearly done, I am on the last row of plain before the cast off, but have run out of yarn. I think I can drag myself off to Spotlight this morning, and pick up a final ball.

Why didn’t anybody tell me about this?

WINTER WORKSHOPS

FULLY BOOKED

Using Alpaca – “Fibre of the Gods”. 1st & 2nd September
Tutor: Jenny Hopper
A 2 day workshop concentrating on exploring the advantages and particular qualities of alpaca fibres so that spinners, felters, weavers, knitters and other users of alpaca can create yarns, fabrics and garments/articles which use the best of alpaca’s features to greatest advantage.
Detailed facts of alpaca fibre varieties, structure, characteristics, qualities and handling will be covered in depth. Comparisons will be made with other fibres, also blends of other fibres together with alpaca and the resultant advantages or disadvantages. Cost $70 per day. ($140) which includes morning tea and lunch.

Fully booked. Damn.

Domesticity

My three day experiment going drug free is a failure.  I was ok for two days, but this morning it came back to bite me in the arse.  I woke early, before Mark’s alarm, and by the time he was ready to leave for work, I was ready to drive him to the station.  All good, until I got home, and barely made it to the bathroom to lose my morning coffee.

I couldn’t keep anything down till about 11am when, still queasy, I ate some salted pretzels (food I thought I was well and truly over – thank goodness I still had some in the house!).  The rest of the day has been spent limping about feeling sorry for myself, and guilty for not getting more done.

I did finally block my major project for the last few months.  If your name is Christine, stop reading now, and please don’t look past the first two pictures.

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Here is Custard, having a nap.  He is not dead, honest.  There is something about loppy eared bunnies, when fully relaxed, they tend to look like roadkill.  Extremely cute, but slightly disturbing nonetheless.

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Here is the gorgeous cockatoo.  Sometimes known as “Cockalicious”, which if it weren’t so pornographic sounding, might be her permanent moniker.

She has decided that Mark is her “Special Friend”, and was following him around the house on the weekend, rubbing her head against his calves in a rather too affectionate manner.  The bird whisperer has decreed that I should henceforth be the bearer of treats (instead of Mark all the time), so that she shares her affections.  Here she is with her afternoon corn cob.  Just prior to this shot she was holding it in one foot and going nuts, but she is a little camera shy, and dropped the treat.

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And here is the big project (iPod included for scale).  It is the first two charts of the Swallowtail Shawl (that has become a bit of a favourite with me), doubled, with a wide moss stitch border.  I did a provisional cast on in the round, and used two “centre” stitches instead of one so that I could knit it on two circs.

The yarn is Patons Jet, a bulky wool/alpaca mix, in a mixture of reds, purples, and a little but of a rusty colour. Pattern modifications are my own, and yes, I do feel a bit clever.

This is to be a blankie for my new neicephew, who is due on the 13th of December, to Mark’s sister Christine, and her husband Matt.  I hope they like it, it was made with much love, and great hopes for a very wanted child.