Baby’s First Tattoo

On friday, while we were waiting for the pictures of my modified foot, we wandered around Pennant Hills looking for lunch, and I stumpled across a yarn shop. Quell Suprise!

Actually, I knew the yarn shop was there, and I went there deliberately, but let’s keep that between ourselves, shall we?

I bought another ball of black sock yarn to finish the birthday socks for dad, and two balls of Zara, lime green and a soft but vibrant purple.

After the drama of the day, and a whole lot of hobbling around, I took to my bed in the afternoon, determined to try out the new needles with the yarn I had bought. So I went in search of a suitable pattern on the intertron, but ended up with one of my old standbys – “Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation”.

Here is a link to another bloggers finished item. Mine will be much larger, as it’s done in 8ply, and it will be also much greener. With some purple. But you get the general idea.

And the needles ? I am in love. I am smitten. I am in deep smit. Smooth like an addi, but pointy to perfection, so that even using a splitty yarn and a cable cast on – it did not spilt once. Knitpicks Options needles are the needles of my dreams. I once said htat you could pry my addi turbos from my cold dead fingers, but I am changing allegiances. Pictures when I can get out of bed.

UN report on global warming

Aust ‘must adapt’ to global warming – ABC News Online

The study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the earth’s temperature could rise by up to four degrees Celsius by the end of the century and human activity is the highly probable cause.

Sheesh.  Really?  And I’ve been blaming those poor innocent penguins for all these years.

More like my father than I thought

Motivator43825305Cj



Ankle is healing nicely.  Foot is broken.

Had x-rays today, which show a clean break at the base of the 5th metatarsal. We went to the GP, to the radiologist, back to the GP, and then off to emergency at Hornsby hospital.  Saw a very lovely Scottish Dr. with a fab accent who assured me that a world cup football (soccer) player had exactly the same injury and healed up well enough to play for England.  So this won’t compromise my chances of playing in the World Cup.  Will go to the fracture clinic next week to get it looked at by a specialist, but odds are that I won’t need further treatment – apart from rest. About 6 weeks worth.

Which means that I won’t get most of my ambitious to do list done before I go back to work.

I am pissed off at myself, but not in very much pain, and I probably won’t need surgery.  It could have been a lot worse, and I am very much in touch with the funny side.

P.S. Hornsby Hospital has lifted its game considerably. Last time we were there was a nightmare, this time, we were in and out within 20 minutes – and that includes seeing an emergency doctor. My faith in the public health system is restored.

There’s a lump

Now, we’ve already established that I am not a doctor. I have no specialist medical knowledge. I am pretty good with a sick rabbit (and I have the textbook for that too), but sick humans are not my thing.

But I do know that a sprain is just soft tissue damage. And that when you take the bandage off your sprained foot, and the swelling is pretty much gone, the bruising has broken up, you shouldn’t find a hard bony lump. And when the ankle looks pretty much recovered, it shouldn’t hurt as badly as it did on the first day. Well, not quite that bad – I now think that I did have a sprain, and that hurt, but I think I have a secondary issue as well, and that hurts as much as it did on the first day.

So I’ve made an appointment to see the quack, but I could really do with hearing “nothing wrong with you, stop your whinging”. But I suspect that isn’t what I’m going to hear.

Bugger.

Silk for Lara ?

I just read about Tussah Silk – silk wound from cocoons after the moth emerges! Apparently there are people producing what they are calling “Peace Silk“, and allowing the moths to live out their natural life cycle.

It’s not vegan of course, but I have been very strongly attracted to Pamela‘s gorgeous Swallowtail, knit in Seasilk. The slinkyness, the shinyness, the colour….

Maybe there might be some silk in my future.

Items #5 & #2

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…

P1070508

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 have a job

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.

Knitters at the Opera

P1070477 2

These guys were great.  Garish outfits, do-wop tunes, and a lascivious attitude.  What’s not to love?  They can be seen crawling all over me on Kris’ blog.

P1070479



There was knitting.

P1070480



There was more live entertainment.

P1070484



There was one of the cutest babies in the world (Lee, whose parents Karen and Chris delivered my Christmas present from Mark – more on that later).

P1070504



There was singing of the national anthem (picture taken from below, I was too crippled to stand up). 

P1070505



There was even knitting during the national anthem.

P1070507



And there was Mark.  He’s my favourite.