And I looked and nearly a month had passed...

How the hell does that happen? One minute it is three weeks ago and now it is today. I am sure a bazillion things have happened in the interim but they seem to have flown by in a blink.

Since last I posted there have been four birthdays, a kid's dance concert and the usual array of "stuff". I have turned 38, Duncan has turned 8 and we have got two new cats -

Georgie

and Mia.

Both from the local RSPCA. Georgie is 3 and was a stray. Mia is 9 months old and was surrendered. They are both very sweet and the house feels like a home again with cats in it.

I have finished my Wheat Cable Vest by Lisa Gonzalez in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran.


I really like it although it a little large on me. It is off to a new home as a birthday gift. It has given me a gift though, it forced me to learn to cable without a cable needle. It is modified a little. the bottom is knit in the round with a cast on 4 stitches shy of the total back and front and there are only 2 purl stitches between cables at the sides. I also cast off more stitches at the underarm for a narrower shoulder. The pattern called for 1x1 rib at the neck and shoulder but I chose to continue the 2x2 of the bottom. Well that and you all know how much I love 1x1 rib.

In further news, the Felix cardigan is in test knit up to a size 6 and should be ready for release soon.

This week I lost a friend

I would love to be able to regale you with tales of crafting misadventure but I am afraid that this week such things are the last thing on my mind. Crafting has been a nice distraction but that is about it.

On Wednesday I found out that one of my dear friends was a victim of the tsunami in Samoa. I have known Viv since I was a teenager. Back then she was a teacher and I a student but even then we shared a passion for the performing arts that bonded us. I remember the productions that I did with her when I was at high school as some of the highlights of my education. I was never the star but none the less she appreciated my contributions and treated me as though I was as special as any of the leads.

I can still remember sharing mushroom pizza with her and another teacher (John Stubbings) before a performance, 'Bats' I think it was. I had never tried mushroom pizza and in her particular style she told me just "give it a go". I did and actually enjoyed it.

Later we became colleagues when I returned to my old high school to teach. That same passion was there and the same happy smiley face greeted me so many years later. Viv knew that I loved the performing arts and soon I was roped into all sorts of things.

I have had so many magnificent experiences with Viv. School productions, Rock Eisteddfods and other endeavours. We got cross with each other at times, we probably yelled at each other some times and we certainly didn't always agree but we always had the best time and we shared a love of the process and the product and an immense pride in the efforts of every student.

Later we shared a homeroom and together we loved and cared for those kids. Each one of those students knew that there were people looking out for them and they appreciated it. Like me, Viv loved a project, she loved to help a kid that needed an extra nudge or some adult attention.

Viv and I also worked side by side as subject leaders - she Arts and I Science. We went head to head at times. She a dogged advocate for her great passion and me mine. We also supported each other often when we could see the way and others couldn't. Later when I was head of curriculum I could have cheerfully strangled her on many an occasion when she was such a passionate advocate. Regardless I always appreciated that passion.

Most importantly Viv was my friend. She was caring and loving and she seemed always to know the right things to say. She was there when I needed her and I her. I remember calling her from the winery next door to her place one monday night from a hash run. I was quite slooshed and it was probably 9 or 10 o'clock. She got her shoes on and came over for a drink. I knew she would.

The news has been a bit surreal of late. I keep seeing Viv's face and hearing about the teacher from Ballarat. Viv was not just a teacher from Ballarat. She was Rod's partner, Carla and Steph's Mum and my friend. I am going to miss her terribly.

Monday her desk next to mine will be a stark reminder.

Viv's family have requested donations to the Red Cross appeal for Samoa and Tonga. I would be grateful if you could spare a few dollars.

I knocked down the fence!

Fence has been sitting on my knitting pile for weeks (maybe months) now staring at me in a most accusing fashion saying "when ya going to finish me?", "why are you starting something else when I still here?" and "come on, I am nearly finished, just finish me."

I was sort of feeling the love for this for as little while. I really liked the lattice lace and I still really like the look of the finished product but the thing just did my head in. I decided to do to the armholes in the round which was a bad move and the pattern was just damned hard for me to read. Maybe it makes perfect sense to some but it just isn't written in a way I like and that bugged me. I am quite sure that there are people out there who think the same of my patterns. I like my instructions to be sequential. I would rather read the exact same thing in four different places than be skipping here, there and everywhere. It is the same reason I like APA referencing over footnotes.

Well I have fixed my dilemma, fence has gone to the frogging pond and will no longer be looking at me unloved and unfinished. Now I need to work out what else to do with the Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran. I really would like a vest. Any suggestions?

And in other family news, my baby turned 5!

Now see the problem is....

I have been working on big things again and I seem to think that no one (not even my nearest and dearest) want to hear a never ending stream of WIP in posts or the mundane details of my pedestrian life.

Well I have finished something so here I am!

An Ishbel (yes, how original) knit in Jolly Jumbuck's Gradient Dyed Cashmerino in Sandry's Rainbow colourway. It took a hair over a full skein. Thank goodness that Sam also bought a skein and thus I could steal some of the purple from her. As beautiful as it looks on me it is in fact a gift for a dear friend to say thank you for her support and love over the last year. She has no idea she is getting it so hopefully it will be a nice surprise.

The pattern was a lovely easy knit. The stockingette section made perfect out of the house knitting and I managed most of the lace portion whilst in the company of others. I did however stuff the whole stockingette section by Evelyn-A-Clarking it, by not really reading the pattern and doing what every other shawl I have knit has done and ancreased only on the knit rows. Oh well, a little fudging and a well placed increase and all was well. It has changed the shape of the finished object a litlle but it is still quite lovely. Oh hell, here is another shot for good measure.


I have put Fence (the vest I was doing in Jo Sharp Silkroad) in the naughty corner for maybe the rest of its life. Maybe it is because I tried to over think the process by doing the bottom in the round, or maybe it is because the pattern is difficult to comprehend or maybe the stars just aren't alligning but I see this one heading to the pond.

And in news just to hand, I have started the process of sizing Felix's Cardigan up to size 6. Hopefully that won't take an age and then it will be similar to my other patterns in that the original size will still be free and the others sizes will be available for purchase.

Sunday's are for being lazy

At least that is what I am telling myself. Long time no blog huh? The horror of larger projects is that there isn't much to blog. I haven't even had anything non-craft related to blog about. Life has been blissfully boring (well sort of).

I have finished something though in the last two weeks. Duncan wanted a Geelong hoodie, and given that he loves his handknits so much, I agreed that this should be done.


Rather than strict Geelong hoopss I opted for a more abstracted Geelong approach (read, I did it in navy and white). Duncan decided that he didn't want sleeves so I have just finished off the arm holes with a few rows of garter. To be honest I could have kissed the boy when he said he didn't want sleeves, I was getting pretty sick of the whole kit and caboodle.

This is knit in Bendigo luxury 8ply. I still can't rave enough about this yarn. The hoodie that I made Rohan is wearing really well. As I suspected it needed a shave (and may need another) but it is blissfully soft underneath the fuzz and kid's handknits should only be machine washable if you ask me.

I now have some Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran on the needles that I am trying to turn into a vest. Hopefully it won't be another 2 weeks before that is done.

I tried to resist, honest I did....

Damn Sam for leaving her Noro striped scarf here. Damn me for having 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden on hand. Damn the boredom caused by knitting another hoodie.

I succumbed. I made a Noro Striped Scarf.

I have to confess that it looks really cool. What I thought were muddy sections when I was knitting at night ended up having the most delightfully subtle variations in the light. I also have to confess that it is warm and snuggly and goes with most outfits in a casual sort of way. I also have to admit that I quite love it and it was a quick fun knit.

It is no where near the full 4 skeins, in fact I think I probably have enough of each colour (251 and 268 for the purists) left for a hat of some description. I knew all along that the full 4 would be too long but whilst debating where to finish I hit a join between red and navy blue. I took it as a sign from the gods and cast off.

So now I am the same as the rest of the internet knitting world. I have a Noro Striped Scarf!

Bendigo!

Yet another trip to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool show has come and gone. Sam and I ventured over on Friday via Purls Palace and the Chocolate Mill in Daylesford before landing at the Bendigo Woollen Mills and then onto the motel. After check in, there was a brisk walk of town with the main intent of finding a bottle shop and hence wine before returning back refreshed and exercised. It was then, clearly, wine o'clock. Rach, Grant and Neko arrived shortly there after. Excellent timing I'd have said!

I was declared the queen of wine and wool and presented with my shell soap-and-toiletry-holder tiara and very long Sam-made knee sock sash.

Wine, pizza, chippies, chocolate lava cakes and Eskimo Pie were consumed and we settled in for some knitting and TV (and more wine).

Saturday saw us head off to the Ravlery breakfast which was a hoot and saw us walk away with a range of prizes and consume the most long-awaited coffee of the weekend.

The show was of it's usual standard. The stallholders had some magnificent wares and both Sam and I purchased a range of beautiful things (although I think I was very controlled coming home with only a little over 500g of yarn).

Here I am showing my justifiable love for some Wooldancer rainbow organic merino and some equally loveable Tailored Strands Alpaca.

Sam was enamoured with her Jitterbug from Sarah Durrant that she has been babbling about for the last month (year, century..) or so.

There was some amazing wool craft like this...

And some VERY ugly jumpers like this...


There was a sheep that Sam tried to speak nicely to...

It didn't reply so I gave it a seeing to.

It was much better after that! There was an alpaca that really belonged in "The Big Book of British Smiles".

And lots of other cute alpacas and big-bummed rams.

And all I came home with was this "little" pile...

See, some of it isn't even yarn!