Sunday Catch-up

Several times this weekend I found myself looking guiltily up from my keyboard or hands or book and thinking that there was a task somewhere that needed doing... Our weekends recently have been crammed with domestic chores and dashing off to watch hockey or grab some long-awaited items in the sales or doing a massive shop at the supermarket.
This weekend, however, seemed suddenly to be filled with space.
This was greatly helped by the MOMD and I having 2.5 days at home between us this week (looking after germy daughter, as per Monday's post), so the washing did not all stack up until the weekend, and the kitchen was not a scullery maid's nightmare, and the floors did not attempt to stick themselves to any passerby.
I had my moments of mad efficiency, cleaning things at top speed and FTL laundry-folding, vacuuming the rumpus room in a few free minutes before dinner - but the rest of the weekend was - free.
Yesterday morning I knitted for over half an hour at Mr 8's hockey; we bought a Pioneer HDD recorder in 15 mins flat yesterday and discovered that Sat parking was not worth the probable cost of going out to lunch, so went home and had lots of empty time.

Time to scan parts of the paper.
Time to catch up on some blogs. Time to knit socks.
Time to talk to my mum on the phone.
Time to cut out fabric for a princess dress (still in pieces).
Time for a dog walk each day. Time to make some serious messes and time to clean them up again.
Time to Google the episode of Doctor Who I had missed, and to watch it and finish a hat for me.
Time to swatch for Sea Tangles (baby 4ply is not going to work).
Time to think about new patterns (Alpine, anybody?).

We got a lot done, but it didn't feel as rushed as usual.
And what's more, there was time to meet the woman who is going to come and clean for two hours every Monday - I am going to be SO HAPPY to walk into the house tomorrow to discover the floors and bathrooms miraculously clean, dry laundry brought in and maybe even clean cupboard doors (depending on how her time goes).

See how happy I am? the Wedge Hat is done!!! I wore it straight away on dog-walk-#2-with-pram. It needs a good soak-and-block, but is nice and snug (a must in this windy clime). And those are the Monkey Magic socks - positively racing along! And now I shall find something to knit, and watch Doctor Who meet his daughter via our brand new HDD recorder. I'm going to live in the moment :>
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The Good News Is...

I finished it.

You can't tell that the last moss green row is only half as thick, but you can see that picking up from the cast-on edge and doing a three-needle bind-off does not work with this garter-stitch fabric.

The Bad News?
It is not fit for Human Hattage. It fits a Madagascar Penguin.

I believe, as does the relevant page in Knitting Rules, that this hat is meant to be a teacosy.


Do you want to know the Great News???
the Chocky Tychus was a success!!

I can't show you the wearer's face, because he is not a dentist :>


Comments Housekeeping:
Kate: It's not paranoia when you've got proof of persecution!!!

Carol: Thank you, but my cunning plan allowed me to get to the end of that *&^$#$%^&* row. And I really do have a big head. 57cm. 22 1/2". Plenty of brain-room, for when it grows back.

Nat: Thank you. I like to believe that the knittyverse directed your vibes towards me finishing the Chocky Tychus with panache, and the Penguin Cosy with persistence. I will not be beaten by my own needles and wool!!!

Esther: Friends like to make friends feel good :)

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The Hat Is Out To Get Me.

Really.
I'm not exaggerating.
how do I know this?
Well, first I tried to knit it on the way from Hobart to Hay last Christmas, "finished" at 2am Christmas morning, and it looked like this:


so then I frogged it, and rummaged for more yarn.

I sorted my stash and labelled things.


I choose something to set off the green stripes, and got stuck in on Monday night. Nearly ran out of blue, found more; found more dark green, too, thanks to the preceeding 2 hour Sort-A-Thon.
But then, this:


FOURTEEN STITCHES FROM THE END OF THE THIRD-LAST ROW!!!!
Do I have any more moss green? NO!!! And the super-sorted stash has no places to hide anymore!!! AAARRRGGGGGgghhhhhhh.......

So. You want hear the rest of it? I hate the edge.

And it is going to be roomy even on my not-so-dainty noggin. I believe that its destiny is to be an amazing all-over teacosy.
How will I finish it though??? I will undo the last 20 stitches, cut one strand of yarn, knit to the end of the row with the single strand (at this point, single instead of double-stranded is far preferable to hunting for 50cm of tapestry yarn in a matching shade. I'm over it), do the last dark green, finish the last deep blue, 3-needle bind-off, weave in the ends and call it quits. If BIL still wants it, yippee!!! Otherwise I will crochet over that hideous edge in dark blue and pop it in my kitchen. Or my Mum's. Or even my MIL's. (She is wanting teacosies, but more on that anon)

So what do I do for the BIL??
Finish the Chocky Tychus instead!

See how the size will be better?

See the excellent edge??

See the two whole balls I have handy to finish the one-third I have to go???

Wish me luck.

I need it.

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I love this hat!!!

You may recall the occasional mention of the Alleged Tychus of 06 - a misguided attempt to follow the hat pattern with not enough yarn, larger needles and single-stranded.. (I know, truly insane - no wonder I was well and truly smited by the Gods of Gauge) I even continued knitting past the first wedge, the first doubts, the growing awareness that this floppy, drapey, soft thing was not looking like a firm and manly beanie tough enough for the most gruelling bushwalk... I finished it at 2am Christmas morning, then wrapped it before breakfast with a receipt for exchange, reknitting, redesigning, or total scrapping altogether. My BIL is a man of sense and humour, and thought it was hilarious - he said he felt like Mushmouth :) However he really liked the idea, and requested a reknit. So that is this week's project - BIL Tychus v3.0. Stashed yarn, vintage plastic needles, and this time I love it so much it's going to be hard to give it away on Friday!!!


And also on the subject of hats, did you catch the Yarn Harlot's latest??? Pretty cute!!! D'you think it'd be good in Cleckheaton Vintage Hues?? And what's that visualiser thingy she's talking about? hmm, I too love cables... and putting 'em on things....***the acquisitive instinct twitches***

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Had I but worlds enough/ And time...

This poet was such a lech, don't you think?? But what a fabulous way to be propositioned! I also love some of the sonnets of Donne. Lovers' Infiniteness is beautiful, and expresses the tangles of emotion of loving someone so well...

BUT YOU ARE HERE FOR THE KNITTING, AREN'T YOU???

So I'll share a little:
The MOMD [formerly known as my DH, but that wasn't adoring enough, in his humble opinion!!] paid attention when I showed him this in the bookshop - I guess he's earned the MOMD title :) I was finished by bedtime on Boxing Day - I kind of inhaled it, but how could I not?? The Word of The Knitting Goddess aka Yarn Harlot aka Author Whose Other Books I Must Collect Right Now Or As Soon As I Find Money In The Gutter Or Some Other Unlikely Place Like Paid Employment (Ha!)
And also:
Glass-and-a-half Tychus, version2.0. This time I know I have enough wool - 2 balls of each colour, one ball does about 3 segments. (Yarn gods, please do not smite me any further on this project - I've learnt my lesson, really I have *grovel grovel*)
Furthermore, there is a toddlersock waiting for toe-grafting (I figure 2nd sock syndrome might not notice me if I haven't quite finished the 1st sock *fingers crossed*), and some ideas for an iPod cosy, but PhotoBooth is having a sulk after I decided that the computer-screen flash wasn't enough, so pics some other time.

Posting will be sporadic for the next 2 weeks, my timetable looks a little like this:
Monday
8.30am dogs to vet - grooming, weird lump on tail, probable cataract on left eye (she's 9 ie 67 dog years)
drop off dry cleaning
make appt to get hair done (getting scary enough to need a hairband full-time)
go to gym
book carpet cleaners
get removalist quotes
new watchband
pick up dogs
calendar
sort out phone connection issues
packing, cleaning, cleaning, packing

Tues
dentist
leftovers from Monday
packing, cleaning, cleaning, packing

Wed
10-12 playgroup across the waters in West Hobart - unless it's raining, in which case NO WAY am I taking 3 kids to a park
packing, cleaning, cleaning, packing

Thurs
gym
packing, cleaning, cleaning, packing
5pm pre-Settlement inspection

Fri
9.30 gym
Settlement and Getting Of The Keys at some point
Happy Dance in Various Rooms Of Our First Ever Own Home (Which We Share With Which-Bank)
packing, cleaning, cleaning, packing

Sat
measuring, planning, cleaning, moving boxes boxes boxes, cleaning kitchen and bathrooms of Our New House (if nec) (always nec, right?) and unpacking essentials

Sun
more of same

Mon
gym
more of same

Tues (or Wed )
Moving Day

Thurs
physio appt

Fri
gym

Aside from all of that, envision me running a house with 3 kids, lots of rain to make drying the washing interesting, and darling baby V is TEETHING - first 2 teeth have broken through the lower gum, and although she is chewing on everything in sight, and waking up three times per night, so far we have been spared the horrendous nappies of the firstborn, and the sore face and excessive sadness of the secondborn.
Knitting is replaced by fondling of stray items and reading 3 blog posts with stolen cups of tea....

Regular scheduling will resume in 2 weeks

Wish me luck!!


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Plunged!

Into the no-longer beta Blogger, in the hopes that it will be better.... just a leetle Xmas wish :)

So, the knifting:

• the TARDIS being currently unavailable for private hire, the Cadbury's Hat has been shuffled to the end of the line, and it's spot in the (v. late) Xmas parcel is being taken by an understudy
• another item on my list will be finished tonight and packaged with some Lindt pistachio-centred chocky - there is a connection, trust me :)
• another Tychus will be on the needles later today, at which I must diligently loop my way to closure by Sunday - it being a very quick knit, I have faith in the possibility; failing that, I have faith in the recipient's sense of humour!
• another item may need to be packaged as yarn+suggested items, recipient to choose preferred form (which would make me a little more confident with sizing). We shall see what the next few days of packing and travel bring in the way of hands-free time, and just how effective those ginger tablets and acupressure wristbands are for preventing mal de mer!
• the next knifty thing just needs those pesky ends woven in - yay! (not)
• lastly, something for a friend whom I will see after Xmas, before New Year's, so can knit in between playing with prezzies, fixing newly broken new toys, eating, drinking and family-festivity-ing

And I have yet to pack for tomorrow's departure (still washing, and very grateful for the warm spell that is drying it all in time). In bed by 10 is a foreign concept for the time being... >0 (that's a big yawn)
Despite the not-quites, I am feeling pretty pleased to have attempted so many handmade gifts into this month - it feels nicer to make and give than to buy and give.

Time is of a scarcity, so I bid you all

A Very Merry Christmas
and
A Happy New Year!!

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