Nundle, O Nundle

Between work and an unhappy powerunit, I haven't had much luck blogging this week!

So, to reminisce a little:

On our holiday, we stopped at Nundle, a sweet little town with something to recommend it to knitters:


I may have enjoyed some purchasing

But can you blame me - look at it!


In the car that afternoon, once I finished the two halves of the teacosy, I could resist no longer....
I started to swatch the Retro 4ply :>


Ah, so much knitting to do now - could someone lend me their TARDIS so I can make a start?
Ta.



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The Posy cosy is done!!

My first FO for the year is the tea cosy for my MIL. Graduated green ruffles topped with an array of loud and gorgeous flowers. My MIL is thrilled, as am I to see that I got it right, and that is surely good knitting karma with which to begin 2009. There will be pics soon, I promise, but my computer is having some overheating issues, and I am borrowing my in-laws' computer for a minute, so I don't like to take up their bandwidth with too many knitting photos.
We are in Hay, though not for long, and have been saying how much we do not miss 35.2*, nor 37.3*, nor 38*C. We don't even miss 29*C. Yay Hobart! Our travels are not yet over, but normal bloggin will resume on or after the 16th Jan. There have been old friends, family friends, family, more family, and new friends too this holiday, and still more people to see and places to go over the next week.
Oh, and I have to check out some yarn shops in Melbourne next week - my MIL wants another tea cosy, this time in Noro Kureyon. Oh the hardship of the shoppping. (Did I mention my stop-over in Nundle?)
leaving you all on that tantalising note,
I'll catch up with you all soon.


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Birthday Prezzies!!

Thanks Mum! (and Dad - I'm not sure how much input you had, but thanks anyway!!)
I got home this afternoon to a parcel of loveliness - the birthday prezzies for the MOMD and I had arrived today!!
My share is (brace yourselves) yarn and buttons!!!
100m/100gm of Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed
and 495m/225gm of Harris DK in 'Gaelic Green'
and Butterfly buttons!
I had given Mum some ideas and my colour preferences and waited to see what she came up with, which was beautiful as you can see!!!


Slightly overshadowed by the above glory was the arrival of a package from Sydney - I couldn't resist the 30% off sale!!

(Note the boy in the background - total camera floosie.)
The yarn may or may not become socks, and the circ needle is most definitely going to begin making socks for the MOMD a possibility - I started some for him months ago but could not bear the catching of the yarn on the bump after the join for every single stitch!!!!
I shan't blather on any more - I need to put children to bed so I can play with my goodies uninterrupted!!!

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Ahem.

Now that I've recovered my composure somewhat **wollmeise!**, I can talk sensibly to you all about life, knitting and birthdays.
So, it was my birthday on Friday, a glorious 35 years old am I. Thanks to my parents, I am reasonably intelligent, productive, stable and happy member of society. Thanks to my husband, I have a strong, loving and happy marriage with three lovely (aside from the tantrums) children. Thanks to my children I have hugs and cuddles every day, and every day I try to remember how lucky I am to have them (aside from the tantrums). Thanks to a lot of hard work and a welcome share of good luck, I have an interesting job which could even be called a career, and which is helping to pay the mortgage on our house. And thanks to my family and friends, I have phonecalls and messages and cards and emails wishing me a happy birthday. I am blessed, and well aware of it.

And I got Wollmeise from Tink!!!
And Doctor Who - The Complete First Series (Billie Piper Christopher Eccleston) from hubby and kids!!!
A Bunnings gift card from MIL for house/garden things!!!
An as yet unseen surprise from Mum and Dad!!! (they only got back from UK/France holiday on Tuesday - lack of posting time is understandable)
And my school threw an Octoberfest evening for me!!! - Well, no they didn't throw it for me, but they did have an Octoberfest on Friday evening, so that's close enough - I didn't have to cook, or clean up, and I got lemon-ricotta cheesecake for dessert. What's not to love?
And yesterday we had a bonus snb for Kim, (tenakee on Ravelry) who is on her annual conference visit from Alaska. We met at the Rotunda in the Botanical Gardens, and enjoyed a glorious spring afternoon eating and chatting and watching spouses look after children whilst we talked knitting, the universe and everything :>
BBQ tea last night - with daylight savings it is light outside until 8pm now - and an evening on the computer playing with pattern ideas in Ravelry. I'm thinking of the Forget-Me-Not shawl (Ravlink), or perhaps the Hyacinth Lace shawl (Ravlink), both from Evelyn A. Clark. I'll have to make my mind up in the next half-an-hour, because I neeeeeed to cast on something with this amazing yarn!!!
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What Should I Choose???

As you may or may not know, my esteemed parents are having themselves a little (two month) holiday in the UK and adjacent interesting places. Thus the presence of their dog at my back door, whimpering because I won't let him come inside (I'm very cruel and heartless that way, it's why I greet them with liversnacks in the mornings).
My dearest Mum has just emailed asking me what kind of wool I want her to buy for me in Scotland, and I haven't got the faintest idea where to start thinking about possibilities!!! Of course, I'm not sure whether she is offering to buy a couple of skeins of sockyarn or a full jumper's worth of Rowan, so I should probably clarify that first, but still...! Does anyone know where I should look for ideas on what she might find for me?

And in the weekend ahead - a sweet little baby cardi from 2.5 balls of Anchor Magicline cotton, pink with yellow/orange/green stripes; the famed orange socks (no, not finished yet, but moving along), and what happens When Inspiration Strikes!!
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Sunday, Sunday...

I took some pics of the house etc today, but I need to work a little more on my thoughts before I show you why I live where I live - so hang in there!

Instead, let me share a (partial) Monkey and an FO:


The tiny socks were intended to be toddler socks, but came out too small for my small person, and also freakishly long. I ripped the toe (and about another 2cm - freakishly long) from #2, reknitted it to a sensible length, then unpicked the graft on sock #1, ripped back to the corresponding spot where the toe began on #2, and knitted the toe. Then I put them together. Not. The. Same. Size. Two hours of prime knitting time last night spent on ripping, knitting, grafting, ripping, knitting and grafting, for socks that are more like second cousins than siblings. Apparently, not writing down how many rows I used for the heel flap, and then not being able to count the rows correctly due to on-again, off-again version of Eye of Partridge heel, meant that I did not make the heels the same size, so the gussets were not the same size, and I also did the decreases on a different stitch for each sock, and I think #2 is much firmer fabric than #1 - and, all in all, I believe that these socks were destined to be doll's clothes.

But all is not lost. See my Monkey? It is growing.

Wait a moment - what is that corner of white intruding upon my pictorial posing?

Let's take a closer look, shall we?


SQUEEEE!!!!


My order from Elann finally arrived - on a Sunday!!! Today's fondling tells me that they are nice strong colours, fairly smooth, not as soft as Patonyle (but what is?), nice medium twist - oh, but wait!
Can you hear that?
Those delicate, enticing voices?
Look! They're jumping out of their skeins to be the first on my needles!

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What's Going On Chez Moi?

There've been curtains (many more than this):

There was snb last Sat, with an attempt (failed) to capture the photographer in a photograph:

One and a half knucks for DS:

The toe of the first Berlin - I did a round toe, which looked awful on, so ripped that and am doing a standard wedge toe, but continuing the purl stitches down wither side where you normally have two knit stitches between the decreases:

My first dyeing experiments:

Also lots of cooking, plenty of cafeing, and even one instance of going out to dinner with other adults!!!!! Quite a lot of clothes shopping (nearly finished, just need some work pants), much chatting with Mum, and not as much knitting as I'd like.

On the whole, a pretty good holiday, plenty of household projects off my conscience, some FOs to keep me going and some project fun to keep me happy.

And WWKIP on Saturday to finish it all off in style!

Oh, and have you seen the new Knitty? I heart the Spring Forward socks!
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Friends! and Finished!! and Bought!!!

Hey folks - how's it going? I'm pretty busy, but am getting a handle on the fastest way home, which days mean cream bikkies in the bikkie jar, which students are ratbags, etc etc.

Last weekend, to celebrate the Great Aussie Tradition of Going Away for the Long Weekend, we went away. In fact, we went Up. Up to Latrobe, in the north of the state, to visit Tink and co. On the way, we stopped in Launceston for a mid-afternoon break and get together with 2paw and amandaj. Such lovely ladies! We strolled along the boardwalk until we found a cafe that would do tea, coffee and cakes, then sat and chatted and knitted and sipped and nibbled until it was time to get going. In the car on the way up I finished a washcloth for 2paw, in a gentle green 8ply cotton, the pattern (which I adored knitting - completely fun!!) is Spring Arbor washcloth from K1, P1 Keeping You in Stitches:

However, I couldn't find a needle in my bag anywhere and had to gift it with the ends unwoven!!!! (bad bloggy friend) 2paw had come prepared and gifted me with a new pencil case for my new job - into which I immediately placed the Salty Toes socks-in-progress - I have priorities!!! Sadly I forgot to take a pic yesterday (bad blogger - again) but will rectify this weekend.

and then there is the finishing news - my Sock Knitter's Pentathlon 2008 Jacobean socks are DONE!!!


and I just looked at the time so I'll fill the links in later, but here is what I did with a little bit of my first pay packet:

A picture speaks a thousand words???
:>



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There were two in the bed last night

Two extras, that is!
When I abandoned the repeats on tv and hied me to the bedroom, I found DD#1 asleep in the middle - not surprising, other than I thought she'd already gone back to her own bed an hour earlier. The second occupant, however, normally sleeps outside - my lovely dog Holly (thankfully recently washed) had opened the gauze sliding door and come a-wandering in, trotted around the bed a couple of times (judging by the straw mulching there this morning), then discovered a convenient pile of clothes from which to launch herself onto the bed, where she snuggled up on my side, against my pillow, beside the sleeping DD. I gently encouraged (ie picked up and carried) Holly outside, and requested that the MOMD put DD#1 in her bed. Some turning of pillow and brushing of linen later (girl and dog were on top, not actually under the sheets, thankfully) I was able to hop in, fondly recalling scenes from Holly's puppyhood, when she would nest in the basket of (dirty) washing, and find smelly socks to chew on...

But that's not why you're here, is it?

You want pictures!!! (Well, Tink does, at least :D )

Progress on the Clapotis:

(Click here for big)

The start of the Daughter Tunic:

(Click here for big)

Progress on the Jacobean Sock the First:

(Click here for big)

Accidental Alpaca Acquisition:

(Click here for big)

Magical Mystery Vest Magic Swatch:

(Click here for big)

(May I just say, because it makes all those linkys so much easier, that I LOVE Tabbed browsing!!)
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I don't have to wait for Christmas

Because I got goodies yesterday and I didn't have to wait to open them!!!!

D'you wanna see??

In Christmassy colours, but perfectly legal to open it because it was the package from my Aussie Tea Cosy Swap partner, Shelly (ozrockchic on Ravelry)!!

And look what I found inside!!!

• Very cute card full of good wishes
  
• Hot stuff red/pink/orange crocheted cosy, with ties and a button-closed strap to accommodate the spout
• Extra Golden Cup charm and little ceramic tag that says "Tea for Two" - which is exactly how much tea you get out of that pot!!
• Tea infuser with cut floral mug on the end of the don't-lose-it chain
• Lei flowered teabag/strainer/spoon catcher in the shape of a teapot
• Byron Chai tea mix (yum)
• Ferrero Rocher chockies (yum yum)
• Lemon myrtle soap (smells yum)
• Sugar'n'Cream cotton in Midnight Magic colours that are totally ME!!!

whew. So much fun in one little package!! Thank you Shelly - you do indeed ROCK!!!

But Wait!! There's More!!!
(no steak knives)

I also received a package from WA, from a certain online enabler, who took her business name from a well-known Aussie folk song.....


what could it be??


Why, an order from the Jolly Jumbuck, of course!!


I ordered 2 skeins of Tofutsies, with the bonus set of Addi dpns that Irene has as her summer special, and then I might accidentally-on-purpose have added an itsy witsy skein of Achilles superwash merino sockyarn in "Bruised Plum"....
Furthermore, Irene noticed a couple of knots in the skein as she put it all together, so she threw in a bonus set of (the other kind and size of ) Addi dpns... and can you see those letters dangling over the luscious plumminess? She has 'jolly' and 'jumbuck' spelt out on little stitch-markers tied to the corner of the invoice!!! I like her style, and her excellent customer service!!

Oh, and one other thing - I resisted for about 4 hours, then I accidentally started to play with some yarn and needles, and so there is a swatch of 6 rows of ribbing happening in the pinks-and-charcoal Tofutsies :>

Other things are happening too, like kids with colds, and a family photo session on a beach, and mad mad knitting and making and sewing, and cleaning for rellies (Friday!), and son's friend for sleepover (Sat) and hockey bbq (Sat) and snb xmas picnic (Sat!!) and b'day for another of son's friends (Sun), and a few other bits'n'bobs - hope you are all having a nice time with your Silly Season!

ETA: DO NOT GO TO JOLLY JUMBUCK!!
NO!!
DON"T DO IT!!!
I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GO AND LOOK AT THE NEW YARNS AND THE FABULOUS COLOURS!!!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!

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Today's News

Well, today and yesterday. Today I bought 2 patterns from Chic Knits, CeCe and Twist, both of which have been hibernating in my subconscious for many many months. So why the sudden decision? Well, yesterday at snb Jen was using some Bamboo/Cotton (70/30) from the Big Red Spot, and it was so soft, and she and Penni were discussing the currently discounted price, so before we headed home, Penni and I did the drop-in, and found a small range of colours at $2.39, so I ummed and ahhed and bought 11 balls of



(wait for it)



purple ;P

Penni is inclined to think that it is very close to the colour of the alpaca, but Purrr-ple enthusiasts know that you can never have too many shades of purple to choose from! And the chartreuse-y, lime-y green, the white, the mushroom pink, the mushroom grey, the black, the coral and the smokey blue were just not going to work for me. I like deep strong bright colours (no, really??), and am trying to put years of sensible, professional, teaching-wardrobe purchases behind me. Had there been a wine-red, a french navy, a forest green, I might have chosen differently, but I know that I love this colour, so I'm happy! (And I checked out the CeCe gallery on Ravelry, and there's a purple one in there, and I think it looks pretty good, so I'm double happy!)

Pics when there's a swatch!
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Have you SEEN THIS???

Attention all Yarn Fetishists: this really is a transcendental, existential, monumentally spiritual experience...
(thank you mochimochiland via Knitting Natty)

I would like to go and have a little lie down now, embrace the limitations of my stash, and dream on....
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