Here Be Knitting

Canada Calling

I meant to post on July 1 since it was Canada's 141st Birthday, but the time slipped away on me.  Happy Birthday Canada!!!

I've been going a little crazy getting ready for knitting camp in Colorado, trying to find some clothing that doesn't look like it came from the rag bag, and finishing up the last project I want to take with me.  That project is the Stained Glass Bag.  I have it felting in the washing machine right now.

Two other projects I'm proud of and plan to show my knitting friends are my Peacock Feathers Shawl

and my Hanami Shawl which we did as a KAL.

Our instructor at camp will be Candace Eisner Strick.  This year she'll be showing us different shawl shapes and stitches.  I'm really looking forward to it since shawls are my favourite knitting.

We have pictures of some lovely new flowers  blooming in the garden.

A Siberian Iris

The Peony  is finally  blooming happily

And there's the front of the screened porch where The Man & I have spent many hours enjoying summer.

Soon we'll see Delphinium, Ligularia, Day Lilies, White Coneflowers and a Morden Sunrise hardy rose blooming.

Have a great time on your trip Deb, as I'm sure I'm going to have on mine! 

Australia Calling... Survived for Another Week...

G'day Shelagh

Welcome to the land of Blogging!  It is a funny country that can be very addictive.  Your photos were lovely.  The Clapotis is stunning and the bag is wonderful.  I own the Stained Glass Bag pattern - I really must get my act into gear and rustle up one of my own.  Your garden is so green!!!!  The flowers are beautiful - the Columbines (we also call them Granny's Bonnets - do you?) are some of my favourite cottage garden plants and alliums in all their forms are spectacular.  Both are obviously very tough in cold weather :) 

We have been back to The Block and ..... our plants (and fence) have survived.  They have grown as well although that is hard to see.

The kangaroos had been looking but couldn't get in:

The clouds were amazing - like cotton wool teased across the sky:

And I can never get enough of our trees:

I have also been knitting.  My second Beaded Lace Scarf in the Nature's Palette is almost finished.  This one is for me.  I am glad - I am over the pattern; at least for now.  The result is stunning, I think all these Beaded Lace Scarves have improved my lace knitting and definitely my blocking skills. But.enough.is.enough.

The first in the Nature's Palette has been blocked:

And is now off the pins:

I am definintely a process rather than product knitter.  Having finished The Hanami at Easter, I have also finally (finally, finally.....) blocked this beauty

Have you had any further thoughts about our Lace Knitalong?  The Girl and I are about to embark on a trip away for almost three weeks.  Two for chess and one for a family holiday in Melbourne.  We are all converging on Melbourne - it should be fantastic fun.  The Girl and I are away early Thursday morning to Adelaide and from there onto Melbourne and then Geelong.  I am already planning what knitting will come away with me.  I think it deserves its own suitcase this time :)

Enough for now....

Canada calling back

Good Evening Deb!

My first post.  Exciting for me since I'm very new at this.

A good milestone passed today.  I finished my Clapotis scarf, and have to thank one of my knitting friends for destashing the beautiful Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester yarn for it to me.

Here's another project almost done.  It's the Stained Glass Bag by Madelaine Langan and for my first one I've done it in subdued colours. 

There are plans afoot for a brighter bag in Kureyon #182

You spoke of scorpions and their sting in your post, but here at least we don't have them.  I've been picking many wood ticks off various parts of my body for a few weeks now, and for some that's a scream worthy thing. At least wood tick season doesn't last the whole summer here.

Right now it's pouring rain along with some thunder and lightening.  We don't really need any more rain and my rain barrel is full.  When The Man has time he plans to add more barrels so one will overflow into the next and we'll have a never ending supply of rainwater for the gardens.

Some of the latest garden pictures of summer on the Canadian prairie:
Alliums

Columbines

And this dear wee creature I found on a Delphinium leaf:

That's it from Canada for tonight.....  over and out. ;>)

Australia Calling... Making Our Mark

G'day Shelagh

We spent last Sunday at The Block.  The day was beautiful, but cold. So cold, the extremities (aka the boobs) were aching.  I wore my hand knit Hedgerow socks, so my toes stayed toasty warm :)

Our Sunday mission was to plant some proteas and finally put a mark on The Block.  This wasn't quite as easy as it sounded.  Firstly, we chose proteas because they don't like excessive watering and as we aren't there to water during the week, this was important. Our three varieties are:  Pink Ice, Protea Grandiceps (Peach Protea) and Protea Longifolia:

Proteas like very free draining soil, so we chose a slope a little away from our house site:

The house will eventually be to the left of our little car there on the flat.

Our biggest problem are the natives.  We didn't see any on Sunday, but we sure knew they were around.

Kangaroos:

and Wombats:

Both of which are quite likely to want to feed on our proteas' fresh young leaves.  We were forced to:

Even this we aren't sure will keep the wombats out.  The kangaroos, we feel, will not want to take the risk of injury by jumping our fence, but this fence is not enough to keep a determined wombat out.  We are anxious to get back this weekend to see.  We want to begin to create our orchard.  We will have to fence this as well, of course, but we will do this on a bigger scale and fence the whole of the orchard rather than a few plants at a time.  Let's hope our experiment from last weekend works!

I was reminded on Sunday of what we so love about The Block:

Although The Block is not risk free:

We uncovered the scorpion when picking up firewood:

A friend who was once stung several times on her leg (the scorpion had crawled up her trouser leg and stung many times as she yanked those jeans off!) said it was worse than child birth.  Now... that is baaaaaaaaaaadddddd.....

This weekend, I've big plans for my knitting:

More next week :)

Enough for now...

Australia Calling... Everything Old is New Again

My Blog is changing - big changes.  My Canadian friend, Shelagh, has very generously agreed to come on board and share this Blogging.  Soon, there will be a first post from Shelagh, introducing herself and beginning our new journey.  We are not sure how we will proceed - as "letters" to each other (similar to Mason Dixon Knitting) or another way, all our very own.  It is an evolving process, but exciting we think.  It will be fun to compare our differences (and our similarities) - weather being one that immediately springs to mind :)  Our summer, their winter; our winter, their..... you get the picture.....

Shelagh and I are thinking about a lace project for our own little KAL to begin our Blogging journey.  Shelagh has suggested the Icarus Shawl from Interweave.  It is very, very  beautiful but I am a little worried about all the stocking stitch.  Others who have knitted it have struggled with this and I wonder if I will be the same - I have a very short attention span at times.  Although, it would make good chess knitting and I always need those projects :)  I'm putting up a vote for Iris - I think it is lovely and I'm a huge sucker for lace and beads - two of my favourite things (I don't think Julie Andrews covers those, does she??)  What do you think Shelagh?  Is this something you could see yourself knitting?  If not, Icarus it will be - I am happy with that.

We have been away in Sydney for The Girl's chess.  Unfortunately, she was so sick with the flu that she only managed a game before we had to withdraw her.  So.... as we had already paid for our accommodation.... and just for a change.... we got to have a little, low key break in Sydney.  It was lovely.  Here are the photos.  Please click on the photos to embiggen - in this case, bigger really is better.  Most speak for themselves...

View to the City from our Parramatta Apartment:

The Harbour Bridge in all its glories:

On the Harbour:

The Giggler:

Enough for now...

These Stilettos were made for ...... Knitting!

I have been very extravagant.  Lately, I have been purchasing plenty of yarn, books, magazines and .....

My new Stiletto needles!  I purchased the size 1-5 set and they are wonderful ...

I can't use circulars for my lace knitting (I can't keep tension even), so when I saw these, I just had to have them and they have not disappointed.  Beautiful tips, perfect for their purpose and pretty to boot - not to mention their potential as weapons :)  I will, in the next few months, get the 6-10 set as well (I can hardly wait, they make with shiver with anticipation - sad isn't it??!!)

I have now finished, but not blocked...

The Beaded Lace Scarf II in the super gorgeous Nature's Palette.  So, of course, I have already cast on for the same pattern in my second skein of this wonder of the knitting world using, you guessed it, my new Stilletos.  Here's another photo of the finished scarf because you just can never have too much of a good thing

I've finished some socks:

These are the Hedgerow Socks in STR colourway Lenore.  Easy, simple to memorise pattern with lovely results.  I will knit this pattern again.

And I've begun another pair:

These are the Primavera Socks in Jojoland Melody sent to me by a friend in the US.  Another great, free pattern.

We are off to Sydney tomorrow for 3 days of The Girl's chess. I am taking the Moroccan Days Shawl and moving it onto my new needles - did I mention I purchased some new lace needles :)  Because I haven't really begun I don't think there will be any harm done swapping over to my preferred new obsession.

Next week, I've got some big (huge, ginormous...) news about changes to The Blog. Stay tuned.

And a final dose of needle porn:

Enough for now...

Scarves, What Scarves

I have been knitting while I have been absent.  I have also been purchasing yarn, books, magazines and knitting tools as if tomorrow it all becomes illegal.  Shhhhhhhhhh...... don't tell Her Dad - he's becoming a little suspicious of the illegal story :)

On the finished front, this:

Became this:

A merino rose laceweight Beaded Lace Scarf II.  It was for a friend's birthday and I'm happy to report that she loved it.  This was one of the images I had in my competition from last month, for those who might be wondering.  Here is a closeup:

I have begun another Beaded Lace Scarf.  So this beautiful merino/silk skein of Nature's Palette from Hand Jive Knits:

Is becoming:

And another photo just because.....

The yarn is divine - soft and smoochy with a wonderful spring; the naturally dyed colours are luminous.  This scarf is for my Rowanette Exchange Partner.  This year's theme is Footloose and Fancy Free and I nominted myself in the Fancy Free category.  I think a beaded scarf with this yarn meets the bill, do you agree?  I have another whole skein of this perfection, so think I will create a scarf for me.

I've also begun another scarf for a friend's birthday.  So these:

Are working with me to create:

The Melon Scarf from Victorian Lace Today.  I am using a simple garter stitch border of 6 rows cast on and cast off and a 4 row garter stitch border on each of the sides.  The birthday is at the end of July, so am trying to get through 2 repeats of the 6 row pattern each night.  The pattern is quite straightforward and so far I am on track.

Unfortunately this:

Has progressed no further towards:

This wonderful shawl Moroccan Days.  It was the second entry in my Competition.  As you can see I have knitted the beaded border (which is gorgeous) and completed only a few rows.  It is my Saturday afternoon football knitting (you know, the TV you can easily watch and concentrate on the impossible project).  But... I haven't had many Saturdays at home since I began - out with chess mostly, but life in general seems to get in its way.  I've even dedicated a table to its production:

It is on threat of death that anyone touches this table!  I am determined, so hopefully this weekend I will begin again - wish me luck I will need it.

Enough for now...

 

Blog, What Blog....

It has been a long time.  I have thought about giving The Blog up.  I wondered, given the blogs already out there doing things so much better than me, what the point of my blogging was.  I'm a competent knitter - I'm not particularly fast, I don't knit things of exceptional beauty, I don't invent new patterns or bring a new perspective to what I knit.  I'm not particularly funny and my life is like most others - busy but not exceptional to anyone else.  I pondered these things for quite some time.  Two things occurred to me (finally!):

1 My doubts about my blog are really just more of a sign of my general malaise and that blogging actually helps me feel better.

2 I am blogging for myself.  To record my knitting progress, our block's progress (or not) and my life's progress in very general terms.  It isn't about anybody else.  Of course I want others (many others!) to read it, but it isn't the reason to begin a blog or to keep one going.  I decided that the blogging is something I.want.to.do.

I actually have lots of knitting, yarn, books and magazines purchased that I need to update here.  Tonight however, I want to talk about Our Block.

It has been a long time since I mentioned Our Block.  We have been so unsure of where we wanted to base ourselves and what our future was to be that Our Block had begun to feel like a weight around our necks.  A project too big for us to take on; a project not worth all that effort if we were not staying.  While away on our recent break we made the big decision to stay here in Canberra and to go ahead with Our Block. 

We had originally thought we would build our own kit home.  Another decision has been to give this away - we are too busy to build it all ourselves.  We have decided to get a builder to take our dream to lock up stage and we will complete most of the rest (professionals for the kitchen though!).  We are now busily looking through house plans trying to decide which one is "us".  Here are three on the shortlist:

1 The Bourke from Hawkesbury Valley Homes

And its Floor Plan:

2 The Carrington from Hawkesbury Valley Homes

And its Floor Plan:

3 The Brisbane from Hawkesbury Valley Homes (I think you can guess we like their plans!!):

And floor plans:

These are probably listed in order of preference for us (at the moment) and it will depend on what the builders say each will cost.  We like their layouts with each giving plenty of room for living and for our interests; they have higher than average ceilings and interesting roof lines; it is easy to orientate the houses to take full advantage of our wonderful views; and the cost of their full building plans are very reasonable.

We visited Our Block yesterday.  It was still, cold and starkly beautiful.  The drought has again begun to take hold and there were no new flowers or animals to discover.  There was still plenty to see:

Enough for now.....

Lovely, Lovely, Lovely

We have been away for a holiday - just Her Dad and I.  Bliss. And, scarily, at least 15 years since just the two of us were away together. Scary how quick 15 years can go by and scary how much weight you can so easily find in just 15 short years :)

 

 

I just love these little guys - bring back lovely memories from my not-always-great childhood.

No prizes this time for guessing where we have been :)  Results tomorrow (or maybe the next day) for the last competition!  New knitting and some big decisions made and shared then as well.

Enough for now.....

Competition

Last night, I decided on a little competition - to see if anyone can guess what I am knitting now.  I realise now that my second photo is really pretty unfair.  So, here they are again:

and:

Something knitterly for the first to guess either or both of these patterns!  The competition is open to Friday.  You can ask me questions in the comments if you would like some further hints :)

Enough for now...