Here Be Knitting

The Block. So Much to Show You (Part II)....

This really feels like deja vous.  I completed this blog last night (very late as usual) and as I previewed it my b***dy computer crashed and I lost the lot.  Here goes....

I am late posting my promised Part 2 of the flowers.  Life here has been very stressed.  The Girl has been very ill, Her Dad broke his toe and amongst it all I've been trying to work.  I found it really hard to get my head around sorting through all the photos we have taken of The Block over the last few weeks and then what I wanted to say about them all.

First up, some amazing birds nests we discovered on an old shed while we were out and about.  The birds were way too fast for us to photo.  But the nests are incredible, the two toned mud, the shape of the nests - beautiful.  At first we thought they might have been swallows - either Welcome or Barn - but it appears their mud nests are cup shaped.  Then by accident in my web searching I found the Fairy Martins whose nests I think these are.  If you know anymore, please (please, please...) let me know.

Aren't they just great - bottle shaped nests all jumbled together!

This last weekend, we managed to get to the far corner of The Block.  We found a wonderful bush gate between our property and our neighbour:

I wonder how long since it has been used? 

Our boundary fence is also interesting in parts.  It is certainly of no use in keeping stock in, but we don't intend to even try and use The Block in this way. 

  I think the best word here is "quaint", non?

This year, we haven't found very many scribbly gums. 

We wondered if this was due to the drought affecting the numbers of the little moths who "write" these scribbles or if it was just the time of the year in their life cycle?

Some of our Sundews have flowered.   Most did not - the dry weather we had in very early spring wilted and killed many before they had the chance.  Such a pity - they are delicate, white wonders.  It appears that Australian Sundews are used for Flower Essences.

The tiny wildflower from my first posting on The Block has seeds:

A lovely, strong statement of colour.

I know I promised some new wildflowers.  I've changed my mind for now.  They will keep for another blogging.  But, I can't go without letting you experience our sunset:

Sometimes, photos really do speak a thousand words. I think when I upgrade my TypePad account, it will be this photo I use as a banner.

And, finally, a photo of the offending toe.  Let this be a warning to all who might be tempted to go around "kicking" large rocks!  Look away now if hairy feet or horribly bruised toes are a problem.  Otherwise, you have been warned!  Enough for now....

Cool huh?!!

The Knitting. A Tease, an Apology & a Chance at Stash Enhancement

Dear Shelagh

Here is your next parcel.  I am sorry, I know it is almost a month late (!!) but at least it is in the mail now :)

And the stash enhancement .... I've numbered all the parts of the gift.  A wool prize for the commenter who makes the best or funniest guesses as to what might be in each one.  I think some of them are pretty easy.  I'll leave the competition open for a week.

Come on, lets see what you've got....

The Block. So Much To Show You....

I have been a bad blogger, it has been quite a few weeks since I last blogged on The Block.  We have been visiting and snapping away, but I just haven't had the time to go through all the photos and then to get my head around what I wanted to say.

The Block has been rewarding us with wildflowers.  Many, many beautiful wonderful glorious wildflowers.  This tells Her Dad and I a couple of things - the land has been fairly free of grazing cows and sheep for some time. But, more importantly, the flowers come at a price -  it is very impoverished soil (the Sundews from one of my first posts were also a dead giveaway).  This we don't mind - it is often one of the prices of living in Australia - we are a very old continent.  The irony that we have recently moved from the Darling Downs in QLD which is one of the most fertile areas in Australia to our poor block does not excape us.  Her Dad and I are keen gardeners, so knowing how impoverished the soil is helps us plan how we will garden - with truckloads of manure and compost and much (much, much....) building up of the soil. 

But I digress, what I really want to show you are the flowers.....

Again, what looks like a leguminous beauty.

This looks almost like a native Hyacinth (I didn't think to stop and smell the roses "hyacinths"!)

 

  I think this ones from a variety of tea tree. 

That's your share for today. I'm probably only about 1/2 way through the wildflower photos, but it's 1.00 in the morning and I'm finally tired enough for sleep.

More tomorrow....

The Knitting. Shelagh's Gift

I am in the WeLuvKnitting 2007 Gift Exchange.  There aren't very many of us who are regulars to this list, but we have remained faithful to each other for quite a number of years and usually have at least one exchange a year.  The 2007 Exchange involves sending 4 parcels to match the changing of the seasons to someone from our list. 

This year was slightly different - we know who we are sending to and have the chance to really get to know each other.  Shelagh from Canada is my partner this year and we have become good friends over this time.  In fact, there have been some really horrible events in my life this year that I have been able to share with Shelagh and she has shouldered this burden willingly.

Shelagh's gift box arrived today:

Don't you just love when boxes arrive :)  This one, as usual, was packed full.  The gifts inside had been carefully and beautifully wrapped by Shelagh:

There was also a large packet of Chocolates to share - but these had already been "stolen" by The Girl so didn't make the photoshoot.  Needless to say, those chocolates were definitely a hit!  The 3 magazines are Easy Knitting, Creative Knitting and a Canadian Living magazine.  I love my magazines!

Unwrapping the gifts revealed some beautiful knitting:

The avon product is a lavender body spray.  Shelagh has already sent me the hand lotion which I use at work - this is the perfect additon.  There is also some Kool-Aid for either dyeing or drinking and I haven't decided which yet.  If I don't keep it away from The Girl, I won't need to decide :)  The Canadian pencils have already headed her way. 

There is also some beatiful Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Peppermint for the Hanami Shawl.  Both Shelagh and I love that shawl and now I can knit it in the recommended yarn.  This is my first experience with Knit Picks (as they don't send to us here in the Colonies) but it is certainly very, very soft and the colour is perfect for the Hanami.  Shelagh also knitted me some beautiful personal items - some fingerless gloves that fit perfectly and a lace face cloth in a beautiful soft yarn - this will definitely only be used by me!!!

Again, thank you Shelagh, these gifts are just wonderful.

Finally, for today, I have taken a page out of the Yarn Harlot's book and am trying to do some spinning on Tuesdays.  Here are my efforts for today:

It is a merino, pre-dyed tops, spun to about 4 ply and enough for some socks, a scarf or a hat.

In the next few days, I need to update The Block entries - lots of photos.

Enough for now.....

The Knitting. True Love

I am in love.  At least, either I am in love or I am balmy (or it could be both - one does usually follow the other after all).  After more than 8 attempts to begin this sock:

I am now 6 of 8 repeats through the leg of Sock 1!  I can almost not believe it.  I don't normally stay that determined to master a pattern. Especially since these errors were infuriating and simple, yet I didn't seem able to find my way through to a solution.  For the first 5 times, I cast on and joined in the round and then tried to knit like a right handed person - therefore not having to think about the slope of the decreases.  This way, though, I couldn't stop the huge gap that appeared between needle 3 and needle 1(my lack of coordination as a right handed was showing).  So, I finally (I am dimwitted a very slow learner) decided to give up on the right handed knitting and go back to left.  It then took me a number of goes to work out the decreases to get the slope just so.  I already knew before I began how I needed to change the pattern for this, but from my head to my hands took some working    

But now, right now, I am totally besotted, head over heels, in love..... It was totally worth the effort (and perhaps that makes the love deeper still).  I think the colours, the Dahlia theme of the sock and the pattern make the sock a delight.  So, some further photos of my glorious friend sock:

       

When I have finished these, I am going to cast on another in a solid purple yarn that I have in stash.  I don't think just one pair of these socks will ever be enough.

Enough for now.....

The Knitting. I'm not very Faithful

After all that talk about Serrano being the next big project, I've gone and started a Classic Elite Project (the one on the left) in this yarn Colourway Love - a rich red brown.  I am altering the pattern so that it has these sleeves rather than the shapeless shoulders/sleeves of the original.  I began on Sunday night and already have about 8 inches completed - very quick for me!

I think the colour is working well with this pattern.  It is a cotton ribbon yarn (93% cotton and 7% nylon) so I have to regularly untangle the yarn otherwise it twists horribly.  Other than that, it is a straightforward knit.  The stretch of the yarn also seems to work with the pattern and will help the garment keep its shape.  It should be great for summer. 

Over the last few weeks, a number of magazines have arrived.   

I subscribe to Rowan, Interweave Knits, Spin-Off and Knitters.  I adore the first 3 and re-subscribed to Knitters to give it another go.  I hadn't, however, been particularly impressed with their magazines of late and had probably decided to not subscribe again and then the last one arrives on my doorstep and there are 3 patterns that have headed into my Knitting Queue:

I think this one, Jade Empire, is my favourite of the 3- perfect for our spring and autumn.  I like the colour, the simple lace and the yarn with the silk and llama looks heavenly.  The other 2 have some of my favourite things - raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, lace and cables!  So now Knitters has redeemed itself and I might just have to re-subscribe :)

The Girl has said she likes this one from Knit n Style:

Although not in these colours. Given she is inclined to NEVER like my knitting, this one has definitely gone onto the To Do list.  Pathetic isn't it?  I mean, given she shows so little interest in my knitting 99.9% of the time and usually thinks my addiction passion a bit of a joke (she's not alone there) I shouldn't really be bothering wasting my precious time with the very ungrateful.  Instead, the slightest interest and I'm like the puppy wanting to please - she likes a pattern, is interested in the way it looks, the colours and she's got me - I'm sitting obediently on the floor, thumping my little puppy dog tail and I can't wait to begin!  As I said... pathetic. 

I've begun the Dahlia Socks 3 times now and each time I've ripped it out.  Horrible, horrible - I just can't seem to get the join between needle 1 and 3 happening without huge gaps... sigh... I will begin them again when I can do so without crying.

Enough for now.....

    

The Knitting. Up Where We Belong (AKA Back To The Beginning)

My Bird of Paradise Socks are now almost a pair of lovely birds.  After all the trials and tribulations, heartache, soul searching... (and, no, I don't think I'm exaggerating) it is nice to get back to here:

Although cheating a little, I am going to count these as my first finished pair for the Southern Summer of Socks KAL.  I have certainly sweated enough over them to include them as part of my summer knitting!  There are some really nice elements in this sock pattern from Sundara Yarns.  I liked the use of double yarn for the cast on - it gives a very springy, generous cuff edge.  The toe is not finished with a kitchener but another simple decrease method which works really well and looks effective.  As you come off the leg and heel flap and begin the gusset, the pattern very nicely divides and becomes a real feature of the socks.  It looks really clever, but I did nothing but follow the pattern - just what I like....

I have also decided on my projects for the Southern Summer of Socks KAL.  These actually weren't particularly huge decisions.  Unless I want to totally waste a rather large investment, it makes very good sense to knit up my STR projects.  That is 4 socks already decided.  By the end of the KAL, it will be 6 projects I didn't have to make any decisions on.  I "only" have to knit them....

Without further ado, here are the 4 socks I'm going to try and get through.  And... after all that about STR socks, the first of these is a sock pattern from Sundara Yarns that I want to knit first, because the colours are heaven, but I digress... Withouth further (further....) ado:

What can I say? The yarn is beautiful, buttery soft and the colours are stunning.  The pattern is gorgeous, but most important of all, these are for meeeeeee. I can see these under my Birks when the summer sun finally fades and it is cool in the evenings.

Here are the STR kits:

These patterns aren't available for sale yet and are part of the whole package deal for the STR membership, so I have smudged the writing to protect the innocent

These are sock numbers 2 and 3 from their summer kits - playful summer colours and fun patterns.  I plan on knitting these for friends for Christmas.

These are a much darker colour scheme.  The Girl will enjoy these for her hiking boots.

We went to Sydney today to take the girl to the airport for a week away with her Grandma who lives near Dorrigo.  Absolutely beautiful country on the plateau above Bellingen and Coffs Harbour.  She will enjoy her week away with the chooks, cows, tame possum, the mousing cats and Molly, our Labrador (who is currently in residence with Grandma until we are no longer renting).  Unfortunately, I get violently car sick, so couldn't take the day to knit on any of my projects :(  I will return in a week's time to pick her up.  I think I will stay the night and try and visit some yarn shops in Sydney - does anyone have any recommendations????

I have enjoyed the week off, although it went too quickly.  I am 2/3 of the way through listening to "Knitting".  I'm really enjoying it.  Of course, if I had read it myself, I'd be finished now.  But there is something delicious and luxurious in having a book read to you and languishing in the time it takes. And, I can't read and knit at the same time - I either end up feeling a little motion sick from chopping and changing focus all the time or I make too many errors......

I totally blew the interview for the job in Hobart - a very lack lustre performance.  I've put it down to a lack of recent experience in being interviewed (you know... what you don't use you loose).  The positive thing was that the interviewer really liked my CV and he didn't bat an eyelid about my skills being worth the money on offer, so I'm going to keep applying for jobs - mostly in Canberra this time    I am ready for a change and would like some extra money to spend on yarn...

Enough for now....