Bellsknits

Moving On

2010-01-01T11:11:00.005+11:00

Happy new year everyone!

I'm starting 2010 by moving my blog. I've been toying with the idea for some time and the final push came with the adoption of the rather annoying commenting system I was forced to use late last year. Blogger has been great but change is good and I'm excited by the possibilities of what Wordpress has to offer.

I've also done something I've wanted to do for ages, which is to buy my own domain.

So from today, please follow me to the new Bellsknits!

Bells

The Year's End

2009-12-27T08:00:00.003+11:00

As 2009 draws to a close, I've been looking forward again to glancing back over what happened for me creatively this year. It's something I really look forward to, pulling all the photos together on Flickr and building the mosaic you see below. I love seeing the journey, the progress and the colours.

I'm very happy with what I managed to do this year. Lots of lace, some socks but not as many as in previous years, several cardigans and, for the first time, lots and lots of baby knits. Alice's arrival was a huge and important part of this year (could you tell?) and has given me more joy than I could have possibly imagined. For childless women like me, the love and joy derived from having little ones close by is unspeakably powerful. So all the baby knits have been incredibly fun and amazingly meaningful this year and I look forward to more of the same as she grows.

Also, big changes in store for this blog in 2010. In the first week of January, I'll be moving. The decision's been building for a while and I made it last week. So come back after the break and I'll point you in the direction of the new Bellsknits!

For now, thanks for another great year. As always the blogging community is a wonderful, fascinating and ever changing place and I'm happy to spend so much of my life here.

Have a wonderfully summery or wintry break, depending where you are, and see you next year!

Bells

1. Nupps on swallowtail, 2. Sydney Opera House and Shawl, 3. Mason Dixon Mitered Hanging Towel, 4. Earbud Pouch - open, 5. Branching Out 2, 6. Garter Stitch Bib, 7. Modern Bib, 8. Smiley Alice, 9. Alice - new dress1, 10. Shetland Triangle, 11. Sean's Cauchy Socks, 12. Colinette Jitterbug Socks - Velvet Plum, 13. Garter Yoke Cardigan, 14. Julia's Evangelines, 15. Me @ Batemans Bay, 16. Chevron Lace Cardigan Side, 17. Jo Sharp Fetching, 18. Keith and Alice, 19. Alice in her Baby Kimono, 20. Blackrose Socks - leg, 21. me&alice, 22. Polly's Birthday Socks, 23. blue3, 24. Willem in his birthday vest, 25. ipod cosies, 26. Green Doily Un-ironed., 27. Hemlock doily 2, 28. Jane's Red Socks, 29. Buttery Pomatomus Socks, 30. newsocks1, 31. burgundy towel, 32. berry, 33. anouk, 34. Mick's Socks, 35. Alice's dress, 36. Saartje's Booties - for Alice

Alice Gets A New Dress

2009-12-22T04:18:00.005+11:00

Christmas came early to the lovely cherub, Alice. We won't be seeing her or her parents on Christmas day so we had a BBQ and gift exchange on Monday night.

Alice, of course, was first cab off the rank. I was very excited about giving her a Christmas present for the first time. Here's the result.

And another one. These photos are by her Daddy.

I hope the colours are showing up ok on your screens. Someone told me the other day that photos I'd put on facebook made it look kind of dirty grey. Nope, it's definitely a pale purple colour.

I had some issues with this dress, or really it's a top, in the beginning. Remember when I joined it up wrong? And Donna very kindly pointed it out to me before I got too far into it? I just misread the pattern and my knitting but we got there in the end.

Also, I sewed up the side seams too hight and had to undo them last week in order for her little arms to get through. The pattern has you adding one stitch either side at the point where the arm holes begin, but honestly I think the pattern would be better off saying 'place a marker here' so that you can remember later on instead of being a doofus like me and sewing up til the yoke. It kind of made sense at the time since once you sew up the seams, the yoke does form a hole - it's just not big enough.

Here's one with Mummy.

The pattern is Fiona's Top by Danish designer Sanne Bjerregaard. I made the one year old size for 10 month old Alice hoping it would be more like a dress for a while until she grew, because she's so small, but as you can see it's already short enough that it will be a top, not a dress. Fee's going to find some little lemon shorts for her to wear under it (cute!).

The yarn is Rowan 4ply cotton which I read during the making of this is discontinued. WHY??? It's gorgeous stuff. Fine and soft and highly workable. There are plenty of other good 4ply cottons out there but this was my first time with Rowan cotton and I loved it.

It was a warm evening last night and Alice wore the dress the whole time, kept cool and airy by the light cotton fabric. By the end of last night, the dress was covered in avocado from our salad.

Another successful baby knit! I can't believe that soon she'll be one. Better get on with her birthday present.

Bells

Thought For The Day

2009-12-19T13:11:00.003+11:00

If you are required to undo seams on a baby dress because you misread the instructions and didn't leave enough room for the little cherub's arms, really you should be glad that you did such a good job it takes FOREVER to undo them, right?

I thought this over and over as I reminded myself that had the seams come undone really quickly and easily, it would have been a sign of my incompetence.

OK, moving right along.

Bells

Four hands are faster than two

2009-12-16T15:34:00.027+11:00

See these beautiful mittens? They were a gift, a very special gift for someone far, far away, in a land much colder than mine.

And you know what? I only made one of them. That's right. The other was made RoseRed. We collaborated on a knitting project!

A couple of months ago, we got to thinking that our absent friend Sharon, or Shazmina Bendi, who really ought to blog more often, would be having a special birthday in November and we wanted to do something for her.

We cooked up the idea of making something together for Sharon (she is also a knitter) and then RoseRed came up with the notion of the mittens, and in particular these Cat Mittens. Sharon left her beloved cat behind in Australia when she moved to England so it seemed fitting. We decided each of us would make one mitten. Four hands are faster than two, obviously!

But, I hear you ask, isn't that a bit risky? The two of you might have different tension in your knitting, yes?

Yes. We might. But historically we've found we don't differ in tension much. We tend to both knit a bit on the tight side, needing generally to go up half a needle size to achieve gauge. More or less. And besides, it'll all come out in the blocking, we decided. And we were right.

This was my first venture back into colour work since the Everest which was my steeked jacket. I could have left colourwork behind me forever, I thought at the time, but no, the itch returned and I thought making fair isle mittens, or really just one mitten, was a lovely way to get reacquainted with what is actually a really enjoyable style of knitting.

We made them pretty quickly. I think mine took about ten days and at first it did seem like one was going to be a bit bigger than the other, and the thumb on mine was a bit short. And not only that, but they were both almost excessively tight. We were worried. They seemed like they'd fit a large child. But we blocked them over sock blockers and they turned out just fine.

We used Colinette Jitterbug in Salty Dog (the blue) and Oyster blush (the grey). And we knitted them on 2.75mm needles because there seemed to be such variation in what needle sizes people used. With our time over, we both agree we'd go to at least a 3mm needle since they were so tight.

And look at the cute palm side of the pattern - a cat's paw! So clever. So much fun to knit! RoseRed and I collaborate really well. We should do it more often!

Look at the thumbs. Can you see? They've got little fish skeletons on them! Clever design!

So happy birthday dear Sharon! We love you lots and can't wait to see you when you come home over summer for a visit!

Bells

ps thanks to RoseRed for the photos. In my haste to get mine finished I didn't even take photos! But we have posted them at the same time on the same day, so the photos will no doubt look familiar!

Dinner party

2009-12-14T20:36:00.000+11:00

Once upon a time, I loved to host a dinner party. Or thought I did. The truth is, I love a dinner party hosted by someone else. Anyone else really.

I went off the idea big time a couple of years ago after I just had one too many such parties. We used to live in a tiny house in which it wasn't possible to entertain so when we moved, I went a bit crazy on entertaining. Then I got over it. I get tired. Cranky. Stressed. Full of self doubt and then I collapse in a heap and wonder why I bothered.

To be clear, it's not the food part of it that distresses me. I love cooking and am mostly pretty confident about my abilities in this area. I'm not a perfectionist but I care, so the food is usually fine and once the wine flows everyone's happy.

Really, I'm just excessively hard on myself about other the stuff involved in a dinner party, like trying to do everything as well as talk to people. I can do the food. Or I can do the talking. Not both. When I try to do both I come away feeling like I did neither very well. Again, possibly not the reality of the situation so much as just my own insecurities, but insecurities are exhausting when they rage at full volume in your head so I decided for the sake of my mental health, no more dinner parties.

Friends could come for a meal but it'd be low key. Minimal expectations. And even then it felt too hard so I gave that up too.

Then a month ago, old friends of ours who moved to Perth said they were going to be in town and could they invite themselves for dinner. Without a moment's thought I said yes and knew at once that I'd have a dinner party for four because in the past, these friends have cooked for us and cooked well back in the day when we could not have reciprocated in out tiny one bedroom flat. They catered for us lavishly and lovingly. Doing anything less than that for them would have been just wrong.

So I created a menu, and I was kind to myself. I didn't go overboard in planning. I arranged things so that as much work could be done beforehand as possible. Sean does a fair bit with preparation too but he knows really it's my thing so he steps back and does stuff on the side and frankly I'm a bit of a control freak so don't delegate very well.

So here what is what i came up with. A little festive, a little different, a little special. That's what I was aiming for and I think I got it.

I cheated on the entree. I sent Sean out for a selection of good quality Turkish dips from a place near home that also makes their Turkish bread on site. I set them out in pretty blue glass bowls and we ate them with champagne.

The main was a dish I discovered a few weeks ago and knew at once it would be my dinner party dish. Pomegranate and Pistachio Chicken from Sydney food blogger, Not Quite Nigella.

It was, I have to say, incredible. Slow cooked in a dutch oven with the lid on, it was moist beyond my expectations, rich with a sauce of pomegranate molasses and brandy, and decorated with the ruby seeds glistening on top. Amazing. This will become a standard for me.

I served it with a green salad and herbed couscous.

Dessert was made the night before and was left to soften a little before serving. A Raspberry, Pistachio and Rosewater semifreddo. Semifreddo is an Italian dessert that is deceptively easy to make - it's kind of an icecream cake. Eggs, whipped cream, sugar and whatever flavouring you like. Make it the night before, freeze then serve slices. Like this.

We ate this meal with a Lakes Folly Chardonnay and were all very, very happy. Most importantly, I managed to do with a real feeling of contentment. I felt relaxed and very much at ease. Lots of conversation, friends who were happy to see us and who enjoyed the meal. I'm not going to run headlong into a bout of entertaining any time soon, but I think I got a bit of the joy back. Feeding friends is really nice and I don't want to stop doing it. I just need to remember the ways that make it enjoyable and not a trial.

Bells

New commenting system

2009-12-14T20:35:00.002+11:00

You may have noticed yesterday I installed a new commenting system to replace Haloscan, which I've used for a long time.

I didn't have a lot of choice. Haloscan announced it was coming to an end and users had two choices.

Adopt a new system provided by the company that bought Haloscan, or manage on your own, thereby losing all your old comments.

So I had to choose the new one. It's a bit different but I think I'll like it. It's one that's being used around the place a lot more and has some benefits, one of which is more readily enabled comment moderation.

It allows me, as blog owner, to mark readers as approved always. Once you're approved you'll be able to always comment without moderation. Only inappropriate comments will fail to be approved and it's highly unlikely that any such action will have to be taken but unfortunately it's a step I've had to take. I don't really like the idea of moderation but there you go. Sometimes you have to do things you don't like.

So I'm sorry if it's a bit clunky at first but don't be put off - I think it's a system that's fairly easy to adjust to and you'll no doubt see it around a lot more as it takes off and becomes more common.

But please, if you're just writing as a guest, leave your name somehow so I know it's you!

Bells

Summer Knitting in the Quay

2009-12-13T18:31:00.007+11:00

This weekend, I took an early bus to Sydney on Saturday morning to join a bunch of knitters down at Circular Quay for an end of year/summer/Christmas gathering.

It was, in short, a fabulous afternoon.

I met up with Kylie at Central Station and we headed to where the day was kicking off at the Inner City Knitters Guild meeting. At Guild, everyone gets to show off works in progress or finished projects and you see some amazing stuff. They're a great bunch. I've been twice and have felt really warmly welcomed both times.

Walking down the Circular Quay there was a great sense of Sydney being at its best. All sunshine and people milling about and docked in full view was a giant cruise ship. I snapped RoseRed and Jody wandering past.

We settled into the cafe we'd chosen, taking over several tables for the duration. It's hard to get photos in the dim light of an undercover walkway but we had a great view.

Randomknits/Donna and Jody.

And more knitters down the length of the table.

I originally posted the above photo via my iphone to Facebook but word came from my sister that my nephew, Will, thought it was too dark (everyone's a critic!) so I took another one for him that he might find more interesting.

There was, of course, an astounding amount of knitting in amongst all the food, drinks and Secret Santa presents (I was given, by Sharre, a fabulous selection of teas, with a pretty tea cup and some strawberry flavoured sugar!). I caught a couple of projects being worked on around me. I had to do this because my knitting for the day is a secret.

Kylie is knitting a gorgeous red sock in from Zauberball.

And RoseRed was demonstrating a tubular cast on. I was amazed.

And here we are, grinning happily, because, well, we were happy. RoseRed, me and Kylie. Later we had a sleepover at RoseRed's house and Mr RoseRed cooked Paella for us and it was all just lovely.

In the afternoon, I caught a bus home and napped over my secret knitting. I had crammed a lot into the weekend and I was extraordinarily sleepy.

You know what was interesting about sitting outdoors knitting all afternoon? The number of times we were asked about the purpose of our gathering was staggering. Do we walk up to people sitting eating and drinking and ask the purpose no? Look, I'm not so dim as to wonder why people think knitting in public is worth commenting on and I'm sure if you've not seen it before you do feel awfully curious, but it did seem rather odd that the majority of commenters assumed it was for charity. One woman even asked us if we were having a knit-a-thon.

We explained, with good humour, that it was a social event.

"And you're all knitting different things? Not the same things?'"

That was the baffling question for me. Why would twenty or so people sitting with food and drinks and looking to all intents and purposes like a social gathering, be all knitting the same thing? I didn't quite get that. But never mind, it's always novel to be approached. Just not too much.

Bells

Indian Summer

2009-12-07T08:30:00.007+11:00

I've never joined a Yarn Club. Oh I've thought about it. Everytime Blue Moon Fibre Arts announces their sock yarn club I look at the price tag and think no, not this time. Or there's the Year of Lace club. That too looks fabulous. There are so many out there and I always deny myself.

A couple of months ago, I decided enough with the denial! Some of you may know Ailsa from Knitabulous. She's particularly well known here, being active on both the Sydney and Wollongong knit scene. She's a talented lace knitter and yarn dyer. She has an Etsy store. This year, her stuff has really taken off.

There was a tremendous buzz when Ailsa announced she was having a Yarn Club of her own. That phrase, 'in like Flynn'? Most apt here. On the weekend, the first installment arrived. - on a Saturday no less! One of the best things about Christmas is Australia Post gives mail junkies like me something extra to look forward to on Saturdays. I even took the box directly from the nice delivery man's hands.

And here it is, minus the dark chocolate which I ate. The yarn is called Indian Summer.

The merino sock yarn is delicious. Those colours! I have nothing like it in the stash and that to me has made joining up worthwhile already. And lip balm? That's my other addiction, so all is right with the world now. Packages like this are fun.

Thanks Ailsa. Great kick off to your yarn club. Can't wait to try the pattern that comes with the yarn.

Bells

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

2009-12-05T19:27:00.007+11:00

Not for the first time, I find myself once again feeling largely indifferent to the whole Christmas palaver, but this year, in an attempt to keep everything very low key, I've got just a very few pre-Christmas events to look forward to, events in which I plan to make a nod or two in the direction of festivities. These nods invariably involve food because that's what I like best about Christmas.

So for a BBQ today at my sister's house, I made some Christmas cupcakes, knowing there'd be a few children there. The idea comes from Nigella Lawson's Christmas Cupcakes which I've made in previous years but this year I didn't necessarily want to make her heavy, spicy versions since I wasn't sure children would like them. I opted instead for Nigella's basic fairy cakes recipe, which you can find online here. It's a great recipe, which RoseRed wrote about here on our Mouthfuls of Heaven blog, because it's very light, delicately plain and serves as a very good base for fancier toppings. I've also covered this version on Mouthfuls of Heaven here.

The amazing thing about making these cupcakes was that the icing was saved and frozen two years ago. I'd almost forgotten it was there, but there, tucked away in a freezer basket were two foil wrapped bundles marked GREEN and WHITE. I'd bought some royal icing in 2007, mixed half into green with Wiltons paste (why half I don't know as I clearly only needed a fraction of the mix to make a green portion) and you know what? It was just fine.

I'm not a great decorator. I think I lack the perfectionist's eye but they looked pretty good to me and my siblings and all the children today thought they looked and tasted fantastic. My nine year old step niece Jenny has already booked me for a baking session in the new year.

I managed to catch Will eating his cupcake. He told me the green tree was 'yummy'.

And I tried to get Alice looking at a cupcake, being too young yet to eat any, but the afternoon's festivities were exhausting and she nodded off in the time it took me to get the camera ready.

It was a great afternoon. Pretty low key as pre-christmas family gatherings go, with lots of laughs and baby cuddles and stories and ice creams and cupcakes.

L-R - Adele, Keith, Fee, Me.

Front - Will and Alice

I am pretty sure if I can keep reminding myself that Christmas isn't about playing the stress game, but is actually about time in the sunshine (for we southern hemisphere dwellers) with good people and some festive food, then it's all good.

As far as Christmas knitting goes, I'm keeping that low key too and am about to finish the two big ticket items in the next day or so. I call that a good result!

Bells

Exploring the New

2009-12-03T09:46:00.022+11:00

In my last post on finally diving into the previously daunting task of knitting nupps, Caffeine Girl asked in the comments:

I would like to know what you need when you try something new or difficult. I have to be in a quiet room, no tv, no talking, etc.

Excellent question! I bet we all have different ways of approaching something new so here are a few ways I do it.

Videos
Being an early riser on the weekends, I've been known to get up early on a Sunday, make a cup of tea and sit in front of Knitting Help videos and spend as little or as much time in front of the screen as it takes me to get a handle on a new technique. This was how I learned finally to do both the provisional and the long tail cast on. Having the quiet and uninterrupted time to play the videos over and over and not bother Sean with the repetition was invaluable. Although I suppose I could put on headphones!

I think I prefer the video method to any other because following those hand movements over and over again is the only way to make something like that stick. If you know how to do a long tail cast on, you'll know that it's all about the wrist action and that really made sense once I watched the excellent Knitting Help video.

But you can also watch videos on You Tube that cover all sorts techniques too. I recently watched Cat Bordhi's video on You Tube showing her excellent invisible increase technique. Highly recommend that!

Books
I can learn a certain amount of stuff from books but I don't tend to retain the information until the moment I actually need it. For instance, I read about making nupps for quite some time but until the moment I needed to do it, I couldn't have really explained it. I needed the information right there in front of me, even though I'd read it dozens of times. I mostly read my knitting books at night before going to bed. Waking hours are for knitting. The time before going to sleep is for reading. As an aside, I've recently figured out that if I read knitting books before going to sleep, I seem to sleep better and fall asleep sooner. I go to sleep with my head filled with ideas and plans and happy thoughts and as a restless sleeper and sometimes insomniac, this is a good thing!

Blogs
Isn't the blog world just choc full of people who can cleverly explain how they do things? Just today I read a fantastic tutorial on reading lace charts by Ysolda Teague. I can read charts now but her explanation was quite unique and I think would be really useful if you're still a bit daunted by lace charts. Even though Eunny Jang doesn't write her blog anymore, her tutorials on everything from lace to steeking are among the best. I've lost hours to her tutorials.

But apart from the big name bloggers, I learn so much from everyone else. Someone might talk about how they learned to do fair isle with two hands, or how they determined the best way to figure out a yardage issue and I'll just file that way for later. It happens in person too. Rarely do I come away from a gathering of knitters without some small nugget of information that was new.

As for the nupps I added to my list of knitting skills last week, I must confess that when the crunch came, I wasn't nearly so careful or considered. Literally up until the last minute I thought I was going to bypass them altogether but it was Thursday night and my cleaner had been and I felt quite happy and relaxed with a couple of glasses of chardonnay already drunk and so you could say I felt brave, even brazen.

All it took was that one comment from Dr K urging me on and I was off and running into nuppland. No lifeline, no dummy run. Nothing. Just headlong into the new.

Sometimes, you've just gotta let go of the handlebars and fly down the hill.

How do you focus on learning something new?

Bells

And Then I Made Nupps

2009-11-29T15:43:00.007+11:00

Nupps, or those little buds you see all over Estonian lace, have been bugging me for a long time. Probably since I first picked up the Swallowtail Shawl pattern two years ago and promptly put it down again, I've let the tricky little bobbles get to me. In case you're not familiar, here's what they look like in a very nicely knit and blocked piece of lace fabric.

These aren't my nupps. They're just a sample I found on Flickr, by Sissyvette.

Since I cast on a Swallowtail Shawl a while back, the nupps in that pattern have been looming. I've devoted possibly more time to agonising over them than any other aspect of my knitting for some while.

They come late into the pattern, if you happen to have never made the shawl (thousands have before us!) and so you have plenty of time to pretend the Lily of the Valley border doesn't exist.

I thought I'd do beads instead. And then I didn't because I don't feel like learning that particular skill yet.

And then I thought I'd just ignore the nupps altogether. That whole purl 5 stitches together thing really didn't sound appealing and Shelley was coaching me in ways to make a perfectly acceptable version without them. She should know. She made one for me and I adore it. Right up until the last moment, that was the way I was going to go. I was knitting with fuzzy yarn, after all, who needs to learn something complex with fuzzy yarn?

But the moment came when I had to choose last Thursday night and so I dove in. I'd almost decided to do it, but could just as easily have gone the other way, when I posted on twitter.

to nupp or not to nupp. that is the question.
8:14 PM Nov 25th from web

Sometimes we need a friend to push us over the edge don't we?

Dr K replied to my tweet almost at once and urged me to do it. Rather convincingly, she suggested that as she herself was planning to launch into a project riddled with the things next week, she hoped I'd be her advance party, that I'd go in and test the water, let her know if there was danger ahead or not.

Well, Dr K, I know you saw these at dinner last night, but I'm just letting you know that 24 hours later, me and the nupps are going great. Just peachy. I have loads more of them. See?

I think the nupps aren't so easy to see in the midst of all the Kid Seta fuzziness, but they're there and I'm banking on them standing out really nicely once the piece is finished and stretched. I've recently seen how Kid Seta scrubs up after a long soak and a good blocking and I'm confident the hard work of all that nupping will pay off.

If you avoid them, be not afraid. Nupps are cool. I've spent the whole afternoon enjoying every single one of them. Honestly, I couldn't be more surprised at how nice it is to make them. I'm not saying I'm going to seek them out from now on. I'm not stupid! They always sounded so fussy, so painful and in truth, they're fiddly, but I'm happy to say that me and the Swallowtail Shawl are gonna be just fine.

Bells

Knitters are the best people

2009-11-24T20:11:00.003+11:00

Imagine this.

Monday morning and your husband decides, after much indecision, that he will drive to Sydney that night to see his favourite Swedish metal band on stage at the Enmore theatre. And that we'll drive home afterwards so we won't lose a day's work. That's a 3 hour drive each way and the concert wouldn't finish til nearer midnight.

After all my cajoling, all my insistence that he should indulge himself once in a while, he decided to do it and I knew then that I had to come through with the goods and actually support him! I think I quietly suspected he wouldn't decide to do it.

Part of the reason he decided to do it was, I think, was because I said I could come with him to share the driving and that I'd be able to find company in Newtown on a Monday night. How does one find company in a city that isn't one's home on a rainy Monday night?

Easy! It's called Twitter! Put the word out to the knitters you know live nearby and see if, at the last minute, they want to hang out. Within an hour or two, super organised and connected knitter Webgoddess had organised an impromptu Knitting Salon at her house for seven.

We left work early and I dropped my Swedish metal loving husband on King Street. Trusty iphone GPS application in hand, I found my way to my destination easily and what followed was an exceedingly pleasing evening of vegetable curry, knitting around the dining table, (a little) wine, much chatting and laughter and finally, when most had left, an episode of Pride and Prejudice on a screen much larger than I am used to. Who knew that Lizzie Bennet's cleavage commanded such attention? The things you miss on a modest TV screen.

Around midnight, Sean and I were on the road, driving home on roads glossy with much needed rain, and arrived home at 3:30am. I was thinking as I drove how wonderful it is to be connected to knitters, even virtually. Some women came last night who I knew only vaguely from Ravelry but they put aside a Monday evening and came to hang out and knit and eat curry and Peanut Butter cups and laugh and it was all arranged with a few quick tweets and emails. Suddenly Sean knew he could leave me in good hands while he did his thing.

That, my friends, is yet another benefit of being part of this fabulous community.

I was going to end by saying that next time we decide to drive to Sydney and back over night for a bunch of Swedish long haired blokes, remind me of how crappy and tired we felt the next day, but actually I think I won't say that because being impulsive once in a while is fun and in the process, you can make new friends.

Bells

Handmade News

2009-11-20T19:59:00.003+11:00

Do you know the online magazine Handmade News? No? I didn't either until about two weeks ago when I was contacted by Sara Moore from the magazine about doing a profile of my blog.

I had a look and realised it was a crafting magazine I'd never heard of. It seemed quite new and asking around some friends, I realised that no one else had heard of it either. I thought that doing an interview would be both fun and interesting so last weekend I cobbled together some answers for the magazine and sent them out, hoping for the best. Having never done such a thing as answer interview questions, I think it's safe to say it felt a bit weird but was a nice opportunity to reflect a little on blogging and knitting and where the two intersect.

The interview is here and I recommend you check out the magazine because there's something in there for everyone. I'm really glad they got in touch because it's been really great to find a new magazine and to read all sorts of articles about skills i don't have, particularly the jewellery making. I don't think that's a skill I'm likely to acquire so reading about it and enjoying the talents of other people is a very nice way to pass the time. So check them out.

The interview is really about what it means to me to be a knitter and blogger, and how the two inform my creativity. I hope you enjoy it!

And because so much of my knitting at the moment is either not very advanced or is gift knitting I can't show, here's a photo of me and Alice from last weekend. I love her serious face. Her smiles are gorgeous but it's her serious face that makes me wonder what she's thinking! I love being her aunty. She's so lovely.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Bells

A night at the Opera House - Tori Amos

2009-11-17T17:53:00.008+11:00

Finally, the night I'd been looking forward to for months arrived yesterday. I got to wear my Myrtle Leaf shawl to the Sydney Opera House to see my long time love, Tori Amos.

This photo was taken by Ailsa of Knitabulous, just before we went in and it's my favourite. The shawl and the Opera House.

Here's another one that turned out well, this time with the Harbour bridge. This feels a bit like a Tourism board post but what the hell, if you can't make the most of the venue and have a bit of fun then there's something wrong!

Earlier, when we were on our own, Sean took a few full length shots. The forecourt of the Opera House is a bit of a construction zone at the moment, probably because of Australian Idol.

He didn't get the shoes in but I was wearing my favourite red heels. All in all, I loved having something so elegant to wear to such a spectacular venue. What fun to dress up! I don't do it often enough.

So, about the show. Probably there aren't many readers who know or even love Tori Amos like I do but if you love music, or if you've followed an artist's work for a long time, I'm sure my feelings and thoughts will resonate for you. By her own admission, she's like anchovies. She's not popular. But if you get her, it's an incredible ride.

I was struck while listening to Tori, who is touring the country solo, that when you've loved an artist for the better part of eighteen years, sitting through a two hour performance is really an exercise in reliving those years, and your own story, sonically.

Tori has been the cornerstone for me, in terms of music, since I was twenty. Finding her first album, Little Earthquakes, was one of those defining moments. In 1992 I was struggling deeply with Christianity and trying to work out all sorts of stuff about navigating my way from adolescence to adulthood. Little Earthquakes, I'm certain, showed me some of the way. I don't think it's overstating the case to say that. She's a writer and songs can be as illuminating as any writing.

Her voice, the piano, the artful storytelling all combine to make a musical experience that has kept me riveted for many, many years. I think deep loyalty to an artist means that you commit to growing with that artist as she grows, even if sometimes her work goes in directions that seem baffling. You can't ask an artist to still be writing the same songs she was writing when she was in her twenties. The songs she's writing now are lightyears from what she wrote in the early nineties and she's an amazing example of how women can grow older and still be creative, passionate and evocative forces in modern music. She continually provides vision, strength, honesty and ultimately sublime music all wrapped in one amazing package.

And that, really, is why I cling to her. She's been there through all the important phases in my life, sharing the stories, expressing just what I need to hear at just the right time. There was the faith crisis, the difficult pathway into adulthood, the relationship breakups, the journey to self awareness, the miscarriages, the yearning for motherhood, and the artistic development. I'm not a song writer but I'm creative and she remains for me a symbol of what it means to embrace your creativity and in the words of Joseph Campbell, how to follow your bliss.

It was wonderful to dress up, go out with Sean and some friends and spend an evening in a truly amazing concert hall in the presence of a great and, to me, incredibly inspiring woman.

Flickr set with more photos here.

Bells

Mitered Hanging Towel

2009-11-16T08:00:00.004+11:00

The Canberra group on Ravelry recently held its inaugural swap. There was no particular theme, just a timeframe and instructions to stalk your swap partner to figure out what was best for them.

My swap partner, despite being local, was unknown to me and stalking was challenging, but fun. She crochets mainly, has not much in the way of stash and expressed a bit of fear about knitting so I figured I'd knit something for her that was both useful and a little bit clever.

I settled on the Mason Dixon Mitered Hanging Towel from their book, Knitting Outside the Lines which I'd seen RoseRed make last year and had had on my mental to do list for some time. I'm only sorry I took so long to getting around to making it, only to give it away. Not that I'm sorry to have made it for my swap partner, but well, you know, I'm kicking myself I didn't make one for me too. I guess I'll just have to make another one soon because this literally was finished in one day.

Two episodes of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South (oh Mr Thornton!) and a bit of Sunday night ABC drama, and it was done!

Peaches and Cream cotton, 4.5mm needles. Voila!

And the button, up close.

A nice match I think. I was there when my swap partner opened her package because the participants had a wonderful dinner gathering last Friday night so we could swap in person - such a great idea! She appeared very happy with it!

And here's what she made for me. A pair of cute crocheted fingerless gloves. Quite elegant aren't they? Thanks Kate!

Bells

Trusting the pattern

2009-11-14T12:01:00.007+11:00

Any idea what this is?

It's damn cute, that's what it is, but I know that only because I know how it will turn out. Not because I can actually see what it is right now. It's pretty, but it doesn't really look anything like the end product yet.

This pattern, called Fiona's Top, is a tunic style top or dress that I'm making for Alice. It's a translated Danish pattern and boy is it odd. I say that with all due respect to the designer but it's not written in a way that most of us would necessarily get on first glance. To my mind, a dress that starts from the yoke and works down can quite easily be done in one piece in the round but I decided to go with the flow and knit it as written and so far, it's knit flat and in sections.

The two halves you see there, in purple with the lace pattern, are actually the two parts of the back and until two rows ago, they were separated. I've just joined them and will continue to knit down now until the bottom of the piece. After that, I'll pick up the front stitches which are on waste yarn at the moment, knit the front and then sew seams.

Really this is fine. I'm quite enjoying it but it's been a curious experience. I know LynS made it for her granddaughter and she didn't mention any particular struggles so I've kept that in mind as I've crossed each small query along the way. Lyn made it. I can make it. That's what I've been saying and I'm glad I persisted because at first, I really wasn't sure.

And what is with Rowan discontinuing this cotton? It's their 4ply cotton and the discontinuation may have occured some time ago for all I know but it seems like utter lunacy! It's a delicate, highly workable and utterly pleasurable cotton to knit with and I'm flabbergasted. Why would you discontinue something so very good? Business decisions often make no sense at all.

(Edited later: Donna left a comment to say I had perhaps got it wrong. One phone call later I saw she was right. No wonder I was confused. What we have there is the side seams joined well before there are any side seams to join. That hole is the arm hole and I have actually done a front piece yet so it's too early for an armhole! Confused? I was. Not any more. Thanks Donna!)

* * *

Today is Sean's birthday and this morning he got to have a birthday cuddle with Alice at the markets while Fee had her coffee. Don't they both look a picture in red?

Shortly we're heading out, just the two of us. It's a gorgeous November day. Perfect for an outdoor birthday lunch. His thumb is doing well, thanks for all for the queries. The bandage is off now and he's able to show off his electric blue stitches! Pretty impressive but we'll spare you the photos!

Bells

Of Roses and Lace

2009-11-10T18:10:00.004+11:00

Summer is here. Unofficially. The calendar still says November, but the mercury says summer has arrived. We are in salad and cool drink territory now.

And lace. Lots and lots of lace. I promised on my blog break I'd do some maintenance on the blog, which was to include adding a list of A Long Lacy Summer participants to the sidebar but oops, I had a real break from blogging. One that included not doing anything to the site. I'll get to it. I've been busy with Icarus. Remember how I was agonising over the right project for my Helen's Lace? Remember how I was totally over thinking the whole thing?

Behold Icarus. This is what happens when you stop over thinking and just knit.

I love this shawl so far. Yeah it's fairly mindless but hey, after my Myrtle Leaf shawl, I think I earned the right to do some lace where I just enjoyed something simple, right?

It's the lace knitting equivalent, I think, of just smelling the roses. Or, if you're me, with no functioning olfactory nerves, just enjoying the look of them.

This is a heritage rose my father in law gave us as a cutting and they are flowering. Stunning, don't you reckon?

And speaking of cutting, a certain someone who also lives here injured himself terribly last night - the top of his thumb is now held together with stitches. We love our sharp knives, but sometimes we are careless. Thankfully he is left handed and the injury is on his right thumb. He can still use his iphone. That's a relief!

And no I haven't worn my Myrtle Leaf shawl to the Opera House to see Tori Amos yet. That's next Monday and I just can't wait.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 31: The Last Day

2009-10-31T14:00:00.003+11:00

This is just a little note to say farewell for now.

Blogtoberfest has been fun and challenging and more than a little bit draining.

I need a break.

Thirty one photos below, to remind me that it's been a busy month with a significant amount of knitting, some travel and a whole lot of time with my lovely niece, Alice.

1. Alice and Bells go shopping, 2. Modern Bib, 3. Not such a great view, 4. Alice, 5. Branching Out 2, 6. Alice and Fee, 7. Spring on the bikepath, 8. Floral tea cosy, 9. Golden Vintage - back, 10. Me and Alice - at Polly's house, 11. White blossoms, 12. Sweet Pea, 13. Myrtle on the line, 14. Styling shot with George, 15. Myrtle Leaf Shawl with Willow Border, 16. Needle Jug, 17. Helen's Lace, 18. Earbud Pouch - open, 19. Alice in October, 20. Lunch time knitting, 21. Myrtle Leaf Shawl Border, 22. Sea Glass bookmark, 23. Lobster Pot Yarns, 24. Poppy, 25. Pink Ribbon Day Cupcake, 26. Fee and Alice at the fountain, 27. Alice and I at the fountain, 28. Grey Skies, 29. Sunshine in the pines, 30. Victorian farmland, 31. Garter Stitch Bib

I'll be taking a fair amount of November off. At least two weeks, to work on some gifts and some behind the scenes blog stuff. But I'll be reading everyone else and hanging around the web. And of course, I'll be starting on my own project for A Long Lacy Summer. You'll be pleased to know I did eventually settle on the Icarus shawl and hope to cast on tomorrow.

So thanks for reading and being there. See you in a while.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 30: Juliet, Naked

2009-10-30T17:23:00.008+11:00

I haven't bought a new book that wasn't a knitting or cook book in ages. I've been reading, but mainly borrowed books - most notably, Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford or the backlog of previously purchased books I've never managed to read.

But when I found myself with an hour to kill at Melbourne airport last month, I thought the time had come to dip back into new fiction and I am so glad I did. Juliet, Naked was just the right book for me at just the right moment.

I came late to Nick Hornby. I saw High Fidelity at the movies and became an instant convert. He's comedic, insightful, engaging and writes prolifically about one of my great loves, music. He's always captured that thing that is so hard to put into words, why we love music and what it's like to be music obsessed.

Here are a couple of good reviews that will tell you more than I'm going to. And a recent fantastic interview from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Essentially the book is about a couple, one half of which is utterly obsessed with a has been singer-songwriter from the 80s and what happens when that obsession causes an irreprable rift in the relationship, which was pretty clearly in its last days anyway.

I loved Nick Hornby's oh so accurate depiction of life online and most particularly, music geekery online. My first enthusiastic steps on the internet in the early 90s were driven by music. I found newgroups, fan sites and forums where people like me could obsess about the music we loved most. In the old days we had to join fan clubs with periodic newsletters, or hang out for the latest edition of Q or Rolling Stone. When the internet happened, suddenly we could connect with each other in close to real time and I loved it. And I still do.

After knitting, music sites are one of the other places you'll most likely find me. It's the best way to find out what's to be heard if you don't engage with the core of mainstream music, which I haven't for years, having long ago decided that most of the bland, meangingless stuff was no longer for me. There are exceptions of course but I've by and large left mainstream radio and music video shows long behind me.

I find when people get older and say they don't listen to music much anymore, it's because it seems that after they outgrew top 40 teenage music, they didn't know where to go next. There's a whole world out there of artists who are a lifetime away from mainstream trends and who are producing exciting, wonderful music and I add to my store of loved performers regularly. It keeps my music love alive. I cherish the long loved favourites but I adore getting to know the new artists, many of whom cite old favourites as heroes. The cycle of music goes on.

I think I was a music geek long before I knew there was such a thing. In my early 20s I would scour the liner notes of my favourite CDs, learning the names of contributing musicians. If I liked, for instance, someone who provided some cello on a song, I'd look up other albums they had contributed to and more often that not, I'd find another love.

But even earlier than that, I trace my obsession back to Abba and the way as a very small child I used to stare into the speaker grids on the little cassette player we had in the 70s to see if there were people actually inside singing to me. I'm pretty sure my mum would back up my memory that the only way to stop me being sick on car trips was to give me a cassette player, plugged into the car's cigarette lighter, and let me play Abba all the way there and all the way back. It probably drove them mad, but was better than dealing with a vomiting child.

Now in my late 30s, I'm not obsessive like I was in my 20s but then hopefully we are all not many things we used to be. I don't buy the magazines any more. I don't engage quite as intensely, but I still read and learn; I still like to know stuff.

For instance, just this afternoon I spent a bus trip home scouring set lists online from the recent Tori Amos tour so that I could make a compilation CD for my sister Fee and for Ailsa to help them catch up with the last few albums in readiness for the Australian shows. I love that stuff. I love seeing what albums are getting the most coverage. I love seeing how far back she's digging into her old material and which of the new songs are getting the most stage time, all the while imagining what Fee and Ailsa will think of those songs. I want to get the order right when I make the compilation CD. Isn't that what High Fidelity was? One long take on the virtue of mixed tapes?

So yes, Juliet, Naked felt like a book in some ways about my own experience. True, I don't live in a bleak northern English seaside town and nor do I shut out my husband with my obsession, but I am obsessive and I found his portrayal of the love of music quite evocative of some of my own experiences. And I laughed. A lot. Nick Hornby is a great, humorous writer and this book will stay with me for a long time. I hope there's a movie.

If you love Tori, here's a favourite of mine from the early 90s. Can you tell I'm getting excited about the tour? I'm so glad I have friends to go to the show with me (Sean is also coming). I'm so often alone in my love! Well except for the in the online world, where Toriphiles are legion.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 29: Earbud Pouch

2009-10-29T19:40:00.004+11:00

For some time, my lovely husband has been ~~hassling me for~~ asking me for a little pouch he could keep his iphone earbuds in. I actually think he started asking before we got the iphones. But finally, I started one and tonight I sewed on the button.

It's just a simple little design I made up as I went along, although kudos to Alison of MachenMachen for a quick sketch one lunch time in a park in the city when I was wondering how I might proceed to the flap part.

The yarn is Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett. It's left over from socks I made earlier this year. I've knit it at quite a fine gauge, on 2.25/US1 needles, magic loop.

Sean's really happy with it. However, knowing it's a prototype, he was happy to offer design suggestions, mainly that it was probably a little bigger than it needed to be and I could probably take as much as a finger's width, or about ten stitches off. So I'll play around with it and make one for myself and write up what I did.

I need one fast because I'm sick to death of my earbuds rolling around in my handbag and getting caught up with pens and other stuff that floats around in my bag.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 28: The weight of expectation

2009-10-28T19:13:00.006+11:00

I hold this laceweight beauty in my hand like an apple. That's what it makes me think of as I focus the camera on it in the late afternoon. I am remembering a time, almost a year ago, when I bought it and paid a princely sum for it.

I think of a time, it was January this year, when I spent several weeks trying to find just the shawl for it. It was agony. I had bought this yarn, Lorna's Laces 'Helen's Lace' with the desire to make it my key project for my first summer of knitting lace. How could I not with that colour and a yarn bearing my name?

I learned from that three week debacle that placing too high expectations on a simple skein of yarn is actually a hinderance. Every shawl I tried seemed not right. Every decision turned out to be the wrong one. All because I had infused the strands with unrealistic meaning.

Yes. I paid a lot for it. Yes, it was going to be my first serious lace project (whatever that means). Yes, I had blogged about it being special and important.

I look back now and think, 'huh?' What was I on?

It's beautiful yarn. It's going to be delightful to knit it into something. I planned an Icarus shawl but tonight I find myself wondering all over again, is it the right shawl? Is there something better/different/nicer that I could make?

And I realise that a year on, I've learned nothing.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 27: Portrait of a Jug with Needles

2009-10-27T18:42:00.004+11:00

I found this jug, several years ago now, in a garage sale held by a neighbour.

He was an artist, our neighbour. We didn't really know him but he lived across the road in our old suburb. He was Eastern European, I think and the one time we went into his house, a lovingly restored old Canberra cottage, I was amazed. It was all light and colour, from the multitude of small colourful tiles in the kitchen, to splashes of stained glass windows casting rainbows onto the immaculate floorboards.

That's all I remember really. The light and the colour.

So when he held a garage sale one Saturday morning, I of course was desperate to dash across the road and join the masses. Miraculously, this jug became mine. I don't know how it was missed among the antiques and collectables he was off loading. When I asked him how he could sell so many beautiful things he said he was no longer interested in any of the objects he was selling, that he wanted to be rid of them.

I held up the weighty blue jug and he said, 'Ah, that. Yes, it's beautiful.'

'How much?' I asked.

Fifteen dollars was the price. As little as that? My face must have said it all. "Yes, he said. Just $15. A friend of mine made it. He is Danish, but lives in Australia. I hope you enjoy it."

And I always have. I love blue things. Blue glass. Blue bowls. Blue pottery. I have a small but lovely collection. And this was the piece that started it off. Now, it houses my needles, the straights I hardly ever use.

I love it.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 26: The Gentle Art of Frogging

2009-10-26T18:30:00.006+11:00

Frogging, or for the non-knitting readers, ripping out your work and ditching what seemed like a perfectly good idea at some point, is sometimes a vital act in every knitter's life.

We've all done it. If we say we haven't, we are lying. Some people do it more than others. Some people claim almost to never do it and we might even believe them, right RoseRed?

See these three balls of wound up wool?

These were rescued from a bag hanging on the back of my spare room door yesterday and unceremoniously ditched.

On the left, in Wensleydale 4ply, my third attempt at Ishbel.

The red is Drops Alpaca which was the sleeve of a Drops cardigan pattern. Have I mentioned how much I hate Drops patterns? No? They are so clumsily written up. I detested it.

Finally, Liza Souza sock yarn which had been a Crocus scarf (a crochet pattern). I began it well over a year ago and it wasn't like the pattern was awful. In fact I loved it, but it was almost completed and used barely a third of the skein. I didn't want to have 2/3 of a skein left when I could use the whole skein for something else. So Crocus went too.

And I feel so relieved. The weight of those projects was getting to me, mocking me and reminding me of failure to see something through, of yarn that was being held back.

Gone. And my stash room is, in the process of having tidied it up a bit, much better for it, too. Just as well, because I'm having a visitor next week and she'll need somewhere to sleep, won't you Dr K? Check out her post today - she's got another fun photo from the Myrtle shawl photo shoot.

Oh and by the way, Alice says hi.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 25: Who Will Sing Me Lullabies?

2009-10-25T16:39:00.003+11:00

When baby Alice comes to stay and I want to nurse her to sleep, I stumbled a while ago upon the perfect lullaby for her.

In the absence of anything much else to post today, I will share with you all the utterly beautiful song by English folk singer, Kate Rusby.

I've been following her since around 2000, having first heard her on a music program on Radio National. I've been enthralled by female voices forever. Can't ever get enough and Kate's voice is pure and magical all at once.

When I play the song Who Will Sing Me Lullabies, I cradle Alice in my arms and rock her and sing along quietly and sure enough, she nods off. I think she, like her mum and like me, responds well to music. Although her mum tells me that Alice often falls asleep to the Foo Fighters, so you know, she'll be diverse.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy Kate. If you ever watched the British comedy Jam and Jersusalem, she's that girl, the one who sings the theme song.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 24: Myrtle Leaf Shawl with Willow Border

2009-10-24T19:36:00.010+11:00

Today a bunch of friends joined Dr K in the glorious Southern Highlands for her birthday lunch. A little village called Burrawang, with a stone cottage for a pub. RoseRed has some lovely photos. So does Miss Fee.

While there, showering Kylie with birthday gifts and affection, we had a little fun doing a photo shoot for my finished Myrtle Leaf Shawl with Willow Border. We tried hard to emulate the photos from Victorian Lace Today because, well, why not. In a setting as green and English gardenesque as this, you sort of have to, I think.

If you know the book, these might make you smile.

So this is one of those projects that takes forever and pays off in the end by being every bit as delicate and beautiful and ultimately triumphant as you could hope a piece of knitted lace could be. I really don't think it gets better than the feeling I've got from having finished this. It's not just relief. I don't even feel in mourning for it being over. I just feel so pleased!

And getting to drape it around my shoulders and have a bit of fun playing with Dr K as photographer and George as stylist was just the icing on the cake.

Myrtle was started on the Australia Day weekend in late January and I did put her down for quite a long time while I got on with more practical knits, so really, I think she took seven months all up. It's the kind of project that I think, if I focused, could have been done in three months. I vow next time not to let a big piece of lace drag on because near the end, it does all become a bit of a burden as the desire to work on something new takes hold.

All black is not easy. I think I suffered a fair amount of eye strain as I tried to get through it. The pattern itself is not hard. It's a two sided pattern, which was my first time of doing such a thing, so with no rest rows, it's fairly intensive, but there's nothing overtly challenging once you settle in.

Knitting on the border was a bit of a challenge at first but once I was in the swing of it, it took about three weeks.

The yarn is JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 and it's just stunning. I'd use it again and again. In black. In any colour. It's the nicest laceweight yarn I've used.

Sure, she's not the kind of shawl I'm going to get to wear every day, but I have plenty of everyday shawls. This one's for special moments, like next month when I get all dressed up to see Tori Amos at the Opera House. That'll be just the right night.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 23: A Long Lacy Summer Returns

2009-10-23T19:03:00.007+11:00

If you were around last year, you might recall I engaged in a summer long feast of lace knitting. Let's not discuss the fact that the majority of my time was taken up with a certain black lace shawl that I only just finished. This is not the point. The point was it was my first summer of really giving myself over to trying my hand at real lace.

And lots of people joined in.

So I'm doing it again. A few people around the place are already talking about what they want to do which is pretty exciting. I may do a Ravelry group. I may not. At the time I called it a half-arsed knit along because I didn't do much formally for it. Just watched everyone else to see what they were doing and got through the summer heat with as much light, delicate knitting as possible,

The plan is, figure out what you want to knit, let me know in the comments that you're on board and come 1 November, we're off.

I'm most likely going to start with an Icarus shawl. Probably. I reserve the right to change my mind!

These photos are teasers of my Myrtle shawl. She's done. I spent today showing her off to anyone who even looked like they might be interested. I managed to block her last night before bed (with Sean's help!) and she went out today.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be in a particularly beautiful location so she'll get a full outing, with photos, then.

And yes, those of you who are heading into winter are most welcome to join in. The more the merrier! There are other lace knit alongs around, but this one's really easy. No rules. No guidelines. Just knit lace. Shawls, scarves, socks, garments. Whatever. It'll be fun. And of course, RoseRed and I are running Southern Summer of Socks again too, which is also fairly low key so I'll be combining both lace and socks a bit I think!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 22: Can't Talk. Knitting

2009-10-22T19:12:00.003+11:00

Tonight, my myrtle shawl is a mere hour or two from completion. I can hardly contain my excitement to have this done.

The thrill people! The thrill!

Of finishing something long worked on and of being on that most delicious brink of newness.

So I leave you with an image from the Thursday lunchtime knitting crowd. All our projects piled together on the table.

I think those of us who gather at a city cafe on Thursdays wonder how we ever got through the long working week without this much needed break.

Now, I'm going to pour a drink and knit. And then, I shall be free!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 21: Sean's Post - What is it like to exist in the 3rd person?

2009-10-20T22:05:00.012+11:00

As requested by a few loyal Bellsknits readers, Sean will be writing this post.

I mean I will be. Me - the Knitting Widow, previously only known in the third person.

So what to say...

Bells does indeed knit, and collect stash, or at least it follows her home or arrives in the mail and then it gets knitted up like magic into amazing things; some she wears, some she gives away to others, or occasionally I get these magical items.

Existing in the third person means that the world that this is, is something that I only (usually) participate in as a voyeur. The posts are created around me. Like the knitting, it's a constant movement of fibre and light mixed by hand, bamboo, wood or steel into objects that then exist both here (online) and here in space, often leaving the house where they were created and making a return as an image of a smiling happy individual who has been gifted with said item. Or if under age of two just smiling anyway oblivious to the effort and joy in creation - although I suspect the love is felt for real.

Like all knitters and other crafters of the partnered demographic I suspect Bells has secret ways of making the stash look smaller than it is, I'm constantly amazed by the number of friends she is bringing wool home for, I suspect their partners feel the same way.

So the magic happens around me, I watch with various degrees of interest and hear about whatever challenges or excitements come along. In fact, Bells was never a numbers person but I, having passed all high school maths without any effort on my part, got lumbered with the adding and subtracting needing to be done in our life together. However, as her knitting has progressed, less has she asked me to do the maths, so there readers, you can claim knitting is educational, because another excuse to knit is something that I understand is important to you all.

Now I suspect I am more a text than a visual person, (despite my grammar foibles which may not make it through a good edit) so I shall give you a photo of where the magic happens. This is my view from my desk, behind the couch where Bells knits and blogs and reads and knits some more.

I also think that this blog is a good thing, as I believe she mentioned in a land long long ago, Bells used to try to write Serious Literature, a very noble pursuit, one that I did my best to encourage, but she always struggled, as I suspect even Booker and Pulitzer prize winners do. But they are the old world, and I am so very pleased that Bells has worked out that the new world, where you are come and share and participate and help each other, is a much better place to be. I suspect that one day there will be awards for great blogs and judging by all your responses this is at least one of those making a contribution to the quality end of the spectrum.

I'm not going to try to describe myself here, as the image you have is the one that Bells has already shared, and I think she does a great job, especially as she overlooks some of my flaws better than I would. I might try my hand at blogging one day, but I don't have the passion for things the way Bells does. Her passion is one of the many reasons I love her.

Perhaps what I can do is give away some of her secrets. Yes she is as wonderful and caring and doting as she seems. Yes, her knitting and writing and photography are hers alone, although very occasionally I get to assist with lighting the shot, something I did know a bit more about, but she seems to have worked it all out herself now.

Thanks for reading. It's been fun writing to you all.

Sean

Blogtoberfest Day 20: Sisters

2009-10-20T17:51:00.005+11:00

I'm just going to say right up front that I'm getting tired. I'll admit that even a couple of easy days with my sister posting yesterday and a photo only post on Sunday hasn't really helped but I'm sticking this out.

For a dozen different reasons, I'm hanging on 'til the end. If you're even trying to keep up with my daily posts, along with a bunch of other bloggers out there all valiantly trying to see this Blogtoberfest through to the end, well done! You attention is appreciated because let's face it, we're all time poor and it's a big ask by anyone's standards.

So thanks for being so welcoming when my sister posted yesterday. I know she was totally nervous but you were all kind and she did a brilliant job. All her sentiments expressed on the nature of being sisters who are close are just as honestly felt by me. Sisters are marvellous and I have two of them (as well as a brother but this is about sisters!).

Sisters, when they're close to your heart are the greatest comfort in the world. We came from the same place. We can stand side by side in front of a mirror and see the bits that are the same, or at least similar. We can remember things from the dawn of our each other's lives that we will take with us to the ends of our lives. We can laugh and cry over those things and treasure them.

We can look back at the times when we weren't so close, when maybe there was competition, or misunderstanding and we can, if we're lucky, see how dangerously close we came to losing one of the best and most treasured life experiences a woman can have. A close relationship with a sister.

For me, the value of this kind of love and closeness is impossible to capture in words. But I hope my sisters know how I feel.

And now both of my sisters have little people in their lives who carry pieces of us inside them. What an amazing thing it is to look at those little people and see them grow. I count myself incredibly fortunate for that.

I will leave you with a show and tell of something I was given by another kind of sister, a good friend. Amy in Rhode Island. Long time readers will know Amy and I have been friends for quite a long time now and some of you no doubt know her as well. Recently Amy sent some gifts. Just because. That is kindness itself.

First, some sock yarn from Lobster Pot Yarns. Is this not the very colour of a spring sky? These are, as the names suggest, dyed in Lobster Pots all the way up in Cape Cod. Amazing.

This surely will not go on my feet. Or anyone's feet. I'm wearing this around my neck.

And finally, a delicate, precious bookmark adorned with seaglass from the Rhode Island coastline.

Amy thought carefully about these gifts and it shows. I was touched, so thank you Amy. I'll treasure them.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 18: Guest Post - Adventures of a Forgotten Hat

2009-10-19T13:32:00.009+11:00

Having featured heavily on Bellsknits over the years (or at least my son has) it almost seems unnecessary to introduce myself – however, I’ll do it anyway. I am Bells' younger sister (only by 2yrs 9mths!) - Adele. I read Bellsknits, however I have next to no interest in knitting (much to the despair of Bells). That’s not to say I am “anti-knitter”!! Oh no – not at all. I admire those who throw themselves into the world of all things wool – I just choose not to partake in it.

Having said that – I will gladly accept any knitted good from Bells, be it for me or my lovely husband and son. Thankfully Bells has furnished us with many a knitted or crocheteditem, some grand like my son’s baby blanket or small like an ipod cosy.

So when thinking about a topic for my very first blog post I thought it should probably contain a knitted theme. So here goes...

In my line of the work I have the privilege of working in the area of dams (yes, dams – big bodies of water held back by a big wall of concrete, dirt etc.) My department frequently inspects dams and occasionally I get to tag along and “inspect” them. I try to look intelligent as I inspect them – lots of meaningful stares and head nodding – and the occasional chin rub in a knowing way.

Recently, we went to a place called Cabramurra. Cabramurra is the highest permanently inhabited town in Australia, located in the Kosciuszko National Park, NSW.

After much discussion in my office it was decided that the weather would be freezing and no doubt many layers of clothes would be needed as there was word of snow approaching. Fabulous, I thought!!! I could drag out my beautiful pink coat for one last time before the Spring weather turned to warm. And...I could wear my fetching blue knitted beanie made so lovingly my dear sister and which had looked terrible on me until I took the time to grow my hair.

So off we went, my work colleagues and I. As promised, it decided to snow on our first morning.

A friend and I had decided we would go swimming at 6am in the heated pool. Brrrr.... As we raced out of the pool room with only a towel around our waists the snow drifted down upon us and my trusty blue beanie kept me warm.

In Sydney on this particular day people woke up to the red sky and dust, which had to be seen to be believed. In the Snowy Mountains, I woke to snow and freezing temperatures. I wore my lovely blue beanie at every opportunity. I may not be interested in knitting – but I certainly see the point of a well-made knitted good.

The interesting thing is – Bells can’t even remember making it for me. She has no memory of it. I guess you can’t remember every piece you make – especially if you have a life-long love affair with knitting. But the lovely thing is – as a receiver of a blanket, scarf, a beanie, a cardigan, an ipod cosy and socks – I am in the lovely position of remembering who made them for me. Each time I look at my blanket (I know there is a technical name for it Bells – but I can’t remember it (She's talking about the Hemlock Ring Blanket!!), I think of the one who made it. Each time I put on my scarf or pull out my ipod from its cosy – I recall the face of the girl who gave it to me. Everytime my son puts on his knitted blue vest or looks at his insect book with a picture of a spider making its web – we think of Aunty Bells and we call the spider the “knitting spider”.

I love that Bells is never far from my mind and never far from a phone call, a text or an email. I love that I see reminders of her all around my home. She’s an important part of my life and her little gifts over the years remind me of that fact constantly.

Thanks Bells.

Adele

Blogtoberfest Day 18: If you've got nothing else to say...

2009-10-18T17:54:00.003+11:00

then let the flowers speak.

Red Ranuncula.

Purple Sweetpea.

Red Poppy.

White blossoms.

Dutch Iris.

Who needs words anyway?

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 17: A Pink Ribbon Day

2009-10-17T12:50:00.005+11:00

Pink Ribbon Day is on October 26th, but as that's a Monday, my friend Polly held her Pink Ribbon/Breast Cancer awareness fundraiser today.

It's a beautiful day today - all Spring sunshine (and hayfever itchy noses!) and so I invited my sister Fee, Alice and Alice's older half sister for a drive out to the country to Polly's house where there were pink balloons adorning the trees down the long driveway and a house full of pink food and pink decorations.

Young Alice came appropriately dressed.

There was so much to explore!

Doesn't the countryside look so green?! We've had such a miraculously wet Spring. Let's hope the summer isn't so dry the landscape is turned into a tinder box.

So that's the first half of Saturday done. I've got loads on for the rest of the day so I thought I'd get today's post out in quick, quiet moment.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 16: Contest Winner and Answers PtII

2009-10-16T17:50:00.009+11:00

Today, I drew a winner for the Buttontreelane bag contest. So many entries! By the time I took out the double ups and the people who didn't wish to be in the running, we had 109 names in the metaphorical hat.

The hat was actually a table in a word document during a quiet moment at work today. So, here's the bag again, the Box for Socks, which was understandably popular. I bought from Michelle's Etsy store, by the same name. Buttontreelane.

The winner is Sarah from the UK. Her blog is All Fingers and Thumbs and it's lovely.

A couple more answers from the QandA session from earlier this week.

Fractalchic - How many knitted items have you frogged for one reason or another?

Well, I couldn't say how many because for the most part, once frogged a project is forgotten. Sure I can remember that I tried about three different shawls from Victorian Lace Today before settling on Myrtle, or I tried to knit Ishbel several times earlier this year. But there are cardigans I've tried; socks I've abandoned; the list goes on.

Some people, like RoseRed, rarely abandon projects. I think that's because some people think very, very carefully about a project before casting on. Each one is thought through, considered carefully, researched and settled on after the certainty of it's being the right one is reached. I don't do that so much. Or rather, I do, but I still get it wrong. So I frog. Life's too short.

Nellie: What motivates you the most when embarking on a new project? Is it learning new techniques or the possibility of creating something unique and lovely?

It's never just one or the other. Like most of us, my head is turned easily by something new and attractive. It's not always about learning new skills though. Sometimes it's nice to just use skills I already have and concentrate on something beautiful. Other times, it's definitely about the skills. Like with the Myrtle shawl. A pattern that has no purl rows, no rest rows, with a knitted on border in fine silk? That was absolutely about trying something I'd never done.

Sometime this weekend, if we're lucky, there'll be another guest post - this time from Sean! I really hope he comes through with the goods soon because I'd very much like a break.

Also, tomorrow night I'm going to a party for Sara from work - her 21st. I'm pretty sure I'm going to post about that. I bet there'll be loads of material to capture!

Have a good one everyone!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 15: The Answers

2009-10-15T18:23:00.003+11:00

That was fun, all those questions. Lots of laughs. I've had a nice time today contemplating the answers. I think there are too many to do at once so I'll start with just a few. More to come tomorrow when I'll also be drawing the winner of the Hippo bag contest!

Shelley: Myrtle is going to be beautiful. I've just ordered the book - is she worth doing?
Yes. Absolutely. Victorian Lace Today is an incredible book. I'll be making lace projects from it for as long as I'm knitting. The Myrtle Leaf shawl, or stole really, is wonderful and I have loved knitting her, but she's gone on too long now and I'm getting itchy for something new.

EssiMay: Why do you have so many WIPs? 'Fess up, how many WIPs do you really have?
Technically only four. This is a miracle.

Two shawls, one pair of socks and a cardigan. Miraculous. Things all got a bit out of hand recently and I was feeling decidedly overwhelmed. I recall telling RoseRed that when my WIPs list gets too big, I am at risk of waking in the night on a cold sweat. I may have been exaggerating about the cold sweat but I have been known to wake up feeling disturbed by a sense of having too much to do. I'm a mix of a process and product knitter - basically I need to finish something at regular intervals or I develop a nasty case of restless anxiety. I think this is because I spend so much time knitting, I really need to see results and by results I mean finished items that are worn are used.

Dr K: Can you knit my myrtle for me please?
Ha ha ha ha. No. For those who don't know, Dr K and I started knitting the same pattern (Myrtle Leaf shawl) with the same yarn in late January this year. Dr K has let hers languish after a few too many restarts. Mine is almost finished. I love Dr K dearly, but not enough to knit this shawl twice.

Alwen: Are you doing small daily stints of Myrtle, like so many points per day?

No but I should be. Looking back over the 10 months I've spent on this, I really could have achieved so much more if I'd taken that approach! I will start now!

Pinry: What surprising thing made you smile this week?
First, my desk buddy Sara (of the Branching Out scarf earlier this week) brought in jelly for us to share. She had purple jelly and blue jelly. I chose the blue. We sat our little round table in our work area this afternoon and had a lovely little feast of jelly. (That's jell-o for the Americans).

And secondly, this is hardly surprising but it made me smile. Alice came to lunch on a particularly brutally cold day this week, dressed like a bear.

That made me smile a lot.

Which leads nicely into the next question.

Shazmina Bendi:What does the lovely Alice's hair feel like? And how many hairstyles can you make with it?

Imagine the softest silk you have ever knit. Like that, only better. And I haven't tried styling it but I reckon her mum might be up for a bit of playing around with that idea. Leave it with me!

Moorecat: What was the first item you knitted for Sean, and how far into your relationship were you?
When I posed this question to Sean this morning, he said the first thing I knitted for him was actually crocheted! I crocheted him a beanie, or three, around 2002-2003. By then we'd been together for three or four years. I think they are still his favourites. But as for knitting, I knitted him a scarf in 2005, black, in 1x1 ribbing and made something fuzzy called Souffle. He still wears it but next winter he'll get something more luxurious. I think it's time.

Anna: I'm on a mission to work out how to knit faster (I am unbelievably slow!). What are your tips???

Knit a lot. All the time. Any spare moment, and even those that aren't spare. You must knit constantly. I don't think I'm very fast but RoseRed does. I think people like the Yarn Harlot are fast. How fast? Watch the video! I think, in terms of just the mechanics of knitting, my mum is fast. I've tried to copy how she holds her yarn and needles and I can't do it. So what I lack in mechanical speed, I make up for with sheer bloody mindedness and obsession.

Barbara: what's the best part of knitting for you?
This is actually a really big question. The best part? There are so many parts. The yarn. The projects. The skills. The friends I've made from it. The fun of blogging about it. But actually I think the best part of knitting for me is that it just makes me so happy. The whole package just brings so much joy and fulfillment that I can't imagine life without it now.

And one more for the day. I'll do more tomorrow (including finding out who won the Hippo bag contest! Entries can still be submitted!).

Jane - What would you recommend as the ideal knitting project for beginners who need to move from knitting scarves to proper garments?
I'd say just go straight into garments. My first garment was a vest, a round necked vest. It required only a little knowledge of increasing and decreasing and was only in two pieces. But maybe pick something for a baby or a child, something small that means you get to try out new skills without the full on committment of an adult sized garment. That said, worse things can happen than trying out new skills on an adult piece that doesn't end up working out. What's to lose?

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 14: QandA

2009-10-14T19:04:00.004+11:00

Today's post is blatantly ~~stolen~~ borrowed from a blogger who is relatively new to me. Pea Soup. She makes lovely shawls and takes lovely photos and getting to know her through her knitting and writing has been an altogether ideal blog reading experience.

Blogtoberfest is hard work. Fun, but hard work and I think lots of us find the middle section is when the cracks begin to show. On the whole though, I'm loving the act of writing every day and was reminded of one of the benefits of this exercise recently in a conversation with Lyn of Shades of Grey. Writing daily is good, for writers. Even just a little bit. It's what author Anthony Trollope advocated and he published 49 novels in his lifetime.

He famously wrote

"A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules."

How fittingly that could be applied to so many aspects of our lives! Exercise, household chores, reading....the list goes on.

So to the point of today's post. On her blog, Suse conducted a QandA session. She invited questions from readers so I will do the same. That will take care of today's post and tomorrow's. Ask away! Anything at all, knitting related or otherwise, within reason, obviously. I reserve the right to refuse to answer some questions!

I'll close with a photo of the Myrtle shawl. I'm still slogging through the border. Four weeks til I see Tori Amos at the Opera House and so four weeks, at most, til this lovely but now rather tedious shawl is done!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 13: Cardigan Weather & a Public Service Announcement

2009-10-13T19:06:00.008+11:00

I thought that by now, we'd be nearing the end of Cardigan Weather. I think most of us did, but the environment being what it is these days, such things are no longer anywhere near as predictable. I stopped knitting cardigans a couple of months ago because I figured there weren't too many serious cardigan days left (at least not by the time I got another one completed) and so moved onto Other Things.

But check out this sky.

Does this look like cardigan weather is coming to an end? No. Not on your life. Our days are, for the most part, incredibly bleak at the moment. I could have kept knitting cardigans out of light wool. Should have. Oh well.

A couple of weeks ago I started a cotton cardigan. I figure at the rate we're going, I'll get considerable wear out of this if I can get it done in reasonable time.

It's called Golden Vintage and it's an 8ply/DK weight cotton pattern that doesn't appear to have been around very long.

It's an elegant, simple pattern with some mock cabling around the base, as you can see in the above photo. And the cotton is a definite stash busting item. It was a parting gift from Shazmina Bendi before she moved to London a couple of years ago.

It's Bendigo Woollen Mills 8ply cotton in a colour called Gum Leaf. How very Australian.

It's making for some very nice mindless knitting when I need a break from the Black Myrtle Leaf shawl which progresses still.

* * *

I have a public service announcement to make. I recieved a message today from an old friend who now lives all the way over in Perth. She belongs to a band of knitters who are going to walk and knit for an excellent cause. I'll let Helen tell the story.

Members of the Western Australian Ravelry group are taking part in the Cancer Council WA’s Relay for Life on the weekend of 24/25 October at Joondalup Arena. We will be knitting as we walk to make blankets to be auctioned off at the event.

Part of our fundraising is a yarn raffle that is being conducted through the blog Casa Esmerelda, with fabulous yarn, fibre and knitting related prizes.

Details about the raffle and how to donate are at Casa Esmerelda.

***

I reckon a band of knitters who plan to walk and knit for a cause are absolutely worth our time and money. I definitely want to see photos from that. If you're keen to help, pop over to the site and see what you can do. Hint: there's Wollmeise among the prizes!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 12: Great Knits Revisited

2009-10-12T17:54:00.003+11:00

I was using this tea cosy on the weekend and it struck me that it really deserved a blog post. It was given to me at the end of 2007 and there are readers here who will have never seen it.

Every time I use it, I'm struck by the wonder of it and marvel at the talent of the knitter who made it. Kgirl. I didn't know Kgirl before the swap that resulted in this tea cosy but we are now friends and that's when you know that a swap has gone better than normal, when you end up with a friend out of it.

The pattern is a vintage one - the Floral Knitted Tea Cosy from 1937. It's made from Heirloom Heatherwood and it's quite unspeakably beautiful. It's smooshy and richly coloured and so perfectly put together that I nearly always stop to admire it before slipping it over a tea pot.

And do you know how well this keeps my tea pot warm? It's amazing. If I'm making a big pot for myself and lingering over it, I love knowing that I'm not going to get half way and find my tea is tepid.

So thank you, Kylie. You gave me a gift I treasure every single time I use it.

Bells

ps a note about comments. I have turned on moderation for the foreseeable future. Please don't be concerned if you think your comment is not posting. It will show up in due course.

Blogtoberfest Day 11: All The Good Things

2009-10-11T18:46:00.005+11:00

We had an easy weekend. Walking, bike riding, blue skies and sunlight. Spring is here. You can feel the population waking up.

Saturday morning, on a bike path, Belconnen area. Not far from home.

Sunday afternoon, walking in the pines again, not far from home.

Sunday afternoon, cuddles with Alice. That's her mum, Fee.

And so another weekend comes to a close. I wish that Mondays didn't roll around quite so quickly.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 10: Sara's Scarf

2009-10-10T08:48:00.000+11:00

For some weeks now I've been working on a Top Secret Gift. I hinted at it a while ago when I said I'd discovered a new favourite yarn.

Today I was able to hand over, finally, the finished product to my very special friend and workmate, Sara (pronounced like Sarah, just minus the H), who turns 21 today.

Here it is. Branching Out, from Knitty.

Buying the yarn for this was a bit of a gamble. I love Malabrigo, but hadn't used their Silky Merino before. I knew the moment it arrived from Yarn and Kisses that it was amazing. The silk content, married with the light capturing colour (it's Tatami) was just glorious and I cast it on right away.

Two skeins and about four weeks later, I had a finished scarf. I finished it two days before I was due to give it to her and presented it at work yesterday. It's long! Sara is tall and it's longer than she is - she wears it looped around her neck and it still hangs down quite long!

You know, many people talk about Branching Out like it's the perfect scarf for the beginning lace knitter but I didn't find that. I tried it twice in 2006 and each time I gave up. I tried it in fine yarn and didn't get it. I'm not sure why now since it's actually pretty straight forward. In fact, so straight forward I got bored towards the end, and it was only knowing that Sara's birthday was looming that kept me going.

However, it's done now and I do believe it was most appreciated. She wrote down 'Malabrigo' to tell her mum and spent the day wearing it and stroking the kitteny softness of the beautiful Silky Merino.

Happy birthday my friend! Enjoy being 21!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 8: Giving Away A Box for Socks

2009-10-09T08:00:00.000+11:00

I think it's time for a contest. Don't you? Let me show you what you can win.

Astute readers may well recognise it as a Box for Socks made by Canberra's own Buttontreelane. I have a bag from Buttontree lane that I use a lot. They're the perfect for on the move projects like socks, but are just as easily put to use as a storage place for notions.

To give you an idea of size, there are two 50g balls of cotton inside, puffing it up nicely.

If you would like to win this lovely hippo decorated sock box, leave a comment. That's all. Just say hello, share a thought, or not, and we'll see who the lucky winner is this time next week. I love a give away.

I'll leave you with a Friday photo of Alice. Because I can. It's one her mum sent to me a couple of weeks ago. Look at that face!

Good luck winning the Sock Box!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 8: My nose doesn't work

2009-10-08T08:00:00.000+11:00

I think at some point in my youth, maybe even my childhood, I started to figure out that something wasn't quite right with my nose.

Already, I had a complicated relationship with my nose. I thought it was too snub. Too upturned. Too pig like. It must have been true because sometimes at school, boys would make 'oink oink' sounds when I passed by. Stupid pug nose. I hated it. I thought everyone could see up it when I was a kid and it was a source of great shame. Ironically, a boy who liked me in Year 7 told other kids he thought I had a nice nose. He said other nice things but that's the bit i remember twenty odd years later. My nose. He liked my nose. Why?

How strange then that something so upturned, so open to the world, should actually not function the way a nose ought to. Smelling seemed a bit mysterious. I looked at other people smelling things and wondered if smelling stuff was something I was yet to learn to do. I don't remember having that thought, but I know I did. Recently, when I was reading about an absence of a sense of smell, I learned that many people with this condition spend their childhood wondering if they just haven't learned to smell yet.

In late high school I worked in a pharmacy, the kind that also sold gifts, like perfume. Many times men came in to buy hurried gifts for their wives or girlfriends and they would hand me a pretty bottle or two and say, 'Does this smell nice? Should I get this one or that one for her?' Not wanting to appear ignorant, I usually made a charade of sniffing and picked the one with the nicest bottle or the most interesting name or label. How many women out there had nasty perfume as gifts because I couldn't tell one from the other?

In 1994, I had a boyfriend who loved food and smells. I faked the whole smell thing for as long as I could but one day, we sat in his car in the rain, overlooking Lake Burley-Griffin with a big pile of fish and chips balanced between us. The conversation was an important one.

Him: God I love the smell of fish and chips on a rainy day.
Me: Yep.
Him: Don't you love it? Isn't it just the best smell?
Me: I don't really know.
Him: How can you not know?
Me: I just don't. I don't think I can tell what it smells like.
Him: Are you serious? What do you mean?

And so on. Shortly after that, he as good as marched me to the GP where I got a referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist. I went to that appointment alone and a nice specialist poked and prodded, sprayed and dug around and he concluded, from that, that there was something wrong but he couldn't tell what. I was probably born that way, he said. Or maybe I had a bump on the head as a baby or perhaps I got a bad cold as a baby and the olfactory nerves were messed up.

In other words, he had no idea. He said I'd never be a wine taster. Gee, thanks.

I've often thought of getting a follow up view on my nose but from all I've read, if you have what I have, Congenital Anosmia, there's not a lot to be done. People who lose their sense of smell can sometimes get it back, but people who were most likely born this way cannot.

Many, many times I've been asked how come I appear to love food and wine so much if I can't smell. I'm lucky. I can taste. I don't know why this is. Not everyone with Anosmia, congenital or otherwise, can taste. Some people are so unfortunate that they couldn't tell the difference between chocolate and curry, between sweet and sour, salty or spicy. I sometimes think I over compensate a bit with food and I've had to learn over the years that if something I've cooked tastes over seasoned to me, then it's probably way overdone for a regular, smelling person.

As for wine, it's true, I'll never be a wine taster professionally, but I sure as hell know what I like. I will never be able to talk about the bouquet, the hint of blueberry or peppercorn in a bottle of shiraz, but I know when something tastes funny, or tastes good. But that's about it. I am probably missing out on lots of good experience, but what I don't know, I don't miss, right?

But there are things I do honestly long to be able to smell. That new baby smell everyone talks about, or freshly cut grass, the scent of rain coming in, or bread in the oven. I want to know why my sister loves the smell of jasmine so much or what it's like to walk in the door at night and find Sean filling the house with the smell of sense-assaulting curry.

These are things I'll never know. Same with that woolly, earthy, sheepy smell that knitters and spinners rave about. That's lost on me too.

Then again, I can't smell rotten eggs, dog farts or bad food in the fridge. This can be a disadvantage, as you might imagine. I can't tell if milk is off until it goes lumpy. I found that out the hard way.

I figure that if I had to be minus one of the five senses, this is the one to lose. I can still work, I can still drive, music is my lifeblood and my eyes are just fine. My sense of smell is not vital to my survival as it might have been had I lived a couple of thousand years ago. My life is probably a little poorer for the gap this creates, but it's not seriously disadvantaged. I get by.

I've got Sean, and friends who feel confident about doing so, to describe to me when my curiosity is aroused about how something smells. Try some time, if you're curious, to describe what something smells like. What does cut grass smell like? I reckon it must be very hard to describe.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 7: Walking round the rainy city

2009-10-07T10:00:00.001+11:00

When flying I like to have the window seat if I can. That view from the sky is something I never get over. Yesterday, flying to Melbourne I was surprised to see how at the end of winter, this wide brown land, to quote poet Dorothea Mackellar, was not so brown. Definitely green, with splashes of canola yellow.

By the time I was on the ground, heading for the CBD to meet Shelley, Melbourne looked like this.

Dismal huh? And it's not possible, really, to arrive in Melbourne on a rainy day and not start humming the Whitlam's song Melbourne (iconic Australian act of the late 90s, for the non- Aussies who won't get the reference):

Walking 'round the rainy city, what a pity there's things to do at home.

I found Shelley, we had coffee in one of those desperately Melbournesque side alleys with an equally Melbournesque tiny, excellent purveyor of coffee. Fortified, there was just long enough before my lunch time meeting to head to yarn stores, Morris and Sons and then Clegs.

Did I go crazy? Did I shop til I dropped? No. I did not. I bought one extra ball of sock yarn that I needed (yes, needed. I was close to running out) and a Knit Picks crochet hook. A souvenir if you like.

One meeting later, I was back in the Qantas club lounge sipping Sauvignon Blanc looking out over the wet, glistening tarmac.

The return view was not so good.

Probably just as well. I picked up Nick Hornby's new novel at the airport, Juliet, Naked and was riveted. If you're a music nerd like I am, you'll love his new book.

Home in time for dinner, I'd say that was a pretty good day, as far as down and back in eight hours goes (which, incidentally, is the time it would have taken to drive one way!)

Bells

ps thanks for being so welcoming to EssiMay yesterday. I think she was a bit nervous.

Blogtoberfest Day 6: Guest Post by EssiMay

2009-10-06T11:00:00.005+11:00

Dear readers of Bellsknits, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is EssiMay and I will be your guest poster for the day and maybe a couple of other days this October if I can get my act together to write some other scintillating vignettes about my life.

Now, long time readers and friends of Bells may be wondering who the hell I am and where on earth did I come from.

Like so many knitters, I learnt to knit on my mother's lap as a small child, producing wonky garter stitch squares with yarn overs that would make an Orenburg lace knitter cry. Every winter the needles would come out (old faux tortoiseshell and casein straight needles, kept in a dusky pink quilted satin bag with fat, bloated grey roses printed on the outside...) and Mum, the sisters and I would knit together, just sitting and knitting.

I come from a large, matriarchal multi-crafting family. My mother, and by default or inheritance, some of the sisters are the world's biggest craft whores. In my memory I can recall knitting, machine knitting, spinning and dying, weaving, sewing, patchwork, cross stitch, long stitch, decoupage, folk art and an intriguing tea caddy made of an old jam jar with floral fabric and nylon lace glued to the lid (which is still in use, might I add...).

As you can imagine, these 'pastimes' come with a lot of um... crap, sorry I mean equipment. And I love this crap. I love the fact that all these fibre arts are so much part of my family, that these arts are part of my heritage. My father bred merino sheep and was a professional wool classer. Mum.... Well, we've touched on her and her loose crafting morals.

The ancestors (who in my imagination would have gathered together for sewing and baking days, bitching about whichever sisters or sisters-in-law weren't there to defend themselves), I like to think that every stitch I knit, every foot of yarn I spin is a homage to all those who have gone before, to generations of creativity.

I knitted in solitude on and off for years. I knitted frantically when my son, His Small Royal Highness was tiny, it was fun.... I was bored. I knitted with a maniacal need for control when I was in particularly stressful job - I couldn't control anything else in my life, but I could damn well control my knitting! I trawled the internet for knitting sites, I joined Ravelry. But all that time I knitted alone.

I lurked around the forums on Ravelry, reading, laughing, improving my knitting, but most of the time too shy to post or to make friends.

Eventually this all caught up with me and depression knocked me on my arse earlier this year. As part of trying to pull myself back up, I realised that I need to stop hiding and get out there and meet some people, other than my sisters and the odd older person at work who shared my fibrey type of lifestyle. When Bells initiated a new knitting group that now meets on Thursdays at lunchtime, I thought it must be the universe telling me it was time to suck it up and get out there.

My entry into the knitting community was seemingly effortless.... Who am I kidding? It was hell! I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life, fronting up to a group of total strangers. I know that nerves made me overcompensate - I was loud, obnoxious and mouthy. I was certain that everyone would think I was an absolute idiot and there would be covert discussions to move venues so that they didn't have to pretend to tolerate that weird new girl. I pushed myself to go back again and again, and I think (and for the sake of those around me, hope!) that the nerves settled down and I started acting like myself once more. Now I'm slightly subdued version of loud, obnoxious and mouthy, but that's because I'm an annoying fuck, not because I'm trying to prove something.

Bells and I soon realised that we work for the same faceless government department and got talking. Bells and I have a hell of a lot of shared interests, but are very different people. For one, I swear way more than Bells does and am just generally far more 'crude, rude and undesirable' than poor innocent little Bells. My apologies to anyone reading , getting offended by the 'blue' tone of this post.... Tune in again tomorrow for your regularly scheduled programming. But I have loved getting to know her, even if the state of her stash makes me break out in hives (Oi Vey, the yarn!) More importantly, it has opened up a whole new world of having a community.

I have to admit, I spend a large part of Thursday lunch watching other people knit. I know it's a cliché, but I find it endlessly fascinating to watch a knitter's hands. To watch their posture, the way they hold their needles, tension their yarn, how they form their stitches. I love being able to bring in a project for other people's input, their affirmation and advice — do I push on, or do I frog? And we talk a lot of bullshit, which has always been my measure of how good a time you're having. But mainly, it just rocks to feel like part of a knitting world. Like our mothers and grandmothers, we get to create in each other's company.

EssiMay

P.S After I wrote this the flood gates of repressed memory open up to released a torrent of other barely remembered crafts that my subconscious had mercifully opted to forget: latch hook, macramé, Artex paints, marauding hoards of coat hangers knit out of that God awful nylon stuff and lace, actually a hell of a lot of stuff made out of that meshy-tapey-whatever-it-is..... shudder........

Blogtoberfest Day 5: Bibs Galore

2009-10-05T14:34:00.004+11:00

Finally, I got my lovely niece to wear her bibs. Cooperatively. Happily even. A full night's sleep (yes, I'm serious! A full night with no middle of the night wake up calls!) seemed to help a lot in this regard.

First, the Baby Bib O' Love from Mason Dixon Knitting. Simple as could be.

Second, the Modern Cabled Baby Bib. A nice freebie.

Both are made from Peaches n Cream cotton and both are lightning fast to make. If my sister likes them I'll make her more. Alice seemed to get into them. The garter stitch one went home dirty so I'd say that's a success, as bibs go.

The house is pretty quiet now and just a little destroyed. How does a person who doesn't yet move around on her own make so much mess?

Tomorrow, we have a guest post as I'm flying to Melbourne and back for the day and don't have any desire to fit a blog post into that. Stay tuned!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 4: Doesn't Alice know I have to post daily?

2009-10-04T19:19:00.004+11:00

Sometimes, little people just don't do what you want them to do. I know, i know, all the parents out there are shaking their heads and saying 'we know!'

And really I knew that, too but knowing that we were spending all of today with Baby Alice again while her parents finished off the house move, I had visions of what this post would be like.

I mentioned the garter stitch bib I made a few days ago and how I'd put it on Alice today. I saw the photos in my mind's eye. I knew JUST how it would look, all cherubic in her hand knitted bib.

Well I tried, but she's a very little seven month old baby and the bib is huge on her! She could almost be wrapped in it. But she hated it. She was Not Happy. She tried to tear it off and utterly rejected it! Same with the moss stitch bib I made. We've got her again tomorrow (because she's staying overnight!!) and so I'll try again. I do so want to see her wear them but really, it's up to her isn't it?

Instead, we'll have to make do with a shot of one of the fun things we did today. We took her to Aldi, because it's such a gloomy day here today, we risked Cabin Fever if we stayed in the whole time.

For the first time I got to try out a baby carrier at the shops. Wow those things are actually a bit of a drag on a person's neck aren't they? Do you get used to it? Conceptually I love the idea of hands free baby transport but wow, the relief when I took it off was huge!

I'm happy to report she's fast asleep now and maybe she'll even stay that way. Yeah, I can hear all the parents laughing at me. I'm sure her parents will enjoy a full and restful night's sleep. It remains to be seen how Sean and I go!

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 3: Strange Conversations About Knitting

2009-10-03T07:00:00.000+10:00

Futher to yesterday's post about the woman who called me a plain knitter, I do think that some of the strangest conversations about knitting happen in the workplace.

There was that weird one with my recently acquired director who saw me knitting in a cafe. That was odd.

I had another one recently, this time with a member of my team who, unbeknownst to me until a couple of weeks ago, is also a knitter.

Talking about my workplace isn't something I do a lot and I had a bit of a think before posting this one. I think I can keep it pretty general.

Recently a friend and I were plucked out of our happy team and dropped mercilessly into a different, already established team in a restructure. It was quite a shock. We have found it a little difficult to fit into the team. There's not a lot of pleasant chit chat or even any chit chat for that matter. Everyone seems to be fairly isolated and unwilling to connect with us. We're lucky to get a hello or good morning.

I can cope with that to a certain extent but a little bit of connection in the workplace makes for a happier time, I tend to think. It can be a long, silent day when nobody speaks and I'm not really used to it.

So recently one of the girls in my team came in wearing a hand knit. I spotted it at once and saw it was a top down raglan cardigan, knit in something pink and thick and with a hint of a halo to it. Not my thing, being pink and fuzzy, but it was generally really nice.

A-ha! A knitter! Perhaps we could connect over that, I thought. I asked her at once if she made her cardigan.

'Yep.'

'And it's a top down piece!'

'Yep.'

'Do you knit much?''

Not really.'

And she turned to her computer. That was it. So much for trying to connect.

I asked my friend if I got it wrong, if perhaps the cardigan wearer had thought I was poking fun at her for her hand knit. Perhaps I was (perish the thought!) anti-hand knits!

My friend said, 'No way! Anyone can see you're not against knitting. You walk in here every day draped in knitwear.'

So I guess some people just don't like to talk. And some knitters don't care to connect. This wasn't my only attempt to fit in with this group. There have been several times I've just been my friendly self and been met with silence. They don't seem to like anyone.

At least I tried.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 2: A Plain Knitter

2009-10-02T07:45:00.000+10:00

Recently when I was scanning my current projects, I realised that most of them are lace of some variety. Two of them are very fine, delicate lace. Two of them are less so. At that moment, the words of a knitter I knew very briefly a few years ago came back to haunt me. I knew her through a lunch time group of crafters who met in my department in 2005. It was short lived as a group, everyone drifting off after only a few months.

As I sat there in a sunny conference room we were using for our lunch time gatherings, this woman said to me, 'You're a plain knitter, Helen, aren't you?'

Was I? I hardly knew. I looked down at my project. I recall it was a vest (I made quite a few in 2005). It was bright green, Patons Bluebell, acres of stocking stitch. I suppose it was plain. But what did she mean?

Was it a put down of my work? Or simply a comment? To this day I don't really know but I took it as a slight on my skills at the time. I was still new. Of course I was going to be doing plain stuff. What on earth could I do to change it? And did I want to?

I was knitting garments. Garments I was wearing with pride. To me that was the epitome of what I hoped for from my knitting. I had no idea yet of doing anything like socks, or lace! I doubt I even knew you could do such a thing. The thought of it! I grew up watching my mum make cardigans and jumpers we all wore for years. Nearly always stocking stitch, garter stitch or rib. Good, proper, plain but beautiful knitting. I was simply doing what I thought knitters did.

The woman's words haunted me when I was going over my lace projects and I wondered if instead of seeing what she said as a slight, I could see it as a starting point for when I began to try and do bigger, bolder things. Maybe. Maybe not. I think it was quite some time before I began to expand. I hadn't found knitting on the internet in 2005. I didn't know people were out there doing amazing things, making incredible pieces in such clever ways. I only knew about my 'plain knitting.' I thought a bit of shaping for waists or shoulders was downright clever.

On the bus yesterday, I was working on a garter stitch bib for Baby Alice. Could it get more plain than a cotton, garter stitch bib? I ran my hands across the neat, even rows imagining when in a few days I'll put it around Alice's neck and watch her dribble pureed fruit or some such down it.

There's a place for plain knitting and it's beautiful and comforting and I won't ever stop doing it. For me it's always been about the stitches, neat rows stacked on top of each other making something wearable and wonderful. Plain or otherwise.

Bells

Blogtoberfest Day 1: Will Write For Shoes (or Yarn)

2009-10-01T08:00:00.005+10:00

It seems fitting to commence blogtoberfest, a month long writing gig, with a post about writing and in particular, about a writing book.

A parcel came in the mail yesterday from The Book Despository.

This is a book 20-something Bells would never have even looked at. When I was writing in my 20s, I was going to be a Serious Novelist. A Literary Novelist. I'm not laughing at myself (much) when I look back. I still love serious, rich and powerful literary fiction. I still call Margaret Atwood pretty much my favourite author and someone whose career I would most love to emulate.

But the sad fact is that when I write, or try to write, Serious Literature, I become quite depressed and anxious. It's all that hanging around in often intense emotional spaces, and most importantly, hoping to make something Worthy from my words, that does my head in. Or did in my 20s. It's very hard to write with Virginia Woolf looking over your shoulders; or George Eliot reminding you of what it is you most want to write. For me, that's a surefire path to a certain level of unhappiness and suffering and not the kind I might have once considered romantic or even obligatory in the Aspiring Author. Nope. Just misery with very little success.

In the intervening years, I've read and enjoyed my fair share of Chick-lit. Not all of it. Some of it is quite silly and don't even get me started on chick-lit that addresses trying for a baby or infertility. Nasty stuff. But the best of it has warmth and heart and humour and cleverness that's almost impossible to resist. Ireland's Marian Keyes does it best.

It's not a certain path for me and since the idea struck me a couple of weeks ago, I haven't written a word, but that's ok. Many, many books marinate as small ideas inside the author's head for a long time. I don't have a hook yet. I don't have anything resembling a plot but that comes with time.

For now, I have a little more procrastination time in the shape of Will Write For Shoes. But I'm going to imagine it's actually called Will Write for Yarn, because that floats my boat a bit more than shoes and, I suspect, my heroine will feel the same way, oddly enough, given I'll be aiming for Knit-Lit meets Chick-Lit.

I'll leave you with a new Alice shot. I had the day off yesterday to help my sister Fee while she packed up her house for moving. I got the oh so difficult task of minding Alice while the packing happened all around me. I passed a very pleasant hour looking down at this.

Love. Love. Love.

Bells

Blogtoberfest

2009-09-28T18:43:00.007+10:00

If you were around blogland this time a year ago, you might recall that a bunch of bloggers took part in a fun group event called Blogtoberfest.

Blogtoberfest involves the rather daunting task of blogging daily for the month of October and anyone can sign up. It's run by Cathie over at Tinnie Girl. She wrote about it here and here.

By signing up for Blogtoberfest you agree to:

spend a fair whack of each day in October writing blog posts
spend all of October worrying that you won't have anything to post about
spend all of October worrying that your posts aren't interesting enough
spend all of October scouting around for material for daily blog posts.

Or to frame it more positively you agree to:

really give yourself permission to spend time on daily blog posts
sink your teeth into posting stuff you never thought you'd write about
come up with ways to keep yourself interested and motivated - after that the interest by other people is just a flow on effect
find yourself looking with fresh eyes at the world as each moment of each day may contain an image or a conversation or an idea that can be shaped into a blog post.

For me, the two times I've tried daily blogging for a month, I've found it both exhausting and exhilarating. It's pretty challenging to come up with fresh material every day and not just rely on filler. Filler happens, but I love the challenge of trying to keep it fresh.

This year though I'm going to try a little experiment. I might include a little guest posting. I've had one offer already.

I look forward to giving it a go. I almost didn't. It seemed like such a big thing to take on but I love not knowing where each day is going to take me. I plan to veer off the knitting talk path a little more if the desire strikes me.

So go sign up if you're keen. The other big, fun part of Blogtoberfest, is being part of the journey with other bloggers.

And now I'd better stop and conserve my writing energy for October 1!

Bells

A darn good toy

2009-09-27T15:40:00.003+10:00

What's that you've got Alice? Some sort of toy? (And yes this is a gratuitous way of working Alice into a knitting post!)

It looks like a mushroom and as we discovered a few seconds after this photo was taken, is an excellent teething implement!

Actually what it really is is a Darning Mushroom and RoseRed gave it to me last weekend along with the lovely socks I posted about a few days ago. I'd seen one before but long before I ever knew I have a need to use one. RoseRed did a good thing, because it just so happens that I have no fewer than three pairs of socks that are in dire need of repair.

Sure, we could all use The Yarn Harlot's method of sock darning, which is, apparently, to hold a holey pair of socks over a bin and say, 'darn it'. But I'm not so keen on that method when it comes to special socks. My first ever red koigu socks, made from yarn that was a gift from RoseRed, were the first casualties in my sock drawer and I just felt devastated at the thought of losing them.

Two more pairs of socks followed, remarkably quickly, and all on the ball of the foot, which suggests to me there is something about the way I walk that they should all wear out there. One was my much loved, but comparatively little worn yellow Pomatomus socks which I only made in January this year and actually never wear with shoes. I must be very hard on my socks.

RoseRed also got a darning mushroom and today she posted about how she used hers. Once Alice goes and stops playing with it (no teeth marks, don't worry RoseRed!) I'll give it a go. I found a good post on Knitty which has some excellent pictures. I'm keen to get my much loved sock back into their usual high rotation.

We've had Alice for the whole day today and because of the blustering, freezing wind we've stayed indoors and made our own entertainment. Like smiling. Who isn't entertained by a million dollar smile like this?

Bells

Rosebuds and Tulips

2009-09-23T18:16:00.003+10:00

On the weekend when I saw RoseRed at Berry, she gifted me with some secret socks she'd been working on for my birthday. My birthday was some months ago now but all the best things are worth waiting for and this was in fact part two of my birthday present. That's truly a case of extending the joy, don't you think?

So, here is my gift. They are Rosebud socks and you can read about how RoseRed suffered for her art here. And suffer she did. The yarn got twisted up in the winding process and took four hours to detangle! Is that friendship or what?

I thought the socks looked lovely against my little bed of yellow tulips, which, as of this moment may no longer exist as it's blowing a gale outside!

The pattern was designed by Aussie knitter and one half of Knitting Inspirations Ann Lim, and the yarn is Handmaiden Casbah which I have never encountered before and which I can tell you is truly gorgeous on my feet.

It's the famed MCN - Merino, Cashmere, Nylon blend. Swoon. Seriously. Luxury sock yarn in the extreme.

And get this - the colour is called Wine. No wonder she thought of me when choosing to knit it up for me!

And don't they look cute with my new shoes? They're crocs - who knew you could get Crocs that were so cute?

There was another little something in with this gift but it requires a whole other post. I'll save it for next time.

Bells

A Town Called Berry

2009-09-21T16:10:00.010+10:00

It's nice to go away for a little weekend break. It's especially nice to go away with a few close girlfriends and just hang out. This was a weekend long in the planning, driven mainly by one member of the group, George, who has routinely been either in labour or caught up with kid stuff and unable to join in other fun things like knitting camp etc. So a weekend was planned and excecuted very, very well. There are some nice photos and a run down over on Dr K's blog.

Berry was the town we chose. It's a tiny little town nestled amongst some very green and pretty hills, which you'll have to just imagine since I got very lazy on the weekend and took virtually no photos. Trust me, it's every bit as scenic and adorable as you could imagine it to be. Sean and I spent a weekend there last year, around this time, so I knew what I was in for. Actually there are a few photos from last year's trip I can recycle. This one gives you an idea of the landscape around Berry.

It's your typical small Australian town that has turned to small, folksey business in order to survive. Bed and breakfasts, antique shops, excellent restaurants, bakeries and cafes.

And a wool shop. OK, a yarn shop. Somehow calling it a wool shop sits more comfortably with my sense of old time Australia. I grew up calling such places wool shops because in the 70s and 80s, that's pretty much what they sold. Wool. And haberdashery in general. I still feel most at home in those old shops with their packets of fine Australian fare, Patons, Cleckheaton, that sort of thing.

More on that in a moment.

There was a fabulous garden at the 1860 cottage George found for us to stay in where I found some fun things to photograph.

Like the scarecrow who I think had seen better days.

I dubbed him Worzel Gummage.

We found asparagus growing in the garden. A small, developing patch so we left most of it in tact, but I got to eat this spear later on. Fresh asparagus out of the garden - my first time!

Just one photo of me posing cheesily in the garden. It seemed like a good idea at the time!

And pretty, pretty bluebells. It was that kind of garden. Little points of discovery and interest around every lush corner.

Do you want to know what five obsessed knitters talk about all weekend? Go on, have a guess.

Ravelry. I think we talked about that more than anything else, or at least it felt like it. Who knew that a knitting site could sustain so much interest and conversation. Thank God there were a couple of iphones there on the weekend so that we could easily check Ravelry for the patterns we were talking about. I'm not sure how we'd have coped! (Joke)

So let's get down the really important stuff. The stash. Sew n Tell in Berry is a very classy shop. It's got the good stuff. And it's amazingly well priced in some instances. I think I was quite restrained in terms of volume. I aimed high this time and I did not disappoint myself. Note the purple Kidsilk Haze. I've never owned that before. I just want to stroke it all the time and listen to it purring!

1. Cascade 220, 2. Kidsilk Haze, 3. Rowan Cotton, 4. Noro Iroha

And to continue the purple theme, which was not intentional, it just happened, here's the Wollmeise I bought from RoseRed who is the kind of person who has Wollmeise to burn, I mean, destash.

I saved up for all this stuff and loved every single moment of choosing it all. I decided, when I looked at it all and my other stash at home that really, it's like a collection now. A collection I'm increasingly proud of and besotted with. And I know I'll enjoy knitting with it.

So all in all a very happy weekend. And just maybe, the idea was born in Berry of a chick-lit novel with a handsome sheep farmer and a heroine who loves to knit. Or something. It's fun to dream about it any rate. Who knows maybe I'll even write it!

Bells

Alice Gets a New Dress

2009-09-17T15:24:00.007+10:00

You'll have to forgive the less than stellar quality of these photos. I had my camera with me but left the memory card at home, so no high quality shots were taken at lunch yesterday.

Instead, we have iphone shots which can be good, but only if the lighting is right. At Wagamama in town, it's not so good. It's a good thing my subject was so photogenic!

This is the Little Sister's Dress pattern which I first saw when Olivia made it and then made it again. It's impossible not to fall in love with the simple, pretty design.

The yarn is Pear Tree yarns in 4ply and the colour, a rather vivid pink, is called Gallah, most fitting really when you see it matches almost exactly the colour of the bird it's named after.

I made the six month size which is still quite long for her, and roomy around the arms, so it'll grow with her in a way that means she'll be wearing it like a short tunic or top six - tweleve months from now.

I'd use this yarn again in a heart beat. It's so deliciously soft. It made the dress lovely to work on, even in the fairly boring stocking stitch part which did seem to go on for rather a long time. And she's starting to move around a bit now so I'll be curious to see how this goes in allowing mobility. If it gets worn out around the knees, I don't mind. These things are meant to be worn and loved.

For the first time in months, I have nothing on the needles for Alice. With the weather warming up, it's probably not necessary. But I can start thinking about next year!

Bells

Persistence pays off

2009-09-15T18:15:00.005+10:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was really struggling with the border of my Myrtle Leaf shawl. If you don't know this pattern, or the book it comes from, here is an image from the book, Victorian Lace Today.

It's a long shawl. By the time I finished the forty leaf pattern repeats, it was, unstretched, taller than me (I'm short, but that's still a hell of a lot of black lace by anyone's standards!). But the body of the pattern was not the end of it. Oh no, not by a long shot.

What follows the main body of the knitting is what some have called the arduous task of knitting on the Willow border. I didn't read the instructions for it until I was ready to do it and with the benefit of hindsight, 6:30am on a Sunday morning when I was not in the most happy or confident of moods was probably an unwise time to try and come to terms with something that seemed a bit daunting.

But with fresh eyes and more than a few helpful comments, plus email discussion with a couple of helpful people, I made it. Last night, I sat at the dining room table, under good light, with the lap top beside me, the book open in front of me and I gave it a go. Here's what it looks like now.

The verticle line of large holes is where the border connects to the body. The border is only eight stitches wide, and the wrong side rows are just purl rows, so once you get going it flies along nicely. I'd like for this not to drag on for an eternity, so I'm going to plug away as consistently as time and alertness allow.

I'm not sure I know what was so hard now. It's true there are a few lines in the instructions that seem kind of odd and unhelpful. I wish Jane Sowerby didn't write that this was unorthodox border because it's not, in essence, that different to the border I learned to do through Elizabeth Zimmermann. I expected it, after that statement, to be radically different and it wasn't. Not really.

Now that I can do it, I wonder what I made all the fuss over, but I suppose that's what learning is all about. What was difficult soon becomes commonplace and easy. Or easier.

All I need to do now is knit the thing.

Bells

FO: Shetland Triangle Shawl II

2009-09-13T17:32:00.003+10:00

In spite of the unseasonally warm weather this weekend, I took my brand spanking new Shetland Triangle Shawl out and about. There may not be many days cold enough to wear her this year, so I thought I'd better make the most of it.

First of all, she came on a little jaunt with blogless EssiMay over to Tuggeranong yesterday afternoon to Stitch n Bitch at Coffee Guru.

In that photo I'm knitting Branching Out in my new favourite yarn - Malabrigo Silky Merino. Oh my. More on that later!

She came along to the Belconnen Markets this morning where I worked on my toe up knee hi socks over a coffee while Sean took photos.

All in all, I'd say she's perfect. There's a very good reason why I've made the Shetland Triangle Shawl twice. It's a simple and effective pattern. The first one, made from vibrant red Wollmeise, is glorious because of the colour and the size (it's quite huge).

This one is slightly smaller at only ten repeats and just over one skein of Socks that Rock (lightweight). And I think the stand out feature of this one is that the colour (called Winter Solstice) is both delicate and striking. With subtle variegation it's light enough to show off the leafy lace pattern.

It's pretty much an instant gratification shawl. A bit over two weeks is all it took, and it would be less if project monogamy was something I was capable of.

Speaking of shawls, I have completed the body of my black Myrtle Leaf Shawl and I spent two hours this morning trying to fathom the instructions in Victorian Lace Today for knitting on the Willow border. TWO HOURS! Who has that much time to just throw down the toilet? I almost threw the shawl across the room in disgust. I have knitted on a border before, but not in the way the instructions say to and not in black cobweb lace.

All advice gratefully received, in this instance. I have researched blogs, Ravelry forums and have read the instructions again and again. To no avail. Has anyone who's made it or understands complex knitted on borders know how to explain it in as plain a manner as possible? Unlike the Shetland Triangle, I don't think I'll ever make Myrtle again!

Bells

Of Shawls and Babies and Jumpers

2009-09-11T08:40:00.006+10:00

There's a really nice ending to the story about John and his jumper that needed rescuing from certain death.

We arranged to meet on Wednesday outside my building and when I showed him the repair job, he was very pleased. Delighted, in fact. Two unexpected things occured after that.

He offered me money. Not a specified amount. Rather, he asked how much he owed me but I didn't want to take any money. He'd already brought me a coffee. That was enough, really. For 15-30 mins work and about a metre of green wool I already had in my stash? I would have felt silly. If perhaps it had been an arduous task that had taken me hours, then I'd say we'd have been talking a dollar amount, but not for that.

Unexpected thing number two was that he asked what book I would recommend for someone wanting to learn to knit. I recalled at once that my own re-entry to knitting came through Stitch N Bitch but I thought I'd ask him who was wanting to learn before I recommended that.

"How about an old bloke like me? I want to learn!" he said. Still, the only book I could think of, on the spot was Stitch n Bitch. So I told him to overlook the name and check it out. He thanked me and we parted ways. Yes, I suppose I could offer to teach him but somehow it didn't seem right.

Later that night I sent him a text saying I thought that the website Knitting Help probably a better option. I hope he follows it up. What would you have recommended? I was really stumped.

* * *
Last night I tried out blocking wires for the first time. Here's a photo I snapped quickly before work of the shetland triangle drying on the mats we bought from Bunnings last weekend. Sean picked them up becuase he thought they'd be good exercise mats. I misunderstood and thought he was suggesting blocking mats. Turns out we were both right!

They're awkward and I'm not sure I got it right, particuarly as I had to use two across the top of the shawl. What will it be like when I have to block the Myrtle shawl which is now, unblocked, taller than I am? I may go back to using cotton. It's definitely quicker than using a gazillion pins, but I'm not convinced I got the level of tension I wanted. I'll see how it goes on the weekend but maybe I'll re block it.

Also, this was my favourite photo this week. Me and sweet little Alice. She and her mum come for lunch most weeks. We have sushi and a coffee and Alice flirts with people sitting nearby. She also gives the best cuddles you can imagine. I think six months must be a very cuddly age.

This week i figured out she has teeth. Sharp ones! I love that she gets to wear her handknits when she comes out on our still rather cold days.

Bells

ps I'm thinking I'll probably run A Long Lacy Summer again this year, starting in November. Stay tuned!

The Knitting MacGyver

2009-09-06T18:03:00.008+10:00

Picture this.

I am sitting at work one afternoon in August. I am probably bored. My mobile phone rings and it's a number I don't know.

I am always suspicious of numbers I don't know.

A male voice I don't recognise asks for me by name. First and second name. Again, I'm suspicious but what follows is a rather odd but harmless request.

His name is John. He was given my number at a local yarn shop - Cassidy's or The Shearing Shed, I can't remember which - and how they had my number is still a mystery but I think they may have found me via the listing for the Canberra Stitch n Bitch group.

What I hear him describe is worrying and at first I panic. He has a jumper and it needs repairing. He doesn't know any knitters and hopes a local knitter can help. He describes a sister who could knit but who died and no one else who could help. Against my better judgement, I say yes, imagining the worst. I have visions of jagged edged holes, unravelled stitches, a nightmare. Perhaps helping him out will earn me good seats in Knitting Heaven.

Some weeks pass before our schedules are simultaneously free and when the time comes to meet him, Sean suggests I take a friend. Because, you know, men who call knitters for help with their unravelling jumpers are probably also deranged.

You never know.

A knitterly friend, Anthea, who works in my department and doesn't need much in the way of persuasion to get out of the office comes along with me. The arranged meeting place is a cafe near work and Anthea carries her knitting (she walks and knits!) so that he will recognise us.

We are met at the door by a waitress who says, 'Is one of you Helen?' I say yes. She points me in the direction of John who is at a table waiting. Very quickly it's easy to tell he is not deranged. At least not at first glance. He is a rather good looking silver-haired man in a suit who orders coffees for both of us and proceeds to explain his dilemma.

He has a large, heavy bottle green aran jumper that was bought for him in Ireland and as the problem is revealed, I know I will be fine. Anthea and I declare it an entirely salvageable piece and after a few more minutes of very nice chatting, John departs and leaves us to our coffee and knitting.

This afternoon, I set out to fix the jumper, turning myself into, as Kylie called me when I told her what I had to, The Knitting MacGyver. Truth be told, there was nothing very challenging about this fix-it job but I thought it was worth showing what I had to do.

Here is the jumper with the hole up near the neck.

You can see there's a hole in the purl section beside the cable. My fears of moth-eaten jagged holes were so much worse than this.

About 10cm or 4inches below the hole, I located a stitch just hanging out on its own, like this was an ok thing for a stitch to be doing. I grabbed it with a crochet hook.

Using the crochet hook, I picked up each horizontal bar of the ladder, working my way up towards the hole. Here, I've reached the hole.

For reasons beyond my understanding, there was no obvious place to hook the stitch once I reached the hole so I just worked right across the hole, picking up the first horizontal bar on the far side of the hole.

After that came the fairly dodgy sewing stage. Naturally enough I didn't have any yarn of the same shade, but the green of the jumper is flecked green and so some Bendigo yarn I had to hand matched a few of the flecks. Here is my carefully done but ultimately still fairly unprofessional job of securing it all down.

So that's the reverse side. Here's the front side - which on the jumper is the left shoulder blade.

See, with all the green flecking, I think the front is about as good as I could reasonably get it. Sean could only see it once I pointed it out (or so he said!).

So there you go. When strange men call you at work and ask if you can fix a much loved jumper, there's no need to be afraid. Or so it seems.

The proof of this pudding will be John's reaction when I give him his jumper some time this week. It really wasn't wearable as it was - that stray stitch was just going to keep slipping down the length of the body if somebody didn't intervene. I'm kind of pleased I got to help him out. I feel like I undertook a spot of community service.

Bells

Viral Knits

2009-09-04T19:15:00.008+10:00

This week, in a fit of crazed startitis, I cast on a new shawl. Not just any old shawl, but a pattern I've meant to make for a long time.

This is the Swallowtail Shawl, just one of Evelyn Clark's many wonderful lace patterns and for the longest time, I've put it off because I had this crazy idea it was hard. Well pfft. It's not. Admittedly I haven't hit the nupps yet, and I'm not sure I'll include them, but so far, piece of cake. Even in Madil Kid Seta which will no doubt be a bitch to undo if I have to.

Note the absence of lifelines. I like to live dangerously.

Sure it's a viral knit (a popular knit as opposed to a virulent strain of head lice!). Lace lovers everywhere have made it but this doesn't detract from the pattern's worth at all, in my view.

So I was thinking about viral knits - those patterns that everyone seems to be knitting. If you show up at an event where two or more knitters are gathered, you're going to see multiple versions of those oh so popular knits. Some people find that disturbing. They don't want to make what everyone makes. I get why they might feel that way. We all have our ways of distinguishing ourselves.

I personally like to avoid, as a matter of personal taste, the music that 'everyone' is listening to or the latest reality tv that 'everyone' is watching but sometimes, something that's very popular seeps through all the garbage that's out there and I end up loving it - like Buffy. But mostly I don't get on those bandwagons. Knitting is different. If there's a pattern that 'everyone' is knitting, chances are I will at least consider it.

Personally, I've made loads of the most viral knits, like the ubiquitous Clapotis. Haven't heard of it? Which rock have you been living under? Here's mine, made well past the point where everyone was making them. Better late to the party than never huh?

I've also made Monkey socks, at least three times. I think maybe four. These are the ones I made for RoseRed for Christmas.

Why have I made this pattern so many times? Because it's a damn good pattern. That's why it's viral. It's simple but not boring. It's versatile. It works with many different kinds of sock yarn and the results are fabulous. For me, it was a great transition from plain socks to patterned. I know it's been the same for lots of knitters.

Also, I made the pi blanket, by Elizabeth Zimmermann. A gazillion knitters jumped on board with this one and I made it twice.

Oh and then there were the Fetchings. Four pairs at last count. I've just realised that several of my favourite viral knits have come from Knitty. I often think I haven't made much from Knitty but I think I ought to revisit that idea. It looks like I've made more than I think.

I love all of items things I've made, no matter how much they have been knit by others. Yes, they've been knit by thousands and thousands of knitters, but those knitters didn't knit these versions. I did! They're mine and that's all that matters!

I get kind of cranky when I hear people bemoan the popular patterns, as if it means that to knit them means you haven't had an original thought since 1993. Even if you knit the pattern without modifications, by choosing a colour you like, perhaps substituting a yarn you prefer, you have made it yours. It's unique.

Even RoseRed and I have both made, at the same time, February Lady Sweaters from red Cascade 220, but we made our own versions with the buttons we chose, the length of our sleeves or the body. I'm sure we'd probably avoid wearing them to the same event, but otherwise, we celebrated our shared good taste rather than whining about each other's lack of originality. Again, it's a good pattern. That's why it's popular.

Sometimes a pattern just captures the imagination of knitters everywhere. Ysolda Teague must be loving that her simple little Ishbel shawl is so amazingly popular as well she should. There's something exciting about stuff that works and let's face it, the internet has made our knitting such a shared activity now and I'm loving all the shared creativity and happiness.

There are many, many more viral knits in my future, I'm sure of it and every single one of them will be uniquely mine, just as yours will be uniquely yours. Let's celebrate the shared creativity!

Bells

Show me the way to get back to the garden

2009-09-01T19:20:00.005+10:00

I had that Tori Amos lyric floating through my head this afternoon as I grabbed a few unexpected moments of daylight and flew around my garden to capture the blooms that have appeared over the last few days.

I was thinking about 'getting back to the garden' because the first day of Spring was luminous in Canberra and I was heading home to meet our landscaper who is devising plans for us. These plans will help us build and shape a garden structure that is more than a few disparate beds. We'll have a retaining wall and a deck and pergola and all sorts of good things.

It's exciting because I have really neglected the garden, as evidence by these yellow flowers which exist purely as a result of our neglect.

They are just one of the Bok Choy plants that we never got to harvesting. I figure I'm just going to let the plants do what they want and who knows, maybe they'll self sew, although by the time that happens we'll hopefully have a whole new garden with new plants and new structures. Still, I like the Bok Choy flowers!

As it turned out, our landscaper didn't make it this evening, but for a little while it was nice to hang out in daylight and dream of how much fun it will be to have an outdoor space of our own making in a few months' time.

Just quickly, there is a Grand Plan under way over at RoseRed's place. A Grand Plan of the yarn-y variety. I'll give you a clue, if you're a yarn lover; it involves A LOT of Wollmeise. And a whole lot of new projects. She's either crazy or amazing - I think she's a little bit of both.

Her Grand Plan is to cast on a new Wollmeise project every day for the first seven days of September. Just because. And while I don't have an abundance of Wollmeise, I do have an abundance of yarn and bucketloads of ideas so maybe, just maybe, I'll play along too.

Bells

When people don't know that you knit

2009-08-27T19:47:00.008+10:00

I recently moved to a new team at work. This wasn't a choice. It was a restructure in which our lovely team was carved up and spread out across the department. The girl I work with and am friends with came with me but other than that, everybody is new to us.

It was because of this move that today I found myself remembering that not everyone in the world is a knitter. Nor does everyone in the world know I am a knitter.

I know! Can you believe it?

For a little while I was working in a team full of women of a certain age, and they knew about knitting. Although none of them were any longer practicing knitters, they knew stuff and so when I came to work wearing a newly finished cardigan, or with one of my small winter shawls draped around my neck like a scarf, there was stuff to talk about. It was fun! And can you imagine how it's been with all the baby knits I've been churning out for Alice? For the grandmothers in my team, there was always something to coo over.

But now? Not so much. I haven't 'come out' yet. I was wishing I had, because next Monday we have a branch planning day and historically, the only way I survive those arduous ordeals is by getting through the better part of a sock while listening to discussion about strategic plans and core competencies and all manner of less than riveting subjects.

How, I wondered, was I going to just casually whip out the knitting and deal with the inevitable questions? (Note: I don't always get questions at such events. I'm pretty low key about it. I try to spend the day with the knitting held down low, hopefully sitting as far back in the room as possible!)

Today, I came out as a knitter to my new boss quite by accident. On Thursdays, a small, merry bunch of city based workers have been getting together at lunch times to knit in a cafe that is so accepting of us they now book the big wooden table for us and one week, when the table wasn't free, provided chocolates as a token apology.

The cafe is a hop, skip and a jump from my building and today, my new director walked in and couldn't help but see me sitting at the big table. He pointed, stared, laughed a little and made general noises of surprise.

'I had no idea!' he declared.

'This is my other life!' I replied. (One of other knitters present corrected me pretty quickly - this is actually my life. Work? That's something I do on the side!)

Later, back in the office, my director turned to me and said, 'So, was that knitting?' Yes.

'And who were those people?' (Sean said I should have told him they were random strangers who just showed up spontaneously!)

I explained who they were.

'And you just go there to knit?'

Yep.

'Really?'

Sure.

'And what? You just, I dunno, chat? While you knit?'

You bet.

'Wow. How did that start?' I told him.

Again, 'really?'

By this point, both amused and slightly irritated by how long it was taking him to get it, I wanted to cry out 'Yes! Yes! We knit. In public. Together. Often. And by choice!' but I forced myself to remember that not everyone knows this.

I was wearing my Forest Canopy shawl. He pointed at it and said, 'And is this one of yours?'

'This is one of mine.'

'You clever thing!' I half expected him to pat me on the head.

I must say this just amused me, lest the way I've written it is coming off as me being impatient with my director. The slightly patronising tone bugged me a little but you know, he's clearly not got any knitters in his life (otherwise he might not have been so taken aback by it all) so I can forgive him that, and pity him a little. Who doesn't need a knitter in their life? I mean, really.

Still, it got me thinking about how this thing I love so much is just such a huge part of who I am now, and people around me are just so used to it that having to explain it, even in some small way, pulls me up short and makes me realise I take so much of what it means to me for granted and we should never take the good stuff for granted, should we?

I'll leave you with the start of my Shetland Triangle shawl in the glorious Socks that Rock yarn I bought recently, in Winter Solstice. This is a fabulous counterpoint to my black lace stole, which, frankly, has been killing my eyes. I needed some lace that wasn't sending me blind!

Pretty huh?

Bells

Wollongong Weekend

2009-08-23T19:21:00.005+10:00

I took no photos on the weekend. I was too busy having a fine time at Kylie's house in Wollongong. However, Sean went out exploring on his own and took a lot of photos so I present a couple of his for a change - taken with his iphone.

Looks like he had a very pleasant afternoon down on the rocks!

Meanwhile, Kylie and I were lusting after the sock yarn stash of a friend of hers who came for afternoon tea. Kylie's friend arrived with a suitcase of show and tell stash! Jitterbug, Socks that Rock, Malabrigo - you name it, she probably had it. A sock yarn stash to envy, that's for sure.

I got a little stash enhancement of my own, just two skeins of Blue Moon Fibre Arts Socks that Rock - oh please admire my restraint in both purchasing only two skeins and not having cast on anything yet since getting home this afternoon!

It's called Winter Solstice and I have nothing like it in my stash. Two skeins is enough for a modestly sized triangular shawl. I just need to decide which one now, so I'll think on it a little longer.

Also, while at Kylie's, under the watchful eye of her friend with the amazing stash, I did my first toe up heel on my pretty stripey socks. Check it out.

Now that I've done it, I can't believe I ever felt afraid of it. Fear of trying new things really, really shouldn't get in the way. It has no place in the life of a serious knitter, I say. Just do it!

Bells

Winter loses its hold

2009-08-22T07:12:00.007+10:00

This week I began arriving home in daylight. Well something that passes for daylight. Once or twice I even ventured out without a coat on - but it's still cold enough for knitwear. Don't worry - I'm not giving that up any time soon. Canberra is still in the grip of winter.

The grip is just a little bit looser.

The bulbs are continuing to emerge, even in places where I thought there were none anymore.

This the Pickwick crocus that I love so much. Can't manage to be home when the sun is at its highest and the bud would be open, so I keep catching it only when it's shut up for the day. Lots of my crocus bulbs didn't seem to survive this summer so when I found this one hiding down among the greenery, I was pretty happy to see it.

It never fails to make me think of Charles Dickens which is silly since I've never even read The Pickwick Papers.

The purple theme continues with this fully open anemone. It amazes me how they are such tiny buds and yet they open up to be so very big.

And finally a Daffodil in the setting sun.

Sean had a lovely time wandering around the yard yesterday morning before work spying all the daffs that are up and about. They're special to him. His late, maternal grandfather, who I never met, was particularly fond of them and Sean has assured me that wherever we go, there will be daffodils every spring as a way of keeping his grandfather a little closer. I don't think that's a big ask, do you?

We're off this morning to visit Kylie for the weekend, to hang out and to collect some Socks that Rock yarn she got when I piggy backed on her order. What fun!

Bells

I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and walk unafraid

2009-08-20T18:08:00.006+10:00

Earlier this week I had a conversation by email with RoseRed about some socks I was planning. I had a dilemma and as so often happens, chatting with RoseRed sorted me out.

You see, I wanted to make a pair of plain knee length socks from this gloriously stripey yarn I was given by Kylie.

Kylie gave me two balls of it and Pru generously gave me a matching one she no longer wanted - thereby providing me with enough to make long socks.

Nearly all the patterns I found for plain knee high (or even just long) socks were for toe up and I have, to date, studiously avoided toe up socks. I did try it once. I learned how to cast them on, then promptly lost interest before I got to any of the good stuff like turning a heel in reverse.

I asked RoseRed what she thought of trying them top down and just figuring out the calf increases myself. RoseRed's advice back to me was this:

"If you can steek you can do toe up socks!"

And I figured she was right. Not that steeking, or cutting your knitting for the uninitiated, is really anything like knitting a pair of plain socks starting at the toe, but the message was clear. You've gone into some pretty daring places with your knitting, Bells. Toe up socks really shouldn't be that daunting.

Fair call. So I started, using some clues by Wendy Johnson and the clever increases that RoseRed told me about by Cat Bordhi. (Edited to show link to the increases I'm using). I was off.

And it's fun! It's not scary. So far, thanks to the magic of Kaffe Fassett's colour genius in this yarn I'm enjoying watching the stripes emerge and I'm also enjoying seeing a product I know so well from the other end, as it were.

Of course, I haven't had to deal with the gusset or heel formation yet, but I'm guessing that won't be so scary once I've given it a go either. Honestly, there are times when I wonder what's going on in my head that I have systematically avoided any pattern that called for toe up construction. How silly, really.

This time, it was just a knitting fear. A minor, inconsequential little fear. Maybe I can think this through next time there's a big, real life fear to deal with.

Have you got any knitting or craft related fears to overcome? I bet you have. Maybe we should all have a go at addressing something we're afraid to try? Go on, get it on the table, let's declare our knitting (or other) fears!

Bells

Myrtle. Twelve Weeks From Here.

2009-08-16T15:46:00.005+10:00

As I've been recovering from all this illness and working steadily on my Myrtle Leaf shawl, I've been pondering where one goes with a new, beautiful piece of lace.

She's not finished yet and she won't be for some weeks, but it's lovely to look into the future, imagine yourself draped in black silk and going somewhere special, and make a few plans.

In a cafe yesterday afternoon, bathed in winter sunlight, I worked on Myrtle while Sean and I drank coffee and tea. I said to him I thought Myrtle ought to get to go out when she's done. Somewhere special. I began to imagine a nice restaurant or even just a walk somewhere beautiful for some dramatic photos and then it hit me.

In November, exactly twelve weeks from today, we've got a big night out coming up. Tori Amos, a woman whose work I have loved often to the near exclusion of all others for 18 years, is touring again and on 16 November she'll be playing the Sydney Opera House.

The last time we saw her there was a beautiful evening in 2005. We drank champagne overlooking Sydney Harbour and went inside shortly after for a truly spectacular performance, during which I'm not ashamed to say I cried.

In November we'll see here there again and at least two other knitters I know are going to the same show. Ailsa and Jody. The venue, the friends, the music all mean that I must work hard to get Myrtle done by then - I imagine she'll be finished well in advance, but she'll have her debut that night.

I simply can't wait.

Bells

Cauchy Socks - What Took You So Long?

2009-08-14T17:13:00.006+10:00

Being ill this week has been good for my desire to get things off the needles. I was struck down, mid-flu bout, with a bacterial infection and now have tonsillitis. This has been a real doozy of a week.

But there has been much knitting (including the black Myrtle leaf shawl, but that's just growing and not very newsworthy) which is excellent for productivity.

So I bring you Exhibit A. Sean's new socks which, I'm ashamed to admit, were begun way back in April at Knitting Camp. They were begun as a little Knit Along with RoseRed and Kylie, both of whom beat me some time ago. You can see RoseRed's version (she came second) here, and Kylie's version here. All three of us knitted these for the significant men in our lives.

So what took me so long?

Were they difficult? No. Boring? Yes. But the result is good so I'm willing to forgive them. I would say, that out of all the socks in Cookie A's book, Sock Innovation, these are the least innovative socks.

The pattern is boring because it's not difficult enough to keep your interest, not even a little bit, but not simple enough that you can just whizz through it. You have to keep at least one eye on the purl stitches to form the pattern. But it's not bad. Honestly. And it's easily modified to make it a little bigger - you just an extra knit stitch at the end of each pattern repeat, taking the pattern to 66 stitches, which is more like it.

More to the point though, I chose a really boring colour. It's not a bad colour in and of itself, but I kept being distracted by prettier colours in my stash and working on those instead. I don't mean to do Patonyle a disservice. It's really, really wonderful sock yarn. But oh their colours are so very limited.

That said, Sean chose this for himself and I am a most obliging wife (a wife of five years today, as it happens!) so when the moment came to put these on his feet, and we saw how very well they fit, we both knew the wait had been worth it.

Anyone care to guess what was on the tv when I took this shot? I bet Kylie can guess since I think she was watching the very same thing at the very same time. Yep, a lunch time screening of the 2006 adaptation of Jane Eyre. Sigh.

Wonder what socks I'll knit next? Time for something fun, to shake things up a bit I think.

Bells

Loving the black lace again

2009-08-11T19:11:00.003+10:00

Does anyone remember my ebony Myrtle Leaf shawl? If you do, maybe you thought I ditched it?

You'd be forgiven for thinking that since by my reckoning, I've not worked on it since the day this photo was taken, way back in April, at Knitting Camp!

To recap, it's from Victorian Lace today. The yarn is JaggerSpun Zephyr wool-silk and the pattern is Jane Sowerby's Myrtle Leaf Shawl with Willow Border.

Really, I just put it down for a few months because I was too busy knitting cardigans. I long ago decided that there was no rush on this particular piece. I don't particularly need a black lace stole but I sure as hell love knitting this stuff. So I decided it would take as long as it takes. It's not particularly hard, although the black is a bit draining to work with sometimes.

Having said that it will take as long as it takes, I'd kind of like to bump it along a bit and have it done well before the anniversary of starting it, which is late January. I'd like to have a fresh lace project of substantial proportions to work on once cardigan weather is over and I'm again in need of light, airy knitting that doesn't make me overheat.

So I reckon I could, if I focus, get this done before the end of September. No promises, but I do work well with a deadline looming and the thought of choosing something new, something not black, might just spur me on.

I'm home sick this week with a pretty nasty flu virus. The Dr told me to stay home until I'm no longer contagious so between naps, I'm sitting in the full glare of daylight and getting a bit of this lace knocked over. I'm a little over half way now I think and I know that if I focus, it moves fairly quickly.

Let's see how I go!

Bells

Lacy Mock Cable Socks III

2009-08-09T09:28:00.000+10:00

(This is a repeat posting - for some reason the photos all vanished and people couldn't see them. Fixed now!)

When trying to choose which knitting projects to take to my sister's house for a few days, I thought about how I'd be busy running around after my nephew, Will; how there'd be a lot of talking and not much chance for concentrating. So i took only socks and only easy socks that were well overdue to be finished.

The plan worked for one pair of socks which are modelled here by Adele. How good is it to have socks modelled by someone else! For once I didn't have to try and come up with interesting angles while perching on steps or performing contortions on the lawn during daylight!

Willem got into the shot, too, not to mention the cat in the background.

The socks are the Lacy Mock Cable pattern made from Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Plum. Getting Adele to model them was risky business. We discovered a hole in the original pair I made for her (same pattern even!) but this yarn was a gift from RoseRed and I love the colour so I sure as hell won't be giving them away! Adele will have to wait for her own pair.

This is the third time I've made this pattern. It was one of the earliest patterns I used once I felt brave enough to let go of the sides and dive into patterned rather than plain socks. If you're a not so confident sock knitter, looking for a way to branch out into semi-lacy socks, this is a very good, easily memorised pattern.

I just adore the colour. Colinette do amazing sock yarn and after warnings from others, I was careful about the yardage. More than a few people failed to get a full pair out of Jitterbug but I weighed them carefully and each sock is 54g - thankfully the skeins are 110g!

My trip away was really lovely. Just sisters hanging out during the day, with Willem for added company and fun. We made cupcakes, among many other great activities over two days.

He decorated them with those pink and white lolly teeth. He was pretty pleased with his efforts, as he should have been! Aunty time is good for the soul.

Bells

Winter Garden

2009-08-04T21:04:00.007+10:00

I'll say one things for bulbs, even when your garden is a largely neglected wasteland, the bulbs still do their thing. No water, no feeding, no real tending of any kind and yet come August, their beauty still shines.

I wandered outside on the weekend and found delicately unfurling petals, like the Anemone above.

And some bigger, already opened anemones.

I think the intolerably dry summer this year did terrible things to many of the bulbs from last year. In northern climates I'm sure they go on for years, but I found at the end of summer that some had been cooked in the flimsy, dead soil. It made me sad. I know I can lift then but we planted over 200 bulbs last year and I'm sure as hell not lifting them all!

This is the only crocus I could find in the front beds.

Just one little candle flame of a flower. The rest are all gone.

I try to value the green and the colour I'm finding in the garden at the moment. I've ignored it over winter, feeling too much like hibernating to really deal with it, but at least I can be glad that a few bulbs survived.

Soon it'll be time to start thinking about spring plantings.

This week I'm off to Sydney on my own for a couple of days to just hang out with Adele and Will. Serious aunty time coming my way. Can't wait!

Bells

Small Shawls and a Baby Kimono

2009-08-02T17:53:00.009+10:00

I've had a bit of a weird week since I last posted. A bit patchy on the knitting front, a bit crazy on the work front, and a bit odd on the 'other things' front.

Not that I intend to discuss it much, because talking about weight and food is a bit dull, but I started Weight Watchers, in an attempt to shift the damage inflicted by two years of futile fertility treatment and generally not taking much care of myself as a result. I've figured out so far that I eat good healthy food, just too much of it. Who knew?

On the knitting front, I think it's probably quite normal to hit a bit of a knitting slump after finishing something like a cardigan, especially one that was part of a race and took only 20 days to knit. I'm not sure if I exhausted myself exactly, that'd be overstating the case, but I felt at a bit of a loss once the Garter Yoke Cardigan was done.

I did start a little shawl (thank you LynS for pointing out shawlette is a nasty word!). I started right away working on the Aestlight shawl, a simply knit small shawl made in the traditional Shetland way, according to designer Gudrun Johnston.

It was pointed out to be by mad keen shawl knitter Jan of Pass the Slipped stitch Over. It was lovely. Really gorgeous, until I hit the birds eye lace section. I don't like that stitch, not one bit. I stuffed it up and moved on. I think I'll go back, because it's so cute as a project. But not now. Jan, however, has made a beautiful one. Check it out.

Instead, I started the Milkweed shawl. No doubt, if you inhabit knitting blogland, you'll have seen it already. It's everywhere right now. A bit Ishbel-esque in its popularity and I can see why. It's a very pretty little knit. Laura Chau is clever and I'm plugging away at it for now, not holding my breath because me and shawls are kind of not seeing eye to eye at the moment. But here it is.

The yarn is by Ailsa, or Knitabulous, and it's called Merlot Friday. The observant among you might have picked what the colour also looks like. Hello, knitpicks cables anyone? I am certain Ailsa never intended it but it amuses me to think of it from time to time while I knit.

I did manage to finish off a sweet little cardigan for my niece Alice, who was an all day visitor at our house yesterday while her parents attended a family wedding. I started this kimono about a month ago and just needed to add sleeves, which I spent Friday night doing. Here she is modelling it yesterday morning.

I have to say I have mixed feelings about the pattern. It's the Seamless Baby Kimono. I made one for Alice a couple of months ago and the little chubster has outgrown it. So I made another.

The problem with the last one was that it was very floppy around the neck. I read that some people added a row of single crochets around the neck to reinforce it a bit. I did that and it does help, but the front is still kinda floppy and I'm not keen on how the wrap does up.

Maybe it's me? The underneath section of the wrap doesn't connect to anything. It kind of hangs, like it needs some button or something to tie it up on the inside. It's only held together properly in that photo because I put Sean's fingers in the right place to hold it. Anyone who's made this got thoughts? I reckon I'll make a regular cardigan for Alice next, or a dress. I do enjoy knitting this little piece. It works as a concept, just not as a successful wrap, for me at any rate. I just can't get it to a wearable state I'm happy with.

Anyway, I'm sure Alice will still get wear out of this, even with its faults. It's still cold here. The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic 8ply in Pink Opal and I think she looks very pretty in it.

Edited to add: First comment by Leonie shows I have utterly failed to read the pattern well. It asks you to add a button to hold it closed. Duh.

Everyone says it but it's true, baby girl knits are so much fun.

Bells

ps thanks for all the fabulous suggestions on naming the Knitting With Bells bear. I have stared at the list and stared at it and I can't decide. I will choose one - it's just so hard!

Tour de France Knit Along - Garter Yoke Cardigan

2009-07-27T19:02:00.004+10:00

I made it. I finished my Tour de France Knit Along cardigan - yellow jersey - with twenty four hours to spare on the the deadline.

And here it is, taken bright and early, around 7:30am this morning before work. I had grand visions for a frosty morning for the photos, but wouldn't you know it, we got a clear, damp morning instead. C'est la vie.

This, pattern, the Garter Yoke Cardigan from Knit 1, was such a fun, such an easy cardigan. Best cardigan I've ever made, I think. Not perfect, but of the three cardigans (gasp!) I've made this winter, it's hands down my favourite.

And the Rowan Kid Classic? To die for. Yes, it's a little furry, but in a good way, not in a scratchy way. It's warm yet airy.

This whole cardigan used only a mere 6x50g balls. That's 300g and a bit extra, maybe about 100g more. That's unheard of for a cardigan in worsted weight! Just for the comparison, my February Lady Sweater used around 450g. All day, I felt the cardigan light as a breath. That mix of lambswool and kid mohair is gorgeous. Trust me.

In this photo of the cardigan drying yesterday, you can see the waist shaping the pattern uses.

I don't think I'll get the full value of the waist shaping, given I won't wear it done up. I tried but I feel not right when I do. I don't feeling that buttoned up, and prefer it partially open.

I am so happy with the colour. It's called Peat. In some lights, there are undertones of a red-purple shade shot through it, not so much variegated as just highlighted. In other lights, it's almost black, or almost brown. It can be a cardigan for all outfits, as far as I'm concerned.

The garter yoke neck opened up a little once it was washed and dry. I think, given I've done the larger size, this means the neck will probably annoy me a bit if it stretches more but over a t-shirt, it'll be ok.

I will make this again. And again. I'm already eyeing my stash for other candidates.

And the race? You know, those men on bikes? I didn't even see the end of it. I couldn't articulate anything about it in any realistic way. I would hear the voiceovers and sort of drift off, seeing only the scenery. Not the fault of the sport or the commentators. I'm sure it was fascinating. I just don't absorb that kind of commentary or detail.

But I do work well under pressure!

Bells

Sweet Evangeline

2009-07-26T17:35:00.008+10:00

I needed a gift for my friend Julia and I needed it fast. It had to be bright and beautiful, warm and comforting, just like Julia, and so last Monday night I hit upon the perfect thing.

Within minutes I'd bought the pattern for Evangeline mitts (Ravelry Link) from the The Sweet Sheep.

I used part of a skein of Malabrigo worsted in Sealing Wax, which was what was leftover from a gift from Amy in Rhode Island a long time ago. I've sat on it for so long, not sure which would be the perfect way to use it and I knew I'd be able to get two pairs of mitts out it if I was lucky. It'll be easy. I'll be casting on a pair for myself shortly so that I can have something red on my hands for what remains of winter.

Julia adored these. You know when someone really gets what you've done? When you've hit just the right note? This was one of those moments. Very satisfying.

They're a fast knit (if you do the short version, the pattern provides a long and short version) and the cable is actually pretty simple. By the time you've carefully done a few pattern rows, you've hit the thumb and next thing it's all over. Instant gratification.

* * *

And in other exciting news, I have officially finished my Tour de France cardigan. It's drying as we speak and should be ready for work in the morning.

I found what I think are the perfect buttons yesterday at Addicted to Fabric.

Full write up some time this week.

I'll see if a few more name suggestions come in for the knitting bear contest and choose something shortly.

Bells

Knitting Teddy Bear

2009-07-24T17:16:00.007+10:00

My not-so-little brother has quite the knack for unusual or unique gifts. You can't help but look at him sometimes, at that big dome shaped head of his and wonder what's going on inside. Once in a while, you are reminded that there's all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff happening.

When he told he was making my birthday gift, I was puzzled, to say the least. The last I knew of him making anything, he was a teenager making video montages that were both funny and touching. As far as I knew, he wasn't doing that sort of thing anymore, so what on earth could it be?

Then he showed up with this.

He'd gone to the Teddy Bear shop hoping they had a knitting teddy bear. They didn't, but the sales assistant had a suggestion for him. She sold him a bear and sent him on his way.

He and his girlfriend, Lisa, came up with this little guy. Lisa provided the knitting and Keith did all the requisite attaching of the needles and yarn to the bear.

See the bells attached to the fabric? Keith attached those so that the bear is....wait for it....

Knitting with Bells!

I love it. I totally love it. What a cute, clever gift! Thank you little brother. He's just adorable and he'll have pride of place on the table beside where I knit. I want to name him, because he comes with a birth certificate. Wonder what sort of name suits him? Suggestions welcome!

EDITED: I have had a couple of suggestions already of having a naming competition. Tell me what you think he should be called and somehow I'll come up with a winner!

* * *

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, I've been plugging away at my Tour de France cardigan. I've not posted updates because miles of stocking stitch does not make for fun blogging, but I'm happy to report that I will absolutely make it in under the deadline of Sunday night.

Between tonight and Sunday, I have only got to knit one sleeve and given that the first one seemed to happen quite without me noticing it, including needing to take off the cuff and knit a little more length into it, I reckon I'll be done before I know it. Tonight, we are having a night of eating and drinking and watching the tour with our country friends. They all know about my deadline. They'll be cheering me on to the finishing line, I've no doubt.

Stay tuned for the finished cardigan in a few days!

Bells

Custom Knits - A Review

2009-07-21T12:52:00.022+10:00

Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits: Unleash Your Inner Designer with Top-Down and Improvisational Techniques is a book I've been thinking about buying for a long time. Ever since it came out - last year? Early this year? I wanted it. Then I wasn't so sure. After a while, I thought maybe I wanted it again. I had my finger poised over the purchase button on The Book Depository more times than I can remember.

In the end, George did me a favour and got it for me, saving me from the indecision because deep down, I did really want it and she knew it.

I think my reluctance to get this book came from a sense that maybe I love the idea more than the execution. I'd done a little seamless knitting, even knitting one of Wendy's seamless cardigan patterns. I was all set to dive headlong into loving this book, and I do now, but the first time I flicked through it at RoseRed's house, the styling really struck me as odd and in particular, the patterns just seemed like things I simply wouldn't knit.

Sure, the patterns look fantastic in the pictures but not in a way that says 'knit me' - at least not to me. My problem with the patterns is that they don't say 'every woman.' Knitwear models are always gorgeous. That's a given. But the knitwear isn't always so obviously directed at skinny, typically 'sexy' girls.

People who know me in real life know I'm not particularly fashion conscious. I tend to wear the same basic styles that I think work for me over and over again. I'll wear favourite items to death with nary a glance sideways at new clothes. I'm also not a particularly flamboyant or showy dresser so when faced with something like this, I blanched.

I haven't got the body for it, nor the desire to wear something so short. Same with this pattern.

It's just not me. I mean, the photos are lovely, but it's easy at first glance to be put off by all the pantsless modelling.

And there's the small matter of the front cover, which is kinda cool, but kinda weird. Who wears an alpaca jumper with bikini bottoms at the beach? I adore the jumper but like so many others, I skimmed past it because of the styling.

So really, what was happening for me was some kind of gut reaction to the book, based almost entirely on my own self image which is often not fabulous. I had dismissed the patterns as pretty but not for me. I'm not putting myself down here, just recognising what I'm comfortable with. I figured my money could be more wisely invested.

But niggling always at me was the notion that this book is about more than some sexily posed knitwear. Everyone seemed to say it's a resource and to me that's what gives a knitting book its weight and longevity. Long after the fashions have outlived their currency, the concepts in books such as Custom Knits are where the real value kicks in. Who hasn't looked at an Elizabeth Zimmermann book and giggled a little at the 1970s styling? We don't love EZ for her high fashion. We love her for her knowledge and the empowerment that comes from knowing how knitting works.

And not all the patterns are presented in a way that's a bit over-sexed. Some are just lovely. Like Cameo.

Or Slinky Ribs.

Now that I have the book in my hot little hands and have been devouring it every night before I go to sleep, I love it. Absolutely love it. And not just for the resourcefulness of it. I've been able to look past the 'not for me' styling and have seen on Ravelry what others who have had the book for some time have managed to do with the patterns. Women of all shapes and sizes have done precisely what Wendy Bernard encourages us to do, what she implores us to do, they have made the patterns their own.

We all know that modifying a pattern is exactly what you should do if some element doesn't suit you. If you're like me, when you read that someone changed a neckline, or added in shaping you might be the kind of person who thinks, well yes, that's all very well, but how did you do it? Wendy Bernard takes you through doing precisely that sort of modification step by step, different sleeves, different necklines, shaping, you name it. Each pattern comes with some ways to 'make it your own' and the last sections of the book go specifically into the maths behind doing this in a way that even a beginner could figure out.

I read that some have said this book isn't necessarily helpful for beginners. OK, perhaps not absolute beginners, but anyone with a basic understanding of how to knit and how to increase and decrease could be let loose on this book and learn some very valuable lessons early on in their knitting life.

I feel like this is a book I'll keep close to me for many years. I've got a yearning to take my knitting to the next level, which for me means grappling with some of the number based information that helps me really make my knitting mine. If you've felt similarly alienated by the way the patterns are presented in the book, get onto Ravelry and see what others have done with them. You won't be disappointed.

I'll be knitting from this book soon. Real soon. Watch this space.

Bells

A riot of colour

2009-07-18T18:02:00.006+10:00

Really, I think one of the best things about birthdays is all the ways in which you can extend the celebrating. You can spread out time spent with friends and family over several days and this means, rather happily, sometimes being the smiling recipient of generous gift giving.

During the week, good friend George presented me with a book I've been longing to make mine for some time.

Custom Knits is one of those MUST HAVE books, I think. I was thrilled when George gave it to me and I've spent the last few days devouring it. I'll be writing a review shortly!

Next came a very special gift from Jejune during the week. Jejune is, if you know her, a talented artist and she very generously gave me one of her original pieces of knitting art. I'm told that some discussion took place with Sean in readiness for this gift. I liked knowing that. It made me smile.

Towards the end of the week, a package was handed me at my desk at work and I recognised the handwriting immediately. I was having a particularly nasty morning so the timing of this package of squishy goodness landing on my desk couldn't have been better. It was from the ever wonderful RoseRed.

Wollmeise. Always, always treasured. I'm not even taking it out of the wrapper. The fun thing about getting this at work was seeing the faces of workmates who have not seen me receive yarn at work before. The presentation, the gloriousness of yarn wound into a twisted skein such as this - they were amazed. It's nice to be reminded sometimes that not everyone gets to experience the wonder of this stuff like we do!

And finally, today, Kylie came to town. We gathered together in the afternoon to farewell Shelley who is sadly, for us, leaving town next week. Kylie gave me some of the gloriously coloured Kaffe Fasset Regia sock yarn. That man knows color - such an explosion together in the one skein!

I have such wonderful friends. Just such great women. I count myself very lucky, and not just because they have excellent taste in yarn!

And since I'm in a yarn p0rn kinda mood, here are a couple of skeins that arrived today, courtesy of Tinkingbell who organised a bulk purchase from Blue Moon Fibre Arts. I chose a couple of colours that were not my usual style.

Socks that Rock in Sunstone.

And Socks that Rock in Beryl.

God I love that name. Beryl. I was partly inspired by the socks made by RoseRed in this colourway and partly I just wanted to have yarn called Beryl. I don't know why it's so funny but when I showed it to Sean and said the yarn was called Beryl, even he laughed. It sounds like your great aunt, doesn't it? The kind of woman who chain smokes and boils all her veggies to death. Or maybe that's just me.

It's been a fine birthday week all round.

Bells

The Shampoo Free Life

2009-07-16T18:02:00.011+10:00

I have a strange declaration to make.

Since February this year, I've not once used shampoo.

I have used conditioner but just a mere three or four times when I've dyed my hair at home and have used the conditioning treatment that comes in the box. Other than that, I've been living shampoo and conditioner free for over four months.

Am I stinky? Nope.

Greasy? Not a bit.

Have I turned into a dreadlocked hippy? Absolutely not!

My hair is shiny and clean and yes, I'm frightfully aware I'm starting to sound like an advert so I'll get to the point because I love my shampoo free life and want to talk about it! I was prompted to do so because at the new lunch time knitting group we've got going in Civic, I mentioned my hair care routine today and there was a goodly amount of interest. I said I'd do a post on it.

There's a whole movement out there supporting the idea that shampoo is bad. Some say it's bad for our waterways. Others say it's bad for our hair, stripping it of natural oils and necessiting the use of conditioner which only serves to try and replicate the natural oils and not in a very lasting or helpful way. Google the subject if you're interested and read about all the ways shampoo has come to be seen by many as a fairly nasty and unecessary product.

For me, the lure of the shampoo free life is manifold. I don't like the idea that most shampoo is no less harsh than dishwashing detergent. If it's stripping my hair, what's it doing to my skin, which after a shower always feels dry and tight? There's a fair amount of evidence in dermatology circles to say that shampoo is abrasive and a contributor to a range of skin disorders.

And shampoo is so expensive, packaged in pretty bottles making so many stupid claims I just get angry at myself for falling for it. I'm skeptical about many claims made by beauty products and have long been an advocate for finding ways to not be sucked in by the industry. I love using household products on my face and my body so this shampoo free concept was really just a method just waiting for someone like me to find it.

So thanks to a friend I was put onto a company in Tasmania called Beauty and the Bee. They write on their site quite eloquently about the philosophy behind their products, many of which are olive oil or coconut oil based.

I bought a bar of their soap and one of the real keys to the shampoo free life, Apple Cider Vingear. That's a big part of the shampoo free movement, rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar (diluted). I don't fully understand the science of it but the rinsing part of the process restores the right ph balance to your hair and, well, I can tell you it works. Don't worry about the smell, the vinegar is weak and the smell evaporates, so Sean confirms, as your hair dries.

Afterwards, my hair always feels soft and lovely, just as if I'd put conditioner through it. I was amazed the first time I tried it and I've become addicted to it. On days when my hair doesn't need washing, I sometimes still put a rinse through before getting out of the shower because it gives my hair a between wash lift.

And that's another thing - frequency of hair washing decreases rapidly once you get used to this method. I used to wash my hair every second day, sometimes daily, now I'm washing my hair twice a week and only wetting and styling it every other day. I'm getting such great wear out of this! It's saving me bucketloads of time, being the fussy hair person I am.

I put my sister Adele onto it and after a few weeks of struggling with an adjustment period, she too became a convert. Her hair is thicker and coarser than mine so she used a different soap, but the result was the same. Now she's shampoo free too.

The company makes other products - I love their mud mask and my sister Fee says the nappy rash ointment was the best she's used.

So this isn't much help for non-Aussies who don't want to pay the postage overseas, but I just wanted to share because going shampoo free has been so great for me and there must be companies all over the world who do stuff like this.

Some people take the shampoo free thing a lot further than I do, not doing anything more than rinsing with vinegar and water. They say the transition time to reach the point where your hair is no longer needing any kind of cleansing is long and painful and I'm not quite ready to go that far. I'm very happy with the olive oil soap I'm using for now. The soap bars last so long that this is really an amazing economical method, too. I cut chunks off the block of soap and find the whole block lasts a long time. I'm still using the block I bought several months ago.

I'd be curious to hear if anyone else out there lives a shampoo free life and would encourage anyone interested in trying it to give it a go.

Bells

Another Year Older

2009-07-13T19:55:00.006+10:00

Today is my birthday. Sean and I took the day off work, planned some time ago, and disappeared down the coast for the day.

We would never dream of going to Bateman's Bay (or Little Canberra) in summer, when you'd have to queue just to get a table at the fish and chip shop. But in winter, we like these touristy places a lot.

The sun poured down on us today. I'd had visions of a bleak, wintry seascape but really, who gets annoyed at the sun?

But first, the day began with Sean gifting with me a lovely set of Knitpicks Harmony needles. As I noted recently, the name has changed outside the US to Knit Pro. I hadn't realised the names of the needles also changed. They are no longer called Harmony needles. They are Symphonie Birch needles. Doesn't matter to me. I will still call them Knit Picks harmony because, really, who is going to pay attention to the name change?

Sean's a good husband. This is the third year in a row he's sourced a set of Knit Picks needles from Donni, my supplier. Wonder if they'll come up something new he can buy for me next year?

Before we left for the coast, I found out Adele had provided me with a year's subscription to Donna Hay magazine. Life is good.

We headed down the coast soon after and soaked up the difference that approximately 7 degrees can make in the air. It was 15C (59F) in Bateman's Bay today.

First stop was the village outside Bateman's Bay - Mogo. Antiques, second hand books, artsy stuff.

We found a couple of treasures in the bookshop and headed to Bateman's Bay for lunch. This was our view from the deck of the fish and chip shop.

And this was one of the main reasons I chose the coast for my birthday. Oysters.

Sean can't eat them. He's got an allergy. But I can and the Bateman's Bay oysters are quite wonderful. I lapped them up.

We passed the afternoon with a little more wandering, a little more sitting and taking in the ocean views. I wore my February Lady Sweater today, but it was possibly a little warm for it on the coast. I don't think worsted weight yarn is good for coastal weather. Thank goodness I live in Canberra where we have real winters!

Eventually, we had to head home and when we arrived, I found my birthday present to myself had arrived from the lovely Sarah Durrant. This woman's service is second to none. I ordered this on Friday. Colinette Tao in Ginger Cinnabar. Delicious.

Could you imagine a more blissful end to a birthday? Oh, other than your five your old nephew singing happy birthday down the phone line to you. When I described my day to him he declared, 'how good is that?' It's very good, Willem. Very, very good.

Bells

Knitta Please & the Chevron Lace Cardigan

2009-07-11T17:24:00.007+10:00

Today being the penultimate day of the Knitta Please event at the National Gallery, as part of it's Soft Sculpture exhibition, Sean and I trundled off to check it out today.

Knitters from all over the place took part in this event, responding to the call for strips of knitted fabric (some crocheted fabric was also provided) so that the organisers could do this.

And this

I never quite got around to knitting a piece to contribute and today, I felt a bit sad about that. It would have been nice to be part of a scene like this but it was very enjoyable to look at the efforts of others - such colour and vibrancy!

Today I wore my Chevron Lace Cardigan for the first time and Sean obligingly took a few photos while I examined the tall columns at the entrance to the gallery that had been dramatically adorned in knitting.

I was surprised by how impressive it was to stand beneath tall columns of knitting.

Here's the cardigan, which I'm loving, from the back.

And from the front.

I'm so happy with this cardigan, although it's been a bit touch and go. After finishing it several weeks ago, it grew to thigh length after blocking, so I ripped out the band, took about 3-4 inches at least off the bottom and reworked the band three times. For some reason, a simple crochet band took several goes to get right.

My only complaint is that the neck is quite tight. If I make this again, and I think I will, I'd make the neck a little wider. The reason I haven't attached any buttons or clasps to it is that it chokes my throat when I hold it closed. I think it works quite well without any kind of fastening, but I'd have liked to do it. I'm still playing with the notion of doing it up lower down but am as yet unsure.

Details as follows:

Pattern: Chevron Lace Cardigan by Milobo

Yarn: Bendigo Luxury 8ply in Oceanic 400g. This was my first time using this new, pure wool product by Bendigo Woollen Mills. I think it has easily become my favourite of theirs, with just one project. Soft, smooth, not very splitty, a delight to use. I'll be getting more.

Time: June 9 - July 4.

Hook: 5.5mm. I'm happy with the amount of openness I achieved with this size. It meant my gauge was slightly off but it only took minimal fudging at the point of dividing for the sleeves in order to get it right. I really didn't want it to be too airy.

I really love this cardigan. I think it'll get loads of wear over the remainder of winter. Next time, I might try capped sleeves, which I've seen others do to great effect.

Bells

A Tale of Two Ishbel Shawls

2009-07-09T16:24:00.008+10:00

Once upon a time, I wrote plaintively of wanting to knit Ysolda's Ishbel shawl. I felt driven to start what so many others had started before me. I pinned so much hope on her and so despite having several projects on the go, many commenters said go for it.

So I did. Ishbel looked like this.

And we sang her praises at the time. She was declared beautiful. The alpaca/silk blend seemed just right.

Things went downhill from there and I neglected to mention Ishbel again for some time. I don't like failures but I don't like to pretend forever that I never have them. We all have projects that just don't work, right? So I'm mentioning her now.

Ishbel failed. I finished the stocking stitch part and launched headlong into what I can only describe as an entirely un-intuitive (to me) lace section. I bombed. About three rows in and I was in dog's breakfast territory.

I believe that with a lot of lace, you get a feel for it right away. I've never persisted with a lace pattern that didn't feel, early on, if not easy then at the very least, enjoyable or relatively smooth. Lace is enough of a slog without labouring over every single stitch.

At the time I blamed the yarn. Not that I didn't love it. It was a long ago given gift from Julie. I'd held onto it for a long time deliberating over the choice of project. But I blamed the yarn rather than myself or the pattern because I thought perhaps the slight variegation was obscuring my view of the lace (let's not discuss the appalling lack of correct numbers at the end of every row).

So I quietly frogged Ishbel and put the alpaca/silk away for another day. Soon after, I started Ishbel again - a remarkable feat of perseverance on my part, don't you think?

You might remember. Ishbel II looks like this - made from forest green Wensleydale.

And look, really, there's absolutely nothing wrong with her. I flew through the stocking stitch part and even began fairly optimistically with the lace. It's ok. I'm managing. Or was I before Tour de France began and I lost focus on anything that isn't a race knit.

Will I continue? I don't know.

The lace doesn't speak to me. It doesn't sing. What's wrong with me? The vast majority of the knitting world adores it. Some people finish it in less than a week. And I keep shrugging my shoulders and wondering what I'm missing.

Suggestions welcome.

Bells

Tour de France - Day Four

2009-07-07T18:00:00.002+10:00

Apparently the Tour de France is well underway. I'd like to say it's been a great race so far and that I've hung on most, if not every moment I was able to watch but it's not true. Late at night when the race starts, I've been heading to bed, dosed up and trying to get better.

But I did discover yesterday you can watch highlights of the race on SBS at 6pm. I'll try and catch that, or hell, even record it!

Of course, I've been up front from the start about how this competition is for me, more about the knitting than the cycling. As long as I get to catch glimpses of the race and soak up the scenery, I'll be content. Maybe I'll have some late nights on the weekend.

There has been some quality knitting time though. How clever of me to pick something that was all about garter stitch for much of its beginning because frankly, that's all I feel like knitting! Here's what I've managed so far.

So very satisfying this yoke business. I'm very much enjoying the Rowan Kid Classic and I'm enjoying watching it grow. I'm also enjoying using an application on my iphone for row counting.

Yes, as RoseRed pointed out, you can always use a pen and paper but oh, pen and paper doesn't have that satisfying little click! And unlike traditional row counters, on which you can only count rows, this has an inbuilt counter for managing increase and decrease rows.

The application even has a bit of local flavour. Local knitter, Pransell, has a very talented partner who developed this iphone application. You can find it at Cordless Dog.

If you have an iphone, or an Ipod Touch, I really recommend this application. It's simple and neat and while you can get free ones, I think it's worth paying the minimal amount for the ability to count increase and decrease rows. It also allows you to have more than one project on the go at a time. I love it.

And lest anyone should think I've abandoned my Chevron Lace cardigan, fear not, it's still around. I had to modify it and reblock it. It's at the back window in the sun now, after I finished it some days ago.

I'll show it off when it's dry.

Bells

Good Food and Wine Show 2009

2009-07-06T15:18:00.007+10:00

For the fifth year in a row (that makes it a tradition right?) my sister and I have set aside a special day for each other to attend the Good Food and Wine show. It travels all around the country and we attend it in Sydney.

The first year was the year Adele became a mother; it was her first big day out on her own away from her just months old baby boy.

Now, he goes out with his dad for the day and recounts stories to us of his adventures. That makes me realise how much time has passed since we first went along. I've been capturing our days for the last two years, and here's this year's wrap up.

This year we had tickets to see celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Here we are in the theatre (fourth row!) just before the show began, bright and early at 9:30am. We hadn't seen any of the show at this point. Photo courtesy of Adele's workmate, David, another show veteran.

We were a bit unsure about seeing Gordon Ramsay. Which is to say, we bought the tickets long before the scandal broke out in recent weeks. The scandal, if you don't know about it, involved him having a public slanging match with host of tabloid trash news program, A Current Affair, Tracy Grimshaw. It was all a bit juvenille and yet, it took the tarnish off the idea of seeing the man on stage. We went along anyway and I'm happy to say, we were thrilled with his show.

It was pretty hard to get a decent photo so this'll have to do. For those of you who, like me, fancy Mr Ramsay a wee bit, I'm happy to report he's just as appealing in person. Sure, a bit rough around the edges, but what hard working chef isn't? He was charming, funny and inspiring. The best celebrity chef performance we've been to. Much more interesting than some - hello Donna Hay, yes I'm talking to you!

Near the end of the performance, there was a give away of some great prizes. Adele will have it that I accosted the nice man who was on the floor handing out expensive kitchenware, but I swear, I was in the aisle seat! When I stood up, the $260 Analon frying pan fell into my hands. Honest! Adele was, I think, so mortified that I got it and she didn't that I damn well nearly gave it to her because I felt so bad! I didn't though. I kept it for me and it's huge and gorgeous.

The rest of the show followed in much the way it does every year - the two of us let loose like kids in a lolly shop, sampling goods (mostly olive oil, chocolate and wine) and filling up our backpacks with all manner of great treats.

I did a lot of this.

Adele did a lot of this (sampling Rocky Road and other chocolate treats).

We were happy.

And here is a sample of my goodies. See the iphone? Separate post on that to follow!

The olive oil in that photo is a special one I buy every year. Sean and I first bought some Pukara Estate olive oil on our honeymoon in the Hunter Valley in 2004. It's been dubbed our Honeymoon Olive oil ever since (no rude comments from you up the back!)

Outside, we met up with Will and his dad in Darling Harbour.

We returned home on Sunday afternoon and I'm now sick, with a nasty head cold. I know head colds are fairly lame in the scheme of illnesses a person can get, but geez that whole stuffed up head thing isn't a lot of fun is it? Unlike the Good Food and Wine show, which is fabulous fun and I'll look forward to the big day out with my sister every year we're able to go.

Long live sisterly traditions!
Bells

In the bleak mid winter

2009-07-02T20:46:00.007+10:00

It's been a bleak week here in wintry Canberra. Drizzly days with icy nights.

I sometimes feel the need to qualify these sorts of sentences with statements such as 'but not as cold/bleak as it gets in Canada' (happy Canada day, by the way if you're from there). But it gets cold for here.

We are starting days in eerie dark, blanketed in other-worldy fog; we are going out at lunch time, clutching our coats to our chests, pushing forward into tunnels of frigid wind; we are coming home when it's dark again, hair flattening sleet driving us on to where it's warm.

The evenings are cosy, sleepy and, in some instances, productive.

We were greeted by a picture of cuteness earlier this week though, in the form of a puppy newly adopted into my brother's family.

I'd like to introduce Manfred.

Part Maltese terrier, part poodle, he was my brother's 30th birthday gift from his girlfriend. Manfred, as is no doubt predictable if you know puppies, went straight for any bit of stray wool when he was here on Tuesday night. I gave him a hastily found scrap of Cleckheaton Country and he went to town with it. This photo was taken in a moment of stillness. There weren't many of them as all the blurry photos I didn't publish would attest.

Every other night this week has seen me pushing forward on the WIPs in order to make room for the Tour de France knit starting on Saturday night.

I made reasonable progress on a new kimono for Baby Alice, who is fattening up nicely and threatening to outgrow the knits I've clothed her in to date. It's closer to finished than this photo demonstrates.

Bendigo Rustic in Pink Opal.

I made good headway on Ishbel #2. What happened to Ishbel #1 you may well ask? That's a story for another day. This one's made from Wensleydale the ever lovely Kylie brought back from the UK for me.

And on the bus I've been working on Lacy Mock Cable socks in Colinette Jitterbug. Pretty huh?

And finally, I swatched. Rowan Kid Classic. For the Garter Yoke Cardigan.

So really, I'm good to go. I'm ready to wrap up this dark week and head to Sydney to hang out with my sister at our annual day out at the Good Food and Wine Show. We've been counting down for weeks and now it's here. See you at the end of the weekend with a wrap up of a day I'm very much looking forward to, not least of all because we'll get to check out Gordon Ramsay who, it has to be said, has been amazingly quiet following all the scandal that's dogged his visit down under.

Bells

Lessons in Blocking Crochet

2009-06-29T21:08:00.004+10:00

Remember the Chevron Lace Cardigan I posted about a week or so ago?

Back then it looked like this.

Mine, now that it's dry, is considerably longer. You would expect it to be longer now that it's finished, washed and blocked, wouldn't you? And it is. But it's too long. Or at least it was until about half an hour ago.

I'm not going to show you what it looks like now because it's sitting on my lap slightly unravelled. I finished it on the weekend (is the crochet equivalent of Off The Needles actually Off the Hook? If so, I like it!) and, very happy with the length, proceeded to soak and block it.

I watched it, as I laid it out on a towel, almost growing before my eyes, much like when Kylie blocked her Liesl last week. These lacy cardigans seem to take on a mind of their own once they hit the water. It's most disconcerting. You think you've got it all sorted; you get everything as right as it can possibly be and then the damn things go and expand on soaking.
It's not right.

Even Sean, who claims to have little to no views at all on what is right and wrong in the world of clothing declared it too, too long. We're talking below the butt too long which was not, as you can imagine, what was intended.

So right now, my lovely cardigan, is on my lap, ready for reworking. All I've done is unravel the band and 3 inches of the bottom. Oh the joy of top down garments! If this was worked from the bottom up, we'd be having a whole other conversation right now.

Was it the gauge? I don't think so. If anything my guage was slightly tighter than required. Was it the needle size? No, I went down a hook size. Was it the yarn (Bendigo Luxury)? I don't think so although I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has found it grows.

I think it was just that it's fairly open crochet. Lots of room for those holes to drag down.

But it's at times like this that the words of author Peter Carey flow through my mind. I'll paraphrase what he said when asked how he felt about rewriting drafts of his novels. Imagine, if you will, that he was a knitter, or croceter, and not an author.

"I figure we knitters do this stuff, we knit stuff and if we can knit stuff, we can knit plenty more. I quite enjoy throwing away good knitting."

Well it's not quite the same thing - I'm not throwing anything away, but I am undoing many, many stitches in order to get the cardigan right.

And that, in the end, is what really matters. Getting it right. A girl's got to be happy.

Finished garment photos to follow!

Bells

Knit Picks Haul

2009-06-28T19:32:00.005+10:00

As those of us who live outside the US well know* Knit Picks does not ship to anywhere else in the world beyond the US border. Oddly enough, they appear to have changed their name, to customers outside the US, to Knit Pro. What the point of this is isn't really clear, since they don't appear to want to deal with the international market as far as their yarn goes. Thankfully there are distributors for their needles outside the US, but not the yarn.

Many of us have hypothesised that this is because a) Knit Picks don't feel they need the international business or b) their yarn is so cheap they figure the international postage costs would be more than the price of the yarn.

I imagine there's an element of both of these theories in the reasons why this company routinely fails to acknowledge international interest in their yarn. That sort of attitude pisses people off, I think. I know it irks me, as well as several of my knitting friends.

Quite rightly, one approach we can take is to declare that if they don't need us, well we don't need them. It's not like there is no other option for yarn. There's a huge yarn market out there, both locally and internationally and there are plenty of companies we can support in our purchases.

That said, I do like their stuff and while I won't go out of my way to acquire it, I'll happily accept an offer from a friend to bring some home for me if convenient. One such friend is Dianne. We've never met even though she only lives about 90 minutes away in the Southern Highlands. Dianne is American and returns home with astounding regularity. She brought me home some Knit Picks yarns a couple of months ago and I haven't touched them, if by touching them I mean actually knitting with them. I have, however, played with them a lot, dreaming of the things they might be.

It's not high end yarn. It's mid-range quality but the allure for me is in the colour. There are some gorgeous colours and their lace weights are particularly nice. I adore my Adamas Shawl made from Shadow and loved making Sean's birthday socks from their Essential Tweed. It's worn really well so it was only right that I ordered some more for him (see first photo below).

1. Flint Tweed, 2. Knitpicks Gloss Lace Raisin, 3. Knitpicks Palette Cream, 4. Knitpicks Essential Ivy, 5. Knitpicks Palette Lipstick, 6. Knitpicks Palette Black

One of the things that I'm confused about now that I have my order is why on earth I ordered FIVE balls of the Palette in black (see item 6 above). Two balls of it in red and white are for a pair of Endpaper Mitts. That much was very clear to me when it arrived. But five balls in black? I really ought to start writing down, when I place orders, what projects I have in mind. This is probably something obvious to many people and I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure out it's a good plan. I'm sure I'll find something to do with the black Palette - a shawl maybe? - but it's not something I'd have done deliberately. It must have been a typo. I wear so much black that I tend not to knit in it because I like to knit things that accessorise well with black. Sigh.

Nonethless, I am grateful to Dianne, my yarn mule, for bringing a lovely haul home to me, even if Knit Picks is a company who behaves as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. If the reason is that their yarn is so cheap (and it is REALLY cheap) that the international postage would cost more, they should look at companies like Bendigo Woollen Mills. Their yarn is astoundingly cheap and they post internationally. It's kind of arrogant to make that choice for customers, don't you think?

Bells

*Naturally I mean those of us who live outside the US and who also knit or crochet.

Pretty Crochet Pants

2009-06-27T14:11:00.003+10:00

I've been working this week on a special gift for a little girl who turns one tomorrow. A pair of crochet pants, for George's little girl, Grace.

They're made from Cleckheaton Cocoon, a 4ply baby yarn in wool and nylon. Lovely soft and practical for a garment that will no doubt get a fair bit of rough wear as Grace learns to walk. I wanted them to be practical and pretty at the same time, hence the touch of frill on the bottom of the legs.

The pattern said that for the waist, hat elastic should be used but I looked at hat elastic and wasn't sure. I can't really say why, so I went with shirring elastic in the end (note to self: don't pull on it too hard, it breaks!). I'll have to see them on before I am sure it worked and might have to redo them since I'm not sure they'll go over a nappy or a fat baby tummy yet.

I might have done the three rows of shirring elastic too tight. But we'll see.

The pattern is from a book I think I'll get lots of use out of. It's Cleckheaton booklet #957, Master Crochet.

I can think of a little girl in my family who will look gorgeous in more items made from this book. Crochet is wonderful for baby girls, I think. So pretty and versatile and quite fast. I'm sure if I had knit these pants I might still be going.

I have loved very much immersing myself in crochet in the last couple of weeks. The Chevron Lace Cardigan is very nearly complete - just a little more of then band and I'll be done.

Bells

2009 Tour de France Knit Along

2009-06-24T15:53:00.013+10:00

For some time now, I've been planning a special project for July. I'm not alone. Loads of others have been doing the same on Ravelry.

For the second year in a row, I'm participating in the Tour de France knit along. Anyone who knows me and my monstrous lack of interest in sport, and particular in actually watching yawn inducing sport, might well be surprised that I'd sign up for this, but the Tour de France is different. It's not sport in the usual way, I think. There's pretty scenery - and no I don't mean the cyclists - there are hours and hours of beautiful French scenery to watch. That's what got me in last year.

So to be honest, this event is really about the motivation get something substantial knitted up fast. Watching the race is really secondary. I'm not sure I even understand how it works. A bunch of obsessed guys ride their bikes around France. They wear different coloured jerseys. And it's hard. That's about all I understand.

But it's a great opportunity to really flex my speed knitting muscles and to focus on getting a single, decent sized project done in a very limited amount of time.

Last year I worked hard for three weeks and produced a cardigan for my sister, Adele. If you were reading then, you might remember it?

It was an achievement I was really proud of and I know Adele was thrilled with the end result but it was hard work, really hard, to get it done in that time.

This year I've been putting a lot of thought into what I wanted to do. I knew early on it would be something for me, most likely another cardigan, and it would be a piece that, although challenging in terms of size, would not just about kill me like last year's project did. For that reason, I scrapped early plans to knit a Tangled Yoke cardigan. I knew I had to be realistic. If I chose a fine gauge cardigan I'd struggle.

So I chose worsted weight yarn from my stash - Rowan Kid Classic in Peat.

And I matched it to the Garter Yoke Cardigan (Rav link).

I love the shape of it. I love the idea of it. Now that I've done a couple of top down cardigans, I'm in the zone. I'm good to go. I'm pretty confident that, dramas notwithstanding, I'll get it done on time.

By mid-late July, I'll have a brand new cardigan in luxurious Rowan Kid Classic. Happy happy joy joy.

Bring on July 4. I'm ready. Are you? Fancy joining in the fun? The Ravelry 2009 Tour de France knit along group is taking sign ups now. And you don't have to do a whole cardigan or garment. There are several categories, one to suit everyone!

Bells

Laying Low

2009-06-22T20:34:00.005+10:00

We got out of town on the weekend. It was a rather necessary escape, just overnight, to do something different and unwind.

Our destination was Wollongong, just two and a half hours' drive. I have to say, it was very nice not to be going to Sydney. Not that we don't love going to Sydney to see family and friends, but we do it a lot and this was a pleasant change.

Our host was dear friend Kylie or KMS as she's most often known in the blogosphere. Wollongong is a coastal city and one of the things I love most is a wintry beach. Wollongong delivered.

Kylie, Sean and I plonked ourselves down in a cafe right on the beach and watched the storm clouds over the foamy waves. It was eerie and dramatic to knit, eat cake and watch a storm grow.

We paused briefly for photos on the shore before we escaped falling night.

We spent the evening tucked up in Kylie's adorable new home, a cottage that has been lovingly restored to perfection. Can you tell that two knitters were here?

All in all, it was a great mini-break. So much knitting. So much talking. Lots of eating. A few handyman or tech support moments for Sean. Twenty-four hours of laying low in someone else's home, feeling good, feeling at ease.

And I may have come very, very close to finishing my Chevron Lace Cardigan. Almost there. Stay tuned.

Bells

Half Done Cardigan

2009-06-18T17:30:00.006+10:00

Let it be said, up front, that I have had truly the most difficult of days. Not all of it was bad but not all of it was particularly good. Some not so great news, some crap stuff at work including packing to move to a new building (not just me - the whole floor is moving) and a general feeling at the end of the day of being very, very washed out.

But I got to come home early and sit in the peace and quiet of a silent house, with a bottle of Sav Blanc chilling in readiness for later on.

And I took some photos. Self portraits in the bathroom mirror of my half done Chevron Lace Cardigan. For some reason, I'm all about crochet this week. It's really hitting the spot, as evidenced by the fact I've reached the waist in next to no time.

I think it's very cute. I love the simplicity of it. I love that, to me, it doesn't look in any way like how you might expect a crochet cardigan to look. One of the reasons I took up knitting in 2003 was because it seemed to me then that there were not so many un-daggy crochet patterns around, in terms of garments. I found a few back then (and I must do a post about my very favourite crochet cardigan that I have worn to death for five years or more) but there weren't that many.

The internet has changed all that and I think there are many more great crochet garment designers around now. I for one can't wait to finish this one. It's (I'm so tempted to say knitting up, out of habit) crocheting up beautifully and the Bendigo Luxury is gorgeous to work with. Give me a few days, I think I might be there.

One last thing, for locals, Genevieve Jacobs from local ABC radio is looking to interview tomorrow any willing 'old school knitters' - anyone who was knitting in the 1970s and has stories to tell about vintage patterns. She just posted on Ravelry (as a big fan, I was thrilled to see the post!) and she asked that you call her directly on 6275 4561 where you can leave a message and she'll get back to you. I was knitting in the 70s but I was a slip of a girl and making things like holey scarves for my dad, so I don't think I qualify, but if you do, give her a call!

Bells

Who Am I?

2009-06-17T19:55:00.005+10:00

I've been tagged by Colour Me In. It's been a while since I did one of the question and answer memes so given it's a slow blog material week this week, I'm gonna give it a go.

Kudos to MissyFee who gave my favourite answer to a question yet. She said she'd love to buy yarn and truffles (not the chocolate kind) and I thought, wow, what a stunning combination. Love it.

Here we go.

What Is Your Current Obsession?
Getting my current projects finished. I'm totally in the zone. I've got gifts to finish, a cardigan for me to finish, two sets of socks. I really want a clean slate!

What Are You Wearing Today?
At this very moment, purple pyjamas and my Blackrose socks. It's winter and I'm showerd, fed and comfy!

What's for dinner?
Sean made a stunning, simple dish of chicken drumsticks braised in an Asian style sauce he made up. It had turmeric, five spice, ginger, salt and pepper. It was gorgeous and we had it with stirfried bok choy from the garden and brown rice.

What Would You Eat for Your Last Meal?
Oysters and champagne. And they would be special oysters, like the ones from Coffin Bay in South Australia. I can't even imagine what champagne I'd have. That'd take some thought but there are some very fine local ones I'd not turn down.

What's the Last Thing You Bought?
A mixed salmon and tuna sushi take away for lunch from the best Japanese lunch spot in Canberra, Sushi Sushi.

What Are You Listening To Right Now?
Discussion on The New Inventors.

If you could go anywhere in the world in the next hour, where would you go?
Scandanavia. Probably Norway. I need to see a fjord and eat cloudberries. Although not necessarily at the same time.

Which language do you want to learn?
I would return to my Russian studies at ANU because I never completed it beyond second year and when I hear Russian spoken now, my heart aches for what I gave up.

What do you love most about where you currently live?
Canberra is my home. I came here on a school excursion from the coast when I was twelve and I imagined what it would be like to live here as a grown up. I've been here since the late 80s and feel like I truly belong here. Sometimes I think about the big city lights, but I know it's not really me. Canberra is like a country town with city aspirations. Lots of space and clean air and trees and beautiful mountains all around. It also has four seasons, something many Australian regions don't have.

What is your favourite colour?
Red. Or is it purple? I think it's a close tie between the two.

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
It's a black t-shirt I bought years ago that I adore. I've never had a t-shirt I loved more. I will be devastated when it is really, really gone. It's still holding on. How boring is that?

What were you doing ten years ago?
I had just walked out on a job as a nanny for a wealthy family in the Cotswolds, England. I was back in London, living with relatives and feeling quite out of my depth.

Describe your personal style?
Comfort. I love a uniform. I like to stick with what I know works for me in a fairly limited range. Soft fabrics, hints of the feminine, accents of colour against a basic black wardrobe. And cardigans. More and still more cardigans.

If you had $300 right now what would you spend it on?
Several new pairs of really nice shoes. I'm a bit short on nice shoes. I never seem to budget for them.

What are you going to do after this?
Make a pot of rooibos vanilla tea for us and drink it while knitting and watching Spicks n Specks.

What inspires you?
Other people's stories. Someone's experience, views and ideas put together really well, whether in print or interviews or films can lift me out of my rut and show me new ways of being.

What are your favourite films?
Jane Campion's An Angel At My Table has rated as my top film for many, many years.

Who's work/designs are you inspired by?
At the moment I'm very much inspired by Ysolde Teague, the self described 'young Scottish knitwear designer.' She's so clever.

Your favourite books?
The Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann; Middlemarch by George Eliot; The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville; Cloudstreet by Tim Winton; Persuasion by Jane Austen; The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. To name a few.

Do You Collect Anything?
Yarn! The day I saw RoseRed's stash, I began to see the value in having really, really nice stuff close by, ready to call on when inspiration hits. Also cook books and I have a rather lovely, but small collection of early edition George Eliot novels.

What makes you follow a blog?
I see something that speaks to me.

What was the most enjoyable thing you did today?
Got to ride home on the bus with Sean and realised how much more quickly the trip goes when having nice conversation.

What's one thing you dream of doing?
Writing and publishing a novel.

Wow, that was longer than I realised. Thanks for reading!

Edited to add: I tag the following:

Amy in Rhode Island
Donna Lee
Terby
1 More Row

Bells

So very fetching!

2009-06-16T08:42:00.006+10:00

In the car on the weekend, I finished off a modified pair of Fetching fingerless mittens from Knitty. Time and again, it's easy to see why these are one of the most popular mitt patterns on the internet. They are cute and they are fast, even when you modify them and make them longer.

Yes, there's only one mitt in this photo. The other hand was taking the photo!

I made these on commission. Sean's workmate has done some nice things for us and as Sean is always talking up my knitting (gotta love that!) so he offered his early morning dog walking friend a pair of Fetching mitts made by me. She suggested colours she was keen to wear and from the stash emerged some ancient Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed.

By ancient I mean, bought in the first flurry of yarn buying from ebay when I started knitting again in 2004. I made a vest from it a long time ago and I hated knitting with it then as much as I did this time.

I really, really don't like this yarn, despite the wool/silk/cashmeriness of it all.

Wouldn't you think that a combination such as this would be a dream to knit with? No. It's stiff as a board. It does not flow through your fingers like the luxury its make up suggests. It's not rough, per se. Just stiff. Its only saving grace is that it looks wonderful.

I perservered because of the look of it and because I knew Sean's friend walks dogs in the brutal Canberra mornings and you don't need delicate wool for that. You need something that's going to go the distance. This'll do that.

For modifcations, I made four repeats of the cable at the base and an extra repeat of the cable at the fingertips. The pattern as written, as has often been said, is fairly short and begs for lengthening. They still only used about 60g of yarn, so not the stash-buster I was hoping for but still, they've washed up nice and Sean's friend will hopefully love them.

Bells

World Wide Knit in Public Day - Darling Harbour, Sydney

2009-06-14T19:20:00.010+10:00

What does a knitter, who knits in public most days of her life, do when the annual World Wide Knit In Publc Day rolls around again? She has to do something different, right? Well, this knitter did (and here I'll stop talking about myself in the third person!).

Sean and I decided to spend the weekend in Sydney and so got up at the ungodly hour of 5:30am on Saturday morning. Heading towards the Federal Highway, this is what the world looked like. Canberra's winter fog-fest has definitely kicked off.

We arrived at RoseRed's house in plenty of time and Mr RoseRed drove us all into the city, whereupon RoseRed and I headed off, leaving our Knit Widowers to go and amuse themselves at the Apple Store, book stores and a pub lunch.

First stop for the day was the Inner City Knitter's Guild meeting, a delightful meeting at Circular Quay, with knitting. Oh if only all meetings could involve knitting, and show and tell. Standing up to show a room full of knitters your brand new February Lady Sweater and have everyone ooh and ahh is exactly what meetings should be like. So good to be with such a fine bunch of people!

From there, a bunch of us headed out, decked out in all our knitted finery, to catch a bus across town to Darling Harbour.

I really, really wish I had been carrying my camera in my hand instead of buried at the bottom of my project bag. So many missed opportunities. I am cursing myself as I type, rest assured.

At Darling Harbour, we were greeted by a long, curving line of tables outside the Bayside Lounge and over the next little while, EIGHTY knitters showed up.

This isn't all 80 of us. The space outside ran out fairly quickly and others went inside. Ordinarily a group of this size would do my head in - all that noise and chaos and fifty gazillion conversations happening all at once. But actually this wasn't like that. Noise levels were good I coped rather well!

I sat mostly with RoseRed, Kylie, Donni and WebGoddess but got up several times to mingle. Lovely, lovely opportunity to see friends and meet new ones. I feel a little bit now like I have three knitting communities. One in Canberra. One in Sydney. And one in Wollongong. How good is that?

It was extraordinarily well organised by the hard working Sally and a few others. We had buttons and bags and t-shirts with the event logo.

At some point, I railroaded Knitabulous Ailsa into taking some photos of me in my February Lady Sweater.

1. fls1, 2. fls2

And naturally, being a place where there were lots of knitters, and especially lots of knitters who went next door to the annual Craft Fair (I declined; I just knew not to engage in such tempting behaviour) there was beautiful yarn and beautiful knitting to be seen.

1. A sock and an Ishbel, 2. habu 1, 3. habu, 4. donna

When the afternoon eventually dwindled to a close, there was a quickly grabbed bite for a few of us in Chinatown and then home, full bellied and worn out, to don PJs and socks (hand knitted, obviously) and watch a movie into the night.

A great day, spectacularly put together and well worth the early start to get there!

Bells

Favourite Photo: Laughing at the wedding

2009-06-12T18:37:00.007+10:00

I got tagged by Amanda over at BugMum. It's a meme started by Fat Mum Slim.

It's really simple. I love how every photo tells a story. Some short stories, some long tales. I want to know what is your favourite photo of yourself. Everyone has one. The photo they look at and smile. It reminds them of something, some time, some place. A moment in time. So share the photo, share the story and then tag three other people. I want to see photos and stories all around the blogosphere.

So here is mine. It's a photo of a real photo, since we don't have this one electronically.

Is it cheesy to say that one of your favourite photos of yourself is a wedding photo? Yes, it's the day when we all hopefully looked radiant and wonderful, but they can be kind of artificial too, can't they? We never wanted posed, airbrushed, formal photos and we didn't get them.

Through a photographer friend, we had a well known photo journalist Andrew Campbell as our photographer. He doesn't do weddings per se, but once in a while he does them if the couple and the wedding feel right. Over a beer at Tilleys, he said we felt right and he got the job. Or we got the job. I wasn't sure which. Either way, we were thrilled. Twenty minutes was all it took, up at the Botanic Gardens where we married in 2004.

I love this one because I'm laughing at something Sean said. And he is laughing. My first memory of meeting Sean is that he was laughing when I first saw him. His laugh is big and infectious and he makes me laugh a lot. I like to think this photo sets us up what for what our life is like. No matter what happens, at some point, we find our way back to laughing and I think my face says it all.

I'm not going to tag people because I know far too many bloggers who don't like posting photos of themselves online. But if you'd like to do this, please let me know!

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Tomorrow is going to be a great day, just by the by. It's World Wide Knit in Public Day again and Sean and I will be getting up nice and early to drive to Sydney and have a day out. He'll wander around Sydney while I plant myself with hoards of other knitters at Darling Harbour. Stay tuned for the post-event write up. I'll be wearing my February Lady Sweater so I'll have photos!

Bells

Because of Angela

2009-06-10T19:30:00.007+10:00

I learned to crochet because I met a girl called Angela when I was eight.

It was 1980 and we lived in Tasmania. A new girl came to school, called Angela, and she was different. I remember thinking she was quiet and smart and seemed a bit 'proper'. Not posh or aloof, but she spoke and wrote well and played the violin. We quickly became friends.

One day, she brought to school something she was making. I don't know why, perhaps it was for show and tell, but when I asked her what the colourful, woolly thing was, she told me it was crochet and she showed me how she did it. I wanted to learn. I wanted to know what it was she was doing and soon after, she invited me over to her house for lessons.

Her house was different. We lived in Rosebery, a small mining town on the north west coast of Tasmania where the mine workers lived in standard, small identical homes. As a building, her small rectangle shaped house was the same as mine, but inside, it was a bit different.

No TV. No radio. Just a big table piled with books and art materials. Angela had three sisters. They were all busy doing their activities. One of them was practicing the cello. I'd never seen such a thing. Around the lounge room were other musical instruments. They seemed, to my eight year old eyes, a very clever, different sort of family.

Her mother taught me to crochet. I think I only had one, maybe two lessons because soon after, we moved away, back to the mainland, to the sunny south coast of New South Wales.

We took the ocean liner, The Empress of Australia, back to the mainland and once I got over the seasickness, I spent the overnight trip practicing my crochet. I knew the basic stitches but not much more.

By the time we arrived in Melbourne at my Great Aunty Win's house, and I showed her what I'd made, her severely cataract afflicted eyes saw at once I needed help and we spent the duration of our stay fine tuning my skills as a solid, beginning crocheter.

Twenty-nine years later (Oh God, I can't believe it's almost thirty years since I learned!) I still dabble in crochet once in a while. Knitting is my love these days but crochet remains a firm friend. So last night, I began to make something I've been eyeing off for quite a while.

The Chevron Lace Cardigan. In Bendigo Woollen Mills' lovely new wool, Luxury. Colour, Oceanic.

I'm told it's fast. Everyone on Ravelry who's made it says so. And my Crochet-Along buddy, George, is finding the same thing. Nice and easy.

It's virtually impossible for me to pick up a hook and not think back to the rainy, bleak days of life on Tasmania's west coast and my little friend Angela, with her over achieving sisters and her mother who taught me simple granny square construction. And Aunty Win, who could barely see but had the patience to help me get it right. I reckon she'd be happy to know that I'm still doing it, all these years later.

I look forward to having a new cardigan to wear in next to no time, if the stories people tell on Ravelry are true.

Bells

ps February Lady Sweater is blocked and will be posted over the weekend. Love her!