Six months since I blogged

Wow - I really thought I would never blog again but I realized I miss it - not that I have a huge (or any for that matter) following - but I love reading other's blogs so I will try again. I love knitting too, so along with work, uni and other committments I want to keep this blog going.

My big news is I have a new grandson. Oh, he is just the joy of my life even tho he lives in another country and I only see him on Skype now, but I was with him on his first day and for 4 weeks after. So knitting has been mostly all about him for the last 6 months but now he is going into summer and I have a couple other knitting projects on the go.

The blanket is EZ's Mystery Blanket knit with Bendigo cotton - big mistake. The blanket is just gorgeous but there are a lot of ends to weave and I am worried about the washing machine undoing some of them. It was a real joy to knit so I'm OK with it falling apart but next time it will be in wool or a blend so the ends felt in. The little sweaters are just my own design and I must say - if you have never knit for someone you love but whom you have yet to meet - you should try it.

My God Daughter is getting married in June, outside in a garden. She has a beautifly sleeveless dress so she needs a shawl/cape. This is a mix of pure cashmere and a cashmere silk blend. How will I ever go back to plain old wool again? Hee hee! I'll post a photo of the finished and modelled finished item.

And socks for my new DIL's parents - shush - don't tell.

Nice to be back - Adios!

Too hot to quilt

Look what the lovely Jejune sent me in the mail - all because Vogue Knitting has featured her art work in the latest issue - congratulations Jejune, but really, I had nothing to do with it! Hee hee! Thank you very much - I love them all so much. I am going to send a couple of the cards to my Mom in the states as she likes them too.

And, I have come to one of my senses - there are still several more to go - and put the quilting away again. Even though it is not over 30degrees C at the moment, it is still to hot for me to quilt. All that fabric in my lap was too much. And several times an hour I take my own little private trip to the tropics so that doesn't help.

So, back to socks, which I think I am permanently and hopelessly addicted to. I will let the angora stew till I get a few personal issues sorted out and just knit on other projects. This is old wool that I have had for a long time and don't even know where it came from. Old fashion green but nice on my Knitpicks dpns.

The pattern is easy without being boring - Evelyn Clark's Go With the Flow Socks (so appropriate for my life at the mo) from Favorite Socks. For me, knitting is like reading. When all is well in my world I love a really complicated book. When things get a little hairy I like to read something lovely and simple. At the moment that is Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (one of my favorite writers) and Evelyn's socks. Lovely and simple!

Brother's socks delivered.

Nettie - Little Brother likes his socks!

Joy of Seats and Socks

My mode of transport has changed dramatically in the last month. I am almost exculsively bike and bus these days. I share a bike with a friend but it lives at my house and I ride it to work every day (when it's in working order, that is) And I love it. It is one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. Even when it is cold and I am battling 50 km winds (not really! just feels like it) I am still happy. But there was a major problem. My ass! It is big and beautiful but it hurt like hell!

I couldn't get off the bike easily after my 1/2 hour ride and that is not a pretty site for passerbyers. When an older woman is stuck with one leg over the seat - they hesitate to help but you can't really tell them "that's OK it's just my bum is bruised!!" Anyway, after suffering for a month or so I took the problem in hand with the help of an allen key and good friend and bought THE most comfortable seat I could afford!

It is a joy. It has gel and springs and I feel like a queen on it. I want to ride it everywhere. And I don't walk like I've been on a horse for two months.

Now I want to deck it out - basket, horn and a really cool lock. I'll put flowers and bread in the basket ... no this is not Italy in summer this is Canberra in winter. I need thermal gloves and hand warmers!

And there have been more socks. I am still working on the cable socks but these are for another friend in Seattle. He used to live next door to my parents and looked after them for about 10 years while I was over here living the high life!! Yeah right!

Now he lives one block away and is going thru some major health problems but he is still there for my parents when they need him and they have been there for him. Anyway, he deserves a pair of socks more than anyone I know at the moment so these are for him. And he makes the best baklava I have ever tasted!

And the photo is much closer to good colour - thanks for the advice Jejune.

By the way - I love being in blogland. I have talked to people I have had a secret crush on for years, made new friends and impressed old friends (that's fun too). I feel like I have found a whole new community to be part of and I like it. So thanks and happy trails.

Purls and Socks

Recently a friend of mine had a holiday in New York City and brought me back some goodies from Purl Soho patchwork and yarn. I love the Purlbee online journal - it teases with the most beautiful fabrics, yarns and patterns. I drool over it at least once a week. One of my pressies was a little parcel of fabric squares. My friend's sister made a little bag out of her bundle of squares. But I wanted to look at mine everyday so I sewed them into a little table cloth.


My camera doesn't come near to showing the bright colours of the fabric or the beautiful green of the wool that I am knitting. I really will have to get my manual out and have a good read and see if I can get some better light happening. But I love looking at my table and dreaming of NYC!

I also started some socks for my little brother. I am knitting another pair from the Interweave Favorite Socks book. I am going to try knit every pair in there. Then I really will be a sock expert. These are the Cable Rib Socks by Erica Alexander with a little modification. The leg isn't near as long as the pattern and I didn't change needle size half way along. I am worried that I won't have enough wool to make two long socks. But they are beautiful and if I don't think they will fit my brother or won't be long enough in the leg I know someone else that would like them!!! Pretty easy to knit so far but I do have to pay attention.

But who wouldn't want to pay attention to such beautiful colours!

Count down to my trip to Seattle now - three weeks to go and I am getting excited since I got the suitcase down and started putting my knitting and other things that I don't want to forget to take. And I can't wait to knit at a baseball game, too!

Socks

OK - I'm ready to Start Blogging for real now. I'm sure my blogging ability will get better as I learn more - just like my knitting.

I am knitting these socks for one of my best friends in America. She has been my close friend for 40 years even though most of that time we have lived on different continents. The colour in the photo is not very true but I'll work that out as I go. They are bright hot pink and I love them. I know she will too. They are the Waving Lace Socks from the new Interweave Favorite Socks book.

And then there are socks for my brother.

I wanted something a little different so I used some left over self striping wool and some plain Bluebell and just knitted alternate stripes. They turned out great and I will absolutely use up the rest of my left over self striping to make more!!

I have a few more pairs to knit (these are the presents they are all getting when I go to the states in July) so..........

Happy trails!