sick

I am so cross, today I was meant to attend a conference on depression at the University of New South Wales, and tomorrow I was planning to attend the craft fair at Darling harbour, followed by SSK, I was really looking forward to this weekend...and now,I have nothing to look forward to except hours and hours of bedrest. I have a kidney infection, am on 4 hrly antibiotics and feel like crap. Hopefully they will kick in overnight, so my weekend won't be completely wasted. Ifigure I should at least be able to spend an hour or two in a cafe without too much trouble.We'll see.
night night.

sugar bowl cover wrap???

I have continued experimenting with the beading on the wrap, have decided to keep them on the “wrong side” but knitting in on the cast-on row, using a cable cast on, this way they dangle just to the back of the cast on, but still show, knitted onto the “right side” it looked a bit too much like a sugar bowl cover for my liking! (They look great in the right place, see this lovely pattern, I am tempted to take up crochet, wouldn’t it be lovely to take some time, to sit with a friend and have a real tea party, with the bone china, the teapot, sugar tongs…the last time I was at a tea party I had to share with 3 teddies, a bunny and Barbie, while Blaise played house) I am really happy with the way it is turning out, I was thinking I should do something a bit more adventurous with it, like adding a different lace stitch or sophisticated shaping, or something, but I like the way the colours work, and maybe it is better to keep it simple.
The yarn is 100% hand painted silk, and knits beautifully on bamboo needles; it is waaaay too slippery for metal or even casein, but a dream on the bamboo, it is soft and doesn’t split, I expect it will run through the machine well, but won’t try until I have finished this project.

image001.jpg

image001.jpg
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Karangahake Wrap

Karangahake Wrap
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Named after the gorge outside Waihi, as the colours remind me of frequent

trips in the dark depth of winter, almost black water turning ice blue where

it hits purple/grey boulders.



The alert amongst you may have noted my dilemma, I like the beads, I like

the stitch pattern, pity they aren't on the same side! Look out for the 3rd

and final try, coming your way soon.

stitch markers

stitch markers
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Stopped by Lincraft on the way home,am sometimes pleasantly surprised by

what the chain stores have in stock, even though I deplore their general

lack of service.



Found these glass beads, some coloured,some lampwork, with the silver wire

already wrapped around them, just clip on jump rings and there you go, 15

markers, 5 minutes, $5!

A world of trouble...

A world of trouble...
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Is what Blaise gets whenever she wears this "Tickle me Elmo" jacket!



Can you believe Sesame St has been around for 35 years???

Cronulla beach

Cronulla beach
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Flash and Blaise enjoying the sun this afternoon at Cronulla

Old shale wrap

Old shale wrap
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

To bead or not to bead, I think I'll be frogging this.

Holly's sock

Holly's sock
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Rosewood dpns

Rosewood dpns
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Hey we all need a bit of luxury now and then.

meandering

Flash is home, he has been away in Perth all week, meeting with the illuminati, and spending time with his son ( which meant spending his evenings holding up the bar in various pubs while trying to hold a conversation with his 26 year old sons friends) he was rather over pubs when he got home.
Blaise and Maria and I had a splendid week despite his absence, actually we regard his frequent trips away as an occasion to go a little crazy ( Blaise is rolling her eyes reading this, apparently I am always a little crazy) I recklessly forget to take “something out of the freezer for dinner” so we end up at Thai on Wok or Franks Pizza, we herd the dust bunnies, studiously ignore the soap scum in the shower, and the only housework that gets done is the washing and the dishes, we can do this in the full knowledge that Flash will fix it when he gets home.

As Maria (the child who wouldn’t be named…she is 16, had an unauthorized party, with alcohol, and 50 teenagers, on the roof of our building ( deposit taken by caretaker) it lasted 1.5 hours before her father and I went up to check on her and her “ best friend Chrissy who was coming over for a swim and a spa” and sent everyone packing) is grounded for “a very long time” her and Blaise walk to my work every afternoon, and spend an hour or so (drinking milo and eating bikkies) doing homework,and I have had the car, so after work we have been on lots of little adventures.
On Thursday night Maria was working so Blaise and I went into town, she was very patient as I wandered around Tapestry, and spent 10 minutes in line with me as I waited to pay for 3 spools of knitting in elastic for socks, very difficult when you are standing next to the Noro, she wants a skein for petting, so I suppose I had better knit her some Kureyon mittens, but I don’t know when she will ever wear them…maybe to ice-skating! As I finally got to the head of the queue I noticed the new needle display, and asked for some rosewood dpns…Blaise gave me “the look” and the assistant noticed and looked to me for guidance “I’ll take them” said I, and to Blaise “they will be heirlooms, you can have them when I die”…at least we provided some comic relief to the queue.

As for knitting this week…well work has been interfering with my knitting again, but I managed to knit 1/3 of a sock at the conference I attended on Thursday, that’s the sock pic, Opal Elementale, for the Hollymonster, I have found some great sock yarns online here, look at this, and this!! But I have made a promise to Flash that I will use at least ½ of my sockyarn stash before I buy more…so I am just looking at present ( and making my list) everyone is getting socks this Christmas.

While waiting for Blaise to finish her drama class yesterday, I knitted up some of the Ozeyarn handpainted silk that I have had languishing in the broom closet studio, I wanted to make a lacy wrap to wear to Flash’s next work “do” (work “don’t”, pleeease can I stay home, pleeeease) so in the end decided that “Old shale” was the ideal stitch pattern to show up the colours- “Black range blues” I have knitted this much, and it is very easy going, but am now wondering if I should have knitted in beads at the beginning to make the wrap hang better…I am in a dilemma, to frog or not to frog…I think I will frog, and see what the beads look like.

The baby cardis are complete, just awaiting the sewing on of the ribbons, but you think I can get around to it? No of course not, I’m too busy fluffing around to spend 5 minutes sewing on ribbon…maybe if I schedule it in the blackberry…I always obey it at work! I am not going to say “oh I wish I had more time for myself”, because 4 months ago, I was wishing I had a job as I had too much time on my hands, wish I could strike a balance though.

Still trying to work out the bugs in the “no seams baby cardi” it is on the back burner, but have had some cute ideas. Anyway, it is Sunday morning, time to go for a wander with my husband and kids and get some relaxation in before it all starts again tomorrow.

working week

awoke to another lovely day in Sydney, Flash and Blaise got up at 5.30 to go for a walk, and I lay in bed daydreaming about flowers to knit for my neice's next (slightly bigger) cardi, and is there a way to get rid of the purl row on the machine knit socks, and a great way to knit the baby cardi as one peice, except for the sleeve seam, need to remember to put paper and pen next to the bed, for when the clever ideas hit, isn't it always the way, you work out a great technique, but later on that day you can't remember it!
We had a nice long weekend, I dyed my hair back to closer to it's original ( if you don't count the grey!) strawberry blonde, which I feel a lot more comfortable with. Flash and I drove out to Brighton, as I have to go to a conference there this week, and wasn't too hot on the directions, even though it isn't too far away, I don't drive often, had nice coffee and cheesecake, and a walk on the beach, not bad for winter.

new yarn

new yarn
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Denim machine yarn in medium and light, Opal from NZ, and some random

cotton/rayon blend from the bargain bin.

knitting devices

knitting devices
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Vintage pins from the op shop, love the packaging!

cotton version of the Lush baby cardi, pre-sleeve

cotton version of the Lush baby cardi, pre-sleeve
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

In Esprit sock yarn from Elann, lovely cotton/lycra

Lush baby cardi

Lush baby cardi
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

For Maisie-to-be in newborn size, not very sensible, but gorgeous, will make

a hat to top it off, pattern to come in a week or so.



Made in flower garden from Marta's

socks!

socks!
Originally uploaded by castadrift.

Pink are Colori from Elann, Flash's Big socks in Colori Puzzle, (with a

touch of Hotspots for the toe,Flash is a Bigfoot)the little guy is for my

nephew, in the same Opal lollipop I used for Holly's socks (currently being

worn at Auckland uni)

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I have a problem, knitters.
I know others have blogged about this, so this will be a short rant.
I want to say I get cross when big bossy boots stamp on enthusiasm.

What I will say is, lets be positive, when someone shows an interest, lets encourage them, I have been around a lot of knitters the past few days, and overheard a comment which bugged me...
"thats for an advanced knitter" in such a smug tone I could barely control myself,now, I don't want to shout but...LET HER TRY!!! who decides?? come on tell me, who decides what is beginners, intermediate or advanced? I know brilliant aran knitters who are scared to try lace, fairisle enthusiasts who shy from sock knitting, I feel that there are 2 levels, patient and impatient, why couldn't this person say " thats a complex pattern, I would swatch a bit before starting"thats all that was required, you swatch, you like it, you enjoy the knitting, you buy the yarn and knit the garment.
What I see are 2 problem areas:
1) is fear of failure, you think something looks hard, so you don't try.
2) is far more serious, and we need to take a good long look at our collective knitting selves...this problem is harder to define, but it is wrapped up in the smug tone I heard..."I can do something that you can't...I am better than you" what a load of bollocks! All of the knitters I know personally are generous souls, they share their vast knowledge, and encourage others, but there are still people around who bask in their imagined superiority, and condemn enthusisatic puppies to a life of garter st scarves, or worse still...no knitting at all.

As I said before, I don't llike the skills rating thing, I think Knitty handle it well, they are not negative. I would say that I have "advanced" skills, in a "beginner" frame of mind, maybe we should have skills categories like:

- "commutes"
- "small children- attention varies"
- "long summer holiday at the beach"knit
- "long winter holiday in the cabin" knit
- "fits in well with all the other stuff you have to do" knit
- "kids are in bed by 8 and hubby is watching t.v."

I know the techniques, I can chart fairisle and aran, design from scratch, but frankly these days, I can't be stuffed! I am sure I will do complex work again one day, but for now the socks,scarves and baby jackets are all I need. I know teenagers who spin and steek...because no one ever told them it was hard, so lets just be positive, and enjoy learning from each other.

please, next time someone with sparkles in their eyes, says "oooh thats beautiful, is it difficult?" just say "no, but it takes some commitment" and enjoy being part of another human's creative development.

flying visits

I haven't posted for a while,my Mama arrived early saturday morning, from Auckland, she exited the airport blinking in the sunlight, apparently the weather in Auckland has not been exactly ...pleasant. I love my Mum, she is gorgeous inside and out, I often think there is a secret"woman manual" ( a how to guide...like the one we don't get when the kids are born...but how to deal with men, make up, mean people, and the bikini line) and that she got to read it, she is suberbly competent at everything, dresses beautifully, and is nice.

On saturday we dropped Blaise at her class, wandered around the Rocks Market, and had lunch, then to David Jones and Myer ( her natural habitat) stopped briefly at Tapestry, for the sale, but nothing "grabbed" me, got noodles for dinner, and spent the night in, due to the behaviour of a child who will remain nameless for now...thats a whole other post.
Sunday we went to Berowra Waters for lunch, Flash loves the car ferry there, so he was happy, it was very beautiful and the food was good, spent most of Sunday staring in disbelief at each other, re the behaviour of the child who will remain nameless.

Monday, Nana and Blaise went to the art gallery, the museum, David Jones, and had a great day, the nameless child went to school in disgrace. Flash went to Adelaide to deliver some training, glad to get out of the fray!
Yesterday Mama and I wandered Leichardt, and Balmain/Rozelle, we found a wee shop selling 50gram skeins of silk for $15 each, I have to go back and get some, the colours were exquisite.
We also went out to Reynolds Brothers in Carlton, as they are closed on the weekend so i never get to get there, WOW! it was an Aladdin's cave of wonder for a Machine knitter! I bought a sponge bar and needles, some cheap yarn from the sale bin ( will post pics when Flash returns with the camera) and some Denim yarn in medium and light blue, it is 2 ply cotton, and apparently wears like denim, I can't wait to start playing with it. I can see a cable vest for Flash, or even an interesting wrap to wear with jeans...hmmm, I was so glad to finally get to the place, they mail order so now at least I can buy decent machine yarn finally.Denim socks???...