Friday round up

- My dearest, middlest child turned 18 yesterday - Happy Birthday Charlotte!

- Renegade knitter strikes in Wellington!
see this news item about a mystery knitter sending wee jumpers to the local SPCA!

- the Hourglass sweater from "Last minute knitted gifts" (check the erratta here) I have modified it already, I haven't left the hem for slipstitching later, rather I picked up and knitted the cast on sts together with the hemline sts, use 1 slightly larger needle to avoid the hem "flipping" up. I love the colour of this Noro cash iroha number 87, it is the colour of the ocean in winter, perfect with my skin tone. Basically it's a blue blob, I'll post again when it gets interesting.

- my view this morning, I never ever tire of this

- remember if you want to win my hardly used copy of this book, leave a comment guessing the date Frasier was born last november, free postage and I'll pick a winner next week if no one guesses correctly.

- Knit Rangers this sunday 2-4 pm at the Packing Shed cafe 99 Parrs Cross rd Henderson, YES! it is up that gravel drive, and yes you will find parking, don't fret if it looks full, the winery gets a lot of visitors.

2 days early 5 days late

(for Friday round up - I realised I missed last week - what can I say, I broke my bottom)

- Knit Rangers - once again small but perfectly formed, 2 attendees, 2 apologies, and 4 apologies later from people who assumed that I, Jussi. would.miss.knitting.because.I.broke.my.bum

never, never, never assume.

We are meeting again this Sunday between 2- 4 pm at the Packing shed.

- I spent last week sleeping, and knitting on the Hourglass sweater, I now know just exactly how many rows of stocking stitch it takes to drive me to despair, and then round the corner into agony and regret...and it is a surprisingly low number.

- Speaking of agony and despair, I have a copy of "Friday night knitters club" which I would like out of my house, I paid good money for it, so don't want to put it out with the rubbish, the first person to tell me when I will be off crutches can have it, and like the delightful Donna, who gave me the book recycling idea, I'll even pay for the shipping. Ok, so I can't expect you all to be p-sychic, in the comments tell me when Frasier's birthday is instead, the first correct guess gets it (it's sometime in November)

- my bottom isn't really broken, I can't remember the technical terms (the 2 very wonderful physios were explaining it to me as they tag teamed me, I nodded and "yupped" a lot but was in too much pain to take it in) something in my L sacro-iliac joint has rotated, and the relevant muscle has gone into spasm, the physio is working extremely well, as are the exercises I have been given. I am back at work this week, and enjoying not sleeping all day.

- Just Jussi, is just lovely, I have decided to go with an evolving range rather than " 2 collections a year plus resort wear" I just don't design within that structure, I start with a barrage of ideas, modify and work with them, follow them to other places, then refine them, I think most are reasonably classical and prefer to work with a continuous long term range. I have worked a lot with de-structuring, and have a couple of nice garments come out of that exploration, but the thing I was really looking for, the draped, pleated neckline, is not working at a commercial level, I have acheived what I wanted, but the time it takes is unworkable, still it has led me into other directions. I have a couple of sweet tunic style dresses which I hope to have up soon, and a funnel neck sweater which is the perfect vehicle for the naturally dyed organic merino.

- If you would like a Frasier fix, go here, I am too ashamed to put this on the blog - yes, he is the "Posterboy for "pathetic"" and no he wasn't taken away from his Mummy too early.

- Finally, a big smile to my husband...background - I don't like tattoos, never wanted one, and didn't really like Flash's, but they are part of him, yadda yadda.

While escorting Blaise to the tattoo parlour to have a small ladybird etched onto her upper thigh (the thigh that grew in my womb for 8 months and 12 days, the thigh that I fed, clothed and sought medical treatment for for sixteen years - can't keep that Jewish ancestry down) anyway, that's another post.

One of the main problems I have with Flash's tats, is that two of them were done to celebrate his previous 2 weddings (yes I'm the lucky third Mrs Flash) and have his ex-wives names on them, one was acided out, the other inked over, but I can see the names, particularly the inked out one, and that bit. He has offered in the past to get a new tattoo over his heart with my name in it, I always refused as I didn't want him to have any more, it wasn't that big of a deal.

The dear man decided to share Blaise's pain, and had the offending tattoo touched up in pretty colours, and a change made - thus:

he's a keeper.

nothing

going on here, just sleeping and physio.

To update- the first GP (locum) (after telling him I couldn't walk and the pain is intense)
you have bruised your hip, here are some antibiotics for your excema (it got infected) come back if your hip is still sore in 10 days, are you sure it didn't hurt when you first fell over?

The A&E doctor - you have put your back out, why didn't the first GP give you painkillers?, I have to check the first GP didn't give you painkillers in case you are double-dipping (you crazy drug-seeking housewife) are you sure it didn't hurt when you first fell over? I don't understand why the pain would be getting worse.

The physio- you have sprained the (?) muscle in your sacro-iliac area, the more you walk the more it goes into spasm, thats why the pain has been getting worse, here is a stretch, and some massage, come back in 2 days.

guess which one I trust, and yes, the stretch is working, I am feeling a lot better, thanks for the kind wishes, I will return to knitting content shortly.

Funny cat story: Frasier has been sleeping on me the whole time I have been laid up, he looooves water, I left my makeup brushes soaking in the ensuite sink one night, and later on was awoken when a soaking wet Frasier decided to tell me how much he loved me, and was smooching up against my face and head butting me. nice.

Friday round up

So last sunday I slipped on the front step, whilst trying to close the front door, and fell straight down on my arse, I got up, dusted myself down, and carried on - after all, falling down, bumping into things, smacking my head, these are things I do on a regular basis, I am no graceful swan.

I carried on with my day, Flash and I were doing outdoor work, I built the first of two built up, no dig vegie gardens, and I am very proud of the result, my herb garden was doing so well, that I was encouraged to carry on.

Tuesday morning I felt a slight twinge in my hip during the day, but tuesday night - man! the pain was intense, if natural childbirth was a 10, this was an 8, I didn't want to go to a 24 hr clinic because experience tells me they will say "take 2 panadol and get some rest" after a 4 hour wait surrounded by puking toddlers and old men coughing up their last lung, so I went downstairs and squirmed on the couch, watching SKY with Blaise, and finally fell asleep around 3 am. Whe I awoke the next morning I grabbed some panadeine at the chemist, booked an appointment with my GP, and carried on, GP says keep taking the painkillers and come back in 10 days if still sore, meanwhile the pain has spread to my shoulder, hence the lack of blogging enthusiasm.

Flash has taken off for the warm beaches ofTahiti, and left me here to freeze, but a new toy arrived today, via Trademe, $60 for a complete print gocco kit, Blaise is excited too, this will be a great addition to her repetoire, she is taking photography this year and loving it. I also bought the book "The loving stitch" for $30 on Trademe, had been searching for it for ages, then suddenly there it was, Trademe is great, it's just like ebay 5 years ago!

The Knit Rangers are meeting again at 2pm this sunday, at the Packing Shed, 99 Parrs Cross rd, up the gravel driveway into the orchard, come along, we would love to see you.

Finally, knitting, I have been playing possum, well playing with possum (and merino and silk to be precise) the link is to the website blog,as I am too sore to keep typing, Lara I know you won't be happy, but that's the wonderful world we live in, and there are mitigating factors for the use of possum fur in NZ yarns mmmmmwah!

and final finally - see my silly kitty jumping here

Good Friday round up

One of Flash's birthday presents, it has a post, now just needs attaching;

For the cocktails at Kuleto's, gnocchi with sage butter at Cicciolina, summer evenings on the roof at Zanzibar, movies at the Dendy and Abby Dabby at the Vanguard, long walks on summer evenings and friday night blow outs.

Hand dyed merino, cochineal and brazilwood, it's not as pink as the photo, more subtle purples and deep rose. I'm thinking another skinny scarf. It's all about the fashion in this house. (gah!)

3 people from the job which must not utter it's name want to come to Knit Rangers, and the cafe have put us in this month's newsletter, this could be the start of something!

Get thee to "Nut and Bee" cute notecards and other paper goods, I got some "Pink tea" cards because they look like Frasier (if he was standing up. drinking tea and a cartoon), "where rainbows come from" for a certain girl with a unicorn addiction, and "polar pickles" for someone else. Very quick service, and a handwritten note - love it!

Last night I bought yet more pyjamas, but then while surfing I found these great Lounge Pants at Nichola's blog,so cool and comfortable, just the ticket for working at home, and not wanting the postie to see you in flannelette!

Have a good Easter

knackered

this is what I found when I came home this evening, a little boy asleep on my bed, obviously plum tuckered out from the taxing job of "protecting" my knitting. (isn't he getting big, and long, and shiny! - his coat is like velvet, short and sleek)

does anyone else have a cat who carries knitting needles around the house?

Community

I arrived at the cafe at 1.55pm, and freaked, the carpark was full, there were cars parked on the field, all of the outdoor tables were full...oh dear, oh my.

I walked up the stairs, full of trepidation, would it all be over before it began, had I made the wrong choice?

No, I had not, the staff were run off their feet, the counter was crowded, but the Packing shed itself was almost empty, I surveyed the two rooms, and chose a table for 6 in the lighter room, because I'm an optimist, ordered fruit pancakes and a chai, and sat down to knit, I am working on a soaker pattern, it is quick and easy to knit, I needed something that didn't require too much concentration.

Five minutes later Gaayathri walked in and said hi, I was so relieved, just one person was enough, and here she was! We chatted about her latest project (handwarmers from Knitty), learning to knit, where to buy yarn in NZ, dyeing, you name it, and something impressed me very much, that she too recognises the distance between knitters in NZ, and the cultural cringe that is still very much in existence in this country, that knitting is something that "Mums and Nanas" do, Women strived so hard for economic, social and educational independence in this country that many can't bear to see other women doing such "menial" tasks as knitting. Gaayathri is nineteen and a uni student, studying law, history and politics, wonderful, dynamic stuff, and just the kind of person we need knitting in public in NZ.

Jo runs the cafe, and has a huge knitty history, we couldn't have felt more welcome, she has so many contacts and ideas that I know that this group is going to be a success, the space is so conducive to creativity, and as Gaayathri said "it's really funky", there are two main areas, both full of art and craft, and wonderful paintings of the nearby beaches and landscapes.

We turned out to be the only ones today, others had transport concerns, hopefully noone turned up, looked at the packed garden and turned tail. Today was definitely a case of small beginnings, but big possibilities.

And we'll be there again on the 15th of April, between 2 and 4pm