In Auckland the summer sun is fierce - it bites the skin like sun nowhere else I have been, the African savannah is hot, the Australian desert very much so - the heat sucks the moisture from your body, but in New Zealand the sun seems closer - some say it is the lack of atmospheral pollution, or the hole in the ozone layer that leads to our extreme levels of melanoma and other skin cancers.
So between 11 and 3pm my family try to stay out of the sun, we lie around in the shade trying to find a cool breeze, the humidity makes the air feel even hotter than it is, the pool is a welcome escape as by 1pm it is in partial shade, the back deck holds shelves laden with factor 30, hats and towels, we are nothing if not prepared for the conditions.
Blaise's room is an oasis of cool, placed in the most shady corner of the house, the upstairs workroom and our room are in the sun's path all day and become superheated - a portable air conditioner brought back from Sydney means that we can sleep without being eaten alive by mosquitos, and is a fascinating distraction for Frasier, who leaps on top of it when it starts up, and then positions himself between the machine and us...in order to protect us from it...he seems to think.
So, the knitting is continuing, but slowly due to the heat.
Thanks to 2 lovely and competent test knitters I have released the "Nikau hoodie and pants" pattern for sale by digital download. It is mostly an easy knit, with a few interesting bits - the cabling for the Nikau palm design and the short rows at the hood and nappy shaping. I can't wait to see the different variations as they come up on Ravelry. I am close to having the "Liam sweater and cowboy pants " pattern ready for release soon too, which I know a number of people have been waiting for, and am working on something sweet for the girls.
No clues, but here is a taste - lots of pink, and don't you just love that Chirimen crepe cherry blossom ribbon - it's from Fabric tales, who are very quick and very helpful!
