home

whenever I refer to home, "the bach", "the cottage" I realise that you have no frame of reference to see the changes that have been made, I haven't been there for 2 years, we have been carrying out a renovation by remote control, and have just had to trust that what people have been telling us has been correct (luckily the process has been overseen by a darling, old school man whom we trust implicitly)

Photos arrived this morning from our rental agent, it is great to see the old rhododendren is still happy (drips with cerise blooms in season), that the sage colour I chose for the weatherboards is not too green, the rotten weatherboards have been replaced, all that is left to do on the house (lets not talk about the new fence etc here today) is to paint the trim (currently undercoated) and choose a colour for the door - which can wait until we return. The sky is typical of a Coromandel morning, full sun filling the front living room with golden light, and turning the front bedroom walls pink as it streams through the antique rose glass, ice blue sky turning singing blue by 10am, and cold enough to freeze the water in the cat's bowl.

Once again, we will not be living there fulltime - too far to make commuting feasible (why oh why did they get rid of the trains??) but I can't wait for those weekends, maybe I'll stay a couple of extra days, keep a machine there for swatching and experimenting with,some quiet time, with that extra space I yearn for, start a stitch and bitch in the cafe on the main street - the one with the open fire, actually having to wear that hat, scarf and mittens, and blessing those knitted socks.

loving it

I have just added this wee hoodie to my shop, I enjoyed designing and making it so much, I love it when a plan comes together! The hood really freaked me out, I have made knit fabric hoodies for my kids, but knitting a hood is so different to sewing one. When I finally finished the calculations and drawings it was a beautiful thing - amazing how it just worked.

I wanted a point of difference between this sweater and every other organic merino baby garment on the web (there are HEAPS out there...who knew?) most of them seem to be scavenged from vintage knitting patterns - which I feel is kind of cheating, but I digress...I just have to feel satisfied that I have created my own designs from scratch. I searched my cable designs and this one caught my eye...it looked just like the top of a nikau palm...it just needed a cabled trunk - perfect! The nikau is an iconic symbol of NZ, along with the kiwi, pukeko and silver fern - iconic without being overtly "kiwi".

While I was putting the website together I was so flat out that I didn't have time to design, now that everything is ticking over (apart from the firefox issues - which I will fix when I transfer the website to a new server) I am enjoying the design process again - sketching, daydreaming, calculating and finally knitting - listening to podcasts (I feel like these have always existed) Penn Gilette , New Scientist, Scientific American, Nature - as well as the usual knitting suspects (tip: if you have big kids - over 8 or so - check out the Naked scientist podcast - they have great experiments) I have to make myself leave the house every day - go over the road for coffee or something, just to avoid becoming a recluse!

has it been that long?

I am tired, not because I live above the busiest road in Australasia, I can cope with that, nearly 2 years without double glazing or adequate shades on the 18 ft high windows has given me the ability to sleep almost anywhere, but because Wednesday night is student night at the local pub, Flash and I are awoken every wednesday night by screaming, wailing, cackling, yelling drunk people - the police can't help anymore, unless the revellers are interfering with our property, so we put up with their supermarket trolley races, their attempts to direct traffic and the resultant high speed braking and verbal abuse, and their very audible protestations of love or distaste, oh and the vomiting.

I awoke at 1.30 this morning, to what sounded like gunshot, when Flash peered over the balcony he saw it wasn't...it was our next door neighbour throwing $2 coins at our windows from the street below, he had forgotten his swipecard and his girlfriend wasn't answering the intercom. I am afraid that "ok mate" was not one of the phrases Flash used.

So, this morning I am sloping around in pjs, drinking tea at 8am, and posting instead of doing housework, I am considering taking the day off and wandering into the city for a visit to Kinokuniya and to run some errands, after days of swatching for some new ideas I need to be away from knitting for a few hours. I will leave you with a wee cardi knitted this week for the soon-to-be son of one of Flash's workmates.

I have some knitting to do.

clockwise from top left ; Blaise's backpack, Flash's sock, zephyr for the Sheep shawl (not started), test knitting, lovely ripply scarf in kidsilk haze and jo sharp's silk georgette.

For the past few months I have been flat out designing, knitting and trying to get the website up and running, now that it is up, I have tweaking to do, but not the same volume of work as I have had. I knit on stock items everyday for at least 4 hours (I call it "going to work") but because I have launched the website during the "off' season (high summer in the northern hemisphere, spring on the horizon in the southern) I have a bit of time to play with every day (and I am NOT going to spend it doing housework) so I have piled my UFOs onto the table next to the couch, and will force myself to finish them while I still can (the test knitting is just there for show, I have to finish that today to ensure that the pattern is correct)

I feel a bit like I am "in waiting", I am in that no-man's land of online stores - the Just Jussi store is there, but until the advertising and links kick in...it kind of isn't there, I have had over a 1000 unique visitors, they are there for the free patterns, not to buy, but at least it helps the search engines to take notice.
It is so hard for me to just sit on my hands and wait - people who know about this stuff keep telling me that it will take 6-8 weeks to get a sale ,and I've had 2 in a week (to people who are not related to me or friends!) but I know it will take time and lots of effort to generate more.

Ok time to move my butt, and to show that I am not knitting 24/7 I will share a recipe;

Sticky Date pudding

Ingredients
200g pitted dates (chopped)
1 teaspoon baking soda
150ml boiling water
125g butter
125g brown sugar
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour

Method.
Put the dates, baking soda and boiling water in a bowl, stir and leave for 20 minutes.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
Stir in the flour, then the date mixture.
Pour into a medium size baking dish or casserole.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C check with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked.

While the pudding is cooking, make the sauce
200g brown sugar
50g butter
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Method
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 1-2 minutes.

When the pudding is ready, remove from the oven and coat the top lightly with enough sauce to produce a sticky glaze. Return to the oven for 2 minutes.

Serve with extra sauce and whipped cream.

This is the standard recipe, we do something different, when the pudding is cooked we serve it up piping hot, cover with Monin gingerbread syrup and eat with vanilla icecream or custard.

enjoy! (and to those readers in the northern hemisphere, print this out and stick it in your cookbook, with all of that beautiful weather you have no need for comfort food!)

Zombie baby

Blaise was certain it was breathing...

Thanks for the kind comments and emails...and visits, the website has had over 200 hits, which makes me happy. I did get some negative feedback from a guy who said that Tesco's and Asda had cheaper baby clothes...well...yep...thats nice.

Today I bought and took delivery of (God bless the internet) the "creepy zombie baby" which frightened Blaise when she came home from school, he/she/it will serve as the intermediate stage between hiring the stunt baby and where we are now with a homemade baby body. It's amazing how much better the clothes look on a real-live dummy, though I do like the zombie better when it is headless.

Now if I can just resist the urge to take it into Blaise's room when she is sleeping..."Must...eat...brains!"

Birth

Birth is a difficult, life-changing process, you find strengths you didn't know you had, and new depths to those around you, the outcome may not be as you expected - positive or negative, but the experience leaves you a better person.

The delivery of my website is like a birth in some ways, I have worked hard, I have been constrained by the limits of my webserver - the fact that it is only "so" wide and you have to scroll vertically, the fact that I don't own a baby at present, so have to wait until I can pay a stunt baby to model the clothes. I don't want these barriers to stop me doing what I enjoy, they will be overcome in time.
Friends and family have gathered around and seen either a gorgeous addition to the family or a little red-faced monkey. I am not so blinded by maternal affection that I do not see the flaws in my creation - so please feel free to leave your comments - but constructive criticism please! I am still tender.

The free pattern for my newborn baby singlet (pictured above) is available there

a few more of my favourite things...

Kids are back at school, YAY! finally I have the house to myself, although I love Blaise very much, I felt like her siamese twin as she sat at her laptop next to me for hours on end, hopefully for a good cause, she has entered a couple of short story competitions, with the amount of time she spends writing she should make out like a bandit!

well, this is the kind of post you write when you know you should post but also have other deadlines, so i'll catch you up on what I have been listening to, because I can't show you any knitting. I sometimes write about the music I like, and most of it isn't available on I-tunes, but youtube is not so anti-antipodean so here are some links to a few favourites,(leave to load with the sound off then replay at volume) first off

Fur Patrol
(so named after one of the band member's posse of cats who would "patrol" the garden)
song 1 "Andrew"

song2 "Lydia"
Flash took me to see them soon after we met, the concert was in a small theatre off K Rd in Auckland, Galatos st I think...we were both in black leather coats, the place was packed, but we managed to hold our own in a booth because the kids around us thought we were cops - too funny!

Bic Runga - magic

song 1 "When I see you smile"

song 2 "sway"

and this is for my mate Jase, to see if he is awake!

Underdaks ad

or maybe it's for you Al!

ok, enough of that...here's more kiwi music

Tadpole
song 1 - Alright this has to be my favourite rock out summer at the bach (holiday house) song (needs to be LOUD)

I am also listening to a lot of podcasts, some knitting (though most of the goodies are on hiatus at present) I am particularly enjoying listening to Penn radio (Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller) he is though provoking AND hilarious. Jeepers all this listening, I must be getting some work done huh?

that's the story

The school holidays are drawing to a close, and I have been spending time with Blaise - today we are going to the movies to see a comedy "Sione's Wedding" which as the name implies is about a Samoan wedding, I am so excited, I have missed the Pacifica aspect which is evident in everyday life in Auckland, and an old friend is also in the movie - when we were younger I had to be careful when we were together, he is so funny that I would spit out my drink or accidentally hit my head while laughing, of all my friends back then he taught me the most, that to be yourself is more important than being popular, and to be able to make people laugh is one of the best gifts you can have, plus he gave me the title of "Miss Pink Chardon 1984" thank goodness my taste in alcohol has improved since my teens.

Which segues nicely into this, if you know New Zealand this will make you laugh so hard, if you don't know New Zealand this will make you wonder...anyway it's an ad for 42 Below Vodka, it is full of sheep (just like NZ) and it is choice...bro.

what to do...

about Blaise - just when she had recovered from the gigantic , disgusting tonsil episode, she went to the playground and sliced her finger open on the slide, she was taken to a local pharmacy, where her companion's Mum worked, and she cleaned and dressed the wound, and advised Blaise that it wasn't bad.

Next morning Blaise comes to me and tells me that she is worried about her finger, here am I thinking it's a wee cut...so off to the GP (who is threatening to give my family a recurring appointment) it's not a wee cut, she has filleted her finger, the skin is hanging on by a thread, and it is too late for stitches (almost used the knitting abbreviation sts there) the best we can do is stick it down with sticky strips, keep it elevated and hope for the best.
We returned home, Blaise was sent to bed (no computer!) with yet more DVDs ( Mirrormask - I must watch it), she kept her finger up near her shoulder, looking all the while like a demented criminal mastermind, she eschewed the washing up (yeh, like she was desperate to do it) and covered the hand with a plastic bag when showering.
This morning, three days later, we returned to the GP, he was surprised to see that the skin was a healthy pink, the digit was re-wrapped and Blaise is under orders to bend and stretch the finger at least 50 times a day - I am her trainer...and I am ruthless.

I received a comment today from Veronica - she followed my Shibori tutorial(in the sidebar) and has excelled, you must go look at her beautiful work, I must learn Spanish - she sounds so excited, I don't know what she is saying, but I know she is happy.

Thank you to everyone who commented this week - I have tried to get to all of you individually, but have missed out those who do not have their email on their blog ( go to g-mail and get one!)I have also been amazed at the response my last post received - I was so happy to hear from so many people who had thought about this issue - I don't care what decision you make, so long as it is the right one for you and your family.

And lastly, because I have to:

"Go the Blacks!!!"

jeepers - never thought you would hear those words from this non team-player did you!

What's in a name?

On the weekend an in-law discovered that Flash and I were married, I didn’t realize that this person didn’t know, she is rather difficult and I walked myself straight into a minefield…to the point where I could see her daughter waving “no, stop” at me, but I just kept going.

The issue was not the marriage – the issue was “the name”

The conversation (interrogation) went a little like this:

So you actually are a Bloggs* now?!

Well, no, my name is still “Justine Turner”

Whats wrong with Bloggs*, it’s my name, it’s a good name

There is nothing wrong with Bloggs* – but it’s not my name

Well, it actually is…oh, after all the trouble we went to, to find out your last name – and you actually were a Bloggs* all the time. I am so angry!

I am not doing this to upset you, I prefer to be called “Justine Turner” it has been my name for 38 years, and it is unlikely that will change, you wouldn’t ask Flash to change his last name.

But he is a man, and you are a family now – the Bloggs* family

I am married to Flash Bloggs* but my daughters are named “Turner” I don’t want to add to the upheaval in their lives by changing my name – so there has to be a big explanation every time I take them to the Dr or visit the school – given that I am still the person who engages in 99% of these activities with the children.

(note how I completely ignored the “he’s a man” statement – I am silly, but not suicidal)

I am so angry about this!

(husband finally got the desperate telepathic messages and came into the lounge- abruptly ending the conversation)

Now,
I am an intelligent woman, I am a nice person – therefore you would immediately surmise that:
a) I have a reason for retaining my maiden name after marriage and
b) I am not doing it to hurt anyone.

I figure that’s all anyone needs to know, if they are curious they are welcome to ask me (nicely) but they are not welcome to attack me for my choice.
If Flash and I were to have a child, I would probably add his name to mine, not hyphenated, but in the tradition of some North American women “Justine Turner Bloggs*” however Flash and I are not going to have a child, so it isn’t an issue.

Flash’s last name isn’t the easiest name, people always ask twice, it isn’t terrible, but in his explanation to people of me retaining “Turner”, he simply says “well you wouldn’t want to be a Bloggs* if you didn’t have to be” he also ensures that if we are going to any event for business reasons – the organizers know my name ( usually to escape the inevitable comment from me “ Mrs Bloggs* ? jeepers Flash you didn’t tell me that your ex-wife was going to be here!” boy am I lucky he has a wicked sense of humour ) most people are aware enough to understand, and when introducing myself in these situations I just say “Hi – I’m Justine Turner – I'm married to Gordon” that gives them my name, and answers their unsaid questions.

I am not dogmatic, I do not have a problem per se with women (or men) changing their name after marriage, it does give the family cohesion, but I have a problem with it being automatic, names have magic in them – your name quite literally is your identity – so giving it up should be done with thoughtfulness and awareness.

I would love to hear your views and experiences…did you change your name happily – leaving your old one behind like a discarded cocoon? Or did you feel bad inside and not even know why? Did you question the convention internally – but were too scared to rock the boat? Did you and your partner retain your individual names and negotiate when naming the kids. Or did you choose a whole new surname together?!


* - not his real name, oh that it was - I probably would change my name then...imagine "Justine Bloggs" because it's who I am and what I do!

Busy hands

Holly goes home tomorrow - we will miss her, I feel bad that we haven't done all of the things we had planned, as we had to stay home while Blaise was ill, still Holly is her Mother's daughter and made the most of it, as well as watching over 60 episodes of "Scrubs" every Monty Python dvd ever made, and a daily dose of "The princess bride" to keep Blaise company, she worked away at a patchwork bag of her own design, and numerous peices of jewellery.

the bag has patchwork on both sides, striped chambray lining and a knitted garter stitch handle in thick cotton, Holly took to my collection of fabric with abandon and exuberance, combining an eclectic mixture into a visually appealing peice.

I professed my love for this peice

but I have made a resolution not to buy any more jewellery until I deserve it...

so Holly made me a substitute, just as sweet!

Look!!

Blaise asked for a backpack similar to the Punk Rock Backpack from Stitch and Bitch she wasn't happy with either of the motifs and gave me her Aranzi Aranzo pencilcase to copy, so here it is so far, I have knitted the front and back (the pink whipstitching is holding the opening closed, as it will have a zipper inserted) the intarsia for the monkey wasn't bad at all, it goes quickly because it is interesting. He needs to have his eyes embroidered on, we had decided on little plastic eyes, but when I put them they freaked us both out - evil toy monkey eyes!

she also wants me to embroider the book title - she hasn't decided, but it will be either "The ascent of Man" or "Planet of the Apes".

I received a knitting machine, ribber and associated bits and peices yesteday, unfortunately most of it has to stay packed up as there just isn't room here, I can't wait to have my own room! I also have scored a garter carriage and wonderful new knitting machine, and loads of accessories, but they are in NZ and will have to stay with my parents until we know where we are going to be living next year.It is a bit like waiting for Christmas, I know what I'm getting but can't touch it!!!

So, back to the stuff that arrived yesterday, there was a huge box of books and pamphlets - patterns from the '70s and '80s, treasure! and the gold? well next to the punchcard dictionaries, which are amazing compilations of fairisle and lace patterns, there are a few Japanese machine knitting pattern books - AmimonoVogue from 1982, they are wonderful - the Japanese did not seem to succumb to the intarsia batwing styles so prevalent in the '80s - there are a lot of tidy twinsets with interesting detailing, I can actually see myself making a few garments - and thats where we come to the second wonder of japanese machine knitting mags - the instructions are all diagrams - so it is easy to decipher the pattern.

love the Nana and Grandad bodywarmers!

I am tempted to commit Amigarumi

alright now

Blaise had a bad week, the tonsils got worse, they looked disgusting, I can't understand how Doctors can think that something that looks that disgusting should be allowed to remain in your body. However, none of them looked terribly surprised, so I followed their lead and remained nonplussed in front of her.
We saw our family Dr on wednesday after the emergency GP on sunday, Blaise wasn't getting any better, so a change of antibiotics, a shot of penicillin in the bum, and a blood test were called for, and that was the last straw for Blaise.
With her almost grownup brain Blaise understood that a blood test was required and would be over quickly, unfortunately she has memories from 4 years ago - being admitted to hospital for major surgery 3 times , and having to have all of the bloodwork done the day prior, Doctors not being able to get blood out of her tiny body, trying up to 10 different places, 4 adults holding her down, and one time squeezing blood out of a hole in her thumb for 20 minutes.
The surgery was cancelled at the last minute twice - a lack of paediatric intensive care beds - and each time we returned she tried to bargain with them "you can use the blood from last time right?" "I don't feel sick - see" running and jumping around. Sitting with her when she came round from surgery and the joy in her face when she realised she had a central line in - ahhh, no more blood tests.
So, that was what she was up against, she wept silently as the big Nigerian nurse gently punctured her arm and swiftly changed vials, before she knew it, she was being handed a sticky plaster - "it's over?" yay all over, a new positive memory to dampen the old negative memories.

I have people to thank,

firstly to Rox who must think her parcel never arrived - beautiful dye-your-own laceweight - a whole hank and loads of KoolAid, Holly and I are going to play at mad scientist artists this week, thank you Rox!!

and also to Jade, who really has to stop fretting, you are the most wonderful, sweet person.

Jad made me the sweetest knitting bag, striped denim/chambray lined with a sweet pink print, and a matching stitchmarker pouch, I managed to take a photo of the pecan/walnut praline before they were devoured - all my favourite flavours - vanilla, caramel, pecan - I was in heaven. A Creative Knitting (not the Aussie one) mag that I have never seen before and a Lion Brand book of re-worked vintage patterns, which I adore. What I loved beyond all else though was the " Officer Jussi of the Knitting Police" badge (and Jade isn't a knitter, but she still "gets" us!!!!) it's not the grumpy "you can't do that" knitting police - here is the oath from the back of the badge

I solemnly swear to appreciate that which I make with my own hands,

and to not waste one second of time worrying what others may think of my efforts

If it is good enough for me, it is good enough.

I am my own Knitting Police!

I'll be flashing it all over the place Jade.

really ill but not fully sick*

Blaise is ill.

I made that a sentence by itself because it is such a rare event, Blaise has not been ill since she was 4, and then she had whooping cough. I took her to the emergency GP on sunday, we waited an hour, explained the symptoms on the way to his office and were out again in 1 minute - "say "ahh" oh yep that's tonsilitis".
She has been miserable, her "word of the day"(description) for the past 3 days has been "festering" poor wee thing, utterly, heartbreakingly sad at missing school, missing her friends, feeling so sick, sleeping on the couch with her patchwork quilt and Uncle Doug the bear, because she doesn't want to be alone, and is watching 3 series of "Scrubs" ( I think thats more than 60 episodes - I feel I am being assimilated into their world)when she can't sleep.
I am slightly stressed, I can't fix my child's pain and that is distressing, I have parcels to go out, and haven't got to the Post office, I have a husband who feels that sick people belong in their beds and are happier left alone (he is trying hard to understand) and I had planned outings with Holly that I can't fulfill - I feel torn in 20 directions.
So I am submitting, I will do my work, clean the house, and catch up with Holly, but my first priority is to sit on the couch with my baby and cuddle her, because I know it works.

* "fully sick" a colloquialism meaning "really good" often associated with aussie elite swimmer Ian Thorpe

poppies in motion

I spent Saturday morning on tenterhooks, would Holly's flight be snowed in and cancelled, would she get to the airport on time, would she remember her documentation? This is the first time she has had to get herself to the airport etc. I needn't have worried, she was perfect.

We had a dinner party on saturday night, to welcome Holly - the food and decorations were Indian, and these poppies were a highlight as well as a talking point as they slowly shed their pods and blossomed over the course of the evening.

here is another Poppy who has blossomed into a delightful young woman

(Poppy is Holly's nickname - funny really when both names are the same length)

look Nana - she's cleaning!

Hollydays in June

Holly (eldest child) called me early on monday morning (very very early - Sydney is 2 hours behind Christchurch) she has exams this week, and the one on monday was cancelled due an excess of snow, the powers that be had intimated that they may hold the exam on saturday - the day that loads of students flee the freezing city by air, train or car (anyway they can really) we were worried, the flights are fully booked, no changes possible, we didn't want wee Holls freezing her poor miserable butt off in Christchurch - thankfully commonsense overwhelmed the administrators and the exam has been rebooked for friday.

Holly has seen and touched snow, but has never lived with it, so we received the inevitable photo - the Hudson Hall mascot - built by kids who should be studying -come on people!

thats some funky snowman.

And lest you think I have not been busy enough lately - here is a taste

better get back to it, I have a very demanding boss.

Fairly good

today was the first day I have been able to do as I please, after the adventures of the past couple of weeks, it was sunny and reasonably warm out, so I decided to go visit the Sydney Craft and Quilt fair down at Darling Harbour...I had been planning to take Holly, but she arrives on Saturday afternoon, and as Sunday is the last day and a weekend day, it would be packed beyond reason.

I arrived around 11 am, and things were in full swing, if you were a quilter, then this was heaven, there were fat quarters for Africa! I started at the far end, and meandered along the rows and tried to remember bits and pieces that I needed, thin velvet ribbon, $1 a roll - 3 in crimson, 1 black, 1 eggplant, beading needles... I found the Bendigo yarns stall and bought a hank of cream cotton for more petal bibs, and some baby wool at 30% off, if you could get near the yarn stands there were some reasonable bargains to be had, and it was great to see some yarns close up.
I splashed out on some Belisa Cashmere in plum and school jersey grey, I have been wanting to try it for ages, not 100% certain what I am going to knit with it, but an idea is blossoming.
The ladies from the machine knitters guild were very sweet, and the quilts on display were stunning, I restrained myself and only bought 2 beads - little fortune cats to make into stitch markers. I stayed away from most of the quilting stalls, trying to avoid being in too much of a crush, however there were 2 that I just had to purchase from "wabi-sabi" and another whose name I have mislaid, both had japanese fabrics, so I had to buy a few charm squares as well.

as you can see, I was very restrained. The queue for coffee was long, so I made my way back out into the sunshine and headed for home.

Verdict: If you are a quilter - GO!

if you are a knitter - go if you are interested in other crafts as well, though for some the Colinette may be all the encouragement you require!

Knitting in public

We made it! There were times during the day when I thought I really should stay at home and look after Flash, but he was up and about and raring to get out of the house. He went shopping while I knitted.

we met at the Sidewalk cafe at the Sydney Opera house, I think about 20 people turned up, it was interesting watching the reactions of passers-by, many were intrigued, some stopped, talked, even knitted for a while, others looked on with distaste, people are funny.

shot with the Harbour bridge in the background and Clair (e) in the foreground, I didn't know everyone there, and wanted to visit people's knitting, but was still feeling a bit fragile after Flash's stuff, it's amazing the way things can knock you around isn't it? Anyway he is fitter than fit, you see his body (and multidirectional Noro scarf) standing behind Veronica in this photo on Kris's site, you can also see more photos at the SSK site.

Interesting: the Opera House car park machines have instructions in English, German , French and Swedish - I took it that this is because the architect Jorn Utzon was Swedish and so many Swedes would want to check the place out - but he wasn't, he was Danish, so I am left wondering.

And to Lara - I bought the plastic cover before I bought anything else, thanks for the tip!

A is for

Angioplasty, which is the name of the socks I am currently knitting. A month ago I knitted the anniversary socks for Flash for our third wedding anniversary, and have decided to knit him a pair of socks for every big event in our lives (no there will not be any "baby" socks!). Flash had an angioplasty and stent on thursday, (he had one 7 years ago - very bad genes) so he knew what to expect, I just stayed with him and knitted and worried quietly.
All went so well that the surgeon said that he could go to the Split Enz concert the day of his discharge, and we did (which would have great except that we had some idiot girls from Gore sitting behind us who decided it would be fun to give a loud running commentary of the whole concert - yes I did turn around and ask them nicely to be quiet, no it didn't work - (would that be "B is for Bogans.)
So we need a "C" - Cyril Cullen my parents visited Farney Castle a few days ago, and met Cyril's wife and had a good old chat for hours, she has sent me a book about him, which I can't wait to read - apparently he is a porcelain artist as well as a knitwear designer, and I am fascinated to learn more about how they seperate the colours when spinning the wool from the Jacobs sheep, my Mum has met lots of people and had some adventures over the years in her hunt for yarn for me, she loves the tactile nature of yarns and fabrics more than the act of crafting so we are a good team.

I am off to knit in public at the Opera House this afternoon, the weather is looking a little dodgy, but I know we will have fun, at least we are not knitting next door in the Botanical Gardens - where guys like this try to take your yarn, needles, bag - anything that isn't tied down!

(gratuitous cockatoo shot)

a gap in the weather

Flash and I ducked out yesterday afternoon and visited the infamous Gap Bluff at the inlet to Sydney Harbour, "The Gap" is legendary as a preferred location for dramatic suicides, however being decidedly unsuicidal despite the inclement weather, we chose to wander around, take photos, watch tourists (climbing rocks in high heels -what is with that, did the woman think the guy would find her less attractive if she wore sneakers??) The sea below the cliffs was thunderous, dark blue grey smashing into the rocks and changing momentarily to a glowing aquamarine before spraying white and rolling back to icy flint, discussion quietly centred around the levels of desperation required to fling yourself into that churning cauldron - a conversation which continued over coffee and cake in the cosy tearooms at the base of the park

I gave "The Gap" an 8 out of 10, it scored well on breathtaking vistas, pounding seas, moody fogbanks and continental apple cake (spicy!) but was slightly let down by ignorant tourists being shepherded by rude tourguides and the destruction of Aboriginal rock art by the military (yes I know it was a long time ago).

It also scored well on drama - I love visiting windswept places and wrapping myself in my black trenchcoat, black scarf around my head, and sunglasses to protect my eyes from windborne debris, "so elegant she must be famous" I heard someone whisper , "yes - Brangelina are so yesterday, thats the new celebrity couple *Gorjus" replied her friend.

(any similarity to the truth is purely co-incidental, your author is day-dreaming)

*Gordon and Justine - cute huh!

Now to redeem myself, here is the "Petal bib" from the book "One Skein". I knitted it in 2 hours last night, a very quick and satisfying knit, beautifully constucted and a nice introduction to short rows for people who may find them scarey. I used approximately 30 grams of Anchor magic line cotton, I think it looks nicer plain, but made do with what I had lying around. I'll make a couple more and send them off to my sister for Maisie, I don't know how well they will cope with babymush, but are very absorbent, so will be a good dribble-bib...and pretty good for peek-a-boo too.

remember this saturday is worldwide KIP (knitting in public) day, at the Sidewalk Cafe at the Opera House (from Circular Quay, just keep walking towards the Opera House keeping the water on your left, until you find the knitters) the more the merrier, and it will be wonderful to meet the faces behind the words.

snippets

Friday evening draws near, cold and rainy - just the way I like it, there is a beef casserole, thick with carrot, tomato and onion -bubbling away in the cast iron pot in the oven, garlic and rosemary bread dough pounding away in the breadmaker, a Marlborough pinot noir waiting for my sweetheart's homecoming.

Gifts in the mail, my parent are now in Ireland - supposed to be holidaying, but I know my Dad will work, I have already received an email intimating such, knowing my Mama she will have booked a week or two at some far-flung place with no internet connection or mobile coverage.
The kidsilk haze arrived today - 2 balls in each of the majestic and dewberry colourways mmmm yummy! as well as the Rowan "Little Treasures"
book (who knows, maybe my wee neice will get something handknitted this winter!) and "Pub knitting" by Rachel Henderson (which Holly will probably borrow)

I don't know what I am going to make with the haze (suggestions anyone?) that is if I ever get anywhere near it, the last domestic knitting I did was the anniversary socks, and they were a wee while ago (please let's forget the Noro Aurora fiasco) That is not to say that I have not been knitting, I have been doing little else - witness...









yes those are roses, and yes I embroidered them.

Shibori scarf tutorial

Shibori is a Japanese technique for pleating and resist dyeing fabric, it results in beautiful textures and colour effects.

This tutorial will give you a basic experience in Shibori felting techniques, to give you the basic skills to move on and experiment with the techniques yourself.

Method:
Please read the instructions through prior to commencing.
Make sure that you have the time and space you require to work, you don’t want to be called away half way through the felting process!
Trust your instincts, change the pebble layout to suit your self.

Step 1.

The scarf – I usually machine knit this, as I like to do things NOW!, but handknitting shouldn’t take too long as the gauge is loose.
With the standard gauge machine I cast on 60 sts and work 400 rows at a tension of 8 with 1 end of Handpainted yarns laceweight, if you are going to handknit I would suggest the same number of sts and rows on size 4mm needles, or larger if you like – we are looking for a piece of fabric approximately 50 x 14 inches.
You must use a yarn which will felt, pure wool or at least 80 % wool, not superwash.
If the label says that it can be machine-washed - it cannot be felted.
(you could also cut up a garment from goodwill, or that no one will wear)

Step 2

The ends,
I usually wrap a rubber band around the ends of my scarf, approximately 2 inches in from the end, this gives a ruffled look to the end, alternatively you may leave it as is, but note that the end will become angled, due to the weight of the pebbles, I like this look also, but it is good to know what will happen.

tied
not tied
The pebbles,

Layout your scarf fabric, wrong side facing, press it gently under a damp cloth if it is very creased.
The felting process means that your scarf will shrink by approximately half.

Place the glass pebbles in areas, I have suggested layouts, but feel free to choose your own.

When you are happy with the layout, use the rubber bands to tie the pebbles into the fabric, the pebble should be on the wrong side, and the rubber band on the right side, wrap the rubber band 3 x, and make sure the fabric isn’t pulled too tightly over the pebble.

Step 3
The pleating

In Shibori, the pleated areas stay pleated once felted, and the colour stays original if over dyed

Using your fingers, gently pleat the fabric widthways as shown in photo, the pleats should be about 1 cm (1/2 inch) you can use a bulldog clip or peg to hold the pleats in place. 1 at each end of the pleat.

(omit the pleating step if you wish, you will end up with a scarf similar to the blue one above)

Step 4
Embellishment – sew on beads or buttons if you wish to, I use the same yarn as I knitted the scarf with, when you sew them on prior to felting the yarn felts into the fabric, and the beads bed down slightly into the felt.

Step 5
The felting
Washing Machine:
Fill the machine to the medium level with hot water ( I usually fill it, and add a jug of boiling water – as my hot water temperature is low, as we have children in the house) add 2 T pure soap and agitate to mix, place the scarf into a pillowcase or lingerie bag and secure with a rubber band, place in the washing machine with a couple of old towels, or anything else that won’t be affected by the small amount of dye which will run. (a friend of mine washes her sneakers with her felting!)

The time taken to felt the scarf will vary, depending on temperature, time, and the mood of the yarn on the day, take it out after 5 minutes and have a look, if it is barely felted leave it in for a few more minutes before checking again (you may have to add time to the wash cycle), if it is looking pretty close but not quite, then check it every minute, I have noticed that in my top loader it takes a full wash for my scarf to be perfectly felted. Once you are happy with the felting (it is always better to UNDER-felt) place the scarf in warm (not cold) water to rinse, gently squeezing until the soap is gone, rinse again in clean water, roll in a towel and sqeeze out excess water, place flat on top of a dry towel, adjust the look by pulling at the fabric gently ( don’t remove any pebbles, or rubber bands yet, you can remove the bulldog clips , if the felting is too tight there, GENTLY prise apart in the middle, leave the ends as this is where the pleats are secured. If you are planning to overdye the scarf DO NOT remove the bulldog clips.

Hand felting:

(use rubber gloves) fill a basin with very hot water, add 2 T soap , fill another basin with very cold (use ice) water. Place the scarf in the hot water, agitate and squeeze water through the fabric, squeeze out and place in the cold water, alternate between the two until sufficiently felted. Rinse in clean warm water.

Now, if you are going to over-dye the scarf, you can do this in a couple of ways:
- Kool-aid, or food colouring,
Fill a medium sized saucepan with warm water, mix in the dyestuff, stir well, place the scarf in the pot, and the pot on the stove, heat over a low to medium heat until it just starts to boil, remove from the heat and leave to cool ,(overnight if possible) when cold remove the scarf, rinse gently in warm water, roll in towel to remove excess water, place on flat towel to dry. (as before) remove clips if desired, and adjust pleats.

- Fabric dye – follow the instructions on the box, if it calls for heat, just be sure not to agitate the scarf during the process.

- You can also handpaint the scarf with more than one colour and set in the microwave.


When dry:
Gently remove the rubber bands, you can snip these with scissors but be careful! Alternatively, save them for next time.
Then remove the pebbles by popping them gently out of the little hole at the back. Cute huh!

As before you can gently prise the pleats apart, to get the desired look .

now just wrap around your neck and fasten with a decorative pin!

finished objects

The Anniversary socks are finished! They were completed yesterday afternoon, so they took exactly 2 weeks, pretty good going for me at the moment.

anyway, here they are, and yes they are loved.

A few observations:

when I knit Holly a pair of socks using Opal sock yarn, I start with 98 -103 grams and end with 12-16 grams. As Flash's socks were much bigger, I figured I would need 20-30 grams extra, thus the denim mix used on the heels and toes.
I wound off two balls, 1 weighed 48 grams, the other 50.
When I had finished the leg sections, each leg weighed 32 grams, I then knit the heels with the blue yarn, and knit the gusset and foot with the brown yarn again. The leg and foot section are the same length, so I figured I would use approx 125 grams of yarn total, but I ended up with 10 grams of brown left over, I am baffled. I didn't change anything, the only thing I can think of is that ribbing weighs more than stst!

post script:
my Mama is in London, she has social engagements up the wazoo, but managed to get to Liberty for me, she of course called from the store, I have a feeling that crack silk haze is in my near future, anyway, if you were in Liberty yesterday, and noticed a breathless, elegant woman with an accent you couldn't quite pinpoint, if she asked you for assistance as though she had known you for years and still appreciated you...that was my Mum

Yarn bath

Kudos to Emily for my gorgeous "Baby Jussi's yarnbath"

a cordial affair

Flash and I were halfway to Wollongong on saturday afternoon...bound for the SNB exhibition and tapas at Ailsa's.

The phone rings, it is Blaise "ummmm, something bad happened"
the something turned out to be raspberry cordial, which found it's way into a power point, and shorted, blowing a fuse...we won't go into how the cordial got there, suffice is to say that you couldn't repeat it if you tried.

We backtracked and arrived home, all was actually well, Flash cleaned out the remains of the cordial, and the girls were told to pack their bags and pillows, surprisingly they were exceptionally compliant...must have been the shock of almost frying the new flash fridge.

Joining us at Ailsa's were Donni, Donna, their husbands and kids, Sharon was excused due to childbirth (we were half expecting her to turn up...that woman is a legend) Bronte Violet is gorgeous - just like her big sisters.

Tapas night was a roaring success, the men bonded over their shared experiences " the courier driver has become a mate" said one, " the mailman is on the christmas list" echoed another, " we had to move into the small bedroom, because the yarn has taken over" whispered a third. We laughed...and let slip a bit more about what has gone on the visa lately...Flash told everyone of his plan to make it big in New York with the "yarn store bed"


yarn storage shelf during the day, pull the shutter down to keep yarn in, pull bed down from wall...voila!

Suffice is to say, knitting discussions, comparisons and debate continued into the wee hours.

The next morning, hangovers assuaged with much tea and breakfast, we popped in to the exhibition, I have no photos, but the others do/will do, it was expertly hung and curated (the amazing Sharon) and well patronised on a beautiful sunday morning. Blaise had work so we had to hurry home, but I managed to squeeze in a quick cuddle with the beautiful Bronte. Well done Sharon and John...top effort.

skeining my life away...

we are a bunch of sickies here in the terrarium at present, Flash is still recovering from his trip to Delhi, but has gone to Melbourne again, I ka-dunked my head against the bedroom wall (concrete) yesterday morning (thought the wall was a lot further away than it evidently was) and have a lovely goose-egg - other than that I seem fine, but am not taking any chances, I had a delayed concussion 11 years ago, and it was not pleasant - I remember standing in the hallway in the hospital reading the eye chart outloud, I thought I was doing very well, but the people sitting on the chairs which lined the hall were sniggering to themselves...I had it completely wrong and was hauled off for a CT scan - as I had had a concussion 12 months previous to that.
I still remember the pamphlet they gave me which stated that " if you have experienced 2 or more concussions - you may want to re-consider your lifestyle" If I want to avoid bumps, bruises and concussions I would have to literally wrap myself in foam, I am THE clumsiest person, I walk into door frames, tables, bench corners, cannot look under a sink without bashing my head or knocking my knee, recently I wondered where the straight line bruises I have on each forearm came from...Flash solved it.. the doorhandles, which I bash prior to opening almost everytime I walk into a room , it's a combination hangover from being a tall, coltish, gangly girl (wish I still was!), and a mother in a rush...I really should take my husband's advise and slooooow down.

To this end I have decided to spend the day pottering around and tying up loose ends, and lots of those loose ends seem to be skeins of yarn, the only drawback to the fun that is dyeing is the utter boredom that is skeining, you skein off the balls or cones, dye, wash,dry, and wind back into balls.I kind of lose interest after the drying stage, the skeins are pretty and decorative, and I'm usually so bored with the whole process by then that I want to move on to something new (oooh - shiny!) so I have a pile of skeins waiting to be wound into balls so that they can actually be USED!

an hour or so curled up on the couch with some Ginger Spice tea from T2, and finish reading the extraordinarily amusing "Is it just me, or is everything sh*t" (I particularly like this excerpt) I'm not going to do a book review, the brain is not up to it, but basically, if you like "Grumpy Old Men" you will like this, it it the perfect book to read when you don't really feel like reading a book.

Stripey I do promise to get out of my jammies this morning and walk up to the Post Office and express post some things to you. I am a bad knitter.

Knitting for Victory!

In New Zealand the daily grind is a perfectly brewed espresso...

Wonderful article from the Auckland museum about this gorgeously bright knitted blanket celebrating the end of WW2.

I am loving the New Zealand Now site, smart, savvy and full of all of the information I could have done with prior to moving to Oz. ..how often electricity is billed, how to get a decent phone service etc. Arts, Culture, Lifestyle, info for the interested and the expat. No knitting content as yet though.

Knitting catalogue time again, and interesting how many of the "big" spinners are trying to knock off Noro type colourways - I found this one particularly frightening! a giant ball of polyester/acrylic Noro wannabe yarn,imagine knitting in public with THAT!, however the same catalogue did include this so I will be stocking up with sock yarn next time I am home.

The perfect antidote to giant synthetic zombie yarnballs - Touch yarns - I saw a lot of their yarn when I was in Christchurch, beautiful colurs, delightful textures, not cheap, and don't look at their pattern page, but truly inspired colour.

The anniversary socks are over 1/3 finished! I am so glad I decided to knit them at the same time, seeing the progress is very motivating, Flash has huge feet, so I have employed a a half skein of denim mix opal for the heels and toes, fingers crossed that I will have enough yarn!

Happy Anniversary Baby

Anniversary socks - Opal Elemente, can't remember the number, browns,taupes and blues - I am loving the way this is knitting up. Flash is away on business so we are celebrating our 3rd anniversary together-alone, and even with the extra knitting time, I don't think they will be finished by the time he arrives home tomorrow night.

-

-

I may not always love you

But long as there are stars above you

You never need to doubt it

I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you

The Beachboys

Arrows socks - finally

Specs: Yarn - KnitPicks sockwool in Hollyberry colourway
Pattern - my ordinary sock pattern (customised for Holly) with a 10 st repeat lace pattern - little arrows from Mon Tricot, placed on each side, and a toe of 4 stars (from Nancy Bush - Vintage Socks book)

Finished while watching "The constant gardener" the socks are probably still a little damp - thanks for the review Jason, Flash was happy to watch it because it was a "spy" movie, and I just blubbed.

Book review

a number of new books have found there way into the house recently, the result of amnesia, Amazon, and the odd visit to Kinokuniya. I love my library of craft books, there is so much inspiration and promise on that shelf, even if I never make a garment out of the book, I have still learnt so much from the author, whether it is a new finishing technique, or how knitting changed their life.

I have to start with The Yarn Harlot's latest offering - Knitting Rules! this book is, like Stephanie's blog - a great read, I curled up on the couch and delighted in it for an afternoon. The book is set out in logical progression; first the madness, then the addiction, then the rules, moving through knitted garments from the easy (hats) to the more complicated (sweaters) there wasn't much in it that was new to me, but given the Harlot treatment it was extremely entertaining, and I love the way that she makes the reader feel that they are not alone in their awkward geekiness, and that sticking wool down the front of your top in public is normal (to test for itch)
I will be passing this book on to Holls, as I felt that the way it presented knitting as "know the rules - then you can break them" will help to create fearless knitters, and that is what we need to keep the craft alive and growing. I love the little highlighted comments sprinkled through the book - There are no knitting police!
( I have to remind myself of that often, maybe I'll embroider it on my sock knitting bag)
as well as Steph's take on buttons and buttonholes, I always wonder which side the buttons should go on for babies ( having had only girls, I didn't realise there was a LAW! - just kidding) and her solution is perfect - if the person wearing the garment will be dressed by some one else, put the buttons on the right - cool, now I don't need to ever think about that again!
So let's hear it for the Harlot, the pop princess of wool.

Then there was The curious knitter's guide from the Mason-Dixon team, sweet as all-get-out, these girls are charming! I was induced to go buy cotton within minutes of opening this book, and everyone I know is getting a dishcloth or knitted hand towel in their Christmas present this year.
The book contains a number of rug and afghan patterns,and loads of great ideas and ways to transform them to your own taste, I had always steered clear of knitting strips of fabric, but these two make it look so tempting that I might give that a go as well. I liked the way the author's personalities came shining through, just like on their blog.

Finally ( not because I limited myself to three books, oh no, when I looked at my recent account at Amazon the list is much longer than 3, it's my husband's fault , he asked me to order a DVD for him...and well... but because I have to save something for another blog entry)
here is the Vogue knitting stitch dictionary volume 1 - knit and purl, like anything from Vogue (well except maybe the latest issue - but that's my personal feelings) it is well set out, beautifully photographed and very clear. The hardcover book lies flat for ease of use and there are 265 stitch patterns, all easy to understand, and unlike many stitch dictionaries, you get a good sized sample to look at, so if you do go wrong you can see where the problem may lie. (usually the problem lies with me not reading the instructions)
This is not a desert island book, if finances dictate then you are better off with a copy of the Mon Tricot stitch dictionary (mine was 50c at an Op shop) but it is nice to have in the library.

I am inspired by Mary at the Wool Palace to start having a "knitting book of the month" so each month I will choose a book and knit something from it, this month it will be the Mason-Dixon book - and you guessed it - dishcloths! However, unlike Mary I will probably forget and crap out half way through June.



gratuitous "fo" picture, my knitting from SSK on saturday.
My handpainted merino, using a vintage Paragon bootee pattern - see she does knit.