Phew! I Made It!

It’s 31st of March, I said I’d post a blog a day and I did it. 

Despite all the shenanigans of the Guild, the knitting for the Easter Show, organising WWKIP, taking part in the Australian Knitters Colour Swap, being ill for a couple of days.  AND going to work of course.  March was a VERY busy month. 

I got lots of new visitors and 112 comments so far this month left by 35 of you - 25 in Australia and 10 overseas. 

But if you haven’t left a comment, you still have time to enter my Blogiversary draw.  Just say hello by midnight tonight (Australian Eastern Summer Time) and your name goes to my Random Number Generator (called David, as I’ve mentioned before).  He’ll pick a winner who lives in Australia and one who lives elsewhere in the world and I’ll announce the names on Thursday 2nd.  The prizes won’t be posted for about a week as I try to choose the gifts to match the winners – so if you’re not a knitter, don’t worry.  I won’t be sending you a ball of Aussie wool. 

Thank you for dropping by.

Note to Judith:  You’re excluded from the draw so don’t get your hopes up!  

Note to everyone else:  Judith hasn’t broken any rules or offended me any more than usual, but she’s my sister and I don’t want to be accused of nepotism.

Earth Hour And A Half

On Saturday night we did  ’the right thing’ and turned off all the lights for an hour at 8.30.

At 9.40 I went into my office and turned on the light (a 3 bulb centre one).  One of the bulbs blew out of its socket and smashed on the floor.  It blew the light circuit for the entire house so that involved a trip outside to the fuse box (well, to be honest, David went outside) to replace the fuse. 

I’ve no idea whether this was a result of the whole of Sydney turning lights back on at the same time.  But it was all a bit eerie.  And it did mean that we did more than our bit for energy conservation that night. 

Note to self:  Next year DON’T decide that Earth Hour night is the right time to cast on an intricate piece of lace.  Garter stitch and stocking stitch I can do by touch.  Lace is a no-no.

Mumbo-Jumbo, Father Christmas and The Tooth Fairy

Read a nice story in the paper recently. A Queensland father, Ron Williams, has gone to the Anti-Discrimination Commission to complain about the inclusion of bible stories in his children’s education.  His 4 year old came home very upset that “God had killed all the animals in a flood, except those in the Ark”.  He’d already moved his children from a school that had appointed one of “Howard’s chaplains” as he’s determined that they aren’t “exposed to supernatural stories”. 

Apparently one of the teachers asked if he had any objections to Father Christmas coming to the school.  His answer: “You can bring Santa AND the Tooth Fairy here.  Just don’t tell my children they’re real”.

I know I bang on about this subject a bit (OK, a lot) but I really do think that atheists have traditionally had a “live and let live” attitude.  I’d like to see a few more “fundamental atheists” who stamp on this insidious pseudo-education of our children before it gets a hold.  I really worry about children being taught the so called “Intelligent Design” theory in schools (thankfully not here yet, but I think there’s a campaign going on in some parts of the country).  Those schools aren’t going to produce one decent scientist between them.

Having said that, I think there should be more and better Comparative Religion classes in schools.  Any night in front of the TV news will show how religion is adversely affecting millions of people around the globe (last night – Pakistan/India, Israel/Palestine).  And the level of ignorance I come across about the beliefs of these religions and the causes of these conflicts, some of which have continued for generations, is quite frightening.

It reminds me of the dreadful story I heard the day after the World Trade Centre massacre.  A Sikh man, wearing a turban and going about his business in an American town, was dragged off his bike and beaten to death.  (Sikh = dark skinned and not Christian = Muslim = terrorist)      

Anyway, I’m trying to do my bit to spread the word. 

And tonight on Australia’s ABC television station, in Compass (a documentary programme covering various aspects of religion), they’re discussing atheism.  It’s a start.

Another One Off The Needles

Just finished a Baby Surprise Jacket for a baby in Afghanistan, where it is VERY cold in winter, so I’ve put a high double band collar on it.  This is only the second stocking stitch Baby Surprise I’ve knitted and it’s even quicker than the garter stitch ones.  (Note for non-knitters – stocking stitches are taller than garter stitches, so fewer rows are needed.  Interesting this, isn’t it?)

The knitting is slightly imperfect because I was experimenting with different ways of doing the increases but I don’t suppose either the child or her mother will lodge a complaint. 

Do remember that I’ll be once again collecting garments for the Winterwarm Project at the end of August.  All the items go to babies and children in Afghanistan.  I’ll tell you how to get them to me, or to the headquarters of the Project in Melbourne, nearer the time. 

Hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters, cardigans, socks – anything to keep a child warm.  Wool, please.

Technorati Tags: Winterwarm Project

The Postman Knocks

I received a knitting goodies parcel today.  From the first ever swap I’ve done.  And it’s gorgeous!

It was sent to me by Nettie in Canberra, who I briefly met last year.  Normally in swaps, A sends to B who sends to C who sends to D who sends to A etc.  But in this one (and we didn’t discover this until the parcels started to arrive), we’re twinned with each other.  So I sent to Nettie and she sent to me.  Well, I hope she’s as pleased with my goodies as I am with hers.

First of all, a Market Bag, made from SWTC Bamboo.  It’s beautiful, it’s useful.  I saw it on her blog but didn’t know that it was heading my way.  Two skeins of Twisted Sisters Voodoo (50% Silk/50% Merino).  Stunning.  A notebook which was immediately put next to the sofa where I do my knitting (to replace the scrappy bits of paper I keep there).  Some chocolatey mints.  A scratch card (and when I scratched it I won another card, so there’s hope I may win something yet).  All wrapped in beautiful green silk material, which I’ve already decided I’m going to use to line a bag.  And a card made by Jejune, who was the person behind organising the event in Canberra where Nettie and I met.  I of course had sent Nettie a card from the same series in my parcel, but she probably hasn’t received hers yet.    

Thank you so much, Nettie.  A wonderful selection of beautiful gifts.  And they’re all JUST RIGHT!

PS:   I wondered why you’d started to read my blog lately! 

Now I Just Need An Easter Bonnet

AT LONG LAST I finished the cardigan I’d designed for the Easter Show.  Well, no, that’s not strictly true.  When I started it, I hadn’t really thought about the Easter Show but the time went on, I hadn’t finished it, I’d promised myself I’d enter SOMETHING this year, so this cardigan became IT.

Unfortunately that meant I wasn’t quite as meticulous as I should have been but what the heck.  It’s finished and it’s wearable.  Not entirely sure that it isn’t mutton dressed as lamb though – but someone told me once that there’s only one thing worse than mutton dressed as lamb, and that’s mutton dressed as mutton.

Now the specs:  It’s knitted with Fyberspates Merino Tencel Sock Yarn.  David brought me two skeins of the variegated one back from England and kind Jen at Fyberspates custom-dyed the plain pink to match.  It took just under 400g and was knitted on 3.25m needles.

If it just gets into the cabinets, I’ll be more than pleased.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Sydney Easter Show

UFO Update

I’m still on target to finish all my Unfinished Objects by the end of the month – but if anything can go wrong, it has done.

One hat finished for the Ravelry Colour Swap.  That will go into the post tomorrow (with some other goodies) so if your favourite colour is purple and you live South of me,  this one may be for you.

One hat finished for a child in Afghanistan.

One shawl taken off needles – I spent more time correcting mistakes than actually knitting.  Decided my heart wasn’t in it at the moment, so gave up.

One cardigan NEARLY finished for the Sydney Easter Show.  One buttonband to finish, buttons to sew on and ends to sew in.   I can’t believe how long this is taking me and I’m FED UP with it (and so is David – there’s a constant cry of “Haven’t you finished that yet?”).

I promised myself that the backlog would be cleared by 31st March.

And then I can find lots of other things to cast on (and I’m not short of ideas).

WWKIP – Sydney

Plans for World Wide Knit In Public Day in Sydney are going apace.

We have a venue  -  the Bayside Lounge at Darling Harbour, where we met last year.  And it’s next door to the Exhibition Centre where the Craft and Quilting Show is taking place at the same time.

We have door prizes  -  courtesy of Australian Country Spinners, Morris & Sons and the new Australian Knitting magazine.

We have a competition prize  -  courtesy of Mosman Needlecraft.

We have canvas bags for sale with the wonderful new logo (top RH corner of my blog).

And we have T-shirts and messenger bags with the logo over at Cafepress.

Nearer the time, I’ll publicise it everywhere I can.  And ask you all to do the same.

So we just need YOU.  13th June:  1.30 – 5.00 pm. 

Technorati Tags: WWKIP

Viva La Difference . . . . No.7

Australian houses don’t have letterboxes.  The ‘postie’ (an Australianism) puts the post into a box outside the door, at the end of a driveway or, in the case of blocks of flats, in a series of boxes at the entrance.   

English houses and flats have letterboxes of all shapes and sizes (I’ve delivered the post and I think I’ve seen every kind of letterbox there is).  The postie delivers the mail direct into your house.  If it’s a block of flats, he delivers to each one.

The English system does make it easier if you’re waiting for a letter – you don’t have to keep walking out to the box to see if it’s come yet.  And your mail is less likely to be stolen. But if I were a postie, I think I’d prefer the Aussie system.  Less walking, fewer dogs and less chance of having your fingers removed by a very strong letterbox.   

Mine, All Mine!

My prize arrived from the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bush Fire Appeal draw, organised by Serendipity.

A skein of Wollmeise:

 I talked about this yarn here as it’s SO expensive and SO sought after.  And now I actually own some.

It’s lovely but is it TO DIE FOR?  No.  It’s just lovely.  Beautiful colours.

Thank you so much to the person who donated it.  Prizes came from companies and individuals all over the world.  Mine came from a lovely woman in Ireland, who sent it to me with a delightful card.

Now, how long am I going to look at it before I decide what to knit? 

Technorati Tags: Wollmeise