it's been a while

my goodness, I was distracted a moment and totally lost track of time.

what happened to those two months? lots and not a lot particularly blogworthy.

there was some knitting for the Majura Primary School spring fair...

don't you love cheezezombie's slugs? I sold all three to 9/1o year old boys!

In amongst that was stealth knitting for my love's birthday....


fittingly 'van dyke' socks from the book 'socks from the toe up' and knitted in our own talented local dyer fibreweb's yarn - it was very beautiful.

They are very appreciated - and isn't that important for hand knitted sock recipients!

I've started a summer cardigan - I think I have managed an inch and that was on our recent holiday with about 2o hours in the car! Three kids on an 800km each way drive doesn't actually allow much knitting time I found. We had few lovely days in Armidale being proud at my love's doctorate graduation and visiting her family and some of the spectacular local spots.


We went horseriding. I really dislike horseriding. Horses scare me. A lot. In fact I think I would be more comfortable skydiving than being on a horse. Maybe. But the pirate was keen and I had to be brave.

the next little while is going to be so so busy too. You see we have plans....

They involve turning my 96m2 60's house into a 120m2 thing of beauty and fit for a family of five. It's fun and I am getting to totally indulge my frustrated inner architect. We are working very hard to keep it as sustainable as possible ( I plan to blog about that soon!). And cheap. The plans are off being tweaked and drawn up right now, all going well we will be able to afford it and find a builder who will start sometime in the new year.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention - my sister has started her stem cell treatment. She is amazing. And hairless. I think she is only the 2nd MS sufferer in Australia to be accepted for the treatment. So far it is going very well and we are all hopeful. The next step is the most difficult. Fingers crossed it will go well and she won't feel totally totally awful through the next lot of chemo.

reunion

On Friday afternoon the pirate and I were hanging out at home discussing the pros and cons of having a brother. He would like one - a twin one. He misses the first mate desperately. It occurred to me that we didn't have anything particularly important planned for the weekend and 20 minutes later we were in the car and on the way back to the blue mountains to reunite these boys who love each other so much.

In fact, I overheard a magical conversation between them last weekend. They were discussing the options around marriage and how they felt about it. The first mate declared he did not want to marry a girl - No, agreed the pirate. The first mate reasoned that if you married a girl you had to have babies and they didn't want babies. No, agreed the pirate again - babies were awful. Who will you marry? I asked, and of course each other was the answer.

Being in the mountains, with its common misty cool weather, provides the perfect setting for settling in for an afternoon of knitting. I have been very frustrated with a particular pattern I want to knit from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls book. I have made many attempts at getting pattern working - and it has just not been lining up. I put it away several times and tried again later. On the weekend I was determined to work it out. It is my first attempt at laceweight knitting and I thought it was me being inept. But guess what. The pattern is wrong. WRONG!.

So now that I have finally worked that out and worked out how to get it right I am off.....

It was Rhododenron Festival weekend in Blackheath - but I was much more excited about this Waratah I found on my morning walk.

not fair

This is a post to whinge. Please stay with me, it won't take a moment and I need to debrief.

This weekend I have organised for 4 friend families to go to jenolan caves to walk, explore eat, drink and have fun with our combined 8 kids.

It took almost 6 months to coordinate around shift work, other engagements and work commitments.

I have now booked the rooms, given everyone instructions on meals to prepare, what to bring, costs, directions, dietry considerations, etc etc etc

But, more than 3 months ago I sprained my ankle and it is not better. I was under instructions to carry on as normal so I have - but today - 3 days before the trip - I went to my doctor with my MRI results and he stuck a needle in my ankle and then told me I had to take it very easy - definitely no bushwalking and no cave stairs for one week. No caves!

But, there will be lots and lots of knitting - as compensation, and champagne, and red wine, and really good food. I might even teach my sister to knit cause she won't be doing the caves either - which is a whole other story. So I get to hang out with my sister and knit - it is not so bad. But I really really wanted to go on walks and in caves with the pirate and now I won't be there when he sees his first cave or finds his pirate treasure.

but again there is the knitting... of the
luminaire socks

and a funky felted bag for my laptop

from Not Your Mama's knitting

and maybe even this if the cowgirl yarn turns up in time

and if I am very very lucky I can drive up there in this....well not quite this, but I bought one almost the same, only older, diesel and red and will take posession either Friday or Monday. eeek.