I am not doing the best job

of the Southern Summer of Socks. I got this far-

but then I read this post about christmas knitting and making. I need to get on with christmas things, right now. These are not christmas knitting.

I didn't like christmas until recently. I like it now because...

it no longer involves huge extended family I don't really like
it does involve family I do really like
it involves little kids
it is always open to drop ins - and there is usually at least one
it means great seafood
and pudding
and champagne
and I get to give people presents

This year is particularly special for the pirate and I. Back in March my brother and his family moved to Maningrida, an indigenous community in Arnhem Land. Gone were pirate's adored cousins, and losing them has been really, really hard for him. He misses them desperately.

This week we heard they will be back in Canberra for 3 whole weeks over christmas.

There was much cheering - it will be a wonderful, if cramped, christmas at my little house.

So, getting back to the point, christmas is getting closer and it is time for christmas knitting and gift making in earnest. And the worst thing about this?? I can't post what I am doing cause I know some read this blog.

I will only say that I went to Sydney last Friday for a workshop. Through some careful planning I got a lift up and came back on the bus - that is 7 hours of knitting time. Enough time to finish a whole project. A project I can't tell you about.

I can show this though

it is a barber shop in North Sydney - how cool is that ?

And the workshop? There is an amazing organisation in the UK called CABE. They provide leadership in thinking about the built environment and they sustain me when it all gets bogged down in what we can't do rather than the many possibilities One of their directors was here for a week and ran a workshop - A great workshop and 7 hours knitting time - what knitter wouldn't be happy.

another type of creativity

Something has been eating into my knitting time these past few days. It is fun though, if a little performance anxiety inducing.

The local primary school, which the pirate does not go to till next year, has asked me to help out with a design for a community garden and a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden grant application. This wonderful school is the only one in the ACT to put in for one of these grants and has a fantastic plan to involve the community in their gardening endeavours. They already have chooks, compost bins and the start of of a vegetable garden and have put in so much effort with planning and lobbying that they deserve many awards.

So a few meetings and a lot of measuring later I have the first rough draft of the vegetable garden. All 500m2 of it.

Won't it be great? I can't wait till the pirate gets there.