umm....

I don't know about you but a blog break makes me all anxious about where to start. I was computerless for a couple of weeks and now I have things to share that seem so old news.

I have been doing a mindfulness meditation course these past few weeks. Last week we were discussing depression. How simple things can become when they are broken down, as my teacher did explaining depression as a conglomeration of emotions - including, particularly for some, loneliness. I had never thought about it this way before, but loneliness was put simply as a need to share.

Simple.

Essential.


It struck me how blogging is important for me as a place to share a part of myself and to be encouraged, as we all need, and for me to take a step out of the way of depression.


And a gorgeous handmade wool covered one at that.

Thank you for sharing.


The photos are of recently FOs - Hedera Socks, French Press Knits slippers finished, and seeing as they are so very good, a second pair, which were sent on their birthday way without a completed photograph. Sometimes giving is just too exciting to remember the photographs.

enhanced

I am home sick and have a laptop nearby. I don't know about you but for me it is dangerous. I can spend hours browsing blogs and following links to websites that sell yarn and fleece and fabric and patterns and books and sewing supplies, and don't even get me started on etsy!

Fortunately for my bank balance my birthday swap gifts are still arriving - and are a good reminder that I do.not.need. more yarn, fleece.....


I signed up for this swap because not one of my close friends get the knitting/making thing - they just don't do it. I go green with envy when I read those posts with photos of knitters getting mountains of magical yarn as presents.

This has been my favourite swap because it is nice to treat someone and the expectations are manageable. I don't need to get carried away trying to keep to budget with gadgets, yarn and chocolate. It is definitely one I will sign up for next year - cause look what happens when you have a birthday. Thank you for this wonderful one Chelle.

ask

I am a strong believer in putting what you need out to the universe and most of the time it will work out for you, it sounds a little new age, but that is not where I am coming from, and it works.

For instance I wanted to move back to Canberra and I wanted a little house in the inner north that would be sunny and warm and within my price range, which was really very low for the area. Friends doubted and counselled me to be more realistic. But my little house came through with $500 to spare and a location which couldn't have been better.

I needed support and community and who should be across the road but the first-mate and family. I had met them briefly a couple of times over the years through mutual friends. I had last met them several years before when we both became god-parents to two lovely boys. It was destined to go on in this way, but my little house is across the road from theirs, and they had a boy the pirate's age. It is the universe I tell you.

(We won't talk about them moving right now)

And now it has worked for me again - at a smaller scale. I recently indulged in a beautiful set of harmony interchangeables. I love them. The set came with 4 cables - plenty you would think.

it isn't.

I have a few projects on the go - like the box-lace wrap, a touch yarns ribbed vest and of course my Amelia.

I am up to the sleeves on the Amelia - it is one of those patterns where you keep the body on hold while you knit the sleeves and then attach them all together for the shoulders and finale. For the first sleeve I ended up using my 120cm cable - it is ridiculously long and I spend more time feeding it through than I do actually knitting I am sure. I was thinking I really needed to get myself some more cables.

Last night I came home to a wonderful package on the verandah. It is part of the birthday swap and now it is my turn to be treated. Guess what was in the parcel? Of course you did - a shorter interchangeable cable. The added beauty of this is that last night I started the second sleeve and I didn't have to put everything onto waste yarn - I just started up with the new cable.


Thank you universe - and toffle, for this and the rest of my wonderful gift.

fini

All swaps are done - I am up to date and so very relieved. I have promised myself I will not sign up for another swap for the rest of the year. Instead I am home with flu and have started two projects.

Foolishness.

I have ripped back a simple bit of ribbing 3 times and while a very very simple lace scarf seemed to be going reasonably well, with mistakes I think I can live with, I left it on the lounge and found it later in the middle of the floor - off its needles



I am going to have a lie down

stocktake

It is that time of year when we are surrounded by stocktake sales. It must be time for a little stash stocktake of my own.

In:
5 skeins of undyed knittery yarn
1 ball jo sharp tweed
4 bags fibre for spinning
2 skeins of handspun from the Canberra Spinners and weavers show
1 skein of orange yarn from a swap and some small embellishment balls
1 set of knitpick harmony interchangeables
1 ball of bendigo rustic
1 skein of jitterbug
I skein noro
2 balls of bamboo



Out
1 ball of handpun - gifted knit
2 balls of noro - gifted knits
1 ball jo sharp tweed - gifted knit
3 balls of bendigo - knitted, felted and gifted
7 skeins of malabrigo - knitted up into flair
1 skein of jitterbug - knitted and gifted
2 skeins of mama lush - knitted and gifted
1 ball of bendy rustic - knitted and gifted
2 skeins handdyed orange - swap and gift
1 skein handdyed green - knitted up for swap
1 skein noro - swap
1 skein handdyed green - swap
2 skeins handdyed - swap
2 balls bamboo - swap





More heading out than coming in is good - feeling smug, me?

I do think it is about time I slowed up on the swaps and made a couple of things fit for a sprout.

we have a winner

Oh people - here and on ravelry - thank you for the dyeing disaster suggestions. Of course you were right. It was all to do with not dissolving the dye. Look at this magic.

Ignore the slight white fluff on the yarn. It is this stuff we have been given to practice on from the spinning class I have been going too. I swear the house looks like I own a huge white dog - or even bear, it gets everywhere.

Of course I did manage to make the same mistake again, with the dyeing that is. This time I really really thought the dye would have dissolved but was using a different colour and, well, it hadn't, dissolved that is. Not enough. It was awful too because I could see it happening and even though I frantically tried to mix it in all I ended up with was slightly tangled yarn.

I am thrilled though - and thrilled with the subtle colour change I am getting, thrillled. Did I say thrilled? I can't wait to do more of this now what I know what to do. My next challenge is green.

This first black spot -less skein of gorgeous orange is for my orange swap spoilee. As is this little project bag I have made. This is a taster - more details once the package is received.