I Guess That's Why They Call it The Blues

Blue Bags ahoy!

All done and ready for felting.

A pair for Mother and Daughter for Christmas!

I am really happy with the way they have come up so far.

The felting should be fun.

Felted Bag Fever

I already have the laundry basket on the go. Only trouble is I can't knit it when the recipient of the intended Christmas present is around.

So, I pull out some other yarn and cast on this Blue Square Bag for the SIL...hopefully another Chrissie Present. It is the Square Dance pattern by Claire Crompton from the book The Knitter's Bible: Knitted Bags. This is the first evening's work.

Energizers

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane - Lenny Bruce is not afraid.

Lyrics courtesy of REM - It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

I love when you find energizing moments when your life is taxing. In the last few days I have had a few.

• Laughter at impromptu humour - myself and a colleague misunderstanding something and realising at the same time, a colleagues silly mistake, another colleagues quick with.
• Spending time with family (playing Wii and the never ending fitness test)
• Relaxing knitting with the crew at Tapestry Craft this evening - great company, the odd laugh, the odd mental challenge.
• Did i mention laughter...
• Oh yeah and great energy infusing music...like REM.

Great day (in spite of some of the stressful moments).

Day 7 & 8 theme Song Distraction (Gangajang)

Distraction, keeping you away from me
Distraction, keeping me from where I want to be
Distraction, for a moment or a mile,
The days turn into weeks, the weeks keep turning

So what have I been distracted by

• Work...lots of it a new role and little time to get my head around it
• Family & Christmas plans...sorting the extended family out and where we are going to be when (don't mention presents..eek)
• Alternative Knitting projects....I am trying to make something small for O for Christmas....something small a laundry basket to be felted. I know it's bigger than a breadbox...but smaller than a baby elephant.
• And did I mention work.

Day 6 We have progress (Melbourne Cup KAL)

I really like when you start to feel you have some momentum with a knitting project.

Even with actually having to stop because I left my count card (i use file cards) and my pattern at home whilst waiting for dancing lesson to stop. (cafe, coffee, knitting - oops can only do so much!

Even so I am up to the arm shaping and have a huge piece of stocking stitch cotton in Lilac.

I have a suspicion I will need to modify this pattern next time I make it.

Day 4 & day 5 Melbourne Cup KAL Update (not so much)

I have been struck down with a virus. Basically I ache all over and my muscles hurt, even when i do nothing.

I have managed a whopping 2 rows on my Summer Tee (needing a break midway through the second row). I want to knit to relex my mind as it is all over the shop too, however i just cant physically do so.

Summer Tee Day 4

Not much knitting yesterday but a lot of Wii to move my mind to other things.

I did manage to finish the section of the Summer Tee without shaping and witness a discussion about the NSW Knitters Guild on Ravelry which is proving fascinating.

A photo for those interested!

Summer Tee Day 3.

I am happily making some progress. Completing the second decrease and starting on the waist.

I am actually going to complete this KAL in reasonable time (I hope!)

Melbourne Cup KAL Day 2 (Summer Tee)

Progress after the frogging has been steady. The colour looks much brighter in this photo than it does when i am knitting. The dress (this was photographed draped partly across my lap) is true to colour.

Notes for next time: try the yarn at tighter tension to get a more dense fabric.

One Leap Forwards Two Leaps back..

The joys of swatching and getting guage and knitting and getting huge stretch!

Yesterday I cast off Gabi Blue ready for blocking. With a house full of visitors incuding my niece it wasn't really appropriate to lay it out. As such I moved straight on to the Summer Tee. Somehow I have misplaced the yarn in the colourway i planned so i went hunting for an alternative Lilac BWM Cotton it is!

I settled on knitting one size, it would be a bit loose, but I could adjust as I went. I figured with the flare at the hips that would be fine.

After knitting about 30 rows I realised I had about 15 extra centimetres around (well in excess of the difference between the 2 sizes. Suffice to say it would have swum on me. As such I have frogged the lot and cast on for the smaller size so my progress is only about 6 rows.

Gabi B Moving Along Nicely

After Sleeve 1 was some sort of knitting time vortex and seemed to take forever Sleeve 2 is a joy.

It is progressing quite quickly with only 3 pattern repeats to go before the rib section commences. I am hoping to gallop through it in front of the tv today and with family round tomorrow.

I can then make a late start on the Melbourne Cup KAL (Summer Tee) for which the progress has been to move the cotton yarn around the lounge room!

I Remember When i Was Young....

(Lyric courtesy of Chain - Australian band of the 60's and 70's)

Tonight I revisited a venue I had not been to in a while.
Many years ago when i was still at the "going out every Friday night" stage (and many other nights as well). I used to frequent the Bristol Arms Hotel (Retro).

The venue is renowned for it's classic music of the eighties (and now 90's and even early 00's).
When I used to go I was much younger and drank way more and danced way more than I do now! No really!

Tonight I was there to farewell a colleague, the music was much more modern (I mean how retro is Sneaky Sound System?) and incredibly louder (or I am just much older and crankier!).

That said cartoons and drinks and laughs were had by all (and I am home before nine!)...I guess that means I am getting older, more responsible or something.

All the more time to knit and be with the family this weekend. Maybe I can finally finish Gabi.

Did I mention I was in flat shoes (none of those mad heels for me, thank you very much!).

Knitting in absentia

I have had a wonderful weekend away celebrating the wedding of an old friend in the wine region of Mudgee.

Wedding on a Vineyard, reception at a winery. Drinking at the wine bar in town on the night before the wedding. Relaxing, fun and casual.

I managed to finish the first sleeve of Gabi, and cast on the second, this pattern is working me hard. I am definitely finding the progress slower than expected. I suspect it is also slowed by work eing taxing at the moment.

Knit alongs.38 Morgan Petersha
Melbourne Cup KAL Progress to date (official start date was 4th of November) 0% (Summer Tee)

Southern Summer of Socks - Target for October 1 pair, progress for October 0 pairs (and no progress).