Cool

It's a beautiful, cool, misty day here in the mountains and everything is looking green and lush in the soft light. Here is a part of the Woodford bends looking west with the treetops hidden in the clouds. The centre nature strip is full of Bottlebrush that are in full bloom at present. I enjoy driving down this part of the Great Western Highway because of the plants that line it. In the early Spring the wattles make a mass of yellow and green, followed by the red blooms of the Bottlebrush then white Ti tree and yellow Banksias.

As I was standing on the overpass taking this shot I saw two Black Cockatoos in a nearby bush. They weren't the usual big black cockys like the ones that ripped apart a Banksia bush in my back yard last year. These were smaller and less aggressive. My field guide says they may be Red Tailed Glossy Black Cockatoos and they seemed to be enjoying the cool mist. According to the guide "their populations have declined, with local extinctions and range contractions because of land clearing practices that have removed food sources and nesting sites."

The cool weather means it is the right time to make marmalade - Cumquat marmalade. An attempt was made yesterday but the result was more like syrup than jam so they've gone back in the pot with a green lemon to help it set. Our little tree in the backyard is extremely prolific so there may be many more jam jars needed . The possums and parrots are helping themselves as well - I just wish they'd tidy up after.

Tales of Teapots and Cosies

These are the two of the three remaining Tea Pots I have of my once extensive collection. The top one is an smaller version of the family pot we used to have in New Zealand. A solid reliable pourer that gave a good cuppa for a family of 6. The little blue one is fine for a single cup but inclined to dribble a bit.
Someone on Ravelry is going to knit a tea cosy for one of them. Don't know who or what or when but I'll find out by Christmas.

I'm also doing my bit of cosy knitting;
Here is the lovely Ashford yarn being made up into the Autumn Tea Cozy from Not Another Knit Blog. Simple but effective - especially once I felt it a little bit. This teapot is more of a Herbal steeper. I think I won it at a cosy knitting competition a few years ago with this creation.

The original pattern was a baby hat called "Epponnee Rae Gumnut Baby Bonnet with Wattle Pompons" from the Kath & Kim ABC site. They have now parted company and unfortunately the website is no more. I only borrowed the wattle pompoms for the cosy but I may look through my archives and see if I still have the download as I would love to make the hat.

Exchange Time

It's that time of the year when knitter's thoughts turn to making suprises for people across the ocean or sea that they have never actually met.

I've joined up for ISE5 again and am past the first hurdle of which pattern to knit - I'm doing two! (Nothing like being decisive, nothing at all.) Jorgenhurst Fine Fibres kid mohair, in the antique stitch scarf pattern from the spring/summer 2005 issue of Vogue.
Red Belisa cashmere and Rubi & Lana merino combined to make Gypsy Rose.

Both are a fairly simple lace design and depending on their final length they may both end up being sent off (though Christmas is getting close).

I've also signed up for an Aussy Tea Cosy swap on Ravelry . The locale will make the Postage costs a bit more bearable so I can concentrate on finding the perfect tea cosy patten and the right kind of tea to accompany it.

Yellow Mondays

This lovely fellow was on our Mandarin Tree outside the kitchen. He's a Cicada - a Yellow Monday no less - and he is heralding the summer with a loud, distinctive song. I've seen lots of empty Cicada shells but never got this close and personal to a live one. They are truly beautiful insects with wings that remind me of filagree lace.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who left considerate comments on the previous post. The past week was not exactly normal but this is not surprising. Events like this do act as a short, sharp, slap into the realities of life and death. My commiserations really go out to my workmate's immediate family and his past partner who are far more affected by his sudden loss than I was.

I must say that my workplace was very supportive - they offered counselling if I needed it (which I don't - at least I don't think so) my Department Head sent a lovely, considerate email, (dashing all my cynical preconceptions about heartless bosses) and numerous people have approached me to see 'how ya going'. I'm not used to all this attention but really do appreciate it.

Knitting was a nice mindless routine to lose myself into so I've made a reasonable amount of progress on Cobblestone - I love this 10ply crepe (Bendigo?) yarn - it is such a reliable workhorse and provides a consistently good result. Coming from a anonymous market stall gives it a reincarnated quality that will make the finished garment just that little bit more special.

I have also joined ISE5 and as usual, am in a quandary about which scarf to knit. I thought had it all sussed but a big ball of Ashford yarn distracted and tempted me from the lace weight path I was about to go down. There are memebrs of ISE5 that have already finished their scarves and proudly display them to the procrastinators like myself.

Today's trip to R&L knitting group also helped redress the imbalance of the past week. Pamela bought along the lovely swag of yarn goodies her husband brought on a recent trip to Japan so there was admiration and appreciation all roiund. A good dose of knitting chatter in a room full of yarn and accessories is like a big swig of oxygen to the brain.

A Big Sad Bad day

I'm feeling very tired and in a very strange place at present -

This morning I had to go to a friend's house to find out why he hadn't turned up for work for a day or so and wasn't answering phone calls. The upshot of the trip was the worst you'd expect in such a scenerio.

I expect the coroner to say it was natural causes but the police have sealed off the house as a crime scene and after lots of talking and phone calls and explanations and more phone calls I came home.

See ya Bruce - you cantankerous old bastard - I hope you're in a good place.

Rest In Peace

Swinging to the Whitlams

In the Drama Theatre last night the sound of the Whitlams filtered through the layers of concrete from the Concert Hall, adding an ambient sound of thunder to Don's Party. When the audience get really excited in the big hall the sound of their stamping feet is like hailstones on the roof.

In my capacity as swing operator I worked on both shows and noted the irony that each made reference to the great, iconic Politician Gough Whitlam. Like Witty Knitter I am not a fan of Don's Party. It is not about politics as I first thought but about delusion, repression and fulfilling social stereotypes - Alpha Male, Swinging Sixties, Perfect Wife. I found the characters fickle and shallow and couldn't sympathise with any of them.

I did get a good start on the next project in my knitting queue - Cobblestone in Merino et Soie. I have about 20cm on the needles and am already reconsidering the choice of yarn. The original garment was in a tweedy yarn that suits the garter stitch details. I love the softness and drape of the wool/silk mix but it isn't right for this pattern. It is perfect for Leo and as I intended it for this design when I bought it, back it goes. I have a good amount of unbadged Bendigo yarn in the stash that will suit Cobblestone better.

Knitting time, Spring time

Tori Amos doing a Sound Check and me getting some knitting time in.

At least these 'baby-sitting' gig have an upside to them. If I'm only responsible for the House Lights I can get in quite a few rows during the night.
The Rib Warmer is done and the poor lingering Pullover Flair is on the last few rows, which is fortunate because I'm on the very last ball of Country Silk.

Outside it's Spring and the smell of blossoms is everywhere - even in the concrete and granite surrounds of the House. I was pleasantly surprised by this show of blossoms as I was cleaning up equipment in the function tent tacked on the front of the building. I'm not sure if it's Orange Jessamine or the like but it brought a welcome respite to the fluorescent lighting and air conditioning of the interior.

I must remember to walk outside more often when I'm at work. It's ironic that the smokers spend more time in the fresh air than the non-smokers do and this view is certainly worth it.

This is why we don't have a cat

In our backyard this is a flock of Crimson Rosellas making the most of the grass not being mowed for a few months. Nearby two King Parrots took over the recently installed bird feeder and made sure no other creature could share.

The photos were taken through a rather smeary kitchen window with a fetching background of the washing on the Hills Hoist.

It is good to see the native birds return to the backyard. A pair of Satin Bower birds were scratching through the compost heap last month and the Honeyeaters and Wattlebirds have been making the most of the flowering Grevillia.

When our Moggy was living up here the only indication we would find of native wildlife would be a pile of bloody feathers or a mangled possum carcass. Puss is now living quite happily in the Inner Suburbs of Sydney practicing his hunting skills on the local rats, mice and cockroaches.

Green

I like green - it's all around me in the bush, on my blog and in my stash.
I collects skeins of green-hued yarn in all fibres, sizes and weights because it appeals to me so much. This is a small selection in the photo; clockwise from the top is Eki Riva alpaca/silk Natal, Touch Yarns Boucle, Claire Pattterson Mohair and a recent acquisition of Handmaiden's wool/silk Lady Godiva

For several months I have had them arranged so I can touch and admire them but I think I have finally found a pattern that can use some of these single skeins and still preserve their unique appeal.

Here is Lady of the Lake and the Celtic Vest, both sideways knitted patterns from Fleece Artist, previously only available to me in kit form.

I have been yearning for these patterns for a long while so when Little Knits offered them for sale with with a special offer of Fleece Artist Country Mo I snapped them up. I put off buying the Mo because I already had this lovely green collection of green mohair and because of several unfavourable reviews I read about the yarn.

I am nearly finished the Zimmerman Rib Warmer in the New York Manos del Uraguay - also green, all three skeins of it. Three skeins is not enough to complete this pattern by the way, but by a wonderful happenstance I have a ball of local market handspun that matches the colour exactly. The finished vest will have a Yoke of Blue Mountains Handspun to match the handspun of Uraguay.

Virginia Farm

This basket of goodies is a sample of the fibre, dyes, and yarns Virginia Farm had on display at their Sunday Open Day. We dropped in to the "beautiful homestead" after our intensive theatre day in the city and I was unable to reisist the Chocolatey goodness of these cakes of undyed handspun.


The young lad was very taken with the idea of doing some spinning like the ladies were doing - we had to gently prise him away from the many lovely wheels they had on display and distract him with a bit of stone skipping at the Nepean River near Agnes Banks.



This was definitely the calm before the APEC storm - we are now in the throes of a full lockdown and I am on 'standby' at work. If I can find a quiet place that's not full of Security guards, Police, Emergency Response Officers and people in suits talking to their wrists, I can get a bit of knitting done. The amazing thing is I managed to get 2 pairs of Addis through a full bag scan, twice, without having them confiscated.

(Don't mention that to anyone - I wouldn't want to cast aspersions on our security arrangements, I said they were Canadian)

Silent Movies

An intensive weekend in the city - Saturday was a quick visit to SSK where I saw wonderful shawls and exotic Goths and managed to mislay my latest copy of IK. Not such a big thing as it will be safely returned but it did have ramifications the next day in my impulse buying at the beautiful homestead in this photo.

While I was doing knitterly things, the young lad was being entertained at The House by Imagine Toi, "The legacy of Chaplin and Keaton lives on, as the extraordinary actor, clown and mime, Julien Cottereau, star clown of Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco, brings his acclaimed solo show to Sydney. "

Later that evening in the Concert Hall we both saw the real genius of Silent Film Comedy in the SSO performance of Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush". The House Seats I applied for at the last minute didn't come through, of course, so we squeezed in beside Sean the Sound operator and enjoyed the restored glory of Chaplin to the full sound of a Symphony Orchestra. It beats the Simpson's any day!

This was my favourite scene:

via videosift.com

Spring

Spring is sprung, the blossoms have riz,
the air is sweet with the smell of Daphne, a calvacade of Wattle lines the Highways like a yellow tunnel and the Honeyeaters crowd the Grevillias, flitting from flower to flower.








With the help of some serious antibiotics and several Osteo visits my body is finally coming to right. I really didn't know how bad I was until I got better. It's nice being able to breath again, to have some energy back and, most of all, it's nice to be knitting again.

The orphaned sleeves are getting some attention and, true to form, I'm swatching for the next project.









Three skeins of Manos from the New York visit are being swatched for the Rib-Warmer, an Elizabeth Zimmerman classic. I will have to conquer my aversion to Garter Stitch if I am going to do this pattern justice but its simplicity appeals to me (plus its a big knit so I can ensure I have my kniting mojo completely back.

The Osteo suggested the reason I lost it was my shallow breathing (because my lungs hurt) was pinching the upper nerves of my arms - causing the uncomfortable numbness in the hands and finger. House would be proud (or not).

As a result of the medication and manipulation I sat in the Theatre yesterday, plotted the lighting states for the Opera benefit, listened to arias and duets from Puccini and Verdi, and knitted.

Now that's a Good feeling.

I have...

I have been sewing:
Leif's Cloak from Deltora Quest for a Book Week costume.

I have been reading:
all of the Black Magician's Trilogy and all of the Age of the Five trilogy.

I've been watching:
Blackpool with a fantastic soundtrack, and a great cast, including David Tennant,

I've been editing;
on Ravelery, adopting Jo Sharp and Cleckheaton patterns.

I've been sleeping:
as much as possible, with the help of the odd antihistamine - even the ones that say non-drowsy.

I have not been;
working - doctor told me to stay off work for a week or I'd get really, really, sick and not just miserable sick.

I have not been;
Knitting - for three weeks or more.
No desire to grab a soft ball of Touch yarn and make that lovely Velvet scarf from Scarf Style;
No desire to try a quick and simple Victoria Vest from Rare Yarns in the handspun merino from the markets that has languished so long without a pattern.
No desire to finish off the two UFO's sleeves I carry around constantly in the handbag.

I did finish the Vintage Hues Bucket hat from the 100g ball of Ashford Wool and it's nice and big, even after two rounds in the washing machine. All is not doom and gloom.

I will Knit again.

Grrrrr!

There isn't much knitting happening lately and this is not for want of WIP or UFO's. It's all part of the cycle of highs and lows that occur with depressing regularity. This morning it's catch up time as the body says 'Stop!' 'Give me a break!'
Knitting in times of high stress is not a calming practice for me. It results in tight tension and lots of frogging - no states of Yogic bliss.

The stress and tension is not all self induced - the Culture Factory is undergoing a restructure. The more cynical of us that have been there for the past two decades see it as rearranging the deckchairs once again. While all the titles and classifications are getting sorted and renamed the shows go on and audiences still come.

The stress of getting a show to opening night is different to the anxiety resulting from lack of organisational structure and direction. The only things that seem to be definite are weekly farewell parties and the speeches thanking X for their many (only 6!) years of service. In the meantime a vacuum of information and accountability results in too many hours playing catch up with the reality of a production's Lighting requirements.

This reality means hard physical work for me - running through the grid, focussing lamps at the last minute as I try and cope with the latest addition to the Stage plan, then plotting the show blind as the audience comes into the auditorium.

This has happened so often these days that my work attitude is cynical and angry. Like a Trucker on Speed I am bristly and aggressive. I get the job done to the hirer's satisfaction but it requires a Production or Stage Manager to filter this raw emotion from the Client - it's not normally their fault as they probably had several meetings to clearly communicate their requirements - I just wasn't included in the loop or have been called in at the last minute.

Unfortunately this stress is taking a physical and emotional toll - on me and several others in my position. Depending on who takes sick/stress leave first others have to take up the slack and the cycle goes on.

I have a vain and optimistic hope that the vacuum will be filled and normality will be restored. For the sake of all my languishing WIP's and UFO's I hope so.

Vale, Good Kharma Bunny

"The Good Kharma Bunny likes all things textiley, especially if it involves yarn! She's like a swan, exuding good kharma on the outside and paddling furiously underneath, to keep up with life."

I just read the so, so, sad news of the death of Alice Cox, aka Good Kharma Bunny and Knitter Exchange participant.
She was a young woman with two young children and her sudden passing in the early hours of Sunday morning must have so traumatic for her family. The brief contact I had with her revealed a vital, creative, woman with a keen and active interest in crafty pursuits.

Her husband Simon wrote the last poignant post on her blog on Monday morning - not an easy thing to do in the circumstance -
This blog, the contacts Alice made across the world due to this blog and the 'secret pals' she took part in meant a great deal to her and helped her through some difficult times so thank you all, you meant a lot to her. She was one of a kind and I will always miss her very much. Thank you all Simon

My deeepst sympathy goes to him and my heart goes out to his young son and daughter now coping with the absence of their mum.

There was cake...

..and there were gifts and good company.

So the week ended better than it had started.



Despite a post-midnight finish the night before, after three shows and two bump-outs, I still managed to get to Teddy's birthday party.




Mandy had excelled herself in the cake making, knitting was de rigeur and French champagne flowed. I couldn't partake, unfortunately, as I still had to make the journey home but Sally's Lemon Meringue pie was compensation enough.

In a valiant attempt to reduce the number of UFO's listed on my fledgling Ravelry account I am only working on the Studio Mohair ribbed Cardi started over a year ago. For the past 6 months it has languished, needing one lone sleeve for completion.

I must admit to being slightly overawed by the potential of this uberknitting website. Although the catalogues and cross referencing of patterns and yarns is very exciting I am unfamiliar with the protocols of "social network services" like facebook or myspace, or of the concept of linking to "friends" I have never met.
Sure I may know many details of their lives through long association with their blogs but I'm still reticent to present myself like a pre-schooler and tag them as my "friends". Maybe this word is going to evolve in a totally different direction over the next few years because of the growth of such sites. In the meantime I think I will just concentrate on listing how many 4mm circulars I have in my stash until I get used to the concept.

Dr Egg and the Big Hat

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink

I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No, no, no

After three days of drama (excuse the pun) I'm finally back home - all a bit Twilight zone - she left in the morning and was not seen until three days later.
Two and a half fourteen hour shifts with two ten hour breaks, no time to travel home and back; thank goodness for spare knickers in the locker and the little room in the city to bunk down at.

I had to fill at the last minute in for the Lighting of the world premier production of "Dr Egg and the Man with One Ear". It wasn't a huge rig nor was it a challenging plot (slight problem with a DMX triggered Animation sequence that the 510 backup decided it didn't like) but I only expected to be there for one shift.
I only had one lot of knitting with me and NO knitting Literature. Okay, I could cope with the fact I had to wear the same pair of Jeans from Monday to Wednesday but not with the fact that I had left Elizabeth Zimmerman at home in both book and DVD. That's tragic.

To rub salt in the wound when I finally did lurch home on Wednesday evening after falling asleep on the train several times, I found a Ravelry invite waiting for me. Yay (zzzzz).
I started to surf through its huuuuge database and forums and patterns but had to stop because my brain is totally fried. It just ain't fair.

The one bit of knitting I had with me is finished of course - it was the box hat from Cleckheaton's Vintage Hues. I made it a bit larger than the pattern because I've got a big head and I also wanted to felt it a bit. It's made from one 100g ball of the Ashford's Tekapo Pure Wool I bought from Cooma. So far it is proving very resistant to any felting or shrinkage, despite a fair bit of rigorous handling in hot water. This lady says its a fabulous felter so I will persevere - tommorrow. I'm going to bed now.

The Snow

The final destination - the Snowy Mountains. One of the few places in the Australian continent that snow falls to a decent depth.

At 2,228m, Mount Kosciuszko is the highest peak on the Australian mainland but we didn't see see any proper snow until we reached Perisher Valley at 1680m.

As soon as we could we stopped and threw a few snowballs then built a snow man.





It was my first time in this ski bunny capital and I made the mistake of heading for the Village centre to maybe get a cup of coffee while snowballs were thrown.

It was worse than Central Station on Grand Final day; crowds of people inside and shooshing past outside on skis and snowboards.

I was totally disoriented until I found the sanctuary of the local hotel's very empty public bar. Over a gourmet lunch and a quiet ale in front of a roaring fire I relaxed and knitted while Tubetown was explored. Each to their own.

Tharwa to Cooma

The magic continues - after we left the pretty village of Tharwa we travelled via a roundabout route to Cooma - our overnight destination. Little did my travelling companions suspect that I had a slight detour planned. The Past Times Craft Centre had been highly reccomended to me by Sandra at SSK. I knew there was a craft shop in the vicinity but what a shop, what a wealth of fibre goodness.

It was a feast to the eye and all the other senses and I had a lot of trouble deciding what to look at first, the beautiful Ashford Tekapo Yarn, (gorgeous colourways) the Needle Felting, the Rainbow Slivers, the spinning wheels, rag looms, Knitters Looms, Wool Dyes, Vegemite Tea Cosies, cute postcards, Buzzy Bee and on and on...

I wasn't the only one to be captivated by all this and when we finally left I was amazed that my shopping bag only contained 2 balls of Tekapo yarn, 3 Ashford patterns and 1 Buzzy Bee key ring. It was a lovely shop and the sales person was extremeley helpful. Her patience in explaining the Knitter's Loom to the young lad was commendable - I'm not sure if he is into the whole weaving thing but it kept him distracted long enough for me to scout around both floors of this lovely shop.