Spring Diversions

Another weekend of Social Knitting and my spirits are restored. SSK on Saturday was a lovely diversion before I headed off to work.

Then, the following day as we were traveling to a Father's Day excursion I just 'happened' to come across a newly formed little knitting group at 'The Kiosk' in Katoomba.
Barbara and Tess had met up at the Knit-in for East Timor Refugees that was held at the Carrington Hotel the previous month and they decided to form a very casual group at this lovely little cafe near the Scenic Skyway. That was our original excursion destination but as there was a bit of a gale force wind blowing nobody minded the diversion. Traveling a "720 meter journey 270m above ancient ravines and dazzling waterfalls" in a box on a bit of steel rope is challenging at the best of times without the added drama of high winds.

We did journey on after Fathers Day gift Ties and handwritten cards had been dispensed. The brisk winds blew away all the clouds and revealed the beautiful scenery of the Narrow Neck Plateau. The brief bit of bushwalking we did revealed some spectacular views and exquisite foliage; The native heath, Epacris microphylla, and the pink Boronia ledifolia as well as many, many lovely Banksias, Isopogen and Acacia species.

I think this is a little sprig of the rare and endangered Epacris reclinata growing out of a rock crevice (above rather a sheer drop I might add.) Spring in the Mountains is a subtle affair (if you don't count the in-your-face and up your nose wattle blooms) The Bush is rich with delicate flowers that are such a contrast to the northern hemispheres intensity of Daffodils and Cherry Blossoms that feature so predominantly in the Mountain townships.

The Botanists Way

"The Botanists Way is part of the larger Grand Circular Tourist Drive through the Hawkesbury, Lithgow, Oberon and Blue Mountains areas."

This is the introduction to a lovely website which harks back to the time of doing 'the Grand Tour". When traveling to the heights of the Blue Mountains was something that took several days and people had mansions and estates that they escaped to, away from the heat and smell of Sydney in the middle of Summer.

I've just finished reading Delia Falconer's book "The Service of Clouds" which is in the time of 'taking the mountain air' and going to Medlow Bath for the waters. While I'm not overly enamoured of her thesaurus style of writing, which one critic called "exuberant meditation", I did manage to get into the story of life in Katoomba at the turn of the 20th century. It took a lot longer to travel the Grand Circular Tourist Drive then and the traveler probably saw and experienced much more than today's day-tripper tourists in their air-conditioned deluxe coach.
The webpage suggests that "The 90 km drive along The Botanists Way between the Hawkesbury and Lithgow takes less than an hour and a half, but a whole day or even several days can be spent exploring all the sights and experiences along the way."

Much of that journey is along the wonderfully named Bell's Line of Road and it includes the Botanic Gardens at Mt Tomah, the elegant garden estates of Mt Wilson, and a myriad of cafes, orchards and small produce stalls. The last time we visited this area we bought honey at the farm gate and picked apples, walnuts and chestnuts straight from the trees. A novel but exciting experience for the young Dragon.

Until I read this website I was unaware of the wealth of other, non-commercial attractions along this route. I didn't know about the Waratah Native Garden or the lake on a mountain top at Mountain Lagoon near Sam's Way.

I think its time to start the Slow Travel movement to complement the one for Slow Food.

Sea Silkiness

It was dire - because of work and sickness I went a whole two months without going to a Knitting Group (I don't count the Guild meetings because I'm the convener and there's not much time for idle knitterly chatter.) Finally, I managed to maneuver work, domestic and other commitments around so that I could attend Rubi & Lanas last weekend. It was a full house - Lara finally made it as did Pamela and Celia and Sally and first timer, Simone. Taryn brought along a skein of beautiful Blue Sea Silk yarn from Hand Maiden - I've been wanting to check it out ever since I heard about its apparent therapeutic properties - and it has a slight salty smell too it - just like they said. Apparently it takes time to fill all the orders (especially as it seems to be the yarn of blogging choice lately) so I've put in a request for one skein for whenever it arrives. I don't mind waiting because I've got so many projects on the go. Truth in sidebar progress bars? I don't think so.

Rag Mag Hag

I've just discovered a wonderful online magazine, Spins & Needles. It is published from the "haven for spinners, knitters and felters" That Spinning Place which is based in Riverstone, NSW, and from my first look it certainly gives some commercial Australian Yarn magazines a run for their money!
I mean who can resist a pattern for knitted boots (that look a lot like Uggies). The Fern shawl pattern is probably nothing new to any owner of a decent set of Barbara Walker but it looks so pretty. I have a recently aquired skein of laceweight Cashmere that may have found a reason for being.

Some of the articles I found interesting -
Knitted then felted slipper boots; Knit a romantic Fern Shawl; Beaded stitch markers - How to make your own; and Fibre Focus: English Leicester Sheep Breed.
The next issue is due out this month so more fodder for this Mag Hag.

Super Troupers

At 73 I hope to have half of the energy of this woman. Chita Revera is an amazing trouper in the true sense of the word. Her short season in the Studio has just finished and I was one of a number of totally impressed punters who were entertained by her stamina and charisma. She was the original feisty Anita of West Side Story and she's still got it (as well as the best legs on any person her age or younger!)


In the Concert Hall another doyen from the same era was performing a more sedate set. Debbie Reynolds may not have thrown herself around the stage with the same energy as Chita but her audience was still as adoring. She kept them enthralled with snippets of songs, anecdotes and film clippings. She managed to make a 2000 plus hall seem as intimate as the Studio and ya gotta respect that.

More power to these divas, may they all go out dancing.

Serendipiditous shopping

We were looking for the Kings Cross Library on a Sunday afternoon and I ended up with 10 Balls of Rowan Magpie Tweed instead.
The building where the library used to be was next to the El Alamein fountain and in the large square surrounding it there happened to be a market. Neither the Young Dragon nor I can resist such a thing so we went shopping. He came away with 7 collectors teaspoons, a bag of Columbian Organic Sugar (no, that is not a euphemism) a Mexican hot chocolate and 'The Magic Schoolbus' book; I gained this lovely yarn.

It's in the freezer at present going through quarantine but it seems to be in good condition with no visible damage or moth signs. The remainder of the yarn on the stall was all single balls of bright acrylic, so it was no wonder this caught my eye - even with its understated, handwritten 'English Wool' label.

At $50 I think it was a bargain - but of course the issue now is what shall I knit with it? I have seen it recommended for 'Rogue' and as there are several people that have already finished this, in my neck of the woods, it is up for consideration. I may also look for a simple basic Aran pattern for a 9yr old as the colour is so suitable (it matches his eyes).

On a ps. note while I was searching for inspiration for Magpie I came across several posts on Something from Nothing's Blog detailing the troubles she was having with the different gauges and textures of Jo Sharp Aran Tweed. Not to harp on about the poor old Rib Wrap but I may have got off lightly with only one wonky ball - so I will count my blessings and appreciate its warmth.

pps. We finally found the Library in the old Woolworths building in the heart of the nightclub and sex shops strip. Must be fun to work there.

Switchboard Operator

Even though I think memes are a little like the chain mail I used to receive when I was at school - I never replied to them then and I'm not indulging now - a recent question I received did inspire me to revisit my first real job, (not counting the paper run I had delivering the Mataura Ensign).

In between leaving secondary school and going to Otago Uni I trained and worked as a Telephone Switchboard Operator. Just like these ladies I sat in front of a bank of 'plugs', 'jacks' and 'ports' and switched people's toll calls, answered emergency 111 calls and tapped out Party Line codes.

This was in the Gore Post Office, a large concrete bunker of a building in which my Aunt Valerie and Uncle Fred worked for most of their lives. About 20 women sat in this room (no men of course - this was womens' work) with the Supervisors sitting at a desk behind listening in to ensure we used the correct phrasing, "Tolls Here" "Whom do you wish to call?" and that we didn't 'monitor' the conversations for too long.

It was shift work, and because I had no family commitments I was often rostered on all the unsocial evenings shifts and Christmas Day. The skills I learnt then served me well into my present occupation. Really, nothing has changed - I still work unsocial hours and I'm still a 'switchboard' operator (lighting).

A slight distraction

This is what happens when my brain is fugged out by the flu. I start rummaging through the stash tidying up, moving things from one bag to another and a match is made.
One St. Vinnies, 20c, pattern with one bag of cheap, eBay, unknown yarn (maybe Totem 8ply variegated). This is a little swatch of the interesting herringbone pattern made with my lovely Colonial rosewood circs.

This brief flirtation is not a serious commitment though - the yarn and pattern will take now their place in the queue, satisfied that at least they have been matched. Clapotis2 is almost at the finishing post, the Studio Mohair Rib Cardigan is at Sleeve stretch and the sideways garter stitch jumper is following closely in the rear.

A cup of tea, a clapotis and a good read.

When the winter Flu has taken hold and every breath is painful - don't fight it! Retire to the Couch with this remedy and maybe last night's episode of Bleak House if the brain can't cope with the strain of reading.

Elizabeth 1 and clarification

I have recently joined a KAL called the Tudor Roses Knitalong based, of course, on the Tudor Roses Collection by Alice Starmore. I had already made an attempt at this pattern last year after being inspired by all the beautiful works in AS books. I was lucky enough to have access to them through the Guild Library and seeing the scary prices most of AS works fetch on eBay all I can say is 'thank god for libraries'.

Elizabeth 1 is one of the 'less complex' (I won't say simpler) patterns. It has bell sleeves, a graceful neckline and a shaped waist. I bought some Superfine Supersoft 5ply and swatched up a few samples to find the right needles. Unfortunately the ball I chose either had moth damage (scary) or was a bad run because the yarn kept breaking every few feet. That was enough to put me off and place poor old Liz into the Project pile where she waited patiently until I found the KAL.
I'm going to follow the example of another blogger and start the sleeves first. That way I can practice the darts and shaping even though I hate doing sleeves - my addled brain loses track of the increases and I have to resort to safety pins as markers. My wip look like punk rockers.

On another note I just want to clarify my previous ranting about the ill-fated Jo Sharp rib-wrap. I concur the photo didn't quite reveal the "huge, glaring, obvious, colour difference" the same way my subjective view did but it is obviously there - with a rougher texture as well. The good news is that I am wearing it anyway. It is very warm and comfortable so I can forgive its idiosyncrasies , especially after watching the DVD of "Cider House Rules" last night and seeing all the poor orphans rejected for all sorts of strange reasons such as "being too quiet".

Still not happy Jo!

I should be happy - I've finished an item! It's the Jo Sharp Wrap rib and other than a bit of blocking and a few ends to tidy it is complete. The annoying, sad, irritating, peeving part of this lovely completed project is the huge, glaring, obvious, colour difference between the left and right front. When I bought this yarn from another LYS 4 years ago I bought it as a packet of 10 and 1 single. I presumed it was all the same dye lot because that's how it was sold to me. It was also the first wool I had bought for 5 years as I was coming out of a knitting 'sabbatical'. I didn't notice this huge, glaring, obvious, colour difference while I was constructing the garment as the front is a narrow strip of rib which is then attached to the collar. I'm not going to frog it as I have too many objects in the frog and pre-frog state and I wanted to bask in the glow of having a completed garment. So, I will leave it but it will forever be 'tainted'. I still haven't achieved happy knitter nirvana yet but I will persevere.

Honour Bound

Honour Bound - an intense, powerful production that any thinking person has to see - it is awesome. Previews of the show are happening now and it opens next Wednesday.

"Set within an eight-metre square cage, the performance and projections take place on the walls, ceiling and floor. A daring and provocative work, Honour Bound, which takes its title from the words written above the gates at Guantanamo Bay, is about some of the most important issues we face as a society: law and order, hatred and love, humanity, and human beings pushed beyond their limits. "

I did the complete run through for the first time tonight and I was impressed. A busy show for cast and crew and very confronting for the audience; it only takes 90min of your time but you leave feeling you've experienced the four whole years with David Hicks in his cage. The background images of two normal sounding Aussies, Terry Hicks and his wife, recounting their story in their matter-of-fact way, highlights the barbarity and hypocrisy of the incarceration and the Governments that placed their son there.

Damien Cooper has created a dramatic design with a small but punchy rig including Atomic Strobes and Varilites. This is a lighting session of the production with a knitting Light Walker - (Something the light can shine on so the true effect can be seen) .

The show will be running at the Playhouse for 5 weeks before it tours to Melbourne and I think, and hope, it will be a hit.

My Local Yarn Store

Some Happy Stash Enhancement moments with Anita at the last Guild Meeting

Buying over the internet from the ease and comfort of one's computer supposedly cannot beaten -but not in all cases. Knitting is such a tactile art that it is not uncommon to see shoppers in wool stores stroking yarn, holding balls to their cheeks and (something I am often guilty of) sniffing skeins.
A computer monitor cannot convey the true richness of the colour of a ball of Kureyon or the soft texture of a skein of Naturally Mohair, or the rich, earthy, lanolin smell of a Merino/Possum mix. Nor can it easily provide the invaluable answers to the age old questions such as - "what's going wrong with my knitting here?" or "what can I knit with this?".

I thought I was above such plaintive appeals as I am a self reliant, self taught knitter; a member of many knitting groups and forums with access to the vast wealth of experience and wisdom therein; a practiced Googler and ebayer with a pay pal account and a long list of online yarn shops. Despite this, Anita, from my LYS, The Wool Inn, showed the true worth of the non-cyber interactions by solving my latest yarn dilemma in about 5 seconds.

She suggested I knit this from this. She even had an example of the completed garment available for a close and physical inspection. I could see clearly how this beautiful lightweight mohair yarn easily knitted into a sideways garter stitch boat neck top -with an additional crab stitch edging. So it seems that an essential ingredient of a successful LYS proprietor is ESP and patience, endless patience. Thank you, Anita!

Indulgence

In.dul.gence:

• an inability to resist the gratification of whims and desires
• the act of indulging or gratifying a desire
• folly: foolish or senseless behavior

Evidence - 1 set of beautiful Colonial Rosewood circular needles courtesy of the Wool Inn's visit to the Guild last Saturday. I thought I was very restrained in my purchases until I looked in my wallet and found a receipt for 10 balls of Patons Jet and the pattern book! Now, how did that get in there?

Claire Patterson Yarn

I received this yarn in the mail from Claire Patterson Design Knitwear - 3 Skeins of fine boucle destined for that slim hipped no-bust 60's pattern.
I love Claire's designs and colours but I unfortunately can't show you them as she has no web site. Apparently she has a regular stall at the Balmain markets as well as her annual visit to the Darling Harbour Craft show. The yarn was customed dyed and it has come out in the exact shade I wanted.

The skein is draped over a handsome specimen of Banksia Spinulosa in the back yard. A bush that is much loved by the birdlife in our area and which received a viscous pruning from a flock of Black Cockatoos last year. Those birds are like punk rockers of the bird world - attitude in bulk, loud, noisy, destructive and raucous. I still love having them visit .

Here, in the shade of a Tree Fern, Cyathea cooperi, is the lovely yarn all wound up and ready to go. It swatches to a very springy, very light fabric and despite my early misgivings I think the 300g I ordered will be well sufficient. The only problem I have is calculating the tension as there is no stitch definition - I can see some eye strain arising out of this task.

Charing Cross, Waverley - a Favourite Haunt

When I have to stay in Sydney one of my favourite retail therapy areas is Charing Cross in Waverley. Up to a a few years ago it was a slightly run-down nondescript area with an over-supply of Hardware and Builders Supplies outlets. It also had the odd Aussie Chip shop; a quaint "Ladies Hairdresser" with pink tiles and big "Drying Helmets", a few "Ladies Fashion" outlets and a Bakery that sold finger buns with pink icing.

As with all things in the Eastern Suburbs it is being rapidly gentrified but there is still vestiges of quirkiness that make it worth visiting. It still has the best St. Vinnies around (all those out of season designer labels have to go somewhere); there is Iku Wholefood; Shasta Bray Boutique; Bizarre Pets, specialising in scorpions and Wolf Spiders (they don't sell snakes anymore); the Verona Bakery,still selling pink finger buns along with Palmier and Croissants; and some great coffee shops including the famous Fideli's; a recent cafe newcomer, Bellagio, and not forgetting "Istvans Cuisine From The Heart Of Europe" where you can find freshly baked bagels and buns, great coffee and a slight infatuation with Soccer.

Every time I visit Charing Cross something has changed, not always for the better but so far not totally for the worst either. The Cross has a sense of place that is missing in the chrome jungle of the recently completed Westfield Mega Mall in the Junction and the feral grunge of the Bondi Beach Backpacker Hell strip.

Noro Revisited Rant

I received this in the mail a few days ago - I easily sourced it from a Canadian ebayer and including postage etc I paid a grand total of A$28. What is it about Australia that it retails for $45 to $60 in the local and internet shops?!

I can understand (well, not really) the outrageous prices some people will pay for an Out of Print Alice Starmore but this is an in print issue of a very much available pattern book that is a rip-off in Oz!
I'd much rather being paying the difference towards the yarn.
The pattern that caught my eye and made me buy the book was Jakobsberg and also Tista, a child's cute yoke jacket.

So far the cheapest Kureyon I have found is Yarns online at$11.00 a skein. On the web Janettes Rare Yarns comes in at $9.30. As I need 600g I think this item will be in a holding pattern for a while but it's still nice to have around to look at and admire.

Another Day in the Culture Factory

An eclectic week as usual - the sublime to the audacious. Start off with the annual PAU school shows, several hundred budding musicians with recorders at the ready for a soul stirring, mass rendition of Scarborough Fair. Doesn't it make you proud?

I only operated the Banksia Concert of the 2006 Festival of Instrumental Music but I am always impressed with the degree of organisation and coordination it takes to wrangle several hundred primary school children in and out of rehearsals and performances without turning the place into a giant chaotic playground. The show was of course, beautifully lit by Dave who can and does do the whole thing blind.

After my ears had recovered from the descant and trebles my next gig was back at the Studio and the fbi 94.5 Radio Play. (I missed out on Dame Kiri Te Kanawa who made a lightning visit to the Concert Hall and who reportedly sang beautifully but whose serious operatic repetoire seemed to go right over the heads of many of the audience who were hanging out for something from My Fair Lady.)

The best part of the Radio Play - besides the seriously talented actors of course - is the Sound Effects table with sticks of Celery, coconut shells (for the horses of course), wind machines, broken glass, metal bits and pieces and a bin full of 'vomit'. The third and final episode is on next Sunday so I had to make sure I was operating it so I can find out what happens to Plantanganet and his battle against Charton Heston and the Russel Crowe clones.

The week ended with a performance in the smallest set I have ever seen.
A Large Attendance in the Antechamber is one of those off the edge performances you're not really sure about but which is oddly compelling. Brian Lipson plays Sir Francis Galton – "perhaps the most brilliant, charming and eccentric example of Victorian genius. A great man of science, he was Darwin’s cousin and an exponent of social Darwinism through his founding of Eugenics". The SMH gave this 90 min one-man show a good review -"This oddball gem of a show is highly recommended" - and the usually small audience always gives a rousing applause at the end.

The lighting is minimalist - most of it is done with period candle and gas light supplemented by a few 10 degree profiles from the front, never above 50%. The props used are mostly authentic 19th Century parephenalia including a marvelous magic latern with "portable" battery which was reputably bought from a relative of Darwin for a scant few pounds.

Looking Shiny

Monday night - 23:59. I'm walking along the concourse, heading for a Taxi and as the Clock Tower in the Rocks starts ringing out midnight across the Cove, I stop and look back.
Usually I'm rushing to catch a train or scuttling through passages to get to the underground car park to beat the rush of Punters. Just now and then I catch myself and look around.
This night was particularly clear - a rare shower of rain had just passed and everything was looking crisp and shiny. And the view was shiny - I tend to forget that I'm working in one of the most beautiful buildings in the world - even if the concrete catacombs of the interior don't match up with the stylish exterior.

Stress Relief

A week that was, was this week. Stress levels extremely high but from no easily identified specific cause. A bit like the frog in hot water syndrome - gradually the heat gets turned up until 10 pm, Saturday night, I find myself spinning in circles, overwhelmed by everything that has to be done, if not now then yesterday.

What comes to the rescue? A good nights sleep, some vitamin B, an iron pill and two hours in the train, knitting and listening to Radio National Podcasts on the ipod. My favourites are; All In The Mind, delving into all things mental; Ockham's Razor, thoughtful people have their say on important science-related topics; Radio Eye, best of documentaries and features from Australia and around the world; and my personal pick; The Night Air, "hard to describe but you'll be glad you listened: a mix of all the best uses of radio in one time-slot".

I did subscribe to a lot of knitting podcast but have gradually been weeding out the banal and the repetitious so that I'm down to about 3 regulars. Unfortunately Brenda Dayne has gone on a break and Marie Irshard hasn't posted for a long while so that limits it even further.

The knitting that happens on the train is the Rib Wrap - it is progressing nicely but I am now so paranoiac about pattern corrections that I am double checking every instruction, despite the fact that there was only one listed. I question the back measurements, remeasure the front and check it against the back - it shouldn't be this stressful!

I am seriously studying Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top Down as I want to free myself from such constraints to make my own errors! She's not an easy read though. The boat neck, cap sleeve, design I have in mind requires that I read three different chapters and decipher her probably really obvious instructions. My problem arises from my presumption that all top down knitting is done as circular knitting - as I have discovered it isn't. Barbara recommends a cunning "Invisible Cast On" that starts at the back, continues to short row shaping for the shoulders and then joins with the front (which has been picked up from the cast on) at the underarms - then it becomes a circular knit. The book has some great tips in the last chapter including a stern recommendation NOT to join yarn at the sides - as it leaves unslightly bumps - but to single knot and weave the ends in the body.

I think I may try the top down jacket I recently received from Knitting Pure and Simple and that may clarify a few things.