Not waving, drowning

Don't panic, it's really not all that bad, I just like the title.

But returning to paid work after five years is a little like slowly drowning. I wonder would it be different if I was in a stand alone role with no other accountabilities other than completing the work in front of me that day. That, however, is not the role I have. You know the story, you've all heard it loads of times before.

Girl gets part-time job that is really a full-time job. Outwardly others say how fortunate she is to find a job like that. Senior role, travel opportunities, a seat at the Excom. But she has three employees, two of whom have told her that the third employee bullies them. She has been given a hospital-pass of a project that is slowly spiralling into the ground which, in the days she is not at work, threatens to go belly up. There are so many fires to fight that it is hard to see the wood for the trees. She feels the weight of stress across the organisation of people desperate to keep their jobs despite them working impossibly long hours in a company hemorrhaging in the GFC.

And to top it all off there are serious hygiene issues being faced in the women's bathroom. Really. Think your worse thoughts and then double them. Why on earth is this an HR issue I ask?

Friends either tell me "I told you that sounded like a crazy job" or "welcome to the club".

These are not helpful comments. Is it worth being mentally exhausted every night, is it worth not wanting to blog lest you appear boringly negative, is it worth not reading as much, not knitting as much, not writing as much?

I can tell you that if part of last night's Lotto jackpot came my way I wouldn't have gone to work this morning.

So, it was fabulous to see a new order of yarn arrive in the mail

I've started on a crocheted blanket for a 12 month old girl. It strikes me that it is in fact a Neopolitan Icecream Blanket.

And I've finally got around to winding up the yarn that I bought from Suse. Do you think this looks like a pair of socks? Not yet, but one day.

These are the things that relax me so I think I'll go off now and meditate into my crochet and forget about work.

Oh, and I read The Slap. Gave it 4/10 at my bookclub. Clearly I have been living in a Jane Austen inspired bubble.

PS. I hope you have all been well. I look forward to visiting you again soon.

Stress relief comes in balls of yarn

Last night I went to my daughter's school's P&C meeting. After resigning as the Fundraising and Functions Co-ordinator last year I had resolved not to go to these meetings, at least for a while, so that the new co-ordinator could do her thing without me seeming to peer over her shoulder. Last night, however, I broke this resolution to go along and support a change to the school council constitution.

Mistake. Big Mistake.

What a shamozzle.

What was a simple change that made sense to me on face value turned out to be mightily controversial for no good reason and resulted in factional infighting not seen in a Labor caucus. And I hadn't realised there were factions. Silly me thought we were all there with the common goal of ensuring our children had access to the best facilities we could muster.

All I could do was sit there, for two hours, while the shambles unravelled. One of the new Kindy parents walked out. Don't blame him. I only stayed because I wanted to hear the Principal's report and what was happening in the subcommittees.

So, when I got home I was in need of some stress relief. Luckily I had decided to pick up the knitting and crochet implements a week ago and had some projects to still my mind.

Here is a scarf I knitted with the Noro Geisha ribbon yarn I was given as a New Year gift. I used a simple open knit I found in my 400 Knitting Stitches book (recommended by Stacey last year). I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out. Being a ribbon it is a trans-seasonal decorative scarf rather than one for warmth.

And above is my practice run for Mum's birthday present. Mum's birthday was on Tuesday and, not knowing what to get her, I asked her what she might like me to make. Mum said she'd like a knee rug and as a crocheted ripple blanket was on my list of 'to do' things this year that is what she will get. I've ordered yarn in lovely soft colours (exact details a secret) from Bendigo Woollen Mills but while waiting for the package to arrive I decided to do a test run using up left over balls of yarn in my stash.

I'm not sure what will happen with this practise run. It might be a small blanket for the kids, or perhaps a giveaway. I'll let you know.

Finished!

Yee Ha!

The socks are finished and have arrived at their new home.

Two weeks late ...

Happy Birthday for two weeks ago Dad!

The Attraction of Socks

These socks are coming along...slowly. I am drawn to their tiny little double-pointed needles, and teeny yarn.

Don't you think that sock-knitting is like a grown-ups version of french knitting? Instead of a long tube of yarn emerging, you get a long tube of sock.

And after a few rows you get used to holding four needles at once.

Made all the better with these fabulous new stainless steel needles that Firegazer picked up for me last week.

Three WIPs and a finished double moss scarf

Many, many moons ago when the bus ride to my primary school was an hour I learnt to crochet granny squares along with the other girls on the bus (it was the 70s, the revolution hadn't reached my country town, and boys did not crochet).

That was also the last time I crocheted, or did macrame or wound bits of wool around sticks. But then I saw a 1975 copy of The Complete Book of Knitting, Crochet and Embroidery in my local second hand bookstore and thought, well, why not.

It's not that easy you know. It requires dexterity that I left behind as a child but, finally, I got the hang of it. Trouble is I don't know how to stop so I think I will end up with the world's biggest granny square - which is okay, because I have lots of left over wool in PL's favourite colour - yellow. This will either be a rug for his teddies or a rug for his bed. Who knows.

Last night I started my second pair of socks. These are a birthday present for someone who has a birthday in October. Just a warning to anyone with a birthday in October...these may or may not arrive on time (I'm confident, but Firegazer is doubtful).

A few weeks ago I started knitting a brown dog. Or a brown bear, I can't decide which. It's actually a 1930s-Hollywood-glamour-style cape from this pattern. I can't tell you how difficult this yarn is to knit with. One mistake and the whole thing needs to be unravelled. Not something to knit in front of the TV.

And finally, a finished project. This scarf, knitted in a double moss stitch, will be a gift for someone sometime soon.

Lily of the Valley Scarf

Thanks to Stacey's directions I am now the proud owner of 400 Knitting Stitches: Great Stitch Patterns.

My first project from this book is the lovely-looking Lily of the Valley pattern

which I produced in the Jo Sharp yarn 'Alpaca Lustre', an alpaca, kid mohair, merino mix. The colour? I can't decide. It's a sort of Sage-y, Avocado-y colour. General opinion at our ski lodge last week was that it would be super with white and denim.

For a couple of weeks I knat knat knat*, blocked and then...

Voila! a scarf for a young Tween in Melbourne. Will deliver to her parents on the weekend when I visit the Great Southern City and they can hide it until her birthday in September.


*hee hee

By Blossom's command: a new hot water bottle cover

Blossom was the recipient, last year, of my first ever hot water bottle cover. Being the first, it was somewhat of an experiment, and it performs somewhat like an experiment (a bit floppy here and there). She asked, if I was ever to consider making another one, could she please have one like Padawan Learner's.

So here I present Blossom's new cover, just in time to take away for our ski week. I had this silver-grey yarn in my stash and think it makes for a lovely cosy looking cover complete with a hand-twisted cord made from a combination of silver-grey and pale blue yarn.

All Buttons Great and Small

My neighbour gave birth to a little girl on Tuesday. Her third child; her first and second are boys. I had knitted her baby a little jumper and now needed some girly buttons to finish it off. What better place than All Buttons Great and Small.

It's at the 'dodgy end' of King St, Newtown and is just so completely fabulous I could hardly breathe while I was in there. Look at the 1930s cabinetry. Look at the tube upon tube of buttons stacked impossibly high. I didn't even know I loved buttons until I walked into the shop. It's that sort of place.

Being Newtown, I was served by a 20-something girl with pink hair, multiple body-piercings and dressed top to toe in black. She was so helpful in finding these beautiful buttons for my trench coat (to replace the hideous black ones on there now).

And these delightful little hearts to finish off the jumper (US: sweater) I knitted for my neighbour's, yet un-named, baby girl.

Happy Grandma and Nana Day

Happy Mother's Day to Grandma (my Mum) and Nana (Firegazer's Mum).

Nana has been sent her gift chosen by her dutiful son from a Duty Free Shop somewhere in either Oz, New Zealand or the US. Meanwhile I got down and knitted these washcloths for my Mum.

All these patterns were sourced from Ravelry and were fun to knit. The red one is supposed to be nine hearts but I photographed it upside down.

Do you like my new cards? These will now accompany all my hand-made objects.

Not to be outdone, Blossom knitted her Grandma this drink coaster for her night-time glass of water.

Happy Mother's Day all.

Walk Safely to School Day

Today was Walk Safely to School Day, at least in NSW. Walking to school is a hot topic in this house. In theory we are only a 10 minute slow walk to school and thus this should be achievable every day. However, that walk includes our own version of heartbreak hill so walking to school usually involves much complaining and is only contemplated when I have an iron will and patience for whining.

Today, however, there was no complaining. Was it the practise walks of the previous two days? Was it the free piece of fruit waiting for them at the other end? Was it because it was declared a mufti/casual clothes day so the uniforms were left at home? Who knows the mysteries of a child's mind...

Especially as there was a complicating factor to the walk. Blossom left for a weekend long Band Camp today so we had extra luggage to lug up that hill:

But then maybe Blossom was so pleased with her new, completed.just.in.time.for.band.camp beanie that she didn't even think about her feet (but that still doesn't explain PL's generally bouncy demeanor on the walk).

Blossom's Band Camp Beanie

Pattern: Ladies Beanie from the Patons Big Book of Small Projects

Yarn: Freedom Spirit 100% wool

Needles: 4mm (next time I'd use 3.5 or smaller)

Meterage: Used approx 180m/75g

Comments: Blossom loves it but this wool is not ideal as is too 'stretchy'

Feather and Fan Scarf

Feather and Fan Scarf
Pattern: Feather and Fan stitch.
Method: Cast on 40 stitches and knit, knit, knit until all yarn gone
Yarn: 4 balls of Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran (approx 320m)
Needles: Size 4.00mm

Unblocked 150cm long

Blocked: 200cm long (!)

The finished scarf.

School Holidays, Day 4: In Which Padawan Learner is Poorly

The school holiday activity fest comes to a screeching halt when Padawan Learner comes down with some sort of undefined high temperature thingy forcing a day of rest. There are lots of I'm boreds and there's nothing to do coming from the Tween.

I, on the other hand, see this as an opportunity to knit some washcloths. As I am in stay-at-home Suzi Homemaker mode, why not. The washcloths are a quick project even for a slow, uneconomical-of-movement, knitter like me.

From pattern: "Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth"

On Tuesday the kids' knitting teacher suggested washcloths as an excellent first project for beginner knitters rather than the traditional scarf. So we hot-footed over to the cotton yarn section and bought some Jaipur Egyptian Cotton in cream and pale pink. The pink cotton was for Blossom's projects but I fear she may have to buy more as I am going to use it all up very quickly

"Awareness Ribbon Cloth", Pattern by Donna Burgess

I found these washcloth patterns on Ravelry. If you are a member the links are here and here.

In case you're wondering - these work very well as a face-washer/flannel. Apparently they also make excellent glass cleaners.

Slouchy Weekend Sweater by Sublime

Pattern: Slouchy Weekend Sweater by Sublime
Size: 0-3 months
Yarn: Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk dk
Colour: 008 (Sage Green)
Knitted for: Friend's baby (due May/June)

This little jumper is for my friend/neighbour's new baby due in May/June. Both her previous children were born quite premature so I felt that knitting the smallest size was best.

I actually finished the individual pieces some time ago but have been having a terrible time with the sewing up. After checking out knitting books and loads of how-to websites I finally took the plunge last night. I realise now that the real art of a great looking knitted garment lies in the finishing and while my job is passable I will book myself into a specialist "finishing" class asap.

I haven't sewn buttons on the shoulder yet. I don't know what the gender will be so my plan is to use chunky wood buttons if it is a boy and gorgeous girly buttons if not. If a girl I'm also considering some embroidery somewhere on the squares or sleeve, maybe.

I'm going to visit this amazing shop for the buttons.

Past Tense: Knitted, Knit or Knat?

A sneak preview of my next project:
a baby's jumper (sweater, pullover, jersey) for my next-door-neighbour
in Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK. Pattern from Sublime.

Yesterday three women chatted as they watched their daughters at Soccer training. One a fabulous knitter ("Mum, she's the fastest knitter I've ever seen"), one an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher at a French school and myself (general dogsbody, taxi driver, linguistics grad).

The question of the afternoon was "What is the past tense of 'to knit'". There was some muttering about irregular verbs and the like but we agreed that, somehow, "knitted" as in "I knitted a pair of socks" sounded all wrong. But was "I knit a pair of socks" any better? Perhaps it should be "I knat a pair of socks"?

Back home I consulted my trusty Macquarie Dictionary.

To Knit is, indeed, an irregular verb. The simple past tense of Knit is traditionally Knit. But that sounds horrid and could be confusing. Luckily the Macquarie provides options:

knit verb (past tense: knitted or knit)

So, in another fabulous example of people power, the once irregular verb knit has been brought back to the fold and given a regular past tense by popular demand.

Just don't say knat.

The socks are finished!

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in Baby Blue
Pattern: Patons Rib Socks from Book 1239 Patonyle Accessories for the whole Family

Well, they are finally finished. It's amazing how you think you've got ages to go - then, suddenly, you've reached the toe. I'm not happy with the toe grafting. Actually it's seriously bad but I think the only solution is for one of you expert toe grafters to sit over my shoulder next time I attempt a sock.

When S from TeamSAK comes home from 'up north' I'll pack these up and send them down to Melbourne. I hope they'll be comfy for padding around the house in during the depths of Winter there.