We didn’t know what to expect, it being a $3 ex-rental DVD – it was a pleasant surprise. It featured songs from The Byrd’s, The Beach Boys, Roxy Music, ELO and David Bowie performed as the soundtrack to a school play of *Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
*Yes, yes, Christopher Marlowe actually wrote or co-wrote many of (if not all!) the plays attributed to Shakespeare, but there you go.
We never deny magpies food when we are out and about.
Getting closer to the end of June and I am sure tired of those baby blankets. I have started a top out of Crofter from Djuve Knits.?I am making Derecho from Berroco and I hope it keeps my interest up and I finish it quickly.
This being said, we heard from HR today that we will not be back in the office in July as first planned. It is a decision I am happy with as I am sure this COVID 19 won’t be going away in a hurry. I get a little more down time to do more knitting and spinning. I was considering joining a Tour de fleece Group as I got some amazing oatmeal bluefaced Leiscester roving to spin and I would like to knit a jumper to honour my recently passed friend Linda.
Speaking of friends, I collected (to ‘babysit’) a painting done by my amazing friend Sharon West. She is such an amazing artist and to have another of her works in my home is such an honour. Have a look then check her out on instagram; sharonwestartstuff
I have always admired Sharon’s work and it is quite inspirational, in fact I was planning to use it for some of my next designs. Of course it won’t feature nudes but then again, anything can happen when a design takes me to places of dreams.
My wonderful cousin sent a picture of little niece Ilara. She is seen here cuddling up under the blanket my sister and I made for her.
I think it was this blanket that made me decide I was not keen on making blankets out of squares. It is a bit like patchwork, why cut up a large piece of beautiful material into a pile of small pieces,only to sew them together again.
It just doesn’t make sense and appears to waste a lot of time. I know there are people out there who disagree with that and I understand where they are coming from but still…
Ok, I am signing off now and will do a little more knitting. Chat soon. Thanks for reading.
What? It is already half way through the month and I haven’t updated my blog. Sorry. It has been a weird month. Visits to the hospital, birthdays and the completion of the many baby blankets at last. I think I have finished doing things for others and will now concentrate on just one thing for me! Well, 2 maybe. I appear to have used and misplaced many knitting needles of the circular kind so I have to go hunting for them. I opened the addi click bamboo set and was amazed I have even misplaced one of a pair of tips, what was I thinking. The t-shirt I was planning on knitting from the yarn I got from Djuve Knits. Will go on hold until I find the needles. I just love Crofter but she has so many other nice yarns to choose from. I thought, in the meantime I would start a crochet t-shirt and guess what. I have managed to split the yarn I have in 2 lots and I have hidden one lot… I can honestly say, since working from home, I have become so muddle headed I don’t know which way is up. This pic is the beautiful Elias With his C2C.
The plus side to working from home is I spend a lot more time with John. Together we get to watch some amazing sunrises while we eat breakfast. I also get a bit more time with my boys. They never cease to make me smile. With the colder weather we are feeding them a bit more and hoping it keeps them warm. While I spend the days navigating the perils of Skype and Zoom, trying hard to keep my face from them both, I look forward to the evenings doing gentle crafts while keeping the company of an amazing person named John. Isolation isn’t bad and it isn’t really much different from my every day life. In fact, it gives me so much more time with those who matter.
Still May. The days are getting shorter and nights colder. My boys are bottomless pits at the moment, eating so much more to produce a longer, warmer fleece. Ozzie forgave me for having him shorn so close to winter. He is getting cuddly again but prefers his food over me still.
Working from home is still very dangerous as I am so tempted to stop everything and start knitting and crocheting. I am on my 4th blanket this year still loving C2C style. It is quick, easy and amazingly simple. The one I am on is for the boss… I still have some time for this one though so I am not rushing. I have lined up some me projects for the end of baby blankets. A neck down T and a lovely cardigan. I hope they fit as the patterns look a little small. Still… I dare say, top down, I am bound not to follow the pattern all the way.
I have committed myself to finish writing the Munin shawl too. I feel I let Raxor down each time I talk to her. She is so encouraging and nurturing when it comes to designing. So, tell me… would you make Muninn, String Bean Socks or Hugin Cowl? Which should I publish first?
Ok, back to the uke and the hook… thanks for reading…!
I was shopping today and thought to myself; these last couple of months have changed the ways we shop and live. Melbourne seemed to think last weekend wiped the past couple from history, people hugging and kissing in the aisles at the supermarket, no one counting how many people were in the store, shoulder to shoulder. By Tuesday, 17 more cases of COVID19 some restrictions have been eased but not much. I noticed that most toilet paper was in bulk packets now, yeast was available by the half kilo and even some favourite biscuits were now available in triple packs.
Yes, we have become a nation who purchases things in bulk and large businesses take it for granted that now, a rush delivery will take at least 3 weeks. I purchased Johns birthday present two weeks ago and I only just got an email to say they will “ship it when they can”. So that Leaves me asking the question: what are they doing with my money? Who is making money on what I have paid up front for?
Ok, enough negative. I finished the blanket for Hugo’s new addition. Her photo is darling, now just 2 blankets to go. I am getting way too many ideas and I just wish I had the time to make them all. I almost had the courage to start warping up the Inkle loom but today, John just wants to watch some movies and heck, it is his birthday so why not? I can crochet as I watch movies.
The weekend at dads was fun and yes, that overgrown garden is still providing us with beautiful vegetables. I am hoping the next visit I will plant some brassicas. Until them, I am hoping the possums don’t eat the seedlings I took with me. I took no knitting or crochet. I tried to just focus on the loom but falling ill didn’t help and it sat in my car, untouched. Ok, I have the loom, the cottons, the heddles have been made… wish me good luck. Today is possibly the day I take the leap. I hope I find it as enjoyable as spinning. I hope to make Linda ( and mum Linda) so proud and happy they influenced my crafting so much.
Ok, I will leave my ramblings here and spend some time paying attention to the movie and of course, darling John! I hope his 60th birthday is at least a little more fun then he was expecting. This is Squirrel signing off, until the next chapter.
I can honestly say, I no longer can keep track of what day it is. Working from home, it is not like I have mental markers, traveling to the station, daily interactions with others… it is just one day after another, some sitting in front of a computer, the rest running about trying to do what I have to do.
I posted off the baby blanket and immediately started on blanket 3. I cannot recommend Lincraft’s Cosy Wool. Each ball is knotted and tangled in the middle and sadly, numerous breaks within. Some bits of wool being only a couple of centimeters long. Most disappointing. Still, I will not let that stop me.
The cold weather has set in. Ozzie is a bit more forgiving and gave me some hugs in between munching down on lucerne. Chaser has taken up running laps of the yard like a crazy juvenile alpaca. It is very entertaining. They are putting on a little more weight which is good at this time of the year. The unseasonal cold and yes, even snow – took us all by surprise. I hope the boys put on a bit more weight so they stay warmer.
I spent some quality time with both ukuleles today. It is nice to just pick them up and enjoy the sweet sounds. I have spent a lot of time with the pineapple recently so to pick up the Leolani was a nice change. I enjoy becoming more confident with them and John doesn’t seem to mind my random noises while I stumble on my journey.
Ok, enough rambling today. Back to crochet. Only one more blanket after this and then I have more time for design.
It is like we stopped existing and started living. We are more involved in living life since this COVID-19 took hold. I am at my fathers, I came after a doctors appointment yesterday and I have spent the morning in the garden with him. Dare I say, I wore him out. We harvested more tomatoes including more Black Krims and Cherokee purples and 3 more zucchini’s! A little haul of potatoes and it looks like we will eat well this weekend. I am amazed it is ANZAC day and we are still harvesting!
I haven’t started my weaving but while Sis is still sleeping and dad went back to bed to rest after a busy morning, I may just start loading the loom. I left the book at home but I think I can work out the basic pattern!
While I did not hear anyone playing the last post at dawn, we have heard it played over and over and now, the neighborhood has woken up and are busy mowing and playing and laughing out loud. This isolating business has put a halt to plenty of normal gatherings on this day. No BBQ’s no two up games just quiet family activities.
I lost a friend to cancer last week and to say I am lost for words is an understatement. Linda was an amazing woman, headstrong, knowledgeable, kind and well, just beautiful. She taught me a lot and gave me a sense of belonging. I have never been one for groups but when I visited Linda I always felt welcomed and, well, loved. We shared a passion for yarn, fleece and textiles. We spun together, we talked, I got in her way while she weaved and we went to the sheep and wool shows together. I kind of feel my partner in crime is missing. Rest well Linda, I dare say we will meet again. I hate to say good bye.
I threw myself into finishing things and have just finished A C2C blanket the size of a queen bed. I need to finish a smaller one for a cousins baby due shortly and then one for another new edition to the Clan… I so enjoy my family and seeing it grow. I also love that they include this crazy aunt in all the fun. Hopefully it won’t always be from such a distance.
Oh, I did finish re-vamping my little inkle loom and have been procrastinating the warping. I wasn’t sure how to warp it (this would be one of the times I would go to Linda and ask for assistance) when I was flicking through a book given to me by my oldest friend, Sharon. Spin your own wool and dye it and weave it by Molly Duncan. There, towards the end of the book was a diagram of my very loom. It says it is “an American type Inkle Loom”. You can imagine how excited I was… now, to stop procrastinating!!!
I will stop Rambling and go have lunch. Then… maybe the loom!
Yes folks, I am a fan of Urban Fantasy. In particular, I really enjoy reading the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
In anticipation of his new release on July 14, I am re-reading books one to 15 again. This last week I have had a holiday and have already read 3 more books. The second time around I have found them even more enjoyable and have picked up on funny little lines and references. I’m laughing out loud and scaring the bejesus out of John at times.
The old IT man at work would regularly make jokes about my computer not working properly and the presence of ‘majik’. He also thought it was why my work garden experiments worked so well. At present the tomato plant is trying hard to grow through to the next floor.
I finally finished tidying up my second hand inkle loom and I am just procrastinating in warping it up and having my first whirl. Maybe tomorrow afternoon when I get back from tending to dads garden.
On another note, I can’t let it by that we are in the beginning of a ‘Pandemic’ they tell me on the news. Toilet paper seems to be the most in demand. I have never seen such panic buying before. Toilet paper seems to be like gold! It is becoming hard to find and I see people stacking their trolleys when it is in stock. Medicines such as Paracetamol and Aspirin are becoming hard to find. All I can say is PLEASE don’t panic. PLEASE do not flush hand wipes and disinfectant wipes and PLEASE be considerate of others. You don’t really need 700 rolls of bog tickets!!!