Quick round-up (I'm running behind again)

And the usual pattern is continuing

- Plan, plan, plan
- life hits
- reassess plan
- plan, plan, plan
- life laughs in my face

I'm running behind from my goals but I'm actually not unhappy with my progress.  I'm chipping away at everything and being realistic about what I can't do (i.e. I need 5 hours sleep minimum - I just can't short myself on that).

My brother came down for a visit (as mentioned before) and we went off to Healesville Sanctuary.

It was MEGA-fun.

I've been wanting to go for at least 20 years so I'm glad that the actuality turned out as well as it did.

I will admit that I didn't react well to the heat in the slightest so next time I go (yes, I will be going back) I'm going to take a parasol and play the lady.

The highlight was most definitely the live bird show.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a camera with me so I don't have any photos (one of the reasons I want to go back).

I'm going to the airport at insane 'o-clock tomorrow so I'll have to think about / post a summary of the month later as I really should ensure I get the sleep I need.

Squee... I know I shouldn't be getting excited but I am

My brother came down for a visit last night and as part of a combined belated birthday / thank you for having me gift he gave me a Spanish phrasebook and CD!

I'm likely obsessively organised in that in even numbered years I take an overseas holiday (alternate years are for domestic travel - very liberally applied to the Pacific region) and my next trip will be to Spain. Now it's at least 15 months away and I've got a lot to get done before then but that hasn't stopped me from loading to CD onto my iPod tonight so I can get started.

It's so exciting.

Updatey stuff

I didn't manage to get any more spinning practise last week.  I got distracted by dyeing instead which I'm finidng tremendous fun (even if there's heaps of room for improvement).  At present I'm just doing microwave dyeing so extremely unskilled but quite effective



I need to try again with some of it but I'm hoping to start knitting with itnext weekend (although as I've got guests in town, my time may be limited)

Quick show & tell

I've started the new braid of roving and I think it's the best I've done yet (still not perfect by any means but I'm getting to something I'll be happy to knit with)

The story continues

Well it's the weekend and time to update.  I fell behind in spinning practise by 2 days so I'll have to make it up this weekend.

I've finished my first batch of roving now.



Still exceptionally funky but I'm getting better at joining in new 'bits to spin'.  I'm not going to ply this quite yet.  The current plan is to do singles from another batch of roving and then move onto plying.  I may end up plying them together so I've got enough to make a small semi-coordinated project.

This is the next lot in my sights



I've also been working on washers this week (I'm pretty much washered out to be honest).  My original target was 10 but I'll be stopping at 5 for now.  I'll possibly get back to them later this year.

Weekly update - the first

I was thinking it could be a good idea to do a weekly round-up for myself (especially so I can see my spinning progressing - I hope).  I'm not planning on putting everything in, just what I think is important for me.

I've taken the single which is the result of my first week's spinning practise off my spindle today.  It really it still extremely funky but I'm telling myself that it will get better with practise.



I wound it off onto a handy toilet roll ready for the next round.

Other stuff finished
 - first class project handed in for HC (minimum monthly requirement now met)
- still holidng out from starting something else new.  I will manage to be strong
- submitted my second OWL proposal.  I haven't done my tracking spreadsheet up as yet but in effect I've got a month to get it done so I've put it aside for a day when I have no crafting mojo at all / if I strain something

Happy January 8th

Although I 'vent' about them (a lot) I do love my family, but they truly have no idea of what I really want for presents.  (They are getting better, I got a few giftcards for Christmas).

Consequently I've developed the habit of buying myself a present.  I put in an order with Yay! for Yarn as her customer service is fantasticl and she's got so much pretty stuff.  Kiri also had gift kits this year so I could keep the element of surprise.

I was a bit late in ordering in time for Christmas (I ordered the week after so it arrived for collection this week).  I'm just back from the post office and here are my goodies!





(Yes, I couldn't constrain myself to the gift pack alone.  Well I never pretended to be going on a yarn diet this year)

1. A set of Knit Pro Symfonie sock needles - this is actually my third set as I'm constantly managing to either sit on them or want to use the same size on multiple projects.  They will definitely be used.
2. A Thomas Joseph Desk Calendar - I've been wanting something a bit 'me' to have on my desk at work and this is going to be absolutely perfect!
3. 2 Skeins of Twisted Sisters 'Petite Voodoo' with sock pattern - this was part of the Yarns on Stage release from October last year that I tried to justify to myself at least 10 times but I just couldn't fit it into my budget.  It is devine, 50% silk so fantastically soft and the colours are just what I love.
4. DIC Starry in Cloud Jungle with sock pattern - I definitely want to fit this project in soon (If only there were 100 hours in the day, or if I could discover that alternate universe I keep dreaming of where a month is equivalent to an hour here.  I think it was referenced in a Heinlein novel but I can't remember for certain and haven't come across it again as yet)
5. 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Turquoise - pretty, soft, luscious (do I really need to say more?)
6. 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs & Butterflies in Zombie BBQ - I've wanted to indulge myself with this for ages.  Not just for the name, but it's at the gorgeous green/brown end of colour spectrum that I just adore.

Now to stop petting the pretties and do something with them (although I suppose I should clean the house first)

So... what I'm doing.

As mentioned a couple of days ago classes for the House Cup are up and I've got plans for 4 of them.  I've cast on for 2 so far.  When I was visiting my sister she mentioned that her kids apparently fight over the washers I gave them last year.  I think this means I need to send her some more (together with the pink wool she's agreed to take off my hands.)  I'd never have thought that some pom-pom makers  I picked up on impulse would be the hit gift for the year with my nieces, but it goes to show that you can never tell. (Although in 2009, the hit gift was a set of water pistols which my sister picked up)  I want to offload the 'pink menace' before they lose interest so I'm chipping away at them while waiting for webpages to load.

I'm also making a pair of socks, Gaudi socks to be precise.  I'll put up a picture when I finish them.  They're slipped stitches so pretty simple.  I'm hoping to finish them with time to spare so I can do another pair.  I'm thinking of something more colourful.

I've also put in one of my OWL proposals and been approved.  Part of it is spinning.  I think the only good thing that can be said is I don't think I can get much worse.  This is how my first attempt came out.



I'm aiming to practise each evening and hopefully I'll see improvement.  I may be fooling myself, but I'm finding it easier to spin the spindle but I'm still shockingly uneven and keep on alternating between unspun and overspun bits but I think I can see some minute signs of progress.

I'm also going to be practising some steeking with some cushions (and an Extermiknit - I just have to have one).

Finally, I'm still working away on the Hourglass Cardigan I'm making for the 'Will work for Yarn Swap'.  This is where I'm up to at present (shocking photo!) which is behind where I'd like to be, but if I'm feeling too tired I'm not working on it as I don't particularly want to have to rip it back again

On the way home.

I'm back home again after visiting relatives for Christmas.  So, what do I consider the highlights of the trip?

Certainly not the knitting, I got nothing of consequence done.  What I didn't leave at home (i.e. my current project bag - arghh!!), didn't have the correct needles for (necessitating a shopping trip), I just wasn't in the mood for.  I really wanted to cast on my lace shawl in peace and quiet but it just didn't happen.

I did get some of the Hourglass Cardigan finished.  I was hoping to get up to working on the sleeves but didn't quite make it.  It was worth it though, as I spent time with my nieces and I really don't see them enough.

And what did we do?

Well one day we went to the zoo. It had been literally years since I'd been.

We took the ferry over the harbour (no photos on the ferry itself as it was only a 10 minute trip and we were sitting inside both times).  Personally I think it is fantastic that Taronga Zoo sits right on the harbour and you can get a ferry there from the CBD.

What a view! What a day!


 















(I had real trouble deciding which pictures to include above)

We managed to see most of what each of us wanted to (although the platypus was hiding when I went through.  He came out for my nieces but even if I'd seen him I wouldn't have been able to take a photo unfortunately). 


Some of the other activities were (naturallly) swimming and movies.  I was most definitely a spectator for the swimming but really enjoyed one of the movies.  Iniitally we went to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which was an alright movie but:
1. I wasn't the target audience so I found it a touch annoying in places
2. I know the book too well and although objectively I can admit that the changes they made served to make the movie flow more smoothly, I still didn't really like some of them.

The second movie we saw however was *much* more my thing.  I wanted to get my nieces out of the house to give my sister a chance to get some things done so the three of us went along to Megamind in 3D (yes, we splurged and I'm really glad we did.  This was a movie which I think most definitely deserved to be seen in 3D).  It was a heap of fun and exactly what I was in the mood for.  I think this will go on my mental 'to buy when you see it' list so I can watch it as the whim strikes me.

The final thing we did together was see the fireworks on Sydney Harbour (9pm show).  The shots of the fireworks themselves didn't turn out the best on my camera but here's an idea.







I'm home again now and dealing with the disorder which magically accumulates when there's no-one in the house.(along with getting excited for the Winter 2011 term for the HPKCHC - I'll put it in a separate post)