I have a dilemma

Hmmmm....what should I do?

Baking?

or Knitting?

I shall have to have a piece of cake while I ponder this weighty issue.

(thanks Husby for my birthday presents!! OK, I know I chose and bought the Barbara Walkers but you did real good with the Julia Child!)

Sunday Sky: Jacaranda watch - week 5

I know it's Wednesday, but I did take these photos on Sunday, honest!

After a month of next to nothing, while all around me jacarandas are a sea of purple, my jacaranda has finally decided to flower (mostly...there are more than a few leaves on there too, which really shouldn't come out until after the flowers are pretty much done).

Hurrah! And to give you an idea of the purple carpet we'll get soon, here's a taste - husby mowed the lawn only a few hours before I took this photo, so you can imagine what it would be like after a few days!

Jacarandas are really best seen at a bit of a distance - I think that's a huge part of their appeal - in amongst the general green of most trees, you get these gorgeous bursts of purple - it's a delight to walk down the street and see the purple haze.

And for Alwen, and others going into winter, here's some flowers - my rose bush, bursting out all over the place:

And the pink roses - which were mere buds last week - are now in full bloom:

(Well, they were on Sunday, after yesterday's 37C (98F) scorcher, and subsequent cool change and rain, most of them are now petals on the ground!)

Keeping Track - October 2009

You know, I really thought I was going to be good this month, I had such good intentions. Well, you know what they say about good intentions - road to hell and all.

It started with the Stash Reallocation afternoon tea. Yes, I planned just to get rid of stuff, not bring stuff home...oh well. I did get rid of 4 x 50g balls - and only brought home the equivalent of 6 x 50g balls - so not too bad, really. Couldn't pass up Rowan All Seasons Cotton and Heirloom BabySilk.

And then Ecoyarns had to go and have a sale - 75% off SWTC Yin - this is a lovely yarn, a blend of wool, bamboo and silk. The lovely Ms 2Paw had given me a precious skein earlier this year, and so the chance to add to it, to make enough for a garment - at 75% off (did I mention that already?) was too good to pass up. So now I have 9 lovely skeins - it's an 8ply (DK) with a generous 150m (165 yd) per skein.

Finally, I had to buy yarn to make the crochet cable blanket - it's done in cotton, which I don't tend to stash (well, except for dishcloth cotton), so clearly I had to buy some! And crochet eats a lot of yarn, so I had to buy quite a bit! Six big 150g balls!

Best get knitting and crocheting, hadn't I!

Oh yeah, and this:

In: 32 x 50g balls!

Out: 10.5 x 50g balls

YTD: 197 x 50g balls...um, that's nearly 10kg of yarn I've added to the stash this year...oh dear.

Day 31

31 days of a post a day...and I've made it! I made a list in the first week of October, a list of blog post ideas - including things I knew I would post about, and ideas just in case I needed them. I'm surprised to report that I haven't really picked up any of the general ideas - even on those days where I really didn't know what I was going to post, something always came up.

And of course I was lucky because this month coincided with my ability to post about a very exciting event (and the ensuing knitting!), as well as a number of knitting buddy get-togethers. I even got into baking again (finally!)

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about blogging at the end of this month, but I have to say I am feeling quite invigorated about posting, after having a bit of a slump for a while. I won't keep up daily posting, but I will try to post at least 3 times a week - I think the key to avoiding the blogging slump, for me anyway, is regular posting!

And I know there'll be some disappointed jacaranda watchers if I don't keep you updated on my tree's progress!!

Thanks so much to everyone who's kept up with my monthlong blogfest and for all your comments - as always, they are much appreciated!

Oh, and Happy Halloween to my US friends!

FO Friday: Peapod cardigan

As promised, an actual finished Finished Object! (oh well, except for the buttons ... I may end up using these but I think I'll have a look in the city next week to see if I can find some alternatives - these are a good size, but I think might be too white).

Details

Pattern: Peapod Cardigan by Kate Gilbert - this was an internet only download from the Summer 2006 edition of Interweave Knits - thank goodness I downloaded it when it was available, as IK's subsequent withdrawal of the pattern from their website caused great uproar on Ravelry. A very easy pattern, with the body all knit in one piece (to the armholes) and the arms separately. I've made it in the 3 month size, good for the baby's first winter.

Yarn: Bella Baby Layette, an 80/20 bamboo/wool blend yarn from the stash (huzzah!). I used 2.5 x 50g balls. The green is slightly too pastelly I think (and doesn't show up properly in these photos in any event), but this cardigan simply must be made using green yarn, and this is what I had! It's a bit splitty, the yarn, but feels nice and washes up well. And apparently is machine washable!

Sticks: 3.75mm Addi circulars - I don't pull out the Addi's very often, but I was using my 3.75mm KP tips on other things, and I really hate taking them off a project (even though I know that's what they are meant for!).

Time: 25 August 2009 - 30 October 2009. I started this project when I was in my 9th week - according to a baby growth website, at that time the baby would have been about the size of a peapod. So it was meant to be. Not to mention the leaf pattern - you all know I'm a sucker for a knitted leaf pattern!

Halloween

I've been thinking a bit about Halloween, after Donna Lee posted about it a few weeks ago. To put it simply (and using the words of an infamous former Australian politician, as well as her distinctive accent, which I must always do when I say this phrase), "I don't like it".

I've been trying to work out why I feel like this - and I should clarify, it's only the attempt to insert Halloween into Australia that I don't particularly like. Very happy for Americans, the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish (and whichever other countries have this tradition) to go for it (or to celebrate it here, as I know some do!). I wonder if it's because it's particularly associated with the US (due to seeing it on US tv shows all the time!) that I resent attempts to introduce it here. I feel like our culture is Americanised enough already...but maybe I am being close-minded?

Maybe I'm just a grinch? After all, it seems to be pretty much just a chance to dress up, have fun, and eat a lot of lollies - and what could be wrong with that?? Actually, I think that might be the real issue I have. Halloween grew out of several traditions (or possibly superstitions) and has evolved over time into what it is now (and no doubt will continue to evolve). Australians adopting it as it currently is I suppose strikes me as somewhat commercial (like what Valentine's Day has become) and lacks a sense of history or meaning. I think that's probably what I don't like.

And also we don't have those fabulous round orange pumpkins easily available here! (unless you want to pay $30 each for them, without the romance of going to a huge pumpkin farm to choose them!)

Guess I'd better go and put on my grinch outfit now...

WIP Wednesday: for the Baby

Yes, another new WIP. Why? Well, of course, because I can! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

This little matinee jacket (by Erika Knight from her book Baby Bloom) is one of those patterns I've been saving for when I have a very special baby to make it for. And I'm even using the specified yarn, a now discontinued fingering/4ply 80/20 cashmere/merino blend (I know - lush! And handwash! But I can cope with that).

It's very old fashioned, and I know it won't be to the taste of all new-mothers out there, but it's a special little garment for my little person.

So far, I've only done the sleeves - I'm procrastinating about the body, as it's done in one piece and involves a 232 stitch cast on with a yarn that tends to split. But I'll get there.

And in case you are wondering what's happened with all those lovely Wollmeise projects I started my Week of Wollmeise back in September ... well, one of the only unfortunate side effects of this pregnancy business is that I can't stand the smell of the WM! If you've never smelled it, it has a very distinctive (and usually lovely) smell, due to the woolwash the yarn is rinsed in after dying (it's called Perwoll, but I don't think you can buy it in Australia). But now, that formerly lovely scent just makes me feel a bit ugh. So they are all hibernating. I hope not for too much longer.