SHOESday: Got any blacker?

You can't really get any blacker than these. My first pair of designer shoes, bought on huge sale in, where else, but Singapore! My first Singapore trip. Husby had to go to Singapore for a couple of weeks for work, and I decided to join him for a long weekend. We stayed in a fairly simple serviced apartment not far from Orchard Road. Wow, did I ever love Orchard Road! Great department stores, great chain stores - Zara! TopShop! And designer stores as far as the eye could see. I'd never been in a designer store before then, I don't think. Too scared. Too scared the shop assistants (I'm sure they are probably called Sales Associates or some other upmarket name, but whatever!) would look down their noses at me as if to say "You would never in a million years fit into our clothes" or "You can't even afford to buy a keyring in here, what are you doing here". But I thought to myself, well, I can afford to buy a keyring, and more, and yeah, I dare say I couldn't fit into your clothes, but I can fit into your shoes. So I'm a'comin' in, and ptooey to you if you don't like it. (I'm sure they weren't thinking these things really, that's just me, so really this conversation was with myself!)

And not only could I afford the shoes (especially as they were on huge reduction - I'm talking like 50-75% - much better reductions than in Australia!!) but I could also fit into them (fortunately my shoe size is the largest they usually stock). And every time I wear these shoes I feel like a million bucks, and I think of something my friend Miss J said to me on the second Singapore visit (when we had a girl's shopping weekend!!): "a cat can look at a king". Why yes a cat can, and sometimes a cat can even dress like one. Or at least, like a queen perhaps!Things I love about these shoes - the cross detail on the heel cup; the buckles on the vamp which have "Gucci" inscribed on them (why yes, I am a label whore...well, in a very very very understated way...I wouldn't buy a logo handbag for example!) and the sole of the shoe, which is actually a great non-slip sole, rather than slick leather, which means I don't need to get them resoled. These shoes are at least 4 years old and they still look fantastic (one of the benefits of buying good shoes and lots of them - they wear exceedingly well!)

While I'm on the subject...

Thanks everyone for your comments on my International Women's Day post - it was gratifying to get any comments at all, but to share such thoughtful and interesting perspectives, it was fabulous. I think that choice is the key, choice without judgment.

So while I'm on the subject, or perhaps the soapbox, let me quickly mention something else I've been thinking a lot about lately (and then I promise some knitting content at the end!).

That thing is chocolate. I mean, clearly, I think about chocolate a lot anyway. Like at 7am this morning, when I decided it was not too early to have last piece of chocolate that was sitting there on the coffee table. Because then I could throw the wrapper in the bin, and tidying up, that's good right!

A few weeks ago Em posted about chocolate, and in particular about the production of cocoa beans in Africa by farmers using child slave labour. And that's a pretty horrible thing to contemplate. I know different countries have different cultural norms, and I believe that, on the whole, one particular country or culture does not generally have the right to force their beliefs on other different countries or cultures, but to me some things are inherently wrong, and slave labour, whether by children or adults, is one of those things.

So while confectionery companies agree to do something about it by 2005, and then 2010 (as was reported on the news on the weekend), what can we do? An easy thing to do is buy fair trade and/or organic chocolate.

Since I read Em's post and the follow up post, I've been consciously buying Green & Black's chocolate, which is organic (and therefore far less likely to be produced using slave labour). And also, I have to say, it is totally delicious! I succombed on Saturday to a bar of Cadbury's, as we'd been without chocolate for a day or two and I couldn't get by, and the Cadbury's (which in the past I have soo happily eaten) was just not so nice. (I must add a disclaimer - I am not aware where Cadbury's sources their cocoa...am off to investigate their website...where I found lots about obesity, sensible eating of chocolate, marketing to children and tours of the Cadbury factory in Tasmania, but nothing about this issue).

While doing the grocery shopping yesterday I noticed two new different brands of organic, free-trade chocolate on the shelves in Coles. And since I'm a sucker for chocolate orange, I thought I'd try one of the new brands alongside my Green & Black's.

Now, Green & Black's and Cocolo are more expensive than Cadbury's and similar name brands, but the other thing I find is that while it not only tastes better, I actually tend to eat less, because the flavour is stronger. So it lasts just as long as a larger block of Cadbury's, and I'm also dieting! (well, sorta...)

And since I promised knitting content, and I'm on a do-gooder thing right now, here's the pilchers I've made for Terri, who is collecting them to send to an orphanage in China who need them for disabled kids.
I just need to put some elastic in the legs and then pop them in the post for Terri.

And tomorrow, shoes. Because I am totally shallow and materialistic about some things. And contradictions are one thing that make human beings such interesting things of study!

Happy International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. So yay us chicks!! On the whole, I am glad I am a woman. I mean, we have much better shoe choice, apart from anything else.

But seriously, I love being the woman I am. I am very lucky, I know. I live in a country where women are on the whole treated equally, where women have access to education and healthcare and social security and many other things which allow us to make real choices about our lives. I have benefitted from all of those things (in fact, out of my family of 5 - 4 brothers and me, I am the only one who went to university). While my mother was not a feminist and would probably think that feminism was something bad, I always expected to be able to go to university and work and make my own choices. And my brothers were expected to wash and/or dry the dishes and clean the bathroom and do other household jobs, the same as I was.

At work, a large part of my role has been to look after "women's issues" in the workplace, including our organisation's reporting to EOWA. In Australia, we have a government authority, the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, or EOWA. Organisations who employ more than 100 employees are required to report annually to EOWA on, basically, what their organisation does to advance women in the workplace. EOWA also awards an Employer of Choice for Women citation each year to a select group of employers who meet the fairly high standards set by EOWA. One of these, for example, is the provision of at least 6 weeks' paid maternity leave to women who have been employed for at least 12 months. Another, more contentiously, is that the pay equity gap must be less than 17% (which is what the pay gap between men and women generally is in Australia - or to put it another way, for every $1 earned by a man, a woman earns $0.83).

There's been a bit in the media over the last week about the pay equity gap, both because the most recent list of Employers of Choice for Women have been announced, but also because of International Women's Day. And I have to say, that while I totally agree that a woman doing the same job as a man should, generally speaking, be paid the same, I'm not entirely sure that looking at pay equity overall as a means to advancing women is right. It ignores factors such as the "feminisation" of certain jobs (eg teaching, nursing) - which are traditionally undervalued in society anyway, as well as certain jobs which are considered "masculine" - construction work, mining etc. Which are perhaps more highly paid but which also bring more physical or dangerous risks. (I'm not suggesting women shouldn't be exposed to those risks, just that on the whole, they are less attractive in a job to many women). You can't compare the salary of men in these roles against the salary of women in "feminine" roles. It's not a valid comparison. But within industries or job roles, well, it makes more sense. But that's not how EOWA, or others, measure it, and I think that's a shame, because it diverts attention from other, perhaps more real, issues (to me, anyway). Like ensuring that women have a real career path, and proper superannuation at the end of their careers, and that childbearing is not seen as an end to a woman's working life. Or that a woman who wishes to work flexibly is somehow not "serious" about her career.

And that's leaving to one side huge cultural issues such as violence against women.

I think a lot about these issues, given that it's part of my job, and I am a woman. I have come to the view that things will only really change for women when men value what women value. Right now, the sorts of things that EOWA measure are, to me, based on men's values, what men think are important - pay, career, etc. They don't measure the things that are, generally speaking, more valued by women - caring, family, home life, choice (to name a few). And I'm sure many men want the same opportunities as women to contribute to their family life, and are as constrained by ideas of what men "should" be doing (ie working full-time, earning lots of money and supporting their family in that way) as women are. I really don't think women will have truly the same choices as men (or vice versa) until what is valued by women is also valued by men. To me, that's where organisations like EOWA should be focusing, attempting to make real cultural change, rather than just trying to give women what men already have. We need to try to give to men what women have as well, because otherwise, I think we are saying "we are not happy with what we have. We want what you've got". And that makes me sad, because I love what we have! It's not perfect, but neither is life as a man either.

Of course, I accept there are many other views and many different views about these issues. I absolutely do not profess to have the answers. Or any answers at all. I wanted, simply, to share my thoughts on a day where we should be thinking about women. And society, and how we want things to be. And maybe taking some action to try and realise our dreams. I'd love to hear your dreams.

Do I seem weird to you?

Em tagged me ages ago for the 7 weird things meme that goes around and around and around. I've been trying to think of 7 more things that I haven't already mentioned here or here. It's hard! Because I'm not weird...am I?

See what you think:

1. I love salty and sweet flavours together - think McDonalds fries dipped into McDonalds sundae ice cream. Love it! It's a taste sensation! Or raison toast with vegemite - yum!

2. I can touch type. I went to technical college at night to learn, when I was in high school. A bunch of my friends and I all went along. This might not sound that odd, but it was at a time BC (Before Computers) (or at least, before computers were on every work desk and in every household!). So we learnt on typewriters. Manual typewriters. It was a bit of a shock when we went back the next year for the advanced course and they'd upgraded to electronic typewriters. Wow. Amazing technology!!

3. When I started work we had an internal email system but no external email. You had to have a client who wanted to email you before our work IT department would allocate you an external email address. And we didn't have internet access. When we finally got it, only one person in the team could have it (that was me! Yay!). But if it crashed (as it did regularly) you had to wait at least half an hour before starting it again. And searches took, like, for-evah!

4. I don't dye my hair. It's quite grey-ish, but I don't care. I never experimented with hair dye when I was a teenager and salon jobs are so expensive. I'd rather spend the money on shoes. Or yarn.

5. I read a story recently about women going grey (ie not fighting the battle against greys). The best piece of advice was to wear silver (or white gold) jewellery. So I've been wearing a lot more silver jewellery recently. Now just have to convince husby to buy me a new wedding ring and engagement ring (since they are yellow gold).

6. I hate wearing silver and (yellow) gold jewllery together. The grey hair won't kill me, but the silver/gold combo just might!

7. I don't believe that opening an umbrella inside is bad luck. Oh, and umbrella must be pronounced "um-bar-ella". And sword must be pronounced "sword" (ie no silent w). Why? Because it's The Rules.

If anyone else feels like sharing, share away!

SHOESday: Got any in black?

I'm conscious that I haven't posted many black shoes for SHOESday. I know for many women that it is a truth universally acknowledged that you can never have too many pairs of black shoes. And while this is true to some extent for me, I tend to go for colour in my shoes because I go for black in my clothes.

But to begin the Black Series, I give you these:Bought on sale at David Jones at the same time as these - because, apart from really liking them, and in particular the contrast of the green with the black, I thought I probably should buy at least one pair of "sensible" shoes!!

Other things I love about these shoes - the delicate yet sturdy heel which is a good height:The matching contrast lining, the bows and the way the toe area ebbs and flows:And that they come with a red sleeping bag. What more could you ask!

A's socks

A secret project for a friend's 40th birthday (A is a 29 February baby!) - finished last week and gifted on Saturday and so now bloggable!Details:

Pattern: A had been dropping hints for a while that he'd love a pair of handknitted socks. I decided some time ago to make a pair for his special birthday, since it only really comes every 4 years, and what could be better than a unique design just for him! So I designed my own, albeit fairly simple, sock pattern. I picked up the vikkel braid from Nancy Bush (last seen on husby's Spey Valley socks) and did a simple rib, narrower for the cuff and wider for the leg. Also good as I didn't have any measurements for A's legs/feet so the rib gives a bit of stretch.

Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock yarn, in SY-39 Master Grey, and SY-38 Forest Fog for the contrast toe - 2x50g balls of the grey, and a small amount of the green for the toe. The yarn is a little scratchy to knit with, but softened and bloomed beautifully after a good long soak in SOAK wool wash.Sticks: 2.5mm on the leg, changing half way down to 2.25mm, to allow for some calf-shaping. I started off with 2.5mm 30cm Addi circular, but couldn't hack the teeny tiny circ, so magic looped instead, which I found much easier.
(here is the sock taking in the view from my desk at work)
Time: Sock 1 was done from 7 October 2007 - 6 November 2007, sock 2 from 12 November 2007 - 25 February 2008, with a fairly big break so I could do my Christmas knitting. What I learnt: That I love leaving myself plenty of time to do gift knits. I had to hurry myself along a little towards the end, but I really did have a good long time to do these, which was great, given that they are bigger than I usually make socks both in leg length and foot length.

And it's a new dawn, a new day...

a new month...

Which means montly goal time! I've had some trouble thinking of March goals, beyond #1 on the list (for perhaps obvious reasons...but honestly #1 looks like a lot of stuff, but each item is relatively small. Or at least, it is in my head, so hope each will not take longer than I'm anticipating!). March goals are in the sidebar.

I am quite liking this goal setting stuff. It really does give me (and you, if you are interested in watching) an incentive to get things done. Except my tax, I was naughty about that. But I will do it today, I promise! I would probably feel even more like achieving stuff if I had a star sheet (or whatever you call it - the chart you might use for kids where you give them a gold star if they make their bed every day etc). Because, you know, I am like 10, and need that stuff! No, I will make do with the sense of satisfaction that comes with crossing stuff off the list.

Now for the stash honesty. I would have been doing ok this month if it weren't for generous friends, winning a giveaway or the German postal system! But am not complaining about any of those things, especially the miracle of the Grrman yarn finally arriving! It had been that long that I'd actually forgotten what I'd ordered! But here it is in all it's loveliness!

Soft as, well, silk, Regia Silk, and the lovely colouredy-goodness which is Kaffe Fassett Regia yarn. Oh the colours, they are divine. Am looking forward to seeing the stripey goodness in this one!

Tally for February (in 50g ball lots!):

Yarn obtained = stash: 12 balls

Yarn purchased for gift knitting: 0

Yarn used this month from stash: 10.5 balls (ok, I gave 5 balls of stash to mum for her charity knitting!)

Yarn used this month for gifts: 1

Stashbusting: +1.5 (sigh...but not as bad as last month, at least!)

YTD stashbusting: +21.5

The knitting will kick your butt

Yes, yes, the knitting will, from time to time, kick your butt and remind you that you are not, in fact, the boss. You might think you are, but you are most emphatically not.

You might try something new (toe up socks, on two circs). And you do Judy's magic cast on and it's all good, la la la all the way up the foot and then you get to the heel and do a short row heel for the first time ever. And you're not sure it's exactly right (having never properly seen one in real life) but it looks close enough and most importantly it fits. And then you zip up the leg, knitting knitting knitting, feeling very smug as you are using up all the lovely Koigu yarn and getting a nice long sock in the process. And you rib rib rib and it seems to go on forever. Then you decide to cast off.

And even though you've read in various places (too many to remember or provide links) that you need to do a reeeeealllly stretchy cast off on toe up socks, you know better, oh yes you do. So you just do your regular cast off, trying to do it as loose as possible but not even bothering to go up a stick size or two, no! For why would you need to do that?

Well duh! So you can actually get the sock on over your heel without much cursing and sweating. Yep, oh confident know all knitter, the knitting kicked your butt.

So early one weekend morning when you can't get back to sleep and your husband is still snoring away, you get up, fortunately find the end which you'd already carefully darned in (because of course the sock will fit you), and unpick the cast off. And then re-do it, by doing the sewn cast off method. And this all takes you an hour and a half. And even though it seems somewhat tight, you continue on, because you know it will be fine, just fine, you are doing it just as the instructions say.

AND IT STILL DOESN'T FIT! IN FACT, IT IS TIGHTER THAN BEFORE! Oh yes, knitting really is kicking your butt and showing you who is boss. You who think you are so clever, you are SO NOT clever.

And even though you assert your authoritai by throwing sock on the naughty spot, you know that the sock is right, and you are not.

And so after a few hours in which to calm down, and fortified by a soothing pot of tea, you painstakingly unpick the cast off row AGAIN, and the last row of knitting just to be safe, and you reknit the last row and re-do the cast off, and after another hour and a half, YOU HAVE VICTORY! The sock fits perfectly.

And even though you have won the final battle, it's a hollow victory really, because you know that sock kicked your know-it-all, she'll be right on the day butt. Big time.

SHOESday: Pretty

The last installment of brown shoes (well, I've got brown boots, but they'll have to wait for boot month).
I bought these at my LSS (local shoe shop!). It's near work and while most of the range it carries are fairly sensible, practical work shoes, it will usually have one or two pairs which really stand out. And one day when I ducked in at lunch time with a work friend, these were it.

I was standing on front of the mirror admiring them on my feet when I said to my friend "But what would I wear these with?" (see, I am practical to some extent!!).

To which she replied: "the outfit you have on, fool!" (or words to that effect). For I was wearing wide legged brown pants (trousers for you English folk!) and a green top, which picks up the colour in the fabric.

Clearly that sealed the deal. Had to have them.

Love love love the fabric on the wedge and holding on the carved-y thingy on the front, and the narrow heel. And the carved-y thingy (which I'd like to think is wooden but which I think is actually plastic!)

Because it's February

As Amy said, my latest project was made, well, because it's February. And because it's pretty. And because I've seen some pretty ones, both in real life, and in blogland (here, and then here).

So here's mine:

(with stunt buttons so you can see the buttonholes...will probably end up with plain white/cream buttons I think).

Details:

Pattern: February Baby Jacket (or "Baby Sweater on Two Needles") from Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman. She's a sparse old pattern writer is Elizabeth. Thank goodness for pattern advice from others who've gone before me in making this. Even so, I still almost forgot to put buttonholes in!

Yarn: Patons Serenity DK, a new 50/50 bamboo/cotton blend which Donni procured for me from her LYS - so soft, such a pretty sheen. I had to make something with it straight away and so hunted around for a pattern for a while until it occured to me to do this one! I used 2 balls and a smidge of a 3rd ball - for the last 3 rows and cast off - don't you hate that!

Sticks: 4mm KP Harmony Options, plus 4mm bamboo dpns for the sleeves

Modifications: EZ has you do the sleeves flat. On Ms BP's advice, I did them in the round, which meant no purl rows (hurrah!) - well, except for when I got to the garter stitch bit. Not to worry! This method does make the pattern entirely seamless - huzzah! One of my favourite things!

Time: 1 February 2008 - 20 February 2008.What I learnt: It's amazing what a difference colour can make. In this colour, the pattern makes for a very traditional baby knit. In darker colours it looks a lot more modern.

Happy Squishies

First happy squishy:mmmmm lipstick lava...thanks Donna!! Had a coffee with Donna yesterday at the Lindt cafe near my work. I forgot to take my camera so you'll just have to imagine the coffee topped with real lindt chocolate shavings... . But I did have the opportunity to get up close and personal with Donna's amazing shetland shawl - wow! Such amazing lace!

Second happy squishy:

(well, the main squishy bit on this one was the padded postal envelope, but just go with me will you!). Fab 2 socks on 1 circ pattern book (because knitting two at once makes the yarn go faster, yes!), maple sugar candy (clearly I ate one before I took the picture, and when they say it is pure maple sugar, they mean, it is 100% sugar - omg!!), and mmm yummy soap (I do love a yummy soap!). And of course, lovely ziplock bags, because we all know you can never have too many of those!I think I'll have to make this pattern first. Since it's on topic and all. These lovely gifts were from lovely MadMad, for no particular reason. Ok, well, you got me, it was for Valentine's Day. Ooo-errr, I've got a girlfriend (and also, I'm now magically 12 years old). Oh, and I almost forgot (like I forgot to take a picture), the book is signed by the author, to me! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

*thanks to Catsmum for the title inspiration!

SHOESday: golf, anyone?

I know these aren't really golfing shoes, but the little flappy thing at the front, with the tassels, it's just so golfy, you know? (it really annoys me how some of the flappy bits on the right shoe stand up like that. Will not be fixed!!)

Or Scottish highland shoes. Or both. Oh, I know, except for the heels. Not very good on a golf course or for doing a highland fling.I actually would never have thought I'd buy shoes with this kind of detail. All the others I've ever seen have been just too much. Maybe it is the colour - all one colour, rather than, say, red white and blue (I've seen them!!). And a nicely shaped heel, not too high. And the d'orsay style of the shoe (toe and heel cup). I really do like these shoes a lot. Most excellent winter work shoes!

February Goals

So at the start of last month, I resolved to make a list of goals (or even one goal) each month, and just do it. Erm, I didn't quite get there in January, and February is more than half way through...and since I have no valid excuse, I'm just going to turn into my mother and think better late than never (ok, I live my life by this saying...!)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but does represent things I must do this month:

1. Finish charity knitting (pilchers/soakers for disabled kids) for Terri.
2. Start and finish February Baby Jacket.
3. Start Ravelry Bag Lady Swap knitting.
4. Bake something for Mouthfuls of Heaven.
5. Do my tax (oops...)

All very achievable. I wonder if maybe I should aim a bit higher? Is it more inspiring to aim extermely high and fall short of your goals, or be realistic and achieve them?

Decisions, decisions

A little while ago Meg wrote a great post about how she decides what to knit next (or at least, the factors that influence the decision). I thought it was a great topic and decided I'd think on it a bit and post my own reflections. It ends up being a bit of a list about what I do and what I don't do, and some reasons why I do, or don't do, those things (and keep reading, there are photos eventually...).

1. I don't generally see a pattern and cast on for it straight away - for example, I get the latest edition of IK or Knitty, or even my friend's activity in Ravelry (best invention ever!) and will see something I love and must make. But not straight away. I rarely, if ever, see a new pattern and start it immediately. Mainly because I've already got 5 or 6 things on the sticks already, and I can't justify starting another one.

But I think it's also about being sure that I really want to spend my precious knitting time making that particular item. I hate frogging and I don't want to start someting which I end up not liking. So I'll think on it for some time before I'll actually make it. If I'm still thinking about it a few months later, I might even buy the yarn for it. Which doesn't mean I'll knit it straight away, but at least I'll have the yarn when I'm ready!

2. I don't like to knit to deadlines. So that means I try and get any gift or obligation knits out of the way sooner rather than later. Inevitably, I usually cut it close to the wire anyway, so I'm always reminding myself of the deadline for the gift knit. So even if I'm hankering to start something new, I'll try and hold off in order to finish the gift knit (but see point 6 below!).

3. I like to only have one big garment project on the sticks at any one time. So even though I've got yarn for at least 5 jumpers or cardi's for myself, I'll only have one on the sticks at any time. Although at the moment, I haven't got any (exept the Lace Tee, which doesn't count because it doesn't really have sleeves)...but I'll be rectifying that soon! Which brings to my next factor...

4. Stick availability. I'm pretty much a KnitPicks Options convert now. My most used stick size is 4.5mm. I've got 3 sets of 4.5mm tips. All currently in use. I know one of the ideas behind the Options is so you can take the tips off one project leaving it on the cable, and use the tips for another. But I just know that the minute I try that, I'll grab the project without the tips in a rush to leave the house, and then won't be able to knit on it. So I have to finish one of my 4.5mm stick projects before I can start Buck-along.

5. I like to have variety in my projects. Generally speaking, at any one time I've usually got the following on the go:

-adult garment

-baby/child garment

-scarf

-lace project

-socks

I try not to start a new project in any category if I've already got one on the go. Of course, right now, I've got 3 scarves, two pairs of socks and 2 baby garments, plus (small) adult garment and lace project. And two projects in hibernation...but still have the variety! Of course, within those categories there can be easy projects or attention needing projects, and sometimes they cross over (lace scarf, baby socks socks, lace garment etc - although never scarf socks, because that would be weird).

6. If procrastination were an olympic sport, I'd win gold, gold, gold for Australia! Even with things I enjoy, like knitting! So sometimes I start something new in order to put off knitting things I'm close to finishing, or really enjoying, or not enjoying, or need to finish. Usually the new project will be something small, like a dishcloth, but not something I need to knit straight away. But that's how procrastination works, isn't it - you get non-urgent things done and the urgent (or important) things slip.

7. What fits in with life plans (not Life Plans, just day to day stuff!). If friends are coming over I might get some time in to knit while we are sitting around chatting. But, due to the chat factor, I try and knit something really simple, like a plain sock. Now, if I don't have a plain sock on the go, then I'll have to start a new one... . Or if I'm going on a beach holiday and I don't have a cotton project on the go, then I'll have to start a new one...

8. And finally, sometimes it's just serendipity. A flash of inspiration, or a random idea, or the fact that Grey's Anatomy finally started again last Sunday and you happened to have a skein of Yarntini self-striping sock yarn in colour "McDreamy" that you recently got from someone's destash sale...

And you've learnt how to do toe-up socks and so want to keep practising, so you have to start a new sock, which you plan to only knit while watching Grey's Anatomy (and also Brothers and Sisters afterwards, because watching the stripes grow is SO.MUCH.FUN!)This is two hour's worth of tv. With a break for dinner in the middle. I think I'm a slow knitter!

I'm sorry.

I'm most especially sorry that it has taken 11 years since this report was released, and a change of government, for the events of today to take place.

SHOESday: it's all in the details

Continuing on with the brown theme (I can do a month of brown, which kind of surprises me really, given that up until a year or so ago, I never wore brown, I was always a black based dresser), these are the last of the shoes bought in the great Singapore Shopping Spree of 2005.Love that these sandals have a closed in toe cap and heel. It somehow makes me feel better about wearing them at work - I have this "rule" about sandals at work - either the heel or toe should be enclosed - at least - to make them acceptable. Of course, I do sometimes break my rule (like, with these) but that's pretty much what I stick to.

The details I love about these shoes are the straps and the t-bar strap which pulls down into a "v" shape which is echoed at the top of the strap as well (which, lets face, is more flattering for the leg as well), and that the buckle is in the shape of a bow. Now I'm not really a bows kind of person (mostly...) but the little bow is an unexpected detail, as well as being the designer's logo, which in my view makes it a nice touch.Not a great picture to get the bow detail, but you can (almost) see it there.

Odds and Ends

Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post - your comments and thoughts and hugs mean so so much to me.

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Thought I'd quickly post these - I got in a bit of a dishcloth mood before Christmas and it continued into January - partly because it was too hot to knit anything with wool in it (or at least, it seemed like it!) and because I felt the need for some instant gratification knits.

So a couple of dishcloths - both using stash (hurrah!) and both new methods or patterns for me.

Feather & fan:

Mitred Square:I even had a rare-for-me frogging experience. I started a ballband dishcloth the variegated yarn (Peaches n Cream in Flair) and the plain purple, and it just looked ugh. The colours didn't work together at all. So I frogged, and did the F&F instead. Don't ask me why I thought the colors would work in the mitred square though. I think I was at the stage where "it's just a dishcloth" so it didn't matter!

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More yarn for me! This time, not a purchase (whew!). I was lucky enough to win The Knittery's January giveaway! Hurrah! In case you don't know, lovely Daphne gives a skein of yarn each month, with the recipient chosen randomly those who post Knittery FO's to the flickr or Ravelry Knittery group! I very quickly chose a skein of the Merino Slim sock yarn in Bloody Mary, and Daphne even more quickly posted it out to me.

Divine! With a sheen and drape like silk but all merino (well, some nylon too, as you'd expect with sock yarn!). I'm thinking about making elbow length gloves (possibly fingerless...). Will see!

Do yourself a favour and buy some!

I miss my dad

Funny old week, this week. My wedding anniversary on Tuesday (8 years!) (thanks everyone for your good wishes), my mum and dad's wedding anniversary yesterday (would have been 49 years) and the anniversary of my dad's death today (2 years). Bittersweet.

I love this shot - completely candid (I think they are always the best). I wish I could remember what Dad was saying. I think it was along the lines of "are you ready?" (we were just about to walk inside for the ceremony). He was a man of few words!

I miss my dad.

Summer fruit

So a day of sun and the rain has returned. Maybe some summer fruit will cheer us up!

Details: Pattern: My first toe-up sock! I used Judy's Magic Cast On, Wendy's Generic Toe Up Sock Pattern for the short row heel, with some help from Misocrafty's short row heel tutorial and the sewn bind off from the IK which featured Ann Budd's guide to toe up sock knitting. Basically, I wanted something simple and fool proof so I'd get these right first time!

Yarn: Lovely Koigu KPPPM, colour P803 - lovely summer fruits colours - plum, raspberry, strawberry, papaya, watermelon. Interestingly, the two skeins, although from the same dye lot, are slightly different in tone - one sock is paler (or more pink) than the other. But not hugely and definitely not in a way that bothers me one bit!Sticks: 2.5mm 60cm KP fixed circulars x 2 (bought from Donni!). These were also my first pair of socks knit using 2 circs! I don't mind this method, although I think I like magic loop better. I did find that I have a "crease" up either side of the socks, where the needles joined. I think I was so conscious of avoiding ladders, and so pulled the yarn too tight on the first few stitches. Not sure how to get around that. Practice I guess...does anyone have any tips?

Time: 19 January 2008 - 4 February 2008. Not bad. Well, I guess it was a plain stocking stitch sock...which I very much enjoyed knitting!What I learnt: Well, quite a long list of firsts for these - first toe up, first short row heel, first time using two circs, first time using a different cast off method (well, for the second sock anyway...I learnt that my usual cast off is nowhere near stretchy enough for socks). Now, I just have to work up the courage and energy to find the already darned in end of sock 1, unravel the cast-off and redo it. Urk. But worth it, I know.

Stashbusting? Yes! Hurrah! 2x50g skeins

Pearl Buck Swing Jacket

I've been dreaming about making this Jacket for quite some time now - ever since I saw it on A Bluestocking Knits. After posting a picture of it last week, I've managed to convince (it was pretty easy really) BrownPants and Bells to join me in knitting it. We've all even got stash yarn to do it with (we rock!).Is anyone else going to join us? The pattern is from IK Winter 2005 or the Best of Interweave Knits book. Go on, you know you want to...we can have a Buck-along. Or a Pearl KAL. Or a Swing Thing. Or a...dare I say it, a Jacket Racket. Ok, ok, I'll stop now.

SHOESday: pretty ordinary really...

I had planned on continuing the summer/sandals theme...since, you know, it's supposed to be summer still. For quite a while yet. But the rain is pouring down and is supposed to keep coming all week, so it just didn't feel like an open shoe kind of day.

So I thought I should post my wedding shoes. Since it's my wedding anniversary today and all. But due to my poor long term planning, I've done those already.

So you'll just have to make do with these.

Hope you don't mind.To make up for what is undoubtedly your disappointment at the chocolate brown punched leather, the squillions of bronze sequins and the divine little button closure, I've done a little shoe modelling impersonation - can you tell who I am? Answer after the next pic...Why, Scarlet Johansen of course! No idea why she is so pigeon-toed in pictures. Although it does kind of make her look sweet. Sort of.

Tomorrow and Today

Oooh, tomorrow...back to work after 6 weeks off (sob). Best not to think about it - will focus on something better - today, and more specifically, who makes my day!

I've been honoured in the last couple of days by Del, Lilypily,and Rachael with the "You make my Day" award and Rhiannon with the "Spread the Love" award (my, it's a wonder my head still fits through the door!). I love this thing about blogging - these awards (Nice Matters, Rockin' Girl Blogger, You make my Day, Spread the Love and so on) are like random acts of kindness. You start out blogging, maybe you've been reading a bunch of blogs already and feel inspired to start your own. You join some blogrings, you comment on people's blogs, they comment on yours, other people comment on yours, you find new blogs through the blogs you already like and you build up a little community of blog friends, some of whom you are lucky enough to be able to meet in real life as well (it's a story I've told before, I know).

And then these awards (you like me, you really like me!) (I know, you probably need to be "of a certain age" to get that reference! And I even misquoted it!) come along and it's like the icing on the cake (and don't even get me started on the generosity of bloggers in relation to giveaways and charitable works). Completely unexpected and so lovely to be thought of in this context.

Thank you so much for these awards - it really made my day (or more correctly, my week!). Now I'm supposed to nominate 10 bloggers in return. And it's hard, almost too hard. Firstly, right back at each of you for thinking of me. And then to everyone else whose blog I read (and most particularly the ones I comment on) and to everyone who comments here - each comment makes my day, and each time your blog is highlighted in Bloglines makes my day - and believe me, I check both my blog and Bloglines a lot because I so love reading your posts and comments!

Finally, I wanted to give a shout out to some blogs which I am relatively new to reading. I've only picked up a small number of blogs in the last couple of months - I already had over 130 in my Bloglines as it was! But looking at these awards and clicking through the links to new blogs reminds me it is worth checking out new ones more often, because it really is a great world out there full of great people.

So in no particular order, some of my more recent additions include:

All Fingers and Thumbs
1 More Row
We are all Mad Here (love this blog title!!)
The Joy of Sox (ditto!)
A Room of My Own
Lily Potter Knits
and
Wouldn't Shoe (because really, why wouldn't shoe!)

So spread the love, tell those around you (in blogworld or in real life) that they make your day. It's worth it.

The question of Stash?

I've been pondering the question of what actually is stash*, because of my stashbusting drive this year. And I mean this in a serious "I'm only cheating myself if I fib" way, not in a "what can I get away with without having to tell my husband" way. But not in a guilty way, because I am so on board with the no-guilt stash manifesto!

I think we can all agree that yarn bought without a specific project in mind is definitely stash.

Like this yarn - I went to the Cassidy's sale! Both stores! (I think I'm now an honourary Canberran). How could I not buy this lovely Zara at $2/ball - that's $100 worth of yarn for only $20 (and that's for reals, not crazy talk!). So it's stash, even though it was bought on sale.

What about yarn bought for a specific project. I think if you start straight away, the yarn is not stash. But if you leave it to marinate in the ziplock for a while, does it eventually become stash? Does it only become stash if you decide you don't want to make that pattern and use it for something else? Will think on this as we continue...

(By the way, that is not going to happen with this pattern - I adore this pattern!) (also, I have at least another 3 cardigan patterns and the actual yarn each pattern calls for...)

And sock yarn? Sock yarn is bought obviously for a specific purpose, that of making socks (although we know it can be used for other stuff of course). Even though I signed up for Knit from your Stash 2007, and I was all "oh yeah, sock yarn is so not stash" exception, I think that was actually my downfall last year, because my sock yarn stash grew exponentially. So sock yarn is definitely stash.

What about gorgeous yarn that has been discontinued...
Ok, I guess it's still stash. But gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous stash.

Sale yarn is stash, unless it meets one of the not stash rules. (See, I am being harsh here. And honest...)


Finally, yarn purchased to make gifts for others is not stash -unless you have bought it and then not used it for said gifts. Anything leftover definitely is stash. And yarn gifted to me is stash. But stash of the best kind!

I'm sure there are other complications, but these are the main ones for me. The real issue for me, in working out whether I'm in fact stashbusting this year, is the yarn bought for a specific project issue. I think I'm going to say that if I bought it more than 6 months ago (as far as I can remember, in an honest remembering way, not in a vague "oh this, I've had this for ages way", which I may have done previously for shoes...) then it has become stash.

And I'm going to keep myself honest by noting at the end of each month how much yarn I've knit in the previous month (both stash and new) and how much I've bought. I'm just going to do it by number of 50g (2oz) balls. I could do yardage etc but that's too much maths for me. By recording this, I'll have a simple way of measuring my success - if I'm in the negative, I know I'm ahead in terms of stashbusting...

So here's my January 2008:

Yarn purchased = stash: 30 balls (mostly from Cassidy's...)
Yarn purchased to make gifts: 7 balls (for Ravelry Bag Swap)

Yarn used this month from stash: Approx 10 balls - all stash

Stashbusting: +20 (sigh...) (and I go back to work next week, so that'll mean less knitting time...I can't believe I only got 10 balls worth done this month! I think I should have an internet diet!)

*Feel free to read "george" for stash throughout this post. I just didn't want to completely rub it in due to the copious mentions of stash/george throughout this post...