Test Post for Angelo



Me and the Papal Visit Committee, 1986
SOURCE:  ACT HERITAGE LIBRARY, Canberra Times Collection

 Showing Angelo how easy it is to add content to Blogger.

Further Information at http://www.library.act.gov.au/find/history

Hot in the city

We've had a week of hideously hot weather.  Over 33 degrees Celcius, most days much higher.

The absolute best part of knitting in public on really hot days?

Being able to answer the incredulous stares and comments by slowly smiling, peering over the top of my glasses and in a deadpan voice, saying

Getting a Grip

The stationery section of any shop is always worth checking out.

The local $2 shop (Hot Dollar, Woden Plaza) had a packet of 5 pencil grips and umpty ump pencil topper rubbers for ... wait for it ... $2.

The supermarket stopped carrying the pencil grips I've been using for a couple of years so I was very pleased to see these.

Not for use with pencils, obviously, but for knitting.

While this solution doesn't protect the needle tips, it does prevent stitch slippage. These work well on 2.25mm and larger needles.  They will stay on the 2mm needles, but not as securely.  That's ok, most of the socks I knit are on 2.25mm needles anyway.

The pencil toppers might work as point protectors on larger straights, or perhaps I could join two together with a length of elastic for a combo dpn point protector/stitch holder.  Hmm - will get back to you on that.

At the carwash, yeah

I'm sorry, our staff member has a lot on his mind right now - he can't possibly help you.

Aren't they though?

Carmelite Fete, Red Hill, 10/11/2012

Where else would they hold it?

Maribyrnong Primary School fete, Kaleen, November 2012

Tonic

One of the underpinning truths of my life is that there knitting is suited to every mood and circumstance.

Late this week I needed knitting that was without deadline, entirely unrelated to any thing or event, or anyone else, that was achievable, sensually immersive, and that was uplifting.

From deep in the boodle came a skein of 100% angora yarn, hand-dyed and given to me by the Happy Spider.  The colourway, Ophelia, is randomly variegated in greens, ranging from soft leaf, through lime, sea green to a deep teal which giave me a thrill of pleasure each time it appeared.  The yarn is two singles held together but not really plied and it is blooming as I knit.

The pattern was already in my queue, Elinor Brown's Ridged Lace Cowl.  I was a bit low on yardage for the pattern (155m instead of 183m+) but as I have a short neck to start and several added chins a smallerer version is fine and this yarn just demanded to be worn on the neck. As it turns out, it will only be one pattern repeat shorter than the pattern. More details on Ravelry.

There are a couple of bonuses in this knit.  It proved to be an easily memorised pattern and totally portable, so it enjoyed a sit and knit by Lake Burley Griffin between commitments one night and it ticks a pattern off the queue.  Don't underestimate the deep satisfaction that gives this compulsive list maker!

It was cast off over breakfast on Saturday and was just the tonic needed.