The week in review

Wow, it's been over a week since the last post. It really doesn't seem that long at all. Possibly because I spend time ready all your blogs and feel my work is done.

The week started out just fine. The eBay auctions have been going really well. Most things are selling and some things are selling very well indeed. It's hard work being an eBay mogul, but that's ok, because no-one pays me to sit and knit or read blogs. The aim is to pay off the car debt as quickly as possible. That's a lot of sewing patterns and old needlework kits.

Op-shopping was great last weekend and included a visit with the Happy Spider at her work. She introduced me to her boss as a woman she knits with. He smiled, nodded and asked if I was knitting anything at the moment. The silence that followed was stunned and broken only by the grinding of Spidey's teeth. I managed a strangled "Why yes, I do have a project or seven on the needles" and Spidy and I repaired to the cafe to roll our eyes and imbibe caffeine.

I may have missed the ball-winder, table loom and knitting machine that The Shopping Sherpa found, but a quick trip to the shop on Monday netted about 400g of divine mauve lace-weight, 180 g of apple green lace-weight and 350g cream 8ply.

Sunday was the first day of spinning classes at Canberra Spinner's and Weavers. I suck at spinning and after two hours of doing nothing but treadling, I still can't get an even rhythm. I am practicing. In an "only in Canberra" moment, where there's no such thing as 6 degrees of separation and 3 degrees is only for very recent arrivals, the only other student in the class is the daughter of a West Highland Terrier breeder who has worked very closely with my breeder. In dog and Canberra terms, that makes us related.

Gratuitous Westi pic: Here's Rosie who was very happy to be allowed on a couch at last.

Sunday arvo and Tuesday night SnB's were great as usual. Lovely to be with my knit sisters, even if I got exactly no knitting done at either event. Sometimes it's all about the bitch.

It was at this point that the week started heading for the toilet.

Mum and Dad, who should be on their annual northerly migration for the winter, are back 6 weeks early. Dad discovered what has turned out to be an agressive malignant melanoma. It's pretty bad but it is small and age is on his side. Apparently it's better to be older in this situation. They drove home Wednesday and he has an appointment for more tests next Friday.

Not to be outdone, Mum developed one of her killer nosebleeds Thursday evening and spent the night in Emergency. It's really scary when you can't stop a gusher like that. She's home now and we're hoping for a uneventful weekend.

The dogs are pleased to see the parents back, but Peggy misses having Rosie here all the time. Of course she resented having to share me when Rosie came. Bloody dogs.

Good things happened in the midst of all this. Thanks to Gillian who sent me a fantastic scarf pattern inside a Horacek card!. The day it arrived, my mother asked me to knit her a scarf and I have excatly the right wool in stash to do it. Of course, she needs a scarf sooner than I can knit 6 feet of cable in 8ply so my current project is a scarf for Mum. I'm moss stitching Patons Velveteen doubled up for a soft, warm and quick scarf. Thank heavens for Sue who donated a large bag of this stuff. Can't photograph it now, but will do so before I give it to Mum.

Jejune's back safe from holidays and that makes me really happy, too. :)