Patons Pattern Hunt

Over the years I've adopted different storage systems and classification arrangements of knitting pattern leaflets.

Storage systems used include

• hole punching and binders (I was 8, give me a break!),
• plastic sleeves and binders
• pamphlet boxes
• box files
• the "Lying Around on Any Available Flat Surface" method for which I have a patent pending.

Apart from hole punching they all have qualities to recommend them. My preference is for box files.

Classification schema have included

• Subject (babies, children, women, men, accessories, homewares, toys, dogs),
• Chronological (order in which they are received, usually in conjunction with the "Lying Around on Any Available Flat Surface" storage method)
• Favourites (often subdivided by subject) and
• Provenance (separate collections based on author or publisher with appropriate sub-divisions depending on the creator - usually chronological by publication date).

Because I am an archivist Provenance is my preferred method of arrangement but what I'd really like is to catalogue and index them all so I have a database searchable by designer, publisher, yarn, ply, size and pattern type. Because I am also a masochist, I've made a start.

Just before I went away for all those weeks, I sat down one evening and put the main run of the Patons patterns into numerical order. When I got back I spent another day or so trawling the various pattern storage devices for other patterns. I found many duplicates, most of which were offered around SnB members.


Patons produced a number of separate series of pattern leaflets in Australia. There are at least two single number series.

• Series 1 is numbered 1-1000 and runs from the 1930s to the early 1970s.
• Series 2 begins in the 1970s and seems still to be going.
• the craft series (number prefixed with the letter C),
• the reprint series (number prefixed with the letter R)
• the classics series.

I've collected the vintage (Series 1) Patons patterns off and on for years and was given a goodly number by Mum and Nanna. Now I want to complete the set if possible. It could be worse, I could collect vintage cars - I once created a catalogue for a collection of vintage cars and associated documentation and memorabilia for a friend's husband, I know what I'm talking about.

A spreadsheet was used to create a list of pattern numbers and colour coded to indicate which pattern numbers I have and in what condition. Grey indicates a pattern in good order and orange shows one that should be replaced if the opportunity arose and the price was right. Green means I'm on a promise for that one.


If you'd like to see the list, it's up on Google Documents.

A printout sits in my wallet with the needle gauge I habitually carry - what, don't you? I can check it whenever I come across a bundle of patterns for sale. Since compiling the list a fortnight ago it's been in constant use. Here's The Shopping Sherpa learning the system at the Salvos Tuggeranong. Why yes, that is a large basket of yarn in front of me - how odd. Please note this was before Seven Things Spring.

In Reply

Questions regarding my socks.

Bells, I have a narrow heel, but a large leg and foot. I'm going to have to play with decreases at the ankle to get a snug fit. The alternative may be to knit the heel on fewer than half the stitches but I suspect I'll get unsightly bunching at the front of the ankle/top of the foot if I do that. Any other suggestions gratefully received.

Olivia, sorry not to have taken a photo of the buggered up toe. Imagine a toe turned 90 degrees to the usual position. The graft ran on the same axis as the leg, rather than on the toe axis.

Up Front

The Front cafe at Lyneham is a lovely little cafe/gallery. The chairs are mostly good, the soy hot chocolate was ok, the choc muffin thing was pretty ordinary. It's spacious, though, and not too loud - a good SnB space.

We had a lovely SnB there tonight - new people, not so new people, old mates. A great range of ages and abilities. We were the only ones there (about 10 or 12 of us) and there was plenty of room for more people. Even the cafe dog got a chair to itself!

Pity about the attitude. Last month's problem was, perhaps, an understandable mix up over confirmation but tonight's announcement that they can't guarantee us space every month because they'd like to keep it open for a "more appropriate" (I quote) activity is totally FUCKED!

Yes, it's their business and they can do what they like with it. I have a suggestion about what they can do with it and with what degree of force, but I am a lady and cannot say.

I will say, though, that I will not be back.

As the Divine Miss M would say ...

"Don't brag about your body, baby,

And say that you're packin' a lot,

'cause all i see besides your big feet

Is that you got big socks."

So true, but now my big socks are hand-knitted.

Yes, these are the ones I knitted on the road trip with Mum way back in April from an Opal kit TSS frugalled for me last year.

Following a grafting fuck up (for future reference: toes are horizontal, NOT vertical), these have been languishing in the AID pile.

Please note the near identical nature of these socks - a feature which pleases me no end.

The Happy Spider rescued them for me yesterday. Thanks, Spidey.

72 stitch sandard pattern in Opal faux-isle on 2.25mm needles. Note to self - decrease a couple of stitches before the heel and don't forget that whole horizontal toe thing.

Seven Things Spring Week 1

IN

• 3 knitting magazines (Knit Simple, Vogue Knitting and Knit 'n' Style)
  1 fashion magazine
• 31 books donated by well-meaning friends to BookCross. I don't mind, but did it have to be THIS week? Every effort will be made to release them next week.
• 4 knit-lit books (Knit Lit 1-3 and Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales) accepted from The Shopping Sherpa. Be warned - DO NOT participate in the 7 things challenge with friends who are likely to offload their 7 things on YOU.
• 2 lots of yarn also from TSS. 650g of Patons Sunspun textured 8ply cotton in dark purple (I'm thinking Everlasting Bagstopper) and 325g of Cleckheaton 5ply boucle wool in a dark cerise colour which will probably end up as a small child's cardie.

I can explain the knit-lit and the yarn; really I can. This sorry tale should serve as a warning to all - DO NOT leave home without your knitting.

On Friday I had a client visit mid-afternoon clear across the other side of town. I was in a rush and hadn't eaten and raced out the door grabbing back-pack, donor forms, explanatory stuff for the client, coat and keys. At the first red-light the sickening realisation dawned - my knitting bag containing the sock-on-the-go and 2 TWWCs which was in the tea room in prepartion for lunch-time knitting.

I did not panic. I took a deep breath and tried to think happy but non-knitting thoughts (there are some, admittedly few, but some nonetheless - puppies, babies, sunsets, that kind of thing; just don't think about knitting dog coats, baby booties or while watching the sunset and you're fine). The time was 2pm.

The client visit was lovely. He was showing me 600 odd photographs of the building of and life in a retirement village. Wonderful social history document. I was keeping it together and then came the photo of 15 or so women in the community room all knitting. Let's just say that I had a vision of the future and it was good but it did remind that there was an evening ahead that was yarn-less. I felt a twinge of anxiety but covered it by telling the client about Stitch 'n' Bitch (because if you can't be knitting the next best thing is talking about it). Lord love him; he'd heard of us.

By 5.30 I was in Civic to meet TSS for an exhibition opening. She noticed the missing part of my ensemble immediately. Twitchiness was also apparent - she offered alcohol which distracted me for a while but it did little to dull the developing craving. I resisted the urge to stroke the hand-knitted jumpers and cardigans and a particularly beautiful shawl of the other guests and settled for standing quite close and affecting a nonchalant and definitely non-stalker attitude while inhaling the yarn fumes. It worked to an extent but an hour later we were in BigW looking looking to score. The Jet was all gone but I fondled a couple of balls of Sean Sheep and we laughed and pointed at the nasty self-patterning acrylics which took the edge off what was now becoming a full on craving for yarn.

We were also hungry and decided we'd drive to TSS's, leave the car and walk to her favourite Thai restaurant. This is when it happened, I opened the boot to take out the fabric I had for her and she handed me 4 knitting books and a bag of yarn. She took advantage of my weakened state and I was powerless to resist. It was 8pm - I'd been without yarn and its accoutrements for 6 hours.

OUT

• 4 fashion magazines. GIFT
• 3 knitting patterns (duplicates from my collection of vintage Patons patterns - more of that next week). GIFTS
• 1 DVD (Ally McBeal the first series. Look, it was $1, I loved that first series, and it was a really good thing to take away with us. Now I'm inflicting it on someone else.) GIFT.
• 11 books via BookCrossing
• 2 items of West Highland Terrier memorabilia. The crappy planter and photo frame were gifts. I treasure the thought behind the gift but don't need to keep the objects themselves. SALVOS
• 3 vintage embroidery books. I can't successfully multi-task embroidery and I get a frozen shoulder from too much fine needlework. GIFT
• 1 box assorted vintage stationery with a floral theme. Yes, I could use it up but I have heaps of vintage stationery and this is going to an appreciative home. GIFT
• 2 handbags: 1 black leather; 1 my original "Classic" Kangarina, the bag that changed the way I view handbags - it's a cult thing. SALVOS
• 2 black leather wallets: 1 that was perfect - soft leather, just enough compartments but the coin purse stretched so much I kept losing my small change. SALVOS
• 1 pair cheap sunglasses that came free with a lipstick last year. SALVOS
• 1 pair cute cats-eye glasses frames in which I considered putting my own lenses. SALVOS
• 1 zebra-stripe faux fur handbag. Scarily, I have a skirt that matches this. Love the skirt, the handbag is too much! SALVOS
• 1 coin purse to match zebra-stripe faux fur handbag. Donated to TSS for possible recycling as a miniatures something. GIFT
• 1 old mobile phone with cow-print cover. RECYCLED
• 1 child's cow fancy dress costume. Frugalled for a friend's children but it was too small. Going to a work colleague with a suitably small child. GIFT
• 12 pairs of pantyhose. Mum used to work on the hosiery counter at DJs. Our hosiery stockpile was legendary. Mum gave me these to recycle as knee-highs and hair elastics (a tutorial on that later). They've been here at least 6 months, so they are going to someone who might actually use them. GIFT
• 1 shabby chic style purse purchased and used as a knitting equipment holder in the days when I only did premmie knitting in breaks at work, dreamed of bigger projects and hid it all over the place from a non-supportive partner. I don't have to hide knitting any more and this is far too small. SALVOS
• 1 silk jewellry pouch. Given to a jewellry making friend for a gift bag. GIFT
• 24 sewing patterns sold on eBay. SOLD
• 3 pieces of fabric to TSS, because turnabout is fair play!

SHAKE-IT-ALL-ABOUT
Only a single TTWC completed this week, and it hasn't been photographed yet.

In 71

Out 76

NETT OUT 5

I should feel like a failure, but I don't. I tried really hard to review some of the collections of things in my house (I got rid of handbags for God's sake!) and find good homes for them. Registering and releasing books is time-consuming as is eBay selling.

Congrats to the other Seven Things Springers. Five Ferns Fibreholic has posted - snaps to her, she got rid of yarn! TSS has posted and had the good grace to feel bad (but not TOO bad) about offloading stuff on me. TinkingBell emailed about her progress and it's good. Very good. Ferg's having to move house again so she'll be hard at it. Jay appears to be blogless, but cheers for Jay. Seepi, also blog-less, has reported her progress in TSS's comments - excellent start. Lastly, we've been joined by BB who had a bit of a setback on her first day. I feel your pain, BB.

WIP it! (with apologies to Devo)

Startistis is gnawing at the admittedly shaky resolve to finish some of the projects already on the sticks before succumbing to the tempations of new infatuations.

These are the projects in current rotation.

Short Circuit scarf in mystery boucle.

The yarn emerged from a boodle box of textured but not bad yarns. I imagine that it came from an op-shop in a bag of yarn bought for something else in it. The yarn has been unravelled from another garment and there is quite a lot of it. The boucle bit is plum and the plying thread is dark navy blue. Knitting it on 5mm needles (lovely vintage red plastic ones) gives it a lot of drape. This was started in July but abandoned in the whole mix up over my leave dates. It's mindless enough to be out and about knitting so I'm trying not to waste precious home time on it.

Plain Socks in Heirloom's Jigsaw sock yarn

The yarn is from the considerable sock boodle and I think it came from Cassidy's in Jamison last year. Started a week ago so I'd have an easy sock for toting around, it has progressed to the heel. The intention was to work on this at lunchtimes but the first week back at work was a bit full on and it was only knitted during one lunch-time. Will try harder next week.

"Khaki Cables" by Penny Ollman from Knitter's Magazine Winter 2006

This is the project I took away. There is a completed sleeve and half a back is currently on the needle. There's a front done as well, but I buggered it up and it will be unravelled in the fullness of time.

The cable pattern is lovely and easy to remember, definitely a Good Thing TM. I've made sizing alterations. The pattern is for quite a short cardigan but I've done the maths (several times *sigh*) and my version will be a-lined and below hip length. I'm praying that I have enough Cleckheaton Country Heathers to finish. Loving the green. This is my at-home knit. At-home doesn't happen very often, so this could be a very long time being finished.

And the needle is an Addi Turbo. I was not an fan of the Turbo but it's definitely the right tool for this job. I still don't like the short shank on the shorter length Addis, but this one is long enough to manipulate easily.

As usual there are five TTWCs on the go. They don't really count as WIPs as they are constant. Why five? That's the number of 4.5mm x 60cm circs I have and it's convenient to have them loaded and ready to go at a moment's notice. I also aim to have at least one paler-shaded TTWC available for knitting in low light levels (movies, lectures etc.). It's also useful to have a few on the go because sometimes it isn't always possible to knit the "finishing" stage on dpns and participate in other activities (like walking).

There are other projects lurking in the WIP/UFO basket but I'm ignoring them until something can be achieved with these babies.

Pear shaped

TTWC Jr. 2007.96 with Manchurian Pear blossom.

This is yarn George donated at the Harlot Happening in March. There was just enough left for a TTWC Jr. I got a bit silly with the umbilical i-cord.

The Last Post

TTWC 2007.95 on concrete seat ends

My Dad is from a tiny district near a small town in the Western District of Victoria. The dairy farm he grew up on was a post-WWI Soldier Settlement block with some land holdings added to it. Part of the block was the intersection of the two main roads in the district, that is - the road to the school and the road to the railway siding.

My Grandfather was a sporting man. He played football and cricket and trained race horses. My father played football and cricket (very well as it happens) and his sisters played tennis. So for the reasons of geography, personal inclination, district pride and to keep his children close to home, the local football and cricket pitch was in a paddock on the family property nearest the school, and my grandfather gave a portion of the land on the intersection of the roads to the Shire Council for a tennis court. The Council built a tennis court on the land nearest the intersection and my grandfather built another court next to it. The tournaments held there were legendary and summer and winter the little dairy farm was one of the hubs of the community social life.

Two young men from the district lost their lives in World War II. The community erected a memorial to them by putting up a seat at the tennis court. My grandfather had a matching seat constructed for the family court. The seats were wooden slats attached to shaped concrete end posts.

Some years ago Dad was at the farm doing some work and negotiating to purchase the old and now disused tennis court land back from the Shire Council when he came across 4 concrete ends and remembered their significance. No one he mentioned them to expressed any interest in them, so he brought the concrete ends home to Canberra where he erected one seat in his backyard and put a plaque on it in continued remembrance of the war dead. I advised him at the time that the local historical society should be told of the memorial and that he probably shouldn't have moved them. His argument was that it was his land, that there had never been markings on the seats in the first place and that at least he was prepared to honour those men's supreme sacrifice.

The other two concrete seat posts are in my garden waiting for Dad to decide where to construct it yet. The beanie didn't seem to mind.

Live wire

TWWC 2007.94 in fuse box

I just love finding new places to keep yarn.

AmandaJ wanted to know how I came to be taking photos in the loo yesterday. I knew someone would ask the loo question.

The camera was in my handbag, and I had my handbag with me, so when I'd finished what I was there for I took a picture. Now you mention it though, one of my superiors was in the bathroom at the same time (different stall) - wonder what she made of the flash. Maybe now she'll realise where the sun really does shine!

The feathers fly

It is most of a hat made from fake Feathers yarn and a big ball of acrylic on a round loom like a big French Knitting form that this under 14s centre forward is wearing. She was unaffectedly working on it between soccer matches at Young yesterday. I was chuffed.

In the passenger seat of a cab in Canberra today I knitted on a TTWC. The driver said he'd never had a passenger knit in his taxi in 20 years on the job. On reflection, he decided it wasn't as entertaining as the woman putting her knickers on because she'd forgotten to before she left the house, but it was much better than someone cleaning their shoes or putting on make-up.

Quite liked this graffiti in a loo at the Australian National University today.

There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance

TTWC 2007.93

The last of the Jet that Georgie donated, resting on the rosemary hedge.

I had a lovely time this afternoon with some of my favourite knit bloggers and cr***eter at Georgie's this afternoon. We welcome her to the Sisterhood of the Sock. Those sausage rolls were to die for, George - thank you.

Rosemary is one of my favourite herbs -it's so robust. Potato wedges baked with salt and rosemary; chicken breast marinated in a little oil, lemon juice and rosemary and grilled; lamb roasted with garlic and rosemary.

I planted a rosemary hedge at the highest point in the yard, behind the rose garden in the south west corner. I wanted this to be my vegie patch, Dad wanted roses. I lost.

When Dad trimmed the hedge last autumn I found the clippings on the trailer with the rest of the rubbish to go to the tip. I rescued a green shopping bag full and took it to work to share with my colleagues. Our tearoom smelled divine for a week.

The neighbour behind has his potting bench in that corner and I can tell when he's been potting because the dogs smell of rosemary from trying to get through to "help" him.

This morning I succumbed to the latest Knit Simple which has several designs I like, and the most recent Knit 'n' Style which despite an unfortunate tendency to novelty yarn, has some great patterns this issue; patterns that will fit if I knitted them. Excellent. I'm taking them on a trip to Young tomorrow. No, not to the fabulous Wool Room Country Store, one of my fave yarn stores, but to watch my nieces and nephew play soccer. After tomorrow's 400k round trip, I do not wish to drive again for some time.

Welcome to fellow Seven Things Spring (or September for the not so stuff-challenged), Tinking Bell, Five Ferns Fibreholic, Ferg, and Jay who shouted out on TSS's blog.

Seven Things Spring Starts Saturday

TTWC 2007.92 with camellia in bud

Seven Things Spring starts Saturday 1 September. It will be the same as June and July, except this time I'll be doing it from September to November and for September I will have company - TSS is joining in. It has a good spring cleaning vibe happening.

Earthchick started the Seven Things Project in July 2006. Her goal was to try and live more simply - to have less and more importantly to want less; to rid herself of the clutter that overwhelms and paralyses. Amen to that, sister.

In the spirit of the Seven Things Project, items will be thoughtfully dealt with. Just throwing stuff out isn't part of the deal. Mindful consumption and thoughtful disposal are tenets of this particular faith.

We will report each Sunday (most likely with photos and rationales) in three categories :"In", "Out" and"Shake-it-All-About". The aim is that "Out" minus "In" will be greater than or equal to 7.

In
The stuff we bring in to our homes. This includes:

• stash items of ANY kind
  
• other forms of entertainment such as books, magazines, cds etc.
  
• Items received by subscription, for example, magazines are to be counted.
  
• Clothes and accessories are to be counted.
  
• Homewares are to be counted.
  
• Gifts received are to be counted.

Exempt are consumables such as food and other groceries and items borrowed from the library (but not items borrowed from the library and copied for keeping because that is (a) illegal and (b) not in the spirit of the challenge).

Out
Items deliberately weeded from the house. Consumables do not count. Completely worn out and non-fixable/transformable clothing, household items etc do.

Shake-it-All-About
This category is about transformation. Having taken on this challenge before, I thought it important to acknowledge the creative transformation of items already in the home. This might be as simple as the use of stash buttons on an old blouse to revamp it instead of buying a new blouse or other transformation of clothes. It might be the creation of something new for ourselves or others from stash. Some items from this category will become "outs" which is perfectly fine.

So, like dieters everywhere, today we binge. The Shopping Sherpa, the Happy Spider and I are off on an op-shop crawl.

And then my heart with pleasure fills

TTWC 2007.91

Finally the jonquils flower en masse and I missed their burgeoning. Cruel fate!

These are not ordinary jonquils.

When my parents bought the house next door to them as an investment property in the early 80s, Mum was given some jonquil bulbs by a friend. Dad hates bulbs so Mum secretly planted them in the garden next to the front porch of the house next door and pretended they were there all along. Dad knew they hadn't been there at all but upheld the fiction. They were always known as Mum's flowers and in late winter and early spring she filled small vases with them for the house.

20 years pass. *insert wavy time warp image*

Almost exactly 3 years ago, my brother knocked down the house next door and built a big new house for his family. I moved into my house just around the corner at about the same time. At my brother's insistence most of the garden was retained during the building process but the plants closest to the house were to be bulldozed too.

The week before the bulldozers moved in, my brother, his family, his father-in-law and I spent a weekend salvaging what plants we could. The jonquils were just getting ready to bloom when I dug them up and placed them in one of the polystyrene broccoli boxes we begged from the markets. Some I planted in my garden straight away, others stayed in the polystyrene boxes until the next autumn when Dad planted them throughout the new beds we had just created in my back yard.

This is the first year I've had a decent display and they are lovely. I take Mum a small bunch every few days.

Dad arrived home from his Trans-Siberian odyssey this morning. When I mentioned the jonquils had finally bloomed and were now nearly over, he suggested I plant some daffodils as well so I'd get a longer spring display next year. "Bulbs are so cheerful; I don't know why your mother doesn't have some", he informed me. I haven't had the heart to tell Mum.

And to those who suggested I weed there acreages while I was about it, I have two words for you: GET FLOCKED (preferably of those little miniature sheep; they're bound to keep the weeds at bay).

Ravel rouser

TTWC 2007.89 in stash mystery yarn

Forgot to mention - I'm on Ravelry.

It's early days yet but I can confidently say this could be a great big time sink. I thought I'd just have a bit of a look after SnB last night (mostly because I felt guilty about being in for days and not having even set up a profile) and the next thing it's 2am.

I picked up the pieces from the recent Knit1 Blog1 exhibitions at CraftACT today. While I was there I collected the Happy Spider's knitted wonders and the dress form that displayed her rogue hoodie.

A quick photo session with the resident gargoyle and it was off to Starbucks for a sit and knit with Jejune and Spidey. Lovely to sit and catch up for an hour or so - a bit like a couple of years ago when it was just the three of us at a Stitch 'n' Bitch. How times change and now we get to knit with lots of gorgeous women 4 times a month!

Jejune was working on the second lace mitt (I got to try on the first one - it's divine) and Spidey had a sensational sock in her new colourway - "Imposition".

Then on to the Southern Cross Club for dinner with Judes and the Woden SnB. Eight women (7 of them bloggers) enjoying the company, the alcohol and the fibre fumes. What a magnificent day.

Hand-me-downs and a sling-shot brain

TTWC 2007.88 with comfrey

Comfrey is fantastic for accelerating compost breakdown and a potent herbal remedy for the treatment of bruises and broken bones. It's also a bugger to get out of the garden. This plant was cut back to the base 6 weeks ago. It's grown 2 foot in the middle of a Canberra winter!

The herb and vegie garden is due for a shake up soon. I'll pick up some manure later in the week to dig through the beds. Mum has promised me a rhubarb plant and it will soon be time to plant the early summer veg and new herb seedlings.

I won't be needing any curly parsley though - my three plants have quite literally taken over the bed. There has been a little die-back, but not much.

TTWC 2007.89 with parsley garnish.

Mrs Jordan, our home ec. teacher, had us garnish every dish with parsley - even junket. I hate junket to this day. I forgot to add the rennet and it came out like a boiled vanilla milkshake. I was made to drink it, after removing the parsley garnish. Hideous.

All blooming life you're feeding

Thanks for the welcome back - it was lovely to hear from you all.

I'm part through some blogs but will admit to reading just the last few posts of most. Many of you I will catch up with in the next week or so and I'm looking forward to that very much.

I've decided that weeding is rather like exercise - dire but necessary and can only be accomplished if I trick myself into it. Also both activities usually end up with me in pain and whingeing.

So the last couple of days have been spent hanging out the washing and plucking a weed or two along the way; hauling bags from the car to the house and back again etc. Net result is I'm about a 2/3 the way through the back garden and 1/3 the front. Tomorrow should see another 1/3 of the front done because I've bought some pansies and seaside daisies for a bed that is currently weed infested.

This morning I took the last crop of TTWC's for a photoshoot and weeded most of the back garden as a result. See - tricked myself into both weeding and exercise.

TTWC 2007.83-87

So what's been happening?

Yup, we're back.

Five weeks in paradise is tough, lemme tell ya. The weather was only so so, but I managed a walk or two most days and the op-shops of the mid-north coast have been completely denuded of hand-knits most of which have been unpicked and some of which have been unravelled, washed and re knitted. Mum knitted her way through two large 8ply cardigans worth of wool and was only slowed down by the need to unpick more jumpers. I have niddy-noddy related strain and bruising, but we have a reasonable amount of yarn to be getting on with.

There is very little knitting to show . I did a lot of knit/tink and knit/rip on the cardie project that travelled with me. The light in our unit was atrocious, Mum's relatives came to visit (3 out of 5 weeks we had visitors) and I did a LOT of driving - this all had adverse effects on knitting time. Beanies were, of course, knitted. Knitting slows my walking speed down to Mum's pace. A TTWC band takes a 2k round trip walk to the beach to watch the waves and check on the progress of the kangaroo family we adopted.

The really poor weather last week (9 inches of rain in 7 days) meant that the planned artfully posed shots of beanies on the beach, beanies with kangaroos and/or kookaburras and beanies in the rain forest didn't happen. Given the state of my garden, though, you'll be seeing a lot of beanies and weeds in the next few days or so.

Only one bobbin was spun due to crammed living quarters and lack of light. I did manage to resist the call of the local alpaca breeder, though, so at least the fibre stash wasn't expanded.

I missed you lot, though. It will take a while before I'm all caught up on blogs.

Outta here!

TTWC 2007.82

Stunning sea green Patons Overlander. The yarn was composed of two softly spun singles plied together. The subtle colour changes were endlessly entertaining, but an indication of my general level of distraction this week was that this took me 4 days to knit and I started the decreases 5 times before I worked out I'd had the wrong number of stitches the whole time.

How delighted was I yesterday to spot a sock (Opal self-striping the same as Five Ferns has just finished) being knitted during my seminar paper? I may have excitedly mentioned it during the presentation. Aah, the heart, such a lovely sleeve accessory.

OK, so this blog will be largely unattended for the next few weeks. I will have to walk to the nearest caravan park for internet access (how very Home & Away) or join the local library ($3 for visitors) which is only open 3 part days a week.

SEVEN THINGS WEEK 6 - I didn't lie last week, I just had a few things that had to go this week.

Out

• 30 something items of clothing - tops, skirts, trousers, jackets, coats, jumpers, socks and scarves - all to the women's refuge. Most are new or near new, or in the case of the socks, still in their packets. Some I'd intended to sell, but imagining being forced to leave home in a hurry and trying to get clothes to fit someone my size made this a very easy decision. I don't have an exact total - the last figure I remember was 27 and a lot more went into the box after that. GIFT
• 137 books through BookCrossing for chucking out the car window the whole way to South West Rocks. BOOKCROSSING
• 8 fabric remnants GIFT
• 3 little bags with wooden/cane handles. Purchased at the usual boutiques with the intention of using the hands for knitted or felted bags. Well that didn't happen and I know someone who just might use them. GIFT.
• 10 TTWCs - some to Stasia, some to the refuge GIFT
• 63 pairs of wrist-warmers. I'm claiming these as the wool came from my place. Some to Stasia, some to the refuge. GIFT
• 1 x digital camera - my Kodak for Dad
• 1 x battery charger for Dad
• 4 x rechargable batteries for Dad. OK, these are slightly cheaty, but they aren't coming back and they were here for some months.
• 1 recent fashion mag courtesy of TSS to another journal junkie. GIFT
• 1 hand knitted beret for the TASDA raffle. DONATION
• 6 cooking mags GIFT
• 1 TTWC Jr beanie held in abeyance from last week. GIFT

OUT 266

In

• 4 magazines from TSS
• 1 reel knitting in elastic (50c)
• 1 digital camera (gift)
• 1 battery charger (bought with my Xmas/birthday gift vouchers)

IN 7

TOTAL OUT 259

total for challenge 559
(a little over 93 things a week average)

I am only just now starting to see some clear space, but there's a lot more to go yet. When I get back, I start on the sewing patterns and craft books. Duplicate knitting patterns are on the hit list.

I'm almost with you

TTWC 2007.80-81.

The one on the right was last seen here. Isn't the little fairisle bit sweet. Lyn did most of the hat but I did the starting and finishing so I'm claiming it. And, Kate - no, I've never spotted one of the beanies in the wild, but I don't spend much time in Civic or at the meth clinic.

***

The coundown to South West Rocks is well and truly on.

WORK The only work related thing left to do is present a hastily prepared seminar tomorrow. All over by lunch time.

SEVEN THINGS I said that was over, but the last of the TTWCs and Mum's wrist-warmers must go to Stasia; the women's refuge is in need of all sorts of clothing but particularly clothing for larger-sizes so I've had a clear out and they need to be dropped off, and many books have been pre-released in anticipation of leaving them behind at rest stops along the route North.

DAD had his first lesson in using the digital camera tonight. The argument over whether to buy an adaptor for the battery recharger or to take the pack of 20 for $1.99 "ultra mega heavy duty" non-rechargable batteries was resolved when the camera chewed through the first two cheapies in less than 3 minutes. He's going to buy an adaptor tomorrow. We will repeat the digital camera lesson over the next three nights and I have engaged my niece to reinforce during the day as necessary.



I still have to pack his bag for him. Yes. Jaw drop moment - he can't pack his own suitcase. God only knows what box he will tick on the customs form about who packed his bag.



MUM sent home a list of requirements to take up to her, so those nee to be gathered up. She has asked me to bring no wool for her to give her hands a rest. If there is wool, she will knit it.

PACKING

• clothes are packed
• toileteries are packed as far as possible
• Supplies are packed - just the essentials: 1k coffee*, bodum, wool and silk handknitted bodum cosy, 1 x tin Heaven dark hot chocolate, 1 x eensy weensy balloon whisk to get the right amount of creaminess in hot chocolate, 1 x pkt teeny weeny marshmallows for hot chocloate*, 4 blocks Lindt 85%*, 2 x 4 litre casks of Morris of Rutherglen dry white*, 20 little tins of salmon*, breakfast cereal for fruity porridge*, 1 litre soy milk*.

* = Cook from the Cupboard. I caved and bought the hot chocolate mix (on special this week at Coles')


My HOUSE is still a tip. Sunday will be spent in a cleaning frenzy, no doubt. I'll be realistic - strip the bed, clean the bathroom, kitchen and fridge and have a general tidy up rather than a full on purge.

Also, the fibre/knitting decisions have not really been made. Developments up North mean I might not be able to take the spinning wheel and that changes everything.

Still behind with email and blogs. Sorry.