The Bearable Lightness of Unsubbing

The weeks away with Mum allowed me time to assess her level of capability and mine.

She is no longer interested in cooking for herself (although she can still manage biscuits for the grand-children and the dog food - but this can be done in peak energy times, not in the evening when she's worn out), and manage other things like laundry and grocery shopping.

While I was already doing some of these things for her, it was when she asked - now it's factored in on a daily basis.

We have got her more home assistance, so cleaning is not a huge issue and that's a big help.

In the few weeks I've been trying to accommodate Mum's increased needs, my long-suffering mates have been advising reducing my activities. Well I would, but that happened already. I stopped attending SnB and didn't renew my memberships of the textile groups I used to belong to and attend. I have resisted invitations and enticements to join new groups or to take an active role in those I have continued membership of. I don't see my friends as much as I used to or as often as I'd like. I can't afford to give up work and I'm not prepared to reduce the pitifully small time The Old Flame and I spend together so I had to look at other areas that take up time.

This week I've been uncluttering my virtual life: unsubbing from email lists, changing profile settings on the time suck that is Facebook so I don't receive ridiculous email updates, leaving Ravelry fora and unfollowing advertisers and negative people on Twitter.

Now the email I receive is from people I want to keep in touch with and is a joy. The blogs I read are the ones I treasure. There is no blog reading or email replying backlog to make me feel bad and I can keep up with all of this in the half hour or so I allocate to it each morning.

Claytons post

We're back (have been for nearly two weeks), but time and the desire to blog has been limited.

And now I'm back at work.
 
What became very clear being with Mum 24/7 for so long is she needs more assistance.  We're arranging an aged care review to see if we can get her more help around the house, but I'm not holding my breath. 

The schedule around here is pretty tight.  There is less blogging and social networking time, and no complex knitting time.  Luckily I'm nearly
done with the WIPS.  Only one thing to finish, and the rest is
unravelling.  The endless parade of beanies is about to reappear.

I'm pleased to report that The Old Flame's Mum was pleased with her blanket.. We gave it to her last weekend because the Raiders had a night match here in chilly Canberra.  Seemed to do the trick - Raiders defeated top of the league St George 24 points to 12! 

View from the Rocks

Blagged some online time at the very part time South West Rocks Library.

The blanket for The Old Flame's mother is done - I'll block it when I get home.

Also done, TOF's 4ply socks. Don't have time to go into details about why they were not knitted last year when I first cast them on - detailed updates will have to wait.

The remaining WIP is a jumper that's been on the needles for 4 years. Should be finished by the weekend.

Days here are warm, and there has been much op-shopping and unravelling of old hand-knits.

I'm off to South West Rocks for the last few weeks of Mum's winter sojourn.


A bag of books went up with my brother a fortnight ago and I've been mostly packed for a week.


One medium suitcase of the miniumum of clothes and maximum of DVDs and one smallish suitcase of knitting and associated paraphenalia - viz.

• 1 set Knit Picks nickel interchangeable needles
• 1 set Knit Picks Harmony interchangeable needles
• 1 set of mix and match DPNS,
• 1 niddy noddy,
• 1 ball winder
• usual pins, tape measures, stitchmarkers, scissors, sewing in needles etc.
• 1 blanket WIP (should be finished on 12 hours+ train ride on Monday and will be posted back)
• 1 jumper WIP (should be finished in a couple of days and will be posted back)
• 1 pr socks for TOF WIP (my carry around project for the trip) and an emergency ball of sock yarn just in case these get finished too quickly, which is looking likelyall associated patterns
• 1 coffee plunger because 3 weeks of instant coffee is no holiday.
• 1 new project's worth of yarn because the rest of the WIPs are mostly unravelling or little scraps of things that will not take any time to knit and because this "holiday" is the only time I'll get for ages to do some serious big project knitting.

The posting back is necessary because Mum's cousin is there now and I'm told he brought down another two suitcases full of hand-knits for us to unravel so I'll need the space. And that's why he deserved these socks, and why he'll probably get a few more pairs.

Back in late August.

WIPeout 2009 - my accursed socks

These took seriously too long, a month since they become the take along project, even with Pooh's help. Actually, probably says more about the lack of down-time than my knitting speed. That and my inability to take notes on pattern changes, resulting in several unravel and reknits on the second sock.

Too sick to reflect on the socks or the nature of the yarn. Just another project off the needles and not enough light to photograph them properly. Feel nice on, though.

WIPeout 2009 - Comfort and Shield Vest

PATTERN: Pasticcio Circular Vest. Fantastic pattern - knit to size.

YARN: Patons Jet bought by the Old Flame in the K-mart $2 and $3 sales this last year.

PROGRESS: All done but the crochet around the armholes and the blocking. I started this in early March. It went to Narrandera and to visit Nanna, it went to Wagga a couple of weeks later for her funeral and kept me company in between. It really was both my comfort and my shield in that period.

ISSUES: I don't crochet.

ACTION: Ask a friend to do that for me. Spidey kindly obliged, despite liking crochet only marginally more than I do. I'm grateful in the extreme.

Steam blocked until it screamed for mercy.

All done and being worn. Apart from a tendency to slip on the shoulders, it's a divine garment to wear and I love it. Maybe, one day, when I can get a photographer, I'll get some action shots.

WIPeou 2009 - Baby Cardie

PATTERN: Pretty sure I got this from the back of an old Woman's Day.

YARN: Mystery 8ply cotton purchased in an op-shop many, many years ago.

ISSUES: Well it's been sitting for at least 4 years in this state - with only one side band and the neck band to go. I don't like how the bands came out and I don't like the chunkiness of it for a small baby, although the pattern is very sweet, and I really hate the way my seams came out. I could have redone the seams and I did try to unpick it but the cotton shredded in the process. Hideous.

ACTION: Binned.

Get out of Gaol Free Bootees

Socks for Aiden knitted in recycled and rescued blue crepe 4ply weight yarn on 2.5mm needles, using Mim's pattern.

WIPeout 2009 - vintage socks

Someone else's UFO, purchased in this state from an op shop for $2. The bag included another ball of vintage Patonyle as well, in a delightfully retro mustard yellow.

PATTERN: Don't know. Bought these for $2 hoping to either finish or unravel them. Most likely a Patons sock pattern and I have most of their vintage sock books. I could find or read the pattern to finish them.

YARN: 1970s Patons Patonyle.

PROGRESS: There was one completed sock and second sock done halfway down the leg. From the handwound ball attached to the second sock, some unravelling had already occured.

ISSUES: When I tired on the first sock, the foot fitted perfectly but the cast on was too tight to go up my leg.

ACTION: Frogged, washed and drying.

WIPeout 2009 - Wedgette and Wedget

And speaking of matching berets and scarves, here's a set I prepared earlier. I call them the Wedgette (scarf) and the Wedget (hat)

PATTERN:

• The scarf is a modification of Norah Gaughan's Wedge. I made three button holes at the end of the second last row to form a closure, and used the yarn overs of the lace wedges for the other buttonholes.

• The hat is my own design (the notes for which have disappeared), using the short rows of lace and a couple of rows of garter stitch to form the body of the beret, joined by a three needle cast off. The band is rolled garter stitch picked up from the bottom edge.
  
  

YARN: Recycled Patons Caressa. Spidey gave me a jumper she'd knitted with Caressa held double for reclaiming. Mum and I reclaimed it. The Wedgette scarf took about 60 grams, the Wedget hat took about 55g.
Tip - NEVER UNRAVEL CARESSA, PARTICULARLY TWO STRANDS KNITTED TOGETHER.

PROGRESS: Both were knitted in December 2008 and the Wedget was even blocked. Last night I sewed in the ends of the scarf, steam blocked it to 80cm in length and sewed timber buttons (Lisa Ho studio outlet purchased sometime in the late 1990s) on two sides of the scarf and to finish the top of the beret.

ISSUES: None - I love the set and look forward to wearing it. No idea why I didn't finish except that finishing off is really not my long suit, and finishing off in sweaty December was hardly a priority.

ACTION: Wear and write up hat pattern when the notes turn up.

WIPeout 2009 - Puppy Paw Scarf

PATTERN: Cats Paw Scarf from Crystal Palace Yarns

YARN: Anny Blatt Kid Mohair, a present from Jejune

PROGRESS: Knitting of this was finished and blogged on 4 January 2007. Tonight I sewed in the two ends and steam blocked it. Took about 15 minutes including photography.

ISSUES: I always intended a matching beret in this yarn and never found the perfect pattern. I did not then, and do not now, feel the love for knitting lace. I like the finished object, just don't enjoy the process. Perhaps that's why it languished in the knitting basket. It's such a soft, pretty yarn and was a thoughtful and welcome gift.

ACTION: Wear it tomorrow and continue search for the perfect matching beret pattern.

It's quiet .... maybe too quiet.

It sure has been quiet on the finishing things front around Taph Towers of late.

I knit and kint and knit and nothing gets finished (3 whole days and nothing finished - impossible!). People who like their gratification instantly or possibly sooner probably shouldn't be knitters. But I do so love it. I'm not me without knitting - I know because I've tried the not knitting and it just feels wrong.

The blanket for the Old Flame's mother is about halfway there. This is because I revised the finished size downwards, but it was based on a very scientific try-on-over-my-lap-and-his method. TOF's parents are considerably smaller than we are (cuckoos, anyone?) so if the rug fitted comfortably over my lap and part of his lap, I was obviously halfway there - at least. Right?

There are a some flaws in the blanket (a couple of purls that should have been knits), but I am embracing my limitations and going with a few imperfections. Perfectionism is part of the reason that 22 WIPs were identified at the beginning of June.

I did not, however, embrace the imperfections of the current sock in progress. Last week was a bit hectic, so only the cuff of the second sock was knitted (despite planning to finish it). Just as well because the nagging, "this doesn't feel quite right" feeling which plagued me during the knitting of said cuff turned out to be not the wrong sized needles, as suspected, but the wrong freaking pattern. Why I would knit a 1x1 rib when I always knit 2x2 rib cuffs? Also, why I did not check the other sock which was in the knitting bag the whole time when I first began to doubt is also beyond me.

We'll blame workplace deadlines and stress and let it go. Another hectic week this week with many teleconferences and meetings in which I could not knit means I've lost a week with the sock. Feeling a little less love for the project right now. Second sock is now unravelled and cuff reknitted and will be worked on in the coming week.

Maybe.

We have an unexpected arrival. A former member of my team and the world's loveliest person whom I fail to keep up with regularly because I am in the top ten of world's worst people, has just welcomed her first grandchild. A little boy - who is too big for the baby stash boy coloured socks. Obviously Aiden needs socks and I must provide them - now.

This weekend I knit baby socks. Next weekend we return to the scheduled knitting.

Luckily another dear friend's daughter produced a daughter who has been gifted with a matinee jacket (the pink one) and socks. I was prepared for Ruby.

WIPeout 2009 - Suffrage beanie

I know, I know, I wasn't going to work on beanies but I was caught short with an overlong wait at the doctor's and this accidentally got finished.




PATTERN: TTWC using slip stitch for the body of the hat.


YARN: The dark purple is Cleckheaton 12ply, the variegated green/purple is Happy Spider Hydrangea - a custom job over very old Wangaratta Woollen Mills white from the 80s.


Now there are only two hats in the queue - wonder if I can eke them out for another couple of months? No, I don't think it likley either.


Oh, and Lovestitches - I'd really like to oblige with a photo of my entire stash but don't have access to a satellite right now. I wish that was an exaggeration.

Best and fairest*

If there was a significant other league table, mine would be in finals contention.


14.5 balls Patons Herdwick (maroon) and 6.5 balls Patons Herdwick (charcoal grey) plus 6-ish balls light grey Patons Family 5ply (not photgraphed) for less than $25 the lot. There was also Tupperware.

The 5ply will be socks for himself (most likely) and the Herdwick - not sure yet. I looked at them sitting together last night and thought a fair isle yoked cardigan, maybe. Was checking if there was any destashing on Rav, just the odd ball or two for contast in the yoke you understand, and found I have another 6 balls of the maroon colour and 17 of a light brown. It's a bit dire when I can't remember what's in my own boodle.

For the record, the Old Flame rejects the term "enabler". He prefers to think of himself as keeping me informed of opportunities and potential bargains. The decisions are, apparently, all mine. Great, because I'm so steadfast in the face of woolly temptation.

*I was going to entitle this post "My boyfriend is really good at S.E.X." but thought I'd attract the wrong traffic. ;)

G O, G G O ...

We seriously know how to show a sock a good time around here.

Saturday it got a drive in the country.

Enjoyed a little guest up a tree knitting by Winnie the Pooh (I think he was stuck, as Pooh, is so wont to be)

Some modelling on an acquaintance's sports car (yes, a Goggomobil - and it was the Dart)

and a working bee at which the sock watched us collect, haul and stack 4 or 5 trailer-loads of timber around followed by a sausage sizzle and some quiet afternoon knitting (but I forgot to photograph that).

After all that, the sock got a little international rugby action at Bruce Stadium where the Wallabies trounced the Italians in -2C weather.

WIPeout 2009 - Maroon slip stitch beanie

This has been on the needles for ages. It lived in my work locker and had the occasional few stitches knitted when other things were at a too hard spot or when I needed a project for the lunchtime queue at the Post Office etc.

This last couple of weeks it has lived in the car. Totally amazing how much knitting can be done at red lights. After Mum's socks were finished I allowed myself the luxury of finishing it, as I was at the crown decreases by then.

Snowy, the Old Flame's dog, wasn't a very cooperative model but it's done and in the pile to go to Stasia for the soup kitchen.

As LynS has pointed out in the comments, hats are seductive knitting, it's hard to resist their siren call.

Now back to the socks.

WIPeout 2009 - my socks

PATTERN: Pretty much making it up as I go along, with reference to a Patons pattern, but even it's mother wouldn't recognise it.

YARN: Lucy Neatby sock yarn in the Fiery Fuschia colourway that Janet brought with her from Ottawa in may 2007.

PROGRESS: Started in November 2008. Part way down the first leg.

ISSUES:

• Because these are for me, they keep falling to the bottom of the pile in favour of more pressing knits
• I overshot the length of the leg and have to do some maths to make it work, or unravel.

ACTION:

• Do the maths
• Keep knitting - another portable project is a good thing.

It's not me, it's you

The relationship with Mum's birthday socks is over. Over I tell you.

We had a busy day. Firstly at a staff meeting when the gusset stitches were picked up and the gusset begun.

Over lunch when we finished the gusset and got a fair way down the foot.

At an afternoon teleconference we got even further down the foot.


On the way home in the bus (after finding a pair of skis by a skip and rescuing them) we knew we were almost at the end.

And then, this evening, while watching Torchwood season 2 on DVD we concluded our relationship. I know I should have waited until morning to end it, but we were so close to a resolution I felt it unfair to wait.

Mum is excited about her new socks. Me, I'm not happy. The green stripe is different in the two socks (despite them being the same dyelot), and there was a knot at the bottom of the second ball of yarn that put my pattern repeats out. Still, they are done and will be winging their way to South West Rocks by lunchtime today.

Temptation

The temptation to finish a hat (and there are a few within an hour or so of finishing), just so there's something to post is very, very great. I have resisted so far, but only by locking all hats in the boot of the car because it's too cold at night to go out unecessarily and it upsets the dogs to go in and out once we're home - they get all hopeful of an outing and then look very "hang-dog" when it's only me going to the larder/yarn cellar under the house or to the car to retrieve something.

There has been sock knitting, there has been blanket knitting. Neither are finished, nor have they been anywhere interesting to be photographed.

Also, the new Knitty is up and I really want to knit Annette by Helene Rush. I have several yarns in stash which would be perfect. I might settle for printing the pattern and gathering the yarn into a "not to be opened before September" kit.

Monogamous Knitting

When in a monogamous relationship, it's great to spend time together and share mutual interests.

So far Mum's birthday socks have been to a National Trust Council meeting where we caught up with an old friend



and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Farmers' Market.