I finished the scarf today. I got to bed early last night and as a result was capable of higher level functioning today. Yesterday ended interestingly when I realised that I’d left my wallet on the train. I went looking for my USB drive to transfer a photo of the scarf from my desktop to my laptop, and while hunting for that noticed I couldn’t find my wallet (I’m not entirely sure of the logic there myself, but that’s how it happened). I rang the station where the train terminates at this morning, and sure enough they had it. The cleaner had helped themselves to the $10 note I’d had (I’m too lazy to carry much cash), but otherwise everything was there, and for that I was grateful.
I also brought the pink hat with me on the train today, it’s about 1/3rd done, and I expect it will probably be finished on Thursday. It’s the second time I’ve had to make it (long story) so I’ll be glad to see the back of it. It’s not a yarn I particularly enjoy working with. I think at the moment handspun is such a novelty that I’m not liking working with anything I haven’t made myself. That said I’m completely under whelmed with how the Alpaca scarf turned out, and I suspect the yarn is the cause. I guess I’m just never happy!
After the hat I’m planning to start on some socks, I bargained with my mother - her wool winder for a pair of handmade socks. It’s a deal we’re both happy with - given vet bills and mechanic costs I wasn’t going to be able to afford one for quite a while, and she has one from when she was a knitter that’s been sitting there gathering dust for as long as I can remember. Amusingly enough I had no idea what the damn thing was until I read about one on a spinning mailing list, decided that I needed one, and then went looking for them online… upon seeing them I knew exactly what that thing mum had had was (and looking at the cost why she would never let us play with it!).
Today is the last day of September, which is a reminder to me that if I actually DO intend to attend that Halloween party in costume I need to look into making / renting / purchasing a costume. My plan at the moment is to pick up some satin sheets at a second hand store, make a medievalesque dress / tunic, grab a kiddy tiara and sceptre, and go as a queen. The SCAdian in me is incredibly offended by that idea, but it seems easy and inexpensive, which are my primary concerns at the moment.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
29th September 2008
I started my new role in Melbourne today. A position that, while interesting enough in and of itself (it’s in dual diagnosis - mental health and substance abuse disorders) has as it’s most notable feature a 2 hour commute each way. For this first week that is exacerbated by a 45 minute walk home…. My car broke down on the weekend and will take 5 days and $763 to repair. Ouch.
When I first accepted the position I did so with two thoughts in mind - buy a laptop, and do a lot of knitting. I’m typing this on the laptop. The knitting I took with me today was a ‘cats paw lace’ scarf. I’m knitting up some white handspun alpaca. It sheds terribly and I strongly suspect I damaged the fibres when I washed it due to ignorance. Live and learn.
The scarf itself is turning out to be a fairly labour intensive ordeal. I tried knitting with it on the tow-truck on Saturday, but the truck was bouncing around so much that I kept messing up the lace and having to pull it out, and try again. Today on my way to the City I noticed that one of the needles was chipped. Not to be dissuaded, I worked on it for most of the journey into the city, although given that I was concerned every stitch that my finger was getting hurt by the broken needle, I ended up needing to pull out what I knitted. Learning nothing from the morning I also worked on it for a good part of the journey home, and after some frogging and a lot of knitting it was eventually abandoned with only one extra repeat of the pattern (16 rows - 400 stitches. For 2 hours). I’ll change it onto new needles when I get home. Ironically the last thing I did before I left home was take the pink hat out of my bag because I figured I wouldn’t need both projects.
Then I figured if I had to lug my laptop home I might as well use it (hence writing my blog). I suspect that as I climb up the hill home I’m going to really resent having the extra weight and I may as well get some use out of it. Incidentally, to purchase the laptop was cheaper than my car repairs. I love Dell.
I reckon it’s going to be a long week - 12 hour days, long walks, bad weather, and money will be tight for months to come. And the person in the seat behind me sticking his feet into my back really isn’t making the whole thing look better.
When I first accepted the position I did so with two thoughts in mind - buy a laptop, and do a lot of knitting. I’m typing this on the laptop. The knitting I took with me today was a ‘cats paw lace’ scarf. I’m knitting up some white handspun alpaca. It sheds terribly and I strongly suspect I damaged the fibres when I washed it due to ignorance. Live and learn.
The scarf itself is turning out to be a fairly labour intensive ordeal. I tried knitting with it on the tow-truck on Saturday, but the truck was bouncing around so much that I kept messing up the lace and having to pull it out, and try again. Today on my way to the City I noticed that one of the needles was chipped. Not to be dissuaded, I worked on it for most of the journey into the city, although given that I was concerned every stitch that my finger was getting hurt by the broken needle, I ended up needing to pull out what I knitted. Learning nothing from the morning I also worked on it for a good part of the journey home, and after some frogging and a lot of knitting it was eventually abandoned with only one extra repeat of the pattern (16 rows - 400 stitches. For 2 hours). I’ll change it onto new needles when I get home. Ironically the last thing I did before I left home was take the pink hat out of my bag because I figured I wouldn’t need both projects.
Then I figured if I had to lug my laptop home I might as well use it (hence writing my blog). I suspect that as I climb up the hill home I’m going to really resent having the extra weight and I may as well get some use out of it. Incidentally, to purchase the laptop was cheaper than my car repairs. I love Dell.
I reckon it’s going to be a long week - 12 hour days, long walks, bad weather, and money will be tight for months to come. And the person in the seat behind me sticking his feet into my back really isn’t making the whole thing look better.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
It starts...
I've joined up to Raverlry so I figured I should have a blog to compliment my account.
I'm hoping that Ravelry will help me keep my crafts under control, or else at least let me track how things spiralled out of control.
There's a strong chance that TimCat will be a strong feature in both blog and photos, he's just helpful like that. I'm also hoping documenting evidence about how 'helpful' he is will help explain why projects are always behind schedule. That and I randomly get distracted by something else...
At the moment I have 3 projects on the go, and about half a dozen in the 'to do' pile (not counting spinning projects, somehow they seem like a different category altoghether). I'll work at steadily adding the other ones as days go by.
I'm hoping that Ravelry will help me keep my crafts under control, or else at least let me track how things spiralled out of control.
There's a strong chance that TimCat will be a strong feature in both blog and photos, he's just helpful like that. I'm also hoping documenting evidence about how 'helpful' he is will help explain why projects are always behind schedule. That and I randomly get distracted by something else...
At the moment I have 3 projects on the go, and about half a dozen in the 'to do' pile (not counting spinning projects, somehow they seem like a different category altoghether). I'll work at steadily adding the other ones as days go by.
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