Monogamy

I used to be a faithful knitter. In fact, for most of my knitting life I was a monogamous knitter. I would see a pattern I liked, acquire the yarn and knit it. Upon completion I would then go looking for the next project.

This all changed four years ago when I retired and discovered knitting on the internet. I took the first step towards adultery when I spied all the beautiful yarns and bought some without a specific project in mind. Then I discovered all the pattern sites and the blogs showing off all the beautiful work people were creating. It lead me into temptation and I found myself casting on more than one project at a time simply because I wanted to knit all I saw. I just couldn't knit fast enough (still can't, but I'm doing my best).

Now as the year draws to a close I look at what I have on the needles or am about to cast on. First there's the Pretty as a Peacock shawl I'm up to the final chart on that and really enjoying it as a quick and easy knit.

Then there's Cora the caterpillar - a soft toy for baby Kate. Tomorrow, 1 January, I cast on for two more KALs: the Spring Shawl Surprise and the VLT KAL for which I've decided to knit a Spider's Web shawl.

And of course later in January will be the Bag Lady swap on Ravelry which should be good fun.

And I have this great gift bag my cosy swap pal sent me which I intend filling with a sock project (got to have something to take on the train).


I've had such fun knitting the last few years that I now have to concede that monogamy is not about to return to this household.

Phew!

I finished knitting the Stripes and Torchon lace shawl for my mother at 12.20 Christmas Eve. I gave it to my mother for Christmas this morning and then promptly took it back to wash and block.


We went off to friends for a non-Christmas lunch (none of us believe in Christmas but still enjoy good food. By the time we got back this afternoon the shawl was dry and the proud owner could model it.



I like the rhythm of lace knitting but it was difficult to attain with this project because I had to knit in secret. That meant snatching an hour here and there and never being able to settle down to a prolonged stretch of knitting. The Rowanspun Tweed (4 ply) is also not a yarn I'm likely to use again. The yarn is very uneven and in places so thin that the yarn broke. Almost every skein had knots in it as well and that really peeved me. Nevertheless I'm happy with the end product.

Rain, glorious rain

Over the past 4 days we have had 90 mm of rain. The tank is overflowing and the creek (our main source of water)is gushing. It's such a contrast with last year this time when the bush was as dry as a chip and everything crackled underfoot. It was so dry even the bracken died off. I was literally counting the days until the end of summer. Now the bush and the garden is lush and green - what a relief.

Christmas is looming and my mother's Stripes and Torchon shawl is still not done. I have 5 repeats to go. Yes, a mere 5 but every hour spent knitting in secret is an hour being anti-social. Not quite the done thing. Plus all the lunch and dinner engagements mean that too much of a good time is being had. I'll keep plugging away and I might just make it in time.

First time for everything

I have resisted creating a blog but all the time spent on Ravelry has worn me down. So here goes...

This blog will probably be about knitting (lots of it), the garden and the bush, bird watching and reading. Oh, and most importantly, the weather. I am a total weather junkie. Woke up to glorious rain this morning and then sat in the mist until close to lunch time. After lunch we (Mom and Bruce) went for a walk along our road and the smell was heaven. Everything is warm and damp - an unusual state for our neck of the woods.

Now to knitting. I tried to get my mother to knit herself a pair of felted clogs but she is not enjoying it much so I've offered to knit them for her. It has to be done before she goes back to South Africa in February - plenty of time right? In the meantime I'm trying to get her Christmas present done but knitting in secret is not easy and it's taking me far too long. My public knitting at the moment is the Pretty as a Peacock. This is a great pattern and I'm really enjoying it.