Good Morning Adelaide!!!

Well, here we are in Adelaide. We arrived here on Tuesday morning nice and safe. It was a good plane ride, with no incident. Rory was great the whole time. Here are some things I have noticed about South Australia so far:

1. It is so dry down here. Apparently SA is the driest state, yet they don't have the water restrictions that we do.

2. The architecture is SOO different to Brisbane and QLD. I understand it is because of the different climate, although so far we have had very similar weather to Brisbane in late Winter. I don't think I could live in a house without a verandah!! The houses are so quaint though. so cute.

3. The transport system is so relaxed! We went on a tram yesterday and when the ticket guy finally decided to come through the tram, he didn't actually CHECK the tickets. He asked if anyone needed tickets and when people said "no" he didn't ask to see the one's they had. Then, when he got to us, we asked for the tickets and he charged us a cheaper price than what the last guy did, even though we were going the same distance. It was like he couldn'tt be bothered working out the correct fare. And no-one else checks your ticket any where else on the journey. Nothing like Brisbane!

Last night Barney took us to a ship that has been converted into a restaraunt. It is the HMS Buffalo, which is the ship that brought free settlers to Aust, with Captain Hindmarsh, who became Governer. So not only was it a restaraunt, but it is also a museum. It was facinating! they really have done it up well. Adelaide is just so full of great history. Most of the buildings in town are the original buildings built when the city was settled.

We are going to the markets this morning and maybe the zoo. Then over the next few days Barney is taking us around some of the wine districts and to port adelaide etc.

Anyway, better finish up there. Using Barneys computer.
Love peace & Joy!

Nearly time!!......

At this moment it is 13 hours and 15 minutes until we are scheduled to fly out of Brisbane! And counting.....
You can tell I am excited can't you? I will try and update while I am on my trip, however I don't know whether Barney has a computer at his place or if I will be able to get to an internet cafe. If not, I'll put a few photos up and tell you all about it when I get back. I'm sure the best bits will be the yarn stores and the winery's! The zoo should be pretty good too, if we get there. Lachlan and I have already got onto the internet and worked out where certain yarn stores are in relation to Barney's place! You know it'll be one of the first things I'll want to do!!! Whether Lachlan and Rory let me though is another matter....
Anyway, mostly packed, but still have a few things to do, so mustn't sit nattering on..

I'M GOING ON A PLANE TOMORROW!!!! I'M GOING TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA!!! YEAY!!!!

Flu blues....

This morning I have woken up with a bad cold, which I think is going to turn into the full blown flu. I am trying to avoid this by drinking lemon, honey and ginger teas, as well as taking Echinacea, Garlic, Horsradish and vitamin C tablets. I do not want this cold when I go on the plane or while I am on holidays!! I've got 4 more days to get rid of it. Please all send white healing light to me!!

I bought a little more 14 micron wool last night at spinners. I figured that since I already have 440grams spun up, I may as well get it up to 500grams. That way I can certainly make a light cardy without having to worry that I might run out.

Right, back to bed with me for a little while, and then onto the doctors......

14 Micron is all spun!

Here are the finished skeins of the 14 micron wool I have been spinning. In total there is just under 440 grams. Don't ask me how many meters! I am hoping to do a nice shawl or light cardigan or vest with it.
So here is the questions I am asking you all: Should I dye it? Should I leave it plain? Should I do a shawl, or cardigan, or vest? Do you have a pattern that would really suit it?
If I choose your pattern or use your ideas, I will give you a little gift! I won't be starting to knit it for at least a couple of weeks (not 'til after we get back from Adelaide), so you have time to put your thinking caps on.

Today we finally told Rory (our son) that we are going on a plane ride for our holidays. Lach and I have known for a month, but decided we wouldn't tell him until closer to the leaving date as otherwise, we would have a constant nagging asking how many days till we leave. This way, we only have a few days of nagging but he also has a bit of time to get used to the idea and tell all his friends before he finishes school for the term. The specialist staff at the school who look after Rory have said they would do a social story with him tomorrow to explain what a plane ride entails and how he needs to behave on an airplane and what to expect. At this time he is very excited.

Have got Spinners on tonight. Joey has reminded me to bring in my sock wool and a very cool pattern about knitting 2 socks in 1 that I found on Knitty.com. this is a great article, but would be a huge challenge for someone like me who has never even knitted a sock! However, for some of those of you out there who are addicted to socks, and not scared of about 20 pages of instructions, this is the ultimate pattern for you! Click on the link below to check it out. (I just liked the intro!)

Love peace and JOY JOY JOY

Tired today...But got YARN

I am very tired today. I had to look after my little friend Monty today (he's three), but thankfully he was happy to play quietly (he is SUCH a good kid), and I was able to just sit in front of the t.v. most of the time. I guess i am just getting a little sick of being sick - with something unknown.... Oh, well. will go to bed early tonight I think.

The good news today: I got the latest edition of Yarn Magazine in the mail this afternoon! Gosh I love this mag. It always has really interesting articles as well as some good patterns. The thing i like most about it is that it is not just a knitting mag, but also always has articles about dyeing and often spinning as well. If you have never seen this mag, click on the link below and you'll be taken to their website.

Second good news: Yesterday I showed off my bag to a non-knitter and she said that if it was in a different colour, she would pay up to $100 for it - She thought it was that good! I am thinking I might be knitting one for her soon! Anything to save up for that Ashford Knitting Loom I want!

The not so good news: I don't think I will be able to go to the Lake Perserverence Camp with the Toowoomba Spinners group in October afterall. I would like to, but
(1) I'm going to Adelaide the week before for a holiday (and might want to buy yarn down there!) which will cost us a fair bit of money and
(2) we have been invited to lunch with my Grandfather that weekend and as he is in the country for only a couple of months (usually lives in England - when not travelling - at age 80 something!) it will be nice to catch up.

Both these reasons are not bad, in fact I am looking forward to both going to Adelaide and seeing my Grandfather and his partner Heather, but it just means that I just won't be able to get to the camp.

now.....where did I put that mag again.....I need to be inspired!.....

"The Bag" is done!

Yeay!!! The bag is finished. I am quite pleased with how it turned out.... I could have probably run the handles through the wash again, but I'm too impatient and also didn't want to waste the water. I think it looks fine the way it is. I am now working on a maroon coloured bag now, made from commercial wool (Panda WoolBale). I am looking around for a fair isle patten or a motif to put on the new bag as well in a pink colour. We'll see how it goes.

Peace and joy

Rocky Horror night

Last night we went to a party to welcome home our dear friend Glenys who has come back after 4 years in the UK. The party was a Rocky Horror Picture show party and was absolutely fantastic! This is me as one of the "unconventional conventionalists" or whatever they are called. Our friend MIV finally realised his dream of dressing up as "Dr Frank n Furtur" (i really don't know how to spell that) in proper corset, fishnets etc. Including make - up. He looked absolutely great! Unfortunatly his wife (our lovely friend Julia) has forbidden any photos of MIV going online, even such a blog as mine. Oh, well.... understandable really..... I don't think I'd want photos of my husband dressed in ladies underware and make up going online either.

I got the outfit from Craft Ideas at Indooroopilly. Not just a craft store! click on the link below to go to their website!

Ps... 14 micron skein

Just remembered that I have also finished my first skein of the 14 micron merino wool I am spinning! Here it is.....
I am reasonably proud of it, although I made a few mistakes while plying....hopefully it won't be too noticable once it is knitted up.... still don't know what it's going to be yet....

Bag update

Here is THE BAG, felted at least. I have not yet done the handles, but hopefully will have them done by next week. Joey will teach me to icord this evening. The bag is still a lot bigger than I expected and that is after 5 washes. Oh well, It will be a good knitting bag as it should hold heaps - it really was a very big bag before I chucked it into the machine!

Thanks Julie, Karen, Betsy, Ben & Barney for all commenting so nicely on my blog! It's really nice to know that people are reading it and making contact.

Ben - Yes, of course it is! Hopefully we will get down to see you sometime as well, but unfortunatly it won't be very soon.

Menopause Is GREAT!.... the musical that is.

Well, went and saw "Menopause The Musical" last night. I don't think I have laughed so hard in ages. I just lost it on a few occasions. FANTASTIC! What was even better was that my mother-in-law Carol had gotten really good seats - third row from the front, almost in the middle. We could see EVERYTHING including all the facial expressions (often the funniest part) and everyone's moves. I don't think I've ever had such good seats at any type of performance. It was really good to see it with both my mums too. And on my birthday to boot. Such a good night!

I am trying to felt my bag as i write. "Trying" is the appropriate word! It's on it's third wash now, and although I haven't checked it this wash, after the last wash, it had only felted a little bit. I don't know how many washes it's going to take. I think I am going to have a larger bag than I expected. We'll see......

Got Night Owls tonight. My friend Julie from the Mountain Spinnery is going to bring some silk for me to buy. I have already bought some in the colour I want, but now I want more. Julie says she has 200grams more of that colour. At $20 per 100grams though, I think I can only really afford to by 100gms. I would love to get the lot, but I have to be careful. I am heading down to Adelaide to visit a friend soon, and want a little bit of money for the holiday!

Ps. Click on below for the link to the musical's website.

Happy birthday to me.....

It's my birthday, It's my birthday (singing).

Today has been a quiet day so far - nice and relaxing. I went to the local coffee club with my friends Jacqui and Fran after dropping the kids off to school, just to have a bit of socialising to celebrate. It is Fran's birthday too, so that was good. After that, I was walking past the local Millers Clothing store and saw two racks of clothing, all items $5! So I bought two tops and two skirts, all for $20. Then when I went inside I saw another top for $19.95 - absolutley gorgeous, so I bought that too. Lachlan hadn't given me a birthday present yet, so I figure these clothes can be my present!

Tonight I am going with my mother and mother-in-law to a play called: Menopause The Musical. I have heard it is really funny, so I am looking forward to it immensly. Will tell you what I thought of it tomorrow.

Love and peaches.

Very Excited.

Yeay.. Just thought I'd update on "THE BAG". Joey reckons I only need to do a couple more stripes and add a couple of holes for the Icord handles while I'm at it and then it will be ready to felt!! This is very cool, so hopefully, by the end of the week I will be able to upload a photo of the Felted Bag. It may or may not have handles at that stage,(It looks like I'll add the icords after felting) but at least the main part of the bag should be finished! Whoo, hoo!

Busy weekend.

This is a bag I am working on at the moment. It is a french market bag - the pattern is from knitty.com. the idea is to knit a bag really big, then throw it into the washing machine and felt it. All the rage at spinners at the moment. Mine is a very simple bag, made from my own handspun wool. Many others are using WoolBale commercial wool (that felts fantastically- don't use if you want machine washable!) as well as novelty yarn that doesn't felt. The results are fantastic. I will be doing that later. maybe my next project..... The photo on my last post is of some 14micron wool I am spinning. How beautiful!!!

This weekend has been really busy... Spinners group AGM on sat morning - I agreed to be on the board again. It's great though, because many of us all go to night owls, get on really well and all have big plans for the group. Hopefully, with all the great skills we bring together, we will be able to get the group functioning reasonably smoothly and bring it into the 21st century. Yesterday avo we had to go to a family get together with my side of the family, and this morning we had to go to a babtism for our nephew Angus. Last night Joey, Tina & I went to the Bronco's Leagues Club for Seafood buffet to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday. That was really nice.

Love peace and Joy

Testing, testing.

Ok, so I am trying a new blog page. So far I've got my pic uploaded. Lets hope this writing is done right too... Will write more once I have worked this out.