My expectations may be high, I blame them on my youth

I want to show you two things my sister has made for me. The bag was a gift last year, and more recently she presented me with this gorgous fabric-covered notebook. The cover is removable so that when the notebook is full I can replace it.

These were totally separate gifts but I had to photograph them together as they turned out to be quite complementary. The notebook cover combines embroidery, applique and fabric pen drawings.

I always loved the bag but recently started using it a lot more because it has a long strap and is a good shape to wear across my body. I am avoiding shoulder bags these days to try to relieve some pesky neck pain. This also fits in with my broader quest to improve my posture.

And I see now that I will have to get another photo of the bag, because you can't really see the embroidered caravan on it (the button is its wheel). The lining is silk - I think it might have been a scarf.

It's got my name on it.

the days are long where I come from

My old dino mate at the Queensland Museum.

This morning I had one of those close-to-waking dreams which can feel like you're really just thinking about something, rather than actually dreaming. I was preparing to take a trip to Brisbane for a few days and then on to a couple of different overseas destinations. There were difficulties with what to pack, where to stay, and then how to find the right departure gate in a large unfamiliar airport. Worst of all, I couldn't work out why I was taking this trip, but it was all arranged, an unstoppable force that I had to go along with.

Once I woke properly, it was such a relief to realise that trip wasn't real. Obviously it's a good thing I haven't got any more travel planned this year.

There's a new Flickr set for my not-so-recent Brisbane trip (end of Sept). I didn't manage to get any worthwhile shots in Melbourne last week.

Honestly, I am such a homebody. It hasn't been that much by many people's standards: a long weekend in Brisbane in July; a ski trip a week or so after that; another Brisbane long weekend in September, and four days in Melbourne last week. Amongst that, a busy time here in Canberra too, with some lovely things like weddings and visits from family and friends. Oh yeah and a bit of extra stuff at work. It's ninety per cent good; just, enough.

I went to a flower festival and saw some beanies

Last Sunday I went to Floriade to look at the flowers.



Then I went again on Wednesday to get a look at those beanies. A touring exhibition from the Alice Springs Beanie Festival was one of the attractions at Floriade. I read about the festival in an earlier issue of Yarn magazine and thought it sounded fantastic.

I really loved this exhibition. I knew I wanted to see it, but I didn't necessarily expect to find it so inspiring. The beanies were made by indigenous women and whitefellas from many parts of Australia, and a few from overseas too (Japan). The majority were crocheted, often with 3 or 4 strands of something like 8ply held together - obviously a useful technique in the speed beanie contests that are part of the festival. There were many felted and mixed media beanies, and a few knitted ones too. I loved the range of techniques and subjects, from simple, symbolic, figurative, whimsical, and comical. It was obvious that the beanie festival doesn't take itself too seriously, though the organisers are certainly proud of the way it brings people together, and highlights and promotes (mostly women's) textile work.


This beaded beanie was made by nuns - the Little Sisters of Jesus in Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory.

Another look

Take hold of the wheels and turn them around

In years gone by, Grandma used to do a lot of spinning. But not in the past few years, as she doesn't knit much any more, especially since she moved from Tasmania to Queensland with its much more tropical climate.

Recently my uncle requested a vest from handspun and grandma got out the electric spinning wheel once again. She quickly reported that when she did a little spinning at night, she could do without the usual sleeping tablet. This was great news, and I rapidly recognised a win-win situation. I sent some Ewe Give Me The Knits Moroccan nights merino fibre her way, asap.



I'm not sure this photo really does it justice. The colours are amazing and it is so light and soft. I don't know yet what I will make with it, but for now I am enjoying it sitting in a bowl on top of the heater.

But do you think grandma stopped there? No, she did not. She aquired a bunch of wild colours and really went to town. The peach colour she even dyed herself. I think some of this might be destined for felting projects.



All of this came home from Brisbane with me on Monday. It's lucky I had some space left in my suitcase. Oh, and I've already had a message asking what colour I would like next!

or whatever will bewilder me

This is the little bowl for Aunty M to go with the earlier bigger one. A good place to throw jewellery when you take it off at night - must make one for me, actually.

Avant feutring, avec chien.

Recently I discovered that these bowls take a different shape when turned inside out after felting. In this case I wasn't sure which way was better, and left it to my aunt to decide if she wants a shallower or deeper bowl.

In these weird closeup photos you can see the difference in the height each way.

Who murders who, and where is the treasure hid?

I've just added another item to the sidebar (scroll down a bit), a list of the last six books I've read.

Awfully fond of you

Further proof that I am a sucker for the knitting of the sock: I may have been influenced in the purchase of these shoes by their potential for showing off hand-knitted socks.

In my defence, they were discounted. And more importantly I have one other pair of Skechers which I have practically lived in since I bought them. So comfortable, largely because unlike most fashion sneakers, they have a decent arch support. (These are less sneaker-ish than the others but have the exact same sole).

Behind the times

This was my stick-on numberplate. Sweaty!

This is what I did last Sunday - the Canberra Times Family Fun Run. I'd only ever done this once before, when I was in year 10. I hadn't done much running back then. I remember shuffling all the way without walking, and every kilometre a different body part began to hurt.

Click for bigger, if you really want to.

This time was a much better experience. I squeaked in in just under an hour which was all I hoped for, really, kept running the whole way without having to walk (10km), and finished 1376 out of 2230. So I am a slow runner, but it's easy to feel slow when you're running with a crowd of 2000+ of Canberra's fittest people. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool. The last km was the hardest, and when I finished I felt quite sick for a minute or two. Then, suddenly, I wanted to run it again! Faster! Bring on the city to surf! The marathon! (endorphin rush + thrill of achievement). I tried to keep mobile through the day but ended up very creaky and sore that night and the next day. All better by Tuesday, though, and I ran again today (about 5km). So I feel that I have some level of conditioning for running, which is nice. I will try to build up my distance and speed a bit before the next fun run.

Gotta be big!

A while ago, way back in (whoa!) July, I offered two pink-and-purple pots to the first two people who said they liked them. Donna Lee mentioned that she was seeking to bring more pink into her life.

After I offered to send her the pot, we went one better and decided to swap some yarn and other goodies. With the help of her family, Donna Lee immediately set to putting together a lovely package of local goodies from New Jersey and nearby areas. It's only now that I've finally got my parcel on its way to Donna Lee that I'm showing off what I got!

Two gorgeous natural colours of alpaca yarn. Tofutsies sock wool, an unusal blend of wool, soysilk, cotton and chitin (made from shrimp and crab shells, and apparently naturally antibacterial!). A book of New Jersey ghost stories, which was an excellent pick for me, I love ghost stories, I'm reading one, Blue Dahlia at the moment. A pinecone from her backyard. Delicious lemon green tea, which turned out to be the excuse I was waiting for to buy a teapot, thus allowing me to cast on for the wacky aran cabled teacosy from Yarn magazine.

And, salt water taffy from Atlantic City! I had heard of this but had no idea what it was. It's delicious! Not salty exactly, but not super sweet either.


We just might have eaten a few pieces before this picture was taken.

Donna Lee, it was lovely. Not just receiving a parcel of wonderful stuff, but also figuring out what I should send your way. Thanks!