Good Reads, Knitting, Liberty and Summer Days

Ah January..how I do love long lazy days at home.  I might love them even more this year now that we have aircon (LOL)

It has been a wonderful break.  Lots of knitting! I decided to step out of my comfort zone and embrace colourwork.  I got the Strange Brew book towards the end of last year and I have to say it really is an excellent resource and has made first attempts kind of fool proof.  After a couple of Strange Brew Hats I've been playing with the Fearless Fair Isle Pattern on ravelry.  Colourwork is so great for using up little scraps!  I think I am a bit addicted.

"Fleet" and a Fearless Fair Isle original both out of scraps!

I made "Kind" slippers for Mum and Gubby for Christmas - now I want to knit a couple of pairs in chunky homespun!

I have signed up for two stash busting challenges in an attempt to get wool out of stash.  One runs for a whole year and focusses on using what you have pattern wise too so rest assured that I will be popping in to show you what books I have been knitting out of from time to time.  I have just started a pair of 5 ply socks (Patons Bluebell in a lurid shade of purple - which I am certain would survive a nuclear explosion but is really not enjoyable to knit with) using Ann Budd's fabulous "Getting Started Knitting Socks" book.  I have been knitting socks for quite a while now but I do like that she gives patterns for all different gauges of yarn, perfect for my AKWAK knitting.  There is also some playing with sideways mittens patterns for AKWAK and I am waiting patiently for some non 30 or 40 plus days to finish the sleeve on my Isla cardigan.  Currently I have knitted more than 2000 yards since January 1st.  Even my non-knitting husband was quite surprised by that - he said "Basically you've knitted to the roundabout and back!"

The hot weather and long holidays have also meant lots of reading time.  I started with Clara Parkes "A Stash of One's Own" which was thought provoking and funny and just fab holiday reading.
We've had a few library trips so I have also enjoyed The Tatooist of Auschwitz (beautifully written so as not to be too heavy despite the subject matter), Four Seasons with a Grumpy Goat (a memoir about a tree change in Tasmania - light and funny), The Room on Rue Amelie (sad and beautiful love story set in World War II) and Little Gods (by a Melbourne based author Jenny Ackland - this one was really special, a vivid portrayal of an Aussie childhood - similar style to Tim Winton without being quite so prosey, thoroughly enjoyable)

The heat has really been knocking my garden around - my mornings are filled with buckets and hoses and cursing our terrible irrigation system.  There will be casualties.  The upside is that the heat has attracted common brown butterflies to the hebe.  There has been a kaliedoscope of butterflies for the last 3 weeks.  They are just beautiful!

Last but not least I wanted to show you a special gift I received from 2 lovely friends before Christmas.  They knew I was feeling down about not being on staff at kindy next year and wanted to cheer me up.  I have only ever been gifted one other quilt, made for me when I left Melbourne (leaving another job I adored) by the talented Jenny Grierson.  This second special quilty gift was carefully chosen to include brown shot cotton and..liberty..after a conversation where I had wistfully suggested that I would never have enough liberty to make a quilt.  Such a special gift and I love it so much. Thank you Kirsty and Narelle.  It still makes me smile every day!

So now we have hit that crazy point in the holidays where there is still so much to do and not enough time to do it in.  Before we know it school will be back and we will pick up the thread of our "normal" lives.
Happy last week of holidays to you!
Keep smiling,
Nell

The kids have been delightful this holidays - disappearing into the kitchen to make wonderful creations together!