It's That Time of Year Again

September in Melbourne signals the same things every year.  The weather gets warmer and, enticed by the clear blue sky and bright crystal sun, people start to turn off the ducted heating and step outside into the daylight.  Football fever takes over the city and perfectly normal people start doing crazy things like wearing football paraphernalia outside of the accepted football arenas and in their everyday life and spending $600 on grand final tickets for two games that their team doesn't even win (well, I don't know how widespread that final instance is, but it was me last year.   Clearly I'm still holding some resentment.) And I cast on Football Finals socks and plant a whole bunch of seeds which I water enthusiastically for about three weeks and then completely neglect until they die.  I'm a sock-knitting plant murderer!

Firstly, the socks.  For the last two years, I cast on for a pair of socks during St Kilda's Qualifying Final and then knit frantically on the pair throughout September, convinced if I didn't finish the socks before the grand final then St Kilda would lose.  Well, in neither year did I finish the socks and in neither year did St Kilda win a grand final.  Draw what conclusions from that information that you will. This year, I broke with tradition and cast on during the Geelong-Hawthorn Qualifying rather than the St Kilda one (I needed to start a new project), and the Saints lost the Qualifying, which is their worst finals results in many years.  Next year, I'm knitting a blanket instead.  Just in case.

Hopefully we'll have lemons...

..coriander and chillies..

..and mint and chillies very soon!

 Melbourne in spring, I heart you!

Resurrected & 2011 FO# 8: Hospital Socks

I started these socks in hospital.  I was bored, woozy and desperately in need of bright and cheerful things.

 The pattern is basically your normal sock with a simple lace panel on either side.  However, and this gives you an indication of how totally whacked out on pain killers I was - I could not even cope with a simple four-row lace pattern.  It was completely incomprehensible to me.  So, the pattern, the yarn and the needles got shoved into a bag and promptly forgotten about (the painkillers made it very easy to forget all sorts of things...).

Fast forward two months later, and I'm at home - bored, cranky and with horrible cold toes.  While unpacking all my bags from the hospital I spy a glaring yellow barely started sock (honestly, it's hard to miss - it's pretty freaking bright) and my prayers for occupation and toe-warming are answered.  One week later I have warm toes, have passed my time pleasantly watching old movies and knitting socks, and am generally all-around feeling much better.

I used my usual 64 stitches on this sock, but the combination of 2.5mm needles (I usually use 2.25mm) and the slightly-thicker-than-normal Jitterbug yarn led to these socks being just a tiny bit too big to wear with shoes.  It suits me though - I'm wearing them as bed/house slippers and I know that when I see their brightness, it's bound to make me feel a little bit happier than I was before.

Pattern: Pillars by Lisa Stichweh (Rav link)
Yarn: One of my favourites - Colinette Jitterbug in Vincent's Apron
Notes/Modifications: Used my own stitch count for the sock, a short-row heel and my own standard toe.

But, as they say in the classics - wait, there's more!  One of the benefits of moving (and there aren't many that I can see) is the chance to go through all your long-forgotten belongings that have been shoved into bags, drawers and boxes, and then forgotten about.   A long time ago (in October 2007, according to Ravelry), I started a mitered square blanket (honestly, I am an awful blogger.  This a major project which involves a huge investment of capital and time, and did I mention starting it? Did I discuss the process? Nope, I just made random mention of squares I was knitting.  Bad me!).  Anyhoo, when moving I found the 38 squares that I had finished for the blanket and realised that I only had 10 squares to go before I could start the seaming.  Admittedly, this did not make me pick up the blanket again, but did make it seem more possible that one day it would eventually be finished.  I stored it in the bottom drawer of the dresser.

Two weeks ago, Sam threw a bit of a tanty because, out of the six drawers in our massive chest of drawers, three and a half are occupied by my clothes and one is full of wool.  To appease him (and because even I can see that situation is not exactly fair) I pulled out the Mitered Square Blanket.  Since the wool and all the squares were out already, I thought it wouldn't do any harm to knit a few more squares.  Wham bam thank you ma'am, eight of the ten squares are finished and I should be ready to start the seaming tomorrow.  There is a chance that this blanket may be finished by October, meaning that it would have only taken a mere four years to finish the blanket.  A perfectly reasonable timeframe! My old knits, resurrected :)

Hospital Blues: 2011 FO #7 Blue Jay Boneyard

On the night I broke my leg, I slipped and immediately know something was very wrong.  We immediately called the ambulance and while we were waiting Sam packed a bag for me.  Bless his lovely soul, in addition to my wallet and mobile phone he packed three knitting projects.  One of them was this:



I knitted this entire shawl in the five days after my operation before I was transferred to rehab.  I can remember precisely nothing of the process at all - zilch.  I must have enjoyed it because I did finish it quickly (for me), but I have no memory of it.





The finished shawl then got lost in the move from hospital from hospital and then apartment to apartment, only to be rediscovered a few weeks ago.  I blocked it, and I now have a brand-new scarf in some of my favourite colours that feels likes a present from me to me!

This yarn was originally going to be socks, but when I was knitting them up I got hardcore pooling of the black part of the yarn which obliterated all the other subtle variations of the yarn. The Boneyard pattern really showcases this particular yarn - it’s a perfect marriage between wool and pattern.

Pattern: Boneyard, by Stephen West
Yarn: My favourite - Colinette Jitterbug, colourway Jay
Notes/Modifications: Because I am short, I modified the pattern so there were six increases every two rows instead of four, meaning I ended up with a shorter, wider shawl. I did this by changing the increases at each side of the shawl to YOs and increasing at the start and end of each row, just like Ishbel.

2011 FO #6: Not another Irish Hiking Scarf

Last October,  my mother-in-law requested a grey cabled scarf.  I bought the yarn immediately, full intending to make it for her for Christmas, but well, life got in the way and I only blocked it last week.


This scarf is nothing exciting - it's a simpled cabled scarf made in a soft yarn in a fairly neutral colour.  It's utilitarian, but it's perfect for its purpose and hopefully will be much-loved by its recipient.

Pattern: Palindrome
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Alpaca in (I think) grey, one full ball.
Notes/Modifications: Added one extra pattern repeat for a wider scarf.

2011 FO #5: Alpaca Abyssal

One of the pleasant side-effects of recuperating from a major illness is massive amounts of time sitting around on my arse.  I'm not fit enough to go back to work yet*, so after I finish the two hours of exercise I have to complete every day my time is my own.  This means lots of time for watching movies, cooking shows and knitting up a storm.

Here's a little something I whipped up last week:

I wanted a scarf that was squooshy and soft and made out of stash yarn (another benefit of not being able to go out when I want is that I can't go to the wool shop whenever I feel like it...this is definitely a good thing!).  I had some gorgeously soft baby alpaca left over from my much-loved and often worn endpaper mitts, and when I saw this shawl last week, I knew what I had to do.




I used the grey as a contrast colour on the feather and fan section to use up as much stash yarn as I could.  I also changed the body of the scarf from stockinette to garter stitch to maximise the squooshiness.

 It was a quick, easy knit that sits perfectly, looks fantastic and makes me feel good about reducing my stash and spending too much time sitting on my arse.

Pattern: Abyssal Shawl
Yarn: Baby alpaca bought in 2007 (!!!)
Notes/modifications: Listed above.

I really love this shawl!

* I would like to go back to work.  I worry that my brain is shrinking a bit from underuse!  But I am taking a glass-half-full approach to my rehab and looking at the sunny side.

Back home again

It's been almost two months since my last blog post and I'm happy to share that I am finally home!  I was in hospital for over two months and it was a hard, hard slog.  Here are some things I learnt while recuperating:

1. I understand why reality TV contestants spend so much time talking about their 'journey'.

It's sounds very cliche, but my time in hospital felt like a personal journey or quest, like heroes took in mythology.  I think it feels like a journey because so much life-changing stuff happens in such a short time.  Five days after my accident, my entire day's tasks consisted of sitting up, sitting on the end of the bed for five minutes then lying down again.  To complete this task took almost an hour and involved tears, painkillers and much much pain.  Every time I stand up unassisted now I remember all the hard work it took to get me here and I thank my lucky stars that I have made it as far as I have.  It's only been three months but I feel like a different person because of the 'journey' I have been on ;)

2. You find out who your real friends are.

Some of my friends are superstars and some of them will never hear from me again.  I'm glad this happened so I know who my real friends are :)

3. Appreciate your freedom.

Even now three months after the event I still can't do what I want to do whenever I want to.  I can't drive or walk very far yet, so most outings involve taxis and wheelchairs and working around other people's schedules.  I miss the freedom to do what I want when I want.  The thing is, for me it's only a matter of time until I have it back again.  For some people, a simple accident means the freedom to do what they want when they want is lost forever.  

4. My cat may have missed me a little bit (maybe) but she loves the present I brought her back from the hospital.

I'm glad to be back!

Navel-gazing and Friday Firthday

Warning: This post was written late on Friday afternoon after a long tiring week of physiotherapy and a long day of doing not much except thinking, therefore it is introspective, whiney, contains navel-gazing and excessive discussion of the filmography of one particular English actor. Read at your own peril!

It has been four weeks and three days since I broke my leg and four weeks and one day since it was operated.  In some ways it feels like the time has flown by (four weeks have passed already?) but mainly it feels like I have been here forever and the life I lived before is a distant dim memory.  Right now I want to be home with my little family so much it hurts! However, I will be spending all day with them tomorrow and all night with them on Monday night, so I am much less entitled to complain than most of my co-patients, many of whom have lost limbs, been in here for longer than me and are not likely to leave as soon.

One of the hardest aspects of staying in a hospital is that there is absolutely no alone time at all.  From the moment I wake up until I close my eyes at night, I am in the company of nurses, patients, physios, therapists, people.  The nurses constantly check on you.  This is good – it’s their job, they’re supposed to make sure you’re okay and still breathing and your pain is manageable, but I have never spent so much time talking about moving my bowels.  The last few days I have started escaping to the toilet just for the silence, although I only get 15 minutes silence before a nurse knocks on the door asking if I’m okay!  I’m lucky that I have lovely women in my room and the nurses are friendly and competent, so at least the interruptions are well meaning and kind and my antisocial tendencies are accommodated as much as possible.  I am basically just a big whiny sook J

To break up the tedium and take my attention away from my self-indulgent complaints, I am instituting a new tradition called Friday Firthday, where I watch something containing the delectable Colin Firth.  Last Friday I watched The King’s Speech.  Although (taking into account all the interruptions from staff and fellow patients) it took me four hours to watch it from beginning to end, I enjoyed it immensely.  Today I’m watching A Single Man.  Checking out IMDB I actually own a few of his movies (The English Patient, Pride and Prejudice, Love Actually).  I was surprised to see he’s been a few crap movies (What a Girl Wants, anyone?).  I’m leaning towards something light for the next one (A Christmas Carol or The Importance of Being Earnest), although Pride and Prejudice is a classic than can never be watched too many times...  Does anyone have any recommendations?

ETA: I really enjoyed A Single Man.  I thought it was visually spectacular and very reminiscent of Mad Men, which I love.  Colin Firth's performance was fantastic and I was interested to see a grown-up Marcus from About a Boy.  However, I think it's important to tell anyone before they watch this that the film opens with a dead dog.  I wish someone had warned me!