clocked up

I borrowed my sister's exercise bike last week. I like this kind coz my hands are free to do stuff. So I've been multitasking...watching movies, knitting and exercising all at once. In the past four days I've clocked up 50kms and about four movies. I also began knitting my first shrug as you can see.

I also got the other Jeanan glove done too and they make a handsome pair. I'm really quite happy with the way they turned out.

We also got some long awaited sunshine. Beautiful day yesterday. In between jobs (playing outside with kids) I sat in my backyard, ate lunch, looked through some catalogues and knitted. I also clocked up my first sunburn for the season. I had started out in the shade...

The sun was thoroughly enjoyed by all. I looked up toward the house while relaxing and spotted my brother's dog sunbathing. Ha ha.

Oh, and I also got this scarf finished and listed in my online stores. (See store windows to the right.)It's knitted in accidental ribbing with crocheted paisley ends. Made out of Moda Vera Audrey so it's nice and thick and soft.

the jeanan special

I realised (a little too late) that it was my friend Danielle's birthday and I would see her in two days time. Drat! I'd like to get her something, or better yet, make her something. So on a visit to my sister's I gathered some specific scraps of wool. Danielle (Jeanan is her Chinese name) absolutely loves my arm warmers (aka. long fingerless gloves) in this wool so I thought maybe I had enough time to make her some short ones. One a day... Ha!! The problem with inventing a pattern as you go is that it always takes much longer than I expect as there a multiple faults to adapt too....like making it too small so how can I make it bigger without undoing it all and starting again. Well, success came, with one glove, in the two days. So when I saw her I gave her the wrapped present and told her she would have to give it back temporarily. She'd see why when she opened it. "I have to make the other one yet and I need this one to make sure they match." But of course she hesitated giving it back coz she loved it. That's a good sign though. Now to make the second. It's underway but I must get it done by Sunday when I see her again.

sporadic click clack

The click clack of my knitting needles has been just a bit less common lately. I've simply had other things to involve my time with lately. The spring holidays have just passed and I didn't have as much work as normal. But instead I planned some fun things to do including having a friend come visit for a few days whom I haven't seen in months, visiting my older bro and his family for a couple of days and also taking a couple of my friends on a day trip to the Otways to the Fly Tree Top walk which was a great adventure. It was a bit expensive to go on I think but still worth a visit. Lovely scenery. The cantilever was fun (a suspended arm you can walk out on if you're game) and a bit of a thrill to look back and see the main pole it swung on moving to and fro. And of course the whole expedition is much more fun in the company of friends.
As for the bit of creating I have been doing... I started a new scarf I'm going to place in my store. Of course, it's actually taking longer to complete than I expected. I've also done some more of my sock. I was told not to deviate from the pattern the first time I tried knitting a sock but... I do like to adapt and alter. In this case I couldn't understand the heel part of the pattern. Neither could my sister who's done more sock knitting than me. And when another friend (who knits way faster than me and already has this same sock completed) said the pattern is actually written wrong I opted to simply do short rows as my sister explained. First try has left fairly noticeable gaps but I don't mind. They're just for me anyway. So I'm onto the foot part now for rows and rows. Perhaps one day I'll get it finished. And then there's its pair to make....