First off, thank you to those of you who have inquired about Tropical Cyclone Larry and it’s proximity to us, but it’s miles away. 2700 km, or 1700 miles away, in fact. So it’s had no effect on us whatsoever.
However, another Australian Knitblogger, Nat, is directly in the path of the storm and has evacuated with her family to a hotel. And to top it off, it was her birthday yesterday, so please go send lots and lots of good and happy thoughts to her!
The tutu made it’s debut yesterday, and seems to have been a great success.

(click for big)
Oh, the kid did okay, too 😉
She came second in her section!
Knitting? Just a little.

The cardi back is growing, I’m up to shaping the armholes. It’s not taking as long as I thought it would, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be a fan of using finer gauge yarn for garments.
The bottom isn’t scallopy, it’s just the way it’s been pinned out, otherwise you would have just seen a big rolled up piece of knitting.
And here’s Twinkie, who is still lost without her favourite sleeping spot. She used to sleep under Fuzzy’s cage, and she hasn’t found a new favourite spot yet. I love it when she sleeps like this – it looks like she has no front legs.

So I think I’m suffering Startitis. Despite the fact that I have the new cardi, the Trellis scarf and a pair of socks on the needles, I keep finding new things I want to start.
Like the Sivia Harding Diamond Fantasy Shawl knitalong.
Like new socks.
Now, I actually still have a pair of socks on the needles. Back in December, I started a pair of Trekking XXL socks for DH, using the 2 socks on 2 circs method. Love the yarn, but the 2 socks on 2 circs method isn’t doing it for me, so they’re languishing, untouched.
And I keep thinking about other socks.
Here’s the sock stash.

Rabbit included for scale.
Here’s a more detailed shot.

All those pretty colours, pretty yarns, they’re whispering to me. I’m hearing voices. They say “Knit me.” And still I keep being tempted to buy more.
I’m trying to be strong, because I know that if I cast on another pair, DH’s socks will never get done.
Oh, the temptation!!
And I have a toothache. I’m off to the dentist in the morning, but I’m a baby and I’m scared. And I’m tired, because I’ve not been sleeping, due to the toothache.
Maybe I should buy some sock yarn to make myself feel better 😉

Randomness, mail, yarn, links. It’s all to cover up the fact that I have no knitting to show!
Jill has moved her blog! She’s gone and gotten her own domain here, and if you go visit her, you can enter her competition to win some yummy yarn. Off you go, I’ll wait.
I bought some new pyjamas. I know, too much info 😉 Now, I need new pj’s about as much as I need new yarn, but I couldn’t resist.

Polar bear pj’s. I had to have ’em.
The mail brought goodies today. Best mail day I’ve had in a long time!
NadaJ and I had a little swap. I sent her some Cleckheaton yarn, and a few other little things that are only available locally, and she sent me sock yarn and stitch markers that aren’t available here in Australia.

Socks that Rock in Sedona, and Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Mountain Tango. Yum! Mountain Colors is my favourite ever sock yarn, although I’ve only used it once, but the StR feels mighty purty 😉
I went a-shopping on the web. Danielle has opened an Etsy store here. I’m a sucker for sparklies, so I bought myself some new earrings in blue and black, and Danielle especially made me a pink pair, but shh! They’re for Em’s birthday later this month.

Aren’t they pretty? I changed into a blue top when I got home from the Post Office so I could wear the blue earrings!
Carol has been on holiday, and she sent me a little souvenir.

A cute little notepad in the shape of a sheep!
Sparkly earrings, polar bear pyjamas, sock yarn and a cute notepad.
My life is complete 😉

Em had a dance comp all weekend. Wouldn’t you think that 10 hours sitting in a school hall would give you good knittng time?
It doesn’t.
You get all these long breaks with nothing to do, but there’s people every where, and kids running around, and Emily needs help changing, and you’re bored out of your brain, but you still don’t get much knitting done.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on lace knitting, so instead of taking the Trellis Scarf, I started a new project. (Any excuse is a good one, right?)

It’s a Cleckheaton Australia pattern, available in this pattern leaflet. I’m using Bendigo Wool Mill’s 5ply Colonial in “Rosebud”.
Now that I’ve started it, I’m wondering what I was thinking. A whole cardigan in 5ply (Sportweight)?
We’ll see how long it takes! This is how much I got done yesterday.

30 Rows. Doesn’t look like it, does it?
I have done some more on the Trellis Scarf.

I’m really enjoying this. It’s a 16 row repeat, and apart from the 7 into 5 clusters, it’s relatively painless. I’m finding the lace easy to read, and the pattern isn’t overly difficult. Here’s a closeup of the pattern, stretched out.

I’m loving the Cherry Tree Hill Possum Lace yarn, too.
Despite the fact that summer is apparently over, the heat is holding on here. It’s currently 36C (97F), so I’m not knitting today!

The Zhivago lace cardi is finished. Here’s a bad pic of it.

I’ll try to get a better one. Once again, DH and I were arguing during the photo process. I’m always saying “Oh, just take the damn picture!” and that’s usually right when he takes it. I think it fits better than it looks in the pic – and I think I might want to get a better pin to use as a closure – the pencil doesn’t quite cut it!
The pattern called for 10 balls of Zhivago, but I only used 8. That’s extremely rare for me, I usually use more than the pattern calls for.
What’s next? Jill sent me some magazines, including the newest Interweave Knits. I love the Evelyn Clark scarf, “Trellis Scarf”, so I whipped out the Cherry Tree Hill Possum Lace that I’ve been playing with, and I think this is exactly what the yarn wants to be.

The pattern isn’t too bad, although the “Seven into Five” clusters can be fiddly. I find knitting lace so soothing. I love the counting, I love seeing the lace pattern emerge. I love the blocking at the end, and watching the heap of yarn become a beautiful lace item.
This is Twink letting us know she’s ready for bed. If we haven’t put her to bed when she’s ready, she flops down right in front of the television, just to remind us that she’s waiting. I love the two little paws just barely sticking out 🙂