Tuesday, March 25, 2008

a change of scene

there was a slight chill in the air this morning as the dogs and i walked along the beach - a sign of the long-awaited autumn arrival. summer proper was wet rather than hot but the last two weeks of indian summer have been unbearable in their lateness and intensity. bugger off sunshine.

given that the long southern summer of socks is drawing to a close (even though i have two pairs still on the needles and another four pairs planned), i felt the sudden urge yesterday to start something else.

i have been playing around with ideas for this for a while:

its 150g of hand died 4ply polwarth silk. i started making a lace leaf scarf with it:

but i have a gorgeous 6 foot long nundle hand made scarf that i wear every day in winter and scarf knitting? after lace socks? boring.

so i ripped it and rewound it and decided to give the shetland triangle a go. i want to make this eventually in a plain coloured DK but in discussion it was felt that it would be ok to have two shawls in the same pattern, esp as one is going to be very lacy and soft and light, suitable for indoor wear perhaps, whereas a heavier one might be perfect for sunday afternoon football watching, for example. if i did that.

anyway, here it is so far:


there are semblances of fir cones appearing. once you get the hang of using a chart (difficult for those who like to work off written instructions!) it is a relatively easy pattern tho now i am into the second repeat of the body chart and im not sure how to work the red boxed bit that says 'pattern repeat'. will let you know how that turns out!

the long weekend finished quietly with a slow day at home on sunday, and then yesterday a trip down to berry where the fantastic sour dough bakery was open. hmmmm lattes and sour dough toast.... we came back via gerringong and had lunch at the werri beach fish shop but yet again it has new managers and the standard has deteriorated. i have lived on the pacific coast most of my life and i can not believe how few places get simple fish and chips right. for those discussing this issue on the ravelry canberra group forum, there are no good fish and chips in canberra. the best fish and chips, apart from doyles at the fish markets/watsons bay, is a tiny little non-descript take away on the strip at surfers paradise that does garlic and butter barramundi and coral trout to die for. shame you cant get coral trout down here.

on that note, i am off to the fresh fruit market to get ingredients for the ham and ricotta lasagne. i have made it again since the first time but the ricotta wasnt fresh enough and the difference was noticeable.

i am thinking that i may leave academia behind and become a full time cleaning, cooking, gardening and knitting housewife. this should tell you something about my state of mind, given my extreme aversion to housework.

k xx

6 comments:

amy said...

I worked in a seafood restaurant in high school and college, and I was always stuck in take-out on Friday nights. LOTS of fish and chips. Lent was the worst. I'm having flashbacks... :-)

I'm not one for fish & chips, so I can't tell you how the ones here compare, but there are lots and lots of places that sell them, especially during the summer tourist season. I do like clam cakes and chowder (white, not red), but Nicholas got a rash the first time he had them, and now I'm afraid to bring them into the house.

Taphophile said...

Oooh, the shawl is gonna be divine. How'd the yarn stand up to the unravelling?

Rose Red said...

I think that yarn looks fab as the shetland shawl! Excellent choice!

The idea of being a full-time housewife is extraordinarily attractive to me.

Bells said...

You frogged the scarf? You're right though, even the nicest scarves are fairly dull. Good work on the shetland. It looks lovely!

I long to be a housewife. How very retro.

Georgie said...

The shetland is looking very good. As someone who has only recently started on charts, the best piece of advice came from Ms Spider: sticky notes are your friend. Put it under the row youre working on. I now have a pad of the wide ones in my kit at all times (when PJ doesnt find them that is).

Housewifery was extraodinarily appealing post-submission to me too!

Fernicle said...

Amazing knitting as usual Miss kylie! constantly wowing me...

i never told you that I finished my first pair of baby socks...might have been a mistake knitting the first pair without any pattern or instruction...hmmm. They were a little funny! Especially when I ran out of wool on the second toe and had to do it in a different colour! Just so you can tell left sock from right of course. Mum of bub was very excited to get them though so that is all that counts. will ask her for a pic of them and post if I can!

Much love...