Reflection

We've had a great Christmas week, complete with lovely gifts, great company, too much food and alcohol and general relaxation and reflection.

My lovely friend Jill lives on the other side of the world, yet she knows me so well. She sent me awesome Christmas gifts.

Love it all! The bamboo knitting gauge and sock gauge are so cute with the little polar bears! I'd been seeing them and admiring them on other people's blogs, and now I have them!

Santa brought Twinkie a treat, too.

It's still going, although much reduced now. She had her annual vet visit today, and was pronounced in excellent health! Now of course, she's mad and sulking that we dared take her to the vet.

So 2008 has been a pretty great year all round. Our trip in the USA, meeting lots of wonderful people who I'd love to see more often and getting married in Hawaii was just the start. Highlights of the year knit and internet wise include Knitting Camp, the Exhibition, placing the Shetland at the Easter Show and Bendigo Wool Show, meeting lots more internet buddies.

It'll be pretty hard to top that. I'm not making any New Years Resolutions, because for me, it's meaningless. I tossed around the idea of only knitting from stash, but that's a rule that begs to be broken. I thought about swearing to knit a minimum of 1500 yards a month from my stash, but that's a pretty big ask. And even if I did, and I didn't buy any more yarn, it'd take me 5 years to knit the stash on Ravelry. (And not all of my stash is on Ravelry!)

In 2008 I pledged to knit a pair of socks a month in an effort to work on the sock stash. I didn't finish my December socks, but I was ahead by a pair anyway, so I succeeded in that goal. However, I added more than 12 skeins of sock yarn to my stash this year, so I guess I didn't really succeed in that goal, did I?

So after mulling it over, I'm not going to make any firm goals, I'd just put too much pressure on myself.

Instead, my goals in general are:

Appreciate more. Acquire less. Aspire higher.

Not just in relation to my knitting, but they work there too. I need to learn to appreciate what I have. In terms of knitting, I have a pretty impressive stash of gorgeous yarns. Why do I feel the need to keep buying more? I need to appreciate what we do have instead of focussing on what we don't. We're healthy, we're well fed, we're clothed and housed. We're loved, and we have some pretty awesome friends and family.

And aspire higher - for me this is on a personal level, rather than a material one. Achieve more, aim higher.

Of course, David and I were discussing all this on our way out to dinner tonight.

Before some idiot in the car park at the club wasn't watching where he was going, and hit us while we were parking our car. No-one was hurt, and the car was only scraped a little. But it's just the car, right? It's fixable.

Bring on 2009!

On Christmas Eve, on Christmas Eve!

It's late, Em and Squeak are in bed, Twinkie is being devious and avoiding bed.

Today was drama filled. More so than usual. The oven died last Monday, and the real estate decided today was the day to install a new oven. And to send out the plumber. And I found a big ugly arachnid that scared the crap out of me. And David was at work. Half a can of insect spray did it in, then my mummy had to come and sweep it up for me.

Yes, I'm pathetic!

There are Christmas gifts coming to the house and departing from this house that haven't made their destinations on time. At least four that I can think of.

But every one is healthy and well, and it's Christmas, so it's nothing that can't be overcome.

I finished Otto, and he's gone off to await his new owner who will be joining the world soonish.

He's very cute reclining in the roses.

Specs:
Pattern: Otto by Ysolda Teague
Needles: 2.75mm DPNS
Yarn: Sublime Merino Cashmere Silk in "Waterlily" and "Mole"

Emily stored up some cuddles before he left!

I love these toys, they're so cute!

So now it's late, Twinkie finally went to bed, and it's nearly Christmas!

I'm wishing you all a happy and safe holiday, with lots of knitting time. Enjoy yourselves!

Welcome!

Thank you everybody, for all the lovely comments and emails, they were all very much appreciated.

We have a new addition to our household. Meet Squeak!

On Wednesday we headed down to Wollongong for a rare midweek SnB, because the lovely Charmaine was on a flying visit home from Abu Dhabi. On the way home we stopped by the pet store to pick up a few necessaries for Twinkie.

Then Emily spotted the bird. And she pleaded, begged and made puppy eyes at me until he came home with us. (Actually, we don't know yet if it's a he/she, but I'm just in the habit of calling budgies "He" because our last one was a he.) It got named "Squeak" because of the noise he made when the lady caught him for us.

How does Twink feel about the new addition? See for yourself.

That was the first day, but she seems to just ignore the presence of the bird now. She's been a little more affectionate than normal, so it's not all bad!

On to the knitting! Tangled Yoke is finished, apart from the blocking and buttons.

I'm having some difficulty deciding on the buttons. I didn't have the cardigan with me when I got the buttons, and seeing as they were $1 each, I didn't want to buy 9 of each and waste $9, so I got just one of each. And now I can't decide, I like both.

The darker ones are a little more subtle, but the lighter ones are nice, too. Opinions?

And seeing as I finished Tangled Yoke, I decided to make a little something for a pregnant friend of the family. Baby knitwear in summer here in Australia isn't always practical, so I've become rather enamoured of Ysolda's toys. This time, I'm making Otto.

Apart from being insanely cute, these toys are quick to knit up, and gauge isn't really an issue. They can be somewhat fiddly though! So far I've knit Elijah and Sophie, so this is the third one. They make nice gifts when you don't know the sex of the baby, and when the weather isn't really suitable for knitwear either. I've used Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK for all three, and it makes lovely soft cuddly toys!

And in other news, Emily got David to paint her nails.

Some things just need to be documented!

Thanksgiving

We don't actually celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia. But it doesn't matter, that's not really what I'm talking about. Right now, I'm thankful.

We got some awesome news last week. And I keep forgetting to tell everybody. I think it hasn't really sunk in yet. Last week, David saw his haematologist for his half yearly appointment. (For those of you who are not aware, in January 2002, David was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, stage 4B, which is about as far along as it gets. He underwent 6 months or so of chemotherapy, and went into remission)

Well, last week he got the all clear. The good "C" word. Cured. Never has to see the haematologist again. Nice knowing you, see ya!

And so I'm thankful. Dr Rosenfeld just gave me the most awesome Christmas present I could ask for. But like I said, it's not sinking in. We were hoping for this verdict last Christmas, and I was pretty crushed when we didn't get it. Now that we have it, it doesn't feel real.

The good news just keeps coming around here, doesn't it?

I'm also thankful to Meadow for being my Knitpicks mule. See what arrived here yesterday?

That would be two Autumn Rose kits, one each for Ailsa and myself. I'm not quite sure when we're going to cast on, but just in case, Tangled Yoke is flying towards the finish line.

I am seriously in love with that cable!

December 12

And so another week has slipped under the radar. For me it's just been the general busy sort of stuff that happens at this time of year, but for Emily it's been the best week of her life, apparently.

Her formal went beautifully, and she proclaimed when we picked her up that it was the best night ever. Her feet hurt (from dancing in heels, she thought) and someone had accidentally stepped on her foot, but that wasn't enough to dampen her euphoria.

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early, because we had tickets to a Twilight convention that was happening in Sydney. From my point of view it was a pretty good day, although not very well organised. From Emily's point of view, I think it was close to becoming a tie with the formal. She got to meet Edi Gathegi (Laurent), Nikki Reed (Rosalie) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob).

Her highlights? Nikki Reed told her she was pretty when she got her picture taken with her, and again when she got her autograph. But even better, she got to have her picture taken with Taylor Lautner.

She was shaking like a leaf after that picture. Later in the day, we saw him in the foyer, so Em went to say hello to him, and gave him some Aussie chocolates. He thanked her, spoke to her for a little while, and hugged her - twice. She's still talking about it. We went to see the movie last night, and when he came on screen, and the tweenies started squealing, she leaned over to me and whispered "That's okay Mum, he *hugged* me! Twice!"

She was so cute, I've never seen her shake like that.

Sunday she told me that her foot still hurt. I had a look at it, and noticed that it was looking very bruised. She'd mentioned that her foot had hurt before, but we'd put it down to dancing-in-high-heels hurting. Sunday morning, I realised that your foot doesn't turn black and blue from dancing in high heels. Off to the doctors.

It's not broken. But very badly bruised, the result of someone landing on it in a high heel at the Formal. Stay off it, the doctor says. Easier said than done, she had her dance concert on Wednesday night.

After strapping it, she decided she'd be fine. And she danced beautifully, and dancing is over for year. (Yay!!) Her foot still hurts though, but the bruising is mostly gone.

And good thing for Em number 3, when the Major dance awards for the year were given out, we learned that she had got the highest mark in the studio for her Tap Exam this year. (Well, equal with one other girl).

I told you, Em's number one week in her whole life.

And knitting? I managed some in between all the fun and games.

For the Tangled Yoke, we now have joinage!

At first I was glad that the sleeves were done. Now I'm not so glad that I have all those stitches on the needle and have 3 inches of stocking stitch to do before the cables start!

The only other knitting I've managed is starting some new socks.

I started them and took them along to the Twilight convention, where I managed that much, and then they haven't seen the light of day since. they are Esther socks (Rav link only, sorry!), in Cascade Heritage that I got from Yarns Online. So far I'm really liking this sock yarn, and at only $AU12.50 a skein (enough for a pair!), what's not to like?!?

Hopefully with dancing and school over for the year, and less demand for my chauffeuring duties, I'll have lots more knitting time! (I probably shouldn't have said that!)

Proud

Sometimes I look at her, and I wonder where my baby girl went.

But then I just think about the young lady she's becoming and feel proud.

Photos

We're coming up to dance concert time, and Emily has her Year 10 formal this Friday (Like the US Junior Prom, I think), so there's been a bunch of running around happening. And a bunch of social knitting, too!

Last Friday Ailsa and I went to Fox Studios at Moore Park for a knitting meetup arranged on Ravelry. It was originally going to be at Centennial Park, but bad weather interfered, and an alternate venue had to be found. It wasn't a huge turnout, but it was a great morning! Zena and her twins were in attendance, as was Corrie, Claudine, Sheridan and Jacqueline. Emily had a ball with so many little kids and babies, and I'm looking forward to the next one, hopefully the weather will be better!

Then on Saturday I went off to Wollongong SnB, and the Christmas Party after. More great knitting company, and a seafood platter for dinner. Nothing to complain about there! Well, except for the fact that I forgot my camera.

But I have pictures of other stuff. Emily picked out her dress for the formal a couple of months ago, but she wasn't entirely happy with it, and as we'd bought it locally, she was a little worried that someone else might have the same dress. So she asked for some alterations. Of course, I left it until the last minute to do something about the alterations!

Here's how the dress looked to start with.

She wanted it puffier in the skirt, and she didn't like the lace at the waist, but she still wanted some lace.

Voila!

Pictures of her all glammed up will be taken on Friday!

And amongst all that, I have knit a row or two. In fact, I have finished the body of the Tangled Yoke cardi, and I"m doing the sleeves.

And as you can see, I'm using my least favourite method, two at once on two needles. Well, I should say my second least favourite. Least would be one at a time! I have got into a few tangles along the way, but nothing too dramatic. Yet.

Last week my cousin called me up to say that they'd cleaned out my Aunty's house, and found a few things that my sister and I might like to have. A little back story here, our mother was killed in a car accident when I was 8, and my sister was almost 5. Between us we have only 5 pictures of our mother, and very few of her things, so we are always pleased to get anything we can. There was a personal possession or two, and he had a few old photos. Only one was of my mother, but it made me ridiculously happy. It's a picture of my mother and I.

Not a big deal, really, and not a wonderful picture, but after I got home I just looked at it for a long time. I have one other picture of myself and my mother, but in that one I'm just a baby.

Sometimes, a photo is the most wonderful gift you can give a person. This little jpg file has jumped up almost to the very top of my most valued possessions. I'm ridiculously proud of that little picture, and I've been showing it to anyone and everyone I know!

And in other wonderful pictures that you've all been waiting for.

Twinkie, washing her hands before dinner.