Yarning Sideways

Hello everyone!
This weeks knit is the vertical 7 , a birthday hat. It's not all icing and cake just yet....but we will see.
I've got two other hats soon to be on the needles as well, working my way into the 12 hats for 2012 nicely.
I also finished my bird watching shawl  ! 

It's been a cool rainy week here in the Kimberley. Cooler temps, still lots of bitey things, still much time indoors. I did manage to go outside for a long walk last week. One more month of HOT weather, then it gets totally beautiful here in the dry season. Can you imagine year round summer temps? We never get under 80 degrees here, thats even in the 'winter'. I do get strange looks when I go outside wearing a thick wool shawl and hat for my ravelry photograph page. Little do they know, we will soon be back on Norwood Road, where it does snow. Aah. (At that point this blog will totally turn into a home renovation site!)

My reading this week is  'A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling'  Grade 2 by  Melisa Nielsen.
It seems like a full and magical year of teaching, learning, discovering.

(exerpt from the lecture Knowledge of the Higher Worlds..)

" Every idea which does not become your ideal slays a force in your soul, every idea which becomes your ideal creates within you life forces...''                   -    Rudolph Steiner

Linking up with Ginny's yarn along .
Have a great week !

A colour Affection

Look - the Colour Affection Shawl is finished !
I do love it ... a quick, satisfying, easy going kind of knit.
A grab it and go kind of knit.
A green bird watching kind of knit.

{Pattern and my notes found here.}

Yarn is Celtic Memory Yarn handdyed in Ireland by the lovely Jo.
You can find her here. 


My sweet one did not want to go to school today,
he was out all last week sick. Now it's pouring rain
outside, and could be the God's crying for him too.
Reading my Homeschooling Books last night on
Grade 2 - wondering where is that world that we
do not question our selves , our actions.
What is best :: interactions with lots of strangers ,
or intimate days with only the ones you know most.

Yarn Along and a Winner

Hello good people !
Hoping your week has gone along smoothingly....with lots of good things.
Here ---- lots of knitting ( i'm sure you non knitters are sooo bored with my blogging as of late?)
also lots of cuddling and nose wiping and such, two little ones with colds.
Some of the Monsoon weather is back with us this week, i love the rainy season.
It's great for bird watching !
And just look up there ,,,, my bird watching shawl is nearly done. This is a truly addictive knit. If i'm not madly working on it, i am thinking about working on it. It is the last thing i put down at night , and the first thing i pick up , after coffee of course. Some more knitting you say, oh yes then !

Look at this little tater tot. Peanut butter face and all, modeling the 'other shawl'  ( its a test knit in progress ).  We've hit a bump this week, this shawl and myself. It is measuring several inches bigger than intended. I did think of doing it over, but that is alot of work to rip, aint it? So after speaking with the designer, she and I both agree to keep it going as it is. I think it may be the MadTosh Vintage giving me extra length? Who has used this yarn,,,,its my first time. Does it work a bit bigger? Please don't say it grows lots with blocking.

My latest cast on ( and the book I am reading ) is Jane Austen's Knits .
This is the Yak cottage shrug. So far so good. It's the first time I've ever knit -purl - knit in the same stitch.
It's making a bit of a hole, but I guess that 's what it's suppose to be doing?
I checked out Jane Austen's Persuasion from the library, and haven't read enough to comment ;)
Who can read and knit? What's that,,, you want to see more of the magazine? Ok then..

I know I know I know

and now for the drawing........

# 5 Emma you won last weeks giveaway , congratulations !
I'll be in touch shortly .
Happy yarn along !

Needled

                        Needled ::   (in order of appearance)

• Jane Austens Knits Magazine arrived in my post this week. Oh my goodness....Diving right in to this. Lace Yak ? [Has anyone knitted with lace yak?] Can you believe I successfully caked a skein of lace yak?
• Madelinetosh Vintage pattern testing for Nell on ravelry. This is super fun, and dazzlingly soft. My first project with Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. But today , I saw THIS.  [queued]
• Another of Veera's very smart garter stitch shawls. In all greens so I can successfully bird watch in camo.
• My  Lispenard Pattern giveaway is still open for all. Put your name in once or twice for the drawing next week.
• Linking up with the lovely Linda today. Have a great weekend !

Lispenard Cowl Pattern Giveaway

"  A thing of beauty is a joy forever "    -John Keats .

              

            Excited to show you the Lispenard Cowl test knit completed !
                                                    
                                   
                    Kirsten would like to gift one of you this pattern ! 
                                          
                                               Leave us a comment on this post to enter the drawing.
                                                   My followers feel free to enter a second time :)
                                                        I'll pick a winner next Wednesday.
                                                                  Happy yarn along  to all .

The Lispenard Cowl

                               My Lispenard Test Knit is completed !
                                    Whews ! Go check it out....
                                                   xoxoxo

colour affection

                                      neW yarNS !!   neW proJECT = WONderful weekend :)
                                                  ps. I am thrilled to be on this boat  ! ! !

a room

" If we think of the existence fo the individual as a larger or smaller room, it appears evident that most people only know a corner of the room, a place by the window, a strip of floor on which they walk up and down. "

  fear of the inexplicable   - RILKE.

                  Thank God for you , {that patterned cowl was doing my head in}.
                        What say you , lovely knitters ?

School Boy

Time goes by and by.
Oh my, I just sent my schoolboy off for his first day of SECOND grade.
We homeschooled last year....and decided that it would be lovely for our oldest boy
to have some friendship interactions with other children his age.
Such decisions we make as parents, a bit heartaching seeing him go away,
out of my sights and protection and control. I do hope he has a fantastic day.
I do hope its the right thing to do.
I do hope i can get some more knitting done today, ( it does take my mind off things so nicely)
{especially when its lace and cables, oh my. isn't it growing!!}
Nesta hopes we catch more tree frogs.
They have spawned around a thousand and four tadpoles in our swimming pool.
Yesterday was nice, sitting out in a spawney pool with my two boys, catching tadpoles.
It was just what I wanted to do....now I feel a bit restless with one gone.
I am not sure what I want to do.
I suppose I should make it fun for the 'littlest' one - who was a bit sad and confused
seeing his big brother go off for the day.
Sorry for the dribbling !!
I think i'll go shed some tears in my coffee.....
joining the yarn along with ginny.