Sock?!!

Sock?!!
Originally uploaded by Hells Bells.

Or yet another entry where I attempt some knitting and then publicly wonder what the hell is happening and why it just doesn't look right.

I bought this special wool exclusive to Purl in the NYC foray for the challenge from Mary (start blogging again Mary!!) to knit some socks. For the first time.

About three months later on an autumn afternoon in a pub in East London I finally attempted casting on. However the wine was flowing and as my co-ordination and ability to count deteriorated, any hope of casting on using dpns (double pointed needles, aka trying to juggle four little pointy needles in two hands) ultimately failed.

However, my knitting guru came to the rescue and cast on for me (I have a sneaking feeling I shouldn't be admitting to this).

The lonely cast on row then sat on our kitchen table for anther couple of months while I eyed it off nervously.

Recently I took it up again and the ribbed top bit went fine. I then changed to bigger needles as per the pattern. Unfortunately it may have got a little lost in translation between US and UK sized needles as I'm sure that weird bulging isn't really meant to happen.

Time to consult the guru again (and eat pavlova, lamingtons and kangaroo)

Happy Australia Day youse.

Charlie

Charlie
Originally uploaded by Hells Bells.

I have been meaning to post this photo for awhile. Before Christmas I bought this for myself (based on the "one for you, two for me" christmas shopping methodology) from Fiona at Hop Skip Jump. He is even cuter in person. Fiona has been making such lovely cats and monkeys for sale - check them out...but you have to be very quick!

Its Over...

....The worst day of the year - as greatly publicised in several papers here. I'm still cranky though. Its not Monday any more obviously so now I'm blaming sugar deprivation caused by my attempts to stick to the CSIRO diet (modified version....no way my system can take even half that much meat).

Have been sorely tested recently as according to office tradition if you go away for a holiday you must return bearing sweets, chocolate or other yummy edibles. Unfortunately about 3 people just got back from Australia so there has been incredible tempation with Violet Crumbles, Jaffas, Minties and Twisties taunting me everytime I go to the printer.

I have mostly been able to resist by having Aussie day celebrations at Pauline's to look forward to (she has been preparing) but I would estimate that at least a quarter of a packet of Violet Crumble bites have snuck through.

Warning: A bit of a whinge to follow

I think I’m in the midst of a blogistential crisis. Its started with a growing ambivalence to my blog name…too clunky….not very interesting….definitely not quirky and chosen at a time before I even started with the crafty stuff again. It deepened with feedback that some people don’t really like the “knitting stuff”. Maybe I need two blogs? At the very least a rebrand. I feel like I need a more definite theme (or two). Have any other bloggers had these thoughts?

I would like to have more time to play around with stuff like this but am facing a lot of grown up stuff at the moment. Buying houses, organising weddings and trying to build some kind of a career type job thing (in the face of corporate f**kwittage). I’m supposed to be excited about all this stuff and I am when I think about things one at a time, but when I think about the year as a whole I just want to hide under the doonah/duvet/quilt/all three. But then it is a Monday.

Maybe I should get me one of those life coaches - a personal cheerleader would be good for Mondays. Or maybe I should become one and rake it in bossing people around!!

Holiday roundup

I’m finding it a bit hard to write after so long. I didn’t intentionally take the whole month off blogging but it was kind of nice to have a break. We got back yesterday after two weeks in Australia and am recovering from flight and adjusting to lack of sunshine after a two week overdose of the stuff.

Highlights of an excellent trip were:

• A night of luxury at Shangri-la in Singapore
• Hot weather (damn hot!)
• Sunshine the WHOLE time
• Swimming in the ocean (ok so it was only once and it took me almost all holiday to work up to buying swimmers …but it was a better effort than last year)
• Emma & Finn being born while we were there
• Hanging out at the Resort (aka Mum & Dad’s)
• Lots of catching up with friends
• Dining at Roberto’s
• Bollywood NYE party
• Eating kilos of prawns and mangos (and of course the “great prawn debate” ie the best place and method to procure the Christmas prawns)
  
  We have come back so relaxed that our bus sailed past this morning and we didn’t even think about running for it. Hopefully the feeling will last for a couple of days at least.

Christmas Lunch - Prawn & Avo salad
Originally uploaded by Hells Bells.