the rushing, the pausing

Spring hit, the rushing began...the pace has picked up. there are more events, fairs, volunteering,  rehearsals,  less empty pages in the diary, and less knitting!
Life seems to be about a swinging from rushing to pausing (or gasping?).
Something must be done about this periodic quickening... this November malaise...knitting seemed the antidote...but it's being pushed out by the packed agenda of a family of five.
That said: I finally finished my  "hitch"jumper/sweater! hooray for that! (ravelled here)
It feels good to finish something, and it's a stunner in the Rowan Felted Tweed.

and while I dither about between projects, I have some finishing of socks underway...

oh, and on a hot afternoon, I picked up the girls after school and we all five, yes the whole family, drove in peak hour traffic across town to the bay for a first of the season swim and a fish'n'chip dinner on the beach!! worth the fumes, I can tell ya!

and just because, I'm joining the Yarn Along with Ginny, though I haven't read much at all except of course, bedtime stories! The favourite is "Charley's First Night" by Amy Hest and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (I love her work); about a child and a new puppy.

the heart of winter

The sun has been shining and we've been having wintry beach adventures on the Bass Strait!
LOVE!

The parade of knitwear...someone's mother is a wee bit obsessed....

yep, that's her...

  and a hearty craft project!

We are making a family of Sami people, nomadic reindeer herders from the Arctic! and Inspired by a most divine book: Children of the Northlights by the incredible artist couple Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. Such incredibly beautiful illustrations!
It seems very fitting we are making these warmly clad folk in the heart of winter, and having just oh so myuch fun with the details! The hats! The embroidery and little shawls. The shoes with the curled up toes for holding on skis, and darned if I'm not going to whip up some little skis any minute!

not finished yet! The reindeer needs antlers, and where's the teepee!!

And!  What's on the needles??

Here is Hitch, a design by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, and appearing in Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People 5: a jumper (sweater/pullover) for moi! It's a very fun pattern, knit in pieces (my lord, seaming!), and a bit of cable and simple lace pattern at the front.
I'm using Rowan Felted Tweed DK in Clay.
Yarning Along with Ginny!
And reading this magnificent children's book by one of my all time favourite illustrators: Mitsumasa Anno. ANNO'S FLEA MARKET. No text just pages and pages of fascinating market stalls in a medieval town square. Love it!

ravelled here

AND Frontier Dreams'  Keep Calm Craft On (very wise advice!)

a sea breath or, knitting elsewhere

We went to the beach for a couple of days, just enough to see the forest for the trees, well and the curly ferns too!

and have a bit of peaceful knitting time on a different comfy lounge! heaven!

 

 I'm back working on Lyttelton by Kate Davies, a fantastic shrug with cables AND lace! Not so difficult once you get into the swing of it either. I'm trying out the Quince and Co Tern (silk/wool) in Backbay colour for this one. Not sure I like it so very much but I'll wait and see how it washes. I hope it softens up. If I was to knit again (god forbid!) I think I'd choose a sproingy sock yarn like madelinetosh sock

ravelled here

I've been reading Elizabeth Zimmerman's most charming natterings in the Knitter's Almanac. I just love her so much! Her words have such a warmth and friendliness, it's as though you are sitting in front of an open fireplace knitting with her!

On the way home we visited a gorgeous lighthouse, called affectionately by the locals as "The White Queen",  built in 1890 to guide the ships along the Bass Strait. I have a fondness for lighthouses. Kate Davies of Needled (and the designer of my current knitting project) featured the cute stout little lighthouses by the Stevenson family in Scotland in her wonderful book, Colours of Shetland. I love her design for the sweater and gauntlets, and intend to make them, one day.....

 Joining Ginny for her Yarn Along


and Nicole of Frontier Dreams' "Keep Calm Craft On"

{this moment}

 

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by SouleMama 

{a week in pictures}

 someone special turned eight!

 she started the day with her 8 kisses from all! then to the birthday table with the candle lit and the "baby" photo, just to see how much she has grown!
next to presents...the bean bag was a hit!

next the gypsies arrive for the birthday party...this time, off to the Botanical Gardens for a treasure hunt to beat all treasure hunts, complete with map, clues and a bit of rolling along the way!

 ...next, to the beach for a few days rest... teal waters

 beach yoga...

 beach knitting...

 

and some addictive late night puzzle behaviour...

simplicity

Sometimes a short winter's play on the beach is all you need...

Prodigal Blogger Returns

Okay, So I've done it again. I started a blog, wrote for a while and then life became busy and I couldn't spare the time to reflect.
Yes, Amma came, we had a sublime trip/family reunion in Pambula....aaaahhhh...Pambula!
And then life as a full time student, part time yoga teacher, parttime student, mother of two, oh and a wife...hubby struggling (muffled calls...in vain) under the pile of unattended dirty washing, unwashed plate...or is he in the empty fridge, just to keep out of my way.
I have resurrected my obsessive, compulsive self, charging through the sleepless nights in front of assignments, and heady days whirling from teaching placements, to dance classes for the girls, to study, work, kid exchange rendesvous.
No time for knitting. Reading. Movies. Although I did sneak one in last Monday night. The Edge of Heaven, a Turkish/German collaboration. What an amazing journey of a film. I officially wish to retire to some seaside village on the Black Sea in Turkey.

Healing teal waters of Rosebud

Oh, the colour, the colour! This is all I could think or say yesterday at Rosebud. The kids bathed in the blissful shallow waters of Port Phillip Bay, and I bathed in the colour. I drank teal, till I felt disoriented.
Walking up the long long pier, I had an overwhelming sense ofwalking life's journey, expecting to jump off the end into tropical Bardo. What a delicious breather!ahhhh


The great pier of life.