Which, by degrees, slips round her neck

We saw Children of the Silk Road on the big screen the other night - a good story, an OK film.

Jonathon Rhys Myers was fine in Bend it Like Beckham, not so much in this film. He did have an interesting wardrobe. The whole second half of the very long film, he wore a double rib scarf knitted at quite a tight tension. I kept trying to work out if it looked more like Cleckheaton Country Silk or Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed which was a little distracting.

I'd rather like it to be the Silk Road Tweed. In fact I'd rather like to make one in the Silk Road Tweed - damn, nothing in boodle.

And hands the rustic stranger up to fame

There are many reasons for loving vintage knitting patterns. Last weekend's haul brought an unexpected delight.

Oh Aussie children of the 70s and 80s, do you recognise this male knitwear model from a Patons pattern from the very late 1960s?

Do yourself a favour, try imaging a large Akubra hat on him.

Yup, Ian "Molly" Meldrum . Hoot+

For more vintage pattern fun, read Chocolatetrudi's stories here and here.

An' I maun guide it cannie

Two garage sales last weekend yielded gold.

Five vintage Patons patterns - two for my collection, the rest for mates (20c each) , Alice Starmore's Knitting Patterns of the British Islands ($3 - best price on Abebooks $45 + postage from NZ!), a pear for TSS's collection ($1) and Two Fat Ladies Ride Again (20c).

Not a bad haul of $5.20.

Seven Things Week 60

Ah well, there' always next week.

IN (76)
73 balls of yarn - OOPS
1 digitial set top box
1 book - review copy from publisher (more of that later)
1 rice/project bag - GIFT

OUT (1)
1 ball yarn

SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT (4)
4 beanies

TOTALS

IN 76

OUT 1
NET OUT - 75
SIAA 4

And makes him quite forget his labour and his toil

Sometimes my work life and personal life intersect.


It may have been disconcerting for some people at a professional seminar last Friday, to see TSS sit down in the row in front of me in the last session of the day, casually extend an arm over the back of the seat, remove the TTWC from my hands and proceed to knit.

It certainly amused my old colleague sitting next to me, particularly when I photographed it.

Might weel awauk desire

There was a little yarn accident on Saturday.


The Old Flame and I had to pop into K-Mart to get a digital set top box (cheaper than getting the outside aerial and wiring fixed). We got to within a few metres of the security gate when I spotted it - a trolley half-full of yarn and a sign indicating all balls 10c. I may have leapt like a cheetah on her prey at that moment.

Seconds later, as the balls were flying and I was muttering "wool, ack, ick" the Old Flame caught up with me, took one look and declared he would get a basket. He brought the basket, left again, and returned with a trolley and helped me sort through the piles for the wool. He has a good hand and could tell the wool from the ack without looking at the ball bands.

Time lost all meaning as the yarn frenzy escalated, so not only did I not question what happened next, I immediately complied.

A heavily accented voice murmured urgently in my ear, "Quick, you come with me!" and the woman who belonged to the voice tugged my arm. The Old Flame said "Go, I'll find you" and the next thing I know I'm chasing after the sprinting woman. It did occur to me that this was perhaps a little odd, but by then we were near her destination - the partially denuded faux-Feathers/Ostrich section of the yarn aisle where she began thrusting the garishly printed stuff into my arms. Turns out that although it was marked 70c a ball, the register was charging 10c. She'd already bought 50 balls and was going back for more, but having witnessed the onset of my yarn frenzy, was generously sharing. It took a little while to assure her that as grateful as I was, the yarn was all hers.

The Old Flame found me in the yarn aisle assaying for the Patons Jet and Cleckheaton Vintage Hues (all $3 a ball). Not as cheap as others had got it for on the other side of town, but roughly half price and cheap enough for socks for the Jean Colvin Hospital. Some of the yarn was out of reach so my Old Flame found a large metal trolley, climbed up on it and began tossing down balls of yarn.

Here he is grabbing the last of the Vintage Hues.


And that is how I came to buy 73 balls of yarn this week, more than half of it balls of pure wool for 10c a ball, and how our relationship survived its first yarn frenzy and the post-frenzy gleeful giggles every time I looked at the trolley. I know it wasn't a pretty sight.

Whose hearts the tide of kindness warms

I also like smart, funny, kind people.

My project bag of choice is the cotton rice bag - they work for me on lots of levels (thrifty, green, washable, good size etc...). A colleague saw me knitting from one the other day and offered to give me his; which was kind.


One arrived today, with this note -


I guess the reference to this year's Booker winner is reasonable for one librarian to another, but it's still smart and made me smile. I'm 45th out of 99 on the request list for this book in the ACT Public Libraries - more copies on order, so that should change pretty quickly.

'Bout vines, an' wines, an' drucken Bacchus

I do so love a good sport and an extrovert. This is Maureen who helped us at a tasting at Doonkuna wines. She saw me take a photo of the beanie on a bottle of champagne we'd just tasted, and immediately whipped the hat off the bottle shoved it onto her head and posed for a photo.

A group of us hired a mini-van and did the Murrumbateman Moving Feast a couple of weeks ago. I lost count of the number of wineries (5?), plus the wine show tasting. It was a damp day, and cool without being cold - lovely for trundling around the countryside sipping wine and eating. Doonkuna was our first stop at about 10.15 - and this the first and last beanie completed. Another was begun and knitted on, but food and wine took precedence.

We ended up having a revolting cassoulet at Dionysus Wines for lunch but made up for it with a couple of desserts - dark chocolate cheesecake and lemon tart. Pick of the day was the lemon tart at the friendliest winery - Mackellar Ridge. They also had free brewed coffee for the designated drivers (like the Old Flame).

And this is pretty much my idea of heaven -I'm knitting in the wine cellar at the Helm Winery, and my Old Flame's nearby (he took the picture). The only thing missing is the fur children.

Seven Things Week 59

When one has 61 ins and it's only Sunday, one knows one will be pushing it up hill with a stick for the rest of the week. And so one did. I'm not too bothered at this stage, just as long as the trend does not continue.


IN (66)
50 wine glasses - 11 gifts with purchase and 39 from Aussie Junk ($10). Disposable plastic wine glasses are vile - on so many levels. This little lot means we have enough on hand for summer parties, bbqs etc. without resorting to the awful plastic or having to wash up half way through or hiring glasses.
2 reusable bottles with stoppers - 1 gift from TSS, 1 op shop purchase - for summer bottling
2 prs trousers - $2 Vinnies
1 vintage Patons pattern - $1 Vinnies
5 stationery trays - free c/- the Old Flame
2 prs knitting needles - SALVOS
1 reel knitting-in elastic - gift from TSS
1 costume for party this weekend - Vinnies
1 DVD player. This came home a couple of weeks ago and I forgot about it. Ooops. Secondhand.
1 cd with Musica Viva 2009 subscription brochure

OUT (30)
24 balls yarn - GIFTS & DONATIONS
6 sets technical notes - RECYCLING

SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT (3)
2 TTWCs
1 blanket piece

TOTALS

IN 66
OUT 30
NETT OUT - 36
SIAA 3

Where Infamy with sad Repentance dwells

A trip to Goulburn on Saturday night for a family function was made complete by a sighting of Todd Carney at the Soldiers Club. Glad to see they had him locked up.

I am my mammny's ae bairn

More Canberra stencil art. These are on another low retaining wall, this time behind the Salvos shop at Jamieson. The wee foetus has been there a while but the capsule is new.

Without a penny in my purse, To buy a meal to me

Completely impossible to chat, enjoy hospitality, absorb an exhibition and take photos at the same time - I'm completely in awe of those who manage it.


The Old Flame is getting into the culturvorian spirit. He took me for a cup of tea prior to TSS's exhibition opening - free tasting at T2 in the Canberra Centre!


Then on to the opening. The crapicity of the photos is, perhaps, due to the constant wee wee jiggle of excitement.

TSS with TTWC at the opening (that's a VIP talking in centre shot).

The Old Flame checks out my favourite, the Kaleidoscope House.

And here's my favourite "accessory", the Macgregor's wee Westie.

Seven Things Week 58

It rather looks like I'm not trying. Not quite true. I'm spending a fair bit of time dealing with Dad's accumulation of papers and realia. It takes a lot of emotional energy - far more than dealing with my own stuff. I have to be fair to everyone involved, negotiate with the rest of the family, find places for things to go and then physically remove them. I'm just starting on his library. As I gave him most of the books in it, and it is quite extensive, and as he insisted on a dedication for every book, I'm reliving birthdays, Christmases and Fathers' Days and it's fucking tough. So if I don't have the wherewithall at home to do more than create garter stitch scarves in garish colours and worry about not finding seven things of my own to dispose of, you'll just have to bear with me.

IN (3)
1 Tupperware container - new, I had a little accident at a Tupperware party a couple of weeks ago
2 knitting magazines - newsagency on a low day when VK was in stock. I'm only human.

OUT (10)
1 pr jeans - GIFTS & DONATIONS
1 coffee measure, broken - BIN
8 balls yarn - GIFTS & DONATIONS

SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT (4)
2 TTWCs
2 scarves

TOTALS

IN 3
OUT 10
Nett out 7
SIAA 4

owre the wee bit cup an' platie

I have my invitation to the opening of the year and I even have a period-appropriate ensemble to wear (as opposed to a theme-appropriate ensemble - no one needs to see me in a mini!) and I'm doing the wee wee jiggle in anticipation.

Should a blast. I'm really looking forward to seeing TSS's collection in a new light particularly my favourite, the Kaleidoscope House.

If you're in Canberra anytime between now and 26 January - get thee to Canberra Museum and Gallery for The Shopping Sherpa's exhibition of modern dolls' houses.

What once was a butterfly, gay in life's beam

This stencil art is low down on a small retaining wall at my suburb's shops.

It makes me glad to see it there.

glory is the sodger's prize

I'd know it was Spring even if I didn't feel the heat or see the pretty flowers or experience the wrath of a ferret wanting to be alpha female in the household.

I'd know it because all kinds of culturvorian activities are beginning. My in-box is chokka with invitations to launches, openings and events.

Having spent the winter watchng movies at the ANU Film Group, and pretty much nothing else, it's time to start documenting the life of a cheapskate culture whore again.

Through professional connections, we attended a fantastic curator-lead private view if the Australian War Memorial's Icon to Archive exhibition. The exhibition is excellent, but having a tour led by someone who has such a passion and knowledge of the collection makes it much more enjoyable and meaningful. The exhibition finishes this Sunday - highly recommended.

Then on Thursday we took in Beating the Retreat & 1812 Overture at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

This is RMC's 40th anniversary of inviting the public to the Beat Retreat. A couple of hours spent in the warmish spring evening at RMC watching an ancient military ceremony in a picturesque setting, then listening to an excellent band play interpretations of classical and popular music culminating in Tchiakovsky's 1812 Overture with real cannon fire at the end and a fireworks display for a gold coin donation that goes to a local charity. Not completely culturevorian, because we cheated and supported the RMC preschool by purchasing a spam and egg roll and soft drink each instead of bringing a picnic meal. Total cost for dinner for two and concert $12.

And there was knitting.

Seven Things Week 57

Yes, I'm late, but we had a very busy weekend and not much chance to use the internet.

OK, so we managed a trip to the Bookfair last weekend afterall but I didn't disgrace myself - promise. I have to amend an earlier post. The Old Flame was not a Bookfair virgin, he is very, very experienced - I misunderstood.

IN (15)
1 pr jeans Salvos
3 prs needles Salvos
7 knitting pattern books Lifeline
1 home waxing kit bought retail - it felt very strange to buy retail
1 souvenir whisky jug - I bought it at Vinnies Dickson for Dad last year and he adored it. He didn't drink spirits, but this jug had our family name on it, and he proudly sat it with his other commemorative/souvenir drinks stuff.
2 tops, Vinnies half price sale

OUT (23)
10 books - BOOKCROSSING
1 pr jeans - GIFTS & DONATIONS
4 sets plastic tweezers - RECYCLING
1 plastic fork - RECYCLING
1 plastic spoon - RECYCLING
1 plastic knife - RECYCLING
1 pr trousers - GIFTS & DONATIONS
2 broken wine glasses - BIN
1 melon baller - GIFTS & DONATIONS
1 lace scarf - GIFTS & DONATIONS

SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT (2)
1 hot-water bottle cosy
1 beanie

TOTALS
IN 15
OUT 23
NETT OUT 8
SIAA 2

She talks o' rank and fashion

My Old Flame knows that the quickest way to a woman's heart is through the chest cavity and failing that, knit-related anything. See what appeared in my in-box this morning. Now, if we could just teach that model to knit...