On knitting and therapy

Ive always thought knitting was therapeutic, not quite cathartic, but definitely calming during a storm.

The other day, i found out that the site I work at is being shut down due to the low nickel price. A job i utterly loved, with people I adored, and with so much promise - all to be gone in 4 weeks time (we are on demobilisation mode at the moment).

When i found out, I was on my R&R week. I got told via phone, and at the time, didnt get much info as everyone else was in the "what now?" boat. So, i had one and a half days of anxious waiting. Waiting to see if I'd have to uproot my life and go, waiting to see if i was being made redundant, or waiting on news that i might be able to transfer to another division.

Throughout this waiting, I fidgeted. I tried to spin. I tried to read. I tried to sleep. All to no avail. The only saving grace I had during that wait period was to knit while watching Heroes Season 3. Something about vegging out in front of the tv, plugging away row by row was therapeutic . And it got me through to the afternoon..

And then i got a call from my superintendent and HR one after another. It appears they want me to return to my previous position at head office (the one i came from before i was "loaned" out to site and decided i loved it too much on site to be back in corporate), and in so doing, would have to uproot my life as i knew it. But that's okay, it appears ( i say appears because it still has to be approved by CEO - and nothing has been confirmed 100% yet) that I still have a job (and a good one at that!), so i am grateful .

Damn those greedy corporate banks for sucking us into this global financial crisis! I didnt think it would hit me, but I've felt a bit of it so far, and i hate it..

PS. I'm knitting Central Park Hoodie, in Berocco Peruvian for my pal Thao .

Perth Royal Agricultural Show

When I was a kid, I loved going to the Royal Show because it meant showbags , games, goodies galore, prizes, and of course, tummy churning death defying rides. As I grew up, I went less and less to the show, partially because the price jumped something crazy ($12 for a ride?!) and partially because the novelty of showbags, wore off, I no longer wanted the plush toys, and the weaker tummy set in.

The last time I went to the show was about 5 years ago.

This year, something inside me felt the urge to go. While half of it was simply to do with the fact that I had a R&R break and was in need of relax time, and the other half was fueled by my growing love of knitting and all things woolly.

So off we (my pal and I) trotted..there was food galore...


And games...


And shows...


And sheep galore..


But despite all the wonderful "agricultural" things they had, there was no wool to be found. Only remnants to touch and feel, nothing spun (except for two drabs of 4 ply i spotted in the pavillion), and nothing yarn-ie.

Nonetheless, it was a bit of fun, and perhaps next year they might feel the need to sell some yarn at the show? *pretty please*

No knitting

If you're like me (and most other knitters I know), I tend to pick up my knitting anywhere and everywhere possible. I like to knit in the car, while watching teevee, just before going to bed, and even when I'm supposed to be paying attention to my significant other (teehee).

So, it was with much dismay when I came back to site just over 10 days ago and realized I had brought my current WIP , but no knitting needles. I panicked, I stressed, and I wondered what I'd do for the next 10 days without my knitting.

I went through the classic signs of addicts - I went through feelings of wanting to substitute my knitting with something else, I went through withdrawal symptoms, and I definitely felt a weird sense of longing. One week later, I had calmed down and can say that I am slowly overcoming my addiction. A good thing? I dare say no. But it's definitely a good thing while I'm holed up on site with nothing to keep my fingers going.

2 days till I get home. Home to family, friends, Christmas.... and my knitting.

Apologies!

Hi all! It has certainly been awhile, but I've only just returned from site about 2 hours ago and I am flying out again tonight at 1am to Phuket for a short holiday. The holiday is a lovely birthday pressie from my boyfriend, who also shares the same birthday as me (8th of December). So, I've got very little time to catch my breath, let alone get my Perth life back into order before flying out tonight, and the day after I get back from Phuket, I'm back onto site again for 2 weeks.

I haven't actually done very much knitting the last two weeks. I've made a little progress on my sister's christmas pressie, but it's currently confined to only about 1 hour of knitting each day. Let's hope that it's all done by the time Christmas swings around! Here's a boring snap of the loads and loads of stockinette (and it's crinkled from being in my luggage for 4 hours):


There is also 247 bloglines to read in my 6 hours back in Perth, so I'm trying very hard to get through them all.

And a little shoutout to my Secret Pal 11 Spoilee , Margit! Go and say hello :)

Oh mister postie - where are thee??

Well, there was a schedule mixup and instead of flying out this morning as originally scheduled, I will now be flying out to site next week. Which means I've got a few more days here in Perth to play around and relax before having to start my roster. Also, my schedule has changed from 2 weeks on / 1 week off, to 12 days on / 9 days off, which means more sleep and relax time for me and that's always a bonus :) Nonetheless, at the moment, I'm being paid to sit around waiting to fly out!

Anyways, I've been waiting for my postman to deliver three parcels which should've arrived by now in most instances but with the silly season coming up, I think they've been delayed.

• According to Amazon, my book order shipped 1st November and 14 days later it hasn't arrived.
• I also placed an order with Bendigo on the 7th November, and still nothing.
• I'm also expecting some yarn from the UK which was shipped last Friday so that one might not come till next week. Is anyone else having issues?

But i'm itching to knit something interesting. Lisette is coming along with the left front now finished, but it is a boring knit so I've also started two projects I normally would've knit but because I wanted to use up stash yarn and so, i've begrudgingly started a sock and a baby item.


Florence is from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Collection and is being knit for an ex-workmate's bub:


And Ripple Weaved Socks from Vogue Knitting ... I'm just knitting when bored of Lisette. This one might go to my sister.

The end of knitting as I know it?

For the last month, I have been happily knitting away and spending hours upon hours knitting into the late night, watching tv and knitting, checking out ravelry and craftster and knitblogs, all without a single care in the world.

But, all good things come to an end. I've really enjoyed taking that month off between jobs to take time out and do the things that I love, and now that it's time to start my new job, I'm wishing that I had decided to take the three month break like I originally planned. But it's too late for wishful thinking ;)

Anyways, I had my first day of induction today and will have another two the next two days. After that, I will be flying out to site where I will be stationed out there for two weeks, before coming back home for a one week break. Tis the life of a girl who has two constants in her travel luggage - her safety boots, and her knitting.

So, with that, I shall leave you with a little picture of the site that I'm going to. It's remote, but it's beautiful nonetheless. It's apparently a great fishing spot, and after a day's work, I can go to the beach, and have a peek around - of course, this will only happen if i'm not exhausted after my day, and if the cyclones aren't ravaging the place ;)

I've discovered that I will have internet access in the "internet common room" but I'm not certain how fast or how reliable that will be, so I will just put a little note that it may be two weeks between posts, and then suddenly, a flurry of posting may occur!

Hopefully there will still be knitting :D

My report card...

So how did I go on my little goals? Not very good i'm afraid... :S

• Purchase ball dress? I went everywhere today - I went through Subi and Claremont and nothing :( There were very few dresses which were tagged a size 6 (I think that's a 0 in US sizing?) and those that were commanded a much bigger bust than what I have. And as impulse would have it, I came out from a day of dress shopping with a cute cardigan from Alannah Hill instead. Not very successful. I'll just bring a couple of my dresses down and wear one of those instead.
  
• Finish Leaf Sweater: I didn't even knit a single stitch today. No new sweater for Kalgoorlie.
  
• Finish assignments : I did do this and I handed both in to my lecturer. I did however do a bit of a half hearted job given that I'm already on quite a high mark, so wasn't too fussed. I do hope that my sloppy work doesn't negate all my other work though.
  
• Play in semi final and win: We sure did! It was a hard fought battle, and my ankle got aggravated again so hopefully I'll be okay to wear heels on Friday night.
  
• Pack : Nope, still doing that.

I guess I was overly ambitious :S I'll probably be out of action for a few days with the travel arrangements, so i'll catch you sometime early next week :0

Girl on a mission!

I'm on a mission tomorrow (well, technically today as it's almost 1am here - this day light saving business is playing with my body clock. I can't adjust!!) to do the following things:

• Purchase a ball dress that doesn't require alteration and fits perfectly - I'm going to my SO's ball on Friday and need a dress by tomorrow. My sister looks at me insanely when I say that, because I have about four ball gowns in my wardrobe but of course, I don't want to wear them again. So.. I'm thinking I might wear my pretty silk Alannah Hill dress, but I need to then buy a slip to go with.


• Finish Leaf Sweater - Two sleeves (well, technically, 1.98), and finishing left to do. Here's where we're up to (There are lots of mods on this one):
  
• 


• Finish assignment on Health Promotion. When I was an undergrad, I dropped Health Science to take up a Psychology degree. Now i'm doing a postgrad, the health sciences have come back to haunt me.


• Play in a netball semi-final and win! We're playing against the incredibly violent team, who also happens to be the same team / match where I severely injured my ankle awhile back. It's still sore, and I'm still having trouble wearing my pretty stilletos, but it's for the love of the game!


• Pack for trip to Kalgoorlie. - Leaving Thursday bright and early at 7am.

All that in 12 hours. Possible? I hope so .. ! Wish me luck ;)

Klumsy Klutz

I am what people often call a "klumsy klutz". I have a tendency to fall down when i'm just standing up straight, I have a tendency to fall both up and down the flight of stairs in my house.. I have a tendency to walk with my boyfriend and then stack it only to be "saved" because I was holding his hand.

Right now, I'm at home in bed because I sprained my ankle really badly last night at netball. I had sprained my ankle before but it was never this sore or this swollen, or this debilitating. I had always been able to get up, hobble out of bed and get to work. But not this time. :( I can hardly move my ankle even when I'm sleeping without it hurting!!

So, i'm working from home today.

In knitting news, I am itching for a new project. Julia and Rambling Rose are still coming along, but knitting with fingering weight yarn is going uber slowly. There are no pretty 'progress' photos to show because progress on fingering weight is only 2 inches a day!! So.. looking at some of the other projects available, I have a keen eye for :

Juliet from ZephyrStyle:

Drops GarnStudio Sweater:

I was considering knitting both of them in Mystique Express 16ply which is currently on sale for $12.00 instead of $16.00 a ball!

Oh, and I'm not usually a sock knitter, but I absolutely adore these!!

Anyways, besides working from home today, I am off to hire my crutches. I don't want to be bed-bound for the next week or so, so crutches is a definite must for someone as active as me :) Have a great day :)

Veronik Avery's New Book

Have you guys seen Veronik Avery's new book titled "Knitting Classic Style: 35 Modern Designs Inspired by Fashion Archives" ? It's got some fabulously classic knits which I am looking forward to knitting. A few of my favourites:

Anyways, my workplace did a "Speed Dating" team building night where we went out for a beautiful degustation meal and each time the meal changed, we had to swap seats. It was a great way to get to know the people in my office - people I don't usually work with, or have much to do with. The most daunting time was having to sit through 30 minutes with my CEO !!

But anyways, as part of the night, we had some prizes for "most humourist date" "ultimate date" "most intriguing date" and "most well mannered date".

I won the Most Well Mannered Date. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Sure, its good to be polite and well mannered, but is 'well mannered' also code word for "boring but polite.. has nothing to say.. too quiet but nice anyways" ? *thinks hard*

Anyways, besides the great company and great food, I did manage to win something to take home. My prize for being the most well mannered was a gift voucher to Borders, so I'm looking forward to stocking up on some new things! What to buy?

New jobs and new experiences

I don't really have any exciting knitting news, but I do have some news which is at least exciting for me! After about 2 months of lots of stress, I have been offered two new jobs plus a counteroffer/opportunity within my own organisation to take a transfer.

Company 1 offered me a Perth based role, with the opportunity to visit sites as required. The package was not so great, so I turned it down.

Company 2 offered my a Fly In / Fly Out role, with the opportunity to rotate sites if I don't like where I am. The package was FANTASTIC to say the least, and at this stage, the one I am likely to tick off on.

Company 3 (mine) offered to transfer me to the same town as my significant other, with the opportunity to fly back to Perth fully paid as often as required. Very tempting and the subject of some serious thought but I think company 2 might just pip the post.

I'm awfully excited because it will mean I will eventually get to work on site (some might go 'why on earth would you do that') , and it will also mean that with all offers, I have the opportunity to spend more time with my significant other. At this point in both our careers and lives, I think that's just what we need.

Anyways, the news is probably only very exciting to me, but I thought i'd share anyways.

On the knitting front, Rambling Rose is coming along nicely. I have finished the back and am starting the left front where the roses will be. The product so far however does not make for exciting photography - 15cm of 1x1 ribbing and all stockinette. So, when I have something more exciting, I'll put them up.

Coming down with something...

I know that a lot of knitters actually enjoy getting sick, because it means they can stay in their snuggly bed, tissues on one side, needles in hand and pattern on bed and just knit knit knit for hours on end undisturbed and feeling unguilty.

I have to admit, i've been tempted every now and then to call in sick just so I can finish that little pattern i'm working on that is oh so close!

Well, I'm coming down with something. The watery eyes, the crooked throat, the sluggish energy. Sigh. I suppose it's about time I came down with something since I haven't been sick this year (well, let's not count that bout in hospital.. that was an infection not an illness haha).

While I would've felt a little better knowing that I could spend the next few days in bed knitting, unfortunately I can't. I'm going underground the next two days for work so I won't be able to. Instead, I'm likely to get more sick because of the humidity and the constant travel between airports and several hour drives between locations.

How fun.

So anyways, thought I'd let you know I'm likely to be out of action for awhile because of this. Have fun in the meantime =D

Decisions Decisions

I have a 7 hour train ride tomorrow and for the last hour or so I have been faced with the dilemma of what to pack. I'm only going away for the weekend, and flying back on Sunday night, but I've packed two pairs of jeans, 2 cardigans, three tops, pjs, shoes and knickers. That seems rather sensible doesn't it.

But as with all knitters, how much knitting does one pack? Given my 7 hour train ride, I figured that I'd be able to get quite a bit of knitting done. So, I've packed the broadstreet mittens in my carry bag (only bringing one bag - i'm not that bad!!), and i've also packed some supplies for Patti.

I reckon I could get my second broadstreet mitten done by the time I reach my destination, but then I'll have time over the next two days to knit. Will three balls of felted tweed (almost 600m) suffice for the two days? Or is it too little?

I once brought one skein of bendigo rustic for my weekend, and having finished my one skein on the first day, was left with little knitting for the rest of my trip. The other time, I didnt have enough, and ended up at the LYS (very very limited range) and bought 10 skeins for a brand new project (don't want to do that again!!).

So... how does one decide how much knitting to bring? Will three balls of felted tweed for Patti be enough???

Patience is a virtue

I've never been a patient person. As a child, I was what some people might consider "spoilt". My parents gave me most of whatever I wanted, and if I didnt' get it, I often threw a tantrum (yes, a horrid child I was). Even in my post-childhood days (I'm 23 now), I was often spoilt by people around me.

And so, through this childhood and post-childhood, I became a somewhat impatient, impulsive person. If I want something, I often don't give it a seconds thought even if it's a substantial purchase. I've never been one to follow that rule "if i still think about it next week, it means I definitely want it" no matter how hard I've tried. If i am thinking about it 1 hour later, I often go back and purchase whatever it is.

And so, when I got home this afternoon, I found a little parcel from the UK. While it was addressed to me, it's actually for my secret pal and I'm patiently awaiting other items to come in from all over. But next to it was something that sent my heart a flutter. It was a little Australia Post slip saying I wasn't home and missed out on another parcel.

My mind is racing - what could it be? Could it be my eagerly anticipated Jimmy Beans Wool order, or could it be my final secret pal parcel as advised by my SP? *flutter*flutter*

Unfortunately for me, I wont be home till late tomorrow. I have a shocking flight/travel schedule:

• 0615 : Check in to flight
• 0700 : Flight departs and lands at 0820
• 0900 : Charter Flight to Port, Foreshore Re-Development, Oakajee, and Southern Transport Corridor
• 1020 : Port Authority Presentation and Tour
• 1200 : Lunch at Port Authority Boardroom
• 1245 : Bus tour of Mid West
• 1315 : Charter Flight to Dongara Oil and Gas Areas, Morawa, Kooloonooka, Karara
• 1510 : Bus tour to Geraldton Airport
• 1700 : Flight back to Perth

I've asked my brother to pick up the parcel for me, but I know i'm going to be too tired to play with it :(

In other news, Bendigo sent me a shadecard of their new yarn "Boutique".. OOOH it's gorgeous!

ooooh a new book!

I got my second secretpal pressie today - the fabulous "Fitted Knits" book by Glampyre..

I've been eyeing this book since before I went to Nepal but kept putting it on hold because of a myriad of silly excuses.. but.. it's in my greedy lil hands and there's quite a few projects I want to make :

Thank you once again Secret Pal! =D It's fantastic that you're so attuned to what I like!

Despite my excitement over my new book, unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, my list of "wants" is piling up so fast I haven't made a single FO in recent times! One of my new years' resolution was to have only 3 WIPs. Oh I failed miserably. So, here's a new resolution : only start a new project when one of the ones on the right are done. Shouldnt be too bad right??

Anyways, I will be on site for the next few days. Unfortunately, when I travel for work, I dont tend to do any knitting whatsoever - super early starts and 6am flights out to remote site locations, then staying in accommodation dominated by a 90%-10% male to female ratio and then flights out after exhausting 12 hour days does not equal good knitting time... but not too worry, at least i'll have plenty to keep me occupied for the time to come!

Alive and (almost) knitting!

*Phew* It has been a rather crazy three weeks. Nepal was a fantastic, albeit very very tiring, trip (I refrain from using the word "holiday" because it wasn't really one hehe).

The trip officially started in kathmandu, where the scenes of chaos, dirt and poverty sent me into culture shock for a day or so and the occasional thoughts of "I want to go home". However, once we left the city, the views to Everest Base Camp were second to none and the 10 other individuals that were in my trekking group turned out to be absolutely amazing each in their own ways.

[ On our way up to Everest Base Camp]

The journey to Base Camp was physically and mentally draining (moreso mentally I think), with very early starts, 6-8 hour treks per day, and the constant battle with the ever increasing altitude. Luckily for me, I didnt suffer from altitude sickness although I did end up with a cold/flu which severely hampered my ability to breath the already thin air.

[After 9 hours on Day 10, we made it to Everest Base Camp. Those forced smiles on our faces hide the extent of our exhaustion and for some, the effects of altitude sickness. There are 3 people missing from this photo. Although they made it to Base Camp, they couldn't stay because they were so affected by altitude sickness, staying up there would have only made it worse.]

10 days without hot running showers also meant that we all had to live outside our comfort zones, as did the lack of water, lack of heat, lack of electricity, and of course, the lack of my now very beloved western style sit down toilets.

All in all, a fantastic experience and one that I am glad to have done at a young age. However, in all honesty, a trip that I probably won't repeat (although I might be inclined to do the Annapurna Circuit).

Anyways, coming back home, I attempted to pick up my knitting only to forget where I was up to and what I was doing. So, instead of fuddling my mind up with details, I've decided to tackle the dpns and the mini socks that my SP10 got me. But looking at the yarn and touching it makes me want to refrain from my "attempt" (which I'm hoping wont end in failure, ruined yarn, and dispair !!!) because it's so soft and the colours are just perfect.

Besides knitting, another thing I haven't done for ages is cupcake baking which is something I'd LOVE to do today (Maybe I can bake them for Jess' Birthday tomorrow?). Chockylit's Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes look delish.

But who knows? Perhaps everything has to be put on hold until another weekend. I unfortunately neglected my Law assignment due yesterday while I was away (I promise that I DID bring it up though, just didnt get a chance to do anything on it). Long day it is :(

Thank you secret pal!

After a rather long day at work today (it is my last day before I go on holidays and so my mind was not in work mode), I came home to a little package waiting for me...

It was from my Secret Pal!! And guess what I got!?? A sock knitting kit!!! Just what I need to tackle that elusive sock, and to master that dpn obstacle that has been in my way for ages!!!

I got
- Lana Grossa sock yarn
- Knitting notebook
- two sets of dpn's
- a cute little windup butterfly
- sock instructions
- and those gorgeous little jumper holders that I blogged about earlier!!

I want to post pics, but my camera is being charged up for my holiday..! :(

Unfortunately I can't start just yet - am off to Nepal tomorrow morning... buttttttttttttt my knitting group has asked if I could please take a photo of myself knitting at Everest Base Camp, so perhaps I'll be taking my knitting with me?? (have to find room for it in my overly stuffed backpack though).

Anyways, thank you so much Secret Pal!! It's Perfect!

My dream of hospitalization dashed

For the last few days, I have been rather sick and have had to even spend a bout in hospital. Previous to this, the only time I had ever stayed in hospital was when I was a wee bub and was hospitalized for eating too many lychees. Almost 15 years later, I had to spend some time at Sir Charles Gairdner, where I was being treated for a virus/infection in my colorectal area. Basically, I spent my time nauseous, vomiting, and passing out blood.

For the last 15 years, I had always thought it would be great for me to go to hospital. I wanted to have a nice little room, to have lots of visitors, lots of cards, flowers and bears, and lots of little gifts. Nope. I hated it. I spent all my time on my back, and when I was cold, the nurses wouldnt let me have extra blankets (I was running a bit of a fever, so they said it was so that I could cool down). I did gets lots of messages and lovely thoughts, but it just didnt feel the same as what I had imagined hospitals to be like. It was really boring more than anything.

Finally, I decided to pretend I was getting better. I told them I wasn't hungry (i was STARVING but the thought of waiting more hours for food just deterred me), I told them I could get up and about (despite the fact that each time I got back, I almost blacked out), and that I had no nausea or pains left (eek lie). Eventually I got discharged, only to be bedridden again at home because I was so iv-ed and doped up I couldnt do anything at home. *sigh*.

So all i've done in the past few hours since I woke up is surf the net to find new inspirations. ANd what did I find?

Phildar Cute Cardigan from Spring's Collections Magazine. Too bad it's the ONLY pattern I like in the entire magazine

Phildar cute bolero from Phildar Spring Tendances Magazine. Once again, one of only 3 patterns I like in the entire magazine.

Oh, and I have discovered that The Wool Shack is now stocking Cascade 220. While I have never knit with this stuff, i think the colours are just beautiful!! My buying of knitting things is on hold though, as I am going to Nepal in one point five weeks, so anything I buy will just be stashed away anyways - so rather than get impatient about knitting with my new goodies, I'd rather just wait till I get back :)

What will it be?

Apologies for not posting lately - I've been caught up with life and my dad was sick the week that just passed, so haven't been able to do much else except worry :)

Lucky for me, today is a public holiday for us perthians. Being rather sleep deprived for the past 5 days, it certainly is one that I have been looking forward to. I managed to (almost) finish up my moss green cropped cardi that had been sitting in my WIPs pile unloved and untouched because of that rather annoying set in sleeve fiasco!!

Moss green cardi is looking a little bit bubbly at the moment - and I take full blame for that. You see, I wasn't really paying much attention when I was seaming and ended up with bits that were too long, or too short for that matter. The cardi is being blocked at the moment, and we'll see if that fixes the bubbling - if not, then I'll have to reseam (boohisss)


So, with Green Moss Cardi almost out of the way, and Norah Gauhan's cardi still still puzzling me (sizing issues), I started to knit Phildar's Leaf Sweater.

Unfortunately, the sweater is knit with reverse stockinette as the right side. I started doing this, but kept worrying about thoughts of me wearing an inside-out sweater. So I frogged, but decided that I still wanted a bright fuschia sweater of some sort, so started knitting this:



I love the little white "hearts" that are popping out of the pink knit. Although, I'm thinking a sweater in this colour will be a bit too much, so I'm thinking of turning it into a vest. This will be the first time I come up with my own "pattern" (derived of course, from a number of other patterns)... But i'll keep on knitting and see what my heart decides.

New wishlists

I have been a little uninspired in the last week - just trundling along looking for new inspirations (even though my WIP's are still just that - WIPs). I do however, always love to have something to look forward to after I complete a project.

To my delight, I discovered Wenlan Chia's Big City Knits. I have never heard of Twinkle before - dont think her label has graced Aussie shores just yet, but I did love a few of the preview pictures.

And I also discovered Stefanie Japel (aka Glampyre)'s Fitted Knits book. Unfortunately, i have not seen both these books at my local borders so may have to order them from Amazon. It's not something I like to do though because I really enjoy looking at pictures and deciding if it is worth my buying or not... So maybe I'll scrounge around for more reviews and previews.

Anyhoos, i'm sick at home today with a bit of a temperature. On Saturday, I followed the Yaolin Liondancing troupe around for the CHinese New Year celebrations in soaring heat and temperatures. Coupled with dehydration, I developed a little bit of a cough and temp. So, I thought I'd make use of my sick days by taking it easy and hoping it goes away given that work is due to be tough the next few weeks!