Knitting: Fit for a SIL

I've learned over time that you should always keep emergency knitting in your glove box for those times that you find yourself waiting somewhere unexpectedly or being the passenger on a long drive. My emergency knitting was the Dream in Color (U.S. company so spelling is correct), December 2010 yarn club which was a skein of pale blue with tinges of mauve sock yarn.

This is normally not my kettle of fish at all, but the pattern that came with it had an endearing story attached regarding snow flurries on Lake Michigan and so I started knitting them. When we were on summer holidays with my SIL Flick, she admired the colours and said they were right up her alley and voila, a grateful recipient was found. Here she is modelling her new footwear. The dog in the pic is her faithful hound Sam.

I have a secret... I love to knit socks but I don't like to wear them.

At the pool!

first time swimming, originally uploaded by Kathy Tosi.

I have such great memories of going to the pool. When I was in grade two we would all line up beside the port racks and the boys would roll their towels on their legs and put them on their heads like they were sheiks. We would all trek across the road hand in hand to the pool to have our lessons.

As I was older maybe grade 5 or 6 I would head off to the pool on the weekends on my bike with a buck in my pocket, enough for entry and a delicious cold calippo. I would spend the entire day, swimming for hours, running around on the grass and playing with friends only to head home when the pool was closing.

I don't remember learning to swim but I know that we were living in Sydney (which was before I started school) and I have a certificate saying that I did a lap in doggy paddle. I want Lucia to learn to swim as soon as possible. Water is so much fun!

I met a girl from Peru who couldn't swim and when she came to Australia she took lessons. I told her I couldn't believe that she couldn't swim (she told me when we were on a ferry!). I said "In Australia we learn to swim before we can walk" and she said "In Peru we learn to dance" and I thought fair enough! It's a cultural thing :) and I wish I could dance better.

The old oak tree

So today we hung out under the old oak tree in the backyard. Lucy loves stareing up through the branches and talks to the all the leaves. She thinks that trees swaying in the wind are absolutely brilliant. I'm making the most of these precious moments that we have together because I'm going back to work soon (when I get a job). I've had two interviews and both have been very positive so I'm sure that it won't be long.

Sunday Sleep-ins with Dad

Knitting: My February Lady Sweater

Well after it took me two years to complete Matty's jumper I turned out another in record time! and this one is for me OMG amazing! It's the February Lady Sweater by Flint Knits as inspired by the February Baby Sweater designed by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I have been imagining this project since I went to the USA and I brought the yarn over there especially for it. The yarn is muted golds, sages, teals and mauves and it should go with a lot of things, it's very understated (not my style at all usually) and the buttons are handpainted little wooden birds.

I love the sleeves, because they don't have decreases they came out a little bell shaped. I did do a little decrease under the armpits as suggested on Ravelry by some others who have knitted this project.

Christmas Day with Grandpa