Cast on in a weak moment -

I needed something that I could knit in the dark, that I could knit while I was reading essays, that I could knit while using my 4mm Holz und Stein needles. They really are the most magic things to knit with. It was an illegal cast on and fell outside the rule of finish three, start one.



















The yarn was from the Handweavers and Spinners Guild and I think it's alpaca. It certainly didn't mind when I bashed it around in hot soapy water yesterday.















You'll excuse me while I experiment with the camera?

An ashtray, but -

I saw this table outside a secondhand shop the other day. I thought, 'Cute table, pity about the ashtray.'



















But it stuck with me and I decided I had to have it, maybe I could put a pot plant in the ashtray holder. It inspired me to clean out boxes of stuff that have been sitting around since I moved in to make room for it and, as a result, I also have three bags full of yarn to take to the Salvos. It became my good-luck throwing-things-out table.

I went back to the shop and upset the lady there who would never have sold anything with an ashtray on it. I was despondent, what would I do without my good luck table?

Ah, the joys of being really really tired. I worked backwards through my brain and eventually realised I'd been to Birdie Num Nums and there is a great secondhand shop near there...

On the edge of the picture you can see the sleeve of Spindleshanks, all done now, but for the sewing up.

I might make another -

It's lovely. It is soft on the hands, easy enough to knit during meetings and it draws a lot of positive attention.















I have three balls of heavenly in a gladbag up in the cupboard... but of course I will finish this one first. I am going to be good and finish things. No starting. Not even with that delicious mohair I found at the bottom of the stash.

NaBloPoMo -

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I joined joined NaBloPoMo on this and one of my other blogs. I suspect this will mean there will be content that is not knitting as a result, but I'll try and keep it crafty. Wish me luck.

Teary -

Today was the year 12 English exam and the last day of classes for the year 11s.



















They found out about my tattoo this term and, while I couldn't show it to them (it's a bit low), I told them it was a book with a ribbon. So they made me a card that is a book with a ribbon...



















I was going to post what they wrote inside, but it has all their names on it, so privacy (blah blah etc).

They have reminded me about some of the reasons I got this tattoo in the first place.















I guess this is why teachers keep teaching.

Tired, filthy, burnt, hungry and really rather happy -

I have begun a wrought iron course. There are many similarities between working wrought iron and knitting.

And for the first time I really understand negative space. It was a beautiful, ringing, 'aha!' moment.

I am also meta-learning. Every thing that happens I am observing myself and the others as learners and trying to apply it to how I could be better at teaching.

It is so lovely to be in a learning environment and not being the one responsible for it. At the same time, I can see that the strongest personalities have as much impact as the teacher on the class environment. So, is developing a good class dynamic that facilitates learning really just a crap shoot? Luck of the personalities draw?



















I bought some lovely, lovely things from two stores on etsy. This one is for me, the rest I will show later, say, after Christmas.

After a stonking long time, I turn my hand to a birch -

I think I got a mental block about birch because SO MANY people were making it. And so many complaining.















I am in three kinds of love with this shawl. I am in easy-to-remember-pattern love; gets-smaller-as-you-knit love; and soft-like-an-evening-summer-breeze love.

I am only finding about 5 mins a day for knitting at the moment (and that is mostly while I cook morning porridge and while I ought to be sleeping) but I day dream about knitting it the rest of the day.

A feeling of lightness -

I am ripping the cable stole. It began life as a practice run for my mum's. After I started it I decided that it needed to be wider and 5 balls not 3. I only have 3 balls for mine, and it is as wide as it is.















Three balls makes a birch shawl though...

I want a green birch shawl. I may even cast it on when I finish demolishing the stole. After all, it doesn't count as a new project, does it?















I am proud of my hoya, it has a new leaf.

No time for love, Dr Jones -

No knitting, just working. But I was fed two amazing breakfasts this weekend.

Saturday was stewed rhubarb and fresh strawberries with yoghurt.















Today: fruit salad, baked rhubarb with orange zest, ricotta and pistachios, and pancakes.

And, during the lazy post-breakfast stroll up Sydney road this afternoon, I found something to train my Hoya on.















Happy is the girl with a well trained Hoya.

A new fun game -















Although, it occurs to me that this is only adding to the yarn that wants knitting up.