Words -

I have been trying to wrap my head around Finnish knitting - it seems like a good challenge. Then I noticed Med Pinner was writing up her shawl pattern, Mrs Barista, I guess because English is Germanic based, it makes sense that Norwegian makes more sense to me (I can guess better), so I am thinking of trying Norwegian, too. Plus, it is being written up on ravelry in English, so if I get really stuck...

Then I read Med Pinner's next post, and she, too, is grappling with the Finnish.

As I was walking home, this caught my eye -

Under this shade
I rest


















It made me feel a little odd (in a different odd way than the cemetery usually makes me feel).

Wordle

We're not here for your cheese -

A Day -

Meet Arbutus, Cumquat's slightly stupid cousin from the country. He is kind of big and soft and dumb. I used the yarn from the swatch for the wedding blanket.














And my first Finnish knitting pattern. (No, I can't read Finnish, but I can read knitting and it was very straight forward). I still need to get some snaps to secure the other side (oh no, a trip to Clegs...)














I got the button at a yarn store in Kitsilano, Urban Yarns. I wanted to get a whole set of them, but they only had one left.














I watched Into the Wild tonight. I cast on at the start of the movie and cast off, sewed on the button and sewed in the ends before it finished. It has been a piece full of thinking and reflecting and I feel kind of peaceful right now. A bit like all is right in the world. (Apart from the f@cking enormous spider on the screen door that is preventing me from going out on the balcony or, indeed, anywhere near that part of the house).

Camp -

We went on camp the other week.

We stayed in a place I have been many times before.














Walked on the beach.














And saw some wildlife.














It was grand, but I was glad to say good-bye to fifty kids at the end of the week.

Bleah -

It is a mucky weekend, unseasonably cold, rain and hail showers which leave no time for nipping to the laundromat, let alone time to dry things after, and I am supposed to working.

Bleah.

I have been trying to take my mind of the meh-ness.

I started something new and quick.














Thought about beginning some unmentionables, but only got as far as patting the swatch. Maybe I should pick a different yarn. I love the feel of the Harmony, but the colour makes me feel meh. And you shouldn't knit meh unmentionables.














There is a jumper for my brother, and that has been good exam supervision knitting, but it is just a big, black, 12 ply jumper.














I knit a few more half-hearted rows on Laminaria. It has been a (long) while since I have touched this project and the Addi Lace needles had got all sticky and smelt metallic and like when you touch a battery to the tip of your tongue. I gave them a good rub on my woollen jumper and it seemed to do the trick, but they still smell funny.














I thought that if anything could lift my mood, cashmere could. I have been saving this yarn up since Canada, but not even that could lift my knitting spirits. Maybe I should just go and get the work done.














I have been enjoying blogs in other languages, lately. And have just learned my favourite word ever. Langanostolakossa - on a yarn diet.

Wedding blanket -

In a few hours I'm heading off to the wedding of two very dear friends. They said 'no gifts' when they announced the wedding in March, so I immediately cast on some polwarth/silk from Wendy Dennis that I had been saving for just the right project. At the same time, I saw Wry Punster's beautiful Autumn Leaves (ravelry), which I had completely dismissed when I first saw it in Knitty. (ravelry).

I have been working on it steadily since April, and took it with me to Tibet, I knit a lot of it in the van and had it with me when we stopped at the glacier that marks the Lhasa/Shigatse border, 5300 metres above sea level.













I blocked it a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I've blocked something so large and it was a bit inexpert. Next time will be better, I hope, as I now have some blocking wires.














To wrap it, I brought home one of the Tibetan silk marriage aprons.














And a khata to tie the wrapping.














I am all ready to go. I found a little black dress last week from a local Melbourne designer and it makes me feel pretty. And today I ventured out to the misty morning lane ways of the city and had my hair cut and straightened.


















I had a go at getting a shot of it.

Hoya -

26/10


















I came through the cemetery a different way and nearly didn't recognise an the angel.


















3/11



















My grandma made this while she was sick, 30 odd years ago.

Long weekend -

I caught up with friends for breakfast, yesterday. We tried to make our way home winding through the back streets and cobblestone alleys. We got lost and found good things.














I've begun a πr2 shawl. Ravelry.














And managed to get a little more done on the ever delightful Bayret. Ravelry.














It has been quite the most splendid long weekend, filled with excellent people and (o-mi-god)delicious food.

And the best thing? It is not over yet.

Lhasa, Tibet AR, 27/09/08 -

At lunchtime we visited the Tibet museum. It was built about two years ago (anyone spotting a pattern?) and had some interesting stuff, but was just what you'd expect.

The guardian of the cemetery.


















Coral mask.


















A loom - I thought this was excellent, but the lighting didn't allow for a clear shot.


















This shot is a little clearer.














It was at about this point that we stopped listening to the recorded 'guide'. The rest was a little hard to stomach, especially the 'natural mineral resources' room (which was annotated, but not in English or Tibetan).


















FOREWORD
Tibet has ever been an attraction of visit in its unknowns . The "No-man's
Land" to the north of the plateau is ever more unknown . It is described as a
natural treasure owing to its bright future with its particular geographical cond-
itions and rich natural resourse . Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet , parti-
cularly since the reform and opening up , by the tender care of the Chinese Co-
mmunist party Central Committee and by the highly concern and correct leade-
rship of the Tibet Autonomous Region Party Committee , including the help of
the sister departments , the "No-man's Land" in Tibet's northern pla-teau has
undergone a remarkable change in its protection and establishments , in its sci-
ence and technology achievements , in its protection of science , and a good
foundation is laid for its proper opening of natural resources.
This exhibition , chiefly of a selection of photos and samples provided by
the Tibetan Traditional Medicine Circles ( including samples provided by Tibe-
t's other regions ) is to help people directly to understand the fascination of
the "No-man's Land" in Tibet's northern plateau of Nakchu , To improve und-
erstanding the protection of wild life , and to accelerate the protection ,
development and establishment of the "No-man's Land" in Tibet's northern
plateau of Nakchu .

Nuff said.