Finished object!

I'm really chuffed how this turned out. But Phill's not getting matching mitts anymore. I have a much better idea for the remaining orange yarn...

More stash acquisitions - 4-ply yarn

I don't even like sock/fingeringweight/4-ply yarn but I couldn't resist any of the following for a variety of reasons.

Koigu Premium Merino
I had heard so much about this yarn on the knitting blogosphere that when some came up for sale on the Australian Knitters Board, I couldn't resist. It certainly looks and feel gorgeous.

Kauni EQ
Shot to fame when the Yarn Harlot knitted a sweater out of this; bought during a 15% off sale at Astrid's Dutch Obsessions. Beautiful rainbow colours tucked inside. The yarn is quite rough to touch but I've read it softens up with washing.

Kauni ET
The purple, black and grey version. I love the colours, and if I'm paying shipping all the way from Holland for the rainbow Kauni EQ, I might as well get it...

Trekking Hand Art
Again, I loved the colours, it was 15% off and I had already paid the shipping from Holland.

Grignasco Bambi
This one really wasn't my fault - it was a gift from my last Australian Knitters' Swap partner. But isn't the colour fantastic?

Progress on SES hat

My friend Phill is a volunteer with Victoria’s State Emergency Service. Amongst other things, he goes out on the coldest, windiest, wettest nights of the year to help clear trees which are blocking the road or have fallen onto people’s homes. And he doesn’t earn a cent for this community work. So when he asked for a beanie in SES colours, of course I was happy to contribute what I could. The hat is about 80% done. I should have enough orange left over to make a matching pair of mitts.

Too much of a good thing: All the books I ever wanted to read

Last Saturday night I discovered I could reserve books online at my local library. And that they were no longer charging any fees to do so. So I decided to take the opportunity to reserve all the books I could never find at the library because they were always out (like anything by Jodi Picoult) or were located at another branch. I may have gone a little overboard.

By Sunday morning I had an email telling me that 2 of the books were available for collection. I went in and picked them up - a Jodi Picoutl (Vanishing Acts) and 'Pretties' by Scott Westerfeld, the second book in a fantastic trilogy about a futuristic society recovering after the Rusties (that's us) have destroyed the world with a man-made oil bacteria and beautiful white orchid that has become a weed, preventing the growth of other plants. It's kind of an updated Brave New World written for teenagers and it is fantastic.

I finished 'Pretties' on Sunday.

By Sunday evening I had another email from the library. A further 14(!) of my reservations were available for collection, including the 3rd book in the Scott Westerfeld series. Monday morning I had an email, advising me that 2 more books were available for collection.

I finished a mystery-thriller by Jonathan Kellerman (Devils Waltz) that I had borrowed from the library before these reservations, and began 'Vanishing Acts'. I was too late to collect any books from the library (which closes at 6pm on Mondays) but was able to return my 2 completed books.

Today I logged into my email to discover there are now another 2 books waiting for me! I can go to the library tonight (as it is open until 9pm) but how am I going to face the librarian picking up 18 books? Even worse, how am I going to carry them all home on the tram? And read them by all by the due date? I can only keep the books that someone else has reserved for 3 weeks.

And there are still another 12 books on my reservation list that haven't even come in!

I feel a little like I do when I have over-indulged buying excessive amounts of yarn and am facing the credit card, or have eaten an entire block of dark Lindt chocolate on my own. A little sick.

There can be too much of a good thing.

Edited to add:
I went to the library tonight and nearly died of embarrassment. I sorted through all the books that arrived and divided them into two piles. I took out 9 of them and then asked the librarian to return the other 9 to the stacks. I also cancelled all my other reserves in the queue. A total of 12 books over the next 3 weeks may be almost manageable.

Cashmere Island ZigZag modular scarf

Isn't this blog so much better with pretty pictures! I've finally worked out how to use the new camera and have got myself organised enought to blog from home where I can upload photos (I can only send words and a few hyperlinks when I blog remotely).

Above is the ZigZag modular scarf I am making out of the Noro Cashmere Island yarn I acquired in May. It's the project I drag around in my work bag and occasionally knit a few rows on. I love the pattern and yarn but it has been a very slow knit, always being put aside for another more pressing project or book to read on the crowded tram.

Stash acquisitions and even some knitting

I've been doing a bit too much comfort shopping, acquiring new stash. Highlights include:

Black Bunny Fibers DK 'Pop Rocks'

Zara Baby Print

Naturally Merino Cashmere

Lots of 8ply/DK wool in a variety of colours bought at the Clegs sale.

This bright orange is for a beanie for my friend Phill. Phill is a volunteer with Victoria’s State Emergency Service. Amongst other things, he goes out on the coldest, windiest, wettest nights of the year to help clear trees which are blocking the road or have fallen onto people’s homes. And he doesn’t earn a cent for this community work. So when he asked for a beanie in SES colours, of course I was happy to contribute what I could.

A half-knitted SES hat
(note I am using the new stitch markers I received from knitingjo in the Australian Ravelry swap)

Swap stash

Thank-you to knittingjo for this lovely package I came home to as part of the Ravelry Australian Knitters' 'We've got you covered swap). The most gorgeous fingerless mitts in my favourite colours (purple and pink), some really cute handmade stitch markets in a handy little tin, Grignasco Bambi Merino 4ply yarn, and a new sci-fi book to dive into (great for all my public transport travel).



Funnily enough, I ended up having knitingjo as my downstream partner also. My attempts to replicate some Star Fleet issue mitts turned out a bit wonky - must have been a problem with the power couplings. Still, a fun knit. I'm a bit nervous as she hasn't yet posted that she has received her package yet - hopefully it made it safely to her.

OMG - Photos!

Fingerless mitts and hot water bottle cover knitted for the Aussie "We've got you covered" Ravelry swap. I still intend to try and incorporate a Star Trek theme somewhere - I've charted the Starfleet logo.

The mitts were a really easy and fun quick knit, very cosy and a great stash-busting project - I will definitely make a pair for myself. As for all the colours - my partner said she liked lots of bright colours all mixed together and I've tried to oblige.