jenwren's blog

I realised the other day that I haven't posted any pictures of any of my works in progress at all recently. So I got three projects out to photograph them while there was sunshine, then found the camera batteries were dead. Again. Of course, by the time I had charged some batteries, the sunlight was gone. The black socks were always going to be next to impossible to photograph, and the flannel flower bag didn't oblige with a good photo either, so all I have to show is the alpaca bolero above. I'm blocking the pieces and knitting the bands. This item has been in progress for a ridiculous length of time, so just as well it is for Charlotte next winter and not this one! I finished the second sleeve (and reknitting the top of the first sleeve because I had misread the pattern) yesterday by knitting on the bus to and from the city. I'm glad I went yesterday and not today.

I've had a very busy holiday so far. I finally bought a new sofa late last week (with a custom fabric that should work in very well with my existing sofa) but it will be 4-6 weeks before it is delivered. My parents were here for the weekend to help with Tim and Jenny's house move, for which I did some box packing as well as moving some things and unpacking. We went out to dinner on Sunday night to celebrate the house move and the several birthdays that occur in my family at this time of year (my own birthday is sandwiched between my two brother's birthdays with about a week either side). Between having cooked for many of us on Friday night (when all Tim and Jenny's stuff was packed), takeaway on Saturday night and the restaurant on Sunday night, I've had enough left overs on hand to not have had to cook again until tonight! And while Dad was here, I got his help to put up some of my pictures. I've been here almost three months, and it finally looks like my home again. And will be even better when I get the new sofa, as I discarded its predecessor when I left Armidale.

I finished the bolero on Sunday night. I certainly cut it fine yarn-wise, with a small amount left over that my electronic scales reckon is five grams, though it looks like less than that to me.

I might have finished the bolero sooner if I had not slammed a finger in my car door last Tuesday. As well as throbbing painfully for a few days, it has been displaying some interesting colours under my fingernail! I still managed to finish tidying up my garden and planting some herbs and flowers, which will be expanded on once we are closer to Spring.

School is back in and the weather is very cold - so much so that I sometimes wonder if I really left Armidale at all! It was 3 degrees Celsius outside my back door as I left for work this morning - probably even colder down in the garages. It is proving very difficult to heat my place, and the next few weeks will be particularly trying as I won't be home for several evenings (parent/teacher interviews) so there won't be the heat generated by cooking and being around for the heater to be on. Quite a number of cars are parked out on the street in this area, and they've had good layers of ice on them these past couple of mornings!