Frosty flowers...

Last week was Diversity Week at Macquarie Uni, and it was fabulous. We had a rather large number of sign ups, and we're not sure why that is. Maybe it's because knitting is so fantastic, and maybe it's because Macquarie Uni has decided to uncap the number of students who enrol. Either way, more knitting! ...I hope T2 has enough space for us all, now...

As well as that, apparently someone who decided on who would have which stall at Diversity Week loves knitting. We had prime position just out the front of the U@MQ building. If anyone wanted to go to the Co-op Bookshop, or grab a snack at uni, they pretty much had to go past us. Some sources in other clubs actually heard other students whinging about how many sign-ups we got in comparison to them! We also got plenty of requests to buy the knitting we had on display, which largely belonged to Hannah and me, and our shawls and my socks were highly sought after. Most of those people weren't so keen on doing the actual knitting themselves, though.

I work the stall with Jenny, Julie, Hannah, Mandy and Lenny, and they were fabulous, more fabulous than I could be. After full-time work on Monday and Tuesday, my body decided I'd been doing too much, and I felt like I was walking under a tonne of bricks. Seriously, it go to the point where I walked into a room and my (other) friends chorused "oh my... you look tired! ...but not in a bad way!" I figured that there wasn't a good way to look tired (unless it's with a smug smile, which I lacked), so I took it much easier the following few days. But I am looking forward to seeing some old friends as well as some new ones this week to start them on the knitting path. This should be fun!

I finally got around to sending out the welcoming message to the mailing list, or at least to those who accepted the invite. I am sorry that it took so long to send out, but I think my sinuses decided to team up with fatigue from the previous week, and was in no shape to even type an email until this afternoon!

In other news... I finally picked up my Frost Flowers and Leaves this afternoon, and I have to confess, I think it's almost time for another cable in my knitting:





I do have connectors for cables to cables in my knitting kit, but I was hoping to have a bit more time before needing them. After all, I have to go through about 3.5 balls of yarn, and I've not finished the first one so far! Ah well, all I can do is try.

That's it from me for the past week. Signing off.

Alacaeriel

Progressing

Well, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to get those stranded colour socks done in time for Hobart, but that was no real drama. It was actually about the same temperature in Hobart as it was back home in Sydney while I was down there.

The conference itself was good. It was fun, although we were surprised at the accommodation we got. We each had one of the lowest rooms the hotel offered - complete with it's own bathroom (with tub), kingsize bed, digital tv, etc. I went to three different workshops in the conference, and took notes, and now have to write reports on them by Thursday. Wish me luck for that!

The socks in progress are slowly moving along. Unfortunately, I'm still on the first of the stranded socks, and that one can only be done at home for the moment. The simple sock pattern is going along nicely, and being worked on at every opportunity when out of the house.

The mega-shawl is also going along nicely, but slowly. I really should get to work on that...

Problem

I have a slight problem. I am going to Hobart next week. It will be absolutely freaking freezing, so I am making myself a pair of socks. A pair of fair isle socks. For double the warmth and all. First attempt. Well, I've done one attempt to the heel, undone it, and restarted it. They are in the Wallflower pattern (yes, I know I'm nuts). But that's now going okay. So that's motoring along, but...

My problem? I just got a spinning wheel. In fact, it was delivered to my front door. It's an Ashford Traditional, and came with a set of hand carders. Yes, this is a problem. I was to play with it, learn to spin, start making my own yarns. I want to change it to a double treadle, and play with it some more. I keep looking at stuff to do with spinning online, and I really should be knitting away.

Oh. and I didn't actually buy the wheel. I didn't exactly have a choice about when I got it. I got the spinning wheel from my aunt. It kinda makes sense that she doesn't want it. She does live in Darwin, after all. Can you imagine being in all that heat and spinning?!

ETA: Or I could check the weather comparisons, and find it's about the same temp in Sydney as it is in Hobart, and it's much colder in Canberra. Suddenly I'm not so worried about these socks