People often wonder why I knit, especially as I'm not old and living in a retirement village! Well for a start it's something to do while watching tv instead of eating, it keeps me from fidgeting, you get really great stuff like hats, jumpers, gloves etc from it and it's mentally challenging.
Or you could just watch this and have a laugh!
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Friday, 27 February 2009
Oh to be winter!
We left the UK in early August. This means that we have so far had 7 months of summer, something that shocked me when I counted it up. I love summer but 7 months is too much. There's only so much feel-good summer holiday feeling you can feel.
I was looking through pictures taken on a skiing trip today and was wistfully thinking about how great it would be to be rugged up against the cold, seeing my breath in the cold air and sitting inside while it's cold/rainy/windy outside. I'm sure people who are reading this while it's still snowing and minus something ridiculous would laugh and say that I shouldn't wish for what they are getting at the moment, well you try having 7 months of winter, I'm sure you would feel the same about the sun as you feel right now about the snow and cold! It's been really hard to get my head around the fact that the seasons are in reverse here.
I keep looking through Winter jumpers on Ravelry and thinking about knitting something to wear when Winter comes. The thought of wearing something other than t-shirts really excites me, they are getting tired and going from cool air conditioned shops and cafes to the hot outside is playing havoc with my armpits!
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Grey Rain
It has rained all day today, which made a nice change from all the sunshine. Not that there is anything wrong with sunshine, but it is nice to have some variety! I imagine that this is what winter will be like here, not too cold and showery.
The Archaeologist is in NZ South Island for his best friends wedding, apparently it's about 11 degrees! He came back from the North on Monday (it was 40 degrees there) then left the same night, he got to NZ on Tuesday so he's really tired. He will only be there for a week but he gets back midnight on Monday and has to go to work on Tuesday. Next week will be just helping him find time to relax and sleep!
The bride is making her own cake and I can't wait to see all the pictures he will take.
The Archaeologist is in NZ South Island for his best friends wedding, apparently it's about 11 degrees! He came back from the North on Monday (it was 40 degrees there) then left the same night, he got to NZ on Tuesday so he's really tired. He will only be there for a week but he gets back midnight on Monday and has to go to work on Tuesday. Next week will be just helping him find time to relax and sleep!
The bride is making her own cake and I can't wait to see all the pictures he will take.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Invitations - Take 1
It's a hot and sticky day here so I took advantage of that by staying in and doing some experiments with paper and glue. I said in the previous post that I was going to use Illustrator to do the layout for the invitations, turns out there is an error with the system and I can't save or print anything. So! Saving the graphic as a png I went to trusty Word. Many people hate Word but once you learn how to manipulate it to do what you want it can be quite useful.
I looked at a lot of blogs and websites to see what I liked and the effect that I wanted. Here is trial 1!
I looked at a lot of blogs and websites to see what I liked and the effect that I wanted. Here is trial 1!
Here's the front, the ribbon goes all the way round and will keep all inserts (directions, places to stay, registry details) inside the card. Keep in mind that the paper and red card I used isn't great quality and I used a crappy paper cutter to get a straight line, the glue is craft glue which is why it's bumpy, but once I settle on a design I will get better card, paper, cutter and glue. The front bit has the same icon as in the front (close up of it later) and our names on it. I might just leave the icon and take off the names, or put initials.
In the inside I stuck the main part of the invitation to one side. Obvously some of the details aren't decided on yet and I have to settle on the correct wording. You can see the ribbon that will keep all inserts together in the card, they will be printed on proper paper and glued onto red card (like the thing on the front)
Here's a close-up of the icon that features on the inside and cover. It's the same red as the text but with 50% opacity. I found the font ages ago online, it's called Jane Austen, for this trial I used it throughout the whole invitation but I might limit it's use because of readability.
Friday, 20 February 2009
The paper craft aisle
I'm not really a fan of the paper section of the craft store. I never really thought it was worth buying a thing that rounded the corners of a paper for $30. Today I ventured into it though, I'm going to start experimenting with the wedding invitations (look, colour and what to say) I know we haven't got a date yet, but I figure the earlier I settle on a style the quicker I can send them out overseas once we get a date.
I am really leaning towards the red and aqua colour scheme:
It's fresh, fun and less fussy than other colour themes. So today I bought some red grosgrain ribbon, some aqua cards and envelopes, and a 'paper tear ruler' which creates a cute scoll-like border when you use it to tear paper.
Coincidentally the one I thought was the nicest was the aqua one! By doing the invitations ourselves means that we need to pick the wording, the font and content of the invites. Fortunately when we were in Bangkok on our way over here we bought some Adobe software (InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator) so I will be experimenting with those. I know InDesign really well as I used it at work in the UK, most people seem to use Illustrator with their DIY invites so I will have to spend some time getting to know how to use it.
Once I start experimenting I will take some pictures of the different ideas I have.
I am really leaning towards the red and aqua colour scheme:
It's fresh, fun and less fussy than other colour themes. So today I bought some red grosgrain ribbon, some aqua cards and envelopes, and a 'paper tear ruler' which creates a cute scoll-like border when you use it to tear paper.
Coincidentally the one I thought was the nicest was the aqua one! By doing the invitations ourselves means that we need to pick the wording, the font and content of the invites. Fortunately when we were in Bangkok on our way over here we bought some Adobe software (InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator) so I will be experimenting with those. I know InDesign really well as I used it at work in the UK, most people seem to use Illustrator with their DIY invites so I will have to spend some time getting to know how to use it.
Once I start experimenting I will take some pictures of the different ideas I have.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Yarn shops
I love going to any shop that has yarn. I always feel that you can't really invest in a yarn until you have picked it up, squished and sniffed it, I mean why buy something that you will make into a garment if it's scratchy, the coulours fade or will pill?
There are a few shops here in the greater Perth area. Spotlight is the closest to me and although many people might squirm at all the novelty yarn (think weird colours and feathery stuff) they do have a great basic line of pure Australian Merino in a great line of colours, ideal for mittens, scarves or hats.
Another shop that I really like is Calico & Ivy they have a great line of fabrics and stock more of the 'luxury' yarns like Noro and Rowan. Yesterday I went and bought some Kaffe Fassett scraps and a ball of Supersocke yarn.
There is a yarn shop in Fremantle that is ok, quite overpriced and not very helpful but they stock good notions if I lose a DPN.
Even though I love going to the smaller, independently owned shops I always feel like the people behind the counter watch me while I look through their stock. If I ask them if they have something, they look at me like I shouldn't know what I'm talking about and dismiss me in an offhand manner. Maybe it's beacause I look a bit younger than I am, but surely a customer is a customer and they wouldn't be there if they didn't seriously want to look and maybe buy? I can't imagine how bad it would be if you were just starting out and looking for yarn to make your first scarf with!
Which is why I believe in online shops. The online shops here stock a lot of the more specialty yarns (from the US) you can browse at your leisure, people won't couch if you click on something, and even though you might not be able to touch and sniff the merchandise, in the online world of knitting a yarns' reputation often means that you don't need to (for example Socks that Rock, Cherry Tree Hill, Manos and Malabrigo)
Online shops can often be go to places if you are looking for something really specific and special. One web shop in the UK did just that. Socktopus specialises in sock yarn and accessories, when you order something it arrives in a silver package with logo printed tissue paper and often comes with a gift. The owner is Canadian and certainly knows about customer satisfaction! She has been so successful in fact that she has opened a shop in just a year of being in business.
With the influence of Ravelry I often hope that the snooty yarn shops might learn that they need to think before they snub people and that knitters talk!
There are a few shops here in the greater Perth area. Spotlight is the closest to me and although many people might squirm at all the novelty yarn (think weird colours and feathery stuff) they do have a great basic line of pure Australian Merino in a great line of colours, ideal for mittens, scarves or hats.
Another shop that I really like is Calico & Ivy they have a great line of fabrics and stock more of the 'luxury' yarns like Noro and Rowan. Yesterday I went and bought some Kaffe Fassett scraps and a ball of Supersocke yarn.
There is a yarn shop in Fremantle that is ok, quite overpriced and not very helpful but they stock good notions if I lose a DPN.
Even though I love going to the smaller, independently owned shops I always feel like the people behind the counter watch me while I look through their stock. If I ask them if they have something, they look at me like I shouldn't know what I'm talking about and dismiss me in an offhand manner. Maybe it's beacause I look a bit younger than I am, but surely a customer is a customer and they wouldn't be there if they didn't seriously want to look and maybe buy? I can't imagine how bad it would be if you were just starting out and looking for yarn to make your first scarf with!
Which is why I believe in online shops. The online shops here stock a lot of the more specialty yarns (from the US) you can browse at your leisure, people won't couch if you click on something, and even though you might not be able to touch and sniff the merchandise, in the online world of knitting a yarns' reputation often means that you don't need to (for example Socks that Rock, Cherry Tree Hill, Manos and Malabrigo)
Online shops can often be go to places if you are looking for something really specific and special. One web shop in the UK did just that. Socktopus specialises in sock yarn and accessories, when you order something it arrives in a silver package with logo printed tissue paper and often comes with a gift. The owner is Canadian and certainly knows about customer satisfaction! She has been so successful in fact that she has opened a shop in just a year of being in business.
With the influence of Ravelry I often hope that the snooty yarn shops might learn that they need to think before they snub people and that knitters talk!
Monday, 16 February 2009
The weight debate
I'm going to slim down for the wedding next year and when I went grocery shopping today I decided to go into K Mart to just look around, I ended up getting a calorie counter book that has every kind of food listed and their calorie values (including Red Rooster and other completely Australian foods) They also have protein, calcium, and iron values, which after looking at I might not be getting the correct amount of iron I should be getting!
I will help you, and make you feel guilty...
The book should help both of us be more portion size aware and think about things before going the easy way when we are out for lunch. Sushi instead of Hungry Jacks!
One of the great things is that they have Ready Steady Cook here on Channel Ten, the host is a lot cheesier and more annoying than Ainsley but if they feature French chef Manu I can just about watch it as he takes the piss out of the host in that sly French way. His food is also good and he often goes on tirades about the 'Tasty' cheese they use here (It's a kind of cheddar type cheese that I think is only good enough to use on cheese toasties)
Australian food seems to me to be mostly fusion food (western mixed with Asian) they have a lot of fresh seafood, vegetables and fruit at their disposal so this choice makes sense. Thanks to all the people coming into the country there is a huge choice when it comes to restaurants, as for supermarkets you can find a lot of generic 'foreign' foods i.e. Old El Paso, Pataks curry pastes etc. You can sometimes find some variations on these at Delis. But what I miss most is gooey, smelly French cheese such as Epoisses and the like.
As it is I have been really happy and surprised at the variation of foods available here. Not having those 'luxury' goods at my disposal all the time is probably a good thing, making a trip home to France all the better!
One of the great things is that they have Ready Steady Cook here on Channel Ten, the host is a lot cheesier and more annoying than Ainsley but if they feature French chef Manu I can just about watch it as he takes the piss out of the host in that sly French way. His food is also good and he often goes on tirades about the 'Tasty' cheese they use here (It's a kind of cheddar type cheese that I think is only good enough to use on cheese toasties)
Australian food seems to me to be mostly fusion food (western mixed with Asian) they have a lot of fresh seafood, vegetables and fruit at their disposal so this choice makes sense. Thanks to all the people coming into the country there is a huge choice when it comes to restaurants, as for supermarkets you can find a lot of generic 'foreign' foods i.e. Old El Paso, Pataks curry pastes etc. You can sometimes find some variations on these at Delis. But what I miss most is gooey, smelly French cheese such as Epoisses and the like.
As it is I have been really happy and surprised at the variation of foods available here. Not having those 'luxury' goods at my disposal all the time is probably a good thing, making a trip home to France all the better!
Sunday, 15 February 2009
All Things Wedding
You don't have to be a genius to figure out that the wedding industry is huge. These days there seems to be a very specific idea of the different elements that comprise a wedding:
Favours, save the dates, invitations, the bar, photographer, videographer (or both), hair, make-up, gifts for the wedding party, gifts for the parents, dresses, groomsmen outfits, bridesmaid outfits, photobooths, appetisers, food, reception venue, destination wedding, flowers, centrepieces, seating arrangements, colour theme, accessories for the bride, groom and wedding party, flower girls and ring bearers, I could go on, and on....
Favours, save the dates, invitations, the bar, photographer, videographer (or both), hair, make-up, gifts for the wedding party, gifts for the parents, dresses, groomsmen outfits, bridesmaid outfits, photobooths, appetisers, food, reception venue, destination wedding, flowers, centrepieces, seating arrangements, colour theme, accessories for the bride, groom and wedding party, flower girls and ring bearers, I could go on, and on....
And that's barely skimming the surface! There are wedding websites, blogs, magazines and wedding planners to think about too! No wonder they now sell cool wedding planner notebooks with inserts, stickers and directories... taking advantage of the cash that flows in the industry (and apparently you aren't really able to plan anything without one, I'm going to get a $2 dollar spiral notebook...)
The parting of cash happens even before the proposal. If you are lucky enough to know what your bride-to-be's taste are with rings then you can buy the engagement ring before the proposal then just get it re sized (if needed) after she says yes. If not, you go ring shopping together (I've been reading wedding blogs) this can quickly spiral out of control thanks to jewellers who throw terms such as 'cushion set' (I still don't know what that means!) and different diamond cuts (square, round, oval you name it they have it) also jutting in are the wedding magazines. Take the winter Martha Stewart Weddings for example, they have an entire page dedicated to this year's fashion statement 'candy colored rings' most of which look too heavy to keep on your finger and should you choose the third world adventure honeymoon you could expect to get your finger cut off! The cheapest on the page costs US$13,700, some prices aren't even listed and one costs $18 million (that's the pink cushion one)
The parting of cash happens even before the proposal. If you are lucky enough to know what your bride-to-be's taste are with rings then you can buy the engagement ring before the proposal then just get it re sized (if needed) after she says yes. If not, you go ring shopping together (I've been reading wedding blogs) this can quickly spiral out of control thanks to jewellers who throw terms such as 'cushion set' (I still don't know what that means!) and different diamond cuts (square, round, oval you name it they have it) also jutting in are the wedding magazines. Take the winter Martha Stewart Weddings for example, they have an entire page dedicated to this year's fashion statement 'candy colored rings' most of which look too heavy to keep on your finger and should you choose the third world adventure honeymoon you could expect to get your finger cut off! The cheapest on the page costs US$13,700, some prices aren't even listed and one costs $18 million (that's the pink cushion one)
We are sparkly and expensive! Source
Save the dates and invitations are keeping a thousand graphic designers afloat, or you can diy by buying a US$400 Gocco printer, adding to the multimillion dollar scrapbooking industry or using your own computer software and printer at home (while keeping fingers crossed)
Most brides tend to splurge on the photographer, which I can't blame them for. You want something that can be treasured for the rest of your life and if you hire someone who doesn't match your tastes then you will cringe every time you look at that album. They also splurge on the dress, designers like Vera Wang have made their career out of being the number one to go to if you want to have a 'real' wedding, and don't gain weight.... her dresses don't have seam allowance!
Funky wedding photo
Source
On a more positive note, many brides are now keeping their budget to well below the $10,000 mark, diy-ing flowers, dresses and favours. The wedding industry can be very overwhelming once you first enter it, but I think if you stay on top of what you do and don't want then it can't get out of control!
Saturday, 14 February 2009
FO's WIP's and other knits
If you check my Ravelry page you can see for yourself when I started this project (I can't remember) but I'm slowly getting on with it and hope to get it done by the time winter rolls around here.
Why yes... I have arms!
It's currently too hot to knit with the bulk of it on my lap, which means it's going quite slowly. But at least the arms are attached and I'm getting toards the end!
My other FO from 2008 are the herringbone mittens that I knit for my SIL birthday:
Herringbone Mittens
It was my first time doing colour work and I really enjoyed it. It's not as fiddly as it seems and doing these mittens inspired me to knit some other colour work mittens, but I can't show them as it's gift knitting.
My other WIP is the charade socks that almost everyone has already knit. I've finished one of the pair and started the other, this sort of knitting is much better suited to hot weather but to be honest I have been itching to cast on for one of the great floppy berets that have been cropping up on Ravelry. I only have laundry and tidying to do today so I might just cast on!
I go on feet!
Friday, 13 February 2009
Chicken or choock whatever you call it, they love it!
One thing I have noticed since I arrived in Australia (4 months ago) is that they really do love their chicken. It took me pointing it out and counting how many chicken places there are to show the Archeologist this point.
Not that I have anything against chicken, I love it! Now let me run it through for you...
1. Red Rooster
Sorry to all the others but I think that this is the best one. They do roast chicken that you can buy whole or in bits, they also do burgers, fish, chips etc. Their selling point is that it's roasted for 50 mins and marinaded (drool..) they also promote that they are 100% Australian made and owned.Think of them as the MacDonalds of Chicken. They have some very funny commercials:
2. Choocks
Not as prelevant as number 1 but it tastes good. They give you a choice of either fried or roasted and can come as a full roast dinner (potatoes, gravy and peas)
3. Chicken Treat
Competes with number 1 but we feel that they roast the chicken for too long, making it drier and we also think that they must source their chickens from the midget chicken farms, they are so small! Their mascot is an obese wobbly chicken, which really says something:
4. KFC
Everyone knows KFC so I won't bother describing. They sponsor a lot of the Cricket here.
5. MacDonalds
Now I know what you're thinking "MacDonalds do burgers not just chicken!" but that's where you're wrong, they have just introduced a whole seperate side of the menu with chicken. You can choose either seared or crispy and with 5 different toppings I'd say that was a pretty big choice for chicken!
So, I know that's not exactly chicken crazy but they are more frequent on the highways than MacDonalds and when you go to the mall, KFC and Red Rooster have the longest queues. No one has yet managed to explain why the Australians love their chicken this much, but I'm not complaining! Nothing better than a roast chicken taken to the beach to watch the sun set!
Not that I have anything against chicken, I love it! Now let me run it through for you...
1. Red Rooster
Sorry to all the others but I think that this is the best one. They do roast chicken that you can buy whole or in bits, they also do burgers, fish, chips etc. Their selling point is that it's roasted for 50 mins and marinaded (drool..) they also promote that they are 100% Australian made and owned.Think of them as the MacDonalds of Chicken. They have some very funny commercials:
2. Choocks
Not as prelevant as number 1 but it tastes good. They give you a choice of either fried or roasted and can come as a full roast dinner (potatoes, gravy and peas)
3. Chicken Treat
Competes with number 1 but we feel that they roast the chicken for too long, making it drier and we also think that they must source their chickens from the midget chicken farms, they are so small! Their mascot is an obese wobbly chicken, which really says something:
4. KFC
Everyone knows KFC so I won't bother describing. They sponsor a lot of the Cricket here.
5. MacDonalds
Now I know what you're thinking "MacDonalds do burgers not just chicken!" but that's where you're wrong, they have just introduced a whole seperate side of the menu with chicken. You can choose either seared or crispy and with 5 different toppings I'd say that was a pretty big choice for chicken!
So, I know that's not exactly chicken crazy but they are more frequent on the highways than MacDonalds and when you go to the mall, KFC and Red Rooster have the longest queues. No one has yet managed to explain why the Australians love their chicken this much, but I'm not complaining! Nothing better than a roast chicken taken to the beach to watch the sun set!
He's just not that.... what?
One good thing about having a partner who goes away for half the month is that I get to watch the movies he wouldn't be seen dead at. Last month it was Bride Wars and Marley & Me (though I really think he would love Marley & Me, but only on dvd where no one can see him watching it!)
Today I went to see 'He's Just Not that Into You'. It boasts a big cast and the previews promised it would be amusing yet sweet. It was funny and sweet (in parts) though I couldn't help feeling that it was trying to be like 'When Harry Met Sally' except that instead of interviewing real couples inbetween, they featured women who had been dumped. Not a crime, but if you are a MacDonalds burger why try and disguise yourself as a Gourmet Kitchen burger?
Jennifer Aniston was sweet as per and I couldn't help but notice that she had the same wardrobe as she had in Marley (nothing wrong with the wardrobe, I would love to have some of the wraps she had on) she also seemed to be playing the same kind of person. Perhaps she has just been playing herself this whole time and I only noticed it now.
One thing that came out from the audience was all the teen girls gasping about how curvy Scarlett Johansson is, and that the wardrobe and camera angles weren't trying to hide it.
I think it made them feel better about themselves, I know it did me!
I also had to kill time while I waited for my engagement ring to be brought back from being re-sized. I got there at around half 11 and had to wait until 3 to get it. It was easy to kill time at the movies but before that I had to just wonder around browsing. Normally I wouldn't mind browsing the shops and perfume counters but it was just boring today, so I went to the pet store to look at the puppies and kittens they have. It's something we do everytime we go to the mall, they are so cute! As sweet as they are I'm not sure we would get a cat or dog from a pet store, we would prefer to get one from the RSPCA or something similar as they assess their personalities so you know what you are getting. Or we could just find one, which is what my parents did with their cat!
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