abowerbirdsnest

I went through the entire house this week and collected all the free-range knitting needles that had squirrelled themselves away into every corner and put them all back into their proper place. I have never felt so organised ever - I feel like I could take on the world! Does anyone else ever feel like this, or am I just being especially OCD today?

Happily organised

by Rebecca Johnson on Thursday, October 02, 2014

I went through the entire house this week and collected all the free-range knitting needles that had squirrelled themselves away into every...

The power box for my house is right outside my bedroom window - no big deal, except that it doesn't latch properly and I need a ladder (which I don't own) in order to get up high enough to jam it shut again. Because of this, I am quite used to having my sleep punctuated by a constant loud tapping if there's any degree of wind.

So, last night when I head a tap-tap-tap outside my window, I didn't really think anything of it (beyond the standard 'grrrr that stupid door!'), rolled back over, and went back to sleep. This morning, however, I popped down the side of the house just to check that no damage had been done. While there a little something caught my eye...

I stepped in closer, trying to see what the strange shadow was, way up high under the roof. Stepping on the leaf litter, however, I startled whatever it was and it moved even closer to the house. At first I thought it was a cat somehow stuck up on my roof, but when I got closer....

Not a cat! A mountains brushtail possum! I think it's still a young-ish little thing as it's smaller than any of the other possums I've seen out and about. It didn't seem so inclined to move from it's spot so I left it to it's shady spot (the heat has hit this week) and went on about my day.

Coming home this afternoon, I had fully expected the little guy to have moved on, it's hiding place having been spotted, but apparently he's in for the long haul. Kira mentioned her childhood practice of feeding possums jam bread, so having no jam in the pantry, I tried to lure my new friend out with some honey. Never before have I gotten a "you've got to be kidding me, right?" look from a possum, but today I certainly did. Clearly he is happy where he is, so I guess as long as he's happy to stay on the outside of my roof, I'm happy to have the housemate. I even left him his snack just in case.

I don't get as much mountains wildlife here at my place as I thought I might - but being opposite the train station probably cuts down on that unfortunately. I do get monstrously large spiders (seriously, this thing was bigger than my palm) and some lovely morning kookaburras on occasion, so I suppose that really is plenty enough of a menagerie to enjoy.

A little visitor

by Rebecca Johnson on Wednesday, October 01, 2014

The power box for my house is right outside my bedroom window - no big deal, except that it doesn't latch properly and I need a ladder ...

Managed to completely forget about doing the August snapshot, but I'm jumping back in this month with a combo!

On Repeat:
Weddings
Cheering to go to the zoo
All the washing and folding
Pancakes
Counting steps

Media Consumption:
TV:

Doctor Who (seasons 1-8)
Xena: Warrior Princess (seasons 1-5)

Films:

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Transcendence (2014)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The Maze Runner (2014)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Books:

All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)
The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared (Alice Ozma)
Luna (Julie Anne Peters)
Whose Life Is It Anyway? (Brian Clark)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 1 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 2 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 3 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 4 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 5 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 6 (Danielle Coresetta)
Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 7 (Danielle Coresetta)
Rules of Summer (Shaun Tan)
The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan)
The Red Tree Shaun Tan)
Lindbergh: The Tale of the Flying Mouse (Torben Kuhlmann)
The Giver (Lois Lowry)

On the Needles:
Song of the Sea (needs blocking)
Dulce (needs blocking)
Fox Brooch (finished)
Icicle Hat (finished)
Manic Panic Cowl
Garter Stitch Cowl
The Beekeeper's Quilt
Isadora Scarf
February Lady Sweater
Vivace Socks
Mysterious Reversible Lace Scarf

101/1001 Status Report:
Crossing off three things this month!

See a film at IMAX [12/08/2014]
Update my resume [12/09/2014]
Get a full time job [18/09/2014]
MORDOR UPDATE: I am currently at... the first encounter of the Black Rider (51km)

Important Events:

Katie and Amy's Wedding [13/09/2014]
Kira's 30th Birthday [18/09/2014]
Got the job at Xavier [18/09/2014]
2nd Out-i-versary [19/09/2014]
Kim and Greg's Wedding [20/09/2014]

Visualise It:

Snapshot: September

by Rebecca Johnson on Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Managed to completely forget about doing the August snapshot, but I'm jumping back in this month with a combo! On Repeat...

Sometimes I engage in craft that is thoroughly weather inappropriate - such as the beanie I just finished. The pattern is called Icicle, happily prompting up images of icy winters, perhaps a little falling snow, all those lovely things - but I've managed to finish it off just in time for the Australian summer to start settling in. Into the draw it goes for next year, I'm afraid.

Pattern: Icicle by Irina Dmitrieva

Materials: madeline tosh dk; 100% merino

Amount: 1 skein in Maple Leaf; Approx. 206m/100g

Needles: US 4/3.5 mm | US 6/4.00 mm

Start Date: 6 September 2014

Finish Date: 23 September 2014

I have been hoarding this skein of madeline tosh dk for over a year now. Partly because I just really liked looking at the colourway, but mostly because madeline tosh yarn is my favourite of all yarn (it is just so soft and squishy) and just knowing that I had some on hand was lovely.

I finally caved and cast on however, safe in the knowledge that this knit was going to be all for myself (yes I broke the Christmas knitting roll) and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. madeline tosh yarn AND happy cables? That makes for some nice comforting knitting in my book. Plus, because of it's size, it was wonderfully transportable. It was knit in front of the TV...

AND it was knit happily chugging away up the mountains on the train...

And, I'm sure a few places in between. I know for sure it was knit over coffee in Katoomba, and sat by me while I got all made up for a wedding, so it did the rounds this one. This is, actually, one of my favourite aspects of knitting, the way in which it can absorb all the memories of everything going on around you.

I did manage to sneak in a few wears before today's weather took a decided turn for the season, so I can report that it is wonderfully comfortable!

Summer Icicles

by Rebecca Johnson on Monday, September 29, 2014

Sometimes I engage in craft that is thoroughly weather inappropriate - such as the beanie I just finished. The pattern is called Icicle, ha...

I've been resisting the urge to start in on tiny owl knit's The Beekeeper's Quilt ever since I first saw it. I ignored the designer's enthusiasm over the squishiness of the hexipuffs. I pretended I had forgotten about the little bits of left over sock yarn I had been hoarding. I pretended I didn't absolutely love the look of the little embroidered puffs popping up all over Pinterest. I WOULD RESIST.

Clearly I didn't resist. I mean, have you seen that blanket? It's adorable.

I'm keeping track of my hexipuffs over on ravelry, where I shamelessly stole the stats layout from ravelry user velmalikevelvet - but I thought I'd copy my stats over here where I've got some room to play and add pictures.

Total: 18
Aug 2014: 10
Sep 2014: 1
Oct 2014: 7

Milestones
5% (64) reached
10% (128) reached
15% (192) reached
20% (256) reached
25% (320) reached
30% (384) reached
35% (448) reached
40% (512) reached
45% (576) reached
50% (640) reached
55% (703) reached
60% (768) reached
65% (832) reached
70% (896) reached
75% (960) reached
80% (1024) reached
85% (1088) reached
90% (1152) reached
95% (1216) reached
100% (1279) reached

(I used this to calculate how many of hexipuffs I’d need. Frankly I’d avoid doing that if I were you because now I’m scared and a little crazed.)

YARNS USED

Filatura Di Crosa
(unknown colourway - red/purple)
0.75 squares

Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball
1699 Lilac Breeze
1 square

Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 4 ply
2948 (pastel green)
3.75 squares

Unknown Yarns (not listed above)
(unknown remains from Sweetpea socks) - 3 squares
(unknown remains from First Socks) - 2.5 squares
(unknown - mustard) - 3.25 squares
(unknown - white) - 1.75 squares
(unknown - blue) 2 squares

All the squishy hexipuffs

by Rebecca Johnson on Monday, September 29, 2014

I've been resisting the urge to start in on tiny owl knit's The Beekeeper's Quilt ever since I first saw it. I ignored...

One of the tasks (read: mammoth challenges) I am undertaking as part of my 101/1001 challenge is the Walk to Mordor fitness routine that I stumbled across here. It combined my love of books and nerdery, maps, compiling data and my need to work on my fitness.

I've been reading up on the ways others have approached the challenge and I've decided that while I shall be following Frodo and Sam's path to Mount Doom, I shall not be following their mode of transport (clearly giant eagles are out of the question, but I also had no desire to horse riding or rowing for the requisite number of kilometres). I've decided that any measureable amount of movement shall count - I mean, there is a LOT of distance to cover here, I really need it to be at least slightly possible!

In addition to walking the journey, I shall be encouraging myself along the way by reading Lord of the Rings (something I have actually never read) in relative speed to my progress. Let's hope I find the cliffhangers proper motivation!

All up the above journey, from Hobbiton to Mordor is a total of 2838 km (*whimper*). I shall be logging my progress here on this page so please feel free to leave me kudos (may happen) or nudge me when I don't move (will definitely happen). I've broken the trip up into three parts, just for the sake of the maps.

Challenge Started: 16 / Sept / 2014

Challenge Completed:

Total distance to date: 796.57 km

PART ONE (Hobbiton to Lothlórien)

This Leg Accumulated Arrive at: Date Achieved

8 8 Arrive at Brandywine Bridge 16/09/2014

6 14 Last view of Hobbiton 17/09/2014

37 51 First encounter with Black Rider 24/09/2014

44 101 Farmer Maggot's House 09/10/2014

11 112 Buckleberry Ferry 13/10/2014

5 117 Crickhollow 14/10/2014

3 120 The Old Forest 15/10/2014

37 157 Tom Bombadil's House 22/10/2014

59 216 Bree (The Dancing Pony) 03/11/2014

61 277 Midgwater Marshes 18/11/2014

89 366 Foot of Weather Hills 7/12/2014

18 384 Weathertop (The Watchtower of Amon) 10/12/2014

188 572 The Last Bridge 13/01/15

56 628 Stone Trolls 21/01/15

92 720 The Attack at the Ford! 04/02/15

13 733 Rivendell 06/02/2015

13 746 Ford of Bruinen 09/02/15

359 1105 Hollin Ridge

95 1200 Redhorn Pass

45 1245 Warg Attack!

32 1277 The Doors of Moria

66 1343 YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

24 1367 Frodo hears a creature and sees its eyes in the dark

1 1368 The Woods of Lothlórien

2 1370 Cross Nimrodel

7 1377 Cross the Silverlode

73 1450 The peak of Cerin Amroth

22 1472 Reach gates of Caras Galadan and Lothlórien

PART TWO (Lothlórien to Rauros)

This Leg Accumulated Arrive at: Date Achieved

50 1522 Sailing to Rauros Day 1

58 1580 Sailing to Rauros Day 2

58 1638 Sailing to Rauros Day 3

96 1734 Sailing to Rauros Day 4

116 1850 Sailing to Rauros Day 5

80 1930 Sailing to Rauros Day 6

80 2010 Sailing to Rauros Day 7

19 2029 Sailing to Rauros Day 8

3 2032 Sailing to Rauros Day 9

64 2096 Arrive at Rauros/Breaking of Fellowship

PART THREE (Rauros to Mount Doom)

This Leg Accumulated Arrive at: Date Achieved

118 2214 Gollum Captured

45 2259 First view of Mordor

16 2275 Enter heart of the Dead Marshes

77 2352 Nazgûl spotted flying to Isengard

38 2390 Sighting of The Black Gates

38 2428 Reach northern edge of Ithlien

16 2444 Found by Rangers. Battle and oliphaunt sighting

96 2540 Led up path to Henneth Annûn

11 2551 The White Bridge. Sam stops Frofo crossing

20 2571 Opening to Shelob's Lair

261 2832 Fight with Shelob. Frodo stung!

6 2838 The foot of Mount Doom.

MILESTONES

1% (29 km) reached on 19th September, 2014

5% (142 km) reached on

10% (284 km) reached on

15% (426 km) reached on

20% (568 km) reached on

25% (710 km) reached on

30% (852 km) reached on

35% (993 km) reached on

40% (1135 km) reached on

45% (1277 km) reached on

50% (1419 km) reached on

55% (1561 km) reached on

60% (1703 km) reached on

65% (1845 km) reached on

70% (1987 km) reached on

75% (2129 km) reached on

80% (2270 km) reached on

85% (2412 km) reached on

90% (2554 km) reached on

95% (2696 km) reached on

100% (2838 km) reached on

Resources:

I this website for the distance between locations
This website for the breakdown of the trip from Lothlórien to Rauros
This website for the map bases and locations
I used screencaps from the above to produce the gradual plotted journey - feel free to use with credit to the above.

Walk to Mordor Challenge

by Rebecca Johnson on Monday, September 15, 2014

One of the tasks (read: mammoth challenges) I am undertaking as part of my 101/1001 challenge is the Walk to Mordor fitness routine th...

I've been reading my way through Stephanie Peal-McPhee (The Yarn Harlot)'s books this month, having just finished Free Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again. In it she writes that

"...it's a horrible tragedy that the period of your life in which you had the most money to spend on yarn (and did spend on yarn) also appears to be the time that you had the least amount of taste."

A more appropriate sentiment I could not find this week.

To be fair on myself, it's not that my taste has necessarily changed, or that my taste in yarn used to be inherently bad. Rather, I am now better able to see an unknit ball of yarn and know, pre-agony, that I am simply going to hate the way it knits up. This is all very well and good while procuring shiny new yarn - but is utterly useless in my attempt to knit my way through my stash.

I've been hoarding this one particularly skein of sock yarn for about four years now. It made me happy to see it amongst my stash because I thought the skein so pretty. But more and move over the past few months (as the skein came to rest on top of the stash mountain), I've found myself looking at it with increased wariness. Suddenly the colours, which I had previously thought so beautiful seemed too stark in contrast. My (granted limited) maths skills kicked in and I saw the gradient I had once imagined contract and disappear.

Biting the bullet I decided to see if I was merely paranoid. Picking out something from my queue, I cast on the Orchid Cowl, hoping that the sizable stockinette panels would absorb some of the colour changes. I may have been right, but I'll never know because I never made it through the first lace section. The colour changes came even quicker than I had anticipated and that colouration over a lace panel had my eyes hurting and my yarn rage fuming.

Some told me to stick with it, but when Lisa agreed with my pain that project was frogged quick smart.

Still, I was determined to win - mainly because I had two hours to fill in with nothing but this yarn. Clearly this colour was too bright for anything pattern intensive. Surely garter stitch was the answer - a nice simple shawl in garter stitch, then it could be as colourful as I liked. I hit up Ravelry and, surrounded as I was by the library's calming rows of books, I set aside my previous grievances and cast on something simple. But with each row I just felt stronger about how much I hated this yarn and it didn't last very long either.

I should be clear - the yarn itself was lovely to work with. It was soft and the colours were vibrant. it did not split, nor fray (even despite the multiple restarts). It just wasn't the colourway for me. Thankfully, in an act of kindness (and perhaps concern for my mental well being), Wendy has taken the yarn away. I wish her better luck with it!