Sublime Victorian Lace

Yes, it's name tells it all ... destined to be a Clapotis (am I the last knitter in the world to make one of these?!) ...


Here's the finished Victorian Sampler Spring Scarf, which I posted to my aunt yesterday ... it blocked out nicely.

The baker's apprenticeship hasn't worked out. Asperger's raises it's difficult head yet again. Back to the drawing board.

A free loaf every day

Last weekend I ventured to The Canberra Show - first time I've been in over 10 years! It was a thrill to see the prize-winning offerings of Bells, Georgie, and QuiltingMick!

Look who came along for the ride ... yes, young Lulu.

She nabbed the pinwheel I bought for my uncle ... she's hidden it somewhere, but I'm sure I can torture her ask her nicely for it back, so I can post it to Uncle Toes in his isolation room in hospital.

This afternoon we visited the Joviva chihuahuas, including the mummy chi (Kenya) of our new puppy, who was looking very heavily pregnant and uncomfortable.

Here's my son being totally taken in by young Roxie, the 6 month old puppy who stole our hearts. She belongs to the breeder's granddaughter, so we weren't allowed to steal her!

And in exciting news just to hand - my son starts this next Tuesday (at 4 am), at our local Baker's Delight bakery. The graphic design course didn't work out, formal education really doesn't work for him, so we're hoping this will suit him better. Fingers crossed!

It'll be us driving him to work at 4am (the bakery is only 1.5 km from our home), but he's well on the way to getting his driver's licence, so hopefully this will only be for a month or two. As he gets more experienced he'll be allowed to start work earlier (3am, then 2am, and eventually 1 am).

It'll be a shock for him after being unemployed for 2 years, but we're hoping the hours (he's a natural night owl), and the work (he's good with his hands, and has always enjoyed baking), and the social aspect (just a few nice blokes to work with, and not having to deal with serving customers) will suit him and the challenges his Asperger's presents. After 4 years of apprenticeship he'll be a qualified baker, and able to get work just about anywhere - no shortage of jobs. Plus he gets a free loaf of fresh bread every day (which he seems disinclined to share with us!).

Puppy Ratty Scarf

Goodness, it's been a while since I wrote! I've just been writing madly on my next book, a kid's puzzle book for Hinkler Books, and feeling pretty depressed, I must admit - the fires are still getting me down, with flashbacks to what we went through in Canberra 6 years ago, plus various health problems at home (mainly Hubby), an old friend died, and my uncle is still in a worrying situation. I'm overworked, fed up and unwell. It's all too much sometimes.

On the plus side, I've proofread my Wiley book (it's starting to look real, the Graphic Dept have put it together). I printed it out for the first time last weekend (I've been trying to save paper and have worked almost entirely electronically up til now), and goodness, it's quite a pile, even double-sided! Two months til it's out in bookshops :)

We have caved in, and a year after Lily's death, have applied for a new chihuahua puppy, and hang the consequences (in terms of renting and the 'no pets' policy adopted by so many landlords). We miss having a dog too much, and I refuse to let the fact that we rent cripple our lifestyle that much! We need puppy cuddles!!!

She will be from Joviva Chihuahuas, just a few suburbs from us. This is the mummy - Kenya. The dad is of similar colouring, so I'm guessing the pups will also be short-haired and dark. Litter is due on 19 March!

It's been hot again - high fire danger impending this weekend, which is a worry for Victoria. Even the ratties have been needing some relief ... they nabbed Dotter's icy pole, and spent a wonderfully hilarious half hour licking the mangoey goodness!

My uncle has just finished 6 days of chemo for his returned leukaemia ... it's a very stressful and worrying time. The leukaemia has crossed the brain-blood barrier, so is in his brain now. It's not brain cancer, it just means that the blood in his brain now has leukaemia in it. He had an Ommaya Reservoir put in yesterday.

This is the Victorian Sampler Spring Scarf, from Knit Picks (here's the Ravlery link), which I'm making for my aunt, as she's going through a hell of a lot too. It's knit with Coolaroo Alpaca from Berrima, and I'm making it longer than the original pattern says. A quick knit.


Hope you're well, I'm sorry I've been absent online a fair bit - in April I'm taking the whole month off, my first holiday in well over a year, in fact I can't actually remember when I last had time off work .... and I can catch up then! I can't wait!!

ETA : We are allowed pets at our current house - so the new puppy won't be a problem here. We're just concerned about what happens when we have to move house one day ...