We went to Nick’s surprise 30th birthday party last night. He just got back from a trip to Kenya where he was asked to provide live Internet commentary for Cricket Europe for a big cricket tournament over there. He did such a good job, they’re considering sending him to the West Indies to cover the Cricket World Cup.
Me? I took a funny picture of my cat recently.
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Big time. I felt sluggish, tired, annoyed… and then I got to work and discovered that we were down two staff members. (One has been sick all week; the other resigned.) Then Albert had a go at me for my slack marketing efforts. (Slack? HELLO? I’ve already pre-sold more than half our initial order of Knit Picks and made sure that every knitter in Australia associates them with our store!) Argh. So I said “Stuff it” and decided to work in the shop all day. Pretty masochistic, really. But get this: I had nothing but wonderful customers! There was the older lady who was thrilled to find out that we could match the wool she got in Tasmania last year to allow her to finish her jumper. There was the businesswoman who wanted yarn to sew up a blanket that had been intended for first her friend and then her mother, but both had died of cancer before she’d finished it. (“Eh, it’s not the blanket’s fault,” she said.) There were the three Asian design students who oohed and aahed over everything I showed them. There was the American lady who needed something to knit on vacation and found the perfect Australian wool. I even had someone who wanted to return yarn without a receipt, but she was so nice about it that I happily helped her out. Even the presence of my Knitting Nemesis couldn’t deter me. I’m on fire! So my crap Friday turned out to be a good end to the week after all. Sometimes I think I get caught up in the idea that I’m somehow too important to be serving customers… but it’s nice to be brought back down to earth every now and then. This is why I got into this business in the first place.
Walk to Rivendell. What a neat idea! I’m not even that big of a Lord of the Rings fan, but there aren’t that many books where characters take a long journey by foot. So far my Nike+ has recorded 106 miles… which means I’ve just left Tom Bombadil’s house and I’m about to be attacked by Barrow-wights. Greeeeeat. Only another thirty miles to the Prancing Pony though!
Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend. Not that I need a special day to remember how lucky I am. (Did I mention I got a foot rub after my homemade-from-scratch chocolate mousse?) Snookums is The Best.
And lest I sound too much like a Smug Married, much love and commiseration to all the single folks suffering though this Celebration of Coupledom. I’ve been there. Rock on, drink up, and hopefully hook up (if that’s your aim.) Man, I wish Eileen‘s party had a webcam…
How Not to Talk to Your Kids. Wow, that article really rings true for me. I was always the smartest kid in my class in school, but I was never particularly ambitious or energetic towards my studies. I developed a lot of lazy habits and I never really got good study skills. I deliberately avoided doing things that I feared I wouldn’t be good at. (Remember my Hermione Granger experience in ceramics? That’s why I didn’t take any art classes in high school or college.) I dropped out of the Honors Program at ND just so I wouldn’t have to write a thesis my senior year. Nowadays I look at friends who are nuclear physicists and lawyers and artists and I regret that I didn’t push myself harder. Relevant quotes from the accompanying MetaFilter thread:
HOLY CRAP. Sydney’s getting an Apple Store! And what’s more – it’s about to be about fifty feet from Tapestry Craft’s back door! I totally need to start taking pictures of the site.
Okay, so part of this Secret Pal thing is that I have to fill out this questionnaire. That way my person knows what I like! Here we go:
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like anything natural, basically. Wool, cotton, alpaca, etc. I’m not a big fan of novelty wools or things that are excessively fluffy (like angora). I tend to prefer the 8-10 ply thicknesses, mostly (though I do go finer for socks).
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Uch. I’ve got one old needle roll from the Snook’s grandma that has most of my straight needles in it. Other than that, I have a plastic storage tub that sits under my couch. Inside I’ve got all my circs rubber-banded together based on length. My stitch holders and markers and stuff are all tossed together in a Ziploc bag. It’s a mess!
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting for nearly five years now. I moved to Australia at the end of 2001 and I had to wait several months for my visa to be approved before I could get a job. So I got into crafting heavily. I made a couple patchwork quilts and did a few cross stitch. Then my mother-in-law sent me a kids’ “Learn to Knit” book, some plastic needles, and a ball of wool. I was hooked. I’d probably classify myself as a high-level intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yep. My Amazon Wishlist. I also have a knitting wishlist at my shop, but you shouldn’t buy from that because I’ll potentially see your name!
5. What’s your favorite scent?
Not a big fan of patchouli or anything excessively floral. I like vanilla a lot, and I used to have a “berry” candle that I really liked. Mostly clean, fresh scents, like laundry soap or bread baking. I used to love “Aspen for Men,” if anybody knows what that smells like. But I don’t normally wear perfume these days. (Mostly because I don’t really have any!)
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Not a huge sweet tooth, but you know what I miss most from America? Peanut butter and chocolate stuff. They just don’t really do that combination here. I really miss Little Debbie Nutty Bars and Peanut Butter Bars. Crap that’s horrible for me, basically! (Actually, at the moment I’m trying to break my sugar addiction so any low-carb or Atkins stuff would be appreciated. It’s hard to get here.)
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I’ve done a little bit of everything. I’m not really interested in spinning, to be honest. Most of my craft endeavours of late have been food/cooking or costume related. And sock monkeys, of course.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like a bit of everything, but my “Top Rated” playlist in iTunes is mostly pop, alternative, and showtunes. Most frequent artists are REM, Ani Difranco, Dar Williams, They Might Be Giants, etc. I can definitely play mp3s.
9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
I like rich, warm colours, like reds and burnt orange. I also really like hot pink. (My hair was pink for a while.) I’m not a big fan of pastels.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Just one husband (the Snook) and one cat (Dr. Amy Jones).
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, and mittens = yes. Ponchos = not on your life. 🙂
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
*sigh* Whatever I’m not knitting at the moment. Actually I guess jumpers (in the round) are probably my favorite. It’s very satisfying to finish a whole, big, warm garment! I also like sock knitting for its portability.
13. What are you knitting right now?
Hooded vest for my little brother, baby blanket for my new nephew, chair cover for me, cardigan for me, socks for whoever.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Definitely!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular. I used to prefer bamboo, but lately I’m enjoying Addis and Knit Picks! I really don’t need any needles, though. I’ve got tons! What I really need are stitch markers.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but I definitely want them!
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I started the baby blanket well over six months ago, so that’s probably the oldest. No, wait. I’ve actually got a cross stitch that I’m doing for my Mom that I haven’t worked on in a year. (And I’ve only worked on for one day total.)
18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween! My husband and I have been throwing costume parties for the past four years. We’re always on the lookout for new costume and decorating ideas.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
I’ve got every book that Roald Dahl ever wrote. (I run a website devoted to his work.) I’ve also got a fast-growing collection of daggy knitting patterns of the 70’s and 80’s. (Think oversized intarsia jumpers.) My husband and I have also started collecting groovy mid-20th century kitsch to go in our mythical Tiki Basement someday, stuff like anodized aluminum drinking cups and nudie tapestries.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
No knitting subscriptions, sadly. I’d love to try out some of the fancy sock yarns that you can’t easily get here, like Lorna’s Laces or Koigu. That sea silk stuff sounds amazing too. I’m also somewhat obsessed with the idea of having sock blocking forms.
21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
At the moment I’m still entranced by cables and fairisle. I’ve steeked a few things and I’m interested in exploring its possibilities, but information and books are hard to find.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes! I love handknitted socks. I wear a women’s size 9 1/2, and I have fairly narrow feet. That equates to a foot length of about 10.5″ or 27cm.
23. When is your birthday?
Beware the Ides of March! (The 15th, that is.)
I’ve just signed up for Secret Pal 10. As near as I can tell, the idea is that you’ve got a secret pal that you send knitting wool and presents and stuff to. Sounds good to me! I like getting surprise packages.
Friday night the Snook and I headed over to the Seymour Center to hear one of my favorite authors speak: Bill Bryson. He’s on a tour promoting his new memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. My first impression was that he’s a lot younger than I imagined! He entertained the crowd by reading selections from the new book, along with a few popular stories from his other works. He seems to really like Australians and the crowd was very receptive. We had a few good chuckles. A lot of my attention was diverted, though, by the idiot a few rows in front of us wearing a rainbow beanie with a propeller on it. (He was old enough to be my Dad.) He just gave off that “I’m the biggest fanboi EVER!” vibe that annoys me so much. As expected, he was the first to bound up to the microphone when they opened the floor to questions. He ended up asking three altogether, even going so far as to invite Bill over to his house for a barbie. (Bill graciously declined, no doubt correctly envisioning the gathering as Literary Nerd Fest 2007.) I guess there’s one in every crowd…
And on a related note, can I just say how much I love gleebooks? Not only did they put on the event, but they actually gave us free tickets (for responding to one of the e-mail newsletters). “Minerva” also rang me this morning to confirm details for our upcoming trip on the Gleewarts Express. I love her attention to detail. “Outline of Journey: We cannot put this in print anywhere as followers of Voldemort are, sadly, everywhere.” HA! You know, I’d love to work for them someday…
My name is Kris. I’ve been blogging since the 90’s. I live in Sydney, Australia, and I spent most of my career in the tech industry.
No AI used in writing this blog, ever. 100% human-generated.
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