Oh, how I wish it would rain down.....

Okay, so I've been listening to Phil Collins today. It's been overcast and cloudy and threatening to rain for a couple of days and we had a couple of drops earlier, but nothing more.

I did frog (rip out/pull apart, for the non-knitters) that blue top. This is what it looks like now.



I'm making progress on my Picovoli. (I decided to leave off the picot edging, so I guess it's technically a Tivoli). Here's where I'm up to:


It looked pretty good when I tried it on, but it's not long enough to cover my bra yet so I'll take photos of me wearing it when it's a little longer!


And just because I can, here's a gratuitous shot of The Boy taking his plastic table apart this morning when we got home from his swimming lessons.

To rip or not to rip....

I've been working on this top for about two years. It's the Fitted Rib Top from Amanda Griffiths' One Thousand Sweaters, and it's in Cleckheaton Click Clack Cotton - in a gorgeous blue-grey that I've had in the cupboard for years since buying 10 balls for $20 at Wisteria Crafts (Miranda Fair) when the yarn was discontinued.

I've been getting near the end of the back in the last couple of days and it's started to feel really weird. You can't see the back in the picture in the book so I guess I hadn't really thought about it, but it gets quite narrow and would go right up to the neck in line with the shoulders....

This morning I tacked the sides together and tried it on and..... while it's not really awful, neither is it particularly attractive. I imagined it as soft and clingy and slinky and sexy, but it looks a bit saggy and too long and not that sexy at all. And it would definitely show my bra at the sides under the armpits, so it wouldn't be appropriate to wear to work, which would make it almost useless. It also didn't seem to have much structure to it - the fabric felt flabby, and I'm told cotton sags even more after it's been washed. It would seem that 2x2 rib is not the best stitch for this yarn, perhaps.

So I'm definitely going to pull it all out and see if I can re-use the yarn for something else, perhaps it will be better in stocking stitch... I have a cute little pattern for a wraparound dress for a baby girl....... But I think I will start instead on my Picovoli by Grumperina with the beautiful Paton's Zhivago I bought on Tuesday. Either that or the beautiful Ballet Camisole.

OMG. Don't tell The Man, but I think I need more yarn.....

Alexia's thought for the day

Is that you shouldn't take a long walk around Brisbane in high heeled shoes.

I had an interview with a recruitment agent this morning. I don't think it went all that well, and I didn't feel all that good when I came out so I started walking. I walked along the river from Customs House round to QUT and then up through the city. By that point my feet were really really sore, so I ended up going to Big W and buying comfy shoes and socks for the trip home (which involved a bus trip and a 1km walk). I now have a blister the size of a 5c piece on the ball of my right foot and a slightly smaller one on my left foot. Ouch.

One good thing about my enforced "holiday" is that I'm getting lots of knitting done. I've finished another baby cardigan and I'm working on a baby jacket, a singlet top for me, and a pair of booties. I bought yarn today for another blouse for me which I nearly started this afternoon, but I really should try and finish some of the things I've started......I guess.

Get a haircut and get a real job...

Well, I don't actually need the haircut, and indeed, probably can't really afford it at the moment, but I do need the job. I am now officially unemployed.

I finished up at Suncorp on Friday - got as much work finished and neatly handed over as I could, had a farewell drink, gave everyone a hug and went home. Nuff said, really.

Today I had my first driving lesson with the lovely, patient Ali. While I've driven before (a long time ago), it was my first go at driving a manual car, and I'm very proud of the fact that I didn't stall or bunny hop, and only had a few minor mishaps. I did drive verrrry slowly, which probably annoyed a few people in the back streets near where I live, but I got through the lesson quite well, I think. I have another lesson booked for Monday week, which was the first time Ali had in his diary.

Now all I have to do is find a new job so that I can pay for my driving lessons.....Oh, and the ski boots I'm buying next week!

there's a first time for everything.

Yes - I actually finished a knitting project! More than one even. I hear you scoff, but it's true. Really. I promise.

We did a big tidy up of the garage on Saturday and I transferred all of my knitting yarn and bits and pieces into some plastic crates to store on the shelves rather than in a pile of boxes in the bedroom. In the process I collected a big box of unfinished projects and resolved to finish at least a few of them. By the end of Sunday I'd finished three jumpers, two hats and a teddy bear. Okay, so two of the jumpers only needed buttons, but they were unfinished then and they are finished now so I'll count them. The other jumper was The Boy's Wee Willy Winky jumper, on which I finally worked out how to do the collar. Yay.

Wee Willy Winky Jumper

A stripy jumper

Oh, and I applied for a job today. It sounds like a good job on paper but when I spoke to the recruitment agent this morning it turns out that there's already someone in the role, so I don't know what that means for other applicants. Oh well, if all it is, is a way to boost my confidence and get my head thinking about a new job, then that's a good thing!

What I'm listening to today: Republica - Ready to Go (You may know it as the Holden Astra Commercial music); Sarah McLachlan's "Ordinary Miracle" from the movie Charlotte's Web (really really gorgeous song - listen out for it!)