Happy Australia Day

We made our way to Southbank parklands today to take in the Australia Day atmosphere. The Man and I claimed our favourite spot on Southbank beach with our Australian flag towel and settled back with the newspaper and the Boy ensconced himself in the water, where he happily played for the next 4 hours. The weather was almost perfect - warm enough for the Boy to be comfortable swimming all morning, not too hot for the land-lubbers and the occasionally threatening clouds only dropped a few sprinkles!





Tomorrow is a big day in households all over Queensland and this one is no exception. Our little boy is not quite so little anymore and he will be starting school tomorrow. First day of school, wow. The Man and I are very much more nervous than the Boy, and we have taken the day off work to be there when he goes into the classroom and when he comes out. Hopefully the latter will not be immediately after the former! Photos of the little munchkin in his all-maroon uniform tomorrow!

On the knitting front, I was hoping to have my short-sleeved cardigan finished for the big event tomorrow, but the constant errors (all my own fault, unfortunately) and design-alteration decisions have meant that there's still one row of knitting, an awful lot of seaming, and 80cm of i-cord to go. Not going to happen. Oh well.

I don't really like the way this cardi turned out but I've fallen seriously in love with the Rowan Cashsoft DK I used for the edgings and I'm wondering how I can justify spending the money it will cost to buy enough of it to knit a whole jumper. Hmmmm. Maybe I can call it "helping out a friend"..... My friend D's hubby is the local rep for Rowan yarns. Yep, that's it, I'm not spending $155 plus shipping on a jumper, I'm helping out a friend. Sounds much better that way, right?

Good luck to everyone who's starting school and everyone who has a little person in their household starting school this week. We're happy and sad and excited and nervous and encouraging and concerned all at the same time. Hope it works out well for all of us. Somehow I think the kids are having an easier time than us grown-ups!

What do you mean, it's January already?

I remember my Mum and Dad telling me that when I got older, the years would go really quickly. Well, I think I must be getting older. So many people around me have been saying this that it's become a bit of a cliche, but I really can't believe it's January already.

The Boy starts school in a couple of weeks time. We have his cute little maroon uniform (just thinking about anyone being dressed head to toe in maroon is giving me hives but I guess I have to get used to being a Queenslander some time) and we know his teacher's name and it's all happening whether we like it or not. We got very excited yesterday about the fact that we have been allocated all 5 days before and after school care, as we'd previously been told that Tuesdays might be booked out. It's not ideal to have him in care every morning and afternoon but we just couldn't manage it any other way with our full time work.

So we're on the school bandwagon well and truly. We like the cheaper fees and the fact that the school is just around the corner and the Boy should meet some local kids to play with and the fact that he's growing up and soaking up all kinds of amazing knowledge is pretty cool too. We don't like the cost of the uniform (have you seen the price of decent school shoes lately?), the idea of having to deal with school holidays and paying higher rates when we do go away. Still, you do what you have to do!

The Man got me three of the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee knitting books for Christmas and I finished the last one last night. Great fun and I'll be re-reading them. One has some patterns in it that I'd like to try so I'll be back to that one.

I keep meaning to get back onto Ravelry and update my projects and put up some photos. Maybe soon. I've nearly finished the Jo Sharp A-Line Jacket I've been making but I realised that the edging stitches I did in Cleckheaton Bamboo were a little tight and were exacerbating the rolling of the stocking stitch so I'm pulling them all out and redoing them with slightly larger needles. Then just the blocking and stitching together. I started a Booga Bag for my friend D on Sunday and I have another planned for another friend from work. I'll post photos when I get my knitting in the vicinity of a camera.

More big news, I've decided (again) that I'll get my drivers licence this year. Lulu (my car) has a new battery and is rearing to go, and I have lessons with a driving instructor booked for both Saturday and Sunday the weekend after next. P-plates here we come!.