knitting

Just chillin’

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This frog says it all. We found him under our kayaks when we took a trip a few weeks ago. He hung out for a few hours and then was gone. We are enjoying our first summer in our new home and enjoying the local customs. We found several swimming holes and also get to watch teen boys jumping from high heights to land in the rivers.

Yesterday we went to a parade. All the town’s firetrucks and  autobody(?) trucks were on display along with bagpipers, veterans and a high school class of ’76 reunion. The one thing I don’t get is the practice of throwing candy on the street.  Perhaps it avoids immediate injury but then the little kids pick it up off the ground, or scuttle under cars to recover candy. Sounds like a dangerous practice to instill, on so many levels. Boy am I getting old.

Here’s a knitting aside. I had planned to make Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Surprise Jacket for years because it is a marvel in construction. I almost lost the faith along the way because I couldn’t believe my straight blob of knitting would become a neat little jacket. But I placed my trust in the simple pattern and it worked. This reminds me that I want to knit more of her patterns because they are always interesting to knit, if only for the whacky construction.

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By simply knitting every row, adding a few increases and sewing two shoulder seams, this irregular piece of fabric became a cute little baby jacket.

I knit it with the remnants of yarn I had spun and dyed with Kool Aid. Now it’s been distributed to various grandnieces and nephews of the original sheep (owners).

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Hard to believe.

We had many house guests recently and when we were wandering around looking for something to do, we found these crazy kids jumping off the ski jumps into pools and some sort of astro turf. The freestyle type jumpers were getting 35 feet into the air before landing in the pool with skis and ski boots on! The youngest we watched was 7 years old!!! I think this first shot is him and his brother jumping in tandem.

These “small” jumps are designed to give the skiers loft. We ventured off to the towers where the ski jumpers go for distance (just recall the “agony of defeat”) and watched them for a while until the beautiful blue skies and billowy clouds turned into a nasty storm and they had to turn off the chair lift that brought us to the top and evacuate us.

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Needles and spindles

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After two weeks of dry sunny weather, it’s been raining for three days. Not as much as up in Queensland where rivers have flooded and an area larger than Germany is covered in water. Five towns there were wiped out in the past couple of days with loss of lives and major property. We’re just having a little rain and lots of wind. So, I’ve been indoors knitting and spinning and baking.

This morning, i finished a pair of socks. I knit them from yarn I spun from a sheep named Blackie who lives in South Australia. I had just enough yarn to finish them with about a yard of yarn left over. They will be extremely warm and are a nice way to bring the fleece back to the States. At the same time, I’ve been spinning a mixture of Tasmanian Mohair and merino and haven’t decided what to knit with it. One can never have too many socks.

Here’s an update of what I have knit or spun since we arrived.

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Our work party managed to leave this morning. They tried yesterday but turned around due to crazy seas. There was a window this morning and they jumped through it. Last night we enjoyed self saucing pudding and a terrible movie. This morning I can hear my beer gurgling in the pantry and it’s a fairly soothing sound. Maybe even better than the beer itself.

We’ve had boaters in for tea and we’ve been invited aboard for tea. I used the words, “keen” and “bloody hell” without thinking twice the other day. No accent, just an expanded vocabulary. To clarify a further post, our friend Malcolm told us porkie comes from the cockney phrase, pork pie, which rhymes with lie. At least we haven’t been called seppies: septic tank, which rhymes with Yank who are full of –it. But maybe it’s just because most people think we are Canadian.

On the rocks

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We’re walking the walks. Yesterday, we hiked to Squally Cove on the east side of the island after lunch. Most of the hikes take a couple of hours and end in spectacular beaches. Yesterday was no different. We were there at mid tide and there were tide pool and the remains of ship, which sunk in the cove after it crashed on the rocks, Christmas Eve, 1920.
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There must be something in the water because I am seeing things… in all the rocks and even shipwrecks. Dragons, dogs, people.
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The pair
Now for some knitting news, I finished the socks knit from merino, possum and bamboo and they are lovely. First project on Deal.
Flinders Island Button
Then I moved onto a headband because I am tired of my hair whipping around in the wind and it’s often too windy for a hat. I’ve ordered my magnetic boots though so should remain grounded. I knit calorimetry twice. Too big, then just right. Now I am on to Christmas gifts. It’s not too late is it??

Tomorrow, tomorrow

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The wind blew all night and day, then the rains came and went. Now all is calm. The birds are happy and singing (actually they were happy and singing during the downpours) and we got word that the boat leaves shortly before 0500 tomorrow. After a month on the road, we are heading out!!! Yeah. If our internet works, you will hear from me, if not, have a Merry Christmas, and wonderful New Year. The best news is I met a spinner/knitter through Ravelry here and she found some fleece and combs for me to bring out to the island and work on in my spare time.  It’s really a very small world.

Fat cats

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We left Launceston today and finally flew to Flinders Island, our interim island. It’s beautiful. Large mountains on the southern end, nice beaches and a steady breeze. I think we’ll get used to the sound of wind blowing. We’re staying in a cabin with all the comforts, which is a nice change after three weeks of hotels and hostels. Yesterday I had a chance to photograph two of the fat cats we’ve met as well as some of the cars we have seen.

Cars don’t die here. There are Australian models of all the classics – except the AMC Pacers.

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Fuji from the Launceston Backpackers, weighing in at about 20 pounds and doing his favorite activity. The locations change, sun when it’s cool and shade when it’s hot.

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Fat Charlie, very talkative, also weighing in above 20 pounds.

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Sweet Chevy like car.

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This truck has a snorkel and some heavy duty communication gear for offroad, underwater travel.

We flew on a small plane but the flight was only 30 minutes. Before the flight, the pilots were doing practice runs on the runway??!!! I guess you have to learn sometime.

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It was a beautiful day for flying. I saw the Bass Strait, where we will be located, for the first time from the air.

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Parting shots of Launceston. We had to go the police station because Tim’s kindle was lost and stolen. It seems like it will be easy to find. Whoever tries to register it with Amazon will have to provide contact information and voila? right? Well even if it’s recovered, we won’t get it back until March. In the meantime, I’m guarding mine with my life.

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Oh yes, and a sock knit on the Overland Track, waiting to be finished when I am reunited with my sewing needle.

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Knitting aside, feather and fan scarf

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I received some beautiful yarn from Nezinscot Farm, Maine CIMG0492.jpgas a gift from a new friend. I decided to knit a scarf and because it was handpainted, wanted to try a ripple effect with a feather and fan pattern. I wanted both halves to mirror the other so I used a provisional cast on for each half and cast on 36 stiches. A provisional cast on leaves “live” needles on the edge of the knitting so you can figure out how you want to finish and edge or in this case, connect two halves without a seam. Here’s Lucy Neatby’s instruction for a provisional cast on for those interested. She is my favorite current knitting instructor probably because she used to knit while serving on ships in the UK’s Merchant Marine and settled in Nova Scotia.

I got to what I thought might be close to halfway and cast on the second half of the scarf on the same set of circular needles from the outer strand of the ball of yarn. Every ball of yarn has a center strand and an outer strand – the two ends.

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When both halves were even, I binded off with a suspended bind-off to keep it loose, grafted the two halves together and Voila.  My ravelry page is here

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Now I have to get back on a  plane and fly back to that tiny airport.

Ah, the mountains

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photo courtesy of Bethany

Back in the wilderness with hiking options galore.  Yesterday was Wednesday, hiking day with a wonderful group of women.  They hike, snowshoe and ski  through all weather, with the exception of pouring rain or flooded trails.  We hiked to Indian Head, a trip I had taken with Tim in the winter and posted about here. It was much more fun this time and I can hardly believe I did it on showshoes.  We walked the road to the Gill Brook trail and followed the river with several waterfalls.  Then we made a right and headed uphill.  As a general rule, I don’t like hikes with ladders.  This one had at least five.  I don’t think we ever saw them when we did it in the snow.  The view of Lower Ausable Lake, flanked by the mountains, was stupendous.  We met a group of revelers at the top enjoying lunch and libations.  I don’t think I would have like the ladders after that.

I finished my socks made from possum  and wool yarn that I bought in New Zealand last year and am very happy with them. Now it’s onto a scarf made from beautiful kettle dyed yarn that Ramblinroo brought to Seguin for me from Nezinscot Farm Yarns and Woolens . Maybe Chelsea will like it.Possum sox

Could be a long walk

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The cove
This photo highlights our bathroom situation. We sleep in the quarters at the top of the hill and use the outhouse at the bottom of the hill near the cove. It’s all about planning.

There is a crisp north breeze today. It’s great sleeping weather. Fruit or birch wood smoke is drifting from the mainland and I could hear the ringing of the bell buoy to the north.

I am calling the rider mower repair a small victory. After it ran for 20+ minutes two days ago, yesterday it wouldn’t start. I had moved a ‘kill’ wire and adjusted my favorite idle screw on the carburetor. The battery sounded weak so I charged it. Then the mower started right up and I gingerly mowed the upper 40 while I waited for it to stall. Never happened. The only time it conked out was when it ran out of gas.

And I finished knitting a sock made of possum, wool and silk from New Zealand. At least one foot is warm.

But Norton, can it core a apple?

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Big seas, strong winds, I had a day of domestic bliss – of sorts. First I finished knitting the second mitten of a pair, proudly put them together and discovered the first was two inches longer than the second and the thumbs don’t exactly begin at the same place. Oops. So I ripped back and knit again. They are shocking anyway because I made them from scraps.

Next I discovered some beautiful apples just waiting to be picked. Waiting because they were so gnarly even the birds passed them by. But we haven’t been off the island to shop in two weeks and are out of fresh fruit so…they weren’t as bad as they looked. I made two mini pies, which were pretty tasty. The garden provided a nice salad.

Lastly, I was disappointed by the rider mower, which hasn’t been running since we got here. We have spent two days tinkering with it – checked and added oil, filled the battery with water and charged it, Tim cleaned the fuel filter, I cleaned the spark plug and air filter, tightened the starter and made a tiny adjustment on the carburetor. I got it to run and work for about a half hour and then it laid down and died. Maybe it’s time for a new battery. Now we get to mow with the rickety push mower again. One of our highlights is using the rider mower. Oh well.

Sent fom my Palm

Finishing touches

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It’s a regular day again today. The lobster boats are out and the water seems calm. the last two days have been windy and sunny and I mowed the upper and lower forty – about six hours. All’s tidy. Tim painted the new doors for the keeper’s house and it looks spiffy – still needs a new roof though. P9040028.JPG

Windows are secure, for the most part. Someone installed a skylight in the keeper’s house,with a direct view of the lighthouse, which would be good if you had to keep it lit. Tim has caulked it at least three times and there is still a small nagging leak.

Power tools are winterized, the workshop is swept and now it’s time to clean the living quarters. We’ll start moving some stuff off the island today because the beach is calm(er). We haven’t told the cats we’re moving again yet. They’ll be happy to return to Seguin though. Nice weather provided another gorgeous sunset last night.

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My Urbanista hat is almost complete, now I just need a pair of mittens. I think it will take some stretching to fit my head.

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The sound of the waves was great the other day. The outgoing water pulled all the rocks out and they made a neat sound while they tumbled.

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There was a schooner festival and our local boats, the Fame in the foreground, and the Friendship were on the water. It looked like we were living in another era.