Spinster Aunt

Wow. So much is happening right now. Here are some edited highlights:

• First, Pimping a show: The Gruen Transfer, ABC1, Wednesday night.
  30 minute show about advertising, including tactics used by the industry, analysing different campaigns, and my favourite part: "Selling the un-sellable", where two agencies are briefed to come up with an ad for an utterly un-sellable product. (Think: Baghdad Tourism.) And because Aunty is awesome when it comes to new media, the entire thing is vodcast. Check it out.



• New Glasses! ( Pic under cut )
  
  
• Australian universities are starting to get in on iTunes U. So far they have ANU, Griffith, Uni of WA, Uni of Melbourne & UNSW. Come on, Sydney. Get your act together. I'm happy to listen to Economics or Shakespeare or History from the US. Law...not so much.



• I randomly went to a lace exhibit at a local gallery, and ended up randomly moderating a group discussion on the difference between "Art" and "Craft" and presenting the results to a group including curators at the Powerhouse Museum and presidents of the guilds. I did not embarrass myself.



• I graduated from MTC, and on the night my friend mentioned she was going to do a short course at NIDA. I was reminded of the other short courses at NIDA and...



• I enrolled in a corset making class at NIDA. Two weeks in, one to go. I have something resembling a bodice - I need to put the boning in. Pics here



• Went to the Stitches & Craft show on Saturday. Bought some beautiful green laceweight yarn...mmmmm.... Don't know what I'll use it for yet. ( Pic under cut )
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• My Feedback got read out on Filmspotting! Top 5 Best Dressed Characters. Of course that <i>would</i> be the subject upon which I am most opinionated and articulate when it comes to film...) Check it out here: I'm in for two minutes starting at 40:30)

I've recently bought a digital camera and finally set up a flickr account, so it might actually be worth friending me on Ravelry.

I'm moorina over there too. I know others on my flist are on there - can you comment with your screen names so I can find you?

I've got pictures of my stash up (it seems that I do rather like blue...) and my WIP - Son of A.R.A.N.

An incredible Hobbit Doll House, via Craftzine.

Better late than...whatever. 

Not a terribly inspiring Knitty this time around, at least volume-wise.  Only a couple of patterns that caught my eye.  W and Soleil look nice for summer (even though we're smack bang in the middle of the cooler months here), though I have fallen in love with Via Diagonale - a definite future project. 

I've finished the body of the Rose Basket handbag which is very exciting.  Just started on the actual roses, which ought to be a snap.  Then the leaves and on to the felting!  ::crosses fingers::  I think I want bamboo handles for this rather than the felted tubes in the pattern.  I've already adapted it to knitting in the round, so why stop there?  Anyways, we'll see how it goes once I've felted it. 


Go play nice with the research people:

This picture is making me want to

a) Knit the bag
b) make the skirt
c) paint my door red
d) move to Paris
e) all of the above

* Glen McGrath's first test half century: 61.  Incredible.  Unbelieveable.  So glad I saw it.  Laughed all the way through.  Apparently he got $10,000 as the result of an incentive clause in his contract for his maiden 50 and was the subject of a $1,000 private bet between Mark Waugh and Shane Warne. 

* Mum's comment on Shane Warne during the first test: "He looks like an orc."  hehe.

* Kylie Minogue as Epponnee (Look at moie...) in Kath & Kim.  Best.  Cameo.  Ever.  Again, laughed all the way through it. 

* "The Black Gate Opens" still makes me bawl like a baby, even with nothing built up before it.  (It's the wooden flute - gets me every time.)  I'm starting to think about the joy of Dec 10 when ROTK:EE comes out and I'll get to be an emotional wreck all over again.  Break out the tissues.  Can't wait ::g::

* Martina is a darling.  I enjoy being an aunt. 

( Folly photos. )

Afghanistan has just had their elections, and today is the federal election in Australia.  As was pointed out to me yesterday, I live in a country where the polling booths and ballot boxes are cardboard, we mark our votes in lead pencil, there are card tables out the front of every polling place with how-to-vote cards from every political party, and I can vote as I choose without being in fear for my life.  I live in a country where the government of the day is routinely upheld or changed, by the will of the people, peacefully.  I am indeed truly blessed. 

As for voting Christianly, the Brotherhood of St Laurence has a fabulous slogan.  "This election, vote for someone else."  This isn't about tossing out the current government or changing your vote from last time around, but rather voting for the benefit of others rather than what is best for ME.  This whole Christian humility stuff has some implications I'd rather not think about.  Wah. 

::stupidbloodyinhumilityconsideringothersbetterthanyourself::


These are the coolest LOTR/Laundry/Knitting geeky crossover things ever.

( Cut for 'No kidding, Sherlock' quizzage )

Firstly, more on Olympic Fencing.  SMH.  How sweet it is.  Every four years or so I get this urge to go and join the Penrith Academy of Arms.  One day.  Le Monde has fencing stuff on the front page every day.  The SMH has exactly four articles on the entirety of Olympic fencing.  Not really a sport in which Australians have a commanding presence, ergo no interest. 

Anyways...

Mum came home from sewing just a moment ago.  I showed her the socks blocking.  Much delight etc. 

Then she said she had something for me in the boot. 

We trooped outside and....Wow.  I'm gobsmacked.  Someone I've never met has gifted me a knitting machine. 

( Pics under cut )

Of course, I have no idea what any of those things do yet, but we'll see. 

So many thanks to my unmet benefactor.  I marvel day by day at these completely unexpected examples of grace.  I thank God for all. 

Wow.

2:04 pm - Begin kitchener stitch
2:04 pm to 2:11 pm - Scramble around inside head for accumulated knitting wisdom on how to do kitchener stitch.
2:12 pm - Finish kitchener stitch
2:13 pm - Realise kitchener stitch resembles purl rather than knit

2:13 and 30 seconds pm - Mind is still mercifully blank

2:14 pm - Decide a cup of tea is the first step in going about fixing this
2:20 pm - Still can't decide between Earl Grey and Prince of Wales
2:24 pm - Settle on English Breakfast
2:32 pm - Do not taste tea as it goes down. Mind is still stuck on needles.

2:33 pm - Very carefully, with the care and precision exercised by neurosurgeons & serial killers (the ones they make movies about, anyway), undo kitchener stitch and pick up loops back on needles.
2:35 pm - Redo kitchener stitch the opposite way.
2:39 pm - Decide I need to share my angst.
2:40 pm - Create LJ whine about it all. Wah.

I'm about to be kitchenering (is that even a word?) the toe on the second sock. Plenty of time for mum's birthday on Wednesday! Yay!

Pictures of the Anouk and Baby Tart that mum & I did for Martina.  Yay! 

( Anouk & Baby Tart )

Mum was in the city with friends and took some great shots of the Opera House.  I liked them enough to post them:

( Mum's photos of the Opera House )

::sigh::  Paris has free open air cinema outside Sacre Coeur.  It's an ideal space for it. 

SMH: Olympic Fencing.  So deliciously Slytherin at the end ;-)

My getting-rid-of-crap-athon is going well so far.  Two garbage bags full of clothes I'll never wear again.  Yay!  Still a fair way to go with the clothes, though.  Then onto the desk.  And then the books.  And walls.  Yikes!

There's another Britpicking article over at hp_essays.  My views on that have been previously aired and I have only one more thing to add since then.  I'm fairly resigned to Americanised (Americanized?) spelling by now, but if you have Remus Lupin drinking coffee in a fic you'd better have a bloody good reason for it. 

As for knitting, I'm helping mum with her Anouk for Martina and trying to explain the concept of Seed Stitch.  It transformed into rib on the border at some stage, so I've spent the morning fixing it with a crochet hook and two cups of Prince of Wales tea.  (Well, the tea was less about fixing the knitting and more about fixing me, but I digress.)  We're still working on her technical skill, but her enthusiasm and diligence have surprised me.  Next she wants to make a shawl/stole/wrap, so we'll see how that goes. 

I'm still enjoying some mindless knitting after the intensity of the kilt hose.  I started this last night at Bible Study for mum's birthday.  The guys didn't think it counted as "mindless" - I think I'll have to sit them down at houseparty and explain it to them in terms of structure, pattern and design - in terms an architect and engineer will understand.  ;-)  It was also quite interesting this morning to knit this while listenning to Romans 12 on repeat (for my assignment due next Tues.)  "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world..."  and looking at how the pattern was forming as I knitted the yarn up.  I'm sure there's a sermon illustration in there somewhere - bring on Womens' Convention - four weeks to go!  Pics under the cut:

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They are DONE.  They are FINISHED, they have been HANDED OVER, they are NO LONGER MY RESPONSIBILITY because they are DONE. 

Et voila!
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A delicate craft, dressing divine beings.

Oh, wow wow wow.  I think I'll have to check this one out.  And again, I say "wow". 

No plot spoilers, just a snippet of conversation that I simply had to comment on:
( Laocoon's Children ch 13 )

Also, I have to stop stalking people at Penrith Plaza to get a better look at their knitware. When I think about it objectively, it's a little disturbing.

And finally, a virtual tour of my bedroom. "Here's my bookshelf. And here's my other bookshelf. Here's my other-other bookshelf, on my desk (which is covered in books). And here's my bedside table, for books. Be careful not to trip on the piles of books on the floor. I think there's a bed in here somehwere."

Richard Glover's freeform knitting, as taught on air on 702 drive program by Angela Catterns.  Or maybe Richard Glover and the Half-stripe Piece.  Pictures.  Heh. 

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My mum has started knitting! She's so excited - it's quite endearing. She's started on the Baby Tart from a back issue of Knitty for Martina. It's very cute. She's using Jo Sharp wool in Plum for the berries and Antique for the crust.

I'm up to the heel flap on the second of Seb's socks. Still going fine, though I think that the next thing I do ought to be COMPLETELY MINDLESS with ACRES of stocking stitch. Or garter stitch. Or something. I'm going to need to debrief after this.

Felting sounds nice ::g::

Or maybe my "Ravenclaw to the Bone" set, which is continually expanding in my mind and has gone from a simple vest to a vest/scarf/socks/hat combo.

My handcarders arrived today. I have no fibre to prepare on them, but it's a good start. (You know, for once I get through the three fleeces on the back porch. Which at my current rate will take me well into the next decade.)

( Cut for snobby quizzage. )

The new icon comes courtesy of hannawy, quote from Elizabeth Peters. ::fangirls::

I just finished fixing a *major* knitting mistake on Sebastian's socks. I had to rip back about 10 rounds and pick up all the stitches again (and believe me, doing that for six cables - most quite dense and/or intricate - was no picnic), but IT'S DONE and I can start on the heel flap properly now. Yay! Now I just have to...er...figure out what I'm doing with the rest of it ;-)

On the To Do list:

* Write up my ideas on helix knitting and do a pattern for the Luna OotP scarf I have in my head. It should work. In theory.