The woes of secrecy

I have a plan. It's a biiiiiiiiig plan. It's called "Andrea's Christmas Plan", and the very mention of it makes me shiver with dread. It's a plan to make gifts, cook various things and survive til New Years Eve without spending the three days after Christmas Day finishing off my presents. Considering this time includes my birthday, I'm usually pretty worn out.

The plan is good. It's doable. I'm not making anything too extreme. Really. I've got lots of small knitting/sewing projects that will cover the whole family, which is a very big family. I have our immediate families (30 people) all covered, and my smugness knows no bounds. By covered, I mean I know what I'm going to make, at least.

The problem is, I can't tell you. My sisters and my in laws (hey Jase!) all read my blog, not to mention my close friends who are also on my list. So, anything I make I can't show you. My knitting chats will slow to a halt, with no pictures. I'm a bit depressed about this. For anyone on Ravelry, I can cheat! So, if you are hooked up there, check out this and this!













However, one knitting project will be posted over the next two months: Da's Drunken Argyle! I've finished the back now, and I'm 4 rows into the ribbing for the front.












On the allowable Christmas present front, I hope you like these. I've made Seatbelt Snuggles
in team colours for my uncles - Collingwood for Uncle Glenn, Richmond for Uncle Pat, Essendon for Greg (too cool to be called uncle) and Geelong for the highly smug Uncle Rob. That's one section of the family done completely! *radiates smugness*













Another thing I've made of late is a water bottle holder. I needed something to hold both my gym pass while toddling off to yoga, as well as be a water bottle carrier. I used the pattern from Interweave Knits (Summer 2007) and added a moss stitch pocket for my card. I love it, and most of the staff have requested one. We'll see....

Things a long journey has taught me

1. Life is only truly bearable when you're singing along to a Hottest 100 cd.

2. Mankind's greatest achievement is air-conditioning in cars.

3. DO NOT sleep in the boot of your station wagon. I don't care if you save money, it's not worth it. Even with a blow up mattress.

4. Teaching a learner driver is harder than I thought.

5. 2, 718kms in five days is only worth it if the person in the passenger seat is too.

Knitting while driving

Anyone who knows me well (fellow knitters especially) will know about my driving and knitting problem.

I wish that it was restricted to red lights only, but I have found that gridlocks and highways are very conducive to excellent knitting. I've discovered the secret time when I can get more knitting done - while behind the wheel.

Now, while this is considered highly dangerous, and I most assuredly do not recommend driving and knitting at the same time, it works for me. I've had two car accidents in my driving life and neither involved my knitting. I didn't even have knitting in the car. (There was a 4-shaft table loom in the back seat during the first accident, but I obviously wasn't weaving at the time. A herringbone in three colours? Too complicated for driving.)









Today I leave the cattery at 6:00pm to drive to Port Macquarie for Felix's 10 year school reunion. It's a 1250km, 14 hour drive and I'm actually looking forward to the drive. Because I can legally knit. Felix went and got his learner's permit especially for this drive, so I won't have to drive the whole trip by myself (isn't he lovely?). I will have driving duties tonight, because the Hume Highway at night is neither a good place or time to learn.

So, what to knit? Start something new? Maybe the blue slouchy cardigan from Cafe Knits? Or the skull cuffs for the birthday in November? Or how about some more stuff for Alisha?













Nope - 45cm of plain red ribbing. *sigh* At least I'll get the vest finished sooner rather than later...

Knitting, cats and pom-poms

My Drunken Da continues onwards. I was highly impressed by ability to work it all out and knit it. I've measured the back against the future owner, and apart from ripping out an inch, we're all pretty happy.












In the midst of flu fever I decided that I really needed a pair of fingerless gloves. My fourth pair, to be exact. I sat up, cast on Nearly Gloves, and they literally flew off the needles, and were finished in one day.













Main problem is that I don't like 'em. Anyone want them? If not, the Salvos will be the new proud owners...

My main focus at the moment is my new job (hurrah!). It's a two-day a week, split shifts job, but - here's the kicker - it's at a cattery. I get to play with cats all day. I also have to clean up after them (no biggie) and feed them, but everything is worth it when you're hugging a British Blue kitten that loves you a lot.

The bright side is that I'm currently getting rid of a heap of old stash to make pom-poms for the cats to play with. A LOT of old stash. Feel free to send any yarn you don't want to me - there's accommodation for 340 cats at the cattery, and I plan to have a pom-pom in each room for them to play with.

Oh, man.... kitties!