WTF

WTF...was how to described the weather on Wednesday, it is still spring here and we had 38.5 celsius. Thank goodness it was only one day, the heat was unbearable. I keep reading all the blogs where winter is approaching, wishing I was there, in the cool and the snow, rugging up in nice thick woolly jumpers, sitting by a fire place knitting, sipping hot chocolate with a marshmallow on top, heaven. Anyway back to reality, we are heading for summer, that means nice sunny days, heat, swimming, sweating, wishing winter would fast approach. How easy do we wish our lives and years away, hoping for winter or hoping for summer. We always seem to want the opposite to what we have. Anyway wherever we are, we should all enjoy the present and make the best of it we can, even if that may be difficult some days.

I have pulled out of the "Comfort Jenn" project, I have just been too busy with Soaring Eagles project to be able to knit a square, I know what you are thinking (well most of you), it is only one square, but I am a woman possessed with knitting beanies for these kids, and they need to be in USA by 18 December, I can see myself knitting and finishing off a beanie as the person loading mail onto the plane is trying to untangle my yarn as I try to finish off ANOTHER beanie. Yes it is that bad, I am totally obsessed with it. I have sent 12 beanies early last week and hope to send another 12 at the end of next week, with a 14 day delivery as said by Australia Post, I hope that they are delivered at the other end quickly.

I have knitting planned (in my head) to do before christmas, but I can see myself rushing out at the last minute and buying all the gifts this year.

A busy weekend coming up with Christmas Party's starting this weekend, I am trying to make time to get to SNB tomorrow arvo before our HOG Christmas Party at 6.30pm, Sunday we have to rip out our laundry ceiling, cut a large damaged piece of ceiling out of the front upstairs entry and rip out the upstairs hallway ceiling, the plasterer is coming at 7am on Monday morning, so I will need to get up early to get ready for work before he arrives. And we all know what these reno's mean, Yes, more painting, so I also plan to get all the painting done before Christmas.

When I get my camera back from #2 son, I will take photos of more beanies, they are pretty nice, I am still doing the cable pattern from Stitchnbitch, it is a great pattern and quick.

S.O.S. - Comfort Jenn

Please go and check out this blog, a young woman is enduring probably the worst time she will have in her entire life. She lost her parents in a car accident as a teenager, her brother in a motorcycle accident, and last month lost her husband, her 7 year old son and her 4 month old baby in a car accident, and now she has lost the baby she was carrying. Cathy has put out a plea for help, she would love to make a comfort blanket for Jenn. She needs 64 squares, 8inches square, made in 8ply washable pure soft wool. She is asking for comforting colours. Any excess squares will be made in blankets and given to charity.

Please help, I know alot of us are busy with Soaring Eagles, but please take the time to make just 1 square for Jenn. We could only imagine the pain and sorry she is going through now.

Keepin the shiny side up

Well I tried to keep the shiny side up, but it didn't work so well. We had our annual weekend away on the bikes to Canowindra (western NSW), with the Illawarra HOG Chapter. It was a lovely day, hot, sunny and a lot of great people. We have a few raffles amongst members and raised $3,500 for the Kidz Wish Foundation, a local charity for sick kids and kids with a disability in the Illawarra area.

In our chapter there is a patch "Ground HOG", yes it is for those who can't keep their bikes upright, or drops it over so far that you can't pick it up yourself, even if it doesn't actually all hit the ground. I had always thought when others were getting these patches, that the only way I wanted to get a ground hog patch was if the bike was sliding down the road, yes I know that would hurt, but I wasn't thinking of that, it was the embarrassment of dropping the bike at a standing position or similar. Well we arrived at Canowindra, all bikes at the front of the Canowindra pub for the officially photo's. Then park the bikes around the back for the night. Most had parked there bikes along the side fence, but if there is a heavy dew, then the seat is wet when you get on the bike in the morning, so there was one bike under a lovely big tree, DH road his bike up under the tree, I followed and had plenty of room between the two bikes (photo below), as I road in, DH turned his bike to stop, our mirrors hit, I lost balance and toppled over, but I wasn't going to let my bike hit the ground, and RJ's bike (brand new I might add) actually stopped my bike from going all the way to the ground, so with my leg between the two bikes, and my left hand mirror resting on his saddle bags, it didn't go all the way down, but I couldn't lift it, shit. JB came over and picked the bike up and asked if my legs were OK or were they a bit shaky, no they weren't shaky, I put the side stand down, looked at RJ's bike and was so relieved that is didn't damage his bike. I did go and find RJ and tell him about the accident, he said he would worry about it in the morning. The next morning he come out and said, where did you damage my bike, I showed him the tiniest scratch on the hard case saddle bag (pannier??? bag), he wasn't worried about it at all, after all he is a spray painter.

The ride home through Cowra and Yass was great, we were so tired when we got home, it is such a huge weekend. Riding up through the Blue Mountains of Lawson, Leura, Katoomba, Blackheath and Mt Victoria, then through Lithgow, Lunch at Bathurst, the on through Orange, and finally to Canowindra. The local Lions Club always cook us dinner and breakfast, they have for the last 10 times we have visited, they even made a special cake to celebrate. We did stop at 11am for Remembrance Day, we were outside the Hydro Majestic Motel at Medlow Bath (Blue Mountains area) at about 30 seconds to 11am, by the time the last bike pulled in it was 11am. One minute later we were starting up the bikes again and on our way. We have two members who served in Vietnam, one who is a member of the Vietnam Veteran Motorcycle Club.

I didn't take knitting, and have only finished one more beanie today, and another on the needles tonight, (number 14).

Blogger isn't playing fair, and won't upload my photos. I will try to put them in this post tomorrow. Now the next day (Tuesday night) and blogger still won't upload pictures. WTF.

And the Eagles Soar higher

I wonder how many beanies have been made for the Soaring Eagles Project? I am knitting my twelve beanie (mauve beanie in photo), should finish that tonight, I may send some on ahead of when Tianne and I are going to send a parcel later in November. I have checked it out at the Post Office and was told that it takes 2 weeks air mail, even as it gets closer to Christmas. I just don't won't to take too much of a chance and not get all the beanies needed there on time.


I am loving the cable beanie pattern from StitchNbitch and the Hot Head beanie patter from the other StitchNBitch book. So easy only take a couple of hours each to knit. I probably should look for more nice beanie patterns so not too many are the same, but with a deadline fast approaching, and these are quick knits, I probably should just stick to these patterns.

I have posted my last Tribe swap parcel today, I was a bit slack and then I forgot to send it friday, so it is all gone and on its way now. Hopefully you won't wait to long Cece, and I can see if the Post Office is right in saying it only takes 2 weeks.