Daysfull Digest November volume 1

You know those photocopied inserts you get (or send) in your Christmas cards telling you what fabulous things your friends have been up to in the past year and promising that we should all get together soon and happy holidays and so on? I thought something like that was in order here. So here's the skivvy on the latest goings-on.

Ravelry.
I have been playing around in the big ol' Ravelry and it is heaps of fun and admittedly the fun of maintaining a blog has been a little lost amongst the sand castles, pails, and shovels of the Ravelry sandbox. But I think I'll try to stick with this here blog for a while, if intermittently. Where else will you get reviews of Sydney's finest lavatories? Where else could I publish said reviews?

Knitting.
That's what you're here for, I won't pretend otherwise. There have been a few
projects simmering along with all good intentions, most of them are of hush-hush status. However, I do have one thing to show you, my Geelong Memorial Witterings Hat, so called because I coincidentally cast on for it during the 2007 AFL Grand Final in September(which Geelong won) and it is in colours which convincingly approximate Geelong's team colours. I'm not a Geelong supporter (and I was even barracking for the underdog, Port Adelaide, in the Grand Final. Nevertheless, their season was an amazing one and so I'm happy to honour them with a hat (even if the hat is more likely to be worn to the cricket than the footy.)


I didn't bother counting how many stitches I ended up with when the brim was a satisfactory width but it sure is a bl**dy lot of them. The tubular/sewn cast off was frankly demoralising after only 1/8 of the stitches were done. So I cast it aside (rather than off) where it patiently awaits a more patient finisher. Curses batman! And I so wanted to finish that hat in time for Melbourne Cup!

As much casting off as I could handle...

Melbourne Cup.
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting this fine horse recently, so there's even a horsey photo for you! This year in my office sweep I drew Railings who, at $201, was the bookies' least favourite to win. I wasn't too upset because at least my office sweep pays $2 for the wooden spoon, aka last place - which means you get your money back and you get some bragging rights. But my dumb horse came in second last. Last place was the early leader, Tungsten Strike, who obviously could not sustain his early pace. Oh well, at least Fiver drew the 2nd place winner so we haven't lost the farm yet.

Christmas knitting.
You're doing it, I'm doing it, everybody's doing it. This year we have four projects on the boil. I'm fairly sure none of the recipients can get past the gatekeeper at Ravelry yet, so here's links to the goods for the initiated:
1. Secret project #1. Finished.
2. Secret project #2. Finished 50%.
3. Secret project #3. Only just started.
4. A Montego Bay scarf for my brother-in-law's girlfriend (who definitely does not read the lavatory reviews, book rants, and occasional knitting updates chez Daysfull). Recently started and going quickly. Here 'tis:

The yarn is Knitpicks Gossamer in the Sunrise colourway, which I won as a prize in the Knitty Professor's 'Name This Puking Animal Creamer' contest. In addition to this skein, plus another skein of yarn, my prize included my very own Puking Animal Creamer, which you can see above. Who knew such a thing existed?! Certainly not me. Now I am enlightened. Thanks Michaele!

Cricket.
It's my favourite time of year, the cricket season. In honour of this, I have started up a group on Ravelry for cricket tragics, Knit Before Wicket. Please come join us! There's no sledging allowed and even fans of England may join.

Books.
I recently finished another 2007 Booker shortlisted book, Animal's People by Indra Sinha. It was a challenging read and very enjoyable. I thought narrative voice (a fellow called "Animal") was a literary achievement unrivalled by the other contenders this year. I had the opportunity to purchase a copy of this book prior to the shortlist being announced and turned it down because of the cover image and the short quotation featured on the back cover, which made it sound like a human-child-raised-by-wolves kind of story. In fact, this is far from the case and just goes to show (everybody together) "You can't judge a book by its cover." However, you can probably sell more books if you have an appealing cover.

I have just started Darkmans, the last one of the shortlisted books from 2007 I have yet to read. It is a hefty tome of over 800 pages I don't expect to finish it anytime soon. First impression? The length is gratuitous. But I'm giving it a red hot go.

Movies.
A new Australian film called September is in advance release. I had the opportunity to see it last week. It is fantastic and I recommend it highly.

Holidays.
Fiver and I took our gorgeous Guinness to a dog-friendly guest house in the Snowy Mountains for a week last month. It was Guinness's first trip to the bush and it is with some consternation that I report his new-found love of all things wombat, particularly wombat poo. We had a very stinky dog for most of the holiday.

Here's HRH Guinness admiring his identical twin in the window of the Criterion Hotel in Gundagai, where we also took in the Dog on the Tucker Box.


There really is snow in the Snowy Mountains. It was heaps of fun to reacquaint myself with the flurry stuff after about a decade of snowless existence! Here is Australia's highest peak:

Clearly no sherpas were required to reach this peak.

In Jindabyne, one of the main towns in the mountains, we were thrilled to discover this local landmark -

Leo Barry Park?!

If you can't see the sign, it says Leo Barry Park. We could only conclude that the park was named in honour of the Sydney Swan. I took about 10 photos of Fiver trying to re-enact "The Mark" with no success. Other than about 10 hilarious photos.

The Garden.
Through very little effort of my own (and a lot of effort by Fiver), we actually have some things flourishing in the garden! The miracle of life occurs in the front garden, where we have a real live capsicum growing!! This is just a total marvel to me!

Don't tell it we're going to eat it...

And in the back garden, I don't think it's too early to get excited about this little bud (and promise of several more) on the passionfruit vine.

What did the big flower say to the little flower?
What's up bud!

I think the technical term for what our garden, and particularly this vine, has been doing the past month is 'going berzerko', thanks to healthy rainfalls and of course Fiver's careful ministrations.

Conclusion.
Hey! We should really catch up again before the silly season sets in!