Fyrewitch's Knitting Adventures

My Day

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here's a few thousand words for you. A few photos from my day so far.

 

One of the things I love about this time of year is that it's Jacaranda season. I drive by this lovely specimen a number of times a day on my way to and from school. The Jacaranda is a Brazillian native, but loves the Brisbane weather. It's actually classified as a weed here, but how could you possibly call something that pretty a weed? 

 

It's also well and truly into the geranium season. This one is my favourite. It was one of the first plants I bought when I moved into this place, and it  hasn't missed a year.

 

 

Of course crafting is always a part of my day. I'm working on this blanket for a friend's birthday later this month. I'm actually hoping I will finish it today so I can present her with it tomorrow. She complained  a couple of years ago that I never gave her handmade gifts. I explained that was due to the fact that it was practically summer at her birthday. She didn't care. How lovely!

Once the wavy blanket is complete, I'll be heading to my mother's birthday socks, but I may take a brief detour ... I ordered some Knit Pro circular Needles from Kiri at Yay for Yarn! They arrived yesterday. So I may take a brief respite from gift related crafting to try to teach myself magic loop. Yay!

Ode to My Vacuum Cleaner

Shiny, yellow and new

I spied you in the  store

I had no idea the joy you would give me

In the cleaning of the floor.

Your suck was just so powerful,

it left me quite aghast

The crap you removed from my carpet

Made my love for you hold fast.

For many years your suck was strong

A faithful servant you have been.

But alas today, you passed away

And my grief is keen.

As faithful an electrical friend

I have never had

I cannot imagine someone taking your place

And it's making me very sad.

Yet off to the store I again must go,

Your replacement there to find,

As without a vacuum cleaner in the house,

I may just lose my mind.

Cat hair rolls around the floor

As it's shedding season once again

And before I'm knee deep in it

I must find a new sucking friend.

Rest well my dear old Dyson

To Silicon Heaven I commend your spirit

For with all the crap I put through you

You surely deserve to enjoy it.

With a flick of a switch ...

One of the things that people who haven't grown up in Brisbane find it difficult to come to terms with is the changes in season. Because we are so close to the tropics, our "Spring" and "Autumn" are so named in order to not scare off the tourists. In reality, we are closer to the wet season/dry season of the more northern parts of the country.

A friend of mine who grew up in New Zealand and PNG says that the changes of the seasons in Brisbane is like someone flicking a switch. Suddenly you wake up one day, winter is over, it's 30 degrees, and you're inappropriately dressed in thick jeans and a jumper. Or vice versa. I remember a few years ago, my sister sent her husband to work in shorts and a t-shirt despite his complaints of the cold weather. It was cold alright. He had to travel to Stanthorpe in the granite belt that day, and it snowed in Stanthorpe for the first time in 50 years. The switch had been flicked.

The summer switch has been flicked this week. Our glorious 22 degree days have morphed overnight into 30 degree days with a tablespoon of humidity. Spring is here - a month early - and summer is definitely not far away.

On this beautiful too-early spring day, the witchlet has started at a new school. After no response from upper management in her old school I decided that the best thing for her education and our peace of mind was to get her out of that horrible situation, and I was concerned that if I simply changed classes, I would be fighting this fight for the rest of her primary school life. So I took her to the new school I had in mind yesterday, was reassured by the Deupty Principal that they didn't have those sorts of problem at this school, and she would be able to start pretty much straight away. Walking into her new class was like walking on to a different planet - the children were sitting quietly at their desks working, not making a sound. The witchlet was so excited about starting at her new school, she had her new uniform on before 7 this morning. Doesn't she look a treat?

You can see behind her that my jasmine is also convinced that it's spring, and it's in the process of bursting into flower. It already smells glorious. What you can't see behind her in the jasmine is the dove nest with two babies in it. I'm looking forward to seeing them out and about when they make it to adulthood.

So the witchlet made it to her new school fine this morning, and was mobbed by the kids when she walked in the door, with them wanting to know her name and play with her. She was so happily occupied she wouldn't have noticed me leave if I hadn't gone to say goodbye to her. I have a feeling that this is the best decision I could have made and I'm looking forward to hearing all about how much she enjoyed her new school this afternoon.