J9 Blog

Long Day out in London- the report

Has been a slow day for me today following my LONG 17 hour day trip via the trains to London from Lancashire. I am waking up now that it is 10.30pm at night here (maybe jet lag is playing a part?)

I spent about 9 hours on trains and the majority of the rest of the time walking London's streets.  I did have a very good time and saw amazing sights- but I probably pushed myself a bit (activity/walking wise)- so was very tired by the end.  But you all worked that out BEFORE I went didn't you!

See I was there! Took this as I was walking across London bridge AGAINST the crowd (just like Bridget Jones in the first movie!)

I didn't really do the typical tourist things. I was more interested in getting orientated to London and seeing and feeling a little what it would be like to work and live there.

Experiencing peak hour -in terms of the business people flooding out of London- and also pouring onto the tube was something I was interested in doing .  Pretty amazing for a small town Perth girl.  The only time I have felt similarly was my time in New York around 8 years ago.

I was on the tube at around 6 pm (going back to my connecting train station for the trip back to Manchester and then Leyland) when the train had a fault- everyone had to get off (and I had to get OUT of the station!too much for me!)- and big delays followed. I could tell from the Londoners reactions this was not unusual.  I found the tube system amazing for getting around in non-peak time ( I would have got on and off around 10 times at differnt Zone 1 stations on a £5 day ticket)- but seeing it in the peak times was another matter- (and yesterday was a lovely fine day- no one was wet or carrying umbrellas etc ).  I would find it very draining on a daily basis.

This photo is me half way down  one of the underground escalators (took me that long to get camera out!)at a station- the down gradient is HUGE and vertigo issues would be prohibitive! (Denise this is when I thought of Jackie!).

On my to do list were to get to the lusted after (see comments by Nicole and Robynne on previous post) Liberty store and the Loop yarn store in one of London's burroughs (Islington). I got to both- but because I hadn't printed maps I had to work hard to exactly locate (more walking...). They were lovely. And Liberty could have been the day trip in itself- but everything out of my price range.

I went through the bargin bins at Loop- for a ball to make a quick scarf for Clarie with (£4 for 100g of this Rowan big wool). I saw her eyeing off similar things when we looked at yarn at the Trafford Centre. It reminds me of liquorice allsorts.

And 2 *25g little balls of a rare yarn to see in Perth, were bought for gifts  for Nicole (happy birthday- you will get in a month!) and Robynne. There should be enough clues now on the blog for them to work out what they would be....don't now if I did the right colour choices...but anyway.....

More on my London trip coming....I am off to the seaside (?) North English town of Blackpool tommorow (only 40 mins on the train each way this time!)

My first commissioned knitting job!... from my favourite 6 year old!

I have today received a lovely note- small picture is attached (Sorry only mobile available). This is a copy of the text

"I want another knitted head band. Please can you do it if you have time.Love from Meaghan. XOXOXO"

The drawn picture is of Meaghan and I- and the number 34 is thought to refer to my age (I will be 34 in 2 months!)

Love it! direct and to the point...so despite some issues with knitting and headaches a knitting project (with me knitting in a new body position) has commenced....

Meaghan is Denise's neice and therefore cousin of ......Zak!

In honour of Claire's BRILLIANT packages

Claire, (aka Blaire as she is known in the texting world....do you too have different names for your friends because that is what the SMS text converts them to?  ie Denise is Demise (?why?) Zak starts as Wal...etc) is the foreign correspondant for the Four Season's duck club and a good friend of Denise and I. She has sent us some great packages/stuffed letters for Christmas and then again this last week.

Denise was the recipient of Invisible Jim- can you see him? he is invisible.....there are great things written on the package like 'camoflauge outfit available separately' etc  but this is a dodgy mobile phone photo. I am hoping that on the Comments Denise will add some of the other great things written on the package as I can't quite remember them now.

I received in my mailed package the wonderful vintage pattern to make the sock puppet's Blondie and the Spaceman.  They are rather Speccy- check out the wallpaper in the background!!  Claire made a very lovely statement that she is sure I am past knitting sock puppets.......I think she may not be referring to knitting socks here....as I include the latest photo of my knitting progress on my first ever sock  which is toddler sized (this will be a prototype....too many errors!).  This small few inches of knitted tube (I am just up to doing the heel flap) represents probably ~ 4-5 hours of knitting....so I won't EVERY be cutting up a hand knitted sock for a sock puppet!!  For the knitters out there I am knitting it on 5 double pointed needles (cos that what my book wanted!!) - 2.25mm and juggling the needles is driving me crazy...from this sock on I will be over to using 2 circular needles I am sure! I am finding even doing 2 rounds of this little bitty sock is giving me neck pain (again!) and so this is likely to be a project that takes me a VERY LONG TIME!  love doing it though.......

The last photo is of Denise and Zak yesterday at the Perth's Zoo. Denise is wearing the top Claire posted her for Christmas. So thank you Claire!

Finally some knitting finished

Lucky this isn't a knitting blog.....

I finally finished off and weaved in the ends of these 3 scarves that are now hopefully flying across the world as Christmas presents.

Doesn't really show but thats my Christmas tree ( small silver branch  with mirror leaves...twinkles when candles lit near by...) in the background.

Don't get as much knitting done as I would like as it gives me major neck problems...so I am trying to do some rehab exercises to fix neck...so can knit more!

In 2 days time I will be on a boat somewhere off the Queensland coast.....

Why?

Because my Mum (Christine) and her partner (Peter) have started a sailing life and have for the last 7 weeks been sailing on their catamaran 'Family Affair' from Brisbane north.....So I am going to visit them!

In a bit of a  mad dash between my teaching committment I will have 5 days on the boat and we will mainly be in the Hervey Bay/Fraser Island region of QLD. If you want more detail to make you jealous (you should see the photos!) then visit their sailing blog .  Recently they have been visiting exotic resorts (Kingfischer Bay here I come!) and whale spotting!

I have plans for good tea made for me by my Mum (and Peter!) served on the back deck......some time for easy knitting (I am prone to motion sickness......)....reading.....swimming....walking ....listening to the cricket (that world series thingy is on)...NOT coughing etc. To make my mum happy, and to not scare the whales, I am considering applying fake tan.........

Oh and a infamous trucker hat is accompanying me for the trip to add the photo gallery of the adventures of the Langsford SheepCrush Cap....

Any suggestions of classic Queensland shots the Cap can get involved in?(we are still getting over the BLOW that Claire DID NOT take the cap to Venice recently.....)

Stay posted for blog reports from the boat!

Melting Kamahl.....

Last week Nicole invited my over to her house for a Sunday afternoon knit. She had very kindly made me a kitty soft toy and also some lovely lemon biscuits in alphabet letters. They spelled my name- Janine. There was an 'A' its just that I ate it before this photo.

Behind the biscuits is a old vinyl record I melted in the oven to make a ?funky? bowl (also an idea via Nicole) ...I like it....and no Mum it did not make my oven smell like plastic.....

I melted a Kamahl record of Christmas carols I bought at the markets...I don't think any of my immediate circle will object as long as we don't tell Nanna.

For International readers (Ha! so many!) the flowers behind are a native to WA, and in abundant flower now as it is Spring- the grevilla- which BIRDS and BEES- love!

Crackin' Movie Gromit!

I went on Friday late afternoon to see Wallace and Gromit's FIRST feature film....'The Curse of the Were Rabbit'.

It was as expected quite delightful, I laughed out loud several times....and was delighted with some further insights into my favourite dog- Gromit. He has been described as a 'grounded dog' and indeed he is the sort of dog you want around in any crisis...and with Wallace around there are many! the amount of expression and often exasperation he expresses with the movement of just his eyes and eyebrows is wonderful. Gromit is my hero because he knits, drinks tea , makes tea for others (and willingly pushes around a tea trolley)......and as discovered in this film is passionate about vegetables!

The film pays tribute to the classic black and white  british horror films of the past  (as Chicken run paid tribute to the war/prison escape movies) and has many film and cultural references to keep the adult audience enchanted. A particular favourtie of mine was the voice-over by Helena Bonham-Carter of Lady Tottenham (a love interest for Wallace, but does she like cheese unlike previous interest Gwendolene?). I also enjoyed the opening scene which moves around the old photos of W and G on the walls...the one of G as a pup with Wallace still hirsuite is very funny.

The film was described by one reviewer as charming because of its retained 'british lumpishness' that even the american studio system could not destroy.  I don't think 'The Curse of the Were Rabbit'  it is quite as good as 'The Wrong Trousers' or 'A close shave'  but it is hard to imagine how a 80 minute feature could be.

As a reason to watch the film more than once (I needed one!)  Apparently Feathers McGraw (from the Wrong Trousers) is hidden in the shadows of at least two frames....look out for him! Nick Park the director has only found him in one so far......

The following is a link to an ABC Radio National MP3 file (click on the 16th Sept show) for a 20 minute review of the film and a lovely interview with Mr Nick Park himself- which I really enjoyed. Transcripts are also available at this link to read.

Sunday Breakfast #2...good tea!

Here are some photos from today's Sunday breakfast with Denise and ZaK.  It is not the best photo of the both of them...but Zak had just woken up from a 3 hour sleep in the "BIG BED" thus...the not quite awake look.

The food was great. We had scrambled eggs, toast with fried haloumi, with slow roasted tomatoes, pumkin and baby beetroot!

And look at the tea service. A pot, ANOTHER tea cosy (knitted!), and fine bone china!

Do you like the tea cosy? I think it is stunning...but am biased as I knitted it for Denise's last Christmas present.

Also for the foodies (espcially fresh produce ones)- notice the colour of the 'orange' this is a new variety to be grown in WA- the Rosey Red...from Gin Gin/Swan Valley way...it is a navel orange and is lower in acidity and higher in sugars (and thus a sweeter orange with slightly less tart tang). From memory, the variety was brought across from South Africa....and the spring strawberries have started!

Actual Knitting Progress!

I love thinking about knitting, reading about knitting, buying things for knitting, talking about knitting....just not as good at getting knitting done (especially as unfortunately- it leads to some neck problems VERY quickly!). So pictures of MOSTLY completed projects are valuable.

Here is a 100% wool (slubby yarn)- made into a chunky scarf for the THE brother (Grant).  The fact that I am modelling it may put him off wearing it for life....