in which I speak of URTI and family and iTunes and not too much of knitting

I had been knitting projects for Grandson #1 but stopped abruptly after a visit to the doctor on Thursday 25th February. I had a respiratory tract infection for the second time in a month (why do I only get sick when I am on leave from work?) and the doc told me to stay away from DD, SIL and GS#1. *pout*

I figured that it probably wasn't a good idea to knit cute little goodies while I was coughing and spluttering germs everywhere so I had to start a new project which I’ll be able to wash in hot water! I began another blanket for Wrap with Love knitted in my own hand-dyed acrylic. I completed one strip 70 inches (1.75m) long and 8 inches (20cm) wide and began a second but grew weary of the whole garter stitch thing, even though I wasn't knitting just plain rows! The blanket is in an entrelac style, each larger square is made up of four smaller squares knitted in opposing directions.

Last Monday, 1st March, mum arrived to spend a few days with us. Really she was here to meet her first Great-Grandchild so, of course, the first place we went after meeting her train was DD's unit (apartment) where plenty of photos were taken.

During mum's stay there was shopping in the local mall (twice) and a look around the local markets, a visit to my in-laws (with DD, SIL and GS#1) and a visit to my DB and very pregnant DSIL (once again with DD, SIL and GS#1). DSIL is booked in for a Caesarean on 18th March but mum thinks she won't last that long!

On the two days that we didn't leave the house, mum sewed in hundreds of ends on the blanket I knitted late last year (also for Wrap with Love). Thanks mum! When she left yesterday morning I think she was glad to leave the blanket behind (with some ends still not sewn in!).

Most of yesterday, I spent studying iTunes – what’s available and how it works. Of course, I already had a library of knitting podcasts but I had to figure out how to download them to my iPod and how to remove the ones I have already listened to! It's amazing what's out there!! I’ve delved deeply into other types of podcasts (particularly those from Librivox) and what’s available in audio-book form. I had been considering signing up with audible.com (after listening to several podcasts of Sticks and String which they have been sponsoring) but I’m not sure – books on iTunes seem to be cheaper! Has anyone any experience in purchasing audio-books that they want to share?

Still knitting - still finishing!

After a southerly change last weekend, the weather has cooled slightly but the temperature is slowly increasing again. The humidity - yuk! We had some much needed rain on Monday; so much that my class was cancelled because the women wouldn't be able to move between the classroom and the creche! It was the most torrential rain I have seen in many months. Come to think of it, it is one of the rare occasions of any rain I have seen in months!

The cancelled class gave me some "free" time which I used on my Patches Wrap for February is for Finishing. So far I have sewn in over 1600 ends - 100 for every day of February plus some extras because of my 'free' time! This picture shows just a small part of the wrap/afghan, multiply by 100 and you get the idea! To give you some idea of scale, the picture shows a section about 6 inches x 4.5 inches.

On the knitting front, I have been working on Diamond Wrap #2 and Small Diamond Wrap. Diamond Wrap #2 is about 70% finished and so is becoming very heavy and too hot to sit under in the hottest month of the year. Small Diamond Wrap is made up of 5 inch squares knit on the diagonal - much easier to manage in the heat and humidity. So far I have succeeded in sewing groups of four squares together as I finish them rather than have 112 squares to sew together at the end! Happily, I can report that I have now have 20 squares sewn together.

I have also been listening to podcasts. I particularly enjoy Australian knitter David Reidy of Sticks and Strings; in the past few weeks I have listened to all his podcasts. David attends meetings of the knitting group to which I belong - the Blue Mountains Group of the Knitters Guild NSW. I am slowly working my way through the archives of American knitter living in Wales, Brenda Dayne of Cast-On. In Episode #44 she mentioned the KAL I joined at the beginning of the year - Stashalong.

Speaking of Stashalong, so far I have managed to buy only yarn that I need to complete current projects. I went to my local department store on Monday, and found that 100g acrylic had gone up from $2.98 a skein to $3.12; it seemed like a big increase but it's less than 5% so I guess we can't really complain! Still, I'm glad I've decided to stop knitting with acrylic. My hands feel so dry and rough. It's funny, the variegated yarns always seem softer than the plain colours - I wonder why?

I need to get all my current WIPs (see sidebar) finished before 17 March because my lys is attending the Blue Mountains Knitters' Group meeting that day and will be bringing yarn for a "one skein challenge". I won't be able to participate if I can't buy yarn and I can't buy yarn if all my projects are not finished (self imposed rules).

So I guess I'd better stop blogging and knit/finish! :-)

PS Does anyone know if any hospitals in Sydney are taking donations for Chemo Caps?