Witty knitter

Careless... so sad

My lovely Transatlantic shawl has gone. It wouldn't fit into my bag last night, so I tied it jauntily to the handle and stepped out smartly for a 20-minute walk across campus, where I met Sandra at Officeworks and bought a new monitor before we drove home. At some point the scarf became detached from the bag un-noticed by smartly-stepping me. I retraced my steps across campus this morning, reporting it in a few buildings as I went. I've reported it at Officeworks, and filled out a form at the Uni's Lost Property office, but I don't have much hope.

I hope I can get the yarns again. The colours were so perfect, and it has garnered many compliments. O me miserum!

Proof of life - knitting life

I offered to make cardigans for my granddaughters. They chose their own designs and colours: for Rebekah, a plain, stylish rusty brown and for Hannah a more colourful scadanavian-style yoked garment. I can't wait to see these girls in a few weeks. Their faces are changing so fast, and they are getting so tall! They both outgrew me in foot size a couple of years ago.

I have finished a lot of cardigans since we returned from Europe, and stripes are still a major theme. I've made the Ravelry pages pages public: here, here, here and here. (That last one really is that bright. I wear it with orange tights.) I made an odd little neck piece thing that feels really elegant. And I finished the Transatlantic Shawl. It is really lovely to wear; so soft and light.

Now I'm making another, lighter gardigan (but still striped!), and planning some more in cotton for summer. And I've blogged twice in a few days! Things are definitely looking up.

The slowly shrinking woman

Walking. That's the secret. Usually around 7000 steps a day, occasionally getting to over 10,000 and twice over 12,000. I do get to walk around the campus from time to time in my job, plus If I'm going out to buy a sandwich or coffee, I walk to the left around this track (the coffee shop is just a wee bit down on the right). This adds in about 1000 steps. Plus I park quite a distance away (another 3000 steps there and back). And I'm trying to eat smaller portions - the coffee shop sandwiches are really big, so I throw about 1/4 of them away. Most days I bring somehting from home, or buy a salad.

Result so far: over 5K down, which is about a third of my goal. If I get 2/3 of the way there I won't be unhappy. And I know I said I wouldn't mention any more health-related events, but the emergency root canal (yes, that does mean I have had two root canals in three months) was a doozy. Four visits and it's still not completed.

Yes, I am knitting. Photos when I can get to it.

I'm really working hard on my thesis at the moment. I'm taking all of January off paid work to get it under control, with the idea of submitting it in July 2012. So everything else in my life (except Sandra!) is taking a second place to that. Except - we are travelling to NZ for ten days in late November, to see family and friends, and a conference for Sandra. And I am taking two weeks off both work and thesis in December (until my thesis leave starts). And, the best news, once my thesis has been submitted we are planning a longish trip to the UK and Europe. Long-service leave for the win! But that's too far in the future to talk about yet.