and more many things...

Hello my Darling,

I have to say this bit first, because I am angry. There is an old couple who have two untrained Red Cloud Kelpies that frequent the dog park (fenced, big, lovely for my boy to run like the wind without the threat of being hit by a car). We rarely bump into them, on purpose (luckily they go the same time every day), because the male - who has the biggest nuts I've ever seen, not that I'm an expert on dogs nuts - has a penchant for peeing on me if I stand still. (yes, I have commented - LOUDLY - that the nuts need to go...). Nice enough people, (except for that time the old fart told me that I shouldn't be sitting down, that I had the same problem he has in the weight department (excuse me? I don't look eleventy-ten months pregnant, you old bastard)- I went and looked into buying a gun straight after) their dogs quite possibly have FITH disease* or something, and very definately the wrong type of dogs for a suburban couple in their mid-70's who think that a run at the park is all the exercise they need..... (oh no, I've become a scathing dog-owner....scathing of dog-owners that aren't me....). Anyway, we've been there with them a dozen or so times before, incident-free (the male wants to be the boss, and barks a lot, but Connor's awesome, he just ignores them and does his sniffing-and-dripping-from-the-nose thing), until today:

Yes, that's my sweety's schnozz after we bathed it with warm salty water. And gouges out of his side. "Oh, I hate it when he does that," says old fucker, referring to her male dog's love of hackle-raising and pursuit of lovely boys who mind their own business and sniff the 'tyres wot dogs jump through'. And then high-tailed it outta there before the dust settled - I've never seen two old fat people move so fast in my life... Connor hadn't even started to bleed.... I didn't see all of what happened, it was very quick and I was busy snuggling with a puppy belonging to a sweet old lady - the exact opposite to the old bag who lets her dog eat other dogs.... Not going back there. Unless it's 6am. It used to be lovely, but lately....

Right. Onto the ball-winder.
My fiance-to-be (I sense that C0nnor may dump me after my failure to protect him today, he's been quite distant....)...he's quite delightful, I'm spending a lot of time with him...
I present you with (yep, lost all the labels in my hurry, I think I can remember most of the details though):

Lime and Violet sock yaaaahn, by Lisa Souza

Something that had 'Toasty Toes' on the label, and 'Interlacements'? I'll find out...
Lorna's Laces, Lion and Lamb, in 'Bittersweet' colourway - was going to be a Clapotis, not so sure now...

Lots of other stuff (I haven't got the patience to be arty-photo-shoot-girl) - so there's some Koigu (palest of pale pinks), some more Lorna's Laces (creamy cream sock yaaaahn), The Knittery (cashmere + merino sock), more Lime and Violet Lisa Souza, a bunch of stuff ('Fresia' Bamboo DK - a bastard to knit with, but the prettiest green you've ever seen- 'Earth Sky' Polwarth Merino 12ply, 'Rinn' Merino DK) from The Yarn Cafe, some Cherry Tree Hill sock, Seawool, bamboo stuff, and some variegated pink Aracanuianananananaauna (can't remember how to spell it...).

Lucy helped with the styling for the shoot..

Some Habu - wanted to see what all the fuss is about - thought it might make some nice coaster-y things for my new outdoor setting:

A sock I started this morning for my sister-in-law, in Patonyle

AND - a finished sock!! Modelled by Lucy Bell..tell her it doesn't make her bum look big...

Do you remember me whining about my cousins and their girlfriends/wives, and how I try to love them but I just don't? Well, they outdid themselves in their own special looking-down-their-noses-at-us-plebs way this Christmas, so much so that Mum told her sister that they (the 'kids') aren't welcome at any more family gatherings (in the nicest possible way)!!! We had a sing-a-long this year, my brothers' last-ditch attempt at something resembling interaction, but they sneered at us, and didn't hold up on the eye-rolling for one minute! They moved the chairs to the other end of the patio, and proceeded to not look at or speak to anyone there. When offered Mum's very special Clootie Dumpling, "No, I've already had pudding today...." - I think it's that they can't even be bothered to pretend to be glad to see us - there's never been a falling out, in fact we all used to be quite friendly when younger - it's since they've gotten older and acquired the womenfolk that things have gone pear-shaped (well, the boys were always socially awkward, but now they're downright rude and sullen, I can forgive awkward!!)....Mum was so upset, and is of course now worried about THIS years' Christmas, but I for one am a happy camper. I hate having to fake joy and happiness at seeing them.... (just tried seventy-twelve times to upload a short video of the "Lighting of the Christmas Clootie", but Blogger wouldn't co-operate....I'll try again later, it has a very professional-sounding narrator...)

The view from my back verandah - I give you Jungle Cat!! Are you starting to see why I need a gardening man???

He's hot. And appears to be headless.

Well then, I appear to have outdone myself this evening!! This blog-post was brought to you by the brand-spanking-new outdoor setting on my back verandah, and my sweaty brow - oh yeah, looking at 38 degrees tomorrow, then 40 on Thursday. Friday will be a positively chilly 35. Degrees. Celsius.... Toby the air-con man is supposed to be ringing me tomorrow, and they are looking at next week for the installation -WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!! Icicles, here I come!!!!

I'm off to my beddy-byes now, it's been lovely

Oh, and before you think I've forgotten, Happy New Year!!! May 2008 be everything you need it to be!

Kisses,
xxxxxxxxxx


* Fucked In The Head - honestly, I've never met dogs like them, they have a crazed, glazed look in their eyes, and completely refuse to interact with people, or to "play" with other dogs - mind you though, I'm spoiled.....