One Year Ago Today......

......I started an adventure.

I just couldn't let this day go by without writing something about it.

I said goodbye to my kids as I put them on the school bus. I had my dad drive me to the airport and there I waited in the first of many queues.

I was in the air for about 23 hours, but it was worth every single minute. At the end of my trip I landed in a place that felt like home.

I miss everything about the place. I miss the accents, I miss being the one with a foreign accent. I miss the new foods I got to try. I miss getting pronunciation lessons from the guy at the front desk. I miss figuring out the bus schedules and just jumping on a bus to see what is at the end of the line. I miss the freedom of being able to explore a new place on my own, without having to worry about someone else's time table.

Maybe I just miss being on vacation.

I miss the atmosphere of the city. I miss the museums and galleries that I got to visit and I really miss all the ones I didn't. I miss all the one-on-one time I got to spend with DH. I miss all the artwork throughout the city. I miss the great prices on the locally made wool. I miss all the friendly people I met. I miss the local lingo and being confused as to what people were talking about. I miss seeing the sights of the local wildlife. I miss all the new experiences I encountered.

But most of all, I miss the friends I made.

Would I go to OZ again.....in a heartbeat!

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

How to ruin a bad day

I was having a really rotten, no good, bad day this week. But just when I thought that the day couldn't get any worse, I came home to find a parcel notice waiting for me. BAD DAY GONE!!!!!!!! The only thing that I was expecting was my crazy sock contest prize.

POUT!!!! I got home too late. The post office is closed.

I headed to the post office first thing the next morning. I will admit that it took every ounce of self control not to rip open the parcel right then and there. But I was good, and waited until I got home so I could properly document the occasion.






There is nothing like a box filled with knitting goodies to make my day. My prize included a book light, wool wash, stitch markers, a sock it to me sock chart, two samples of gloves in a bottle and a skein of Seacoast Handpainted sock yarn.

SIGH......

Is is strange that I wore the skein of sock yarn around my neck for most of the day?????

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Mojo from Maureen

I've got to admit, that I am quite fortunate to live in an area with such a great Knitting Guild. Earlier this year the guild brought in Sally Melville and this past weekend we had Maureen Mason-Jamieson give several workshops.

I took a class on using slip stitches and advanced mitering. Very interesting, especially at the end of the first class when she picked up my hand-dyed wool that I was using, to show the whole class.....Giggle..... Maureen's presentation at the guild meeting was about knitting from your stash. The whole premise for this is that it will enable you to go buy more yarn. I like the way she thinks. I also handed in my crazy socks for the guild contest on Monday night. I figured that we were on a roll so why stop now.

And of course I got her to hold the sock. That sock will have so much mojo before I even get a chance to do any traveling with it.



I haven't done much knitting at all lately, because of a baby shower. You may ask why I don't just knit something for the baby. I fell in love with double sided quilting several years ago and look for any opportunity to make one (especially the smaller ones for babies).

Why yes, I do happen to have a fabric stash.....why do you ask????



UPDATE

As for unanswered question #3. He wanted to bring the fluff to school to show his friends. I'm still working on questions #1 & 2.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Unanswered Questions of the Universe

Yesterday morning, Destructo Boy came downstairs to get ready for school. He was carrying three containers.

DB: I want to bring my fluff to school.

Me: What?

DB: I want to bring my fluff to school.

Me: Did you pull that fluff from the inside of your sleeping bag?

DB: (SILENCE)

Me: That was BAD.....BAD.....BAD..... (stunned silence) Just get ready for school.

I still have yet to find out:

1. Why he pulled the fluff out of his sleeping bag (said sleeping bag is on it's last legs anyway).
2. Why he put it into containers.
3. Why he wanted to bring it to school.

But seriously folks, even with my imagination, there is no way I could make this up.



Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

And the Winner is....

Drum roll please......

Deluxe Yarns emailed me this morning and asked for my address. They told me to expect my prize in the mail and that the photos of the winning socks were on there blog.

This is me, hyperventalating.

I checked out their blog.

This is me, doing the happy dance and squealing with delight.

My crazy socks came in first place.

So without further ado here is photographic evidence of how truly crazy I really am:



Thanks Mad Mad for the idea. Next time I'll try to outsource the weaving in of the ends but I don't think that I know anyone, besides myself, who is that crazy.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

I have a cunning plan

I am going to write a book. This book is going to be a big success. Everyone will want me to sign their copy, so I will have to do a book tour.

It will be great. I'll get to travel. I'll give speeches and impress everyone with my amazing wit. I'll get wined and dined, I'll hob nob with the A-crowd, it'll be a blast.

Best of all, I'll show up to these events wearing lovely hand knit cardis like this:



I'd better get to work....but this writing thing will really cut into my knitting time....I knew there was a catch...

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Pierogi, perogi, perogy, pirohi, piroghi, or pirogi

What ever you call them, these little things are tasty and my family just loves to scarf them down. Wiki has a page on Pierogis so you can read all about this Eastern European dumpling here. I had posted a picture, a while back, of a giant, perogy statue and was asked "What is it?". Last night DH and I made them so I hope this explains everything.

Potatoes are boiled then mashed. Last night we added cheddar, onions and garlic to the potatoes. While there is no end to how to fill a perogy, we tend to stick to four different kinds, a potato base with cheddar and blue cheese or with bacon and cheddar or filled with only sauerkraut.

Dough is put through my automated pasta machine......OOPS... I mean my lovely assistant generously gives up his time and muscle to make sure the dough is perfect. Translation, if he wants me to help, he cranks the pasta machine.



Strips of dough are laid out on my press and are filled. I use a piping bag as it saves time. A second layer is then placed on top.



Here is my lovely assistant again, rolling on the press. This seals the two layers together and cuts out the individual perogies. This is actually my job. Honestly, I don't make him do everything.



The finished perogies are put on a large cookie sheet and frozen. They are later bagged for future suppers.



To cook them, the perogies are put in almost boiling water until they float. We then fry them with garlic and onions and serve them up with sour cream. But that is just a personal preference. In case you are wondering, we made 15 dozen last night.

On the subject of the $2/ball sale. Cassidy's is a clothing store (2 locations) in Canberra with a very nice wool department. I couldn't tell you when they hold this sale...sorry. If they had such a sale while I was visiting....I don't even want to think about the damage I would have done to my Visa.

Hope this clears everything up.
Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Ain't She Sweet

This was my Easter gift to myself. (Somebody forgot to get me chocolate...Ahem...no names but I do refer to him using initials.) Her name is Bluebelle and she is just the cutest thing. DH is just smitten with her. I have to laugh when I see him playing with her, he was so stand offish when I got my first bunny. Just in case any of you were counting, this brings the count to three as I have sold all the babies from my first litter.



For those of you not in the know. Her colour is classified as blue and her fur colour will not change or lighten up. Turns out that the breeder who sold me this bunny was in need of a torte male. And the last bunny left from my litter was exactly what she needed, so no money exchanged hands, just bunnies. Funny how life works out.

Tonight I write my final exam. I will then be qualified to do nothing except give anyone who cares to listen a list of the places in/reasons to visit Asia and Oceania. Since tourism is so subjective, giving the $2/ball sale at Cassidy's as a reson to visit Canberra would be a correct answer.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic