Hair 'n' Stuff

Here we go, a bona fide blog entry!
Well after 20 years of long hair, I've finally had the chop. In this pic I look pretty haggard, but it's really not that bad!

I think maybe I look older, but like I'm having more fun! I did actually cry a little when she cut it off, which was pretty embarressing, but the haridresser had been a bit snappy with me before, and after I cried she was a lot nicer. That's terrible isn't it? It makes me sound like a sooky lala! Anyway, that's how I am I guess. Crybaby at the drop of a hat.

And in other news, I have been knitting again! I went to the Canberra Spinners and Weavers group this morning with my grandmother, which we usually do every week, but lately I've been busy travelling with my bro, getting him to appointments etc., but today I finally started those socks with the Fyberspates sock wool generously bestowed upon me by my lovely one skein pal. While the exchange is supposed to be over, I have the excitement of having it drawn out a little longer. It's funny, but I feel this strange connection to you secret pal, although I have no idea what your name is, what your sex is, what you look like, anything. Despite this, it's nice to send off or receive a friendly email. It seems you're like a guardian angel watching over my shoulder - or at least my blog! Well I'm sure that's all silly. Here is the beginning:

This one is a toe-up, which I've never done before. I've knitted so many top-down socks that I'm sick of them, so I thought that I could learn something new this way, plus I can use up all of the wool and make the socks as long as possible. I started the sock using the toe cast on from Anna Zilboorg's Fancy Feet (a book I love and adore and am dying to get a copy of), but I don't like how she does the heel - leaving a gap and putting it in afterwards - so I'm trying a heel from Wiseneedle.com. At the top of the sock I'll be doing some entrelac like on Dad's socks, but this time I'll try to avoid making them bulge so much. The width of the foot and leg is 48 stitches on 3mm needles, so they're about 18cm around. Seems to be working out so far. I absolutely hated starting on the toe - so few stitches on so many damn needles! But now I'm on to the brainless knit, knit, knit. I can't wait to see what the entrelac will look like with this wool.

I'm having a bit of an issue at the moment. Knitwankers. People who think that they're king shit because of how they knit. I've had several knitters mention to me that they don't use patterns when they're doing this that or the other, as though that makes you amazing, a genius ahead of your time! Sometimes I use patterns, sometimes I don't, but who gives a crap? Knitting is a creative process which people do for their own entertainment. It doesn't matter how you do it, and thinking you can piss all over other people who are enjoying themselves anyway is pretty pathetic. Besides, there is always someone better than you at anything you do, no matter how good you are at it. Comparing your skills to others is just pointless and soul destroying. Do it for the love of the art, not to make you feel that you're better than others.

Sorry, bit of a rant there. We're all equal. That's all. Man, I wish I had some kindred spirited knitters to talk to. The spinners group is okay, but often some ladies just sit around complaining about the younger generations (of which I am helplessly part, no matter how hard I try to be 50 years older!). Last time I went I was getting so offended that I had to go and sit outside with another lady who was on her own in the sunshine, and we had a lovely chat. Life is so beautiful, aren't there better things to do other than complain about everything? I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite hey? One good thing I've noticed about the older ladies is that (most of them) actually listen when you talk, pay attention to what you say and remember it for later reference instead of just waiting for you to finish so that they can talk about themselves!

Ah, enough bitching. Better go before I become annoying.