Slinky Scarf

Thought I would show you my latest Slinky Scarf - maybe that should be Signature Scarf as I have made so many now!

It's the same smooth and silky wool/bamboo mix that I have used before but now they have brought in some gorgeous, variegated colourways.  This one is definitely my favourite but will be handed over to one of Miss M's teachers at school tomorrow.  She had asked if I could make her a scarf and Miss M and I were both sure that this would be the one for her - hope we're right...!

I have made another one this afternoon in a more muted colourway that is very calming.  It could well be winging it's way to the northern hemisphere shortly.

As you can see, they are nothing complicated, a foundation chain of approx 140 with a size 10 hook, then 4 rows of UK trebles in a size 7 hook.  Finished off with some tassels and hey presto!

Picnik fun

I've been mucking around on Picnik for a while as Husband has commandeered the TV remote - most unusual, I normally get the lounge to myself as he works until I insist on going to bed most evenings. Oh for a house with a study!

I have updated my header and I also made up this (I think) rather funny collage of my No3 Boy's haircut last week.  He always asks for a no2 and normally I get time to jump in and say "but a wee bit longer on the top", but not this time!  She had buzzed that front right off!  He was delighted!

Doesn't he look chuffed with himself in that middle picture?

If you haven't checked it out yet, you really should.  You can edit your brightness, contrast etc, erase wrinkles, change eye colour, even make yourself slimmer, add fancy frames and all sorts.  Hours of endless fun!

Social Media...

So I've been challenged (albeit indirectly) about my use of social media and was wondering how and/or why other people use it?

I'm hoping none of you lovely readers are using it to organise riots, but is it a way of self-promotion for a business venture?  A way to keep up to date with friends?  A way of discussing and debating the latest political hot potato?

In case you hadn't noticed, I like to keep these things lite!  My Facebook page and this blog both came about because of our Big Move Down Under as a means of keeping in touch with family and friends.  I used to talk to my Mum on pretty much a daily basis so for us a quick "here's what I've been up to" helps her to feel in the loop even if we haven't managed to chat/skype for ages.  Initially, Facebook helped to keep any homesickness away as I still felt part of what was going on back home until I made new friends and settled in - it doesn't take me long!  This blog has been as much a diary with pictures for my own benefit as anything else.  I honestly didn't expect anyone else to be remotely interested in what I'm up to!  This is a chance for me to record the good and happy times so that in years to come I can look back and smile and no doubt, if we're back in Scotland, moan about the weather!

I'm not a confrontational person, but I am an educated person who enjoys debate and reading all sorts of   political, theological and sociological blogs and articles.  However I am not going to debate these here with people that I have not met, or on Facebook where debates more often than not, turn into uninformed mud-slinging matches.  I like to "Play nice" as Woody instructed Sid in Toy Story.   For me "Real Life" happens when I'm out and about with my family or friends and if I feel the need to "tweet" about these things does that make me less intelligent?  Less of a worthwhile person?  Does it make me somehow shallow?  In 24 hours I do a whole lot more than have a coffee with someone, I just don't feel the need to share everything.  If I have shared it, it's because I think someone will appreciate it.

I would love to hear what you think!

Getting ma Granny On!

Thought I'd share some WIPs with you today.

You'll remember the long story of the blanket for Miss M that ended up on the other side of the world as a gift for a new baby, well, my mission was to make her another one so... I started with these lovely, bright Granny Squares that I am going to join up when there are enough to cover a single bed.

But then I came across this gorgeous wool...

It is such a pleasure to hook and works up very quickly thanks to being nice and chunky and using a size 7mm hook.  One more ball, maybe 2?

My other Granny Square blanket is coming on rather more slowly due to 4-ply wool and a 3.5mm hook.

And last but not least, I saw these colours on offer and thought they would make a lovely circle-in-a-square blanket.

I've also been asked to make some more stretchy hair bands and I'm thinking of gold and silver this time.  Also soon be time to start with the old Christmas decorations...!

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are!  x

"Satisfactory"

I have survived 5 full days in a local high school after 11 years out of the class room and 13 years since I taught full time!

I can not begin to tell you how frazzled my poor brain is!  In the UK I taught Religious Studies and a bit of Personal and Social Education (Sex Education, Contraception, Drugs 'n' stuff).  However, in Australia, as I have no doubt bored you before, RE is not taught as an academic subject until yr 11 as an elective.  Very few schools seem to offer it at all so getting any kind of employment may prove tricky.  I'm thinking that my best bet may be to approach the Catholic schools to see if they could use me.  I was given a fantastic supervisor who gave me all his Yr 11 Studies of Religion classes to teach and I thoroughly enjoyed being back in a class room.  The school I was in seems to have an unfortunately high proportion of children who are totally disinterested in any form of education and that most people, including most of the teachers, have written off.  Some of those kids were in the class but on the whole we managed to get down and dirty with the topics of Core Ethical Teachings in the New Testament and Religion Pre-1945 in Australia, which concerns a lot of Sectarianism but also Social Welfare and looking at organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service.  Since there is so little SoR to be had, my supervisor made sure that I would also be able to teach History so had me swotting up about Whitlam and his dismissal - how fascinating!  I do love History and loved the excuse to get my head stuck into some books.  I was even up reading at 6am this morning- those of you who know me will appreciate the significance of this!  Not to show off(!), but the word "Excellent" was used a few times in my reports, particularly the class today that I taught off the top of my head as there had been a mistake in the timetable. Yippee!  Can I just say that 70 mins is a veeeeery long time to teach off the top of your head - I think I managed 55 mins then we had a debate about SRE and Ethics classes - ever topical, me!

Thanks to Husband being fairly flexible, the logistics of dropping off, picking up, Open Days, Zone Athletics and after school activities all went off without too much of a hitch.  Huge thanks to the lovely Cath for rescuing me on Wednesday morning when things looked like they might be thinking about going a bit pear-shaped...!

My only gripe about the week has been the weather.  How typical that after all the rubbish weather we've had, the week I'm stuck inside a building all week is the week the sun shines.  So as soon as I got home this afternoon I changed shoes (oh man are my poor feet in shreds after a week of grown-up shoes!!), grabbed a child or 3 and headed to the beach.  The air was fabulous, the sea beautiful and the coffee hit the spot.  We were a little too late to get the sun  and have come to the conclusion that since we are NOT a morning family, we really ought to be living on the West Coast of somewhere as sun rises are wasted on us.  It was a "Breathe out" moment though for sure.

All I have to do now is get through an interview with the Principal of another local school to confirm my suitability to educate the young minds of NSW kids and we'll be cooking with gas!  Wish me luck for Monday!

Hope your weekend is restful/exciting/fulfilling/relaxing!
Sx