Sunday, November 12, 2006

I seem to have not had two seconds to rub together lately. I've been doing exciting things like vacuuming, washing the kitchen floor, ironing, planting out 8 more tomato plants (bringing the total to 16 which seems a bit excessive when I think about it). All I have left to plant is the melons and limas and since the only limas I could get here are climbers I have to figure out the right place for them. The peas are almost done so that leaves some nice sunny spots for melons. As I mentioned before, I love watching things grow and I love having veggies that were growin in the ground minutes earlier. I have to grow some monster zucchini because I have several friends addicted to my zucchini pickle relish. And tomatoes are pretty much unlimited on my diet. (not gloating, I have lost 10 kg)

This week's fibre purchase was Dragon hair from Lady Guenhwar which is gorgeous reds (call Garnet Dragon and no longer on her website). It have a bit of Firestar in it which I am not all that keen on but seems to be really popular these days so we'll see how it spins up.

When I did the laundry I discovered that The Bear is actually wearing thru the nylon reinforced toes and heels of yet another pair of socks. He tends to put one pair in the wash and immediately put back on the pair I just washed. I found the navy speckled ones in his drawer un-worn while he wears out other ones faster than I can knit them. So I went at the red socks for me with gusto and turned the heel on the second one last night. I got out some grey Regia which I bought as 50 gm balls when it was really 100 gm so I will have plenty for him without making not matching toes.

Then I could not find another set of size 1 DPNs. I had broken ones of 2 sets (see earlier post) so I bopped off online to buy more. I tried being a good little vegemite and buy in Australia but if there's somebody out there with bamboo DPNs in stock they are hiding it. It does me no good to think you have some in your store in Melbourne when it's Friday night in Canberra. I Googled, I looked at many web sites. Many won't ship outside the lower 48. One looked absolutely perfect (they even had cotton sock yarn) until I reached checkout and found they charged $35US to ship to Australia. For 2 sets of needles and a ball of sock yarn. I don't think so. So I spent another half an hour till I found somebody who actually shipped by weight. I will not rant again about shipping to Australia. I know we seem very exotic to Americans but we live in houses just like you and have husbands mowing the lawn (as I speak) and we get mail delivered just like you do. Brenda in Cast-on was talking about the global village of knitters and for kniting merchandisers to realize the world has changed and if they don't have an online presence, they are doomed. I can't agree strongly enough. Everything I buy except what I find at the sheep show or on occasion Lincraft, I buy online. I have no source for bamboo DPNs here. Most US or European yarn that is for sale here is double what it costs overseas. I know businesses have to make a profit but I simple won't but Opal sock yarn for $30 a ball (plus shipping which costs the earth here) when I can find in on ebay for half that, including shipping. Which is why I have packages arriving almost daily with fibre in them. I have no other means of getting the stuff I want.

I also was very brave and sent an actually writng on paper and put in an envelope with a stamp on it letter to 2 wool growers near Bendigo who are listed with the Aussie Polwarth sheep association asking if they sold fleeces to handspinners. That generally is the way to get fibre in quantity if you didn't see it at the sheep show. I also heard via the local grapevine that someone is setting up a mini-mill in NSW with prices half that of Longtops. Goodie.

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