"Are you having a yarn-gasm?"

asked my husband when he witnessed my reaction to opening a suggestive brown cardboard box to find this:



Socks that Rock from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in "Kaw Kaw", "Hoofle Foofle", "Brick" and "Atomic". Plus two skeins of Luscious Silk in "Pallas Athena" - one of the Raven Clan colourways. Who could resist buying something called "Hoofle Foofle". By happy coincidence, I was browsing an old issue of Interweave Knits, came across some socks I loved and realised they were in the exact same yarn! Kismet indeed.

I defy anyone not to have a yarngasm on receiving such booty. I am soooo in love with the silk - just the most delicious stuff. I also defy anyone not to cast on, just to see. Not to abandon all my other projects (of which I have far too many right now), but just to see.





After much agonising, I decided on a Forest Canopy Shawl (Rav link); my second this year. It's intended for a dear friend for Christmas, so I need something I can knit up quickly, as I have a lot of other gift knits to do. I know my friend loves the design, as she raved over the other one I made.

I have so many Christmas projects on the go - I wonder if I will finish any on time! I have started a Winter Lace Afghan (Rav link), in Bendigo 12 ply Rustic in Green Tweed. Knitting that, after working on the grey laceweight cashmere scarf is like knitting rope using crowbars. But it's good to give the fingers a rest.

Also on the go are more socks for my brother, David (he of the Brown Nemesis fame) in Colinette Jitterbug Lapis. More monkeys for boys! David saw Glynn's blue monkeys in the Wendy Happy Bamboo and said, "that's a pretty cool pattern huh?"



Now, I've never thought of myself as someone who fits into societal norms too much, or someone who pays much attention to them. But David leaves me for dead! He's a very blokey bloke. A diesel fitter, who supervises dozens of mechanics and apprentices. He wears dark green King Gee work shirts with "Dave" embroidered on the pocket. They stink of grease and diesel. He has enormous hunting dogs and drives a 4WD ute.

But when he and his wife were staying with us recently, he baked brownies using Nigella's recipe from "How to be a Domestic Goddess". And he makes my espresso machine sing - the best coffee I've ever had! Talks disparagingly of fully automated espresso machines that make coffee with no love and therefore it tastes like *&^%. Makes the best roast chicken anyone could ever eat. And he will soon be wearing lace socks.

So it's easy to see why I love him so much and why I took so much time with his Brown Nemesis. As brothers go, no-one could have a better one.

I actually did finish one Christmas gift - some Romantic Wrist Warmers (Rav link) in Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. These mittens are so cool - I will get three matching pairs from one ball! So far I have this matching pair.



I also have a single blue and grey mitten and a blue and fuschia one, who will receive their respective soulmates when I receive some spare time. Can't beat that for value - three gifts from one ball. Three in one - that's a bit Holy Trinity isn't it (I stole that joke from Bill Bailey's Part Troll.) Love that man.

We are experiencing another onslaught of visitors through this month and the next. David and his wife stayed with us from the beginning of August until Sunday. This Sunday, my parents arrive and stay until Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon, my aunt arrives and stays until Monday. On Wednesday, my father-in-law arrives and stays until the Sunday. This on top of work and parenting a very busy toddler seriously threatens knitting time. And therefore my sanity.

It's very difficult to believe it's winter here right now - for a few days more at least. We had 35 degrees celsius here a couple of days ago. Late afternoon and Samara was doing this on our back deck.



No, I don't still do my laundry by hand. It's a stainless steel tub with a stand intended to hold ice and drinks. But lately it has been holding a very happy little girl. And multifunctionality (is that a word?) is a good thing.