Defying the Elements

It's still grey and rainy here in Melbourne, but I have to head out to run some errands. I've been trying to avoid it for hours, knowing that the weather isn't going to improve any time soon. If I leave it any longer it will start to get darker and colder as the afternoon wears on. While I've been procrastinating, at least I've completed some drizzle-defying accessories.

I think these are more than wristies--these are gauntlets. Instead of stopping at the wrist there's a garter stitch section to cover my hand. I've done the top edge and around the thumb hold in double crochet for added strength. Gauntlets speak to me of being armed against adversity. And I have the matching hat which I made earlier this week. Ready, set, here I go! 

And a Hot One

. . . and I'm off to the studio where it's cool enough to think!

The Weather

After a warm final month of winter, it's officially Spring, but the weather has turned cold and wet again. Here's what my dog Mac thinks of it all.

Essential Items

On the sidelines of the general preparations for the wedding, we've been setting aside items for an emergency kit: bits and pieces which might be required at short notice to patch up members of the bridal party on the big day. My big blue umbrella won't be a just in case item, though. I felt a bit silly bringing it with me from Melbourne, but as it turns out, it hasn't stopped raining here for weeks. In amongst all the other activities yesterday, there was the constant humming of the clothes dryer. I tried hanging out a few things that were nearly dry under cover, but soon found that they were gaining rather than losing moisture from the saturated air. I joked a while ago that I should find some matching gumboots for my wedding day outfit. Now I'm seriously considering that possibility. Thankfully there's no sign of any local flooding, but things are certainly very wet.

Ditch Bi*#ch!

I don't want to mention my ditch digging endeavors on this blog ever again--except perhaps a short message to say the deed is finally done. I'd hoped today might be the day for that message of triumph, but it was not to be. Yesterday was not a good day for ditch digging. We had lots of rain. It poured down pretty much all night. I woke and anxiously checked the weather forecast: heavy rain! I'm not some-one who gives up easily. As soon as there was a break in the weather, out I went with my big boots, shovel, mattock and crow-bar. The boots tell the story: I worked hard at it for an hour or so. I wasn't really sure whether the clay and rocks I was heaving out of the trench were enough to balance the chunks of mud slithering back in down the sides. At least it was easier to loosen the large rocks in the base of the hole amongst the wet clay. I only stopped when it started to rain, again.

I can't recommend my approach to the rest of the day. I kept checking the weather forecast. The news didn't get any better, though the wording changed occasionally: flood warning; severe weather warning; heavy rain; storm watch . . . none of it was encouraging. I should have just given up the idea of digging and moved on to something else. I tried. Eventually I pulled out some beads and started to make a chain necklace, but my heart wasn't in it.

Today it's cloudy, the forecast is for scattered showers, clearing in the afternoon. It's still pretty mucky out there, but I am determined. I'm hoping to take all my pent up frustrations from yesterday and channel them into digging power. That should see the job done amazingly fast--if the weather holds off.

Let's Talk about the Weather

This is what the sky looked like a couple of afternoons ago--at least part of the sky. To get the full effect you'd need to take the darkest spot and extend it a fair bit.
This afternoon's forecast is for gale force winds, rain, hail and thunder, but so far we've only had blue sky with a few clouds and a shower or two. I mean to get out in the garden this afternoon and start pulling up some weeds. That is, if the forecast is wrong! Meanwhile I'm doing a bit of cleaning up inside. Failing that, there's always plenty of spinning and weaving to do and I have some merino to wash. My challenge for later this week is to see whether I can spin this fleece finely and evenly enough to use it for a warp.

No Walk Today

This is the third day in a row of cold drizzly weather. I don't envy these pigeons their roost on my neighbours' TV antena--not even a little bit!I've got the heater on high and have just responded with a "Yes!" to an email from my friend V. The email said, "Coffee?". I have plenty of silk to spin. The requirements for Saturday's workshop include several skeins of fine spinning as well as the wool silk blend I'm currently working on. I'm also planning a tussah silk-camel blend. I will have to venture out later this afternoon to pick up some extra wool for my current crochet project. So it looks like I have a plan for the day.