Eeeeeee! But first...

This post is coming to you live from Auckland International Airport, where I am eating one of the worst bagels ever. I am both excited and nervous. The Euros in my wallet look like play money. I suddenly cannot remember any of my five years of high school French. What will the movies on the plane be? Will I cough and cough and get kicked off the plane?

With all that to think about, plus having been sick (bad, bad timing thank you office germs), I haven't had time to post these:

On Monday night I made it along to Monday night Knitting Circle for the first time in months, and it was HUGE! There were about 18 people there. Crazy! There was also a flash new chalk board sign.

I started knitting these while at Monday night Knitting Circle, which I then completely frogged (oh hi, I know the knitting lingo) and started again while I was at home sick on Wednesday because the instructions are a bit confusing. I got them right the second time around, but haven't had time to finish them. I had to pack. And I was trying to use wool I already had so it's 8ply not 10ply, therefore they are tiny and by the time I get back the baby they are for will have been born and will probably be too big for them. Am I bothered by this? No. Because I'm going to Pariiiiiiis!

One year, one month, and two days later...

A pair of socks was born.

I love them! They're not perfect, of course, but they're finished and they fit. Just in time for a particularly cold patch of weather that has seen the heaviest snowfall in New Zealand in 15 years. I was in the Wairarapa over the weekend and I am slightly sad I missed the snow that showed itself there today. I must have felt it coming though, as I was determined to get the socks finished over the weekend.

These socks have been all sorts of places with me, I've changed jobs with them, moved house with them, lots of different people have watched me knit a few rows on them - their reactions have ranged from curiousity, incredulity, admiration, encouragement and, on a couple of occaisons, slight annoyance. In many ways it's the end of an era.

When I started the socks I noted that the pattern was called 'The Happiness Socks', but that I might call them 'The Break Up Socks', because 'by the time I finish these babies I hope to feel much much better than I do at the moment!'

And you know what? I do. It's partly why they've taken me so long to finish. I have been too busy have a really, really good time. Which is an excellent thing.

*I've Ravelled them here.

Full of surprises

I saw this twisty intriguing tree while walking home from Hataitai last Sunday. I had afternoon tea with the cutest former baby in Hataitai. Because he's really not a baby anymore. He's still the cutest though.

I had to photo document our last meeting at The Pointing Man.

Our favoured meeting spot after work prior to onward journeys.

Last night we had a surprise farewell for Ed. He and I are hanging out in Paris together for a week, then he's going to Edinburgh for the whole Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I'll see him again in Edinburgh towards the end of my holiday, but then I'm coming home and he's going to make use of his British passport and see where it takes him.

While the party was a fond farewell, it also had some strong 'Please come back one day' messages, including a string of words that read 'Home Run Ed.' However, when viewed from a certain angle, they seemed to be sending the opposite message:

Almost there

Once again the lady fort has been packed away and Toot has been put to bed. Who knows when he will rise again, if ever. It was nice to give him another outing in Wellington though and we had a really fun time at Inverlochy.

Now, there are only TWELVE SLEEPS until my holiday.

A couple of weekends ago Ed and I watched Paris, je t'aime, following Amelie as a Paris primer. It was a bit of a mixed bag - some of the short films I really enjoyed, others I was glad they only lasted about five minutes. It is a great concept though and cool to see some of the sights in 18 of the arrondissements. Some of which I will get to see in REAL LIFE in 13 days.

I haven't done any knitting in the past two weeks, apart from on stage as you can see in the second photo above, but I really want to try to get my second sock finished before I go. I also had a brief and crazy thought about attempting a pair of booties for a colleague who is going on maternity leave next week, but realistically, the chances of that happening are slim. Although, you never know, I am going to the Wairarapa this weekend so might have some knitting time on the train.

The last week or so has been really busy at work but also slightly exciting - probably about as exciting as policy gets anyway - I finished my first big paper all by myself and got to go to the Minister's meeting today to hear it be discussed.

I have a feeling these next two weeks are going to go really fast. Yay!

Inverlochy love

I do love me a good old house.

So getting to perform our show in a good old house is a combination of two of my favourite things!

I really like this carpet. It reminded me of this carpet, which I also really liked. While I was upstairs at Inverlochy having a look around, the caretaker walked past and I said, 'I'm just having a look around, I haven't been up here before'. He replied, 'Nosy.' I said, 'I am.'

Why wouldn't you be when there are narrow servants' stairs winding up into the high ceilings and things like this:



Now in A1

Ooo it looks good. We're doing our show at Inverlochy Art School next week. It's going to be a fun time.

On Saturday Ed, Sophie and I went to Palmerston North to see Flipside at Centrepoint. It's based on a pretty amazing true story about four men who survived 119 days at sea on an upturned trimaran called the Rose Noelle. Part of a documentary about the Rose Noelle can be found here (which is also a gem of a website).