What are clogs and why should they be loved?

I thought an explanation of the name of this blog was due. Now maybe no one has been wondering why a blog that never mentions clogs would be called Lovemyclogs, but in case you have, here goes.

My original clogs

Several years ago now, I rediscovered knitting. I then discovered that knitting and the internet go hand in hand, particularly with a site where I now spend a lot of time - Ravelry. This is a social networking site for people who love fibre arts - knitting, crocheting, weaving etc. Anyway, through reading some blogs and spending time on ravelry, I discovered that you can knit things and then deliberately shrink them to make a felted fabric, namely CLOGS! I found the pattern for a particular style of felted slippers I wanted to try, made them, felted them and I was hooked. The transformation in my washing machine from floppy knitted article to snug, funky, warm and comfy footwear was nothing short of magical. Since then I have made and given away many pairs, although I currently don't have a pair myself, having shrunk my originals further to give to Claire. I also found you can felt other things, like bags and hats and tea cosies and oven mitts....

I didn't make any clogs last year, because I got hooked on knitting other things, like lacy shawls,

but a friend requested a replacement pair of clogs this year, and I made her some. I had forgotten how much fun they are.

So, first you knit.

Then you put them in a pillowcase, in the washing machine.

Wash in hot water for as long as it takes.

Squeeze the water out, shape, dry and

wear!

I love my clogs. (If you want some, just ask!)

I can see a rainbow

A walk in Commonwealth Park in autumn is a fine thing, especially when the Captain Cook Memorial Jet in Lake Burley Griffin is making rainbows.

The leaves in Canberra are spectacular this year and we love spending time in the park.

It looks like they are beginning the planting for Floriade soon - it will be interesting to see how these beds transform into beautiful displays of bulbs.

The view from the other side

Remember the post about this photo?

Here's the view from the other side.

Talk about the bonding process... a group hug doesn't get any closer than that!

Sydney

I'm a Sydneysider born and bred. Spent half of my life in and around the leafy suburbs of the lower north shore, before breaking out to a few different suburbs, different towns and then finally leaving all together. It's five years since I've lived in Sydney and I don't get back there very often now. A recent work trip gave me a few days in the city without kids.

It was lovely to catch up with my friend Lisa and see her new apartment at Balmain, overlooking the Anzac Bridge. Very nice.

I caught the bus into town on Monday morning. I am so glad I don't have to play city commuter anymore. My eight minute car trip to work suits me just fine, rather than toiling through the streets like these folk have to.

I had a lovely walk from Pitt St down to Circular Key - Sydney on a breezy sunny day was spectacular, and I love the contrast you get with the old buildings next to new. Noisy though, there's a lot of construction going on.

Part of the trip was a tour of a cruise ship that was in town.

Great views of the harbour, I could have done without the rest. At least now I know that I never want to go on a cruise.

But I got my reward. After a lot more work on Monday, there was dinner at Billy Kwong in Surry Hills, where I have long wanted to eat. We had pork belly pancakes, prawn dumplings, steamed murray cod, white cooked chicken, stir fried mushrooms (mushrooms supplied by Noel, who sells me mushrooms at the farmers markets) and the dish of the night - rice noodles filled with beef brisket and black bean sauce. Double yum.

We're heading back to Sydney over Easter and I will enjoy spending time in my old home town again. I think though I now class it as 'nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.'

Spending time with friends

We had a lovely weekend. Saturday was pure perfect Autumn Canberra. A cold and foggy start for the Farmers' Market (hello Formichi smallgoods), which then cleared to a warm and sunny day for netball (2 teams completely flogged, but never mind, Rosemary scored a goal!). Then an afternoon tea picnic down by the Carillon on Lake Burley Griffin with friends, where we drank champagne, ate cheese and cake and reminisced about bad music from youth fellowship days. There were swans and willow wreaths and trees to climb and it was a lovely afternoon.

The evening saw us with more friends, more champagne, fabulous tom yum soup and watching Amelie on DVD, which strengthened my longing for Paris...

Sunday saw one of those changes in weather that Canberra does so well. From sunny and 20 degrees on Saturday, Sunday was wet, cold and windy. But there was still room for more champagne at a pre-Easter brunch to wash down the kedgeree, sausages, bacon, mushrooms etc. I worked off a bit of it at Steph and Rosemary's little dance recital (there was an audience participation number), and then at my singing rehearsal that afternoon, where I was offered more champagne, but declined as I am occasionally a sensible woman.

It was a great weekend and I feel very lucky to have such good friends around me that I can share these things with. Weekends are often about laundry, housework, cooking and driving the kids places, so it was very nice to have one that offered a bit more than that.

Snapshots

A few little windows into what has been happening in our lives lately...

The weather is turning to autumn. We've had sunny days and gorgeous afternoons. I came home one day to find this rainbow framing my neighbour's house. Not much gold in their garden though.

The birds are loving berries in the trees. It was exciting to see a pair of gang gang cockatoos feasting in the ash tree. They are quite rare around here.

Autumn means the start of the netball season. Claire dons the pink of the Divas club for the first time, while Rosemary is still a Shooting Star. Two very close losses for the first game, with not much training left us feeling quite hopeful about the season ahead.

Some hard work in the garden saw a clean out of the pond and some new planting.

When the plant man at the markets has little potted pansies at 50 cents each it is hard not to buy up big time (I beat him down to 24 plants for $10). Now for some more fish.

A day in the fresh air at Loriendale orchard's annual apple day. This is an organic orchard out near Hall that sells heritage and heirloom (is there a difference?) apple varieties. We bought Snowys, Coxes Orange Pippins, a few Bramleys and two kilos of my favourite - Topaz. They are not uniform, or pretty, but the flavour is sensational. Plus some lunacy from the children.

And to finish, the roses are having their autumn flush. Very nice indeed.