What I made, by Sharon

 This weekend was the middle of three beer festivals in three weeks. Blobfish is a really fun one - all sour and funky beers. There were lots of beers with fruit in them and other interesting flavours. it was also a chance to catch up with Skip and Bee, who came back from an overseas trip three weeks ago, and we hadn't seen yet. Because the event was in the West, we took the opportunity to have lunch at an Ethopian restaurant.  because African migration to Melbourne is relatively recent, there are no African restaurants in the inner south, so it was quite  a treat. Unfortunately I forgot to take the food photo until after we had enjoyed our meal! And finally, this ad, on the street where the beer festival was held:    Nah, I'm looking forward to beer festival number three next week in Queensland.

This weekend we went to Bendigo on the Hop- a beer festival where you go to 10 different venues and drink 20 different beers. We have been and enjoyed this event before -   2024  2023   2022  t he first year 2014 . As well as a fun festival, it's an excuse for a weekend in the country. This year we headed stayed at the Oval Motel - I've got a thing for basic, retro motels and I've walked past the Oval every time I've got to Bendigo. We went up on the Friday afternoon, and had a multi-course degustation dinner with matched wines.  Saturday morning we went for a run - along the rail trail instead of the river, and then headed off on the beer crawl. It was a fun time - the weather was ok (well, not raining at least) people were friendly and the beer was good. At the end of that we headed to where we had planned to go for dinner. They only had a table free for 4, but luckily another couple who had been on the Hop also wanted a table, so we joined forced and had...

On Friday I went to visit my mother who is in hospital with a DVT. She's been in for a week, hopefully getting out tomorrow. it was good to see her, because she seems fine - fed up with the whole thing, rather than looking weak and fragile and old. Then on Saturday Helen, Elise, Leon and I took the train to Ballarat to go to the Obsidian dark been festival. There were 36 beers and in theory you could try all of them. I got to 16 of them. It was in a beautiful historic building, and we all had a good, and tasty time.  Afterward, Helen and Elise  headed back to Melbourne and we went to Leon's parents place. It was Kathy's birthday on Sunday, so Kerry and Fiona had flown in from the Gold Coast. we had a lovely evening, and it was fun to see the siblings in their childhood home. Kizz headed up on Sunday - unfortunately we had already headed home, but I eft the knits I made for him, and he sent this photo: All up a very satisfactory weekend, with family and good friends and lots...

On Friday after work we headed up to Bendigo for Bendigo on the hop, a beer festival we have been to (I think) three times before. This year it was just me and Leon, so we took ourselves out for a fancy dinner before going to bed early. We knew Saturday was going to be a big day. On Saturday morning we got up (always a good start!) and ran 15 kms. We didn't realise that the canal path doesn't actually go far enough for that distance, so we got to do a lap of the lake on the way back.  Then we cleaned up and got some breakfast and headed to the woollen mill. Last week Kate Davies released a cardigan pattern and I had that in mind when I was shopping. I got this stunning yarn - it's a dark teal and had a strand of shiny, although it's not sparkle yarn. I got the "recycled fibre" wool as the contrast colour. I suspect it's made of the scraps from the mill floor, and I really like it.   I also picked up a kilogram of fibre from the backroom, because it was c...

 We completed the Pint of Origin Pub Crawl yesterday, going to 21 venues in 10 days. Special shout outs to Skip, Kris, Katie and Leon, who made it to most (or all) or them.  It was a really fun week. We tried to keep things balanced - there were actually no late nights, no days when we drank far too much. On Sunday Leon and I ran to Stony Point (with a ferry ride to get to the other side of the river. Who doesn't love to hop on a punt in the middle of their run?) played disc golf with Skip, went to three pubs and were home before dinner. Even though (especially though?) we've been out all the time, I finished the test knit cardigan - it's currently blocking, and I just need to sew on the buttons and the ribbon on the inside of the button band, and I even snuck in a quick pair of scrappy sneaker liners. I will say I'm quite tired, and even though I am a complete extrovert, I'm looking forward to some quiet time. Lets See how long that lasts!

  This week is an event called Pint of Origin (PoO), Good Beer Week, GABS (a beer festival) and the Handknitters Guild Market in Coburg. The last two years I've kicked off the festivities by going to Coburg, buying yarn and then we've started the pub crawl Northside. This year, both GABS and the Handknitters Market have been moved to June, and Good Beer Week was cancelled. PoO is happening, and we are trying to get to all (21) pubs in the ten days of festivities. This weekend we made it to 11 pubs. We drank good beer, and ate good food.  We hung out with old friends: Their friends And new friends This week we will go to the remaining pubs. It's a very fun time!

I hadn't been to Sydney in 25 years. It's the other really big city, and I tend to go to smaller places. So when Kris suggested a weekend in Sydney I enthusiastically said YES. Leon, Kris, Katie and I headed up on Thursday after work (which means different things for all of us, so we were flying at different times). Friday was a public holiday in Melbourne, but not in Sydney and we went on a craft brewery crawl.  Friday night Trevor, one of our favourite cabaret performers was doing a piano bar in the Rocks, so we went to that.  Saturday we started with a trip to Skein Sisters , a yarn shop which I have bought from on-line. It was such a cute shop, and I bought the final skein for this year's Westknits MKAL, as well as a bunch of accessories.                                                                   ...

Just like last year   a couple of weeks after going to Bendigo for the sheep show, we went back for Bendigo On The Hop, a beer festival where you go to lots of venues, and drink lots of beer and have lots of fun. This year we all drove up together on the Friday after work, had our traditional dinner and had an early night.  On Saturday Leon and I went for a run in perfect conditions, and then met the others by the lake for breakfast.  On the way back to the house, we all stopped by Bendigo Woolen Mills. I didn't actually buy anything (I still have the yarn I bought here last year, oops) but if was good to check out the colours in person.  Then we started beer fesitvalling.  At our third venue, I noticed a guy who was wearing a hat, purl side out. the ends were not sewn in, but I decided not to say anything. Then we went to a number (three? four? who knows?) more venues. It got so I thought taking a picture of this new friend was a great idea! At o...

  Yes, I went out every night this week, and I remembered to take photos at each event. I can't say they are the best photos. but I'm proud of myself anyway. Monday night I joined the Richmond Knitters, as I do most Mondays. We ate l eft over birthday cake and, as usual, cackled and chatted and talked (a little bit) about knitting. Leon, chatting with the head brewer On Tuesday Leon, Kris and I went to a beer dinner, which matched Temple beer to Asian inspired food, and it was yummy and fun.  There was someone there wearing a cream cable-knit jumper and it made me even more determined to make a cream cable-knit jumper really soon. You can just see him leaning forward in the background of the photo above. On Wednesday  Leon and I went to &Juliet, a cheering, inspiring and delightful musical. I highly recommend.  Thursday was Shavout, so we had a four course meal and my parents, with my brother and some of my parent's friends. i got a photo, but I couldn...

The first part of Good Beer Week (Pint of Origin) finished on Sunday, and it was quite a week. Mainly in beer activities but there were some other fun things thrown in too. So many things! On Monday I went to Richmond Knitters as always - no photos it would be weird to take photos of something I do every week, but maybe I will tonight. On Tuesday we went to The Park Hotel in Abbotsford for Pint of Origin Beers instead our of usual Tuesday trivia, it's fun to mix it up. On Wednesday we toured South Melbourne, visiting three pubs. Thursday we stayed home, which was a nice change, then on Friday Leon and I went to the Local and my parents place for dinner - again no photos, but I really should take photos of those who are dearest to me. On Saturday we celebrated the Richmond Knitters 16th birthday party. I've been going to this group weekly for 14 years, and they are such an amazing, inspiring, lovely group of people. It was a delight to get together and celebrate ourselves! We ha...