What I made, by Sharon

 It's really easy to write posts about weekends when I go to festivals, or when we go travelling and there is plenty of that coming up in the next six weeks! Some of my favourite weekends are like this one. I decided not to make any social arrangements, since I am out every night next week, and then we are away for the weekend. As usual, we hosted my parents for Friday night dinner On Saturday morning we ran to Black Rock (17 kms) had breakfast, came home and lazed.  It was glorious. then I went to the Pole studio for practice time, and worked on some tricks that had been giving me issues. Sunday was even more relaxed. Sun is shining and I haven't left the house. There was tea and reading, and spinning in the suns hine and of course knitting, which I still can't show you because it's a supers secret test knit. It's not exciting, and these sorts of quiet weekends all tend to look a bit the same, but it is pretty satisfying. I'm relaxed and ready for a busy week, ...

I just had the most balanced, wonderful weekend. I did lots of stuff, but also felt like I had enough time - to knit, to read to spin. But not too much time, I easily get cabin fever if I spend too much time in my little flat. We did all the things we usually do - hosted dinner on Friday night, ran on both Saturday and Sunday, saw friends for dinner and went to a show, cleaned the house. So I don't know why this particular weekend felt so good. Maybe because it was blue skies and sunshine all weekend? Maybe because my reading and knitting were all very satisfying (come back Wednesday if you want details). I don't know, but I wish I could capture this feeling of balance.  There are no photos in this post, because the only time I had my camera app open all weekend was to film at practice time at Pole - where I successfully completed a trick I've been struggling with. It was just that sort of weekend. Ease and flow!

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 night we hosted my parents for Shabbat dinner, and I finally remembered to get a photo! And here's my mother, with sitting on her lap. Saturday was gloriously quiet. We slept in and lay around reading and then cleaned the house. I went to practice time at Pole and then the supermarket. It really was a blissfully quiet day! I did finish plying my latest spinning project. It's Australian Polworth and I got 800 metres from 200 grams, so it's a light fingering. It puffed up a lot on finishing, and I am so looking forward to knitting with it. I'm going to make The Beeswax Shawl  for the Richmond Knitters Bendigo knit-a-long. I'm obsessed with how pretty it is, and don't even want to put it away, I just want to leave it on the coffee table and admire it. Sunday was another gloriously slow start. I did start my next spinning project, sampling some long draw. More on that when i work out what I am doing! d then we went down the road to see Lulu. I'd call...

 We had a fabulous week and weekend, finishing the 23 pubs that made up this year's Pint of Origin. We had a variety of friends join us for different days, and I failed to take any pictures of any of them!  After every six venues you get a bonus - sometimes it's a beer, one time it was pizza! There are not a lot of exciting stories form this year - we had a pot of two of generally very good beer at each venue, enjoyed the company of our mates and moved on. The only odd thing was that I couldn't get dessert. I love dessert, but everywhere we went the kitchen was closed, or on one mysterious occasion there were 5 people behind the bar, they served us beer and then turned away and wouldn't talk to me. The QR code menu suggested they were not serving food but it was 7.30 PM. No dessert for me!  Despite this minor issue there were no hangovers, few late nights, and  lots of moderate day drinking. Perfection! Now that we are back from holidays, and Pint of Origin is over, ...

  As usual for this time of year, it's Pint of Origin (PoO) week, where pubs all around Melbourne get beer from different regions and we go and drink it. this year there are 23 pubs. Leon and I are intending to go to all of them. We made a good start this weekend, with 9 pubs crossed off. Today I finally got to catch up with my faves (Elise, Kris and Katie), and next week we'll have company for many of the pubs. The other highlight is that, when walking between pubs we stop at every op-shop (charity shop / thrift store) and look for ties for Bad Tie Mondays. While in a Vinnies today, I found 6 skeins of 100% cotton sportweight in pink and teal! It's a thick and thin yarn, and I'm particularly excited because I have been thinking about making more fitted summer tops. A great score on top of a winner of a weekend. And just a little stashcount, because I finally got the numbers below 15kms, and now it's 16,314 and I can't be sad about that because pink and teal cot...

We hosted my parents for Friday night dinner. Then on Saturday morning we ran an easy 90 minutes and went to the Melbourne Convention Centre (more often called Jeff's Shed) for the 2025 GABS festival. This usually happens at the end of Good Beer Week and at a rather more sunny venue. Anyway, we had a lot of friends come along, and it was a lovely time. Photos taken by my lovely friends who remember to take photos and are kind enough to share them! After that Leon and I went to see Jude Purl's comedy festival show. We were home by 7pm, out of energy and sitting on the couch. Sunday we got an extra hour of sleep, since daylight savings has started (or finished? I think started). It means it's light when I get up in the mornings, but dark earlier in the evening. Swings and roundabouts.  After cleaning the house we went to the Polly Woodside when Leon and Elise's choir was performing. They did sea shanties this season, and it was a whole lot of fun. I cast on a   French Mac...

We started the weekend with a run around the Lake, trying to shake out our heavy legs from last week's run in the mountains (also I psychologically start my weekends on Friday because I work from home but after this glorious run I did have to do work all day). Look at the cygnets. Fluffy. Saturday I didn't leave the house. it was the first really warm day, and I spun and knitting on the endless sock. I also organised my polymer clay findings. they were all in ziplocks in a big bag, and I put them in these cases, and now they feel much more under control. I also made some more gnomes. Leon put one on the desk of Sam, one of his colleague's. then he added a second one. She doesn't know who is putting gnomes on her desk, and doesn't yet suspect Leon. So he's going to keep adding to the collection! Sunday I went to a dance class, and then met Elise for coffee before seeing Bednobs and Broomsticks with this crew. We followed up with dinner, and then home to water th...

We had a long weekend because Friday was the day before a football game and we  borrowed my parent's car to go for a trail run in Werribee Gorge.  The weather was perfect, the running was great - although it was hard hilly trails, so there was a lot of walking mixed in  there. We saw a pair of Wedge Tailed Eagles - I think one of them might be in this picture, otherwise enjoy the beautiful sunny sky!  It was just perfect. We also saw a giant rabbit and a kangaroo nonchalantly hopped past. It was only 13 kms, so we followed it up with brunch in Bacchus Marsh, and then an afternoon of relaxing (hello reading and spinning!). We had dinner at my parents and I once again failed to take photos. Saturday morning we did the necessary household tasks and then did even more relaxing. In the evening we went to the city and had ramen at a new and very delicious ramen place.  Followed by Six, the musical. It's such a fun show, full of bangers. Recommend. On Sunday the weathe...

I'm going to count my weekend from Friday, even though I was working on Friday. I finished Elise's cardigan and took photos:  She's overseas right now, so we'll have to wait a couple of weeks to take modelled photos. Friday night we were at my parents for dinner with the whole family and, as usual, I failed to take any pictures.  Saturday morning Leon and I ran 18 kilometres down the beach. The weather was a little miserable, but I don't think I've ever been quite so happy on a long run! Then I went to Pole where I graded! This means that I am now in intermediate and will be learning some more complicated tricks. Fun! Saturday evening I went out to dinner with Skip, Bee and Megan and then to Leon's choir concert at the Malthouse. Sunday morning was relaxing around the house and doing the cleaning, before heading off to a gin festival. This was a lot of fun. Many gins were tried and some bottles were purchased. It did wipe me out for the rest of the day, and ...

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...