WIP - Knitting - Baby Kina

I wanted to use some of my Ice Yarn that I purchased a little while ago but I didn't want to make another blanket using it. I decided that I would give knitting another go. of course it took a while to work out what project to begin. I finally decided on making a short sleeved Baby Kina. It's a paid pattern of Ravelry.

So far so good with the knitting but I believe I need to purchase some longer needles. Either that or some circular ones. I've been eyeing off a set or two on eBay.

It has been awfully warm for the past week and I am struggling with the heat indoors and wanting to knit. It hasn't stopped me but I am leaving it until the evenings when it's been a little cooler.

There were a couple of cooler days but it warmed up again rather quickly. I will be so glad when autumn finally arrives and this indian summer disappears! I need my cooler weather!

I haven't been able to knit for a couple of days. My right wrist and arm have been awfully sore. I'm not sure if it is to do with the exercise group I go to and that I pushed myself hard or it could be the fact that my medication for my arthritis has changed. It could be a possibility that it is both of these things. Either way it has slowed me down.

I Survived Summer

Yay Summer is officially over! Woohoo! 

You know what this means... it's Autumn and we will have pretty coloured leaves and cooler weather.

The possibility of super hot weather is rapidly decreasing!
Now I hope I haven't jinxed myself and we end up with a heatwave or something.

♫♪ We're Having A Heatwave, A Tropical Heatwave ♫♪

BOM new style of map showing possible temperatures for the day

The Bureau of Meteorology has a new style of map that shows us how hot it will be during the day. This coming weekend there are parts of Australia where the temperature may reach 48 - 50C (118 - 122F)

I don't even want to think about how hot that truly is. 

Where I live isn't suffering from a heatwave most of the country is. We are fortunate enough that things have been cooling down in between those super hot fire danger days.

If it is cold in your part of the world please think of us here in Australia and please pray that there are no new bushfires starting up and that the ones already going will be contained and extinguished.

I tried to share an animated gif but it wasn't playing nice :( 

If you would like to see how hot it will be for us over the next few days go HERE to the ABC's website. They have an animated gif you can watch.

Summer Heat

Summer is well and truly here. The mercury has told us so. With temperatures topping 41C yesterday (that's around 105F in the old scale) and a minor cool change arriving in the early hours of the morning providing some relief but there is more heat on the way. Along with the heat comes the risk of bushfires. Sadly that has happened in quite a few places over the past couple of days.

A eucalptus tree ignites near Dunalley, Tasmania. PIC:: Richard Jupe (courtesy of news.com.au) 

Fires are being fought across several hot spots in Tasmania. Lots of homes have been lost. It's devastating and it brings back vivid memories of Black Saturday (Feb 7 2009). It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

My heart goes out to those affected by the fires across Tassie and those in Victoria. There's a total fire-ban in New South Wales tomorrow and no doubt across South Australia too (they've already had several extremely hot fire danger days and more are expected next week). I'm crossing my fingers, sending good thoughts and saying prayers that the fires will be under control soon and that no more occur. I'm not sure if it will work but it doesn't hurt, right?

It makes me wonder if it is a wise decision to drive across to Adelaide next week. I can't change the dates for our trip away not if I want to take the boys with me. We need to be back for medical appointments towards the end of January and preparing for the beginning of the new school year. I'll be hoping and praying that the roads are clear and that there are no fires when we travel. It also makes me wish even more that Mark could go with us. I would feel much happier and safer if he did.

WIP - Tea Cosy

Oh boy are we in for a hot night. It's after 8pm and it's still 31C (87.8F) outside! We're meant to get a cool change sometime in the early hours of the morning. The only trouble is that it will only cool things down to around 31C for tomorrow. I just hate the humidity that accompanies the heat here. It's horrid. Did I ever mention that I don't like summer??

Anyway on to something a little better than me complaining about the heat. I've been making a crocheted tea cosy. A strange thing to be making when the temperature is so warm (o_0) It's not like the tea will get cold quickly in this weather. I just felt like making a tea cosy because I haven't managed to crochet one before.

I'm not sure that I like it to be honest. I messed it up. It was too large so I sewed around the base to make it look better. At least it still fits the teapot now and that's the main thing I guess. It's meant to have flowers on the top. I haven't gotten around to making them yet.

I'm thinking I might pull it apart and try again.

Summer Has Arrived ...

Summer has finally arrived along with the heat and humidity as well. I wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't humid & the fact that I am cooking a roast dinner in the oven tonight. I know I must be mad using the oven in this weather but hey I wanted a roast & no one messes with me when I want one =) yeah I know its the English side of me shining through! Not that I am English but most of my great-grandparents came from the UK.

Maybe I should've nagged Mark to get another gas bottle so we could have barbecue instead. He actually used the gas bottle heating up his shed this past winter (o_0) not bad considering I bought the bottle so that we could have barbecues.

Time to go put the fan on and get the roast ready to go into the oven. Yum. Roast pork, smashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, roast carrots and pumpkin! My house is going to smell great in a few hours.

One Of Those Days

I am having one of those days. The kind where it is too hot to do anything and your brain doesn't function anywhere near its capabilities. I currently have that fuzzy feeling in my head which you know means its time for a Nanna nap! That couch is looking pretty darned good right about now.

I have managed to get some grocery shopping done, with Brodie's help. Thanks B! I also ordered Brodie's new music book for his guitar lessons which start next week. I have checked Angus's school uniform to make sure it still fits him (it does thank goodness). I also played a couple of games on the wii with Angus as well but now I am beat!

I need to snooze .... I really don't cope very well in this hot weather.

Summer Heat & My Dad

I spoke to my Dad on the phone yesterday. I was talking with him about the weather in Adelaide and how hot it has been and that I hope he was staying cool during the 42C (that's 104F in the old scale) heat.

Here is how our conversation began...

me: Hi Dad. How are you?
Dad: Hi, Jo-anne. I'm good.
me: How are you coping with the heat?
Dad: I have the ceiling fan on.
me: What about the air-conditioner?
Dad: I had it on earlier but I turned it off because I went outside for a while.
me: Umm Dad you don't need to turn it off when you go outside. You should leave it on so that when you come indoors it will be lovely and cool.
Dad: Oh no I can't do that. I'm not inside.
me: *Shakes head in disbelief*

We continued talking about other things after that.

Oh man do I worry about him. I don't know whether he is being Uncle Scrooge and doesn't want a big electricity bill or not. He is 83 years old and living on his own. He should be enjoying the luxuries of air-conditioning during the heat of Summer and not turning it off. Sometimes I swear the older generation have some pretty strange ideas. I wonder if it has anything to do with Dad growing up during the Depression, having his teen years during WWII and experiencing rationing for decades. Who knows.