Aunty Verve here:

Knitting Season

Every few years I get an overwhelming urge to knit, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a knitter but I have tackled the odd knitting project. Indeed, one still sits waiting to be finished; it’s all cable and tricky stuff, beautiful Aran wool (bought in Ireland).

Even though the back and sleeves are finished, I can’t bring myself to pick it up because I am scared there is not enough wool to finish the front! Pfft, what’s the rush? It will be genuine vintage by the time it’s done!

A more recent project took several years to complete. For the life of me I cannot figure out HOW I missed the word JACKET in the pattern book, and for the duration thought I was knitting a cardigan.

It looks funny when I put it on… because it’s not a cardigan. It’s a jacket.

Ahh but this year. This year I knit. And, if I’m knitting… first, I must stop biting my nails, which I’ve wanted to do for ages. Bonus, I get something new to wear (or gift to some poor, unsuspecting soul).

My Seven Phases of Knitting:

• Phase #1: MINDSET; stop biting nails.
• Phase #2: RESEARCH; peruse lovely knitted things, discover lots of crafty websites for a staggering amount of inspirational items, and free patterns.

Note: Phase #2 can take awhile, which helps enormously with Phase #1. I also remember I have 8 large balls of wool, bought in a sale and tucked into a cupboard. So back to Phase #2: what can I make with the wool on hand?

• Phase #3: DECISION; I will use re-located wool, and make a wrap. You know, to sort of fling around my shoulders slow motion, glamorous fashion.

• Phase #4: MATERIALS; purchase new needles.
• Phase #5: BEGIN; this is it, here we go. I can never wait to see the first few inches, so knit like a woman possessed; fingers aching, eyes stinging… why am I doing this? Stop and check dimensions… arrgghh. Discover if I keep going I will have a square, not a wrap.

• Phase #6: FRUSTRATION; the only way forward is to unravel it. It happens. Back to Phase #5 BEGIN. Wool is piled up around me on the couch, like a puppy. How can I not love it? Undeterred I start again. It’s looking like a scarf now, not sure I need another… but I can’t stop now.
• Phase #7: DONE; celebrate. This phase is still quite away off.

Feeling confident now that I’ve pushed through some challenges. You may observe that I am writing a blog, not knitting. But that’s how it goes, and knitting season has only just begun.

I wonder what the other Aunties are knitting this year?

Aunty Beads xxx

Aunty for love.

The other day I was digging about, pretending to spring clean. I found these glorious images drawn by my friend’s little girl. Let’s call the friend Tamara, and let’s call her little girl Davida. The drawings were done when she was five. So she was little then, and she is always likely to be little to me.

Story goes that a few of the girls were visiting Tamara, laughing up a storm, drinking copious cups of tea and downing the odd scone. Tamara is an artist, so paper, pens and paints were in more than adequate supply. Davida decided to create a portrait of each of the girls. She started with her mum of course, a girl’s mum is her mum after all.

mum i love by davida (age 5)

Notice the love hearts (hard to miss that many). Tamara was wearing a beret with badges on, and earrings and rings on her fingers. What a joy to see what a little girl notices about her mum.

Bawdie was there too. She got her own portrait.

bawdie by davida (age 5)

Bawdie always had interesting hairdos, bright eyes and shorts, and that’s what Davida saw too. A special love heart too that floats in the air above her.

Aunty Mod was there as well. A portrait to sit or stand for.

erin by davida (age 5)

 Aunty Mod (Erin) stood out with her wide belt, necklace and some weird feathery tiara. A scribble love heart, and glasses front and centre.

And then there was Kaz, always colourful Kaz.

 

kaz by davida (age 5)

Her flowery shirt, her colours, and love hearts. And I think that might be the artist behind her, looking on appreciatively.

And Fagyn, nibling of The Aunties, and daughter of Aunty Mod, was there too and got so much adoration. There is no greater love than a little girl has for a big little girl.

all you need is love davida fagyn by davida (age 5)

In each portrait the faces all the same size. The eyes are bright. Everyone smiles. Such joy. How warm do you feel looking through the eyes of one who loves you?

All Aunties are created equal. Some of the best Aunties can be found in your immediate circle. And that circle can be made by family, by love, by friendship, by neighbourhood. And occasionally by money, just don’t tell Aunty Lush!

And sometimes it’s important for Aunties to look at themselves through the eyes of nibling (those younger folk in your life that you care about). Love ourselves like they love us. Respect their love.

Love

Aunty Mod

Race Bombing

I am now considered somewhat of a phantom owner in the racing fraternity. I don’t own a horse, nor do I lease one but my friends do and I love going to watch.  It’s perfect – no fees, no trainer stories, no bets (not mandatory ones anyway) and all the fun.

I want a puppy…

I’ve been saying this for years, and no doubt, I’ll be saying it for a few more…but how can one resist?
Just look at some of my favorite furry friends.

Monty who loves yoga

…Gigi, a pretty girl who loves to dress up

and Lilly, oh don’t be fooled that little sweety is not napping she’s just trying to avoid a walk!

However, there is one problem…I don’t like poo, or more specifically, picking it up! Many moons ago, when I was doing a Nanny stint in London, I looked after Sophie (aged 9) who’s little dog (Pepsi) loved a walk. Anyway Pepsi did seem to have some bowel issues…needless to say Sophie and I had many robust conversations about who was picking it up!

Maybe I should get a fish, just to start off with?

Love Aunty Beads

Creating my own moments.

Aunty Darling here. I am at the local outdoor pool at the ungodly* hour of 8.00am. Thanks to the pool’s digital display of time and temperature, I know it is 9 oC but I do believe the wind chill factor has taken it down to -5 oC.

My only company are two fat ducks.

I’m in training you see for the Lorne Pier to Pub. Aka the P2P, 1.2 km swim that is held at the coastal town of Lorne early January. Another Aunty has thrown her cap into the water. Thank you Aunty Verve for your company in this madness.

Being a Virgo and an Aunty, I do like to be prepared. Hence the training 3 months out. I figure, if I can swim non stop for 45 minutes in the pool then surely I can make the 25 minute/1.2km swim with 30 minutes up my sleeve. This will hold me in good stead, just in case I get washed out to sea and it takes the lifeguard 15 minutes to spot me. Mind you the wetsuit holds me up like a cork. Couldn’t dunk me if you tried.

So, why do the P2P swim? I guess, I’m looking to shake myself out of my middle class/middle age/middle ugh comfort zone. I am not a strong swimmer and the ocean waves scare me witless. The bottom is a long way down and the swell is not so swell. Overall, I have to admit –  in the ocean I swim a little freaked out.

However, I am envisioning the end of the swim – the run up the beach and the beer at the pub! I know I’m going to feel like superwoman. It’s a great feeling and one that I’m happy to chase.

I am creating myself a moment!

Slainte

Aunty Darling

ungodly* Okay, 8.00am is not so ungodly, but would you agree if you knew it was my day off?

 

 

 

Aunty London

One day I was meeting Aunty London for lunch, great friend of The Aunties and an aunty in her own right. It was bloody freezing, so I left my woollies on. Red bobbly cardy, purple striped woolen hat. You get the look. Unloved and really couldn’t care.

And then a vision entered the Harvest cafe! Aunty London is fabulous! And I told her so. She said she was having a clothes issue, one I may not understand. I looked at myself. It was bad. However it wasn’t me she was refering to, it was herself!

Aunty London has started to name her clothes. Not sure if it’s a sign she is losing it, or a sign she is gaining it. You decide! Always a style icon, Aunty London’s style is vintage, classic and iconic. The names of specific items though are handed to her.

The Barry-Betty (the hat)

A beautiful wide brimmed felt number at home in the 1970s. A man in the street told Aunty London he had seen her hat at the movies.

“Oh?” she asked, imagining Ali MacGraw in Love Story.

“Yeah” the man replied, “that Australian film. What was it again? Oh yeah. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie!“

Our Aunty London was a little taken aback, but she could live with it. Then later another man approached her, this time at work.

“That hat reminds me of someone.” he said. Aunty London raised a brow!

“Barry?” she asked.

“No Betty!” he said. “Betty Davis.“

And so the Barry-Betty was born.

The Squizzy’s (the shoes)

An easy one really, so why not! The black and white numbers in 1920s stylings ring true for Squizzy Taylor. Aunty London does an Australian vintage criminal. Nice look.

The Squirrel (the stole)

Aunty London tells the tale of a co-worker asking when she was going to wear the Squirrel again. He was really happy the day she wore it, and hung it on the shared coat stand. Later in the day she returned to the coat stand to retrieve The Squirrel, and saw a large laminated print of a squirrels face sitting in the stole.

“Hope I look better in it!” Aunty London commented.

The Poppins (the bag)

No surprises here for a bag full of surprises. The day I saw Aunty London the Poppins contained a bottle of Champagyne from her mum Shirley to be given to me as thanks for a film I had sent her.

“You are her favourite!” Aunty London told me. “All she said to me was I should brush my hair!“.

Thanks Shirley. For loving me (Aunty Mod), but also for bringing us the beautifully eccentric Aunty London.

Raise your glasses folks. Oh should those be named too? The Audrey’s?