locally #1

This post also falls into the favourite things category - one of my absolute favourite places, my local library.

We went there this morning for story time. I have been taking baby bear since she was a couple of months old - even then she would be rapt, attention focussed on the story teller and the other children. Now she knows why we are at the library and is squeaking with excitement before I even have her out of the stroller.

I took the shot above on Wednesday evening when I went to collect my inter-library loans. Port Phillip Library is terrific - they don't charge for inter-library loans. I love the library and am a member of every library service within 10 kilometres of our house - Stonnington, Glen Eira, Yarra Melbourne, Kingston - but Port Phillip gets my vote. They have a four-week loan period and have recently started sending me polite emails to remind me that my books are due back shortly (this probably bc my loans always become overdue - oops).

They have recently very kindly procured Red & white : American redwork quilts and Angel Threads: creating lovable clothes for little ones for me. I also recently requested Knitting lingerie style: more than 30 basic and lingerie-inspired designs which isn't held at any Australian libraries. I suggested that Port Phillip Library Service purchase it and they are going to - excellent. And they are also going to purchase another of my requests - Make your own Contemporary Quilts. Love my local library.

Ah, knitting content - yes, as promised:

I knitted this scarf for Tim - in four or five years of knitting, it's the very first thing for him. I'm going to pinch some formatting from Clementine's Shoes to tell you about this.

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: hmm, I just made it up really, I think that this may be called brioche stitch, it's 2 stitches of garter, 2 of stocking, 2 of garter, 2 of reverse stocking with 2 stitches of garter as a border. I cast on 34 stitches.
Yarn: Five balls of Patons Inca, shade 7008 - 50% wool, 30% acrylic, 20% alpaca.
Needles: 7mm plastic in bright green.
Comments: Now, I remain unconvinced about this yarn. I first purchased it a couple of years ago to knit my first ever garment which got part way through seaming-up stage and then no further than a plastic bag for the ensuing couple of years. The other day I realised that it will never make it to the op shop and finally frogged it. Tim has been wanting a scarf of his own and said that he'd be happy to have one from the Inca so it is partly reborn this way - I have a few balls left over, maybe a matching beanie? What is it about the Inca? Well, there's that 30% problem, yes, 30% acrylic. Everything about synthetics is there in that first syllable. I am a yarn snob and stick almost exclusively to 100% natural fibres. I think that the fact that Inca doesn't fit this bill means that I was never comfortable with it from the start. I also feel that it promises more visually than it actually delivers but don't know how to explain this further.

Anyway, Tim is happy, I'm happy and I can add something to my finished list.