time...

Today is the ten year anniversary of the day we moved here. It was the first of July 2001. A brilliant sunny day in the middle of winter.

It's hard to imagine that day now. We were a couple with an eight month old baby. We left everything we knew in the city and moved to the country with a vague idea that we could farm organically.

Its been a crazy, amazing, wonderful and mad adventure. Here we are ten years later. Wow! Our three girls and us, about to take off and leave this farm on a six month caravan trip to celebrate, to remember, to slow down, to reassess, and to redefine.

With just over a week until our hopeful departure date, I am trying to remember to enjoy this part too although it feels overwhelming at times. The laying of the floor, the sewing of the curtains (above), the decisions over what comes and what stays, all part of the journey.

At some stage we will be ready and we will leave.

Ten years ago, it must have felt pretty immense to pack up and leave too.

So for me this a weekend of looking forward and looking back, with a dash of right now.

How about you? What're you up to at this moment in time? Are you planning, are you coasting, are you looking forward to something, are you wishing for something?

I hope your journey is a happy one right now.

Have a fabulous weekend y'all. xx

ps. Pic of Miss Pepper taken in Ballan yesterday on a mad dash for over-locker thread.

Seven Circles.

I have spoken before on this blog about the trials of getting your kids to pose for your blog photos, about my lack of pretty white walls for backgrounds and about how uncomfortable I feel being in front of the camera, but today I experienced yet another photography problem.

Last night I cast off my seven circles and sewed in the ends and today I needed a photo for my Ravelry page. The only problem was that I was home alone with a three year old and it was raining.

I tried and I tried and I tried to take a photo of myself but it wasn't working. The camera strap got in the way, my neck was too liny, the lens was too big, it was too dark outside.

Then I had a brain wave, I asked The Twitter: Is there a trick to taking a flattering pic of yourself wearing a woolly necklace you just knitted?

Almost instantly I had replies: use a mirror, get a small person to take it, take 1,000 and choose the best, use photo booth and take a photo of it on someone else.

I tried the first four of the above.

But I still wasn't happy. I couldn't get the mirror photos to show the necklace without the camera in the way, my camera is waaaay too heavy for Miss Pepper, I did take 1,000 pics but they were all crappy, the best of the photo booth ones are above and not so hot and so I waited for the last one.

When the big girls came home from school, after the tantrum that almost had me turning back to school and leaving them there, I took advantage of the apologetic mood and snapped some pics.

It's too big for her and it doesn't really work with the school uniform but it gives you a much better idea than the ones of me.

The details are on Ravelry here. You should totally make one. It is a simple-pimple, quick pattern to knit and it is perfect for the person who doesn't like tight things around their neck yet craves a bit of snuggly warmth in the arctic depths of winter.

I hope you've had a great day. x