Every evening begins the same at the moment. First I set a podcast going and get five rows of the baby blanket done:

I had to rip eight rows when I realised it was starting to get a little trapezoid. But I think I have a handle on how to stop the stitch count growing now, and I’m getting faster at finishing my five rows.

Then I knit a little on the I Love Patonyle socks. I finished the first one the other night:

Here’s an example of how wierd my feet are. I had to reduce the cast on by eight stitches, but add an extra heart to the length of the foot. Yep, I have ice skates for feet.

Then, if I’m feeling up to it and don’t have tv shows on I need to look at (and to be honest, with the Olympics on there’s not been much teev watching going on around here – not really something that floats our boat), I work on the Endpaper Tam:

Which is fiddly and slow going. I can manage no more than about five rounds at a time. But I love how it looks and feels. I’m halfway through the leftover red yarn, so hopefully I’ll get a decent length of pattern before having to start the green top.

I’ve also been working away on the Eucalyptus Placemats:

Five done and one more to go. The yarn has been full of delightful surprises, shifting colour constantly. The first placemat is half dark and half light, but I don’t mind. I love the randomness of them. I’m thinking of stitching some leaf outlines on them in the linen warp thread – a different leaf shape for each mat.

I’ve also been reading the Eco Colour book I bought back in June and getting inspired to try natural dyeing for myself. There are so many plants in that book that I have around my house. But I’m especially keen to try eucalyptus dyeing, as there seems to be a great range of colour that can be achieved and the process is so simple. Yesterday I bought an enamel cook pot from an op shop for making the dye in. I need to find a strainer, muslin, and our camp stove. And, of course, to gather leaves from the lemon gum that hangs over our drive and provides me with heaps of free mulch.

Who knows, it might help to clear my sinuses at the same time.