Post 495 Bags, Birds, Balcony and a Birthday.

This week's highlight was Katherine's birthday on Monday. Her Adelaide family celebrated with dinner at Osteria Oggi on Pirie St - one of the few Adelaide restaurants that open on Monday. Great food and service. Afterwards we adjourned to my place for present-giving, tea, coffee and excellent biscuits made by Niamh. The Matildas capped the evening by winning their match against Denmark to proceed to the quarter final of the World Cup.

The week began with a catch-up with a couple of  old workmates. We hadn't met for about a year, although I bump into one in a shopping centre every now and then. Both have had health scares, but are now doing well.  Interesting, wide-ranging discussions.

When I got home, I found a sunny spot on my western balcony  to read and do a little knitting.  I've caught up this week on a couple more in G R Jordan's Highlands and Islands Detective series, an addition to Cathy Ace's WISE Agency series and the latest in T A William's Armstrong and Oscar Cosy Mysteries.

With no Sit'nStitch on Friday, I planned to visit the Frida Kahlo Exhibition at the Art Gallery, but I waited for a delivery of a possum wool jumper from NZ, which I figured wouldn't fit in my letterbox.

If I wasn't home it would then end up at the local PO over the weekend. The post usually arrives between 11.30 and 12.15, so I paced around the Square for half an hour to intercept the postie, only to discover it was in my letterbox! I cursed myself for a fool for not having checked. I encourage the postie to squish things through the slot, and usually get a message when it's delivered.  I did manage to take some photos of the Adelaide Rosellas in the Square while walking.      It looks as if the early buds might be on the trees.  I've worn the jumper several times since- it's great!

Rather than venturing to the Art Gallery in the afternoon, I went to Create in Stitch and then on to Elders to pick up my brother's most recent auction purchases. Back home, I got stuck into making a bag for Katherine's birthday. I finished it  on Sunday. More detail in my embroidery blog. 

I also baked a couple of batches of Anzac biscuits (yes, one tray is a bit darker than the other but they didn't burn!).                                                  Today I ventured to Port Adelaide to The Yarn Trader to buy a couple more of Kate Davies ' books.  I  admit to being addicted. There are a couple of patterns in each I am interested in knitting,  and a lot of background information. She talks eloquently about the slowing down that knitting brings - the necessary to-ing and fro-ing.     And however fast we learn, however speedily we work, all knitters come to know that the time of knitting is necessarily measured, and that the growth of a project will always be determined by the pace of our own two hands. (p4 Ten Years in the Making)            

On the way to Port Adelaide I stopped at Spotlight to buy some cotton carry bags. These are very cheap and were recently used by JEMS to embellish with felt appliqué. I thought they had huge potential for gift bags, so we will see what I can do with them.

It's another sunny, breezy day in Adelaide.  I wrote most of this in the afternoon sun on the balcony. 

I have 28 rows to go on my shawl. Back to the slowness of knitting.