real life

Like a girl.

Posted on May 31, 2015 by bekswhoknits

I am a girl. I was born a girl and I identify as a girl.

Over the weekend there were a couple of notable events in the AFL.

The first involved Adam Goodes an indigenous spokesperson who made a statement on the weekend which as I’m not indigenous myself, I don’t feel qualified to comment on (except to mention a couple of tweets about how excited their kids got when seeing Adam Goodes seeing their tribal dance on TV which I thought was really cool – every kid should grow up seeing themselves in at least one person on TV.)

The second was Ollie Wines (who plays for my beloved Port Adelaide) making a statement at quarter time saying that “we’re playing like a bunch of girls.”

Firstly I want to say that I’m not offended by this. I don’t wake up on a Sunday morning, read the paper and wonder what to be offended about today. But I am frustrated and pissed off.

I hear this type of comment way too often to not be annoyed by it.

BEING A GIRL IS NOT A BAD THING!
And I continue to ponder how is being like a girl an insult?
So why, when watching a game of football does ‘oh you’re playing like a girl’ get said so often.

Mythbusters has proven that “throw like a girl” has no scientific merit.

I doubt there is a single category of thing where you could have everyone in the world in a row from best to worst and there would be a distinctive line between men and woman (and this who identify as neither).

I confronted a male friend about this last weekend and eventually said “if you use being a girl as an insult then we can’t be friends.”

Because we can’t. If you think that my gender is inferior to yours then no we can’t be friends. That’s a deal breaker to me.

But interestingly no one had ever called him on it before. No one had ever pointed out that by calling a football players lack of commitment ‘girly’ he was saying that being a girl was somehow worse than being a boy.

I love being a girl. Sometimes it sucks (eg finding the right hormonal birth control), but you know what? being a girl is awesome. And no worse than being a boy.

So stop saying ‘girl’ as though it’s an insult or somehow worse than being a boy. Because it’s not.

#6KCBWDAY2 – all about me

Posted on May 16, 2015May 16, 2015 by bekswhoknits

Knitting saved my life.

I believe this to be true.

My brain tells me lies.

It tells me that I’m not good enough, that no one wants me, no one could ever love me, the whole world is against me and I am stupid and ugly and mean and cruel and a terrible person.

My brain tells me these things daily.

I take medication to make me remember that my brain isn’t working properly. Most people don’t have their brain constantly telling them that they’re worthless and everything would be better off without them. Most days it works and these thoughts don’t consume me like they did before I found the right medication. Then there are other days when the lies my brain tells me get through to me and I have to be strong enough to not believe them. And I’m not always that strong.

Knitting helps me not believe the lies.

It shuts down my brain. I can knit and make things and my brain can’t lie to me because I can see it with my own eyes that I can knit. I can make things. I can make fucking awesome things!

Having something tangible that I can hold makes some of those lies go away.

Not always, but some of those days where I’m in a depressive state and all my strength is taken up by moving from the bed to the couch, I can pick up some knitting and make something. I can knit.

I can knit. My brain can’t tell me that what I make doesn’t exist.

That’s why I think knitting saved my life. If I didn’t have that crutch to fall back on, that tangible evidence that makes me realise that my brain lies to me…….

*this is a post for the 6th annual knitting & crochet blog week hosted by ekimimi makes. To see other posts on this topic search #6KCBWDAY2

Knit & crochet superstar!

Posted on May 11, 2015 by bekswhoknits

I didn’t think I’d be able to keep this a secret, but I have!

I am this weeks featured blogger on Cut Out and Keep!!!!

If you’ve never visited cutoutandkeep.net before it’s chock full of patterns and tutorials of everything from knitting and crochet to jewellery making, embroidery, and sewing.

This week will feature some of my patterns and a couple of tutorials as well!!

My first pattern is a cabled tea cozy so go and check it out.

What’s the point of having a blog if you can’t post ALL THE CAT PICTURES!!!

Posted on May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 by bekswhoknits

Do I need to warn you that this contains lots of pictures of cats??? Adorable adorable cats.

Oh and I finished a book! With two cats at my feet.

15 in 2015

Posted on January 6, 2015 by bekswhoknits

This has become a bit of a tradition now. I did 14 in 2014 and 13 in 2013

Something a bit like resolutions but I prefer to call them goals.

Last year got a bit waylaid with the whole ‘spinal nerve damage’ thing, so I’ve made this year a little bit more achievable.

knit 15 finished items
read 15 books I already own & 15 books that are new
dye 15 skeins of yarn
stamp 15 new cuffs
send 15 postcards/unexpected snail mail for unsuspecting friends**

I think this should be simple and achieveable.

What are your plans for 2015???

**If you would like to be an unsuspecting friend send me an email bekswhoknits [at] gmail [dot] com

Now where did I leave off?

Posted on January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 by bekswhoknits

I’ve been on holidays for a bit. Both from this blog’o’mine and in real life.

We rang in the new year in Melbourne making new friends, and celebrating after our first live Boxing Day test (which was a draw – boo – but still a pretty awesome experience).

Overall the trip was a bit of a mixed bag.
On the way over I read Amy Poehler’s book ‘Yes Please!’ which I thoroughly enjoyed, but the oxygen tank needed to be called for the nervous flyer who looked like he was going to faint.
His new phone took brilliant photos of us and the view of the MCG from our hotel room, but only survived 5 days into the trip before the screen cracked and it became unusable.
The cricket was awesome, but there was a rain delay and it ended up in a draw (and Shaun Marsh dramatically run out on 99! We’re big Marsh supporters and want both the second-cousins to do well).
There was also a Max Walker sighting (the Max after which our Marron-Max was named) which excited the boyfriend no end!!!

The yarn store I had planned to visit was closed for the new years break.
BUT I stumbled on another one! which was was above one of the biggest book stores I’ve seen! Unfortunately we didn’t have time for me to explore both 😦
So I’m now a

So there was yarn, fireworks, cricket, cider, new friends, trams, shopping, and generally good times.

But it’s now back to work and ‘real life’.

Now bear with me while I bombard you with pictures of the wonderful time we had!!!!

Everything and nothing

Posted on December 8, 2014 by bekswhoknits

I feel like I’ve done everything but still done nothing in the last month or so.

I don’t think I’ve finished anything yarn related. My spinning wheel still isn’t set up although I have bought fibre for it.
I am working on my own hat pattern though. I’ve frogged it twice but it’s starting to look pretty good.

I bought some new glasses from firmoo.com. I have worn glasses since I was 8 and only now have I discovered the wonders of buying glasses online.
My last pair of glasses cost me $375 in out of pocket expenses.
I got three pairs for $130 from firmoo! I now have a pair of prescription polarised sunglasses. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a pair of prescription sunglasses before. It was also too expensive. So I’m pretty psyched that I now have 4 pairs of glasses with the same prescription. I’ve had just one pair of glasses for 3 years which I’ve been terrified of breaking or losing, so this is a really cool feeling.
Plus they’re really stylish and cool.

We have booked flights, accomodation and tickets for the Boxing Day Test Match!!! Our credit card is slightly maxxed but its worth it. I feel it’s been ages since we went away more than 3 hours from the city.

I’ve sent some things out in the post and got some things back in the post. Including a super awesome postcard from twitter lovely Megan and a swap package full of lovely goodies as part of the selfish knitters winter wonderland swap. I quite like putting something in the post and knowing that it’s probably going to brighten someone’s day.

I’ve been reading plenty. I actually paid money for the digital copy of Dragonfly in Amber because I finished Cross Stitch and was still awake so clearly I needed to read the second one immediately.
This is also the difficulty with December. I’m not sure where it all started, but Christmas Lists have always been a ‘thang’ in my family.
Mostly mine consisted of books. But it always meant that if I put something on my Christmas List then I couldn’t buy it until after Christmas.

Well that’s what’s happened again. I have a Christmas list which has this book on it, so I don’t want to order it, but I need to read it straight away. Yes I know – first world problems.

I’ve also had another needle in my neck. Yay! But I am feeling the best I have in a while. My twitter nagger Raves has been keeping me on track and making sure I go to the pool. I wasn’t a happy panda when I went on Saturday. All these people were there and the walking lanes were full. At least after work is mostly small children yelling. I think I put up with small children yelling, more than other people in MY lane. But I’ve felt better for going.

Oh well. Here are some photos from the last month or so.

Later taters.

Spot the dye job!

Posted on September 30, 2014 by bekswhoknits

The keenest of observers would have noticed I had bleach white hair on the day that my Golden Skein delivery arrived.

And my hair was bright pink and purple when my yarn from Ms Gusset arrived.

And then all of a sudden it changed to teal. I don’t actually have any teal yarn due to arrive any time soon (I don’t think so anyway – I haven’t made too many odd codeine related purchases).
It’s football related.

There were two live football games which I went to, both against a purple team. The second one was a knock-out final so there was a race against time to remove any trace of purple!

I also promised a friend that I would dye her hair teal just for the finals. So naturally at the pre-game function I became Beks the hair dresser and with the leftovers from the bottle I put streaks in two strangers hair and a beard.

Other than football watching and taking yarn selfies I also participated in my first Ravelry swap.
I sent a package of yarn and yarn related goodies to a randomly (but carefully) selected swapper, and in return I received a package from another swapper.

It was so much fun seeing all the awesome mail that was being sent all around the world. Since ravelry has been available through my work computer I have been spending some of my lunch breaks and sanity breaks in the forums. I’m still not sure that this is good or bad for productivity.
On one side looking at pretty yarn and pretty patterns and chatting with other ravelers about life the universe and knitting is a very good stress reliever and a good way to break up the day.
On the other side I’m not keeping up with my blog reading. A month ago I would have said that it’s also dangerous and I’ll waste too much time, but I’m barely getting a lunch break let alone wasting time. That’s when I’m at work and haven’t been deemed unfit by my doc.

Health wise this year has been rather shit. Fortunately I have the best GP who, as well as being a very thorough, qualified doctor with 4 daughters worth of personal experience, is a knitter and so every time I go and see her we have a quick chat about knitting before getting down to the medical stuff.

Still I’m feeling like a walking pharmacy, people sticking needles in my neck, the awful and not at all attractive hospital gowns, and quite frankly am sick of talking/whinging about it.

Although it has been a good excuse to go into Typo to buy a new neck support cushion. And while I was there I may have slipped and bought a cat purse, some chalkboard paint, a pompom maker, and an envelope template.
I was also sorely tempted by their Knit Your Own Cat Kit – even though I already have all of the supplies in the kit and have already knitted my own cat. That’s just what typo does to me.

Other achievements from September have included listening to 44 episodes of Welcome to Nightvale, completing 84% of Swordigo, and purchasing a giant Eeyore pillow pet.

Oh plus my parents bought a house, sold a house, moved house, Mum got older, the Boyfriend got older, we spent a long weekend in Bunbury with his family, I figured out how to make anklets, I sent off some surprise care parcels & postcards and got a surprise one in return, and you know did some knitting as well. Phew! I think I need a nap.

Guest post – Mums garden

Posted on August 21, 2014 by bekswhoknits

My parents are moving house for the second time in my life. And while it’s a good move and a necessary one, it does mean that Mum loses her garden that she’s spent 15 years pottering around in.

Somewhere along the line Mum’s green thumb genes mixed with some recessive black thumb gene and resulted in me. I have killed cactuses.

So I asked Mum to guest post for me and show me her favourite parts of the garden.

There aren’t many places that can compete with this view. Although living so close to a National Park does have its downsides.

Fortunately fires aren’t too regular an occurrence.

But being that close to the National Park means native flowers and wildlife thrive. We actually do get kangaroos come up to the backyard and drink from the bird bath. [Beks note – I wish Mum had sent me a pic of that! I’m sure we have one somewhere]

And she even sent me a pic from my old bedroom window.
It’s not quite the view I remember as there has been a few changes since I left home. But it was still one hell of a view.

Pretty yarn

Posted on August 12, 2014August 12, 2014 by bekswhoknits

Things aren’t really so good at the moment. I’m being passed from one specialist to another to find the best way to manage the constant pain that I’m still in (seriously a fucking tablecloth!!!)

When you’re too sore for even the gentlest hug, and dealing with all the other shit going on, one can take comfort in looking at pretty yarn. (See also watching Jane Austen movies and remembering just how awesome the 1995 version of Sense & Sensibility is [what a stellar cast] and just how awesome Tilney is [especially in the 2007 version – I love the dry sense of humour]. I sometimes think he’s the best Austen hero. I mean the man knows his muslin! [but then Wentworth is so dreamy and Darcy, well he’s DARCY] but I feel I’m digressing/fangirling slightly…)

This is yarn I dyed myself.
I feel like a little kid when I’m dyeing. Especially as I’m using food colouring which is typically used for cakes and playdough.
It’s a colourful and very non-scientific adventure.
Just a bit here…. ooooh I’m not sure about that lets try a bit more of this colour.
In spite of some of the skeins I actually had a plan for not turning out according to plan, I’m rather fond of all of them.

My only regret is that they’re all 50g balls with estimated yardage of 80m. I don’t know what to make with them.
I guess I could just stare and pet them.

(Please politely ignore the state of my stovetop. Having a sparkling stovetop isn’t the highest of priorities at the moment.)