Away from it all

I'm just back from a few fabulous days away with old friends. 

Kid-free.

Work-free.

Almost internet-free.

A tonic. 

A de-fragging programme for my poor old brain.

 Of course, there was outdoor machine-knitting.

 And trying to make sense of my friend Bella's new aquisition...

 She does amazing things like knitting garden twine.  (She's the sort of girl who usually weaves trees and vines.  This is small, delicate work for her.)

There was a shifting population of friends coming and going, and there was a lot of sitting on verandahs with beers (them) and crochet (me). 

(The rum wasn't mine, either.)

 

I've been looking at this yarn and this pattern for months, and finally had the headspace to start it.

Bella worked with more rustic materials...

...and this fantastic old book, with its amazing hand-drawn how-to diagrams.

Bella and I were hopelessly outnumbered by menfolk, so we sat around doing our textile crafts, while they cooked for us.

 

Theses were almost written about the best way to cook eggs on a barbeque, as 5 blokes prepared the breakfast of the century.

Simple adaptions to the tools in the rustic kitchen were fashioned when only home-made mayonnaise would do.

There was the serene art of yabbying in the dam.

And possibly too many yabbying experts on the job.

And there was me... yabbying while simulataneously wrecking my wildly inappropriate soft leather boots.

 Rupert, the dog, was fetching anything fetchable.

 And there was much feasting.

A mid-morning Bloody Mary tradition was firmly established.  (Insert menfolk, discussing the merits of different brands of tomato juice and balances of lemon to tabasco...)

 Most importantly, there was fine, fine company, and lots of time to relax and enjoy it. 

Now, it's back to life, work and reality....