Saturday, January 31, 2009

gone troppo

It's been our hottest week on record in Melbourne, with temperatures well over 40*C three consecutive days this week. From Wednesday, we had 43*C (109*F), 44*C (111*F), then the horrific 45*C (113*F). Train rails were buckling, power networks were failing under the strain, and people were visible wilting before your eyes. There are bushfires raging still, threatening homes and power supplies.

It's been a formidable experience, to say the least.


So in amongst the most extreme of it all, I decided to pull out some very special yarn and try to take my mind off it all. A sort of transcendence, if you will.


I'm not sure of the sanity of the decision to start a beret in a thick, almost fleece-like, single-ply yarn, in 45*C heat, but nevertheless, here is what I will show people when they ask; "Where were you during the legendary Melbourne heatwave of '09?"

My Star-cross'd Beret.


and I love it.



I'll be happier still once the weather cools enough to wear it, too.

Now, please excuse me, but I have a rendezvous with my water spritz and a special fan ;)


(knitty details of my beret are over at Ravelry, for those who like to know the specs!)

9 comments:

Miss Click Clack said...

Like you, I knitted! In a deranged, delusional, cathartic, heat-struck kind of way (with power cuts on two nights) I thought that if I could knit hard and fast enough this FECKING HEAT MIGHT JUST GO AWAY!

Of course it didn't, so I was forced to self-medicate with beers :)

kgirlknits said...

hee hee, there was a fair whack of self-medicating here too!

Sue said...

The beret does look beautiful. Green is a very soothing color too, pity it didnt make the heat go away though. I was so thankful yesterday when there was actually a cool breeze in the garden. The evaporative cooling can have a holiday again today thank goodness.

Kate Moore said...

Oh yes, that's insane. Looks fantastic though. How ever did you stop your hands from being sweaty?

kgirlknits said...

baby powder!

an old trick my Nana taught me, although she used it to protect delicate white baby wool from grubby sweat marks while knitting

Susanne said...

I know exactly what you mean about the heat, I'm originally from Adelaide so am very used to what you've been experiencing this past week. So far we've been lucky here in NSW, still been warm though but it's not been horrendous. Still, I'm starting to wonder about how smart it was to start knitting a Clapotis in Noro Silk Garden at this time of year...

Hope the cool breezes appear soon.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, that is HOT weather! I can hardly imagine knitting in that heat - well done on the beret, it looks very cute!

Rose Red said...

Very cute - and such a great green!

Trudi said...

Just found your blog. Starting a beret in a heatwave isn't too bad, I started a clapotis in 39 degree weather!