Competitive crochet (and knitting)

I am again making teddy bears for my friend's daughter's school's annual charity teddy bear collection.

Last year I made an awesome bear, Blossom. The school has a competition where the 'Best' bear is awarded. As Blossom wasn't made from the school's pattern, she got notable mention, but didn't win.

This year I've made two bears from the school's simple (and awful) pattern. It is an easy knit pattern but is very shapeless and featureless.

I converted the knit pattern to crochet and made my first bear. He's made from yarn my mom selected. He's sweet, but smaller than expected.

I then got my hand on some faux fur yarn - it is especially for making fluffy animals. You can't crochet this kind of yarn because with all the fluffy bits you can't pick up the stitches to make the next row. So I pulled out my knitting needles. Goodness, it has been a while!

As one ball of Fauxy yarn, which is all I had, wouldn't have made the whole bear, I decided to do the head and limbs in double strands of black (to get the thickness). I really struggled to give the face any real character as the knit of the face wasn't very tight (could have done with three strands of yarn). I made him a bobbly nose to add a bit of something - I'm not totally satisfied but he'll do.

Anyhoo... I found an absolutely divine bear pattern online. It's another knit pattern - I'm giving it a shot. I prefer patterns where you make up body parts and stitch them together - more personality.

Even though this one won't be eligible for the competition, I'm aiming for another 'notable mention'.

You can take the woman out of the competition but you can't take the competitiveness out of the woman - even when it comes to crocheted teddy bears and a charity collection. Hahahaha.

I miss aerial and pole

I've been out of both circus/aerial and pole for way, way too long and I really miss it. And that why I'm returning to pole on Monday night. I'm incredibly excited and so looking forward to class.

In May/June last year circus classes stopped when our instructors were tied up with performances locally and abroad. By the time I returned from Argentina classes were permanently halted as they needed to set up at a new venue when the old one was no longer available. This meant months of building and rigging... Classes only started again at the beginning of this year.

But I'd made the decision anyway not to return. I just couldn't face 30-minutes of travel either way and only getting home at 21h30 two nights a week - on top of other commitments. The toll gantries on the highway don't help either.

I was thinking of starting hip-hop classes - trying a different dance discipline. But I so love the gymnastic and acrobatic and strength elements of the aerial disciplines that I've decided to go back to pole. I haven't been teaching for about 18 months (after four-and-a-half years of teaching pole classes one - sometimes two - nights a week) and so I'm glad just to be returning to pole as a student.

I've certainly lost a lot of the strength that I gained from circus school - it's even the 'little' things like hand-strength for gripping. Nonetheless, I look forward to building it back up and I certainly have better neuromuscular pathways and more strength and stability - like core and shoulders - than when I left pole for circus 18-months ago.

Ooohhh-weeeee... so excited! For class and to see my pole friends again.

Urban Series O at Golden Harvest Park

I haven't been to Golden Harvest Park (North Jo'burg, near the Dome) for so many years that running there this morning really was like running on a brand-new map.

This was the fourth event of the new orienteering Urban Series - the second that I've done. I had a good, clean run with no navigation issues. I ended up in a respectable 6th place; four seconds behind 5th place and one second ahead of 7th.

What is rather frightening is the ONE SECOND... I was barely ahead of my friend's daughter - she must be 12 years old now. Arrrggghhh! At least I can still beat her on the long, tough courses. But certainly not for long... She runs so well and navigates superbly.

Control 8 to 9 was probably the most interesting as we had to choose a way around (I'm the green route).

I decided to go clockwise to benefit from a nice downhill run on the other side. I was at 8 with another runner and she chose to go the other way around (pink route). That was pretty cool because then you get to compare the success of your route. I came out ahead of her so I was happy with my choice. Approaching 9 I saw two controls -the one was on the stream; the other for my course was on the side of the dam. I saw the stream control first - and then the stream. I didn't even bother checking the control number as I knew it couldn't be mine and had spotted the correct one within seconds. Nice placement.

The next event up is the annual club relays on 16 March. Relays are always great fun. We run in teams of three and I'm running with club mates Cindy and Zig in a women's team.

After this is the Night O event at the Houghton Golf Estate. I haven't done a Night O for years - it's helluva exciting because the micro-navigation orienteering world is a completely different place at night. I'm really looking forward to this one. If you're keen to come, you must pre-enter.

Penguin jumpers

Yesterday I read an article on The Telegraph: "Australian plea to knitters to make pullovers to aid oil-smeared penguins".

Via a link or two I read about penguin jumpers about a year or two ago - from the previous oil spill, which was a few years before. I dropped a note to the South African penguin rescue people in Cape Town, asking for dimensions of our Cape penguins (I'm sure they're bigger than the Aussie ones) so that I could create a pattern that could be circulated so that we have a stash of jumpers that can be used should disaster strike - better to be prepared in advance. Another oil spill at some stage really is inevitable.

I didn't get any response and I didn't follow up - but this recent Australian incident has reminded me to do so.

Well, now that there has been another oil spill in Australia they need more penguin jumpers.

The Telegraph article was missing links to both the Penguin Foundation and to a pattern for the jumpers. How silly is that? The article asks people to knit jumpers and then they don't provide a link to a pattern. Sure, I found it online after a bit of searching... but really!

I did send an email to The Telegraph yesterday afternoon and they've promptly responded. The article has been amended and a link to the pattern has been included.

Should you be interested in knitting (or crocheting) a penguin jumper, you can find patterns here:

• Penguin Foundation website (knit - 8ply and 4ply)
• On Ravelry (knit)
• On Skeinz (knit and crochet versions)
• On Cob Cottage Gifts (crochet)