I found it useful to review all the sweaters I knit in 2023 – not to brag but so I can look back at the year – each knit holds reminders of the time and place I worked on it. So I thought I’d add here all the bits and pieces I knit, plus a brief note about each. I’ve listed them in order of completion from January to December – they count if they were started in 2022 and completed in 2023.

The numbers:
Hats: 6
Socks/slippers: 4
Shawls/scarves: 4
Hottie Covers: 4
Blankets: 2
Cardigans: 2
Pullovers: 18
Total: 40

Made for me: 19
Made for others: 21

Aveiro by Orlane Sucche
Started: December 25 2022
Finished: January 2
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted in Tom and Sellout Blue

I made one of these for a friend in 2022, and then really wanted one for myself. I made it super oversized to be a slouchy, around the house sweater. The v-neck makes it a good mid-season sweater for me.

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Plus Shawl by Olga Buraya-Kefalian
Started: July 13 2022
Finished: January 24 (the day my father died)
Yarn: Cashmere People Yarns Cashgora in Demin and Pamirs

I really struggled with this one for a couple of reasons. First, it was my first time using mosaic knitting (slipping stitches to create the colour work pattern) – I was very glad it had written row-by-row instructions as I find charts hard to follow. Second, I knit it at my father’s bedside at the end of his life, so when I look at it, this is what it reminds me of. This has made it hard to wear. Also, it’s REALLY warm, so only good on the coldest of days, even for me.

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No Frills by PetiteKnit
Started: January 29
Finished: February 12
Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Alpaca Boucle in Flamingo and Outlaw Yarn Baby Bandit in Fantasia

This is the second one of these I knit – this one was for a friend who loved the one I knit myself. I knit them both in fluro pink fluff. I recommend this pattern for adventurous beginner knitters – it has some tricky parts (short rows!) but it a relatively easy and quick knit.

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Frank & Bean(ie) by Jodi Brown
Started: March 11
Finished: March 18
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Nouveau in Charming and Tourmaline

This was a super quick and very enjoyable knit – made for a friend. The pattern asks for bulky weight yarn but I used a heavy DK and it worked fine. I really like the texture of the purl bumps.

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Westerly by Tin Can Knits
Started: March 12
Finished: March 18
Yarn: Ashford Merino DK in Fuchsia

I have knit so many of these now! I made two this year. This is my very favourite cabled hat pattern – it comes in sizes from newborn to adult, so easy to make one for the whole family.

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Acorn by Tin Can Knits
Started: March 20
Finished: March 20
Yarn: Ashford Merino DK in Fuchsia

I knit these as a set with the Westerly hat a lot – they look a bit the same and they make very cute baby socks.

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The Twigs by Junko Okamoto
Started: February 13
Finished: March 25
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Bohemia Light in Old Beau and Radiance

I love this sweater so much – it’s so easy to wear, and it soft and warm. The colour work was a challenge, but just interesting enough that it wasn’t a slog to get through. The only downside is that it is “one-size” so not at all size inclusive, which means I wouldn’t knit it again.

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First Cables Hat by Jared Flood
Started: March 25
Finished: April 1
Yarn: Ashford Merino DK in Peacock

I knit this for a friend and didn’t even take a photo of it! It was very quick and easy.

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Granny Square Baby Blanket by Lauren Brown
Started: March 11
Finished: April 3
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted in Origin, Justice and Pink

I made this as a gift, also very quick and easy! I did a plain crocheted edge rather than the picot in the pattern. I’ve honestly made so many of these I think I could crochet it in my sleep…

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White Mountains by Midori Hirose
Started: April 1
Finished: April 9
Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Merino Aran in Dune

The yarn for this one actually started out as the Nest pullover, but after knitting the whole body I decided I didn’t like the way the cable interacted with the variegated yarn so I frogged it and made this instead. The yarn is so soft and squishy and the sweater is cosy and oversized, I love it and wear it a lot.

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Basic Beanie by Tin Can Knits
Started: April 5
Finished: April 14
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Nouveau in Parchment

I made three of these these hats this year – they make great gifts for babies, and I’ve made some adult ones too. I love that I can use the app for the pattern.

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Cosy Classic Light by Jessie Maed
Started: April 11
Finished: May 13
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Sock Bandit in Pink

I made this one for my daughter – a quick and easy knit. The pattern has really great instructions about getting the fit right, and how to do modifications to get the sweater you want. I would definitely knit this one again.

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Bressay by Marie Wallin
Started: 19 April
Finished: May 13
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Light (14 colours)

This sweater took six weeks to complete, but felt like it took months. I really loved knitting it, but the colour work was so complex it was hard going for my tired brain some evenings. I love love love the finished product and really want to knit another one of Marie Wallen’s patterns in her own yarn.

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Trinigan by Andrea Mowry
Started: 30 May
Finished: 12 June
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Nyx in Thea and Spincycle Dream State in Love Spell

This knit was so engaging (but simple) so even though it took the same amount of time to finish as the Bressay, it felt like it sped by. I wear the cardigan all the time – it’s great to throw on when the weather is a bit chilly but not proper cold.

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Banana Left Shawl by Yuki Ueda
Started: 9 April
Finished: 24 June
Yarn: Harnie Hoolie’s Designs Silky Humps Fingering in Flaming Gallah

I knit this for my daughter-in-law. It was intended as a wedding gift but I didn’t want to knit it while my father was dying, so I waited until after the funeral / wedding to get started, and it took aaaaages to finish. I love it though, and hope she does too.

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Nordic Ski Sweater Hot Water Bottle Cover by Suzie Blackman
Started: 20 June
Finished: 20 June
Yarn: Ashford Triple Knit in Snow and Peacock

I knit this to practice my colour work, and because my workmate was wandering around with a naked hottie!

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Nordic Ski Sweater Hot Water Bottle Cover by Suzie Blackman
Started: 23 June
Finished: 23 June
Yarn: Ashford Triple Knit in Snow, Peacock and Old Gold

Once I knitted one of these for a workmate, others lined up for one!

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Lento by Jonna Hietala
Started: 25 June
Finished: 2 July
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Nyx in Fog and Shibui Knits Silk Cloud Fog

I think this is one of my favourite knits of the year – it was so fast to knit and it ticks all the boxes for me in terms of comfit, fit and how it slots into my wardrobe – I wear it a tonne. The shibui mohair is divine.

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Mooch by Kate Davies
Started: 3 July
Finished: 20 July
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Nouveau in Parchment, Wreath and Wealth

I am slightly obsessed with Kate Davies. I love her style so much! I haven’t worn this one heaps though, as all over DK weight colour work is quite warm, even for me! I think I will wear it a lot next winter.

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Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by Crazy Sock Lady
Started: 24 July
Finished: 24 July
Yarn: KiwiYarn-a High Twist Merino Yarn in Barbie

I didn’t even make a project page for these ones and didn’t really follow the pattern. I made them for myself but they didn’t fit so I gave them to my daughter.

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Westerly by Tin Can Knits
Started: 4 August
Finished: 6 August
Yarn: Ashford Merino DK in Old Gold

Just another of my TCK hats for a workmate – knit over a cosy couple of nights in Snowdon.

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Esk by Kate Davies
Started: 5 August
Finished: 5 August
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Bohemia Gothic in Hyde

I knit these on a whim while away for the weekend at Snowdon. I had cold feet and lost my slippers (funny story) so whipped these up to keep me warm. I since gifted them as I got new slippers and don’t really wear them.

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Pochie by Kate Davies
Started: 6 August
Finished: 8 August
Yarn:

This was a gift knit, I just really wanted to make this pattern so found someone knit-worthy to gift it to. I plan to knit more of these in 2024.

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DK Hat by Ethan Barclay-Ennew
Started: 10 August
Finished: 11 August
Yarn: Spincycle Dream State in Love Spell

I just really needed a warm hat and wanted to use some left over Spincycle. Also, I really wanted to be matchy match with Ethan. It was a simple quick knit.

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Treit by Kate Davies
Started: 2 August
Finished: 20 August
Yarn: Wild Earth Yarns Aspen in Cypress

This was a KAL with Get Flocked. I really loved knitting the lace, but didn’t love the bottom up design – I prefer top down. I would have preferred it was a little longer but can’t make that adjustment easily now.

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Auster by Michele Wang
Started: 20 August
Finished: 14 September
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted in Gardenish Green

I knit this for my son – my first serious delve into cables. It was so challenging but I really enjoyed it. What I didn’t love is that it’s knitted bottom up in pieces, so when the fit was a bit off, I couldn’t make alterations. Boo! He loves it regardless, but all I see is the bad fit.

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Lillet by Thea Coleman
Started: 9 September
Finished: 18 September
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Worsted in Raspberry Beret

This was a little palette-cleanser after the cable marathon that was Auster. I wanted a nice bright woolly option for winter weekends and this is perfect. The pattern specifies a lower neckline, but that wasn’t going to be warm enough for me, so I knitted a longer collar on mine. While I love it, the collar sits a bit weirdly – I think it’s designed to be boat-neckish so the higher collar doesn’t quite work. I still wear it all the time though.

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Weekender Crew by Andrea Mowry
Started: 18 September
Finished: 7 October
Yarn: Wild Earth Yarns Naturals in Chocolate

This is a big boy! It’s so warm and cosy, but also really hefty! It’s so good for cold winter weekends. I hardly took it off once the weather was cold enough. The construction was interesting and new to me, so I found the process engaging.

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Bibliophile by Alicia Plummer
Started: 1 October
Finished: 17 October
Yarn: Wild Earth Yarns Aspen in Willow

This was a KAL with Get Flocked. I wasn’t convinced about the pattern or the yarn colour at first, but I love the finished product. The raglans increase on both sides so grow rapidly, and I wasn’t sure I liked that, but actually the garment fits really well. The green is not a shade I typically wear, but I get so many compliments (like, multiple comments every time I wear it) so I’ve embraced it. I knit it oversized and quite long (for me) so it fills a gap in my wardrobe as a light weight big cosy option.

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Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit
Started: 25 October
Finished: 29 October
Yarn: Random!

I knit this on a whim while in Japan – I found some cute pink fluff and really wanted a little something to knit with it. I made it a little wider and longer than the pattern, which makes it much more wearable for me. I wear this one all the time in winter, so snuggly!

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Venezia by Joji Locateli
Started: 22 October
Finished: 1 November
Yarn: KiwiYarn-a High Twist Merino Yarn in Teal

I picked this to knit while I was in Japan and it was definitely a good choice. I wanted something that was lace but knitted side to side so I didn’t have too many stitches on my needle at once. This was perfect for that. The lace pattern is very simple but lovely. I wear it a lot – the colour fits into my wardrobe really well.

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Carp-Beth by Kate Davies
Started: 12 November
Finished: 19 November
Yarn: Sesia New One in Dusky Pink

I knit this on a whim when I was at Get Flocked hanging out and had nothing to knit on. I grabbed the yarn, got started and couldn’t put it down until it was finished. The pattern was really confusing at first but once I got into the rhythm, it was really fun and engaging. It’s so great to wear – the Sesia is very squishy and warm.

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Love Note by Tin Can Knits
Started: 18 November
Finished: 22 November
Yarn: YarnFloozy Mohair and Machinist in Pink Grapefruit

I knit this to compare this lace yoked sweater to the Treit – quite different, both lovely. I love the fabric, but the lace is a bit too open for me I think (but on’y by comparison to the Ranunculus, see below). Before I knit Ranunculus, this was the best thing ever. So fickle!

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Little Squirrel by Tin Can Knits
Started: 10 August
Finished: 26 November
Yarn: Something random from stash

Knitted for my son-in-law (who has size 13 shoes!). Simple pattern that keeps the knitting interesting. This was my walking-and-knitting project.

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Autumn Alpine by Caitlin Hunter
Started: November 19
Finished: December 14
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Baby Bandit in Hush and Spincycle Dyed in the Wool in Valley Girl

This was a KAL with Get Flocked. I wanted to make a low-contrast version of the colour work and achieved that. I wear this a LOT.

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Granny Square Baby Blanket by Lauren Brown
Started: 24 November
Finished: 20 December
Yarn: Outlaw Yarn Rebel Light in multiple colours

Made for a workmate as a house warming gift.

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Cozy Classic by Jessie Maed
Started: 26 November
Finished: 23 December
Yarn: Spincycle Dream State in Love Spell

I grabbed this pattern mostly for the stitch counts and sizing and changed the neckline, raglan style, the sleeve decreases and the sleeve and body length. So it’s a ‘kinda-cozy-classic’. I used the leftover Spincycle from my Trinigan for this one.

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Fernwood by Tania Barley
Started: December 15
Finished: December 27
Yarn: Wild Earth Yarns Ashley Merino in Cloud and Forest

This was a commission – I gave it as an auction prize and knit it for the winner. The colour work was really easy with lots of quick repeats and short floats. I’d definitely be tempted to knit this again.

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Ranunculus by Midori Hirose
Started: December 25
Finished: December 30
Yarn: Little Acorn Yarn Majestic Mohair and Sleek Sock in Raspberry Confit

This is my number one knit of 2023 – it knit up fast and was super fun to knit. I love the lace and the fabric is divine – so soft and fluffy. I knit this to compare three lace yoked sweater patterns (Treit, Love Note and this one). This is definitely my favourite of the three – the lace is interesting and subtle.

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I don’t even remember learning to knit, crochet and sew – it feels like I’ve just always been able to. Like lots of people of my generation, my beloved Nana taught me to knit and crochet. My mother (and school) taught me to sew. I’ve always enjoyed crafting, but I’m not very creative so it wasn’t something I actively engaged in as a young person. I knitted and crocheted stuff for my kids when they were little, but they grew up in a time when clothing had to be easy to wash and wear. Fast, cheap fashion was king.

I remember really clearly when I started crocheting again. It was September 2018 and I was having a conversation with my daughter about my precious Nana blanket – the blanket my Nana had made for me when I was born. All her grandchildren/great-grandchildren got one. My son was one of the last to get one before she died – I still have mine and his. My daughter wasn’t born when Nana died, so she doesn’t have one. I was struck with the realisation that I was now the Nana and it was my job to provide the blankets! Before I got started on blankets for the grandkids, I committed to making one for my daughter. It had been a while so I didn’t really know where to start – but luckily YouTube came to the rescue.

I finished the blanket for my daughter by Xmas 2018 and moved on to crocheted soft toys, more blankets and then hats and scarves. I crocheted my way through the beginning of the pandemic – it was so good to have something productive to focus on other than work while we were in lockdown.

I eventually got frustrated with crochet as a medium for making garments and turned my hand to knitting. I’d never been much of a knitter – I knew how but I was slow and messy. So I started small with a couple of baby hats, some booties, and then it was time to dive into what I really wanted – a jumper for myself. I got a free pattern from Lincraft and hit up my local yarn shop to get some wool. I’m so proud of my first ever jumper! It took me nine months to complete – I started it during the first COVID lock down in March 2020 and set a goal to complete it within 2020. It was a long slog (I knit one of the arms twice) and I finally finished it at a week before Christmas, just in the nick of time.

Since then I’ve knit tonnes of garments – hats, scarves, shawls, socks, booties, cardigans, sweaters. I love the mindfulness of knitting. Before I knitted, I spent a lot more time on social media – knitting has replaced doom-scrolling for me, and I find it much more peaceful (and productive!). It’s made me a more patient person too. Nowadays, a pause in proceedings (queuing, waiting for someone, sitting in a meeting) is just a good chance to get a few rows in – I almost always have a little something to knit on in my bag.

Knitting has also given me a new community to be part of. I am a member of a few different communities of interest – I love the way they bring people together who might otherwise not meet. I really enjoy my knit group – we meet on a Wednesday evening, eat pizza and knit together. Which is a slightly weird thing to do when you think about it…but I get a lot of joy from seeing what my fellow knitters are up to, and planning our next projects together.

This is why I knit.

I haven’t written anything here for almost two years. I used to really love planning out future blog topics and doing the research and writing, but I’m now out of the habit. I think Facebook played a big part in breaking my blogging routine. While I was being a regular Facebooker, there was no real reason to share bits of my life here – it was all over there for everyone to see.

Since finishing up on the Community Board last October, I’ve used Facebook only as needed to communicate and keep up with community activities. I have just become less interested and not really engaged with social media in general in the last couple of years. Why?

When social media was young, I marvelled at the fact I could chat with people anywhere in the world – I had friends all over the place, and was able to keep in touch with family overseas. In the last couple of years I have more of a desire for analogue relationships. Is it related to the pandemic? It happened around the same time. Correlated rather than causal I think.

At the same time as the pandemic, my life shifted subtly. I hardly noticed it at the time, but I feel different – I am in a new life stage. My children are both over thirty, married with kids. My stepdaughter finished her degree and moved out. My grandkids aren’t little anymore. Stephen and I are settled in our jobs, our routines – much more focussed on each other and making ourselves happy. I have no big stressors in my life at the moment – it’s allowed me to relax and enjoy myself.

Part of that shift for me was becoming more politically active and getting involved in knitting and crafting. These activities have given me new things to focus on and put my energy into, and new people to connect with. In my 20s and 30s I was lonelier. I spent a lot of time alone or with my kids at home. Friendships and connecting with people wasn’t as easy when I had limited funds and kids at home. My (local, in-person) world has massively expanded in the last few years so I feel little need to entertain myself with Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (let’s not even discuss that dumpster fire).

I was reflecting last evening while sitting with some pals at my local knit night how lovely it is to find like-minded people that I can relax and be myself with. We often sit in companionable quiet and just knit. And then sometimes there is a lot to say and it’s loud and busy. I just love it.

More on knitting next time.

I’m sitting in the Hamish Hay Theatre listening to a 12 year old asking me to take action on the climate crisis. It reminds me of something.

In 1982 when I was 10 years old, I wrote a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch asking him to step in and help with the nuclear arms crisis. The possibility of global nuclear war kept me awake at night. But rather than just worrying about it, I chose the highest political authority could think of and asked for Hamish Hay’s help.

There is a lot of talk at the moment of the role of children as activists in the global climate crisis. People marvel at their precociousness, and they truly are inspiring. But there is an element of surprise in why children are getting involved in these issues. I’m not surprised. If we take time to educate our kids about what’s going in the world around them, many of them are ready and willing to wade into the debate, and to do something about the issues we are facing.

As a child, I remember feeling frustrated that I couldn’t do more. Writing letters, painting protest banners and marching in the street was the most I could do. I was a kid, it was the 80s and no one was listening to me. Now I am an adult and I have the power to do more. You can read my last blog post about one of the things I’m doing to reduce my ecological footprint.

Tonight, I realise there is one more thing that I can do to help – empower the children around me to be informed and actively involved in the issues and their solutions. Watch out grandkids, I feel a lecture coming on!

Last night I stayed up past midnight (very late for me!) watching the Governance and Administration Select Committee submissions from East Lake Trust and Regenerate Christchurch on the issue of the inclusion of a flat water facility (technical speak for a massive rowing lake) in the Otakaro-Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan. You can watch that HERE.

The background to this hearing is long and convoluted, but the short version is that when Regenerate Christchurch was first established by Gerry Brownlee at the closure of CERA, East Lake Trust was encouraged to believe that a 2km lake would be a likely contender for inclusion in the Regeneration Plan. In the two years following, it became clear that this wasn’t going to happen, and they were not happy. The hearing is the outcome of the ongoing fight they’ve been having.

Here’s my take. I can understand the argument that some are making, which goes something like this:

The lake is good for east Christchurch – it provides a regeneration opportunity that we desperately need. It’s good for rowing. The community want it. There is only a moderate risk that it won’t be swimmable. It will only cost about $160 million dollars to build, and only take three years.

I don’t agree with any of this. I can see that there is a potential economic benefit to the lake, but I think the bad outweighs the good by a long way. If economics was the main driver for our decision making, then we should pave over Hagley Park, and close all our libraries. But from where I stand, it looks like the ecological and social benefits of NOT building a lake vastly outweigh the economic ones of having it there. I am not sure most people truly understand how big the proposed lake is, and the impact the lake will have on the people of East Christchurch. And not just my little suburb of Dallington. The proposed lake would close New Brighton Road, which is a main through-route from the Inner East to New Brighton. This would be hugely detrimental to communities that are already struggling with the loss of large parts of their suburb, and just beginning to adjust to having a green zone right through the middle of them. A gigantic lake is only going to exacerbate already existing issues of social isolation and feelings of being cut off from the rest of Christchurch.

Just to understand the scale of what is being proposed, here is my very crude attempt to fit the proposed 2.2km lake into Hagley Park – it’s a green space most people in Christchurch can bring to their minds eye.

The blue blob is HUGE! I get the impression that a lot of people in Christchurch think of the Red Zone as a vast empty space that they can do anything with, and forget that it’s surrounded by communities that need to live with whatever is built. Not to mention that the lake proposal would necessitate the removal of MORE housing in Dallington to accommodate it. If you lived in Merivale, how would you feel about this? It would be massively impactful, as will this proposed lake for the east.

Why has no one asked if there has been a social impact assessment to go with the ecological and economic ones? Why is social benefit not given the same weight as other benefits? I am skeptical of those that argue that the lake will be beneficial for the east – that’s what we were told when they closed our local high schools and moved them. It hasn’t worked out well for us – we now have NO schools in Dallington. It was a sneaky trick, and I suspect this would be too.

And don’t even get me started on the idea that a small group of rowing enthusiasts can waste many thousands of dollars of public money arguing about this, and casually note that the lake will “only” cost $160 million, give or take 10%. Putting aside the estimate of $200m+ from Regenerate Christchurch, do we really want to spend this much on ANOTHER sporting facility for our city. We have Metro sports, we already have a rowing lake, and now we need another one? Can we rebuild our lost social housing first? The Christchurch City Council has run out of money to replace the housing stock that was lost in the earthquake, much of it in east Christchurch. I would like us to focus on the basics before we build more monuments.

And finally, if you’ve made it this far through the rant, Garry Moore recently posted about this in his Tuesday Club – he sums up the issue quite well I think:

During the week I made a submission to the Christchurch City Council’s Annual Plan. I sat through Annual Plans and Long-Term Plans 15 times as a Councillor, and then as Mayor. I always enjoyed the exercise. It goes like this; the staff produce a budget which more or less is around what the Council table finds acceptable; then submissions are called for; then every person/group come to the table and ask for the earth, without suggesting what should be replaced to pay for their excessive demands; then the Council finds that the staff have discovered additional costs which were not known when the budget was proposed; then prima donna Councillors play to whoever they think would be impressed with their excellent understanding of finances, adding items to the budget and standing strong that they would not support any rates increases which are above the rate of inflation; then the horse trading begins, and somehow the rates increase is around what was announced in the first place.
As I sat at the end of the table on Friday I wondered if we have the wrong process, and that the exercise is a complete waste of time. The Council politely listens to all sorts of decent people who care about the City and the groups they work with, and for. People are not challenged to see where their demands fit into the grand scheme of things. They are not asked to consider that there might be other groups with a better call on the resources of the City. Instead they present in good faith what they expect, and then get disappointed when nothing arrives in the mail confirming that they have got everything they demand.
I’ll give an example. One group before me was the East Lakes Trust. This group want us to fund a lake for them to enjoy rowing, at our expense. I have heard the most preposterous claims from these guys. “It will enable schools like Aranui to participate in rowing” etc.  Yeh right. Look who these low decile schools are up against. Christ College, St Andrews, Villa Maria, St Bedes. All schools with bottomless pits of money. I listened, when they presented their case to the Tuesday Club, to one of their prominent promoters (where are these guys when a group want to promote sporting facilities at Aranui, or Hornby?) advocating that the course could be built “within existing Council resources”. I rang up a Council engineer I trusted, and asked him was this possible. His response was not polite but he suggested that some of the major infrastructure of the City passes through the area where this lot propose us to construct their play pool. The cost of shifting it would be eye watering. It took one phone call to find a major hole in the East Lake Trust’s argument. Regenerate Christchurch did an excellent job in sinking this proposal. Despite this, here were these guys in front of the elected reps last Friday pleading for more public welfare for their expensive sport which already has two world class rowing courses in the South Island.
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In my Year Ahead post, I alluded to the fact that Stephen and I were both looking to change things up a bit in our work lives. I can happily report that this has now happened. A few weeks ago, Stephen stepped up into a much more senior role within Gough Group. It means that he’s much busier and more stressed, but I can see that he’s also really loving the challenge.

And on Friday last week, I said goodbye to my colleagues at Regenerate Christchurch and moved on to a new role at Pegasus Health. There were lots of reasons for wanting to make this change – the main one being that the organisation has significantly shifted its focus since I arrived. Most of the people I was working with on delivering regeneration planning have now left, the work we were doing has wrapped up, and the future work programme for the organisation has not yet landed. It seemed like a good time to exit. Added to this, the Council recently voted to reconsider its funding of RC, with a proposal to cut its financial contribution by 75%. Based on the work we’ve completed and the likely work ahead, this seems entirely reasonable. And lastly, it has become increasingly clear to me that the voluntary work I do in my community with the Dallington Residents Association, coupled with my future plans, are incompatible with my work at RC. I have regularly found myself in potential conflict of interest situations which mean that I am not able to fully contribute to conversations taking place at work and in my community. And if you know me, you’ll know how much that bothers me. I like to have an opinion about everything, and I am always happy to share it!

So my time was up at RC and it was time to move on. 

It’s Day 2 in my current role as a Senior Project Manager at Pegasus Health. So far it’s been busy and confusing – to be expected. But the people seem hardworking, and the work looks like it will be really interesting. It’s a new role and still being defined, so there will be scope for me to make it my own, which is just what I like. I’ll report back on how it’s going once I’m less confused!

Man it's been a busy few months. I feel like I have barely had time to breathe, let alone write anything. So this blog post is rather overdue!

Megan and I went to see Green Day in May. It was amazing. It's hard to find the words to describe what it means to me to have been there together, singing at the top of our lungs. For me, there is music, and there is music. Most of it I don't care that much about, but some music really means something. It's not just because the band is cool and the lyrics are good, but because of what it connotes. 

I started listening to Green Day the year I started university – 1995. It was a watershed year for me. I separated from my husband and made a decision that I needed to get serious about this growing up business – I had a 3 and 6 year old after all. Every day I would drop the kids off to school and pre-school, and then my day would be my own. I'd catch the bus to uni, and on the way, I'd plug into my Discman and switch my brain from Mum to independent young woman / student. The bus was like my transition zone, and Green Day was my companion in that transition. Green Day was the soundtrack to my changing life. 

Later, Green Day accompanied me while I struggled to get fit and lose weight – at first treadmill running with my Discman and then with my cherished iPod brick. It was always my go-to music to lift me up when I needed a boost. 

And of course my kids grew up listening to Green Day. It's something Megan and I had in common when she was an emo teen. It must have been horrifying for her to share her (very uncool) mother's taste in music. 

Being at the Vector "Spark" Arena together, singing along to every word, was powerful. It moved me to tears. And it was a really great concert – so epic to hear them live … I'd say one of the best times of my life.

Next post … all about the good riddance part…