Monday, November 22, 2010

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I've decided to change blog platform for one reason mainly.  So I can easily post from my iphone or ipad.

You can find me here

Friday, November 5, 2010

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I got a little distracted by a five year olds birthday and visiting relatives, so I have been a naughty little blogger!

But I am back now, and with a finished project!

Meet Haruni

Isn't she pretty?


This is her second life.  See, she started out like this:


But unfortunately, my not so little man didn't fit into it.  Probably a good thing seeing as it is not a superwash wool and not such a good choice of yarn for a small's jumper!  So she was frogged into this mess:


and then I learned how to spit splice,


and then of course knitted up into this little beauty:


Pattern:  Haruni by Emily Ross
Yarn:  Araucania Ranco Solid in green (well duh!)
Needles:  3.5mm Knitpicks Options Interchangeable Circular

I did one less repeat of the first chart as I was worried that I would run out of yarn.  So that coupled with the fact that my gauge was off has made this into a much smaller shawl.  Perfect for wearing as a scarf and just what I was aiming for.

The pattern has two different bind off options - a crochet bind off or an i-cord bind off.  I opted for the crochet bind off because I really wanted to get it finished and thought it would be the quicker option.  Little did I know that I struggled to get the crochet hook through every single k3tog and the entire bind off took nearly two hours!  

I love this knit, and it is to date my favourite project. 

Monday, October 4, 2010

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I'm going to be an Aunt for the first time in December.  I am so excited.  Soldier's brother's and his lovely wife are expecting a little girl!

So what is a first time prospective Aunt to do?  Knit of course.


Pattern:  Bloom by Georgie Hallam
Yarn:  Cleckheaton Merino Bambino 4ply in red
Needles:  2.75mm and 3.5mm Knitpicks Options interchangeable circulars

Because the pattern is called Bloom, I needed some flowery accents.  I knitted an i-cord and attached this leaf pattern to either end,


and added a brooch with this flower.


We saw the almost parents yesterday at a little family gathering and they loved it!  Now I know they are receptive to handknits there will be a lot of little girl patterns on my needles in the future.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

...

So it's October already!  This month is going to be a busy one.  It is Rhianna's and my little sister's birthdays, I am attending a baby shower tomorrow, and Soldier starts instructing on a new course so I will be flying solo with the smalls for most of the month.

As if I didn't already have enough on my plate, I have signed on to knit a pair of mystery socks for Socktober.  Kirsten at Through the Loops has designed a sock, and is releasing five clues throughout the month.  I got the first clue yesterday and today I have two finished cuffs.





I am using some Knitabulous Soft sock and I think the colourway is called Little Boy Blue.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

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You want proof that knitters are the most generous, talented people around?  Well here it is!


Thanks Donna!  It's gorgeous.

Monday, August 30, 2010

...

Yesterday we took a little family road trip to Daylesford in country Victoria.  Soldier spent about five of his early pre-teen and teen years in this delightful little town.  He wanted to show the smalls and I where he used to live.

We saw a sign for the Chocolate Mill and decided to stop to take a look.


It wasn't at all what I had expected, and to tell you the truth I was a little disappointed.  I thought we would see the chocolate being made, but all we found was a room where you could buy some very overpriced chocolate and a cafe where you could buy some similarly overprice drinks.  We didn't spend long there.  But we did take a walk around the garden at the front and found some great art pieces.


From there we went out of town a small distance to where Soldier lived on a small sheep farm.  There are no sheep there now, and the property is for sale.  Soldier commented that the weatherboard house is much smaller than he remembers and so was the wool shed.  That seemed to be a common theme running through the day.  Soldier was constantly saying that everything looked bigger then.  I guess to small 13-14 year old eyes everything looks huge.

From there we visited the local markets where there was lots of handknits and other woollies on sale.  I saw a lot of little hats and mitts being sold at ridiculously low prices, and lots of junk.  I did manage to score 200g of cotton yarn for $2.

We also saw the old lock up


the old Policeman's Quarters


lots of sheep, the wall around the oval at Soldier's old primary school where he knocked himself out, the old fountain that his mother nearly hit in their Morris Miner on a icy morning, and lots of art work.  Around every corner was a new memory for my Soldier and it was so much fun to be able to explore and remember with him. 

I told Soldier on the way home that if he ever asked me to move to Daylesford, my answer would be yes in a heartbeat.  And it is the little things like this


that make me say that!

Friday, August 27, 2010

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Back before I knew Lucas was Lucas I made this little cardigan.  I love it so much that I decided to make another.



Pattern: Scrappy Socky Stripey Cardi by Fawn Pea
Yarn:  Needle Food Merino Blend, 4ply in Blueberry Crush
Needles:  3.5mm and 3.75mm Knitpick Options Interchangeable Circulars

I made some changes from the last one.  I used the 3.5mm needles for the body which is knit flat, and switched to 3.75mm for the sleeves because they are knit in the round and my gauge changes dramatically.  I also knit ten rows of garter stitch for the button band so I had some more room for bigger buttons.

I think this has become my go-to newborn cardigan pattern.

Monday, August 23, 2010

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We use cloth nappies here, on both the boys.  I have been using them since Rhianna was a newborn.  And ever since then I have been searching high and low for a great soaker pattern.  The soaker is essentially a knitted or felted wool cover that keeps all the wetness inside, so the baby's clothes stay dry.  I think they are much kinder to little legs than the elastic in other nappy covers.

So, as I said, I have been searching for the perfect pattern, and I have finally found it!!  Three kids later!


Pattern:  Vanilla by Kelly Brooker
Yarn:  Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic 12 ply, in Aran, Bluestone and Green Tweed
Needles: 5mm and 6mm knitpicks interchangeable circulars



I love this pattern.  It is really well laid out, with five sizes and the option to knit it in three different weights of yarn.  Of course I chose the 12ply to make the knitting go super fast and it did.  Each soaker only took around two hours.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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I have been cheating on my knitting!

I went to the local shopping centre the other day to get my hair cut and I had some time on my hands so I ventured down to one of the big craft stores.  On a whim I decided to pick up a tatting shuttle and some thread.  When I got home I found some videos on you tube and tried my hand.

Let me just say, when you are learning a new craft, bigger is better.  The thread I had bought was way too thin.  I couldn't see what I was doing.  So I pulled some four ply cotton yarn out of the stash and tried again.

There is a special thing that you have to do with the yarn before tightening the knot called 'the flip'.  It has taken me two days and countless videos to start to master it, but I am getting there.

I don't know what I am going to do with the resulting lace, but I am having an awful lot of fun working on it!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Bloom

This little knit has been done for a while, it has even been worn a couple of times.  I have just been slack with the camera.

Pattern:  Bloom by Georgie Hallam
Yarn:  Luxury 10ply, from Bendigo Woollen Mills, in Leaf
Needles:  3.75mm and 4.5mm Knitpick Circulars

This was a very quick knit.  It only took me nine days, and I am sure someone who doesn't knit as slowly as me would have it done in half the time.


Rhianna loves it.  She wants to wear it constantly, even to kindy, which I am sure would be certain death for a pretty little handknit. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Bendy

On Friday my Mum, Lucas and I went to Bendigo to visit the Australian Sheep and Wool Show.  I don't have any photos to prove this little trip, because I left my camera at home.  If you don't believe me go and visit the Lovely Bells, she has photographic evidence. 

I, like DrK, feel somewhat spoiled by all the yarn available from online indie dyers, so I didn't get a lot of yarn.  In fact I only purchased a skein of Colinette Jitterbug and a try dyeing kit that has an undyed skein and some acid dyes.


I also found that there was a lot more stuff for spinners and not as much already spun yarn.

Having said that, I had a great time.  Caught up with some lovely girls, got to meet DrK, saw lots of sheep watched the sheep dogs work, and one that kept loosing his sheep,  discovered that Lucas travels really well, and had a really yummy lamb roll.

So, all in all, a wonderful day!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Thanks

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations both here and on Twitter on the birth of my second son.  To answer a couple of you, the ambulance was only required because Master Lucas decided that he was in a bit of a hurry.  He arrived after an hour and a half, twice as long as his brother took, but by far my easiest.

He is proving to be a great baby, sleeping and eating well, and enjoying his Mummy's handknits.


Pattern: Felix Cardigan
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8 ply
Needles: 5mm KnitPro Interchangeable Circulars
Time Taken: One week


I also knit some booties,


and a hat to match.


He test drove them for me this morning as I introduced him to the Kindy crowd.  They got a resounding thumbs up.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Introducing........

Master Lucas Stuart,

 about two hours after birth
the most chilled out newborn I have ever met.

He arrived at 10.01 on Thursday morning, weighing exactly 4kg.

After a chaotic entrance to the world involving an ambulance ride with lights and a Father that missed the birth by four minutes he is settling in to the family very well.

two days old

He looks exactly like his big brother.

 

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Traditions

There was a couple of things that I did when Rhianna and Rylan were first born.

They both wore was this little outfit.

 

It isn't anything particularly special in terms of beauty, it's just a little green wondersuit and hat, but because it was the very first piece of clothing they both wore makes it very special to me.  Three will wear it as his/her first outfit too.

They both slept here for at least the first three months of their lives.  Right next to my side of the bed.

This little cradle has a bit of history in my family.  My cousin's first three children slept here, and then my two did.  Three will sleep here too.

I also made Rhianna and Rylan a cradle/pram sized crochet blanket.  Rhianna has a ripple pattern and Rylan a shell pattern.  These blankets have been well loved and I can't find any photos of them.  Rylan still uses Rhianna's in the pram.
Three will have one too.

Monday, June 7, 2010

More Trains

The day after Rylan's birthday we ventured out to the Diamond Valley Railway.  It is a park with lots of miniture trains that you can ride.  There is also a lot of parklands to explore, a kid's playground and heaps of BBQ areas. 


We packed a picnic and had a lovely few hours, exploring.  There were ponies there, offering rides, which excited Rhianna to no end.  She did manage a ride, but I have no photographic evidence as I was looking after the picnic.  It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that, with my rather large belly, I couldn't get up off the blanket! 

There are lots of trains that you can ride.  They are powered by petrol, diesel, steam or electricity.  We rode an electric one.


Let me just say that there isn't a lot of room to move once you are seated, and I had serious worries about never being able to get out.  The trip takes you over about two kilometers of track.  Through really pretty bushland, over bridges and through tunnels.  They have stations scattered around the tracks and working lights and signals at the crossings.


After all the excitement we stopped for some ice cream!


I was really excited to find that we all had a great time.  I think we will be visiting again soon.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

From the beginning.....

Oh Lordy what a couple of weeks we have had.  Let me start to fill you in, starting at the beginning.

Two weeks ago this little cutie turned two.


He was thoroughly spoiled by all and sundry.  He shares his birthday with my Dad, so we had two cakes.

Rylan is obsessed with trains.  It is quite often the first word out of his mouth when he wakes up in the morning.  So I obliged and made him this:


The train is made from marzipan and I got the instructions from here.  I am really happy with how it turned out, the writing on the cake, not so much!

We bought him an old school trike, which I love.


He also got all manner of trains and even a train set, which Soldier helped to set up.  Not sure who was having the most fun!


I think I will leave the rest of the weeks to some other posts.

Friday, May 21, 2010

I'm Still Here........

just snowed under with sickness (mine), preparations for a birthday (The Boy's) and organising for a trip away (my Cousin's wedding).

I have been knitting and even managed to finish something.  I will show you when I get a chance to photograph it, and more than thirty seconds free time to spend at the computer.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

We have been away

On Friday, at some unmentionable time in the morning, I woke the smalls and bundled them into the car so we could make our way to the airport.  We were off to North Queensland for my Nana's 80th Birthday Party!  It takes two aeroplanes and about six hours to get there, but it was so worth it.  We left Soldier at home, because it was ANZAC day weekend and he had to work.

My Nana is a wonderful lady.  She raised five children on her own in the sixties after my Grandfather died when my Mum was five.  Four of her five children, twelve of her sixteen grandchildren and fourteen of her twenty-two great-grandchildren (with three of the four more on the way), were at the party.  It was a little crazy, at one point there were six kids between twelve months and two years, but it was the most fun I have had in a long time. 

I wish I could say the same for the flights on the way home.  I was running on little to no sleep and so were the kids, and we all know that cranky, sleep deprived smalls and aeroplanes do not mix well.

I have no photos, not because I didn't bring my camera, but because I left the memory card in the computer.  I am hoping that someone got some good ones.  

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Yay!

I passed!  That is all.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

I failed!

I have never been one that fails easily.  At school, I was rather competitive and had to do the very best.  Somethings did get the best of me (who needs Chemistry anyway?), and I didn't take it very well.  I would really love to tell you that I have overcome what I see as a personality flaw, but that would be lying.

So imagine my horror when I received a call from my Midwife - the wonderful and hilarious Deb - telling me that I had failed a test!  The Glucose Challenge Test to be specific.  I am really miffed, because I eat better and exercise more now than I did whilst pregnant with the other two smalls, and I also weigh a lot less.  I am now envisioning all the problems that gestational diabetes can bring.

So my punishment is that I will have to starve from 10pm on Thursday and then visit the midwife on Friday morning where I will not only have to drink that nasty glucose concoction again, but also have my blood stolen, not once, but three times. 

That'll teach me!

Silver lining? - I always look for one! - Soldier is taking Friday morning off work to stay with the smalls and I will get two or more hours of relative peace and a whole lot of knitting time!  Now to work out what to take with me.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Felix

Another little something for Three.  I have one more cardigan on the needles and that will do for the new born stuff.  Next some three to six month cardigans, I think.


Pattern:  Felix Cardigan by Jacki Kelly, Pinwheel Beanie by Justine Turner and Easy Baby Booties by Michelle
Yarn:  Cleckheaton Country 8ply in a sage green and creamy white
Needles: 5mm knitpick interchangeable circulars

I completed the cardigan while I was at my parent's house over Christmas, and the hat and booties in February and March.  I think this is a great pattern, very easy top down raglan.  My first, actually. 

I am very happy with the result and now I just need to give them a little bath and find some buttons.  The buttons are proving to be elusive.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you all.  Hope it was a good one, however you mark the occasion.

We started Sunday with a visit from the Easter Bunny and an egg hunt.  The kids had a ball and The Boy seemed to understand what was going on this year.  He was very good a snatching the eggs from under his sister's nose.




Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine * and tried my hand at making a box that I can store my socks in progress in.  Things didn't turn out the way I wanted and they are a little small.  I can get a skein of yarn and the needles in there, but I have to really squish them to get the zip done up.  I am sure they will come in handy for something else, and I will try them again on a bigger scale.




* Well didn't get the machine out.  Soldier had to do it for me.  My ever expanding belly can no longer fit between the shelves under the stairs to reach it.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Calming


How can two pointy, wooden sticks and three stitches be so calming?

I don't know, but it sure is.

M xx

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Socki Cardi

I have had the knitting of this little cardigan finished for Three for a few weeks now, but this morning I stole a few moments to sew on the buttons and take some photos.  It's funny how when you actually sit down to finish something just how quickly it all comes together.

Pattern:  Scrappy Socky Stripey Cardi by Fawn Pea
Yarn:  Knitabulous Merino Sock - Salwaar Kameez, this was the first parcel from the Indian Summer Yarn Club
Needles:  3.5mm Knitpicks Interchangeable Circular

I changed a couple of things with this little knit.  I shortened the length of the body to eight inches and the sleeves to six inches, and I knit button holes into the band because I thought the little loops might be too girly and Three won't be revealing his or her gender until June.

On the baby front, I had a midwife appointment yesterday and everything is all good and boring!  The best kind of pregnancy.

M xx

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Got Yarn, Will Travel

For such a long time I have admired the very talented knitters who churn out shawl after beautiful shawl.  I have wanted to join in, but have always been a little scared.  All that lace.  Then it dawned on me that I have been knitting lace for ages now, just in a different form - socks.  This realisation led me to trawl through Ravelry and my yarn stash, and I came up with this:

 

My first shawl!!
Pattern:  Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante
Yarn:  Merino Sock by Knitabulous in Ruby Slippers
Needles: 4.5mm 

I really love it.  It is just the right size to wear as a scarf and the colour is just gorgeous.  I can see me getting around with this a lot this winter.

I really have no idea about blocking, but I just soaked it in some woolwash and stretched it out onto some of those foam blocks for kids and pinned it out.  Seems to work!!  

I did run into some trouble when blocking the bind off edge.  I think it is bound off too tightly - it doesn't seem to want to stretch all the way out.  I need to investigate some different techniques.  Just not for this one, I cannot be bothered to undo it and try again.

Oh and the foam blocks, got them for a steal at the crappy craft store that starts with L.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Me? A gardener?

I will be honest.  I do not have a green thumb, and I know nothing about gardening, but when we moved into our new house I was very excited to find that the previous tenants did.

They had planted cherry tomatoes, strawberries and capsicums, as well as some rosemary and flat leaf parsley.  



Jack the Lab got all of the strawberries before they were ripe and we are having a hard time keeping him out of the tomatoes.  We did manage to rescue a few and we had them in our tacos for dinner tonight.  They were really good.

The tomato plant was going crazy and it wasn't staked, so we ventured out intending to get some stakes to keep them off the ground and ended up getting much more.

We bought a little fence that will hopefully keep Jack out,



a chilli plant,



some basil, corriander and some spring onions.

I really have no idea about growing vegies, but I think if I water them regularly and try and keep the creepy crawlies off them we might be successful.

 

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