The Postie Delivers

So I guess there is no hiding the fact that there was some sock yarn purchasing going on over here. I ordered these from Yarnomat, and can I just say as a first time sock yarn buyer and a first time online orderer, I am a very happy camper.

Crystal Palace Yarns - Bamboo Wool
51% Bamboo, 39% Wool and 10% Nylon
Misty Greens


Crystal Palace Yarns - Maizy
82% Corn Fibre, 18% Elastic Nylon
Stormy Purple


Crystal Palace Yarns - Bamboo Silk
52% Bamboo, 43% Superwash Merino Wool, 5% Combed Silk
Jade Tones

I have knit two pairs of socks in my entire life. One in an 8 ply acrylic just to see if I could actually do it, needless to say they turned out really badly. It wasn't the pattern or the construction, it was the yarn.My Mum has those, she loves them. Although I must say that it is probably more about the fact that I made them.

The other pair is a bright red 100% wool pair for Noo. She loves them and I have to admit that I am pretty happy with them too. Whenever someone comments on them to her, she very proudly states that "Mummy made them".

I have never knitted an adult pair with sock yarn, and when trying to decide what to get my little sister for her birthday next month, I remembered a little conversation I had with her ages ago, in which she said that she would like a pair of handknit socks, and being the loving sister that I am, I decided to knit some up for her. She loves purple, so the Maizy is being turned into No Tears Socks. Not too bad so far. I have done one complete repeat and I am really happy with them. The pattern is really simple and the ribbing will hopefully make for a sock that doesn't fall down.

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day to the wonderful, caring, and very handsome Soldier. We love you! And a very happy Father's Day to my Pa. And to all the other wonderful Fathers out there.

We are finally settling in around here. I managed to fit everything into two large packing cartons. They were very, very full and I am extremely surprised that the boxes stayed intact and the contents didn't end up all over the back of the truck.

I am also amazed that the zip on my large purple suitcase didn't bust open. I had visions of a broken case and the contents including my underwear going round and round on the baggage carousel, and me walking away, very embarrased and making a trip to Westfield to buy a whole new wardrobe. Soldier said I should have added an occy strap. Very classy.

There has been some knitting around here, and may or may not have been some sock yarn purchasing. We will have to see if the postie delivers anything or not.

I spent last night watching a couple of movies with Soldier and Noo, and working on a little hat for The Boy.



It is the Little Cables Hat by Claudine over at Knitting Box. I used some 4ply 100% wool that I rescued from a horrible hat that I crocheted The Boy before he was born. Thankfully I saw the light and frogged it before he had to explain to his friends what it was all about. Babies can, and frequently do talk to other babies about their headwear, you know.

Thanks Claudine, it is the cutest little hat. I love the little cables. The pattern is really easy, but not too boring because of the added twist.

It is a little on the small side, luckily the weather is starting to warm up around here, so he won't need it for long.

After Noo saw it she insisted that I make her one as well. So out came the 5 ply Bendy (ravelry link) and I have cast on.

There has been another little girl welcomed to our extended family. My cousin and his wife welcomed little E on the 28th and they are all doing very well. So along with the Color Me, I decided to make a little washcloth.


This one is the Knitted 'E' Cloth. Made with two strands of Sullivans Cotone (ravelry link) held together on 4mm needles.

And because I thought it looked great, I made one for The Boy.


Baby Feet Cloth. Made with two strands of Sullivans Cotone held together on 4mm needles, again. I still have about 5 balls of this stuff. I see a few more washcloths on the horizon. Please ignore the stupid twisted stitches. I didn't notice them until I had bound off, and I couldn't be bothered ripping it back to fix it. I can live with it. I hope you can too.

Enjoy what is left of your weekend.

One of those days...

I am home.

Finally.

I have only unpacked one box.

It isn't the box with my knitting stuff in it.

It is the box with all the kids toys.

They are currently strewn from one end of the house to the other.

At least it is from one end to the other of MY house.

They can stay there until tomorrow.

Look what I got!!

I have been wanting to learn to spin for an age. After reading a few blogs lately, I have become more and more inspired. So after much research and a little persuasion, look what my darling Pa made for me:



I also bought some roving at Spotlight (I know, I know, but it is the only place in this town that would carry it),


and I have started spinning. I don't have any photos of the yarn yet, and because I am lazy and it would require me getting of my lazy butt, you will have to wait for another time.

The Color Me is finally photographed:

I took the kids for a little shopping trip on Monday, I didn't need anything, I just wanted to get out of the house for a few hours. We had lunch and I picked up a few essentials.

Stuff n Nonsense

Well, I go home to the wonderful Soldier in a week. Home to cuddles, my kitchen, my bed, my stuff. I can't wait to go home and get some normalcy and routine back into my life, however I am really going to miss seeing my family on a day to day basis. As annoying as it can be to have to work around so many other people, I will miss them and all the help they have given me over the last five months. So sometimes I am really happy to be going home and others I am really sad. Drives me nuts.

I am packing up all our stuff, trying to fit it all into two large packing boxes (who am I trying to kid), and working out what stuff I can leave here. Can someone explain to me how the smallest member of my family has the biggest suitcase. I am also in a quandry over how many cloth nappies (I use these, can't rave about them enough - might leave that for another post though.) I have to pack in the boxes and how many to take with me. There might be a lag of a few days to a week between when I get home and when the boxes will.

Noo will be happy to be in her own room and in her 'big bed' again, and The Boy has almost outgrown his cradle and will have to make the move to his cot when we get home. Not sure how I feel about that, but I will have to get over it. The Boy is growing up waaaaay too fast for my liking.

The Color Me is done and I am mostly happy with it. Pictures tomorrow (or the day after) when the batteries for the camera are charged and I get off my butt and take some. I decided not to do the lettering, because I didn't really like the way I crocheted them, nothing wrong with the pattern just me!! Might also have something to do with being too lazy too!! Hmmmm....

Just a Mum??

I was at Virgin Mobile with my children a little while ago, signing up for a new mobile account. The guy behind the counter was asking me all the necessary questions, name, date of birth etc, and when we got to the question about employment he asked me what my job was and I told him that I am a Mum. He looked at my son who was dozing in my arms and said "I can see that, but do you have a job, or are you just a Mum?" I very politely informed him that being a Mum is my job, and no I don't have a job that pays money.

It got me thinking about how the world at large sees stay at home parents. How is not having an income make you "Just a Mum"? Sometimes, I wonder if I am being a little defensive regarding the way Soldier and I have decided to raise our children and live our lives. I worked before I had children and I will work school hours when my last child is at school. Does that mean that I was/will be more productive and contribute more to society whilst I am working.

The first thing that comes up when you meet someone new is what you do for a living. More often than not I am greated with silence when I say I am a wife and mother. People just do not know what to say next.

I find myself wishing that I was born fifty years earlier, when what I "do" with myself was more mainstream, and then I remember that there was no internet in the 50s and I very quickly change my mind.

Uh Oh!!

See this mess:


This was three very expensive dummies. I was happily sidetracked with the children, while they were happily boiling dry and melting into one huge mess.

The good news is the saucepan survived, the bad news is I had to replace them at nearly eight bucks each.

Oops - Lesson learned, I alway stand next to the boiling saucepan and wait the five minutes now.