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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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. 

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!

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.