A Sense of Normality

Things around here have slowly moved back into the rhythm and routine that I like so very much. It got a little skewiff after the Soldier left, as it normally does. I have had to work out how to occupy two little minds, make sure everyone is bathed and fed and try and keep on top of the washing and other household duties. I have succeeded in most of my endeavours, lets not speak about the mountain of washing in the laundry, kay!! I believe that dirty laundry breeds, and makes very fast work of it. In my opinion, if it has evolved that far, how come it can't just make the evolutionary leap into the washing machine and onto the line?? I will even fold it when it is dry.

I am not so anxious about Soldier, I have been able to speak to him on a nearly daily basis and he seems to be in good spirits, and really loving his work over there.

However, when I find myself on top of the household duties all crafting goes by the wayside. I have made The Boy one bib and I have grand plans to make many more, and I have knit about twelve rows on the simple socks for my Sister's Christmas pressie. That just isn't enough creating for me to be completely happy. I need to get somethings finished.

I think I can, I think I can........

Deployed!

Today isn't a great day. The Soldier has been deployed, and I am terrified. Terrified of where he will soon be, of his well-being and safety, terrified of managing two small children all on my own. I know we all will survive this.

He is excited. As they say - this is what they train for. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I have been trying to be upbeat and supportive through the run up to the goodbye, and quite frankly I am exhausted. Now I have time for tears, and worries, and for being cranky about it all. All the emotions I have kept in check in the last two weeks can now come out.

I know we will be alright - I will manage on the homefront and he will manage 'over there'. It is not like we haven't done this before. This is our third deployment together - his fourth. We have coped in the past and we will do the same this time around.

Noo is old enough this time to understand that her father has gone away. She has been acting out and misbehaving ever since we told her. That is normal, and she should settle down.

We are going to survive!

In happier and knitting news, I have a sock! Only one and I haven't cast on for the other yet, but I will. I enjoyed the simple pattern. It is for Noo and she loves it.

Three!!!

My wonderful, smart, inquisitive, loving, articulate, creative little girl is three. Where have the years gone. It seems only yesterday that we welcomed this tiny little person into our home and our hearts.


Happy Birthday Sweetie! We love you!

Southern Summer of Socks

I have just signed up for the Southern Summer of Socks, I think I have mentioned before that I have only knit one pair of socks in my life and I have been wanting to learn a few new things and get a few new pair of socks. I would like to stretch my wings a little and try my hand at some toe up socks and some pretty lace ones. So The Firstarter, Spring Forward and Spindle Socks are at the top of my Ravelry queue. I don't think I am being too ambitious trying to finish these four pair (including the No Tears for my sister) be the end of the Summer. At least I will try my best, but with a Husband, two small children and a house to look after I am not promising anything.

How did I celebrate such an occasion? By ripping out the No Tears Socks I was working on for my lil sister's birthday! I need to go up a needle size because they were turning out too small. I had been thinking that since about half way down the leg, but continued hoping I was wrong. I turned the heel and tried them on and the are too small for me, so would be super tight on lil sis (her feet are wider than mine). She wasn't getting them for her birthday anyway because Noo let the cat out of the bag and she is expecting them. So she will get them for Christmas. Gotta find some 2.5mm needles first.

It has been a little crazy around here the last couple of days, with Soldier away and the changes in time due to daylight savings. GRRRRR! I just can't seem to get us back into some kind of routine. Noo didn't go to bed until 9.30 last night. Pity she didn't sleep in this morning.

They Boy has learned to roll over. Now, most babies perfect the rolling from tummy to back first. Not my little one, he has decided to go for it and learn to roll from back to tummy. Such a pity that he hates being on his belly and he can't roll back yet. So what is a boy to do? Scream the house down until I come and roll him over, and just for kicks he immediately rolls over again.

Friends again, we are!!

Well it seems that Hey, Teach! has spent enough time in the naughty corner. I dug it out the other day and I am very happy to say that I have two sleeves. WooHoo!!! I have worked out how to read my knitting too. Look, aren't I clever??


I am up to the ribbing on the back, after 20 cm of stockinette, and almost ready to start the lace again.

The Naughty Corner

I have been eyeing off Hey, Teach ever since I saw it on Knitty. Being a very, very new knitter, I have never attempted anything in lace before, and I anticipated a few teething problems along the way. However, I see myself as a resourceful person and I was sure that I would be able to find the answers to all my questions.

I cast on for the sleeve using Patons Washed Haze Aran. I read somewhere that some people use the sleeve to swatch, and because I am lazier than lazy these days, it sounded like a wonderful idea to me. I sucessfully cast on with a two strand tubular cast on - which I have never used before, and knit the ribbing. Then started the lace pattern. The yarn overs weren't a problem, and once I worked out how to read the pattern I was flying, for me anyway. Until I reached the purl row after row seven of the pattern. I realised that I had missed a yarn over, so I tinked back to the place where the yarn over was supposed to be, did the yarn over and continued on my merry way. Then I got to the same row in the pattern and realised that I had missed the damn yarn over again. So I put the knitting down gently and backed away slowly and went to do something completely different.

Let me just say that leaving your knitting on the couch when you have a nearly three year old running around, is not the greatest idea. I came back and the needles were missing. I found the few rows that I managed to knit, sitting on the couch laughing at me and the needles MISSING!!! After locating the missing needles - in the bathtub - don't ask, I don't know either! - I came back to the couch with some trepidation. What I found was the ribbing and three rows. I could have cried. I have to admit that I nearly walked away forever, I thought knitting was supposed to be fun. I was NOT having fun.

Because I can't let anything beat me I picked up the measly few rows and got it back on the needles, and began again. Guess what happened when I got to row seven again. Go on, guess. Yep, missed the yarn over. So now Hey, Teach is in the naughty corner until I can muster some strength to disipline it enough to continue.

In better news, after having to fight Soldier for the use of his laptop, I finally have one of my own, and he wants it because it is apparently better than his. He is not getting his dirtly little mitts on it. It is all mine, mine I tell you!!! Oh and it's purple!

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.