Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Way Too Much Chocolate

Okay who blew their normal (relatively) healthy eating plan over the past few days? I know I did, every Easter is the same I'm afraid to say but it sure is fun. We have a family shack at Beauty Point which is a first in gets it set up and we asked first this year, so thats where we went. Ashley finally learnt to ride a bike, he is 7 years old so I will fill you in on why it has taken so long. We live on a hill and riding bikes is near impossible in our yard, plus Master Ashley hates failing at anything so if there is any chance of that happening he wont even give it a try. He got a birthday invitation to a bike park and hid it so that we wouldn't find it so that he didn't have to go. We found it 2 weeks later and he said that he didn't want to be the only one there with training wheels on his bike. So we said right this time you are going to learn how to ride that bike without the training wheels, and he did, hooray. We did some fishing and lots of eating and the occasional red wine or two as well, don't you just love holidays. And yes I did lots of knitting as well, still working on the mother-in-laws jumper, hopefully finish that soon. And Join in the chorus and sing it one and all............... YES the Kangaroos won on Saturday.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Change of Knitting Plans

My mother-in-law asked me would I mind knitting her a jumper. As I have mentioned she has given me a lot of her old knitting books, entire set of circulars and other knitting related stuff, so how could I say no. So that is now going to be my Easter holiday knitting project. It is a very simple stocking stitch, with a roll collar, easy peasy. She must have had the wool in her stash for a very long time because it is one that I can't remember ever seeing, and I used to work in the same street as a wool shop many years ago, which I had to walk past every day at least twice, and would enter at least two to three times a week. It is Patons Winter Wool 12 ply in the most beautiful rich shade of burgundy/maroon. It is 100% pure wool and is a dream to knit. She also gave me four big bags of wool which has some Patons Husky amongst it, the only problem is they are mostly orange tones which is a colour that I am not at all into, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Footy season kicks off tonight, (Australian Rules that is) I can think of nothing better than a game of football on TV, a nice glass of red or two and my knitting aaaahhhhhh. I hope my team North Melbourne, or kangaroos as they are now better known as, goes ok this year.

And finally if anybody reads this humble little ol' blog of mine, I wish you a very happy and safe Easter. Till next time, Sharon :)

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Lopi Is Finished

Well after having dramas yesterday with Hello here are the promised pictures of Lopi. I went and had a look on the Hello forum and noticed many others were having the same problem. If it hadn't worked this morning I was seriously considering dumping Hello and finding another, but once again they are back in my good books. There now that I have that off my chest, yay Lopi is finished. It is knitted in Alafoss Lopi which is the traditional Icelandic wool, it is extremely thick and warm and lovely to wear. My mother-in-law used to knit these jumpers for a local store many years ago and as she no longer knits and I am the only daughter-in-law / daughter who does, she gave me her old patterns and circulars. She used to spin her own wool as well (I wonder what happened to the spinning wheel). I have never had a go at spinning but it seems like a lot of fun, I will have to ask her about the spinning wheel.

I have ordered some hand dyed merino wool from www.ozeyarn.com.au to knit up into the feather and fan shawl, so I think that will be my next big project. I have three UFOs to do as well, they are the gauntlets, baby jacket and Janelles snowflake jumper. The snowflake jumper is one of those things that will be lovely when finished but a lot of work getting there, that is why it has been shelved for a while, but I know she really would like it so I will keep telling myself it is a labour of love. Maybe over Easter I can tackle it again.
Lopi
Here is a close up of the yoke pattern.
Lopi

Monday, March 21, 2005

Fiber Trends Patterns

Okay I was going to show some pictures of the finished Lopi, but they just wont send so maybe they will turn up later who knows. I will try again later and see if anything happens. It just keeps telling me to wait they are loading and nothing was happening. Anyway I had been looking for a feather and fan shawl pattern from www.fibertrends.com and as they didn't have a secure sight I wasn't going to bother. One night I decided to see if I could get it from somewhere else and would you believe it I found an Australian source. So any fiber trends patterns are available to purchase for around $5.50 + postage $1.30 by contacting Jan via email woolcottage@dodo.com.au and best of all she is going to have a stall at Agfest here in May. They also sell their own fleeces and have ready to knit yarns as well.

I am pretty tired after camp but it was well worth it, we had a lot of fun. I took my knitting with me but didn't even get time to do any, so I am itching to do some and don't expect to go to bed very early tonight. I am going to work on the baby jacket and I also have enough wool left over from Lopi to knit a beanie. I may try and sell the beanie on ebay and get some money back because it was quite expensive wool. Don't know how well knitted things sell on ebay, I have never really looked.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Will I Make It?

Okay Lopi needs to be finished TODAY and I have about 9cms of rib to do for the collar and sew on 3 buttons as well as sew in a few threads. All that on top of packing and making sure everything is up to speed here on the homefront. Only Janelle and I are going as it is a GEMS girls group, of which I am a leader. So the 'boys' have to look after themselves for the whole weekend, I'm sure they will manage. Lopi would have been finished but last night I started the ribbed collar and the pattern said to do 3 rows rib, next row make a buttonhole and then almost as an afterthought decided to mention decrease 29 stitches on the FIRST row. So 4 rows were pulled out and then I had to start again, and by this time I was getting a bit tired and thought I'd leave it and see what happens tomorrow. Now I am kind of regretting that decision and realise that a cup of coffee and a couple of hours knitting and I could be saying "I've finished". Anyway I had better go do some work, pack my gear and then you never know, I just may have a bit of spare time. Keep watching this space as there will definately be a picture of the finished item on Monday.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Progress Of Lopi

The sleeves are done and joined to the body, now for the fun part, knitting the yoke. This is what I have been doing during our spell of hot weather (30 degrees). Now that is hot for Tasmania, our neighbours come from Queensland and they were even saying how hot it was. So here I was sweltering away knitting lopi wool in that heat, but I am determined to get it finished by the weekend, because our weather can change in an instant, and I don't want to be camping without a nice warm jumper with me. Plus isn't it always when you are prepared for something the opposite happens, so I figure by having this big thick bulky jumper in my backpack it is bound to be hot!!!!! Anyway I'm off to tackle the yoke now, see ya.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Now Thats A Stash

Next time I am feeling guilty I am just going to look at this photo. I found this last night here I like the way she even knows what she is going to knit with it all. Here is a woman we can definately all relate to.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Who Said Summer Was Over

Well would you believe it, as soon as I decide to knit a 14ply jumper, because it is getting cold, summer decides to come back with a vengeance. Now don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, but now I have a jumper 3/4 finished and it is just too hot to knit lopi wool in this heat. I stuck at it for most of today, my house is quite cool inside until late afternoon, then it starts to heat up like a furnace, plus the oven was on cooking roast pork and baked vegies, I must be mad. Then at about 4 o'clock I pulled the pin and said enough, poured myself a nice coldie and said 'maybe tomorrow I will do some more lopi'. My glass is empty, time for a refill, catch you later when it has cooled down a bit.

Wednesday, March 09, 2005


Alafoss Lopi Fair Isle Jumper

I am going on a camp in a couple of weeks and I am thinking it is going to be pretty cold. This has been on my to do list for a few months now, and I am now going to start it because I am going to need something warm. I have now put myself under a bit of pressure to get it finished, I will have 1 1/2 weeks to do it. It is knitted in the round on circulars and I have made one before for my sister and hers took about that time to make. It is also a long weekend this week so I should be able to get a lot done then. Alafoss Lopi is so thick and scratchy just like an old sheep, but it is so warm just what we need here in Tassie. So that being said I'm off to start knitting, and will post a progress pic. soon. Oh and we had a fab time yesterday at SNB, it is so much fun seeing what everyone else is up to. Oh and another thing bluebell is finished (my part anyway) the crochet edging is being done so as soon as it is back from LYS I will post a pic of that too. Trouble is it will be too cold to wear, I'll have to put it away till next summer.

Clapotis

Clapotis is finished, I really enjoyed knitting this it was easy, I didn't have to think too much but there was enough going on that it was a bit more interesting than plain stocking stitch. I knitted her (oh yes she is definately female) in Cleckheaton Tapestry and I will make her again one day.


Monday, March 07, 2005


Launceston SNB

Tomorrow is my local SNB, can't wait, it is so much fun getting together with other knitters. The other day I was having a coffee in town and I was looking at a knitting pattern I had just bought from my LYS and the girl who served me asked me did I knit? We got chatting and she told me that she is a knitter as well. I couldn't remember our web page address but I scribbled down some of it and she said she would do a search and try and find us. I don't know if she did or not but next time I am in town I will make a point of having another coffee and this time write down the address to give to her.

Friday, March 04, 2005

Violet Crumble Icecream Bars

Okay I know you have been hanging out for another one of my recipes ha ha ha well anyway it was my Dads 65th birthday on Monday and we are having a belated birthday tea on Saturday for him and this is one of his favourite desserts:

VIOLET CRUMBLE ICECREAM BARS
1 packet malt biscuits (malt-o-milk)
2 x 300ml cream
1 x 400ml condensed milk
2 x 50g violet crumble bars
Whip cream and condensed milk till thick. Add crushed violet crumbles. Layer the malt biscuits in a tray and spoon icecream mixture onto biscuits and top with another layer of biscuits. Freeze overnight, cut into bars and serve.

Not much to report on the knitting front other than still working away on clapotis, I am exactly half way. I also started a baby jacket for my sisters unborn baby, but I really only started that to see what the colours looked like together. It is in moss stitch and knitted in stripes of five colours but I will put that on hold until clapotis is finished. Anyway thats all for now I have to go and make the icecream.



Wednesday, March 02, 2005

I've Been Tagged, again

Thanks to Katt http://kattsknitting.blogspot.com I have been tagged so here goes:
1. What was the last book you read or are reading? Buried Alive the biography of Janis Joplin by Myra Friedman.
2.Where did it come from (library, bookstore, gift, etc.)? library
3.How many books do you read per year? I read on average 1 book a fortnight.
4.What is your favourite genre? Biographies and mystery/suspense
5.Who will you tag now? Suzi http://darksideofknitting.com that is if she hasn't been tagged already.

Can You Believe It?

Can you believe it, this actually grew at my house. Now anyone who knows me know that my thumbs are definately not green, but this has survived for about four years and it has finally flowered. A friend gave it to me when my mother died, and yes it had a lovely flower when she gave it to me. We planted it out the back and it never flowered again so Geoff planted it in a little brick planter box at our front door and the other day I noticed buds and within a couple of days this gorgeous flowers appeared. Yes I'm going to brag about this flower but I can't really take any credit for it because it is Geoff and Janelle who have looked after it. Maybe that is why it has survived. Anyway just thought I would record it here so that I have proof that yes a plant has not only lived but flowered here.