Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Introducing Jayde


Yesterday was the Christmas get together for our Launceston Stitch and Bitch group and yesterday I witnessed something so kind and thoughtful it not only bought a tear to my eye but made me realise what a special knitting group I belong to. The lovely KATT made us all one of these beautiful little babies, each one different, she has posted a picture on her blog of them all HERE her daughter, sorry can't remember which one, named all the girls and mine was Jayde so I am keeping that name as she looks like a Jayde to me. I spell my girls Jayde with a 'y' as one of my friends has a son named Jade. So as you can probably tell I was pretty chuffed with her 'secret project' that she has been mentioning in her blog.

But wait there was more happening at this great party, yummy food, a bit of knitting, of course even if not as much as usual, CINDY made us all a lovely little Christmas coaster/tree ornament together with handmade cards. Speaking of CINDY she is not well at the moment so she only stayed for a short while, I hope you are feeling better soon especially for our final get together for the year in two weeks time. A lovely bag of goodies from Sandra and to top it all off we had a prize draw which I was lucky enough to win and look what was in the bag:

Isn't he so adorable, look at those eyes, I think I may have lost him though, Ashley took him to bed with him last night and has also named him 'Doggy' and has been carrying him around with him everywhere this morning.

So do I belong to a special knitting group or what?? It is 12 months now since I stumbled across this great bunch of people and I look so forward to our meet-ups and chats on line, you are a terrific bunch of gals!!!! Suzi, Sandra, Margaret, Katt, Cathy, Cindy & Eileen.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Ribby Progress

I have listed my WIPs or UFOs over at UFOs Anonymous hoping I will get my act into gear to get them finished, I will do the same here:

1.Falling Leaves socks
2.Zhivago Sleeveless Vest
3.Lacy Shrug
4.Ribby Cardi

I finished Zhivago Sleeveless vest and have sewn it up and I just need to sew in the ends and it is finished, hope to wear it tomorrow to SnB if the weather is warm. I am now working on Ribby because I feel in a plain stitch knitting mood and I really like the way it is turning out.



On weekends I try to check out my favourite blogs and knitting forums, this time I found a fellow Tasmanian blogger on a US knitting forum go check her out here. I wonder if she belongs to a knitting group? I noticed in todays Examiner that Strathcare will be holding a Knit-in on Wednesday from 1pm until 3.30 in the Bowen Room at the Derwent Entertainment Centre in Hobart. Does anyone know anything about this??

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Another Pair Of Socks


Another pair of opal socks completed, I have lost count how many of these I have made and given away as presents. My friend was very appreciative of hers especially as she used to knit, until cross stitch took over, and she at least understands that these little babies aren't whipped up in a few hours. Now I am going to finish some UFOs that are hanging around taking up room in my knitting basket.

Now onto a completely different subject, the kids have all left for school and I am in an extremely bad mood so I will let off steam here, I do so much running around for them, taking them here picking them up from there and I seem to be constantly tidying up after them and when I finally 'spit it' because of their behaviour of a morning, they all walk out the door as if I am the biggest bitch that ever lived, can you believe it?? Janelle is an early riser and therefore is ready way before her brothers and then she seems to delight in antagonising them while they are trying to get ready and they of course have to bite back and then there is this huge fight happening. I know this happens in households everywhere and it is the end of the year and we are all ready for a holiday but I am still pissed off just the same!!!

Now I am going to go and have a very strong cup of coffee and knit a few rows, there is nothing like knitting and coffee to calm the soul.

Friday, November 18, 2005

I've Finished!!!!




If anyone has been wondering where I have been check out the photos, I have been busy, baking lamingtons, making chocolates, chocolate fudge and of course knitting the hackey sacks for the school fair which is on tonight. It will be nice to get back to doing some catching up on reading my favourite blogs and forums and knitting something other than hackey sacks. I still have to finish my friends socks this weekend as her birthday is on Tuesday, I only have the foot to do so heres hoping I can tick those off my 'to finish' list which unfortunately seems to be growing (note to self: must stop starting things!!)

My little sister is 23 today, I hope she has a great day as I know our birthdays are always tinged with a bit of sadness, as our mother is no longer here to celebrate with us, it must be hard for my sister as she was only 18 when mum died, but that being said she is a very strong person and copes very well probably a lot better than me sometimes.

Anyway I must go and deliver my goodies to the school and get ready for the fun of the fair.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Bendigo Woollen Mills Are Having A Sale


Bendigo Woollen Mills are having a sale and the big bargain buy would be the huge 25% off 8ply Classic a 100% machine washable pure wool,a 200 gram ball is now available for only $8.00. So yes as you can see my stash has been enhanced and as the sale doesn't end until 16th December there will be plenty of time to place another order I am sure. Janelle would like one of those trendy aviator hats so that is what I have in mind to do make with this wool.

On the knitting front I am still knitting the hackey sacks and I am up to the heel on the second sock for my friends birthday, I hope to have the socks finished this weekend but as usual around here our weekends are quite hectic and what I have planned and what actually happens are two entirely different matters.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Hackey Sacks

The kids school fair is coming up and Ashley is entering the peddlars parade, he is not quite sure what he wants to go as but he knows what he wants to sell, hackey sacks. Sure I said and went on a search for free patterns, there were a few for balls and bean bags so I knitted quite a few unsuccessful samples

So after scrapping all the samples I decided to sit down and together with the kids help who knew exactly the shape and size needed I started experimenting and finally ended up with these.

I used 8ply yarn from my leftover stash pile and knitted them on 3mm needles, and they are stuffed with bear pellets which I purchased from a craft store. The increase rows require a bit of patience but once they are done it is all garter stitch, oh and one more thing I wouldn't knit these on plastic needles that might easily break as there seems to be a fair bit of strain on the needles, I used my trusty old tortoise shells. The fair isn't until the 18th of this month so I still have a little bit of time left to make some more, I am also working on another pair of opal socks for a friends birthday on the 22nd, nothing like deadlines to push me to finish things. Anyway I have written the pattern out so if you need to make something quick and easy for fairs or for something to make as stocking fillers for Christmas you can find it here or there is a link in the side bar. Any questions, feel free to ask away.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Deloraine Craft Fair

Each long weekend in November, Deloraine hosts a craft fair which by Tasmanian standards is HUGE, this year there were 14 venues scattered throughout this small country town with hundreds of exhibitors displaying and selling their wares. As Cindy mentioned on her blog each year there is one craft that seems to dominate, this year it had to be beads, they were everywhere, in bracelets, necklaces, rings, just about every possible way there is to use beads. As a knitter who only dabbles in craftwork of any other kind my eyes are constantly searching for knitting or anything related to knitting, once again I was disappointed that this area is lacking. There was a stand selling beanies and scarves but they were your very predictable styles and colours and Flinders Island Fleece had their knitting yarn for sale. I did however stumle across this:

This was on a stall which had handmade handbags and silk scarves and in the corner in a basket was some hand dyed pure wool that this crafty lady had dyed herself, there is 150grams in this hank,I am not a pink person usually but this looked yummy enough to eat and I will wear pink when teamed with black but as Janelle is definately a pink girl she will probably get something made from it. If I had no other commitments I would definately have a stall there and display 'modern knitting' in bright colours not so much to sell my wares but to let the 30,000 people who pass through this fair over the four days that knitting has definately changed and that you are only limited by your imagination and that knitting is definately more than plain old beanies and scarves. A girl can dream can't she!!!!

UPDATE ON TABBY
Unfortunately she is still missing so I think we can assume she is not coming back, thanks to all the lovely comments that everyone left regarding her.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Missing Presumed ????

About three years ago a little kitten walked through our back door and adopted us, we have cared for her ever since and she has become one of the family, but as the title suggests Tabby disappeared on Tuesday and hasn't been seen since. She would always be at the front door waiting for me whenever I had been out and as Tuesday was our Stitch and Bitch gathering I thought it strange when I returned home and she was not waiting for me. She would also wait with the kids every morning at the bus stop till their bus came, which by the way is out the front of our house, and then would sit on our fence looking down the road once the bus had come along and taken its passengers with it. It seemed to take a few minutes to register that they had gone for the day and then she would come back inside the house with me. As she has never been in the habit of wandering off I can only assume that she is no longer alive. Tabby featured unwittingly in one of my early blogging posts here It is all a bit sad and I only hope that she is at peace wherever she is and that we will all miss her very much.