Baby stuff

So I finally got around to photographing the nursery walls that hubby and his dad did while I was away. They did a great job I think.



It's very bright but in a good way I think.


I have also finished my little nieces cardigan that I knit for her. Unfortunately having looked after her on Saturday night I can say that it's going to be too small not long after she gets it. So... plan B is Im going to make the largest size and put the first one into the "I know so many people who are pregnant Im sure one of them will have a girl" basket.




Im going to weave the ends in tonight at knitting (unless I cant be bothered then I'll knit instead).

Playing Catch up

I figured since I have a day without too much housework I'd catch up on the projects I've been working on. I have written a list of birthdays between now and New Years that I will need to make things for as well as Christmas. Now to see if I make the deadlines :)

Im knitting the Waterfall Scarf with 1 skein of ribbon yarn (sorry I lost the ball band) that I picked up in Yarns on Collie. It was the last ball they had so it was marked down (gotta love a bargain) and it's in my Aunts colours so it's for her birthday at the end of the month. Im on target for that one, it's nearly 3/4 done!


It's a lot more burnt orange than this but no matter what I do with the colours in the picture I cant get it right.

I've also started a scarf for my friend who's birthday is at the beginning of December. This one is going to take a little longer but now I have my Knit Picks Interchangables (dont you love Tapestry Craft's sales!) I can take it on the bus/train with me so that adds to the knitting time. I feel funny about knitting on straights on public transport. I always feel like Im getting in someones way even if Im not. Im using the Twisted Pride from Blue Moon Fiber Arts that I ordered when I had to get another skein for my vest. I love the way this yarn is knitting up, I was a little worried when I balled it up from the skein because it looked a little like a fairy had thrown up. I've based the scarf off of the Dulce pattern which is a herringbone stitch with a garter stitch boarder to stabilise the edges.




The 3rd thing on my needles at the moment is a Pinwheel baby blanket which Im just doing when I need a change or Im between projects. It was my travel project until the needles arrived and I could work on the scarf. Im onto the second ball and I think it's going to need at least 2 more. Im using machine washable 8ply from the Wangaratta Woolen Mills. I have about 3 skeins of it and it matches the Colour 4 Me yarn I have in my stash so Im going to say that's what it is. The skeins had been tangled and were a little difficult to ball up but that's why it's so cheap to buy.

On the non knitting front I have 2 cross stitches on the go. 1 for my Mum for Christmas and the other secret one that I started a while ago which I'll tell you about once it's finished, framed and gifted. It's a big one so it will be a while.

Normally I also make a few tree decorations but I think they will get put to the "in between other projects" spot this year. I finally finished the last of last year's bells last week.

I've also finished about 90% of the Christmas gift tags I was making, they are all put together but some still need glitter. I'll write the name of the person on them in glitter also once Im up to the wrapping up stage.

Its been a while

I have been busy so there hasn't been much time for blogging. I have been knitting, just not the projects I should/want to have been working on. I have made 3 (nearly 4) pair of fingerless and stubby fingered gloves for a friends work mates who have been freezing with the gas restrictions. They paid for them and the money went to charity so the karma is there at least. As a result of being a good citizen I failed at the Ravelympics because I only got about half (ok just under) of the back of Sienna done. See:









I did find some nice buttons for it though which has motivated me to start working on it again. My Solo is still where it was last time I showed you and will be until I finish Sienna because I will get more use out of that over the coming months I think.



Ive made a cute little cotton hat for a friends little girl who lives in Singapore (hence the cotton) because she tells me the only one she has is the one I made her when she was born and its now too small. I figured doing a 2x2 rib would let it fit her cute little head a little longer and I'll make her a nice warm one for her birthday and when she treks back to Perth in winter. (Yes Perth winter can get cold in the evenings and especially if your from Singapore)




On the non knitting side of things Ive been card making. I think I have enough cards for most of the upcoming birthdays and fathers days but have to make a couple of boy ones. The girl ones are just so much easier to make.




I started my Christmas tags, from the stuff I bought last year in the sales. They have some glitter glue on them now which makes them a little less plain and a little more christmasy.

I covered some little note books (they are about half A5 size) which I think are very cute. And yes one of the cards is made with the same paper as the brown one - on purpose.

And... I have started queuing a bunch of baby stuff over on Ravelry since, well, Im going to be having one I want it dressed in nice hand made stuff when ever I can.

Playing catch up

No photos today, hopefully I can put some up tonight or tomorrow.

Ive been busy knitting gloves from the Alpaca that was sent to me. Ive made 2 pair of black ones and am about 2/3 through the first glove of the next pair which are beige. They are so much easier to knit at night. I still have one more pair to make after these ones then Ive done the ones I committed to making.

All other projects are now on hold while I attempt to knit my Sienna Cardigan before the Olympics closing ceremony ends. Yes for those who know about it Im participating in the 2008 Ravelympics for Team Oz! I knit a whole ball on Saturday over at Spider_Knit's place. We both had other commitments on Friday so had a breakfast knit in at her place on Saturday to watch the replay.

They did WHAT!!!!!

My hubby got home from work today to discover we had been broken into. Thankfully it doesn't look like anything sentimental or non-replaceable has been taken.... but

The bastards touched my knitting!!!! They went through my knitting bag and in the process pulled out my dpn's from the glove Im working on. AND I discovered my vest thrown across the craft room and Im not allowed to touch it to see what damage has been done, it's still attached to the ball.

*rant incoming*

I can get over them tossing everything in my bedroom - it's expected when your broken into - not nice, but expected. I can even get over the fact that they have left a trail of glass around the house (making it easier to see where they went), but I can not forgive touching my craft stuff that I've spent so many hours on. It's just rude!

*end of rant*

Love & Hate

I feel very spoilt, even though I dont get to keep this... the ANZ knitting group in Victoria received 300 (yes 300) balls of alpaca which was donated for them to knit up into items for the annual winter appeal fund raiser. Last year we raised $15,000.00 so this year we are obviously aiming higher. Im getting 12 of those lovely balls of alpaca to knit up into mittens or hats or what ever takes my fancy and to send back. I have 4 balls each of black, brown and beige coming my way.

Have I told you how much I loved knitting with alpaca yet? No? Well I do, it feels soft and warm and fluffy.

Oh and I hate working in the city on school holidays, I went out to get some lunch and feel like Ive run the gauntlet on Gladiators.

This week is going to be particularly slack work wise too, not that I dont have a lot of work on... Im flat out. Tomorrow Im volunteering at the Anglicare WA annual knit in come join us if you have time.

Gifted Finished Objects

I really will get this up to date one day (probably not this week though). I've finished and gifted 2 projects this week. One I know has been received and is being loved by my mate J who now has warm hands, the other was received with a confused but happy look.

I made a pair of Dashing for my friend who lives in cold wintry Melbourne, he tells me he loves them, my hubby is modeling them here for us, you cant really see all the detail in them because they are so black.

I am really seriously considering making a pair for myself but dont think I have enough of the alpaca left over so will make a pair of Fetching instead but make them a little longer.

The other project were these anklets for my SIL who, when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday replied anklet socks. I thought, excellent I can knit her a pair from my stash, she loves pink and I have some cotton/wool blend sock yarn in my stash. My Grandma was there when the SIL opened them and was so proud of me (she hasnt seen the first pair of socks I made yet which while nice are a little big for me). She's a knitter and attempted to teach me knitting when I was a kid.

Again, I love this pattern so much Im actually going to make myself a pair out of the other ball of sock yarn (since I anticipated making socks I bought 2 balls and these only take 1 with left overs for the size 7's for my SIL).

What am I doing at the moment??? I have a couple of things on the go. My vest is still where it was last time I told you about it. Im embroidering some slipper type shoes for a friend for a costume, they need to be done by Friday and Im about half way through.

Im also making a random basket weave type scarf from 3 colours. I picked up 4 balls of Cleckheaton Country 8ply at Spotlight Cannington last Monday. In the store they looked like 2 different shades of the same toning in green, a mossy green which I really liked. When I got them home, out of the fluro lighting I discovered that one of the colours was a lovely mossy green and the other was more of a blue/mint green. So now I had 2 balls of each colour which didnt go together. I rummaged through the stash and came up with 2 balls of a burgundy which actually works with the other 2 colours.