cosy

when I am not working, knitting or parenting I do other things...I garden, trawl Ravelry, google for the cat version of Supernanny ("why does my cat come into my bed at 3 am and bite me? how do I put him into timeout when his claws are embedded in my thigh?") bake (I'm getting my baking mojo back, now that I'm planning a new kitchen) and experiment with "other crafts"

this last week I have "mostly been making" cushions - out of the wool blankets I brought back from the cottage, and I'm very happy with the results - cuddly, cosy and soft, a nice new look for the lounge, and as Flash said "I like it when you make things for our house" awwwwwww!

The labels are saved from over the years - a friend's fashion range label, the school badge I designed when the kids were at primary school, the labels from the blankets themselves, odd bits and pieces which felt right.

now I just have to finish making some draught excluders from some leftover bits of blanket and a couple of thrifted swannies and then winter...bring it on!

Friday round up

last night I'm in the car ready to take Blaise to her belly dancing class (along with Pilates and Ballet) all very good for the congenital spinal stuff as they all build core strength, I always wonder that if we had known about Blaise's condition earlier would we have expected as much from her? is her inate core strength and mental toughness the result of just having to get up and do it? but that is for another time, so my Mama phones...she is in Hobart...at the wool shop..."there's some Gragnisco...something" yes Mum, I like the Bambi... "hmm, no Bambi, theres Jo Sharp...can you get Jo Sharp?" yes Mum...mostly, oh what about georgette, do they have the silk georgette? "(calls to assistant) do you have silk georgette?" and then proceeds to describe the colours to me...I say, Mum I have a couple of balls of light grey, do they have the mauve-y grey there? I mean, I freak out enough (inside) when yarn shopping, so much to choose from, how much to buy? and now I have someone putting the pressure on and I'm NOT EVEN THERE!!! I am laughing so much, poor Blaise is hearing only half the conversation - but figures it out quickly... "Zara? what about Zara?" yes Mum I love the Zara!

Txt this afternoon..."found the bambi"

I love my Mum.

proof of Frasier's addiction...I hid the good stuff...so he is making do with the cheap crack

I am constantly discovering more reasons why I love Ravelry...yesterday I uploaded a lot of my free patterns to my Ravelry store, finally they are (mostly) all in one place, also seeing the interpretaions of my designs is wonderful - in particular a delicious variation of the Fairytale dress...so pretty!

Knit Rangers is growing like topsy, we had a fantastic meetup last sunday, and are planning occasional meetups at Dida in Herne Bay - as the "irregular winos" (so named for the location and the infrequency of meetings)

Knitting news:

1 x ribbing raglan sweater with interesting raglans is in the making (made the body up to the armhomes - just starting a sleeve)

3 x linen washclothes finished, more to come, (even more if I can find those cones that Frasier took off with)

1 x size 2 spirited jacket 1/2 test knitted by my good self (not that I can ever find the mistakes in my own instructions - too close to home) just the sleeves to go.

3 x patterns on the drawing board (no knitting yet) and more trying to eat their way out of my brain...

we are finally getting a touch of rain, the garden desperately needs it, should be a good weekend to curl up with the knitting and a movie.

Friday round up

today I give thanks;

to Frasier for not running off with all of my linen yarn ( just 3 cones, and probably 8 reels of silk sewing thread - he thinks my sewing thread rack is a self-service toy rack) he does have impeccable taste though...only natural fibres for our boy.

to Telecom (phone line) and Telstra (broadband) for getting my "contractor cut phoneline" back up and running within 56 hrs despite themselves - because, yes of course while I am sitting at my laptop at 9 am, my phones are busy plotting to die and take the phone line out with them - of course it's all my fault or the fault of some communication device within my household...absolutely nothing to with the guy digging down the street...except that it was, and altough it took me 5 minutes to figure out (and TELL THEM) they had to do a whole investigation, blame one another, blame me, and investigate again... and finally phone me to tell me that they had discovered the cause and had rectified it...

to Noro for hiding an amazingly large amount of purple inside the skeins of silk garden lite that I thought were pink, silver grey and charcoal...and I didn't buy them online, I actually held them in my hands and saw no purple (I didn't go pawing through the skein, I will in future)In the end I knitted a wee baby gymslip out of the yarn as I couldn't bear to wear that much purple. I am so happy with the end result, especially the pleats, that I am knitting it in a natural grey tweed as well, for relief.

to Donna, my dear newlywed friend in Sydney - for the SMOOSHY!! it's beautiful Donna, when I've stopped snuggling it it will be Nutkin socks for me. I haven't got a picture of the fortune cat (he is guarding the fridge downstairs) but he is so cute!

to the wonderful test knitters who have helped me so much with getting the Liam and Nikau patterns out there, your words of encouragement (and constructive criticism) have been gratefully accepted.

a week out and forty is still feeling fine, feeling grown up (finally), feeling stronger and more sure of herself, feeling like less can touch her, feeling happy in her skin.

but wait! - there's more.

Liam - the pattern beloved of many, is now available from my website for $5.00 Australian (with a bonus pants pattern) , yes it is a digital download .pdf, I wish that I had the knowledge and wherewithall to publish my patterns in hardcopy, but I don't - maybe I'll look into it further when I have more of these things out of my head, down on paper and test-knitted!

This weekend the Knit Rangers hope to have the honour to be graced with the presence of Miss E. Clair herself, with a bit of luck (vomiting children and flooding notwithstanding) she will be available from 2-4pm at The Packing Shed 99 Parr's Cross rd, Oratia (that's behind Henderson - otherwise known as Hendo...the home of Outrageous Fortune)

I'm going to the zoo!

you can come too - but you'll have to pay, and I may go tomorrow, and the next day, and saturday is always a good zoo day...

I turned forty yesterday...for-ty, 40, the big four-oh...hmmm doesn't feel much different, and among the wonderful gifts I received was a real treasure - Blaise, my child who listens, gave me an annual zoo pass, I can go anytime I like for free, I can get into my car at 2.10 pm after work and drive 10 minutes down the road and be at the zoo before 2.30, every day if I choose, I can sit in quiet reverie with the elephants, I can knit with keas, I can powerwalk past the red pandas.

The day itself was a dream, Waitangi Day - New Zealand Day our National day, a holiday. Flash created and delivered a gourment BBQ menu, the girls waited on everyone, Charlotte was the kid wrangler, Maria the waitress, Blaise the barmaid, the weather was exquisite Indian summer.

So - 40...I have a fantastic life, I am married to the man of my dreams, my children and extended family are very nice people to be around, we have a comfortable home and the freedom to come and go as we please,we travel to exciting places, my overwhelming passion for making is pandered to with a lovely studio, and I find my day job very fulfilling. I count my blessings every day, but yesterday I counted them 40 times.

(I wanted to put up one of the beautiful photos I have of the kids having fun in the pool yesterday - but thanks to all of those ickky weirdos out there this is the best I can do)

Friday round up

the holiday is over, despite the incredible summer we are having it is now February and time to get back to work, time for regular friday round ups again. I'm sorry for my slackness, I offer a few excuses.

- I am hot, tired and grumpy - I'm thinking "how did I cope with this heat in Sydney?" oh that's right they don't have the 99% humidity that we have here. Flash is forgiven for buying that portable aircon unit.

- in-laws visited, need I say more? ok well I won't out of respect for my husband.

- Ravelry - I check in, see what you guys are up to, add my WIPs, comment a bit...and forget to blog.

- my job, I love my job - but there are parts I struggle with in a "social policy" kind of way, can't say any more than that.

Ok, that's the bits that are slowing me down, on the other hand I am enjoying the quiet and lack of mess and housework in my life at present since Maria moved in with her boyfriend (breathe Justine) and Charlotte went flatting with a friend from tech. Blaise and I are spending a lot of time together, browsing bookstores and drinking coffee - loving this bonding time, I've never had her all to myself before.

there has been knitting:

- I'm working on a trio of little girly things - the theme is "cherries", I've finished the first, the second is on the needles, the third still only on paper, each is very different from the next - but the cherries unite them.

- the second sidewinder sock is still sitting in my bag, I have started it though.

-I'm halfway through a little pile of washcloths, using the elegant Linnet yarn, I love knitting this yarn, it is harsh but I know that when it hits the water it will be like silk, it is so cool to knit in this heat, and I feel so connected with a simplicity of life and a need to make utilitarian objects. I cast on 30 sts, work 50 rows garter st, 4 rows stst, then 4 rows garter st and cast off, then sew a lenth of linen ribbon along the stst section, ending with a little loop.

The ribbon is my favourite.

- Knit Rangers this sunday! click the link for more details.

- damn I missed my 3rd bloggiversary

- yes the cat is fine, still OCD but gorgeous.