Lost WIP and found again

I decided to take the bag Donni made me a long while ago to SNB on Saturday, as I was only going for a while and meeting up with DH and going to Sydney on the bike. (Leaving mine at home and going on his), I didn't want to be carrying too much. I had the other bike seat and sissy bar in my car boot, (the seat used most of the time is not that good for a pillion). I had my leather jacket, helmet and boots along with a bag with an extra long sleeve t-shirt, bandana etc. Off I go to SNB and then he rings and says the other guys wife isn't going did I still want to go. He and another guy were working out the run for our Midnight to Dawn ride on 8 March, we start the ride at midnight, ride all night with a couple of stops for drinks etc, then we will watch sunrise from Stanwell tops then ride down to Wollongong for breakfast opposite the harbour, then home for some much needed sleep, it is always a great, fun night. (I have been know to be seen sleeping beside my bike in a carpark at some of the stops). NO, NO, NO, I will stay at SNB, much more fun as I had been riding on friday night, and was going to have a LOH ride today, too much riding in one weekend, especially when SNB is on.

So back to the bag. I got it off the doorhandle and I found a blue colour baby jumper I obviously had been knitting in Shepherd Pipkin. Just needs the sleeves done then stitch together. When the hell was I knitting this, I just can't remember, but it is almost done none, just need to stitch the sides up and get a couple of buttons and put on.

The other thing I started on Saturday is a top down baby cardigan, very nice, doing that in Panda Crinkles, pink and mauve in colour. Love these quick knits.

Got up early this morning, and went for a ride (LOH - Ladies of Harley), we had a great ride to Mulgoa in western sydney, near the base of the blue mountains, had morning tea there, yummy, I had a creaming soda spider (soft drink with ice cream) and raisin toast. Then we road to Berrima in the southern highlands and had lunch at the pub, they had a pretty good country music two man band out the front playing. Then road home along the tourist road from Bowral to the top of Macquarie Pass then down the mountain and soon home.

When we got home we got stuck into mowing the lawn then DH help #1 son with his car, by this time it was nearly 8pm. Pizza for dinner, I get a bit lazy after a pretty full on weekend. Nearly ready for bed.

Photos of hopefully finished baby jumper and cardigan next post.

Stash busting

I started another pair of Tofutsie socks with another limited edition colourway, blue, black and white. Not happy Jan.....I pulled the yarn out from the centre of the ball to get started and guess what I had a knot, yep a bloody knot a few metres into the ball, not happy at all. You pay $25 for a ball of yarn, and I don't expect to have a knot, not in the whole ball. I expect to get a full ball of yarn and NO joins. But back the real world or slackness of things in the world, and you get KNOTS.

Anyway got the shits with that and put it down, got it out the next day or so and started the sock, messed up the pattern, it is a naughts and crosses cable pattern, I crossed instead of naughting, so ripped back to beginning.

I then checked out the lovely green cane basket of yarn I won last year at CR&K Daisy Design's knitting camp at Mt Keira Scout Camp, which has one ball of alot of lovely different types of yarn, knitters heaven, and got out a few balls, got onto Ravelry and checked out what people had made with the yarns, then found a headband pattern for one ball, and it happens to be on knitty.com this time it is the "Quant" headband. It is an entralac pattern, bonus for me as I have always wanted to try that type of pattern, and it really suits the Noro Silk Garden yarn. I myself have always thought that Noro was a bit rough to feel, but it was really nice to knit. It only took 2 nights and a quick finish off on the I-cord the next morning to finish it.

Another yarn in the basket was Shepherd Pipkin, I had two balls of the same colour, and knitted it into a child's hat, it will probably be for the Guardian charity knitting that goes to Mongolia and similar countries.

So now I am back on the tofutsie socks, just on the band at the moment.

4th time lucky or commonsense kicked in

I had tried the pattern on the Nikau jumper 3 times and it just wasn't working, I pulled it back and thought about it and did it again, and still was the same as before. I thought I would do the sleeves and wait until my 'every other tuesday knitting group night' and see if they could help me, which I am sure they all would have been able to. But because of the rain we had all monday night and most of tuesday, most roads were flooded or not very safe to drive on, so I took DH & #1 son's advice and didn't venture out that night.

I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't get to knitting, so I cast on for the sleeves, I finished the sleeves last night and was going to start on the pants, but as it was late I went to bed instead. Today is an accrued leave day off for me, so what do I do when I first get up, I eat breakfast, then sit on the lounge and rip back the front pattern again. I was going to do a big heart pattern, then I had another look at the picture, looked at the pattern and 'lights on' I figured it out. So 2 hours later I am still on the lounge in my p.j's and have finished the 44 rows of pattern, yahoo.... and it looks very pretty.

My plan for today was to get into DH's wardrobe and have a big, big, big cleanout while he is at work. So I will post here then try and figure out how to add this knit to Ravelry and then go put some dye in my hair and start on that wardrobe. Later today I will try and get the front of the jumper done, then I can start on the hood.

On Tuesday because we had water coming under the front door from the rain hitting it all night, then it was soaking through the floor boards onto the ceiling below which I might add is fairly new gyprock and freshly painted, bugger, it is now water stained. But I don't think many people escaped some kind of water drama over the last few days around here, I had to take the day off work to keep mopping up water. As the rained eased off a bit in the afternoon #1 son and daughter in-law convinced me to come along with them to the ultrasound. It is only the 13 week ultrasound, but I was so excited to see the baby, the next one is in March at 19 weeks, they are hoping to be able to find out if it is a boy or girl then, I can't wait, I will be at 'CR&K Daisy Design' at Fairy Meadow (Daisy Street) getting the appropriate colour.

New things

I am going to pick up my new sewing machine today, Spotlight have 50% off all patterns, so I will get some nice baby patterns while I am there and maybe some material for some blankets and bibs. My first sewing machine also a Janome I bought when I was pregnant (over 28 years ago) with son #1, it has done alot of work. With a new baby on the way I thought it was time for a new machine.

I finished the back of the baby hooded jumper last night, I started it wednesday night, didn't pick it up on thursday night, but made up for lost time last night, I have casted on the front and knitted 8 rows this morning. Not much knitting will get done today as we have DH's aunties 60th birthday tonight and have to travel to western Sydney, it only takes about one and a half hours, it will be a late night though getting home (and I will be driving home).

Here are my entries in the Kiama Show last weekend with their winning cards and notes. 1st prize Christening Gown with a small note attached saying "use flat buttons", I have half round white pearl buttons which I might add look lovely, I guess they are thinking of when the baby lays down on the buttons. Well after all it is a christening gown, how long do baby's actually lay on their backs at their christening, not long as too many people are wanting to hold them. And the black Irish Hiking Scarf (I love cables) it won 2nd place in its category, it also had a small note attached with "beautiful" written on it.