One, two, three....

I'm as happy as can be....
Still sick but happy.

I finally felt up to sewing up my cardigan and I just need some buttons to complete it. I love it, I will get good use of it this winter. It is knit in Cleckheaton Country Silk 8ply.



Monday afternoon I started knitting a jumper for my grand-daughter, it was a pattern in the Patons Sugar Fairies book. I bought the book and wool from CR&K Daisy Designs (Fairy Meadow) knitting retreat. The pattern book is for Dreamtime 4ply & 8ply. I knitted a bit that night and tuesday was knitting away when I thought is didn't seem right, the pattern called for 4mm needles and 4ply yarn....well that is what I thought. It was 8ply yarn...no wonder it didn't seem right. Ripped it all back and looked for another pattern in the same book. Decided on "Caitlin" which needs 4ply and away I went. Thursday saw the finish of this lovely cardigan, it even has a crochet edge, which I don't really do crochet, so I had to google instructions and it is all done and it looks really pretty. I just need to get one button and it will be ready to go. I knit the body in one piece instead of all separate, and I did the sleeves in the round too, never done that before, but I have watched Shirly do it a few times, she does it on double ended needles and I wasn't going to do that, so out came two pairs of circulars, the only problem was in the size I needed I only had a 1metre and a 1.5metre circular, so it was a bit fiddley with so much length getting in the way, until.....about half way on the first sleeve I knit onto the wrong needle and only had it all on one circular, so I had it going like the magic loop?? and it worked perfectly.



At the knitting retreat I also bought enough yarn for another baby shawl (you know the one I don't need yet) Well guess what....I do need it now....happy, happy, happy. So I started it yesterday afternoon, it is a nice pattern in Patons Dreamtime 4ply.


When I finish this post I am going to find the sock yarn from Knitabulous' first yarn club and wind it into a ball and find a sock pattern from Knitting socks from the toe up and have them as a project to do when not working on the shawl. Well after I make a nice hot cup of tea.

still sick.....but still knitting

well some knitting did get done. I can't seem to shake this virus and I am convincing myself I will be fine for work tomorrow....well hopefully. How much more of coughing, blowing a runny nose and sitting on the recliner can one take, it may sound ok but you get pretty achey after 8 days let me tell you.

Here are some photos of the finished scarf for my Mum for mothers day.


I managed to finish the socks, the yarn I got at the Knitting Retreat over ANZAC weekend with CR&K Daisy Designs (Fairy Meadow). It is Regia Kaffe Fassett design Fire, knit on ONE circular needle (thanks to those who showed my how at the retreat). I made the first one with the whole ball as I wanted a longer sock, I finished with a tiny bit of yarn left, it was a bit close but it made it.(see bottom left photo) When I went to cast on for the second sock the ball of yarn didn't match up either end of the ball, I would have wasted alot of yarn to get it to stripe the same, so the decision was made, and I just started it where the yarn started. They aren't that bad and the striping is not that far out (it is out more than it seems in photo), who will notice under jeans anyway, and I like them and that is all that matters.


The grey Country Silk cardigan is waiting, waiting, waiting, for me to stitch the shoulders together and knit the bands, maybe today I will get to that. DH has gone for a ride to the Blue Mountains with friends for lunch, I just couldn't make it unfortunately.

My plan for today, wash Ruby's bed blankets (yes she is a dog and yes she has 2 quilts that she sits on one in the sun and the other she sleeps under in her bed, even in summer. Then have a look at sewing the cardigan together and maybe sort out my knitting plan for 2010 and get the patterns out and sort through some yarn to match up with patterns so they are all ready to go when I am ready to knit them. I am adding another baby shawl to the list, not that it is needed yet, but I want to be prepared as the other one took me 6 months solid knitting.

Mother's Day Scarf is off the needles...

and is blocking as I write. It is a couple of days after mothers day, but as I have been sick all through the weekend and still very sick with a bad head cold I took the extra time for finishing it.

I didn't get to see my Mum for mothers day as I was sick and don't want to spread my cold around, I am struggling with it so my mum really doesn't need it. I will try to see her over the weekend coming before her and dad go travelling around the countryside for winter.

Pattern: Luscious Lace Scarf by Knitting Pixie Design
Yarn: Flinders Island Fleece Pure Merino 2ply
Needles: Addi Turbo 2.5mm circular
Time: approx. 2weeks.
The pattern is a lace weight which must be around a 4ply and knitted on 3.25mm. I used a 2ply with 2.5mm needles and cast on the same as per pattern and knitted 30 repeats instead of the stated 15 repeats, as it wasn't long enough at 15 repeats. 30 repeats maybe a bit too long as when blocked it is 6ft long.
I have for a while now wanted time to be home to catch up on some things, but the only time I can get time off at home is when I am sick and we all know that it is impossible to do much if anything while sick. I have been pushing myself though, in between resting, coughing, blowing my nose, sipping hot lemon and honey etc etc.

I got out the book Socks from the toe up and managed to turn the heel on one circular needle, not that the instructions were for one needle, but I managed it and I am now on the leg length.

Now that I have worn myself out by doing this post, I am heading back to the lounge for some more much needed rest and a hot lemon and honey drink.

What a wonderful weekend

The weather was just great for riding down the coast.... a whole 823.5ks rode on the weekend, and yes my wrists are sore, that is probably more from all the knitting I have been doing than the riding.

I love the ride down through Ulladulla, Bateman's Bay, Cobargo, then over Browns Mtn through Bemboka, Nimmitabell and Cooma, it was 14 degrees when we arrived just before 4pm. We had a two hour 'happy hour', beer, wine, bubbly, nibblies and then shower ready for dinner at the Ex-servicemen's club Cooma.

Sunday morning it was a crisp 3 degrees when we walked to the main street to have breakfast, it was nice as the sun was shining, with the fog hanging about the hills, the autumn leaves so thick on the main street and I love the mosaic pictures at the roundabout on the park, I forgot to take the camera to breakfast so no photos. The mosaic pictures remind me of the chalk drawings on the pavement in the Mary Poppins movie.

We then rode to Canberra through thick wet fog, which was from just out of Cooma's main street to Bredbo, then the sun shone. We rode to the War Memorial, had a very quick walk through some of the memorial, had morning tea then back on the bikes to ride to Gunning for lunch via Gundaroo, what a nice old, old town Gundaroo is, it has very nice and very old buildings, the pub looked so nice (and old). Gunning is where my dad was born, he lived in Wollongong in his teen age years and he and mum are still in the Illawarra in our family home. Some had lunch at the pub and some of us had lunch at the Merino Cafe, I have been there before with DH and it is very nice. There are some old shops with old things in them, a nice little gift type of shop and some cafes which were open today (sunday). I love the autumn colours and the main street of Gunning was spectacular, with yellows through to ruby reds, the leaves are just amazing. I love autumn. We rode the old Hume Highway back through Breadalbane to the now Hume Highway which was a nice but bumpy ride. It was nice with all the leaves over the road and as we rode through they seem to dance and tumble all over the road. I guess being the old road it doesn't have much traffic we passed 2 cars on the way and it is about 33ks from Gunning back to the highway.

Top photos: left - DH behind his bike. right - my bike.
Middle photos: left - Australia's White House (Parliament House old (in front) and new(at rear)where all those big children play. - A tree in Gunning's main street
Bottom photos: left - Tree's main street Gunning. right - DH laying in gutter fixing my loose pipes (main street Gunning) - gotta love him.

I haven't done any knitting since thursday night, and not sure if I will be awake long enough to do any tonight, I am pretty tired.

I have some photo's of some of the places we were today along with the socks I learnt to knit on 1 circular needle last weekend and a scarf I am hoping to finish for my Mum for Mothers Day it is the Luscious Lace Scarf and I am using the 2ply Merino I bought a few years back at a Knitters Guild camp. It is a Tasmanian Merino of which the company now operate out of Canberra (Canbra) and I can't remember the name.

Blogger is not playing nice and won't upload my photos, so I will try later to get uploaded.