Jumper all done....

and I am very happy with the way it turned out, just hope it fits OK. I will know next weekend when we visit.

I am going to have to rinse it as I must not have rinsed the yarn enough when dyeing as the darker border yarn did turn my fingers purple while knitting. I just have to remember if I use vinegar in the rinse to stop it from running. I did the 6 - 12 month sizes in number of stitches but the 1 - 2 year size in the lengths.

I have started a plain stocking stitch cardigan for my self from stash (not old stash) in Country Silk in the dark grey colour, it will go with most or any colour I wear. It is coming along nicely, at first I thought this plain knitting isn't growing very quickly but after 2 days since starting it I am just past the armhole cast off on the back, so not too bad. Although I am finding that all this plain knitting is making my wrists ache, not sure why that would be, maybe that few seconds longer for pattern stitches is enough rest for the wrists while knitting.

Had a great Easter away with DH and friends, 5 days away from home is a pretty good break from normal everyday stuff and it was nice and green, so nice to see they are getting some rain out south west.

Next weekend we will be visiting #1 son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter, we can't wait until Thursday after work when we fly up there.

The beanies were really well received at the place I sent them, they were in their own words "blown away" by the beanies made with such care and love. They like the fact that there were different patterns, colours etc used as the homeless are individuals like us, and as they said it is the small things that matter. So you know me, even though I have a hectic knitting plan this year, I am thinking of different patterned beanies I can make and send in the near future. I will keep to my knitting plan too, I am a few weeks ahead of schedule with my knitting. Who knows by the end of 2010 I may be able to see the floor in my craft/computer room.

I am trying a new outlook on my housework this weekend, usually I bust myself up about doing a bit each night eg. dust monday night, clean kitchen tuesday, bathrooms wednesday, you get the idea, well it never seems to work and if I get behind, I think well there is next monday, tuesday or whatever. So now I am going to try doing all the housework on the saturday that DH is at work, I think it will work pretty well as with just the 2 of us at home now we don't seem to make much mess....well I don't make much mess...you know what DH's are like.....don't know how to close doors, toilet lids etc etc. And this new plan will leave time then just to dust over floors and tidy as I go through the week and have time to sit and relax and no more busting myself up over not feeling like doing housework each night after work.

This morning I have alreay nearly washed all the washing and hung it out, I have written all our addresses into a new address book, this time in pencil as the old one was such a mess with so many family/friends moving, changing phone numbers etc. and now updating my blog, then I will go dust and vacuum for the next lot of housework to do. Hopefully all will get done before DH gets home around 2pm and I can sit and knit. The only temptation is each time I went out to the clothes line I was tempted to pull some weeds and get stuck into getting the vegetable patch ready for winter plantings. I have to stop myself from gardening this morning until all housework done. Gee this is going to be hard for me.

Stash busting continues...

and it feels good.
I had not quite a full ball of Shepherd 3ply pink pure baby wool, so I got out the good old and I mean old (vintage) bootees book by Paragon and did the 'Fairyweb' bootees, still had wool left so I started on the 'Lullaby' bootees, when I had finished them I still had a bit of wool left, was pretty sure it wasn't enough for another pair of bootees so I did a pair of 'Pretty Pair' slippers from the same pattern book. I had some wool left but not enough to really do anything else. The 2 pairs of bootees can go towards my knitting for Albion Park Show. Gotta love stash busting especially when it is going towards show knitting. Knitting plan going well at the moment.

I started on a jumper for my grand-daughter, I am still waiting for her parents to measure her, but I don't think they have a tape measure, which I will rectify when we visit in April. I am knitting the 'Lacy Sweater' from the Zoe Mellor 'adorable knits for tots' book. Seeing as I haven't got her measurements I started to knit the 1 - 2 years (she is 20months) as I was doing the border I realised that it seemed as if it was going to be too wide, so I decided to do the 6-12months (yes she is tiny), as I was knitting up the back I wasn't sure if it was going to be long enough, so I am knitting the 6-12months size in width and the 1-2years in the length. I am hoping it will fit. Time will tell in a few weeks when we see her. I am knitting it in the yarn I dyed last year at Knitters Camp (only about 5 weeks to this year's camp). It is a really nice and easy knit. I am not sure that I like the reversed stocking stitch though, it should look better on the front with the flower pattern.


The weeks are just rolling into each other with lightening speed or so it seems for me. I think it is because we plan our lives so far in advance that the days just seem to fly by. Maybe I should give away diary's, list and anything that makes time seem to just fly quickly by.

Another week goes by....

A busy and sad week in the house this week. An uncle of DH was killed in a car accident early hours of Monday morning on his way to work, he had 4 children aged 32 down to 24, they are around our boys ages, he was 61. Life sometimes is so unpredictable. And we always say we should live life to the fullest, but we forget until something like this happens.

The day after I had my 'every other Tuesday knitting group', I love this time of an evening knitting with some really special people. I decided even though it was a sad time that I was going to celebrate and I took along a bottle of champagne, nice champagne by Brown Brothers, Zibibo Rose, just beautiful. They asked what we are celebrating, I said I wish I could tell you I have won lotto, but I haven't yet, I said we are celebrating breathing and being alive. We toasted to breathing, living, friends, good times, bad times, knitting and whatever else life is made up of. It was a good night. We drank it early in the night so we were OK to drive home a couple of hours later.

I organised today (friday) off as DH is off this weekend (3 days), we were going to go for a ride for lunch today, but then he had to work today, Oh well there are other days to ride. We have the funeral tomorrow and then we are going up to stay with #2 son Tim and Abby for the weekend. Tim will finish work around 5pm so we shall be there by the time he gets home.

On the knitting front this week, it has been a bit slow, didn't feel like doing any or anything on Monday, but I did manage to finish last night another pair of 8ply socks for the Aussie Troops in Afghanistan and I have started on a pair of pink bootees, the bootess can go towards the Albion Park Show knitting for 2011 and it is another stash buster. All my knitting of late is stash busting except for the Indian Summer knitting.


Last Saturday I did some sewing, I did the aprons for myself and Aahliyah. I had enough for 3 aprons, I originally was doing 2 for me and 1 for Aahliyah of the leftovers. I decided that I would give one to Kristen, then thought well if I give one to Kristen then I will give one to Abby, so we now all have 1 apron each. I will give Abby hers on the weekend and Kristen and Aahliyah their aprons when we fly up there in 4 weeks.


I took a picture of a Rose from my garden, I have about 25 or so rose bushes they all have a beautiful smell to them, so I do smell the roses each day they are out.

Halley's Comet Hat's

It's friday, and you gotta be happy about that - I am even more happier as I am having the day off work (accrued leave - can have 2 days each month - YAHOO! - and I do try to). DH is at work, next friday he will be home and then every other second friday I will be having off with him till the end of year except for 3, which will be great, we can probably go for a ride and have lunch in some nice places. He gets every 2nd friday, saturday, sunday off. Sometimes my work commitments don't allow the same day off together. I dyed my hair, a bit darker than normal, and wouldn't you know it, while my hair is looking - well you know how it would have been looking, the doorbell rings and it's the postal delivery guy, damn I hate that, but anyway I made his day by having to answer the door and sign for the delivery. He will probably appreciate whoever else he sees today a bit better after seeing me so scary looking.

I found a nice hat/beanie pattern called Halley's Comet Hat on Ravelry, it knits very nice. I have done 2 for the homeless bringing my total to 10. I have about 40 other beanies that 2 other women have knitted as well.

This week I also knit a baby beanie to go with a jumper for a christening. Knitted in Big Baby from stash, gotta love this stash busting.

Just as I though I had a grip on my stash busting, Donyale emailed me and asked if I wanted yarn she is re-homing, and naturally I said yes. The other weekend I called around to her place and collected a big, I mean big plastic stripe bag (you know they type I mean) full of lovely yarns, knitting needles (which some I have made use of this week)which I will be using for more charity knitting throughout the year. Thanks so much.

I made a very big list of what I intend to knit this year, I even put in what dates I would start and finish each item - pretty stupid I know, but I am a head of schedule at the moment. I am going to have a go at putting the list in my side bar. Maybe that will keep me on track.

I have on ongoing project of knitting a blanket with all my left over sock yarn, I have wanted to learn how to do the 'magic square' for sometime now, so searched for a pattern, found one, and have started a blanket. Not to bad, will look better as it grows I am guessing. The bright colour I am knitting now I have been thinking while knitting it that I would have enough to do grand-daughter a pair of socks, and there is some of the same colour in the yarn Donyale gave me, so I am sure I could still use some for the blanket too. I may have a look for a pattern for a 1 - 2 year old size this afternoon.

Bollywood is off the needles

and I am so happy to have finished it. It was a nice knit even if I did stuff it up on the very second row and didn't read the pattern properly (always a problem with me) and have 2 splines on my shawl, but it all worked out well. I did knit an extra 10 pattern repeats than what the pattern said as my plain knitting was a bit longer than intended by not doing the 2 splines, so I was only increasing 4 stitches on the increase row and not 6 stitches. I knit until near the end of the yarn then did the crochet cast off, very pretty.


I did finish another beanie the other night, just for a change of pace. I started the beanie for SNB last saturday as I wasn't sure how I would go knitting a lace pattern while trying to talk, listen, eat etc that we do at SNB, but I did pretty well at it and didn't make any mistakes and didn't need to take the beanie out and knit on it while there.


We will have a christening to go to on Easter Sunday, I found I had a knitted baby jumper just plain knitting in a varigated blue, white yarn, so I am doing a beanie to go with it, I may do some mittens and socks/bootees, but not sure yet.

Then my plan is to get onto knitting something for my grand-daugher, we are flying up to visit them in mid April and would like to have something done for her for winter. I got a pattern book by Zoe Mellor "adorable knits for tots" with some very nice things in it, so will probably do something from that book.

I have tried to contact Just Enough Faith in Sydney so we can organise to drop off the beanies for the homeless so they can give them out on their nightly food van. I haven't heard back and when I googled them, I found some stories of how the owner had been gambling the money (he had used his own money for many years to feed the homeless nightly) he had got from donations, and I don't think they are still going, the website is still there. I will have to look for another charity that will give all the beanies to the homeless in Sydney.

Bollywood Shawl & Beanies

I have now finished 7 beanies for Just Enough Faith in Sydney.


On Wednesday night I wound the skein of Knitabulous yarn from the Indian Summer Group for the Bollywood Shawl. It wound very easily, no dye on my hands, and sat down to start the shawl. With very fine yarn and 3mm needles it is going to be slow going. After 2 nights knitting I have got about 200 stitches on, I have to knit until I have 265 stitches and then the pattern begins. Maybe I will get to the pattern by Saturday at SNB.

I am having an accrued leave day today, this week I started walking in the morning early (5.45am) every second day I take Ruby for a walk with me. DH prefers to stay in bed. This morning even though it is my day off I did get up at 6am and go for a walk, came home, showered, ate breakfast outside (which I do every morning - just so relaxing), I am up to my second load of washing, I have emptied the back room wardrobe and nearly emptied the 3rd bedroom wardrobe, (putting what #1 son and family didn't take with them into 3rd bedroom wardrobe) and all our spare stuff in the back bedroom wardrobe, then will set both up as visitors rooms. I have uploaded some photos and I am now posting here and it is only 8.30am. Looks like it is going to be a very productive day.

Catching up with photos....

not that I take good photos, not sure if me, the camera or both.

The pink set is from Kiama Show, the dress won 1st place, the 3 piece set didn't get a place.

The socks are in Thorobred 8ply yarn knit, the are going to Aussie Troops in Afghanistan.

The beanies are from the yarn that DrK destashed to me, they are going to Just Enough Faith in Sydney. I have more of this lovely yarn and will be knitting some more beanies as soon as the socks are complete.

Forget to take photos

I keep forgetting to take photos of my knitting. I have made one pair of 8ply men's socks for Aussie troops in Afghanistan in a 2 x 2 rib, I knit them in Country yarn, they looked really nice, thick and warm. I made them longer than the pattern as I though that would be better, but apparently they can't show over their boots and they still have to wear their army socks over the top, so my own thoughts weren't such good ones. I am sure that they will be well worn and like anyway.

I also knitted through the week another cotton bag, a woman at work asked me if I would make her one and I said I would, so that job is out of the way. I am now on my second pair of socks for aussie troops, this time I am just doing a stocking stitch sock and to the instructions this time so they will fit how they are needed to.

I am still getting use to there being just the two of us in the house, and Ruby of course. Both boys and their families have moved, #1 son, daughter inlaw, grand-daughter have moved much further north to the NSW/QLD border near her parents who moved there last September, he has a job which he starts Monday and they found a townhouse and move there from his inlaws on Tuesday. #2 son and daughter inlaw are now back from WA and 3 hours north of home he is working with same company he was with in WA but will move to new company in March, they have just got a house and move next friday, so the house is looking a bit empty with all their worldly goods gone, I can now arrange the house the way I want to.

We have already moved our loungeroom to the back rumpus room as the air con. is there and is easy and more economical to cool/heat that area instead of 3/4 of the house just to get the main loungeroom cool/hot. I am going to sort out the other rooms and store any stuff they have left in one of the wardrobes, that way I can pack away our suitcases, blankets etc in the other room wardrobes.

We have had rain most of the past two weeks now, with a beautiful sunny day yesterday and now rain again and forecast for the next 3 days. Great knitting weather, after a bit of house work, a very small bit of house work.

Seeing as I am home along (DH at work) I am burning all my candles throughout the house, I am trying to get rid of them all as I have started to buy beeswax candles are they are healthier all round, for humans, air, and house. They are very hard to come buy here and are expensive, but I like the idea of how environmentally friendly they are and good for the air and keeping dust levels low in a house. Anything for less house work.

I will try to remember to take some photos of my knitting in future.

Kiama Show.....not happy Jan!

I put a 4ply Pink pure wool baby dress in Kiama Show which got first place. I did a 3 piece baby set (matinee jacket, bootees, bonnet) old fashioned I know but that is what the category is, it didn't get anything. It was the same pattern as the dress. As I was looking at the knitting yesterday, people were commenting on how beautiful the dress and set was.

Now for the bitch.....yeah I do it well.....and it isn't sour grapes either.

There were a couple of 3 piece sets, so I would imagine I won't be the only unhappy knitter, what came 2nd was an acrylic cardigan a headband and bootees, of which the cardigan pattern and the bootee pattern were different. I know this person from Guild. She also won the category "any other item knitted not already mentioned" which opens it up to a huge amount of different items. Well this same person won with a pair of bright yellow bed socks again acrylic yarn and to me looked machine knitted (which this person does) with multi coloured WAIT FOR IT.....'Ostrich' yarn around the top now this won first place in this huge category.......WTF were the judges thinking......who TF were the judges this year. I reckon the people who entered in these other categories and SHIT items won a few categories this year....and yes this is my opinion.....but a lot of you know my knitting too....so you know I will be fair in what I say. Now to decide whether or not I will re-join Kiama Show next year or even knit for it in 2011. That I will decide soon. As usually I would be pissed off enough to have already said I will not enter Kiama Show again....and I am true to my word.....so I will just ponder the thought for a while.

Anyway.....enough of the bitch in me.

I am off to SNB in Wollongong in a few minutes via my very very favourtie yarn store - CR&K Daisy Design in Fairy Meadow (Daisy Street), to see if they have some 3.75 addi circulars, I am now knitting the 8ply socks for our Aussie troops in Afghanistan (it gets freezing over there - I was shocked when I learnt that) and need a second pair. At the moment I am using a 3.5 and a 3.75 which there isn't much difference, the only thing is one is attached to a 1 metre length and is a bit of a pain while knitting.

I also have started to knit my left over sock yarn and I am doing it while learning the magic square to make a rug. I am not going to match squares with colours I am just going to knit until the yarn is all gone then join the next colour.

Stash busting is well under way.

I will add pictures of my show entries when I get them back tomorrow.

Show Prizes

I put 4 items in the Albion Park Show this weekend and did pretty well. I was a bit apprehensive about putting knitting in for the first time, as I felt that you had to be a long term show goer to win anything, anyway I knitted my fingers to the bones the past couple of weeks since after Christmas and started and finished a jumper for myself in Shadow Tweed, I started and finished a pair of bootees in 4ply pure wool, I started and finished a tea cosy which I totally love, I had already knitted a 3 piece baby set and I stitched it together last week.

Results were Bootees and Tea Cosy - 1st Place - $5 each; Jumper and 3 piece Baby Set - 2nd place - $3 each = $16 in total. Won't make me rich - Yet! but I do like having the certificate with 1st and 2nd written on them.

Pictures taken of my knitting while on exhibition (they are behind a cage surround so it is a bit hard to get good photos).

Show Item complete in 13 days

I have completed the jumper for myself knit for either Albion Park Show or Kiama Show. If I can pick my items up on the Monday after Albion Park Show then I will enter this jumper and other items, if not, then they will be entered in Kiama Show.

Started: Monday 28 December 2009
Finished: Sunday 10 January 2010
Patons Pattern Book "Shadow Tweed" Book 1263
Pattern: No. 13 (lucky number) Cable Yoke Sweater
Yarn: Shadow Tweed - 56% wool, 40% acrylic, 4% viscose - 133m
Colour: 6911
Needles: Addi Turbo Clicks size 7mm (pattern said 6.50mm but I didn't have any)
Amount of Yarn: 7 balls (as stated in pattern)



It was a quick knit as it is probably a 10 or 12 ply yarn, it will be a very warm jumper as it was terribly hot while knitting and having it rest on my lap. I guess you have to expect that knitting it in summer.

Wow, that went fast!

The second package for the Indian Summer Yarn Club by Knitabulous has arrived. I was laying in bed (8.30am)trying to convince myself I should get up, when I heard a car pull into the driveway, I got up and had a look, a white van was there, so I went to the front door (whick is glass)(in my pj's), it was a delivery woman from Australia Post.

I got back inside, opened the parcel and it was another lovely surprise from Knitabulous.

I must go back and tell you about the first package as I didn't blog about it. It has some really lovely green shades of yarn, some tiny bamboo needles (like toothpicks) which I am capable of breaking easily (must find another great idea for them instead of knitting), a lovely sock pattern called "Shantaram" by Knitabulous. a "Knitabulous" lip balm and some Chiradelli (spelling) chocolate, I love that chocolate, I had a fair few pieces in San Francisco last year, would love to go back there and not just for the chocolate.

This new package has another great colour yarn in purple/mauve colours....beautiful....some very nice petite stitch markers, a pin cushion, a tealight candle - smells really nice, and a "Choo Choo Bar", I love choo choo bars, they are hard to come by, they actually stopped making them some time ago, but obviously they are back in production....yahooo.....black tongue here I come....I will have to eat that sometime today.



The only regret with the Yarn Club is TIME.....I don't have enough at the moment.....yes I am still on holidays.....but with knitting for the Kiama Show heavily underway.....time is of the essence....I will have to plan to start both these in February.

Welcome 2010....

Happy New Year...........here is to be best year ever!

I stayed up and watched the fireworks in Sydney on TV last night, I did have a couple of micro sleeps while the fireworks were going on.

I am going to be more organised and busy this year with what I have planned on the knitting front.

For the last time....I AM going to knit through my stash in 2010. I know I have been saying this for the past 2 years, well this is the year.

I finished 11 cotton bags for gifts for Christmas, the last one being finished the day before Christmas Eve....ya me!


I have gotten back to show knitting. I decided that I would enter Albion Park Show this year seeing as we moved here early 2009. I joined the show society, got the details and while knitting away on a baby dress read the categories for the knitting section....guess what....no baby dress mentioned. Put that away and start on a jumper for myself which there is a category for Women's Jumper/Cardigan. I am doing it in Patons Shadow Tweed which I bought from my favourite LYS, CR&K Daisy Designs at Fairy Meadow (Daisy Street)at the last "every other tuesday night knitting group". I bought it with some of my winnings for Charity Knitting. I have enough for 2 jumpers/cardigans for myself. It is knitting up very nicely and very quickly, it must be about a 10ply.


I have finished the 3 piece baby set, just have to block...yes I will have to block it (I don't block anything if I can help it). I am half finished a baby dress which now can go in Kiama Show.


While knitting away like a mad woman for the both shows, I read even further on the rules of Albion Park Show, you have to collect your items between 1pm - 3pm on the Sunday of the show, apparently the pavilion closes at noon on the sunday....go figure. Anyway on that Sunday my Aunty has organised a family day at her place as her son and his family are visiting from USA and he would like his girls to meet up with family as they have been living in USA for the past 4 years and it will probably be another 5 years before they come back again. So I think the thought of knitting for Albion Park show will have to wait until 2011....bugger. I still have my entry tickets so I will go and check it all out on the Saturday and see what type of knitting people are putting in. They even have a "feathers" yarn category, now that shouldn't be hard to win as how can you tell mistakes etc in that yarn.

I will finish my jumper, then get back to the baby dress, and by entering Kiama Show only then I can enter more items as I have more time to knit.
I still have to get started on my socks from "Knitabulous" knitting kit as the next one will be arriving very soon.

Then back to charity knitting starting with some 8ply socks for our troops in Afghanistan, then some beanies for "Just Enough Faith" in Sydney in time for our winter.

Tomorrow I have our very first Knitting In The Great Outdoors (KITGO) at Jamberoo from 10am, I am so looking forward to it, the weather says showers but they have a covered area, so I am going Rain, Hail or Shine. And Marti I wish you could join us too, it would be great to meet up with fellow "Tribe" members. You never know one day....dreams do come true you know.
Here is my rocking chair where I sat and knit yesterday (getting too hot in lounge chair)

Knitting in the Great Outdoors

Knitting in the Great Outdoors - 2 January 2010

After a few of us were involved in the Gorilla Knitting for Wollongong's Viva La Gong recently we got to talking about holding a knitting day each month in a park.

We spoke about it again at Stitch N Bitch this month and have made a date to start Knitting in the Great Outdoors, we will change the venue each month.

Knitting in the Great Outdoors will be held on the 1st Saturday of each month - we will make the venue within a 1 hour drive of Wollongong, which gives us a great range of possible venues each month.

Everyone is welcome, bring your knitting / crochet, a chair, anything you want to eat and drink (a thermos of hot tea/coffee if you like), sunscreen, hat.

The first Knitting in the Great Outdoors will be held on Saturday 2 January 2010 at the park in Jamberoo (on the corner at the roundabout). The park is well shaded by trees so will be nice on a sunny day. There is an undercover area there if the weather is wet.

We will be meeting from 10am until what ever time you want to leave.

There are some coffee shops nearby, an IGA store next to the park.

Hope to see as many as possible and even some new faces.

So bring along your knittting or crochet and have a nice morning in the park.

Community Award for Charity Knitting

In my previous post I wrote about the Clr. Robert East Community Award that my work gives to an employee from outdoor staff and indoor staff.

After having last monday as an accrued leave day, I return to work Tuesday morning, dressed very casually, no stockings, sandals on feet, no earings as one had broken while ripping off my helmet on the sunday at the scene of a quadruple fatality and I had forgotten to replace it, my makeup ran out and I was nearly going to go to work as me, no makeup, but luckily I managed to shake enough out of the bottle to make myself a bit decent looking. Only to be told on arriving at work that I had to go to the Council meeting that night. Shit.

I knew it was because I was nominated for the award, what I didn't know was that I was the recipient of the award. Another thing that really made my heart sing was the fact that even though my family are always making jokes about my knitting and how much time I spend knitting, they were really proud of me for being given this award. And it was great that my family are all at home at the moment to share it with them.

I was so proud to receive an award for community work and I was even more touched that I had won it for my knitting I do for different charities, here in Australia and overseas. And to top that off, I also received a cheque for $200, I thought seeing as DH isn't working at the moment it came at a great time for Christmas, but he and the boys told me to spend it on myself. I might save it and get some nice yarns (as if I need any) and knit myself a nice cardigan/jumper or something for next winter. I will add that to my very very long list of things to knit.

I love my knitting and do some every day, usually at night, I continually knit every chance I get. As for my charity knitting, I haven't been doing as much as I usually do, so I have been feeling a bit guilty, but I do have ideas to start on as soon as I get my Christmas knitting done and some show knitting done which usually goes to charity then anyway.

I even knitted yesterday even though in the sun it was over 50 and in the shade 40 odd. Last night at 11pm it was still 32, thank goodness for air con and swimming pools, of which both got a very good workout yesterday, can't say the same for me, but I did do some gardening in the morning early till about 10am, I am slowly getting the front garden to a more me type of garden, then into the pool for a quick dip and cool off.....over 1 1/2 hours later I dragged myself out of the pool, I did try a few times to get out, but it was way too hot as I approached the top stair, so I just got back in. Once dry I went to the local garden nursery to get some more lettuce and strawberry seedlings to plant.

By 5pm I had to water the garden as a few things were starting to head south, all is good today. The thing I have noticed is that in the heat my Roses that are just really nice buds, burst open and nearly start losing petals as if a week old in a matter of a day. I quickly cut some nice buds for inside so I can enjoy them a while longer.

Christmas knitting...

Is a go!
I have been doing my Christmas knitting, I have completed 3 cotton carry bags with another one on the needles. I have a lot to go. And did you see my Christmas Tree on the bottom right hand corner, well be sitting down when you do have a look at it, because it says 42 days to Christmas. Now that is scary.


I have made up a sheet with a list of what I want to knit for charities in 2010, and what I would like to knit for Kiama and Albion Park Shows in 2011 as well as personal knitting. The list is quite long. I have made up a sheet so I can do a stocktake of all my stash, that way I can match it up with things on my list and as it has been a goal for the last 2 years to knit all my stash, hopefully it will become a reality in 2010.

My work has an Award which is given to an indoor staff member and an outdoor staff member each year for volunteer/charity work. This year I have been nominated for the Robert East Award. Robert East was a Councillor at my work when he died of Cancer about 3 years ago, he did a lot of volunteer work in our community and outside our community. I am so happy to be nominated for my knitting I do for charity, which most of you know I love doing so much and is probably the majority of the knitting I do.

Some of the girls I knit with had been knitting some "Gorilla Knitting" for Viva La Gong Festival held last weekend in Wollongong. Here is some pieces around the tree. Most of it was displayed on the light posts in the mall. It all looked very affective. It will be displayed for about a month, then taken down and made into blankets for charity.

A busy life

Things are really busy around here, not photos of knitting... yes I have been knitting. I am knitting some string shopping bags for Christmas Gifts.

I am going to try to mostly do a homemade Christmas Gift for family and friends this year, and probably only buy something for my own children their partners and our grand-child.

As DH is still out of work it is more of a need to do this than a want, although I must say it is something I think about doing every Christmas, but never actually get around to it.

I have made a list of people and a list of gifts, so hopefully it will all come together. I also want to go through my stash and stocktake a list of everything, then try to use what I have for the gifts. Although I don't know how much of the same colour cotton I have that I need for all the string bags. Another item to go with the bags will be dishclothes, then some homemade biscuits, slices and maybe mini Christmas cakes, time will tell.

I hope to get some pictures of knitting done soon, but a very special thing is happening on Wednesday and that will take up a fair bit of my time, my youngest son and his fiance are coming home for a while, in between jobs. We haven't seen them for 2 years coming this Christmas, they have been working in WA for 2 1/2 years. The next job is in NSW about a 5 hour drive, so that will be a good thing, just a long weekend trip to visit them, I can make some long weekends regularly out of my accrued leave time banked up. Everyone is so excited, our eldest son is excited as he can't wait to introduce his daughter to his brother, and he is going to pick them up from the airport. Wish I could be there to see them together, but I will be at work and will have to wait until I get home (I am going to finish a bit early and get home as quick as I can).

Wow....nearly two months without a post

Boy have I been slack....read very busy since my holiday. I haven't had time to post or read my favourite blogs. I have to get more time in the day.....not sure how I will manage that, but I will try. Sometimes other things are more important......like have #1 son, dil and grand-daughter move back in with us, so in between going to work and home things to do, I spend most of my time enjoying my grand-daugher while she is living with us. She is 15months now and a real little monkey, can climb like no-bodies business. Loves being outside and loves the pool. I can see barb wire on the pool fence and maybe even electrification of the pool fence to keep this little one on the right side of the fence. It is adorable when she comes walking into me of a night while I am sitting in my lounge chair trying to knit or read and she has a book in tow and says 'up', so up she climbs as I try to finish the paragraph or row and quickly get the knitting or book out of the way as she is already perched up on my lap ready to read to her.

I have been knitting this last week doing some gorilla knitting for the Viva La Gong which is on very soon in Wollongong. The knitting is going to be stitched onto the light poles in Wollongong Mall for the festivities. And you never know where else they may turn up.

What else have I knit, the old brain isn't working so good at 10.30pm, time I was in bed as it is another work day tomorrow. I keep waiting for the call from the Lotteries Office to say we have won millions of dollars........still waiting and dreaming.

DH still hasn't found work. Getting a bit stressed about that. Growing vegetables so it won't be too bad, how many ways can you eat strawberry's, tomatoes, broccoli, rhubarb, potatoes, capsicum, zucchini, cucumber and chilli's......let me count the ways. I would love a couple of chooks, that way we will get our protein each day with fresh eggs, but DH hasn't been convinced we should have chooks. Even tried to bribe him with the grand-daughter would love to have some chooks.

Just remembered what I have been knitting, just need to sew it together and get some buttons, ribbon etc to finish off. I am knitting a 3 piece baby set for Kiama Show in January 2010, and have started on a baby dress for same show. I am still decided if I will knit for Albion Park Show which is early January. I have a list of things I would like to knit, but time is creeping (steam rolling) up on me.
Pictures will be coming after I sew all the bits together.

Knitting Again

I have picked up the needles since getting home from our holiday, wow 5 weeks without knitting, I didn't even go into a yarn store while in USA. We were busy taking in all the wonderful places we were visiting. I didn't even get time to do a holiday blog which I though I would be able to do.

I am knitting a scarf in a boucle type yarn, it will be for a charity. I need to get back into charity knitting and get my stash down to about 2 projects in the house at a time, well that is my goal and I have been trying to do that for nearly 2 years now, and only buying yarn to knit things for my grand-daughter.

On friday night I decided I needed something nice to knit at Wollongong Stitch N Bitch on Saturday, so I got our the Patons Serenity Bamboo and Cotton in a very nice light pink. Bought at my very favourite yarn store CR&K Daisy Designs at Fairy Meadow, I bought it at camp in April. I wanted to knit my grand-daughter something with it and I had a look on Ravelry on Friday for a pattern of a dress to knit, I found a lovely one knit top down, no seams, now that has to be a good thing it is called "Violet Dress Pattern".

I started it on Friday night and finished it this morning (Sunday), gotta be happy about that. A very easy quick knit and so soft in the Bamboo Cotton mix. I didn't make it a long as it says my grand-daughter is only 13months old, it finished the increase rows then did the border and cast off.



I tried it her this morning and it looks great, I just have to sew in the ends and I am going to crochet an edge around the armholes, which isn't in the pattern but I think it will look more finished.

I'm back home

I have been travelling in the USA for 5 weeks. What a great time we had.

I will catch up with my knitting and blogging soon.