Stashalong - 3 months on

I survived 3 months on stashalong and have reduced my stash heaps, but still with a lot more to get through, I am going to sign up for another.....1 no 2, bugger it 3 months, that should see me through my stash. I wasn't going to, but I know I need to commit to this otherwise I would just go and mess up all the good I have done over the last 3 months. I am really liking how my stash isn't all over the floor now, it is just over 1/2 the floor..hahah. I need to get this house in some type of order and this is the only way to do it. I wonder if there are dusting, cleaning just plain housework alongs, I would definitely have to join it.

I am on my day off today, we work extra hours and can make up 2 days per month to take off, my plan is to thoroughly clean our bedroom top to botton and all in between, hem 4 new pairs of jeans, (3 for DH and 1 for me), wash my car (it hasn't been washed in months (alot of months), we are still in water restrictions and will be for a long time to come, get the clothes washing all done (which isn't much) and naturally do some knitting and hopefully finish the sleeves for the baby aran and then get onto the front, and all before 4pm as I have to pick DH up from work and take him to bike shop to pick up his bike (what a good wife), I even got up at 6.30am and drove him to work to save on messing around with vehicles this afternoon to pick up bike.

Flappers, yarn and good times

We went to our friends 50th Birthday party on Saturday night the theme was 1920's Flappers and Gangsters. We had a great time, she rolled up in a 1928 Ford, didn't she and hubby look the part as did the 60 or so guests all in fancy dress. Here is me and DH just be leaving home for the party.

Here below is the birthday girl and her hubby. Their daughter in-law and my hubby also got in the picture.

I have been waiting for a parcel from Amazon with two books, The Happy Hooker and One Skein Wonders, it has been over 4 weeks now, I am getting a bit anxious as the date they gave for delivery has past, so I am starting to worry they have gone astray, as the last lot from Amazon took about one and a half weeks to get to me, and I am having tomorrow (Friday) off work as accrued leave, so I would really love it if the books turned up now.

Last night I cleaned up the study/knitting/sewing room by putting alot of yarn into clip lock bags and then into large clear containers, I have 3 piled high, and the rest of the yarn is in the middle of the floor in cane baskets of all descriptions, it is still messy, but I had some nice surprises of yarn I had totally forgotten I had. There are some little odds and ends of balls of yarn, so I am thinking I will take them to Knitters Guild in a few weeks and give them to whowever wants them.

This Saturday Berry Spinners and Weavers are having their first annual show at Berry, so my plan is while DH is at work I will drive down to Berry to see the exhibits and I also want to go back to one of my favourite shops and get some tea towels I saw there a few weeks back that will go with my kitchen nicely.

Confessions of SEx

At the Annual Craft & Quilt Show in Sydney I did my one day a month (Stashalong) of Stash Enhancement eXpidetion. I did all my shopping from stall for Bendigo Mills in Victoria, they are working on a website, at the moment the only way of buying yarn or patterns is by visiting the mills or mail order with free postage and handling in Australia for orders over $35 (as told be a reliable source). I got six 200g skeins of 8ply cotton in Gumleaf (green), Wattle (yellow) and Flax (cream) colours, 2 skeins in each colour for $6 each skein, 2 skeins is enough to knit some summer tops for me, I also got for $10.70 a ball, 6 x 200g 8ply pure wool Classic range in Aztec colour (a nice deep blue) I am going to knit DH a jumper, but he doesn't know it yet. I also got some patters for the cotton tops and the jumper but have already put them in the cupboard so no pictures of them.


My confession is that when I went to my spinning lesson at Daisy Designs in Fairy Meadow with Kerry I did buy a ball of sock yarn for my One Skein Secret Pal, that was 4 days before my one day a month shopping day at the Craft Show. I know I can only buy yarn one day a month, and I have stuck to that for the previous two months, but I did need to send my pal a skein of yarn to keep within the rules of that KAL.

I am also thinking of doing another 3 months in the Stashalong, but will think about it over the next week that I have to go in the KAL as I did sign up for 3 months, and it has been wonderful and kept me on track for stash reducing.

See I have been knitting, this is the slow progress on the baby Aran jumper, I did manage to get just past the armholes last night.


This is my knitting for the Guardian Pharmacy Angel Program which will be going to Mongolia. A size 1 Baby jumper and a hat in progress, it is knitted with 4ply baby yarn and using double yarn, gotta love that for stash reduction.

2006 Craft & Quit Show continued

I have been busy knitting and will post pictures next time. I have more pictures of the Craft and Quilt show in Sydney last weekend.
The Knitters Guild of NSW is 20 years old this year and to celebrate you need a cake, this cake is just the best thing, doesn't melt, looks delicious the whole time on the plate and the best thing is....it doesn't have any THATS Zero Calories.


The summer section of the exhibition was great, you had your beach life saver, your family picnic set out including BBQ, even a bottle of wine and willow pattern cup and saucer, a bikin clad surfy chick.
Here are some more shots of the Autumn and a bit of the Winter section, the beautiful jumpers, the blue and white men's jumper was knitted by a younger male member of the guild (in his early 30's), he is so talented, he was at the exhibition with us on the saturday and was wearing another of his own knitted jumpers a lovely all over fair isle pattern, it looked so warm, he was knitting a baby shawl while sitting with the exhibition.
There is the elegant mum in beautiful lacy skirt and top, below are some lovely biscuits, can you see the Arnott's Ice Vovo's?

We had a great day, and with the area for the Knitters Guild being away from the smaller areas for exhibitors, you could sit and knit, go for a wander around, then come back and sit and knit a bit more then take in more of the exhibitors.

Rox would have loved it as they had the Annual Bead Show as well, I think it was the first time they had this, some of the beads and ideas were wonderful, I didn't see any stitch markers though, afterall it is the Craft and Quilt show not the Knitting and Fibre Show, wouldn't it be great to have a show just for that in Sydney, I don't know of any such event, well in the future it may turn out to be more knitting and fibre as people told me that a few years ago there was only one or two yarn stalls at this show, I think this year there were about 6 stalls, so it is increasing.

2006 Craft & Quilt Show Sydney Australia

We had a great day at the craft show, the Knitters Guild of NSW had a wonderful display, I did manage to get some photos, there was a strict NO Photos to be taken policy, but you could get the permission of the stall holder and as we were there for the Knitters Guild photos weren't a problem.
Bendigo Yarns (Victoria) did well from me and a lot of other keen knitters, I will tell and show more later.

The 50 Japanese Quilts were on display, they are something else. Fiberfish would have loved them. The Australia Quilt display was just as wonderful with so many different patterns, styles etc, some were hand quilted, some machine quilted.

It would have been wonderful to see more knitting stalls but I guess it is a Quilt and Craft Show and was originally the Quilt Show.

The following pictures are some blankets and the winter theme which the Kiama guild was a part of doing. It was amazing, everytime you looked at the exhibition you would find something you hadn't seen in it before when looking.






Isn't the knitted fire place in the background so just warm and cosy.

I think this post is photo heavy so I will post some more another time, including the knitted 20th Birthday Cake as the Guild is 20 years young this year.

More gifts done

Our god-daughters older sister turned 12 the other day and I knitted her a poncho and scarf, the poncho is in (I foget the name of it) a yarn with little bits of paper like things hanging out of it, the effect looks good, I just hope it washes alright, I would hate it to go like a mushy mess of wet tissue paper. The scarf is made out of a New Zealand yarn called Fibreworks??? it is a hand painted yarn that goes from thin to chuncky throughout. I love the colours, I was thinking of keeping it for myself, but I didn't. It is all wrapped ready to go for the next time we visit.

I am off to the Craft & Quilt Show at Darling Harbour Sydney tomorrow with the Knitters Guild of Kiama, the guild as most of you have read before are having an exhibition of the seasons at the show, I can't wait to see how it has all come together. I will try to remember the camera and get some shots of it.

The weather is a bit nippy lately, down to around 6 degrees over night and tops of up to 16 in the day (this is celsius) - check out my weather guys on the side bar for comparison between celsius and fahrenheit.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Go on : Vote for the Fabulous Miss Knitabulous in The Amazing Lace competition. Go here to vote.

She is entrant #5 and the lone Australian competitor. So go on, GO NOW and vote for her.


Voting closes at midnight tonight Wednesday 14 June 2006.

Long weekend knitting or not

A great way to stash reduce is this pattern 4ply baby wool use double yarn, reduce stash by double for one garment, gotta love that. This is for the Guardian Pharmacy charity knitting which is going to Mongolia. It is a size 1 jumper.


I have picked up the Baby Aran Jumper which needs to be finished by August, my goal I think is 25 June, see how I go.

My MIL bought me this last week, isn't is just so cute! Just in case you haven't worked it out, it is a knitting bag. She did say she did not think of me as the black sheep of the family...yeah right...who is she trying to kid.

The Brain is Mush!

I have gone off track a bit this week, I have cast on and knitted about 10 rows past the band on the baby Aran Jumper, it is pattern intense so I cast on....Yes I cast on another item, this is a secret POM gift, I have 1/4 finished the project, and have had to rip back 3 times the second bit of it, so I lost interest again and cast on a 3rd item, stay with me, I know I don't usually do this, but it really isn't too bad I guess having more than one thing on the needles at a time, anyway I cast on another beanie for Just Enough Faith, I finished it last night and took pictures this morning, I just have to sew up the seam and put it in the post, I am really enjoying knitting for JEF, especially now it is getting so cold, I just wish I had more time to do more knitting for them this winter (that could be my portable projects to carry everywhere), but I do have knitting projects that I want to get done for me...like the Sunrise Circle Jacket.

Plan for knitting over next few weeks or so: Finish by Tuesday - POM gift and post; By 25 June finish baby Aran Jumper; then cast on MY Sunrise Circle Jacket. Before August make my One Skein project to send off. No more deviations, I need to stick to my list.

1st Day of Winter

It is winter now and we have had the last few days of rain and cold weather, it hasn't been bad as we desperately need the rain, we can only hope that it has been falling in the catchment areas, in the meantime the water restrictions continue, they have been going for so long now I think they will be a permanent thing in our lives.

I have finished the Aran jumper for the 1st birthday on Saturday. It is made out of a Cleckheaton 80% Wool 20% Viscose, it was an older yarn in my stash. The pattern makes it feel thick and very warm which will be great for winter.

I did start the next Aran baby jumper (different pattern) but was so tired last night that when it came time to do the bobble, I couldn't get my head around it, so I quickly ripped it back to nothing, then "lights are on" it came to me what I was supposed to be doing, in discussed with myself I packed it away and went to bed, which is where I should have gone before I started the bobble row, oh well, today is another day, I shall start it again tonight.

Knitting along

Knitting progress is pretty good, this lovely mauve baby jacket is being gifted to a friend, this is probably my favourite and most knitted pattern - "Heather" from an old Patons pattern book.
This is the Aran jumper for cousin's son's 1st Birthday, and I have to admit, I had to rip it back yesterday morning, I noticed on Thursday night that I hadn't done a cable in the correct position, I ummed and arred if I would just let it go or not, yesterday morning with a clear head, I just ripped it back, right back to the beginning. It is looking really good now, I am taking it to SNB this arvo, I might just take something easy as I really have to concentrate on this pattern and only have a week to finish it, so I can't afford more mistakes.

I have been book shopping with all the extra money I am saving from the stashalong while I am on the yarn diet. I got Mason Dixon, Yarn Harlot Knitting Rules and two Readers Digest Knitting books.


My next big spend up will be at the Sydney Craft Show on 17 June at Darling Harbour, I can't wait. The Knitters Guild of NSW are having a big display, guilds around NSW teamed up together and had a theme of either: Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring and each group had to knit to that theme. Kiama, Goulbourn and Southern groups got Winter. It is amazing what people will come up with for each theme.

Exhibition

We had a pretty good exhibition with Knitters Guild Kiama on last week and weekend, along with a good SNB exhibition in Wollongong. I got along to SNB exhibition on Saturday arvo with my Mum and Sister then we went for coffee at a new cafe on the Harbour, we haven't had a girlie afternoon in probably 22 years.


I sold heaps of my stuff at Kiama exhibition, and gave the scarfs left to Tianne to take to the Salvos charity for the needy, I have sent off all the beanies I made along with a few from Tianne to Just Enough Faith in Sydney, they should have them tomorrow or the next day.



Books from Amazon, I got Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules and Mason-Dixon The Curious Knitters Guide and from Readers Digest Two Stitch Knits, I can't wait to have time to read them all.

I finished the black vest last week for #2 son's GF, and guess where I found it tonight, in the washing machine, not even in the lingerie bag to protect it, yes it is a machine wash wool that I used, but I thought she would have hand washed it for a while atleast.

I am doing a baby jumper in Aran pattern for a cousin's son who is one year old next week, his party is Saturday week in Sydney, so I am busily knitting even at during my lunchtime at work. I have nearly finished the back.

Aunty Rose called in to see the Knitters Exhibiton and had her picture taken in front of the squares she knitted and we have made into blankets for the mental health ward at our local hospital.

Quiz - do you really know me?

I did really bad on Amysue's, I can't find Donni's I didn't do too bad on Tianne's. So here is mine. Go for it.

http://www03.quizyourfriends.com/quizpage.php?quizname=060511221819-143393

I can't get it to work with a link, so just copy above link and paste it in your browser and hit GO(enter)

Good Luck.

WTF...

I decided to look around my template and settings etc, and liked the blue colouring of a blog, so I thought I would be clever and change it. Now it did say something about not saving something or other... so I just hit the button and way it went, I got the nice background, but WTF...I lost all my links. Shit I am mad with myself.

I have lost some I can't remember, but one imperticular was I think the first one listed on "other blogs I read", and for the life of me I can't remember what the name or address was. I really enjoyed reading the blog too. She is building a family home on some land and it is made of styrofoam sheets with concrete poured in between. Bugger it.

On the knitting front, I have decreased for the armholes on the back of the black vest for #2 son GF, hoping to finish the back tonight.

Sono Matto

Still cameraless, I had a quick (male) look this morning in #2 son's area downstairs and couldn't see it, so I will have to wait to dinner time when he gets home from work to get it from him.

I visited the new LYS (Daisy Designs) in Fairy Meadow yesterday morning and had a lovely cup of tea and some food with the girls. What a lovely shop they have, and the yarn, all sorts and beautiful. I can't wait until my stash is reduced and I can really do some serious shopping there. I did get enough black wool to knit #2 son's GF two vests for work, the first one I started last night.

We went for a ride to Berry with friends for lunch yesterday, had #1son's FIL over and ate chinese take-away and played pool along with a few drinks, then later in the night I knitted.

I am pretty much over knitting beanies even if it is for the homeless ( I will do more later). I have done 8 now and have some in feathers which if they don't sell at the Knitters Exhibition in a fortnight I will send them to the charity with all other unsold items.

My egg finally hatched and isn't it lovely.

I am feeling pretty good with myself today, I took a huge leaf out of Jade's book and did some gardening out the front, finished off the weeding the #2 son started last week, got the good old poision out and sprayed the middle level which keeps getting these clover like weeds which have hundres of bulbs and just won't go away, so I got the big guns out today and blaster them into eternityI hope. I sprayed the growth out the back fence so we don't get any unwelcome slivery visitors in spring/summer, still needs a heap of building up there.

Did heaps of washing this morning and have even brought some in and folded it and put it away. I have a pork leg in the oven and mate you should see the crackling on it - I can't wait for that, #1 son and GF are coming for dinner, I told them we are going to the golfie for the meat raffle at 6pm so dinner will be early, #1son GF's dad is coming for dinner and the club too. The kids will go home then anyway. At this moment (3.07pm) they are over at her dads's visiting (across the road), and I am here catching up on what everyone else is doing and having a well earned can of bourbon and coke.

No other house work done....what's new.

Still no news on the two miners down in Tassie, I thought they would have been out by now, but now they are saying tomorrow, I along with everyone else in this country probably are thinking just hurry it up and get them out safe. And then there is the horrific news of little Sophie, the little girl along with one other survivor of the tragic preschool accident about two years ago when an older male driver drove his car right through the preschool building, these tow little toddlers were badly burnt, and Sophie lost her feet and some fingers and is still recovering from that, and then another elderly driver (80 year old male) ran her over in her push chair on a pedestrian crossing, what the fuck was he thinking going up the inside of a stopped car at a pedestrian crossing, and so what if he feels bad, he should never be allowed to drive again. Anyway, Sophie is a very strong little 5 year old and is apparently doing OK, she will be kept in intensive care for around 3 weeks.

Jade I am thinking of you, I hope your (I think it is) Sunday is going to be a lovely day with your kitty, and don't do to much other than enjoy it together.

This morning while laying in bed having been woke by the damn alarm going off (DH turned it back on why I don't know before going to sleep last night) I somehow through sleep heard a comp. for two tickets to see Andrew Strong from the Commitment at Yallah Roadhouse and a CD, you had to be the 5th caller when you heard Diesel's "On the tip of your tongue" song, again through sleep I heard the song, rolled over got the phone, dialled the radio stations number and it rang, I though shit I have the wrong number, you never get through like that, I decided to let it ring and hang up when someone answered if it was the wrong number (All this and I had no idea what time it was - the alarm goes off at 5.45am each morning), it answered, no-one there, I waited, then a voice said "Wave FM you are the 1st caller, I said OK and hung up, put the phone back and rolled over, I thought I will try again, rolled over picked up the phone and dialled again, again it rung, again Wave FM answered, I laughed and said what is everyone still asleep, the guy said they must be you are it then. He announced me as the 5th caller and now WAit for IT, I have two tickets to see the abovementioned person and When do you say. Bloody Mothers Day. That is probably why no-one answered as by now I have checked out the time and it was 7.20am, and that to me is not early.

Anyway we will go, I have told #2 son that we shall have breakfast as he has to work at lunchtime that day, and I will let #1 son know at dinner tonight. We will even make it to the golfie and then go out to the concert. I just have to work out which day I can leave work early to drive about 35 minutes to collect the tickets and CD before Friday.

I better check the pork roast out, it is smelling pretty damn good.

The title of this post is from a sticker my #1son and his FIL have on the back window of their cars, FIL's parents were Italian.

I have just read on www.ninemsn.com.au that Richard Carleton has died while covering the trapped miners report in Tassie, he was at a press conference and asked a question then collapsed from a suspected heart attack and has died. He is a reporter from 60 minutes.

Which Jane Austen Character am I?

You scored as Elizabeth Bennet. As one of Austen's most beloved characters, Elizabeth Bennet represents what most women would like to become: strong, independent, and loyal. Of course, she has her faults including a stubborn will of iron and a clinging to first impressions. Overall, Lizzie is bright and lovable...something to admire and aspire to.

Elizabeth Bennet		75%
Elinor Dashwood		69%
Marianne Dashwood		66%
Jane Bennet		53%
Emma Woodhouse		47%
Charlotte Lucas		41%
Lady Catherine		22%

Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!!
created with QuizFarm.com

Stashalong for April.... two months to go

I am posting this here as I can't seem to publish it on the stashalong site, I will put it there later if I can.

I did pretty well, I did use my one day of shopping to purchase some nice ribbon yarn from donni when she was at Kiama Markets on Easter Monday. I am still knitting beanies for Just Enough Faith, which is reducing my stash a bit, beanies seem to take so long to finish.

#2 son's girlfriend asked me last night if I would knit her a black vest for work, I said I would, but that will involve buying yarn, maybe I will get her to buy it, then it is not me buying it, although as I want to be especially good during May, I may just use my one day of buying yarn for May this saturday, as a friend from SNB is opening a brand new yarn shop and is offering a discount during the opening, so then I can just knit away the rest of May. Anyway that's my plan. Good luck to everyone for May.

I haven't got any photo's of all the knitting I have been doing as #2son has the camera taking photos of progress on doing his car up. I have finished knitting the Heather pattern baby jacket, I do have to stitch it together and get some buttons to finish it.

I feel like putting a 'what to knit next' plan here, but I don't know if I could stick to it, as we all know how quickly things can change in what we are knitting. But at this stage my plan is:
1. finish the beanie I am working on for Just Enough Faith
2. Stitch up baby jacket
3. Put together 2 rugs for the Mental Health Ward at Shellharbour Hospital with squares Aunty Rose has knitted.
4. I guess get wool for Black Vest for #2 son's girlfriend
5. Start the Circle Jacket for myself from Interweave Knits

I will see how I can stick to this plan.

Scrambled or fried

Well Donni I just must have one too!.

I do hope I can care for it right, I wouldn't want it to spoil.

And the stashalong is going along

Well it is the end of week 2, and I haven't been the least interested in buying more yarn. It has been an extremely busy week for me and to top it off I have the worst head cold going.

So not much done, and I even frogged a baby jumper as I didn't like the way it was looking, I have started a different pattern the good old faithful "Heather" Pattern, an oldie but a goodie.








Other things done are some more feathers scarfs, I am so over feathers yarn, I ended up taking a couple of full balls and all the little bits of feathers to Knitters Guild yesterday, and it wasn't long before they were all safely in someone elses hands going to their lovely stashes.





Wow, one drawer empty and four to go. It didn't take long to fill that empty drawer with some lovely yarns off the floor.


There is some 8ply baby yarn to do an Aran baby jumper for a friends grandson, some Filatura Di Crosa Ramie and Filatura Di Crosa Centolavaggi, and some cotton and some Hot Socks yarn, all which may get done after I finish a few other things first.

Donni is going to be at the Kiama markets tomorrow, so I will have to try and get there to check out this new yarn she has, I have to be strong though and not buy any, there is nothing to say I can't order some is there, maybe that is not how the stashalong works, but it has me motivated and I am like a mad woman trying to finish so much so quickly, my brain just can't keep up with all the thoughts and what to make next. This will all change after our May exhibition and sale in Kiama, as then I am going to start that circular cardigan or whatever it is called from Interweave, I have all the yarn ready to go.

I must say that this easter is turning out very nicely except for the head cold. I have eaten way too many chocolate things, but I am determined to have them all gone by tomorrow night.

My sister has asked my if I would knit for my niece, she is doing Fashion Design and has to design a knitted garment, which I will then knit, at this stage I think it is going to be a vest. I am so excited to be doing this, she has designed some really nice things in the past, I just hope I can do it justice.

Anyway I am going back to sit and do some more knitting, I just finished a little knitted thing on toothpicks, I was going to make a broch, but I think now it may become a card.

A week of stash reduction

I have been knitting through so much of my stash, the feathers yarn drawer is nearly empty, well empty of all the full balls. I have made some beanies and scarfs with the feathers yarn. Whatever doesn't sell at the May sale and exhibition will be sent to a charity for homeless.



We went to Galong (out west past Yass) this weekend, it is usually an annual ride in November, but they decided to go this weekend aswell. It was nice sunny days, but a bit on the windy side, and the wind made the chill factor a bit too cold. It is nice and warm now we are back home.

Here's a few bikes out the front of the pub at Galong before being parked for the night around the back.








The pub has a lot of history about the town and people displayed around the walls, this is the theme in the pool room, with Ned Kelly featured well.