Fairy Dress

I am on a roll.....I got the cotton/bamboo yarn out and the net fabric in purple, hot pink, and pink for a Fairy Dress in Zoe Mellor book 'adorable knits for tots'.
I used Patons Serenity DK Bamboo & Cotton, knitted on 3.25mm needles. I knit the top in the round to save on seams. The skirt pattern was just a drawing with no measurements, so I just had a guess as I know what size my grand-daughter is and the length for long pants and worked it out from there. I drew a pattern on newspaper and cut it out.
I am really enjoying this sewing/knitting time of late. It didn't take long to sew the 3 layers together hem over a band and thread through elastic - that done and it was back to the knitting I started on Saturday. Today Monday - all done.

The only change I made to the pattern was I did eye cord for the straps instead of using ribbon.


Now to find something else to knit.

Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club 2011

I have finished the first pair of the S62011, a stash sock yarn knitting group in Ravelry.

The pattern is Shur'tgal, and are knit in Hot Socks Four Season colour 731.
I like the pattern, but it doesn't show up well in this type of yarn. A plain yarn would have worked alot better.

They found it...

I am so happy, I missed a call last night from chief steward of the show saying they had found my shawl. I rang straight back but the person who had rang had left the office and was somewhere in the show area so I didn't get to ask what had happened to it or where did you find it????

A friend has been to the show this morning and it is displayed with a 2nd place certificate, she sent me a photo of it, and it definitely was not there yesterday everytime I looked, (some looks were very frantic) and I really did look at everything trying to see if I had only "not noticed" it. Don't know what happened but just so glad it is found.

Kiama Show

At first I was so excited.....excitement turned to sorrow....when I realised that my lovely lace shawl knitting in the beautiful Knitabulous yarn especially dyed by Knitabulous for her first knit club.....was NOT there. This shawl won 1st Prize at Albion Park Show 2 weeks ago...maybe someone didn't like their odds in the competition and took it out.

I dropped all my knitting off at Kiama Show on Thursday morning, you never think that it may go missing......it could have gone with someone else dropping off their show items.....it may have never made it to judging. I don't know how I feel, a bit lost I think.

Anyway I have spoken with show officials, I gave them a picture of the shawl, so they will contact me if they know of its whereabouts.....I am not holding my breath.

It really makes me cranky that I have never worn it, I thought it was so nice that I saved it to go in the shows this January.....and now I may never get to wear it.

The excitement I felt was because for many years I have been trying to win the "3 piece baby set" class and finally I have done it....1st and 2nd...First comes with the Isabel Rutledge Memorial Ribbon....YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!


And some are in for a huge shock, so if you are weak hearted, TURN AWAY NOW....don't read on. My FEATHERS Vest WON 1st PRIZE in the knitted vest section...and no it wasn't the only thing entered in the Vest section. Well have you picked yourself up off the floor.

One of my coathanger covers won 2nd prize.

All photos above are from Albion Park Show with the winning certificates attached to them.

I am hoping that when I collect all my knitting and winnings on Sunday morning that my shawl will have miraculously appeared.

Knitting for show....

did very well.

I entered 17 items in Albion Park Show and I am really happy with my results. 4 first place and 7 second place items and 2 highly commended. I will try and load photos of all the entries. I am going to enter the same items in the Kiama Show. I did say I wasn't going to enter Kiama Show this year, but seeing as I have these items already knit I may as well show them again. The Blue cards are the 1st Place Winners and the Pink cards are the 2nd Place Winners, the Highly Commended don't have a card as they didn't have any at the show - a bit slack on their part I would say. The Highly Commended were the rust colour lace scarf (my sister's christmas present) and the pair of pink bootees (without the pink card).

I have started on my stash knitting, I am nearly finished the 1st sock of the sock from stash knitalong and I have made 12 child size coathanger covers for my grand-daughter.

Well here is 2011..

and January is half over already. Where does the time go.

I have just checked my list of things to knit in 2010 and am very happy with my effort of all the things listed that a I did complete. I didn't complete 2 items, a knee rug and an item in feathers yarn both of which were for Albion Park Show that is being held this weekend 14 & 15 January. I did manage to knit one knee rug and one feathers item for the show though.

I have made a list of things to knit in 2011, I haven't put it on my blog yet, maybe I will, maybe I won't. It mainly consists of knitting for the knitting sock stash and knitting from stash only groups I have joined on Ravelry, they are apart of Morris & Sons forum on Ravelry.

So far this year I have knitted 5 coathanger covers for my grand-daughter, and I am currently knitting the first pair of socks for the sock stash knitting. All of which are a part of the knitting from stash only too.

While on holidays we had a day trip to Glenrowan Vic to visit Ned Kelly country. So while in the area we went to Beechworth and some know what is in Beechworth....besides the lolly shop...Yes....the Ardent Alpaca store, a beautiful store, full of beautiful alpaca things, bed quilts, pillows, clothing and best of all yarn....I did buy some yarn, and before you say 'hang on a minute, you are not buying yarn in 2011'.....I did buy it from christmas gift money....so technically it was from 2010 and it was a gift so I really didn't buy yarn at all...are you convinced cause I am. So I am still on track for not buying any yarn in 2011.

I did visit Albury again to go to the Knit2Go yarn store, which I did visit last October, but got there 20 minutes after they closed, well we set off to visit the store, got very excited when we pulled up out front, only to read a sign on the door. Closed to 18 January 2011. Bugger, bugger, bugger. I was a bit disappointed, but hey I am hoping 3rd time lucky....not sure when I will be down that way again, but hopefully sometime maybe in winter....busy, busy year this year from me and DH.

Yesterday I dropped off my knitting for Albion Park Show, I entered 17 items. I can't wait till Saturday morning when the show starts to be able to go and check out how I did. Last year was the first year I entered in this show after moving there in 2009, it is a lovely small show, but has heaps of things, I really enjoyed looking at all the cooking, photography, flowers, vegetables, knitting, sewing etc. So pretty excited about tomorrow and seeing everything in the show. I will put photos up of my entries over the weekend if I get time.

2011 - Year of Stash Busting

I made a decision the other night that I would NOT buy anymore yarn or books throughout 2011. I need to get my CC debit way down and by going public with my intentions will hopefully keep my on track.

I have joined the Morris and Sons Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club on Ravelry. This way it will get me knitting through some sock stash. I might try to get all my stash out and put it in categories and maybe even match it with patterns for the stash busting project which is an ongoing thing with me and now in its 3rd year, I need to get tuff with myself.

I haven't taken photos of knitting for a long while now, so I may not get time this year to post photos, but in 2011 I will try to be a good blogger.

I have been busy finishing off some christmas knitting, I still need to sew buttons on a cardigan for my MIL which I need done by Saturday to give to her. I need to cut out and sew some PJ's for my grand-daughter before Wednesday week when we fly up there to spend Christmas with them. So much to do and so little time, and I have made so many lists over the past few weeks and don't really seem to be crossing much off the lists. So this week is serious list making week, with things I really have to do before next week.

To everyone have a great Christmas, and an even better New year.....hears to 2011 being a great year.

Wholly Shit......

where has the year gone. I just saw my christmas tree count down on my blog and it said 31 days to Christmas.....that can't be right.....it is only April....well isn't it.

Sewing up....is hard to do

I don't like sewing up knitted items. I wish they all came in one piece, would be so much easier.

I did manage to sew up the lemon baby 3 piece set, sew buttons on the blue baby 3 piece set, sew up the teacosy. I just need to get around to sewing up my jumper and getting buttons for the cardigan, then it would be all up to date.

I am still knitting on the socks and have started a 2ply scarf, they should have been finished, but sometimes life gets in the way.


We went for a breakfast ride this morning with friends, we rode through Jamberoo, up saddleback mountain road into Kiama and met more friends there. It was a very scenic ride and a very relaxing breakfast with friends. Yah for Sundays.

When we got home it had really started to warm up, I planted seedlings I got yesterday at the Albion Park Spring Festival, when finished with some gardening it was really hot, so I changed and got into the pool to cool off. Gotta love a pool in summer.

This is one of the finished felted christmas boots with christmas chocolates. They are so cute and will make a wonderful gift.

T'was the month before Christmas....

and all is on track.

I have deviated from my knitting list a bit, I have to knit a christmas decoration for show n tell at knitters guild in a few weeks, so I got out one of the christmas kits I got in the sales in January and knitted some felted boots, they are to hold baubles or wrapped lollies/chocolates. So I thought I would knit them, then I had a good idea that they could become gifts for the people I buy for at work (in my department - there are 4 I do something for christmas - 3 women and 1 male (boss). So I knittted 2 each night, then yesterday morning I put them through the washing machine, firstly did them on warm instead of hot (it was early and I was getting ready for work), so through the machine again, and WOW, they turned out just great.


Lunch times I try to walk, it has been pretty wet and cold this past week (not sure what the go is seeing as it is spring) so walked to the local woolworths and got some christmas wrapped chocolates the wrap colours and going to look great in the felted boots, so 4 gifts down, I am pretty happy with myself.

I still haven't stitched up about 4 items I have knitted, they are on my list (and I make plenty of lists), so hopefully I will get to some over the weekend.

I have KITGO today, we are going to be at "Viva La Gong" a festival kind of thing Wollongong City Council put on each year, we did Gorilla Knitting last year for the festival, this year we are going to go and knit there again. The only thing is it has been wet this week and it is very cloudy outside at the moment, so the alternate venue of Collegians Club could be the go. Which will be pretty handy for me as I have to go to the bike shop and get oil for DH and the club is right next door. I am hoping for a sunny day though or no rain so we can sit outside at the festival and knit.

I'm Back

I didn't realise it had been so long between posts. You know there are some more important things than blogging....I know, some might not think so, but there is.....family is more important, and sometimes I have to be there for my family when they need it more so than my knitting.

I haven't been doing much the past 2 weeks, but up till then I had been busy knitting.

I have finished the Bluebell Crepe 5ply cardigan which is for my MIL for Christmas, but not until after Albion Park Show mid January, I just need to get 10 buttons to finish it completely.

I have finished the baby 3 piece set, just need to sew it up, gets some buttons to finish it off.

What else have I completed, well up to sew up stage anyway, I can't remember off the top of my head.

Today my goal is to finish off the knitting part of a teacosy, so I will check out my 2010 knitting list to do and see where I am up to and then get some more knitting done before cooking dinner for DH and myself.

Photos to come after I have stitched everything up.

as time goes by....

and wow is it going by. How do you slow time down. I think we have so much to do these days that the days just seem to be running into each other and the year is fast disappearing.
I am trying to de-clutter the house, slow process and generally done better when DH is not around, he is such a horder.

Suppose to be on a ride with friends to Deuss in Sydney for lunch, but I seem to have come down with a tummy bug, so DH has gone and I am at home, and hopefully between bathroom visits I can de-clutter some stuff.

I have been knitting, just not blogging lately. I have finished the fronts, back (all one piece which is great) of the 5ply Bluebell yarn cardigan which is for my MIL for Christmas, but is going in Albion Park Show before she will get it in mid January. I have also been knitting a 3 piece baby set in my favourite pattern "Heather" in a lemon yarn, this is also for the show. I am getting a bit behind in my knitting list again as both these should have been finished by today. Just too much to do of other things of late.

I had cut my roses back to cm's of their lives and they are now growing very well. One bud had formed, and now a stem and another bud is growing out of the top of the original bud. The photo doesn't show it well, but it was hard getting a good photo of it.

3 day weekends....

I love my 3 day weekends with DH. He gets every second friday, saturday, sunday off work (after working 11 days straight). We usually plan to do something together on at least one of the days. Friday we went for a ride, a nice sunny, but a bit windy winters day. We rode down the coast about an hour and had a nice lunch in a little truck stop along the highway that we often call into on our rides for a nice cuppa. We were having a great fun ride on the way home. Until DH's foot slipped of his running board (large flat footrest on a harley fatboy) his leg got swung back with some force, as I was hooking into the corner also I didn't see what happened until near the end of it, he was laughing as he put his foot back in its place. He felt a bit of pain later that night, a bit more on Saturday and then this morning he couldn't put his foot down let alone walk on it. So early Sunday morning with a lot of things I had planned now out the window, I drove him to emergency at the hospital. OK not too bad will be the 3rd person in, unless someone comes in with a more of an emergency than the others waiting. Well 2 hours later the first person was in, 3 hours later DH got in, after waiting another 1/2 hour a man came along put him in the wheelchair and took him of for x-rays, then back and wait for the doctor, nearly an hour or so later and he was in extreme pain by now, the doctor came in had a look and told him to go to Wollongong Emergency tomorrow to have a MRI? as x-rays don't show up ligament damage. So tomorrow instead of going to work I have to take him further to Wollongong hospital and wait probably as long as today or longer to have it looked at. I am so tired, I am so upset with myself that I didn't get anything in the garden done and it feels like the whole day was so wasted. BUT I did take my knitting and did get 4 hours of knitting done on my MIL's cardigan for christmas, so not all lost.

I am just waiting for #2 son and his partner to get home, they called in on their way home from being down this weekend, they spend the friday night and most of saturday with us, then go to her parents for saturday arvo, night and sunday morning before heading home on a 3 hour drive. They called in late today to see his father and didn't leave until 7pm, so I will stay up until they ring to say they are home which will be after 10pm. I wouldn't sleep until then anyway.

I shall go make myself a nice cup of tea, and sit a while and knit a bit more.

As time goes by...

and wow is it going by. I can't get my ahead around the fact that it is the middle of August. Only a few weeks of winter to go, well a couple of months before it really starts to warm up a bit. And at this time of year I always start thinking of Christmas. Maybe if I learn not to think about it, it may come around a bit slower.

I have finished the size 2 poncho, knitted in Patons Mystique, mohair/acrylic blend. Yes it is an old yarn, more stash busting getting done around here.


Yesterday I finally got around to sewing up the blue baby cardigan, bootees and hat, just need 5 buttons for it and then it is really finished.

I have been knittting for me this week, another jumper in Shadow Tweed, and boy does this year knit up quick, I did the sleeve with some knitting yesterday in between 4 loads of washing, driving over and mowing my parents lawn while they are away, catching up on things I taped through the week, etc. I hope to finish the second sleeve tonight.

I am nearly back up to date with my list of knitting, I should have been finished this jumper today and started on the next item, but it maybe mid week before I get this jumper sewn up and collar knitting on etc. Not bad I don't think.

But the house does think it is a big deal, as nothing has been done and it is getting a bit too messy, even for me.

I am also in a destashing moood, not of yarn, I am not that good. But of cookbooks, I love cookbooks, but I don't use them, so I am listing some on ebay in a hope that someone else might be able to make good use of them, otherwise they are going to my works lunch room, as I know they will go from there. I have also destashed 5 kilos of fat which I am feeling pretty good about.

Sick people should stay home from work, shopping and everything

I hate it when people go to work sick and it pisses me off even more when I get sick from it. Well this is the second time this year (since May) that I have gotten sick because some people think they are so good coming to work when they are sick. I started to get a sore throat the day before we flew to Brisbane to go and visit son, dil and granddaughter for her 2nd birthday party. And yes I did leave it there for them too, son is not happy and he can't afford to be sick with his health issues.

Anyway we had a great time and the weather was great on the border of NSW & QLD. And no I will not be moving up there...way too many retired people there. Well when I win lotto then I will buy a holiday house there.

On the knitting front I haven't been doing much, don't know what is wrong with me, but just not that keen on knitting so much or anything else for that matter, need to talk to myself and get my act together and back into a good routine again.

I finished knitting the baby set but have not sewn it up. I am knitting on the child size poncho which I would have like finished last week. I may get some photos on the weekend and post them.

I definitely need a kick up the backside to get me going I think.

I have added a photo of my granddaughter a couple of weekends ago helping her dad with the car, she had a shifter and spanner helping him. And one with me and her while we were out at dinner when we were up there the other weekend. She had her grandparents (me and DH), and 2 sets of her great grandparents (my parents and DH parents) along with her parents at dinner.

Winter knitting is so good

Don't you just love knitting in winter. Especially when the item you are knitting covers you and keeps you warm. I started the knee rug the saturday before last at KITGO (Knitting In The Great Outdoors), and finished it before the next weekend. It was a quick knit on 5.5mm addi click circulars with acrylic...yes you read correctly...8ply acrylic yarn (given to me by my mother in-law who can't crochet anymore). I have made this for Albion Park Show in 2011 and then I will give it to my granddaughter for next winter.

I also knitted one of the teapot cosy's which is for the show too. Most of my knitting now is for the show but with places to go after the show so they are made good use of. It is knitted in aran wool and the pattern is from Jo Sharp Issue 2 knitting book, I just need to put some beads on the tie and it will be done.

I haven't worked on the baby shawl for a few weeks now, this is hard to say and I don't know how to write it, I feel a bit numb when thinking about it.....so here it goes......son and daughter in-law lost the baby last week at nearly 12 weeks, I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time. This would have been their second child. We will be going to see them next week as they are having our granddaughter's 2nd birthday party and my parents and DH parents will be travelling up to be there too. We all can't wait to see them and give them a big hug.

My plan is to knit what is on my list and whenever I finish before the date to start the next item I will knit on the shawl.

I am currently knitting a baby 3 piece set for the show which should be a matinee jacket (not many use them these days), a bonnet (even less use a bonnet) and bootees, in typical Annie fashion I am knitting my version of a 3 piece set of a cardigan, beanie and socks.

Poncho all done

I finished the poncho on Wednesday night, it turned out pretty nice, I am still not sure I like the way one side is longer over the shoulder than the other, I like my poncho to have even sides (the virgo coming out in me). It is for Albion Park show in January 2011, so it probably doesn't matter that much, I may not keep it if I don't like the way it looks when on.

I started the teapot cosy and stitched it up last night, only to see that I had sewn the leaf edging on the wrong side, I did such a good job on the seam I couldn't find where it was exactly, and yes while cutting a piece I thought was the seam stitch, well it wasn't and I had cut through the leaf edging, I nearly took the scissors to the whole thing (not a good mind day for me), I calmed myself and though 'oh well I can just take my time with it'. At a closer look I had only really damaged the last leaf so it is back on the needles to finish today while I am at KITGO (knitting in the great outdoors) which will be inside during winter, even though it is a lovely sunny day outside it is still cold.

I have packed the teapot cosy, yarn for a knee rug and yarn for a baby 3 piece set (my version of cardigan, beanie and socks). All this knitting is for Albion Park Show next year, but all things I can use too.

Winter Knitting...

Even though I knit all year round, it is nice having knitting on your lap when it is cooler.

I am knitting away at my list of my plan of things to knit in 2010. I am knitting an adult size poncho, probably for me, depends on how I like it when it is finished. The yarn is..hang on a minute while I walk out to the rumpus room and get the label...I'm back. The yarn is Karabella Majestic it is 77% Merino, 19% Mohair, 4% Polyamid, it is a rust colour, I really liked the colour when I bought it, but I'm not so sure now, will decide on that one when I finish it. It is knit on Addi Turbo Circulars size..hang on while I walk out and look at this size.....now you know how I get my 10,000 walking steps in a day, as my knitting is beside my recliner chair in the rumpus room and the computer is in the computer/craft room. Back again....they are size 6mm. Hang on while I go get the pattern...It is a Cleckheaton pattern book for Studio Mohair 8ply and named Poncho...how original. It is #7 in the book and under the heading Poncho it says 'in garter st and lace pattern worked on larger needles....well they got that right. I wasn't sure on my gauge as I never check it before I knit. I decided to check as I knit and it is spot on. I am knitting this as part of my 'stash' busting and off my list for Albion Park Show in January 2011.
The first photo is of the poncho folded in half, the pattern knits in one piece with same shoulder and neck shaping, it is folded in half and one shoulder sewn to make it into a poncho.



I did get a bit behind in my knitting off my list...as we do....because as time went by I thought of other things to knit, mainly for my grand-daughter or for the homeless in Sydney. I am back on track now and very determined to keep to my list (for now anyway). I may need another year to get through my stash though.

I am going to SNB in Wollongong this afternoon, so after reading a couple more blogs I will get ready and drive there. I am so looking forward to SNB as I haven't been in a few months.