Knitting in 09

We're off to do "Christmas" all over again (raspberry pavlova here I come!) - I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy And Safe New Year. May 09 bring you much happiness (and yarn) xx


I had goals this time last year and I pretty much accomplished all of them. Strange to think 12 months ago I was scared of cables, dpns , charts and never thought I *could* knit something for myself! I still haven't learnt to crochet, but hey I will get to it someday.

In 09 it's all about ME baby (and I'm in good company with that resolution, eh Kelly?). I've enjoyed the challenge I set myself to handknit so many gifts, but like any good challenge sometimes the best part is when they come to an end. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy knitting for others but this year it has come at a price. So many things I wanted to knit dropped to the bottom of the list (or off it completely) because I was mostly occupied with knitting that *must* be done by a certain date and most of that knitting that didn't get done was for me.

In 09 out with obligations, timeframes and the feeling my knitting is just hanging over me. In with knitting what I want, when I want. There are ALOT of things I want to knit for me. And this year I'm going to do them! :D If something gorgeous and TDF comes along and I just *need* to make it right away, then I'm going to.

I will still inevitably be knitting gifts and baby things because I do love knitting for new babies and ones I love. But priority? Me me me. Call me a selfish knitter in 09!

Last night I made it to the end of my Xmas knitting (bar 2 blankie squares...go me!) and to celebrate I cast on for Cherry .

Once that's done I'll be choosing from a long list of other things I want to do for me...

Happy New Year xx

New Year = New Look

I've spent the morning giving my blog a bit of a makeover. Something I have been thinking of doing for awhile and since the New Year is just about here it seemed the right time. Out with the pink and in with something a little cleaner and fresher. I'm also going to do some spring cleaning of my sidebar over the next few days too. So if you are reading this on your blog reader click through and let me know what you think :D

Also out is the beach pic that has been my header since beginning the blog. Remember...















(Photo courtesy of virtualoceania.net - if you want to see the part of the world I live in go for a browse, some gorgeous pics of Aotearoa/New Zealand)


That *was* our beach, when we lived in Paihia. Strange to think we have been back in the south for 8 months now. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday we would see enjoy that gorgeous beachy view every morning and yet other days it all seems like some distant memory, like we didn't really live in that beautiful laid back spot and it was just a lovely (warm) dream. If you are in NZ and haven't visited the Bay of Islands before,or planning on coming to NZ for a holiday, it really is a truly beautiful part of the country. I miss it alot but I know for now we need to be down here. Maybe one day we'll be able to go back, when children are older and we can bear to be in a different island to the grandparents, when we can do our own thing and enjoy the "winterless north" lifestyle again.

Proof that really was our beach?


(Obviously I didn't pick as nice a day to photograph but up there it was always hot no matter what the sky was doing...)

Now, what I really would love to do for the New Year is give myself a makeover too! Hmm maybe a new haircut might be in order.

Do you have any 'new' plans for the New Year?

What my needles got up to while on holiday....

An essential part of packing for any trip away is deciding what WiPs to take! A whole week away...what to take??!!
I decided I would fill my little knitting bag with yarn for M's blanket and little else so I would have no option but to knit some squares. I got 4 done, so only 2 more to go. I probably would have been able to finish it and give it to her for 2nd Xmas this week if I hadn't had to do a little knit-surgery (don't ask) on the thing I am making my Mum and if it hadn't taken me 3 goes to get something I was happy with for my neice.

You might remember attempt 1 was a pink merino Boheme which was too small... I ended up taking that away as well for a refreshing change from boring blankie squares.



This is such a sweet little top. The tulip lace is lovely although I didn't find it that enjoyable to knit, maybe I just suck at memorising lace patterns. I didn't make any modifications except that my gauge was way off so it came out smaller than intended.




It won't fit my neice, but it did fit my 3mth old nephew so I will gift it on to a new baby at some later stage. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out although I think I would do a garter stitch band down the front if I were to do again as the fronts curl in. I'm also not sure the buttonholes are in the best place either but these are all little things that are easily changed. It's a lovely little pattern. I'm thinking about a wool one for M1 for autumn.

Then my attempt number 2 was the Avita top that looked rather lovely on my M1 and I selfishly (or perhaps realistically as it would be far too large on neice) decided to keep for her.



Attempt number 3 came together very quickly. Just 2 days knitting (phew) once we got home.




"Sopheme" - made in 8ply Anny Blatt cotton with 4mm needles. Finally I got the sizing right!

Modifications:
Bodice as per the Boheme pattern for the 6month size. Substituted the tulip lace for feather and fan - I used the instructions from here, including the 3 st of garter on the edges to stop any curling.
Omitted the buttonholes and added a plaited tie (couldn't find my one and only crochet hook) closure instead
4 rows of garter stitch at bottom instead of the picot bind off.



I think I like this version better. I do like the feather&fan - it gives a more summery feel I think. I'd love to do one like this for myself, or for M1, its kind of like a cross between the February Lady Sweater and Ysolda's Leisl don't you think?



(Yeah there is a hook in our kowhai, I don't know why but its been very handy for outdoor Wip photos )


If you're intending to make a Sopheme too you will need a stitch count that is a multiple of 18 +6 (3 st for each band). I had 96 stitches after completing the bodice.

Right, I better get back to finishing off the last of my gift knitting. The end is finally in sight!

Recovery Mode

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. It's been lovely reading through all the Chrismassy and holiday blog posts and reading what everyone had planned.

We've had a break away, spending Christmas with DH's family (who live a rather exhausting 8hr drive away)but are home again and in recovery mode before we do it all again (turkey and all) with my family at New Years! Tis certainly the season. No complaining about a 2nd Christmas though!

Our holiday was lovely, the weather was (mostly) good and it was nice to be free from the usual daily schedules and routines. It was nice to be just helping with chores and meals instead of being in charge and as a result I got quite a bit of relaxing knitting done. I also enjoyed having a bit of an internet break, the vortex which can suck away my days, and after some recent unnecessary forum unpleasantness it was a timely one at that. I am slowly making my way through 300 unread blog posts on my blog reader ;)

The kids had a wonderful time playing with their cousins, helping their Grandmother with her horses (and having a couple of rides too) and enjoying the sunshine. We were also sleeping in a tent which proved to be a popular novelty with the small ones! All in all it was a great trip and just what we all needed after a busy few months.

Grandma lives in a very picturesque part of the country. My little camera seemed to have captured it well.

Enjoy some gorgeous scenery shots, I'll be back tomorrow with some FO's.


Paddling in the fresh water creek at the edge of the beach


The scenery is just gorgeous (the baby's pretty cute too)


Treasure collecting


We had the whole beach to ourselves


My three

And the winners are...

Thanks to Random.org the winning comments on my giveaway are numbers 9,3 & 8

Congrats to Bonnie,Jo (Jo's blog plays music) & Viv

My email is on the sidebar so if you guys could email me your addresses I will get your prizes out to you. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Merry Christmas All!

Relaxing Break

I'll be back tomorrow to draw winners for the giveaway (better get your comment in!) then I'll be having a bit of a blog break for a week or two. School is out now for our summer break so I'm going to try (should be interesting) to have a couple of weeks break from the internetz while we are busy over Christmas , enjoying trips to the beach and spending time with family.

Before I go I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday. Thank you very much for stopping by and visiting here. I do appreciate all the support and wonderful comments, although I can't always respond individually, I do read each and every one and have very much enjoyed finding so many wonderful blogs to fill my reader this year. I never realised starting a knitting blog would open up such a huge world of inspiration and friendship! Thank you all and Meri Kirihimete xx


The past few days have been busy with all the extra things one crams into this time of year and I've been very busy finishing off the last of the gift knitting. The blanket won't get finished but I'm on track for everything else (yay!).

For my aunt I decided to make something not knitting. This is an idea I blatantly stole from Abi's blog (Thank you!).

Relaxing Rose Bath Salts






I also had a look through a few recipes for bath salts here and ended up making a mixture born by melding a few recipes together.

1 packet (500g) of epsom salts
Cornflour and Baking Soda - a few tablespoons of each
Essential Oils (amounts as per the notes Abi left in her comments) - half "Relaxing" blend and half Peppermint oil (from my yarn swap)

Mixed well and poured into a glass jar - leave a space at the top of the jar and top with dried rose petals....the kids and I tried it out and it was very nice, just the right amount of scent. I hope she'll enjoy it.

I bought an extra bag of epsom salts to make some for me! A kid free relaxing bath sounds just the ticket for recovering from the Christmas rush don't you think?

Merry Christmas GiveAway

A little while ago I won a pay it forward giveaway on Kimber's blog - it is the one where you gift something within the next 365days to 3 people and then they do the same giveaway on their blogs and so on.

My gift from Kimber arrived not too long ago - a little zippered pouch in funky reclaimed fabric - which I had admired when she first posted on her blog. This is a great pic of it here (the middle one). I'm now using it instead of a normal wallet as its harder for the kids to get in to and "hide" my eftpos card when they decide to play shops! Its the perfect size. Thanks Kimber!!

So since its the giving season I've decided to do the same on my blog now!

If you would like to go in the draw please leave me a comment. I will draw 3 winners who will receive something small and handmade from myself (apparently you get 365 days to send your gift, I'll try and do it a bit sooner than that). If you are a winner then please consider doing a similar giveaway on your own blog at some stage and share the love!

I will post overseas. Please make sure your comment has a way for me to contact you.

Oh closing date...Friday 19th at noon (NZ time). Just a couple of days away...

I'm embarrassed how long it took me to send Amanda's prize off from the last time I did a giveaway so I will try not to be a gift procrastinater this time. I've already made 2 of the 3 prizes...so if stitch markers are something you are wanting then leave your comment and get yourself in the draw!!

#3 prize yet to be determined, won't be stitch markers :)

La la la la la Rocket

A good knitting buddy of mine (Megan is my knitting mind twin - we are often working on the same thing at the same time....she has such good taste ;) ) has just released her first pattern - "Little Rocket". I couldn't help but drop everything else and knit this up straight away.
This is a very quick (one day) little knit using only a little bit of yarn. Very cute - Well done Megan!

The only bad (sad?) thing is that I have been singing the theme song from "Little Einsteins" ever since I started knitting this - which is very sad considering my kids haven't watched that show since we moved back in April!! (It's a kids cartoon featuring a rocket if you're not familiar).

I'm giving this to M1 for Xmas as her "Something Mum Made" - I had hoped to finish the blanket but sadly I don't think it is going to happen. I thought I had just 2 squares to go but now realise it needs to be wider so have about 6 squares to go, plus an edging (thanks for all the help in my last post about this) as well as some unpicking to do (sigh). The squares will make good mindless holiday knitting though (don't have to take a pattern) so I am hopeful I'll have it done in the not too distant future. I'm sure she won't mind.

So if you're after something quick as a kid pleaser, stocking filler, or even something different for the Christmas Tree this year head on over with your little bit of leftover yarn and before you know it you'll have a cutie little rocket too :D

FO: Lupin Socks

1 x 50g ball of Paton's Diploma Gold DK (55%wool/25%acrylic/20%nylon). Colourway "Lupin"
3.25mm DPN's
Kate Gilbert's Generic Sock Worksheet

My second ever pair of socks! Once again using double knit yarn but a little bit bigger size this time...one day I'll get to "proper" sock yarn socks ;)

These are for M6 - her "something Mum made" for Xmas - she specifically requested socks. I used Kate Gilbert's generic sock worksheet because I was having trouble finding a small size pattern with DK yarn - this way I could swatch and measure and make something to suit what I needed. It worked out well in the end. I realised I did make one error with the heel gusset (decr on every row instead of every other row) but it doesn't seem to have mattered (perhaps because they are child size?). Other than that I followed the very well written instructions and they seem to be a great fit. Definitely a good pattern for a beginner sock knitter like me!



The yarn is a new one by Paton's and is lovely and soft. M6 reports that they are really warm. Nice to knit with (a little bit splitty but that probably is more to do with the needles I was using) and 20% nylon I am hopeful it will be hard wearing enough. I used exactly one ball for this pair which seems to me to be very good yardage. It was a pretty close call though......



I wanted to pretty the socks up a bit so did some daisy embroidery (such is the limits of my skills with needle and thread lol). They don't match but I think that makes them one of a kind in a quirky sort of way. M6 thought that was cool (phew). They have a (sewn down) picot hem. One thing I did learn was why sock patterns always start with a funny (aka stretchy) cast on. So the one that I didn't do an elastic cast on is just a tiny bit hard to get on! Lesson learnt and stored away for future sock making adventures!!



So, another Christmas knit off my list. I am still hopeful I will get through it all. How are you going with yours?

Dilemmas

My knitted Christmas present for my new neice "S" was originally going to be a cardigan from Debbie Bliss' Special knits- made from stashed Spotlights Merino- with a fairaisle motif from another pattern.

Dilemma 1 - will I have enough time to get it done before Christmas? Can I be bothered fluffing around with charts and subbing bits from other patterns when time is of the essence?

So it morphed into Boheme , a lovely pattern (with no sleeves!), knit in one piece with just enough patterning to make it interesting to knit, I thought this would be perfect. A few of my friends have been knitting this recently and I've been admiring all the lovely creations. (Don't you just love the Friend Activity on Ravelry?!) So I jumped right in, using the pink Merino originally intended for the cardigan....



Gorgeous! This is really cute.

And .....too small!!!! (Perhaps I should have swatched lol!)

Dilemma 2 - rip it out? Start again? Do something else?

After much angsting and consulting with knitting friends I've hibernated the Boheme and "niece knitting" morphed again (!) into Avita - another simple knit (no sleeves again) with a little bit of pattern and some quick stockinette inbetween. Its an 8ply pattern so I switched to using some stashed Bella Layette Bamboo/Wool.




This turned out so very nice. The bamboo/wool has lovely drape which suits the style of this top. The pattern is an easy one - I intended to knit the body in the round but didn't have the right length needle so just did it on straights and seamed it.



The only modification I made was to do slightly narrower shoulder ties and to do some K2tog across a row just under the armhole shaping because I soon realised that yet again my tension was out (yes one day I will learn to swatch everything) and it was going to be bigger than I intended.



I really love the textured pattern, its quite simple but looks so nice. It did take me a couple of tries to get it to work though - I usually do my M1 by lifting with my right needle which didn't work, I had to lift with my left needle to get it to look the same as the pattern. Very pretty, and it lies flat so I think I might do a square of this for her blanket too.



M1 seems pretty happy with it too! And it does look so nice on her. And it fits! (Did I mention neice is only 7months?)

So Dilemma 3...do you think I'll have time to knit niece something else?

Gifts In and Gifts Out

I finished the Fetching Gloves for my Secret Santa and sent everything off yesterday. My person didn't give much information what she would like but listed her hobbies as sewing and scrapbooking so I made a little box and filled it with some little bits and pieces (chocolate (of course), some fat quarters, some scrapbooking thingys and the gloves). Hopefully she will like it all. Here are the finished gloves....



I have to say the Merino et Soie is just gorgeous to knit. Soft and smooth, its a shame its nearly double the price of 'regular' wool otherwise I'd never knit anything else! Thank you again to lovely Leah for gifting it to me. I used a smidgen over 1 skein (but did lengthen a little bit) so I am thinking I may use the rest of the 2nd ball for some for me!

The box I made from a toddler size shoe box and covered it with Xmassy paper. It turned out very cute and hopefully my person will find a use for it, or regift it on this Christmas.

It was pretty simple (and free) to make but I think it looked really effective.

So that's the gift out....Now for the gift in!

I've already shown the lovely SS gift that arrived for me here. (BTW...sock patterns I'm thinking either Dublin Bay (thank you Amanda) or Anastasia)
Lucky me also received another 'secret' parcel....my yarn swap! Remember the one I made? Well, the one for me arrived recently too.

"Spearmint Surprise"
My parcel had 100g of 3ply yarn dyed in minty shades of green, spearmint essential oil and spearmint lollies (yum!) plus a recipe for Spearmint sorbet, a pattern for lacy gloves and a little sheet all about the uses of spearmint oil. So cool, thank you so much to my sender "Happy P". The sorbet recipe looks really easy and sounds yummy - might be a good one to try this summer since N3 won't be able to have icecream :( - and the spearmint oil is a lovely scent.



I'm not sure exactly what I will do with the yarn yet. It's great to have some light yarn in my stash though (which is very much 8ply and thicker). Maybe socks also, although this is baby yarn rather than sock, I'm not too concerned as its more about learning to make socks for me at the moment anyway. Or possibly something lacey maybe. Hmmm will ponder that one. It's very pretty - I'm not usually a green person but I think perhaps I should be more adventurous with my colours as this is just lovely. (Once again my camera hasn't captured it that well, much prettier IRL)


I can't wait for all this Christmas knitting to be done so I can get on with all these things I'm planning - all these things for ME!! Speaking of Christmas knitting, I've crossed off another one which I'll try and get pics of today, decided on a pattern for another one and swatched for one more! My list is getting shorter, I'm hopeful I will get through it all :D

Garden Challenge

Just a quick garden update - this is my first year having a 'proper' vege garden and I think it will be useful for me to have some notes recorded for this time next year when I have another go!

So far, things are going pretty well if I do say so myself!! A few things haven't gone so great but others have, so like I expected its a bit of mixed results.

I have challenged myself to eat *something* from the garden every day. I've managed a few 'meals' based on food we've grown (mainly salads and brocolli stirfrys) and lots of 'snacks'. I also have herbs and lemons for those days I need to cheat my challenge!
Today we enjoyed our first handful of these....




So how does my garden grow?

The Good....

The brocolli are all gone now. YUMMY!! Nice big heads. A couple of plants still in the ground growing secondary shoots. One big head went to waste - note to self, keep an eye on them a bit more closely, and maybe freeze some if I can't face yet another night in a row of brocolli for dinner (they all were ready at the same time). Would definitely try these again.

Cos Lettuces in plastic tubs out the front did marvellously. One left now. Interestingly a couple that didnt fit in the tray and went in the main garden still look like seedlings.

Have replanted the trays with cucumber seedlings. One capsicum plant is out there too, will be interesting to see if that fruits or not.

6 or so tomato plants I planted into cheap plastic buckets are big and tall and flowering. These are also out the front which is obviously the best spot ever for growing food. Hopefully not too much longer till we see some little tomatoes!

Strawberrries in the wine barrel planter in this area are also doing well as is the lemon mint which I need to trim back. Little birds (or little fingers) have been getting the strawberries so I need to get some mesh ASAP and some pea straw for the fruit thats not hanging over the edge of the barrel (otherwise they get wet and go mouldy)

Strawberries in the main patch also flowering and fruiting ...yum!

Parsley went mad and I had heaps and made some parsley pesto using these recipes here and here. I pulled out the 2 biggest plants that were going to seed and gave away another 2 plants. 2 left which I will let go to seed and hopefully get a new crop.

Peas also doing well. Have eaten a handful of sugar snap peas. The snow peas are just about to flower. I ended up staking them because there is stray convolvulus in that part of the garden and its easier to see and destroy it now the pea plants are up.

I have one zucchini plant (just to try it this year) that is doing really well and I spy some zuchini there too!

Rosemary and Pizza Oregano also doing well.

THe Marigolds I planted randomly through the garden are also flowering, not sure whether they do keep the bugs down or not but they do look pretty!

Worm Farm - I was a bit worried it might be dead but I've had a good dig around and there are lots of healthy looking worms right up near the food. Yay! I need to dig out some vermicast and put another batch of worm tea on the garden.

Compost - probably needs a good dig over.

Jury is still out...

Seedlings in the main garden - lettuces, beans, broad beans , a squash or two and cucumbers. A few stray potatoes from previous garden owners I missed when I dug it over. Hopefully a meal or 2 on whats in there.
I also planted baby carrot seeds straight in the ground but have yet to see anything appear.
2nd crop of sunflower seedlings need to get in a safer spot (my first seedlings disappeared ...child hands?). There are quite a few 'random' seedlings too. Lesson learnt, don't forget to label label label!!

Not so good...

Radishes. Silly me moved the seedlings and then read they dont like to be disturbed. So only a handful got to eating size. I am the only one in the family who likes them anyway. I might do another mini crop once the brocolli are all out just for me to munch.
Spinach. My first crop did well but the 2nd I planted too close to the edge of the garden. Its a bit shady and they are pretty much dead I think. Might get some more seedlings.
Lettuce from seed. Nope.
Coriander. I grew some inside which did really well, then I transplanted it outside where it promptly sulked and bolted! The next lot I had inside got infested with aphids so we currently don't have any to eat. I left the one outside to go to seed and hope it might give me some more plants. Need to get some more.
Mint. Was in the garden when we moved in but is a very large and healthy plant threatening to take over the whole plot. I offered it up on Freecycle and someone came and removed half of it and left me a big planter pot (thank you!!) to repot the rest (and bury the pot in the garden). Need to get on to that this weekend.

And I think thats everything!

Handmade

I know I've been going on (and on) about trying to make lots of my presents this year. Sorry, one more post about that ;D

I'm kind of limited to knitting and beading since I don't sew. I could bake I guess, but fudges and sweets and other giftable edibles never seem to turn out very well for me! I'm knitting for family members and my girls, and have made some beady bits and pieces too (and dyed some wool for DH's granny who is also a knitter)

I decided the next best option if I can't make it , is if someone else did. So I thought I'd share some of M1's other Christmas presents....

Handmade 'dancing' bell ring made by the very talented Hanna. (Do you read her blog? She's very clever indeed!) I think M1 is going to have a great time dancing around making jingly noises with this.


And a name puzzle from here. Fabulous customer service, a great price and it arrived very quickly - this is a quality hand made wooden puzzle. The girls have not so common names (hence the blanking out) and its nice to be able to get something made to order for her.


I feel almost virtuous that I've managed a "made from natural materials" selection of gifts for her - it's nice that she's at an age where there is a lot of lovely wooden toys to choose from (shes also getting a wooden pull along shape sorter) and of course, she's not old enough to have a preference for pink and plastic!! Her oldest sister on the other hand is an advertisers dream and is getting the plastic battery operated Made in China password diary thingy that is apparently essential for every six year old girl. I guess you can't win them all :D

This Christmas I'm trying really hard to keep things simple - a few well thought out gifts for each child (my list has made things a lot easier and has stopped any buying for the sake of it) - we don't have a lot of money for extravagant gifts and I really want my girls to grow up thinking Christmas is about family and being together, rather than how many presents everyone got. M6 might have a new awareness about "stuff" and advertising but she is also becoming more aware about the world we live in. We had a discussion about 'giving' and people who are less fortunate than us and she said she might like to find some toys and books to give to needy children this Christmas too.

Did you read this post on Uncommon Grace ? I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said - its a sad reflection on our society that someone can be trampled to death for the sake of a cheap TV. Where is the spirit of the season? For us - Less is more this year, but will still be just as magical.

Secret Santa Rethink

The past couple of years I have joined in a Christmas present swap with some online friends. I showed you the lovely Secret Santa present I got in the weekend - its just a present swap not a knitting one but my sender is a knitter too and gifted me some wonderful sock yarn. The deadline for sending is just a couple of days away so I have been busy trying to get the hand made part of my gift finished! I meant to be done by now but you know how it is at this time of year....

Right from the moment I finished my Central Park Hoodie with 150g of leftover wool I have been thinking about the tweedy Bendigo becoming some Dashing fingerless gloves. They seemed such a perfect match - deep browny red with big , ever so slightly manly, cables - knit on smaller needles the yarn knits up dense and soft and cozy and it just seems to go well with large cables for some wintery mitts.

So I decided to do just that for my Secret Santa gift. I was right on the money I think - the yarn and the pattern do great things together and yet...something wasn't *just right*. I did one glove but let it sit for awhile but it didn't grow on me either.

In the end I decided that my hesitation is really around the person I am sending to, not someone I know well or have met in real life and I am just not sure the thick and rugged look of the gloves is going to suit her/be liked. I do a lot of swaps (you might have noticed) but usually I get to ask exactly what the person wants.



So...... I changed tact, went for pretty violet coloured Merino et Soie and the much more feminine Fetching. My camera has failed dismally to capture the really pretty colour of this yarn (think much more pink in the purple).

I think its a better choice for not really knowing my person's tastes and I'm really pleased with how they turned out. WHen Leah came to stay earlier in the year she showed me her Fetchings and I've pretty much copied them (thanks honey) - gorgeous soft and silky Merino et Soie (which Leah gifted to me too) with an extra cable repeat at the bottom.



As for the Dashing glove? Well I got DH to try it on and it fits him perfectly. On me, it's nice but the cable sat on my wrist bone and I didn't like the feel of it and the cable didn't 'open' up much....on DH the fit is snug, the cables open up (like on the pattern page) and it looks like it was made for him. So I'll finish the other and off to my Dashing DH they will go. I'm just pleased everything worked out in the end

All quiet on the knitting front

All quiet on the knitting front lately. Mainly because I've been busy trying to get M1's blanket finished and the knitting for that has been 20cm black squares - not exactly riveting blog material.

It's been a long time in the making so I'm feeling rather relieved that I am *very almost* finished it.

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day sewing the squares together!! Here's a sneak peek....



I have one more row to sew on the bottom , which is just 4 squares (2 of which I actually need to knit), block it and then figure out what I will do around the edges. Any suggestions most welcome...... I don't crochet so I'm thinking maybe I will just pick up and do a centimetre or so of garter stitch in black. Thoughts?

I'm also not sure about backing it. The back side doesn't look too bad except the for the large centre panel is fairaisle so I worry about little fingers. However, given all the other things I need to do before Xmas, I think its perfectly giveable in its current state (once I've put the finishing touches on of course) and I might worry about backing it when things are not so pressured.

Christmas come early

I'm participating in a Secret Santa swap group and lucky me got her parcel this morning......



"Fruit Salad" 80%wool/20%nylon 4ply. SOCK!! yarn. Squeeeee! I think it will make the coolest bright socks, I can't wait to have a go (finally) at socks! I'm thinking maybe plainish because of the colours so if anyone has a good sock pattern please leave a comment. Nothing too tricky as these will be my first proper socks!



Isn't it great? Nice and bright and cheerful!

My yarn came from clever Sharry - thank you so much, its just lovely and so perfect. Its been a busy full on week and this was such a great surprise to find this morning!! Thank You!! And to Margo who matched me up with someone who would gift me something so suited - thank you too!

The List

It's that time of year again. When you suddenly realise Christmas is just around the corner!!!

29 sleeps to be precise.

(Hope I didn't just scare y'all)

I'm still trying to do the home made present thing. I've done well so far this year and I'm determined to do as many "made with love" presents as I can for Christmas.

However, I've also come to the conclusion that at some point one has to be realistic about what one can actually achieve in the time that one has at ones disposal.

My family also has this annoying thing where we have 6 or so of us in our immediate family having birthdays in November, December and January. Its a busy time of year for present making. Making something for everyone just ain't going to happen

On the DONE list:
Vest for nephew K
Cowl for friend D whose birthday is Xmas Eve
Beanie for stepdads birthday
Birthday surprise thing for Mum (no details as she reads here)


In PROGRESS:
M1's blanket IS (no really) going to be finished this Christmas . 4 squares to go!
Secret Santa gift (halfway done)


To DO:
Gloves for Mum
Socks for M6 (at her request)
Cardigan for neice S
Dye some wool for Granny (she knits too..)
Something for my auntie. Yet to be decided - possibly bathsalts

I'm hopeful my list is realistic and achievable. Seeing how much I've already done is a good feeling and the 'to do' list is not tooooooooo daunting.

The womenfolk in the family are all getting something else handmade...









Guess I can also add all of that to the done list :)

Are you home making this Christmas too?

Playdough

I really dislike store bought playdoh, it smells like chemicals and if my kids are going to play with something that's almost edible I'd quite like to know what is in it! So here we make our own playdough....

Cooked Playdough
1TB cooking oil
1C flour
2t cream of tartar
1C water
1/2C salt
2t food colouring (or you can use non toxic paint powder)

Mix over a low/med heat until the dough is no longer sticky and comes together as a big glob. Take off heat and knead on a floured board.


I find this way of making it gives the best results and it seems to keep a bit longer. I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge.




N3 asked (yet again) for black. She seems to have a thing about black baking (she also asked for a black birthday cake), a little unconventional but a welcome change from all the pink ;)

Princess!

Warning: this post contains pink princess prettiness!



This year for Christmas we are giving each of our girls;
- something to read
- something to play with
- something to share
- something Mum has knitted

This is an idea I got from a parenting forum and I think something we'll continue in the future - it keeps everything nice and even (for those 6year olds who are obsessed with everything being fair) and means I can still indulge in my 'making home made gifts ' crusade (well at least while they are still small enough to appreciate it anyway).



This is N3's something Mum made. She is going through a delightful (if a little nauseating) pink and 'princeey' (her word for princess) phase and I think this princess hat is going to go down very well. She's already seen it - you have to felt to size so I had to try it on as I went- but when she was out with Dad this morning I attached the pink sparkly (of course) veil and got M6 to model it for me. It's hidden away again now so hopefully it will still be a little bit of a surprise for her on the day.

I really like before and after felting photos...



I used some Paton's Jet which takes a bit of effort to felt but when it does it makes a nice sturdy fabric so the hat should keep its shape. I used a tiny bit of my 4th ball which was a lot more yarn than I anticipated.

The pattern is in the book New Knits of the Block but is also available online for free here. Its by Bev Galakas - remember the felted slippers I did for M6? Same yarn, same pattern author!

Raveled here.

It feels very good to have another Christmas gift finished. How are you going with your Christmas knitting?