A mighty big cup o' tea!

A mighty big cup o' tea!  That's what I'm enjoying as I type!  Courtesy of my blog buddy Caffeine Girl, who has sent me the most wonderful package of goodies!  I was lucky to win a giveaway on her blog and Connor and I were very excited to see a box on my front verandah this morning.  I couldn't open it quick enough for Connor, heh heh.  I suspect he wasn't quite as excited by the contents as I was!

My HUGE knit happy mug, a red (but black!) pen, some lovely stitch markers, some gorgeous yarn and a Cow Pie!  Cow Pie!

I know you are all wondering what a Cow Pie is!  So here's a nice close up.  Yep, it's pretty much what you probably thought, heh heh, but edible!!  Chocolately caramelly pecany goodness! 

And Yarntini yarn - gosh I love this stuff - and these colours - so good together - I am already picturing something stripey.

I was also given a blog award by Dorothy - I haven't had a blog award for ages - they went around when I was a newer blogger but I don't see them mcuh lately.  I am not sure what qualities a "versatile blogger" is supposed to have, and I am supposed to pass it on to 15 blog buddies, but I figure we're all knitters and/or crocheters, we all work in and/or out of the home and hence we are all versatile!  So please consider yourself a Versatile Blogger too!  Yay for us all!

I am also supposed to tell you 7 random things about me.  It's been a while since I've done this too, so here goes.  Hopefully they are all "new" random things, heh!

1.  I don't drink coffee any more - couldn't stomach it when I was pregnant and just didn't start again afterwards.  So it's tea all the way for me, preferably English Breakfast made in a pot!

2.  I have only dyed my hair twice, I think.  A long time ago.  So my hair is steadily going grey.  I think husby would like me to dye it, but I'd rather spend the money on yarn!  (or shoes!). 

3.  I hate to reverse park. I have only done one since my driving test.  And that was about a year ago, heh!

4.  I love red (I know - you know!).  I do not love tomatoes.  Or strawberries!  I will eat both, but prefer not to.

5.  I (almost) always read the last page of a book well before I finish it.  Thanks to Wikipedia, I also often do this for tv shows I'm watching too...

6.  I saw the movie of West Side Story for the first time a week or two ago.  I didn't love it.

7.  (I'm running out of steam here...).  Oh, I know.  I'd be lost without my iPad!  It is my faithful friend and collaborator.  Especially in my wikipedia searching, heh!

Anyway, that's it from me today!  Thanks again to Dorothy for my bloggy award and especially to CaffeineGirl for my lovely prize package.  I am off to have some Cow Pie with the remainder of my tea!

Advance Australia Fair!

I picked up a little something something in a shop on our way to the country for the family reunion - one of those shops country towns have where the locals sell their handmade goods and produce - jams, chutneys, relishes, quilts, knitwear, crochet, sewing, woodwork etc.  And this particular shop had a small op-shop/thrift store at the back.

On the shelves was this book.  For $1.  I couldn't leave it behind!

Published in 1984, when oversized shapeless bright knits were totally IN!  Not that I think I'll ever knit one of these garments - but I might one day incorporate one or more of the uniquely Australian motifs into something I knit - maybe a version of Bellyphant with kangaroos instead of elephants, or something like that...

It would be cruel of me not to share more of the patterns (there is one for each state and territory as well as a few more general patterns).

This one is for the Canberrans:

And my Tasmanian friends:

And this one is just perfect for Sydney:

Brash and loud!

Anniversary Socks

Now that it has been received, I can finally post about a little something something I made for the winner of my 2009 (!!) blogthday competition! (I know, I know, but I explained all to the recipient Sarah in advance!)

Details

Pattern: Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush, from Interweave's 25 Favourite Socks book. I'm a big fan of socks with patterning on only the front or back (especially for magic looping) and of course being a prize for my blog anniversary, I thought this pattern especially fitting.

I really like how the small cable flows from the ribbing all the way down the leg and foot of the sock. I also like the combination of the cable and lace patterning. And the eye of partridge heel. Looks so good in this yarn (hmmm, better than in the picture!)

Yarn: Wollemeise Twin (80/20) in Dunkle Kirsch, about 85gm I think. I forgot to weigh the socks! These are the first socks I've knit (and finished) in the Wollemeise and gosh it is lovely stuff. Love knitting with it, love the stitch definition, love the finished product. It is a tad splitty, but I've found one of the benefits of being a slow knitter is that this isn't so much of an issue!

Sticks: 2.5mm KnitPicks Harmony fixed circulars.

Time: 31 August 2009 (yes, the day before my Week of Wollmeise!) - 11 December 2010 (um, it took me a while to block and post them to Sarah - my excuse was I wanted to avoid posting during the christmas rush!). I had a bit of a break in the middle there due to my pregnancy induced Wollmeise aversion - luckily for me, Sarah was very understanding of the delays!

StashDownUnder - January Total

So I signed up for StashDownUnder this year, with the aim of using 5 balls of yarn each month this year. And not buy any. Or at the very least, come out stash negative for the entire year. I'm not sure I can actually go a whole year without buying any yarn at all ... so I'm not going to make a promise I'm pretty sure I can't keep.

But I am pleased to report that I did not buy any yarn this month! So going well so far!

I'm going to run my StashDown totals in 3 ways - just because I kinda like details which are meaningless but interesting. Interesting to me, anyway! First off, I'll do it how I always have, just by number of actual balls used. Then I'll do it by converting to 8ply equivalent (4ply is double, laceweight is quadruple, worsted/aran is 0.75 etc) (but I'll only do that for the yarn knit, not the yarn given away/destashed). And finally, by metres used! (Got to keep my maths brain working somehow...)

January 2010

Actual balls used (including yarn given away): 10 x 50g (5 knit, 5 gifted)

8ply equivalent: 12 x 50g (7 balls knit, 5 gifted)

Metres used: 1399m (709m knit, 690m gifted)

Yay, on track!

************************************

In other news, I wanted to acknowledge a lovely gift I received last week. One of my blog buddies, Michele, has knit a fab-o cardigan for Connor. Not only knit it, but she indigo dyed the yarn herself as well.

It's a Norah Gaughan pattern, and it's so very cool. I can't wait until it fits Connor (I kind of wish I was a lot smaller and skinnier so I could wear it in the meantime! heh!)

Thanks so much Michele!

Keeping Track - November 2010

A day late, sorry! I took advantage of a break in the rain we've been having since (it seems like) forever, to take some photos for this post, because there have been a few in's this month. Fortunately, most of them were gifts, and gift yarn doesn't count, right!

This lot was my birthday present to myself:
I accidentally (heh!) hit a wollmeise update a month or two ago, and managed to score a couple of colours I've been wanting for some time - Sabrina and Ruby Thursday. And a couple of Vamp (a newer red, which I couldn't leave behind) and to make up my order to 5 skeins (most economical for postage!) I got a skein of My Old Blue Jeans as well. Why not!


And this lovely group comprise gifts from some lovely friends:

The large ball on the left is Cashmere laceweight, a bloggy prize from Jen. Across the top is handdyed laceweight from The Granny Square in Newtown, a gift from JP. Underneath that is alpacky laceweight from MissFee, and the small blue skein and larger skein below it is Margarita's handspun! How clever is she!


And this lot I bought - so it does count - but you know, it's a discontinued red 8ply cotton from Bendigo - I just missed buying some before they discontinued the colour (darn them!!) and I happened to mention this to JP and she came through with the goods!! She had a spare few balls and was happy to destash them to me, weeeeeeeeeeeee!

And since they are big balls (heh! Why yes I am a juvenile at heart) - 200g each - that makes a lot of 50g equivalents in the "in" column. Not that I regret it at all!


In: 12 x 50g
Out: 5 x 50g
YTD: +36.5 x 50g balls (or 3.5 balls per month!)

Oh, Dick!

This is really my keeping track post for October, but I couldn't resist the alternate title for this post, because looky what I received for my birthday (it's an early present) from DrK:

Lovely lovely dpn holder and interchangeable needle bag made by the talented seamstress (and knitter!) RandomKnits.

I had a lot of fun stuffing them too:

And well stuffed they are! Of course, many of my interchangeable needles are in use (heh heh) so it would otherwise be even fuller of needles. And you can't see it in the photos, but there is a handy dandy zipper section behind the needle slots, for the cables, keys, needle sizer etc. So very clever and neat and much nicer than the placky cases you get with the needle sets!

All this is a way of making up for there being no photos of new yarn this month. Why? Because there was no new yarn this month! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

So my totals are a little more healthy:

In: No new yarn! (for a change!)

Out: 6 x 50g balls of yarn (half of those were given to my mum for her charity knitting,lest you think I've somehow becoming a knitting speedster this month)

YTD: +29.5 x 50g balls (or almost 3 balls in per month, on average)

SHOESday: itty bitty

Bells' post today (which you must check out if you haven't already!) gave me an idea. Even if I am no longer buying new shoes (much...) I have some other new shoes I can show off:

Are these not the coolest little boy shoes ever!! (For my American friends, Dunlop Volleys are Australian made tennis shoes - since 1939 - that are so daggy that they are cool again. Although not as cool as Converse All-Stars) (I'm not sure if there is a UK equivalent?)

These were a gift from my second baby shower (now I really really feel spoilt saying that - as if one shower wasn't enough, which it totally was!). Rather than bore you all with even more stuff, you can check out the rest of the loot here on flickr if you wish!

Although I will leave you with a picture of one other gift.

I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing that apparently this is an essential for new mothers!!!

I promise there will be actual knitting content coming up on this blog soon!

Some more goodgoodies

In addition to the gift spoilage reported last time, there was also a lot of Good Things to Eat - including these most excellent Teddy biscuits, made by the clever Bells:

And this most excellent Little Ted cake, made by the cake-maker extraordinaire, MissFee:

(I still have the head...I can't bring myself to eat Teddy head!)

I also wanted to show this gift, which was given to me by the ladies of my crochet meeting (part of the Knitters Guild). It was made by a member of the Guild, who I understand is quite elderly and whose eyesight is not what it used to be.

If I can still knit this well when I am older and more blind than I already am, I shall be a very happy knitter indeed. It really left me speechless, it is such a treasure!

A 2ply laceweight shetland style shawl which is almost big enough to cover the top of a queen size bed. It's just amazing! And with my favourite fircone lace in the centre.

Really, words can't do it justice. I am so very lucky.

So thoroughly spoiled I am!

Partners-in-crime DrK and Bells organised the best baby shower for me, last Sunday. All knitters, all at my house, lots of food and drink and knitting and fun. And presents, for me! Knitters really are the best people!

I don't have photos from the shower itself (yet), but have lots of loot to share and people to thank, so bear with me for a photo heavy post (and no linkys to blogs, sorry, it's taken forever for the photos to load as it is! But you'll all know who I'm talking about I reckon!).

For muslin and flannel wraps, facewashers, and cot blanket, George, Jody and Bells!

For cute clothes (the outfit on the left is actually a very chic brownish/grey, all the way from Paris!), Lyn, Sue and MadMad (who sent it from the US to arrive in time for the shower!):

And George! (note the teddy theme...)

For books (lovely books!), DrK and Barbara:

For the coolest toys ever, Natasha, Lee, Margarita and George (Natasha also gave me a bottle of Moet - hurrah for grown up presents too!! Can't wait to crack that open!):

For handmade blankies, Kristie, Ailsa and Zeph:

For the coolest artwork, Kris:

For the handknits (what knitterly baby shower would be complete without them!), Donna, Kristie, MadMad, ProbablyJane (visiting with Lyn all the way from the UK) and Ailsa.

And I saved the best for last!

Jody and MissFee managed to completely surprise me by secretly organising a group effort! This fab blanket was made up of squares contributed by Rachel, Jody, Donna, Kris, Sue, Ailsa, George, DrK, Al, Zeph, Natasha, Helen B, Ceri, Donni, Margarita, Lyn, MissFee, Bells, Jess, Karen, Barbara and Lee!! I just wish the picture did it justice - I shall have to take some more tomorrow in better light, so you can see the red ones in particular.

Completely blown away, I was (and still am!) And very very spoiled! Thank you everyone, so so much. xx

Keeping Track - March 2010

I know long time readers will hardly believe this (I can hardly believe it myself!) - but I went a whole month (a WHOLE MONTH!) without buying any yarn. No new yarn for March! I think that's a first for me in the whole time I've been keeping track.

And, combined with a visit from my mum and me giving her some 8ply/DK yarn for her charity square knitting, I have done really well on the out's too!

In: no yarn! (no yarn at all!!)

Out: 16.5 x 50g balls

YTD: +10.5 x 50g balls (or on a monthly average, 3.5 x 50g balls a month! I can hardly believe it!)

Now because a post without photos is generally unexciting and uninspiring, I wanted to share with you a lovely package I received in the mail this week (not yarn, no sir!):

What could be in it?

Looky!

A gorgeous blanket for Teddy, and a Peter Rabbit with a bell inside (such a good size for little hands!) and two knitting magazines for me to read while sitting with my feet up! All courtesy of the lovely Linda - you can see a much better photo of the blanket on her blog. Thanks so much Linda, I love it all!!

Visitors from near and far

Usually when my mum comes to visit I'd consider it a visit from afar, since for her it is an 8 hour trip by bus and train. But I had the chance to meet a friend from much further afield last week, when Roxie and her husband Kyle came to Sydney, all the way from Oregon in the US! A 28 hour trip, Roxie told me!

I had a lovely lunch with them, along with Janette and her husband Marc, and Grandma Flea, last Friday. And received gifts too - I shall have fun picking out some recipes to try from this book!

A really lovely day, thanks Janette for organising!

And this week my mum is here - because she's quite sure we needed her help in getting things organised for Teddy's arrival. (And she's quite right!). For those wondering about her reaction to the shawl, here's how it played out:

I spread it along the foot of the bed in the spare bedroom - the bed has a plain red quilt cover on it, so the shawl didn't really stand out too much. She went in there to put her handbag down, and I was standing in the doorway behind her waiting for her to notice it and grinning like an idiot. Of course, she didn't see it straight away, but did see me grinning at her, and wanted to know why I was standing there grinning at her!! So then she figured something was up and looked all around the room and I thought she was never going to see it! But then she did, and her hand flew to her open mouth and she couldn't speak for a minute! Then just repeated "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!". Kind of funny, since that's almost what I called the post about it too! (does that mean I'm turning into my mother? Ooooh scary!)

I have a dilemma

Hmmmm....what should I do?

Baking?

or Knitting?

I shall have to have a piece of cake while I ponder this weighty issue.

(thanks Husby for my birthday presents!! OK, I know I chose and bought the Barbara Walkers but you did real good with the Julia Child!)

Thanks all round

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments on yesterday's post. I've been longing to share my story for such a long time. I asked husby how many comments he thought I'd get on the post and he thought about 30! He was truly amazed and touched by everyone's well-wishes (as was I). And to the couple of commenters who have had a similar experience to us, but without the happy ending, we are both so so sorry - it just sucks, as simple as that. Hugs to you all.

I also want to thank Amy, who had the good timing to post a lovely parcel to me which arrived today (with a thump on my front verandah, waking me up from a lovely sleep in!).

Look at the lovely goodies! I had to laugh when I read the card, as Amy had sent me some genuine Rhode Island maple syrup (her home state!) and wrapped it so thoroughly (triple layer huge bubble wrap stuff and a zip lock bag!) to ensure it didn't break or leak! I had a giggle when I opened it! And I am definitely having pancakes for breakfast on Sunday!

And yummy lobster pot dyed yarn (so cool!!) and handmade linen tea towels stamped with autumn leaves from Amy's own backyard! So very cool! Plus a little present for my mum, as she helped out on something I made for Amy's baby girl last year. Thanks Amy, you rock!

The beauties of Bendigo

Along with about 200 other Ravellers (or "Revellers" if you believe the sign at the Shamrock Hotel on Friday night) and many many other knitters, spinners, weavers and crocheters, I headed off to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show last weekend. Long jealous of the Americans with their Rhinebeck, their Stitches East, Stitches West and so on, we have adopted Bendi as our own version.

And it was great. Tara (FiestyWench on Rav) did a huge amount of work organising the "Revelry Baa" on Friday night at the beautiful Shamrock Hotel, and the Brekky on Saturday morning, and the Ravelry shed at the show itself. Here she is looking a bit blurry (sorry about that Tara) - I think it's probably an accurate reflection of how she felt at that time!!

It was great to see so many knitters all together at once, and the weather played along, being a bit chilly and allowing us all to bring out the knitwear en masse.

And since I know this is what you are all dying to see, here's the stash enhancement:

The big white packet is gorgeous Silk Dream 4ply silk/merino from Shiloh Wool - this stuff is just SO SOFT it is unbelieveable. Only comes in cream, which is perfect for dyeing - I've got some Kool Aid that I'm going to give a whirl with this. Now as for the rest, from bottom left clockwise around, we have two skeins of Ixchel handspun camelbunny - so soft!; (almost hidden from view) Wired4Fibre bamboo sock yarn - a prize from the Brekky; a huge skein of Tarndwarncoort polwarth/silk 4ply in a gorgeous dove grey (I have decided this project will be called "Tom's Eyes" - those of you who have purchased from Tarndwarncoort will know what I mean!); charcoal merino/cashmere laceweight also from Ixchel; red Alpacky/Silk laceweight from Glenora; red alpacky 4ply from MoggyandMe/Yarncakes; orangey red sock yarn from Ms Gusset; handspun merino in Heart of Gold from Mayhem & Chaos (another prize from the brekky!); emerald green sock yarn from Ewe Give Me The Knits, and navy blue sock yarn also from EGMTK.

I know this photo is a bit dark, but don't fear, individidual photos will be uploaded to my stash on Ravelry soon!!

And the books. And buttons! Oh my the buttons! I think I went a little crazy at the Button Lady stall!

And some pictures from the sheds - first up is Ms Gusset's sock yarn

Ewe Give Me The Knits yarn and fibre

Spinning wheels for a test drive (no, I did not buy one - I don't need another hobby thanks very much!!)

And all this was only one shed, there was plenty more - Lara Downs, Pear Tree, Waratah Fibres, Sarah Durrant, Glenora, Virginia Farm Woolworks and more. I know I've forgotten some. The best collection of Australian yarns anywhere. Well worth the visit!

Not just for the yarn of course, but particularly to meet other Ravellers and bloggers. It's always fascinating to meet people in person, to find the bonds you've formed over the internet have a basis in reality. That, for me, was one of the real beauties of Bendigo.