T*’s big day out…

Last month was T*’s birthday and as is the custom the girls went out to lunch to celebrate the occassion.  We had originally intended to go to a certain Chinese restautant, but turned up to find that Monday just happened to be the day it was closed.  We were considering where we should go to instead when someone thought we might have  alook at the menu at the pub across the road.

 

What a good move that was.  The place was really nice.  Lots of dark wood ambience.  Light and airy with a homely comfortable feel and to top it off the food was delicious.

 

Anyway, I made T* this:

A lined fabric box.  You’ll have to imagine the lining.  It’s very pretty – think pink.

 

And these:

If you’re wondering what they are (and T* was) this is what you do with them:

This is T*’s feet sporting her delicate pair of silk and wool slippers.  How cute are they!?!?!? (the slippers I mean   )  As soon as I saw the pattern for them I just knew I had to make them.

I was imagining making lots of pairs for everybody, but once I’d knit up 2 sets I was a bit over it.

And then after a long lunch we left the pub to find the sky looking like this:

And not very long after (right around picking up the kids from school time)  it pelted down for about 3 minutes.  Very dramatic it was.

I’m not going to tell you  the part where we all went into the gift shop just down the street from the pub (looking for fake moustaches for the coming school social) and carrying on like giggling 12 year old girls.  And no, there was no alcohol involved at any time.

No photos of finished objects today.  I have moved onto the sleeves of the knitted cardi, though, and you know what that means.  It means I get to order stuff for the next project!!!  And I have.  In fact, I got a bit carried away and ordered stuff for the next two projects. 

It was on special so I felt justified. 

In fact, I felt practically frugal and good housewifely.  I think I saved a heap.  I’m going to be making another cotton Summer top – but in a different pattern, and then I’m going to make a Winter jumper in alpaca.  I’ve never knit (or worn) alpaca before.  I hope it’s lovely.

Craft was at T*’s today.  It was, as usual, relaxing and fun.  She’d made these apple cakes which she heated up and served with custard.  YUM!!  She also made salad wraps, but it was those apple cakes that made a mark on me.  Probably more than a mark, really.

And that’s about it for the day.  Now it’s back to the cardi.  My aim is a sewn up garment by weeks end.

Jinx sporting latest Summer haircut.

I’m not quite sure where this week went.  It’s all a bit of a blur.  It started with Tracey’s birthday and lunch on Monday and ended with Daughter B* in hospital with viral menigitis – she’s out now and feeling well and seems to be mended although she still has to take the viral meds.  Poor girl, she had a ferocious headache for four days, took herself to the doctor who told her it probably wasn’t meningitis, then, after looking it up on the internet decided to play it safe and went up to casualty where they admitted her and where she stayed for 2 days.  Honestly, thank goodness for the internet. 

She and her hubby W* have just got the keys to their new house so she was out just in time.  There’s going to be some painting and carpeting and tiling done before they move in, so she’s thinking the weekend after next will be when the exciting stuff happens.  It’s a lovely house – nice and big for their growing family, with 2 big back yards (it’s a double block) so plenty of room for the children to amuse themselves.  I’m really looking forward to seeing it completed.  At the moment she’s sitting a test for her boat licence.  She didn’t get to study and isn’t at all confident about passing, but as she’s paid the money she figures she might as well attemp it.

Younger DaughterR*, who is a real horse freak has gotten herself a second job working at a major stable just out of town.  She started her first shift there yesterday afternoon and worked until 11pm.  There were bushfires near the area and so the stables had sprinklers on all over the places and all the horses gathered together in one place.  Sounds like a very exciting first day on the job.  Anyway, she arrived here sweaty and happy and reeking of horse and looking forward to her next shift.  I can’t imagine where she finds the time.  She has a full time job, two horses of her own that she’s training. She does volunteer work on Thursdays with ‘riding for the disabled’ plus she’s studying for a child care degree.  Her energy levels amaze me.

Sonny boy had his school play on Thursday night and I have to say it was wonderful.  So bright and colourful and the talent was amazing.  T*’s http://beadywitch.wordpress.com/son had a big part and he was sooo good!!  I’ve stillgot one of the catchy tunes bopping around in my head – not so good.

I too have been busy busy busy, but hardly with anything so hectic.  Though, with B* having been in hospital I was more active than usual on the babysitting front.  Bubba J* has recently turned 2 and has picked up a few words and amuses me no end with his use of them.  Bubba M*, at 5 months is such a happy baby.  Easily amused and just adores watching his big brother get into all the naughty stuff.  Daughter B*’s definitely going to have her work cut out for her when they’re both walking and getting into all sorts of mischief together.  They’re both so adorable and make me laugh so much.

On the knitted cardi front, I’m onto the second front piece.  This has been a most enjoyable pattern to work with.  I’m thinking I might just make another in a different colour depending on the end result of this one.

I’ve just finished the final book of the ‘twilight’ series.  It was very good.  And now I’ve started  ’Into the Wilderness’ by Sarah Donati, which is also very enjoyable.  

This sunny Summer’s afternoon stretches before me with no thoughts of having to cook dinner seeing as it’s the night we get take out and so I’m thinking right now might be a good time to make a cup of earl grey and indulge in a few chapters before adding some more rows to the cardi. 

Perhaps next time I’ll have a finished object to show.  Fingers crossed.

 

*Updated to add:  Daughter B* got 100% pass on her boat licence, so it’s either spectacularly easy to get a boat licence or Daughter B* is spectacularly brilliant (must be her father’s genes there).

birthday gifts revisited…

At the beginning of this month another year ticked over on my ageometer and I got older and, hopefully, but probably n0t, a little bit wiser.  

Now I’d like to show you what my dear crafty friends made for me.  It’s not a rule that you have to make something, but most of the time we try to.  The handmade stuff is greatly treasured and reminds me of the person who made it every time I lay eyes on it.

First on the catwalk we have a crochet cushion courtesy of T*. She made one for one of the other girls for their birthday and I helpfully (and very hopefully) suggested that if she were short on ideas come my birthday I would very much welcome one of my very own.  Between times I forgot about it and was surprised anew when my birthday finally came round.  Don’t you love the dinky little flower?

T* also kindly forced persuaded her mum to make me this quaint beaded milk jug cover. (thanks Mary – and, of course,  you too, T*)

Next up is a wall hanging from K* who, despite owning a very big fancy schmancy embroidery machine did all the quilting and embroidery by hand, because she knows that I really appreciate the effort that goes into hand embroidery.  She took me seriously when I made all those jokes about how machine embroidery didn’t really count.  It’s now hanging on my loungeroom wall.  Thanks so much  K*

And from J*, a beautiful hand made bracelet.  I suspect T* had something to do with the making of this as well (Karmic, really.  T* helped me to make J*’s bracelet last year (by helped I pretty  much mean she did most of it)

So, with that and a delightful lunch and great company – it is definitely worth getting a year older for.

resistance is futile…

Meet the basket that had to be a part of my life.

I can tell we’re going to get along just fine.

The cool change is over.  The weather is back to hot.  The short sleeved cardigan is cruising along.  It’s no problem knitting with cotton in this weather.

I went by T*’s http://beadywitch.wordpress.com/ house this afternoon and was greeted by the yummiest aroma.  She had a hot milk cake in the oven.   I waited and waited for her to cut me a piece, but by the time it had cooled and she’d gotten it iced (chocolate frosting – oh my!!), I was long gone.  So, I did the next best thing and made my own.  She was thinking about putting the recipe up on her site.  It’s a good ‘un.

Best go and see to dinner, now.  Spaghetti with Italian sausages in a chili tomato sauce with herb bread on the side.  Not really the choicest of meals considering the weather.

  

Hello dear little neglected blog.  I am such a bad blog keeper.  I think I may have commitment issues or something.

What have I been up to?  Well, I decluttered the house and am feeling extra good about it.  The sewing room got yet another going over and is looking pretty spick.

I’ve been ruthless and tossed projects that haven’t been touched in sometime.  Cleared out my wool bin of all the yuck yarn and donated it to the second hand shop.

Discovered I have more baskets that I can use.

Saw another very nice one today at ‘discount dave’s’ that I’m seriously considering going back for.  If the urge is still strong tomorrow I think I shall succumb.

The weather has been kind for the past couple of days.  Thank goodness.  We really needed a bit of respite from the harsh heat.  Yesterday was almost cool enough to pout on a cardigan – but I didn’t.  I shivered deliciously and delighted in the coolness.

 Yesterday was craft afternoon at J*’s.  I brought along my ‘Sunbonnet Sue’ stitchery to work on.  Didn’t get too much done, what with all the eating and talking to be attended to.

Have been addicted to Ladettes to Ladies for the past couple of months.  It finished last week and so my Tuesday nights are back to being TV free.  I’m looking forward to when they have the next lot on.  I’m a teal sucker for ‘before’ and ‘afters’.

Well, I’m off to cast on for a short sleeved cardigan type top that I bought online a week or so ago.

 

sweet…

Finally I have grown sweetpeas.  These are my most favourite flower and I just adore their scent.  I have been trying to grow them from seeds for about three years in a row and it just wasn’t happening.  This year I bought seedlings and popped them in a pot on the front porch and they really seemed to like it.

The wisteria along the fence line is coming along nicely.

And the side lane is looking lush.

I did manage to finish off the yellow jacket and I started on the green yarn, which is just lovely to knit with:

This is in a state of limbo at the moment waiting for me to clear off the ironing board so I can press it and get it sewn together.  Rather than wait I started on the next little knit top for Bubba M*.  He took it home today and shall wear it to a birthday party tomorrow. 

I cross stitched the train on from a little pattern book that’s been sitting around collecting dust for a few years.  I also learned how to do reverse crochet – otherwise known as crab stitch.  Thank goodness for the internet and ‘how to clips’ on you tube and for the generous people who share their knowledge.  Thank you so much!

My work in progress right now:

And I’m off now to get some more done on it. 

The ironing board still remains cluttered and unusable, but I’m determined to take care of that tomorrow. 

today I knit…

…a lot. 

I’ve had it up to here (waving hand above head) with unfinished projects and I’m desperate to move on to my green yarn  – and to shop for some more.  And I can’t do either unless I finish off one thing at a time.

It’s a self imposed rule to help me be more efficient and practical.

So here’s the thing;  today the latest baby outfit shall be finished off, bootees and all and today I shall begin a new project with the green yarn.

Results tomorrow.

Really.

I’m also going to return all those overdue library books. 

It’s going to be a full day, but a rewarding one chock o’ block full of accomplishment 

Just you see if it isn’t.

pretty gritty…

This is what it looked like outside the front of my house at 6:30 am this morning.

And this is the view from the back.

Big winds have been carrying dust over from the dry far West and dumping it here.

Pretty, so long as you keep looking up. 

Closer to earth everything is just covered in dust.

from her hands…

Yesterday it was such a lovely day I decided I’d walk to S*’s for craft.  I had my camera out and was snapping photos of things that caught my eye when I came over a bend and saw a lady standing on the pavement with her little dog.  I stopped for a bit of a chat and a pat of the dog and one thing led to another and we got to talking about crochet.  Then she told me that she’d once made herself a crochet dress which took her ages to do, but she never ever got to wear it.   She went inside and brought it out, and to my great surprise, because I don’t do well at imagining attractive crochet dresses, it was one of the most exquisite things I have ever seen.  She must have been a wraith like thing back when she’d made it (she was 84 now).  The stitches were so tiny and there were so very, very many of them.  It was something I could imagine Brigit Bardot wearing back in the 60’s.  Just gorgeous.

I would have taken a photo, but she said she was too shy and there was no way to stretch it out anywhere and keep it safe and so, alas, there is no picture.  She says her daughter’s not interested in it and says it’s horrible.  Appallingly, this work of art is probably going to end up in an opportunity shop some day.  I hope that whoever is lucky enough to come across it should that happen, will give it a wonderful home.