about…

Just to let you know, if your main interest, like mine, is in reading about quilt history and the lives of prairie children, I shouldn’t bother with this book.  The history reading was done in a matter of 10 – 15 minutes.

However, if making these little quilts is your purpose, then this might be just the book you’re looking for.

the next best thing…

When it’s 40 something degrees celsius and rising outdoors and too hot for the birds to sing.  When the sun beats down and scorches the earth and you long for cooler days and cooler lands, and you would love to pack it all in and zip off to jolly old England for a little while, but just can’t manage it, what with time, family, financial commitments, here’s what I suggest. 

Just remember to sit in the shade.

Oh, it was a fine day post wise today.  A lovely American Christmas book arrived from England – obviously a very well travelled book, which Trudi generously sent me.  It’s one of those books where you make yourself a cup of tea, with a small cake, or perhaps a lamington to accompany (some scotch finger bscuits will do in a pinch) and then you take yourself off  to a lovely quiet spot and lose yourself for however long it takes browsing through all the prettiness and getting all inspired about what you just might muster up the energy to accomplish next year. 

In the same delivery my Fishpond order arrived :  Prairie Children and Their Quilts by Kathleen Tracy.  I haven’t even flicked through that one yet, I’m still pleasantly basking in anticipation.

Seems I have so many good books to read through lately that I’m spoilt for choice.  That’s a very good thing.

Weather wise – not so fine.  A couple of thunderstorms this afternoon with more to come probably.  There was even hail in some parts of town, though we didn’t get any here…yet.

(picture by Grandma Moses)

It was a warm one today.  Considering it’s Summer I guess we can expect that sort of thing, but I was really quite enjoying the milder weather we’ve been having here lately.

Tracey came around with her daughter Shannon, which was lovely as we haven’t caught up since school holidays started, apart from phone calls – and that’s not really the same.  She showed me her almost finished quilt top, which was a group project 4 of us started making 2, or was it 3 years ago.  It looks like Tracey might be the first to the finish line.  It was just lovely and I’m really looking forward to seeing it all quilted and done.

Heck, I’ve only got 3 of my blocks completed and number 4 half done.  I think there’s 9 all up – can’t remember.

 It’s cooling off now, which is lovely.  I don’t mind Summer afternoons at all.  Ant is taking Jinx for a walk around the block, the cat is skulking around.  He’s just been indulging in a catnip spree, so he’ll probably be wanting his dinner pretty soon.  Hubby is doing computer stuff and I’m on the lounge, with the laptop on my lap (convenient, that), and am tossing up whether to read Elizabeth Zimmerman’s knitter’s almanac, or to go pick up my knitting needles.

I’d read that the book was a good one, and when I looked it up on the library catalogue and found that it was in, I was out the door like a shot.  I’m weird like that.  I can put off getting myself to the shops all day for necessities, but if there’s a book I’m after, you won’t see me for dust.  

The book has projects for each month of the year, and some of them are jumpers.  I think this must be a book for some seriously organised knitters. 

It begins:  “Once upon a time there was an old woman who loved to knit.  She lived with her Old Man in the middle of a woods in a curious one room school house which was rather untidy and full of wool.“ 

How delicious is that!?!?!?  I think I’m going with the book.

a good start…

*sigh*  I do so love good mail.  Especially when it arrives unexpectedly and much earlier than anticipated. 

I’ve also ordered ‘Prairie Children and their Quilts’, so I still have the arrival of that to look forward to.  Have I told you how much I love books?  I’ve been contemplating taking part in the challenge where you buy nothing new for an entire year.  You either have to make it yourself   (I’m thinking you could probably buy the raw material for that new, but I’m not sure)  or find it in a recycled way, such as an op-shop,  But, I don’t know if I could handle not being able to buy books.

 

 This is what has been occupying me lately. 

And I’ve been seriously thinking about getting my act together and sewing Bubba M’s quilt together.  First step is setting up the ironing board – I think that’s why it’s taking me so long.  Once I’ve managed that part the rest ought to be a breeze.

 We’re in the midst of school holidays.  We went and watched Avatar at the movies on Sunday – it was a lovely movie.  One I’d definitely watch again.

 Last night I stepped outside to take Tiny Tiny Puppy (aka Jinx) for toileting before bed and the moon (at the waning gibbous stage, I think, could have been waxing – too lazy to check) caught my eye, so I raced inside to fetch the camera – usually my moon shots don’t work at all, but Ant had been making movies on my camera and so I had to put it back to it’s original setting and discovered a ‘night scene’ setting (DUH!)  I’ve only had the camera for about two years now.

Admittedly it did look much better in real life.

Christmas Eve…

(because I don’t have a Christmas tree photo)

Yo Ho Ho and a Merry Christmas Eve to one and all.

 I am organised and at peace.  The jelly is setting in the fridge for the trifles which are my contribution to family lunch at Joe’s mum and dad’s farm tomorrow with the rest of the kith and kin. 

Tonight Daughter B* is having us over for Christmas Eve dinner in her new house and then we’re all going to sit down with popcorn and watch a movie on their wall projector, which is even better than going to the cinemas because you get to out your feet up on the seats – oh, and it’s free.

 I have cast on for the next short sleeved cardi and done a few rows, but last night I stumbled across some doll knitting patterns that I have the urge to try.  I’m in need of a little instant knitting gratification I think – and something that is way quicker at sewing together once the knitting bit is done.

 So, may your Christmas day be joyful and safe and may you have a dishwasher for all that clearing up afterwards (we don’t)

With careful wardrobe planning…

…Betty knew that, come Christmas day, she was going to be able to eat a whole lot of turkey and trifle before it began to show.

Here we are in the first week of the school holidays and my, isn’t the weather fine? The mood is relaxed and routine has once again flown out the window – except for the bare minimum.

The Christmas tree is up, the decorations are up. The festive cheer is here – but we still haven’t done any Christmas shopping.

Nevermind – there’s still time.

On the subject of procrastination – I still haven’t sewn up the short sleeved cardi. I did go into the sewing room with the full intention of getting it so I could pin on the sleeves and finish it off, but I got a bit caught up on the computer – so. No photo of the cardi – yet.

Anyway, if I don’t tune in before the big day, here’s wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a joyous new year.

Now, where’s that cardi.

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.