Tea cosy unveiled

It's been a while. Some time back I finished a tea cosy for a friend whose tastes are hard to fulfil when it comes to standard knitting patterns. After wondering if I had to design a teacosy myself, good old Ravelry came to the rescue and I spent a weekend guessing Hollie's teapot dimensions.



She likes it, and Master 7 has ordered one for Hallow'een next year! A bit of fun. Pattern is from here for the skull and crossbones and here for the shaping, blended together. I added a cuff just for something extra, although it hardly needs embellishment!

J

Day 12 Blogtoberfest

I have just had a relaxing weekend away with 5 wonderful friends, eating, sleeping, crafting, walking, drinking, eating, relaxing, knitting, chatting, eating, talking, laughing, and reminiscing. I always find that being with old friends is like a favourite outfit, a warm hug; the familiarity and warmth just what I needed.

I am refreshed and ready for finishing my current knitting project so I can show you. It's one of my new favourite items - a crazy teacosy! Do you have a tea cosy? Do you have one, or several? I'm thinking there may be a tea cosy giveaway if I can get cracking... will keep you informed.

Image from here

J

x

On the needles...

Image from here

At the moment I am taking a few minutes break from the latest knitting adventure. The Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss in Simply Baby.

I am not used to circular needles at all, and have found them clumsy (or I am clumsy using them!) but this has been a good knit, easy to navigate and turning out well. Instead of the suggested Cashmerino, I am using a Bamboo in a yummy apple green. Two reasons for this: I am using what I have, and also the baby for whom I am knitting is due in January in Canberra. Hot people. Very hot.

I am determined to complete this in the next day or so. I am knitting the 3-6 month version, which is tiny, but hopefully will be cute enough for a newborn or premmie.

I am trying to finish what I have started, however am as yet unable to locate my current knitting in the unpacking! Dreadful!

I am also interested to know if there are knitters out there who are interested in helping finish projects that have stalled. Suitable fees can be negotiated for an hourly rate - all needles and yarns have already been collected. It's such a shame to think of things left unfinished purely as I am a painfully SLOW knitter!

Are we there yet?

Winter that is. We have scraped ice off the car, had semi-frozen washing, had dragon breath in the house, turned on the heater, used the electric blanket. Yes, I know it's still May! We have had some respite over recent days though, with mild nights and days, allowing me time to complete some urgent Winter warmers.

My first pair of socks are now complete!


Mittens (or knittens as she puts it) for Miss 3 (yes, we have had a birthday!)


Scarf for Miss 3 made from double thickness polar fleece, buttons and felt. An easy sewing project that littlies can help with.


I am now over the sock hump, and have grand plans for a matching pair for Master 7, and socks for friends and for Mum. They are so cosy and imperfect. Long live wonky craft! Mr BB kindly noticed that they were slightly different lengths... this is all part of my impatience with wanting things NOW... I'm working on it.

The other thing about the socks, is that one is narrower in the foot than the other. After making the first and realising how roomy it was, I made additional decreases and the second fits more snugly, but us a little short in the toe. Despite this, I wear them as often as I can. Bring on the hand-knitted socks! I get it now Bells!!

The other little project that has been on the go is a desk for a dear little Miss-almost-5. A $5 desk from Aussie Junk, plus some cut-outs and paint, and voila. I'm really happy with this, and hope she is too!


Finally, also for Miss-almost-5, a hanging rack for her dress-ups. Not at all like me to get out the hammer and drill, but I had so much fun with this. It needs paint etc but you get the idea. Phew! A busy weekend!


In family news, Mr BB has had 2 weeks of gentle, part-time-hours back at work. Dr has just prescribed another 3 weeks part-time. He is getting there, slowly.

Take care,

Jess
x

It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long.....

It really has been a long time since I blogged. Unintentionally. After a few weeks, my bloglines stand at 533 and I may have to clear them and start again. Easter has come and gone. School holidays came and went. Sewing made a regular appearance on my to-do list. I had a lovely evening whipping up presents for littlies.

A top for Pops from Sew Hip - she looks super-cute in lemon and turned 2 this week.

Jonty turned 2 and got a pair of pants that over time will become shorts (the beauty of the draw-string waist).

Russian dollies for Miss 2 and Pops to cuddle and play with.

A skirt for K who just turned 3. K loves pink, her mum prefers black, skulls, etc. Here thanks to Spotlight they can both be happy!

We had a week in Melbourne during which I had some time to myself in the beautiful city, saw friends and family, celebrated Mr BB's 40th birthday, and made it back up the Hume to Canberra.

Mr BB then fell ill with meningitis and spent some days in hospital. Scary time. What do you do when a Dr says to you: "He'll either be better in 24 hours or he'll be dead" ????? I did very little. I kept it together around the kids. I catastrophised when they were at school. I envisaged the kids and I living in a caravan in rural Victoria. Without an annex. I swore that Life Insurance was something we should spend on. I prayed. I cried. I knitted feverishly.

I visited The Man I Have Loved for 15 years who was residing in isolation. After donning a mask, gloves and a yellow gown I sat with him. He oscillated between sleep and hallucinations. Morphine for pain. I sat there in the "dress-ups" that were supposedly to prevent me becoming infected. It seemed pointless really. The night before I had sat with him for hours in emergency. Holding his hand, kissing his forehead, pretty much rolling in any germs to be had.

Thankfully, he's now home, and very much on the improve. Time will bring good health and strength. The knitting has continued and I have immersed myself in my sock. I began this sock years ago. It has been unpicked, re-worked, thrown aside, and fiddled with. I spent an age working out how to knit in the round. Then I paused a few months to work out how to turn the heel. Then again it lay waiting for me to work out how to pick up stitches and do the foot. I was so worried about Mr BB that I didn't even pause to worry about how to graft a toe. If craft is therapy, then it has really been a wonderful way to get through the week.



One down, one to go! I wore it last night though and loved the feel of my first hand-knitted sock. Maybe I can do the second one in a shorter time frame.

Pics and words following later in the week of happy op-shoppiness of the past month.

Take care,

J.

Blogtoberfest Lifeline and giveaway reminder

Ok, so I'm already drooling at the recipes that have arrived in the comments for yesterday's giveaway. You still have plenty of time - why not try some of the recipes out in the meantime? Everyone's a winner! he he he

So yesterday I posted some crafty sewing and knitting I had been doing, and Bells commented on my knitted lace pattern. She knows I stress a little with knitting, and suggested a lifeline.

Hmmm.

I was grateful for the concern, but were things that bad?! I mean, Life Line doesn't do knitting help does it?? She has offered knitting tuition in the past, some great tips and ideas, but WERE things this bad? Unpicking lace isn't the end of the world... Maybe I was whining too much?

Today however, despite a revolting headache, rather than risk cancelling (this would be the hird cancelled arrangement), I lunched with Bells, Jejeune, and TLK (mother of the rice paper roll/tissue lass), and the issue was raised again. Bells and Jejeune were knitting away, and Bells asked had I seen her advice on the lifeline.

Rather stupidly, I realised that she was referring to this *, not this.

* see tip 3 in the post

As my friends would have said (albeit many years ago...) DER FRED.


(unrelated photo of my stone "North Wind" in my garden)

j

Yes, another post...!

I know - a lot for one day - but I know that I will not be posting for a week as parents coming up to visit, school term ends Friday, etc. I'm getting "my fix" before the computer is permanently logged onto the Lego or ABC kids sites.

Just wanted to show an old pic of the progress of the Panda yarn cardigan. The back is now nearly complete, and the remaining wool is wrapped for my birthday next week!

It's hard to photograph the colour - in some light it's charcoal, others green, in this pic more olive. Enjoying knitting it (procrastinating away from the aged socks you see).

I also pulled out the round-nose pliers to make these glass beads into some earrings to wear yesterday.

Finally some more finished items to prove that the craft element of the blog is maintained. These are for a friend's 8-year-old daughter - lucky her name is Olivia. ;-P



j

Dieter's Lamington?

Knitting does funny things to funny people... I saw some flecked, chocolatey wool at the local, and had to knit a lamington... It has a rattle inside it for a baby toy.

Now I admit that:

(a) I appear to have too much time on my hands (that's what happens when you don't clean, wash clothes, shop, or cook for a few days...)

(b) Strange things amuse me.

(c) I procrastinate more than your average bear.

However I am pleased that there's a project that I have actually finished! Yay!

j

Thanks!

So many lovely offers of help from you! I am looking for about 10 balls (!!!!) of Panda Purla Colour PY 6020 7 as seen here.

I will be trawling eBay, etc, so am happy to do so, but thank you for the thoughts and offers.

x

Fail to plan, plan to fail

I fell in love with a yarn recently that is not a natural fibre, but is soft and a lovely colour. I scooped up what was on the shelf, all three balls, and grabbed the pattern book I was drawn to.

"I will make it longer, wider at the front, longer in the sleeve, and look great in my hand-knit..."

I returned home, cast on, and fell in love at once with the texture and colour. I knitted all three balls, and now.....

There is not a ball left in Canberra. Not one. (None at 'local' NSW Spotlight either!) Dream torn out, ripped up, spewed on top of. (Melodramatic? Moi?)

I'm rather peeved. Can you tell??

Many others would turn to eBay or similar, but I want to check the dye-lot, make sure it has not been smoked near, and am rather fussy about such purchases, so will just feel sorry for self.

So I have abandoned all hope and the project as well, and will start collecting supplies for the next knitting project! When in turmoil, cast on!!

I am hoping that it will be a green version of this fabulous shawl.

Anyone interested in a knit-along with me to keep me motivated?

j

PS - Still looking for pay it forward people! Is my craft that bad?!

Poncho pressie for pretty peeps.

The Day We Moved, my lovely friends colluded to look after the kids and this was magnificent. TLK and AM One daughter was having her party that day, and so Miss 2 could not go empty-handed.

The poncho was finished and here is the proof:

As I said in an earlier post (Fri Aug 1st), it is the first item I have blocked before sewing it up. It makes a world of difference. I'm really happy with it. It's made as two triangles, joined with a rolled neck. As it snowed here (in our garden!!) on Sunday, I think it may become a staple of Miss 3's wardrobe!!

J

When the going gets tough...

I just cast on another project...

At the moment, these are the knitting WsIP (or WIPs):


I am knitting to procrastinate. Again. I am wondering how to quilt the kids' quilts which have been sitting in a pile. Do I stuff it all under the machine? Do I need a special foot for the Janome? Do I pay someone to do it? You'd think that working in a quilting shop I'd know all this.....

Also wanting to whip up some bibs for babies. One of the Sister-In-Laws has a new nephew who has been very sick. I thought that bibs for he and his 'big' brother might be nice... Just have to do them. Fabric all ready to roll.

All ready to go, and the Janome starts clunking. Really noisily. Can't be good, and annoying since it had a service last month...

So instead, off I trotted to my first session of Canberra Stitch and Bitch. I joined the group when we came to Canberra nearly 3 years ago, and have been too shy to turn up. I loved it! What a lovely bunch of talented women. I met kraftykuka, jejeune, quiltingmick, Bells, caffeine fairy, and others, and it was great. I was too nervous to knit anything though really, as I am slow and clunky, and cannot talk and knit!! I have so much on the go though, where to begin?!

Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Thanks ladies!

j

What do you get...

What do you get when these:


meet this

???

Wait and see!


j

The Great Cast ON (or over-ambitious project whinge 1)...

So I have been in bed since Friday morning when a revolting virus came to meet me. My immune system is totally gone to shit and I am totally sick of being sick! This time hubby has it also, and we are relying on the magnificent friends we have here to juggle the kids. The closest family are 700km away, so friends ARE family here.

As a result, no fabric sale for me! I was even meant to work there yesterday, but barely shifted from bed.

What I DID manage though, was to cast on for the Tour de France Knit Along (KAL), and miracle of miracles, I managed 6 rounds of rib in the round!! Yay me!!


So I then stopped as I had reached the hard bit. I am trying to decipher the abbreviations from knitty.com and transfer them to the needles.


I am lost when it comes to the lace pattern:
Lace rib (work in the round over a multiple of 5 sts):
Round 1: [p2, k2tog, yo, k1] to end
Rounds 2 & 4: [p2, k3] to end
Round 3: [p2, k1, yo, ssk] to end
Repeat rounds 1-4 for lace rib.

OK, sounds easy? ssk*?? wha'? Slip them where? yo what? Hurting my head... Too. Ambitious. Need. Mum!!

Trying REALLY hard not to toss it aside and do something tried and true...

*(SSK slip 2 stitches as if to knit, then knit those 2 stitches together).

Three days until cast on!!!

The Tour de France Knit Along begins on July 5th, and I am excited!! I am still not 100% settled on what I will be knitting..... The piggle from knitty.com is still up there, but also my infamous sock project. I really need to finish A sock!!!! I have a mental block that it's All Too Hard...

The piggle it may be. Miss 2 WILL look mighty cute in it...


Any Canberran knitters taking part that want to cast on together?

As I have chosen to go for the Green Jersey, I have a race to cast on and off between July 5th and twenty-somethingth when it ends. I also have to try something new. I am quite bad at trying new things, and like the comfort of tried and true techniques...

Knitting in the round. New.
Lace pattern. New.
Completing something that gets hard. New!!!

My team is Quickstep, and there are 11 of us. Lots of new blogs to explore like this, and this, and this!

And not so new blogs I already love like this, and this, and this!

Lots of new people, many countries, lots of FUN!

(I really have to try and refrain from using the exclamation mark... I think I over-do it. Often.. Sorry!!)

j

;-P

Why Knot Knit?

I just remembered why I hate knitting in acrylic and 'pretty' yarns that tangle easily. Bloody yarn spaghetti.....

Great things to do - where do I start??!

Just returned from a road trip of a few days, which started badly and ended up in delicious, warm and fuzzy relaxation.

I have perfected the art of knitting in the car, and so made a few crowns for dress-ups based on this pattern, but modified as I thought I could do mine without thinking...

I cast on 100 stitches, garter stitch (plain knitting) as many rows as you want the base of your crown to be. I did 6 the first time, 10 the second, and am thinking 12 might suit better. My needles are 6mm bamboo, which mean I knit quite loosely on these... Wool is scraps, generally 8 ply.

I then knit 20 stitches, turned the work, and knitted the same 20 again. Then working with k2tog at the start and finish of each row on the right side of the work until 14 stitches remain, then k2tog at the start and finish of each row. When 2 stitches remain, k2tog, break off yarn, and tie off. This is point one. Just keep this up until there are 5 points, sew in loose ends, add buttons, baubles as per original pattern, etc, and there's a crown! Mine are 100 stitches as Master 6 and his band of merry mischief makers have big heads.... Photos will come when they are adorned.

Also, found some lovely oppies on the road, where this little table cloth was found for $5.


I love it. It's destined to stay a tablecloth for the time being.


The pillowcase was 20 cents and reminds me of the Lovely Holly Hobbie and Mary Kaye designs of my fave swap cards!

LOVED a little town named Canowindra, where we came across the best country hospitality of the year. The kids were actually acknowledged, and we were able to properly relax. It was magical. We want to go back and stay here. Canowindra is Australia's hot air ballooning capital, which appeals to me too!

Came home to many blog posts to read, emails galore, and NO RESPONSE from Paypal or from the seller unfortunately. Lovely offer of assistance from Bells, just love blogland niceness. LOVE this mail from Shannon too:

It's being saved for a Special New Friend who loves red, knitting, and handmade. I hope it will be for a Project she is Working On at the moment...

Love the idea of a Knit Along - Bells alerted us to this here which is linked to the Tour de France, which I hope to join. There are only 108 places, so click the link here if you are interested in a reason to knit! (Just found out by email I am IN, and on TEAM QUICKSTEP, led by Angie from Riggwelter.wordpress.com!)

I have also almost finished the I-Spy quilts for the kids, now just waiting for the machine to come back from its service ($$$$$).

Another little game I am joining in on is Nicola's Week of Decoration. Following on from her gorgeous week of colour, she is hosting a week of decorations through photos we take daily. Today is spots, dots, circles, etc, and I am off to take some pics!!


Join in !!! These are all I had - I really need to learn how to do those photo mosaics Nic is so good at.

Phew! Busy morning...

x

Mirabel Softie

Mirabel softie completed and sent (unsure if it arrived), and although it's rather clunky, it's cuddly and soft and not too ugly!! Go to Mikes to see lots and lots of others, or details to do your own contribution. Great cause, thanks for co-ordinating it Pip.

x

Knitting update - finished a few!

So whatcha been making lately Jess?

Beret for me using Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit 100% wool in shade 502 (not as pink as this in real life)



Mittens for Master 6...
And matching beanie!

Backpack for Miss 2...


And matching poncho (seams not finished)

Now doing some wrist warmers in the beret wool as they are super-easy and super-toasty!



x

.

Vintage Australiana or Knitting Kitsch?

Ok, so am I borrowing artistic licence in the use of the word vintage?? Vintage is bandied about these days but is a lovely word (evocative of a good glass of wine!!) I am classing 1984 as vintage, and to celebrate a female relative getting selected for the Olympics (yayy P!!) I am thrilled to display a recent op-shop find. Commonwealth Games or Olympics, this is certainly worthy! It may well become another Vintage Australiana contribution!





Well-worth the ten cent price tag!!

x