This is..... the contents of my handbag. Really.

I am a real bag lady. My current handbag could carry a child, and has been used as a weekender bag. I just tipped it out and Miss 2 pounced, so here's the list:

Knitting (the beanie), pattern, and wool, all wrapped in a teatowel (Nan used to do this, I do too); Muesli bar (A.O apricot and almond); pencil; pens x 2; deodorant; pencil grip for Master 6; hairbrushes x 2; nappy cream; Lucas' pawpaw ointment (for lips); wrapper of kiddie sized 'Shapes' biscuits; tin of wooden threading beads to keep Miss 2 entertained; wooden bus (ditto);
small plane (ditto); Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue Pie (ditto); purse; diary; notebook; 2 sets of keys; wool for knitting up beanie; Miss 2's hat; hair elastic (me); hair elastic (her); elastic band (??); napoleon lip gloss; ultraceuticals ultra ACE hydration booster (from aeroplane); receipt; pack of fruit and nuts; pad; another handbag (!!) that I just finished; book (knitting by Anne Bartlett - borrowed from Mum); crocheted bookmark from Ruth; Video from a girlfriend (I'm taping Dr Who for her); Frankie magazine; phone; camera; pins (no idea why).

Yes, it's heavy, yes I have smaller bags, no, I am not proud of this! This is not a 'This is...' that I loved but it made me confess that my biggest source of clutter is my bag. Thanks Sharon! (Check her Lily and Iris blog out - very cool).

Next week's This is... is being chosen by Angela, and should be a fun one too. Never too late to join in - it's an interesting way to get to know people!


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Holly Hobbie and Find of the Weekend!

I loved Holly Hobbie as a girl, I had a pillowcase, a little thermos and swap cards, and thought that was pretty good.

My dear friend The Lovely Karen gave me a little dish the other day (hubby thinks it's an ash-tray, but I KNOW there were no ash-trays in the range!!) It sits near my computer, and is a kind of coaster for the ever-present cuppa. Thanks Karen!


Moving some things around, looking for the old pillowcase which I KNOW is here somewhere, I just found my 1981 Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue Pie figurines, and they STILL have their smells! Anyone collect these? I also had the Strawberry Shortcake doll - it may have been passed on to someone else over the last 27 years!

My friend Marissa had most of the dolls, and I often wonder if her family kept the collection!

But the find of the weekend is.....

Voila! Single bed doona cover, in perfect condition! Lovely, lovely, lovely.

$3 at Salvos, hardly used. There are a pair on a collectibles site from the US for $50 I have had my eye on, so I am thrilled. I can't wait for Miss 2 to move from cot to bed!!

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Knit, knit, knit, just to stay warm!

OK, the nights are already getting bite-y here. A Canberra weather thing that you learn pretty quickly when you move here, is that when Autumn hits, it packs a punch. Usually by Anzac Day, the Winter woollies are out and the heaters are on.

Only 2 weeks ago we were wearing shorts - now I'm sleeping in socks, and the heater is at the ready.

So I knit at night to keep warm, keep away from the pantry, and keep my position on the couch!

I'm still doing the socks, but the beanie for myself is now at the front of the queue -

The one I'm doing is kind of number three, without the dangly/pompom-y bit. Very simple, nicely shaped.

The flash does not do justice to the wool - have a look here. It's lovely and toasty, 8 ply on old size 7 (4mm?) needles. 134 stitches cast on and about 40 rows of ribbing for a folded-over brim that will make sure my bad-hair-days are covered up! Luckily the kids are too young to say "Mum, PLEASE don't wear that to take me to school", so I am safe!


When I want a change, I have these scarves on the go for each of the kids. Colours all chosen by The Little People.

Back to it - I'll try and finish this weekend!

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Turner to Monet - Sunday Arts

The Lovely Karen and her lovely little cherub met Miss 2 and I recently at the National Gallery here in Canberra and we strolled through the Turner to Monet exhibition.

This was amazing, and we saw some favourites as well as some works we had never seen before. I love nineteenth century art, and was rather happy to be there. Well worth a trip to Canberra as I don't think it's going to travel.

Another part of the gallery Karen and I love, is the sculpture garden. Here are some lovely images from there for you to enjoy...






The Miss Twos of this world also say that the Caramel Mud Cake at the Gallery is pretty tolerable...




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Fabric Wish List and What a Day!!

So today a wonderful friend looked after Miss 2, and I got to experience being in shops ALONE. I had both eyes and hands, and got a little carried away...

I went to Addicted to Fabric, one of the only fabric stores in Canberra, and what I wanted was sold out, so I borrowed these images from their website, here.


The black and white mushrooms of Mushroom City here are lots of fun, and may need to sub-let some space in my stash...

I went to get some Leo the Lion shown front here, but they had run out! So sad. Anyone seen any on-line?


I walked away with this Joel Dewberry that I was drooling over, and also this (Amy Butler?).


The first will be a bag and a book cover, the second a cushion for the caravan!

I got home, and realised that there was still 2 hours until Miss 2 came home! I popped to the local op-shop and found these buttons 10c each (sorry for crappy photo):


And this skein of mohair for $1 (I gave her $2 as there's heaps on there!!)


And then played with some embroidery patterns in my head:

Another bad photo - I used my phone... It's the faraway tree - we're reading The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton for the 3rd time this year... The porcupine is NOT a poo with feet (Master 6 wasn't sure if it was a poo with feet or a wombat). I was laughing as I took this, hence the blur!

I also got to finish off a ball of wool learning to crochet, with thanks to the much-blogged-about-Miss-Ruth (now what do I do Ruth?!)

Whipped up a little buttony loveliness for myself:


And drew up a picture I want to try embroidering:

Can you see through the blur!? My phone is due to be upgraded - I must make sure that the camera is a good one!

Miss 2 STILL wasn't home, so I knitted for a while. Of course when she did get home she had to go straight to bed due to extreme fatigue, so I knitted my beanie for an hour.

What a day!!



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Searching for employment

Just a quick rant to get something out of my head! -

I'm trying to find a job, that suits a mum, that is one day a week plus maybe home work or weekend work, as I only have one day a week that Miss 2 is in childcare...

It's really hard for mums that are returning after 6 years (in my case) at home with kids. How do we convince employers that we have employable skill sets??

Maybe I should think harder about the etsy shop idea and join the throng...

Anyway, job interview today (NO IDEA what to wear) for a dream job in a fabric store. Imagine helping people create something gorgeous, and being surrounded by stunning prints all day! Bliss!

P.S. How cute are these stamps?!


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Knit one, purl one, drop one, unpick one...

After meeting Bell's I rather boldly stated that Easter would be spent knitting a sock or two. I started this maybe 5 years ago (?) using Opal wool from Sunspun in Melbourne. This is my first sock, my first attempt at four needle knitting, and I am thrilled to announce that although the sock has not progressed any further since the photo,

I TURNED MY FIRST HEEL!

I think only fellow knitters will understand how thrilled I am, and how proud I am. The reason this sat untouched for so long was because I had a mental block. The next mental block is the next part, where I have to pick up the stitches to do the heel flaps and the gusset.

Stay tuned!! I'm determined to finish the sock, and of course to give it a friend!! Thanks for the inspiration Bells!!!



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