Saturday, November 22, 2008

Little Project Month

I have this massive blanket on the go at the moment, you know knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, purl, etc, etc, etc.....so to compensate I've been doing lots of little; immediate gratification projects.
First I made Jo Sharp's Purse from Knit Issue 4. My lovely DH bought me some Lumina for my birthday and also 4mm Tasmanian oak needles so it was a pleasure to knit this. Plus it is my first bag of any kind. Unfortunately it is still in the top of my cupboard unused, as I just don't get out at night anymore. Three kids, my mum is not so willing to babysit in the evenings and Quill only goes 3 hours between feeds, oh well, one day hey?
Then I made the Baby Bib o' love, a cute little project from Mason Dixon Knitting, which by the way is a fantastic book..
It is made with the ever lovable Peaches and Creme in colour peppermint. Arwen has requested one too, so I have hers on the needles, to be made a little bigger though.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Little Sandals

I searched and searched and searched for the perfect sandals or booties to make for Quill, I had plenty of the Sublime yarn left over.

These are the ones I really liked......

but they were just too tricky for me. They are Better than Booties by Ann Budd..maybe one day! Then I tried some pattern off someone's blog that I can't even remember. Just as well, as I'm sure it was written wrong, and I couldn't get it to work.

So I settled for the Debbie Bliss sandals that I have made before, and therefore know they work. I don't like the pattern very much, too complicated and too many ends to sew in. But this is what I came up with.
They look cute with the Little Daisy cardigan I made for Quill, so I am pleased. But it is an area of my knitting I'll have to work on, cos those Better than Booties are just better than Cute. ;)

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Little Daisy Cardigan for a Little Angel

I am making Zoe Mellor's Hearts and Stars Blanket for Quill, but it is taking SOOOOOOO LONG that I had to satisfy immediate knitting cravings.

So I discovered the Little Daisy Cardigan by Sublime Yarns. How perfect for the Australian spring weather too, open at the front and short sleeves. I made mine in colour Gooseberry 004 a pretty green colour, and I used the suggested Baby Cashmere Merino Silk dk. Very yummy yarn, nice and soft and perfect for next to baby's skin. Also found a button in my very old button box that matched perfectly.
Any complaints: well it came out a little on the small side. I made the smallest size, which is for a 0-6 month old, and it Just fits DD2 now. She is 5 weeks old, so unfortunately she won't get much wear out of it. It also could do with being 3 cm longer.

Here's my girl wearing it, although she's none too pleased about having her photo taken. xxxxxxx













Thursday, October 2, 2008

To dummy or not to dummy?

I have just had my third child, I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and now a 4 week old.With my previous two children I didn't use a dummy, my first I just never thought of it, never saw a need. If she was upset or unsettled I rocked or held her.
The second time around I thought of it, but couldn't bring myself to put that big plastic/rubbery thing in his mouth.
Now lo and behold I am questioning the use of dummy's again. This time i certainly don't have as much time to hold and rock new baby. And she hates to travel in the car, so yes, I bought a dummy and use it religiously for car trips. But now am considering bringing the dreaded dummy indoors.....
I don't really know what I find so offensive about dummy's, I think I don't want to cover up my precious angel's face with all that man made plastic...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Quill Jemima

Yes, I had a little girl, Quill Jemima on the 31st August. She is an Angel so adorable and of course we are all madly in love with her. Here is a pic of her beautifulness at 3 weeks old.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

ONE week to go!!

Yes, I am due next Thursday, so surely it can't be too far away till the big day. Am looking forwards to it, mostly because I want to meet my new baby and see if he/she is a boy/girl, but also because I just don't want to be pregnant anymore. Have done that, am over it, never...ever...ever... again thankyou very much!!!!

But am trying to knit as fast as I can on my Hearts and Stars Baby Blanket (by Zoe Mellor in Adorable Knits). To no avail really though, as each row has 167 stitches it takes me awhile anyway, but then I have to stop every 20 stitches or so and get my dear hubby to rub my fingers because my carpal tunnel is terrible. So much pain.....


Anyway I am really enjoying (minus the pain) knitting this, I like the seed stitches and the slightly more concentration it takes to read a chart. I am knitting this in Rowan Handknit Cotton, in a lilac colour 305 (had very little choice in colours believe me) I purchased from Webs.


They were quite a good store, very expensive postage, but the 20% discount when I spent over $60 made up for that. It got here quickly too.


Here's the pic of the yarn...

Ok, happy knitting, please stay tuned for baby pics....(eventually)...

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Roza aka Hospital Socks

I've finished my Roza's socks, I do quite like them. Although I haven't worn them yet, I'm saving them to take to hospital with me, so when the baby is born and I am sore..sore..sore I'll have snuggly feet at least :)


They are made with Lorna's Laces, Shepherd Sock yarn in colour Baby Stripe, which Seany bought for me last birthday, picked the colour out himself too....ahhhh!!!!


Ok, so here they are:
Sort of wish I had fantastic photography skills to show my knitting to its best. Because they are actually quite pretty.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Pain pain and more pain

I have carpal tunnel!!!! I've always known I've had it, very mildly, first came on when pregnant with Child number 1.
But now, at the latter stages of pregnancy with Child Number 3, it has hit me...big time! My hands and feet have puffed up, and are so swollen that I cannot make a fist or link my fingers together, and the pain in my right hand especially....that's right, my throwing hand. I can only manage a couple of rows at a time, or in the case of my Jo sharp vest that has cabling, a couple of stitches.....sob sob sob
All I can hope is that when the bubba comes out it takes away the carpel tunnel with it...but then of course I'll have no time to knit....

Thursday, July 24, 2008

A Gripe...

Yes, I do have a gripe I want to share.
With a yarn store, and not only that, my favourite yarn store.
They have done me wrong....

Angel Yarns
Exactly 20 days ago I purchased some Rowan Handknit Cotton to make a baby blanket, as you know bubba is due in only 4 weeks. So after much trolling through the online stores to see who had what in stock, I purchased.
Then when I hadn't received anything after two weeks I thought I'd just send an email to say I'm not alarmed yet, but just checking the parcel had been posted ok....
Guess what the reply email said....AY were out of stock, couldn't get anymore because it was a discontinued line, and sorry they hadn't let me know!!!
Hmmm, why hadn't they let me know??? That's the part that is the most disappointing. I was waiting patiently for my parcel, not to know it was never going to happen. A courtesy email would have been appreciated.

Anyway, I asked for a refund and will seek out something else. That's all!!

Oh, by the way, I LOVE Ravelry...don't you

Monday, July 21, 2008

Grandpa cardi for Seany or Grandma cardi for me?

That's the choice I'm faced with....I can only afford one, well, can afford neither so can definitely only stretch to one.
I quite like the idea of making something significant for Seany, as he always does the 'knitting face' whenever I finish something....you know like it could be done better, and I sort of want to prove him wrong.
But then you know, something for me, a soft snuggly mohair cardi????
Decisions, decisions....
So this is the Wrap Jacket, from Jo Sharp's Knit Issue 3, making the next to largest size uses 14 balls of mohair, at $9.95 each, that's over $150 for this cardi.....whoa.....

Then there's the Maurizio for Seany, I would make a similar colour for him, probably in RYC Cashsoft DK, all up this would cost about $120 with postage. So a bit cheaper. Mmmmm, just don't know.

Plus I am waiting, (impatiently) on an order from Angel Yarns to make a blanket for new bubba, but more on that when it actually arrives. The package, not the bubba that is....

And I have finished something this week too. I made a Drop Stitch Scarf, a new pattern with some stash yarn, it was so pretty when finished I wanted to give it to someone, as it wasn't really to my taste. I offered it to my Mum but she's not really into scarves, so I sent it to my grandma, Junee, hope she likes it. Here it is...


Felt quite proud to have done a pattern, and a lace one at that. I just won't tell anyone the actual name of the pattern was Easy Drop Stitch Scarf!!!!
Countdown to bubba: 4 weeks.....oh dear

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Some Old Pictures..

I neglected my blog for so long, I thought I'd search through my old pics and see if I can find some finished items. I'm only now getting back into my knitting, after having about 5 months off to throw up, feel nauseous and complain a lot...(see previous post re pregnancy for enlightenment)..
So here is a Sari silk scarf I made for my brother's girlfriend for Christmas. I personally hated the Sari silk, all rough and scratchy, and I didn't know what sort of pattern to knit with it, so I just did a plain garter stitch. But when finished and washed in expensive conditioner (numerous times) it wasn't too bad....if you like that sort of thing. Hopefully she did..



Then I had the baby booties I made in November 2007, before I knew I would shortly be preggers.. I made them because I thought they would be easy and I had some spare Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino left over. I gave them to my friend Maria, who I thought would be more likely to know someone with a baby than me. I didn't mind doing them but probably won't repeat the pattern. It came from Debbie Bliss' book, Baby Cashmerino.


And I can't finish this off without telling you about poor old Red Ted. He was my first fore into knitting in adult life, I made him for my first born when she was brand new. This is the pattern I used...Zoe Mellor's My First Teddy from Nursery Knits, but I had not a clue about tension, yarn substitution, or anything really, as is extremely apparent when you see the actual Red Ted....

We laugh about him but really, he's well loved......

















Thursday, June 19, 2008

Arwen's Cardi

Yay, I finally finished something...haven't been knitting for a while, my knitting bug went AWOL when I
..............................fell PREGNANT...................................
wasn't expecting that..
Anyway I am 30 weeks along and have knitted nada in the last 28 weeks so I am pleased I finished something at last. And very proud of it I am too.

Arwen likes it too, here she is looking very pleased




It is made with Sirdar Baby Bamboo, from this pattern book. I really like the bobbles around the edging. Too cute..

Anyway off to make a baby jacket....seriously, I am, baby due in August remember....oh dear.......