A little bit here and there

I was wiped out on tthe week end,just too tired, didn't even get to do any of the knitting spinning or dyeing either.
Now I made a start,Monday I did a lovely round dishcloth and Tuesday Another but in Alien green......I need to find a pattern like a flower,I saw one ,just have to look again,but me thinks that curiosity will have me looking at the garterlac from Jiminy Crikets (hope thats spelt right!
Lots of photos just have to download .....
I'm goin to try a draft this time and add photos later!
One thing though,I soaked my lovely white wool in vinegar thinking that would be okay to finally use the Gaywool dye and then I read the instructions and the method I want to use, says to squirt the ball with water with a bit of detergent in it then apply diluted dye(or something like that)
Am going to do some research... any ideas out there?
stay tuned....

A long Week

Its been along week,probably because the days are gradually getting longer even though the nights are still pretty cold(2 degrees on Thursday morning at around 6 am.My fingers were burning so mittens were the item that morning!
I have nearly finished my last Secret Pal gift and only have about 30 rows to go,not much you could say but getting to it as been an issue.Its going to be late but I will let her know so that she doesn't think shes been forgotten! I have been adding some goodies too as I think a little thought goes a long way.
I had a bit of fun at the LWS last Tuesday(Early knock off for the kids at school,2pm ) so dashed in to pay some bills etc! It was the worst day we have had for a while,strong winds,dust everywhere and I was starting to get very tired arms and hands from holding the car on the road! There was a little rain, enough to use the windscreen wipers coming home but we still had to water at school the next day.
Anyway,at the WS, I was able to pick up a couple of balls just incase I was called on to be an angel for a Secret Skein swap person and I discovered that Cheryl had stocked on Patonyle which by the time I got there wa nearly all gone! Apparently I am one of three persons who are constantly asking and buyingher sock wool.I am hoping She will be able to stock some more including Jigsaw!
The white perendale I will dye for a special gift One Skein SP if needed and a ball of Sulivans stuff that is a type of feathers ,and Cheryl pointed out it was a bit on the chemical nose abit! Pretty though and I haven't seen this brand before!

This a bundle is myStash Enhancing stuff!Yep thats the firts time I have said that,Stash Enhancer..... nice ring!

The green wasn't as lime as I would have liked but it'll do to get a start on the Dishcloth swap! And hopefully my order of Sugar n Cream/Peaches and cream will arrive soon!

I love the sock wool though,especially the soft pinky green one. I would like to see how the Patonyle wears compared to te coarser Opal,which washes up well but is rough to knit with!

This is my Last Secret Pal gift from Anne ,she put another ball of mauve perendale in the parcel s she thought I could use it ! Thanks Anne ,now I can knit a pair of ankle socks for me too,!!!!!

Stayed tuned for more piccies, the blogger is being a bitch tonite....................

Wow

I have just come back from Kalgoorlie where the kids had a heroic battle to lose to the CBC team but they were happy to have done so well!They're in the semi finals and this is the best year that the Kambalda team has had, so they have had a great year to date!
Anyway before ringing the relo's for a quick yarn I checked my blog as I am searching for that pattern,AND my Dishcloth Pal has reveiled herself,

ALASKA, all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a way to find a pen friend( via computor), I am so excited and then the next thought I had was ,ohmygod!!! the post will take forever,then I remembered we do have air freight!!!
But how exciting to be involved in these swap thingys ,I am already thinking of what can I do that is Aussie flavoured.......

Barbara, I have already checked out your site ,so nice to meet you,and now I know you have visited, I shall keep all piccies of projects for The swap as a bigggg secret to keep it a surprise!!
And I shall endeavour to put some local photos in to show where I live etc!!
All I can say is WOW....................................

On the other hand I am expecting a lovely pressie from my secret Pal ,Anne, who couldn't keep quiet any more and ,surprise surprise!!!! I had visited her journal before and often too,its a small world! She had a piccie of the something coming my way(Well I presume) so its going to be wonderful week, I love parcels coming in the mail......And I will certainly be lining up next time too!
Sorry no knitting piccies,next time!!!!!

A lovely weekend

Hey I managed to get a Saturday Sky..........
Its a warm and definitely a spring feel. Now I could get cranky 'cause I haven't finished many things for me and am still going on others for gifts (which I don't mind as the appreciation is wonderful)
I haven't made it do any spining but if I can shift the boys along today I may get a play later.
On the Dishcloth swap,I have ordered the materials I would like to use,namely Sugar'n cream and alittle bit of Peaches and Creme and only because people rave about this stuff,as well as the fact there doesn't seem be much available locally (localLWS).
I do have a few links thanks to Shazza and they arre really good!
eco yarns
ozeyarn
crochetaustralia
I like the ecoyarns for the something really special but the crochet australian site looks pretty good too.I just had to be difficult and buy from the States!I have ordered a fair bit so might sell some to recoup the postage(air at $22 US)!!!!!!!
Its curious that no locals supplers have imported but like the sock wools it a shame that the local mills haven't caught with the overseas trends and supplied the Australian markets!I did look at the coats cotton in KMart but wasn't sure if the patterns I found on the net were 8 or 4ply (in our lingo)I think I saw someones comment that the US 4ply patterns are equivelent to our 8ply! Anyone know?
AND Look at this Box,how exciting (for me anyway,)all the way from Germany,the kids thought I was a bit strange but I have been waiting 3 months for them!!
Here they are in all their gloryand one of the Flamongos is yours, Shazza,to add to that collection you recieved last week! When I saw yours had a rrived ,I was thrilled as it meant mine wasn't far away!

And this is my latest sock purchase from Sweetfern on Ebay,based in Tassie! She is fantastic to deal with and best of all thats where I can find the Filatura di crosa 501 which I love knitting with! This time I also bought some My Lords nobbly yarn also for socks as she reackoned they were nice too! Sucker for new yarn but maybe I will have enough sock for me next year when warm comfy feet are really appreciated!

After reading my emails today,its a bit hard to keep up with them,as my DH has set up another computor in my bedroom as the kids were taking over the main one. He's experimenting with two hard drives in one tower .The problem is that if someone has turned on the other one in the lounge,I don't get my emails where I work on THIS computor.Anyhow ,apparently some people have not been really good with their Secret Pals ,so the organisers have asked for 10 Angels to come forward to help those who have missed out! I decided to put my name forward so now I have another person to knit a secret gift for as well.I had fun with first round ,haven't finished the gift for it yet but I will make it by skin of my teeth!

I have to go into Kal on Tuesday(DH decided at the last minute ,that he didn't want to pick kids up from school on Thursday past when I was going to finish work early at 12.30, fly in ,have a haircut ,pay some urgent bills and be back early enough not to be too tired on Friday.) Now I have to drag 4 kids in with me as he is on 24 hour break and the kids finish school at 2 pm and he has to sleep for night shift.They are going to be bored silly and I reackon by the time we get home I will have migrain,Men!!!!!!!

I will stick my recent philosophy, don't rely on them and you will know where you are at all times ,well most of the time anyway!!I was hoping to nip into the LWS and pick up the two balls/skeins and post them off quickly so I had time to work on a gift,maybe a lovely face wsher out of the Peaches and Creme that will hopefully arrive in time!

Anyway, here is Fluffa looking annoyed as we foiled yet another attempt to chew something she shoud not,she has already Buggered the lounge ! I hated it anyway and I 've hardly sat on it but I was hoping to get the kitchen done first!

Don't look at the pebbles she's left,she loves to have a play,usually first thing in the morning and again at night before being put to bed in her special night box,(where Tilly can't make dinner of her!) She has gaine dsome weight too ,so is a bigger bunny to when we picked her up!

See these lumps of dirt? this is the work of some dedicated BMX boys who needed some new jumps as the shire had flatterned the last lot!

Right I have to go ,lots of spring cleaning to do and not much time(translate,I have lost some valuable things and can't find them in the Storage room,aka,bedroom) wish me luck!

PS,does anyone know of a pattern for the padded coathangers that are usually seen on fete tables and CWA fund raising stalls, the usually soft acrylic is knitted horizontally up and over the wooden bit and few rows of knitting lace is knitted in on either side of the metal hanger,they are padded with craft padding and can be stuffed with pot pouri or something smelly! A long description but at least you get the picture !!!! I have looked at a few free pattern sites but haven't been able to find it yet!

Hockey hasn't finished yet!

Hooray! they're in the semi finals! And that means more trips to Kal, Monday,and next Sunday and after that we will learn whether they have more games!
Now I love the enthusiasm they have but it means my days are becoming very full 16 hour days,and no weekends to unwind!!!! Meaning no knitting ,spinning,dyeing and general do as I would choose.....

There I have had a winge....it is fun to see them enjoy a sport though.And only a few more games!

Anyway,I have also joined a dishcloth swap hosted by The Procrastinator herself,so I am on the hunt to find some nice cottons.Thankfully the real heat won't start here till mid November so if I can get the cotton I really want quickly I will have them done.The Coats cottons at Kmart although resonably priced looked too hard so its off to Ebay to find a shop in America for the nice looking 'Sugar'n cream' 4ply and 'Peaches and Cream' ,the latter is supposed to be great for face washes!
I have sussed out some nice patterns including an entralac one that should be fun(have a look at the Dishcloth swap blog and follow links if interested!)

Work is picking at school as the warmer weather is beginning to show,though its still cool at night to the point we light the fire still! Fluffa(aka snuggles) has been naughty(during her nightly run of house) and loves chewing the cords and gets very cranky when removed from her chewy bits!She actually thumped the floor with back feet when I took her away from our lounge which looks like a big rat has been there andwas most indignant when she found her access blocked.The lounge is getting old anyway but I want to get the kitchen done first so it has to last a bit longer(though no one sits on it most of the time as its always full of laundry)!
On the knitting front,I have finished one sock for a friend in hand dyed corredale and started a gift for my Secret Pal!

This was the second Skein from my Secret Pal with a fluffy ball and a nice lavendar Perrendale wool,it looks like I will get a pair of ankle socks,I finished these this morning but have since frogged it back as I tried it on and it was very short so I am going to add 5 more rows.I have a size 8 to 9 foot and I wouldn't mind betting the lucky recipient has a small foot but as I didn't add a few extra rows under fluffy bit it will need length to compensate! This wool has been eyed off by a few friends and lucky enough I have 4 balls put away so I will be garranteed of a pair for ME!!!!! My Secret Pal is so lovely and intuitive to send such a gorgeous colour(everyone wants it!) that'll teach me to show everyone!

Well I have too much to do, so I'm off to try get on top of a bit before I run out of time!