Green Thumb

This a bit late but I managed to get something,my other garden blog , Outback Flowers has more!

DH watering what used to be MY veggie patch but as hes started the Kambalda Seed Savers I let him,it keeps him out of my hair,ha ha ha!!!!

A little spinning

This last week has probably been the best Ive had for a while,the new 5.30am start has been better for me (though the 2pm finish hasn't been so good) I have learnt to manage my chores so as to have the regulation 30mins lunch break at 1pm and that allows me to actually use the remaining 30mins to clean up equipment and fuel up the cans ready to start next day.its amazing how long it can take to put hoses away etc.
I have managed to finish the ''pink lemonade"roving that I ve been working for the last fortnight,the name was given for want of something to call it and that just cameto mind!! LOL ,I have photos but as DH has been fiddling with computors, I am drafting this first on my Xmas pressie, the laptop. Heres Fluffa checking out the fibre goods,he hopped up onto the chair beside me and climbed over for a sticky beak,seems to love my ratty old dressing gown(wouldn't normally appear but Fluffas the star not me!)
It means I can't as yet access the photos I took as I didn't want to store them on this computor as the rest on on the main one,so I will just type away and add later!
I've joined the My First Top Ups and have picked out some lovely BFL that I dyed in sombre sort of colours. I must be ready for Autumn as I seem drawn to those tones.
Speaking of which I had some raw(white) roving up on Ebay namely,
Masham,Shetland and Cheviot and before that ,BlueFaced Leicester ,
noone seemed interested ,I thought as they were rare /not available here in Aussie that some spinner out there would be interested! Maybe if I dyed some.I wasn't really out to make any money just to allow others to try what is available elsewhere.
As said in last post Im planning to get some Icelandic roving too and have found a good suppler in the States.Its supposed to be pretty good so when it arrives I will give my opinion of its spinworthyness!
Sort of thinking of joining the SP 10 this year mainly because its fun to send goodies as well as recieve them, anyone joined before?This year I intend to drag DH off to the local Policemens Ball which is held here i Kambalda each year as part of Bluey Day whic in this town was started in memory of Katie Karafilis who died of a childhood cancer a few years ago.Kamblada has managed to raise a lot of money in previous years and most of the time the highest in the state due to local efforts!
this year I have plans,The top is fine,a fitted black lace sleeveless round neck top,the shoes are called foxtrot and nicely match any ball room flings we may try,the skirt,well I have a short multilayered hankercheif style one so i am thinking of making something similiar in black chiffon,something floatly.
Now as it will be in May it will most likely be freezing and Im afraid that warmth is important ,as a teenager, fashion was more important than comfort but not now,LOL
which brings me to deciding to make either a shrug or a lacy sort of wrap,found the wrap just need to decide on what colour..... a rich wine colour,a cream or go classic in all black set, off with a bit of classy jewellry,hmm a shrug still looks good...
Maybe if I knit the wrap in a fine mohair or alpacca with a bit of sparkle running through it! I even wondered about a flapper style which means stick to the skirt already at home in cupboard and add a dropwaist top ,either way I get to knit the wrap!!!!!
Anyway this week end has been busy,particularly today as I have been trying to clean up my garden,its cool and this morning a bit drizzly but DH announced some Seed Savers were coming around to get some seeds from his stash so i had to quickly run up some cake for morning tea,for which i am still waiting for them to arrive(well after lunch)
It has also meant I am still in garden clothes ,no sign of a Nanna nap going to happen(read book ) and at this time no fibre happenings either. Oh well theres always next weekend,bugger DHs on night shift.....

PS my latest yarn stash enhancer $ 3 a ball, on special at Kmart,got ten to do a bell sleeve cardie style jacket out of a Studio Mohair book found at Kmart again a little while ago,kicking myself for not also grabbing some white Silk as well....

And a bit of weekend reading....

Hmmm

Haven't really got much to show,still spinning some dyed BFL top that I dyed with red yellow and pink,looks almost pink lemonade,don't know why it came to mind but when I finish plying I will show it off and ask for an opinion!
Not much knitting,too busy spinning in the only free time I have at moment,have to find the BFL that I have spun up for the Toe Up's , its hiding.....it knows I have to ball it up and being quite fine its going to tangle!!!!
Wow,saw news a short while ago(internet of course) Britney Spears has a new Tattoo....are we all so bored we want to know that!
On the work front ,things are looking a bit better,the boss has agreed to our starting time of 5.30am which means we(or I) finish at 2 pm now and just enough time for 30mins approx peace before th boys arrive home from school or to grab a bit of grocery shopping,now we all know kids and wallets don't match when it come to the budget grocery shopping!!I was starting at 5am and it was starting to really tell on me,I literally died on the bed fora anhour when the kids got home,the house was starting to fall a part.This last week has been better,its marvellous what an extra 30mins shuteye can do....
I really thought we were going to be in for a bit of a rough time with the new admin for various reasons including a previous employed person there leaving and being friends with some admin put me on guard to the point I was and maybe still looking at a different position elsewhere! Its so much relief to get a laugh and a smile from an admin person who could have very easily made it hard !
So hilarious on Thursday! I was removing some so called eco mulch that was donated to the school last year from a display bed near admin,I was wearing safety sunglasses the type that really seal around eyes and being hot was actually filled with sweat and it would dribble down my cheek as I spoke(the glasses would lift up my cheek and break seal ) Now my immediate boss came to speak to me about issues that the Big boss had raised and it could have been difficult for all of us and he tends to chop and change,anyhow to cut story short, she was telling me the latest and how I had to go see him....well she saw"tears" rolling down my cheeks and was alarmed that I was stressing.... I think it has worked in my favour LOL
I have come to the opinion that I have alot of roving to spin so have sacrficed a bit on Ebay in part to help pay for the post of the whole lot and to allow me to seek some more rare fibres from the states.I doubt even my mild mannered other Half will see my facination if any Quivet or Buffallo finds its way here but there are other interesting ones out there.
I aim to buy a little extra and put it up on the famous ebay again to help pay the post but also to allow other spinners to try a bit with out the problems of getting it here.Im at a point where I would rather start another blog like Yarnivorous has with her dyed yarn but I wondered if Blogspot might cut up a bit rough about any commercial ventures.
Maybe if I mention when I have some stuff and its details. That might work for people to contact me and work on from there,hmmmmm,I will think about it,feel free to comment!

Louet

!

Louet! Its here in my grasp,Donna from Random knits was the closest guess! Must have been the last hint !

My DH is amused as the Electric Roberta was to be my travelling wheel..... the "bycicle" style treddling is interesting and although its also teemed a good beginners one,I think the good old Ashford would be more ideal as you have to concentrate at first to "memorise" the feet action and handle the drafting at the same time!

I look forward to this weekend to play! (still have a bobbin to fill on Roberta too but that doesn't take long!)

Another hint?

One of you who commented is close to the mark,I will post photos shortly but this the last hint!

*it goes round and round..........

It s really hot today,I went with DH to deliver the schools Ride On Mower to the shop in Kal for repairs and service.The ute had no air conditioner and being a bit ancient it was also slow!
He still has the two way radio so we heard a truckie go crook at our speed and when we pulled over to let them pass,we were abused again for apparently throwing rocks!!! I have my only two Uncles as truckies and they do long k,s so Im not ignorant at the conditions that they operate under. These were just cowboys as they were speeding as well!
Well Iv had my winge,
Happy Valentines everyone!
@>)<------ @>)<------ @>)<----- @>)<----- @>)<----- @>)<------ @<)>----

Another hint!

I think this will give it away!
Its the makers name and it rhymes with an Australian well known beer,
Its arrived ,I've had a play and I'm estatic........

A box

Im so excited! A very special Thing is arriving in the day or so,garanteed by Feb 14th,its something i ve had my eye on for a while and tempation got too much!
It also means I have to curb yarn spending for a while but what the heck,I reackon I will make good use of it, a couple of hints

*Its little
*portable
*wooden
*and starts with L...
But to get in early before yarn diet starts ,I ordered and recieved some( read, that lots) roving in BFL,Cheviot,Masham ,Shetland and incredably soft Angora bunny!!!!! (in natural of course)......

The first parcel has arrived

I went to the post office to pick up the box! Theres another story in why our parcel are not delivered to the door!

Anyway! Inside this box is the most gorgeously soft baby alpacca yarn spun for me by my
Spin to Knit Pal who will not reveil herself until the next parcel arrives sometime in February!This is so exciting to see the spinning efforts of someone else, I haunt those blogs who spin, for ideas not only for supplies, but for techniques (even though I appear to be stuck in my own way of doing things)


Inside the box with this ever so soft,(I can't believe how buttery it feels), alpacca is a beautiful butterfly that you can light up,its taken residence in the African violet pot on window ledge!And a cut glass bottle to strike cuttings in, its decorated with lots of beads and flowering beads as well!Sorry its not a great piccy its lovely yellow that won't standout clearly against the cleanest thing in my house at moment,my table!
This Pal must have been checking my journal out to get it so right!
















Heres a close up of the yarn, it has around 115 yards and I am thinking hard of what I can knit with it to show up the soft nature and beautiful dove grey colour,a pair of Fetching with maybe some beads? Maybe I should seek out some roving to match so I can spin a bit of contrast and that will open up some possibilities! A friend I showed it to was under its spell as well,even though shes not a knitter as such(she can but doesn't have time),she suggested I just knit a square with it to hold and cuddle!!!
Thank you so much Secret Pal, I am so looking forward to what you are spinning up next,from somewhere in California!
Edit,I sent my spun goodies to this lady! It was hard to part with them but I think she likes my efforts!!!!

Fluffa

First! photos of the Fluffa!

Its a hot day!

Naughty Bunny!

At least Twinkie had the manners to choose an almost hideable spot!

PS Me thinks the kids have done just as much damage anyway.LOL ,Fluffa actually a lot more than this but my washing was sitting on it!

The Truck Came

This morning bright and early by a Saturdays standard, The big red truck came,and after much sweat and careful working over we have a verandah!










Son No 1 leaning against the post not looking forward to the days work,hes been ill,picked up a bug in Sydney and this was his first good day,until Dad put him to work!









Hubby went to Kalgoorlie this week and bought all his tools as we have heaps of work to do!








The final aim is to have the house ready to sell for a goodly amount so we have the chioce to move to anothe rarea if need be.Where I can't think, as its getting expensive everywhere and after paying $45000 for this Shell ,we have been told it could be valued at $15000 plus if the market stays this good.I would like to look at Armidale.NSW but with drought theres no water and with that probably low work possibilities.This area has a high average wage around the $80 000 mark,to leave here now is to loose income as well. With two boys 3 years and 5 yrs away from Uni,they look like wanting Science degrees,we have to start planning now.....












And here is the almost finished work and Hubby is sitting with it,a beer in one hand and a hose in other hand to stop it going off,he does assure me that it can be walked on tonight but I reckon a week,LOL, we've waited long enough,Im not taking a chance that its ruined now!

Something done

I haven't been sitting around doing nothing this past little while ,a long time since posting anything knitty but have been spinning.
The CPH is stalled as I have as usual too many little things going and also its been hot to the point I think Ive sustained heat exhaustion even though I didn't feel so bad while working.Abdominal pains sharp headaches,nausia,exhaustion etc.Its been hard to even drag myself out of bed each day at 4.10am,so glad its the weekend. Booked into doctor ,a lovely lady one in Kal but on my day off which is 3 weeks away,Ill be either over it or whatever.

We had a threat of 47' this week,Random Knits said I wouldn't get any sympathy from her,she doesn't have Aircon,poor Twinkie....LOL,I work in 43' heat so to come home to a hot house? It may explain how unwell I have felt this week,though I understand that coastal areas don't have the need for this luxury?
The boys are home,a bit of drama here and there.My airconditioner died,burnt motor,smells as usual of buggered wires(been through this a few times),Hubby flew home Sat,fixed it in an hour even with jet lag!
Son 1 stayed in Sydney ON HIS OWN,my baby,stressed I was, and come Sunday evening recieved a call,even more stressed MUM,don't worry "Im ok" was the message from payphone,"lost my phone,had to evacuate motel with Mates as we got into blew with some Le#*@*#@ Gangsters who tried to knock off a bmx bike worth over 3 grand.We won Mum but had to go into hiding,see Ya airport Monday night! Oh you should see the view Mum!" He could see the harbour bridge and bay from the phone.......A sleepless night!
At Airport Monday evening picture me,sitting knitting a sock with Hubby giving a running commentry on the time,20 mins, 15 mins, 10 mins,5mins,then knitting shoved unceremoniously into bag,didn't lose any sts though, walk briskly to door to get the best veiw of jet passenger ramp,and try not to bite other 4 boys heads off as they jostle around, and break into tears as No 1 son walks nonchantly towards us,I felt like an idiot but we didn't know if he made it to board in the first place and we had no way to contact him.For a 17yr old his had an education on life away from a quiet country town.
Thank god Hubby gave him a look at what goes on in a city like Sydney,late nights at shopping malls brings out the gangster including ethic ones,drug pushers needlers looking for a hit,you name it.Hes super glad to be home and Hubby admitted later he was sooking too and NO 1 son nearly sooked with us,I think I did enough for all three of us.The other boys just wanted to know the details of what happened,boys...... From the bottom of my heart I want to thank the lovely people who took my son into their home and ensuring that he made it to the airport.....
Now back to normal knitting/spinning news.....

These are a mix of dyed rovings and the last is a bobbin of BFL that I am currently plying with tussah silk.What I will do with this I have no idea as its very soft! Maybe I will dye it too as the silk will add a sheen to the finished yarn,I may have to do another bobbin to have enough for a project.Any ideas what I could do with this type of yarn,I should have around 180m....and about a 6 to 8ply but being so soft I won't know its tension til a swatch is done!

And Weekend reading,haven't peeked yet!