Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Wow! Two in a week!

I just had to show the fabric haul I have in the way of Debbie Mumm and some Country Prints! the BM are going into a collection that Ive been working on for a while, one day I may find the


just right quilt pattern(if I dont work one out for myself)......


The other country ones for another collection that s for a country style table cloth..... think I have enough to start once I get the time of course,mostly 9 patch squares so should be easy to put together but the cutting out is the time consumer......
My favourites...
I have noticed that they are getting a bit rare, even on the international Ebay site!


Oh and I better show off Hubbys tomato haul too..............(Psss dont remember what they re called,everything from Siberian to Heritage types..)


On the way home from CPC today T and I could see another bushfire west of Kambalda,quite large plumes of dark grey smoke rising up,like a nice big fat thunderstorm... its dissapated now but Ill be watching it,camera will come with me in the morning in case its still visable.CPC is a Boilershop and its over in the East Kambalda Industial area so up a bit higher than West,great veiws from Red Hill!

Oh I better clarify that Bill Peach Clip from last post too! Its my Grandfather he's interveiwing in the shed that my Dad still uses today,maybe now its understandable how I felt when I found it!!! I think its about 25 to 27 years old!!!!!

Oh and Im lucky to have been awarded something Very Special from the lovely Yarnivorous who has been transplanted to the States and after the runaround has settled? in Cambell, San Jose,California, lordy I hope I got that right,Lynne?

You Make My Day Award
How sweet is that,we something else in common now,first time Ive been awarded tooooo!!!!!
"Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."
Now for my list!!!!
Yarnivorous I had to award you again simply 'cause its true!!!
Random Knits its been fun to read about your knitting and of course Twinkie!!!
Ewe Give Me The Knits inspiration galore and all those delicious fibre goodies and chats of course!
Jelly Wares all those lovely fresh sewing ideas and the bush trips too!!
Kiss My Frog Aussie Cooking
I Heart Knitting The Speed Knitter, need I say more!!!!
Rambling Ravings and Rovings the way you wave that Spindle and its full!!!
All It Took Was One Stitch To the wonderful lady who introduced me to the big wide world of Blogging....
Unravelled The Bargain Hunter of the Thrift Shops, still cant believe you left that Chocolate wool behind!!!!
Theres just too many,I visit you all for inspiration and ideas or help with knitting problems etc,hopefully I dont leave too much in the comment boxes?...

Friday, January 25, 2008

Australia Day '08

Does anyone else get the feeling that the year is starting to slip away...Easter Eggs are in Woollies down here already, though they appear the boring ones so far.I used to secretly buy the boys big eggs and hide them,putting out next to the beds as though the big fat fluffy hopping animal came by during the night!!!

Usually it worked to get the kids to bed so at least I could have some peace,much needed as one Easter I had 4 kids under the age of 6 and boy they were a feisty lot.... now however they spend half the night trying to outwait the "rabbit" setting up traps while Mum gets around on that Sunday with black circles under her eyes,LOL

I dont want to wish their lives away but I look forward to the time when its a gigantic box of delicious choccy offerings to be shared at a family get together! Or if Im to be lucky they will gift back some to me.....most likely they'll have their own hourde of rugrats to deal with,(sure hope so,ha ha ha...)

Anyhow,each year the Shire here holds a Breakfast at various spots around the two halves of town.This year the pool gets it,unfortunately they cut down a heap of shade trees and so I didnt take the boys down this morning,really needed a bit of rest,this last week has been hell,fatigue has been my next best friend...

Instead Hubby went to Kal with Son No 1 to do some boys toys shopping,much needed toys to make Hubbys work easier as LV Fitter and T is after bits to continue the Green Machine overhall...hope he pays me back for the lowering blocks,a lot towards that ellusive Carder sitting on the wish list!!!!

I, on the other hand went back to Woollies to pick up the groceries that I forgot in my doppy state! A certain person remarked I should have attended the Big Brekky and as usual I didnt have a very valid excuse (I forgot about the lack of shade around pool , working in the sun all week, I avoid the outdoor during the weekends as theres too many suspots appearing..) Anyhow I left there feeling somewhat peeved that this person could be so forward to chastise me for my decision not to attend when she spends all week sitting in airconditioned office from 9 to 5....Maybe I should have suggested a job swap for a week when the temps hit 45'

Right ,thats my gripe for the day,oh another reason,Im trying to get a little weight off ,so having a greasy half cooked breaky of bacon and jelly eggs (and dont forget the pink Sausages )and warm juice is not attractive...we re doing that this arvo on our spanking new BBQ in the comfort of our patio so we will be having a good Australia Day in a traditional sort of way!!!!

Went to Kal yesty with 3 of the boys to pick up their book orders or school lists ,freaking hell,$600 later and then new shoes for two of them,OMG $220.. drag ones self back to car and think ....I have enough $2 in recesses of handbag to pick up that fat quarter to finish that Shashiko Bag and damn and blast,Cheryls not open til next Tuesday,grrr

We went over the road and spent some change at the Boulder Little Sweet Shop,what a choice,they have stock from England the States and others, all thsoe old fashioned ones that were in the corner shops when we were little tikes,er our Nannas and Poppies day of course!! Humbugs hmm yum, but I cautiously tried out the Danish licorish on the boys but when they very quickly looked for a bag to rid the lolly,I promptly decided to not to indulge!!! Wonderful shop and the lady who runs it will give a long winded run down on the history of each type of weird and wonderful confectionary carried there! Well worth a visit,they apparently have people send in orders from England for some Australian Lines!

There was however a surprise waiting for me at the PO though, that is going to make the weekend,2 metres of yellow Gingham, verry hard to find,I managed to score some from this wonderful shop, Busy Thimbles Store Cant speak highly enough for this online fabric store,terrific service and very fast to get the order out to the PO!

Its been a nice PO week too,I was naughty and bought a few more Debbie Mumm fat quarters to add to the growing stash,hopefully Ill have enough to make a table cloth later.

Im enjoying Ravely,getting lost in among the patterns,picked out a few I must do but unfortunately quite a few are in old IK editions or are the US version of Patons,will be hunting down one book,everyone in it is delectible,loooove cables I do....Im" myfivesons" on Ravelry though my page is still in that boring stage,finding time to catalogue all my projetcs,digging them out of hiding is nigh on impossible(especially when Hubbys home,he ll kill me!!!)

To go on list are quite few from Chic Knits too especially

Cece simply because...
Ribby Shell would be great simple vest
Twist adore this,8ply a similar CPH with a bit more of a"Twist",LOL
Arrianne looks appealing,would like to make this in cascade
Ribby Pulli Loove the other versions

Ive been on the hunt for a just right vest pattern and think the one I found this week will be nice,lost the link but I did down load it and printed out a copy,its a cabled one with heaps of 2x2 cables but its not cut away at the shoulders like most, when I find it again Ill put in a link!
Found another bit of archived work that Id been chasing for a while too,thought Id have to buy the whole set from the ABC which Im going to now anyway....
Bill Peach in Peaches Australia,this episode is especially wonderful to me... I was hard put not to cry when i realised what I was looking at!
Can anyone remember any of the series? I remember sitting every night it was on with my Mum, Dad and Brother, I suppose with the ABC as our only TV channel we didnt have much choice but it still remains my favourite now,even the boys watch it more than the others...

Oh if you ve stuck with my ranting today,that pot of gorgeous flowers at the top, my all time fav in the flower world,I know I love lots of others but if we move back to ( I hope) Bendy these will be the most prominant. I have memories of these little beauties breeding up prolifically around "Dunlops" landscaped gardens as a child and as teen when I first started getting into horticultural interests! No doubt in the wrong situation theyd be a pest like plumbagoes, one variety which is noted in Wrigley and Faggs Australian Natives book as a NSW native, its cousin viewed as a pest in Viccy is a SouthAfrican Shrub!
Zephyrante grandiflora, pink zephyantes,rain lilly(I grew up knowing them as this),they ll pop up after a spring/summer rain, hardy as and I could rave about them all day!!!!

I bought a couple of pots from Bunnings for about $7, one of which I kept,the other I planted at school. Looking a bit tight I repotted on into another flatter,but wider container (they look brilliantly in a wide camp oven)
When I go into Kal this week to pick upthe MTDs new blades I intend calling into Bunnings to see if i can scaor another pot or two to spead around the garden.
A tip for buying these,feel around the pot,if it feels all lumpy and tight with the pot looking a mite distorted,you know they ve out bred the pot and you ll have value for your dollar!
Im off ,I think Ive gone on long enough!!!! Sewing machine is calling....
Ill leave with this video of the lillies in the wind!




Friday, January 18, 2008

My Fav Tea Mug



Im posting my tea Mug following KissMyFrog suggestion for a bit of fun!


Tigger to help me bounce along at the beginning of each day,my first cup at 4.55am if Im lucky and I have a nice shearers style mug at work but Im not going down just get one of it!!
See the dragon flies on the reverse and a little Tigger on the inside?.....

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Boys are Soooo Wonderful!

10.30 am Phone rings(mobile) Im half way through shifting stuff in bosses office!

Pat ,"Marrm!(pregnant pause) Hews just had a gutser off the MotorBike!"

Mum, "What? Where is He?!!!!!!!"

Pat," In the shower!"

Mum," Anything Broken?"

Pat,"Dont think so....he might need stitches though..."

Hmmm,Boys,dont ya love them!

What a week!!!!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Im Back!!

First up I would like to put this up as I forgot yesty!
I am participating in Pay it Forward again as I Heart Knitting put her pledge up and guess what I made the list!
“I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week… but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”
! Sounds like fun and open to lots of little gift ideas so we ll see how it goes!!!Leave a comment if interested and Ill email you so we can organise addresses etc!
Now I have done this before and there is a difference that I didnt notice til now,this one was any handmade gift while I Heart Knitting has indicated for a handknitted gift,this leaves it open for anything handmade so will suit time and resources as well! Besides I want try out the new machine.....

Now i found those photos I wanted to shareA So Called Scarf in handspun alpaca ,navajo plied and dyed with Mandies Dyes! Ive nearly finished it, knitted on 10mm needles says how thick it is and I feel should have been on maybe 12mm as its a bit stiff and not as drapey as Id like it,it ll be agift but not sure to whom,the ideal person will pop into my mind when Ive finished it! Mindless knitting that I pick up here and there.My Thanks go to whoever was trying this out recently as it gave me the brainwave after I found the alpaca hiding raw and natural in the linen cupboard.......Love to do some more of this on the wheel,I need to refine my navajo plying...
This one is those Entralac socks from IK Holiday Knits that Mandie was so kind to snap up for me before Chrissy,apparently its sold out according to IK site too, I was determined to learn how to do this pattern, guess what! It was so easy I dont know how the heck I didnt manage before,LOL Its stalled at moment as I have to finish the second bobbin so I can spin the polyester which I want to re enforce the heel and foot area,others have spun it all together but I thought Id do it this way,we ll see how it goes!!!!

Now this is a gorgeous gift brought back from New Zealand, the most softest alpaca ever,its like butter!!! And the pattern for gloves or mittens,must have been popular as Kym reckoned there was very little left to choose from and all the sock kits were gone too! thanks heaps for this,at last someone understands how to gift a knitter,LOL Of Course she totally spoilt me wih a heap of other bits and bobs but this was truely the highlight!
Well Im off to play with another project!!!!!!Pictures when its done!!!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Its me again!

I just didnt have the urge to sit and write,no photos compounded that as well and in not posting I was able to finish 2 socks and start on their mates,a bit of gardening where the heat allowed,it was around the 43 44 mark on one day and I couldnt change whan I got home hot and sticky as one son needed to go to the docs with a severe eye infection and then just after that I had to return to school to lock up and arm security for the tradesmen working on the parquetry floor.

Oh and then the younger kids wanted to go to the pool. It was like" quick get in,youve got 20mins" "dont stand there gossiping!swim!" followed 20mins later with another 20mins of trying to coax them out,LOL,the pool manager must have agreat laugh at my expense!

ON the good side my Dad is home and although has lost a huge ammount of weight at least Mum is not alone now! She nearly slipped into the river trying to start the pump last week and theres a moderate river coming down but not the flood they originally thought! Im abit worried Dad will try to shift the B..... pump himself!

Im starting to think aging parents are very much like teenagers......

Well I went to load the photos I did manage to get and I cant find them so Im leaving you with one of the green Monster that has since been stripped back ready to paint be lowered by Son No 1, this ute apparently has won some awards in its day so we are encouraging him to do everything slowly and Properly!!!!
Stay tuned......(HUBBY WANTS TO REPAINT MY TARAGO TOOO! Oh HELP!)