My lawns

My Lawns, not really but Im the only one who lays awake worrying about them....
Then....no substance,sick thinning and didnt react to anything done to it..

Not an exciting heading but its taken me a least 4 years to see a result.It wasnt a case of throwing water and fert on them,we battled vandalism,drought,heat,bugs to no sign of improvement.After trying different methods I went back to the basic,organic seaweed fert,Seamungus that looks like reintroduced micro organisms and organic matter,I started to get excited(not as much as a parcel of yarn etc,LOL) when I could see the lush green developing in a wave like pattern across the grounds,then toad stools(which stink and Im thinking I may have to fungicide later but think at moment its a good sign for improved soil) popping up in among the greener parts.I can see a vast difference and can cut once a week easily on a level 7 on the mower,if I walk over them they are soft/cushiony under foot,just hope the students dont trample them too much when school starts again on Monday.
Now and getting better!!!!

See the darker patches coming through!!!!

This areas still only 50%,used to get bogged on the ride on!!

Lush and I actually stalled the mower on Sunday!!Yoohoo!!!

Now look at the last photo,the tell tale green wave is starting to join up,it should be fully lush by the end of Febuary,I ll take updates if only as record here in case Computer dies and I lose my photos!

Excited you bet!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Im on count down now,only 4 weeks to go..must buy text book this week,$128 but hopefully worth it!!

End of the holidays

A new year is definitely here,the official start to the term starts tommorrow with Admin staff back at work and end of peace for me....
This year my focus will be on cleaning up the debris thats seems to have increases rapidly over the last couple of months(on top of the last tens years worth),the heats knocked the trees a fair bit so leaf shed has been more than usual.Other than that, the lawns will be taking precentent over other sections till I can see at least a 50% improvement .One sides getting well past that now and only have the other sections to pick up.
I went down today and mowed so I could apply that gift from the Chooks, Dynamic Lifter, boy its on the nose but really it means green to me.I treated the lawns with Seamungus up til Christmas to get the micro life going and its obvious when looking at photos from last year.The lack of sufficient rain has hampered a lot of rapid progress but now the wee bugs are hard at it working, the addition of chooky poo will  give everything that final boost!!
Knitting News

Im just finishing off the chemo hat in Rowan Wool Cotton the colours Blue Wash and I thought it was abit darker! Im just adding the band which is attached horizontally while picking up the live stitches.It'll probably use all up about 1 and 3/4 balls!Would dearly love a semi fitted v neck sweater in this,colour included...Hats must be on my mind at the moment,waiting for agorgeous skien of possum/wool from Knitters Addiction in delectable red for a pattern I found in Designer Knitter

 Im waiting for another yarn shop to find a particular rich blue in 4ply Cashmere for this pattern Im hoping that there ll be enough for one for me too so I can wear one too and know the recipient is not alone.Cancer is my biggest fear (like every other person ) Ive had a few tests over the last couple of years but it doesnt alleviate that thought at the back of my mind when twinges happen and I hurt where I shouldnt,I did have a thought accur to me some time ago,do creative people seem to be the most noticable people to develope this disease/illness ? I know of a lot of people including people in my own family,they were mostly very talented artists in the creative field,my Nanna was a very talented spinner,prolific knitter, tatter and crocheter,winning alot of prizes in the local show,a great cook too.I wish she had survived longer to see some of  her talents passed to me,though I suspect its come out as obsession with me!!!

This wonderful person is currently giving her avid readers an insight into the current treatment for breast cancer and I raise my hat (knitting needles) to her bravery and wish her the very very best in her battle!

Back soon with more photos,a certain boy needs to check Myspace....

A Cool Change

We had a wild storm/thunderstorm with a bit of hail(car safely under cover) yesterday late afternoon and it was exciting to watch it from our front verandah!!!As stroms are few and far between, we delight in making use of our relatively new verandah!!B.. has just bought a nice little setting for us to sit and watch the sun setting and Im getting use to going out there to knit quietly for a few minutes sometimes with a glass of something in the evenings,even son no 1 is clueing into it!!! Usually on watering days I can sit and watch the birds have alast bath too!!
When we get the last stage done(the cement drive) and the rest of the garden planted itll look like I envisaged a few years ago when I first strated planting!Ive decided that instead of a cuple of roses and an archway Im going with a country garden thing with a Black Turkey and maybe a citris of some knid,a Eureka Lemon? and under them Ill put pea hay and gradually introduce a prostrate emu bush. Theres about four cuttings I took from work that I got going and put in about 5 years ago and they re taking over,its withstanding an onslaut from a bit of couch thats starting to move in.

Knitting.... Im about 2 inches from plain knitting on River Avon,have started a Rowan Wool Cotton Chemo hat,still halfway through that Ixchel shawl,finished another pair of socks, above...

Hmmm,thinking thinking...Oh thats right Ive started another top down called Sassymetrical out of some merino handspun,I need another 3oo metres to do what I wanted so off to Ebay to my fav seller(Highland CottageCraft) for this colourway and TRY to spin it up as close as possible.The 3 skeins Im working on now are unfortunately more an aran or ten ply weight,hopefully I wont have to rip what Ive done and make bigger,its gorgeously soft and has halo developing as well! If this is not what I expect Ill redo on 5.5mm needles,seeing Ive ordered 300g of fibre and hopefully spin a match there should be heaps!Heres another version,absolutely love this one!!!

Hmmm got a trend happening here..notice the blue? if you could see the Chemo hat you'd understand..Rowan Wool Cotton,delish to play with!!!Off to do some housework,yuck yuck!!

Holey Shite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, been knitting working and generally enjoying the quiet time that Christmas usually brings,not many traddies at work,only some top dressing,the painters scarpered before Christmas and it was just me and the birds for few days...Bliss

Here's the top dressing in action...

Nearly done..

Just looky at that colour,its taken a while but with tender loving care I think Im on awinner,as uausl I doubt the boss will take notice but isnt thats what agardener is supposed to be able to to do!Maje it green? if only the full and true story could be told.....

Knitting news!!Im about a third up the front of the River Avon Vest!!I absolutely love this pattern and yarn,Bling by Zen Garden. Ive looked around and found the yarn in the UK ina beaut blue..might get some later when I work out exactly how much Ill use in this vest!!

Im abit further than this .... heres a  close up of the stitch detail!!

Ok, now onto the heading of todays post,I was thinking to myself as per usual, last night,planning the next few weeks to get the maximum value out of my time before Study starts and I came to think of which nights are more likely to be productive study wise and which I can use as my treat nights and it hit me....call me brainless,a twit or whatever but it dawned on me that to get the necessary study time in, so I could still have some recreation time I WOULD HAVE TO PUT a FULL 5 HOURS A NIGHT,yikes A full time 45 hour a week job that starts at 5.30am and finishes at 2pm,Im going to be a zombie!!Never fear I shall conquer!!! I figure I wont know the extent of the work load til I see the paper work,Its art,it was one of my best subjects,the theory I did 45 out of 50 in the exam so I must be able to at least talk the lingo,Uni stuff is much more indepth of course...Anyway if I get an hour or so in before the hourde arrives home and then have my work area set up I should be able to do bits while cooking meals,Ha ha ha they wont know what hit them some nights,easy meals etc,Hubby hates Spag Bol .Combined with the hours on the weekend where I can study in normal hours,lunch breaks and the fact the subject should be interesting,the pracs should be awesome,drawing Im looking forward to..So to cap it off, Im not so freaked as I was last night.

Id love to move to Perth where, in my ideal world, Hubby gets a great well paid job comparable to the current one and the kids go to a great school and I get to go to the actual UNI!!!Im thinking the additional fun bit of the Curtin Knitting group too.................................................................; )

Just A Quick new post

From HERE

I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!

The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Just cut and paste this one if you like, which I did.

Also, let me know if you would prefer a knitted something, or a sewn something :) I will try to do either as requested!
Now knitting news..

I finished Ixchel Fibres Sock Club,I think Club 1/Issue 3,red oranges BFL,God this beautiful stuff,I knitted alot of the last sock on very warm days and it did comeout slightly looser but I dont mind,they are washed and blocked,my way...

Look how much left over!!Im thinking of looking for some similar weight BFL in cream/white and knitting another pair using this for the coloured part,maybe stripes ,toes and heels with random hearts over leg section!!

Im sailing with the Avon Valley vest(see previous post,have about 4 or 5 inches done? will post when its a bit bigger

A bit sad this week,it was my only siblings anniverary of when I lost him..

New Year

Ha Ha Ha,its a New year and I feel that this year will be a good one,good news from friends helps too but I feel invigorated and ready for anything well almost,theres a shadow there on the horizon but we ll deal with that when it comes along..

Ive got my short list happening for the Toodyay Retreat,I ve started the River Avon Vest and enjoying that with plans for two other main items.

I had to frog the BFL socks back to ankle but should have it finished by tommorrow.BFL is lovely to knit and would love to commision a special dye job from a very special lady but have toooo many projects going, to need to get ahead first!!!

On the really short list

1. Cabled vest out of Beryl fleece  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/long-cabled-vest
2. Vestish in burnt orange Heirloom mohair http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vestish
3. Simple vest,waiting for English version in Beatrice or Jet http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pima
4. Beatrice Vest http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/talia-2
5. Another vest in ..something http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hoodie-vest-4
6. A Topper in hmmmm. Luxury...http://www.ravelry.com/projects/TT820/agatha-cardigan-2
7. a cardigan http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vera-7
8. Ditto!! ! http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ditto
9. Wurm...http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wurm
10. And 'cause I love it http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bertrand-louis

Now ths is a very short list ,have another list elsewhere...,if I can finish some  here I ll be very happy!

The River Avon,this lovely pattern comes from lovely Anne at 1morerow and when I saw her wearing this vest I was intrigued and as being local designer Ive decided after procrastinating to cast on.Its in Zen Garden Rasberry,very nice to knit with ahint of sparkle.Take swhile to get around each row being over 250 sts but Im getting there...

These two next balls have been in my stash for awhile,I havent decided really what to do with them but vestish can have the mohair,a warm light vest with an interesting style and the pink hmm,sort think a plain office style v neck but being a soft colour maybe a lacy one...

This year's  going to a busy one,Im enrolled in a  3 year Uni Course and am wondering how I m going to handle 20 hours a week study plus a full time job,caring for a large family as well....Hubby s nicely reminding me I wont have time to knit/spin,what does he know,thats my sanity anyway if I dont do some.. the stash will keep growing..

Photos of my success at school

These were yellow and dying until we had some nice falls in the last few months and also with an addition of organic fertilisers,such as Seamungus,they're gradually coming back.For a gardener like me thats as good a Chrissy Pressie as ever!!!!They arent top as some would sarcastically point out but I know whats what and Im happy...actually theyve improved nicely with no kids running on them too...