Hot, hot, hot.

So much for finishing and wearing my Shawl Collared Coat by the end of winter as previously expected, I was stuck wearing old, big and not so stylish jackets last winter, but this year will be different! 'Why?' you say. Well, I have been furiously knitting the collar, which was the last part of the coat left to knit, I am half-way there... I have run out of yarn again... oops (Jo Sharp - Alpaca Kid Lustre) but am setting out shortly to get some more. (Shortly means a couple of days in mum-who-has-3-kids speak)

So moving right along, these are the Jaywalker socks with the picot edge that I started as a prospective Christmas now birthday present, I do love the colours and how vibrant they are but I thought there would be a little more yellow in the G-Rocks, I know they change slightly with each batch which makes them beautifully unique. These are being knit with a smaller sized needle and I hope they fit over my niece's heel...


Knitting in hot weather is not easy, especially when the evaporative air conditioner is tackling humid weather. It also acts like it is tackling humid weather when temps are high for more than a few days, it's 41 degrees now so the lack of yarn is probably a godsend but I am itching to knit something, I just might try to find that knitted horse that I started for my son (meant to be "just like Bullseye from Toy Story 2"). I had knit one for my middle child and the eldest thought the horse was great so this afternoon there may be a search for a half knitted horse.

The recent warm weather meant we have been out in the garden much more...

Holidays (for want of a better word)

The start of the Christmas school holidays has been a bit stressful, the fighting, arguing, battles about toys... Thank goodness there is extra sleep in the 'holidays'. My two eldest, Quinn and Eli went into overdrive in the first few days, I think it was some form of "holiday shell-shock" and a bit of "spending too much time together", they have calmed down a bit since and we are now looking forward to Christmas, four days to go!!!

I had planned on getting a couple of pairs of socks done for my nieces (previous post) but as that is not to be I've bought presents instead and the socks will be finished for birthdays in March.

This is what has been taking up my sock knitting time, Quinn wanted to give his Reception teacher a doll, so I made a doll that hopefully looks like her, I wanted to do something special as she is his first teacher and this was her first year with her own class. I love how it turned out.

I couldn't resist adding this pic. It is the Christmas tree in Victoria Square in the middle of Adelaide, South Australia. I was driving Quinn and his friend home after the end of year Chapel service and we decided to drive past and have a look at the tree with all the lights on (normally the kids go to bed while it is still light and miss out on the Christmas lights). I took this picture while we stopped at a red light (tree slightly in the way).

In the bottom left of the picture is the fountain in Victoria Square, no idea what it is called but it looked good lit up in red.

So it has been a while since I've posted, it sort of got to the point where you want to post but it has been a while and there is so much to say and will anyone be interested it that but who's reading this anyway so it doesn't matter. No, I'm not paranoid...

Anyway here are a few of the things I have been working on in the last few months, I didn't continue the socks from my last post but launched straight into the knitty pattern I wanted to try. I love the way these socks turned out and I'm planning on giving them to my sister-in-law for christmas. My first knitted christmas pressie!!!



Once those were finished I started on a second pair for my neice, may not make it to christmas though...

but of course I got a bit of Vog On burn out, I don't usually knit the same thing twice, so I found the Jaywalker pattern and am starting those in G Rocks for my other neice. I love these colours, need to get a ball winder though, it took ages to wind this by hand...

I've decided to add socks to my list of projects on the go...

While waiting for the Kidsilk to arrive so I can finish River, I thought I might add another knitting project to my list. I had bought some Patons Patonyle for a dolls jumper at some stage and a free pattern and thought 'What the hell!'. I am also waiting for some 4ply merino and merino cashmere from The Knittery for another sock pattern, that pattern is a little more lacy (from Knitty) and I figured I had better be able to knit at least a regular pair of socks.


If these socks turn out they will make a great fathers day pressie for my Dad... can't give them to hubby, he saw me starting the socks last night and while my 5 year old is fascinated and thinks I'm just excellent my husband thinks I am a tad obsessed.

With 4 males to 1 female in this house I wouldn't call it an obsession... definitely a necessity.

I also bought some beads for the scrunchie thing that holds the River wrap together but the picture won't upload for some reason, I'll try again.....

nope... maybe next time.

Swimming upstream

My sister-in-law's birthday is coming up, well it has come and gone but before the birthday itself I had decided to knit something for her. Every year when her birthday comes around we can't think of the 'right' thing to buy, we also have to mail it as they live in Canberra. This year I thought a wrap would be great. 'It's cooler in Canberra', I thought 'she could always use a wrap in spring/summer'. I had been wanting to knit something with Rowan's Kidsilk Haze and found River from Book 38, 2 balls of Kidsilk wasn't bad for a wrap and I plunged right in as soon as my goodies arrived from The Wool Shack.




I am a total beginner when it comes to knitting lace, this is my first lace project and I felt like it was a battle at times. I usually knit when I am sitting in front of the TV, half watching and half knitting but I found I had to read every second row. I couldn't memorise the pattern. Nevertheless, after two weeks and a trip to the local wool store to purchase sharper bamboo needles River has become almost longer than me. I am on my last pattern repeat and after 11 of them I'm sort of glad but I am also unable to finish because I'm waiting for another ball of Kidsilk Haze. It seems that 2 balls were not enough for me and I am planning to knit the scrunchy beaded thingy that holds it together at the front when it is worn.
I hope my sister-in-law likes it, I agonised about the colour (Ice Cream - I love the name) I thought it might have been a bit too pastel but I'm happy with it. It feels beautiful against the skin and is sooooo light!
This is River so far...

I suppose knitting with the Kidsilk Haze hasn't been that challenging, I'm ordering 3 balls in Smoke so that I can knit another River for my other sister-in-law. I think that from now on River may become known as the Sister-in-law shawl, that is until I make one for myself.

I had also bought some Opal sock wool, I havn't done socks before either but I have been itching to try so I am waiting until some of these other projects are out of the way.

I just can't resist throwing in the latest picture of the latest child. We were all home today, my 5 year old has been home with a bad cold the last couple of days and we have been stuck inside. So when the sun came out today and it was actually warm for a change we all spent some time in the sun. It seemed to get even sunnier when daddy got home a bit early. I love the sun making his fuzzy hair glow... (the babies hair!).

July is UFO month...

This month seems to be all about finishing my unfinished projects, knitting that is, there are other unfinished projects around the house but that could be a whold other blog. I thought I would take a few pics of stuff I have finished, am attempting to finish or just a WIP I just can't get to... but first I would have to find some batteries for the camera. Sorry Roboraptor...



So new armed with a camera that will actually take a picure, here are some things I have been working on.

I had made a Knitted Babe (from the book Knitted Babes by Claire Garland) for the little girl that I did the Wee Willie Winkie hat for and my Mum thought that it would be a great idea for me to knit one for both of my 2nd cousins daughters. I said 'yes' of course! (???) I had just purchased the Clair Garland's new book, Dream Toys and wanted to try something from it.

I remember that this was in something like October last year and I was due to give birth (a homebirth) in the beginning of November. We had a shed to put in shortly after the birth of my 3rd child and I still had to finish the baby blanket.

Mum wanted these to be christmas gifts... of course they were still in progress in January so they could be birthday presents for March...
Well March came and went and now they are done and ready to be presents for when their little brother is born. I love them, I especially love the fairies funky hair.

I know it was a bad idea to use this very green blanket as a background but the camera does make the green look very vivid. This cardigan is from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, I enjoyed knitting it but didn't quite put it together in time for little Tate to wear it. Now I have something to give my 2nd cousins new baby boy when he is born - did I mention that I have never met these children, I just can't say no to my Mum I guess.

After finishing the Jo Sharp vest I wanted one for myself and found a great pattern in Knit - Issue 3, I used the same yarn (and colour) as the book. I would love to finish it before spring but there are of course other things to finish and it is very slow going even though the cable is not very complex.

This is what I would most like to finish, the Shawl Collared coat from Jo Sharp ('Of course!' you say..) Alpaca Kid Lustre (Alpaca, Mohair and Merino) is beautiful, it has a bit of a pearly sheen to it and feels wonderful next to the skin. I ran out of the yarn today and I am only a few rows from finishing the last sleeve, after that there is the shawl collar and then sewing up!

Unfortunately my dream of finishing the coat by the end of the school holidays will not be realised, but I will be wearing it soon. Cold school morning drop-offs here I come. It's about time too, it was started last winter.

Wee Willie Winkie

I've almost finished the Debbie Bliss Wee Willie Winkie hat for my little Tate, who modelled it only long enough for a picture before taking it off and throwing it on the floor. At least we got a smile out of him, he hasn't been well during these school holidays. I think it is Croup or at least Bronchitis.

Holding him all night did not give me much time to finish the hat, it still needs a pom pom on the end, I used Baby Cashmerino Indigo and Stone. I love using this yarn for knitting, it is so easy to knit with. I did another Wee Willie Winkie hat for my friends gorgeous little 1 year old in Baby Cashmerino Old Rose and Pale Pink.

I knit a fair bit of it at the hairdressers, I finally got away to get (all) my hair cut off, going from fairly long to very short. I'll try and post some before and after pics soon, maybe when I find some batteries (or the batteries) for the camera. Every time I try to take a picture it flashes the little red battery sign at me and shuts down.

Time to start

This blog was supposed to start at the beginning of my last pregnancy, now that baby is 8 months old. So at last it has started, a blog with bits about my kids, my husband and a lot of knitting. Hopefully there will be a lot of finished projects along the way.


This is the V-Neck Vest from Jo Sharp, Knit - Issue One in Alpaca Silk Georgette (Kelp). My mum saw it and I offered to knit it for her.

It turned out to be a great birthday and mothers day pressie. Knit on 3.25mm needles it took longer than most vests should take but I loved how it turned out.