What I'm knitting

And......I'm back! Ok, I've never really been away, I've just been lurking instead of posting. However, the girls are back in school this week, my parents have safely returned home from their visit, and it is time to get life "back to normal."

I'm having a little bit of knitting ADD. Here are some of the projects I'm working on right now:

Roxborough dolman My parents brought me some Cascade 220 Fingerling so I cast this on straight away. I love stripes, but hate weaving in ends and the jog. So I'm trying a new thing to get a jogless stripe and carrying the yarn up. It seems to be working OK for the silver yarn but the green not so much. Still a work in progress!!

Alice in wonderland (the teal one below) I started this before the summer. It requires more attention than either of the other projects, and is currently getting neglected. Must focus and get back on track with it, before the warm weather is gone.

The light green is the Braided Lace Pullover I've designed based on a different pattern. It is the cotton yarn that kills my wrists. I'm doing it slowly and still liking it. I'm almost ready to divide for the sleeves I think. Hurray!!

Before I go, here are some holiday pictures from our summer travels:

I got to feed this little cutie, the highlight of my summer!

Happy crafting everyone! I don't have any FO's to share just yet, so I'll see you next week.

School holidays

We are in the middle of the school holiday here in Victoria, and the weather has been cooperating. Hurray!! Here's a fun-fast-free project for the little ones:

In case it isn't obvious, I have no idea how to build a tee-pee, but we got there. Three old bamboo canes and a sheet handed down from my parents. The girls had great fun playing in it. Totally worth the 10 minutes I spent building it.


Recently I read the book Pomegranate Soup, and what I loved about the book was that there were recipes at the start of each chapter. One reminded me of my university boyfriend, we used to buy this yogurt drink in bottles in San Jose. I loved it them, I love it now. Here's how I made a single serving, based on the recipe in the book. And, you have to drink it out of a canning jar. Just because. Probably for the same reason I have to drink my iced tea out of one.

Dugh Yogurt Drink
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup (or between 3/4 and 1 cup) carbonated water
1/4 tsp salt (or as you like)
1/8 tsp pepper (or as you like)
* if you are so inclined you can also add 3/4 tbs chopped fresh mint. I am still nurturing my garden mint so I didn't use any.

Combine, stir, add ice if you want it to be super refreshing. Enjoy.  

I do also have some WIP's this week. I'm still plugging away on my Creme Brule (hope to have it done for Friday!). I also have started a block from my Nicky Epstein Block by Block book that is layered lace. I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with it, but I wanted to give it a try.

I am also working on a crochet phone case for the girls. I want to make a strap so they can carry it like a purse. We'll see how I go, I'm just experimenting right now. I'm not even sure it is a practical thing to make. It is good to keep practicing my crochet though!

And that's it from me for now. See you later!

Happiness

Hello and welcome to my WIP Wednesday!! Am I the only one having issues with blogger? It did NOT want me to write a post today. I finally won, because I am stubborn and I had some time on my hands. 

Coming hot off my super happy finish of Flowing Lines, I cast on Creme Brule in Plymouth Bamtastic yarn. My knitting is all backward lately, knitting a sweater in the hot sunshine, and now a summer top in the cold spring greyness. Oh well, hopefully the sun will be out again soon.

In addition to knitting, here are some other things  this week that are making me happy:

A new friend gifted me all these herbs from her garden. Chives, mint, two kinds of parsley, cilantro, thyme. People are so lovely!

This is my new yarn bowl. It is an Opp shop find--they were having a "fill a bag for $5" sale and I got my monies worth (the girls got some summer clothes as well). I love it!

The girls are cutting bits of yarn to leave out for the birds that are nesting. We were trying to entice some swallows to nest nearby, but I think we may have failed. I really want them to stay and eat the mosquitoes that are plaguing us!

Lastly, we made ribbon wands. As my Dad pointed out they are huge, but as I said to him, we don't do small and dainty around here. The girls and I went to a local craft fair and they were fairly taken with the ribbon wands. I told them we could make two our selves for the price of one at the fair, and they accepted the challenge. I was right, and they got to pick their own colors. Win-win.

Ok, this time I really mean lastly, here are two books I just finished reading and wanted to share as they were both amazing. Totally different, one is sci-fi (4th in the series by Robin Hobb, she is fantastic) and the other, uhm, well, a book that takes place in the 60's on the east coast of Australia. I recommend both!

Have a great week!

Digging through the pile

Hi everyone. I've been a bit quiet on here lately, but I should be back with several new/completed projects soon. You know how sometimes life gets difficult, hands you lemons, craps all over you? I've been going through a bit of that, but I'm coming out the other side in a better place, the place I want to be. I'm one of those people that needs a back-up plan for my back-up plan, so while I put plan B into effect, I'm focusing on some knitting therapy. 

I'm pretty excited I've changed a WIP into a FO this week, and I'll share that on Friday. Here's a hint, it's pink. I know, big surprise. While I wait for the new yarn I've ordered to arrive I'm digging through my "naughty" pile of projects, and seeing if I can finish anything. 

The first thing in the pile is the Leaf Cardigan I started ages ago. It is too small, and made incorrectly, and I am 100% sure life will be better when it is frogged. 

The second thing in my pile is my Gemini. Now, I don't know what I have against this pattern, but I have attempted it twice, and I'm giving it one last chance. The blue Gemini got canned because I notice an error in it, and I didn't have the heart to rip it back.  See:

Then I got my hands on some KnitPicks CotLin yarn and decided I would try again. This time I only got this far:

I'm pretty sure I just put it in the time out because I had sore hands at the time, and the linen/cotton yarn wasn't helping. But after putting it back onto needles I saw an error in it. I've since frogged it. Like, just now.

Lastly, this throw blanket I started, uhm, a long time ago. I decided I didn't have enough yarn, or energy, or whatever, and it has sat in the basket since. I haven't wanted to frog it because of the effort already expended on it, but, well, it isn't going to grow either. If I frog it at least I can use the yarn for something else.  

That's it for me for now. I'm going to sit here until I  decide if I'm going to carry on with the blue Gemini, or re-start the red. Or maybe, just maybe, find a new pattern for the Cotlin yarn.  See you Friday! 

Momentary monogamy

Hi! I've been having a great stretch of knitting. I cast on a second Saffron cardigan.....
 

 .....and knit only that until after the runched belt detail. Then I got distracted by the wool in my closet and decided I need to cast on a February Lady cardigan. Which I'm calling a July Lady since that's our equivalent winter month in the southern hemisphere.

I'm using SMC Northern Worsted wool and I love it. It is like knitting a hug. I hope hope hope it fits as well as I want it to.

And lastly, because it is too small for its own FO post, here is the charity hat hubby encouraged me to make:

The pattern is Dizzy, and the yarn is Jarol Sweet Briar DK.  

That's it from me this week, see you next time! 

 

One of those weeks

Well, it has been one of those weeks. I am already looking forward to the weekend, even though it seems like it will take such a long time to get there.

Terribly dark picture, but that's how it goes.

Monday night I had a terrible headache by the time I got home from work. I haven't had one this bad in a while. Not even a lovely head massage from my two little magic-handed girls did me any good. I finally had to throw in the towel and go to bed early. Such a shame too, that no knitting took place. I've just started a new top-- Baby cables and big ones too. I love this sweater, and can't wait to get stuck in. So far all I've got is a few rows and lots of stitch markers! Ah well, something to look forward to for the weekend.

This picture is to show that I AM making progress unpacking all our boxes and saying "hi" to my crafty stuff again. The basket on the left is full of hibernating projects (for shame!), and the bag on the right holds my scrap crochet blanket.  The blanket is so beloved I might just work on it a little bit after I post this.

Now, instead of more knitting, I'll leave you with a few pictures of some kangaroo's we saw on a walk last week. I've been eager to see some since we arrived, and Rori spied about ten of them along the lake shore. Lovely!
 

I've got more pictures of our Australian adventure posted on my other blog. You can check it out by clicking on the link at the top with the picture of the dog.

Happy Crafting!

Till the wheels fall off

Hello everyone, I am back!!  We are happily settling in our new home in Australia, and I getting back into my knitting.  

He lives on an island not far from our house. How cool is that?

I took a lot of time off to let my hand heal, and while it isn't 100%, it is better than it was.  If I'm honest, I blame the cotton yarn.  It really did a number on me.  Which is a shame, because I want to make dishcloths.  I want to feel better more though, so they are on hold.

Instead I ripped out my Gemini, and started over.  I am not sure how, but my stitch count was off, with more on the sleeves than the front and back!  I had started it in Arizona, and it just was....wrong. After we got settled in our new house I cast on again, and things were going swimmingly. Then when my hand started hurting again I realized I was using linen and cotton blend.  Grrrr.  I didn't get far, I set it aside.

I worked on my sock. 

But then I got bored. It is self striping yarn so I just knit it in plain stockinette.  Yawn.

So I cast on a cowl.  Yes, in the summer.  I work in a veg factory now (though I'll be back to agronomy before I freeze solid!), and let me tell you, it is cold!  So a scarf is in order.  Plus, I had the lovely yarn from Hazel's giveaway, and it doesn't hurt my hand at all!

My afternoon knitting spot yesterday

So that is what I'm working on this week.  I hope you are all well, I've missed our weekly chats and show and tells.  It is good to be back!

Eeekkk, I've got knitters hand

Great news on my WIP life-- we got the visas for Australia!  We leave February 4 and fly to Melbourne, arriving in our new home on February 7.  I'm so excited that everything is falling into place.  Of course, that all brings new drama, such as finding a place to live, getting the kids settled in school, getting ready to start work full time again, less time for knitting.  But I'm soooo excited!!

I took this picture on our trip in Ocbtober

  
I will also go straight ahead and admit I've been knitting a LOT lately.  In the last month I've knit a hat, a sweater, and so far about 6 dish cloths.  I'm also working on a Gemini top.  I had started one ages and ages ago, but I messed up a stitch at the top and it is sitting in time out.  Right now that means it is sitting in a storage facility in Glasgow and I won't be reunited with it until probably April.  So I started a new one.  I'm using Cotlin yarn, in pomegranate.  I love the yarn, I love the color.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Also, my Dad made the table my knitting is sitting on.  How cool is that?

However all the knitting (and a bit of crochet), plus using my Mom's computer, whose desk is apparently unsuitable for me, had led to "knitters hand" and carpel tunnel.  The knuckle at the base of my pointer finger (first knuckle? joint?) is very sore to the touch. I have been forced to rest and not knit for a few days, and it sucks.  I'm feeling better today so I'm going to stop typing and rest some more.  My Gemini needs me!

Here's the same picture as last week, but with different yarn.  My Mom wanted in on the dish cloth party and she bought some multi-colored yarn that will go with her kitchen.  Don't even both trying to see the pattern, it is impossible with this yarn. The other patterns looked better, I'll post about them on Friday I think.

  
That's it from me today.  I'm off to take the dog to the groomer.  Here is her "before picture."