Returning from the HEAT.

I know I havn't posted since these arrived! The socks that killed me. Please ignore the hairy legs.

I have worn, washed and machine dried them several times now and they still look great!


Here am I, knitting at the 'cars of the world' display and concourse at Fort Queenscliffe.

A yearly, charitable showoff for all car lovers and owners.

The scarf is Iris Shriers? multi directional one. I spun the wool from my sheep for it. Playing with self striping by spinning 2/3 grey, 1/3 white.

The little spiderman looking over my shoulder is my now 4yo son.

What I am knitting? No idea, I think I have frogged it.

I also hve some more personal information. Earlier I announced that I was preggers. Well I have had a scan and it looks like I will be knitting pink. What a change.

Bye

Dead Dead DEAD!!!

I am dead. Death by socks. No photo yet but they are great socks. I have after many stuffups on my end just posted off my unfinished socks to america to my killers, assasin.

I am still preggers! This is a relief, sorta. I now have the referal to the hospital and just await a date to see the doctor there. I have everything crossed that I will once again be able to looked after by the lovely midwives in the birthing unit. The only thing that I can see that could possibly disallow this is if I am having twins. Which is very unlikely.

The Bloke is quietly hoping for a girl(as am I) but I am telling myself that this is another boy. With only boys so far, I don't think the Xsperm gets much of a go. If there is any at all.

My knitting is ...... on hold. I pick up needles and wool , look through my pattern collection, put everything away and go do farm work. I think I am just too tired! I go to bed by 9 at night and often that's it until 5:30am. If I manage myself I may even get a nap midday.

Maybe the farm work will get a bit less (hah! Not bloody likely with summer almost here) and I will get over being so tired with the pregnancy then the urge to knit will once again take over?

This will be a almost winter baby so woollies are needed. So will the two mystery shawls I have on the needles. I just must finish them. I will enjoy feeding the baby snuggled up under a shawl at night.

Off to do farm work! Collect eggs, process eggs, make up orders, deliver eggs! repeat from the start.

SockWars

Well , it has started and I think almost finished for many people. I have had email trouble, comes with living just over the distance from the exchange, dropouts and cannot get large emails pictures etc downloaded before the connection drops out. I had my stepson in melbourne check my account to see why I couldn't acess it and he just deleted what was there. There was a large one but I don't know what it was. Bugger.

I hope it wasn't my assasin. If it was I hope she emails me again just text. I still haven't got my dossier for my target but the socks are allmost done. I do have her email address and will contact her when I have them finished. Trouble is, mail takes two weeks from Australia to the Us. Sometimes even longer. This will be interesting.

I have used stash yarn that I had dyed and forgot about. The yarn I was going to use just didn't work and as cash is scarce right now a trip to the shop was out of the question. My apologies to my target. The sock is quick but I personally don't like the loose tension. It is the same as what I knit jumpers with - not socks. These will be bed socks I think or house socks. Nice and warm.

Any hoo, I cannot post them until Tuesday when a bit of money will be available. I do wish people were more diligent with payment of their bills. After all, they have the eggs, have used them and sold the product and in a restaurant you NEVER get to leave without paying so they also have had the interest also on the money in the meantime. It just really shits me that we have to almost threaten to not supply before some people will pay up! We have bills too.

Rant over....... back to normal chaos.

Back to Normal?

Ok, I think I am over the worst of my vaugeness. To answer some of the previous questions regarding the socks, I spun the wool from my sheep. The grey was 2/3rds and white 1/3 as spun in a single. I then navajo plyed the single matching up the colours as I went (sorta) to get the distinct colour changes. If you look back on my blog you will find a Iris Shrieder? short-row scarf knitted from the same yarn. Cool hey.

I also have FINALLY posted off my Knit Sock Kit Swap. I am Sooo sorry that it has taken this long Ruth. I have also received my Kit!
I have already balled up the yarn Yummy Socks that Rock mediumweight in a rosequartz colourway. I have also started the pattern on the Brittany 2.75mm birch needles. Great to work with. I think I even like the fabric it is making. Nice and firm. The pattern itself is a work of art.
I wince at what my pattern was. Sorry!

Off to process MORE eggs. Might even get some housework done today. I have been getting the boys to do the collections since they are now on School Holls for the next two weeks. Knitting night this Wednesday! I am NOT going to miss it THIS month. Bugger the boys and Bloke they will just have to do without me.

While I've Been Away.....

The last however, since I blogged many things have happened.

The chooks have been laying.....many many many eggs.

We now have 10 lambs. Of which, one set of twins to a white mother is black/white (T1black,T2white)

The family has been sick with a very bad cold (myself included) Yuck.

And to top it all off and really does explain my continued lethargy and nausea.....I am preggers again. Same time as last year, even due about the same time. Maybe this time I wont miscarry.
Six weeks down and counting. I bloody well wish the nausea would go.

Doesn't bode well to my way of thinking as last time I felt this rotten too. With my boys I was an obnoxiously glowing and healthy woman with an easy birth. I have a tiny hope that with this being totally different physically it just might be a girl ( not just another miscarriage). But I will knit with blue. The bloke has bloody strong wrigglers. Damm.

Back to knitting next time.

Here are the socks I have sent over to America to my sock swap partner. They are knitted with my handspun wool from my sheep. Toe up with short row toes and heels. I hope she likes them and they fit.

Picture Time

First SOCK SWAP! Thankyou! They fit and are georgous. Her socks are finished and will be mailing them today.

Fingerless gloves for 1-Stepsons' birthday plus a hat to match and 2-13yo for on the bus and class.

Yarn spun for the " TOUR DE FLEECE" The grey I ran out of so I had to change my tactics and started to spin the white merino. I have spun enough for the blokes jumper. The grey is now going to my knit sock kit swap bag. Allmost done and will post it off this week! I am determined.

Sock Wars YES

I have just joined the sock wars being played by Yarnmonkey. Roll on.

http://yarn-monkey.blogspot.com/2006/07/are-you-ready-for-sock-wars-2006.html

You have until sept 8 to join.

But first I have to finish the socks for my sock swap partner now that life will let me and finish the sock kit swap and send it off too. Yes! I love knitting socks.

Thankyou Linda for the socks they are georgous! My bloke thought they are pretty special too.

As usual photos when I can.

Help!

This bloody computer or rather the bloody internet connection is NOT PLAYING with me right now and I cannot upload my photos.

I have been busy knitting. I have knitted two pairs of gauntlets and a hat all using stash. I am so stuck on my sock kit swap. I have had to move my sewing machine and bits'nbobs and now I cannot find what I was doing. Back to the drawing board.

On the swap front I have decided not to knit the socks I was doing for my other sock swap as they just weren't working out. My hand spun is yelling at me " NOT THIS PATTERN, UH UH NOOOO WAY!!". What can I do but listen to it. Back to the needles and stash. I'm sorry for my partner in the swap as she is now not going to get handspun merino socks. But they will be nice socks. I have realized that I have been trying to knit PERFECT socks and these just don't exist in my 'verse.

Feed back on my sisters socks SHE LOVES them. I am soo happy that they fit and she loves them. She also appreciated the Hottie cover created from our Mum's last knitting. Thanks mum wherever you are now.

Well back to knitting. and spinning.

I DID IT

I just managed to spin the 1450 plus a bit meters of yarn for my partners jumper. I was plying the last bit as the tele announced the winner. I hope this counts.

I will post a photo as soon as I find the camera again.

Nothing else got done yesterday. the family was not happy but I am!!!

TOUR DE FLEECE spinning on

Well I was a late starter but I am at the halfway point. I need to spin 1450metres for my partners jumper. I have spun 800mts so far and have another bobbin filled so I am halfway to another 250mt.!

Yay! I do think that I will succeed. Or I will be very close. I am determined to do this (plus with our current cold weather his gripes about being cold are wearing thin.) I also have to fix his burnt jumper too. But MUST SPIN.

Back to the chookies and eggs then more spinning!

I will complete my challenge ON TIME!

OH FELT IT!!

Lesson One. Do not put sock weight handspun fine merino in the dryer on low or else!!





















I felted this beautiful skein of handspun. It took me a combined effort of 12 hours to spin and ply. Only 10mins in the dryer to FELT.

I have been ripping to save the yarn and have discovered that I now have handspun boucle! It looks and feels sooo soft. I will put this in the Good Mistake bag. I may even do this intentionally in the future. My only problem is that this was going to be the yarn for my KitSwap sister. The knitted sample was knitted on 3.75mm needles and I do think that it doesn't want to be socks any more. I am now thinking a lovely baby jacket and hat set.

Comments and suggestions please.

The Winner Is

.....................PBnJ who guessed 5.5 hrs. The actual time was 5hours and 40mins. I will be sending some of my hand spun yarn. fine white merino slubby spun 2 skeins. Quite enough for a shawl/stole I think. This yarn takes dying beautifully.

Thankyou for joining in.

Clare

TOUR DE FLEECE

Oh no! it has started! And what have I been doing? Spinning yes but not on my challange. I have been spinning sock yarn. Knitting socks, 1pair for me? 1 pair for swap, writing a pattern for the Knit Sock Kit Swap and making the bag etc....

As well as my normal programming. Boys fed, school, chooks fed/let out, eggs collected and processed, lunch, play with younger, collect eggs and process, elder home from high, Tea and last collection and shutting the sheds up. Bed time for younger, older , parent time housework and bed for parents.

Oy! when I write it up there is a bit to do. Oh yeah, I have discovered that I no longer have the prepared fleece I was going to spin for the challenge so NOW I have to spin RAW fleece.


Lucky I have 30plus fleeces to choose from. Oh what an embarresment of riches.

bye

School is BACK

Thank the powers that be. School is back. The 13yo is in high school and the 3yo has kinder. At least 1 hour of peace. The computer is fixed thanks to the 19yo wizz.

Now I just have socks to knit (3yo is nagging again). The third mystery shawl and the fouth mystery shawl also. I had to start this again.

Spinning a good yarn with my white merino but I have to start spinning for the blokes next jumper. I don't have any tops left so I will have to spin some raw fleece. Poor me. Nothing like a greazy fleece. I like it.

Unfortunately I awoke this morning and my left wrist is hurting, as if someone stepped on it. I wouldn't mind if I had been overdoing something but all I have been doing is watching Stargate Atlantis. No wrist action at all! Well I am now knitting and spinning and doing farm work. Hopefully the work will sort this wrist out as a rest hasn't.

Waiting for friday to see who wins the yarn. Keep your guesses coming as no one is on the spot yet. close though.

I am working on my Knit socks kit swap, needles yarn and almost the pattern. The bag is drafted up and I just have to sew it. I will post a picci a few weeks after I send it. Just in case my recipient has a look here. I don't think she knows who I am. I hope not anyway.

Bye, off to collect eggs now and hope that our new chookies have started laying!
Fingers crossed.

Red Letter Day on the farm

Just when you think everything is going smoothly, Murphy's bloody law kicks in. The bas was allready to go when bam, the business computer burps and now the shit of a thing will not open the requesite files. Says the files are WHIPED. Things are a bit tense here right now soo.

I am going to spin and knit and pray that our family tech can restore the system. I stuffed up by not backing up properly for 9 months. We can only remember the sales for the last 7 days.

BUGGER.

New competition

I have decided too have a competition after the 4,oooth visitor became too hard for me to work out. Righto.

What it is. How long did it take for me to spin ONE bobbin of fine yarn. A single not a ply.
Pictured Left.

There is one week until the end of the comp. The winner will receive a skein of the yarn. Pure fine merino. Two ply.


The hottie cover has a history. This was made from a jumper my Mum was making when she was told she had cancer. She never finished it. I found the jumper peices in her stash recently and after shaking my head over the colours and texture I saw a way to have something that mum knitted. Not as a jumper though. The front and back are the same so I frogged them back to a lenght that fitted over a hottie, did a 3needle cast off and sewed up the side. The ribbing became the neck and I now have a cuddle from mum again 15 years after her death. I am making the other one for my sister, I am certain that she will also feel mum's arms around her when she holds it too.
















This yarn is my first attempt to spin specifically for socks. It is from my flock of corredale sheep and the colour will NOT wash out or fade. The sheep grew it like this.
Offers will be considered.

Bugger!

What to do. I what knitting along on the 4th mystery shawl and had done 6 ROWS of the 3rd clue when disaster struck!!

Blogger is stuffing with my brain again! Ok the disaster was after knitting several rows I noticed a big hole where a hole should not have been. I had dropped a stitch. It had run. I tried to knit it up but I have admitted defeat. The red shawl is now being frogged. About 6 to 10 hours of knitting is buggered. I am pissed off with myself for letting this happen. It looked sooo nice. Well now I get to knit it again. ...yay?

Otherwise I have finished my sisters socks and have started on my sock kit. He He. I have done some creative recycling of some knitting my mum did over 15 years ago. It was a camoflage boucle jumper just in peices. I did the burn test on the yarn and I beleive that it is mainly wool. No idea what brand so here are the peices front, back and a sleeve, no pattern and not cast off at all.Hmmm..... Here is my hot water bottle with no cover. Hmmm...... the front/back covers the hottie when frolded in half ......Hmmmmmm.....If i frog down so the knitted peice is just longer than the hottie and I sew up the side and 3ndle cast off the stitches I will have a great Hottie Cover. Yay The ribbing is up at the top now and holds the bottle in. The water stays nice and hot for a long time and best of all..

My MUM made it.

I still miss her.

I will make another for my sister. It may make her cry...................too.

On the other hand. NO ONE posted that they were the 4,000th caller. I checked and I was 4001. Well I have decided that the comment made closest, either before or after, will get some hand spun yarn from me. I will email them soon.

Photos on my next post.

Knit Sock Kit Swap Questionaire

What are your favorite colors? Any, I find that I am wearing pink(shudder) a lot reds and blues are good.

Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks?I don't consider myself new I have a set sock pattern stuck in my fingers now. I have been knitting socks for nearly 2 years.

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?I love it all.

What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn?WOOL and natural fibres except cotton

Where do you usually knit socks? Anywhere

How do you usually carry/store small projects? In my handmade bag

What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? Formulas.

What are your favorite sock knitting techniques?Sherman short row heel/toes

What new techniques would you like to try? differnt toes.

Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting?Double points all the way

What are some of your favorite yarns?Handspun or Filatua di crosa Zara/Zaria

What yarn do you totally covet? I don't know, those flash american ones ummm. Liza Souza, Sock that Rock, Lorna Laces etc.

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? Not really oohh maybe some white lies designs.

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?17cm double points umm 5 to 6.5inch ones mainly metal as I haven't tried wood/bamboo.

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? Handspun.

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Chocolate of course or pepermints

What’s your favorite animal? Cats/Sheep

Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? House pets 2 cats Cucky and Mischief also good mousers and two dogs both guard. Brutus and Briony

If you were a color what color would you be?Rosy red glowing and warm

Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s)..I don't have one

What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature?Some of the Dawns I witness right here.

Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read. Later I have to find it.

Do you have a wishlist? In my head

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? I am spinning a silver grey sliver from my sheep into sock yarn. I am planning to spin some charcoal and some white merino also.

4,ooo ? Visitor prize

I have just notice that the 4,000th visitor is about to happen. If this is YOU please leave a comment as I have something for you.

I have deceided to be nice. Some handspun merino perhaps? or some combed top? wait and see.

Tour de Fleece

I have just joined the tour de fleece that is to be found here


http://wabisabi.typepad.com/le_tour_de_fleece/

My challenge is to spin enough to reknit that bloody jumper for the bloke. He is a 3xl. Should be easy....

not famous last words I hope.

I have also started on TWO versions of the MS4. One is 2ply in red and the other is 14ply in a milk coffe colour.

More later.

Finished Items

Here are two projects. The socks on top are my 3yo's. He repeatedly nicked them as I was knitting them. I now have the wash them. They are more slippers than socks but he does wear them in his gumboots.

The baby hat and booties were made from lion brand suede. I received a ball in a christmas swap. I recently gave them away.

Back to doing eggs.

Wool doesn't BURN, it just smoulders

This is what happens to a wool jumper when exposed to the very hot exhaust of a brushcutter. Even the owner, my bloke, was glad he was wearing this and not a synthetic. He is extremely pissed off with himself too, as in his words, " This is my best jumper, its the ONLY one that keeps me warm".

I will now have to spin and knit him another. Meanwhile, this one will be washed and I will do my best to darn the holes so he can wear it again. Since he burnt it we have had -2deg nights and 10deg days. BRRRRR

Does anyone have any ideas on how to darn the burns? Please let me know.


bye

Stash on Hoof

Here are some of my sheep. They are corridales.

Stash on the hoof.

quiz

I found this and I have to agree.

Your type is: istp —The “Give 'Em Their Space” Mother

“My feelings are my own business. Not theirs.
So I honor their privacy too.”

• Non-intrusive and respectful of differences, the ISTP mother gives her children the personal space they need to develop as separate, self-sufficient individuals. As children grow and mature, she enjoys observing how each one becomes his or her own person. She seeks to accept and honor each child’s interests, opinions, and choices.
• The ISTP mother does not believe in authority or control for its own sake. Instead, she favors a non-directive approach. Yet she has high expectations for each child’s self-discipline as a key to self sufficiency.
• To these ends, the ISTP mother wants to “be there” for her children—to meet their basic needs and keep them safe. Her goal is to help her children think for themselves and take responsibility for their own actions.

If you would like to try it go to http://www.motherstyles.com/quiz.asp

Knitting later.

Delicious Mess

This is yarn I spun for a claptois shawl. I realized afterward that it wasn't right for the peice soo it has sat for 1 year in my handspun drawer.

Yesterday in a fit of bugger its, I dyed two skeins in red and blue. Here is a sample of it fresh out of the dryer. Yes I do chuck my handspun in the dryer on low after spinning the water out in the washer. I just love how the yarn fluffs up. The slight felting is a bonus to me.

I am knitting a square 15cm*15cm for Nicola's "Wall of Yarn" with it.
The wool is fine merino and sooo soft.

More later of course.

Another FO!!

They are finished! More socks for ME.

What will be next is more on the MS3 shawl only 8 rows left on clue 3 and a colour change. Socks will be started for my sister. She is turning 40 next month.

My Socks

My socks are doing well. I am allready up to the heel turn on the short row heels. I am avoiding second sock syndrome by alternating the knitting of each sock. One is my computer sock and one is the take around sock. This changes as required to keep them even.

This is the sole.





Bright are't they?. This wool is sooo soft. It would be a delight to knit a next to the skin top with this wool. No prickle at all.


This is the top.

Two Great Finished Objects!!

Firstly after 2plus years of effort and cussing. TTaa Daa... my partners dream car.

A Ford GT40 replica.

Not an original colour but so what. I am very proud of him and of myself as I did help too. In this photo it has just been REGISTERED. Now he can drive it to his hearts content.

Now for My FO.



Green socks for my 3yo. He has been pestering me since I measured him up for them to finish. Now they are and I cannot get them off him. He is rather determined to have more knitted for his feet.

Apologies for the photo as he just would NOT stand still for a photo. He just wanted to dance. Sweetie.

Now casting on more socks.

A Lovely start to the Day

Today at 7:30am

What a beautiful morning. Lots of thick fog and only 6deg c.

This is a promise of a lovely sunny clear day. The Chookies will love it.



Hat No 2 is now done. I carried a strand of patonlyle along with the blue. Any comments on the effect?

I didn't like the patonlye as a sock so this is a way of using it up. It adds a bit of interest I think.

Now to finish another pair of socks, start a pair of socks for me and get back into the mystery shawl. Oh and I have cast on another hat too.

No self control

LOOK, this is what I found in a new to Geelong shop. Stitchery Blue from Williamstown has opened a shop in Ryrie St, just down from Grithiths Book store. Lovely, just lovely.

Italian yarn but most likely Australian wool. I bought two balls and they will become socks for ME.

I also bought 2mm needles and that is what I have swatched with. I really like the hand of the fabric and it knits up soo soft. The yarn was just under $10 a ball too. 100% merino, 8ply. There is also a good range of solid colours too.

Currently knitting other socks. More when finished.

DONE DONE DONE

Here are the blokes second pair of olympic socks just finished and on his feet.

The other is a hat for KOGO. This is my first time knitting a sideways shortrowed hat. The pattern is found at www.schmeebot.com/knitting
date is friday 11-19-04 us date system.

She has a great felted rabbit pattern as well.

Off line

My computer is not talking with the internet so I am on another one. Not much happening just allmost finished the black as hell socks YAY. I also have a hat for KOGO really close to finishing also.

Back to knitting and spinning. I would be lost without my addiction. Bye

More Snake

Here is the underside of the snake. Definately yellow.

I have been reading the comments on the snake. Wow. I didn't think I did anything special. Righto answering questions.
RJ asked if snakes were a problem, not really you just have to be aware that they live here too. This is the second one in the house. Last year about the same time a smaller one was found just inside the front door. I saw it, pointed it out to the bloke and gave him a knife. HE scooped it out from its hiding place and then GAVE ME the knife. Bloody shit, I killed it too after he wound it up.
From this I learnt not to tell him. He is snake phobic.

Jo mentioned bed snakes. You really don't have to worry about them. This is an australian slang for your blokes short third leg/2nd brain etc. In some novelty shops you can buy bed snake bats. Ideal for those pesky prods in the night when you are just NOT interested.

On the whole snakes are to me the lesser of the bitites. My personal icky is SPIDERS. We have huntsmen(Freds) they freak me out when they surprise me. Or our lovely Red Back Spiders. These I come across weekly. Snakes yearly. Then there are the white tails. They love to hide in piles of cloths, stacks of rubbish in the garden etc.

Life is beautiful.... and dangerous.
Live it to the best of your abilities.

SNAKE!!

Thank flylady my bedroom was clean and the laundy picked up.

This little beauty was in my BEDROOM! Hiding along the skirting board. In previous months I would have found it only when it bit me when I picked up the cloths. But today, the room was clean so I saw it and disposed of it. See the blood, snakes not mine.

It is a bit bigger than in the picture. Yellow bellied black snake.. YUCK. Like I know about bed snakes , happen to be on good terms with one, but a Poisonous Snake. Shudder.
Still I did get some knitting done. I have allmost finished one of the heels on the bloke's black socks, just have to keep plugging on with it. I will finish his bloody socks!

Bye, one eye open for snakes now.

ramblings

I am still knitting. Just not on one thing at a time. For some reason I am jumping from one item to another without any ryme or reason. This scatterdness has me stumped. I know I have to finish my partners socks, then there is the MSA3 that is stalled on clue 3, then there is a jumper for charity 18month size, then there is a jumper for my 3yo which I have decided to pull out and reknit in the pattern I am using for the charity jumper. Oh and I have started a cardigan for myself too. And I have started a pair of socks for myself too, currently doing swatches. Oh and a beanie for KOGO too.

I know I just have to pick one and work on it. Just do what the flylady says and jump right in. On that front I am doing OK. The house looks presentable and the washing is done on the main. I am getting used to my home looking nice. It still feels strange though. Off to knit. Bye

Part One - the Knitting Olympics socks

Here is the first part of my KO challenge. I did wish to knit my partner 2 pairs of socks.

I did manage well with knitting these beauties in 4 days. Then I realised that this yarn is only 10% wool 5% kid mohair and 85% ackrillic. So I spat the dummy and stopped knitting for a few days.

Bless my dear blokes feet. He still preferred these socks to the explorers that he has been wearing.

I am now up to the heel on the second pair of KO socks. Slow going but with his enthusiasim ( says they feel like silk) they will be done sooner rather than later.

Whilst watching local breakfast TV - 7 Sunrise- I caught the bit on knitting. I am now knitting a v-neck jumper for charity. I am using up a faded ball of bendigo musk 8ply. got it cheep.
I have also knitted one cap for KOGO and have done a swatch in some yarn I got for my birthday. Hey I made it to 35. Go figure.

Meanwhile the MSA3 is languishing petualantly. I just cannot get clue 3 to work. I know I will eventually, just not yet.

Oh well time for bed. And my sink is cleaned.
Yes.

clue2

Here is a closeup of one corner of MS3. The lighter pink is now all gone and so onto the 'rose'. I now have hit a wall. I have lost my groove.
Clue 3 has me stumped. I have knitted and tinked the first row several times and have just decided to give it a rest.

So I have cast on a hat for KOGO. The yarn was sent to me a couple of weeks ago and now a hat is on the way. Just simple K1P1 rib for now. I have knitted about 10cm this morning.

My big thing is I now can rib without looking! Happy Dance! Ok back to the farm work .

Post Olympic Knitting

I have started on my MysteryShawl3

This is Clues 1a &b. Beautiful isn't it. I am using 8ply merino from Willabaa in Ballarat. Unfortunately, this spinnery has closed so what I have in stash is for me.. it. So this lovey will be knitted in several colours. This is the first colour and I have only a small amount left. I will then move onto a darker pink, then it will be purple then lastly blue. The colours go well together.

This clue has blocked out to 56cm a side. I am going to have a lovely snuggly blanky for this winter. I am sooo pleased with myself. Thankyou Renee for this design.

The socks are continuing as well, they are now my passenger socks.

Allmost fell by the wayside

Well,I almost bombed out of the KO's. I decided that the yarn I was using to knit my blokes socks with wasn't right. He agreed. He still wanted more socks though. What to do!

So I went shopping! At my local Bendigo Woollen Mills outlet they had 4ply machine wash pure wool in BLACK. 50gm balls $1 EACH. So I bought a pack of 20. I have now cast on the second pair of socks for my challenge. these ones are 4ply knitted double on 2.25mm needles. I am still using my sherman heel/toe. Toe-up of course 32st to start with, increasing to 74st by the arch and heel. Heel will be done on 60% of the stitches. then up the leg for 14cm with 3-2 rib increasing every10th row to allow room for his VERY LARGE calves.

Well, this is the plan so far.

I just received in the mail a package from KOGO. 4 balls of yarn to knit hats with. Two a lovely blue and two a shades of blue. Can't wait to finish these socks so I can knit up this wool into hats.

The Mystery Shawl 3 has started! I have printed out the first clue.......and am buggered. I just don't know where to start! Yes I know the instructions TEll me where to start, I just have a bad case of WTF. with it. I will do it and I will do it well. I did the 2nd one didn't I, and it turned out nice. I know this will to. I just have to knit those socks! And process those eggs And do the washing And feed the family And get over this head cold (3hrs sleep) etc etc etc

Ok, as flylady says get off my but and jump in where I am and go!

SO BYE

Halfway there

yes I am now halfway through my challenge for the Knitting Olympics! Yay! I have been very busy on the farm as well, so I haven't been knitting as much as I wanted too. My Big boy is now firmly ensconced in High School and my Baby is now in 3yo Kinder and LOVING it. My how time flys. Sigh.....

Yesterday was All Ford Day here in Geelong. Great day, nice in the morning, only getting hot after 1pm. My blokes car was a hit. I have never seen a car being photographed sooo much. There was never a time that there wasn't at least one person snapping. WOW. I might even post a picci of it myself. But this is MY KNITTING BLOG not his car one. So I wish I had gotten him to take a photo of me knitting in public next to the car. Oh well, at least I did knit on those bloody socks of his and so for today I finished them. I will cast on and knit the toes on both socks of the next pair tomorrow. I hope to knit them in 4 days.

I am getting desperate to start knitting on the new Mystery Shawl 3. The first clue is up, but as the challenge for the KO's has not been met yet, I must NOT start it. MmMm NO Way. But I so WANT to.
BUGGER!!!!!

And I am guilty of not keeping my sink shined. Sorry Flylady. I'll jump in and clean it in a few minutes.

bye to all and sundry

Knit On.

Olypmics so far

On the 12th I finished the first sock for my partner. I have cast on for it's mate and have finished the toe and started on the foot. Great now I have the pattern for his socks only in 8ply but his feet are very large around, not long, so I don't know if I would particularly like to knit his socks with 4ply. Needs 62st as it is. Photo's later.

Bye

Geelong Knitting meets tonight at Sailor's Rest Restaurant. 7:30 pm . Be there.

Hello Dolly

Here she is. My first knitted Babe. In all of her glory.

My 3yo son has aquired her. He insists on taking her to bed each night and also insisted that she be dressed.

He named her Dolly.

While I was making her up he kept nicking off with her. Love at first sight I think.

I cheated and knitted her on my empisal knitting machine. I wanted the doll not the knitting. I wanted to knit for HER not knit her, get what I mean?


Any way, I have started with my partners's socks from hell - meaning black as the lord of hells hairy ass - the stitches are difficult to see in bright sunlight. I am allready up to the heel from toe up. 60st round with short row heel and toe, planning to have 3/2 ribbing up the leg. My aim is for 2pairs during the Olympics.

Wish me luck.

I found the camera so here are some socks. I used shepherd Colour 4 Me 8ply, which I dyed in the ball by dunking one end into the dye. I was very surprised at how it turned out. Spiral stripes! Yay. I have been knitting other things but my 3yo has absconded with her.

Getting ready for the Knitting Olympics, and farm wise for the Commonwealth Games.

STASH

Well, I have decided to use up my stash. Which I have started on. I have just about used up all of the yarn I bought to knit the Jayne Cobb hats. So now I will have one for me!

I have restarted on the jumper for my now 3yo. I have joined the sleeves to the body and have started the decreases. Just a matter of time now to finish it. I have also finished a pair of toe-up socks for me and used up some of the Xmas exchange yarn I was given. I have made the baby ugg boots and hat. When I get the camera again I will post photo's.

Currently it is raining! Beautiful. But the mud is a bugger to get through when collecting the eggs. Oh well, a farmer rarely has the weather they need.

Bye

I Joined !

Righto. I found out about the yarn harlots knitting olympics and so have joined.

I have finally decedided to knit socks. Not just any socks, noooo, these are Black socks for my darling.

They will be knitted toe-up, sherman heel/toes, 3/2 rib until the yarn runs out. Or I will have to join yarn in and knit for 25cm for the leg. I feel I will have to increase along the foot as his instep is 11" round and the ball of his foot is 9" . His ankle is 11" but his calf increases to 16". Seriously BIG calves.

Hey seriously muscly bloke here, once a weightlifter and rugby player. So you get the image. mMMM.

So my Knitting Olympic Challenge is to knit him 2 or more pairs of BLACK as sin socks and he will love me and hug me and love me etc.......

Bye
Looking forward to cool days not like yesterday 44degs!! I hate hot weather. More to come on Thursday. Bugger.

Here are some socks I just finished for my 3yo son. They are different, not that he cares. To him they are mummy socks for ME. I thought the two balls of yarn were the same pattern, but as is obvious, they weren't. I will knit the mates for these socks later.








Here is a back view of my little darling. Notice the semi parched lawn. This is with the washing water going on it.

This cardi is knitted in handspun alpaca. Natural colours. I started this when I was PREGNANT with this child.

I finished the knitting it two days ago.


If I wanted to be mean I could make him wear it this winter. But I won't. It will go into the "gifts" basket.

But first of course I do have to find some appropriate buttons.

What do you think? Eh.

I did loose the pattern so I have adlibbed the front closure between the cables.

Here they are. Sorry that they are sideways. They are slightly too big, but as he is an 12yo, they will fit sooner rather than later.

Socks finished

The first pair of socks for the year. At last.

Now onto finishing one previous project that has been languishing for several years. I will post a photo later of the new or is it old project. I am currently trying to post a photo of the finished socks.