I just had my sheep shorn after the Melbourne cup. Here is the only white Xbred fleece that didn’t have a break in it. I just HAD to start spinning it. I used my old ashford traveller for a change.

Just skeined up. I spun it by flicking the tip and woollen spinning followed by navajo plying.

Same yarn now washed. Soo white and still with the lanolin in it. What to knit with it though….

Hmmmm.

Here is my girl eating her first gingernut. Isn’t she beautiful.

Following TAFTA

This is what has happened to one packet of top. I am thinking of plying it with a white single instead of navajo plying.

I am hoping that there will be enough for a EZ baby surprize jacket. But I doubt it.

Farm news. We had to throw out 4 days of eggs. I had the realization that I would NEVER get them processed and stay sane. So dumped they were. Very depressing. All that hard work for nothing.

On the otherhand, I am now up to date. Now I am working on getting the house back in order. Starting with the washing. David is sick and will be going to the dr's again tomorrow morning. I am hopeing that by being there at 8am as they start we will be in and out quickly. I hope.



Milly has started on adult food now. Just tastes of what I am eating and her cereal every evening. Only a desert spoon full so far but she does love her mashed spuds. Yes with butter and milk and LUMPS. No gagging or choking. Just lots of chewing.

I am knitting another pair of Sock Wars2 scar socks. These will be for the Bloke.

Off to make a bed (mine) then I hope to lay in it.

Weapon that killed me

lovely aren't they.

SOCK WARS2

I AM DEAD


PHOTOS LATER


I forgot to take photos of the socks I was knitting................................................

so take me out the back and shoot me.

Milly barely slept last night so I didn't either. so there!!!

SOCK WARS2 HAVE STARTED

Janya of Carlton. I have you in my sights.


cue mad laughter fading into distance.

Lookee, Lookee, from a Pear tree (yarn that is)

Elizabeth Zimmermans booties


My own socks with short row heel


cabled toddler socks


sarjes booties









































Milly LOVES yarn!!

TAFTA GEELONG

Here is what I bought. Merino tops for Milly and David. David picked his out.













Sock knitting kit from Sara Durrant.














Dyes to have a go with. Tired of using foodcolours.







And well, says it all really. From Artisan Books. I really wanted several hundred dollars worth of books. But I have been pining for this one for the longest time.

Booties cast on allready. Next will be the Baby Surprise Jacket. From stash of course.

Bye. Off to do eggs now.

New Swap. Christmas around the World questionaire

1. Are you religious? not at all
   
2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? I learnt to knit at 4 but have only been seriously knitting for the last 14 years. So I beleive I am advanced.
   
3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? spinning and dying
   
4. Favorite color(s)? anything
   
5. Do you collect anything? Knitting patterns and tools
   
6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals?No
7. Do you have any pets? Cats in the house and working dogs outside
   
8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? All of them YUM
   
9. Cookies or Sweets? Sweeties
   
10. Do you knit socks? Yes
    
11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits)
12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? Yes
    
13. Favorite holiday treats? Plum pud and shortbread
    
14. Favorite holiday smells? Plum pud
    
15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. Just presents on christmas moring with a large christmas dinner some years. It may be a roast or a BBQ. Depends on the weather
    
16. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Presents
    
17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” Family and the children especially
    
18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? a half eaten candy cane
    
19. What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? My spinning wheel, given......no idea
    
20. When do you start your Christmas? We put up the tree in the first weeks of December and gradually dress it and make biscuits etc
    
21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? We don't send cards... I forget to post them.
    
22. What is your favorite Christmas dish? Plum pud
    
23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do?Carolers? what are they?
    
24. When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning?On Christmas morning
    
25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? Just family

Tomten Jacket, Milly and a Pear Tree

Here it and my little man is. He has barely taken it off the last week.

My eldest took the photo.





Here is Milly in the suit here Aunty ann made for her. I think she was 12 weeks.






Here she is today in the sun wearing her first dress. Now 4 months old. she had her first lot of shots yesterday. Only prick marks on her legs to show for it.





I have been knitting a pair of red socks for the bloke, first one is to the toe.

I have just started knitting a bit for a local yarn producer Pear Tree in Torquay. This is what I have to knit up into booties and childrens socks. See I have one allmost finished. I also went a bit mad and bought two books. Love them both.

More knitting to get happy

booties for Milly knitted with cleckheaton merino spun. Sortof my pattern based on my experiance knitting booties. Yarn is leftovers from the Blokes socks.








This is the latest pair of pilchers for Milly. Ottbre free
pattern main colour is heirloom Bolero 8ply. contrast is doubled 4ply baby yarn. Only a day to knit.

Here is the final stages of Davids' Tomtem Jacket. I have now finished it and will show it off in due time.

Just before I go to bed..

Here is a little of what I have been doing. Had a bit of a depression which is why I havn't been blogging. The chooks went off the lay in a BIG way. which crunched the finances rather severely. Anyway, I have gotten used to it now, somewhat, and knitting has been my anchor to reality. So have the children too, especially Miss Milly.

So here are the socks I knitted for Death by Socks.











Here are the socks that Killed me. The Bloke has declared them his.

Off to Bendi I go

After much humming and harring, I have decided to go to the Bendigo wool and sheep show. I think I need the break. Milly is being a beautiful baby but I am feeling like....null and void really. Chooks aren't laying due to the cold and wet weather. Well, duh really, it IS winter. So this shouldn't come as a surprise, but it does. So with the reduced lay rate comes the reduced you know what but the bills just keep coming.

I have been so brainless lately. Lost my purse for 3 days.. it took me that long to admit that I had lost it. Cancelled cards then rang the shop where I last remembered seeing it. It was there intact. Now I don't have cards until next week. I also have lost the paperwork that I had to fill out for Milly. Now I have to request more, such a twit right now.

I am quite resenting the blokes smoking habit lately. such a waste of money so pointless, smelly etc. I want to spend time with HIM not his habit, it makes me feel so sick and he doesn't get it.

No1 step son is back from OS. This will be interesting. No2 step son turns 21 on saturday. His meal has been requested and his present will be the latest Harry Potter book. He allready knows this.

6 Weeks old and Death by Socks 2

Here are my two youngest darlings. Milly now 6 weeks old and David my snotty sick 4yo. He just had to show his cars. Hmmm










These are my Socks of Death 2 socks. Have some confusion with the pattern so I am just going to do what is says. Sort of.

The yarn is rare essentials cocoon jade a mix of alpaca, silk, mohair and superfine merino. Knitting on 2.75mm needles. I hope to knit them up before I am killed.

I went to a new knitting night on Wednesday in Torquay. If anyone has tried the yarn from Pear Tree you are lucky. This yarnshop was next door to the meet, also in a cafe called the Pear Tree. Next time I go I will be buying some of her scrumptious yarns. Maybe photos next time.

New knitting

Firstly, I loved the merino supreme soo much I had to buy more and it is becoming an EZ Tomtem Jacket for my 4yo son.












the socks are for Milly and fit.

Knitting at last

Here are the latest socks for the Bloke. In the new cleckheaton Merino Spun.

4mm needles, 8st turkish caston, toe-up. Double wrapped heel, 3/2 ribbing.

These have been worn and washed twice before this photo was taken. Nice cushy socks.

Its RAINING right now. Hard to believe and the tanks are allmost full. Time to turn the town supply off and back to the good water. YES.

Here is my lovely girl at 4 weeks.

I forgot to name her in the previous post, so here is :

MILLICENT ESTHER

otherwise known as Milly.



Here are
the georgous flowers from my sister-in-law


And just to compare, here she is at 2 weeks.

I have been knitting, photos next post? We'll see.

HERE SHE IS!

Born on Thursday 26th April at 12 to 7pm.

7lb 5oz

49cm long

34.5 head circ.

Hand made by MUM

Less than 24hrs old in photo

(clothing included)

Painted Madness is DONE and sad news.....

Here they are just finished. 10.30pm on Sat 14th april.

I am glad now that I am out of the Madness. Yesterday afternoon I received a call that my Dear Old Dad had died. Quite a shock.

Story is he had spent the moring cutting wood, came home for lunch and was heading out to the post office and to continue more wood cutting but didn't make it past the back gate.

He went the way he wanted. With his boots on and quick.

Love you Dad, miss you allways. At least you are now with Mum.

Now I just need this baby to stay put for at least next week.

The end of Sock Madness for me (this time)

Here is where I got up to in round 3 of sockmadness (1st pic) then I went and checked and lo and behold I was out. Three Cheers to Laurie in Maine. She did me in in record time.













The 2nd photo is where I am up to as of today. They are cuffed socks very nice. Once again using TeAwa Wools of NZ in soft spun mohair (78% mohair) on 2.75mm needles. I think these will be birthday socks for my sister.







The 3rd and 4th photos are of the latest knitting for the presumed daughter due 30th April. The yarn is heirloom Jigsaw and the one ball did the cardi and allmost the booties. The cardi pattern is the short-rows sweater that was on the knitlist years ago. The booties are from the same list.

If you would like the address of where to find the patterns let me know.

37 weeks and the count down is ON.

FINISHED! ROUND 2 SOCKMADNESS

Here they are in all their glory MAD-TINI SOCKS.

Round 2 - 1st progress picture

Here is my first progress picture of the 2nd round socks.

Using Patons Jet. 30%alpaca 70% wool. 2.75mm needles.

Things for Baby

I just finished this jumper for the baby. It is supposed to fit 3months but I reckon it willbe 1year. anyway it is from my previous mistake yarn that I spun and killed in the dryer turning sockyarn into boucle. Looks nice and is soooo soft and warm.

This is the only thing bought new for the baby. It has a stroller insert as well. only 6 weeks left.

On socks wars I am into the next round. I just have to find a yarn that knits up to 7 spi on 2.75mm needles witha fabric I like. I think 10ply is the go. More later.

Sock Madness round 1

Here are my finished round one socks.

Used: TeAwa wools 8ply Hunky Hank in a pastel variegated and 8ply grey patons fireside from the stash. Unfortunately a bit too subtle. but very comfy.

All ready for SockMadness

Here is what I bought to knit the socks in sockmadness. I went for what I felt I would get the tension in. Not the weight specified. As I like my socks knitted in a very tight tension. Princess feet you know, I feel every purl bump if they arn't knitted firmly enough.

Oh and the dale pattern book I couldn't resist. It has a jumper and dress with chookies on it.

All up I spent $96. Hey it was my birthday!

The colours are pretty true too. Roll on the 11th! Yes I know it starts on the 10th but that is in america and they are a day behind.