Knitting & Life

We have a new grand baby! She's beautiful. Then, we are biased, she's also now 18 weeks old-so not so new.

I think I must have sewed myself out before her birth & knitted everything I could think of & then, nothing. Not a thing really. Got very slack.


The machine just wasn't calling to me. I've knitted a little. Life took over.

After the jubilation of the arrival of our grand-daughter we were shocked (doesn't even come close) to find she has a rare genetic disorder. You know the heel prick test all new borns get, that no one ever hears anything about? That one. Its called PKU and there is lots on the web about it. Missy was only the second baby born this year with it in New South Wales.
Life has settled down somewhat. Blood tests & changes in her formula (which smells shocking & she has for life) & breast feeding amounts. Her parents seem to be coping well with it all (not that you get a choice)-might be easier when solids are introduced. Fruit & vegetables is basically what she'll eat.Guess I'll be learning to cook all over again. I wonder if gluten free (me) & PKU can be blended (wouldn't be much choice there). The specialist unit at Westmead Children's Hopsital have been wonderful.

Missy is now smiling, laughing & 'talking' & today she rolled over, twice, just to show her parents it wasn't a fluke the first time! What a delight they are at this age & even better as a grandparent that you get to give them back when they start to cry too much. It's wonderful having them live so close as well-we don't miss any of the action this way.

Today I made Missy some new shoes-the ones I made her before she was born, she has grown out of, she may be small but she has big feet! (they are on another blog post further back). These ones were from www.embroidershoppe.com and are so cute and girly. I made a size 3-6 months but aren't too sure that these will actually fit her. No matter I have another expected girl who they can go to.

On the knitting front I've made my Grandson some socks (special request as he had grown out of the last ones I knitted him) and have moved onto scarves and shawls-these have been sent to my DIL. I've found something else she likes and I'm only too happy to oblige! (it seems I have misplaced the pics on both my computers...hmmmm) Done some dishcloths & more baby tops for Missy-the needles are really empty these days.

A new position at work has also had me busy. These days its all day in the office, although I do escape sometimes to do the odd call or 2. A new challenge, in more ways than one!
Happy crafting
Oz-Tralien

Doing the Happy Dance.

Today I let out a big sigh of relief & did the "happy dance". My latest magazine article is written,samples sewn, pictures taken, article edited & changed & now it's finally ready for submission, right on the due date. Will have to plead with MOTH to brave the crowds at the PO to send it off through the week, he complained bitterly about waiting in line to buy postage stamps the other day!

Today I made 2 burp cloths. I purchased a design for an 'in the hoop project' from here. I do like the zig zag trim-I can see dresses done with this....but I'm way ahead of myself on this.

I have never been a user of the burp cloth, when my children were babies I used bibs or grabbed a cloth nappy if they were big spitters & caught spills with that. On thinking about the advent of the burp cloth I guess its come about because you can't really hold a disposable nappy up under a kid's chin to catch the spit!

The first one I made looked too small to me.If dad was holding it his hands could well be larger than the cloth-not a nice feel to have a handful of baby spit-up in your hand, even if you do own the kid!

The second one I lengthened the design to fit in my 360mm x 200mm hoop- I did widen the design but not as much as I lengthened it- this is a way better size, something to get your hand around & for catching those more serious spills! I played around with my shapes & made a love bug of sorts by using a heart shape turned upside down & adding a musical note I morphed slightly in edit for the antennae, hopefully it looks something like a bug should. I am sure I'll be making a few more of these, in the larger size.

My knitting is progressing well. I've completed a pretty pink jacket & a gorgeous cream one. The pink one was a design called "Puss" from a very old Patons knitting book for babies. I changed the pattern & knitted it from the neck down- I'm finding this a quick & easy way to knit baby jackets. Next on the needles was a merino yarn I bought in KL last month- Gedifra Merino De Luxe. This yarn is spectacular to knit with- the finished article looks spectacular- not because of my knitting but the yarn- I'd love to get my hands on more of this. This jacket is Elizabeth Zimmermann's February sweater from her Knitters Almanac.Tonight I'll start on a cherry red top in a larger size- this baby is going to be well dressed that's for sure.

Christmas is just around the corner & I'm not at all organised. the tree is not up, there isn't a decoration to be seen in the house-at least the cards have been done & posted. I just can't seem to get the motivation to get to & do the rest.

Good news in that our No. 1 son & his family are coming up for Christmas- took some persuading so they'll arrive, with the cat from hell in tow as well.

Koshka is not a friendly cat- she made the trip out from the UK when they moved & many a time over the years has she bitten or scratched me for no good reason- not your cuddly type of cat at all! When GS was little he even had to learn that the cat would win every time he got close to her & he bore the scratch marks many a time to prove it!

No quilts on the quilting frame, no presents made....nothing......need to get a move on & do something before the big day arrives I guess....will anyone notice if I don't?

Happy Crafting,
Oz-tralien

Market bags

It seems that if I get on here once a week I'm doing well. I'm not sure where my evenings go- certainly not in a flurry of productivity-but the week has zipped on by once again

This week I finished 2 knitted bags- I downloaded the pattern through Ravelry & knitted the first bag as per pattern.

It was way too small for what I had in mind- perfect if you don't want to use plastic bags & you want to take 6 of these bags grocery shopping with you to put the carrots in one, the potatoes in another & so on-but this is not what I had in mind. I found the handles too short & the opening too restrictive....but with all things- you live & learn. So, here is the first attempt- one thing- I loved this easy pattern, but hated the fiddling of starting off- I'm really very lazy & always want the easy option when it comes to doing things like this.

So, not to be beaten & wanting to produce the produce bag into something more usable- I went & purchased 2 balls of 8ply cotton (also 4 metres of polar fleece & 3 lots of 2 metres of cotton waffle weave in the most gorgeous pastel shades- why is it that I can't just buy what I go in for?LOL)

So back to the drawing board- I started off with a crochet hook & double crochets- did rounds until I had about 120 stitches, then picked them up with a circular knitting needle-I also used 15 mm needles this time-knitted the pattern until I judged I had enough yarn to knit the top & when I got to making the handles I crocheted chains about 35 stitches long, then picked up the loops on the next row while knitting.

This worked out a hell of a lot easier for me,but then I can knit & crochet & I realize there are many that only do one or the other.So here is the second attempt-this will hold my shopping & then some- has decent handles & a decent opening that's not restrictive either. And I just love this cotton yarn- it's so colourful. I have put it into my handbag ready to go to work with me to put my purchases in.

When I dropped into Spotlight the other day to grab this yarn I had a look through all the fabrics- lots on sale-I want to know why is it that I can't seem to get out of any fabric shop without buying more fabric- is this some compulsion that I should see a psychiatrist for? ( a million other women would join me!)

I mean, I have about 700 metres of fabric stashed- it's not like I needed more,but I did buy more! Just add it to the piles....then when I go to make something I don't use what I have in stash as I feel I might want it for something better, so I buy more- go figure!

The waffle weave I bought I was going to make some pretty embroidered tea towels from but I feel the fabric, now it's washed, is a little flimsy....so now that's 6 more metres to add to the stash-if I knew someone having a baby it would probably make pretty baby wraps for the summer.

Have now finished all the cotton I had in stash- made them into dishcloths mostly- the kids felted clog pattern arrived through the week, so will start on those as well- my GS will love them. Also have a scarf in mind- saw a picture on Ravelry but the pattern was only available in a book but I didn't want to buy another book (that's a whole 'nother stash!) but have nutted it out from the picture, in my head, so will start that this week as well.

Seems I do most of my knitting sitting up in bed these days watching TV- while DH snores, not so softly, beside me! What an exciting life we live!!!