Spotty Dot

We're off for a long weekend holiday, leaving tomorrow night and getting home REALLY late on Monday (I'll explain why tomorrow). I'm looking forward to spending time with our wonderful Jonathan and relaxing. Well, relaxing once the kids are asleep.

I've finished the first sleeve of my customers jumper, so I'll be picking up the next sleeve today and taking it with me to finish off. I'll also be taking Marcus' blanket with me as I'm this close to finishing it. Which means that Dot will need one.

Yes, I'm that masochistic.

Anyway, my lovely mother-in-law made Dot a new quilt and the base colours are purple and aqua, which is a fantastic combination for a girl, because I hate pink. I really really do. But I can't decide on a pattern.

The colours, the daisy, the edging. It's adorable!

Or maybe an off-set granny square?

Heck, why not a diagonal granny square?!

Maybe I should be going more complex, more floral?

Or just give in and embrace the polka dot for my Dot?

It's so hard to decide!

Round and round we go

I'm pretty rubbish at winding balls of yarn. They take ages to start and usually collapse due to overload. Yesterday, I came up with a solution.

First, take four Legos.

Second, start winding. Works rather well.

In the meantime, back to my money-spinning knitting.  After the weekend I've managed thirteen repeats of six rows. Only seven repeats to go before I can start the cuff ribbing. Hurray!

Then I can start the second sleeve.....yay?

Fun or funds?

I have many wants.

I want to finish crocheting Marcus' blanket.

I want to make more squares for my Sherlock Holmes blanket.

I want to finish up my mum's old jumper for her.

I want a purple/burgundy striped cardigan for winter.

These are fun projects and I'm in the right head space for them (finally), but they don't bring in the money.

I need to finish off these sleeves so I can pay some bills.

Trying to knit

I could knit, sure.

But Marcus is all squooshy on me, so no.

Sit still, avoid movement

Thanks to Dot having a meltdown over Kinder Surprise Eggs and a sprint to get to Marcus' school bus, I'm on the couch with a back that screams at movement.

Luckily there was crochet next to the couch. I'm determined to finish something this month and Marcus' blanket looks like the chosen sacrifice.

Aspirational knitting

There's a very small section of my brain that looks at something I'm doing, or thinking of doing and says "I don't think I can do that". This is the part of my brain labelled "Common Sense" (despite my family's belief, I do have some common sense). This very small section is generally overruled by a very large section of my brain that looks at something I'm doing, or thinking of doing and says "It can't be that hard". This is the part of my brain labelled "Andrea".

This has caused some consternation for everyone but me over the years (especially when I agreed to marry my co-worker 5 hours into our first date) but it's truly handy when it comes to knitting. A massive lace shawl? Can't be that hard, and it wasn't. Fair isle hot water bottle cover? Can't be that hard, and it was so easy I made a second. Knit a wedding bouquet? Can't be that hard, and it wasn't and the bride loved it.

There are some things to take into consideration, though.

Do I really want to spend a year knitting a wedding ring blanket to cover my entire bed? Probably not.

Am I ever going to wear a massive lace stole anywhere? I mean, when do I ever go out to anything? Again, probably not.

A Victorian lace blouse? Pffffft, probably not.

Instead I'm trying to make realistic choices for my life, and that can work sometimes (my Miette cardigan) and sometimes it really really doesn't.

Have you ever received a catalogue in the mail and briefly imagined yourself in the clothes? You could wear that dress to a party, those pants scream "work presentation" and those mega heels are perfect for lunch with the girls, right? Then you remember that you're an unemployed housewife and none of the above applies (except the mega heels. They're awesome all the time).

I bought three balls of 100% alpaca to make Marcus a jumper. I pictured him in it: dark blue with a contrasting light blue stripe around it; with his hair he'd be extra gorgeous. That was in July last year, and I was planning to start it next month. Then I started thinking about the appropriateness.

Marcus doesn't wear jumpers. I can bribe him into a vest, but not a jumper. Alpaca can be pretty darn itchy too. Marcus freaks out at clothing tags, so how would he do with alpaca against his arms?

I need to learn to knit for the children I have, not the ones I hoped I would have. I think Marcus is getting another vest.

In which Andrea cannot determine if the day is fair or foul

As the parent of two small children, I sometimes wonder if they have made a pact to see how far they can push me. One will start crying, so the second starts yelling. One will fall over and cry, so the second flops down and starts howling.

Foul

Dot will wait until I'm not in the room and put a toy hammer through a window.

Marcus will wait until the window is repaired and then brace against it with his teeny little backside (to shove the couch out) until the window comes out as the glue hadn't set. Five minutes after the lightning storm starts.

Fair

I finished the blanket for my customer.

Purpose with an end

I've been working a blanket for a customer for ages. I was beginning to doubt my speed levels, and then I did some counting.

There's 52 squares joined in three needle cast off, so first I pick up the stitches along one side, then the other side then cast them off together. So each stitch is worked three times, and there are at least 15 stitches per side, closer to 35 on the larger squares. That's a lot of stitches to knit. I felt somewhat better about my abilities.

Then I did another count and realised I've sewn in around 221 ends, and now I'm feeling much better.

Can you spare some time?

This week saw our little Polka Dot head off to an Intensive Early Intervention Program. Four and a half hours on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with three hours on Wednesday. This leaves her mother with something she hasn't had since Marcus was born: spare time.

I know one of my older sisters is currently in gales of laughter due to my belief that I can get stuff done now, but nur.

One finished Sherlock blanket square. Checkmate.

I don't doubt that any "spare" time will evaporate, but for now, I'll enjoy it while I can.

*shiver*

It's been a big week for us at Casa  Crazyhouse. Our beautiful little boy started school and seems to be doing okay as far as we can tell (he's not telling us anything!).

It was hard sending him off, even harder in shorts. What is going on with Melbourne's weather? It's summer, and next week not one day is over 23℃! I love winter more than all of you combined, but some consistency would be nice!

Due to this sudden cold snap I've been taking stock for winter, yes seriously, and I noticed that I'm mega-behind on my Sherlock KAL blanket. Square 11 has been released and I've only finished the first six.

So tonight I'm cracking on with Square 7 and watching a lot of tv with Felix instead of working on my customer's blanket. She'd understand.

I'm cold.

Planned creativity

Mid November last year I had a bit of a panic attack. The festive season was rapidly approaching, Marcus was starting school at the end of January, Dot's applications needed to be in (along with the $30,000 a year for the program!) and I had previously announced that Christmas was at our place.

Panic! Chaos! Lots of crying! Cue Chantal.

Chantal dropped everything, drove straight over and organised the next two months of my life perfectly. It all went off without a hitch and I swore that panic wouldn't happen again.

This year's plan involves me working on something to do with Christmas on the 25th of each month, that way having it all sorted by the time it needs to be ready. "Everything done by December 1" is the phrase, I think.

So on Sunday I finished up yet another banner (I can hear my family groaning), sewed up an old advent calendar, and crocheted a bauble.

The pattern is from Meet Me At Mike's, and it was super fast, less than an hour. I'm feeling pretty good about this plan, to be honest. This could work.

I now return to my regular knitting/ sewing up schedule. So. Many. Ends.

By jingo!

What's the most Australian knitting image?

No question.

Happy Pavlova Day, my fellow Australians! I managed two over the weekend.

For Sunday,  an Iced Vovo pavlova: four layers, sandwiched with cream, jam, crushed Iced Vovo biscuits and marshmallow, topped off with more meringues. It was so sugary, my teeth squeaked.

For today, an old fashioned pav: with cornflour and vinegar, it is WAY chewier. Plus I added a chocolate Australia. Chocolate countries taste the best.

Dot agreed.

Hope you all had a great long weekend!

Typical knitting timing

I finished up Dot's adorable poncho today. (Marcus' godfather's comment: "Why are you making something she can easily escape from?")

Bendigo 8ply alpaca. Big lofty and squishy with surprisingly little shedding while I worked on it.

The pattern was a freebie from Aus Country Spinners, and it was full of fun details

Little ferns.

Diamonds and an amazing yarn forward psso that I'll be using again.

Great pattern all round, and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Dot? She's not going near it for a while the. It's going to be 33℃ today. Last thing she needs is an alpaca poncho!

Not knitting, sewing

It's hard to write about knitting when none of it grabs you. Currently I'm sewing up a blanket for a customer, crocheting an edging on to Marcus' blanket and sewing up a jumper for another client.

Too much to start a new project, too much to pick up another old project, but I needed something.

Time to bring out the sewing machine.

I made a little bucket to hold Dot's myriad of fairy dresses (her current favourite was a Christmas gift from her cousin Rohan. Took me almost a day to take it off her) and trying to contain some control has been near impossible.

I used this amazing tutorial and some fabric from Ikea (I love Ikea!) and all up it took two hours, but that was in sporadic bursts.

I did have rope handles, but the rope is far too narrow to make big enough knots to not go through the grommets. Back to Bunnings tomorrow!

Very smelly, and everywhere

On Sunday I ventured out to the country. The annual lavender festival was on at Lavendula and the need for fresh cut lavender was great, albeit somewhat scary.

Bees. Everywhere. Seriously. I happen to be rather allergic, but I persevered and brought home a lot.

The first bundle was the only one I managed to get most of the way through, so the second two will be dried for later use.

I have 30 lavender bottles for my Finishing Touch customers for this year. Now I need 30 customers!

Motoring along

What's this? Barely the first week of the year and two Finished Objects? ~ clears throat, prepares acceptance speech for Knitta of the Year ~

Not likely.

I finished my Danish Flag coaster for my History of Magic class. The theme was Vikings! I didn't know what to make, so this seemed a reasonable compromise. The mitred squares were easy, but I hate the edges. Maybe if they were all going in the same direction, as they do in the blankets. At least I've tried them now.

I also whipped up a granny square for Quidditch (yes, really Quidditch). Round One is make something for charity and this is heading of to a group blanket. I'm not technically participating in my Harry Potter group this term (January-March) so I'm in the Students on Sabbatical group, and managed to wheedle my way into becoming the Quidditch Beater, which means I need to come up with cheers and encouragement for other members.

Me? Enthusiastic about knitting/crochet?

Never.

If you think it's too hot to knit, then you don't know me

It's currently 32℃ here, heading for 35℃ and I'm still knitting. Nothing can stop me, only because I have an air conditioner, but still I am knitting.

A small metred coaster, as I've never made a metred square before. You start off with an odd number and decrease the centre three stitches into one until you have one left and cast off. I can see why so many knitters love them: you have less knitting per row as you go along which is lovely.

Almost as lovely as my Christmas present from my brother-in-law, Jase. Not only did he give me a yarn bowl (to hold my yarn in one spot as I knit) but he made it.

Jase, you truly rock.

Ow. Ow. Really ow.

Yet another tooth pulled out; I'm surprised I have any left. End result is that not much knitting has been achieved.

However, on the weekend I was informed of a random prize won where I could pick any pattern on Ravelry up to US$6.00.

I chose Tiny Owl Knit's Beekeeper's Quilt. Now, how much Madeline Tosh sock yarn should I start stocking up on?

In case you were wondering, the correct answer is "all of it".

Wait, where did 2014 go?!?

I swear I just blinked and it was gone! Ah well, onwards to 2015!

Before I start a new year of knitting I need to gloat about another great year of knitting, with so many finished projects.

1. Joex's Wedding Bouquet

2. Joex's Wedding Hearts

3. Sherlock Square #1

4. Egeblad Doily

5. Sherlock Square #2

6. Marcus' Crochet Beanie

7. Dot's Crochet Beanie

8. Purple Potion Cowl

9. Mature Beanie

10. Toilet Roll Cover

11. Mermaid's Rose

12. Jam Cover

13. Doll's Skirt

14. Mini Jumper

15. Stonehenge Beanie

16. Sherlock Square #3

17. Winter Mocassins

18. A Little Textured Vest

19. Sherlock Square #4  

20. Sherlock Square #5

21. On Monday...

22. On Tuesday...

23. On Wednesday...

24. On Thursday...

25. On Friday...

26. Sherlock Square #6

Now all I need to do is kill off some unfinished projects before I start anything new.

*pauses for hysterical laughter from everyone who knows me*

Fairly uplifting

Every time I think I'm only okay at knitting I shall read this post and remember that I turned this...

...into this...

...nice.