Busy Busy Busy
As the title suggests, I have been busy, but not knitting as such. Kids are home from school until next Monday with the two week holiday. It has been raining most of the time, and we've had quite a few electrical storms too. I've been too sore to knit though with my pain acting up arrggh! I have been using my right hand/arm to crochet this shawl



although it is slow work now that the row is really long and getting longer each row.
This is an old picture, but it looks the same still, just larger. I will measure it soon to see how I'm going. I still want it to be bigger than it is, though I am running out of the yarn now, I have more yarn the same but in a different colour which I will use.

I am paused on my sock project at the moment, but that doesn't stop me from looking at other sweater patterns. There's a really neat looking jacket with cables and fold over collar, I think it has a belt of some sort, but it looks soooo cool. Problem is, it's on an ad for dog food here in New Zealand, so I'll have to find something similar. It would be a good thing for the winter here, simple enough to shrug on when you leave the house.

I found this website (which takes a while to load fully by the way) these are blue fabrics which are so gorgeous to look at.
This one would have to be my favourite, but I only had a few moments so I know I need to go and have another look!



It's called Trains On Blue.

I have found a neat musician who covers Radiohead's Exit Music (For A Film), it's a little jazzy and gets very het up towards the end too. His name is Brad Mehldau and I usually use the 'low' stream.

Being Creative

So I have been busy doing creative things other than knitting. As well as finishing Daughter's socks I was trying the pattern on. I have done the second sock and still found the toe to be too pointy, maybe on an adult size sock it wouldn't be as obvious. Still I am going to look for another sock pattern before I do socks for myself. The socks have disappeared into wherever socks go when you need them, but when they turn up I will take photos before they go again.
I made a wee tote bag for Daughter to put some of her soft toys in...



and she liked it, so it was good practise, and it gave me incentive to try other bags. Then I found a tutorial of sorts on Craftster explaining how to make a lined pouch. This was my first try...

The lining was a light polo shirt cotton/polyester so it does catch on the zip a little bit.

Son liked this bag and said he wanted it, but I know he'll get frustrated with the zip getting caught, so I am making another one...

The outer material is an old polarfleece vest and

...the inner material is from an old pair of purple jeans of mine. This should make the bag really sturdy for him to open and close.

This is the bag this morning waiting for me to seam it up, flip it out the right way and sew up the liner hole. Then I think Son is planning on putting his Lego in it.


So Doug is on Guiding Light in the US of A and his fans there must be excited to see him on there. I have to do with still images from the programme...

I can't remember where I found this, but it is so well drawn! Bravo whoever made this. Also if you are the artist and you want me to remove this from this page leave me a comment... wouldn't want to step on any toes. This art is large so click to see it big.

New Man

No, I'm still happily married, though after seeing Red Dragon.... all I can say is WOW!! Ralph Fiennes sure was great (yes, yes I know, he was a pyschopathic killer) and I was drawn to his acting.
Here is a photo to interest you...



..look up his movie history, I'm impressed as he still does theatre also.

Knitting-wise, I have finished sons bright orange hat, photos to come. Also have done one sock for daughter and just past the ribbing on the second sock. These are practise socks to see how to make them and already I don't like the pattern I am using. The foot part of the sock is too large for her foot, although the ankle fits perfectly. The toe lacks roundness if that's a word, and is almost shaped like a ducks bill.

I still haven't caught my daughter wearing stripey with the camera, but she really enjoys the sweater and I know it's warm. With winter coming on, she's set with her hat and sweater and she already has gloves that fit now.

On friday while I picked up my son, my daughter was busy giving herself a haircut..
Before....



and after...



I tried to save her hair as much as I could, but underneath the hair on the right of her head there are a few bald spots. She said she wanted to be like me. My hair is short but not with bald patches! I don't know why she didn't ask me for a haircut, but it's done now.
If you look at the photos there is son with his curly locks too. I asked him if he wanted a haircut, but he said no, as he is 'unique' such a cute thing to say!

Sister has finished a surprise knit for daughter. A poncho and hat combination in a neat colourway...



of course, she took a while to warm up to the idea but now the set has taken pride in her warm stuff drawer.

Happy Chapppy

Son is off to school again today, he's all excited as his class goes swimming again today. He has only recently started school and loves it so far. He has great teachers and hasn't gotten bored like I feared he would. Son is one boy who likes alot of stuff to do, and if there isn't then he starts to get upset. Daughter started her kindy yesterday too, and she loved it apart from at the end when she turned her back and thought that I'd left her there! Poor little crying mess she was, as if I would do that. Can understand though as there were so many mothers and fathers picking up their little ones too.

Spun a little more sliver up and have washed and hung it to dry ready to see how it came out. Have finished daughter's stripey sweater and she actually wore it the other day too, I absolutely must get a photo of her in it as it worked out really well. I added the moss st collar at the last moment instead of the standard ribbed neck just for something different, and it suits it well.
Have been reading Yarn Harlot and must say Stephanie is a great read. My favourite quilting blog at the moment would have to be Wee Wonderfuls I just wish I had her creativity at the moment.

I'm still under the weather and feeling blah. Need a new pillow I'm sure, probably why I wake up with a stiff neck every morning. Last night I slept through the night instead of listening to hubby snoring, so that is a change for the good.

Have to chase daughter who has close on thirty juicy green caterpillars in an ice cream container, just to be sure she doesn't grind them into the sofa. Not a good look.