April 2013

Carried over UFO's (priority order)

• Steve/Elanda's wedding cross stitch - only needs names and dates - (1)
• Amanda's Fairy - needs one wing beaded
• Kurt's Egyptian Frieze - is about 50% completed - 80%
• Sarah/Mel's African theme, only has about 1 inch to be done - (2)
• The water lilies and carp cross stitch - about 70% done
• Sandra's cross stitch doggie - simply needs a frame - (4)
• Phoebe's lavender cardigan - same deal 70% completed
• Knitted Wrap With Love - 50% - orange
• Two boy monkeys have been commissioned - Done
• Have started an aubergine crochet dress for Phoebe - Done 
• Poppy Hat to match the cardigan - not started, but will be tonight 
• One more sleeping bag to be made - Winnie the Pooh  Done
• Kurt's rug - 30% 
• Red Beret - 100%
• Sarah's Potholder - 100%

 1st April 2013
Started the month with a new project ... I know, right!  Anyway, cute little dress just calling out to be made.  Used my Aubergine Bendigo 5 ply - knitted double.  OK, so it's upside down.  Bodice is done in double crochet and skirt has a pattern and a ruffle on the bottom and on the armholes.  Packed and ready for the train tomorrow, Strathfield every day this week. Yay for me!



 

2nd April 2013
Decided the original was too tight and hard crocheted on a 5 mm hook, so I started again with a 6mm hook.

3rd April 2013

It is much better with the bigger hook.  











4th April 2013

 
 This is the purple pinafore.  State Rail seats show it as an orangey pink colour, how strange?














5th April 2013
Have started knitting a rug for Kurt from wool that was his mother's.  This is the variegated yarn and I have matched it up.  Each plain square will have a pattern knitted into it.





This is the beginning of one of the plain squares

6th April 2013
Next girls sewing day at Sandra's. 
Met Chris R today and we were blown away by this magnificent quilt.  What a talent this lady has.














Chris W continued her hand stitching.  I was fascinated with the way she made the white flower centres today.

Katherine brought this pin cushion along.  It looks like lots of fun, I might try and make something like this one day.

 
7th April 2013
Continuing with a random square for the Blue Mountains Wrap.  We are looking at making a red and black one suitable for a bloke.








8th April 2013

The first plain square in Kurt's rug, this is done in double moss stitch.  46 stitches on 4.5 mm needles and 8 ply yarn.  Although this is a bit thicker than the variegated.  Will have to put a little border around it to bring it up to size.


9th April

Another variegated square. 















10th April
Had a go at Linen Stitch today.  Not a huge fan of it.  For some reason one side of the square is different to the other.  I mastered it by the end, and added a few garter stitches in the middle.  I think I will put this square into the general WWL squares and do another linen stitch for Kurt's rug.  It needs to be done on a much larger needle as it produces a dense weave.






11th April
This square was fun to do.  It is the traditional feather and fan stitch that is popular in baby knitting.  Was great to do this one, worked out nice and quick. 












As you can see I am starting to amass a number of squares for Kurt's rug.











12th April
I finished the Winnie the Pool sleeping bag for Phoebe, made from delicious polar fleece, bought at New Century Fabrics in Penrith, $5 / metre.











13th April

This is the leaf pattern, a four row repeat, very easy to do.




14th April 2013
Finished off another Yass baby monkey today.  This little guy is very cute.  Not sure who he is going to, one of Amanda's friends with a new baby.

Received a gorgeous gift from Chris W.  A thank you for finishing off the tartan rug.  How cute is this little bloke?








Finished this square on the way home from Yass, lots of knitting time in the car, love it!
 


This pattern is called the Horseshoe.  There was a little reverse knitting done here.

15th April 2013
Happy 81st birthday to dear mum today.  Started this square today, it is dropped stitch knitting.  Took a little while to get my head around it.




Then to make life easier I finished off another Blue Mountains square, this will form part of a red and black rug we are making up there.


16th April 2013

Penrith Day, another day to enjoy a Pork Roll. Amanda wants a peg bag so bought some fun fabric.  She was not a fan of the crazy cats.

Nor did she particularly like the sewing machines.







,Decided finally on the purple Hawaiian Fabric which ironically was the cheapest of all.


 Also got some knitting done as I travelled in and out with Andy to Penrith, he spent the day at the farm. 




17th April 2013
 Today was the day of the beginning of the crook back.  Caught the train into Strathfield, by the time I came home was in agony.  I have to say I absolutely love this stitch, and am seriously thinking of making Andy a vest in this pattern.  It is nice and light, but has a semi rib effect. 
 Knitted alongside Marg on the way home on the train, always good to chat and forget your woes and she is such an appreciative audience with the knitting.  She too is a great fan of this stitch.



18th April 2013
 My woes were big ones today, could not go to work.  Had a very painful but successful session at the Physio, lunch with Pat and rested in the afternoon.  Got some more knitting done.  finished the next plain square and started on this little orange number.  It is called a travelling stitch, bit fiddly.






19th April 2013
 Strathfield day, got settled in to the train and knitted being very aware that my back was getting better but still not right.  Finished the orange square, the tricky thing with this pattern is when you have to knit two into the back of the stitch and then slip the first one off purlways.  You have your needles in a bit of a tight position.


Leo finished her baby niece's pink crocheted dress and was wanting to put a flower on it.  I showed her how to do this little number.  sorry the image is a bit fuzzy, but basically start with 6 dc in circle.  Then do 3 in each stitch for row 2.  row 3 is where the fun starts, you do thee in each stitch there and the petals start to curl.  It looks very effective and can be sewn onto hats or garments.  Leo loved it.




20th April 2013

Girls craft day at my place, forgot to take photos of everything.  Chris was working on some beautiful embroidery pieces, Sandra doing more on her wall hanging.  Lindsay is new to the group, she spent the time finishing off lots of squares for WWL's Blue Mountains team.  She also started on a Kangaroo square.  I flitted between this an that, did some tracing for an elephant cushion, dud a little bit of knitting but could not really settle into anything.  Chris R and Glenda were both unable to come, next time. 





21st April

Sandra and I called in to see Rachel and meet Angus, a bundle of delight, 8 mths old now.  He loved Sandra's rug.  We then drove on the Bathurst for lunch with my brother.  Did a little bit of knitting there, Kurt's blanket is starting to shape up quite nicely.  This is a lozenge pattern, again took a little to get into, but I love the effect.

Arty and I shared a jigsaw puzzle.  Michael was completely disinterested in everything today, ho hum, that's life. also managed to finish another regular square.  These are done in odd rows here and there.



22nd April 2013

Blue Mountains college today, lots of driving, not much knitting time.  Did a few more rows on the next variegated rug for Kurt.I try to do one plain one in between the patterned ones.  To date there are about 10 squares done I think.

Lindsay made these beautiful squares for the Blue Mountains Wrap With Love appeal. So tonight I sat down and started putting them together.  It took over an hour to put three strips together.  Hopefully I will get the fourth one done tomorrow night and then this blanket can be put together.  I am back at Blue Mountains next Monday, would be great to deliver it.






23rd April 2013 - the year is flying by.  Off to Penrith today so not much craft will be done.  But it is Pork roll day, yay!  Must promise not to visit the fabric shop today.  Well I did visit the fabric shop, but this time it was for Sandra.  Bought some white cotton, 265cm wide, she is going to make Arabian Night style curtains for her back room.  Will look great when it is done.  Meanwhile I tried my hand at a different type of Wave stitch in this square.  This one is a horizontal wave, a bit more fiddly, as you wrap the yarn over the needle 2, 3 and 4 times and then drop it all on the next row. 

24th April 2013
Started another plain square for Kurt's rug, I finished this one on the way home on the train and started to crochet a red beret, look further down, it was fun. 

25th April 2013 - Anzac Day
A very special day in Australia and New Zealand.  I chose to have a "potter" day at home and I finished Lindsay's beautiful rug.  I will deliver it to Blue Mountains college next week. I am also putting the picture on the knitwiki - check it out there are some awesome things on there.


26th April 2013

I tried a bit more of the wave stitch today. But I left the pattern at home and fear there will be some reverse knitting done on the current row as it is not right.  Did more work on the red beret though.

27th April 2013

Jenny (my head teacher) had a girl's afternoon where we all brought along some craft.  Janie showed everyone how to make cards, Di did some of her cross stitch, I showed Helen how to start a beret, Sandra knitted another square for the rugs, Marg had a go at her cross stitch and the others, well what can I say, there was champagne, white wine, more food than we knew what to do with.  And yes, lots and lots of laughter.
I finally finished the red beret, I think I will give it to Amanda.  It is so warm.
I started this little pink square, currently have 10 in this pink/purple colour range for the next rug.  It was nice to do the basket weave pattern, just alternating 6 rows of 6 knit and 6 purl.  Added a bit of difference.






 Last night I laid out more of Lindsay's squares on the spare bed and decided this colour kangaroo was appropriate.  Only four more rows to go and it will be finished.  Will work on assembly this week.






And here it is, the red beret.

Side view.  Looks great when it is on as it is a slouchy beanie according to the pattern.  Interesting V stitch used here.  This is a treble 1 ch treble into the same space thus it looks like a V.  Takes 100g.   What do you think Amanda?

28th April

Sunday, blissful Sunday.  Spent quite a bit of time marking today, trying to get on top of it all before I head back to China.  As it is Percy night I also like to have something simple to knit so I can chat as well.  I finished off the pink square I started yesterday.  It seems I have a pink rug in the making now, about half the squares are done.


29th April - Hit the ground running today at Penrith, was an uber busy day with Sustainability training in the afternoon and Assessor Skill Set issues in the morning.  Leesa continues to maintain her stability, baby is now 33.5 weeks and she is on complete bed rest.  I was not supposed to take over her job until end of May, hence the business.  Made this cute little pot holder today, will give it to Sarah and then I have to teach myself to crochet left handed so I can teach Sarah.  That might be a challenge for China.


30th April - Blue Mountains day today working on Adobe Connect Teach Me How Moodle, about 50% complete, happy with that.  Had a quick visit with Pat on the way home, luv my visits with Pat.  She had a test on her leg, apparently she has a blocked vein and doctors are going to put in a stent which will mean she can walk without pain.  Waiting of course for results and specialist appointments.  Finished off the blue wave square.  This one was a real challenge, had to read each pattern row carefully.  Started another plain one tonight also.