being two weeks old.
The beautiful hat is all the way from Chicago, the home of Heidi. Thank you! - such a gorgeous buttery colour and the perfect fit for Grace's little head. (I think I recognise the pattern - I have looked at it a few times but now I've actually seen it knitted up I just have to try one myself. Looks like that crochet blanket will take just a little longer....)
And another photo just because....
One more task ticked off the list.
Even though I'll most likely be half asleep most of the time I'm sitting in it, I'm sure that some part of my brain will appreciate the amazing pattern.
A wonderful surprise parcel from Alex in Japan....Pocky, two Japanese craft books and the wool ( and pattern) to make this beret which I once admired on her blog! Lucky me ( I really must finish the baby's blanket before I indulge in crocheting myself the beret...)
And for those of you who have asked, a look at the 34 and a half weeks in progress project....not the best shots but it's a lot harder than I thought taking pictures of your own belly! ( The haircut only happened last night- usually I cut off all my hair at about week 16- I just got so bored with pulling it back .Time for a change!)
All goes well although I have reached the stage where Charlotte stopped growing. So it's weekly foetal heart rate monitoring and regular scans for me to keep an eye on things. So really , it could be anytime from now on depending on the scan results.
Oh well, my bag is packed even if the blanket is only halfway there....by all accounts she is going to be on the small size so maybe half a blanket will do!
You would have thought that the lovely Tamara had enough on her plate fashioning beautiful bows..however, out of the blue, a parcel turned up on my front doorstep containing this piece of loveliness for the baby in progress...
Tamara chose the colour scheme especially to match the crochet blanket, (draped over the top), that I am making. (I forgot to take a picture of the back but it in a chocolate brown spot fabric). Such a thoughtful and generous gift - really makes me appreciate the amazing friends I have made via this blog.
(As to her suggestion that if I didn't really like it, I could maybe use it as a playmat or something .....I'm thinking not!)
By the way the blanket was progressing beautifully- I say was, because once I had reached about the two thirds point, I realised that it had taken on a distinct lean to one side. More of a parallelogram than a rectangle. Don't know what I did, or why I didn't notice it earlier but after a few days of looking at it, I decided to rip it all back to the first five rows . Which I did. So now I am working away at it again, hopefully to end up with a non- leaning blanket!
Thank you, Tamara, for your gift...it will be will used and treasured ( and no doubt dribbled on and covered in baby love!) Oh and happy one year blog anniversary ( Tamara's having a celebratory giveaway so drop by and say hello!)
Just yesterday I was over here looking at the beautiful felt blankets that Di makes;
Today I found a package in my mailbox with this in it....a special gift to celebrate her blog's one year anniversary. I was the first person ever to leave a comment on her blog - how lucky was that!
The girls loved the hidden bear-
I was especially taken with the thought and generosity that went into the unexpected gift- thank you so much, Di!
Another present in the mail- this time one from me to myself!
( How thoughtful am I?)
Only had a chance for a quick peek so far but I know I am going to love it- just the cover alone is brilliant!
on the blanket for the baby made with this lovely cotton.
Although I have quite a few other tasks that have higher priority on my to-do list, I couldn't resist trying out a few rows to see how it looks. And then of course just a few rows more....
I was initially inspired by this beautiful striped blanket and after numerous swatches,decided to go with alternating blocks of off white and coloured stripes. The stitch I have used is called 'Catherine Wheel 1" from "The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches -The Harmony Guides (ISBN 1-85585-990-4 ,published by Collins & Brown).
Now the challenge is to finish it in the (hopefully) 10-12 weeks I have left before the baby arrives...after I have ticked off a few of the other more pressing tasks, naturally.....
After doing the boring but very necessary chores ( like reorganizing the plastics cupboard...yawn) I finished a tiny knitted bear for the baby, made using the pattern found in this magazine and organic baby alpaca (in dark brown and light brown fox) bought online at EcoYarns. The red scarf was crocheted using left over silk and merino from this hat. He's only a very small bear ,standing about 15cm high- the perfect size for a newborn.
(colours from top left clockwise: azul,orchid,espresso,drift,thistle,honeydew)
After much deliberation I finally chose and ordered some colours to make a crocheted cot blanket....Blue Sky organic cotton found here.
It arrived just a few days after I hit the 'buy now' button -I'll most definitely order from fabulous yarn again- really fabulous service indeed!
Still haven't quite decided how it's going to look- if I find time tonight,I might make up a few swatches.Really, there are other things I should be doing first( sort through the bathroom cupboard- another yawn) but the texture and the colours of this cotton is very, very tempting.....
Oh and I'm glad I didn't crop off my head in the belly photo from my last post- so many compliments on how glowing I'm looking ,that I actually began to feel a little less tired and heavy and a bit more earth goddess! Thank you!
Just what I needed - next time I need a little pick me up ,I'll know just where to find the little boost I'm after. Never say no to a pretty compliment, I say, especially when you feel like you're carrying a tonne of bricks around strapped to your belly!
I am not quite halfway through knitting Rose a cardigan for school. She dislikes pulling things over her head and the other options are either a sloppy joe (looks sloppy and is a pullover) or a Rugby jumper ( only comes in sizes way to huge for Rose and is a pullover!).As I have only ever successfully completed one (small) jumper for Charlie ( which was actually meant for Rose but wasn't finished before she grew out of it!) I have set myself quite a task. Usually I get bored after a back, a front and a sleeve and wander off to do something else. This time I made a firm resolution not to start anything else until the cardigan was sewn together.
A back and a left front- so far so good.
And then this bit of temptation showed up in the mail and I just couldn't resist casting on to see how it would knit up....
When it is done it will look like this-
It is so lovely to work with that I haven't yet cast on for the right front of Rose's cardigan - but I will.
Tonight.
Right after I knit just a few more rows of stainless steel, silk and merino....
Who would have thought that knitting with the equivalent of sewing thread could be so addictive?
Like many of you, I always have a knit or crochet (or both) project on the go.
Most often, I have several.
I have never really thought about why I like to create things from yarn - I just do. It is something I have always done and I find it hard to imagine that I would ever stop.
I truly dislike finding myself with a spare moment or two and without a work in progress to keep my hands busy.(Any suggestions for an airline security friendly craft?).
Recently I came across a new blog that I am enjoying immensely.
beautiful things is written by an architect who loves to knit ( and knits prolifically, I might add) and appreciates the beautiful things in life.Want to ogle fiber? ...you can do that here. Want to see works in progress and finished things? Plenty of those too! Links galore so that you can find out where the yarn, patterns and inspiration came from. If you enjoy knitting, you'll most likely enjoy this blog.
Recently there was a post that put into words just why I love to knit and crochet...
"One of the things I love about knitting is how you can create these
amazing, three dimensional objects out of a single linear thread, in
essence, a line. And all this through variations on a single stitch - a
loop looped through a loop. And in one tug you can basically unravel
the whole thing. A line doesn't take up three dimensional space. It's
like making something out of nothing. It seems like such an optimistic
process, creative in the literal sense, and so elemental. Perhaps that
is why it is so healing and restorative a process. Words, for example,
seem like much more of a social construct in comparison."
beautiful things, May 3rd 2007
So there you have it- and put so simply and beautifully.
Not my own words but at last I will be able to explain just why it is I feel so compelled to knit.
The images are of fiber for two new projects that I can't wait to start....this and this....silk & stainless steel (black ,navy), fine merino (white) and paper (charcoal,blue).
Family,beautiful beach, amazing accommodation , enough sunshine to keep everyone happy and warm enough ( although on a few days only just!) to swim every day! What more could a girl want ( apart from another few days...?)
This is one of my favourite photos from our holiday north...on the beach at Salt Village ( just near Kingscliff), just before sunset with the wind picking up. I'm usually the one pointing the camera so there aren't too many shots of me with the girls.....
This is the beach that the apartment overlooked...it was so wonderful to lie in bed at night and listen to the surf. We let the girls stay up late a few evenings to watch the spectacular moonrise's- Charlotte, in particular enjoyed the chance to see the moon. Rose was just happy to have a few more hours of talking time!
Rose took this one of Damian and I in the car we hired to drive down to Byron bay and Bangelow for the day ..we went opted for a fun little convertible car rather than a practical family car since it was only for a short drive . Rose enjoyed the novelty of not having a roof but poor little Charlie was over it in the first ten minutes. Partly, I think because we made her wear a hat but mostly because she was a little thrown by the missing roof!
The markets were on in Byron so we spent a few pleasant hours wandering and drinking fresh lemonade. I found a stall selling hand spun hemp and bought a few ball to try crocheting with.
Luckily I just happened to have packed a crochet hook ( after all, what beach holiday is complete without one) and made a tiny basket, which is destined to become a pincushion....
We arrived back home to a wet and blustery Sydney...still, its lovely to be back home ( now that everything is unpacked and the monster load of washing is done!). I always miss my bed!
Now, time to finish those toys for Morphe II .......
