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passing the time...

 unitl my knee is fixed and I can run again ( much to the relief of my poor family). It's only been four weeks and 6 days*

*(that's if you ignore the ten kms I ran two weeks ago of the Wokingham Half marathon, before I had to stop. Personally, I don't count that one as I refuse to acknowedge a DNF and they don't have a Would Have Finished if I could Have finished but My Knee Refused to Cooperate category)

This clever pattern is free and can be found at A Little Backwards and here.

Surely, someone you know needs one of these....

(I didn't see the point in blocking this as it's going straight upstairs and into the bath.)

 

simple....

knit.....using the 'just in time neck cozy' pattern found here. I used two strands knitted together of the gorgeous Manos del Uraguay silk blend (silk and merino extra fine wool) colour 6461- soft, drapey and with just enough shine. You can knit it up in about two hours and it makes a perfect gift. I think the next one will be for myself in a charcoal grey.

soup.....ugly but really delicious. Not only is it quick to cook but it's also good for you, so it ticks all of the boxes. The recipe is one I found attached to a bag of Puy lentils I bought a few years back, which I have tweaked a little.

I don't add the cream( why would you?)  and I use powdered organic vegetable stock and water. Once the soup has finished cooking, I puree half and mix it back in so that you still have bits of carrots and lentils for texture. My final secret trick is to add the finely zested peel of a lemon which just gives it that subtle kick. Add some good sourdough bread and it's perfect.

 fun....a friend took this very cute photo of my three girls...Grace playing the clown as usual.

As for the hair, well remember this?

 All I need is the kooky hat and a few oompah loompahs running around.

(Actually I've always thought a few oompah loompahs would be quite helpful around the house...)

 

knitted toys....

are a favourite with my girls. I enjoy making them, they enjoy playing with and cuddling them, so it works for everyone.

 

I found a pattern for a knitted panda hand puppet- the baby that I knitted this for is just six months old so I decided a stuffed version might be a little more useful. I used the photo of the hand puppet as inspiration and just made it up as I went.

Simple,soft and cuddly - ticks all the boxes, I think.

to wrap...

my sister's soon to arrive first baby in....

A small but soft bit of luxury, that is still to be blocked but is at last, off the needles.

Cashmere with a knitted bound edging that I hope will lie flatter once I get a bit of steam onto it. At the moment it is a bit too bouncy and curly for my liking.

This was a blanket that constantly evolved as I knitted. I started off with the idea in mind of it being mostly the soft linen colour with just one stripe of pale pink on it somewhere.

Then it was going to have a simple pink tipped ruffle instead, about two thirds of the way up. By the time I was halfway through I had decided that I wanted it to feel and look a little like an old favourite sweater- hence the small band of Fair Isle. I had to ponder the edge finish for a while as I wanted to keep the overall feeling simple. After seeing this blanket, I decided on the knitted bound edge.

Hope the baby likes it...we'll find out in just a few weeks.

I am just a little bit excited.

Just a bit....

chasing my tail...

it feels as though this is what I have been doing for the past six months. And not very successfully, I might add. There are still boxes to be sorted through and two rooms to be organised.

If I focus too much on the things I haven't managed to get done, I get quite frustrated and annoyed. So, possibly more useful to look at what I have achieved so far.

I started this last year, just before I began packing to move to the UK. All it needs now is to weave in the end( artfully hidden in the photo) and lightly block it.

 

A simple charcoal cowl....
I decided halfway through knitting it, that it would be perfect for a friend,so the fact that it is summer here and rather hot isn't really important.
It is my own pattern ( if you can call it that) using a Jo Sharp silk,alpaca and merino mix. I find that this type of knitting suits me perfectly - in the round, so no seams to sew and a few cables to make me feel a little bit clever without trying to hard.

This little girl is now sleeping from around 7.30 pm until 4.30 ( or 5.30 on a really good day) - which is quite something,considering she was waking every two hours and needing attention( mine!) back in January.
It certainly hasn't been quick or particularly easy but I held firm to my resolve to avoid the controlled crying regime and I think we are both the happier for it.
Now I have to work on going to bed a little earlier so that I can catch up on a little missed sleep.

My big girls are trundling along quite nicely as well - all good here.

If I can work out what is happening with my broadband connection ( painfully slow to the point that I can feel myself aging as I wait for pages to load), I aim to start posting a little more regularly. Once every month or so does not a good blog make. 

See, glass half full kind of stuff.

What I have done, rather than what I haven't. That would be me, Pollyanna all the way.

Tail is in sight. At least I think that's my tail.

small bear for Grace...

finished just in time for Grace's first birthday...
The alpaca felted most happily (to my great relief) and both Rose and Charlotte decided that I was one extremely clever mama.

Grace,on the other hand, took one look,chewed thoughtfully on his nose for a minute and then dropped him on the floor.
She was far more interested in the silver paper that the bear had been wrapped in.
You would think I might have worked that one out by baby number three.
Instead of sitting up knitting and stuffing bears until the early hours of the morning, I could have just given her the bright shiny paper.
Oh,well....

there's a bear in there...

Grace turns one on Tuesday.
This means that I spent a stupid amount of time last week searching the web for that right something to knit her. Because you can't have your first birthday without a handmade present from your mama.
(Of course Grace could but would I ever get over the guilt of knowing that the other two received their toys knitted by me but not poor third baby Grace....)
After a tip off from Di, I made my way to I Knit in London on Tuesday to do a bit of wool looking ( who am I kidding - of course I bought something).
On a high shelf on the way out,I spotted a lovely little polar bear. I found out that the pattern had come via patternfish, went home and looked it up and hit the 'add to cart ' button.

One ball of cream alpaca from the stash and two nights of knitting( and counting - you really need to keep count on those short rows) and the bear is ready to make up. Hopefully I have chosen a fiber that will felt- possible something I should have checked before I started knitting....
Looks just like one of those bear rugs that you throw on the floor in front of the roaring open fire. Maybe I'll knit me a big one for the living room when I'm done with first birthday bears.
Fingers crossed that he felts.

cute hat...

My marvelous mother in law has just returned from a trip to South America, where she explored the Amazon River, went piranha fishing and paddled about in a dug out canoe.
As you do.
She also bought Gracie pie this very cute hat.
Now I just have to work out how to knit another one - the bobbles are just so.....bobbly.
.

any excuse...

to stop sorting and packing for a while.
This time I was meant to be sorting through my wool stash, deciding what to take with me, what to store and (gasp!) what to give away. However once I stumbled across a single ball of Noro (actually the only ball of Noro I have ever purchased) it was game over as far as the task at hand was concerned.
I have a Teva Durham pattern  for a Lace leaf scarf  that I had purchased long ago but never found a reason to knit up - now I had a ball of wool and a reason to give it a whirl.

I then came across this post over at the purlbee and decided that I am going to alter the pattern and add a keyhole closure like the one shown. I have also made the neck part twice as wide so that it will actually keep the neck warm! I think it will be perfect for one( or maybe both) of the girls.
Next up on the list of Things to Sort are the art/craft supplies.
I'm thinking that might take a while and a good quantity of tea.

eating elephants...

Spring already.
A few warm days and the old oak tree in our back yard is covered with bright green tips.
Summer will be upon us before we know it.
Meanwhile, I'm busy knitting. 

Warm things like a grey silk,alpaca and merino cabled neck warmer and this irresistible red cape for Charlotte (or Grace more likely at the rate I am knitting it!).
Odd?
Not really when you are about to head from one winter into another.
Our family is on the move in December from Sydney to London for two years.
Two years.
I know it's exciting.

A wonderful opportunity to travel.

I'm sure after a while, I'll love it.

At the moment though I'm sad. Sad to be leaving family and friends. Sad to be leaving behind my home and the wonderful lifestyle we have here. Sad that Grace won't get to spend her first summer lying bare bottomed on a blanket in the shade of the oak tree.

The excitement will come later, I know. For now I am daunted by the task of packing up our life and relocating to the other side of the world. 

They say it's best to do it one bite at a time.

Sigh.

It seems like an awfully big elephant so I guess I better start eating. I just wish I was a little bit hungrier....