What a hottie!!

Jenna has become obsessed with having a hottie in her bed. Well actually she was obsessed with the wheat bag, but after dealing with her waking up a few times cause it had gone cold, I got smart and got her hooked on the hotty, which stays almost warm til morning!
At the moment the cover is a sewn up piece of polar fleece, which actually works incredibly well, its such a great insulator, but I decided to knit one, and found this pattern on the net.
http://www.yarnagogo.com/bawk_hot_water_bottle_coz/
I've knitted it up, and I think I may have stuffed up my gauge a little, but anyway, it almost fits perfectly, but before I make the next one I will definitly make some changes to the pattern.
I might do some different patterns on the next one too, the cable is nice, but kinda basic, so maybe I'll do an aran style one.

I love the roll neck on it, the bottle goes in and stays in, but no annoying buttons on the back for kids to play with.

There is a small things swap coming up, so I reckon I might make one of these in some yummy wool - depending who I get of course. And I will make one for mum and maybe my nieces too.

Our tassie splurge

This was the big ticket item we bought from the Salamanca markets on our Tassie holiday in April. The chap had all these wonderful mirrors with Tassie woods, and this sort of pattern we liked best, so it was made for us.
Obviously no two mirrors the same!

The border is Blackheart Sassafras, which is a surprise, cause my favourite tassie woods are actually myrtle and huon pine, and most of my furniture have these golden/reddy/honey like tones. This one is very different, but for some reason we both preferred it, and since we have such different taste, if there is ever anything we agree on, we have to get it!
So after we ordered, about 3-4 w later we got a call on the Tuesday night saying it was ready to pick up off the ferry at 6:30am the next morning. gee thanks... lots of warning. How to arrange a babysitter with all this notice!
In the end shane took an RDO, and he drove up.

Its mammoth, weighs about 25kg, so we needed a special rail system to hold it up, and finally it went up yesterday.

I love it, it looks like its meant to be there, and will be one of my most favourite wall ornaments for many years tocome.

God I hope it doesn't fall off!!!

A wee horse and plump pig

I finally got onto knitting a couple of steiner toys, and Jenna actually likes them!! Which is very exciting since she didn't like my knitted veges from a few months ago.....
Hamish likes them too, so they are an all round success.

Next I think I'll do the cat and a rabbit, cause Jenna is asking for a bunny. Then there is a small things swap coming up, so with a bit of luck my technique will be better by then that I can actually make some as a swap rather than just a couple of scruffy toys for my kids.

Hamish wore his woolly jumper today when we went out, and its HUGE, but he got lots of comments on it, so that was nice. He looked very, very snug :D

We did it! We did it!

Man the Dora line as above is stuck in my head at the moment. Jenna is saying it constantly - along with "I like this one" when she sees something she likes! Spotlight the other day was a crack up. "I like this wool mummy" and "I like these plates mummy" etc etc.

But I digress!

I finished my first article of real non nappy related clothing!!! Tikki loaned me a knitting book with animals in it a few months ago, and I am ashamed to say that I ignored the animals and knitted this jumper. I started it on out Tassie holiday, about 2-3m ago, and finally knocked it off today. I wasn't in a rush tofinish it because after I completed the back, I held it up to jenna and it looked like it would fit her! eek! I have issues with gauge I think.
So yes, it will fit Hamish next winter too, and he will swim in it now, so I was able to get started on some other knitting in the meantime.
I'll wash it tonight, (with his spewed on longies... grrrrr) and hopefully he can wear it in the next couple of days.

First patchwork block for the red quilt

This is the quilt that will be made from the fabric I bought from spotlight on special. I loved it, and it was sooooo cheap ($8/m). I've decided to do a sampler quilt from it, so I'll just slowly make a pile of different sized blocks, and some cool borders, and try and find a way to piece it together somehow. Its going to be very out there, but thats OK!
I've made some other blocks to go in too, but they aren't too exciting, just space fillers....... Maybe if I'm bored I'll post them one day :)

A kind donation

The steiner school that we attend for Playgroup is having a spring fair in October (I think???) and I offered to make a quilt for them to raffle off.
I had intended to make a quilt from all recycled materials - mens shirts and chenille/candlewicked blankets and then dye and piece them, but mens cotton shirts are so bloody expensive at St Vinnies!!
I got this pattern about 2 months ago, and I was itching to make it, so decided to pull all the spring like fabrics from my stash and put it together.
Gotta say I'm pretty disappointed with it :( It was supposed to be all florals, and the swishs through the quilt were meant to be yellow and green. Unfortunately I am apparently yet to learn the finer points of fabric selection, and my yellow florals had too much green in them, so basically it looks like spring compost.
Still, I have shown them it, and they still want it for the raffle, it might raise $20 or so :(, you never know your luck in the big city.....
The good news is though it only took me about 2hrs to cut and about 4 to sew, and it was heaps of fun to make. I've done all the number crunching and because I want to make it for a queen bed, I've calculated out the numbers to upsize it. So when I find the fabric that is die for, that must be in my life forever, I'll make the bigger version for me.
In the meantime, this monstrosity needs some batting, backing and binding, and some machine quilting and then its gone!
Valuable lesson learnt here - lucky a cheap one.

I'll be good now....

OK - I'm back!!
I haven't posted in my blog for a couple of months. I do things, and I think , Ohhh - I should really update my blog, and it never gets done.
But no point beating myself up, its not like too many people look here anyway, so I shall start afresh and get back into it.

Current WIP:
Cardy for me: knitted in 12ply army green bendigo wools, I'm making a winter jacket for myself from the latest Jet book. Its going well, but cause its kntited in one piece, its starting to get very heavy.....
Jumper for Hamish: I've just got to finish sewing the collar on. Pain in the bum cause I sewed it on the wrong way, so I had to unpick it, and I unfortunately nicked one of the collar rows, so then I had to mend it..... you get the idea. Pain in the bum!!!
Steiner animals: I'm on a mission to get a pile of them made. I've just finished the duck and I'm halfway through a horse. I have about 10 patterns, and plenty of wool, so they are fun little things to do in front of tv during the day when one kid is a wake, and one is asleep.
Clothes: I've started making clothes for Jenna, I have 3 skirts and 3 dresses on the go, plus I have about 5ts and tights cut out. Some of these are gifts for Jenna's cousin, so I need to get them finished and away. waiting for my new overlocker though.....
Cushions: I'm back onto my cushions - I've made a few in the last week, I have to have 50 made for the spring stall in October. I have about 20, so I'm getting there. But my colourways are getting better, so that means they are more fun to put together.
Quilts: Sitll working on my rainbow batik quilt, and I have a new red quilt going which is going to be a long slow one. Just pottering away on it.

Want to do:
I need to knit at least 2 soakers and 2 longies for hamish. I've skeined up some Treliske I have to dye in the next few days, and I just bought some 4BF merino dyed up which I should get in a week or so, so plenty of options.
I'd like to knit something for Jenna, but she's poxy, so its too hard to spend al the time knitting something for jenna and then she wont wear it.... I'll think about it though.
I just got a book fromt he library with fairaisle knitted nursery rhyme hats, scarves and mittens, so I think that might be on the cards. I have recently bought about 6 balls of 4ply bright green, so thats screaming to be knitted up.
I really want to knit some socks. Seems like fun.
I want to do some crochet. I have some great older patterns for kids clothing, that would be fun.
More clothes,
More cushions,
and a new colourwash bargello wall hanging. I have half the fabric chosen but its one of those things that you have to get perfect, so I really need to take my time finding the fabric for this one.

I'm sure there is more..... but now I'm up to date here I'll try and be better posting new stuff, WIP and finished items :D