knits and pieces

Hello! How are you? Is it hot where you are or freezing cold like it is here?

Here it is seriously cold, that sort of cold that seeps under your zillions of layers of clothing and chills you to the bone. That sort of cold that makes it look like twilight all day long. That sort of cold that burns your skin and stings your nose when you breathe. That sort of cold that feels difficult and heavy. And to be honest I started this week feeling quite crap about it all. Winters are looooooong here and this is just the very beginning.

But then while I was driving home from school drop off and planning the rest of my Monday in my mind, it occurred to me that if I worked it out right I could have a lovely winter, we all could. Winter in fact is when a lot of my favourite things to do, make the most sense: baking, knitting, eating soup, crocheting, reading long novels, playing board games, drinking lots of hot coffee and peppermint tea, crafting with my kids, listening to podcasts in the bath, wearing thick stripy tights and getting stuck right into a TV series and watching it on my lap-top night after night after the girls have gone to bed.

With these happy winter thoughts always at the back of my mind, and two home fires blazing at all times, I think I might just be able to have a happy winter after all.


Oh did someone say knitting?

Well first I knitted Miss Jazzy a pair of slippers in her chosen colours.

Ravelled here.


Then I made myself a pair and wow I LOVE them!!


So often making the same thing more than once drives me a little crazy, but these slippers are so quick and fun to knit that I would have even been happy to knit a fifth pair. But, I was told in no uncertain terms that Miss Indi would not be giving up her uggs in a hurry and no thanks. Teenagers eh?!


After that I knitted her a beanie in her chosen black. And it almost killed me. You know how you can barely see the design in the photo? Well that's how it was to knit. I was squinting and carrying on the whole time. At one stage the stitches even came off my needles in my basket and I had to rip it out and start again from the band, ahhhhhhhhhhh. I only hope she wears it now.

Ravelled here.


Then I pulled down the basket with last winter's blanket project in it and knitted a pink square. The 43rd square in this book. I had thoughts of knitting a bit and then stitching it all together bit by bit...

....until Miss Jazzy came home from school yesterday with freezing hands and a request for some little fingerless mittens. She chose the wool I'd bought at a garage sale years ago and I found a pattern and cast on. Now Miss Pepper says she needs pink ones next.

Ravelry details here.

So that's me, happily sitting by the fire wearing my slippers, finishing off Jazzy's mitts so she can wear them to school tomorrow.

What have you been up to?
What's you best winter warming trick?

Big love,

xx

how many squares does a blanket make?

and in between everything else, i knit squares.

there are 18 and a half in my pile now. the first 18 and a half squares from this book.

each one a different colour and pattern and name.

it amazes me that each new sequence of stitches creates such difference in the designs. i often wonder about the knitter who first came up with each pattern. if they were trying for something in particular or if they came upon it quite by accident?

sometimes i am completely overwhelmed at the start of a new set of instructions. so often it looks like gibberish and way too hard for a knitter like me. but i have learnt not to look too far ahead. i have learnt to knit one line and then the next. and i have surprised myself by how much knitting language i actually know.

and i love all the names of the squares; reversed out, seeded diamonds, snakes and ladders, staircase, slip sliding away...

at the moment i am resisting the urge to start sewing them all together. i think it would be lovely to see the blanket actually grow. but the patterns later in the book are very different to the patterns at the start of the book, and i think i'll need to finish them all to make sure they are all spread out evenly.

the patterns later in the book are multicoloured pictures; strawberries and houses bunnies and letters. i can hardly wait to get to them.

i always thought that for me crochet was for blankets and knitting was for garments but i guess it looks like i was wrong.

i am astounded that 18 and a half squares in, i am still so excited by this project. as soon as i cast off each square i can't wait to cast on the next. part of me wishes i would put it aside and knit a summery shawl or a pretty little pepper cardi, but i simply don't want to. this blanket and these squares are where i'm at.

i am knitting a tower and then that tower will become a blanket.

one day.


how about you, what are you making?
if you've blogged it, leave me a link and we'll come and see.

xx

I'm running....x

I am running.

Not away, or from, or really to anything, but running all the same.

My feet hit the black rubber, my arms swing by my sides. One holds my phone which is connected to my earphones and my ears. I try my hardest not to look at my phone, not to think about the timer that tells me how much longer to go. 

I just want to run. To get lost in the run.

My earphones play loud music that drowns out my thoughts. JT and Katie and Pink and Gaga, when I run I listen to music that I would never listen to in my normal life. The beat pushes me forwards, the words fill my brain, the melodies keep me going.

I watch as the rain pelts against the windows. The yellow wattles sway violently from side to side. And I run. It is arctic cold out there but in here I feel hot. Hot enough to take off my hoodie, one sleeve at a time, passing my phone from hand to hand. Trying not to overbalance, my fear is falling off.

Now I'm wearing a singlet and a skirt, and runners. Somewhere I have an expensive pair of running socks that I was talked into buying once upon a time. I sometimes think about purchasing proper running gear, but do I really need to look the part in my lounge room? Would it make me run faster? Feel fitter? Maybe if I keep this up for a while longer I'll think about it again. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to wear lycra though.

Maybe in summer when I run outside. If I run outside. I'm not certain I could handle the distractions and the needing to be alert at all times. I think my running is about tuning out.

I've been running now for six weeks.

I can feel the difference.

I have more energy. My clothes fit me better. I am more even tempered and feel like I am coping with life in a happier way. I sleep well at night. I don't own scales so I don't know what they would say if I stood on them. And I am fitter. I always thought farm fitness was enough, but now I can see and feel that it's a different fitness.

This fitness had me chasing and catching 50 escaped chooks yesterday without even breaking a sweat.

I'm not saying that after six weeks on the treadmill I'm ready to add 'runner' into my profile, but I am starting to understand why people do.

And I'm starting to understand that endorphin thing.

I had always thought the endorphins kicked in when you had been exercising for a while, but now I feel myself getting happy just thinking about it. When I put on my sports bra and singlet under my clothes on a running morning, as I'm tying my laces, choosing the music tracks, turning the machine on.

It's hard and part of me dreads it, but part of me loves it too.

I run.

I've built up fitness so I don't really get out of breath so much, but sometimes I hurt. Knees or ankles or calves. Sometimes I try to block it out. Sometimes I try to focus in on the pain. Zero right in on it. But I always keep running.

I never for a second think that I can't do it. I don't have to do it and no one would ever know or care if I didn't. But I do it. For me.

Run. run. run...

And then afterwards I stretch. And I feel good about myself. And a bit proud and healthy. And I find that running is making me eat better and drink more water too. And it's making Indi run.

I hope I can keep it up. Or get back to it if I don't.

It's so good for me.

Exhale.

The pictures have nothing to do with the words. Obviously.

The squares are for my new blanket project.

The winners of The Starting School books are; Annshar, Sarah and Sampling. Yay!


So tell me peeps, are you an exerciser?
Do you get what I'm saying?
Do you run, swim, walk, yoga, pilates...........??
Or are you laughing a little? Don't worry, the me of a year ago is laughing too.

Whatever the weather, I hope your weekend is wonderful.

Big love

xx

The book blanket

A few days ago, just after I had finished writing a chunk of my book (!), my editor (oh my goodness I have an editor!!) wrote me an email telling me she thought I should celebrate with a glass or two of bubbly on Christmas day.

For the next little while I thought about that email a lot.

I thought about how despite my lack of confidence in myself as a writer, I had actually somehow put words together and written sentences and paragraphs and chapters.

I thought about how someone who was paid to edit books, someone who had possibly edited hundreds of books before mine, wasn't running away screaming from this project, but actually congratulating me instead.

And I thought about the celebration she suggested. Chances are, given the family we were spending Christmas day with, there would be lots of bubbly already. I wanted to grab the opportunity my editor was offering and make the most of it. I wanted something fun, something not at all book related and possibly something ongoing I could continue to use as a reward for the next few weeks of book writing.

So I decided to crochet a blanket.

A blanket that has nothing to do with my book. A blanket that is made by my hands, away from the computer and is meditative for my sore, word filled brain. A blanket made from cotton in fun gelati colours. And a blanket made up of small squares so it isn't a hassle to carry around in my basket.

When I pulled down my crochet book to choose a pattern for the squares I couldn't commit to one and decided to work through all the different stitch patterns instead. Rib stitch, lace trestles, simple crossed stitch, close shells stitch, simple bobble stitch, boxes and bars... What fun!

Just like the last blanket I crocheted holds the stories of the final month of our road trip last year, so this blanket will hold the stories of writing this book.

Hopefully I'll stick with this project long enough to make a lovely big fun blanket, but if not I guess I can cut it up and have a bunch of new face washers. Win-win.

Have you started a new project lately?
What will hold the stories of your summer/winter?

I hope the last week of your 2012 is fabulous!!

Big love. xx

my week in squares.

In a way this little pile of squares represents a week in my life. Seven squares - seven days where I knew in the back of my mind that sometime that day, or that night, I would stop and sit down, choose a pattern, gather the yarn and crochet up a square.

So far a motif a day in May has been a pleasure.

So far there hasn't been a single day where I've not looked forward to my motif.

Last Monday I hooked up the Subtle Hearts pattern. Can you see the four hearts?

I made it sitting up in bed with my farmer boy next to me listening to a TED talk on his ipad.

It's actually a dishcloth pattern but I was dreaming of a hot water bottle pattern as the one warming my feet was burning me.

On Tuesday night I crocheted the Alter Ego square.

Once the girls were in bed, I sat on the floor in front of the fire and hooked up this trippy pattern.

On Wednesday we got our poodle Jo Jo and I took turns crocheting rounds of the Kata square and stroking his woolly coat. I forgot how comforting it is to have a warm, fluffy dog sleeping next to me.

I crocheted the Sunshine Lace square last Thursday in the car outside Miss Indi's first ever ballet class. It was freeeeeeezing in the car but oh so lovely to crochet away uninterrupted.

I love this square, it makes me think of the bright sunshiney autumn days we've been having. And she loved ballet. Yay!

On Friday I crocheted the Waterlily square in front of The Hunter. I love no TV during the week but I love movie night even more.

I love being able to crochet in the middle of the day on the weekends. In between taking Indi to singing and collecting the eggs, I sat on the couch and hooked the Colourful Bobbles square.

I did not enjoy making this square and I don't particularly like the outcome either. I guess it's OK to have some failures in my motifs month but I'm glad there aren't many.

To be honest, I think I like the back of the Colourful Bobbles square better than the front.

And last night, Sunday night, we watched some documentary about a horse whisperer and I crocheted the Tulip Square. Officially another dishcloth pattern. I love this pattern. I'm thinking I might have to crochet it again in another colourway on another day in May. But then again maybe not, I am loving the different square every day thing a bit too much.

All the pattern details for these squares are on ravelry - here.

So that's me, all caught up. And it's the start of a brand new week with another seven squares to come. And Miss Indi's high school transition day is tomorrow and Miss Pepper's prep orientation is too. Yikes. Might be a bit of an emotional week for me I think.

How about you?
What are you up to this week?
Anything exciting going on?
Are you liking my squares?
Do you have a fave?

See ya later square crocheter!

xx

Oh and I almost forgot, I'm guest blogging over at Christie's today.
Why don't you pop over and say hi.

Squares and Washers.

I have been making crochet squares.

I am really enjoying playing with colours and new techniques.

I love the wool over and through action of crochet.

I love that the stitches are relatively limited so working out new effects is doable even for a beginner like me.

I have joined a washer swap organised by Jellywares.

It is my first blog swap and my first attempt at a washer.

Each swapper has to make a washer and send it and a five dollar bar of soap to their swap partner within the next month.

I love this whole new world of craft and swaps that Foxs Lane is opening up to me.

I love the idea of making a washer.

Until now all the washers in this house were shop bought and machine made but not any more.

Apparently in years gone by girls used to make washers in home economics at school and members of families each had their own.

Obviously I have some practicing to do.

None of the washers I have made so far have ended up as wide as they should and there's something a bit strange going on with the holes in the right side of the one below.

Perhaps I am using the wrong size hook or the wrong ply cotton.

But the best thing of all for me is the practicing.

I just can't stop.

The patterns for the top three squares are from 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton.

This book was a gift from my Mother-in-law to her Mother-in-law a few years ago. After her Mother-in-law died, she gave the book to me, her Daughter-in-law.

The Daisy Fancy Dishcloth pattern came from here.

The Scalloped Washcloth pattern came from here via here.