2011 - Year of Stash Busting

I made a decision the other night that I would NOT buy anymore yarn or books throughout 2011. I need to get my CC debit way down and by going public with my intentions will hopefully keep my on track.

I have joined the Morris and Sons Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club on Ravelry. This way it will get me knitting through some sock stash. I might try to get all my stash out and put it in categories and maybe even match it with patterns for the stash busting project which is an ongoing thing with me and now in its 3rd year, I need to get tuff with myself.

I haven't taken photos of knitting for a long while now, so I may not get time this year to post photos, but in 2011 I will try to be a good blogger.

I have been busy finishing off some christmas knitting, I still need to sew buttons on a cardigan for my MIL which I need done by Saturday to give to her. I need to cut out and sew some PJ's for my grand-daughter before Wednesday week when we fly up there to spend Christmas with them. So much to do and so little time, and I have made so many lists over the past few weeks and don't really seem to be crossing much off the lists. So this week is serious list making week, with things I really have to do before next week.

To everyone have a great Christmas, and an even better New year.....hears to 2011 being a great year.

Wholly Shit......

where has the year gone. I just saw my christmas tree count down on my blog and it said 31 days to Christmas.....that can't be right.....it is only April....well isn't it.

Sewing up....is hard to do

I don't like sewing up knitted items. I wish they all came in one piece, would be so much easier.

I did manage to sew up the lemon baby 3 piece set, sew buttons on the blue baby 3 piece set, sew up the teacosy. I just need to get around to sewing up my jumper and getting buttons for the cardigan, then it would be all up to date.

I am still knitting on the socks and have started a 2ply scarf, they should have been finished, but sometimes life gets in the way.


We went for a breakfast ride this morning with friends, we rode through Jamberoo, up saddleback mountain road into Kiama and met more friends there. It was a very scenic ride and a very relaxing breakfast with friends. Yah for Sundays.

When we got home it had really started to warm up, I planted seedlings I got yesterday at the Albion Park Spring Festival, when finished with some gardening it was really hot, so I changed and got into the pool to cool off. Gotta love a pool in summer.

This is one of the finished felted christmas boots with christmas chocolates. They are so cute and will make a wonderful gift.

T'was the month before Christmas....

and all is on track.

I have deviated from my knitting list a bit, I have to knit a christmas decoration for show n tell at knitters guild in a few weeks, so I got out one of the christmas kits I got in the sales in January and knitted some felted boots, they are to hold baubles or wrapped lollies/chocolates. So I thought I would knit them, then I had a good idea that they could become gifts for the people I buy for at work (in my department - there are 4 I do something for christmas - 3 women and 1 male (boss). So I knittted 2 each night, then yesterday morning I put them through the washing machine, firstly did them on warm instead of hot (it was early and I was getting ready for work), so through the machine again, and WOW, they turned out just great.


Lunch times I try to walk, it has been pretty wet and cold this past week (not sure what the go is seeing as it is spring) so walked to the local woolworths and got some christmas wrapped chocolates the wrap colours and going to look great in the felted boots, so 4 gifts down, I am pretty happy with myself.

I still haven't stitched up about 4 items I have knitted, they are on my list (and I make plenty of lists), so hopefully I will get to some over the weekend.

I have KITGO today, we are going to be at "Viva La Gong" a festival kind of thing Wollongong City Council put on each year, we did Gorilla Knitting last year for the festival, this year we are going to go and knit there again. The only thing is it has been wet this week and it is very cloudy outside at the moment, so the alternate venue of Collegians Club could be the go. Which will be pretty handy for me as I have to go to the bike shop and get oil for DH and the club is right next door. I am hoping for a sunny day though or no rain so we can sit outside at the festival and knit.

I'm Back

I didn't realise it had been so long between posts. You know there are some more important things than blogging....I know, some might not think so, but there is.....family is more important, and sometimes I have to be there for my family when they need it more so than my knitting.

I haven't been doing much the past 2 weeks, but up till then I had been busy knitting.

I have finished the Bluebell Crepe 5ply cardigan which is for my MIL for Christmas, but not until after Albion Park Show mid January, I just need to get 10 buttons to finish it completely.

I have finished the baby 3 piece set, just need to sew it up, gets some buttons to finish it off.

What else have I completed, well up to sew up stage anyway, I can't remember off the top of my head.

Today my goal is to finish off the knitting part of a teacosy, so I will check out my 2010 knitting list to do and see where I am up to and then get some more knitting done before cooking dinner for DH and myself.

Photos to come after I have stitched everything up.

as time goes by....

and wow is it going by. How do you slow time down. I think we have so much to do these days that the days just seem to be running into each other and the year is fast disappearing.
I am trying to de-clutter the house, slow process and generally done better when DH is not around, he is such a horder.

Suppose to be on a ride with friends to Deuss in Sydney for lunch, but I seem to have come down with a tummy bug, so DH has gone and I am at home, and hopefully between bathroom visits I can de-clutter some stuff.

I have been knitting, just not blogging lately. I have finished the fronts, back (all one piece which is great) of the 5ply Bluebell yarn cardigan which is for my MIL for Christmas, but is going in Albion Park Show before she will get it in mid January. I have also been knitting a 3 piece baby set in my favourite pattern "Heather" in a lemon yarn, this is also for the show. I am getting a bit behind in my knitting list again as both these should have been finished by today. Just too much to do of other things of late.

I had cut my roses back to cm's of their lives and they are now growing very well. One bud had formed, and now a stem and another bud is growing out of the top of the original bud. The photo doesn't show it well, but it was hard getting a good photo of it.

3 day weekends....

I love my 3 day weekends with DH. He gets every second friday, saturday, sunday off work (after working 11 days straight). We usually plan to do something together on at least one of the days. Friday we went for a ride, a nice sunny, but a bit windy winters day. We rode down the coast about an hour and had a nice lunch in a little truck stop along the highway that we often call into on our rides for a nice cuppa. We were having a great fun ride on the way home. Until DH's foot slipped of his running board (large flat footrest on a harley fatboy) his leg got swung back with some force, as I was hooking into the corner also I didn't see what happened until near the end of it, he was laughing as he put his foot back in its place. He felt a bit of pain later that night, a bit more on Saturday and then this morning he couldn't put his foot down let alone walk on it. So early Sunday morning with a lot of things I had planned now out the window, I drove him to emergency at the hospital. OK not too bad will be the 3rd person in, unless someone comes in with a more of an emergency than the others waiting. Well 2 hours later the first person was in, 3 hours later DH got in, after waiting another 1/2 hour a man came along put him in the wheelchair and took him of for x-rays, then back and wait for the doctor, nearly an hour or so later and he was in extreme pain by now, the doctor came in had a look and told him to go to Wollongong Emergency tomorrow to have a MRI? as x-rays don't show up ligament damage. So tomorrow instead of going to work I have to take him further to Wollongong hospital and wait probably as long as today or longer to have it looked at. I am so tired, I am so upset with myself that I didn't get anything in the garden done and it feels like the whole day was so wasted. BUT I did take my knitting and did get 4 hours of knitting done on my MIL's cardigan for christmas, so not all lost.

I am just waiting for #2 son and his partner to get home, they called in on their way home from being down this weekend, they spend the friday night and most of saturday with us, then go to her parents for saturday arvo, night and sunday morning before heading home on a 3 hour drive. They called in late today to see his father and didn't leave until 7pm, so I will stay up until they ring to say they are home which will be after 10pm. I wouldn't sleep until then anyway.

I shall go make myself a nice cup of tea, and sit a while and knit a bit more.

As time goes by...

and wow is it going by. I can't get my ahead around the fact that it is the middle of August. Only a few weeks of winter to go, well a couple of months before it really starts to warm up a bit. And at this time of year I always start thinking of Christmas. Maybe if I learn not to think about it, it may come around a bit slower.

I have finished the size 2 poncho, knitted in Patons Mystique, mohair/acrylic blend. Yes it is an old yarn, more stash busting getting done around here.


Yesterday I finally got around to sewing up the blue baby cardigan, bootees and hat, just need 5 buttons for it and then it is really finished.

I have been knittting for me this week, another jumper in Shadow Tweed, and boy does this year knit up quick, I did the sleeve with some knitting yesterday in between 4 loads of washing, driving over and mowing my parents lawn while they are away, catching up on things I taped through the week, etc. I hope to finish the second sleeve tonight.

I am nearly back up to date with my list of knitting, I should have been finished this jumper today and started on the next item, but it maybe mid week before I get this jumper sewn up and collar knitting on etc. Not bad I don't think.

But the house does think it is a big deal, as nothing has been done and it is getting a bit too messy, even for me.

I am also in a destashing moood, not of yarn, I am not that good. But of cookbooks, I love cookbooks, but I don't use them, so I am listing some on ebay in a hope that someone else might be able to make good use of them, otherwise they are going to my works lunch room, as I know they will go from there. I have also destashed 5 kilos of fat which I am feeling pretty good about.

Sick people should stay home from work, shopping and everything

I hate it when people go to work sick and it pisses me off even more when I get sick from it. Well this is the second time this year (since May) that I have gotten sick because some people think they are so good coming to work when they are sick. I started to get a sore throat the day before we flew to Brisbane to go and visit son, dil and granddaughter for her 2nd birthday party. And yes I did leave it there for them too, son is not happy and he can't afford to be sick with his health issues.

Anyway we had a great time and the weather was great on the border of NSW & QLD. And no I will not be moving up there...way too many retired people there. Well when I win lotto then I will buy a holiday house there.

On the knitting front I haven't been doing much, don't know what is wrong with me, but just not that keen on knitting so much or anything else for that matter, need to talk to myself and get my act together and back into a good routine again.

I finished knitting the baby set but have not sewn it up. I am knitting on the child size poncho which I would have like finished last week. I may get some photos on the weekend and post them.

I definitely need a kick up the backside to get me going I think.

I have added a photo of my granddaughter a couple of weekends ago helping her dad with the car, she had a shifter and spanner helping him. And one with me and her while we were out at dinner when we were up there the other weekend. She had her grandparents (me and DH), and 2 sets of her great grandparents (my parents and DH parents) along with her parents at dinner.

Winter knitting is so good

Don't you just love knitting in winter. Especially when the item you are knitting covers you and keeps you warm. I started the knee rug the saturday before last at KITGO (Knitting In The Great Outdoors), and finished it before the next weekend. It was a quick knit on 5.5mm addi click circulars with acrylic...yes you read correctly...8ply acrylic yarn (given to me by my mother in-law who can't crochet anymore). I have made this for Albion Park Show in 2011 and then I will give it to my granddaughter for next winter.

I also knitted one of the teapot cosy's which is for the show too. Most of my knitting now is for the show but with places to go after the show so they are made good use of. It is knitted in aran wool and the pattern is from Jo Sharp Issue 2 knitting book, I just need to put some beads on the tie and it will be done.

I haven't worked on the baby shawl for a few weeks now, this is hard to say and I don't know how to write it, I feel a bit numb when thinking about it.....so here it goes......son and daughter in-law lost the baby last week at nearly 12 weeks, I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time. This would have been their second child. We will be going to see them next week as they are having our granddaughter's 2nd birthday party and my parents and DH parents will be travelling up to be there too. We all can't wait to see them and give them a big hug.

My plan is to knit what is on my list and whenever I finish before the date to start the next item I will knit on the shawl.

I am currently knitting a baby 3 piece set for the show which should be a matinee jacket (not many use them these days), a bonnet (even less use a bonnet) and bootees, in typical Annie fashion I am knitting my version of a 3 piece set of a cardigan, beanie and socks.

Poncho all done

I finished the poncho on Wednesday night, it turned out pretty nice, I am still not sure I like the way one side is longer over the shoulder than the other, I like my poncho to have even sides (the virgo coming out in me). It is for Albion Park show in January 2011, so it probably doesn't matter that much, I may not keep it if I don't like the way it looks when on.

I started the teapot cosy and stitched it up last night, only to see that I had sewn the leaf edging on the wrong side, I did such a good job on the seam I couldn't find where it was exactly, and yes while cutting a piece I thought was the seam stitch, well it wasn't and I had cut through the leaf edging, I nearly took the scissors to the whole thing (not a good mind day for me), I calmed myself and though 'oh well I can just take my time with it'. At a closer look I had only really damaged the last leaf so it is back on the needles to finish today while I am at KITGO (knitting in the great outdoors) which will be inside during winter, even though it is a lovely sunny day outside it is still cold.

I have packed the teapot cosy, yarn for a knee rug and yarn for a baby 3 piece set (my version of cardigan, beanie and socks). All this knitting is for Albion Park Show next year, but all things I can use too.

Winter Knitting...

Even though I knit all year round, it is nice having knitting on your lap when it is cooler.

I am knitting away at my list of my plan of things to knit in 2010. I am knitting an adult size poncho, probably for me, depends on how I like it when it is finished. The yarn is..hang on a minute while I walk out to the rumpus room and get the label...I'm back. The yarn is Karabella Majestic it is 77% Merino, 19% Mohair, 4% Polyamid, it is a rust colour, I really liked the colour when I bought it, but I'm not so sure now, will decide on that one when I finish it. It is knit on Addi Turbo Circulars size..hang on while I walk out and look at this size.....now you know how I get my 10,000 walking steps in a day, as my knitting is beside my recliner chair in the rumpus room and the computer is in the computer/craft room. Back again....they are size 6mm. Hang on while I go get the pattern...It is a Cleckheaton pattern book for Studio Mohair 8ply and named Poncho...how original. It is #7 in the book and under the heading Poncho it says 'in garter st and lace pattern worked on larger needles....well they got that right. I wasn't sure on my gauge as I never check it before I knit. I decided to check as I knit and it is spot on. I am knitting this as part of my 'stash' busting and off my list for Albion Park Show in January 2011.
The first photo is of the poncho folded in half, the pattern knits in one piece with same shoulder and neck shaping, it is folded in half and one shoulder sewn to make it into a poncho.



I did get a bit behind in my knitting off my list...as we do....because as time went by I thought of other things to knit, mainly for my grand-daughter or for the homeless in Sydney. I am back on track now and very determined to keep to my list (for now anyway). I may need another year to get through my stash though.

I am going to SNB in Wollongong this afternoon, so after reading a couple more blogs I will get ready and drive there. I am so looking forward to SNB as I haven't been in a few months.

A week of good knitting

This week I finished the socks started at camp, they are the Diagonal Lace sock from the Wendy Johnson book Socks from the Toe Up. I knit them using the figure 8 method on 1 circular needle, the yarn is from Knitabulous Yarns.

I have completed 2 more hats for the homeless youth in Sydney the pattern is a free pattern from Elann.com called Modern Vintage Hat. It only takes a couple of nights to knit. The first hat I knit was in Cleckheaton Country Prints 8ply and the second hat was knit in the Flinders Island yarn I dyed at camp last year, I started it yesterday afternoon at Knitters Guild Kiama. I had only knit items for my grand-daugher with this yarn, but as I had plenty over I thought it would make a nice hat and it did. I have the first hat blocking over my Sunbeam mixmaster bowl and the second hat just waiting patiently for its turn to be blocked, I should be able to send them off next week.

I have checked out my list of what to knit for 2010 and need to get back on track as I have been adding to the list, which has me a bit behind now. This morning I got out the yarn and pattern to start a ladies poncho which is the next item on my knitting list.

I'm Back.....

I have been up north right on the border, nice weather, took all the wrong kind of clothes, clothes which are more suited for our winter weather, not the northern winter. Had to go and buy a short sleeve top for some days to wear. I had a wedding to go to and it was great that it was where my son lives so I got to visit with them....just wonderful. Stayed a week longer than planned, a bit of a hiccup and stress, stress, stress, but all good now. Somethings seem surreal, but I guess that will pass and the excitement of things will come back.

I did take knitting but with my grand-daugher to enjoy I wasn't really planning on doing any. She was sick most of the time with what turned out to be a bad infection through her body from scratching sores on her face, she gets excema and scratches it until she makes a real mess of herself and then scratches some more. The Dr. said the sores on her face were school sores, not sure how she got them, maybe off a shopping trolley if that is possible. I did get some knitting done while she slept which was a lot for a couple of days while the medication kicked in.

One day she came downstairs after a sleep, I had been knitting socks, I had put them down on the lounge and she climbed up beside them, she lent over picked up the knitting and started clicking the ends of the needles together, how cute. But then she reached over and picked up my reading glasses and put them on and started to look like she was knitting....priceless.


I guess she always sees me knitting with my glasses on and she probably thought that is what you do....she is 22 months old.

I did get a photo of her which I will upload at a later time.

With that I am still on the second sock, so after I get a bit more organised now I am home I will get knitting on it to finish it.

One, two, three....

I'm as happy as can be....
Still sick but happy.

I finally felt up to sewing up my cardigan and I just need some buttons to complete it. I love it, I will get good use of it this winter. It is knit in Cleckheaton Country Silk 8ply.



Monday afternoon I started knitting a jumper for my grand-daughter, it was a pattern in the Patons Sugar Fairies book. I bought the book and wool from CR&K Daisy Designs (Fairy Meadow) knitting retreat. The pattern book is for Dreamtime 4ply & 8ply. I knitted a bit that night and tuesday was knitting away when I thought is didn't seem right, the pattern called for 4mm needles and 4ply yarn....well that is what I thought. It was 8ply yarn...no wonder it didn't seem right. Ripped it all back and looked for another pattern in the same book. Decided on "Caitlin" which needs 4ply and away I went. Thursday saw the finish of this lovely cardigan, it even has a crochet edge, which I don't really do crochet, so I had to google instructions and it is all done and it looks really pretty. I just need to get one button and it will be ready to go. I knit the body in one piece instead of all separate, and I did the sleeves in the round too, never done that before, but I have watched Shirly do it a few times, she does it on double ended needles and I wasn't going to do that, so out came two pairs of circulars, the only problem was in the size I needed I only had a 1metre and a 1.5metre circular, so it was a bit fiddley with so much length getting in the way, until.....about half way on the first sleeve I knit onto the wrong needle and only had it all on one circular, so I had it going like the magic loop?? and it worked perfectly.



At the knitting retreat I also bought enough yarn for another baby shawl (you know the one I don't need yet) Well guess what....I do need it now....happy, happy, happy. So I started it yesterday afternoon, it is a nice pattern in Patons Dreamtime 4ply.


When I finish this post I am going to find the sock yarn from Knitabulous' first yarn club and wind it into a ball and find a sock pattern from Knitting socks from the toe up and have them as a project to do when not working on the shawl. Well after I make a nice hot cup of tea.

still sick.....but still knitting

well some knitting did get done. I can't seem to shake this virus and I am convincing myself I will be fine for work tomorrow....well hopefully. How much more of coughing, blowing a runny nose and sitting on the recliner can one take, it may sound ok but you get pretty achey after 8 days let me tell you.

Here are some photos of the finished scarf for my Mum for mothers day.


I managed to finish the socks, the yarn I got at the Knitting Retreat over ANZAC weekend with CR&K Daisy Designs (Fairy Meadow). It is Regia Kaffe Fassett design Fire, knit on ONE circular needle (thanks to those who showed my how at the retreat). I made the first one with the whole ball as I wanted a longer sock, I finished with a tiny bit of yarn left, it was a bit close but it made it.(see bottom left photo) When I went to cast on for the second sock the ball of yarn didn't match up either end of the ball, I would have wasted alot of yarn to get it to stripe the same, so the decision was made, and I just started it where the yarn started. They aren't that bad and the striping is not that far out (it is out more than it seems in photo), who will notice under jeans anyway, and I like them and that is all that matters.


The grey Country Silk cardigan is waiting, waiting, waiting, for me to stitch the shoulders together and knit the bands, maybe today I will get to that. DH has gone for a ride to the Blue Mountains with friends for lunch, I just couldn't make it unfortunately.

My plan for today, wash Ruby's bed blankets (yes she is a dog and yes she has 2 quilts that she sits on one in the sun and the other she sleeps under in her bed, even in summer. Then have a look at sewing the cardigan together and maybe sort out my knitting plan for 2010 and get the patterns out and sort through some yarn to match up with patterns so they are all ready to go when I am ready to knit them. I am adding another baby shawl to the list, not that it is needed yet, but I want to be prepared as the other one took me 6 months solid knitting.