Oh my it's been awhile!!

It's not like I have been short of projects to blog about. Far from it really. It's more my Health has been all over the place.

After the months of coughing and feeling crap I saw a doctor and got that dealt with.

Then recently I got struct down with Tonsilitis! Tonight is my last dose of a 12.5day load of anti biotics and frankly I am beyond sick of them!! Let's hope that it won't come back!!

Yesterday was my 32nd Birthday and I got totally spoilt rotten including curried scallops for lunch (made by Adam) and then taken out for dinner last night with family and best friend. I got heaps of lovely gifties!!

But I have been working very hard since last post on a lot of goodies. So let's go through all the piccies and see what things I have been up to!

Above. My best friend put in a request for some lovely handwarmers for her mother's birthday, so I designed these. Planning on writing up the pattern to sell once I get free time.

Above. My little emo/goth wanted a jumper to suit her. She loves this very much. Was a super quick knit too!

Above. In a fit of being sick of HEAPS of UFOs. I finished up this Rastacat!! It's lovely and soft.

Above. More of my fit to finish UFOs!! This one was sold to a friend within the week of being finished. And it's just gorgeous!

Above. This was MEANT to be Adam's Valentines Socks!! GORGEOUS pattern! Some of my fave handdyed yarn (by myself) but even though I went up needle size by 1..They STILL fit Harley perfectly!!!

Above. My best friend saw this purse pattern as I was going through Patterns in Rav. How could I resist making it for her for her birthday which is Monday?? Handdyed wool for both flower and purse by me. It's lined and all! Hoping she loves it! Drove me bit nuts making it but turned out great!

Above. I have ordered size 7 kids Jumper. This is the first one finished. I am up to the yoke of the second one. Handdyed wool, colourway Eggplant. Love how it turned out and so does the buyer.

Above. And lastly. Something for Moi! Love this beret to pieces!! Wear it heaps now in the cooling down weather.

I have a few sewn things I will show you next time. As well as Rachelle made more craftie stuff for another friends Birthday that I have to show you all aswell! But I think all these piccies will do for now!!

Take care all and Happy Knitting!!

Katt

A Childs Craft

Finally have the finished product piccies up of Rachelles handmade gifts (with very little help from mummy) for her friends birthday. We ran out of time before getting the knitted item made because I introduced her to Ravelry (Rav name TassiePiglet) and she became so addicted she forgot to get back to knitting!

I am so proud of the things she did made though. We even made little "Made by Rachelle" labels for them all before she wrapped them.

Her little card is just the cutest. We decided it was best to Sew the teddy on so it would stay on well. And then she did the drawings all around it (she did one on the inside after colouring in the stitch outline of the teddy too). She was so proud of her work. And her little friend ran off to show her mum what Rachelle had made her when she opened the present at the party. So I think it all went down very well.

We went off to St Helens over the long weekend for Australia Day. Had a lovely time, caught up with a friend and her family down there and all the kids played together. Would love to get back down there before the school holidays are over but I don't see it happening.

I have been doing some knitting. Working on a little Birthday gift for my best friend who's birthday is in April. Finished the knitting part now have to work out the rest.

Also have to get out the sewing machine and fabric to take care of another few birthdays that are at the end of this month beginning of next! Looking forward to the middle of the year when all the birthdays slow down a little!

Yet to work out what to do for Adam for Valentines day, and am a part of the Tasmania Valentines Day dash (which i started last year in Launceston and it seems to have taken off!). Many people are going to leave flowers, hearts and other Valentine things all over Tassie and maybe even Australia! how wonderful is that? I am very grateful and proud that something I started looks to take off in such a big way!

I am starting to seriously crave motorsports!! WSBKs cant start soon enough for me next month (END of next month at that!!) luckily Nascar starts in a few weeks so hopefully I won't keel over and die from being deprived before then!!

I hope you all have a lovely week!

Katt

how DAAAAAAHLING-AAA

More of my crafted pressies for this year I have finished a mini version of Dahlia in girls age size 8-10. One thing that drives me nuts about this pattern is how the neckband rolls outwards. Will have to try and steam/block that so it doesn't do it anymore.

Learnt the new sewn cast off with this pattern to and I have to say I LOVE it!! Will try doing it with more patterns from now on. It's flexible and has good stretch. Great for ribbing!

It's for my besties eldest child for her birthday in early March. I am hoping she will look lovely in it. First pic is best example of the grey purple colour. This colour and yarn was picked out by little miss C so I know she will love it.

Stats:

Pattern: Dahlia (Rav Link) (Knitty Link)
Started: 18th Jan 2010
Finished: 21st Jan 2010
Yarn: Panda Woolbale (colour 103)

Modifications: Well apart from the obvious downsizing of an adults pattern. I also made the sleeves 3/4 length.

I love this pattern, which is great considering both my girls have put their name down because they want one each!

Now that I have finished that and gotten the small luxury of NOT using itty bitty needles with itty bitty wool I will get back to the second pair of socks which I have cast on and done the ribbing for and that's it!!

It's getting that time of year again when I am starving for motorsports to watch!! I have to wait til late next month (if not beginning of month after!!). Why do they all stop at the same time!?!?!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! We plan on heading away either over weekend or beginning of next week to the coast to visit grandma for a few days.

Katt

1 of 12 in 12 for 2010

I have finished first pair of socks for my 12 in 12 for 2010!!

I have to say I am in love with this pattern! It's fantastic, quick, keeps you from boredom and looks purdy!!

Details:

Pattern: No Purl Monkeys (RAV link)
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton Print
Started: 1/1/10
Finished: 15/1/10

This pattern too up almost all of my 2 balls that I used.
I honestly have no idea why these socks don't look exactly the same!! I knitted them both at once (doing 11 rounds repeats of each pattern at a time, 1 sock then other sock til I was up to heels). So both tensions would be the same. Yet the pattern is completely different!! Still these socks are great! :)

I have now cast on socks number 2. using the GliB pattern (Rav link). I am doing them in Patonyle.

Rachelle has almost finished her little gifties for her friends birthday party this year. She has made the Scrunchies, she has made the jewellery and she has made the card! All she has left that she wants to do is knit a little toy. Will post piccies when they are all done.

In other news I made a purchase the other week of LUSH. And it arrived yesterday! OOOH its divine!!! nami!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Happy knitting

Katt

Have your Cake and eat it too

Tonight I decided to make the girls a little something for dessert. I came across THIS recipe online and though why not give it a go!! so here it is for you. I upsized it so they got 1 big one each..next time I think I will follow recipe and divide it.

batter ready to go into the microwave.

soon as it came out of microwave

add a bit of custard (which kept sinking and absorbing into the cake at the bottom)

Recipe as follows:

Chocolate Cake in a mug

• 4Tbsp SR Flour
  
• 4Tbsp Sugar
  
• 2Tbsp Cocoa
  
• 1 egg
  
• 3Tbsp Milk
  
• 3Tbsp Oil

Mix dry ingredients
Mix wet ingredients
Mix both together.

Put into 1 large coffee mug or 2 regular sized ones.
Microwave on high for 3mins (for 2 regular sized mugs) or 4mins (for large mug)

Serve with icecream, or custard, or cream!

Socks are up to feet! Hoping to have them finished by Friday at the latest.

Rachelle has been busy making birthday present for a friends party which is in a few weeks. Will show piccies when she is done!

Happy knitting all!!

Katt

The Highs and Lows

2009 ended with a BANG for us.. Or more.. With a Bill and an extra housemate.

My best friend left her husband (second case of them separating in 2 years..Let's hope this one is permanent!!). She came to stay with us for what I THOUGHT would be only a few days but ended up a few days shy of 4 weeks!! I love her to pieces but damn I am glad to have my house back and the privacy that comes with!!

Gizzy got himself into a brawl that ended up with an abscess on his hind leg and a trip to the ONLY open vets in town. Which scored us a $300 bill (there went the Chrissie money for our BBQ area!) and while we were at it we punished him for wasting our money with getting him desexed (teach the bugger).


This school holidays I have been keeping the girls entertained with teaching them crafts (and letting them play with the crafts they already know).

So firstly over the Holidays we have sat and made jewellery that they have decided to keep some of and some they decided at the time to make for friends.

Harley's Memory Wire Bracelet

Harley's anklet (which will fit as bracelet as she gets older)

Harley's Bracelets to give to school friends.

Harley has earrings she made too to give to friends but at time of photography the child didn't put them out to take piccies of so it didn't happen! I only remember them now as I do this post and it's too dark to take picceies of them now.

Rachelle's Memory Wire Bracelet


Rachelle's Anklet which will be a bracelet as she gets older

Rachelle's bracelets (blue one is hers, pink one is a school friends)

Rachelle's earrings. clip on, put in sleepers (which are hers) and real ones

The next craft the girls and I did was learning to sew with needle and thread. Harley had done a bit of this at school but not this sort of level.

So we made Scrunchies, in which I cut the fabric, folded it the right way and started the sewing that they did. Then they turned it in the right way, I sewed one end of the elastic to the opening, they pulled the elastic all the way through then I secured it all and sewed it closed.

Rachelle's Scrunchie

Harley's Scrunchie

We also made wheat bags (which I am yet to buy wheat so we can finish them up). The top green one is Rachelle's the bottom pink one Harley's.

This years big 12 in 12 for 2010 for me is 12 pair of socks in 12 months. So 1/1/10 I was a good girl and cast on the first pair of socks. I have gotten them both up to the heel today and hoping by end of weekend to be up to the gusset (if not started it).


Specs:
Pattern: No Purl Monkeys (RAV Link)
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton Print
Needle Size: 2.5mm

It's damn hot here at the moment and even though I really want to be busy designing things it's far too hot to be doing anything more then socks really.

Went swimming earlier this week and got so sunburnt I have small blisters on my shoulders and my face is starting to peel!! I won't be forgetting sunscreen next time now will I!! Yikes!

Ok everyone I hope you have a lovely weekend!! And now that my house is my own again I wont take as long to do more posts to you all keeping you updated!!

Happy knitting!!

Katt

few of my favourite things

Christmas has been and gone for another year. I had a lovely time at my parents place. Ate heaps and talked lots. Was lovely. I don't see my family anywhere near as much as I would like to. Hoping with Adam going to Uni this year that we will have weekends enough to do things that we never were able to do before because of his work.

Below is something I acquired from mum while I was over there. This is GORGEOUS pure wool 5ply she says is from Patons when they had the building here in Tassie. It's beautiful and HUGE!! Mum had already made herself a jumper from it and it's still massive!! I have grand Shawl ideas for it.
Below is a modelling piccie of a newly finished (well several days ago) Rastacat hat with a flower on it. Doing a few knits here and there for the MIL to put into her gallery when the new shop opens up.

Below is first lot of Harvesting from my garden!! Taken over several days. The snowpeas and little capsicum (which was a firecracker I tells ya cos it was HOT) was used in some Risotto for dinner last night.

And a recent (taken today) piccie of my garden. I have a few closer piccies but will do a post on all those later in week. I am rather happy with how my little garden is growing. And my patience (as hard as it was) has paid off now I am getting tomatoes and beans and peas coming. Not as many I would like but I will do better next year I am sure! Still very happy with what I am getting so far! Lettuce is close to picking, Pumpkin is still growing slowly, Carrots are there somewhere growing slowly, Potato plants are getting HUGE so better be producing lots of tattas!! I have tomatoes growing on all my plants, some cherry red ones are turning slowly red. I am very impressed with it all now (apart from the capsicum still damn it!! and my pumpkin is really slow too)...

So that's a few things I have been up to of late.

I have grand plans for next years Chrissie. Most people will be getting handmade items. The girls and I will be busy all year learning how to make things like Soap. I will be teaching the girls how to make candles and sew things. We will be using as much things as we have around the house already stocked up (I have several things needed to start things like soap and candles just not everything). Will test run making toys and Harley (being 10 now) is old enough to learn to use my sewing machine if she is careful.

That's all for today. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Katt

Beware the Kangaroo!!

Beware of the mighty Tasmanian Kangaroo!!! Its strong enough to lift a car!!


This past week has been busy with Harleys 10th Birthday party (where everyone had a fantastic time and the hats and cheesecakes/pink muffins went down a treat but I didn't get freaken piccies of either kids in hats or the goodies!! sigh).

I can't believe my eldest baby is 10 already!! Where did the time go?

Then Friday we went to my MIL (yes..MIL not standard BIL I normally refer her too. Since I had a major go at her last year just before Chrissie she has been actually good since! There is more to it then that but it's not my place to put it here). Had a good time there though it was very loud with one very full on little Niece.

Saturday we headed to the coast to visit FIL and that side of family, for weekend of Chrissie lunch and catch ups.

Below is Harlz (the eldest Great Grandchild for Grandma) and the youngest Great Grandchild. 10years Vs 1month. cute huh?

Grandma with all her Great Grandchildren. There is FOUR 2 year olds in this shot!! I have to say I am so very glad I am the mother of the 2 eldest grandchildren. I don't miss all the things involved with wee little ones. lol

I have been doing some knitting of late. As well as some baking (just cos I have spent 2 nights in a cabin doesn't mean I haven't baked!! Made biscuits today as well soup for dinner tonight).

I have been doing a little knitting and have a few little demand things left to go.

Have been living with a house guest for past week. It's been good to have someone around to help out and talk to, but at same time I miss just the 4 of us in our little home.

I hope everyone has been having a lovely weekend!!

Happy knitting!

Katt