January 26th is...

Happy Australia Day!

I have been looking and looking for a charted map of Australia, in vain, so I made one up. This little one goes 4 times around a hat I knitted today, but my stranded knitting needs some work... I pull the unused color across the back too tightly, and so the hat is a bit tight and warped!


However, I'm thinking that duplicate stitching would work well, and that it would fit nicely onto the heel flap of a sock...

Zachary

Zachary Ethan, my cute little dark-haired boy



has morphed into a happy little blonde cherub


and so he gets his birthday jumper, made from BWM classic 12ply and handspun from Garments and Gadgets.

I started with the scarf, for something to do. But when it became clear that my DEC 4th order from WEBS was not going to make it in time (and it is still unsent) I decided to pick up some stitches on the side and knit it down into a birthday jumper. To add some yarn (as I only had 200g of the pale green) I used about 100g of handspun, and I'm actually pretty pleased how good the dodgy stuff looks, when mixed with some factory-made yarn ;)

Not completely happy with the fit, but it is as warm as toast, and looks cute.

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Now, to sweep the floor, blow up some more balloons, and get that icecream cake out of the freezer!

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Happy first birthday, baby boy!

Yarn diets.

I lost 1.2 kilos of stash in the last half of 2010. Then I spent ALL my money on yarn. I'm expecting 5, yes five, yes FIVE parcels of wool, adding up to about 4.5 kilos.
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If any of you are thinking about yarn dieting, beware. The rebound weight gain can be severe!
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I got my first package on Tuesday, but didn't have a chance to go to the post office until today (Friday) when Nathan came home early from work so as not to be trapped out of his house by rising rivers and flooded roads. It wasn't too severe, as it turned out, but since he was home, I went for a little drive. It did take me about 40 minutes to find a way to the post office, but I made it! Now I've got a supply of Bendi Luxury 10ply (because you should always have a supply of that). Exactly 1.2 kilos. lol.

Here's a bit of s62011 sock club progress. My Shur'tugals are up to the gusset increases. I'm enjoying the twisty pattern, and even started doing the infamous left twists as instructed. The yarn is great, too; it's Dream in Color Smooshy, and it's very smooshy so far. I haven't been doing much else, though I must get onto a Birthday Jumper soon, if Webs would just send me my yarn!!

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Loopy Ewe

Thankyou, Loopy Ewe. I just wanted to try some Sanguine Gryphon Bugga sock yarn, but I ended up with all these.

Sigh. My feet will be so warm!

Summer knitting.

Pizzabox sock blockers. LOL.
And a new hat, which I started while waiting to start the s62011 sock club.

I took one quick photo and whipped it back off. It's 35ºC. Haven't had need of the socks yet, either.

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P.S. Happy birthday to my dear hubby. He is getting along in years (36) but I still love the old codger.

A secret shawl

This one is called "Brangian" and it was a secret little scarf for my SIL, Esther. Used some very nice Wired for Fibre: Olivia in one of the blues. Actually, two of the blues... I ran out of the slightly darker color and used a tiny skein of lighter blue to do the picot edge, as you can see.
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I prefer to call it Christmas Frosting.



Was about a meter wide when I finished it, but it blocked out to about 150cm. I love blocking!
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I didn't do the complete pattern. I did the Medium stocking stitch section, two "chart one"s and a little bit of chart two (the little circles that don't line up). The last row has about 400 stitches, and there are two errors that I know of ;)

Finished on the 21st, a bit too late to post to Sydney (as Esther's family went camping before Christmas) and then, on the New Year's Eve/ Christmas party I forgot to take it! Sigh. So we took it today, and now, after many months, I can finally mention in on the blog!

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I think I started it in May!

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ALSO my yarn diet ends in December. I managed to lose 1.2 kilos of stash these last 6m, from 18.4kg at the end of June, to 17.2 now.

End of November 17.4

minus

108 -Brangian

27 from November

60 cinders

110g Kris Kringle

105 casbah socks

=410

Plus

200g Handspun Kris Kringle yarn

=210g off.=17.2kg

I didn't end up giving away a kilo, because Webs still haven't got my order ready. I ordered what the website said was available, but as soon as I'd paid I got an email saying one was "backordered". Subsequent email inquiry after 3 weeks found that their supplier was closed until the New Year. So perhaps I shall get it soon!

Goal for next year. 6 pairs of socks, 3 kids' jumpers and some bigger things.