Sleepy Bears & Lots of Back Stitch

Humphhh, just about finished this post and Chrome Crashed. So much for autosave.

Now what did I say....

Oh yes was saying had started this x stitch years ago probably just before the knitting bug really hit. Pulled it out this time last year as my BF had her baby, think I persevered with it but got bored and knitting took over. Pulled out again last week as little Lauren's birthday party on the 12th Feb, and who knows might get it done , gives me something to work to. Was getting put off by the amount of back stitch so thought I would get a start on it and do what I had completed in x stitch so far. Guess What? I'm enjoying the back stitch more than the x stitches, faster and have really bought the piece to life. I have bears instead of blobs.

Oh yes, Happy Australia Day, I've been a party pooper, too hot, got to 40c here today. Perfect excuse to stay inside and stitch

A bit of time off

Have a 4 and half day weekend and then only have to go back to work for 1 day then a week and half off. Most of it will be getting DD organised for this year. She did quite well in her School Certificate but is determine not to go back and do her HSC at school.

The original plan was to go to TAFE and do a Certificate in massage and then go on to do the Diploma. She is on standby for the massage course so we had to look at other options in case she doesn't get in. So yesterday we went and saw the TAFE counsellor.
There is no issue with doing the HSC at TAFE and the counsellor also suggested that she do a Business Admin course in medical so she could look at doing reception at a physio practice or the like, she has 18 months to fill in if she goes straight into applying for the diploma Massage Course. Now it's just getting her a part-time job.

Shur'tugal Socks completed on the 19th. I like them but have made a promise to myself any more sock yarn purchases will be in solid colours. the last few pairs of socks I have made have been quite heavily patterned and it's been getting lost in the colour variations. Have to work from stash so will have to try and deal with at the moment. Unfortunately they are not as bright blue as in picture.

Dugald had eye surgery to remove extra eyelashes and fix some entropion has recovered well but has lost pigment on his eyelids where they froze the eyelashes off, so now he looks like he has got sore eyes when he doesn't...hmmmm.

Getting back to the sleepy bears cross, the little girl it's for has her 1st birthday party in two and half weeks, not sure I'll make it though.

Probably won't knit until till next sock in the Super Special Six Pattern Sock Club 2011

Keep Meaning to

Post that is.... had a quiet Christmas. Snow Hats arrived safely in UK and are being appreciated in the weather.

Went up to Patonga on New Years Eve and met DD's god parents for lunch, very hot but would have been worse here, nice shady picnic area to sit in. DH's Mum's family had a house there until about 8 years ago when it was sold after both grandparents passed away, considered it his true home and still upset by it's lose. His great Grandfather bought land when it was first released.

Damaste Socks completed in time to give to my niece, ended up being in unknown black acrylic as the Elle DK Gold was a bit thick.

Have finished sock 1 of Shur'tugal just now for S62011

Can I Stop and Breathe Yet?

The Year 10 Social went off well and the end of Year Dance Concert. DD very pleased with all. She helped teach some Baby Boppers this year and worked very hard on a solo routine which brought me to tears.

So just getting through the work stuff and 2 Christmas parties next Saturday to go.

Shopping well have been avoiding it, finances are tight and really don't want to buy on credit so trying of thinking of low cost but nice presents. That's where knitting comes in and cooking I think. Did buy some Billie G Cookie dough and Christmas cake mix which should arrive by Friday. One of my team at work's little 4 year old girl recently got diagnosed with leukaemia so we did a fund Raiser for Red Kite as she said they most supportive with day to day things. So if you get the chance to donate to this cause please consider it. As for the cookie dough, it's GOOD.

Thinking of them daily as cannot image how hard it would be, sad news last week, even though little Jayde has improved heaps and had gone into remission early, the final news on the risk level came through as the highest level which is only one percent of cases caused by if I remember rightly a mutated chromosome. This news when she was getting back to her happy little self. The only sign had been a hard tummy. So if your the praying kind, if you could add a word in for little Jayde and her family.

OOH and thanks to Jan for the SS6SC2011 link on your blog(see badge to right), what fantastic idea for a sock club

2 Snow Caps Done

Off to England they go. Working on Namaste Socks now , very quick project.

20 FO so far this year and took a couple of months to get started, must be getting faster or more obsessed (think it's the latter)

Get Some of my Life Back Today

DH got his licence back today YAY. Hopefully this will mean I won't be running back and forth so much between everyone and trying to make it all fit, I am so over it. He can get stuck into helping DD get her hours up for her licence.




Embossed Leaves Socks completed Monday night. Heel is quite different to what I'm used to with heel flap edging being garter stitch. It was easy to pick up stitches though along this edge. Pattern called for cutting the yarn once the heel was turned. Didn't like the idea of this at all so just knitted across the foot and continued across in pattern and made the required extra stitch at the end of patterned section with no issues at all. Toe was different as well ending up with only eight stitches which thread yarn through and pulled tight, nice not to have graft toe. I also learnt rib cast on, I was all fingers and thumbs and I reckon it took me two hours to cast on each sock but it's also a nice finish with the 1x1 twisted rib cuff.

Next socks will be for my brother. In the meantime have started Louet Snow Cap and hope to make 2 for my young 3rd cousins who are moving back to the UK from France. Given the weather we've seen in the news should come in handy. Have to get cracking though to get them there by Xmas.

Then I was going to do stirrup socks for my niece, but like the look of Namaste Socks a bit more fancy. Another Christmas present

Here But Not

Been on leave all of last week and been meaning to blog but didn't get there. Above more bird life passing through this spring. Think they are nesting in the vacant lot next door. Mum says they nest in trees unlike other ducks. That would be one big nest.

Finally finished my Noir Woodland socks , think getting to the heel on the first took a month or more. They were my work project and I think I was lucky to manage a row a day sometimes. Finally a few weeks ago got a chance to get stuck into them when I was off sick with an ear infection which gave me vertigo, concentrating on knitting seemed to ease the dizziness.




Have started Embossed Leaves Socks in Online Supersocke Cotton. This yarn is awesome for socks just throw in the wash, no felting, extremely hard wearing and comfy. Learnt 1x1 rib cast on from this pattern, took about 2 hours to get the knack of it. Very stretchy though and then twisted rib cuff, very neat finish.

My brother had major surgery early last week. After years of back pain and experiencing numbness in limbs he was found to have a tumour on his spine just below the brain. Fortunately it was very low grade, but they couldn't get it all without making him a parapelgic. The end results are sort of unknown, he may not see an improvement in his current symptoms, but should not get worse. If left he would have ended up with facial deformities and not being able to swallow. Pays to be persistent with these matters and listen to you body.