I decided yesterday that it was about time I finished a jumper I started for my Dad during winter, so I pulled it out - all that needed doing was the neckband and sewing together. Neckband required a 5mm circular needle, which I didn't have so I raided the shop stock and am now the proud owner of a 5mm clover bamboo circ. boy it is a nice needle to knit with, I've never used a clover needle before, they are so light, smooth and 'fast' (I'm looking for more projects that use a 5mm so I can use it again!) anyway so I've finished the neckband and I started to sew a sleeve in, the armhole is too short !@!><)(&...... I'd been looking at the front and back thinking that they weren't quite right but then part of my brain would insist that since I followed the pattern they must be right - ahhhhh, anyway easy fix, I refuse to rip back so am just going to sew the arms into the right place and then somehow sew back the extra bit. Hopefully I'll get it finished today.

Knit4Charities

I had an email from a wonderful lady to see if I could help promote a charity group she is involved in - Knit4Charities http://www.freewebs.com/knit4charities/

"I am emailing you to let you know about a group that I am part of calledKnit4Charities. This group is a web based group run by a lovely lady calledPamela Tatt who lives in Broken Hill. Knit4Charities has over 600 members throughout Australia and overseas. Members knit or crotchet items to be donated to many different charities,both locally and through the group with the Charity of the Month projects."

Seems like a good organisation to support, well organised with items going to where they are needed and it's got me started in thinking how I might be able to help, I have a few balls of wool just lying around and heaps of left over baby wool.

Shop Talk

New stuff coming for the shop;

Interweave Knits - Winter and more copies of Holiday Gifts, they should be leaving America any day now so will be in Aus. in hopefully about 2 weeks.

Kaalund Enchante - which is a beautiful hand-dyed 2ply silk - hopefully this will arrive today and should be up in the shop by tomorrow.

I've also launched my own line of stitch markers and I'll be adding new lines soon.
http://www.yayforyarn.com.au/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=52

Jo Sharp Knit 7 which should be here beginning of next week, I'm looking forward to this one, looks like some interesting designs.

Finished

Finally finished a couple of things, so -















a cotton dress for the bubba girl.

Pattern: Angel Dress from Nursery Knits by Zoe Mellor
Yarn: Bendigo Cotton 5ply
Changes: Didn't do the picot edging around the neckline.

















and a dolly.

Pattern: Dolly from Contemporary Knitting by Jo Sharp.
Yarn: Bendigo Colonial 8ply (left over bits and pieces)

Had this one finished a couple of days ago and the first thing the bubba girl did was pull her hair out!?!! so had to redo and sew in each individual strand...

Everything I have made lately has been for the bub so last night I cast on a top for myself...

Pattern: Auburn Camp Shirt by Chrissy Gardiner from Interweave Knits Spring 2008
Yarn: Bendigo Colonial 8ply in chocolate brown.

http://www.interweaveknits.com/preview/2008_spring.asp

Stash Clean-out

I decided to clean out the linen cupboard today, just happens that I have a shelf in there for my knitting stuff, so ended up having a yarn sort out. I quite a few projects in there that hadn't quite worked which I'd put into a 'I'll fix later pile' - now have a huge pile of stuff to frog. I've decided that I'm going to force myself to finish a few things, I'm a hopeless finisher - will abandon a project with only a seam or two to sew........anyway, I found a few balls of yarn that I had forgotten about which was exciting. At the moment I'm on a self imposed yarn diet - very very hard with all the yarns for my shop around me - very hard but I'm starting to get a build up and have a few projects on the go so I'm forcing myself into finishing mode.

Sunday.....

Spent the day in the veggy garden, planted some beans, peas, cucumber and lettuce seeds, plus an onion that started growing in the fridge....hopefully something will come up. Also finished mulching a flower gardern I started about a month ago - finally finished.

Knitting wise I worked on a doll for my baby girl, pattern is Dolly from Knit 1 by Jo Sharp. The pattern is supposed to be knit in Soho Summer Cotton, I'm using some leftover Bendigo 8ply wool, it's turning out okay though I had to shorten the legs as the pants I had made came out rather small, anyway, only the dolls top to go, plus hair and a face.

1st Post

I guess for the first post I better introduce myself. I'm married and have one baby girl. This blog is going to be all about me, my knitting and my shop.

I've been knitting since I was a teenager, I can't remember how I learnt - I have an excellent kids learn to knit book and I think my mum must have helped me :) I have been a obsessed knitter for about the last 6 years and just recently have started my own online shop.

I am presently a stay-at-home mum, previously I was a high school art teacher, a job I enjoyed..... mostly - my last school was a bit challenging.

Knitting wise, at the moment I am working on a rug of my own design using 20ply nundle wool which my Mum gave to me at the start of the year, a doll for my daughter using some left over bits and pieces of Bendigo 8ply and a jumper for my Dad using a 12ply ????(forgotten the brand). I have a few other ufo's lurking around, I'm a great starter but hopeless at finishing.

anyway that's a little about me.....