It's Been a While!

3+ months to be exact since I last posted here!  I have been busy with babies, sewing and returning to work - not that it's an excuse, I just seem to have drifted away from blogging for a bit.  I'm loving Ravelry and Pinterest but am just not that inspired to blog at the moment.

Anyway, I have been knitting for new babies (and my own babies too).

An owlie Milo (Ravelled here)

And the cardi I knitted for Kelvin now finished for Liam (ravelled here)

And sewing for the school fair using lots of tiny pieces of donated fleece!

Tiny Kittens in Boxes (from here)

And Furious Feathered Friends aka Angry Birds! (from here)

And parenting a growing boy plus his siblings!

And I am also back to work.  Similar role, new company!  And I'm wondering about my decision.  I forgot how difficult a new job is - it's been more than 7 years since I last changed jobs and it's hard to get your head around it.  I'm finding the change especially difficult after being off with a baby for 8 months - but I need to remind myself that it's only been 3 weeks and that I'm probably being too hard on myself.  I need to ease into it - it'll be OK!

BlogtoberREST = LifeFEST

Wow, where has October gone!  My baby is nearly 6 weeks old, I now live with a 3 year old and there has been much thinking about projects (and reading crafty-type books whilst breastfeeding) - if only I didn't waste so much time waiting for the baby to wake up!!

Some photos from our October...

A family of five (sans the dog).

And a pirate family (sans the baby)

Ahoy-me-hearties - it's Pirate Liam!

The pirate galleon cake (thanks to the new Woman's Weekly Birthday Cake Book)

And Liam at one month (we did this with Kelvin too, here he is at the same age)

The first Irish Dancing competition!

I've also managed to squeeze in some sewing.  Another pencil roll for a birthday gift.  Some toy sacks to tidy the lego and baby toys (and one for another birthday gift).

I also made some pirate pants for Kelvin's pirate party (as well as a pirate sash).  I used the Sewing for Boys Kickin' Back Sweats pattern.  It's a fabulous pattern since it only has two pieces!!  I must admit, that I wasn't that enamoured with this book when it arrived but I have changed my mind since and have cut out several more pairs of pants to sew for Kelvin!

I have been knitting too and once I've finished my Common Ground Cardi I have grand plans to knit myself a Coastal Hoodie using this...

Bendigo Woollen Mills, Classic 5 ply

It's going to be a hard slog swapping from 12 ply knitting to 5 ply!

Sick Days & Common Ground

I have been off work this week with a yucky cold and a sore throat.  Got onto the antibiotics today (for the sore throat) so should be feeling tippity-top very soon.  However, taking sick days so close to parental leave has given me a lovely insight into those few weeks I'm going to have at home before this new baby arrives.

I have been enjoying sitting on the couch, watching bad daytime TV and knitting.

I'm knitting myself a cardigan - a Common Ground.  It's knitting up really quickly thanks to the 12 ply Bendigo Rustic and I'm looking forward to wearing this little number really soon!

Swooning

Look what arrived at my house today...

...purchased with credit card points, otherwise it would be very unlikely to be seen in my kitchen!!

It's lovely and shiny and I can't wait to test out its capabilities (once I've watched the accompanying DVD of course!!).

And on the crafting-front, I was well and truely drawn into the 40% off at Spotlight on the weekend.  I bought myself some lovely wool since I've been enjoying some knitting over the last month or so.  I found this wonderful 100% wool in a rainbow palette but I'm not sure what to make with it - something for Matilda, but what?  Any suggestions would be gratefully received.  I'm thinking maybe a Swing Thing or Tikki's Rainbow Dress.

I also had to tidy up my knitting drawer in order to fit in the new yarn and finished this vest just in time to fit Matilda.  I knitted it using a free Guardian Angel knitting pattern from several years ago.  I love the freebie patterns available through this Guardian Pharmacy campaign but have never found enough time to knit anything to donate.

Matching Beanies!

We went to Canberra for the weekend.

Pretty good family self-portrait taken at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

I madly knitted us all matching beanies in the lead-up (using Patons Jet and an altered Roll-brimmed Beanie by Amanda Keeys - ravelled here, here, here and here). 

Family self-portrait with silly faces!

 We wore them most of the weekend.

Family self-portrait with angry faces!

Yes, we're dorks!!

Wonderful Weekend

I had a great weekend.  Nothing happened that was amazing but it was a good two days.  I think it was made better by the fact that I was a seriously cranky-pants mother on Friday and could have been seen ranting loudly at my two tantruming children at the local swimming pool at about 4pm!  But none of that (or at least not too much of that) was required on the weekend thank goodness.

I managed an unaccompanied browse at Spotlight and brought some new wool for a Milo vest for Kelvin.  I finished my first Milo on Friday night (using Sean Sheep wool bought at Big W - total cost about $5, for 100% Australian wool!).

Then Trev took the kids to the local football game with another family with similar aged kids.  Sarah came over to my place for a chat and some crafting (but mostly chatting, and some devine lemon tarts from Hill Street).  And because neither of us had plans for dinner so decided on pizzas to share and the kids had a lovely time - the girls decorated their feet and I couldn't help but snap a picture of their tootsies!

I finished a long unfinished quilt top during the week - part of the Fat Quarterly Quilt-along.  I love the colours in this quilt - would be perfect for a baby girl.  The colours are feminine without being too pink.  I used a Moda Jellyroll but I'm not sure what the fabric line is now!

So one quilt top finished means I have my next quilt project planned.  I cut this out yesterday and started sewing last night.  Shh, it's a secret!!

Tea Leaves and Bruschetta!

I have really enjoyed my last couple of weeks away from work.

I have played at being the good "school mum", walking my daughter to and from school, meeting the teacher and other parents and all that starting school involves.

I have had time to sew all the things I have promised the childcare centre (two big sheer curtains for an indoor gazebo they have) and even took a couple of the worse-for-wear dress-ups home from kinder to fix!

My sewing space is still as disorganised as when I started my holidays!!  I'll get to it one of these days.

I have done lots of cooking (some of which has been described as "disgusting" by my daughter - at least Trev has appreciated it).  We've visited the local farmers market for the first time and I have some yummy leeks to cook and delicious pink-eye potatoes to eat with butter and mint.

Autumn has hit Hobart in a big way - and we're only 2 days in.  I really want to knit!  So I've found the correct needles and am about to cast on a Tiny Tea Leaves cardigan for Matilda.  And maybe enjoy a cuppa and some chocolate cake before the childcare pick-up!!

I also picked some more of our tomatoes from the garden.  I'm hoping we get some more sunny weather soon, otherwise it'll be green tomato chutney central at our place!!  I think Trev and I'll have some bruschetta as an entree to dinner tonight.  I'm also planning on making this too (with home-grown zucchini received from a friend).

Do You Have Plans?

I've taken 2 weeks leave from my part-time day job.  I'm claiming it's so that I can walk my daughter up to school for her first couple of weeks - she starts kinder in 4 sleeps (she keeps telling me)!  But really, I'm looking forward to having a few hours at home to myself.

I've borrowed a couple of Elizabeth Zimmerman books from the library.  Worth hunting out if you're that way inclined!  I'm seriously going to try and teach myself the speedy method of knitting, and knitting in the round may be just what I need to overcome my inability to sew anything together.

I've also bought some Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury wool to attempt a couple of Tea Leaves cardigans - a tiny (for Tilda) and a massive (for me).  Everyone else seems to be churning these out (Kate, Tania, even the SouleMama!) - don't hold your breath waiting for mine!

I'm also going to sew lots, and tidy out the sewing room / guest room, cook delicious meals and make amazing packed lunches.  I know that these are grand plans - I might just end up in the hammock, reading a good book and snoozing where necessary.

Stay tuned!

What are you knitting?

I don't know!!

I've joined in Georgie's Mystery Knitalong and am loving it and can't wait until the next clue is released on Saturday! I'm knitting Fratello for Kelvin (in the blue) and Sorello for Matilda (in the pink) and really enjoying my first attempt at seamless knitting - this could be my saviour since I detest sewing my knitting together!!

Crafty Plans

I may not have been particularly prolific with my blogging lately and I haven't really been particularly proific with my crafting. However, our spare bedroom (AKA my sewing room) has had a major tidy up and I can now see my fabrics better and we can also see the floor!

I have finished knitting the kids some jumpers and thought it would be nice to attempt something for Trev so I bought some of this Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10ply (in denim)...

...to knit one of these!

And I was in Spotlight the other day to get some elastic and thread to make some shorts for Kelvo for the summer and wandered past the jersey knit and they had some great kids prints so I bought three different types.

I have grand plans, firstly using these (matched with some of my thrifted t-shirts and fabric) to make...

...some hoodies for Kelvin.

And matched with more thrifted t-shirts and fabric to make...

...a dress for Matilda.

Cheescake, Buttercup & Hoodies

Trev made the most delicious baked New York cheesecake on Thursday night. It was meant to be covered in lashings of whipped cream but it looked to good to cover up (we just had the cream on the side)!

We don't eat baked cheesecake every day - it was to help celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. I made her a buttercup bag - my first ever bag! It was pretty straight forward and only took one night (plus some hand sewing in front of Play School the next day). She requested midnight blue, chocolate or charcoal - but this really jumped out at me at Spotlight so she ended up with a Cactus Shot Silk Dupion bag instead!!

I also finished knitting a pair of matching hoodies for my kids - now to force myself to sew them together!! They are knitted in Sean Sheep Beulah using their free pattern.

Hope you've all had a great weekend! Ours has been busy - with lots of visits from friends, my brother staying and general weekend stuffing about!!

Cardie Knitted!

Well the five bits of the cardigan I'm knitting for Kelvin are finally finished so hopefully I'll get a chance to sew it together before the weekend and hopefully it'll fit my massive son!!
The pattern is sized for 9 months and Kelvin isn't yet 9 months but he's a big boy so it may not work - I'll wait and see and post pictures if I strike it lucky!

I've just finished my second week back at work - enjoying the unaccompanied toilet breaks and hot cups of tea and the mental challenge of work! But there's not much time left in the week for crafting but we can still dream!!

All is Quiet on the Home Front

I have finally found a worthy recipient of this jumper that I knitted for Matilda a couple of years ago but by the time she fitted into it it was the wrong season...

...so it has gone to be worn and loved by Raya and her Mum.

I am planning on knitting Kelvin one too, using these colours...

I also found something suitable for the Easter Bunny to bring Kelvin - but he needed an egg which I whipped up last night out of some polar fleece. You've got to love an Easter Crocodile!

I also have got a bit closer to finishing my quilt top and DH has requested that I make him a quilt from his old but loved t-shirts so that's next on my list (after I make him a couple of pairs of sleep shorts).

I popped into The Quilted Crow today, just to check them out - it was like Leonie was running a strip club (so many 1-inch strips being cut up for their mini quilt-along)!

Oh, if only time and funding was unlimited!