Echino

Unpacking the sewing room has been like Christmas many times over. Especially rediscovering my stack of echino fabric. I think I will be cutting into some of it soon.

The Fence and a Washing Line

My wonderful Dad has stayed all week and worked and worked in our garden. The garden is now fully fenced and hopefully the dog and small children won't be able to get out.

He also bought us an old Hills Hoist washing line from a neighbouring farm that wasn't being used as we did not have one and installed it for us and re-wired it (thanks Barry and Jan!). Quite a bit of the fence was also recycled. Dad picked up a lot of the posts, struts and other bits and pieces from farm clearing sales or from rubbish tips.

A rose photo especially for my Mum and for Annie who inspires me with her garden and her garden photos. Lucky a previous owner labelled a lot of the roses. Not so lucky we have Evie who is already trying to pull all the labels out.

I love Pierre de Ronsards and other climbing roses. This arbour has 8 different ones climbing all over it.
The vegie patch is weeded and mulched and I am off to plant some seedlings.

Ice Cream

I'll admit I was a little sceptical when we recieved and ice cream maker for Christmas. Seriously how many kitchen gadgets do you need? We used it for the first time yesterday and it is fantastic!
I made a basic vanilla ice cream and ate it with passionfruit on top. Next time I will make passionfruit ice cream. I think it is going to get a lot of use.
We have had Dad here for a few days building us a fence and helping us with little things that need doing around the house. The main thing is to keep Evie in as she moves fast. Dad put some gates at the front of the verandah so hopefully the verandah is nearly Evie proof.

Design Wall

I don't really have room for a huge design wall on the wall of my sewing room. I saw this one recently and had it made in about 5 minutes. Brilliant. It won't fit a whole quilt, but it is big enough to hold part of one so I can decide if I like it and see what needs changing.
I'm still deciding if I like the design as crosses or circles. Evie has her own ideas.Which is nothing new.

Walnut Tree Cottage

Broadband is connected! It has been a long 10 days without it.
Some pictures of the new garden. The house is still a work in progress (a nice way of saying it is still a bit of a mess) but we are getting there and I will share pictures when it is a little more sorted.
The sign out the front.
One of the walnut trees.
The view from the walnut trees to some of the roses (I say some as there are quite a lot - I'm sure I will get a crash course in rose growing from Mum).
I feel so scammy inheriting such a great garden. We have picked some passionfruit already.
The side of the house.
The view from the deck.
A gorgeous grassed area for playing.
The vegie patch. Quite overgrown and full of weeds, but it won't take long to clean up. It is already fenced and the soil underneath is wonderful.

The snake that was in the shed the other day. It was quite stuck in the fruit nets. So the wonderful (or slightly crazy depending on how you feel about snakes) snake catcher cut it out and was taking it home to cut the rest of the net off before he let it go out in the bush.

Week One in the New House

Still no broadband so here is a picture less post.
We have been in the new house for a week and in that time Chris and I went to Perth to buy some furniture then went to Albany to get the girls (all in 43 degree heat) and then came back here and finished unpacking.
There was a small problem with a snake (dugite) stuck in the fruit nets in the shed on Sunday. Lucky we know a few snake handlers and one came to get it quite fast but it was a bit tricky getting it out of the nets and a few have holes cut in them. Not that I'm complaining I am just glad there are people around to come and get them!
This morning the girls and I made a start on the overgrown vegie patch and picked a few ripe passionfruit. I feel so totally scammy inheriting this amazing garden with produce already to pick.

We've Moved!

The move is over! There is lots of unpacking and sorting to do but it will slowly get done.
I have spent the morning in the garden. Looking for taps, sprinklers, reticulation and sorting out what needs water now before the next few very hot days.
There will be pictures, hopefully next weekend. I am using very slow dial up at the moment and waiting for the broadband to be reconnected, hopefully at the end of the week.
Chris and I took a few hours from the unpacking last night and took advantage of being kid free and went to dinner and then saw Peter Rowsthorn live in town. Some wonderful people at school had organised it for a school fundraiser. Very, very funny.
Back with pictures when I can!

Ishbel

The Ishbel for Mum is finished. I know why there are so many of them on ravelry. It is such a great pattern. This is my first lace shawl and the pattern was so easy to follow and there were no mistakes. I used my own hand dyed silk/wool yarn which is amazingly soft. All the details are here. Modelled by Evie who would not take it off. I think the colour is the most accurate in the first photo.

Off to finish the packing and cleaning. Hopefully we are moving everything from the shed and outside today and the rest tomorrow and Friday. Crossing fingers my internet will be on sometime next week.

Kaffe Fassett

I am slowly working away on Mum's Ishbel. I am bribing myself to clean. When I finish a little bit of cleaning I get to knit a few rows. Excuse the poor picture quality. Not much light when I was taking photos last night.

I went here to restock some favourite Kaffe Fassett prints a while a go and the fan flowers had disappeared. I did a quick search and found a couple of metres of each of these. Enough to use in quilts and some for soft toys.

lipmag

Holey moley I have packed a lot of boxes today and I'm not sure I have made much of a dent.
I think it might be nearly lie on the couch and recover time as I think my day will be the same tomorrow.
In big news this week I have been to the movies not once, but twice. Somehow it was 5 years and 3 months since I had last been. That's what happens when you have children and you don't live close to any movie theatres. Not much choice in Albany so I saw Did you hear about the Morgans? which wasn't great and Sherlock Holmes which was great.
No pictures to show, but go here to read an interview with me in the lipmag newsletter (it is at the end).

Goodbye 2009

I had huge plans for handmade presents this year. Some were finished, some have been started and some may happen next year.
I made a hat for Chris' Dad (modelled by Chris) out of the softest Malabrigo. Detail on ravelry.


Yes I know I have a half finished Ishbel I should finish first but I cast on this for Mum (before Christmas so i am counting it as a present) and she will get it soon. I am using a beautiful mix of silk and wool I dyed up a while ago.

Not a Christmas present, but I finished it last week before we headed to Albany as it is usually cold here at night. Made with heavyweight Socks That Rock and the pattern is Boheme. More details on ravelry.
The girls all got dresses from me. Here is Grace and her cousin Lysbeth in their dresses. Worn over t shirts, legging and jeans. My girls are definitely still in the "I will only wear a dress phase". Eva in her dress.