Flower Arranging

Mum has been visiting which always means some help with the flower garden. The girls love picking flowers and arranging them in vases.

I have been experimenting with colours. These are drying and then I will wind them into balls and see how they knit up. I've also been experimenting with semi solids which I seem to prefer knitting with at the moment. Hopefully I will have pictures of them soon.

Orange Elephant

It was wishful thinking that I could read in the chaos, but I did have a look at Sew Hip and it is fantastic! I'm already planning a peasant blouse for Evie from some lovely Liberty I have.
For those wondering where I got the Marie Claire Idees - I got them here on ebay. She is a French seller who sells a lot of previous issues.
And because I don't have any other pictures here is a little orange elephant I managed to sew up yesterday.

Reading

I might just lay down in the middle of the chaos and have a read.

More Hats

I sized up the hat pattern I made for the girls. The Lotta hat I made last year needed so much altering before I could wear it that it was easier to make my own pattern up this time. I think there is a couple of people who will be getting these for Christmas (I can't believe how close it is!!). Meanwhile these are in the shop.

This and That

The craft room is jam packed full of 'stuff'. I have no idea what is in here anymore and the only way to find anything is to get move things out. So I have a plan to finish projects and get down to a manageable number of works in progress. Here is a few things finished this weekend.
A custom ordered baby quilt to go with this wombat.

Another gocco printed skirt - now in the shop.
I wish I could show you more of this, but it is on it's way overseas and this is all I can show for now.

Gocco Hats and a Skirt

The school holidays are over and Chris is back at work. Eva obviously didn't realise this and decided that 3.30 was wake up time this morning for a few hours. At least she is having a good morning sleep.
The girls chose some fabric for hats and skirts. Their taste in fabric is a little different to mine at the moment. At least they are happy and will wear what I make them.

Soap

Chris took all the girls out the other day so I could try soap making. I bought some ingredients from here and used these books. It is curing now so I'll let you know in 6 weeks what it is like.

Hair update: It has been about 3 months since I used shampoo or conditioner and I don't think I'll be going back. I went to the hairdresser yesterday and she didn't mention anything was wrong with it which is kind of unusual. In the past people would always suggest products to stop it from being too oily or too dry. I am a bit worried about summer though - has anyone any suggestions about what to do after swimming - at the beach and in chlorine?

Spinning

I finished plying this the other night. It is superwash merino from Sakina Needles. The colour I think was Fruit Salad. There is 110g and 270 metres. It is getting easier to spin thinner. I just need to keep repeating to myself predrafting is my friend, predrafting is my friend....

Gocco Hat

A new hat for Eva with gocco flowers. You can never have too many hats.

Gocco Flowers

I've been experimenting with the gocco and printing on fabric. More experiments today and hopefully some sewing.

Shopping

I braved Coles yesterday with all three girls. I usually do all my shopping at the local store in town, but there are some things I just can't get there. So we went for a drive to the next town and I was prepared for the worst, but it wasn't too bad despite not having any double trolleys left. Grace and Amelia had their own shopping lists. Amelia needed tomatoes and strawberries and Grace needed kiwi fruit. I think you can guess their favourite colours.

We have never forced the girls to eat fruit - we encourage it, but have been happy if they at least try new fruits. I think a bit of reverse psychology helps. "You can't have any strawberries until you eat your sandwich". That kind of thing. I used to do this when I was teaching. Going to the reading corner was the ultimate reward even for the children with learning difficulties.

I managed a little dyeing last week and experimented with semi solids. This one I am keeping - it turned out just like it was meant to.

Baby Surprise Jacket

You have to love a pattern that states 'work will start to look very odd indeed, but trust me and press on'. So that is exactly what I am doing.
Thanks to Jodie of The Haby Goddess for featuring me on her blog this week!

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

The quantities are approximate as I'm not big on measuring accurately.
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast
1 cup mashed roasted pumpkin
1 tsp nutmeg
1tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar
300ml warm water

Mix it all and together. Knead until elastic.
Let rise for an hour.
Knead briefly and place in a baking tin. Sprinkle with pepitas and let rise for a bit.
Bake until cooked.

Phases

I tend to go in phases with sewing. Organising fabrics, cutting and then sewing. I am nearly down to the last of the toys I cut out ages ago. I forgot this doll was languishing at the bottom of the pile. I am glad I found her, those bright flowers match the lovely weather outside.

The Weekend

I'm just planning my shopping list for the week. I figure AFL Grandfinal Day is the perfect time to go shopping. It should be pretty quiet. It will be nice to not have football taking up half the news for a while. Don't get me wrong and I am all for playing and participating in sport, but I'd like to see knitting or sewing lead the news one night perhaps with one of the headlines "Urgent Need For More Knitting Funding" or "Politicians Push For More Sewing in Schools" or "State to build Stitch'n'bitch building".
Rant over. Here's a lovely bag I finished this morning.

Sock Bag #2

I took my new sock bag on my road trip and tested it out. Yesterday I made a few changes as it needed to be slightly bigger. So here it is - I've put this one in the shop. Hopefully there should be a few more by the end of the weekend.

Softies Website

I just discovered that the website for the Softies books is up!

Orange Cake

I feel better today after my rant yesterday. I just wanted to write it down so the next time we decide to go somewhere we will remember why it might be easier to stay home.
I thought we would do some baking from my new book today, the Baking Bible. Very hard to choose - so many good recipes in there. (Note to self - don't go book shopping while hungry.)

I suggested an orange cake, grace thought we should make a green cake. The orange cake finally won and I think it was a good choice as they were eating it before it could be iced.

Perth and Back

I'm back from another trip to Mum and Dad's and then to Perth.
Interesting things I have learnt on the way:

• Taking a good photo of all of your children at the same time is impossible
• Eva screaming in the car is very loud
• If your child is not dressed head to toe in pink she must be a boy
• Just when you are sure you don't need any more cook books you see 2 you just have to have.
• Eva can scream the entire way back from Perth with only a very short break when I am sure she was just catching her breath and planning her next world record breaking screaming attempt.
• I'm not sure how she hasn't lost her voice as I have a cold and haven't done any screaming and my voice is gone.
• It is ok to cave in sometimes and buy them a DVD. Today I am so glad I did. I tried to convince myself that my head cold was getting better, but that didn't work so the girls had a quiet afternoon in from of tv and I tried to stop my head exploding.

Sock Bag

Once you find a good thing you may as well stick with it. I have done this top a few times now and I know the pattern so it was done in less than an hour last night.
Love this Little Red Riding Hood fabric.
A new sock bag - I have once again run out of bags to put my works in progress and things are falling out of the last one I made. So I made one with a zip. Just big enough for 6 inch needles and a ball of wool.

Hat

The days are strating to warm up and I Eva needs something to keep the sun out of her eyes and off her head as she is pretty bald. This is a smaller version of the hat I made the girls earlier this year with a slightly different shaped brim.

Clothes for Eva

I finished some clothes last night for Eva by the light of my head torch as the power went out just as I was sewing the buttons on. All are from Ottobre 1/2008. I sized this shirt pattern down to fit her and used some fabric from Amitie I bought at the craft fair I went to in Perth in May. Love, love this fabric.

A top just like the ones I made the girls earlier this year.
Matching pants too.I finished a custom order this morning.

An elephant for the shop.

Thursday

A hat for my sister Gemma who is living in Amsterdam. It is a Meathead Hat using Lamb's Pride Bulky. Perfect for a cold European winter. Ravelry Link.

I managed to jog on the treadmill without falling off today.

I have just put Beef Ribs, Coconut Braised into the slow cooker for dinner. My sister made this last time I was at her place and it was divine.

Spring Forward

A completed pair of socks. Spring Forward in my own hand dyed yarn. I'm still deciding if this means I can cast on something new or if I should finish one of the many pairs of socks that are on the needles.

Random Things Today

My sister suggested I might like to actually finish something I have started. So I cast on a Baby Surprise Jacket.
I managed to finish something - a new bag that will be in the shop.
Eva has become a napper, the girls were like this and being my first I just thought this was how it was, then I discovered that there are very knowledgeable people who can help with this. They will be getting a phone call.
I had flashbacks when I saw some Guides selling these on the weekend. My sisters and I were Girl Guides and we used to be given boxes of these to sell. My mother dreaded this. I remember one year on a driving holiday up north eating packets of them in the back of the car. I'm sure Mum thought this was great. We got rid of them all and we were quiet for the trip. I hadn't eaten one since until I bought a packet for the girls. They have a chocolate layer now and taste better than I remember.

Father's Day

We are just at the end of a great Father's Day weekend. My sister and her family came for the weekend and also a friend, Jo braved the house full of many small girls. We had a nice day out in Nannup yesterday. I'm not sure what else we have done but eat. Lunch in Nannup yesterday. Lunch at the Cidery today. A good dinner last night (If anyone has the English Country Living Magazine from May the Chocolate Fondant Puddings are divine).

Here is Chris, Amelia and my niece Emme at lunch

Amelia on the slide.
A little bit of exercise after lunch yesterday - thanks Jo for the great photos.

The girls were allowed to wear their new clothes. I finished a shirt for Amelia just like the one I made for Grace.

They both got a pair of corduroy trousers. The pattern is from Ottobre 4/2008. I made them without any of the pockets so they were very quick and easy.

Clothkits

I thought after doing some bargain sewing I would have a little splurge. A wonderful parcel from Clothkits.

Ottobre Shirt

A shirt for Grace. The pattern is from my favourite issue of Ottobre - 1/2008.