Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to meeeee
Happy Birthday to me!

Charlotte's Web and Peace Fleece - who could ask for more??
Oh, and Kasey Chambers' new CD too!
And chocolate mud cake!

A wonderful 33rd birthday!

I swatched for my Everyday Cardigan, which called for US 8 needles, which is the size of my beautiful new Bamboo circular, but I had to go down a size, so I couldn't use it :(
Now comes the internal torment - Everyday or Charlotte, Everyday or Charlotte, what do I do?
Oh, the torment ;)

Lazy Sunday. Well, apart from

Lazy Sunday. Well, apart from the housework, grocery shopping and a visit to my mum's house. Maybe not so lazy after all!
I didn't get an awful lot done on Charlotte today, maybe 4 rows.
However, having the deep abiding love that I do for polar bears and all things polar bear related, I finished Emily's super mittens whilst watching a polar bear documentary on The World Around Us.

Polar Bears are far too distracting for Charlotte! So the mittens have been tossed into the washing machine and are merrily felting away, and Emily fluffy set is then complete :)
Meanwhile, I am researching knitted edgings for Charlotte. I can't crochet, and don't want to do a half-arsed edging on the shawl, so it appears it will be knitted edging. Until the plan changes again!

Mail call!! Looky looky what

Mail call!!
Looky looky what we have here today :)

The ever wonderful Jill sent me yet another package, this one with current issues of lots of the great US knitting mags. This time she sent INKnitters, which I really liked. There is a pattern for a Jo Sharp cardigan which I intend to add to the short to-do list that I have. Well, I'm sure it's shorter than someone's! Lots of nice stuff in all the magazines, I love to get these!

And another very interesting parcel in the mail for DH today.

I wonder what this could possibly be? ;)
What in the world would my hubby be ordering from Peace Fleece?

There is a new Random family member today!

This hermit crab is imaginatively named Righty. His shell points to the right. Our existing crab is named Lefty - his shell points to the left. We're clever, aren't we? ;)

Charlotte update ahead!

I'm at row 53 and cruising comfortably at this stage (touch wood!). Tomorrow is a sleep-in day, so I may get some more done tonight. I don't like to work on it when I'm tired because I just know I'll make a mistake and regret it. Maybe just a row or three :)

Only 4 rows of Charlotte

Only 4 rows of Charlotte today :(
Silly teachers strike. Why is it that I have been looking forward to sleeping in today all week, but I woke up when DH got up at 6.30am, and couldn't go back to sleep. I woke up earlier than usual, not later! And I'm feeling it now, I could go to sleep on the keyboard, LOL! Not good Charlotte time, though.
So we had a generally lazy day, went to the local burger joint for lunch, had dancing lessons later in the afternoon, found out via the news tonight that a house just around the corner (like 500 metres away) has had 2 dead bodies in it for 8 - 10 months (eewww - we drive by that house every single day coming home from school!) It's very odd to hear your suburb mentioned on the news.
I did get one gigantic mitten finished, ready for felting. As soon as I finish the second one. Funny how these aren't going so quickly now that Charlotte is in the house. :)

Up to Row 40 of

Up to Row 40 of Charlotte.

I am seriously loving this :)
After I ripped it back last night, I had to rip it back two more times, but I think I'm getting it now. I'm finding it alot easier to track the lace pattern now that I have 3 repeats either side, and I can see where the pattern is going now. I was a little worried that when it said "continue in the same manner" that I was going to completely lose it, but I think I'm on track :)

That said, tomorrow our public school teachers are on strike, so Em has no school, so I doubt Charlotte will grow :( But we may watch Charlotte's Web the video instead.

The football has just finished. In NSW and Queensland, the "big" football code is Rugby League. Each year, they have a "State of Origin" Series, where NSW plays QLD. We live in NSW, I am a NSW girl, but David is a QLD boy. Game one of three finished 5 minutes ago.
NSW won. hee hee.

How lucky am I???? This

How lucky am I????
This lucky!!

The most wonderful person in the whole wide world, Jill (shh, don't tell my family I said that ;) sent me the most wonderful birthday gift in the mail today!!
Charlotte!!! In a colourway I had admired, Crown Jewels from Threadbear!!
Aren't the colours gorgeous?
So, being the patient soul that I am (snort!!) I raced home from the post office, wound my hanks and decided on the colour order.

Then unfortunately, life got in the way.
Then life got back out of the way, and I cast on, and got 20 rows done before Em threw a temper tantrum in the middle of maths homework, and stuffed up my count. Then, despite markers, I couldn't figure out where I went wrong, so I ripped it, and I'm back to row 13.
But I love it
Here is the progress I had done.

So, fill in knitting begone, stash knitting begone, Dh's sock - what sock? ;) However, Charlotte is not for Maths homework time or dance practice time. Funny how it didn't take Emily long to teach me that!

Oh, and Sandy - Do I get double Bonus points for owning the book and the video? ;)

You meet the greatest people via the Internet :)

Fill-in knitting this week, while

Fill-in knitting this week, while I wait for my Peace Fleece (insert big grin here)
So I'm now halfway up the leg of DH's sock. And Miss Em's fluffy stuff is coming along. I'm using up some stash. That makes room for more ;)

So here is the fluffy bag pre-felting.

As you can see, she's a big pink girl. The bag was felted yesterday and is now drying, and today I finished off the matching bucket hat, and silly me forgot to take a picture of it before I felted it. And quite amusing it looked, covering her face to the chin as it did. But I felted it this afternoon, I think it's still too big, but little Miss Opinion insists that it's fine.
So now, I've cast on mittens to felt. Also with pink fluffy stuff for trimming.
No one will ever call Em a tomboy. :)

Here, especially for Becky (she

Here, especially for Becky (she of the Bucket-along) is the bucket hat photoshoot we cooked up especially for her!

Click on the pic for dancing ballerina in a bucket photos! :)

That's the most recent bucket hat I finished, in Blue Berry Cottontots. My cottontots hat went along beautifully, this one gave me some gauge issues. After a ripping session or two, all went well.
I'm knitting Em a felted wool one now, with a fluffy brim, as per orders ;)

And one more picture for Becky... A bucket, a ballerina and a bunny :)

She's done, blocked, beribboned,

She's done, blocked, beribboned, complete!!!
And I am perfectly happy with the fit, now that it's dry. I think the dampness was weighing it down a little.
I think I'll do another ribbon - it's a little long for my liking.
Thankyou Bonne Marie for a great pattern!

Gigi is done, and is

Gigi is done, and is currently blocking!! Yay!!
Here she is, immediately after I cast off last night.

And here she is, being modelled in a bad mirror photo!

I decided that I had better take a photo before I blocked her, in case she stretched out of all proportion and became unwearable, like poor Jill's tank.
So I gave her a bath in woolwash, and laid her out, and yes, she has stretched. I patted her back into shape widthwise, but she has grown 2 inches in the length. I am a little worried about the sleeves, as they were a little on the long side to begin with.
However, I must admit, that it is the first sweater that I have ever successfully knit for myself, Yay!!!!!
As long as she blocks out okay, anyway.

I started Em's fluffy bag and got a few rounds done on that too, while I decide how to amuse myself next.

Four rows to go on

Four rows to go on Gigi!!!
One more decrease row in the ribbing, 2 contrast colour rows and cast off. Well, then blocking, and a "ribbon" for the front.
Why did I not get it finished? Well, I finished a hat. But it's not knitted. Sewing on all those sequins took longer than knitting it would have!

Now I just have to sew the costume to go with it.
But first, I'm going to finish Gigi. But then what? I've got 12 days until I get my Peace Fleece. If it arrives in time!
Bonne Marie's new poncho looks good ;)
I bought Vogue Teen Knits off eBay, and am looking forward to getting my hands on that.
Hmmm.... I'm getting itchy fingers :)

The more that I

The more that I get done on Gigi, the more I want to do, and the less time I spend on housework and other so-called necessities ;)
I'm so close to getting her done. I decided to try her on today, while she was still on the needle, and I got laughed at by my DH, who happens to be taking a holiday from work this week. Admittedly, I got stuck and he needed to rescue me. Lucky he was home, I guess :) By the way, he parses DH as d***head.
Anyway, I have 9 more rounds before I start the ribbing and finish her off! I may even be wearing her by the weekend.
Lets just hope now that she fits.

I went over to Threadbear to peek at the Charlotte colourways. I luurrrrvve "Sky Blue Pink" and "Crown Jewels". They're wearing me down!! must resist. m-u-s-t.

A mailing list that I read has been having a discussion about children doing their own homework. I feel pretty strongly about this - it's her homework, she has to learn this stuff. I don't mind helping if she has a question or doesn't understand something, but I won't do her homework for her.
Em's teacher this year has decided that to boost all of the children's self esteem, in addition to regular homework they will also give a speech each week. These speeches will land our family in counselling.
Tonight we had to listen to the hormonally challenged Emily cry for half an hour because she wanted to go on the internet instead of writing this stupid speech. Now, I'm sure that my child is not the only one who detests this assignment - I know that I hated speeches when I was in school, which is the only thing that held me back from applying for the Australian Prime Ministership. ;)
I can see how this is building the self esteem of these sixth graders.
Maybe it's really a task to build the patience of their parents. ;)

Colour me excited!!!! I have

Colour me excited!!!!
I have only two body rounds left, then I can join up the sleeves and body for Gigi!
I shan't take a picture tonight, I'll get one tomorrow when I have the bits together, and some decent light to take a picture by.
I took David's sock to knit at Emily's dancing lesson last Thursday. On Thursday, it's a 40 minute lesson, not enough time for something huge.
Hand knitted socks aren't big yet here in Australia - we're hard pressed to find sock yarns and needles. In fact, I think I have bought 2 balls of sock yarn in Australia, and one set of DPNS - thank heaven for the internet!
Anyway, I whip out my sock knitting and the questions immediately started. I swear, I was about to stick a post-it note on my forehead saying "It's a SOCK!"
Makes me not want to take it out again. But no doubt, I will. :)

Why is it that I

Why is it that I have only two untidy parts to my home - my desk and my sewing area, and that seems to be where I take an awful lot of photos!
Gigi update picture!

I'm around halfway up the body now. I got an email from Bonne Marie with some updated figures on the body length calculation. Thankyou, Bonne Marie! My mathematics is not off, surprisingly! However, my row gauge is off, so my measurements will be anyway, LOL! I figure that I don't have a normal shaped body, so a normal shaped sweater probably wouldn't fit ;)

In other news from Casa Del Random, we've prebooked our tickets for the new Harry Potter movie for June 11, 9.20pm. It opens here in Australia on June 10, which is a Thursday, so we're going on Friday night after Em's dance classes. Em is somewhat of a Harry Potter fan. (understatement warning!)

Charlottes Web is ensnaring me. I want it. Why is it that I am never happy with my knitting? I wanted Rogue, I bought the yarn, I haven't touched it yet. I wanted the Everyday Cardigan kit. Now that I know it is coming, I want Charlotte. Maybe I can figure out a way to buy it for myself for my birthday. Unfortunately I have a Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget.
I'll never knit through my stash, I should be grateful for what I do have!
And I am, really!

Hardly any knitting again -

Hardly any knitting again - I hate when life gets in the way of my knitting!
I really want to finish Gigi now, so that I have nothing on the needles when my Everyday Cardigan arrives, and yet I don't seem to find the time to do it. I'm sure it will pick up again.
We rent our home, and the real estate is coming by on Tuesday to inspect the property. We'll have to hide the rabbit and all evidence of her, and hope that they don't notice any of the results of her destructobunny antics. So I should be cleaning, but I can't really be bothered doing that either.
But I feel guilty that I'm not cleaning, so despite the fact that it's 10.30pm, I think I'll go clean the bathroom!

Hardly any knitting today, was

Hardly any knitting today, was busy with housework and appointments and such.

Totally offtopic, I have come to the sad realisation that we are now on the On-Ramp of the Hormone Highway To Hell.
My once loving, kind, sweet, happy, darling daughter has turned into a snarling, snapping, growling, tearful demon wraith from the ninth level of Hell.
While I'm sure we all went through it at some stage, I certainly don't remember being this bad, although I'm not going to ask my mother, as she'll probably fall over from laughing so hard. I have 2 sisters - and 2 brothers. I'm not quite sure how she put up with all of us at once.

So I'll hug my Em and reassure her and love her, and bite my tongue hard. I try to get her to knit a little each night, hoping that it will calm and balance her a little. But it usually ends with her snarling at her project and everything else in frustration.

I'll knit through it though :)
And for those of you who asked, Peace Fleece day (thankyou Sandy!) is May 31. :) Lonestar for dinner, Chocolate Brownie for dessert. Yum.

Picture me doing a Happy

Picture me doing a Happy Dance!!
I know what I'm getting for my Birthday!! :)
All those not so subtle hints paid off! And making Emily memorise peacefleece.com, peacefleece.com, peacefleece.com
In Blueberry Borscht no less!!

And I know this because I directed his mouse over the order page ;)

There's my Gigi body

There's my Gigi body progress today. The colour is reasonably close, perhaps a little too blueish.
I've done the first decrease in the body. However, this afternoon I was reading through the instructions and I think I've hit upon a possible problem. The sweater is knit at 20sts/28 rows = 4".
Rightio.
I am knitting the 42" size. The body pattern has a total of 95 rows, including rib, plain knit rounds, decrease rounds and increase rounds. Fine, but then it says "Knit even until piece measures 12.25 inches."
Hmmmm..... 95 rows at 7 rows per inch. This mathematics does not compute. By my calculations, I should be at about 13.5" by the time I just finish the body pattern as written.
I think I shall just continue to knit the pattern as it says, and see what happens. If it doesn't fit properly, and the decreases and increases make a shape that doesn't fit my body (not unlikely ;) I shall see what the Knitalong has to say. Or maybe I'll email Bonne Marie.
Maybe I should actually knit the body instead of just talking about it. :)

Yay! I have a pair!!!

Yay! I have a pair!!!
Of sleeves, of course - what did you think I meant? Socks? ;)
Gigi now has 2 sleeves on holders, waiting only for a body. Which I should cast on.
Emily wants a fluffy bag now. Which reminded me that I had bought some Cascade 220 and some pink eyelash months ago, when helloknitty.com had the Cascade on special. And I bought it to make her a fluffy bag and some fluffy mittens. I'm using a pattern from Felt One, Knit Too, that the wonderful Jill sent to me. The bag has a different colour at the top, but I'll just use eyelash where the colour change occurs. So I cast on for that. I also still have DH's sock on the needles. I've done a quarter of the first sock. He won't be getting that anytime soon. I have received 3 beautiful lots of sock yarn as gifts to make myself socks lately, and I want to knit those instead. And I'm eyeing some more on eBay. I'm trying to be strong!
And Charlotte is calling. But I've convinced the family to buy me an Everyday Cardigan Kit for my birthday. I better not change my mind now :)

Damn, I knew my

Damn, I knew my gauge was off! ;)

Yet another bucket hat finished

Yet another bucket hat finished and blocking. What to do now? Go back to Gigi? I have until Saturday for the official knitalong kick off. Maybe I should fiddle about with little things until then. Lots of Charlotte's Webs going on out there in blogland. It's drawing me in!
Or maybe I should keep up on Gigi, so that it doesn't take me all year to finish it. :)
Lots of sewing awaits - no Lobster costumes, Pam (thank goodness!) but it's knight costumes this week.
And a bunny who thinks it's fun to hop on the fabric and help :)

Happy Mothers Day to you

Happy Mothers Day to you all!!
Did you all have a nice day and get some nice gifts? I had a lovely day, starting with a yummy breakfast in bed, cinnamon toast, bacon, eggs and a cup of tea. The dishes were then done for me, and I lazed around in bed for a little while and opened my lovely gifts :)

I also got a pair of boots for winter. And the little dolphin figurine came witha set of drinking glasses from Em's Mothers Day Stall at school.
We went and saw my mum, and then I had a delicious dinner cooked for me.
Can we make every day Mothers Day? ;)
I did very little housework, and yes, Sandy, I knitted. But Em's hat was coming out too big. I had her try it on, and she gave me one of those looks that only an 11 year old can truly master, so rip it I did.
Yes, we get inundated with Hallmark Madness at every opportunity, but I must confess that I insist on Hallmark for Mothers Day, because here in Australia, part of Hallmarks proceeds from Mother's Day cards are donated to Breast Cancer Research. A worthy cause indeed :)

I hope you all have a lovely, lazy Mothers Day surrounded by those you love :)

I finished *my* bucket hat.

I finished *my* bucket hat.

Yay! it's made with Bernat Cottontots, which I love for bucket hats. It's firm enough to hold the shape reasonably well, is nice and soft to the touch, and isn't too bad to knit with. I did the whole hat on 4mm needles though, because that's how I came close to gauge. Notice that I didn't actually get gauge, but I was close. :)
I loved this hat enough to wear it all over town today while we fought the pre-Mothers Day Shopping Mall madness.
So now I'm going to knit Emily a blue Cottontots hat. We'll have a complete fashion wardrobe of bucket hats soon ;)

Here's Em's Sugar Babies Bucket

Here's Em's Sugar Babies Bucket Hat

I'm pleased with the result, and she likes it :)
Here's a side view, please ignore the messy sewing area that used to be my dining area ;)

And a view of the back and top.

I didn't knit an awful lot today, just a little on my bucket hat, which I'm liking very much. I've been sewing dance costumes. Sometime between now and November, I'll sew far too many costumes.
A word to the wise. If you are the mother, grandmother or other relative of a child who attends dance classes, theatre group or anything else requiring costumes, if you can sew, never, ever admit it.
You'll kick yourself over it every year. ;)

Very Wet Cotton is not

Very Wet Cotton is not quick to dry in cold weather. Em's hat is still damp, so no pics yet. Sorry Jill :)
So I knit a bit of Gigi, then I decided to cast on a Bucket Hat for me. I'm using the white Cottontots, and I am liking it so far. It's still not easy to work with (but I find that few cottons are). But it's much softer to touch than the Sugar Babies. It will be most interesting to see how it holds the shape compared to the Sugar Babies. I made the 18" for Emily. Her head is 21", but I felt that the 20" hat was too big. My head is 23", and I'm making myself the 20".
And I'm sure I was quite a sight yesterday, rummaging through the tupperware cupboard seeking out the perfect blocking form. I finally ended up with a round gift box that holds 2 of Em's 7 tiaras. Yes, 7 tiaras. Spoilt? Em? You bet ;)

Has anyone been over to Black Dog yet today? Rob has posted some gorgeous yarns. I sat for some time drooling on the keyboard. Much as I keep saying that I'm not overly keen on novelty yarns, the Crystal Palace scarves look fun, don't they?
And the Lorna's Laces yarns come in the most luscious colours. I love Uptown and Happy Valley. And Bittersweet and Daffodil. I'd love to try the sock yarn, I keep hearing good things about it.
When I win the lottery (ROTFLMAO!!!), I'm going on a yarn crawl of the USA. I'll start in one state, and cover the country. Then I'll open my own yarn store here in Australia, and import all the gorgeous yarns that I find on my trip.
Maybe I better go buy a lottery ticket.

The bucket hat is done,

The bucket hat is done, and is now blocking. I wonder how long it will take very wet cotton to dry in cold weather? I guess we'll find out :)
I did a few rows of Gigi's sleeve - at least the gauge finally appears to be right. Life was much easier when I never bothered about stuff like gauge.
I think I'm catching Jill's restlessness.
I might cast on for a bucket hat for myself. Gigi is waiting, and I'm getting gauge, but I don't feel like knitting her right now. I do have a sock cast on for DH, but I don't really feel like knitting that either. Maybe I'll have a play with the stash and see what bites me ;)

Bucket hat mania!!!! Due to

Bucket hat mania!!!!
Due to my current dissatisification with anything requiring good gauge, today I started Em's bucket hat made with the Sugar Babies that Jill sent. And it required a few starts.
I kept twisting the damn cast on edge when I joined the circle. However, I got things back on track, and got the brim done.

The Sugar Babies is much harder to work with than the wool was, but it will make a much sturdier bucket hat. So far, so good. Then I went to the post office, and lo and behold...

Bernat Cottontots that I won on eBay, specifically for bucket hats. Can you see that I sometimes jump on an idea and beat it to death? As if I'll ever knit this many bucket hats. But you never know ;)

Gigi was untouched today. The official Knitalong doesn't start until May 15, so I'm not going to rush. I'll finish some more little things, and reinstate my knitting confidence before I work on her again.

The Gauge Gods hate me.

The Gauge Gods hate me.
There I was, happily knitting away on the first Gigi sleeve, when I decided that I might just doublecheck my gauge. Of course it will be fine, It was fine when I started the original sleeve.
It wasn't fine. I was getting 22sts/4" instead of 20sts.
What is it with me and gauge? I have knit for years and years, I have successfully knit for everybody in my family, and friends, yet have never successfully knit myself a sweater. In fact, I have only managed socks and scarves for myself.
However, I will not be deterred. The cleckheaton sweater has temporarily gotten the better of me, Gigi will not.
I hope ;)
In other news, Big Brother 4 has started in Australia. Unfortunately, Em is addicted hopelessly and for the next three months, the family will be subjected mercilessly to it's ongoing saga. Knitting time for me!!

Not an awful lot of

Not an awful lot of knitting today. I picked up the Gigi sleeve, and started working on it again, then I realised that the shaping was wrong if I wanted long sleeves. Because the pattern is designed for 3/4 sleeves, the bottom of the sleeve is too wide for the wrist. So I ripped it back and started it again, casting on fewer stitches to start. Originally, I was just going to knit the sleeve longer at the end, but the wrist shaping was too baggy.
So now, I'm a little further on than I was before, roughly 6 inches into the first sleeve, but much happier with the shaping.

Thankyou for all the lovely

Thankyou for all the lovely comments I've been getting :) This blogging caper is fun, isn't it!
Unfortunately, I think Em would endeavour to make my life miserable to the end of my days if I gave away the bunny. Some days I'd gladly give her away. The bunny that is.
I think ;)
The evening bag is finished and felted, waiting only for a strap and an evening out. (I hope it doesn't hold it's breath)
Prefelted

Felted

I should have placed something in the picture for size perspective. It did shrink quite a bit, and I wasn't paying attention, so it went a bit further than I'd hoped. Luckily I could stretch the top a bit, or I'd never get anything into the bag. I'm happy with the finished product, although the construction gave me some grief. The pattern says you need only one ball of the eyelash yarn, and it calls for an 8mm circ. I don't have an 8mm circ, so I used a 9mm. I ran out of yarn about 5 rows from the end. So I ripped it back, and redid it with a 7mm, and finished with mere yards of eyelash to spare. I'm not a huge fan of eyelash, but this was a fun mindless project. I didn't pick the eyelash out of the knitting and fluff it up before I felted it, mainly because I was feeling lazy, but it fluffed up nicely all by itself.
I found a pattern today that may resurrect the Cleckheaton yarn, but I'm leaving the yarn in the closet for the time being as a punishment.
Back to Gigi now :)