I'm having a bit of

I'm having a bit of a down day today :(
I didn't get much knitting done, but I did a little of the Flower Basket Shawl. I'm enjoying it, but the repeats don't stay in the same place like Charlotte. I thought I was being clever, placing markers, but they confused me even more, because when the pattern starts at row 1 again, the repeats move!

I'm still enjoying it, but I didn't get much done today, because I just wasn't in the mood.
However, we had a beautiful sky this evening, our lovely weather is back!

Daylight savings starts for us this weekend. It always stuffs me about. I can never remember whether to go back or forward, then I can't figure out what time it is in the USA and UK! Just as I get used to it, it swaps over again! Bah!!!

I've been working diligently on

I've been working diligently on Em's sweater, and I'm now halfway up the front. However, despite the nice bright colours, the stockinette was starting to bore me more than a little.
So I cast on for the Flower Basket Shawl :)
Do you remember the pale pink laceweight wool I bought a few weeks back? Well, I wound the cone into two balls and cast on. The yarn I bought is laceweight, as recommended, but I had to go up to a 6mm needles (from a 4.5mm needle) to get gauge.
I've only done 24 rows, but it has reminded me that I Love Lace :)
Pictures tomorrow if the light is good!

Foul weather today. It's raining.

Foul weather today. It's raining. Now, considering that we're in a drought, and Sydney apparently has only a year's worth of water in the dams, normally I'd be over the moon to see rain.
Today I booked in to hire the carpet shampooing machine from the supermarket. I have to do it this weekend - next weekend Em's dancing, and the weekend after that I'm having a surprise mystery guest. So we shampooed the carpet anyway, and had the heater out and the fans to try to dry it out.
Sky shot!

Clouds, clouds, clouds. My laundry pile is growing too - it's been raining all week. Except over the dams, where we want it to rain!
Driveway shot. Who'd believe that it was 38C here last week??

However, after shampooing the carpet and doing a grocery shop, I knitted. I now have a finished Fluted Bannister sock.

I cast on Butterfly and ripped it out *again*. I just can't get the gauge right. It's a tad small on 4.5mm, a tad large on 5mm. I think the knitting Gods are punishing me. After all, I said that I would finish DH's sweater and Em's stripey sweater before Butterfly. So that's what I'll do. I have now put the Noro away until the lime and pink sweater is done.
At least I'll try! ;)

Not alot to blog about.

Not alot to blog about. Knitting progresses slowly.
I'm actually trying to finish off the last of these dance costumes. I've cut out the last two, which are the replacements for the ones that DH threw out! After that I have a few hems and things, and dress rehearsals for the concert start on November 1, finishing up on November 5. Then I get all ones back that need adjustments - hopefully not many. And as usual, Emily's costumes are the ones that aren't hemmed or finished! Have to fix that this week.

Em is feeling much better,

Em is feeling much better, thankyou for all the well wishes! She's going back to school tomorrow.

Today I finished the back of her stripey sweater. The green is not photographing well, but this is pretty close.

She won't fade into the background, that's for sure! :)
She loves it, though, and is still insisting that they are her favourite colours.

Has everyone seen the Pink Ribbon Sock pattern? Socks for a great cause. I'm thinking the designer could have sold this pattern and made some money for research. In any case, she does mention that everyone could consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society. I think I'll send it the the Australian Cancer Council.
I emailed Rob at Threadbear and ordered the sock yarn today. I got Lorna's Laces Old Rose, which is what the original was made with. I keep hearing about how wonderful Lorna's is, so I'm looking forward to it!

I guess Emily was feeling

I guess Emily was feeling a little more unwell than we thought. All she had been saying was that she felt sick. No specific aches or pains, just felt blah.
At 1am this morning, I awoke and heard her crying. I rushed into her room to find her clutching a blanket to her head. Her ear felt like it was exploding.
Off to the Doctor this morning, and indeed it was exploding. Her left eardrum is ruptured and her right one is close behind.
Happy Antibiotics and painkillers!!!
When I grow up, I want to be a pharmacist. Surely they're making a fortune ;)

In knitting news, I cast on for Butterfly and then frogged. :)
Now, according to the pattern, I should make the Medium. However, I feel that there is too much ease in the Medium for my liking, and I am losing weight rather steadily. It is also creeping into Summer here, and I won't be wearing this for 6 months, and goodness only knows what size I'll be then! So I dithered, and finally decided to make the small. With a 38" bust, as I am now, that gives me 2" of ease, and I think I would prefer it to be rather close fitting. It doesn't usually get cold enough in Australia to warrant too many layers, so I won't be wearing it over anything too bulky.
However. My butt is slightly larger than my bust. hmmmmmm. The small is *not* going to look like that around *my* rather substantial butt. My two-dress-sizes-bigger-than-my-bust butt.
So I have made an executive decision. I am going to do the lower half in a medium. When it is time to reduce the number of stitches for the bodice, I will simply reducethe number of stitches to the number needed for the small, and so the bottom half will be a medium and the top half will be a small. Slightly A-line if you like.
Did any of that make any sense? If you see any potential problems, please tell me now!

Em was feeling unwell last

Em was feeling unwell last night, so I decided that as she doesn't get sick often, she could have today off school. DH usually wakes her when he leaves for work between 6.30am and 7, so today he left her to sleep. I awoke at 9am, realised that she was still asleep, checked in on her, and she awoke at 9.15am. I guess she was feeling unwell - Em *never* sleeps until 9.15am.
We then had a lazy morning, where I got more and more jealous by the minute reading about everybody's adventures at Rhinebeck. How is it that Australia is one of the world's largest sheep producing nations, and we have a crappy yarn selection and no Rhinebeck? Huh?
So, I was feeling rather ripped off and sorry for myself when we went down the street to pick up a few things. While we were down there, we walked past the bargain store. In the window, I spotted this...

I had to have one of course! So, I'm having my own little sheep show!! :)
They had a larger one too, I think I'll get that next week. I thought about picking up a few for RAOK gifts, but the body is ceramic, and I'd hate to have them break while going over the big blue sea.
I did a little of Em's lime and pink sweater, but I never get much done when she is home. I think she's going to look like a candy apple, but she loves it! Pics tomorrow if the weather improves.
Happy Tuesday!

Look what came today :)

Look what came today :)

That's my Elann order, consisting of the Knitting Pure and Simple Neckdown Pullover and enough Plymouth Cottrica to make the sweater. I love Norma's Plain Vanilla and that's what inspired me to buy the pattern. I'm not so sure about the yarn now that it's here. It feels.... crunchy.
I'll swatch it up and see how it washes, I guess. It sure looks pretty. :)

Until May of this year, I was a redhead, and studiously avoided pink like the plague. Despite the fact that it has long been one of my favourite colours, It did not go well with coppery red hair. Now that I'm back to brunette, all I seem to buy is pink and variations thereof! :)

Today I booked tickets for myself and Em to see the Tap Dogs in May next year. It's their tenth anniversary tour, but the first time we'll have seen them. I'm looking forward to it, but not nearly so much as Em!

Here is DH's sweater being

Here is DH's sweater being modelled!

(pic is clickable)
Twinky is directing the photo shoot :) The sweater is coming up a little darker than it really is.
The pattern came from the winter issue of Creative Knitting (Australia). The yarn is Jo Sharp DK Silkroad in the colour Serpentine. I knitted the Large size, and used 13 1/2 balls. The pattern recommended 13 balls, but I usually use more than the pattern says. My row gauge was off, and I changed the stitch pattern to get gauge! The lengths I go to....
I wrote this up as finished in my Handy Dandy Notebook last night, and was surprised to find that I started this sweater on July 1. 3 and a half months! Anyway, now it is done, yay!
The picture is kinda dark because of the weather in Sydney today.
Sky shot!

It's raining now, but I'm not complaining, Lord knows we need it! Despite our current water restrictions, the dickhead next door was washing his car with the hose yesterday (with the carport roller door down so to escape notice) Never mind the river of soapy water running down the driveway, or the sound of his hose. DH took umbrage and dobbed him in. Mind you, it's the third time we've seen him do it. It is currently an offence in Sydney to use a hose to wash your car due to the lack of water in the dams. We aren't sure if the water police came or not.
I certainly hope they're having better weather in Rhinebeck.
Better yet, I wish I was in Rhinebeck!

DH's sweater is done! Well,

DH's sweater is done! Well, the knitting is. I've blocked it, and sewn in one sleeve. Hopefully, I will get it done tonight. Unfortunately, finishing is my least favourite part.
Apart from swatching, that is.
I have swatched for Em's Lime and Pink sweater. The recommended needle size is 4mm. 3.75mm swatched too small, 4mm Addi Turbos swatched too small. 4mm anodised circ did the job on the swatch.
So I cast on my 400 or so stitches, and started the ruffle. I completed the ruffle and did a few rows, measured and realised that it was coming out too big, so I'm back to 3.75mm needles. My row gauge is off, though (well, duh!)
Here is where I was up to this afternoon.

This isn't a very accurate depiction of the colour, I'm afraid. I am doing stripes in the lime and hotpink that Bliss sent me. :) I have since started on the first pink stripe.
I also swatched for Butterfly. What a pain. The recommended needle is 5mm. I got stitch gauge on 4mm needles. My row gauge is short, again.
I detest gauge!
Now I just have to decide what size to make. I don't want it to be too big if I lose more weight, but I don't want it to be too small, either.
I also think that the sweater in the picture looks to have less ease than is recommended in the pattern. Decisions, decisions!
Have a good weekend all!

I got RAOK'd!! And what

I got RAOK'd!! And what a gorgeous RAOK, too!

Wendy from Catknits sent me this lovely DPN case :)

Here it is opened.

And here it is with my DPN's already in there :)

I didn't waste any time getting them in there! There is a gap for my 2mm Bamboos which currently have my Fluted Bannister sock on them. My 2.25mm Clovers are 7" long and don't fit! But that's okay, I just roll them up in the middle. How lucky am I? :)
Guess what else came today?
My Kureyon!!!

The first nine balls that I ordered from the UK. I'm still waiting on the 5 balls from eBay.
Shade 90, here it is up close.

What a great mail day :)
It was 38C again today, but because my Kureyon arrived, I came home and persisted with the sleeves from DH's sweater. I reallly need to finish this so I can start my Butterfly! So in the heat I sat with two heavy wool sleeves in my lap. But I finished them :)
So now I have to seam it, do the collar, block it, and I can start Butterfly!
Yay!

I would like to point

I would like to point out that the Weather Pixie is a cow who has no right to stand in the sun smiling happily while telling us that it is currently 38C (100F).
I'm melting. It is the hottest Sydney day ever for October.
I am not knitting. In fact, I think I may haul Em down to the shopping centre, where they have airconditioning.

Not alot to say today.

Not alot to say today. I didn't knit. "Why on earth not??" I hear you all exclaim.
Because today the temperature in Sydney reached 35C, or 95F is you are so inclined.
And it's only October. And I don't have an airconditioner.
Frankly, it was too hot today to do anything. Even Twinky flopped onto the linoleum and refused to move. It's still warm here, however I am going to try to do a few rows of the neverending sleeves.
Under the fan :)

Look what I got!! Jill

Look what I got!!

Jill sent me Polar Bears! A keychain with a tiny dangly polar bear and a cute fridge magnet! Aren't they gorgeous?? :)
She also sent magazines again. I think her reviews a few days ago were pretty accurate!

I went on a bus shopping trip yesterday with Em's dance studio. Everyone jumps on a bus, and you get taken around to bunches of Outlet stores and stuff. I didn't buy much, however we went to a place called the "Christmas Cave". They have everything you need to decorate your house inside and out for christmas. They had a metre long paper mache Polar Bear. I was sorely tempted, let me tell you. But it was $70, and we aren't even going to be home for Christmas this year, so I left him there.
I think I regret it.
School went back today, can you hear me yelling out "Yay!"? ;)
So I got no knitting or anything done today. Instead I caught up on some housework, shopped, ran errands and got all those things done that get neglected when the kids are about.
I did manage to add to my stash. I saw Norma's Plain Vanilla, and knew that I had to have it. So off I went to Elann. I put the pattern in my cart, and then decided that it's not really worth it to pay all that postage just for a pattern is it? If you're going to order something from overseas, you really should make it worth your while. (Justification should be my middle name!)
So I ordered some Plymouth Cottrica in Crushed Raspberry. At $1.48 per skein, I could hardly pass it up, could I?
Must make room for more yarn.
Now I'm off to watch the second half of The 4400. And knit. :)

Here is the progress on

Here is the progress on my Fluted Bannister sock.

As you see, I've turned the heel and am now doing the gusset decreases. I am enjoying this sock, and I like the colours, too :)
The leg length is shorter than I usually make, but I'm sure it will be fine.
DH's sweater sleeves do not seem to grow no matter how much I knit them. Because I'm dying to finish this sweater, it just seems to go on and on.
I ordered the additional five balls of Kureyon #90 I need for my Butterfly. I got them from an eBay seller named Yarnela, as recommended by Lex in my comments the other day. (Thanks Lex! :) I would have ordered them from Wool Needlework as recommended by Lisa and co, their prices were fantastic! Alas, they had no #90 in stock, and didn't answer my email asking how long it would be before they had it in. :(
So my Kureyon is on it's way. Makes me want to bounce around in my chair! :)

Here is Em's Darling :)

Here is Em's Darling :)

She decided that because so many people thought it was darling, it has now been named Darling. It does appear that the success of this project has given her the motivation to start another doll.
I recieved my Noro Knits book today! I think I shall also have to knit Eloise.

Yum!
My amazon order finally arrived, too. Minus Pipsqueaks, which is still on backorder. *sigh* Emily went through Rowan Junior very carefully and decided that she'll have one of everything. :)
I was supposed to go to a Craft Fair over at Penrith today, but it just didn't happen. All these days out have exhausted me, and seeing as I just dropped nearly a weeks rent on Kureyon, I thought I had better stay away from temptation ;)
Happy weekend, everyone! :)

Look Ma, Knitting! Not an

Look Ma, Knitting!
Not an awful lot, I'm afraid.
I have begun the sleeves of DH's sweater. I prefer to do both at once, and avoid second sleeve syndrome, but it seems to take so much longer!

Emily has been far more productive than I :)

Her freind is ready for felting! Excitement all round in Casa Del Random today :)
In other news, I decided on Colour #90 for my Butterfly, and I went ahead and ordered it. I chose a UK site, as the total came to $AU150, and from a US site it would have come to around $AU180.
I nearly had a heart attack when I hit the order button. I have never spent $150 on a project before. However, I was pleased with my colour choice, and was proud that I had searched about and found the best price.
Then I got an email this evening to tell me that the website was wrong, and they only had 9 balls in stock. I need 14. Would I like to choose another colour?
No, I would not.
It took me a week to decide on #90, thankyouverymuch. So I agonised, checked out all the other sites, tried to pick another colour, and couldn't. I have decided to take the 9 balls they have in stock (they aren't getting anymore) and then I will have to get 5 balls from somewhere else. I'm hoping that the variegation in the Kureyon will hide any differences in the dyelots that may occur. Please reassure me!! Please! :)
Lovely to see so many beautiful skies out there, too! It tickles me to see that I may be a world away, but the sky is still the same :)

Another day out. Good Lord,

Another day out. Good Lord, I hope it's the last, I'm too tired for any more, LOL!

First off this morning, we stopped at the Post Office, where there was mail! Yay! Jill came through for me again with more US knitting magazines.

You Americans don't know how lucky you are. We have only one knitting magazine here, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's not very good. Quite bad is closer to the truth. I have yet to meet a US magazine I didn't like :) There was also a RAOK from Andrea!

Mmm.. just what I need at this stage of the school holidays!
So then we headed off for our day in the City. Usually, we'd catch the train in, but ths time we drove in, and parked at DH's work building in North Sydney. This was so I could go yarn hunting. We stopped at Champion Textiles in Newtown. They had Silk Garden! There was only 3 skeins, two of one shade and one of another. I grabbed the lonely one, just to play with as I haven't seen Silk Garden in the flesh before.

Shade 74. THis stuff is gorgeous!! I'm not quite sure what to do with one skein, though. A purse, a hat? Suggestions more than welcome!
So we then went in, parked the car, had lunch with DH, met various workmates, then walked down to the Harbour. We caught a ferry across the water to the City side, and a very pretty ride it was, too.

The Sydney Opera House. I love this building. We have been to the Ballet here a few times, and it always feels so elegant :) The interior is starting to look a little dated, but I love it :) The ferry wharf at Circular Quay falls right between the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and I love catching the ferry and sailing in between them both. It's great when there are tourists on the ferry, they never know which side to look at, LOL!
Speaking of the Harbour Bridge, here she is.

And what is that on the side of the left pylon?

It's a banner for Pink Ribbon Day on October 25, to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. I'm so pleased that they are promoting it so prominently :)
Around Circular Quay, there are often Buskers and Street Performers of all types, although the favourites of all the kids are all similar to this guy.

Em loves them. There is this guy (DH calls him Captain Sydney), there used to be one dressed all in gold, with his face painted gold who used to hand out lollipops. If the kids put money in his hat/bucket/bag/whatever, he stops, shakes their hands, gives them a feather and a piece of his costume.
Then we shopped for rhinestones and generally looked about. We didn't get to the other yarn store, as it was further away than I realised. :( Next time.
Knitting content tomorrow, I promise.
I am this close to ordering the Kureyon for Butterfly. I am 98% certain that I'm going with shade 90. So much for finishing the 2 sweaters then deciding ;)

Here in Sydney, the most

Here in Sydney, the most popular sport followed is Rugby League. The Grand Final was this past weekend, and the two teams that made it to the Grand Final were Sydney City Roosters and Canterbury Bulldogs.
My DH is a fan of the Roosters, but unfortunately, the Bulldogs won :(
Anyway, we are subscribed to the Roosters' email newsletters, and today we received an email that told us that they were celebrating making it to the Grand Final by giving away $20 worth of free Krispy Kremes to every family who attended a specific outlet dressed in the team colours.
This outlet is a 40 minute drive from our house.

We went anyway :) I'm sure you can tell that the team colours are red navy and white.
We are now the proud owners (temporarily ;) of one dozen Original glazed doughnuts and one dozen mixed doughnuts, which cost us a mere $1.90.

With all this running about every day, is it any wonder I get hardly any knitting done?
I did almost finish 4 more dance costumes today, only 7 costumes to go! (Not counting various hems and things the teacher will want fixed after dress rehearsal).
I also started the sleeves for the DH sweater, but didn't get an awful lot done on those either.
Tomorrow is another day out! We are off to visit a yarn store close to the city, and possibly another on the other side of the city, time permitting. The real reason behind the trip is to purchase rhinestones for a new solo costume for Em (Which is not counted in the 7 above).
I'll be glad when school goes back next week, these school "holidays" are exhausting me! ;)

I finished the back of

I finished the back of the DH sweater! I really should think of a better name for it than that.
Anyway, I finished the back today, and now have to do the sleeves.
The pattern numbers were a little odd, so I fudged the numbers, and did a three needle bind off. I love the three needle bind off! Anything that saves me from another seam is more than welcome :)
If I had knit the pattern as written, I would have had 42 stitches cast off on one front shoulder, 43 stitches on the other front shoulder, and 46 stitches on each of the back shoulders. Weird, huh? So I fudged it so that all the shoulders had 43 stitches, and then cast off.

The shot isn't very clear, sorry. Here's the finished front and back together.

I had him try it on as is, got several good humoured smartarse remarks, and then he pointed out that he was looking forward to next winter when he could wear it. *sigh* I'm knocking myself out to finish a sweater that is becoming far too warm to wear. Still, if I put it aside now, it'll never be finished!
So I'll do the sleeves now. I do both at once to try to avoid second sleeve syndrome. Then it's just seaming, plackets, and collar. Just ;)

When we got up this

When we got up this morning, we decided that we were long overdue for a day out. We looked out the window and the sky looked like this.

I kid you not, that is a picture of the sky here in Sydney this morning. So where did we decide to go?

To the beach! (Sorry Becky, I should have painted my toes to match my fingernails! ;)
To Cronulla Beach, to be precise. It's a very pretty beach. (This picture is clickable for a bigger view)

I may be biased, because I grew up in the Sutherland Shire, and went to Primary School in Cronulla. :)
However, now it takes an hour for us to get there. Anyway, so we set off, but we took a few detours. Several of those included showing Em the hospital where I was born, and my childhood home for several years. Which now looks completely different. I took some pictures of that for my mum, because she'll never believe it. It was a 2 bedroom fibro cottage with an outdoor toilet - and we were a family of five kids! Good Lord, my mother deserves a medal.
Anyway, it wasn't really warm enough for a day on the beach yet, but we had a great day anyway. Emily never lets a little thing like cool weather stop her :)

The sun was shining, we ate fish and chips and icecream, and I blew my diet entirely!
I did take my knitting, but the wind was blowing, and I didn't want to get sand in my sweater :)
So I'm off to knit now - I hope you all had a lovely and relaxing Sunday too.

I started my next sock

I started my next sock in the Six Sox Knitalong, Fluted Bannister Socks.

I'm using some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in a colour called "Champlain Sunset". Bright isn't it? :)
I received this yarn in a swap early this year and it's lovely! I haven't knitted with it before, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I'm unsure about whether the pattern and the yarn are working well together yet, but a few more pattern repeats will help.
I'm also pushing through with DH's sweater, I'm 3/4's of the way up the back. I have decided that I'm going to finish this, and Em's Lime and Pink sweater, then if Butterfly is still screaming out "Make ME!", I'll get the yarn.
I've already been researching what colour and where to get it ;)

I am developing an unhealthy

I am developing an unhealthy obsession with this.

I've been seeing it on blogs all over, and it's calling my name. Julie posted the pic of hers finished and it's gorgeous! Wendy has started one, and it's flying off her needles. (What doesn't fly off Wendy's needles? :)
So I took the first step today and bought the book off eBay. I have only used Kureyon for a Booga Bag, but I really liked it.
The problem is that since I posted the evidence of my stash, instead of getting through it, I've added to it. I've bought some teal coloured sportweight wool, earmarked for Bonne Marie's Lacy Poncho. I won sock yarn from Brenda, I bought lace weight for the Flowerbasket shawl, some DK weight silk/alpaca/mohar/wool blend just because, and Bliss sent me that gorgeous cotton blend.
So much for using up stash!
And I really can't afford the Kureyon right now. And I have projects out the Wazoo waiting in the wings. Including plenty of projects for me, which I keep putting off in case I can lose more weight.
But the Butterfly is calling my name.
My name is Donna and I am a newprojectaholic.