I wasn't going to post

I wasn't going to post today. I didn't do much all day. We were expecting temperatures of 42C (108F) and while it didn't end up quite that hot, I'd say we reached the high 30's. It's still 30C and it's 10pm.
However I just had to let you all know that someone found my search via an AOL search for "b**bs two sizes to small"
Bet they didn't find what they were looking for :)

My Highland Wool arrived today,

My Highland Wool arrived today, and I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in the colours. They certainly don't contrast as well in real life as they did in the pictures on the website.

I'm sure the cardi will come out fine, but I did hope for more of a contrast in the shades.
Here are the shades as they appear on Elann.

Like I said, I'm sure they'll be fine.
I also got this in the mail today :)

Another cute tape measure from eBay!

At least I should always be able to get my hands on one now :)

I don't know if anyone

I don't know if anyone remembers, but way back in August, Emily had her dancing exams. She learns ballet, tap and jazz and does an exam for each once a year.
Today was the annual presentation day, and I am very proud to say that Em came first in her grade for all three exams!

She is also very proud of herself. This is the first time she has come first in all of them in the same year. :)
That was a nice distraction on a stinking hot day. At least the studio where the presentation was held is airconditioned :)
I got bored with the Neckdown Pullover, and started a Bucket Hat. Clever, no? Bored with knitting around in circles, so I started a project that involves knitting around in circles. At least a bucket hat doesn't sit in my lap. I made it from some Red Heart Cotton Twist that Jill sent me (51% cotton, 49% acrylic). Compared to what we call cheap crap here (Panda Magnum to say the least) this is not bad. Ideal for a bucket hat for a toddler, in any case. DH's cousin and his wife had their first baby a year ago, and we will probably see them when we go on holiday, so I whipped up a pale pink bucket hat. Her mother isn't a knitter, and in the toddler/nonknitter mother combination, machine washable acrylic suits me (and them!) fine.
We have a squatter in our garage. The little bugger scared the living shit out of me this morning.

A blue tongued lizard. I opened the garage door this morning, and he had settled himself against it to absorb the heat. So as I rolled up the door, he fell out at my feet. I shrieked out "Shit!" and he ran back in as fast as his little legs would take him. He was back this afternoon as evidenced by the pictures here.
My husband assures me that we want him in there, apparently he eats cockroaches and mice. As long as he knows which part of the house is his, and which part is mine.

I got quite a bit

I got quite a bit done on the Neckdown Pullover last night and today.

As I said before, I have decided to knit the 42" size. However, I was a little concerned that the raglan "seams" seemed to be short, and I was getting more than a little worried that I was going to have to rip it back again and start the 46" size.
I put in a safety line just above the part where you seperate for the sleeves, figuring that I could just keep increasing for a few more rows if I had to. I then persevered until I got to this point (just under the underarms), and tried it on. I am happy to say that my fears were for nought, and all appears to be going swimmingly. I am now up to the part where i just knit and knit around and around, for 20 inches or so. Boredom is already setting in. Maybe it'll be a crop top ;)

Another FO!! DH's socks in

Another FO!!

DH's socks in DK weight yarn. Nice and cozy - I thought about not handing them over, but I'd already told him they were his, damn it ;)
I bought it as a kit from an Australian eBay seller. I believe that the yarn has some mohair in it.
I have begun my Knitting Pure and Simple Neckdown Pullover in Plymouth Cottrica. I'm actually quite pleased with the way the yarn looks when knitted up. However, I cast on for the 46" size, knit a ball and a half, then realised that I had lost weight and really only needed the 42" size. Yay me!
So I have recast on today, and have knitted one ball again.
My beef for today? Comment spam. Hey, if any of you actually want links to texas hold 'em, cheap phentermine, viagra, cheating housewives and the like, let me know and I'll save the comments for you. Does anyone really go to any of those sites, or are the spammers just having fun watching us spend half the day with MT-Blacklist?

I finally bit the bullet

I finally bit the bullet today and inventoried (in a haphazard fashion) the stash. Even I am in awe. I picked up the needles again in roughly August of last year. At that time, I said that I would not stash yarn. I would only buy yarn for each project as I started it.
Not counting sock yarn, I have enough yarn for 27 planned projects. Most big, some small. I also have enough yarn for 25 or so pairs of socks. There are many, many balls of unallocated yarn. This tiny little house contains somewhere in the vicinity of 300 balls of yarn. Actually that is a lie. Emily is developing a healthy stash herself. I am so proud ;) (And I didn't count it!)
That figure doesn't count partial skeins or leftovers. Yes, I said 300. No wonder I can't afford my freakin' holiday. It took me only a year to accumulate it. It also doesn't count the Elann order from yesterday.
My name is Donna and I am a Yarnoholic. Much as it pains me to say it, I am on a yarn diet. I am not going to buy any more yarn. I am not. Not.
Please send gifts of yarn, I'm not allowed to buy any ;)

I am weak. I succumbed.

I am weak. I succumbed.

That's what my Ribby Cardi will be made of. I need another project like I need a hole in the head, but there you have it.
Top Secret Christmas Project number one has been completed tonight. The next one is now on the needles. Sssh :)

Not much knitting going on

Not much knitting going on in these parts.
It was disgustingly hot again yesterday, and while today was cooler, it was a busy day with housework, shopping and the like.
We were out tonight at another of my niece's First Holy Communion which was nice. Emily is at a slumber party - although I seriously doubt that there is much slumbering going on :)
As it has been too hot to knit of late, I did work on this.

I handquilted the ballerina and the edges and details, and did the ruffles and finishing by machine. I'm donating it to the Dance School for a raffle to raise money for the end of year trophies. I did the same last year, and the girls all want one. Including my daughter. Who I am ashamed to admit is still waiting. I'll do it, I swear. As soon as I have some of that free time I hear people talking about!
And I am in the process of telling myself that I do not need to buy enough Highland Wool from Elann to make a Ribby Cardi. I do not. I have enough projects. I have enough yarn. I do not have time or space for any more. I do not need to make a Ribby Cardi.

Another finished object! I enjoyed

Another finished object!

I enjoyed knitting the Flower Basket Shawl. I used Bendigo Wool Mills 2 ply (Laceweight) "Classic" in Rosebud. I had a 200g cone, and used around 120g, but I did 8 of the centre repeats instead of 7. The yarn was doubled, and I had to go up to a 6mm needle to get gauge.
I'm pleased with the finished item. I found the pattern easy to follow once I got into the rhythm, but it did take a while.
Stinking hot here today, we've been sitting in front of the fan sucking down iceblocks and avoiding all wool at all costs! :)
Celia sent me a RAOK today, a gift certificate for Fussy. Lots and lots of nice things over there :) Thanks, Celia!

Well, the Formal gown is

Well, the Formal gown is hemmed, Em's last concert costume is done, one more belt to finish tomorrow, and all the costumes are done before photos start on Monday. I have a little quilted Ballerina cushion that I will donate to the raffle fundraiser at the concert to do, and I can breathe more easily. Well, about the dancing anyway!
I have started some top secret Christmas Knitting, which just seems ridiculous in todays 30C temperatures :)
I also finished one of DH's socks. I could really grow to love socks in DK. Takes around half as long to make as in sock weight.
I finished something else, but it's blocking as we speak, so hopefully I'll have some pretty pictures for you tomorrow. Anticipation, you know ;)
And just because I haven't posted a pic of her for a while, here is a picture of my other baby.

Bunny ambrosia. Are these dandelion flowers? We call them wet-the-beds. In any case, it's like chocolate for bunnies. Well, actually, she has her own special chocolate too, but she loves these weeds. It's my husbands excuse for not mowing the weed patch we call a yard. I'm sure the neighbours think that we're nutty when we go and pick all the weeds in their front yards :)

Look what I got in

Look what I got in the mail today :)

Katy sent this to me as a prize in a competition she had a while back. I love sock yarn!! It is so hard to get in Australia, we can get a few varieties of Opal and some Patonyle, which is the local equivalent of Kroy, I think. I love trying out all the varieties available in the US :)
And on the weekend, I found this -

I had it on my Amazon wishlist, but they insisted that it was out of stock. Who'd have known that I could find in locally? At this time of year, some of the shopping centres set up stalls in the middle of the centre and sell calendars. Usually I get a Polar Bear calendar, but Em spotted this, and grabbed it up for me. It was the only one left. $22.95 locally, but that was fine by me. DH has now asked me to knit a pattern every day. Sure.
I finally realised today that Christmas is less than 6 weeks away. Shit. I have done hardly any shopping, let alone knitting, and we are supposed to be leaving for a holiday we can't afford in 5 weeks, 1 day and 8 hours. Dancing concerts, presentations, rehearsals and photos are taking up a great deal of the next two weeks, the car needs to be serviced, our cable is being upgraded, another of my nieces is having her First Holy Communion this weekend. Emily has a big school dance coming up for the end of Year Six, and I need to adjust her dress.
And I'm sitting here typing ;)

Here, in all it's glory,

Here, in all it's glory, is Em's stripey sweater!

I made myself sit down and seam it this morning, and I didn't move until it was done. It has been received with great enthusiasm, I am pleased to say :)
Knit Happens have just got in some Lorna's Laces in their own very special colourway, which would match this sweater beautifully! I emailed Kristine and asked her how much postage would be for 2 hanks, but I think I better email her back and ask for three - so both Em and I can have socks in it :)
Still working on the Floser Basket shawl, and I cast on some more socks, this time for DH. The yarn came from a local eBay seller, and is a DK weight - and I have to say, it's alot quicker than normal sock yarn! I've already turned the heel on the first one.
Must go, the final episode of Sex And The City is about to start - yes, it's only just playing here in AU.

I'm having a serious case

I'm having a serious case of the blahs. I feel like I have nothing interesting to blog about, I can't get seriously involved in one project. I work a few rows of one thing, then work on something else. I still have two more costumes that need adjusting before next Monday, I have my niece's Formal gown here that needs to be hemmed before Friday. I just can't get motivated to do any of it.
It was extremely windy here yesterday, and I felt a bit edgy, perhaps it's just hanging around a bit. High winds always set me off for some reason.

Finished socks! I finished the Fluted Bannisters, and there is more than 2 weeks for the deadline, Yay me!! :)

I've done six repeats of the Flower Basket Shawl. It still looks very small. I know it's not a huge shawl anyway, and it will block out bigger, but I still think I'll do one or two more repeats than called for.
I blocked the stripey sweater this evening, and I've started seaming it up. I got the sleeves in, now it's just seaming the stripes. Don't let me do stripes again in a hurry :)
Blah, blah.
Oh, and this is my 200th post. Yay!!

I've nearly finished my second

I've nearly finished my second Fluted Bannister sock! Yay!
I'm thinking that instead of starting Butterfly next, I might do a few little things. I'm feeling the need for Finished Objects right now. I've done 4 out of 7 repeats on the Flower Basket Shawl, but it's looking very small. I have plenty of yarn, so I might do 8 or 9 repeats instead.
Hopefully I'll have a FO to share tomorrow!

I finished Em's sweater. Well,

I finished Em's sweater. Well, I finished knitting it. I have yet to block it, seam it and weave in all those bloody ends. Remind me not to do stripes again in a hurry. ;)
I'm sure I'll do it in the next few days, I just don't much feel like it at the moment. I've been doing a few rows on the Flower Basket Shawl, and working on the Fluted Bannister socks.

After receiving all that beautiful sock yarn the other day, I started feeling a little guilty about the sock yarn stash, and decided I'd better do something about it :)
The colour in this picture is way off! The actual colour is much, much brighter :)

First off, I have

First off, I have to say Happy Birthday to my dear DH who turned 30 today! :)
Yes, he's my toy boy ;)

But what a day here at Casa Del Random!
I got a gift in the mail from a lovely lady named Janine. Janine and I had a swap early in the year that resulted in me receiving the beautiful Cherry Tree Hill yarn that is in the midst of becoming my Fluted Bannister socks.

Have a look at that! It's like Santa came early!! :) A lovely card, 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces in Mixed Berries, 2 skeins of Koigu, 2 Hershey bars and a gorgeous pair of hand dyed socks made on Janines sock knitting machine.
Am I lucky and blessed or what? I've been stroking yarn and oohing over the socks all afternoon :) DH's birthday, and I got the gifts!
My Old Rose Lorna's Laces for the Breast Cancer Awareness socks also arrived today from Threadbear.

I'm in sock yarn heaven!

Jill posted the other day

Jill posted the other day about blaming the Internet for her stash woes.
I agree 100%. I never even had a stash before I started looking at knitting sites on the internet. And whilst I've always been a knitter, the availability of yarn, patterns, magazines and the like in Australia has always been limited. So I would knit something every once in a while when the mood took me, or when the craft store actually got in a pattern I liked.
Then I discovered knitting on the 'net. I have projects planned for years to come. I have unallocated yarn stuffed into nooks and crannies over the whole house. Without actually checking the stash, I believe I have sock yarn for around 20 pairs of socks, 5 sweaters for me, 3 summer tops for me, 3 sweaters for Em, 2 ponchos, a sweater for DH, several scarves, and god only knows what else.
Does this stop me?
Good God, no!
Elann is tempting me with the Highland wool. I have the pattern for Rogue. I've had the pattern for some time. I don't have the yarn yet. I adore the Violet Heather, the Brook Blue,the Wisteria and the Lotus Blossom. I put the yarn in the cart, I take it out. I repeat this several times a day. I check to make sure they haven't sold out of the colours I want. I keep going back.
I can't afford more yarn. I don't need more yarn. I certainly don't need any more projects. I have some Jo Sharp Silkroad in a very similar colour to the Violet Heather, so I shouldn't buy it. But that still leaves the other colours.
We're coming into summer here, and thats another good reason not to buy it.
So I should leave it.
Shouldn't I?

This post should have gone

This post should have gone up last night, but I crashed out early!
Here is the current progress on the stripey sweater.

Emily is very pleased with it! I'm knitting the sleeves both at once to avoid second sleeve syndrome.
Our mystery guest arrived. It's DH's birthday on Monday, so his mother came in for a surprise visit for him. She has come 1300km for just one night!

I'm here :) Struggling along,

I'm here :)
Struggling along, but getting better I hope!
Dress Rehearsals finished today, and from 91 costumes, 18 need adjustments, but nothing major. A few hems, a few things run in, that sort of thing. Another week or so, and they'll be all finished. Sorry La, I'm not photographing all 91 costumes, but I'll get some for you :)
I now have to make 2 new solo costumes for Em, but I've got until February or March until she needs them.
I've been a little medicated this week, so I haven't been doing much knitting, mainly sleeping. I'd hoped to have the stripey sweater done by now, but I'm halfway up the sleeves, so it's not far from done.
I have a mystery guest arriving tomorrow for the weekend, so I really needed to clean the house this week. Didn't happen, but it'll do. It'll have to ;)