How is it that I

How is it that I can finish all those projects last week, and this week I cannot even start one?
I took the woolease yesterday, and attempted to cast on a hat for my DH. The first hat, I couldn't get gauge so I picked another pattern, and tried to cast on. I twisted the cast on four times.
Four times. It's on the needles and straight now, but last night I was mightily frustrated. The woolease ain't so bad, either. If you US people could try Panda Magnum, you'd know what bad Ack-rylic really is like ;)

Another finished item! Em's Plain

Another finished item!

Em's Plain Pink Cardi.
I'm very pleased with this and Emily is too. I used Anne Budd's Sweater book, and it was Easy-Peasy-Japanesey as Em is so fond of saying. The Nundle wool knitted up beautifully, and is lovely and soft. Very rustic, full of Lanolin and vegetable matter. I did a full wet block in wool wash, and the end product is nice and soft, with little itch factor. A very lofty yarn, just yum. I can see this yarn in my future!
The cardi is big enough to have some growing room, but not so big that it looks sloppy.
So that was finishing week. Hooray, new projects! :)
The Lacy Poncho for Em is definitely going on the needles, but I need to downsize it a little, because she is quite small. And she is insisting on fringe. I have some woolease that Jill sent me to try, I might make DH a hat. And I need to finish Em's Pink beads sock.
Look at me, Ma! Stashbusting! ;)

Wow, what a bunch of

Wow, what a bunch of lovely people you all are :)
Anytime I need an ego boost, I'll just go back and read yesterdays comments!

Next up in Finishing Week - six sox Stashbuster Spirals Socks. (Try saying that five times fast.

This wasn't the finished project that I planned to show today, but I forgot to take a picture of the planned presentation. And the model is at school.
I enjoyed these socks. Elann Sock It To Me yarn, was cream but I dyed it with some Landscapes dyes. As Evelyn picked up when I showed them a few weeks back, they'll match my Clapotis :) The colours are nice and bright, but the blue just doesn't photograph well.
I now have nothing on the needles. I do still have to make the second of Emily's beaded socks. But what next? I think I'll swatch for the Lacy Poncho and finally get started on that.
We're having gorgeous weather this week, although it's starting to get a bit hot again. We're heading for a maximum temperature off 33C (91F) today.
Twink likes to keep an eye on the weather.

Guard bunny! :)

This week is finishing week

This week is finishing week :)

Keep in mind that I detest having my picture taken. No matter what I do, I look like a twit.
I'm happy with my Ribby, and I enjoyed knitting it, but I was very surprised to realise that I could have gone down a size. I've lost a goodly bit of weight since August, and obviously I'm not used to the idea. I made the 40/41, and was surprised that I could make that size, and it now turns out that I think the 38/39 would have been a better choice.
No matter, I'm still happy with it. I went with the darker zip in the end , because the "tone" of the colour matched better than the lighter one. Up close, anyway, but I don't think many people are getting that close to my zipper :)
I have other finished things to show (No, no Charlotte!), but not today :) The only thing currently on the needles is my six sox Stashbuster sock. I feel so accomplished ;)
Katy tagged me with the TV meme, so here goes.

1. How much space is left on your TiVo or Comcast box?
Funnily enough, we didn't have TiVo in Australia up until now, but we have been eagerly awaiting it. Just this week, Australia's major cable company, Foxtel, is launching Foxtel IQ, which is TiVo, more or less. We only got the brochure the day before yesterday, and were very sad to discover that is cost $495 to install. Won't be happening in this house anytime soon! DH is of the opinion that after the first year or so, the cost will come down. I certainly hope so.

2. Have you ever bought a DVD of a TV series and, if so, which one?
Kath and Kim series one! It's an Australian comedy series which I love. I believe it's being exported now, but the comedy may not be so apparent to non-Aussies.
I would like to get Sex and The City, but it's just hit cable here, and the reruns are showing about 8 times a day, so that is fulfilling for now :) I'd also like to get The X-Files DVD's. I have all the episodes on VHS, so it's not a priority.

3. What was the last TV show you watched before reading this message?
Last thing I watched last night was "Real Crime". I have a fondness for crime TV too :)

4. List five TV shows you won't miss..
Sex And The City was one. I'm bummed that it's over, but I get to see plenty of reruns right now.
Rove Live, a local talk show in the vein of Letterman or Leno.
Desperate Housewives started a few weeks ago, and I'm enjoying that.
I like Law and Order SVU, but I don't always get to watch it.
Oprah. Sad, I know, but I love her. I love to watch the episodes when she's doing things for deserving people. She's on here from 2 - 3 in the afternoon, and I used to always miss the last 15 minutes when I had to go get Em from school. Now Em finishes school at 3.20pm, so I get to see all of Oprah. :)

5. Name three people -- pass the stick.
Must I?

We had a baby Kookaburra in the tree out the back yesterday afternoon, and it was squawking it's little head off at the Myna birds. It kept us amused for a good 15 minutes, so I took a pic for you all. Not a very good shot, I'm afraid, but he was cute :)

I can really blather on, can't I? ;)

Ta-da!! I've actually done

Ta-da!!
I've actually done the crochet around the edge, too. Me, crochet! But I stuffed it up ;) The pattern calls for a row of Double Crochet around the edge, and I did Single Crochet. But it's close enough. I just followed the directions in the back of the magazine.
Hmm, maybe I should do the crochet edging on Charlotte, who is still waiting patiently. Maybe.

I also basted the zipper into Ribby, and I intend to sew that in today. Maybe I'll have a finishing week. But only if I get off my butt and stop wasting time. I've spent most of the morning surfing eBay and chatting to an old friend on ICQ. And I don't have the knack of knitting while I surf yet :)

Yes, it was an earflap

Yes, it was an earflap :)

And now you see an almost hat! The back is not tidy, and I just can't do twohanded knitting. I've used Peruvian Highland wool on 4mm circs. It'll be nice and warm. Possibly too warm for Sydney. I tried to tell Em I'd keep this one and I'll make her another, but she wouldn't agree. Brat. ;)
Still, I'm not sure if I am up to Fair Isle with lots of colours and at 28sts/4". But I'll give it a try.
It's Monday, and Monday is cleaning day. Better get it over and done with I guess. I think I'll block the Plain Pink Cardi, too.

Here's the scarf I mentioned

Here's the scarf I mentioned yesterday.

I just a scarf, nothing exciting. The yarn is a new one (to me, at least!). It's by a yarn company called "Fiddlesticks" and the yarn is called "Bounce". I couldn't find it anywhere on the 'net, but the lady at Spotlight told me it's a new yarn that is made in Romania. It's a dirt cheap acrylic/wool/mohair blend. Only $2.50 a ball. I got three balls, and I think I'll have leftovers. I just cast on 20 sts on 6mm needles, and am doing a K2, P2 rib. I'm liking the way it's coming out.
Here's a closeup.

The loopy bits are a bit fiddly, getting caught around the needles, but it's not too bad.
Oh, and guess what I started?

I'm going to knit all afternoon, and you'll see more tomorrow! (But no-one's going to see the back ;)

Glory Hallelujah! The endless sleeves

Glory Hallelujah!
The endless sleeves are done :)

Here they are in all their unblocked curling glory. Hoo-bloody-ray!
Now I just need to block the whole thing and sew in the sleeves and the side seams, and it's done.
I haven't actually been working on this cardi for all that long, but it felt like forever.
What's next?
hmm. I think it will be ChicKnits Lacy Poncho for Em. Downsized a bit, and I believe that she wants fringing. I try not to have more than 3 projects on the go at once. I've had the stashbuster spiral socks, the cardi and a simple scarf going. I haven't shown the scarf, because it's really pretty boring. I'm using a new boucle blend yarn that I picked up in Spotlight a few weeks ago. I may take a pic tomorrow.
The scarf is my "car knitting". When I'm at school in the afternoon waiting for Em, I take it out and do a few rows, or I take it in when I'm waiting for her at dancing.
I'm getting pretty excited about learning Fair Isle. I'm still not sure that I have the patience for it, but I'd like to start with a hat. The Bea Ellis ones that Sue mentioned in my comments yesterday look pretty nice, and not too difficult. (Famous last words!). And no steeking is a bonus :)
Of course, it has to wait until after Easter, becaue of the Lent yarn fast. I do have some Peruvian Highland wool here to start the Earflap hat for Em. Maybe that will be next instead of the poncho :)

Let's talk about socks baby!

Let's talk about socks baby!
(apologies to Salt 'n Pepa)
The first Stashbuster spiral is done :)

Changing the colours is enough to keep it from being a boring old stockinette sock, and makes the knitting seem faster. I've started the second one, but haven't got far yet.
For any of the Aussie sock knitters out there, Lisa has started a Yahoo group called Sockmonsters. It's a group aimed at Australian sock knitters. :)

Em's cardigan continues. I've reached that stage of the sleeve where it just doesn't seem to grow no matter how much knitting you do. I measured it last night, it had 3 inches to go, I knit about 50 rows ;) and I still had 2 and a half inches to go.

The plain knitting must really be eating at me - I'm considering a Fair Isle sweater for DH. I've never knit Fair Isle. Haven't a clue how to strand the yarns, no idea what is beginner Fair Isle (is there any such thing?) and what isn't, and I don't know where to go for a good kit at a good price. Steeks scare me. Perhaps I should start with a hat or somesuch. Ease myself into it. That way, if I stuff it up, it isn't such a big deal ;)
Let me know if you know a good beginners kit, or some other good place to start.

I've done very little knitting

I've done very little knitting - In fact I've done very little of anything. I've been laid up with a migraine since Sunday.
I am prone to migraines, although I've not had one for ages. Unfortunately, when I do get one, I feel ill, I need to sleep and it affects my vision, making it hard to knit, sew or do much of anything.
Feeling much better today, though :)
Valentines Day was nice, although we don't tend to make a big deal out of it. DH bought me a lovely single red rose, and I baked a heart shaped cake, and iced it in pink.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that it is a Big Deal for me to bake a cake ;)
Plugging along on Em's cardi sleeves. I'm totally over this project, and will be extremely glad when it is done. The first stashbuster spiral sock is nearly done.
No plain stockinette for a while after these projects, I think :)

When I went back to

When I went back to Spotlight the other day to see what was left in the discounted yarns, I took Emily with me. I've turned her into a yarn snob. There was some pretty pale blue boucle yarn. Yes, it looked very pretty. She picked it up, dropped it immediately and yelped "It feels like acrylic!"

The rainbow lorikeets are screeching, the sky is gray and gloomy. The housework is calling.
I'd rather knit!

In an attempt to break

In an attempt to break up the monotony of the endless stockinette in Em's cardi, I cast on for a stockinette sock ;)

The sixsox Stashbuster Spiral sock. Admittedly, I'm not stash busting :) I'm happy with it so far, it's relatively easy, and I like toe-up socks. In fact, I had never knit a sock cuff down until the first sock in the knitalong. And I love the colours :)
I'm ready to start the heel now, which will be pink.
Guess what? Guess what?
We're moving to a new host, so the server go-slow problems will hopefully be eradicated. And we get an extra domain name with the new host, so I'm getting my own domain name!
I've been piggybacking on DH's domain since I started blogging, because I don't think he thought I'd stick to it, but I will be moving to http://randomknits.net/ Not sure when yet, DH takes care of all that stuff.
It's like moving out of home on your own, isn't it? ;)
So apparently we might be down for a few days sometime soon, but if we are, I'll let you all know. :)

Can you see me doing

Can you see me doing a Happy Dance? :)

Wendy from Catknits sent me a Gift Certificate to Elann, so I can get some sock yarn. That doesn't count as yarn buying does it? It's a gift :)
Perhaps I should just hang on to it, and keep an eye on the stock at Elann, and if the stock goes low, order it, and if it doesn't, I can order it on Easter Sunday. As if it'll last that long ;)
Thankyou, Wendy!!

So I think we're due for some updates. DH's weight. Well, it seems that I may have been overreacting. Although we have only been watching his weight for 2 weeks, his weight has remained pretty steady. It goes up a little and goes down a little, but it's generally staying around the same figure. I even went out and bought some scales so that he is using the same scales every time. But I'm still making him watch it until the end of the month. Thank you everyone for all your support, it really meant a lot to me :)

Knitting!
Em's cardigan was travelling along well. Was.

I got this far, and I only had 80g of yarn left. Not nearly enough for sleeves. So I rung up Nundle Wool Mill on Monday and ordered 2 more balls. They arrived yesterday, and they seem to match pretty well. There was no dyelot on the cone to match, but these look alright. I will knit the sleeves in 2 rows of wool from the cone, and 2 rows from the new balls, to minimise any shade differences.
Happy Friday!

Okay, which smartarse went and

Okay, which smartarse went and told Elann that I was giving up buying yarn for Lent?
Someone must have. Because today, the very first day of Lent, they put the Sock It To Me Collection Esprit back up.
It has been sent to test me, surely.
There had better be some left on Easter Sunday, I'm warning you all now ;)

First of all, to anyone

First of all, to anyone who tried to leave a comment yesterday and had trouble, I sincerely apologise. It appears that the server that hosts the site goes off on a tea break late in the day (AU time)
I knew it got slow, which is why I started blogging in the mornings, but it's getting worse. DH is looking about for a solution or a better host.

The vast majority of people voted for E. I was leaning toward E, too.
Then I took the advice that some of you left, and I put the zips in the cardi.

Now that I've done it like that, I think I like the light one better. I'm going to leave it for a few days and keep looking at them until I decide. I prefer the way the light one looks in the body of the sweater, but I like the way the dark one looks with both colours. Decisions, decisions!

Just after I blogged yesterday, I had a minidrama. The sort of one that I excel in :)
I went out to the kitchen, and on of these was in my back door. Inside the house. Nearly 2 inches long. A bloody wasp.

Panic? Me? Of course! I rang DH who works in the city, an hour and a half train trip away. I'm sucking in air, gasping and about ready to faint, and of course he can't do a thing from there. I had no insect spray, and even if I had, I'm too scared to spray them. What if it attacks me? He told me to ring my Mum.
I love my Mum :)
Luckily she only lives 3 doors up. Technically anyway. We both live in villas, I'm not sure what you guys call them in the US. There are 20 similar small houses, all on the same block (Like a single level apartment, I guess) I live in one block of villas, Mum lives in a block of villas further up the street. So I rang her (At this point I'm standing on the front porch, barely able to talk - thank heavens I have a cordless phone!) and she came down, armed with insect spray and a little net from her fishtank. Of course, by the time she arrived, we had no idea where it had gone. It was right behind me. But Mum saved me :)
I know, I'm pathetic. I can't help it. Anything like that, or one of them eight legged things, and I have a panic attack. Ironically, the wasp kills the eight legged things, so I should worship it. Not happening.
Em reminded me that today is the first day of Lent. She wants to give up homework. DH and I both asked her to give up whining ;)
I'm giving up yarn buying. I've never stuck to the yarn diet before, but surely even I can manage 40 days. I hope ;)

The baby outfit is done!

The baby outfit is done!

I'm pleased with it, but the sleeves look a little short to me. Still, I haven't been around a newborn for a long time, so it's probably fine.
My zippers arrived! However none of them are exactly right. So here is where you all help me :)

I'm leaning towards C or B. Help me decide. I think I like C better, but I'm not sure. Last night E looked all wrong, but today it doesn't look too bad!
Just email me, (addy over there -->) or leave me a comment.
DH found this story on an Australian news site today.
I can think of worse ways to spend my twilight years :)

I haven't started my Stashbusters

I haven't started my Stashbusters socks. Fickle me.
I haven't started Em's earflap hat. Yeah, yeah, fickle me.
I haven't finished Em's cardigan. Say it with me everyone!!
Fickle, fickle, me.
When I went to Spotlight the other day, I picked up some Cleckheaton Merino Bambino and Patons Dreamtime baby yarn, 100% wool, machine washable and gorgeously soft and lovely to knit with. And only $1 a ball. I went back yesterday and got some more :)
DH has a friend at work whose wife had a baby boy 2 or 3 weeks ago, who was very premature. 9 weeks early, in fact.
So I also picked up this pattern book, which has preemie sizes in it.

Too cute!
And now I'm remembering why I like to knit baby clothes!

I started this on Friday night and it's now Sunday morning, and I'm up to blocking and seaming. If only all my knits were this quick!
Here's the sweater back with my hand on it for perspective.

He's only a bit over 3 pounds, so I think it'll still be too big! A nice easy knit, though. All my family is finished with babies, now :(

When we had the tree in our backyarn cut down a month or so ago, the guy said someone would come to pick up all the wood. Well, a month later it's still here. Twinky thinks it is her mountain.

I'm sure the neighbours get a giggle out of me yelling "Get down off there! Those logs will move and you'll be hurt, you silly girl!" And when we get rain, I'm always calling out "Twinky! You wipe your paws before you come back in the house!"
I wonder if they'll let me take my knitting when they call up the men in the little white coats? ;)

It seems that I have

It seems that I have been tagged!
Wendy from Catknits tagged me, so here goes.

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
644 files, 2.7GB. There used to be way more, but my DH and my hardrive has a miscommunication. DH was reformatting my HD, and he backed up the drive then wiped it.
Then he realised that he had wipedthe wrong bloody one. I lost the whole lot, and am still getting htem all back up.

2. What was the last CD you bought?
Just before christmas I bought the "Cats" soundtrack for Emily, and Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls" for me.

3. What was the last song you listened to before reading this message?
Sarah McLachlan "Angel" Emily has a group dance to this song. I've only recently discovered Sarah.

4. List 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
Hmmm... "A Little Ray of Sunshine" Corny!! When I was pregnant, I insisted that I was having a girl, would not even listen to the idea that the baby might be a boy. I just knew she was a girl. I also knew I was pregnant, even before I had missed period. When we arrived at the hospital in the middle of the night, we entered the labour ward, and the nurse turned the radio on, and the first song that came on was "A Little Ray of Sunshine". True story.
"When Somebody Loved Me" Sarah McLachlan. Jessie's song from Toy Story 2. When I took Emily to see Toy Story 2 this song made me cry. We were in a movie theatre surrounded by little kiddies and I was crying.
"Into My Arms" by Nick Cave. Good Lord I listen to depressing music! Just love it, maybe sad songs speak to me more.
"Swan Lake" The whole thing, I just love it.
I can't think of any more specific favourites or special songs.
We listen to a lot of music, and an eclectic selection. Emily's dancing involves all sorts of different music. She quite often plays classical pieces. And alot of current pop, Hilary Duff and the like, and musicals like Cats and Chicago. DH listens to The Cure, Nirvana, Powderfinger, The Vines. I listen to anything from the 80's, classical, Kylie Minogue, Prince, Duran Duran, Kasey Chambers. You never know what music will be on here.

5. To whom will you pass the stick and why? Jill, if she's reading, just to make her post ;)
Katy, I haven't seen hers yet, although I know she's busy.
Nathania, who I don't think has done it yet, either.
Tag, Ladies!

Ta-Da!! It's not entirely accurate,

Ta-Da!!

It's not entirely accurate, colourwise, but it's close.
Won't I have nice bright feet? :)
I was wandering around the shopping centre this morning, and headed into Target for a look. They had some cute girls ponchos in there. Being 6 months behind the seasons in the USA, we tend to be 6 months behind the styles, too. The poncho I know Em would want was a pink square, maybe 50cm (20") square, in a lace pattern, with a hole in the middle. And it was nearly $30.
I'll bet they sell like hotcakes.
Spotlight was busy, I wandered in looking for some elastic, and noticed that the discontinued yarns which had been marked down to $2 a ball were now $1 a ball. I grabbed some blue and some cream baby yarn, and some floofy crap that Em drools over every time we're in there. She'll get another fluffy scarf. This stuff is recommended to be used with 9mm needles. At least it's 30% wool, not entirely acrylic :)

Would you like bread

Would you like bread with that? ;)
Seriously, this is as close as I get to baking. My DH is a far, far better cook than I. The thing i do best in the kitchen is eat. And dye.
The newest sock in the Six Sox knitalong is a stashbuster sock that calls for leftovers of at least three different sock yarns in solids.
I don't have sock yarn solids leftovers. I recently bought 3 colours of solid sock yarn from elann, but I bought enough for pairs. So I took the two balls of cream that I bought, and I'm dyeing 'em. Conveniently enough, I have 3 colours in the Landscapes dyes that I bought to dye the yarn for Clapotis. So today is messy in the kitchen day :)
The weather is much cooler today, although I must admit I have been distracted from my knitting lately. I got some books I ordered on Tuesday, and one was a Romantic Fantasy book from an author I very much enjoy, Anne Bishop.
I used to be a much more avid reader than I am now. Now I don't make enough time for it, and I tend to read when I fall into bed at night, usually falling asleep after a page or two.
I prefer fantasy, and horror, with my favourites being Anne Rice, Stephen King, early Raymond Feist, Anne McCaffrey and the like.
But I really like Anne Bishop. The newest release is called "Dreams Made Flesh" and is a trilogy of novellas related to an earlier trilogy she had written, the Black Jewels Trilogy. Romantic fantasy indeed. I finished the book in 2 days, and am feeling very sleep deprived.
Long time since I finished a book in two days :)

Just a quick post today.

Just a quick post today. This getting up early to get the kid off to school is wearing me out, LOL!
I've gotten so used to sleeping in that it's hard to get used to early mornings again :)
A very lovely lady named Amy, who lives in Michigan sent me a Lizzie McGuire pattern that I was unable to get from eBay. Em loves it, and wants me to make the dress ASAP. However, I have a top and pants cut out already from another Lizzie pattern that I really should sew up first.
Nat sent me a few balls of Hot Pink Nundle wool that she had. I really like this stuff. I may even consider it for a Must Have Cardi later. I'm making Em's plain cardigan from it, and it's lovely to knit with. It's supposed to be an 8ply or DK weight, but I'm knitting it at 20sts/4", and I'm pleased with the fabric.
The plain cardi continues, even though the weather has been hot. I've completed the back, and am now maybe a third of the way up the fronts. The stockinette is boring, but it's nice to do in front of the TV. :)
Emily would like me to knit this for her next.

I ordered a ball of Natural Peruvian and another ball of Eggplant, and I have plenty of Wisteria left, so it will be in shades of purple. This is a free pattern, available from Ozyarn. Cute, and I'll knit it for her, but I'll bet she never wears it!