the coming home options.....

hmmm, its definately time for a visit downunder, it seems and im doing all the necessary research to get a flight...... either in August or December, depending on costs etc...... its really bloddy expensive though - plus ill be paying rent here and there is no pay coming in between july and september........ so need to think carefully about it so i dont bankrupt myself!!

BUT, that means that ill let you know when something is organised and hopefully we can get together while im there...... Aiming for 4-5 weeks at this stage....

Main reasons for aiming for august are beacuse my grandfather is really sick and getting dementia quite badly and id love to see him..... plus James is due to be chrsitened and id like to meet him!!! PLus of course i am really missing my friends and family.... even though Im mostly pretending that all is well (for sanity purposes mainly) its hard and Id love to touch base with some "real" people again!

thanks for being real!!

ok, thats all for his post - one more to come!

proud aunty update #342

well, sadly i have no electronic pics of james willow, but time is a´passin and he can now hold his head straight and sit up - apparently!!! He doesnt look so big in the pics but bigger than JS at this age so I think Ill have body guards for nephews soon enough!

Also Snowy has been doing a bit of crafting himself and is drawing hin family..... aunty kel kel got a look-in too - I was four lines and a dot, but it sounds perfect...... mainly becaue the lines were curvy!!!

thats all.......

ps. can you tell i miss them??

Back to Dear Kel

Shaz, thanks for the kick up the pants I'm here now to attempt a post. I don't have much to say though -I've got a cold and I've got no energy but I'm OK.

Kel I was wondering what you thought about me giving you a few preggers updates via this blog? I don't really want to turn SadieandLance into a baby blog but figured you might like some updates via here seeing as you're always asking us to tell u what we're up to? What do the rest of you think?

While you ponder it here's me and Sam baking. He was very excited to help. He very dilligently sprinkled the crumble on the top of the raspberry yoghurt crumble cake that 'we' made. It was fun and for just a brief few minutes I jumped up the popularity list over Uncle Matt and Gang Gang (Grandpa).


It was of course short lived, but I enjoyed my temporary status!

Shazmina's "Other" Blog

Just a quick update.

Dont Faint.

I finished ANOTHER project on the weekend.

AND it has a new home with AL.

Payment for a Jumper Al knittted and gave to me.

Project: Quick Knit Jacket from Jo Sharp Knit 3. Yarn Lambs Pride, Chianti

Shazmina's On A Roll!!

And I am on Fire, metaphorically speaking!!

Got some new yarn, not sure what I will do with some of it, and some of it is already lined up for a project. Lambs Pride worsted, colours are creme, sable, roated coffee (reddish brown) and chianti.

Got some completer action happening. Welcome to the Clap(otis).

And finally the Forest Canopy Shawl was completed, and photographed RS up!! Just got to send it to Mum.


What have you been up to??

Here I am, again

And again I say, where the bloody hell are you people??

hey hey hey

hey shaz and chicas...... I read this every few days... but adly due to a total lack of craftiness I am unable to post..... BUT i have just received knitted slippers from Rubens mum (!!!!) so I can photograph these little beauties and post..... let me just figure out all the techo bits involved...

Just read your little piece on your blog and totally agree...... you deserve such a fella..... then it made me realise that so many of my friends have wonderful fellas and that they are very lucky/clever!!! WELL DONE LADEES!!!

Now, how was the celebration of the nation - B´´s birthday???? I have been stalking her with phone calls but not able to make any kind of human connection - although her answering machine and i are on good terms.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHICA GUAPA!!!!! (again...)

Going to pick up mum from the airport today......ooooooooooooooooo........ will be strange and exciting to have her here..... will update as the holiday unfolds. We leave Madrid on Wed for a driving tour of Portugal and southern Spain - two ladees in a manual car on the wrong side of the road...... brace yourselves.....

So that means twoweeks of leisure and no work - hooray!!

Love to you all ad POST (like shaz said) I want to hear your REAL goss (ie. the non-crafty stuff)

love Kel

Where the Bloody Hell are you??

No seriously, where?? OCC? BrownPants? Sadie and Lance? And when was the last time Kel posted on here??

So here I am, the person with the most severe case of ADCD, and only I am posting. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE PEOPLE!

POST.
NOW!
I DARE YOU!
YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! ;)


ps this is part of a surprise I am working on. secret Squirrell stuff!

OOOHHH LA LA!

I finished a project! Check out my Beret!!

Be Careful What You Wish for

Just a quick one. Here is a picture of the quilt Mrs Mc made for sister. Sister wanted a Kombi, so sister got a Kombi!Better be careful what you wish for!

I am off Biscuits!

Hard to believe I know! I find they don't go well with braces. Yup folks that is right I am now the proud owner (for the next 12 months) of braces. Thankfully they are only on my bottom teeth, but still they are a little challenging. I am not used to having to think so much about what I can eat. And I am not used to eating slowly. And I am especially not used to stopping mid meal because I am bored with eating. What is that about??

On a good note I have lost a couple of kilos, which is good for my cholesterol. And I am eating healthy food. Again, what is THAT about! Although I have discovered a new found/remembered love of ice cream!!

So what are on my sticks?

• Well I am still finishing off the shawl for my Mum. I am EXACTLY 4 rows from finishing. I nearly finished it while visiting my parents but had to frog it due to a huge mistake made in row 1 of the edging. Unfrickingbelievable! IT'S FINISHED!!!!
• Jo Sharp Cardigan for my Mum. This one is a birthday present.
• Headband for Al. Made a couple for sister, will post picks soon.
• And finally, I have yet to cast on a cardi for myself. It is from here, and will be made in a grey tweed colour. Love it love it love it!
• I also have two secret squirrel Birthday presents. Not of the knitting kind, something a bit different, noice, unusual! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
  

Bali

Howdy Peeps, we're back!

Had a fabulous time in Bali, a week's a pretty good time period for a holiday there I reckon. Didn't get much of a chance to sit next to the pool drinking Gin and Tonic though. Apparently JD doesn't go on holiday to look at the inside of hotel rooms. I know, his argument is so screwed up. It wasn't a hotel. And if you're next to the pool then you're not inside the room anyway. Der him. Anyway, he's not coming next time. And I still got to drink the Gin and Tonic.

Brief photo tour? No worries

The view from out little porch where we sat and had breakfast everyday (how fricken good are banana pancakes? ho my god). I read here when I was allowed in for the afternoon too. Lovely.


Walking through rice paddies to temples. I like that these things are called 'rice terraces'. They do steep the same way as some of the terraces in the back of newtown.


And we spent most of our days with these things. I hate monkeys. Really, really don't like being around them. JD, on the other hand, adores them. (Don't be deceived by the photo. Nasty, vicious things they are!

This lot weren't too bad, I guess. Although I prefer the photo to the real thing.

And this, for you Kel, was our room door. Now why you wouldn't want to look at this I don't know...

Stuff

There hasn't been an update for a while so I thought a general one was in order. Here's what I've been up to:

Going to the zoo


Going on the Puffin Billy




Baking cake (raspberry yoghurt crumble cake)


And squeezing in the smallest amount of time to make my 15 gifts for the blog meet up yesterday

Sockalicious!

I have been trying to post about these little beauties since I recieved them last year. So here they are, socks a la OCC!!
Isnt she clever! the yarn is Lorna's Laces, but I am not sure what the colour is called (they are rainbow coloured!).

Lookey here

I'm knitting socks!



I'm just on the easiest bit for now - which is probably why I'm having so much fun. I'll report back in when I'm on the heel flap.

My projects for 2007

Well, it is a new year and this year I decided to organise the patterns I want to try.

First up, and keep this quiet because it is for my Mum's birthday, is the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl.

In the always lovely Lorna's Laces, Vera this time. BrownPants and Shazmina Bendi have been whipping these up and I know my mum is going to love it.




Next up is one for me. Actually, the rest of my projects are for me. After a spurt of knitting for birthday and Christmas presents, I'm going to get around to those projects I have wanted to do for myself for months.

Jo Sharp Beret. I knit this for my sister and fell in love, so decided to knit myself one. I'm going to use the Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran cotton in Onyx.

Jo Sharp Sweater. I fell in love with this pattern the first time I flicked through Shazmina Bendi's Knit book. It's the reason I bought the book myself! I love the way the Desert Garden Aran knits up! I was a bit scared about taking on a grown-up item of clothing, but kniiting with this yarn is making it a joy. My progress so far...




Stitch 'n Bitch cardigan. This is another one I fell in love with straight away - over two years ago now! How long it has taken me to get the confidence to take on an adult size piece of clothing. I am still a little intimidated as it is on 3mm needles, but I am determined. It will be a long term project.

So these are my top projects for 2007. I'm sure a few other things will slip in, and I have a few things on the needles at the moment that I have to get finished (including the second of my boudoir booties), but I have put these patterns out there now so I stay on track.

I'll keep you posted...

My mum stole my socks

Despite a 40 degree day I finished the socks.


Things I learnt:

1. It is a popular misconception that socks naturally occur in pairs. They don't. At all. The pairing process is a long and painful one.

2. Do not knit socks in front of your mum if she has the same shoe size as you. She will take this moment to recall all of the times she didn't get to wear the shoes she purchased based on your logic that since you had the same shoe size you could share them. Then she will steal the socks as some form of compensation and before you know it you're sockless again.

3. When you cast on your own compensation socks (or socks number 2) you will realise that magic loop is much easier for sock knitting than double points.

p.s. these are mum's shaved, tanned legs. Just in case any of you thought I had gone mad with sock grief.

I really need that Cabana boy

You know I was thinking last night, as I drifted off to sleep, that I really need a live in man maid!

After getting home from work and
1. Sitting down with a cold, non alcoholic drink (the fridge was bare!).
2. Then getting up and feeding Princess Meena,
3. Then feeding her again because you know there is a vast difference between Fishermans Basket Snappy Tom (she hates it) and Seafood Platter (she loves it)
4. Then watching Neighbours (yes, I watch it and I like it!)
5. The making my dinner
6. Then putting on a load of washing
7. Then washing up
8. Then having shower
9. Then trying unsuccessfully for an hour to get Princess Meena inside for Sleeps.
10. Then Finally going to bed.

I didnt have any bloody time to knit

AGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Cape bleugh

I've been complaining about the increase sections in the cape i'm making at the moment but haven't been able to explain it properly. This is what I'm talking about:


You basically turn your work every so many number of rows to get it to flare towards the bottom. Problem is it leaves these dent-type stitches through it. I don't know if I like that, it looks a little sloppy.

But then I look at it from a reasonable distance as a whole and it seems to look OK.


But the I see the collar, which is even worse.


There must be a better way to increase stitches without leaving such messy spots. I just don't know it.

If the sock fits

You better make two (sorry for the crappy photo, I was too excited to wait).

Hoorah for losing sock virginity!