Happy Birthday Fresh Tea

Well This blog is coming a little late as Fresh Tea's birthday was before Christmas, not after. After much indecision I became a bit like a possum in headlights, so all I came up with, that I had time to do, was this.

With the assistance of MOTH The tin was located. (Ideal I thought to house some of Fresh Tea's Growing collection of Buttons) Then came Making the Fudge.

Anyone else (with good sense) would have used a recipe that was tried and tested. Not me. Fortunately it really was a fail safe recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson. SO the Chocolate Pistachio Fudge turned out.

Now to the knitting. I have finished my sisters caplet. And although it was cast off before Christmas I am still looking for the perfect button or pin to complete it.

I can hear the havoc in the background peaking so best I go and be a good Mummy and supervise, negotiate, and most of all referee!!

Disasters, Disasters Everywhere

All I can say is "thank goodness Fresh Tea is so kind" She has had a full time job fixing my whoopsies. I have had problems even with the simplest of patterns. Great haste and no care, or at least no concentration is to blame. Of course that all comes with knitting amongst havoc. The unshapped shrug is finally finished after fresh tea helped me pick up the stitches on both sides that I had tried to do repeatedly myself and failed to get close to achieving in the right number. Got there in the end whew!! Sorry the picture is a bit blurred, I will replace it when I can get a better one.

Then came the ribbed lace bolero. Now this was going great, was being the key word! One whoopsie and a bit of help dropping stitches from miss 2.5 and Fresh Tea came kindly to the rescue. AGAIN. I feel quite high maintenance.

Well With LOTS of Help from Fresh Tea all disasters were fixed and the gifts were ready to go for Mrs R and Mrs J who have helped me get master 4 to kindy through the year.

Now comes the stressful decision as to what to do for Fresh Tea for her birthday when my time is going fast and she has been so kind and deserves so much!!

Knitting needles need a home; a place to call thier own!

Did you know knitting needles have many uses beyond knitting?
The trio have come up with a few favourites.
They can be used for sword fighting (big two) or as drumsticks (little one).

So in an attempt to keep them whole (the sticks that is) I have a need for a case for them.

To purchase such an item would be no fun at all.
Where is the challenge in that?

No, I have decided to make one, amongst the havoc!
I have high hopes.

First I found a site with 30 free patterns, to go there click here.

I chose Alexandra's needle case.
It looked big enough to house my growing collection.

Next I went to Spotlight and thanks to MOTH who took the kids for 1/2 hour, had a blissful time admiring all the fabrics.
My only problem that I have the attention span of a flea, so finding something that I thought I would like for a long time took some deciding.
Here is my selection.

I used 1/2meter of the striped and natural coloured fabric and 1 meter of the red. They are all cottons so the biggest thing has been keeping the creases out.
If I were to do it again I would pick fabrics that were a more crease resistant.

I cut my pattern out of a newspaper, cut out all the fabric, and began sewing.
It has been along time since I have had the machine out.
I tried to sew my binding strips on straight so went very slow.
BIG mistake.
For the first time my sewing was a bit on the wobbly side.

It would seem there is good reason to put your foot to the flaw on the machine accelerator like a mad woman, like I normally do.
Fortunately due to demanding Children I decided I had no time to waste, put my foot down and my sewing improved.

So here is my creation.

Spotty Sticks and Crazy Yarn are calling!

Do you hear your yarn calling to you?
Wanting to be created into something beautiful and useful?
Your Knitting needles begging to be picked up and put to use?

Mine do.

The sign of a true addiction?
Yes probably.
Oh well, some things you just have to give yourself over to.

How it all began for me just a few months ago was a dormant ability to knit and purl and no family members able to knit things for the trio of children.
I had enviously admired friends children adorned in various home knits.

It was while talking to Fresh Tea (also responsible for helping create new blogging addiction, thank you) whom I have known for years, knew to be talented at crafts, I realised she could knit.
Really knit!
Following patterns and everything.
I was excited, maybe she could help put my dormant ability to use?
She very kindly offered (or did I Beg?) to teach me how to read patterns and show me how to do all the other things needed to create a garment.
I was overcome with excitement.

After receiving an email of a couple of patterns to try my ability out on, I rushed out to buy required knitting needles and Yarn.
I had cast on, done a test gauge - and then began my first project - all before making it to the phone to discuss with Fresh Tea!

And so it began my first success.
The Debbie Bliss Pattern, Ribbon tied Baby Jacket (with a button!)

MOTH has resigned himself to neglected housework and the gentle click of knitting needles as he watches his favourite programmes.
AAHH bliss.

So with spotty sticks and crazy yarn calling, the need to find the perfect project for them is taking over my mind - I am thinking Lapghan.
So off to knitting pattern central I go.

Busy Weekends

Weekends are always busy.

MOTH (man of the house) has only Saturday off and with so much to do around the house, time without being harassed by the trio of children is impossible.

This is making knitting progress far slower than I would like.

I want all my current projects finished yesterday, so that I can start all the new projects I keep finding and desperately wanting to create, today.

Today, Sunday in NZ, I am trying to focus on the sleeves to master 4's Stripped Jersey.

Progress has been slow due to lack of Cooperation.

Miss 1 has resisted her cot for her morning sleep.

Miss 2.5 and master 4, when they are not hurting each other, mostly accidentally, are demanding attention for food, stories and toileting (miss 2.5 new thing).

I don't want to be called mummy or mum today, I have heard it every 5 sec since I got up.

Yesterday MOTH built a new gate to keep the trio in as the other one had nearly shattered to pieces in the frequent wind gusts it had endured over the last few years.

Master 4 wants to use my precious wool for his kite he tells me he is making.
He can not find string and being quick to improvise thinks wool will do the job nicely.
Bad news for him - mummy doesn't think so!

Now both master 4 and miss 2.5 are wildly trying to glue everything in sight with glue sticks and miss 1 who has boomeranged out of her cot again is trying to draw on the cat - that was until she saw the other two's creations on the table.

Children with the desire and need to create - can't understand how it happened.

Master 4 is requesting for dad to make a bed for his teddy and for me to make blankets out of wool.

I am not sure when he thinks his requests will be fulfilled.

As much as I would like to be able to knit in my sleep, alas, I am not that good yet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

happy birthday to you,
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear M,
happy birthday to you!

And look what else you are getting...

Spotty sticks and crazy yarn,

just the right stuff for knitting amongst havoc!

From Fresh Tea.