It has to come undone.

I knitted this cardigan a couple of years ago but it shrunk slightly when I washed it.  (I did not put on weight!!!)

It is just too uncomfortable to wear anymore.  I could give it away but pure wool is so expensive these days I think I need to unpick it, wash the wool again and then start again.

Bendigo Woollen Mills is the source of most of the wool I knit with.  It is good quality Australian wool produced locally and although not cheap is affordable.  I have an order in for some wool to knit up for next year.  It was on special but the wool for a sweater will still cost $70 and just a few days later I see it has all sold out.  (Looks like there are other knitters out there.)

It has taken me a life-time to realise that I really should plan my knitting a year in advance and not try and get a whole garment finished in the couple of months before winter hits.  It has to be said that in years past there was no air-conditioning and it was too hot to knit in summer but I now have air-con and I can knit summer or winter.

Now that I am retired I find that the pressure to complete things in a short time line is gone.  I think I must be slowing down?

WIPW

This week past was Ekka week (the Royal Agricultural Show) here in Brisbane.  I have kept away because I didn't want to go into those crowds.  There is still lots of Covid around and most of my family have been coming down with it.  So, except for one trip to meet with my patchwork group, where we all wear masks and everyone does a RAT test before they go,  my days are rather ordinary.  Top of the list is home-schooling, which along with preparing meals, doing household tasks and walking the dog seem to fill most of my days.  But, although I can't use my sewing machine I can knit, so, I have a little bundle of Issie Dolls to finish.

This isn't very challenging but it does keep the hands busy and the pain in my arms and legs isn't too good just at the moment, but this activity keeps the muscles working.

This little bundle are supposed to look like writting on a black board, (chalk board), they still have to be stuffed.

The next bundle use woollen fabric.  I don't use woollen fabric but I did make a skirt this year and I have some pieces left over so they will all have to be made from that.  I do have a small bundle of woollen felt in the stash as well that I can use for the applique but I think I will change these.  Then again, I might make them as is.  These ones have sparked some ideas to make some that reflect my environment.

I also have a destination for the pin cushions and the dolls.  My friend Kay is having a stall to raise money for research into Cystic Fibrosis so all of these pieces can go to that. 

 

The other thing I am thinking about is Xmas.

My other sewer

I have my eldest grand daughter here with me most days of the week and although I try to interest her in stitching she would prefer to be coding her own games, or playing on-line games with her friends.  That is understandable, as she is isolated from other children her own age and she suffers from co-ordination problems.  Her fine motor skills are not good.  I know she likes cooking so I am using this to try and improve her skills, with some good results.

I only see my other grand daughter  J at the school gate when I drop M off to her mother and on school holidays but I think this one will find her own way to sewing.  She spends a lot of time creating on the machine I bought her.

She can set up and thread the machine herself and is experimenting with machine applique and making little bags at the moment.

It will be school holidays again next month so maybe we can build in a sewing day.  There will have to be a day buying fabric before that.  Both girls have all the attributes to becoming 'fabric-aholics'.

If you like Cross Stitch

If you like cross stitch here is a link to a site that offers free patterns for personal use.

The name is 'Shannon Christine Designs' and there are lots of charming patterns here,

like this one.

or this.

Well worth having a look at now that Spring is nearly here and it is time to think about stitching for Christmas!!!!!

I think Spring is on the way!

Looking over the fence to my neighbours home, I see that her peach tree is in blossom.

I can't be a year ago that those blossoms were there?

And all the wattle is going bonkers.

And so many different varieties of wattle.

Even in the car park at the ferry jetty.

Then I looked up and realised that some of the other trees were covered in blossom.

It's definately looking a lot like spring.

I was wondering why all the birds were so noisey!

Time for spring cleaning.