A Mug Shot!

A front,

and side shot of the finish bunny.

She just needs a name and some clothes now.

Knitting

I am very slow but the knitting is progressing.  I have all the parts to now stuff and put together.

Next will be the dress and the face.  I meant to buy some black tapestry wool today but I get so tired walking that after trying to return a Xmas gift, which I couldn't do, I had to come home.  I will try again tomorrow, or the next day maybe.

Knitting

I can knit again!!!

Months and months of being unable to do anything and suddenly I can knit.  So I am starting with some simple things, rabbits.

Just using left over wools and doing a small amount each day.

Some Inspiration

I found a talk by Kate Davies from Kate Davies Designs on TED talks.

In this talk she discusses the impact of her stroke and deconstructs just how it has changed her physical reality.  Kate was only 36 years old when she had her stroke and she used her love of knitting and knitting design to help rearrange her mental/physical capacities.  I love her designs.  That is the top I am working on that she is wearing in this video.  A stroke can hit at any time in a person's life as can other physical impediments.  This talk is an inspiration of how to adjust and in fact triumph over there effects.

 

 

WIPW

Wednesday has come around again.  It keeps doing that.

So what of my progress this week?  Well the knitting has grown, nearly up to the armhole.

I have started work on my little bird purse.  I decided to applique the design and then found that parts of it are just too small.

I will try to applique the tail but those leaves will be just too fidderly.  I want to embroidery some details onto the applique.  It might work and then again it may not.

I put this design into my 'bird file' on my computer where I found some more designs I have done nothing with, so this may be the first of a run of bird purses.

Still here

This virus is sure a problem.  Now I have had an allergic reaction to the drugs they gave me for the ear infection and am still in bed. But I have good company.  Charlie had her next operation to restore her sight and she and I lay around just sleeping and getting better.  However, she is not allowed to go up and down the stairs.  She has got used to being carried and now insists on being picked up when she wants to go outside.  But the good news is that she can see and even bark at people passing by.  She is not allowed on the stairs for another 2 weeks so she could end up totally spoilt.

 

It is quite wintery here and my daughter has given the seal of approval to the Carbeth sweater that I knitted for her.  ( I see on Ravery that there are 1060 projects for this sweater.)

I adjusted the pattern to make it longer in the arms and body than stated in the pattern.  It took 3 balls of a  wool/bamboo blended wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills  called Stella  which is a 12ply yarn,  this was on special when I bought it at $12.00 per ball, so the cost of materials was $36.00.    (Now $14.50 per ball).  My children have sensitive skin and that bamboo content makes this garment perfect for them, no itching.  This was one of the quickest and easiest sweaters I have ever knitted so I think I will knit the cardigan version for myself.

image Kate Davies Designs

 I am not young and slender, although I have lost quite a bit of weight (20Kilos), so I think I will make the body longer.

I am still conversing with Typepad but as yet there is no resolution.  Hope we can work it out soon.

And I have a new  book, "The West Highland Way - knit, read, walk" by Kate Davies.

This book has all of the patterns I have been knitting  and a wonderful series of essays.  I have to say that the photography is of a far higher quality in the book than on the blog posts about the book, and those were pretty good.

Walking used to be one of my passions.  Age and a number of broken bones has put a big dent in my capabilities.  I look at the walks described in this book with longing.  Maybe my daughter will be able to do some of them.  She and her father are walking in Ireland in July this year, and he has had both hip joints replaced!  But, I know it would be beyond me so I am planning on attended the Bendigo Wool Festival instead.

The weather here has finally started to cool down.  Early morning on the barge sees me wrapped in my puffer jacket but I do need to knit myself some mittens and a hat.  Yesterday I thought my ears might break off the side of my head they were so chilled.  I have had my eye on Kate's "Peerie Flooers" pattern for some time now and I would like to knit that but I think I need to have something I can knit quickly.

I thought a gnome hat might get my fellow travellers talking?

New batch of wool

I really am slow at the moment.  I heard someone knocking on the door and it took some time before I came up with the action to open it!  I nearly walked out in front of a car when we went to the movies, so no driving for me until I get over this virus.

But that knocking at the door was the post lady with my new wool.  I just love the colours.  It is 8ply washable wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills and it was on special for $10.00 for 200 grams.  Can't believe my luck.

Time to start swatching.  Just got to get the bunny knitting out of the way first.

Tilly the cat

This little cat has driven me crazy.  I should say 'making' this little cat has driven me crazy but toys take on a persona as you make them, so I think of it as "this little cat".

She has been hanging around for months waiting to be finished.  The big problem was the yarn I choose.  I was seduced by the colours but it is horrible to work with because it isn't a spun thread.  The thread just pulls apart, as you can see from the fluff on the tail.  The pattern called for a crocheted tube for the tail.  I tired every which way and failed miserably.  I ended up with a plaited tail and that seems to work.

I think she is destined for a donation to "teddies without borders".  I hope some child likes her.

A new week

I have to sit and get my photos and notes in order but this week is shaping up to be a busy one again.

We were met at the airport by my daughter's partner who drove us back to the apartment.  From there we picked up our car and drove out to our son's home to pick up the dog only to find that their front plate glass window was shattered.  The gardener had been that morning and I think he had thrown up a rock when mowing the lawns.  No rushing home to get the washing on or pick up any supplies we had to sit till they got home.  It was great to see the grandchildren but I knew it would put my schedule out of wack.

By the time we got home to the island, with no supplies and only frozen meat in the freezer we settled for a tin of soup for dinner and it tasted delicious.   Not sure why.  Next morning I was up early and off again to the Embroiderers' Guild.  I have been completing my Competition Judge's qualification and the lecturer had flown in from interstate to finish our practical assessment, there were 4 candidates.  Three from outside Brisbane and one who lives in the city.  Now, I have been judging for some time now, but, I didn't have that official piece of paper.  The course was based around 6 assignments and my biggest problem was not writting too much!!  So now I am a qualified Embroidery Judge.  One more thing off the bucket list.

Next thing to do was to check on what the birds have been doing and some are up and off.

Two of those birds we have been watching have both got from here right up to China.

Coochiemudlo is just south of Peel Island which is in the centre of the above picture.  That island was a leper colony back in the 1900's.  The mainland is on the left and Stradbroke Island is on the right.  I watched the eagles hovering over my house today as I hung out the washing and the sense of awe as you watch these creatures just takes my breath away.

I think that I should get the house in order before I start stitching again but my fingers are twitching.  On the weekend prior to my trip to Melbourne I was up at Toowoomba and got started on my rabbits for the girls for Easter. (I stitched them in different coloured thread so we could tell which was which.)

I still have a lot to do to make them presentable.  There are sweaters and cardigans to knit and a whole wardrobe for each rabbit.  (There names are Geraldine and Samantha.)  They have actually written to the grand daughters telling them they are coming and asking where they will sleep.  That request has been past to Grandpa who has to make some beds and wardrobes.  I already have their over night bags so their clothes can stay in there until the other furniture is finished.

This is not getting the housework done and time is rushing on.