Christmas Ideas No 2

I have just been doing a bit of surfing and look what I found?

You can get the pattern over on Little Cotton Rabbits.  I have already purchased mine.

Cool Weather

I have been hoping for the cool winds to come and they are here.  It is blowing about 35 knots out on the bay and the wind is coming from the South West, that means it is cold.  The sun is shinning but there isn't a lot of heat in it and the wind is racing through the trees, making quite a noise.

I have been preparing for this weather.  My patio at the back of my sewing room is hot in summer and a beautiful sun trap in winter.  I bought a set of table and chairs so that I could sit out there.  I have a fold up deck chair as well if I want to read.  At the moment I have picked up my knitting again and have been sitting enjoying the warm, along with a cup of coffee.

I also purchased a stand to put my flower pots on. 

I don't know how long the flowers will last in this wind so I picked some for my bedroom.

This patio will get a lot of use from this point on.  For reading, sewing, knitting and drying the washing.

I do like this time of year.

Knitting and my shoulder.

Wouldn't you know it?  Just when I need to rest my shoulder I find something I simply have to knit.

Mini bunnies and teddies from Julie Williams at Little Cotton Rabbits.

I have finished the full size rabbits for my grand daughters for Easter, along with the chocolate eggs but a mini rabbit would have been nice to go with the originals.

I might have to keep these till next year.  You can buy the patterns from her Ravelry shop

 

The weather is great, but..

The weather here is great, except for the huge thunder storms that keep rolling through.  I saw one of trees outside our house hit by lightening the other night.  It burst into flame which was quickly extinguished by the heavy rain.  Really spectacular.  Yesterday I spent time during the storm with two dogs.  One kept barking at the thunder the other had to be held tight.  There is another cyclone up north, Trevor, and he is expected to cross the coast tonight.

It should be getting cooler and I should be knitting.  If I don't start soon I won't have things finished when the cold weather hits.  So with this in mind I have bought a copy of the 'Carbeth Cardigan' by Kate Davies

Swatching starts tonight.

From the wish list.

Well those bunnies are finished and obviously one has been eating more carrots than the other!

They now need a basket each for their eggs.  (That is one task finished well in advance.)

 

The wish list

I have thought all January about my new year resolutions and decided that I will have a wish list.  I never know from one day to the next just how I am going to feel and if I will need to take to my bed.  I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that these were wishes and I could just let them go if I have to.

No 1 on the list is to go to India with Pammie at the end of the year.  I will not commit till a lot closer to the date.

The trip is mainly to textile centres that I missed on my trips to India.  She has a great article on her blog about quilting in India and Africa and the links between the two countries.

No 2 is to make 50 place-mats for charity,  so far I have finished four.

No 3 it to complete the remainder of the children's classes for the year.

No 4 A couple of bunnies for my grand daughters for Easter.

This is a very short list.  I may have to add more to it later.

 

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.