Those Days

You know those days when you want to throw your mobile phone on the ground and stomp on it.  I am having one of those days.  Luckily for me it has not been one of those weeks.  I have been hitting the WIP pile and have finished off 2 projects, and nearly finished a third, but have started another lol..

I love my little Peppercorn top, I have worn it 3 times since i finished it off, it is a great little modesty cover!

I also finally finished my Kauni Cardigan, in Lotus Yarns Autumn Wind

I am nearly finished my Mooloolaba Shells, probably in the next night or two.  

The project started is some funness, just for me lol.  I love Christmas it is my favorite time of the year, I love the celebration of life, I love gift making and giving, I love having the family in once place (Christmas is the only time this happens).  Kids running everywhere laughing, wrapping paper all over the house, the Christmas Lunch with the naughty foods that I only make at Christmas (Trifle I am talking to you!)  So funnily enough I am making a Christmas based toy. 

A Snowman, but not just any snowman, A donut snowman from Jean Greenhowe's new book 

Donut Delights.  I have made the body and arms, and I am onto the hat, I am hiding this from the LP or she will claim him.  I know her all too well!  I want to decorate the tree this year and hide a few little Christmassy Peoples in the tree.

Christmas is not very far away now, and I have a lot of things that I want to make this year, so I had better crack on.  Have a great week.

Incidental Excercise

Who says crafting is a sedentary past time!! Not me, at least not today. Hello Knitercise.  I know sounds a little ummm different doesn't it.  Well if you stand in front of your knitting machine, feet spread so that you are at a better height for the machine, then 2 hands on the carriage push left push right push left,push right, now do this 110 times, you tell me that you don't get a work out, now do the 110 pushes x 5 and see how you feel.  Knitercise, exercise, but with a crafty outcome (no photos of me doing this pass time will ever see the light of day.... you know just to reassure you). I love it, oh and it is about the only way I get any exercise, that and Just Dance on the Wii, who can help groovin' along to fun music!

Well lets crack on.

What am I up to? Thank you for asking.  I am up to so much at the moment I think my head will just POP, either that or my hands.  I have been having heaps of fun with the girls in the Jenny King group on Ravelry, we are working on a CAL together (Crochet-A-Long)  We are all making a Peppercorn top. Some of the girls have worked so quickly and finished it in the first weekend.  I however am having a plodder on this one.  I am loving the yarn that I am using Trinity (it is a Japanese yarn, I know nothing about it, as I can't read Japanese) it feels gorgeous. There will be some new people starting up this week I think, we chat about the pattern, areas that you may need help and just spur each other on.  I am up to the second sleeve, so nearly done. Can't wait to wear it.

I am also working on a secret squirrel project for ixchelbunny.  Keep your eyes peeled over the coming months on Charly's blog www.ixchelbunny.blogspot.

I have been playing  Researching in Ravelry.com, a lot, there are so many awesome designs and idea's you can't help but be inspired.  I am resisting the urge to start up any  more projects.  I still have a little pile of not quite complete things, you know the last sleeve, sewing up, and the second sock! Grrr second sock syndrome. Sorry honey, you may get you socks in time for Christmas...Oh no Christmas..... I have yet to start the Christmas pressies that I want to make, it seems most of the menfolk want hats of some description.  I am still working out who is getting what.  And are they knitworthy.  That is a serious topic, Knitworthyness. And we will NOT be going into that today.

Today's post has come and some books I had ordered have arrived.  I have been ordering a lot of things of late, but one of the books I have been really hanging out for is this one

I ordered it from Dianne's Knitting Yarns in the UK.  This book is awesome for beginner knitters to use their beginning pieces all the toys in the book are made from basic garter stitch pieces.  I think my Little Person is going to MENTAL over this books there are heaps of patterns, food toys Halloween things (which she is unusually obsessive about, being Australian and all)  I think I will need to whip out the hot glue gun and googly eyes soonish.  And they are quick little pieces for the not quite so beginners to make fun things.

I also have a new toy winging it's way from the Strauch workshop.  A jumbo ballwinder.  I can't get here too soon as far as I am concerned.  I have been tracking its progress around the world.. I just want it HERE so I can play with it.  All I need to do now is stamp my foot for a good tanny.

Well I suppose, I should crack on with my day. I hope get you some fibre time, or maybe some knitercise!
Have a great one
Chantelle.

Back to School Tomorrow!

I have loved having the little person home, and she has been having a great holiday, we did lots of stuff, but I think it is good that it is back to school tomozipan.  One thing that we did, that was completely unexpected was a knitting lesson, the little person is 6 and last time we had a knitting lesson, she got so frustrated she had a tanty and snapped her ducky knitting needles, I realised that was  about a year ago.  So when she demanded her lesson Thursday arvo, I thought "Give her the cheap needles" noo... I though "Ok, its worth another try".  Well much to her happiness and mine, we had a "by Jove I think she's got it moment"  We started with a row I had cast on and I knit the next row, then LP took over and she has done a row or two everyday since.  I can tell you that there are worse ways to wake up than having your LP tapping you saying help me get my knitting started at 6.00AM grrrr lol.

So whats cooking for this week?  I am going to give my knitting machines a once over, its been a good few months since they were last used.  I have finished off the Mooloolaba Shells I was working on in hand painted silk, and I am halfway through another on in Bamboo Cotton (this one is for me..YAY)  I have a couple of little projects that I want to get finished up, a sparkly top for the LP, some socks for DH, I have a couple of commissions coming up, so I want to clear off the deck a bit.  I am also ironing uniforms (ugh) and other school things for the LP for tomorrow.

Have a great week and get some Fiber into your day!