Friday 29 February 2008

Retreat - here we come!

Hooray! The weekend I've been waiting for for the past month is now here!!! My good friend Jodee and I are going to a Mother's Retreat Weekend. It's gonna be a blast! A great time of relaxation, shopping, pampering, knitting and wine! :) Both Jodee and I have special children on the autistic spectrum and this is one of the only times we get to have fun and let our hair down a little bit. I will take the camera and post some photos when we get back.

After yesterday, I realise I so NEED this!

4th OWOH Giveaway Prize Received!

My mail box has been kept extra full this past week with this being the 5th parcel I've received this week! This is really the one I've been waiting for though!!! What could be better than a painting with a cupcake in it!!! :)

It's all in the little details - Jenn wrote this on the back! :)
I love this so much, Jenn! My only problem now is, where do I put it!!! :) (Not that I'm complaining about that one - LOL!)

BTW. Jenn has a really awesome blog - Noodle and Lou
Go take a lookie! :)

Thursday 28 February 2008

bad day

I don't usually write about stuff like this here. I try to keep this blog about craft, but... my afternoon has been bad. My morning was great - had a great time with friends and had lunch with a good friend, Becca.

And then Hurricane Aimee hit! I am totally tired of having to deal with her day in and day out. It wasn't anything really big either - except she embarrassed me (and her sister) when I was picking them up from school by running away from me and into her class whilst lessons were still in progress! :( Then when I took them all to the supermarket to get something nice for dinner (it's the hubby's birthday!) she started yelling for no known reason - "Stop hitting me Mum, don't hit me!" I wasn't even near her at the time, but everyone just HAD to turn and look didn't they! Sometimes parenting an high-functioning autistic child is just too difficult...

When I got home, Jonathan rang to say his car has broken down (again!) and he will be really late home cos' he's waiting for the AA guy to come and look at the car. Oh dear! :(

Wednesday 27 February 2008

Spring Fling Coffee and Yarn Swap

So, I've just finished with one swap and I think I'm ready to begin another. If you, like me, love a good swap - check out this one! :D

I find it funny, being in the southern hemisphere, the idea of doing a spring swap when I am going into autumn, but a swap is a swap and I love to swap!!! :D

Sign ups begin March 20th!

Swap Package!


My great day just never ends! Not only have I been inundated with OWOH giveaway packages, but today I finally got the dishcloth package I've been waiting for!



And now I get to know who has been secretly making it for me! I can't wait to get a better look at her blog, but as I also couldn't wait to share it all with you I find myself here first. :D

Included in my package:
5 dishcloths (including a really gorgeous angel cloth - I so want to make that one myself!)
3 stitch markers (really neat beaded ones!)
1 cable needle
(I don't have one of these - I am so stoked she put this in!)
1 ball of regia bamboo yarn
(oh so soft and lovely!)
1 pkt coffee
(the whole package smells so deliciously of this coffee - yum, gotta get the espresso maker out tonight to try!)
1 pkt of coffee sprinkles
(wow, we don't get this kinda thing in NZ! I am gonna have to invite my very good American friend, Becca, over to try this with me!)
1 scarf pattern
(yo go with the yarn)
1 bar of shea butter soap
(made by Bare Naked Bars)

My husband was hoping for some poptarts! Too bad I say! This swap present was fantastic!!!

Thanks so much Carrie!

3rd OWOH Giveaway Prize Received!

Today I received this in the mail, all the way from the UK! This is a really fun pack of scrap booking supplies (all love related!). I can't wait to use them, and probably won't have to wait long cos it's me and my hubby's 13th wedding anniversary next month! :D

From Beverley of Blog 'Til You Drop

Tuesday 26 February 2008

2nd OWOH Giveaway Prize Received!

I recieved the card set that I won from "one day in the life of"'s Adriann today!


Thanks so much Adriann. I really like them and it was fun to have to go collect a parcel at the post office! I especially liked the little tag you had around the tissue wrapped cards! :)

1st OWOH Giveaway Prize Received!

I forgot to post that I received this little Kimono Tag Fold Holder a week or so ago. :) I really like it and it has pride of place in my craft room! It was made by Bridget of Fruit Salad fame!

cream bags with hanging pockets

Here are some photos of the bags I posted about yesterday. The are going to be knitting project bags (but I think they almost look too pretty for that!)
I made little pockets that hang from ribbon and can carry credit cards, money, notions and your cellphone too!

I also made a little drawstring bag to hold some swap items I am sending someone! :)The bags are made out of some cream upholstery fabric and lined in calico.

On another note - I have some great news about selling some of my little zombie friends, but I'll let you all know when I've finished the commissioned job! How exciting!!! :D

Monday 25 February 2008

Appliqued Ellie Elephant Tote Bag

This idea was brewing in my head ever since I made the softie the other day! I think it turned out AWESOMELY! :) I had a couple of problems with the lining, but a little ric rac on the outside and that was sorted out.

The appliqué turned out great -
I am so pleased with it!

Look at the cute matching lining!
I also made 2 other bags, but I'll have to show them off later as I have a couple more things to do before I'm off on the school run!

Sunday 24 February 2008

birthday invites done - check!

I'm so pleased with how these turned out! Jonathan did the design, I completed them by sewing them onto card! What a great team we make!!!

3 finished cloths later...

well almost finished, I just have to do the weaving in of ends...

KAL Mid Month February - LOVE (Rachels Knitting Room)
KAL Mid Month February - repeated pattern cloth (Monthly Dishcloths)
Knitted Elephant Cloth

I was really happy with how all three turned out. The Elephant cloth will become part of Bree's themed pressie! :) I will definitely make the one from Monthly Dishcloths again - it's a really easy, great looking pattern, and a good way to use up the odd yarn remnants that remain after knitting cloths.

Saturday 23 February 2008

softies; meet ellie the elephant

My daughter, Briahna, is going to be 8 this time next week - eeek! Anyway, she loves elephants and so I am busy making her lot's of elephant themed presents. I've made an elephant finger puppet, a knitted elephant (what I learnt double pointed knitting for!) and now this cute little softie. I am going to make an elephant facecloth and a appliqued bag too!

an idea is formed

(this will become the applique for the bag!)
a softie is created
This idea has been brewing in my head for about a month now. I think it would make a great baby softie (without the button eyes!). Speaking of the buttons, they are some really old vintage buttons I got from my grandmothers collection - aren't they gorgeous!!!

I will post more pics of my elephant creations next week, when a certain someone is at school!

Friday 22 February 2008

I CAN DO IT; Circular Knitting with double pointed needles

I have always struggled with the idea of knitting with double pointed needles. I mean, isn't it awkward to knit with 4 needles, wouldn't they just all get in the way?

Well, yesterday, I discovered the knitting help website. They have videos of knitting techniques, and since I learn visually it suited me perfectly. I watched the video once and later that day (or should we say night) I began...

And guess what... I CAN do it!!! This is something I've avoided for years, and I managed to pick it up straight away. I am thinking, now, of all the cool hats I can make! And I no longer HAVE to sew up all those horrible seams!!!

If you're another person who has avoided knitting of any kind, I highly suggest a visit to Knitting Help! No, they didn't pay me to say that!!

Thursday 21 February 2008

pay it forward challenge

I managed to be the first one to comment on CurlyPops pay it forward challenge post. I am so excited because that not only means that I win a Pay It Forward gift but I get to offer the same great challenge up to you! (and four* of you will win a gift from me!) If you're reading my blog and have a blog of your own, you are eligible to enter. Just read the below rules and comment on this post!

The rules are:
The first three people to comment on this post will receive a gift from me, sometime within the next 365 days. Who knows when it will turn up, or what it will be, but rest assured, it will arrive. All you have to do is promise to make the same declaration on your blog, and send out gifts to three of your lovely readers. Easy Peasy. (I'll be sending out 4 because of the random winner! - More pay it forward love!!)

*If you miss out on being one of the first three, leave a comment anyway because I will draw a random name also. The winner will be drawn next Thursday (28th).

thing a day; twenty one - last tuesdays op shop finds

I know this really can't be classed as much of a "thing a day", but I have a couple of sick kids at home with me today and therefore not a whole lot of crafting time!

It was a book find week - see below promised pictures of finds:

Wednesday 20 February 2008

KAL; Mid month February Cloths


KAL Day 4 (Monthly Dishcloths)

thing a day; twenty

knitted zombie finger puppet -
designed by me for my hubby's birthday present
(he kinda likes zombies!)

and yes, I'm gonna design and make more!! It was so fun to do, especially after using other peoples patterns to make the farmyard animals! I was dreaming about the variety of zombie's I could make last night - it kept me awake!

defeat the doledrums dishcloth swap; fifth weekly topic

Weekly Topic: If money were no object, and the day was just perfect - not to hot, not too cold, sun shining, slight breeze - how would you spend a perfect day out that had been given to you in the middle of a cold and blustery winter?

Actually, in the southern hemisphere I am in the middle of really hot humid weather. I still think the question applies, cos' what can you do when it feels too hot! I would spend the day at the beach, looking at rock pools with the kids. Swimming in the ocean, sunbathing on the sand, curled up with a good book!

Hmmmm! I wanna go there, now!

Tuesday 19 February 2008

I love my local op shop!

Today, I visited my local hospice op shop and was surprised with quite a few great finds...


The best of which was a little flower loom (apparently it's called an "1000 flower's" loom - I can understand why as making them is very addictive!) Can you believe it only cost $1!!! :D

Look at a couple I made earlier this evening:

And what to do with what you've made (the girls came up with these ideas - I think, you could use them to embellish stuff!):
I'll try to remember to put up a post of all the other finds I got "op shoppin" tomorrow. Don't be jealous, just remember to go out and support your own local op shops!

thing a day; nineteen

Today, I made a little something for my daughters birthday - I'll post a pic after her birthday (which is in less than a fortnight - eeek!) and played catch up with the knitalong dishcloths that I am doing. See below:

KAL Day 3 (Monthly Dishcloths)
KAL Day 2 (Monthly Dishcloths)
I have found knitting dishcloths when I am waiting for the girls to get out of school to be very cathartic, I no longer want them to hurry up. I am happy to wait! :)

Monday 18 February 2008

my daughters have caught the knitting bug!

knitting before school...

Well, two of them have anyway! My eldest and youngest have decided knitting is pretty cool! I guess it's true what they say about children emulating their parents behaviour! ;)

Hope is embarking on a scarf with fancy yarn and Briahna has been knitting what started out as a scarf only to become an over nap for her doll! She keeps on adding stitches where there are none!!

Actually, I think we all have to start somewhere and if you all could see my first knitting piece... Mine has a couple of holes, is knitted in the strangest choice of yarn, but is oddly cute. I made a little jacket for my teddy bear when I was around 7. It was made from a series of squares and rectangles, and if I find it out I'll take a photo and post it up on the blog.

action shot!

thing a day; eighteen

I finally finished the kiwi dishcloth - unfortunately I can't remember where I got the pattern from and a quick google search hasn't helped me - hate that! I like to give credit where credit is due, so if you know where I got it from , let me know in the comments!

POST SCRIPT: Thanks to Edna, I've discovered where I got this pattern from... (Rachels Knitting Room). You have to be a member to have access to the pattern, so that explains why I couldn't find it on my search! :)

I like the cloth, it's a little larger than most of the cloths I've made before and at times I got tired of knitting it - but it's done now and it's good! I actually think I may have almost come to the end of my knitting dishcloths addiction - I'll still knit them, just not in such high doses! I say all that just as I embark on another knitalong run by the monthly dishcloth group...

KAL Day 1 (Monthly Dishcloths)
This cloth is one that is knit in two colours, so that should make it a little more interesting! :)

Sunday 17 February 2008

finished; finger puppets

These are so cool and easy to do. The horse and pig were very quickly joined by a duck, a farmer and a cow. (They take hardly any time and hardly any yarn!) :) We like that!

My other two girls both wanted to have their photos up on the blog, playing with the new toy (not, that they are for them exactly!) Old MacDonald had a farm, e i e i o, and on that farm he had a horse, e i e i o!

Gotta love the fluffy duck! But just don't try saying "fluffy duck" too fast or if you've had anything to drink!!! HEHEHEHE!
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