And the storm rolls in......

Hope gives wings to

the wishes of the soul.

Hello. Do you like ladybirds in your garden? Here are some that have invaded mine! They’re pretty cool, you don’t have to feed them or water them and they don’t bother anyone. They just look pretty. I can't remember where I got the pattern from but I had made some awhile back in a previous post.

Ladybirds in the garden

I found myself up at 3am because I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to take down the washing from the back patio. There were lots of white clothing hanging up so I decided to take them down before the flies got a chance to do fly poo poo all over my washing. Thank goodness I did, we had so many flies this morning. I also got to sew a cushion cover for a much loved cushion that needed recovering. It's quite a big cushion so in my stash was just the right stuff to use. I can see that material pile going down big time!!!

Kids cushion

How about this cute bunny! Very simple, great for using up bit of yarn. I have made my bunny in 8 ply yarn using size 10 knitting needles. I am a loose knitter so I have found size needles are the best for me and you can't see the toy stuffing when you fill the bunny. Click here for this scarily easy pattern.

Cute bunny

I have made mention about our hot weather recently, and yes, it summer but I have been emailing to friends today and I mentioned our weather. At lunchtime we had reached 40C and it had well gone passed that by later in the day. Look at the sky now.....

 

We have a storm, a bit of rain, thunder and some wind. After days and days of 40C+ it is a relief. I hope we have a bit more rain to cool the place down. Hmmmm my sewing shed might cool down. Maybe I could go and check that out!! Before I go I must let you all know that some how I managed to wipe all my favourite blogs off my sidebar. If you're not there anymore, I'm sorry. I am replacing them as I remember the names of my favourite visiting places. I am a dill. Best wishes for the New Year.

Cheers,  Anita.

P.S. Miss you Heather!!!

There is no fireside

like your own fireside.

-Irish proverb

Hello, I hope those who celebrate Christmas had a wonderful time. We had a fantastic Christmas, most of the time hanging out in the pool. It was 44C in our parts, but having a pool is top fun. I have stitching together some left over squares to make myself a table topper for a small desk in the library. It measures 20 inches x 40 inches and will make a nice display with the books.

 

I have knitted a small bird from leftover yarns and it is a pattern I have loosely copied from the net. I decided to use buttons for the eyes and stitch on the wings.

 

Another knitted bird that can be knitted using just normal yarn or you can knit it in a furry yarn. I tried the furry yarn as I have a tonne of it, but it was tricky sewing on the eyes and beak. Still a good result. Click here for the pattern.

 

More knitting than sewing going on around here, but while it is so hot outside I may as well get some knitting done under the air conditioner. I could do some housework, but lets not go there. lol. I am knitting a few extra baby garments to sell, so I have started with a cute white beanie. It fits a 3-6 month old and is very soft.

 

The tribe has come back home so it looks like lunch is on the cards. Wherever you are I hope you are having a great time.

Cheers, Anita.

 

 

Welcome Christmas! heel and toe,

Come and fill us ere you go!

-Mary Mapes Dodge, Rhymes and Jingles.

Not long to go now and Santa will visit all those who believe. The last minute preparations are being made and with only a few more gifts to wrap, things are set. We are expecting 40C in our parts and that's fine because the swimming pool is waiting for us. I made this cute little reindeer brooch in next to no time. I was google imaging a pattern or design for a reindeer to make and just by free hand drawing, I made this little guy. He is made from felt scraps, sewn on eyes and a bit of stitching. All up he is about three inches high.

Whimsy reindeer

I had fun knitting up these little Christmas puddings and added a chocolate to balance things out. A calorie free treat with a treat that's loaded with calories!! I wrapped them in cello and served them on a small saucer. Of course, the Principal had to get the biggest Christmas pudding, that was a different pattern to the small puddings I knitted.

With love and good joy

A cute little knitted teddy to go into the library for next year. The pattern is from the Guardian Angel book. Some more little owls crocheted to go and live at another school library (not mine). A knitted cat had been made, also for the other school library. Click here for the pattern. Very simple and quick to make. I didn't include the whiskers because the kids have a habit of pulling anything sticking out.....I even wondered about the tail!! lol.

Just quickly on the sewing front, I went into my sewing shed to start cleaning it out and ended up sewing a little Christmas sack. It is only 5 inches x 7 inches approximately but it will be handy to present a gift to someone.

Christmas sack

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and stay safe over the festive season. While some bloggers take this opportunity to maybe have a break from blogging, I take this time to blog a bit more as I have holidays. So I hope to make lots of things to share with you over this time.

Cheers, Anita.

 

 

Just a tiny seed of faith, watered

with love, wisdom, and hard work,

grows into a majestic tree of blessings.

I’m finding it hard to believe that I have just three more working days to go and it’s summer break for me!! Everyone at home is very happy about that and we’re all looking forward to a lovely break. I have been busily making a start on Christmas goodies to give to my work mates, and these cute little Christmas puddings are the start.

Calorie free Christmas puddings

The puddings are small measuring about an inch and a half across the diametre and the same height also. I used 8 ply for the project and I imagine you could use any ply you fancy. I opted to use size 10 knitting needles instead of the recommended size as I am a loose knitter and the toy stuffing is always visible when I stuff whatever I am making. Click here for the pattern.

I've been making some quickie Christmas decorations too. This little Christmas tree to hang on the library Christmas tree, is just 20 stitches cast on to no. 9 needles, using garter stitch I have worked 2 rows and then decreased on every alternate row until I had 2 stitches left, and then I increased at each end of every alternate row until I had 20 stitches again. Stitched on some beaded randomly, stitched the two sides together and made a tail to hang the tree and whacked it in the tree.

Christmas decoration

Found this fun mushroom pattern while I was surfing the net. The kids have spotted them in the library and have tossed them into the salad bits I had knitted before. Click here for the pattern.

Cute little mushies

I'm secretly making a door stop for someone special who dropped a big hint. I played it down and pretended not to hear. I have just made up the pattern, but got the idea from looking up google images and saw lots of fantastic ideas to make door stoppers. Mine is filled with a packet of yellow peas in their packet and stuffing.

For someone special

Well I have lots of Christmas presents to wrap, so better get cracking with it. Not to mention all the housework that somehow hasn't been done. lol. There's not much left of the weekend, but enjoy what time you still have to relax.

Cheers, Anita.

Who’s going on a holiday then?

Up to no good!!!

Skill to do

comes of doing.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Boy I have to admit it....I’ve been up to no good the last few weeks. At a recent P & C meeting our Principal stirred everyone up with his cheek so I decided to get even. Revenge called for a look-a-like cloth doll to be made and here he is......

Principal John

Making sure I set Principal John up at his desk while he was away in another town having a meeting gave me good opportunity to set the doll up in position, ....

Have you got a headache?

Do you want one?

Stick some pins in his head, and that was just for fun and had the office girls cracked up all over the place with laughter. Everyone commented on how alike the doll actually looked. So other people better beware!! Lol. The Principal John doll is about 33 inches high and made out of calico for the body, assortment of wool for the hair (including mullet hairdo), coat made from an unused coat and stitched on eyebrows. Everyone had a great laugh including John. I didn’t need to stick the pins into his face, he’s a pretty nice guy, but it was for fun!!

In the making department I thought I would make myself a Christmas beaded doll brooch and also my friend Lizzie who is working at the same school as me. Lizzie is a lovely aboriginal friend whom I have become very close to. I will give her the brooch on Monday morning.

My friend Lizzie

In the knitting department I have knitted up this cute little elephant, a free pattern on the net. Simple to knit and you have a choice of knitting on double pointed needles or just flat and sew it up when you finish. Click here for the pattern. Super fun, super cute.

Cute elephant

Also knitted..... Miss bear. She is from an older edition of Guardian Angel. I have knitted her in a 10 ply yarn, but the pattern in the book is 8 ply. It doesn't really matter what ply it is, just go for it. This bear is bigger than when I have knitted it in 8 ply, but it doesn't turn out much bigger in 10 ply. Elephant and bear are in the library.

Finished projects

Not long to go now and I'm on holidays again for the summer break. I intend to do lots of craft work, gardening and swimming. I am trying to recover from a night out to the city during the week. Having woken up at 4.30am, working most of the day, shopping and then off on a bus full of canteen ladies and two brave men to the city. We went to the Burswood Casino for dinner, had a look around and didn't get home until almost midnight. So as you can guess, I had a long day. I'm having a quiet weekend doing some craft work and playing catch up. Hope you guys are having a great weekend and chat with you soon.

Cheers, Anita.

I’m naughty!!

 

Exuberance

is beauty.

-               William Blake

I’ve been missing in action but when you see all these things I have made you'll know why. First I have had the best time surfing the net finding some truly fantastic baby patterns to knit. I found this wonderful knitted baby sack pattern here and was surprised at how quickly it knitted up.

Warm baby sleeping sack

I did mine in an 8 ply with no. 5 needles and closed the bottom of the sack. You have an option to make the bottom closed or draw string to open the bottom up.  I'm thinking about knitting another one with the draw string bottom.

Another short sleeved knitted from the top baby jacket and some bootees that will go to a special little baby arriving in February. A sweet young lady who we have watched grow up is going to be a Mother herself soon.

More knitting!!!

Yet more baby gear...... a sweet little singlet knitted in cotton and fit for a new born baby.

Baby blue jacket also another pattern that started from the top and knitted downward. This seems very popular with today's knitter's. I'm of the vintage season but I am very happy with this concept.

Tonight I am working on some owls made out of scraps of wool. I have made some before but I love them so much, I needed to make more.

Cute owls

Managed to do some cooking too.....lovely sausage rolls, that are always a favourite around here.

Yummy sausage rolls

Oh yes, best of all, brekky. A lovely cup of tea and toast.

Nice brekky

I'm still working on a cloth doll at the moment, can't show you just yet. When I finish it, which will be very shortly, you can all giggle along with me. I'm up to no-good of course. Until then, stay safe.

Cheers, Anita.

A true friend sticks closer

than one’s nearest kin.

-Proverbs 18:24

We had a surprise visitor this morning. Mr Praying mantis was just hanging around our front door checking out the view. He is about 4 inches long and he was checking us out too, you could see his little head moving around to see where we were.

Mr. Praying mantis

This week has been flat out with lots of different things happening.  We had a 4 hour drive to collect Brandon’s new car, that he is in love with. Lots of meetings at the high school and a garage sale yesterday for the P & C. We raised approximately $400.00, so we're all happy with that. In the meantime I have managed to find a super duper knitting pattern, free on the net and I have knitted 2 tops with number three on the way. Click here for the pattern, you won't be disappointed.

 Sweet baby tops

 

I made it using a thick four ply cotton and no.9 needles. It knits up quickly, there are only 2 ends to sew in when you've finished and it only needs one button!! All of the tops so far have knitted up to 6 inches in length and across the waist, when you lay the garment down is 5 inches. So just nice for a new born baby. I might see how it turns out using an 8 ply. The pattern is also for long sleeves as well.

Also some good news......we finally have a passion fruit on our passion fruit bush. We've had this bush for about 4-5 years and nothing!!! Last year we had some flowers pop up and this year we have fruit. I'm not sure how long it takes before a passion fruit appears but I'm happy anyway.

Passion fruit

Fantastic find at the garage sale for the school, just what I needed.....a pin up board for my patch working projects.

I'm about to visit my sister for a while and when I return home I am going to attack my sewing shed. I need to get in quick as I can feel it heating up already this morning. Have the best weekend and catch you another time.
Cheers, Anita.

Faith is nurtured by love, as the flame

in a lamp is nurtured by the oil.

-Martin Luther, Discourse on Free Will.

Happy Birthday Pixie!!!

Have the best day special boy.



Hello and welcome to our lovely weekend. My plans for this weekend are to do some gardening (weeding), sewing and knitting in the night time. Hubby and Cory are at a gokart meeting 5 hours away and Brandon and I are sharing a quiet weekend together. I have been worried though as Cory is suffering a sinus headache, and as all mother's do....they worry. Hope you're feeling better Cory.

Since last week I have finished a gorgeous speckled blue and white cardigan to fit a 3-6 month old baby, and I am so pleased with the softness of the yarn, no knots in the yarn and the end product. I'm real cranky though because I wanted to share the pattern with you but can't find it just at the minute.

I have also made this cute little top in cotton and I'm so pleased with the end result of this too. A special package from the stork will arrive in February so I though perhaps some garments made in cotton would be the right trick. How do you like it?

This pattern seems to be the in thing at the moment, the buttons are more on the side of the garment instead of the usual down the middle. I did notice all the buttons to start with, as I am a ratbag for not liking to sew on buttons, but this was no problem.

The pattern for this sweet little top is here

Also this week I whipped up this little purse bag, made from bits of leftover material. Just enough room to stick my wallet and keys for the days when I'm out at one of the cafes for afternoon tea.

If you want a good laugh and you have small kids this book is for you. It is an all time favourite of mine and I came across it the other day. In this book there are actually 2 stories going on and it's pretty funny. The book is written by Dav Pilkey, the author of Captain Underpants, another favourite of mine. I used to read the Captain Underpants to my boys at bedtime, what a riot!!!!

Well shortly I am collecting my partner in crime, Heather, to go out to the local garden centre that is just out of town. We are out to find some native bushes for her garden and mine, I hope she behaves today!! lol. Our weather today is for the high 30 C's and I can feel it is already warm at 8.30am!! All the best for your weekend and good luck to Cory!! P.S. Pix don't forget to take a photo of that baby belly!!!

Cheers, Anita.

Still knitting

Open your eyes to nature’s many beauties, and

your heart will open to life’s many joys and

possibilities.

Hi everyone, I’m just doing a quick blog today as I have so much crafting planned for this weekend. It’s a case of not enough time for so much to do. I have been hacking away at the baby knitting and enjoying every bit of it. The last trip to Spotlight saw me come away with several balls of cotton and I have found some nice patterns to knit up. I have started with these cute little bootees and I have made a cotton singlet top to go with it but I haven’t finished stitching the buttons on so I will show it next time.

Also to go into the boy collection of knitted baby things is this cute little beanie with a knot on the top! The blue and white yarn is equivalent to an 8 ply and took next to no time to knit up. It will also be very warm to wear, keep little baby’s head warm. I have also knitted up a jacket in the same colour, but alas, I haven’t stitched the buttons on that either, so that will be show and tell for next time too.

I am about to read an interesting book, and it is interesting in many ways. My partner in crime and crafting, Heather, has let me read this book of hers and it is written by her sister Mabel. It is about her husband and his experiences in the war. It should be a good read and I can't wait to get started.

A lovely blogging friend of mine happened to mention this Pinterest site she has been busy with. I have checked it out and now I’m hooked too. So many thanks Val!! Lol. I’m not sure what our weather is doing this weekend, I think it doesn’t know what it’s doing either!!  We have clouds, heat and wind happening all at once, so perhaps a bit of rain could be on its way? Enjoy this lovely weekend and stay happy.

Cheers, Anita.

Oh happy days

I still have the best comforts in life –

books and friendships – and I trust

never to lose my relish for either.

-Mary Russell Mitford, Letters of Mary Russell Mitford

Hello there!! Had a glorious day out yesterday with Heather and boy did we have fun!! The aim of the trip was to visit Spotlight and we did......we hit that place big time!! My mission was to buy baby material and baby wool/cotton to make baby stuff before the stork lands around this neck of the woods. I was also on the hunt for Christmas material and in Spotlight you find everything. Here are some of the things I found...

I’m over the moon!!

Baby yarn

I have used the Big baby yarn before and I'm very pleased with the results it gives. There are no nasty little surprise knots in the skein and it knits up very soft indeed. It is a lovely 4 ply yarn and made in Australia.

I don't recall having knitted with the Minka cotton but I will try my hand at it. As two of the babies I am knitting for are due in the hot months I thought I would do some cotton knitting, a bit different to what I'm used to. Actually there was a big range of cottons so Heather and I cruised around the isles having a good look......of course Heather played up so I made her hold on to the trolly and walk around until she decided to behave!!

On a recent trip to the local library I found a book called 'Cucumber sheep' . Strange title? yes I know, but what a great read it is. Two city ladies are called to look after a farm out in the Kellerberrin area in the 1950's and what a job they do. They go through all sorts of experiences. I can't put the book down. 

Fantastic read!

I'm having fun knitting and sewing for the little dolls living in the doll's house and I'm starting to get a little collection happening now. It's funny watching what the kids do with the doll's house in the library. In true year 7 form, they stuck one of the dolls in the oven, a couple of the year 4's stuck a doll down the toilet and for the rest of the kids, well....they're pretty normal with the dolls. lol.

Dolly fun

Today is rest day around here, that's after I've done the ironing. I hope to get some baby patterns cut out ready for sewing. I have nice material to make some summer pants for baby. I'm going to try and have a balanced day today.....chocolate in both hands!!!
Cheers,Anita