Tiny babes

In the middle

of every difficulty

lies opportunity.

-Albert Einstein

We held a Wood raffle last weekend to raise money for our high school P & C, and while I was sitting there selling tickets, I met up with an old friend. A member of her family had given birth to a 750gm baby and as my friend is unable to knit any more, she asked me to make some bootees and beanies for the baby. You know me.....

 I thought I would make an assortment of sizes, starting from the extreme small (left side of the screen) to bigger sizes. I'm sure it will take an awful long time for baby to fit into the pink bootees on the right. I couldn't help but get the old ruler out to measure how small the tiny bootees were. Pretty unreal.

I found the pattern for these small bootees on the net and if you would like the pattern, click here. The pattern is very simple and I knitted it with 3 ply and 4ply wool. I suppose for a normal sized baby you could even try 8 ply, see how that goes. Might try it myself. If you would like the pattern for the beanie with the cord, click here. I did a lot of net surfing and found many sites that had free premature baby patterns. Using google images saved stacks of time in my quest to find the best patterns for me. I have a bright yellow beanie on the go at the moment and then I will give the pretty bundle to my friend.

 On a recent trip to the local library I found some fantastic books to read through and get lots of ideas from. Our annual show is a few months away and I want to make as many things as I can.

As I looked through this book, boy did I get some great ideas. You might take a trip to your own library (or book shop), and find a copy of your own.

'

My week was taken up with moving into my own new library at work and a friendly bunch of parents happily helped me move. I'm so thankful they helped, I would still be there moving!! Everything is sorted out now and it will be business as usual. Oh, oh I have to make more toys now as I have found more places I can put these new toys in the library. Any excuse will do.

I can't believe Brandon has his own car now and has his learner's permit to drive. The years are just ticking away and I do recall a friend telling me to enjoy your children because before you know it, the time goes. I was already enjoying and loving my boys to bits, but my friend was right, the time goes fast.

Today I plan on baking and catching up with housework.....and sewing. Not long now until the school holidays and over this break I am going to relax with the boys and catch up on the Supernatural series that I missed out on. I'm not a TV person, especially not in the daytime, but the guys on Supernatural are fairly easy on the eye! giggle giggle. Make the most of Sunday. Kind regards, Anita.





Baby knitting

Life is what happens

to you while you're busy

making other plans.

John Lennon

Ever felt like you are chasing your tail? That's the week I've had! Busy but enjoyable none the less. Though I have been sewing and knitting I didn't really manage to finish much. I have, however, stumbled across a cute little baby pattern. A beanie and bootee set.

 This pattern is called Puffin baby hat and booties set and is suitable for a small baby. The bit I fell in love with was the tied cord on top of the hat! If you want the pattern, click here. I will say that I changed the instructions a bit. When it comes to knitting the booties, it says at the beginning of the row Sl1, turn. I did this at the end of the row instead. I loved the pattern so much that I knitted it up again in different colours and without using the fancy pattern, due to the colour wool I was using.

This weekend our high school P & C run a wood raffle over Friday and Saturday, to raise some much needed funds. I might add, we were pleased to have raised $990.00. It is great fun getting out there in the community and catching up with people while they purchased tickets. I'm usually a hermit, but enjoyed the two days out. An older gentleman stopped in to buy a ticket, had a chat and bade me farewell. Half hour later he came back with a hot quiche and gave it to me. He felt sorry I was sitting outside in the ice cold wind. (Must say, I did have icicles hanging off my nose!). I thanked him so much, waited until he left and scoffed it down with gusto!! Boy it was nice and it warmed my insides.

When it was time to draw the lucky number, I grabbed the first person I could find and asked them to draw the ticket. A lovely lady happily drew the winning ticket. Even nicer still, the winner was an elderly lady and both she and her husband were thrilled to bits. I was so happy for them. I dropped the wood off to them, and the lady gave me a present as well. Two big bags of wool!!! Like a mouse in a cheese factory!!



There is only one problem now......where am I going to hide this from my husband. If he spots the bags of wool, I just know he will be thinking 'What is she going to do with all that wool'. lol. After all our happy years of marriage, I'm sure he knows I will knit it all up. Now that I've been out all weekend, I am going to catch up on all the house work and nurse my head cold. Hope to show you some finished projects next posting. Kind regards, Anita.

Hannah's bag

The good return

for my life's work

is my family.

BT

Besides having a busy and fantastic week, I have also concentrated my time making a knitting/sewing bag for lovely Hannah. I have a little group of girls I am teaching to knit and they are enjoying themselves so much. There is a special girl named Hannah and I thought this lovely bag would be a nice gift for her.

I had some cute girly material left over from previous projects, material that I have adored actually and kept it in hope of finding a special pattern to make out of it. The colours running across the top of the bag is from my jelly roll collection, and the bottom colours have been used on children's things that I have made. I will find some nice coloured ribbon to use as drawstrings. Oh and notice the special beaded doll, I thought I would make her to go with the bag.

As promised, I have taken a photo of the last tea cosy I knitted. This one has gone to a new home and will be loved to bits.

Today has been baking day, lots of different things on my chopping block. A vanilla cake at the back, some pumpkin scones and a sultana cake, my husbands favourite cake. I'm thinking they won't last long and I'm too scared to have a look in the kitchen and see what is left!!

Beautiful vegetable soup was made for lunch today, and see how much was scoffed down!! I've hidden the rest.

I know I usually sling off about my darling friend Heather, but I really do love her to bits and she's real special to me. Heather has given me this wonderful book of proverbs and I just go through it over and over again. Not only is it sweet with words and thoughts, but on the back I noticed it says the purchase of The Book of Giving, enables women in poverty to establish the business of their dreams. How great is that?

Two of my darlings have taken off shooting with friends for a while, Cory is playing his computer game, racing of course, and I might take this opportunity to do a little knitting. I have been knitting this week and have to just finish off a few things for the next posting I do. Pixie and I went for a lovely stroll together at the shops this morning. It's funny how suddenly your children don't want to go to the shops with parents anymore......especially teenagers. Friends have told me this will change again. So I look forward to that. In the meantime, I can have my husband to myself and torment him all on my own. lol. Hope you are all having a lovely relaxing weekend and I'll be back again. Kind regards, Anita.

A favourite of mine.

Be the person

you always knew

you were meant to be,

but never quite had

the courage for.

-Anon.

Here in Western Australia we are having a long

weekend to celebrate Foundation Day, and that means

more time to spend with my three darlings, sew, knit and catch up with things. On Friday night, Pixie received a request from his best mate's daughter. "Pixie, can you ask your 'Mum' (meaning me, his wife) to make me a Banana's in Pyjamas?" I roared with laughter. Miss 5 is at preprimary, and they are funny at that age. I loved knitting Banana, he is one of my favourites. The book is an old favourite too.

It didn't take long to knit old Pyjama's up either. I have always enjoyed making this guy, and I must say, I've made a fair few of them. The kids love him, in fact they just love knitted toys anyway. Today, BJ is going to be delivered to his new home. I have been busy in the patch working department as well. I have been trying to get through the bags of material that have found their way to my home. I made this 9 block square using blue tones and I'm not sure what it will be yet, but that's the fun of it, being creative.

A few squares ready to be made up. I was given blocks already sewn up, with the materials to make more, which I have done. Unwanted by a friend, but welcomed with love to me.

The picture below shows the blocks already made up, with a few of my own stitched up as well. I'm thinking this could turn into a baby quilt for someone. I'm hoping to stitch this up today if I get time.

The blocks are only pinned together at this stage, I organised the blocks into their position and as I have to move my work off the kitchen table, I didn't want to have to work out the positions all over again!! Depending on how many blocks I get to make up, this will turn into a good sized baby quilt.

As I have finished knitting Banana's, I needed to find my next knitting project. Heather had given me this interesting wool, bubbly textured and great to knit with. It is Moda Vera Cinderella and I have used a strand of 4ply white and Cinderella. I have two balls of it and am crossing my fingers it will be enough to make a capsule cover. It is knitting up nicely and I have used size 5 needles to get a good tension. It feels nice and fluffy, not too heavy either. Some little baby will love this, perhaps make them want to sleep a little longer?

I have just looked outside and what a glorious day it is going to be, by the looks of now anyway. It wasn't too long ago I was complaining about it being too hot and now I'm just loving the toasty warm sunshine. Can't win!! I'm about to go and investigate the chook house and see what mess those girls have made with the new bail of hay. They scratch around like mad. Enjoy the week ahead and happy crafting to you all.

Kind regards, Anita.