One man's trash is another man's treasure.

A smoking chimney in a

great house is a good sign.

-English proverb

Hello, I have had the best weekend and almost forgot to share with you all. On Friday we went for a trip to the ‘big smoke’ to get Cory fitted up with braces. I went prepared with panadol and other pain killers in case Cory started getting pains before we arrived home. He is going well and the braces aren’t as painful as we thought they were going to be. When those teeth are all straight it will be all worth it for him. Last weekend a kind work mate of mine offered me 6 big boxes full of craft stuff. Did I knock that back? Not on your Nelly!! There was a variety of goodies in there including, material, wool, gift cards, gift paper, cello, ribbon, and lots more. So with some of the material I have made this banner to decorate the top of the library bulletin board.

Can’t wait to hang this

While surfing the net I found this cute knitting pattern to make some little pixies. Just with scrap pieces of wool and corks that were from that box of goodies given to me, I made these guys in no time at all. These will end up in the library but I have decided to include them as one of my entries for the annual agricultural show. Click here for the pattern.

Another great find in the box of goodies were two balls of Velveteen by Patons. This is very soft to the touch and felt it would make a lovely soft neck warmers. I cast on 40 sts and just started to knit away. When I have knitted it long enough to suit, I will then twist it a few times and then sew the piece together.

Lovely to knit with

In my quest to find a home for all my new found treasures I came across a bag I had made some years ago. It was a comfort project actually and was a welcome therapy during that time. My father had only days to live and I kept myself occupied with my stitching. I always think of him when I look at the bag and as he was a terrific gardener it seemed appropriate at that time. My father could grow the biggest garlic you ever did see, in fact he could grow anything he put his mind to.

A stitch in time

I’m so excited that the Olympic Games are on, it really is a highlight to all the athletes who have trained for years to get in their top form. I get puffed out just watching them in their sport!! I wish all of the athletes many best wishes and good luck. Have a wonderful week.

Cheers, Anita.

In all pleasure hope

is a considerable part.

-Samuel Johnson

My holidays have almost come to an end and I’m ready for the next 10 weeks of work before the next lot of holidays begin again. Most of these holidays have been spent as Nurse Anita to my two boys who needed watching over after the removal of wisdom teeth. The weather was perfect for staying home near the fire, having hot lunches and generally not rushing anywhere. I decided that during the day, between nurse shifts, I would sew and at night I would do my knitting. It turned out to be a good idea except for times when my hands felt like they were cheating on my knitting with my sewing. I found some great library display books in the local library and made this banner. I still need to put on a border and tags for the back to hang it.

I have heard that people are going crazy over a book called Fifty Shades of Gray by E L James. Apparently it is very saucy and EL James is a first time writer. Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy sold 1.2 million copies since the first book came out in April. I’m thinking it might make my hair go curly but I have to wonder what it’s all about. Anyone read it?

I have been doing a bit of patchwork on the holidays too, trying to use some scraps again in an attempt to cull that sewing shed of mine. I’m not succeeding with that. I made a mat for my sewing machine and though it is plain, it is very handy to put my threads, needles and other bits in while I’m sewing.

 My husband and I had a day in Perth and visited Ikea. We purchased some great storage pieces. I saw this at my lovely niece’s house and had to ask where it was purchased from. When Lisa told me the price of it, I nearly fell over. $50!!!! We bought 3 for the boy’s rooms and found a couple of laundry stands that is so desperately needed in Cory’s room.

It didn’t take long for stickers to appear!!

A recent visit to the op shop and I found some cute wooden farm animals. I’m going to paint them up and they can be part of a library display.

Well I’m taking off now to get tea ready. Tonight is a knitting night for me and I’m almost finished with the last sleeve for my cardigan. I can’t wait to wear this cardigan and I’ll take a photo of it when it’s finished. I will keep doing some knitting for the show and I’m pleased to hear more babies are on the way around our neck of the woods.......I have a home now for the knitted baby items I am making as show entries.

Cheers, Anita

Neurotic racoon

Happiness may be a warm puppy

but joy is having a good friend

to share your life with.

I have come to the realization that no matter how old my boys are I will always be a neurotic racoon when it comes to their health and safety. Brandon and Cory both had their wisdom teeth and a few extra teeth taken out just recently, and for the weeks leading up to the surgery I didn’t sleep well, eat well or function on all 6 cylinders!! The day of the surgery was probably the most nerve racking but we made it through very well. Cory came out with hardly any swelling to the face, whereas poor old Brandon has hamster face. It was a long day for us all and we arrived home at 8.45 at night. I am so glad hubby took the day off work to help because it would’ve been a struggle without him. I have had time to reflect on situations because I felt like this with what is considered a minor surgery, I can’t begin to feel how a friend of mine whose daughter has just had heart surgery!

We’re all settled in for the last week of the holidays now and there is lots of sewing and knitting going on around here, as Mrs Neurotic racoon has been staying close to home these last week. I have finished the lovely pink knitted baby dress and forgive me, but there are no buttons sewn on the gown just yet, but you can see how darling this outfit turned out. I have used a 4 ply patons yarn and it was nice to knit with. I have made this outfit as a show entry and was wondering what to do with it when the show was over. Don’t need to worry now, there are babies on the way once again.

I went to Toodyay again with Heather to purchase some yarn. Heather is now knitting chemo caps for her daughter’s friend and needed some nice soft yarn. I had to tag along to buy yarn as well, and keep Heather out of mischief!! Lol. I have started to knit a cardigan for myself and found a gorgeous navy blue yarn. Just the right colour to go with some navy coloured pants I recently purchased. I have 215 stitches on my knitting needles right now and I’m OK with that because I won’t have much sewing up to do when I complete the cardigan. I have cast on in 5mm needles, knit for about 8 inches and then change to 4mm knitting needles. I can’t wait to wear this cardigan.

A bit of sewing as well is happening around Hayestackhayes. I am making some toys for another school library over these holidays and this little critter will join the stash. There is no pattern, just some rectangle shapes for the legs and arms and a bigger rectangle body. Odd buttons stitched on for the eyes, sew on a mouth and you have a critter. I have made these for my library and they get carted around all over the place. Oh there are some scraps of felt on the head too.

Max thinks his coat is pretty special too. As he is 11 years old, we see that each winter now he seems to need more warmth. I traced around a small dogs coat and just went from there. The inside has some wadding inside and the straps have Velcro to hold it on. I had a lucky find at the op shop.......a 100% pure wool underlay for $6. That’s in Max’s dog kennel now. Max looks so snug in his kennel, I’m glad.

What are these you ask? You will have to wait a little to see what this project is.

Well it’s almost time for nurse Anita to dish out the medicine for her patients so I must be away. I have a visitor to knit with this afternoon. Miss Heather is coming to join me for afternoon tea. Have a wonderful day.

Cheers, Anita.

And then there crept a little noiseless noise among

the leaves, /Born of the very sigh that silence heaves.

-John Keats. “I stood on tiptoe”

Hello to all! It is so cold here today and to look outside the window, one would think that it looks rather nice outside, until you step foot outside. Pixie and I went to the shops this morning and by the time we got to the car I was chilled to the core. I suppose it was not long ago that I was complaining about the heat we were having, and now it is the cold that troubles me.

I have been busily trying to get an Olympic Games display set up in the library before I went on holidays and a friend of mine came up with a fantastic idea for the display. Karen loves scrapbooking and she had a plan for my display. The idea for a 3 tear look (I’m sure there is a proper name for that!), the telephone box, letter box and bus at the back, the Olympic rings in the middle and the words ‘London 2012’ at the front. The whole thing can be folded down and stored away when we have finished with it. The idea is like when you open a book or a birthday card, the layers pop up. Karen also made the Big Ben while she was at it and I must say I am very impressed with the end result. Thanks for your help with the display Karen, you are super!!! Since the photo I have added posters and information to the back pin-up board and will continue to add as much as I can in the way of resources on my return to work.

I am not a scrap book fanatic myself, however while Karen is encouraging me to get interested in it, I have noted that it could be a very handy craft to help decorate my displays. So I bought this paper punch and can make a nice little border for the edging of the pin-up boards in the library.

Meanwhile, as I am on holidays, I have started to make a couple of dolls for another school library in our town. I don’t have a pattern for these two, but the idea is not mine. I have seen a photo on the net and just free hand sketched the pattern to how I wanted it. I still need to stuff them and sew the bottoms up.

I really wanted to show you my knitting project and I have almost finished stitching it up, so I will show you in a few days time. I have been searching the net for a free ladies cardigan pattern to knit for myself. I am not having much luck so far, as everything I find is not the right ply. I want to knit something in 8 ply and seem to be finding lots knitted in 10 ply yarn. I will continue my search. I don’t know if other knitter’s out there are having the same trouble as me with patterns. I can’t get my head around the different knitting terms these days and it’s really making me prickly. The term psso (pass slip stitch over) has been replaced with ssk????? And there are many other terms that have been renamed and it takes me as long to investigate the terminology as it does to knit!!!! Helpful Heather has given me some knitting books to look through and find some patterns, probably to stop me from moaning so much!! Lol. Nothing like the good old vintage patterns.

Some of my friends have had a rough road lately and you are all in my thoughts. Young Abbie is 6 years old and has just gone in for heart surgery to block up two holes in her heart. Hope you’re feeling better soon Ab’s! Thinking of Vickie as well, hope your recovery is speedy girl. When I was young I often heard ‘the oldies’ saying as long as they have their health that is all that matters. I used to wonder what that was all about and now I know. Next time I drop by I hope to have some knitting to show you, but now I am turning that kettle on and having a cuppa. Enjoy your lovely weekend everyone.

Cheers, Anita.

Darn skirt!!!!

A word fitly spoken is like apples

of gold in a setting of silver.

_Proverbs 25.11

I must say, I’ve been missing in action these last couple of weeks. It’s been that crazy busy around here that I haven’t even been able to visit my niece for her birthday. We have made contact by phone and birthday wishes were passed on, however with the school holidays just around the corner, we will manage to catch up. Last weekend was spent sitting outside the supermarket selling raffle tickets for the high school my son attends. It was cold and chilly to the bone, but I’m glad I didn’t have to do it this weekend, it was colder still. The raffle was for a load of wood and considering how cold it was, I’m surprised more people didn’t buy tickets. Brandon also went for the last part of his driving test and passed, so he is stoked about that. Well done Brandon.

My tribe is laid up with the cold and sore throats, especially my big boy. So things are quiet around here. I have finally finished sewing a skirt that I’ve been at for a couple of weeks and I have to be truthful, this skirt has caused me that much grief.....for a simple style skirt!! I have called this skirt almost every name in the book, and I might add, they weren’t very nice names and I won’t repeat them. I have unstitched every seam, one side twice, redone the zip, the backs of the skirt did not line up when completed, and I even had to unpick and redo the last two inches on the under flap. It gave me grief right to the end. However, I have tried the skirt on, and it fits nicely, looks nice on, doesn’t show my pouch!! And is nice and warm. So it was really worth the fight.

I don’t have anything in the way of knitting to show you, as the last couple of weeks I’ve been sewing on buttons, stitching up some of the things I have already shown you and I have 253 sts on my knitting needles right now, knitting something splendid for the show. By next week I should have something to show you and it is pretty indeed.

I didn’t make Max pose for this photo, he put the scarf on himself and posed!!!! Big Westcoast Eagles supporters live around here and they won their footy game this week. Go the Eagles!!!!

Cheers, Anita.