A mountain is nature’s

everlasting castle.

Hello, I thought I would show and tell some of my gorgeous birthday gifts with you. Firstly and very noticeable was this cheeky monkey, and the lovely beads, luggage tag, knitting book (yum!) and lots more.

 Cool gifts

 These were from Heather and I keep looking at the monkey thinking she is trying to send me a message here.

 Cheeky monkey

This book has some sweet patterns in it. There are twin sets which I adore and many other lovely patterns that I can't wait to make.

'
Sweet patterns
This week I have been dabbling in a bit of everything. Gardening, knitting, sewing and cleaning. Wonder woman you think? No, I'm still on holidays and only have just over a week left then back to work I go. It's amazing when you have a good stretch of time as to how much you can get done.

This gorgeous hibiscus was found at the nursery and came home with us. It has a lovely orange flower that is too lovely. I have planted it in the backyard along with another hibiscus I purchased that had more of a burnt orange colour, but just as stunning.

Still on the sewing front, another couple of simple dolls out of scraps. They have felt faces, beads for eyes, stitched on mouth and rows of lace and ric rac. They are about 6 inches high and the aim was to make something useful for the kids in the library and to use up those bits of materials floating around my sewing shed.

 Aren’t we cute!
White surfing the net I spotted some knitted up licorice all sorts and thought I would give them a shot. Sorry I didn't do them to a pattern but there is one somewhere out there. You could google image or pinterest might have something and find a pattern.
 

 

 After surfing the net I came across these simple knitted card holders. I made these two last night. It is just a straight piece of knitting folded and stitched down. I was shocked at how quick they knitted up. Click here for the pattern, you won't be disappointed. Great gift ideas for friends.

Well it's time to be thinking about lunch so I better get cracking. We're enjoying some lovely cooler weather today so I have been able to get out into the garden to do a bit of cleaning and planting. I'll probably have to sit inside if it gets too hot and do some knitting or some pleasantry like that.
Have a terrific weekend gals.
Cheers, Anita.
 Be happy!!
 

Happy Birthday to me.

 

A good laugh is

sunshine in a house.

-William Makepeace Thackeray

Well hello to you all. Today I am celebrating my 51^st birthday. I am so happy to today as my clan, including Heather are taking me out to lunch. I have two special gifts sitting on the table waiting for two teenage boys to wake up (Ha!Ha) and give them to me. Pixie made me a special cup of tea in bed this morning so I am already feeling rather spoilt!

Special gifts
In the meantime I have received this fantastic shelving unit and two DVD towers for my birthday. I am still gathering DVD's to fill the empty spots in the tower. I think I will find the missing discs in a teenager's bedroom. Hmmm.

I have been crocheting these cute little biscuits from left over bits of yarn. I have no pattern but just crocheted two circles (the size of a biscuit) from brown yarn and two white circles (same size as brown circles) out of white yarn. It is an 8 ply wool that I have used. I am sure there is a pattern out there on the net for biscuits if you are interested in making them.

Biscuit anyone?

Also on the knitting front I have started to knit up some beanies for charity or however they may be needed. One of our local doctors spearheads a group of people for his church group to gather and collect clothing for people in third world countries. He has let me know that they will be going over seas soon to deliver the goods. I thought I would make a start on my collection. It is a great way to use my stash in a useful and helpful way.

Charity beanies
I think I have bellyached for the last few weeks (along with the rest of Australia!) about our weather and how hot it has been. Well today is cool and windy and I have closed all the windows because I am so cold!! lol. We are expecting a cool 27C.
I might go and lay down again....because I want to. Have the best day and take care.
Cheers, Anita.

Yes’m, old friends is always best. ‘less you can catch

a new one that’s fit to make an old one out of.

-Sarah Orne Jewett

Hello,  I can say that I'm having a lovely relaxing Sunday morning.

The weather has cooled down, everything is in check, no hassles!!

We've been out to the garden nursery to select some wonderful shrubs

to place in the garden. Hubby and Brandon came for a drive,

 I should've known there would be chaos if they came!! lol. We had a 

nice chat to the lady that works there, teased each other wildly and then

trotted off home.

I decided to make a cute little monster out of scraps that I just couldn't throw away.

This cute stripey material came in very handy as the body, arms and legs. I had 

2 bits of cream wadding that was the size of 50c pieces so they became the

backing of the eyes, buttons I have, of course, and a strip of red felt.

I had some assorted ric rac left over too, it added a growly look to the mouth!!

Never not knitting as always, I whipped up these little cotton baby pants. I

 just made the pattern up as I went along, but got my inspiration from  these pair.

For my pattern I used 4 ply Gem and cast on 52 sts with number 10 needles.
. K2, P2 across this row.  Keep ribbing correct, rib another 13 rows.
Stocking stitch for 7 and a half inches. K24, cast off 4, K24.
Purl 24sts. On these 24sts only K2, P2 and then repeat this rib for another 5 rows.
 Cast off.
Join yarn to other 24 sts and do the same.
The back and front are made the same way. Stitch up pants and fold over top of
pants ribbing
and stitch it down. Thread elastic through and stitch up. If you don't want to
use elastic you could
do a row of eyelet holes and thread ribbon or cord through the top of pants.
 Do what you choose.
 
I had a great find at the local library, there on the 'free to good home trolley'
were a stack of craft magazines and books. They came home with me real fast.

 

Now some of you may gasp, but we went to the rubbish tip and I couldn't believe my eyes.

 Someone had thrown out Mr Snowman, still all wrapped in his plastic and sealed.

I don't know why people don't take these sort of things to the Red cross shop instead

 of the tip. Then you have to scratch your head in disbelief. Places like the Good

Samaritans,Red Cross and other op shops are having rubbish dumped at their

doorsteps and got stuck with a clean up bill and then you have people getting rid of

good stuff and they're taking that to the tip??????

 

Here is another find. Not a mark on this cane pram!!!!!

Oh the shrubs are some of my treasures from the nursery today. Can't wait to

plant them.

 

I'm off now to check out some favourite blogs of mine. Hope you're having a

fantastic day and the sewing machine, stitching or knitting is happening at

your house.

Cheers, Anita.

 

 

When we are chafed and fretted by small cares, a look

at the stars will show us the littleness of our own

interests.

-Maria Mitchell, Maria Mitchell, Life, Letters, and Journals.

Hello, lots of crafting happening around my house! I’ve taken a step

back and realized my house is being invaded by craft work!!

The weather has been pretty intense throughout Australia and

in our parts it’s been terribly hot. So in the early hours of the

morning I water the garden, tend to the chooks, do whatever

I have to do outside and then stay indoors. So while I’ve been living

by that rule I have made a stack of things. Here are some of the things I have been making.

Meet my hand puppets. 

He and she

They have just been made out of scraps and no particular pattern. I think that if you find a basic hand puppet design you could make your own and just add whatever you like. It's all about being creative.

 

Mr. Hedgie

The pattern for Hedgie is here.

Another thread catcher....thanks for getting me hooked Fiona. It's for my own good. lol.

 

Another needle case, thanks to the person listed above.

A beaut little pair of shorts that are made from a long pants pattern.

Sweet shorts

Very easy pattern and if you would like to have a go at it, click here.

Baby mittens, my own design.

 

Using 4 ply and size 10 needles cast on 43 sts. Knit 14 rows garter stitch.

K1, *yfwd, K2tog, repeat from * to end of row.

Knit 1 row.

Stocking stitch for 20 rows.

*K2, K2tog, repeat from* to last stitch K1.

Purl 1 row.

K2, *K2tog, K1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, K2.

Purl 1 row.

*K2tog, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Leave a long tail of yarn and thread it back through remaining 12 stitches. Sew up seam using the long tail of yarn. Thread ribbon through eyelet holes.

Nothing warms my heart more than to see Father and Son working together, doing man stuff.

 

 

 

 The poor things threw themselves in the pool after digging the trench on this hot day.

I've had a great week chatting with my blogging friends and having some wild conversations and laughs. Thanks for the giggles girls. Have a wonderful day.

Cheers, Anita. 

Very Hungry caterpillar

It is so easy to believe

In pleasant possibilities.

-Amelia B.Edwards, Half a million of Money.

Finished!! One Very Hungry caterpillar baby sleeping sack. I am so happy with how this turned out, I’m just giggling quietly to the reaction I will get when I hand it over to the soon-to-be-mother. I have used 8 ply yarn for the sack itself and knitted in stripes of light green and dark green. For the top and bottom of the sack I knitted in double rib and added an eyelet row to thread a cord through. The bottom can be opened for nappy changes without having to take the sack off baby.

 

Cute baby sack and beanie

The beanie was knitted in a 4 ply red and done in single rib for so many rows and then garter stitch for the rest of the beanie. I crocheted two eyes using yellow and green (that's how it is in the book) and then sweetest of all....the black antennae.

Now there is no real pattern here but for the sack I just found a sack pattern on the net and used the amount of stitches suited to the ply and went from there. Any pattern for the beanie as well, and the eyes and antennae...well they were just made up.

Any Friday Night with Friends I am truly hooked on needle cases and I think I'm a gonner with thread catchers as well. There were so many pretty one's made on other blogs that it has inspired me to make some thread catchers as well. If you are interested in the pattern for the needle case I have the link on my previous post for you.

 

I’m hooked on needle cases!!

I have also made another doll to go with the other one I made and I also forgot to add the ribbon last time to the doll with the pink cheeks.

Two’s company.....

Thanks to all the gals that have joined Friday Night with Friends, you have really inspired me with my own projects and I loved looking at your works too. See you next FNwF's.

Cheers, Anita.

Friday Night with friends

Hello, I joined Friday Night with friends 2013 and as I love to sew and knit I had a go at both last night. My first project was this cute needle case.

 

 

It measures about 4inches x 8inches, each piece of lace is also 8 inches and is going to come in very handy as I can’t have enough of them. I have used a piece of wadding for the needles and pins to slide into. Lovely BubzRugz has a fantastic tutorial to make them.

I will give you a glimpse of the knitting next time because I have not finished this project yet and want to give you all a laugh when I have.

I'm off to visit the other ladies who have had Friday Night with friends to see what they've been up to. Visit Cheryll and see what's going on over there. Thanks for organising this fun activity Cheryll and though I only just joined I still managed to make some progress.

This is what I'm up to for the rest of the day. Stoked about my Ned Kelly Grevillea bush, it's growing nicely.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cheers, Anita. 

 

 

 

 

Hope is a

waking dream.

-Aristotle

Hello there! I’ve managed to sneak in another few projects to share with you all. My little turtle friend here is an inspiration from surfing the net.

Mr. Turtle is about 4 inches long and simple to make and sorry there is no pattern, just made up from ideas!! I  have used felt for the feet, head and tail. A few beads for the eyes and finding some left over bits of lace, I thought that might be nice around the rim of the shell. I google imaged toy turtles and all these fantastic designs appeared.

A knitted cat has been made and I did make this using a pattern I had found on the net!!

 

 Click  here for the cat pattern. Though I must say I still just did my own thing with decorating him. More  owls have been crocheted, they go to the school to live.....

 

two very cute baby beanies (who have both already found homes). They have been knitted using 8 ply yarn and size 8 knitting needles.

Best fun of all is this little doll that has been made in a rectangle shape and bits added.

 I have cut out two rectangles, one in calico, the other in a print material.

Stitch the two pieces together, sew ric-rac over the join, and add whatever you want.

I have used black felt for the hair and stitched it down, stitched on a mouth, felt cheeks and sewed on buttons for the eyes. Fill her up with toy stuffing and there you are. I am making another one to go with her. I love the simple patterns, they're quick to sew and fun to make.

Lovely Linda has sent me these two books and I'm thrilled as to receive them.

Many thanks Linda and stay strong girl. I've had a fantastic week catching up with old and new blogging friends, it's been great chatting with you and hearing your news. I particularly love looking at every one's projects and hearing news of your part of the world. Thank you all so much for sharing with  me.

I'm about to zoom off into that sewing shed once again as today so far is much cooler and hubby and Brandon have taken off to the city for most of the day. Cory (typical teenager won't be awake any time soon), and I'm about to give my sewing machine a good thrashing (in a loving way).

Cheers to you all, Anita.