paradise by the sea

Time for a break, so we are off to Apollo Bay for a family holiday... and when I say a family holiday, I mean a FAMILY holiday! We will be staying with my Dad... my sister plus her husband and kids... and my brother plus his wife... all in a 3 bedroom holiday house. So it truly is a family holiday!

Looking forward to it... but will very much miss Mum. I haven't been to Apollo Bay since her burial three months ago, and I know that I need to visit the cemetery... but I am dreading it.


I plan to do lots of unraveling while I am away, so I can re-stock my stash. So if you happen to be down that way... and see a mad woman sitting in the park, unraveling what appears to be a perfectly good jumper... come over and say hello to me! I'd love to meet you...

So I'll be disappearing from blog land for a little while, but should be back feeling well rested by mid-January.



As the New Year approaches... I will be meditating on these 'rules to live by'... I believe they were written by Robert Louis Stevenson. There is something in them for all of us:

Make up your mind to be happy.

Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything and everyone has something of sorrow.

Don't take yourself too seriously.

Don't let criticism worry you. You can't please everybody.

Don't let your neighbors set your standards; be yourself.

Do things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.

Don't borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.

Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish enmities and grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.

Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about places.

Don't hold post-mortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.

Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.

Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.

topsy turvy delight

I've used a Jean Greenhowe pattern, take a look here for details... you will need to scroll about halfway down the page

cinderella

Well, now that the gifts for the boys are all sorted... I can focus on the cinderella doll for Little Miss Four. I knit the pieces for her weeks ago, and now it is just a matter of the assembly.

JUST a matter of the assembly?

Who am I trying to kid here??? These things take forever to put together!

I'm using a Jean Greenhowe pattern, take a look here if you want an idea of what I am up to. Scroll about halfway down the page and you will see a topsy-turvy cinderella doll. That's the one I am making.

So here is my progress on sad cinderella...




I've used crazy yarn for her skirt... rather appropriate for her 'rag dress' I thought... especially with all those exposed knots.

And if you look really closely, you might recognise that hair. Remember the tutorial I made about recycling yarn from a jumper. I was complaining that the yarn from that particular garment was a bit 'straw-like'? Well... it makes for perfect doll hair!

ta-da!

the alien for Master Six has been brought to life



red hair... pieces of yarn tied firmly to the top of the head, and then I have untwisted the ply



12 arms... six down each side... I went with a curlicue look for these



10 legs... made them long and hairy... a decision which I know I will regret when my son's room is covered with the little hairs which shed (especially when they play tug-o-war with those legs)



8 eyes... a small piece of vinyl sits behind the buttons



and here his is in all his glory! what do you think?

another gift completed!

Okay... I am really pleased to finally have this gift finished. It's actually a sage green colour, but it looks a little blue in the photo.



It's the first time I have knitted a scarf in a 4ply (fingering weight) yarn... and it seemed to take forever! For a while there, I wondered if it was ever going to be finished...

I do love the pattern though. As far as lace patterns go, it's quite simple to follow and easy to remember. And I love the finished effect, too.

Now, get ready for the biggest surprise of all... I actually blocked this scarf!!!

Mind you... that just means that I laid it out nicely on the ironing board... gave it a spritz of water... put a cloth over the top... gave that a spritz of water... then carefully and lightly steamed it with my iron on the WOOL setting. Pretty fancy, hey!

You might recognize this pattern, as it is a scarf that I have made before. If you want to take a little stroll down memory lane with me, you can see other versions of the same scarf here and here and here.

The scarf pattern is not available online, but I did find instructions for a feather stitch pattern which you could use if you were interested in making something similar. Don't be confused if the photo looks a little different... they have shown the RIGHT side of the work, whereas most of my photos show the WRONG side (which I find more interesting)

no time for words...

Okay, that's not entirely true... I'm just being a bit lazy!

Here's the progress of the alien for Master Six:

irresponsible?

Am I the most irresponsible mother on the face of this earth?

Well... Master Six thinks that I am!

He might not have said it in quite those words, but he gave me one of THOSE looks. You know the kind I mean... a look of despair, disgust, shock, horror and disbelief... all rolled into one.

Now what could I possibly have done to deserve a LOOK like that, you wonder?

Well... it all has to do with this hand made Christmas idea.

At first I didn't really know what to make for the boys. After I thought on it for a while, I put a couple of ideas together. They love their cuddle toys... and they love to 'design'. So I would let them 'design' a cuddle toy, and I would make it for them. It seemed simple enough.

And it was... in theory. For example the alien for Master Nine is all done and wrapped, waiting under the tree.

Alas things are not moving so smoothly with Master Six. He drew a monster for me weeks ago. But I can't find it! In fact, I don't recall having seen it at all... but he swears that he gave it to me to look after. Well, I have turned this craft room upside down looking for it... and it is definitely not here.

Master Six is horrified that I could have been so irresponsible with his precious design. He is so affected by the situation, that no amount of coaxing or bribing could get him to sketch another creature. Apparently I had my chance, and I blew it!

We finally agreed that he could give me a list of characteristics, and I would work from that instead. Take a look at the list... I think he is trying to punish me!

• 12 arms, 6 on each side
• 10 legs
• 8 eyes
• red hair... on his head, not all over

So I've drawn up a quick sketch... a very quick sketch indeed!