Where has it gone?

the year is just flying by, so busy and not enough time.

My solution to that is to try to decluttter my home and live slow. If only I had the time to do that. I make lists, so many lists, every week I make a list of what to do......some things get done, many don't. My mood can change at a drop of a hat.....I can be motivated and going great guns, then something will happen, someone wants something, a thought in my head, I am trying to stop my head self talk, it can really get in the way sometimes.

I can't believe my last post was back in January, oh my hopes for blogging more.....well we can all see how that is going......non existent.

I haven't been to spinning all year, maybe I should leave it until the start of next year, I need a bit more self confidence to go and learn, I put on my list each week to start to teach myself to spin before going to the spinning meetings.....not happening either.

This week started with great motivation.....I read about the Knitters Guild NSW FibreFest in October this year and a Shawl knitalong which is on Facebook and in Ravelry. So I picked my yarn after thinking I would buy more. Why buy more when I have so much, but some of you know how that is.....sometimes not enough of what you need in a particular yarn, colour, weight for a project. Anyway I finally decide I couldn't justify purchasing anymore so I looked in my stash listed on Ravelry and then went searching in the tubs I have all my yarn packed in and found some Hot Socks in black, grey, white  and a solid black in Heirloom Argyle sock yarn. So it is on the needles and I am loving it.

As for decluttering, I have nearly got the visitors room sorted with what I already have, my craft room is sort of tidied up (tidied up doesn't mean decluttered), still more to go and then onto the study and get the courage to give away alot of books I have in there, or start reading more......not even time in the day!

I think when I have the whole house decluttered and the gardens going well, that I will be able to settle and enjoy a slow pace of life and be alot calmer and able to do things at the drop of a hat without thinking I can't as I have too much other things to do.

2018 has dawned

Another year has started and is half way through the first month of January. Time doesn't stand still for anyone.

Christmas was so nice and relaxing spent with family and especially with the 3 grand kids it was a fun and very tiring day. I must be getting older.

Last year when I decided what I would knit for my local show, I always think I can knit more in a short time that what I actually can. My fingers and hands ache a lot quicker these days, so I put the needles down a bit more than what I would like to. I also made another mistake by thinking a good plan would be to knit everything firstly and then sew it all up at the end. Big mistake, it wasn't too bad, my hands did ache a bit, but I find I have to be in the right frame of mind to sew knitting up, otherwise I don't care how it is done as long as it gets done. I did have to step away a few times so I would do a good job of it. The one thing I really wanted to knit for this year's show was an Aran jumper for my grandson. It is time consuming and needs full concentration at all times, needless to say it won't be making it to the show and as I am doing it for him for this winter it won't be shown at all. I will have to really dig deep and make a larger size for him for next year and show it before giving to him.

I am back on my mission of knitting my stash, how many years has it been, I must be up to the 5th year now. I have bought some really, really, really nice yarns over the past couple of years, all to be knit for me, well mainly me. I did get some lovely Alpaca and knit flap beanies for the twins for winter just gone and they will fit them this winter as well. But I have to be strong and knit this ridiculous amount of stash down to something a bit more manageable and then when I see nice yarns I can buy them and knit them pretty much straight away, well that is my plan.

I am also going to learn to spin, I have wanted to learn for so long now. I have joined a local spinners and weavers group which two of my good knitting friends are in, so I will be able to get some fantastic advice from them as well. Now to just get my confidence up to actually go to the group and learn. I will take my friends offer and get her to show me before I take the wheel to the group.

I have started to read a bit more too. I am loving doing a few different things each day, beside working full time still. Oh retirement is in my dreams most days. Soon, very soon.....I hope and will keep dreaming.

After the show next week, I will post photos of my knitting I have been doing lately.

Decluttering and stash busting

I am in need of decluttering my home and stash busting at the same time.  Over the past few weeks, I have been knitting up a storm and my fingers are really letting me know that they are working overtime.



I have crochet (not very well I might add) 3 cotton teatowel tops, my old hand towels are so worn they are nearly thread and where in need of being thrown out. I knit a beanie for myself for next winter in the Bousta Beanie KAL.



 I knit a Adagio Beanie from a kit I purchased at the Celebration of Wool in Canberra a couple of months ago.



I knit something I have been wanting to knit since 2007 when I purchased the Elizabeth Zimmerman Workshop book, the Baby Surprise Garter Stitch Jacket. I haven't got a clue what to knit next, I do have a long list, but unsure as to what to start.




I am also going to learn to spin. I have had a spinning wheel for about 15 years and I have joined a local spinners and weavers group, I haven't had a lesson yet, I want to try and give it a go myself first so I feel a bit more confident when going to spinners group.

I really need to stop buying more yarn and knit more of what I have first, I have some beautiful and unusual yarns. I did get all the big plastic containers with my stash in out of the wardrobe and at the moment are piled high on the floor, at least I can see in the containers and hopefully get some inspiration to knit more of it. That is what I love about Ravelry, I have all my stash listed and look there to see what I have and a pattern suitable for it.


So much to do and so little time......

October 2016 to July 2017

Despite all my efforts to try to blog more, I find myself getting further behind with it. Where is the time going, it is flying by so quick. Too much to do and so little getting done.

I try to plan my knitting, it sometimes goes to plan, but as you all know, that can go out the window in a blink of an eye. Always something comes up, a new pattern, new yarn, someone to knit for, and so it goes.

Still trying to declutter the home, getting a bit further with that now. I have a deadline of September ready for Spring. Not sure I will make that deadline, but I will keep on trying with a bit at a time.

Knitting has also been busy, I am having so much fun knitting for the twins, there parents appreciate my knitting for them. I also have a new baby great niece, so knitting for her has been fun too.

The weather is getting colder now, even though it looks nice and sunny outside, it is getting colder each day as we make our way through the middle of winter.

On my needles at the moment is a cardigan for a 4 year old "eyelet cardigan" it is in the Patons Pattern Book 1105 - Mod Knits in Big Baby. I won the book and 2 balls of Big Baby 4ply acrylic on the Australian Country Spinners facebook page. I don't usually knit garments in acrylic, I must say this is very nice and soft to knit with. I will knit another one for Bailee for next winter in pure wool.

What else is on the needles, I have a few projects going at once, not my usual thing, but have a couple of birthday's to knit for. I have the Emerald City Beanie in Bendigo Luxury 8ply for my nieces finance's birthday and some Bendigo Alpaca fingerless mittens for my nieces birthday.

I am going to learn to spin, it has been something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I will be having a lesson on Monday, I am a bit nervous as on my last attempt some time ago, I seem to hold onto the fleece too tight and my hands get a bit sweaty. I need to just relax and go with the flow of what I am being taught.

October 2016

Wow! This year is going by at an expediential rate. A year that has had some ups and some very low downs. As spring has sprung I am going to move forward as best I can, with the ones I love and doing the things I love. I will have to do things I don't like for a while, like de cluttering this damn house. It is out of control. Testament to the year we have had I guess.

Knitting is starting to come back at a faster pace than it has been all year. I finished the blanket I was knitting for Aahliyah for her bed here for when she visits. I did get the yarn, needles and pattern out for the Seasons Beanie by Jarod Flood, I bought the wool on a trip to America back in 2012 from a beautiful yarn and tea store in Santa Barbara. I couldn't start it, my head isn't in the right head space. Damn, I like to kept to my list of knitting to do, but at the moment I have moved forward to others things to knit.

Today I have another Mermaid Tail blanket on the needles, this one is for my baby grand daughter Bailee, getting ahead for next winter, I will do her twin brother Levi's next. As they will be 1 year old next Autumn I am knitting the 2-3 year size, that way they will get a few winters out of them.

Photos of some of my latest knitting. Beanies and mittens for Bailee and Levi. Shawl for me, it is the Mother's Day 2016 Knitalong by J.L Fleckenstein (I Live on a Farm). A cotton hand towel and the blanket for Aahliyah's bed here at Gran and Pops house.

The twins have arrived

My twin grand babies have arrived. They are nearly 2 weeks old now. They will be coming home this week and I am so excited. I got to cuddle them on Mother's Day for the first time. I have been busy knitting more for them.

I joined JL Fleckenstein's 2016 Mother's Day Shawl KAL on Ravelry. I am knitting this in Zauberball in Creme Chocolate colourway. It is looking pretty good, I am really liking how the colour changes are going.

Winter is coming and the weather is starting to cool now with the nights a bit cooler which is so comfortable sleeping. Not that I seem to be sleeping much, I have been up way to late knitting of a night, even through the week when I have to get up early for work. I need to stop this bad habit and go to bed a lot earlier. I get so wrapped up in my knitting and once I am past the first time of feeling tired and then all of a sudden it is "lights on" and I am wide awake and knitting along nicely.

Some of my knitting the last couple of weeks has been a feathers yarn beanie for a lady at works mothers who has cancer and had brain surgery, this type of beanie is soft and comfortable to lay on after head surgery. A nice pair of Cable Fingerless Mittens, I only got a photo while knitting them and not when they were finished. A Mock Cable jumper for my new grandson and a matching beanie I made up the pattern so it matches the jumper. I finished the pink and the blue matinee jackets for my grandson and granddaughter, Oh how I am loving that their parents want me to knit, I am in "Gran" knitting heaven. What else, what else have I been knitting, time goes by so quick I forget what I have knit. At the moment with 2 projects on the needles, the first being the shawl KAL and an adult beanie in Cleckheaton California, this will be a nice chunky beanie in black, grey and white colours.

And it is now April in 2016....

The time is just going so fast, so much to do, so much happening.

I have been busy knitting two baby shawls for the twin grandchildren due in May. I decided on the EZ 100th Anniversary PI Shawls, one the Camping design and the other the Hearts design.

I am extremely pleased with myself. They are just beautiful. The Camping shawl won 1st prize at the Albion Park Agricultural Show in January this year. I didn't have time to finish the Hearts shawl for any of the local shows this year, I am sure it would have been a winner too.

I have to knit some Mothers Day appropriate items for the Tuesday Night Knitters Group as we are in the Old Fire Station Community Arts Centre in Kiama for a week including the the Sunday of Mothers Day. I have started with some hot pink ladies felt slippers.

I have seen the Mermaid Tail blankets around on Facebook and decided to knit my grand daughter one. I was lucky when I went to the Reject Shop to see if they had some cheap acrylic and they had just got in a 12ply multi colour which was perfect for what I wanted. These would be lovely in pure wool, but for a child and having to be washed who knows how and her two dogs may damage it, acrylic was the best choice.

Now back to baby knitting for the twins, a small baby jacket each, same pattern, one in Blue in Patons Emotion 4ply a beautiful Merino and Cashmere yarn and the other will be in Pink, not sure of the yarn yet I will have to check out my stash on Ravelry. I will put photos up when I have finished them.