I’ve been busy producing this little man, who is almost a year old now.

Baby pebble
Ravelry

This was very useful initially but only fit for about 3 weeks.

She is actually interested in knitting! Well, they end up more like drum sticks with the yarn in a massive tangle, but she’s having fun all the same.

Purl one

And frog!

She says she’s making socks. I’ll let you know when they’re finished!

Happy Christmas all.

I had them hanging around for ages……..

Tried to get them on many times………

Threatened to give them to one of her friends……..

And, lo, she put them on and wore them, for a whole day! Hurrah!

Here they are dancing with her new jeans. Levis - just like Daddy’s!

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog

2. slept under the stars

3. played in a band

4. visited hawaii

5. watched a meteor shower

6. given more than you can afford to charity

7. been to disneyland/world

8. climbed a mountain

9. held a praying mantis

10. sung a solo

11. bungee jumped - no way

12. visited paris

13. watched a lightning storm at sea - from a plane, does that count?

14. taught yourself an art from scratch

15. adopted a child

16. had food poisoning - sadly, several times

17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty

18. grown your own vegetables

19. seen the mona lisa in france

20. slept on an overnight train

21. had a pillow fight

22. hitch hiked

23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. built a snow fort

25. held a lamb

26. gone skinny dipping

27. run a marathon

28. ridden a gondola in venice

29. seen a total eclipse

30. watched a sunrise or sunset

31. hit a home run - rounders at primary school

32. been on a cruise

33. seen niagara falls in person

34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. seen an amish community

36. taught yourself a new language

37. had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person

39. gone rock climbing

40. seen michelangelo’s david in person

41. sung karaoke

42. seen old faithful geyser erupt

43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. visited africa - only South Africa

45. walked on a beach by moonlight

46. been transported in an ambulance

47. had your portrait painted

48. gone deep sea fishing

49. seen the sistene chapel in person

50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris - only stood under it

51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling - not keen

52. kissed in the rain

53. played in the mud

54. gone to a drive-in theatre - loads of times, the Dromana drive in!

55. been in a movie, nope but been on tv several times

56. visited the great wall of china

57. started a business

58. taken a martial arts class

59. visited russia

60. served at a soup kitchen

61. sold girl scout cookies - but sold lamingtons and other sweets for fundraising

62. gone whale watching

63. gotten flowers for no reason

64. donated blood - have never got around to it

65. gone sky diving

66. visited a nazi concentration camp

67. bounced a cheque

68. flown in a helicopter

69. saved a favorite childhood toy

70. visited the lincoln memorial

71. eaten caviar

72. pieced a quilt

73. stood in times square

74. toured the everglades

75. been fired from a job

76. seen the changing of the guard in london

77. broken a bone - two, in my foot

78. been on a speeding motorcycle - sorry Mum

79. seen the grand canyon in person

80. published a book

81. visited the vatican

82. bought a brand new car

83. walked in jerusalem

84. had your picture in the newspaper

85. read the entire bible

86. visited the white house

87. killed and prepared an animal for eating - chickens

88. had chickenpox

89. saved someone’s life

90. sat on a jury

91. met someone famous

92. joined a book club

93. lost a loved one

94. had a baby - two

95. seen the alamo in person.

96. swum in the great salt lake.

97. been involved in a law suit

98. owned a cell phone

99. been stung by a bee - Dad always kept bees when we were growing up, so I’ve been stung quite a few times

Mini Waffle socks Rav link
Toe up socks using Wendy Johnson’s detailed toe up pattern, fudging the numbers for 48st sock and Charlene Shurch’s waffle rib ii stitch and a picot bind off.
34g left over sock yarn

You always think that others are going to be as excited about the finished article, as you are, when you make something. You spend a lot of time making it, ironing out little problems and then present it to the person. The person says ‘Ooh nice’ at the time, but then won’t wear them……………and so it goes. I have tried, my husband has tried and she’s just not buying, the whole handmade sock deal.

So, I will try once more and then give them to a child who will wear them!

From the grumpy Mummy

Apparently the ones on the t-shirt are kissing.

Long sleeved T - H&M
Pants by me with bias trim cuffs

finishing these socks

making time to sew pj pants, a denim skirt for Coco & her Clothkits dolly (secret christmas present)

baking the christmas cake

going to our new music class

and doing some more ripple crochet expertly taught by Anoushka last week

Well, that’s what my lovely husband has been saying every time he’s seen me knitting these socks.

Through the Loops Mystery Sock-Along
Kristin Kapur for Socktoberfest
The Yarn Yard Bonny - Slate
2.5mm dpns
72 stitch cable pattern
Ravelry

This was really fun and I will definitely knit a pair in stages like this again, it really helped. They’ve been worn and are very toasty. I have to say I’m very impressed with the yarn and am glad I’ve got some more in stash. Hope you had a good Socktober.

Garnstudio mittens b14-15
25g Spinning Gallery DK, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Sea & Sand colourway
4mm dpns

So quick and cute, but keep your wits about you because you need to increase and decrease in sensible spots in the pattern. I was very tired (and wined up) when I made the first one of these and really should’ve ripped it out, but she’ll lose that one, won’t she? However, I have enough yarn to make a spare one, so I may do that when I get a spare minute.

I made myself time to sew this week, being wholly inspired by the craft retreaters in Melbourne. They know who they are!

I have had the pattern for 20 months and the fabric for 16 months.

Miss Coco is rapidly growing out of her pj’s, so some stylish and impractical linen pyjamas are hers for the british winter.

Despite only being 3 pieces, it was a bit fiddly and am glad I spent some time doing this in the daylight as I blindly added all the red bias to the left front without considering the sleeves…….. So the purple sleeve edging is a design feature that just evolved with some repurposed buttons from Mum. I remember them being on one of her handmade dresses from the 70’s.

The disappointing thing about this was that I’d planned on making bottoms as well, but didn’t have the foresight at the time to properly pin the pieces down together. I waved them over it and said ’she’ll be right’ and it got me in the end. All I needed was 4 cms in the width for the front….very, very annoying. I may be in luck if I pop back to IKEA this week, but I very much doubt they will still have this design. So, I’ll see if I have some plain white linen somewhere. So, the moral of the story is that this pattern eats fabric.

Despite all of this I love the way the fabric completely changes according to the time of day and the light level AND the little miss says it’s comfy. So, I am winning after all.

New Look 6333
Size 2
IKEA heavy weight linen 1.5m