Long, lacy summer

I still consider myself a somewhat novice knitter. I haven't been knitting for all that long but I do feel like I've learnt alot of knitting techniques in the short amount of time that I've been knitting - cables, knitting in the round, stranded work, socks, DPNs, magic loop - but lace has scared me somewhat. The concept of very very fine yarn, smallish needles and the complete untinkability of the whole thing puts me off but with some convincing from some SnB friends and some unbelieveably gorgeous yarn from Elissa I've decided to give it a go. Bells is hosting a long lacy summer thingie over at her blog and some of the work is just amazing - check out RoseReds Forest Canopy shawl, Bells Adamas shawl , Caffeine Faieries shawl or Kiss My Frogs Gust - all of which I may one day aspire to achieving. But for now this is my contribution to the long lacy summer Not sure that this really classifies as lace because the yarn is a 4py but I'm enjoying it none the less and I'm totally in love with the yarn both for workability and for the colours - definitely "me" and while I can't quite 'see' the pattern yet I have faith that with a fair amount of blocking she'll come out OK....

Happy Birthday Charlotte v1.0

In total Charlotte will have three birthday celebrations, one today with her friends at FDC, one on the weekend with the family and a little morning tea on Monday with some other friends. I have been sick this week with a revolting hayfever/allergy lurgy, Izaak has got larangytis and Charlotte has been feeling awful as well so while I did know and realise that I needed to get a cake ready for today the actual planning/baking bit had been forgotten. I woke up suddenly at 12:30 am this morning in a panic - went through the possibilities which were a) no cake - celebrate with FDC on Tuesday next week instead b) drop her off and have an afternoon cake giving me the day to bake c) go to the cheesecake shop on the way to care and pick up a cake d) get up at 1am and bake.....

2am fall into bed and leave the decorating for the morning. Given the handmade/consumption challenge I'm trying to achieve I decided we would make do with what was around the house to decorate her cake. I had lots of pink icing left over and was feeling too lazy to make anything else to glue eyes on so the bug does look slightly drugged but otherwise not too bad I think.....

Christmas Monkeys

I've been struggling with christmas ideas for my two nephews given that they have absolutey everything. Too many clothes, toys, books, puzzles - too much of everything really and I know that my sister doesn't understand/appreciate the time, effort and energy that goes into handmade gifts so I was reluctant to knit anything for them.

Then I came across this tutorial for sock monkeys and thought this would be a quick and easy gift that won't upset me when, in a month after christmas, I find them in the bottom of the toy box or under the bed - forgotten. So today (my first day without children or uni!!) I sat down with these

and created this

As a prototype I think this will be Charlotte's after she gets a smile and some eyes - the monkey that is, as far as I'm aware Charlotte's smile and eyes are present and accounted for!. I made a complete mess of the ears so this one is ear-less but not bad for 4 hours work. Economical too given that I used about a quarter of a bag of hobbyfill ($5 for the whole 200gr bag) and $4 for 2 pairs of socks so it meets all the requirements - handmade, cheap, unique. Will definitely be making more of these!

This is.... something I'm surprised I like...

I've been inspired to share after reading what some friends like



I love her but it has taken some time.

Charlotte was a very much wanted, very much planned pregnancy and apart from some revolting morning (all day!) sickness I was well and happy during the pregnancy. I had a plan and this was my initial downfall. We were living in Brisbane at the time and at 30 weeks I went down to Canberra to my parents to work for my mum for 4 weeks then I was planning on coming home and spending a good six weeks at home relaxing, preparing and spending one on one time with Izaak before the new arrival. It wasn't to be.

Three days after I flew home I woke up feeling really off and then started having contractions. I was starting to stress when we called the hospital and they told us to come in - I hadn't packed a hospital bag, Izaak wasn't ready for daycare and ex-partner was at work. Some quick calls, dropped the boy off and headed into hospital where I was sure they would give me some drugs to stop my contractions and send me home - after all, I was only 35 weeks pregnant!

3:20pm and born by emergency c-section my daughter was born into the world.

She was taken to the NICU and I was sewn up. One of my most outstanding memories of the time was laying in recovery after the operation had finished. Charlotte's dad was with her (at my request - I didn't want her to be alone!) and I was laying in recovery crying because it was all so wrong. I had just had a baby but she wasn't with me, she was here too early. It was all just so surreal. Hospital wasn't nice for me - the lady in the bed next to me was really lovely but she had her baby there with her and I didn't. I had to walk all the way to the NICU to see her which wasn't nice post-c-section anyway but I didn't get to have the snuggles, crying, nappies or any of it. We did get her home much earlier than anyone had expected so in the end it all worked out. Or so I had thought.

Fast forward to Charlotte being around 10 months and things weren't going well. I hadn't bonded with her and felt awful. She had interrupted my life and disrupted my plan. She was a great breastfeeder, great sleeper and an all around good baby - for everyone else. I will always remember a particular day when we were at the shops and her dad was feeding her some puree veges while we were eating lunch. He went to get a coffee and handed it all over to me - she refused to eat and when I got 1 spoon into her mouth she blew raspberries all over me. He came back and she scoffed the rest. At that point we realised that I needed some help and I saw a lovely lady from NSW Mental Health. I didn't fit the criteria for PND but was diagnosed with an adjustment disorder - I had so much riding on my 'plan' that went it all went pear shaped I just wasn't able to cope.

Charlotte is about to turn 3 and our relationship has come along in leaps and bounds. I still have days when I find it hard to cope with her but on the whole I think we have a more 'normal' mother-daughter relationship. Thankfully! Love you Cha!

FO - Radiating Star Blanket

This is the first of the christmas list that I can cross off! This blankie is for my nanna who, as a fellow knitter, will actually appreciate and use it!

It's the first time I've had to wet block anything and after spending more than an hour with it I know it's not a perfect circle but CBA changing it - again! Any hints for blocking in a circle?

Pattern - Radiating Star Blanket

Yarn - Bendy Rustic 12 ply - Colour 'Red Tweed'

Needles - 7mm

The yarn usage is rather deceptive - I got to round 59 on the first ball and then ran out of yarn so it's actually 10 rows smaller than it should have been. I'm happy with this though and it was only 4 nights of work so it went by really quickly.

Oh and because I'm such a mean mum.....

Charlotte with a head cold. Not a happy chappy!

Productivity...

on a few fronts.

I was at Spotty's and found some half decent fabric for boys and needed some for some christmas sewing but I couldn't resist a rainbow skull fabric for Izaak. I'm normally not really into skulls but the rainbow colours had me! Of course as soon as the hem was finished Charlotte started asking for her own 'pirate pants' but I didn't have enough fabric. Some 'creative' moments and they were off to pirate a ship to a far far far far far away (according to Izaak!) island to find some treasure.

The garden is looking relatively good with flowers on the lemon tree and for the first time tonight I'm eating burritos with home grown lettuce! Yay for me :-)

and finally....

My 1st ever HD ;-)

Perspective

It's all about perspective really isn't it....

When you're a teenager complaining about having a cannula put in your hand to get drugs that will fix a very treatable disease it seems disasterous but just down the hallway there is a baby who has already had more than five operations and will endure a lifetime of complicated medical problems and will never live a 'normal' life yet smiles at the staff who are come to give him more painful procedures. Perspective.

I think my life is tough sometimes and juggling uni, kids, housework, study etc is draining but another student doing the same course as me has five children and home and works a part time job as well. Again - it's all about perspective.

This too is all about perspective and sometimes I think we should take a step back, look at the life we have rather than what we don't have and be thankful for it.