Knitting – Head in the Clouds

Cuffs

Hello!!
I went into the local handcraft/gift shop and happily was told there was only one set of Cozy Cuffs left on the shelf!
Luckily, behind the scenes I have been knitting and crocheting in the evenings, so should be able to put a few pairs together to take down to restock.
Most of them are paired… most are even sewn up!!

I undid the first version of this long one and redid them. Now I am pleased.
I also did a short version with this yarn. (I have three of the short ones made… one more to complete two pairs!)

I really love these ones though…

And another pair to sew

This pair, once sewn up is going to one of my cousins for her Mums birthday present

I have two knitted pairs, trying out different patterns

Mum taught me how to do a cable stitch while she was in Tassie.
I am missing our quiet nights by the fire knitting together!

This one above still hasn’t got a mate!!

This lovely pure wool pair you’ve seen before, but I have decided to take down to try to sell at the shop!

Hope everyone has had a lovely day!
Cheers!

Spring is Sneaking Up

Hi!
As mentioned yesterday… apart from pockets and buttons, I’m done!
Wearing it now as its too cosy to resist.
Didn’t get to go out today, so hopefully tomorrow!

Did I mention I bought a tall set of drawers at the market on the weekend?

I am such a natural messer, so I’ve got them beside my computer here to keep my scraps under control.
$120 which I thought was pretty good. It’s a pretty solid piece!

I noticed a few tulip buds!

The liliums and iris are moving along too!

Oh my tragic veggie patch!

Both rhubarb plants survived despite a ton of marcrocarpa falling on them!

And I forgot about the asparagus! Yum!

I also seem to have almost more parsley than weeds! (almost)

Hope everyone had a great day!
Cheers!

Burning Stuff

Hiya!
First of all… note the blue skies.
Second… a cardigan update!
I got Jeff to take a few snaps so you could see how it was progressing! My its cosy!! I went back to Spotlight (yarn shop) and picked up some similar yarn in burgundy to trim the edges.
There is actually enough of this yarn in their ‘throwout’ box to make another one and I am quite tempted to dash back to secure it!

I hope you dig my stylish gumboots.

I actually have the second sleeve finished as of tonight and almost both of them trimmed in the red because I couldn’t wait to see what it would look like.

Anyway, thats enough catwalk stuff.

We went out this morning to the markets because Jeff really wanted to buy some rocks. There is a good stall at the Penguin Markets which is selling heaps of amazing rocks.
We also managed to find this fabulous tall set of drawers… which is still in the car because we got distracted this afternoon.

As it wasn’t raining and the sun was doing its best, we really wanted to get into some more yard clearing. The wind wasn’t nice though… but you can’t have everything! 😀
Remember those free besser blocks I picked up a while back? Well I have made use of them to create a temporary fire pit to start burning off all the scrappy bits of tree that we can’t use for firewood or kindling.

It’s a slight challenge burning green stuff – but there is plenty of dry material around to help things along. The wind was blowing down the paddock way so the smoke (and there was plenty!) was blown away from the highway.

Jeff spent a lot of time chopping and hacking away at decent branches to add to the kindling pile

Seems a lot already and we have barely scratched the surface!

I even dragged Pip out for a short while – he found a suitable spot to snoopervise.

I got through about half of this pile today – plus a lot of other stuff.

Such a mess!

For the first time in forever, we worked outside until it was dark!! Felt so good to be getting some stuff done!

Its great to have a spot set up now that either of us can just go and use to whittle away at that pile of wood. Plus my parents are visiting in a couple of weeks… er… less I think… and my Mum is a closet pyromaniac so she is going to love being out there burning scraps!

I hope your Sunday was as much fun!
Cheers

Bits and Bobs, Odds and Sods

Hello!
Was so pleased to get a day with more blue skies and only a spit of rain!
Apart from cleaning up the kitchen, I did manage to get outside.
I am also still tussling with our service provider as we are still not connected by our usual internet or phone. Still on backup.
Not that I am surprised. The first time I had an issue they called me and suggested I move to a more cost efficient plan, I agreed and they promptly removed us from our original plan then proceeded not to put us onto the new promised plan and our bills doubled. That only took 7 months to sort out.
The last time we had ‘an issue’ (which was a veritable soap opera of events) we were being moved onto the NBN network. They cut our original connections and failed to reconnect to the NBN. oh and sent us outrageous bills every month as well. Thats the super in a nutshell short version of the drama. That took ELEVEN MONTHS to sort out.
Since today I had unsurprisingly heard nothing back about their failure to reconnect us I got back on to their online help chat. (to go over everything AGAIN). Informed specialist team would email me by 6pm (within 3 hours)(Which was after the usual drama I cause by not having a mobile phone)
Of course by 6.30pm I have heard…. nothing.
Back to the info line to go over everything (again)… was informed that they were emailing now.
When? Within 30 minutes. Its been an hour and let me put on my surprised face – No contact.
Time to start investigating new carriers. I persisted with them before because of all the hassle I just wanted my money back and compensation out of them which I got but figured it would be harder if I left them to squeeze something out of them.
So… hopefully this backup connection keeps us somewhat online.

On to much more relaxing, fun and pretty topics!
Flowers!! The paddock behind us is looking rather cheerful!

If the weather isn’t too dramatic tomorrow I am tempted to go cut bunches of these to put out the front to sell!

I went and helped myself to a huge bunch the other day (The fellow that manages the paddocks doesn’t mind)

Really helps cheer things up when the days are mostly grey

Yay – the chooks are doing well lately! Lovely to have lots of eggs again!

I haven’t used peat pots before but thought I would give them a go. Probably try to grow stuff in them to sell out the front. (The Grand Plan)

Speaking of selling out the front, the potted garlic are doing fine!

The early garlic are going along pretty well too and the seaweed has suppressed a lot of weeds.

A few shoots have been nibbled off in the other plot!!

I found three spare bags of seaweed so I spread them out on this plot. Didn’t quite cover all of it!

In times of nice weather I have been trying to tidy up the raspberry patch

The whole area is going to get a revamp! We want to take out the poles and just get more of the big polypipe and steel droppers to create the arches all the way along to put the nets over. Will look much neater and have a lot more headspace.
The whole thing needs moving across a little so Jeff can mow down the sides. Not that with the tree down we can get the mower down the back anyway.

We also want to build a small wall around it (maybe a foot or so high) to attach the netting too rather than on the ground where the grass grows into it. This makes perfect sense in my head. Hopefully in real life it will work the way I envision.

Anyway, I am slowly working through the tangled canes to cut out the dead ones and prune back the live ones.

In the background, I still have herbs drying. I picked some more today to put in the netting. Just thyme and parsley.

Its a slow process but rather satisfying filling up the little jars

I started a new crochet project too. I found a sale of factory ends and fancied this fluffy green yarn… so bought 5 bags of it (About 20 balls)
I had grand visions of making a hooded cardigan

I an onto the second ‘star’ now and will have to take some snaps to show you how it all goes. Its quite easy and clever! (I adore video tutorials!)

Each day there are more and more blossoms bursting out on the cherry-plum tree!

Hope everyone has had a lovely day!
Cheers!

Some Sunshine!

A bit of a chance to sneak outside today and get that remaining wood stacked and under cover!
The girls were off on a school trip to Cradle Mt where they got to see snow for the first time!
Unfortunately, at this time of year, not much time is available to really have a decent amount of time up there to experience it, but they seem to have enjoyed themselves anyway. (Basically I think they did 4 hours of bus travelling and 3 hours at Cradle!)

This pile of wood wasn’t getting any drier out here, so it was great to be able to work outside for a while and get it all stacked.

Look what I found!! Plum blossoms!
The promise of spring??

Its a bit exciting seeing things start up again… even though I know we have a while to go

I sat Pip outside for a while so he could photosynthesis for a while

The other night when I went to a gathering for hosts and students I spotted a fab bit of driftwood on the beach so Kirrily and I exited stage left from dinner and snaffled it, popped it in the car then went back to socialise. 🙂

Cousin Jeff has been dropping off pallets for us which is awesome! I plan to use them to create the new garden fence.

Another bag popped into existence… mostly did it last night but finished it off today. Nobody is going to want it though because I tested it to see if it fit big (unimpressed) cats inside…

Anyway, I promised the troops hamburgers tonight so I better get cooking!
Have a great day/evening

Cheers

Just Another Day

Hi there!
Not much terribly exciting happened today.
It rained (a lot) (again) and I ran about like a maniac getting things done while the girls were at school.
Their laundry – keeping the fire going to get it all dry, baked them a cake because the school is taking them to Cradle Mt tomorrow and I wanted to pack something extra in their lunch.
Hopefully they will get to see some snow…

I also baked the chooks a cake – with a very peculiar mix of ingredients.
There were a few eggs that had been cracked in the nest that I didn’t want to risk eating – shells and all.
Some leftover cat food. Some dodgy yoghurt.
Some oats, flour, old cereal, bacon rinds, some cooking fat…
Thats all I can remember. A completely horrific mix that the chickens went wild over!!! Don’t have to be a great cook to please the feathery friends, thats for sure!

And in the background of life, I am still crocheting a bit in the evening, so I snapped a photo of the latest bags.
Sadly the yarn I was buying for this suddenly disappeared from the shop.
Time to move on to new designs soon!

Hope your day was lovely!
Cheers

Fumigating With Garlic

Time to bring out the big guns!
I reckon those plug in scent things (which pretty much just mingled with the dead thing, so I ended up with “Vanilla Rat”) gave me a headache as I had a low grade one for about three days.
Again the sun was shining today so I opened up all the doors and then started to peel garlic. It got up my nose and banished the dead rat smell as I worked so I was pretty happy with that.
Then minced and threw it into the dehydrator!
Walking inside was like walking into a wall of garlic. I think I have successfully marinated the rat as even now after the dehydrator has finished, I don’t smell the rat!
You cannot fathom how pleased I am right now.
Mind you, I have some reserve garlic in case it all goes pear shaped in the next day or so!
Bonus side effect – dried garlic to store!!

Coming up to the last month of winter and I see flowers about to burst forth!

Pip got lots of outside time today – he was curled up looking cute on the chair – until I tried to take a photo then the ears went back and he point blank refused to pose properly again.

Proud moment as I picked and ate my first cabbage from that lovely patch!

A few slugs chewed on the outer leaves, but the heart was tight and perfect.

I used half of it tonight in a stirfry I made for dinner and it was lovely! Not bitter at all. The other half I am going to deliver to Margie tomorrow as I don’t have a plan to use more cabbage in the next couple of days so they might as well take it fresh! (Share the love!)

And somehow I have made another four bags. They are rather relaxing to sit and create and I am enjoying the colours!

And last but not least – found this box of the most delicious home baked biscuits (cookies) at the back door this afternoon!! And so far I am clueless as to who the awesome person was that left them.
Dead rats aside? I love the country!!

Cheers!

Window Dressing

Hi there!
I am still being rather boringly domestically inclined.
Fired the cat and cleaned out the pantry to disillusion the mice.
Sigh. Country living!!
Everything in there is now in glass or heavy plastic containers. It was a long tedious job, but another tick off the list.

Another thing we had to attend to, were curtains in the top room

Not having any neighbours – just cows and the odd possum or two, we have never bothered with taking time to get any curtains up there. Poor Mum and Dad staying in summer get the sun in at about 4.30am so I haven’t been a model daughter in this respect.
However, when the fellow who is organising the international students came to inspect the house and room he was concerned that teenage girls might feel a bit vulnerable with a big open window to their bedroom/teenage retreat.

So…. off to the op shop (thrift store) and hardware shop.
Got 4 matching curtain panels for $12!!! Bargain huh?
Some stretchy wire, 4 hooks and a tall husband and we were in business!

They worked out looking way better than I imagined for a ‘dodgy brothers’ job!! Not that they will block all the light but they will help with retaining heat in the room too. As these students are coming from a country that rarely drops below 10C and right now they are in mid summer… we don’t want them to freeze!

We only used three of the four curtain panels so we cut the remaining one up and made two table covers and also used the shortened top part to hang in the bathroom window and in the laundry. So we got good use out of it all.

I have bought extra hot water bottles so they have something warm to snuggle into bed with too.

I am also working on a little ‘Welcome to Australia’ pack for each of the girls.
My lovely friend Maureen gave me these fantastic bags she made – I wanted to buy them but we have settled on a trade (she gets 5 litres of plum pulp when she is ready to make sauce!!)(Gotta love a good barter!)
I am putting a few things inside the bag for the girls, including chocolates and I have made up a journal each for them. I just got a plain sketch book and covered them with some of the pretty art paper I have. I will write something on the first page for them to encourage they use them to keep a diary of what they have been doing every day. Something to look back on later!

Of course the evening knitting and crochet is muddling along – I am making a pair of navy blue cuffs for one of my cousins who is in the police force.

And – Tah Daahhh!! Blanket done!

In a fit of something or other, I even tucked those dreaded tails in this evening!!
I think this will officially be my first Christmas present this year done as I thought it would be suitable for one of my young nieces.
Now… do I have time to do one each for the other two nieces???? Hmmmm

Still, its cosy and I am happy its done.

In the kitchen, casseroles & soups are orders of the day, not to mention some fresh baked herb and garlic bread!

It may be dark, cold, windy, raining and generally miserable, but I am loving it all!!

Cheers!

Bits and Pieces

Hello! Start of the week again.
Desperate times at Norwich House. We were nearly out of sweet chilli sauce!
I was waiting for Jeff to get up to tell me where he stashed his handsaw so I could tackle the garden, so I started on cooking. Took me hours and never got back to the garden. A double batch takes forever and I still think its probably too runny. Oh well.
It used some chillis out of the freezer and a heap of the garlic and the house smells pretty good. Also meant that I cleaned out some of my bottles from the cupboard. (Stern words to myself for putting them away with their old labels on them so that added a heap of time to my job)

In a much less arduous task, I made up a new batch of laundry liquid.

Yesterday’s wood gathering activities were slowed up when I found a new resident in my work gloves.

It was quite at home and in no hurry to come out!

I eventually relocated him/her to a pot of parsley.

The potted garlic are looking quite happy! I am torn between planting more or just dehydrating the lot that’s left.

The rescued leek! Now will have to look up a decent recipe to make use of all of these!! I have cleaned and cut them and they are in the fridge waiting their turn!

The local gift shop hasn’t sold any of my berets, but can’t keep up with gloves! So putting a few together to try my luck there.

This pair I just finished I really like so am trying to sell via my facebook first before putting them into the shop where I will lose 30% commission. Pure wool so really cosy and I quite like the slight mismatch of them.
Anyway… will see what happens.

That’s about all from me – been on my feet too long today! Will be nice to snuggle into bed with a book
Cheers!

Court Duties Done

Hello!
Yesterday I finished up with my jury duty. Overall I found it fascinating, interesting, emotional, stressful – and when it came to the deliberation time – frustrating!!
However, we got there in the end.
(I suspect we might have been deliberating for over 3 hours)
It was a case against a young man who, when driving with his three mates (two in the back of his utility) misjudged a corner and crashed into the bank.
It was a terrible thing, as the accident wasn’t a particularly bad one, but it left one of the young men a paraplegic.
The crown was making out a case of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm. (So the state was against him not his injured friend)
Six days of conflicting and non conclusive evidence.
The three passengers gave evidence and were straightforward in their views – and it was clear there were no ill feelings between them, which could easily have been the case after such a tragedy.
There were a lot of things about the whole case that was pretty slapdash in the investigation side of things.
As I said, it was really interesting to be a part of it – there was a lot to it, it was tricky and there was a lot of ‘guff’ to wade through as well.
We eventually came up with a not guilty verdict. I expect a very relieved young man went home that night.
When I was walking to the car park I was waiting for a car to drive out in front, but the driver waved me across. The lady was winding down her window in a big hurry to call out to me “There’s NO way I am running you over!!!!” Then I realised it was the defendants mother!
She had mouthed ‘thank-you’ to me when she caught my eye on the way out.

So… I came home a bit wrung out last night!

I sent a parcel up to one of my sisters – which included the herbs pictured above. I only just finished drying the thyme – there wasn’t that much of it (never enough thyme?? Sorry…)

So I picked some more herbs to continue drying what I am not using. The thyme dries well and retains its strong smell. I need to grow several more plants!

I also ground up the dried garlic further. I need to peel, mince and dehydrate more. Its so strong!

I have also managed to make more gloves in this last week – one full pair, a new single and finished off the second glove, a mate to one I did earlier

(Done while on jury duty)

A slightly new style – I started the second one tonight but didn’t get very far as most of my progress got pulled completely apart. Emphasising that one should not drink wine, watch pirate movies and expect to not muff up the pattern.

I did the mate to this one (which you saw a little while back) but haven’t sewn up the side yet.

The knee rug is a little bigger than this now, but its so slow going finishing those last few balls!! (Doesn’t help getting distracted with other crochet and knitting jobs. Annoying to be able to only do one thing at a time!!)

I am enjoying doing the bags too!

Well… I might mosey back to the fire and continue that glove.
Hope your week has started well!
Cheers!