FNSI Results

 Friday night was spent visiting friends - I took along my sock knitting so I could work on that while my friend was busy preparing tomatoes for relish she was making the next day .... and while the boys went visiting at the local Pub!  It was great to get a bit more of it worked on and I continued with it last night as well so I'm just at the point of beginning the heel section .........  I'm hoping to get it finished by end of Feb but we shall see.

But I also picked up the beanie Stacey had ordered ready for their trip south in May and got it finished off.  I'm really happy with the marled effect of holding the 2 yarns together (Bendigo Wool - Rustic in Linen Fleck and Tea Rose photos are in the previous post).

This is the first Beanie finished this year and is one of Woolly Wormheads designs - I've joined in with the Woolly Wormhead Dozen for 2022 - trying to knit 12 different WW hats in the year so this is Number 1 completed and adds a bit of fun to the process.  You can join this over in Ravelry - this design was a free one called Houndale which I've linked so you can find it easily if you want to make one as well.  For my project details head to my Ravelry page - the sidebar has the link

 These balls of yarn are too big to easily take in the car on our trip next week so I'll be taking the socks with me but may need to throw in the crochet hook and a couple of balls of cotton to work up a few dish cloths (crochet is much easier when driving bumpy roads and I feel we may have a few of those).  Thanks to Wendy for organising as it helps to keep on track with projects and nice to visit other blogs to see what projects others got up to over the weekend - click on the link (Wendy's name) to see them.  As for me, I have quite a bit to do today to get things in order for our trip so I will bid you all farewell for now!

Hugs Sharm

Summertime Bussyness

I have plenty of sewing to work on ...... but I keep getting drawn to my knitting needles - so while the
bug is there the needles will be clicking away lol  I think it may have something to do with a need for a certain number of items before winter arrives that is driving the bug lol   I've cast on for another pair of socks since I was so happy with the first ones - same pattern but I'm using some color contrast and using the yarn I have on hand.

Stacey and John will be down to visit in May .... partly due to the fact that I have a significant birthday this year so it's a good excuse for them to be able to take the time to head to Melbourne and see friends before heading to the country to spend time with Johns mum and a few other friends before crossing the River to us ....... naturally by then it will be cooler so an order for a new beanie for each of them is getting filled.  We all had a bit of fun "going shopping " virtually in my stash cupboard to choose which yarns they wanted. 

Some of you might remember this cupboard from years ago which used to keep all the preserves in it, but at this house it now sits in the craft room as my stash cupboard for yarn!  It seems strange not having all my jams and relish and such in it, but no room for it in the main area.
 I've made a start on both of them as I wanted to see how they would work up as I'm using 2 yarns held together for both them (pattern required bulky which I didn't have much of) .

 It's the height of Summer here and the weeding is keeping my super busy!  I was weeding by the pool the other morning and found the cactus like plant that Dad gave us years ago and has had several moves had actually taken root against the palm tree we had chopped down and was flowering!!!  The flowers must come out at night and are visible for just a few hours in the morning before it gets hot and sunny ......

See the garden along the fence - we have our dancing lady orchids planted underneath and also some stags trying to survive under the shade cloth

We went to the local market last weekend and I picked up this little trinket bowl to have beside my bed to pop earings or head band and such in when I hop into bed of a night - I thought it was rather cute.

I'm so pleased we put the initial effort into getting a vegie garden planted up within the first few weeks of moving here, as it's been producing very well (apart from the tomatoes which were not so great - I hear from many in the area they also had issues with tomatoes this year). I'm hoping the Roma tomatoes we planted late will come good and without fruit fly so I can cook up a good batch of relish for over winter.  Still, I have the freezer full with grated zucchini, and corn and have cucumbers pickled in jars and basil and small tomatoes have been dried in the dehydrator.  The carrots are just about ready to pull up and we may be lucky to have a few potatoes to boot.  Last night I picked our first Rockmelon which is a treat!  There are about 6 others at various stages which will be a nice way to end the summer vegie season.

Next week we head off on our annual trek away to celebrate our anniversary.  It's something we started around the time of our 20th Wedding Anniversary and I've tried to keep it going as the years have passed ...... this year will be 37th and this time we plan to drive over Mt Hotham down to the coast - Lakes Entrance and follow it up through River Cottage Australia Country - hopefully up as far as Batemans Bay and then to Canberra before heading back home.  We only have a week but it should be enough to have a nice break and see these new places.  I'll be taking some knitting and embroidery with me no doubt as well as one of my books.  Before then, I need to have the garden somewhat in order so its not a total jungle when we get back.  I'm really looking forward to it.

And I'll end here showing you another cowl I got finished last week - not sure if I'll be gifting this one or keeping to use it ..... I need to sort through the clothes and see just what I have that I'll be using and what its time to get rid of!!  For now I'm off to do a few errands ...... Have a great Friday and don't forget its Friday night sew in at Sugarlane Designs tonight!  xo

Hello February......... Celebrations and a Sock finish

The fact that its already February kinda indicates this year is going to fly!  With the start of the month comes my Dad's birthday - He turned 93yrs on Wednesday!!  

I took him out the day before for a birthday morning tea at our friends cafe in Corowa which he loved as they know him well from many years ago when he was living in Yarrawonga and we were looking out for him there! 

 Since I was working Wednesday we ended up taking him for a surprise dinner out at the Golf Club that night.  We hadn't arranged anything as my car was in getting brakes seen to that day so didn't want to make any plans that might not be able to be kept!  He seemed to have a really enjoyable time!

Outside Dad's unit - not easy to try to get them both to smile at the same time - too busy discussing things lol

Just a couple of days later it's the first Friday of the month and time for FNWF where we join Cheryll to work on various projects ....... if you click on the link you will get to see all the other bloggers taking part and visit them to see what they've been up to as well.                                                                       

 I was very close to finishing my first ever pair of knitted socks and I'm pleased to report the knitting part was completed and I just have to see to some threads!  I'm really happy with how they've turned out. I was very close to finishing my first ever pair of knitted socks and I'm pleased to report the knitting part was completed and I just have to see to some threads!  I'm really happy with how they've turned out.  I found knitting the socks to be on the most part rather relaxing and enjoyable so plan to do a few mor this year!

Trouble last weekend with my laptop not wanting to connect to our home wifi or anything else and being so terribly slow ended up with me coming home with a new laptop which I'm working on now ..... oh - what a delight to have things load so quickly!  Doing things on the laptop is now taking way less time!!!  Of course it's taken the best part of the week to get my emails, blogger, ravelry etc etc and connect with passwords (half of which had to be changed for who knows what reason )....... anyhow, while I was in Town in Wangaratta I went to Aldi to pick up a few items and they happened to have a food dehydrator with 5 trays for $39!!  Previously I've considered purchasing one of these items for many years but the price always put me off ..... but for this price it was worth giving it a go!!  

It had it's debut yesterday with some of the tomatoes and I'm really happy with how well it dried them! I can change the temp if I want to.  I'm going to give some basil a go later today as it will only need a short time.   Aldi did also have a yoghurt/cheese maker there as well for the same price which happened to jump into my basket as well ....... I'm yet to give that a go, but I currently buy a tub of yoghurt most weeks which costs between $5-$8 depending on specials etc etc so if I can work it out then it would definitely save money...........  I've never used a yoghurt maker before and I'm a little nervous about the process so we shall see.   

I notice that Kris was talking about her Cottage Garden Threads!  As many of you already know, they are my favourite threads to the point where I had Pete make up a lovely wooden holder for them made from a piece of mango wood that came from our home in Maryborough .......  Kris is also doing OPAM (one project a month) again this year which is a fun way of keeping track of your projects made throughout the year.  Many have it on their sidebars, for the moment I have a page dedicated to it (see the page tabs above at the top)...... although as I move things around on my blog this year, that may change!  Anyhow, I'll leave you with a photo of my CGT on the holder .............. Hugs Sharm

In the Kitchen...........

What a busy week we had last week!  Australia Day last Wednesday saw Pete and I head to Lake Hume in the boat for a bit of fishing and enjoying some time together that didn't involve a whole lot of work!!  It seems all the time together in the past months has mostly been working on getting things done around the house or helping Dad at his place.

We had a great time out on the water with a few bites and we both caught a few fish, although most needed to be thrown back - but we did end up with 3 keepers which was a nice couple of feeds!

 

 Anyhow, the vegie garden has been supplying like its making up for us not having a vegie garden for the past 4 yrs!!!  I spent all day Thursday in the kitchen getting a bit of our produce made up.  Since it looked like rain, it was a tad cooler than it had been the previous few days (at least to syart with it was lol). 

 I managed to get cucumbers pickled (a first time for this), a new marmalade recipe I've had for some time from a friend (thankyou Lyn), and the usual tomato relish, and plum jam to add to the strawberry jam I'd made last month.  

Lyn also asked me about my Japanese maple that I have planted out in the front garden so I said I would share a photo of it here on the blog ..... it was in a pot for the last couple of years keeping watch over Scruffy who is now buried beneath the tree (we just kept the pot but cut off the bottom of it before popping it into the ground. It's a rather busy garden now as things have grown well over the past couple of months and the little blue wrens are beginning to visit now.

But back to the kitchen .................  after spending all day Thursday standing on the hard floor tiles (I did have a kitchen/bath mat I was using to stand on, but let me tell you - its old and I had no idea it was as thin as it is till I had to stand on the tiles for so many hours of peeling, cooking etc etc) - It was time for a new thicker kitchen mat!!!  A trip to Spotlight didn't produce anything significant so I decided to

have a go and make my own!!!  One size 12 crochet hook and a pile of yarns that don't get used for anything much at all (or are left over from other projects) ...... and I have a nice squishy mat for the kitchen floor!!!  I was lucky to have some chunky cotton yarn in my stash left over from some big cushions I did a year or two ago and this made a big difference to the squishyness of it!!  I think I could use with making a few more of these but will either have to find some more of the chunky yarn as a base or cut up some old t-shirts to use.   I haven't blocked it yet, so it's looking a bit out of whack, but I really wanted to just be able to stand on it and figured I can block it into shape when it has it's first wash!!!  I need to make one for in front of the stove top and another to have to swap over when this one is in the wash as I figure it may take a bit of drying time!!

Now I had hoped to get this post written up on Friday ..... and then the weekend ....... but - internet issues with my laptop - not the phones so it wasn't the modem this time, but my laptop would not connect to the WIFI or any internet and went on strike from Friday till just now - having had to take it in to get checked and waiting with the tech for 15mins before it decided it was even going to start .........oh dear!  Yep, its a few years old, it was cheaper one at the time purchased from Office Works which I later regretted to no end as after the purchase there is no assistance with anything going wrong!!!  So I came home with a new laptop which I'll work on setting up later this evening - for this post I already have photos saved so......... and it's suddenly connecting to the WIFI now, but it's s l o w ...   I'll be treating it nicely while I get all my files and such transferred or saved.  Anyhow, I best keep moving with other things to do ......... catch you soon!

FNSI

 I joined in with a number of other crafters and stitchers on Friday night for FNSI hosted by Wendy from Sugarlane Designs.  Friday night I managed to finish off my Northwind Cowl .  Now that we are back down south I'm working to get a bit of a winter wardrobe in place as a few of my handknits got eaten by silverfish and moths whilst we were up in the humidity and moving houses for the past 3 years!!

Yesterday after spending some time in the garden and pottering around - I'm working on various outdoor spaces trying to get them looking nice, useable and workable spaces.  I'd like to have outdoor areas where we can relax and enjoy sitting, but also have areas that are productive in one form or another and I'll share a bit more of this over the next couple of weeks/months. 

 It's actually hard to believe we have only been here 3months with all that we have done so far.

The veggie garden and worm bin with the very productive Orange Tree

Anyhow, I had an issue with my sock knitting ...... my first ever attempt at socks and it was sent to the naughty corner to sit out the past week whilst I looked at it in disgust each time I walked past ........

 after finishing the cowl I decided to read through the pattern again (the sock one that is)......... and then considered the fact that perhaps I'd been missing doing the last stitch instruction every 2nd row for the entire 3rd section!!!!!  

There was nothing else for it but to frog back ........ which took a good couple of hours with a couple of breaks ................ finally last night the 3rd section of the heel was completed and it worked!!!  Thank goodness!!  I'll have to be sure to watch out for this with the 2nd sock!

This week gone I also had to take Dad up to Albury to meet with the new cardiologist (now that Dad is down from Brisbane )  He really enjoyed the drive and seeing some of the old buildings in the town....... and even better still the Cardiologist has reduced some of his medications which he is very excited about!!

With all the produce we are now getting from the garden I need to get to and get some of it put up into relish and jams and such to have ready over the next few months when the garden will have finished.  No doubt many of you are in the kitchen doing the same type of thing!    Have a productive day ......

Hugs Sharm

It's beginning to look a bit like .......

 OUR home ...... and how things used to be ...... things are getting organized and I'm feeling sooooo much more settled than I have for a few years now which is soothing for the soul!  After sorting out sewing stuff last weekend, I'm pleased to report that I finished off that little bookmark that Jenny had to start the year off with.   I'm glad I started with this one as its been such a long time since I've done anything like this I made a few mistakes and it's def not the best sewing!  In fact after finishing the embroidery I sat at a bit of a loss thinking how to make it into a bookmark!!! 

 I'll be making the next of her bookmarks, but next time I hope to have a nicer finished bookmark!  This is a book I picked up a few weeks ago and I've just started reading - so far I'm enjoying it ......

We had a terrible storm on Friday night with a huge lightning strike that took out our internet - because we are in a bad reception area, that also meant limited mobile phone coverage - I spent the day Saturday trying to get hold of "Belong" and it seems they need to come out here tomorrow morning to fix whatever needs fixing!  Luckily I'm able to log in on another network for a short time to do a few things.  

I took advantage yesterday of having to sit next to my phone and worked on some of the embroidery for my table runner and made some good progress!  This is what it was looking like when I pulled it out to start some work on it 

Before

And here is where I'm up to on it now.  There were quite a number of "details" that needed completing, but I now only have 1 edge left to go and 2 corners to complete

Also got some more work done on my knitted socks (although I'm not exactly sure it's working out how it's meant to ....hmmmmmm), but the cowl is coming along nicely and hopefully should be finished by the end of the week.

Today I got out in the garden early and got a huge amount of weeding done in the flower gardens out front and then in the vegie garden out back.  Then it was into the kitchen where I made some biscuits, a zucchini slice using some of our produce from the garden and juiced up a pile of oranges from out tree - 8lts of juice!!!   I'm afraid Ihave to cut it short here ...... fingers crossed our internet gets fixed tomorrow!!!

Have a great week,

Hugs Sharm

A Simple Weekend

 Cheryl was hosting the first FNWF on Friday and with Pete away for a few days fishing with his mates, I decided to make the weekend into a weekend full of simple enjoyment with craft, reading and watching some girly movies. 

 Friday night I was tired and decided to just do some knitting on a cowl I'm currently working on and then Saturday I would sit and do some sewing of some sort.  The cowl is Northwind by Laura Aylor and can be found easily via Ravelry.

2 quilt tops to make up 

  I had to take a trip to town Friday and while there I bought a new book .... which after a short read,  I really wanted to make a little bookmark.  I knew that Jenny had posted a new embroidery one on her blog and I knew the fabric I wanted to use (actually gifted to me by Jenny when we caught up a few years back).................. 

 And so the hunt began ...... where exactly were my "Country Threads" embroidery cottons, where was my container of ordinary embroidery threads and where was that piece of fabric so carefully put aside!!!  

A bunch of blocks I may or may not keep

 It was the perfect opportunity with Pete away for the whole weekend to be able to pull out the several plastic tubs and sort through them so I could actually find things, know what I actually had and decide on a place to keep them ............ and sort I did!! 

 These are the UFO's I discovered that I've decided to keep (I put aside 4 for a friend and another 2 went to the opp shop).  If I don't get these finished by January of next year then they will be going out as well!!  

These will be used for either a table runner or some head rests for the chairs

I need to try to find where this little wall quilt pattern came from to finish it

Xmas items to work on

Lots of various sized hexies I'm not sure what I'm going to do with yet

The Woodland Table Runner I must get finished

Xmas / Cushion covers/ Embroidery Quilt from Jenny of Elefantz

The size of this quilt won't work so I'll be making it into something ........ not really my style but it while I had the fabrics I wanted to use, the pattern was a mystery (stack & wack) - to say I was devestated when I realized what it was turning into - so yes 

 And here is the "Down the Rabbit Hole" Quilt - which has grown quite large as you can see it laying on our QS bed.  There are 2 side panels left to go to finish the embroidery/applique sections and then the border and quilting.  I still have this sitting in the lounge room with its tub of associated fabrics so that I can work on cutting out all the applique bits for both panels and then I'll be able to sort out that box of materials and get it out the way and just work on the last panels a bit more easily (at least that's the plan). 

Finally, late on Sunday afternoon  I sat and worked on the little bookmark ..... It's a very long time since I've done any of this type of work and I realized I've actually never made a bookmark before so its taken a bit longer than I anticipated and I need to still finish sewing the contrast material on and the ribbon.  I'll finish it off after work tonight.   (I did start this post yesterday morning before work, but internet was in and out so it didn't get finished .... and when I got home from work Pete was back - thus ending my plans of more

The UFO's all sorted for the year

sewing last night as we caught up with neighbours that dropped by - so perhaps tonight the bookmark may get finished and perhaps this post will be ready before I leave for work ...... it seems to have been quite a long one).  I'll post a photo of it once it's finished!  I think one of the biggest joys was when I finally located my threads to hang on my special holder that Pete made me!  They were not in any of the tubs and it took more searching through other boxes before locating them in a nice safe spot lol  Well I'm off to finish getting ready for another day at work!  Take care my friends.

My lovely Country Threads - They make me smile

Hugs Sharm