Endings and Beginnings

Ah, those long, lazy days between Christmas and New Years that just seem to fall off the calendar.  I honestly think they are my favourite days of the year.  This year of course they are doing double duty as "packing days" and that is kind of fun and kind of painful.  They are also a welcome respite after Christmas with gastro - the gift that kept giving! Christmas was somewhat of a write off so I am especially appreciative of these slow crafty days to recuperate.

Unfortunately my camera is dead (dropping onto slate floors from a bar stool will do that I'm told)  I am trying to be brave but I adored that camera and I feel almost bereft without it.  The plan is to sell a heap of stuff we don't need and use the money towards a slightly smaller, newer model.  It will still be a nikon as I don't think I can do without the Nikon portrait feature.  The loss of the camera means that there won't be a lot of photos of us looking green and bilious opening presents LOL I do always complain about having to scrap 5 lots of Christmas photos so I suppose every cloud has a silver lining!

There has been plenty of crafting - I knit another fluffy little cardi Christmas afternoon, and then yesterday I did more on Hannah's red flannel mitts and Maddie's school cardigan.  There has also been some spinning as I try to get the stash under control before the move.  And I have dabbled with a bit of papercraft too.  Just throwing around ideas using January's SOM and our beautiful new Charlotte range which will be available January 1st.

Mealtimes have been erratic while we were all sick and now they are about to get unusual as I make an attempt to eat from the freezer and pantry.  The freezer seems to be full of chicken drumsticks and bits of mystery meat (possibly lamb backstraps?) and lots of frozen cherries.

I am feeling quite wierded out by the move - are we doing the right thing? Are we crazy? Will the house feel "right" once we move in?  Will there be things that drive us crazy about it?  Will I ever get over leaving my beautiful craft room (sob sob sniffle)?

The 3 times I have been there the peace I feel is overwhelming.  I hope that stays with us when we move.
Wishing you a wonderful start to 2016.
Keep smiling,
Nell

Ridiculously Happy About..

I honestly feel so blessed with my life right now.  After an extremely busy year at kindy we have 6 weeks of holidays stretching out before us!  So many good things are happening right now.  

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas..

The Christmas tree is up and decorated. Briony's "B" is front and centre thanks to Kate from Fox's Lane.  It has been a great way for my children to remember their friend.  The kids did the bulk of the decorating this year which felt kind of strange as I like to take a moment to reflect as I put the special decorations up.

I decorated the front room for our Christmas workshops.  Some of these goodies will go to the Twilight Market at the Lobethal Lights this weekend.

The Nativity is conspicuously missing Baby Jesus this year.  I have tried explaining the significance of that short falling to my children LOL afterall, JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON.

So blessed to have so many lovely gifts over the years - we have a collection of snow globes, bears, angels, and reindeers!

I was showered with beautiful and generous words and gifts from my beloved kindy kids and their families.  It is making me so happy!

And there has been crafting this weekend - I even FINALLY managed to get this year's scrapbook pages into their rightful albums.  There has been lots of knitting too.  Some for the market and some for secret Christmas business.

I have been doing my first ever Indie Giftalong on Ravelry and I am loving it! So much inspiration in one place! I was even lucky enough to win a couple of prizes.  

So see, lots and lots and lots of great reasons to be ridiculously happy but I have saved the best for last.

We are moving..

We are having a "tree change" and moving onto acreage.  This country girl is moving back to the country.  We are just far enough out of Lobethal to be considered "rural" but still close enough to walk to school and work.  We have our own gumtrees, and fairy wrens, and a resident koala, and lead light doors, and a balcony with French Doors.  I am soooooooo ridiculously over the top happy about the move.  Let the packing begin!

Wishing you every reason to be ridiculously happy as we catapult into the "silly season"!

Keep smiling,

Nell

For the Love of Librarians

It's been a long time hasn't it?
Life got a bit crazy there for a while.  Too crazy.
Next year I am determined that will be different.  Next year I will find more balance.
I'll talk about next year and good things to come a bit later on but for the moment I just wanted to share something I've been mulling over here.

Last weekend the world lost someone fabulous. Someone inspirational.  Someone I was proud to have known.

I love books.  I love libraries.  Disappointingly though, sometimes librarians don't live up to my expectations.  Which is why Zellah was so amazing.  Zellah was like my own "personal" librarian.  She ran the Baby Bounce sessions at my local library when my kids were small.  First baby Hannah, then Dan, and finally Maddie fell under Zellah's spell.  Me, well we just kind of clicked from the start.  Zellah was the sort of librarian who really cared.  She had the same reading taste as I did and often when I would go in she would have a book she thought I might like put away for me.  Often when I was checking out a book she would say, "Oh! I want to read that one soon, tell me if it is a good one!"  She was the sort of librarian that didn't comment when I borrowed the same books over and over, or when I had to extend and re-extend my magazines because life had been too busy to read them.

I remember being heavily pregnant with Maddie and standing at the counter with books piled high in my arms while Hannah whined and a toddler Daniel threw himself on the ground and chucked a massive tantrum.  I remember feeling soooooo tired, and sooo frustrated and thinking I was going to cry and then Zellah's voice said "Just think Nell, next time I see you, you will have a sweet little baby bundle in your arms!"  and she smiled the sweetest smile and squeezed my arm, "you'll get through this, and one day you will look back and love these days."  She was so right.  So non-judgemental. She cared.

I remember borrowing "Tickle Tickle Tom" for the thousandth time and saying to her, "This book is our favourite and it is out of print so please if it ever gets decommisioned can we buy it?"  and her looking at it, and at my children, and saying, "gee, it really IS getting tatty isn't it? I think it is even too tatty to sell" as she stamped it with the "cancelled" stamp and passed it to my children.

Zellah was the sort of person the world needs more of.  She was not a best friend.  She was not even a close friend, but she touched our lives immeasurably and she will be forever missed.  Every life, no matter how brief, has the potential to change the world forever.

Thank you Zellah. My three little bookworms and I will not forget you.

Time for Meet me at Mike's taking stock again!

Making : card kits for my first "card buffet" on the weekend
Cooking : pork ribs and potato bake and our favourite beetroot and feta and pecan and sweetpotato salad
Drinking : apple cider (yay for Summer weather!)
Reading: "Delancey" (again) perfect holiday reading.  I love the way Molly Wizenberg writes.  Just finished "The Lie" which was well written but kind of moody and bare and depressing
Wanting: another week of holidays
Looking: at lovely things on ravelry
Playing: my favourites list on the ipod
Deciding: to make a conscious effort to do over 10 000 steps each day
Wishing: the 9 year old birthday boy would stop growing so fast
Enjoying: holidays with everyone home (what a luxury to have James home too!)
Waiting: for Mum and Dad to get back from cruising
Liking: Sleep ins, and lazy days
Wondering: If I could pay children to clean up the kitchen
Loving: my Spring garden - a 10 year old lilac bush that has just now decided to bloom!
Pondering: the next quilting project (now that Dr Seuss is finally done)
Considering: casting on another knitting project
Buying: groceries - we seem to eat such a lot with us all home!
Watching: The 3rd series of a Place to Call Home, Foyle's War reruns
Hoping: For a calm, stress free 4th term
Marvelling: that I am mother to a 9 year old boy - where did that chubby baby go?
Cringing: At the thought of NQS assessment and 55 summative reports this term
Needing: Sleep, home comforts, quiet days
Questioning:
Smelling: Lilac and lavender and jasmine and roses - oh sweet Spring smells
Wearing: my new favourite summer dress (made locally and super comfortable - LOVE IT)
Following: CTMH card ideas on Pinterest
Noticing: the washing piling up
Knowing: holidays can't last forever
Thinking: I have pretty great kids
Admiring: crafty people who can get paid to do what they love
Sorting: Maddie's old clothes, my old craft magazines
Getting: ridiculously over-excited at the vintage Strawberry Shortcake colouring books gifted to my kids - the very same one that I had when I was a girl - circa 1982!!!!)
Bookmarking: New recipes
Coveting: more Summer dresses and nice sandals
Disliking: that no matter how much I exercise I still don't lose weight
Opening: junk mail and cans of condensed milk and beetroot
Giggling: over silly facebook posts and the funny things Maddie says - that girl has way too much sass!
Feeling: happy, and nostalgic
Snacking: on pecan nuts
Helping: kids bake
Hearing: James rocking out with the guitar

Hope you are having an awesome week too. Back tomorrow with pictures of my boy and his birthday quilt and some of the photos of our recent Flinders trip.

Keep smiling,

Nell

Spring Finishes!

Oh Spring is in the air and the last three days of sunshine have lifted spirits and blown the cobwebs away.  I've even had the kids Spring Cleaning and decided to rearrange my craft room!
In the midst of the Spring fever I finally finished my  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nelliebligh/curly-wurly-gloves
and I love them sooooo much! Jude is an awesome local designer (remember the Vivonne Bay Hat?) http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nelliebligh/vivonne-bay-hat-2
and this is her latest effort.  This pattern taught me soooo much and now I can read charts a whole new world of knitting has opened up!

There has also been another two little cardigans from the "One" pattern (also on my rav page)

And I have been mucking about with a bit of my own semi-designing using a bit of a mix and match technique to come up with a soft little lace edged cap for one of the kindy newborns (angora bunny/merino mix - soooo soft and smooshy)

Now I have to get back to sorting out my craft room in time for this week's workshop!
Happy Spring!

Taking back September..

I used to like September.  Spring is my favourite season.  I have always been more in tune with Spring than any other season.  I have always been able to wake up one morning sometime around September 1st and sniff the air and exclaim that "Spring is Here!"  But sometime a few years ago everything changed.  Suddenly September is a month of pain, and worry. Partly it is because by September my Vitamin D levels have dropped to way beyond acceptable leaving me teary and emotional, but mostly it is because over the last few years September has been a miserable month for many of my friends and family.  This year, already, barely a week into September, my Mum is sick with low blood pressure, my friend is mourning the anniversary of losing her son 6 years ago, my best friend is mourning the loss of her baby a few years ago, I am remembering my Grandad who passed away in September.  Today my high school friend lost her grandmother. Tuesday we will celebrate a sweet girl who should have been turning 11.  At work we have been making meals for 3 families who are going through tough times. At home I am waiting for the inevitable sad news that two friends have lost their partners to the Big C.  September is crap. September sucks.  Which is why tonight I am letting myself indulge in a pity party, and tomorrow morning I will wake up and I will look for the good things, and I will grasp them with both hands.  I know that life can't always be perfect which is why I will ride this wave and come out the other side.  Hold close to those you love. Help those that you can in the little ways that you can. Know that you can't change some things. Try to find the good..

A Big Week

This week I was privileged to be a school helper on the 5,6,7 class camp to Nepabunna. Nepabunna is a tiny Aboriginal community in the Flinders Ranges.  This was my first visit to this unique part of the world and I feel like I am still processing a lot of our trip.  The scenery was dramatic, and diverse, and quite harsh.  The Adnyamantha people are so welcoming and friendly and keen to share their culture.  It was a wonderful experience.

Unfortunately about a third of the kids and most of the adults got a rotten flu bug and Hannah and I have spent the last few days recovering.  I was determined to still get to the Mt Pleasant Fibre Fair yesterday, so in the afternoon my friend Christine and I set off and managed to bring home some terrific goodies.

I finally have a new (working!) ballwinder and you have no idea how happy that makes me.  Of course lots of yummy fibre followed me home too - and books, oh books! The girls have already looked through that little knitted wrist warmers one and picked out a couple of must haves and now are casting looks at my stash to see what wool will be best LOL  The two pairs of socks are handknit by a lady from the Mt Pleasant Spinners and Weavers.  I love to knit socks but I know how time consuming they are and I cannot believe that she was able to make and sell them for $7.50 a child's pair and $20 for an adult.  The wool is often worth that much!  Anyway, I was happy to support her if it meant another day of warm feet at bush kindy. One day in the not too distant future I shall have enough handknit socks to wear a pair every day!

I got quite a lot of knitting in while we were travelling on the bus so next time I will be able to show you my progress on my Tea Leaves Cardigan and Klausner Mitts.

Until then, have a good week!

Spinning, and Knitting, and Baking to beat the Winter Blues

Well it is Tour De Fleece time again and that means spinning everyday that the bikes are in motion.  We are all most nostalgic for all things French at the moment as it is two years exactly since our Paris sojourn.  The weather has turned decidedly icy so a fair bit of time has been spent baking, spinning and knitting and scrapping indoors.

Yay for crafty goodness!

Taking Stock..

Time for taking stock again, a tradition from Pip Lincolne over at www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com
Making : a cute little rainbow cardigan from wool I dyed and spun myself
Cooking : slow cooker meals, and lots of quick easy pasta
Drinking : decaf coffee and not enough water
Reading: Year of Pleasures by Elisabeth Berg.  She is perfect week 10 reading - kind of soothing..
Wanting: To get new hikers and break them in before week 3 term 4
Looking: at ways of decluttering over the holidays
Playing: new story cds in the car for kindy
Deciding: whether to pay more off the car loan or the mortgage
Wishing: I could have been in two places at once tonight (Dan got his orange belt at karate presentation and Hannah sang solo in the Choir at Hills Music Festival)
Enjoying: watching them both grow and blossom doing what they love
Waiting: for holidays (one more sleep!!)
Liking: my days in the bush with my kindy kids
Wondering: How long Maddie will have this cough and whether it will get worse?
Loving: the thought of 2 weeks of school holidays with my kiddos
Pondering: Whether I should take Maddie to the doctors tomorrow and how much the whooping cough/tetanus and diptheria update vaccination will hurt? I am such a sook with needles!
Considering: Whether I could sneak in one last bit of spinning tomorrow night before the Tour De Fleece starts..
Buying: Seeded sour dough from the Lobethal Bakery (best bread anywhere) and horrible pre-packed pane au chocolat for the kids since it reminds them of France and is as close as it gets?
Watching: Nothing particular - no new Downton and finished Call the Midwife on netflix so kind of inbetween tv shows at the moment
Hoping: For something good to watch soon!
Marvelling: That we got through the term!
Cringing: At the thought of two more terms fulltime.
Questioning: My ability to juggle work and family and Close To My Heart
Smelling: freshly washed hair and coffee
Wearing: p.j.s right now, but mostly jeans and my new red docs for work
Following: ravelry and pinterest and now instagram too
Noticing: that my kids have too much screen time
Knowing: that I need to change that even if it means being the bad cop these holidays
Thinking: they should go outside more
Admiring: how Dan's sensa can manage children with difficult behaviours
Sorting: a big box of old cm clutter
Getting: excited about Nepabunna
Coveting: merrel hikers
Disliking: the impending feeling of doom I get when I think about assessment and reporting, quality improvement plans and the National Guidelines Assessment that we will have next term
Opening: new circular needles and new fibre for the tdF
Giggling: at Dan's story about Granny swearing in the car
Feeling: Happy
Snacking: on Old Jamaica Rum and Raisin chocolate
Helping: Maddie learn to read
Hearing: That cough, poor little love!
Looking forward to: a surprise photography session for my Mother in Law (all of her grandies together) with photos by my awesome friend Ali Moylan
Dreaming: Of Summer!

If you would like to play along head over to Pip's blog.  
Happy holidays to all - I look forward to being back here with crafty goodness soon!

Spinning Rainbows, the kindness of strangers, and Julie and Julia

It strikes me that I never really wrapped up last year's Julie and Julia project? That is because it has sort of just evolved into me mentioning the book/magazine everytime I show a finished article on here.  I did learn that I do use my knitting and crochet books and mags but not so much my quilting ones so I am endeavouring not to buy too many more of them.  I also learned that more often than not I use patterns from Ravelry so I am being more selective with the books that I do purchase.  It was a good exercise and I did get to make some fun stuff, but I think when all is said and done I am happy enough with my book collection being largely eye candy to read in the bath.  Sometimes it is not so much about the finished product but about the planning and the dreaming and the what-ifs.  I am okay with that!

I have been spinning a fair bit lately.  I have also been spinning my own dyeing attempts. That has been super fun. Not that I think I will ever get into dyeing in a big way but it is really satisfying to have a project that you have dyed, then spun, then knit/crochet/woven.  This is the cold water solar dyeing that we did at Bungaree.

 While it was spinning it looked like this:

 This made for ridiculously happy spinning!

Then I navaho plied it to keep the colours:

Sooo much fun! I think this will become another little baby cardigan.

This week I finally got to a jam packed post box and found that the lovely Kate from over at foxslane.blogspot.com had sent me the cutest little crocheted cupcake and one of her apple bags! Thank you Kate, I really love it and the apple bag made my day.  I will have to remember to take a photo and post it here after I clear my camera.  There is something about the kindness of strangers! I really hope that one day I meet Kate IRL because she is one of the best bloggers I know and I do really look to her for parenting wisdom too as well as a dose of crafty goodness!

Anyway, the roast is ready, the glass of red is poured, and the weekend is drawing to a close.  Hope yours was a good one!

Keep smiling,

Nell

xx

Domesticity Fail

Well it has been a wierd kind of weekend.  Patches of brilliance and sunshine, and patches of rain and epic fails.  Yesterday I went to the Hills Spinners and Weavers Open Day and had a lovely time catching up with friends and seeing all of the fibre goodness and going a bit crazy with books and fibre (nothing wrong with a bit of stash enhancement is there?)  Then I came home and got enthused to finish off my disasterous Bungaree Socks (but got impatient and instead of you-tubing the stretchy bind off just fudged it so had to rip back and re-do again today!) I recently re-read Jane Brocket's "The Gentle Art of Domesticity" which I LOVE so much so had it in my mind to make flapjacks.  They burnt and were an epic fail.
I had borrowed "I Capture the Castle" from the library and spent most of the weekend reading it and nursing a bout of tonsilitis. Such a fabulous book and I can't believe I hadn't discovered it before now.
Today I dehydrated a heap of apples and made apple and cinnamon muffins and a roast chicken dinner and apricot crumble for dessert. Winter comfort food.  Now I am luxuriating in having one less WIP and a few more knitting books and just thinking about what to cast on next.  I think I may spin tonight instead of rushing into another pair of socks just yet.
Hope your weekend was a happy one!

Winter Weather Equals Knitting

Funny how the minute the weather turns a knitting frenzy sets in.
I find myself klick clacking most days even if it is just a row or two while waiting.
Our Guild has Open Day next weekend so there has been some last minute knitting for that as well as some finishing of projects.

This is the Olivia Cardigan from Nikki Van De Carr's beautiful book "What to Knit The Toddler Years" - a joy from start to finish, handspun angora/merino from Ixchel Bunny.  This makes me want another little girl just to see her wearing it (don't worry - not about to happen LOL)

Hannah's Vivonne Bay hat (after the first one was a bit snug and snaffled by Maddie) This is such a great pattern (free on Ravelry from my talented friend Jude) This is knitted in possum/merino and I had less than two inches of yarn left.  Nothing like yardage chicken to get your heart racing.

And this is a Katia Park Avenue scarf destined for the Guild table.  I do wish this girl would stop growing up.  We've just had early birthday celebrations with her two besties and I was surprised at how grown up their conversations are getting.  So not ready to head into the teen years yet.

All of these projects can be found on my ravelry page (where I seem to hang out a fair bit these days!)

Happy knitting!

Taking Stock May

Making : the "olivia" cardigan in variegated homespun
Cooking : chats with parsley and garlic and butter, and a simple rib eye - feel the need for a good steak
Drinking : Jamie Oliver's hot chocolate (from his Comfort Food book)
Reading: "The Magic Art of Tidying Up" (yet to be convinced as I don't think she has a crafty or sentimental bone in her body)  She certainly never had to deal with a craft room like mine!
Looking: for the new host rewards stamp that I put in a "safe place" because I couldn't wait to play with it!
Playing: with the National Scrapbook Month "Taste of Summer" paper pack ($12.95 this month only!)
Deciding: to relax the t.v. rule for the kids on this rainy Friday afternoon after a huge week
Wishing: dinner would cook itself
Enjoying: the thought of a reasonably cruisy weekend
Waiting: for my hubby to come home and pour me a glass of red
Liking: that I have finished my first aid course and don't need to worry about it for another 3 years
Wondering: whether we will ever finish decluttering this house
Loving: my stash enhancement from Bungaree Fibre Weekend
Pondering: where Maddie has hidden her library books
Considering: a no borrowing rule for her
Buying: 12 jars of tomato chutney for my Mother in law (best not to ask)
Watching: Call the Midwife on netflix
Hoping: the rabbit's eye ulcer heals quickly
Marvelling: at how quickly one small child can empty the contents of her wardrobe and at how slowly she can manage to clean it up
Remembering: an awesome New Zealand holiday!
Cringing: over the state of pretty much every room in the house
Needing: to warp up my loom again and get back into weaving
Questioning: my ability to juggle too many commitments
Smelling: our manky grungy couches that have seen better days
Wearing: leggings and boots and long flowing cardis that hide the flab
Following: too many bunny posts on pinterest
Noticing: that if I don't do the housework no one else does it
Knowing: that I can't handle too many more nights of sleep deprivation (go away silly full moon!)
Thinking: It has been forever since I wrote regular blog posts
Admiring: all of the beautiful artwork at our CTMH meeting last night
Sorting: clothes, books, hopefull the pantry this weekend
Getting: a cold I think (runny nose and sore eyes)
Coveting: a fluffy aqua polar fleece dressing gown (finally decided to let go of my big apricot towelling one that I have never liked and go back to my worn but comfy blue one)
Disliking: the guilt of parting with gifts that I have never really liked
Giggling: over how silly it was for my friend Anne and I to get locked in the car park after our meeting last night!
Feeling: tired and a bit fluey and relieved that the week is over
Snacking: on raisin toast and dried cranberries
Helping: Maddie to find library books, Hannah to clip the chooks wings
Hearing: the sound of Horrible Histories from the t.v. in the front room, white noise from the fish bubbler, cars in the background
Dreaming: of a sleep in tomorrow
Excited: about our Nature Connect pilot programme for kindy!

If you feel like playing along head over to Meet Me At Mikes and download the list.
Happy weekend,
Keep smiling,
Nell

p.s. Now that I am back stay tuned for more blog posts!

Happiness is..

Finally downloading your phone photos, and finding this:

She is insanely frustrating. Drives me crazy. But seriously? Look at that face? Love her to bits. xx

Taking Stock - March

In keeping with Pip over at www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com it is time to take stock (spare list over on her blog if you want to play along!)
Making : soooo many knitting projects 
Cooking : cauliflower soup
Drinking : instant coffee and red wine
Reading: Kate Morton "The Forgotten Garden" and "Turn of the Screw" by Henry James for rav reading group
Wanting: more hours in the day
Looking: at enormous piles of laundry
Playing: the same Beautiful South album over and over (I only have one of their albums on my ipod and it is not enough!)
Deciding: what to cook for tea tomorrow night
Wishing: my kids never got sick
Enjoying: the challenge of Bly socks - can you believe it? My knitting seems to have come along in quantum leaps in the last year and I find myself tackling projects I never would have before - cables and lace oh my!
Waiting: for CTMH Leaders Conference on friday - and some knitting time on the plane LOL
Liking: the thought of set days at kindy next term (yay!)
Wondering: how we will manage the extra work that comes with my own kindy group, and how I will find a work life balance, and whether leaders conference will help me re-find my CTMH mojo
Loving: a little brown bunny ambling in the back yard
Pondering: if I have enough warm clothes for New Zealand
Considering: if I should be buying big warm jackets and extra long pants
Buying: two more lots of wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills (for a test knit cardigan for myself)
Watching: Hannah growing taller and more grown up before my eyes
Hoping: I get doonas dry on the line before it rains
Marvelling: at the resilience of some children
Cringing: at how many relationships gone wrong can turn so nasty and mean
Needing: to hug my babies tightly
Questioning: whether I should have an early night
Smelling: my beautiful pink rose by the front door - it is either Many Happy Returns or Happy Anniversary and either way it looks and smells divine and is one of the nicest presents I have ever been given
Wearing: work clothes - polo shirts and sensible kindy pants
Following: too many pinterest boards and too many ravelry forums
Noticing: the hint of Autumn in the morning air
Knowing: that the weather in Melbourne could be unpredictable this weekend
Thinking: how lucky I am 
Admiring: people that have a work life balance
Sorting: craft stuff, kitchen stuff, house stuff (I even have a clean kitchen bench at the moment - LOVE)
Getting: sick of clutter
Coveting: other people's wool stashes
Disliking: the blame game
Opening: old packs of CTMH paper for Easter market projects
Giggling: at the crazy things 4 year olds say and do
Feeling: like a sore throat might foretell a cold
Snacking: on raw almonds
Wishing: that those who have more would help those who have less
Helping: new kindy kids wipe noses and bottoms
Hearing: white noise - it seems like every appliance we have comes with lights and white noise!
Excited: to find an old friend on face book
Learning: how to use instagram
Believing: lots of good things are just around the corner

Enjoy the Simple Things

Happy Friday folks!

Knitting and Plum Cake..

I've been busy making stuff.  Lots of knitting lately.  My last 3 projects I have flirted with the yardage chicken and lost every time.  Note to self: do not be so impetuous and actually weigh yarn and do yardage before you cast on.  Anyhow: there has been a Quaintly, and then a test cowl, and now I am onto knitting this lovely shawl as a KAL.  I will be doing another test knit cardigan next week when some suitable wool arrives from Bendigo (note to self: do not even look at 10ply patterns when you have no 10ply in stash!)

 Isn't my big girl growing up?  She so desperately wants to be older than she is, while I (of course) want her to stay little for ever.  Look at those green eyes - enormous.

I got quite a lot done on this while I was at the hairdressers today.  It struck me that sometimes even grey hairs have a silver lining.  More grey hairs means more knitting time.  Seriously though, most of my knitting time each week is squeezed into karate, kid's appointments and time spent waiting so I am really glad to have the opportunity to knit!

Our plums have had a bumper crop this year - laden, the branches sinking low to the ground.  We have had plum jam, stewed plums, dehydrated plums, and now, thanks to www.foxslane.blogspot.com plum cake.  This http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/16131/upside+down+plum+cake has fast become my new favourite cake, not the least because it generally leaves a few little crusty, plummy bits around the side of the tin for the cook to eat while it is still steaming and oozey.  So good.  Today, I made two of them and because I was home alone I even got to lick the beaters. Life is good my friends, very, very good, and for the simple things I am profoundly grateful.