J is 3

Little Mister J was 3 in July and wanted a 'Henry cake'. He's watching very carefully that Mummy is making it to specifications!

Yes, he hasn't moved from his supervisor position.

Henry is finished with the approval of the 2 experts.

And after much singing and candleblowing Henry is about to be devoured!
It was a happy 3 year old birthday.

Vale Nell 1918-2010

This is a lovely photo of my Mum, Nell, taken on her 91st birthday, and how I like to remember her, wearing one of her beautiful woollen handspun, handknitted jumpers. She suffered little strokes and became increasingly frailer this year and passed away on 7th July 2010, 6 weeks before her 92nd birthday. I couldn't wish her back to continue suffering, but it does mean the end of many family links for me, now I don't have anyone to talk with about the memories of my childhood. For over 60 years she's been in my life, she lived with us at Silver Creek for 23 years, and it's strange that she's not here any more. I still have an Aunty, Mum's younger sister, but it's also a wake up that I'm now the 'older generation' and that's not comfortable.

Mum admired people who made it to 90, she especially admired those who were able to continue being active. I'm delighted for her that she reached and passed that milestone, and continued to be active until her last 6 months. I think it speaks for itself that there were over 70 people at her funeral in our small town on a wet winter's day, and 68 were friends. We have very few family of our own, but do have wonderful in-laws, however I appreciated so much that so many good, caring friends came. If you were one of them, thank you.

Goodbye Mum, you'll be so very sadly missed, and so will all your beautiful and perfect crafting.

Absence

There hasn't been any blogging here for quite a few months. I haven't been able to write and I needed to. I feel I need to say goodbye to my Mum who passed away in July after 4 months of becoming more and more frail in aged care. I'd like to do this before 2010 finishes.

a visit from Jack Frost

Silver Creek is well known for it's frost. This is the garden bed where I planted my calendula seeds. The wire is a small attempt to protect them from the ever-foraging peacocks.

and looking across the 'backyard' I think it was a little frosty to hang out the washing so early.

The early morning sun just seemed to reflect off the frost across the grass. Aren't trees the most wonderful plants, they give shade and frost protection!

It's hard to see, but the callistemon right next to the window is covered in frost.

My crafting friends

Chris and Pam check out this pretty patchwork.

and the knitting continues........maybe another wombat jacket sample?

This is my 'Time with Mum' Scarf, crocheted from some beautiful Aust Country Spinners 4ply wool yarn while I visited Mum at the Hostel in the afternoons.

and my MIL, Melva created this gorgeous crocheted green owl teacosy for a Ravelry friend of mine.

mmmm, red bolero

This is the red bolero I made for Georgia, who has discovered she loves red, and doesn't love wool yarn, acrylic is her favourite so it's knitted from Zhivago . I knitted some of it while visiting Mum in the aged care Hostel, but talking and knitting holes in the right place are not 2 things I can do together, so I had to leave it at home when I was undoing more than I was knitting on my visits. However, I finished it and was able to take it to show Mum it would be perfect for Georgia.

And the model seems to like it........

..............or at least likes modelling it!

autumn that came to me

It's been a while since I've rambled about the passion I have for crocheting squares this year. Here are some I did for a swap.
When I get mine altogether in a 'scrappy' afghan I know it's going to be very rewarding and lovely. I've taken on this challenge to improve my pattern reading skills (esp crochet patterns) and I think it's slowly working. I'm not daunted by a crochet pattern any more!

And this is the autumn swap that my swap partner, Marilla, sent to me. The beautiful autumn coloured sock yarn may well become socks one day, but for now, the handknit red towel is being used in the bathroom.

Another Monday

Dawn was finishing off her baby outfit for a friend

Chris practised Van Dyke crochet (other versions are called Chevron)

Look at this beautiful leaf and trellis pattern by Pam

Pam has also been dyeing yarn with Landscape Dyes

WWKIP Day 2010

Our World Wide Knit in Public Day event was organised by our NEVYL Group on Ravelry.com and was held at K2TOG in Albury.
We gathered and we knitted, although there are actually way more people than would fit in the shot.

Jenny from K2TOG Albury kindly organised a speed knitting competition

here are the finalists knitting off

and a blindfolded knitting competition.

Barbara from Shepparton, who's been knitting (English style on straight needles) for 72 years, won both.

It was a great day and Maree and I shared the lucky door prize, as she drew out both our tickets!

Always making something

Ok, so I'm always making something. This is one of the very versatile shiroshimi knot bags that I make to 'package' my handspun yarn when it's being swapped, gifted or even purchased.

World Wide Knit in Public Day was approaching and the journalist for the Albury-Wodonga News Express was coming to take pics to write an article. She got her dates mixed and couldn't make it so we took the pics she wanted and sent them off, several to appear in the newspaper with an article:

autumn creations

I have spun and dyed this yarn, especially suitable for socks for my autumn swap parcel. I love the colour, it is exactly the colour of all the beautiful autumn leaves on the trees. Beechworth is looking spectacular with autumn colour this year, so I've called it 'Autumn in Beechworth". I was very hesitant about dyeing and getting it right. It's quite a while since I've done this type of dyeing, but I was really pleased with it.

And I've been sewing. I made a large project bag (lined with red)

and a very small project bag, also lined with red. I love this fabric, it's a naive style like the Villeroy and Boch plates I love so much. And apples and pears signifying Beechworth's harvest, and Chinese coin buttons on the drawstring as I live at the once-named Old Chinaman's Flat Goldfield.

My sewing machine (the super dooper new computerised Husqvarna that I haven't had any lessons on yet even though I've had it for a couple of years) didn't want to play ball with the buttonholes and it wasn't until I seriously threatened to get out my old machine (darn, that would be an effort) and do the buttonholes that it blinked it's light and behaved properly.

Crochet by any name

This is Chris' specialty and she showed us the secrets one Monday.

Spectacular done in all colours.

And now that Fran has mastered lace, she's making lovely lacy socks.

Wombat Jacket KAL

Hard at work making samples are Daphne, all the way from Melbourne, Annie from Benalla, Joy, Natalie and Pam wearing her old faithful nearly worn out red wombat jacket.

Maree and Elke started on their full size jackets.

Using circular needles you start by knitting a triangle

which looks like this on a straight needle.