Nice things

A gift from Happy Spider for helping her name her new spinning wheel... Its called Retro Specto and I love it! There isn't enough orange yarn in the world I say.

And a postcard from Melissa over at Operation Nice - how much do I love that blog? And how nice is she to spend all that cashola sending things hither, thither and yon? Thanks chicken!

Spun out...

For a variety of reasons it been a tough week. Sickness has plagued Nath, then me, then Lil, so I spent most of the week at home - not good at this time of the financial year. Lil is going to have to have another round of grommits inserted in her ear to stop the infections - not good for my nerves or bank balance! But then I went to see a friend and her baby who were both quite sick following the birth and I thought how lucky we were. I also saw another little (9 pound) bubba who was fine and lovely. Then when we were at the ENT doctor I ran into a couple I used to work with and their second child has been born with only two valves in the heart. So things could be worse, I thought to myself. Then the horrifying news that a friend of mine was found to have a 7cm tumor in her brain. She's been through surgery and things are apparently looking good, but it has totally rocked me. She's in her early 30s, husband and two beautiful boys, had been feeling pretty depressed recently, started getting headaches then BAM. It has brought out so many feelings; love, despair, frustration... I can't verbalise it... needless to say that I'd love it if you could all send out a prayer or light a candle or positive energy or something for her.

So in the spirit of not taking anything for granted and taking pleasure in each moment, I give you my first attempts at spinning. I'm pretty chuffed, especially with the chocolate plyed ones. Lil tells me "Sherbert" is her favourite, which is good 'cause I wouldn't give you tuppence for it.

Sherbert


Chocolate strawberries


Chocolate Beesting


Then I made some knitting needle rolls.


No reason for them.




I gave one to my MIL (not photographed) and one of these will go to my Mum, but the other is up for grabs. Seems fitting seeing as we are coming up to Twitchy Fingers' first birthday. So leave me a message between now and 9 May and I'll have my lovely assistant choose your name out of a hat. If you don't want the knitting roll, I can do something else. Just stop lurking and say hello.

And finally, my darling husband just placed in my hand the first ever feijoa from our little tree. I got the tree a couple of years ago and it was in a pot until we moved into this house. Now its got its little roots into the clay soil and is bearing fruit (singular!). Just the smell makes me deliriously happy. I can't wait to see what it will do next year!

A picture packed post

ANZAC Day


Last Wednesday was ANZAC Day and every year we go to Sydney to watch my Pa march. Pa was Navy and part of Z Special Unit, and wasn't allowed to talk about his involvement in the war until 50 years after the end of WWII. Its only in the last couple of years that they've been able to make an association and march under their banner. Its become a part of my year, like Easter and Christmas, that I couldn't miss. Things have changed over the years; it used to be just Pa, Nana and I, and the three of us would kick-on with the young sailors way after the other old diggers had headed home. This year it was me and my husband and daughter, my Mum and her husband, my sister, my uncle and my Nan and Pa. There was no kicking on but it was a good day none the less. My uncle held the banner, my husband marched with my Pa, the rest of us stood on the corner of George and Bathurst to wave them on - with Lil waving her flag and shouting "Good on you diggers!". But it's sad too. Their association only has seven members left and one of them passed out even before they started marching. And I love all these old guys. And once they're gone I'll still trek up to Sydney (a city I dislike) for the March and for their memory.

On to other crafty things now. I pray every night that my passion for a wide variety of crafts will be taken from me and I will wake up with a new fidelity to just one craft. But alas it is not to be so....

my new baby

Isn't she beautiful! I'm still learning, but I'm having fun.



The lovely lady who sold her too me gave me so beautiful roving too so I've had some lovely stuff to practice on...

The thickness is, shall we say, variable? But I'm assured that I'll improve.

Then my Mum bought me a little wet felting kit - I'm waiting for the right idea to strike me before I attempt it, but I'm thinking I might make a couple of little bowls or something???

And I've unravelled my first ever cardigan which never looked any good on me anyway, in order to refashion it into Knitty's Bobbolicious

Unfortunately I used two strands in this jumper and I only need only for the Knitty thing, so I'm having to separate into two balls. Its a painful task.

And finally, two lovely friends have had bubbies this week so I've had a go at stenciling some little singlets for them. I love stenciling with freezer paper, but really don't have the time to spend carving out intricate designs. I was trying to think of personalised - and quick - presents for them. And then I remembered my little paper craft punches which are now part of my daughter's craft box.

I just punched out a couple of each animal onto strips of freezer paper and it was sooooo quick! It would be better if you had larger ones because the definition isn't great on some of the small bits, but I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.

Anyway, that is more than enough from me. I should be restoring order to my life after a weekend of tantrums (hers and mine) and sickness (his - hers and mine to a lesser extent) and general destruction of the home unit (all of us).

I'm spinning around

Well, not yet I'm not. But as of tomorrow I will be the proud owner of a spinning wheel! I've often been tempted, but thought that my husband would baulk at the idea of yet another fibre related craft. But today there was a notice on our work notice board, which mentioned (amongst many other things) two spinning wheels for sale and DH not only drew my attention to it, but even mentioned the spinning wheels specifically! I took it as permission to engage the enemy and purchased myself a little upright thingy. I'm so very excited. Add to this the fact that my lovely mother bought me a little wet felting kit over the weekend, and Lily slept through the night for the first time in ages, and I got to knit the whole way to work while DH drove and I tell you that I'm about as happy as I can get.