Banaghaisge

March marches on...

2012-03-21T18:28:00.001+11:00

I know, I know - missing in action (inaction, too!) for much of this month.
But - whiny voice - I have been busy.

This is some of what I have done:

The start of it all with the clever cast-on stitches for the little cap sleeves.

The yoke IS a different colour. There wasn't enough of the original so I got a heap of balls of the pink/rose that also had lots of cream through to milky-cocoa colours in it. I sorted them out (see below for what they got used for!) and then went back to the neckline with a tiny remainder of the bottom-half wool.

Gorgeous cables! I loved doing these, tho I am piqued somewhat that the cable pattern wasn't the proper Celtic over and under thing that cables MUST do (well in my book!)

Found wonderful buttons at Lincraft that are perfect (even if they were $4 each, sigh).

Here we are. It is a trifle snug but apart from planning to keep on losing weight - just a few more kgs) it also looks mighty fine with just the top few buttons done up...

This is a scull cap I knitted to be able to use up the wool that was shunted out of the yoke wool of the above.

It is a lovely pattern for this hat. I sort of made it up after following an on-line pattern for a hat knitted in far bigger wool.

Then I made MILES of I-cord to make a Brain Hat for S3 for his birthday. Using that culled wool.

More of the Brain Hat. S4 is silly, err brave, enough to wear a hat like this. He will probably wear it to uni - where he is studying Youth Services, 3rd year. Hey, he is off to Belfast and the UK in June/July for a Study Tour and to do a Placement. Clever fella! I am a tad proud of him...

A friend told me her MIL had a spinning wheel sitting in her shed for the last 20 years and she would be happy to get rid of it! It was only 50 kms away, lovely trek. The lovely MIL said that she suspected that the person who donated it to her 20 years ago had also had it sitting in their shed for 20 years...

I haven't even seen anyone spinning. But I cleaned it up (urkies) and oiled it and scrubbed it, and found some cord to use as the string bit that goes around the wheel and the spinny thing. And I carded some of the wool that my neighbours gave me for Christmas (good job they gave me the carders too). And then I spun some wool!

It is a bit curly, and I haven't got any more workable bobbins to be able to ply it, but that will change soon enough. The wheel came with a Clever Kate (yeah I know, I know) and three extra bobbins but they are old and the ends are broken off. I learned a friend of ine has a step father who will be able to turn up some more for me.

My cousin showed me her gorgeous tattoo. There is more to come. Isn't this a work of art? I think so. Wouldn't have that much of a tatt myself - cos I am a sook, but I think this is beautiful. There is more to come over her right shoulder, flowers and pretties like that.

I spent a couple of evenings stitching sheets and pillowslips for my Lesbian Dolly Mummies and their new baby. The pillowslips and bottom sheet are from a very old rose printed hanky, and the top sheet is from a very fine silk cami that I have mostly worn to bits. Aren't they pretty dollies? The one on the right is also handicapped - she hasn't any legs...

The bed needs painting. It is from the cheap doll's house kit I bought when we lived in SF. All very cheap furniture you punch out of sheets of ply and cobble together. But suits The Lesbian Mummies perfectly.

I created a chandelier for my kitchen. It is from two rather crappy three armed 1960s chandeliers, and I bolted them together and added a great collection of extra crystals, and some elegant hand blown glass balls that The Boys gave me for Mother's Day back about 1992, and then draped the lot in tiny LED Christmas lights. It contrasts very well with the rustic mud bricks and tongue-and-groove pine lining boards and bare bricks that is my home.

We had 24mm of rain in 10 minutes on evening two weeks ago. This isn't a creek but the road in front of my place, looking East. On the left of the pic is the creek that couldn't cope with all the water...

...and looking West down the road - a couple of trees dropped big branches too. Fortunately, the bogan dad across the road was on his way home with the council road grader when the storm hit was was able to clear the trees off the road.

Next door's driveway with the overflow from his dam that went to make all the water on the road. It's not a bad pic for a panorama, I reckon!

However, my dam got a lot of water in it...

I am making another cardigan. This time I am making up my own pattern with lots of cables and fancy pants stitches. I scored a few lovely little beaded stitch markers as a freebie on an English knitting magazine so decided to make some more.

I didn't have any (ie couldn't FIND any...!) jump rings so had to make my own. Using plastic covered paper clips.. I rolled them around a fat knitting needle and then cut them into rings.

Some of the pretty handmade beads in my collection. My clever smart-arsed camera has a little thing that comes up saying "FACE DETECTED". Which made me think it really is a clever little beast.

Until it said "FACE DETECTED" here too!!!! How immensely clever of it!!! And look at that dear little teapot. I didn't use it cos of the spiky handle bit that I thought would annoyingly get caught in knitting.

I had to add tiny beads at the bottoms of most of these beads as they have rather large holes.

And here they are already in use. The reverse stocking stitch parts are going to be the backgrounds for cables, and there are some stocking stitch areas that are already going to be cables, and the line you can see 12 rows up is the row os holes I knitted so I can turn the hem up double and have a line of picots along the hem line. This is 3 or 4 ply wool (gauge 29 sts/10 cm), and I am using 2.75mm needles. With 156 stitches cast on so far. I am sort of using some other patterns to get some ideas but mostly making it up as I go along. But using a lovely big pad of graph paper too.

I made another vest/jacket. This time with 8 ply pretty flecked wool, and added a collar, and longer cap sleeves with a sort of I-cord hem on them, and a knitted on buttonhole band along the right side with a juicy fat I-cord on the edge of it. And only three buttonholes at the neckline.

This is more the colour of the above.

I had my hair cut again and some highlights bleached into it.

And I did LOTS of other things in the last month that I didn't get photos of.

The Beez (my musician friends from Berlin) came and stayed three or four times in their travels around the country - next time we will have a House Concert here!

My Cousin Kathy came to stay with a friend of hers from Skye who is also a relative (her great great grandmother and our great great grandfather were half brother and sister. That is close enough in our family to travel halfway around the world and be welcomed!!!!) and we went to listen to The Beez, and to a family birthday party. And ate lots. That isn't My Cousin Kathy with the tatts earlier, btw.

Lots of other little time filling things went on. And now I am getting back to my knitting...

I hope you have made it this far...

Hussif

2012-02-22T12:21:00.000+11:00

I made a hussif for S4 to take to Germany with him. It has little pockets for press studs, elastic, velcro dots, and whatever, and cute little cylinders to hold the tiny reels of thread, and buttons sewn on individually so he can cut them off as needed, pins, needles (already threaded...), safety pins.

Felt on the inside, and pretty Phasgogale Dreaming (tiny flying possum creatures) Aussie material on the outside to remind him of home.

That gorgeous tape measure tape? He and his girlie gave me that for my birthday present last year (along with lots of other treasures). Appropriate ties for this hussif I reckon!

Knitting and Skiting

2012-02-22T09:34:00.000+11:00

I have had fun whipping up a pair of socks for S4.

He headed off on Valentine's Day to study in Germany for a semester.

He is about to start 3rd year Electrical Engineering,and is off to some Uni near Stuttgart who thinks he is a wonderful student. He is on exchange which means he can still get all the Government allowances that he gets when studying here, but he also won a scholarship (for "Academic Excellence"!). He has just had a week in England to catch up with friends from when he was working and living there with the Gorgeous Clancye. She isn't going, she has to stay here. This will be the longest they have ever been apart. Hard for them both I reckon.

The background is the jumper I am knitting for The Sweetheart.

Last year I got to the armholes on both the back and front before it all got way too heavy for my poor belly. Will finish it in time for this winter...

Mallee Sunset Vest

2012-02-21T21:21:00.000+11:00

I just knitted a vest - this pattern:

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pattern.php?id=4707&lang=us Fabulous to make - I started it the weekend before last and finished it last night (although I have yet to sew on the buttons, I did undo the collar bit and reknit it so that counts as having sewn on the buttons in time used...).

It is knitted in one piece from the hem up (lovely ribbing) and in reverse stocking stitch so all the ribby bits show. And also make the cables pop beautifully. Some decreasing up to the waist and then increased over the bust so it is a lovely neat line, hugging my waist.

I used some 10 ply from Lincraft, the colour is like a Mallee sunset (hence the name!) - blues and mauves through to pinks and oranges, with some grey-green and tan bits in between. Gorgeous.

But - of course - I ran out of that wool and there wasn't any more in Lincraft. However, they did have some pink rosy-red that shaded back to pale, pale pink and milky cocoa. I got 10 more balls and bastardised them, just using the pinks for the cable bit, and saving the pale bits for another project (sssh, will tell you later cos it is going to be a surprise for someone. Hehehe)

Here is the WIP, the cap sleeves are knitted separately, four rows and then added in to the 6 stitch cast off armholes. So easy and simple and not at all complex. Did I also mention EASY????? Here you can also see the waist shaping, where the side seams would be.

Back view (right). There are 11 cable pattern repeats around the yoke. I wasn't happy with the way the colours of the Mallee wool came out around the collar so pulled it out last night and fussy knitted it up again just using the pinks and purples of the wool. Cos I ran out of the pink colourway, too...

Will add a photo of that when I am inside it.

I am such a smart-arse. I started this on Saturday (umm was that the 11th?) and finished it last night - 21/2/12 (love a nice palindromic date). I am going to fiddle with the date posting of this so it will look like I wrote all this last night. Why? Cos I can. That is why.

This is some I-cord I am making from the remains of the gutted out balls of wool I used for the yoke. Can't tell you what it is going to be yet. Bit of excitement and tension in your life wont hurt you.

And this is all such a wonderful pattern I am going to make another one. This time in 8 ply. Might make a few of them even, it is such a great pattern. I might add more cables up the body, and pockets and perhaps without an opening down the front (ie a jumper not a cardi), and maybe with a bit of a collar, too. My brain is off and running. Off and running down the road without me it seems...

Painting

2012-02-11T10:50:00.000+11:00

I started this picture last year.

And then got too blaaah to add more to it.

It is a canvas that I added words to with cheap sticky letters (from the Cheap Shop) and then painted over.

The letters are going to be turquoise (in the same way that the canvas is "orange". (It is reds and pinks and yellows and golds!*). Getting there...

There are some shapes in the blanks spots - map of Australia, butterfly, heart, bow, flowers - that will be highlighted. Maybe even gold leafed. I will see what it needs when I get to it.

I also painted up a star that S4 made years ago and which has been stuck out in the garden since forever. Time for a change...

You can see where the turquoise and orange thing is heading with the background paintings. I didn't do them. The face is a print that S4 got from his father as an 18th birthday present (apparently he has (umm had) the original at his place until S4 "got his own place" or some such...). It looks like my tall fiddle playing mate Andrew Clermont.

And the RH painting is by an Iranian refugee who sells his work on The Esplanade Sunday Market. It is fabulous, I love the perspective, the painting within a painting.

There is a glimpse of the cream/gold painting that I did on 10/10/10 with 3 sets of ten hearts, three Xs, 10/10/10 etc. It is a bit obscure I think. Last time someone looked at it I had to explain it and I shouldn't have to do that with paintings...

* I discovered 7 different tubes and jars of golds - not counting the box of gold leaf - when I consolidated my paints...

Canadian Glue

2012-02-10T10:34:00.001+11:00

The Canadian Glue is called Weldbond and it is REALLY useful!

You can even use it as a concrete hardener. Just in case your concrete is going soft...

I have heard we can now get Gorilla Glue here in Oz but have yet to see it. That is the glue that everyone in America thinks is the bee's knees.
But that is only cos they haven't heard of the Canadian glue that sticks elephants to ceilings...

I bought it at the local hardware shop (thanks Tonks), but I think it would also be in Bunnings. About $20 for 500mls.

Home Repairs

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000+11:00

The screws fell out of the bottom hinge of the front door. And when I tried to screw them back in I found they had just been sitting there, wandering around inside vast spaces.

SO - I glued in some matchsticks - each hole needed three as the screw holes were so worn. And then I chiselled off the matches and screwed the hinge back together. I used that wonderful Canadian glue that you can use to stick elephants to ceilings.

And now the door closes properly!

Pantry Cupboard

2012-02-01T13:45:00.002+11:00

The pantry cupboard got some shelves installed and is now in the pantry and all loaded up. I still need more storage for all my cooking pots and cake tins. That will come, I can't keep hiding them all in the four ovens of the Rayburn!

S2 and S4 came last Sunday week and did some wonderful musclebound bloke stuff, adding more insulation tot he ceiling above the pantry. Next job is to fill in the triangular space with more pine boards, and to mouseproof the gaps in the ceiling (the bloke who started building this house was short and didn't have a ladder so there are a lot of high up spaces which have gaps big enough for large animals let alone tiny weeny antechinuses, possums, and urk - bushrats and mices.

This is S4 up the ladder and S2 about to give him a hand with the insulation batts....

You can see light shining onto the ceiling from a gap in the pantry ceiling. Sigh.

And somebody took a photo of me whilst I was busy Making Lists. I didn't even know it was on my camera! There aren't many photos of me in any form, so you are lucky!!

This Week Has Been Hectic!!

2012-02-01T13:37:00.000+11:00

I have yet to add the sparkly Christmas lights to the kitchen chandelier - I haven't had time...

Most of the time was taken up with Newstead Live music festival. Lovely lovely music, and I was billeting The Beez who are from Berlin. They also stayed with me two years ago so this time it was like Old Friends returning!
And also last week, my former husband died. Malcolm The Unwelcome. Poor bloke, though he did deserve the title we did have some good times at the beginning. And lovely sons.
Here is a eulogy.
His funeral is tomorrow in Geelong - "wear bright colours" always seems to be wrong for a funeral. I don't want to be so bright I look like I am happy he has died rather than celebrating his life. Which was really interesting, and I still yearn for all the great science we did together. He has six children from three of his five marriages. I was the fourth (Castlemaine Four Ex...), he is still married to my successor who he hooked up with in mid 1989 (though I didn't find out for two more years...hmmm!).

Anyway - here is the chandelier:

I don't know what those little orange bits are in the cup pieces of it - maybe just the reflection of my lovely pine lining boards...

RAIN!!!

2012-01-31T13:49:00.000+11:00

Yesterday it bucketed down. For ten minutes. But there was 13mm of rain. The little track that Jake Dog made on his treks up to Outer Bungolia turned into a little ravine gushing with water. Not big enough to lose him...

And after a couple of weeks of the temperature hovering between 40* and 45* it was soooo lovely when it got down to 25*!!!!!

Pantry cupboard

2012-01-21T09:52:00.000+11:00

Green inside the doors, and red door knobs. Might just sand it back a bit and leave it at this.

I found this lovely flower illustration on http://cargocollective.com/brittanyburton and am (probably) going to decoupage it on the inside of the doors cos the colours are SOOO pretty! Having fun cutting them out at least...

I See The Light!

2012-01-20T16:19:00.001+11:00

Well, almost see the light. Getting there...

I am being creative with a couple of old crystal chandeliers that The Sweetheart found (in the pine wardrobe in his garage) and was about to sling into the garbage.

I pulled them apart, washed 20 years of garage dust from them, and polished up the crystals. Then I ripped the electricals out of them (who wants plastic fake candles anyway???).

I managed to get the two of them screwed together - with some ingenuity and grittings of teeth - and draped them with the original crystals as well as a pile I have been collecting for a long time.

What they looked like to start with - less the plastic fake candles and the flickery light bulbs...

Rippin' out the electricity (NB - I painted the shelf which is going into the pantry cupboard)

More ripping!

The two chandeliers screwed together and with extra dangles, prisms, crystals, beads etc.

And from the other angle. The gold cup screws up over the hook that will be in the ceiling. When I find something strong enough - it now weighs about 10 kgs.

They are going to be draped with a string of tiny LED lights left over from Christmas, and then hung above my sink. Nothing nicer than a crystal chandelier to wash dishes by...

A Get Well Song

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000+11:00

S4's girlfriend is a wonderful singer and songwriter. She has the sweetest voice, and is very talented - she is studying music at university, and has some regular gigs as well.

A few months ago she wrote me a Get Well Song, and she and S4 recorded it. I have finally figured out how to add it to here!

It is called Oh, Jasmine so click on the link and have a listen to the lovely song!

(Listen right to the end and tell me if their 'not so hidden track' didn't make you smile!)

The Snuggle Chair

2012-01-16T12:47:00.001+11:00

In 1987 when the boys were tiny and we were living in San Francisco I bought a wonderful old armchair in a garage sale. It was the chair we could all fit into for a cuddle and became known as The Snuggle Chair.

Over the years it has got so very sad and saggy, and it got past the stage where another bed-pillow stuffed in under the cushion wasn't enough to stop us falling through.

Finally the tacks gave up the ghost and the springs fell out onto the floor so I am compelled to un-upholster it in readiness for re-upholstering.

About 20,000 tacks later I discovered another layer of upholstery under the tatty, faded and ragged brocade that was on when I bought it. (It has had a couple of slip covers I made over the years, and then I left it Shabby Chic until it sailed past Chic and even left Shabby behind...).

I have almost got it back to bare wood, and also remade the seat squab with more layers cut from an old doona cover, and added the feathers that were originally in it along with the feathers from the doona and balls of polyester wadding that I rolled up and stuffed in the centre of the feathers and down to give it all a bit of body. It is about 15" high, but will foof down when it is sat on.

I have photos of the process but they are on my phone and I have yet to discover how to get them from the phone to computer (there must be a cable that I have mislaid last year when the camera was new, thinking "Dunno what this is for, shall just put it ...here". Now I just have to find where 'here' is...). (No, don't have bluetooth and I tried emailing them to myself but it seems I don't have data transfer on my pre-paid 'plan').

Some shots of it so far:


The start - I had taken off the back cover and was about to tackle the webbing and springs when I discovered the little nest of red-backed spiders (very dangerous. Deadly even). So sprayed and waited. And then sprayed a bit more...(NOTE: the pine cupboard in the background - more on that soon).


I gessoed the legs and have some blue oops paint that may well be their new colour...

Discovering the second layer of upholstery - lovely glazed cotton.

My impromptu work-bench. Six besser blocks stacked 3 high with a wide plank over the top (which will be new shelf in that pine cupboard mentioned above, and below)

The new seat squab. HUGE new seat squab!!!. I traced around the old cover - only had red texta and it wasn't until I sewed it up that I realised I should have sewn that to the inside. Hopefully it wont bleed through.

Pine wardrobe from The Sweetheart's garage that will be a new pantry cupboard. Here it is with a first undercoat of gesso. It has a top shelf and hanging rail. Am going to take out the hanging rail, and add a couple more wide pine shelves and this will be a lovely mouse-proof cupboard in the pantry for my bins and crocks, and the big posts that are too large to be anywhere else. Don't know what colour it will be yet - there are a few oops paints in my tool cupboard.

Haircut!

2012-01-12T19:58:00.001+11:00

Mostly I get so sick of my hot hair whenever the weather starts threatening me as it did last week when it leapt to 40* (C - that is 100+F) that I tie it up on top of my head with a scrunchy and lie around with wet facewashers on my forhead feeling fragile.

And then I get sick of it and hack it all off so it is really short and out of my eyes. Neck. Ears.
Myself. Without any training.
However, I DO use haircutting scissors...*

Anyway, when I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I was about to do the haircut thing again lots of people told me to indulge myself a little and get a 'proper' haircut. And S4 told me abouthis friend Michelle who has a salon in Castlemaine.

So I went to see her this morning! Oh - the BEST haircut I have ever had! EVER!!!!

So from long enough to tie up to this cute whispy very gorgeous short, short cut!
I love it.
And when I came to pay Michelle said "Oh no, it has been taken care of" - and my S4 had prepaid as a surprise for me! What a darling child (always my child, even though he is now 24)!!!!

And if you are anywhere around Castlemaine and you need a wonderful haircut go see Michelle - Placebo (5472 1777, 62 Hargreaves st., Castlemaine!). She is one hell of a cutter!

*'Proper' haircutting scissors that I bought at the supermarket...

My place

2012-01-10T15:58:00.000+11:00

I haven't been as chirpy as I want. Nor as chirpy as I have been pretending to be, neither.

The last few days I have crashed late afternoon and slept right through (fibbing a bit there - waking up around 8pm to do the drug thing, and the other drug thing - email!) and then sleeping through till the kookaburras start yodelling outside at dawn.

Back to St Vincent's on Thursday for the post-op check-up. I don't think I am tired cos of anything sinister, it is just that I was expecting miracles and that might take a few more weeks. It is only 5 weeks since surgery so p'raps I am still also recovering from all that anaesthetic stuff, etc. Not to mention a long time not being anywhere near 100%...

I have got PAGES of lists of things I really MUST do around my home. Poor neglected place. There are spiders fighting other spiders for space in the layers of dust. You get the idea...

On the Australia Day weekend (AD is January 26th for those of you who can't rattle off the national days of other countries...) Newstead Live! happens again. Lovely music!!!
The Beez - from Berlin - are the headline (international) act again. And again, they are staying with me. Hooray! They are all so lovely, though I was fucked totally last time with all the late night dinners we had in the week leading up to the Festival cos they arrived 5 days ahead of time. Not that I minded, it really was such fun.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING MORE TO THE HOUSE BEFORE THEY GET HERE!!!!

This is what the pantry looked like before I got flooded. TWICE. Once 12 months ago today, and then again in February. So all the water came in through the damp-course (haha) and flooded the floor. And then a million bush rats and mice moved in to keep warm and dry.

Back in June S4, his darling Clancye and their mate Isaac came up and spent a few days moving everything out of the pantry, and S4 and I went shopping for all sorts of lovely paint, plaster, big wide pine boards, cans of expanding gap-filling foam, etc etc to be able to make the pantry vermin proof.
S4 used a big can of the sticky scary alien gap-filling stuff but there are still some gaps in the rammed earth walls that have to be mudded up. He also added a couple of ceiling beams to add false ceiling over (under) what is already there so we can add another layer of insulation to make it REALLY cold in there. On 40* days (like last week) it is only ever about 18* anyway. We still have to add the plaster. And paint it. After I mud up those gaps...

So - this is what my pantry contents still look like. Piled all over the kitchen table, under it, and in a couple of other temporary cupboards I bought at the Tip Shop (for $15...).

Poor old sink cupboard from the Tip Shop with more groceries etc stuffed uncomfortably into it. And still with the old sink intact but with a great lump of melamine on top of it so I can use it as a proper bench. Temporarily...

And I wanted to rip up all this revolting crappy not-enough-cement-in-the-concrete floor and lay more bricks like in the bathroom area. And to add a couple of courses of bricks as a base under the Rayburn so it is up to the height of the one I grew up with. And because it isn't impressive enough without it's majestic four ovens. So it needs a plinth.

But that isn't one of the things on my list(s).

Installing the butler's sink I have sitting out in Outer Bungolia is on the list. Which means building a stand for it. And doing some plumbing, but that is OK cos most of it is sitting waiting from the temporary laundry trough that is still where I wash dishes. (Right photo below)

In the Library I want to consolidate all the bookcases (there are a couple more on that mauve wall at the far end, and a big one to the left of the doorway, as well as another on the east wall (about over my right shoulder from where I am taking this photo). And there are three more cases in Outer Bungolia which really should be in the Library so that all the books that are stacked two deep on some of the shelves can be allocated a proper home. And I want to add strips of timber between each to join them, and then paint them.

But that isn't on The Current List either.

Both the floor in the kitchen and these bookcases are all on The Next List...

The bathroom is on This List. All of it. I haven't got a photo of it, but I think there is one on my website. Shall have a hunt for it and add the link to it if/when I find it.

It is ghastly. Functional but still in the realms of "Bush Humpy".

Not "primitive" - it isn't that good... I shall spare you. For the time being...

The ABC Radio have just put out a warning for extremely high winds in a cool change that is hurtling up from the south west of the State:

"Issued at 9:45 pm EDT on Tuesday 10 January 2012.

Weather Situation

An active cold front approaching southwestern Victoria tonight will move rapidly eastwards across the State overnight and Wednesday morning.

Damaging winds averaging 50 to 60 km/h with peak gusts around 95 km/h are forecast for the South West, Central, West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland forecast districts and over parts of the North Central and North East forecast districts. Coastal and exposed elevated areas are the most likely regions to be affected.

The State Emergency Service advises that people should:

Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony.
Keep clear of fallen power lines."

The tree feller fellows

.
Poor Just as well I had this 'heaving' tree cut down in Dec 2010. It was really close to the house (just to the left of the photo) and I was always concerned each time I came home after a bit of a breeze that it would be lying down on my home (and then I wouldn't have to do anything about the pantry or kitchen. Hmmm... Lovely old tree is still cut in lumps waiting to be stacked. Should add that to the Next List... We (we is not the real we cos I only paid and pointed etc, didn;t actually do anything lumberjackly) left one piece bench height - I might add a basin on top of it for the bathroom. Cos there isn't a basin in the bathroom yet. I could figure out some way of making a hole for the drain-pipe stuff. And some cute dish for a basin. I bought glass drilling bits at Aldi a few months ago just so I can make a plug-hole in something basin-like. Ignore the 'poor' under the tree photo - it was the start of a sentence and attached itself there and I don't know how to remove it without removing the tree photo. If I can live with it then so can you.

Doesn't my home look lovely!

PS. And I am going to give the blog a New Year freshen up sometime soon, too.

Merry New Year!!!

2012-01-01T19:08:00.002+11:00

Merry New Year everyone - I know that 2012 is going to be a much better year than last year. Has to be...

However, I am already over summer this year. Today is 40*, tomorrow is going to be even hotter. That is enough summer for me.

When it is cold you can always add another layer. Or go to bed. Or both...
But when it is like this there is a legal - and aesthetic - limit to what you can peel off...

Just been flopping on the couch reading and doing not very much else. Lots of water. Not even able to do all the net things that are so much fun in winter as this little notebook gets so HOT. In winter it is just cosy and warm.

I will show you what I have been knitting another day (two circles from Nicky Epstein's "Knitting in Tuscany" of her Tuscan Sun Shawl to make a pot holder, a stray ball of wool in Cross Stitch to make a belt for a skinny neice, and another pair of socks for the boy off to Germany).

Stay cool. Envying you if you have snow...

Friday Funny

2011-12-29T10:39:00.001+11:00

I love French comedy...

...and there are more where this came from, too!

Granma's Christmas Pudding

2011-12-24T21:17:00.001+11:00

Here we are at Christmas Eve in the Land Downunder and I have just stirred up the Christmas pudding. From Granma's recipe - the grandmother who is my great grandmother who died when I was about 8. I have posted the recipe for her wonderfully yummy pudding' each Christmas - you can find it at this link (or by searching "Christmas pudding" in the little window in the top LH corner here: http://banaghaisge.blogspot.com/2009/12/granmas-christmas-pudding.html So may you each and all have a very happy and safe Christmas time with those whom you love best! I'll be back soon!!

Making Christmas cards...

2011-12-24T11:56:00.001+11:00

I made all my cards this year. Mostly the different tree shapes cut from paint chips and glued to cards bought pre-folded from the $2 shop. Great fun. Some of them were multiple tree shapes cut from hand dyed handmade paper and glued to one side of centre-opening cards. They weren't as much fun nor as effective as the paint chip trees. The trees were decorated with sequins, diamonds (Real? As if), buttons, glitter, or hologram stars stuck on with tiny foam sticky things to make them a tad 3D. Here are a few pics...

Feeling More Betterer!!!

2011-12-19T15:31:00.003+11:00

I can't believe it is only two weeks since I had surgery!!
I am not only so much skinnier but am also feeling quite lively. Much more lively!!!

I got back into my size 11 jeans yesterday (that is about size 7 or 8 for Americans), and had to hitch them at times (yippee!!!). For the first time in SIX MONTHS!!!

I know the actual surgery will take a bit of getting over - one and a half hours of anaesthetic is enough for anyone I reckon. And my belly is a bit tender still: there are three little sore patches that are still swollen inside, but only a bit. And getting less each day.

AND - I can take big deep breaths and that already makes a difference, I reckon.

Did I mention there was 3000mll of fluid in that thing? And that is what they managed to catch and measure so possibly it was more cos there wasn't much room to put a bucket in there at the time.

I have been making - and posting - Christmas cards. Will add a photo tomorrow, got to dash to catch the post now.

Nicky Epstein

2011-12-17T09:55:00.000+11:00

I have been reading a wonderful blog based in the book "Knitting On Top Of The World", called - appropriately enough - Knitting On Top Of The World Knitathon.

Lovely knitting, Mary has set out to reproduce every garment in the book. A HUGE feat given that I reckon Nicky Epstein had more than a few test knitteres running up all the patterns in her book...
Have a look at Mary's site - she has created lovely garments.
And last month she had a give-away, a copy of the book signed by Nicky Epstein, the genius knitter-designer herself!!!

AND I WON THE BOOK!!!!!!

Here it is, snuggled on my couch with some of my knitting - the Sock Yarn Blanket, socks, Bare Bear's clothes. the jumper for The Sweetheart, some other doll clothes, and the tiny fine knitted bedspread for the doll's house bed (with tiny dollies in bed, too).

It is chockers with wonderful patterns based on different techniques from 50 or so countries. Everything from those tiny islands north of Scotland that make Skye - and the Mallee - look like Gardens of Eden! to South America, Japan, Middle East - all over. And everything from socks for feet to hats (and jumpers) for heads and all areas in between. Fabulous!!!!
Now to save up for some of the wools - the garments are all knitted with yarns that I should have to mortgage my house to be able to afford!!!

By the way - the koala in the photo was given to my by my Mum's Uncle Shig. Uncle Shig (Cedric) Bayliss was a tanner, saddler and whip maker in Tumut from the 1920s to his death in the 1970s (or maybe 80s - will have to check the Family Tree).
He would go out in summer and shoot kangaroos and feral cats, and then spend winter tanning them and doing his leatherwork. He is in The Stockman's Hall of Fame for his talents.
He made a stockwhip that was 60' long. At the handle end it was as thick as an arm. He used to walk out along the road dragging it behind him to be able to crack it. When he got too old to be able to crack it he took it up the back to the woodheap and chopped it up.

And the teddy - Bare Bear - was also given to me when I was born. He used to have fur but when I was three I dropped him in the copper when Mum was doing the washing and all his fur fell out. And that is why he is Bare Bear...

"Knitting On Top Of the World" is available from all good book shops - in Oz if I am not buying in person from Stoneman's Bookroom in Castlemaine I use The Nile which is another Aussie on-line bookshop. With free postage, too.

Laughin'...

2011-12-16T10:03:00.000+11:00

I disabled predictive text on my mobile as it took far longer to try to find a word than actually just spelling it out...
Probably just as well when these sorts of typos are taken into consideration:

http://damnyouautocorrect.com/13603/the-25-funniest-autocorrects-of-dyacs-first-year/

I found these last week when I was still afraid to breath deeply as my surgery site felt like it was going to rear up and kill me. I laughed till I cried. But in a good way.

Book Sculpture

2011-12-12T09:09:00.001+11:00

"Amazement", was my first reaction. And to be honest - my 2nd, 3rd ... last reaction!! http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2011/12/05/magical-paper-sculptures-from-the-library-phantom-photos/ How wonderful to have a secret artist flitting around the city. Lucky, lucky Edinburgh!!

Lots of Laughin' Out Loud

2011-12-11T11:01:00.001+11:00

You probably will laugh at these two sites.
I just discovered this one - a great parody of Anthropologie (which is an American website full of very exxy MUST-HAVE stuff - just about every home decor related blog in America has some cheap rip-off of Anthropologie items to the extent that I was starting to feel sorry for Anthropologie and their copyright...):

Check out Anthroparodie and "YES, it seems that the items on this site are actual truly ruly Anthropologie 'treasures'"...

This necklace that looks like a string of sausages that have been gutted is one example. Or even a string of guts that have yet to be made into sausages.

AND ONLY $198....

The other site that always give me a lot to laugh at is by a patient person who trawls through Etsy looking for creations that really do belong on Regretsy.

There are some scary bloody ugly things on Etsy that have found their way to Regretsy, too!