Sunday, April 23, 2006

A Warm Sunday





Its a lovely barmy Sunday here, I felt like a nanna nap at 11 o'clock but managed to get most of the washing done and even folded, shocked myself. I think the kids were amazed too!
They have gotten used to finding waht they need in the baskets this week since it was holidays I wasn't really bothered .If I ,DH and OS(oldest son) had work clothes then it was ookay!

Here is the stripey dyed wool that I did last week and managed to nearly finish at smoko time at work,very quick to work and soft too.The colours seem to wind down the leg and as they paled off towards the heel ,became more random.I like them and hope to start the pink and white ones shortly.

This a close up of the colour.(anything to brighten up the page!)
I have checking Ebay to see if I can find some white 5 ply or 4 in corredale (merino seems too dear) but one of my favourite sellers seems to have run out of what I need and theother one I think has doubled her price,maybe I will just but some from Bendigo.At least its washable and fairly priced!
Here are two quick scarves(one finished ) that have been on the go for a while,one is a cheap yarn picked up at WA salvage for $2 and the other is the Patons velvetine that was $3 at Kmart.These are for the Mothers Day Stall at School though I have been told since buying the yarn plus others that they may not hold it this year even though the lady who usually organises it has not said anything!I hate things like that. This money could have bought me the Tiger yarn that I have been lusting after!

Looky at this,I have to do this one!!!!!!!!!, I love the colours but also the textured stitch has me in as well.Fluffa has done a jumper using this stitch ,will at link later, but its very effective!

And just in case anyone wants to know where to find it! Vogues Knit Simple Winter 2005, I think my paper shop recieves this sort of stock late as I have seen this issue at other peoples blogs.I consider myself lucky as they only get Creative knitting(Aussie) ,Yarn and I think one other European title in.Very envious when other people talk about a few different ones I have never seen.Oh well,these offer me plenty to pick from to add to my never ending list of MUST DO'S.


I badgered my second longest sone to mow the lawn on Saturday after appeared not to do much for the entire week!I don't mind doing it but lately I have been everything and it was telling on my nerves and patience as well as health! I have to have a CAT Scan on my neck this week as I appear to have damaged a couple of discs somehow! Headaches,numb hands(mainly left) and being very tired .Doctors have wagged their fingers at me as I have put it off for a while and finally made appointment for tomorrow afternoon.As it would have to happen,the business people are coming to school to install a flasho new scanner and being the head gaaaaardener at moment I have to stay to lock up after they finish so I have a big intuition that I won't make the appointment!Hubby is cranky and my dear concerned boys are also saying bugger school and go in to Kal but I have to make the effort as I want to apply for the Head Gardener Job when the other Gardener resigns etc.

I can soon make another appointment, but at least our Back yard is looking fantastic!

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Friday, April 14, 2006

EASTER Yeeeeh


4 days off ,hmmm now to work at home getting all the boys mess under control!!!!!
But not until I have done a bit of wool dyeing first........

This time I've done the dipped ball method described by someone(can't remember sorry) on their site.I was intrigued, so after soaking the wool in vinegar for....a week...yes a week!!! (I didn't have time as we were busy at work!) I squeezed the excess out and rested them end up into the dye bath, let the dye soak up for a few minutes then zapped in the micowave for 10 minutes, 5 at a time to make sure the wool at the top didn't dry out! I like to make sure so do the extra time cooking.

This is the other colourway that I tried! This time as soon as the first colour(green) was cooked I dipped the balls the other way up into a yellow though not as much as the green as I wanted to keep some white showing.It was hot too......

These dye efforts will be streaky patterns and can't wait for them to dry so I can ball them up and start.

The wool is Cleckheaton country 8ply, its lovely and soft(especially after bathing in the vinegar so long) and resonably cheap from my LWS. I couldn't wait for Bendigo to send an order but will be ordering next time as I have so many things going at the moment that to dye more now would be asking for trouble! Besides the wool is cheaper at Bendigo and machine washable!

And here we have the latest efforts, I think they are going to be pretty!

I really need a niddy noddy, today, not next week, so after taking kids to movies to see Ice Age 2(and DH) I am going to hunt through his wood pile and make one up!(And Bunnings are open today in Kal,so convenient for a movie day,he he he he he)

This week has been really full, I took a quick trip after work(kids are out early on Tuesdays) to Bunnings and florist as the so called flowers that the florist sent out for the Anzac Ceremony at school were all green filler! I had ordered natives with a bit of fill but all green? Also these green bits looked like they would wreck the foam as the school council kids put them in!

So off to Bunnings for chicken wire to wrap foam Anzac Letter shapes and the other florist in Burt St Boulder,( Kalgoorlie and Boulder were two cites and have grown over the years to join up as one KalgoorlieBoulder, though Boulder is almost a suburb) .... BIG Breath, where was I.... Oh,I needed some sort of floral colour in case the school gardens couldn't bear enough, hence trip to see them ( Red on Red florist, lovely lady)

I was up till 11 o'clock that night doing the chicken wire bit as they were needed next morning at 8, and then I had to prepare something for the morning tea for the special guests, only because I offered and ddidn't expect to be chasing chicken wire! It was late by the time I got to the last couple of bits of foam that I grabbed the kitchen scissors as they were quicker than the pliers.

Worth it though, the gardens beared heaps of native Grevilleas and wattle and yellow gum flowers that everyone including myself were stoked at the result .All my efforts were appreciated and the buttermilk scones were great with compliments abound( my flags are really flying here!_ Oh and the school camera died so in I trooped with my new beauty and saved the day......

Looky at this, the lawns are trim and green and it was a beautiful day..........

I'm off to get ready for the movies, have a Great Easter and don't eat Toooo many choccies......

Ps I have joined the One skein group too, that will be fun!!!!! I chose this button as it is lovely,hand spun, looks unique and simply 'cause I love the colours!

Monday, April 10, 2006

I have had a very busy weekend and haven't done much in the way of anything.No housework,though the washing went through, its still in the baskets so everyone is rifling through them looking for what they need each morning!
Hopefully I will be on top of things this week.DH is on night shift again so there goes my chance for forty winks before getting Dinner ready(I work from 5 to 1.30 pm at School!) and he heads off at 5.15pm so his dinner has to be ready for him to take at 5pm.
He works under ground as a bogger driver but has aspirations to get into Airlegging which is hard work but he theorizes that a couple of years and we can get our heavy debt load under control and start working towards something of a retirement plan. Five kids keep us broke, LOL!
Back to the weekend:
We went to a party on Friday( DH and I) a big family has its advantages as no 1 son had to work on the Saturday Morning so was willing to babysit his brothers,
We went to Kal Saturday, to pay bills and laybuys (at least I got to LWS)
Sunday I had to drive to Kal again for no5 son to attend a birthday party,
Very tired so didn't do anything else!
Though I did manage to soak 8 balls of wool ready for dyeing sometime this week!
Anyway I had to try my new camera out,check out the definition!

Isn't this lovely! Its a Penestemon,Hope I spelt it right! I think this would be my most favourite colour in the plant world!(among many others)And the Clivias are a real surprise as I wasn't sure what they were until they flowered and it was worth the wait! There are a few things that have come to life since I started as gardener ,maybe its my green thumb!On the knitting front,I have started another Kogo Beanie in navy and pink(as you must have guessed, if you read previous entries)
And that Freedom cotton jumper that has turned into a zippered cardie( a sexy one if you go by the picture,hope I don't ruin the image when I finish it LOL...)
Will post piccies of finished things soon(the worst habit I have is leaving socks on two needles as I never have the will or desire to kitchener graft the toes until I am desperate for needles.......