Knitted Socks

Creative bug has bitten. Finally.

I've been up to good in the sewing room, tidying and clearing out. I can see carpet and no longer have to walk by squirreling my foot into the mess, hoping I hit floor without breaking anything. Yep I'm that tidy, and have taught the kids well - if I ask them to put anything into my sewing room they know that the floor just inside the door is the perfect place for whatever it is, no matter how big it is. What I've found in there, lots of surprises - clothing in garbage bags, apparently I asked my son to tidy the loungeroom and there was clean laundry in there, I had wondered why I had lost much of my clothing. Right now I can't get in there, my daughter has taken over and is watching a DVD, this is what I can hear from there right now. This is my favourite version of HMS Pinafore, by the Australian company ESSGEE, so sad I missed out on seeing it on stage - had a new baby that I wouldn't leave with a sitter. That was 16 years ago, I had seen their version of Pirates of Penzance several times, the last the most memorable because as I made my way to my seat I put my hand to my stomach and thought 'I'm pregnant' and then had to wait 2 weeks for me to be pregnant enough to show up when tested. The first test I took a day or so after had the doctor telling me I was "slightly pregnant". What a nice memory to have.








Anyway back to the subject of this post, I finally finished a pair of socks. I'm both delighted and disappointed, they knitted up quick and easily, the longest part was finishing up the toes, they were waiting til I either bought or found a sewing needle. I am happy to say that I found one last night, yay for tidying. The delight part is that they are warm but the disappointment is that they are too loose and keep slipping around my foot and sagging. They are knitted in a thickish acrylic yarn, Moda Vera 'Ella' from Spotlight, it's lovely and soft, I'd say about a 12 ply equivalent. I've already started another pair in the same yarn, sticking to 5mm needles this time, the others were done in both 5 and 5.5 mm. The patterns are from Learn to Knit Socks, a book that I will use again and again for sure, there are 26 different designs from babies to adults in varying size yarn.




The pictures below show my version in pink, the last image shows the sag, next time I keep to the smaller needles or add knitting elastic.

Like I said these were quick and easy to knit up, I am not a fantastically quick knitter, I knit in front of the tv which adds time. I've only completed one pair of socks before, for my Dad's birthday a couple of years back, I gave myself only a week to knit those up out of a wool silk blend yarn that I spun myself. The image below is my only other complete sock, it's from a purchased sock yarn (from Lincraft) and was easy to knit up, the fine thread took a while, it has the opposite problem from my latest foray, it's too tight, I made the foot too short and is the reason why I didn't get around to do the other. One day.

Yesterday I found a better patten for the coat I am planning on making at Spotlight (I only went there for interfacing, I swear) it's New Look 6920, the longer version.

It looks more like my vision, needs some gathering though. I also found some purple velvet, not quite the tone that I hoped, will keep looking for that. I know the fabric exists because we sell cushion covers in it at work. Will get the fabric next weekend, have a coupon for 25% off.

Redingote

WOW I am on a roll today, 3 posts, I am inspired.

The other day a friend posted on Facebook that she was after a green velvet jacket and it got me thinking that I would love a velvet jacket or coat too. Had a definite picture in my head along with the colour either purple or burgundy. I didn't know what the style of coat was called until I came across the word Redingcote on a link, I clicked it to see what it meant and found out what I was after was just that, also known as a Riding Coat.

The next thing was to get a pattern, that was either exact or adaptable. Didn't find much in the mainstream pattern companies so I put it to the back of my mind for a while. My daughter had been sitting at my desk and had left a pile of patterns, I glanced at each as I added to another pile - the last one was a classic coat pattern that looks perfect to adapt. It's a discontinued patten.

The lower part needs a lot more flare, my image has extra fabric in the back, possibly with gathering at the waist of the centre back panel.

A quick search for Redingote images just brought up a beautiful coat with flares in each of the panels, just lovely. I found the picture at Indie Fame- the plus side of DIY.

I love this coat even though it's not what I have pictured, there's no reason not to make 2 coats.

ANZAC Biscuits.

Just after my last post I was hungry so went in search of something to eat. Trying to live out of the pantry and freezer at the moment so pulled out a tin of soup. We had Tex Mex soup and toasted bread rolls, was expecting the soup to have a bit of bite but it wasn't in the least spicy. Sharing the tin between 3 of us still left a hole, decided to make some biscuits. Had the ingredients for Anzac Biscuits, substituting quick oats for rolled. Made one tray of plain, added some choc chips to the second tray and rolling some of the dough into balls and freezing them.

These biscuits are very easy to make, they are a traditional Australian biscuit dating from wartime when eggs were hard to come by. The name ANZAC comes from the Australian New Zealand Army Corps and were baked to send to Loved Ones fighting on the fronts. They remain a favourite, baked soft and chewy, hard and crunchy or not baked at all, the dough is safe to eat because it contains no eggs.

ANZAC Biscuits (never ever Cookies)

2 cups Rolled Oats
2 cups plain Flour
2 cups desicated coconut
1 1/2 cups sugar
250g butter
4 tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
2 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat oven to 160 Celicus. Prepare trays with baking paper or lightly grease.

Mix oats, flour, coconut and sugar in large mixing bowl.

Melt butter and golden syrup in a saucepan. Take off heat.

Mix bicarb and boiling water in a cup and add to melted butter in the pan. Pour butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Roll tablespoonful lots in to balls, about walnut sized, put onto trays 5 cm apart. Can be pressed lightly with fork.

Bake for 20 minutes.


In the past I have used muesli in place of some or all of the oats, today was the first time I have added choc chips, they are delicious. My husband just walked in and said "these are different, I've never had ANZACs with flies in them before - is that the traditional way?" I'm guessing that from now on that's what they will be called. I did wonder what they would be like with chopped apple in them or even ginger hmmmm the possibilities.

So much for the clearing out of the freezer, he came home with a craving for burgers so bought mince and rolls. The meat I have out defrosting will be for pies tomorrow and the roast I had in the fridge for tomorrow has gone back in the freezer.

Old sketchbook

Procrastination again raises it's head, sat down at my desk hoping to get some tidying done so I might be able to sew today or tomorrow, first thing I see is an old sketch book I had pulled out to try to sketch some angel images in. First thing that caught my eye was that one of the quick drawings I had done, an effort to put a stylised angel image in a medalion looked very much like a vagina. Oopps, won't show that image here. I keep telling myself I can't draw and was on the verge of throwing out the sketchbook, but decided on taking one last look through, just as I always do and always the book gets put back because I find some not half bad drawings. I thought this time Id take some piccies and share my doodlings.

Several years back I went to a painting class - didn't stay long enough to graduate to painting, but these a few sketches I did back then.

Starting with scene from a window, I copied this from a book on drawing. Not great but you can see what it's supposed to be.

Then there is a lighthouse and bay, possibly came from the same book.

That's a ship on the horizon.

This is a pen drawing I did after reading my first Doreen Virtue book, I was trying to draw an Angel to turn into a bookplate for the book, don't know why I didn't choose this image, it's so much better than the one I did go with. This face is very familar to me, I've drawn her several times over many years - can distinctly remember drawing her in Art at school. I believe she is one of my guardian angels. Recently I meditated and got the name Celeste, as I looked at this drawing today the same name popped into my head. Again not the best drawing, her head is a bit flat, but here is Celeste.

Perhaps I might take up drawing again, when I get this room done that is.

Shopping.

Today is my sister's birthday, Happy Birthday Michelle, I bought myself some Granny Boots to celebrate. YAY buy yourself something for someone else's birthday, hmmm Dad's is in week what else do I need? My siblings and I usually don't buy each other gifts, though I did buy her a necklace last year when we went to the Medieval Fayre on her birthday.


Went out shopping with the intention of buying a velvet coat and a pair of brown Granny Boots to hopefully go with the tiered skirt, my black ones didn't look quite right with it. I did see one velvet coat at Tree of Life but it wasn't what I have pictured nor was the right colour. I loved the boots when I saw them, but put them back to search for more in DFO before having a cuppa and debating with myself over the purchase. I won on the shoes but lost on a purple cardigan. After many years of buying mainly ulitarian shoes, never anything fancy or simply whimsical, it was the same for my clothes, I really think that I am finally coming out of my shell and finding my own style. At my age it's about time. The change really started a few years back with socks, love my Witchie Poo socks. I started wearing the socks to work when forced to wear a uniform, these days I'm supposed to wear all black. The socks are an expression of individuality.


Also went to Ikea, with the intention of looking at lounge suites, the purchase of a lampshade and very little impulse buying. The lounges weren't quite right, not big on Ikea furniture, nor were the lampshades. The impulse buying on the other hand could have gotten out of control but I did reign myself in and purchased things we needed - new loo brushes, coathangers and some mini shelves to go into the pantry.

With help from this...



This went from this.....



to this....


I have a third one to put in, thinking of going back for more.

The Medieval Fayre was good, we took my Mother-in -law, it was her birthday today. I was a bit concious of how much time I spent at demonstrations so as not have her standing around too long, she's not been well and has a bad back. We did have a nice cup of tea, made from my new pump Thermos, choc chip cookies and jam donuts. Watched a little jousting from a distance, as well as some sword play, listened to music and a pipe band. MIL was happy to listen to and watch the pipe band, she is Scottish and of the Douglas Clan, the band were dressed in Douglas Tartan.




After that it was back to the In laws place for a couple of hours then my daughter and I went to Kmart on the way home. I bought a cardigan I already have, it's such a comfortable one but I don't need 2 the same colour so I am going to try dying it. Also decided to dye something else, my hair. Tossed up as to which colour to use, settled on a dark blonde. I put it to use when I got home, it's not that much different from my natural colour, but it covered the grey nicely.

It's not your creation until you add some DNA

Tomorrow we are going to a Medieval Fayre at the reserve just down the road, there will be armoured knights jousting, demonstrations and stalls to shop at. I'm tossing up as to which is my favourite the demonstrations or the shopping.

Figured I needed something better than jeans to wear but what? Thought about my Olive tiered skirt but it's in need of repairs then I remembered a dress that I bought with the idea to cut it up to make a skirt. It cost $10 but was a size 8, way too small but I liked the colour and there was a lot of fabric in the skirt.

After deciding how long I wanted it to be, long enough to hide the legs but short enough to show off my Granny boots, I cut it just above on of the tiers. Left enough fabric to form a casing for elastic. Couldn't be bothered getting the machine out so hand stitched it in front of the tv, which is where the DNA comes in, caught the thread in a cut on my finger (did it cutting onions yesterday). I only bled on the elastic so it's hidden. Used a simple running stitch and before long I had a nice new skirt which goes ok with a t shirt I already had, though the cardigan I hoped it would go with doesn't. Looks like I need to head into the shops early tomorrow to see if I can find something to go over the tshirt.


While I was sewing my daughter picked up the top part and mentioned it would make her a nice top, which had been my plan in the beginning but her words to me at the time were that she didn't like the back of it. There's a crochet medallion she didn't like, I'm sure we can work something out.
The seams on the tiers are all raw and on the outside, there's no hem on the skirt, I have also left the raw edge on the top, so this was a very easy transformation (could have also been easily done bloodfree) and I think it an absolute bargain.

This morning dawned with a thick fog, the first for this season - that I've noticed anyway. It was still really foggy when I left for work after 9am. I love fog but not driving in it, it never ceases to amaze me that so many don't turn their lights on while driving in fog or rain. I know it doesn't help to see but it makes cars more visible to others.

It's been cold lately, one of my daughter's teachers told her that it snowed in Penrith, only 20 minutes from here. Snow on this side of the mountains is a rarity, it has happened but not for years, usually makes the news but I've not seen anything. I kept thinking all the way through summer that we did were going to have a cold winter this year, perhaps I will be right.

We bought a new gas heater, the old one turned itself off within minutes of being turned on, not safe at all. It lasted a few years, not bad for a freebie which came from a Aged Care facility that was torn down. This one is not as big and I think that we may need extra heat for the front of the house, am still waiting for the AC unit to be installed. It was bought during heat wave conditions but husband hasn't gotten around to getting it installed. He did bring home the AC guy from his work, he diagnosed loss of gas from our non working unit and they were supposed to get some gas to fill it but it never aventuated. Nothing unusual with my husband, he does nothing in a hurry, unless it's for someone else.

That was a little bit negative wasn't it? I've noticed that lately negativity creeps it's ugly head in, I had major trouble with it a few years back, I had to perform a House Cleansing spell to get it out. It had mainly settled itself in my bedroom, what better place where it could attack when I was most vulnerable. I let it go on for way too long and even this time was slow to notice it. By my side of the bed I had developed a major hotspot, my bedside table cluttered and dusty. Decided to do something about it, started with our bed, which I strippped then polished the bedhead with lovely lavender polish, the bedside table was next. I cleaned out the top drawer and put back all the things I love and cleared the floor by my side of the bed. I lit a candle in my salt lamp and we remade the bed with fresh sheets. When I went to bed later the room felt and smelt wonderful.

My husband and son just got home from soccer with the most horrible news, one of the players had a massive heart attack while watching a game. He was rushed to hospital, the Ambo coming back later to say that they kept losing him on the way to hospital, I pray he will be alright.

Breaking Habits

Have been almost unproductive for the last few days, almost because I did produce a raging Cold and most of a pair of socks. I've been telling myself that I needed some time off work and the Universe provided - really have to watch out what I ask for.

I did do some thinking, yes it did hurt not sure whether it was the cold or the thinking.

Anyway I thought about a need to change habits and have decided to start with dinner. Firstly starting on the eating better habit, Dr pointed out that we need 5 good serves of vegies per day. Then thought about our eating habits - not what we eat but how and where we eat. Most usually on our laps in front of the tv, which then is too important to leave to clean up. I then spend time I should be spending sleeping cleaning up or just leaving it. Today we started a new habit, the kids and I, I cooked dinner and then we sat at the table to eat. Afterwards the kitchen was cleaned, even caught up with some of the neglected jobs such as cleaning the oven. It feels nice to know that the only things I have to clear up before bed are a teacup and the cutting board I had some apple pieces on.

It's a start and I hope I will be strong enough to keep it up.