Photos finally

Ok, here I am again - with photos. So, the first photo is of wool and silk I spun at and after Warwick camp. At camp I also spun up some lovely green wool, but buggered if I can find it now....

The second photo is of some wonderful multi-coloured wool I spun just before Warwick camp and a not quite finished scarf I knitted up out of it. Rory has his eye on this one.



The third photo is of my acheivement this week. I have taught myself (no pattern, nothing) to knit beaded bracelets using perle 8 cotton and 4mm seed beads. Aren't they pretty? I am planning to make a few of them and sell them at open day and to my friends for $10 each. Maybe $12. What do you think they would be worth?

I have already got an order from a 12 year old girl at the school for a pink one - but I have to make it a little smaller than the one pictured as of course she has little wrists. Her mother has agreed to the $10 price tag. Whoo hoo.

Not much else has been happening around here lately. Term 1 just finished yesterday and Rory & Lachlan are now on holidays. This term has really been fantastic for Rory. He is really happy most of the time and is even starting to say that he likes school. The cognative behaviour therapy and having such a wonderfull teacher and motivating rewards in place is really working. His anxiety levels have decreased dramatically. YEAY!!!!

Lachlan is now roughly half way through his diploma and is still enjoying it. He also got a job in the last few weeks as a cleaner at the local shopping centre. this has been really good for him. Combined with quitting smoking (FINALLY) he is actually losing weight and is doing great.

I was really sick last week. I obviously picked up another virus and they just knock me around like you wouldn't believe. I thought I was going to have to go to hospital it got that bad a couple of times. But I just worked through it, and rested a lot and thankfully this week I have been much better.

Well, not much else to say really - except:

HAPPY EASTER!!!! (being good friday today)

I'm here!!! - FINALLY

Well, it certainly has been ages since I last wrote. My excuse is that I still hadnt't done much in the way of craft stuff and as this is mainly supposed to be a craft blog, there wasn't that much to write.

For those of you who are following the Rory saga, the only thing to report is that it seems no longer to be a saga. Rory is settling down well and the Cognative Behaviour Therapy seems to be working and school is good.

So - onto craft stuff! I have finally done a fair amount. I would have photos, but we seem to have misplaced the digital camera, so hopefully I will be able to put them up in the next few days.

This past weekend was the Warwick Spinners & Weavers Group camp, held at Leslie Dam outside the town of Warwick in QLD. I went, and unlike last time, i had a very safe and happy time and did not come back with any cracked bones. (for those of you who might not remember; at this camp last year I fell over and cracked 2 ribs - ouch!) What a fantastic weekend I had. All I did was spin, eat, chat and sleep. for about two and a half days. Now that's a good weekend. The other thing was I was out of range on my mobile most of the time, so the only time my family could talk to me was when I called them once a day. Yeay, I escaped!!!

While we were at Warwick camp (there were quite a few of us from the brisbane group and I got a lift with Paula - thanks Paula!) I did heaps of spinning. I spun about 100gms of green wool, 50gms of pink silk, 100gms of pinky purple wool and about 40 grams of Pink & slightly green wool. more spinning in one weekend than in the last about 5 months!

The thing I love about these camps is how they really inspire me and keep me motivated to get more done. I have really been a little unmotivated in the last few months - and being summer in Brisbane doesn't help either! So hopefully, I will get more done and be able to show you all my lovely creations.

Anyway, I promised Rory that I would take him to Hungry Jacks for dinner and he is starting to get restless. As I said, I will try to upload some photos in the next few days.

See ya!

Let's all do a happy dance!

I haven't written for ages again, and once again I haven't done much in the way of craft stuff..... but I am writing today because I am very happy.

Those of you that have been following the Rory saga will be pleased to know that at this stage things are looking up for this year. School starts again on Monday, so today we went up to the school to look at the class lists (Who the teacher is, which children are in the class and where the classroom is). We are very pleased with the result. Rory has the same teacher he had in Grade 1 - who is an absolute brilliant teacher and someone who really understands children with issues like rory's (her own adult child has severe ASD).

Also, a couple of the children who were really bullying and upsetting Rory last year have been moved into the other class - a composite class with older boys who will hopefully pull these children into line fairly quickly. This means that Rory no longer has these particular distractions while in the classroom. YEAY!!!

We also learnt (and here is the biggie) that during the holidays, the WHOLE school (well, all the classrooms) have been airconditioned!!!! so Rory can no longer use the excuse that he is hot and "prickly" to get out of doing work. I saw the principle, and since not many people were around, I said a big thank you to him and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. That man is a fantastic principle. He really looked at what did and didn't work last year and has really worked to sort it out. I think that he has done the best job he could and I am really pleased that he did.

We have all had a wonderfull holiday. Last week we went to Hervey Bay for 6 nights and had a brilliant time. We went snorkelling, fishing, yabbie pumping & swimming, We saw dolphins, turtles, an osprey, coral and fish. We dug pippis for lunch while on a glass bottom boat tour. We went to the Hervey Bay historical museum. We went to Maryborough and went for a ride on a train while there. Really great holiday!

This week Lachlan & I got 2 days to ourselves. Mum & Dad offered to have Rory at their place for a couple of days and one night before he went back to school. Not necessarily to give us a break (although that was a bonus) but because they wanted to spend a decent bit of time with him.

Dad picked Rory up at about 7:30am Tuesday morning. Buy 11:00am, after discussion about what to do with ourselves for two days, decided to go for a long drive - just to see the countryside - staying overnight somewhere. By 11:30am we were on our way. We ended up going down to Casino ( a town in Northern NSW) via Beaudesert, Rathdowney, around Mt Lindsay and Kyogle. Really pretty though at times precarious drive. We had a major stop in kyogle to take photos of a house that a relative of Lachlan's used to live in and check out a town that Lachlan's Parents often talked about. . Then we went on to Casino where we stayed the night and had a massive meal each at the local pub. You 'ought to have seen the size of Lachlans' rump steak!

In the morning we travelled to Lismore (where Lachlans' parents' lived for a couple of years after they were married) and found there a fantasic tourist information centre and childrens playground that Rory would absolutely love. We decided that we will go there for a holiday sometime. We then travelled onto Nimbin (the "pot" capital of australia - but no, we do not do that ourselves) A very pretty little town with very interesting people, but not somewhere we would like to stay. The Nimbin candle factory was great to have a look at though. The people there were very friendly and showed us how they made the candles, including ironing the pyramid ones to smooth them! We then went to Murwillimbah(?) for lunch and then another hour or so drive and we were home. It was a really great trip, gorgeous area and it was good to do it by ourselves. Rory would have been bored silly and we were able to have really good discussions that we would not have been able to have while Rory is around. I'm glad we took the opportunity.

Anyway, I am hearing thunder, so I had better finish up. Will write again when i have something else to write about! Till then, Love peace and Joy as always.

Happy New Year.

Good God, it's over a month since I last posted, and tonight is New Years Eve already! Can somebody please tell me where this year has gone?!?
I haven't posted anything for so long, because I really haven't been doing all that much crafty stuff lately. The last couple of weeks at Rory's school were busy and during the second last or last week (can't really remember) we went away to Mooloolaba for a few days. Stayed at the Outrigger Resort - ooh la la. It was fantastic. By far the best resort I have been to (not that I have been to that many.) Thanks Mother In Law for getting me the cheap (well, more less expensive than cheap) deal!

Then the school holidays started and as Lachlan has been up at Woodford volunteering at the festival site most of this month, I have had Rory on my hands pretty much all the time. I have also finally really started to sort out the disaster that is my house. And I mean serious cleaning going on - cleaning the pantry & Fridge and sorting out almost all the cupboards & drawers in the kitchen, scrubbing the bathroom tiles like never before, and generally getting the main living areas in a decent condition (trust me, they certainly weren't before!). Joey came into the house recently and said "who are you and what have you done to Jenny?" It really is a change and I seem to have become this cleaning nut .... probably because I seem to be feeling a lot healthier at the moment and the summer hasn't been anywhere near as hot as usual. It remains to be seen if I can keep it going once Lachlan is back (and not picking up after himself) and school starts again - but I have made my new years resolution that 2007 is going to be the year of the tidy house. Wish me luck!

So.... craft stuff.... well, as I said, I haven't done much, however in the last week I have started to crochet some motifs that I plan to eventually join together and then attach to a white t-shirt in an over-shirt kind of way. I got the idea from the latest Yarn Magazine, but am using different motifs and colours to that used in the article. I am going to use different shades of pink and purple. Here is a few of the 7 or so that I have done already:



So there you have it. that's it on the craft front. I'll post a piccy of the finished product when I finish it - but god knows how long away that is going to be.

Have a very happy new years eve (get drunk for me - I'm being the boring old lady who goes to bed instead) and I hope your 2007 is full of love, laughter, dreams coming true and fantastic new adventures. May the angels walk with you wherever you go.
Love, peace and Joy
Jenny

My how time does fly...

Goodness. I think it is almost 2 weeks since I last wrote. Last week was pretty awful.... Rory got himself suspended again and this time had to be kept home for 3 days. I was exhausted by the end of it! But, he seems to have pretty much learned his lesson, and he is now seeing a child psychologist once per week and so hopefully we will make it to the end of the year without any more serious incidents - 4 weeks and 4 days to go.... I can't wait for the holidays!

Ok, on to happer stuff! the scarf shown is another done on my new loom. I spent an evening watching Flashdance and Footloose while making this. The warp is a Biggen designs 8ply yarn and the weft is a funky yarn that my fantastic mother-in-law (gosh I love all my parents!) bought for me when she was down in Tassie recently. I still have 2 balls of this left, so I next plan to do one with the warp the funky yarn too.

Yesterday, Paula, Karen, Gillian, Joey and I had a dyeing morning, and Joey and I decided to use Jelly crystals dissolved in hot water as our dyes. The colours from the jelly are quite pretty - but it has put me off eating the stuff!! The end products of my work is shown in the 2nd photo. The wool I used was some lovely fine merino that my brother had got for me from New Zealand. The morning was great and I would have loved to have carried on but other things beckoned....

Yesterday afternoon, I went to my old high school for the farewell service for two of the staff members who were there when I was. They are both finally retiring and as I really appreciated most of my teachers and the staff at the school, I thought it would be great to go along. It was. The service was held in the new chapel and it was really lovely. These days I'm not so into church type stuff and the thought of being in a chapel on a hot day like yesterday would usually be very off putting. However, this chapel is so well designed that most of 3 sides of it open up and as it sits on a hill amongst the trees, a fantastic breeze flows through and it was really rejuvinating. The service also was very good and not too "preachy" or "churchy" at all, buty really showed the love and care that is so prominent within the school. I was very impressed. It was also good, because my dad was one of the people who gave a short farewell speech, so that was good to go and support him. I am really hoping that Rory will be accepted into the school later on, as I think it will really suit him.

Well, I guess I had better go and get started on dinner. The life of a mother is never boring!

New Toy

On Wednesday night I got my new toy.... An Ashford Knitting Loom!!! Yeay!! And well.... not much housework has been done the last 3 days! So, here are the photos of the stuff I've done:

The three Scarves in closer detail....




Rory and the three scarves (he wanted to be in the photo!)

Photos...

Back of baby aran jumper, still under construction...


Finished pink / burgundy bag!

Finished pink/burgundy bag.

Hey all.
Well, another week has gone by... Wasn't sick this week.. Yeay!

However, it wasn't that great again either. Rory (our son) managed to get himself 2 days of internal suspension (where are technically suspended, but still have to go to school - does work in the office all day) He had a major "meltdown" (school term for Hissy Fit / temper tanty) while at the school swimming lessons and assaulted 3 teachers. He's only in grade 2! I'm not sure what we are going to do with him - most of the time he is a very loving, compassionate and compliant boy, but every now and then, BOOM! something sets him off and he goes ballistic. We are taking him to the peadiatrician on Tuesday avo, and boy, do I hope we can get some decent help. I don't really want to medicate him, but he certainly needs help.

Anyway.... enough with the crappy stuff.... The good news is that I finished the pink/burgandy bag! Again, it has turned out way bigger than I expected. I really should start knitting these things a bit smaller I think. I was going to include a photo, but my digital camera need the batteries recharged before I download the photos, so I will add them tomorrow. I will also try to take a photo of the baby jumper I am working on - but I don't know how well I will be able to photograph the cable detail. We'll see.....

not much else to natter on about tonight. Don't want to be one of those really negative blogs, where the only time the author can write is when they've got a gripe. I like mine to be happy and positive most of the time with only the occasional bitch.... so as I am unfortunatly not in the chirpiest of moods, I'll say see ya.

Crap week, but done some knitting.

It's been a week since I last wrote. That is because I have been really sick (again!) with a upper chest and throat and nose thing - absolutely horrible. I guess while my immune system is down, other bugs go "Yeay, lets get her!". I'm slowly getting better though. I need to be well by Tuesday, as I am hoping to see my friend Naomi, and then on Wednesday I am supposed to be working at the Craft Show at the Convention Centre. Once again, please all send me white healing light!

Anyway... I have been doing a bit of knitting. I am still working on my pink/burgundy bag and I have done a little more on the cute Aran baby jumper. The bag has now got a different motif on it to the one I was going to do. Only because I still couldn't find the pattern (have found it since - typical) and I just felt like being creative and making up my own as I went along. Seems to be working out and at this stage is looking quite good. Don't know how well the new pattern will go during the felting process, but couldn't be bothered doing a swatch, so here's crossing fingers!! Will download some photos of both when I have done a little more.

Market Day

Today I skipped spinners (naughty me) and went to the Northey Street City Farm Markets with Joey and Yolanda. Unfortunatley we got there a little late for the markets and most good stuff had been sold and most of the stall holders were packing up. We did, however, go into the City Farm nursery and I bought some plants: Eggplant, Calendula, Dandelion and a grape vine. Hopefully they will do alright, I just need to remember to water them - a bit of a bugger when we are on water restrictions. I planted the Calendula, Dandelion and Grape vine this afternoon. The Eggplants are still seedlings and will need to be put into a pot before put in the ground.

My Dad has been encouraging me to go to the city farm for ages, so Dad, I finally went! And yes it is really good and I plan to go back. For those of you who live in the brisbane area and have never heard of this very cool place, check out their website:

www.northeystreetcityfarm.org.au/

(I tried doing it as a link like in previous posts, but it doesn't want to work - don't know why)

Not much has been happening on the craft front. I did go to some cool craft places in SA (All Seasons Comfort and The Alpaca shop, - both at Hahndorf - are the best!) and although I bought a lot of stuff, I didn't actually do much while I was on holiday. Too busy seeing the sights! I was planning to finish my pink/burgundy bag, but silly me forgot to take my motif pattern down, so I didn't touch the bag. I did start (and frog, and start and frog and finally started again) on a very cute jumper that I found a pattern for, for a child. It's a great Aran kind of knit and to be honest I just couldn't go past the baby on the front cover!! One of those absolutley gorgeous kids that look great in anything and makes you very clucky. The jumper is great too, and if it even looks half as good on my nephew Angus as it does on the kid on the front, I'll be happy.

Back in Brizzy

Well, we're home again. We flew in at about 10:45 last night, so I'm pretty beat today.
We had a fantastic holiday, and I promise I will download some photos once I have them put onto a cd. (we didn't take the digital camera - so have to get film processed.) Some of the things we did on our holiday to South Aust:
# Adelaide Zoo
# The Museum
# The Buffallo Ship Restaraunt (the original HMS Buffallo that brought Capt Hindmarsh & Settlers to SA - now converted into a restauraunt and museum.)
# The Barossa Valley - Penfolds, Yulumba, Grant Burge Wineries
# Angus Park Dried fruit factory
# Puzzle Park
# The Big Rocking Horse
# Hahndorf
# The Trams
# Central Markets
# Walk all round town (Rundell Mall, etc)
# Glenelg (great lolly shops!!)
# Port Adelaide (the markets, the maritime museum, a dolphin cruise)
And more!

Great Trip - THANKS BARNEY!!! YOU ARE WONDERFULL!!!!!!!!!

Good Morning Adelaide!!!

Well, here we are in Adelaide. We arrived here on Tuesday morning nice and safe. It was a good plane ride, with no incident. Rory was great the whole time. Here are some things I have noticed about South Australia so far:

1. It is so dry down here. Apparently SA is the driest state, yet they don't have the water restrictions that we do.

2. The architecture is SOO different to Brisbane and QLD. I understand it is because of the different climate, although so far we have had very similar weather to Brisbane in late Winter. I don't think I could live in a house without a verandah!! The houses are so quaint though. so cute.

3. The transport system is so relaxed! We went on a tram yesterday and when the ticket guy finally decided to come through the tram, he didn't actually CHECK the tickets. He asked if anyone needed tickets and when people said "no" he didn't ask to see the one's they had. Then, when he got to us, we asked for the tickets and he charged us a cheaper price than what the last guy did, even though we were going the same distance. It was like he couldn'tt be bothered working out the correct fare. And no-one else checks your ticket any where else on the journey. Nothing like Brisbane!

Last night Barney took us to a ship that has been converted into a restaraunt. It is the HMS Buffalo, which is the ship that brought free settlers to Aust, with Captain Hindmarsh, who became Governer. So not only was it a restaraunt, but it is also a museum. It was facinating! they really have done it up well. Adelaide is just so full of great history. Most of the buildings in town are the original buildings built when the city was settled.

We are going to the markets this morning and maybe the zoo. Then over the next few days Barney is taking us around some of the wine districts and to port adelaide etc.

Anyway, better finish up there. Using Barneys computer.
Love peace & Joy!

Nearly time!!......

At this moment it is 13 hours and 15 minutes until we are scheduled to fly out of Brisbane! And counting.....
You can tell I am excited can't you? I will try and update while I am on my trip, however I don't know whether Barney has a computer at his place or if I will be able to get to an internet cafe. If not, I'll put a few photos up and tell you all about it when I get back. I'm sure the best bits will be the yarn stores and the winery's! The zoo should be pretty good too, if we get there. Lachlan and I have already got onto the internet and worked out where certain yarn stores are in relation to Barney's place! You know it'll be one of the first things I'll want to do!!! Whether Lachlan and Rory let me though is another matter....
Anyway, mostly packed, but still have a few things to do, so mustn't sit nattering on..

I'M GOING ON A PLANE TOMORROW!!!! I'M GOING TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA!!! YEAY!!!!

Flu blues....

This morning I have woken up with a bad cold, which I think is going to turn into the full blown flu. I am trying to avoid this by drinking lemon, honey and ginger teas, as well as taking Echinacea, Garlic, Horsradish and vitamin C tablets. I do not want this cold when I go on the plane or while I am on holidays!! I've got 4 more days to get rid of it. Please all send white healing light to me!!

I bought a little more 14 micron wool last night at spinners. I figured that since I already have 440grams spun up, I may as well get it up to 500grams. That way I can certainly make a light cardy without having to worry that I might run out.

Right, back to bed with me for a little while, and then onto the doctors......

14 Micron is all spun!

Here are the finished skeins of the 14 micron wool I have been spinning. In total there is just under 440 grams. Don't ask me how many meters! I am hoping to do a nice shawl or light cardigan or vest with it.
So here is the questions I am asking you all: Should I dye it? Should I leave it plain? Should I do a shawl, or cardigan, or vest? Do you have a pattern that would really suit it?
If I choose your pattern or use your ideas, I will give you a little gift! I won't be starting to knit it for at least a couple of weeks (not 'til after we get back from Adelaide), so you have time to put your thinking caps on.

Today we finally told Rory (our son) that we are going on a plane ride for our holidays. Lach and I have known for a month, but decided we wouldn't tell him until closer to the leaving date as otherwise, we would have a constant nagging asking how many days till we leave. This way, we only have a few days of nagging but he also has a bit of time to get used to the idea and tell all his friends before he finishes school for the term. The specialist staff at the school who look after Rory have said they would do a social story with him tomorrow to explain what a plane ride entails and how he needs to behave on an airplane and what to expect. At this time he is very excited.

Have got Spinners on tonight. Joey has reminded me to bring in my sock wool and a very cool pattern about knitting 2 socks in 1 that I found on Knitty.com. this is a great article, but would be a huge challenge for someone like me who has never even knitted a sock! However, for some of those of you out there who are addicted to socks, and not scared of about 20 pages of instructions, this is the ultimate pattern for you! Click on the link below to check it out. (I just liked the intro!)

Love peace and JOY JOY JOY

Tired today...But got YARN

I am very tired today. I had to look after my little friend Monty today (he's three), but thankfully he was happy to play quietly (he is SUCH a good kid), and I was able to just sit in front of the t.v. most of the time. I guess i am just getting a little sick of being sick - with something unknown.... Oh, well. will go to bed early tonight I think.

The good news today: I got the latest edition of Yarn Magazine in the mail this afternoon! Gosh I love this mag. It always has really interesting articles as well as some good patterns. The thing i like most about it is that it is not just a knitting mag, but also always has articles about dyeing and often spinning as well. If you have never seen this mag, click on the link below and you'll be taken to their website.

Second good news: Yesterday I showed off my bag to a non-knitter and she said that if it was in a different colour, she would pay up to $100 for it - She thought it was that good! I am thinking I might be knitting one for her soon! Anything to save up for that Ashford Knitting Loom I want!

The not so good news: I don't think I will be able to go to the Lake Perserverence Camp with the Toowoomba Spinners group in October afterall. I would like to, but
(1) I'm going to Adelaide the week before for a holiday (and might want to buy yarn down there!) which will cost us a fair bit of money and
(2) we have been invited to lunch with my Grandfather that weekend and as he is in the country for only a couple of months (usually lives in England - when not travelling - at age 80 something!) it will be nice to catch up.

Both these reasons are not bad, in fact I am looking forward to both going to Adelaide and seeing my Grandfather and his partner Heather, but it just means that I just won't be able to get to the camp.

now.....where did I put that mag again.....I need to be inspired!.....

"The Bag" is done!

Yeay!!! The bag is finished. I am quite pleased with how it turned out.... I could have probably run the handles through the wash again, but I'm too impatient and also didn't want to waste the water. I think it looks fine the way it is. I am now working on a maroon coloured bag now, made from commercial wool (Panda WoolBale). I am looking around for a fair isle patten or a motif to put on the new bag as well in a pink colour. We'll see how it goes.

Peace and joy

Rocky Horror night

Last night we went to a party to welcome home our dear friend Glenys who has come back after 4 years in the UK. The party was a Rocky Horror Picture show party and was absolutely fantastic! This is me as one of the "unconventional conventionalists" or whatever they are called. Our friend MIV finally realised his dream of dressing up as "Dr Frank n Furtur" (i really don't know how to spell that) in proper corset, fishnets etc. Including make - up. He looked absolutely great! Unfortunatly his wife (our lovely friend Julia) has forbidden any photos of MIV going online, even such a blog as mine. Oh, well.... understandable really..... I don't think I'd want photos of my husband dressed in ladies underware and make up going online either.

I got the outfit from Craft Ideas at Indooroopilly. Not just a craft store! click on the link below to go to their website!

Ps... 14 micron skein

Just remembered that I have also finished my first skein of the 14 micron merino wool I am spinning! Here it is.....
I am reasonably proud of it, although I made a few mistakes while plying....hopefully it won't be too noticable once it is knitted up.... still don't know what it's going to be yet....

Bag update

Here is THE BAG, felted at least. I have not yet done the handles, but hopefully will have them done by next week. Joey will teach me to icord this evening. The bag is still a lot bigger than I expected and that is after 5 washes. Oh well, It will be a good knitting bag as it should hold heaps - it really was a very big bag before I chucked it into the machine!

Thanks Julie, Karen, Betsy, Ben & Barney for all commenting so nicely on my blog! It's really nice to know that people are reading it and making contact.

Ben - Yes, of course it is! Hopefully we will get down to see you sometime as well, but unfortunatly it won't be very soon.