Still Alive

Thought it might be best for me to at least flag my alivedness to the cyberworld by way of a quick post. There are no photos (I HOPE that I know who has my camera and that I will get it back tomorrow) and no knitting (see first point) and no new patterns (although one is ready to fire when I find the motivation.

I have to tell you all that I have been very low on motivation for the last little while. My brain goes so slowly and the day seems to go so quickly that I go to bed wondering where the day went. I have gotten some things done but not much. Hopefully some more medication (oh thank you great pharmacologists) and some resolution of some ongoing crap (although I am not that hopeful that this will happen) will see my improvement continue.

So in case you were wondering....

Yes....I am still alive
Yes....I have been doing some stuff that hopefully you will see soon
Yes....I do think about my blog and my followers and the fact that I have sadly neglected both
and
Yes....I am trying hard to get better.

Comfort is in the eye of the beholder

A spot in the sun....

A spot in the shade....

On some cushions....

But lying on the stones?

Knitting content coming soon (I promise).

And they said it couldn't be done!

Yep, those are bona fide dolphin pants you see there! Of course receipt of said pants did elicit mutterings of gloves.....

The things we do for love.

As you may have gathered my youngest, Rohan, is quite the demander when it comes to handmade goodies. This is a man who likes handmade, knows what he wants and is not at all afraid to ask for it. Surely I blogged about the Muppet made of dead Muppet that he thought would be great fun? No? I just checked and I didn't. Okay, I shall digress momentarily from the original purpose of this post to tell you about the Muppet from Dead Muppet (MDM).

I took Rohan shopping with me one day to Spotlight and he picked up some novelty yuck. I chortled and told him that it was dead Muppet and that it come from the pelts of Muppets that had "gone to the farm". (I should add here that we do have a very warped sense of humour here and these sorts of comments are seen as hilariously funny). This led to him wandering around Spotlight commenting (and giggling) on the mountains of DM until he came to some seriously bright red cack that he decided was perfect Elmo colour and that I should knit him a MDM.

Wishing to encourage the love of handmade goodness I obliged and this resulted...

Rohan was particularly taken by the pom-pom eyes and apparently the "little black bits in the eyes are very impressive"! Not that you can see them in this shot but they are definitely there.

Anyway, back to the original story. Yesterday I was informed that Rohan's toy dolphin, Dolphin-Seal (yes that is really his name), was suffering under the burden of this recent cold snap and required some clothes to keep his dolphiny-goodness warm. It would seem that what Dolphin-Seal needed most was a jumper, knitted and made in his favourite colour - black. It was also related that Dolphin-Seal needed this very quickly as he was particularly cold and it would be best if I made it right then.

Because it is impossible to say no too often to a cute little ranga who likes his stuff handmade I went and found some Woolbale I picked up cheap one day and proceeded to measure Dolphin-Seal up for his jumper. Dolphins, as I am sure you know, are difficult creatures to outfit. This may account for the fact that they spend most of their lives au naturale. There had to be fin holes (because Dolphin-Seal likes to pick things up and give fin cuddles) and naturally his dorsal fin couldn't be folded over in the back of his jumper. So after measuring twice and knitting once, I give you Dolphin-Seal and his very spunky jumper, a labour of love for my little ginger.



Dolphin-Seal and his new apparel have taken off to school today for news such is the impressiveness of the work. I am a little worried though. As happy as the Rohmeister was with the jumper, he now tells me that Dolphin-Seal needs pants!

What a day!

Sam and I trotted off to the Quliting and Craft Show at Jeff's Shed today and had a lovely day wandering the stalls buying things we didn't really need! We meet up with Susan, Tara and Susan's beuatiful daughter Nadi. We saw Suzie Q's gorgeous quilt (I think it should have won but I know very little about quilts) and saw many other beautiful quilts.

Finally, I found another way to waste my time! The minute I got home I had to whip out all the charms and "fixin's" that I bought and start immediately making stitch markers. Hope you like the products of my new little hobby!

Old gold Ballerinas

Old Gold Shoes

Silver Princess Crowns.

Silver Shoes

Silver Ballerinas

The Week the Rangas took over the World

My ranga met one of his favourite rangas!


Cameron Ling was very charming and was very impressed that a fellow Ginger carried his playing number. Rohan got his hat and jumper signed as well as two photos signed for his brothers. There are some past and present footballers who could well learn from Cameron, he was exceedingly gracious and nothing was too much trouble.

Jellybeans!

Cheerful even on the dullest day!

Some sneak previews of my new design....

Also coming in a straight unisex cardi as well. I am looking for a name and a few more test knitters (sizes 2-14). If you have any suggestions for a name pop on a comment. If you want to do a test knit drop me an email.

I would apologise....

but I really don't feel like it. I know it has been an age since I posted and don't think I haven't had notions of doing so. I really, truly have, however the notion never cemented into the reality and thus no posts. I guess I am a little bit sorry, but I am sure your lives are all travelling along just fine regardless.

I have finished some things since last we spoke...

Knit it down in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran. I love this yarn and the result is a nice cozy, warm casual jumper. Just right for weekends with jeans.



And I finally succumbed to common sense and made a Central Park Hoodie using BWM rustic 12ply (just like Sam) in the Earth colourway. After procrastinating several weeks regarding the seaming (you know how much I love seaming), I love the final result. If it has any faults it might be a tad too warm at times!

And during the procrastination I made a new striped scarf to replace the one taken from the pub in which I left it and an aran weight shawl for the pink swap. I am finally free of the Jo Sharp Desert Aran that I hated so much! The scarf is made in balls of dodgy Spotlight yarn seeing as I just couldn't justify another Noro scarf. The result is nowhere near as nice as the original but it is a fair substitute.


The other news is that I am working on a new design. Teasers and details to come but I can tell you that it is a cabled coat/cardi/cropped cardi for boys or girls in 8ply.

Well I did take the camera...

We have just got back from a lovely, relaxing 5 days at Wymah Valley Resort on the "shores"* of Lake Hume, just the other side of Albury. It was in fact so relaxing that whilst I took the camera with us I didn't take a single photo.

You will need to believe me when I tell you that the kids had a great time swimming, riding their bikes, at the kid's club, going to the movies, Easter egg hunting, going to the petting farm and dozens of other things. You will also need to believe that I had a lovely time relaxing with my friends and doing a little knitting (and drinking and trivial pursuit).

This is what I have to show from my weekend. A Central Park Hoodie looking like it is on the way to done....


* I say "shores" because the lake is so depleted that the shore is actually about a kilometre from the resort at the moment. One day the drought will break. One day.

My own private Everest.

Yesterday, through the slight haze of a beer induced headache, it came to my attention that Jason was playing his cricket semi-final. "Not a problem" I thinks to myself, "he should have fun and I will laze about the house pretending not to see the refuse from the night before, watching some TV and generally being sloth-like". Then the non-hungover voice spoke words of reason. "If Jason is playing in the semi-final then that means that he has, at best, three weeks of cricket left and, if he loses, today and tomorrow!"

"Today and tomorrow?" hungover Jacki thinks. Not that I hoped he would lose but I have to admit that the hungover Jacki was rather pleased with the thought of the season being nearly over. "But you are making him a cricket vest" says non-hungover Jacki "and if he loses this game he won't play again until next summer. Wouldn't it be nicer if you finished it for tomorrow?"

Hungover Jacki thought about this for a moment (or ten) and agreed that "yes, that would be nice" and my sloth-likeness turned into knitting-like-a-manic-to-finish-the-vest-todayness.

I knitted like a woman possessed. I made up the pattern as I went. I messed up the pattern, frogged back and made it up again. But Everest was climbed! At 12.30am last night the blocking started and it was finished this morning under (thankfully) brilliant Autumn sun.

At 12 noon Jason pranced off to cricket in his new vest. Okay the back was still a mite damp but other than that it was finished!


I love the centre cable, it looks oh so fancy (but really wasn't that hard) and I would like to report that the whole thing was done without a cable needle. Do yourself a favour - learn to cable without a cable needle! You will never go back.

If I am to be honest the neck finish is so-so and a more finicky person would do it again, but Jase is happy and thus I am happy.

Bad Jacki, Naughty Jacki

Well, I guess you know that you have neglected your blog when even your mother tells you "it has been a long time since you posted anything on your knitting blog thing". Yep, she calls it a blog thing. Those wacky older people, sorry, I mean people "of a certain age".

Now that I have ensured that my mother is going to kill me, disown me or refuse to babysit the kids; I suppose I should move on to something interesting.

Problem is, there hasn't really been that much of interest happening. Of course stuff has been happening. Hell, I have a husband and three kids. Stuff is ALWAYS happening. But nothing "blog-worthy" seems to have gone down. FOs have been thin on the ground owing to school information nights, housework, a social life, trips away and life in general.

I did finish a cardi but I really need to take nicer photos of it to blog it properly. I'll get back to it okay?

I have started a few things. A jumper for me is in the naughty corner owing to a rogue stitch at the underarm that refuses to cooperate. We will have a stern talk at some stage and it might survive through to completion. I have also frogged Jason's cricket vest after many complaints as to its incorrect sizing (okay it was a little snug) and I have restarted a new version. Here is a progress shot with showy big central cable....


I also have a pair of socks on the go after seeing them on the Yarn Harlot's blog called Sleepy Hollow. Yes I do feel like a bit of a Harlot Harlot following Steph but if you look at them you have to admit they are darn nice socks and I am intrigued with the gusset technique. Is it really my fault that I get a little excited by a new gusset technique? I never said I wasn't geeky. Look, there isn't much to see but here you go (I only started last night okay).


Well there you go Mum, I updated the "blog thing", my apologies for my slackness but sometimes real life gets in the way of cyber life - thankfully.

School!

Just a quick photo of my baby's first day of school. After a slightly rocky start to the day (his big brothers were so excited that they got Rohan a little emotionally overwrought), he has had a fabulous first two days and can barely wait to go back Thursday.

It is amazing how many people have asked me if I am sad that Rohan is now at school. Hell no! He was so ready to go and it is great to see your children enter the new phases of their lives. Not to mention that now that all of them are at school I also enter a new phase of my life. For the first time in 10 years I can leave work and come straight home without picking up anyone (woohoo) and I have Fridays completely to myself to do things.

Look at all my big boys. How damn cute are they?

Oh, and do excuse the big wet patch on Bevo's shirt. I unfairly insisted that he wash off the large amount of toothpaste that he had deposited there.

A freebie for you!

After some thought and such I decided that I like my concept of offering one size of a pattern for free and multiple sizes at a cost. With this in mind I decided that I should publish a size of the Tayla Jade for nix, nothing, nada! For no good reason I have chosen the size 4. Sizes 1 through 10 are still available for the low, low price of $5, click here to purchase.

So here you go!

Size 4

Finished Chest Measurement (without ease): 58.5cm

Materials and Notions:

3 balls of Anchor Magicline (70m per 50g ball) or equivalent 10ply (worsted) cotton.

4.5mm Circular needle (40 or 50cm for sizes 1-6 or 80cm for larger sizes).

4.5mm straight or DPNs if preferred for the straps.

Darning needle

2 Stitch markers

Gauge: 18sts / 10cm

Glossary

CO – cast on

pm – place marker

s2,k1,psso – slip two stitches as if to knit two together, knit the next stitch and then pass the two slipped stitches over.

yo – yarn over

K2tog – knit two stitches together

ssk – slip two stitches and then knit together through the back of the stitches.

BO – bind off

The Knitting

Starting at the bottom:

Cast on 110 sts using the circular needle, place a marker and join to work in round. I would recommend a long tailed cast on or similarly stretchy edge.

Round 1: Knit

Round 2: Purl

Round 3: Knit

Round 4: Purl

Round 5: Knit

Begin Lace Pattern:

Following either the chart or written lace instructions, work 5 repeats of the 8 rounds.

Written lace instructions:

Round 1: [k1, yo, k3, s2,k1,psso, k3, yo]repeat to end of round

Round 2: knit all stitches

Round 3: [k2, yo, k2, s2,k1,psso, k2, yo, k1]repeat to end of round

Round 4: knit all stitches

Round 5: [k3, yo, k1, s2,k1,psso, k1, yo, k2]repeat to end of round

Round 6: knit all stitches

Round 7: [k4, yo, s2,k1,psso, yo, k3]repeat to end of round

Round 8: knit all stitches

The Bodice:

Round 1: [K20, K2tog] to end of round.

Round 2: K50, pm, *p1, K1*to one stitch before end of round, p1

Continue repeating round 2 until bodice section measures 7 cms.

The Top:

Round 1: knit to second marker, BO remaining stitches in the round.

From here on in the garment is worked back and forth on the remaining stitches.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: k4, p to 4 sts before the end of the row, K4

Row 3: k4, ssk, k to 6 sts before the end of the row, k2tog, k4

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until 30 sts remain.

Work 6 rows of garter stitch

h

The Straps:

Row 1: K4, turn

Row 2: Continue on those 4 stitches until strap is approx 30 cms long or desired length

Row 3: ssk, k2tog

Row 4: k2tog

Cut yarn and thread through the remaining stitch

Rejoin yarn beside completed strap, BO all bar 4 stitches and repeat rows 2 and 3 for other strap.

Finishing:

Weave in ends and block. Trust me; blocking does make all the difference. For the uninitiated, this really just means wash your TJ and lay it out nice and flat to dry, pulling the lace out open. See not that scary at all!

This pattern is provided for your own personal use. You may knit it for yourself, as a gift, a swap or for charity. This pattern is not intended for commercial use. Any intended commercial use requires permission in writing and the payment of a small license fee.