Scrum-dilly-umptious!

Told you I sucked at this blogging thing.  Have been busy busy with swaps on TNN, so I thought I’d share a few photos of what I’ve made.

First up, we have the yarn swap which is great fun (am currently doing another yarn swap so will post photos when all that is done and dusted).  For the yarn swap,  you have to think of a theme and include 150-200gms of hand dyed wool, a pattern to match your wool and theme, a piece of paperwork (can be a recipe, poem etc) and a small gift :)  I’ve searched everywhere for photos of the yarn I sent for the first swap I joined in but can’t seem to find them anywhere.  So I’ll just show the yarn I sent last time.

My first theme was “Wobbly Jelly”

* Yarn was 150gms of Cleckheaton Country 8ply dyed in Pinks, Greens, and Bluish Grey (was supposed to be purple but didn’t turn out too good)

* Patterns were for a Wibble Wobble Scarf (Rav Link) and Dr Who Jelly Baby (Rav Link)
* Paperwork was a recipe for Jelly Biscuits
* Gifts included 3 packets of Jelly, Hundreds and Thousands and a Nappy Cut of Raspberry PUL

The other theme I chose was “The Labyrinth”

* Yarn was 150gms of Cleckheaton Country 8ply dyed in Black (although it turned out a very deep purple), Blues and Red.

* Pattern was the Baltic Finger Labyrinth (Rav Link)
* Paperwork was a recipe for 3 in 1 biscuits

* Gifts included a set of stitch markers made by the lovely Casper and some Lindt Chocolate (mmmmm)

I also took part in a “Gruffalo Swap” in which all projects are to be in one way or another based on the book “The Gruffalo“, will I will admit to have never read before then but luckily mum had a copy which I borrowed (and still have).  Here’s what I came up with for my swappee’s daughter.

Some clothes for a walk in a forest (which is where the Gruffalo is set) Includes an A-line top/dress, some minky pants and some small fingerless gloves.  I love the gloves, very quick and easy to knit up (even for me – a slow knitter) managed to knit them in an evening and a half.  The pattern is Sucky Thumb Mitts (Rav Link.)  Morgan will be getting a red pair to match her gumboots as soon as I’ve gotten a few other projects out of the way.

I think thats all the swaps that I’ve done, working on a few now so will post about them when they’re done.

Ok, being a bit cheeky and backdating this post – but mainly coz I meant to do just after we got back – not 5 weeks later

MOTAT

The only way to keep Morgan still!

Bob and Zoe hard at work making a paper airplane!

Auckland Zoo

Mummy and Morgan watching the elephant

Zoe being rather unimpressed…

Let me in there mum!!

All tuckered out…

Butterfly Creek

You might notice that I don’t blog much, this is mainly for 3 reasons, 1 – I’m a pretty crappy blogger 2 – the kids, every time I even think about sitting down at the computer, Morgan’s already there.  I swear the kid is reading my mind, and I’m sure I don’t have to explain why typing at a computer with a 16 month old isn’t a good idea.  No-one really wants to read this (fdhf hdjhdfh   kfwo234565df  dhfhrfen) or do they? and last but not least 3 – I’m forgetful! I forget about this blog all the time and if I don’t remember it, it means more than likely I’m not going to update it.  I, seriously, have the memory of a goldfish! What was I talking about again? Ok, so I’m not quite that bad – but sometimes I have to wonder…

Well, what have I been up to lately you may ask? A bit of this and a bit of that…kind of lost the love for sewing and have been knitting a bit (albeit slowly).

First up we have some longies!  I intended to knit a small size but because I didn’t check my tension (seriously..I never do, one of my many flaws) , they’ve come out more of a newborn size.

Pattern is Pimp my Longies, first project done in the round and is an awesome pattern – going to try and a Morgan sized pair eventually.

Drum roll please… next up we have a singlet for Morgan.  A friend needed a pattern tested – Morgan needed a singlet, so woolah we have

Next in line we have a Seamless Kimono Sweater for Morgan, which I’ll admit is only 80% done but am hoping to have it finished for our holiday up north.  Here’s a sneak peek anyway.

Apologies for the bad photo – my camera is crap at taking photos at night.

What else…I managed to get some sewing done today and the results are

And another dress, but it’s for a swap on TNN so I’ll post when it’s been received

We invited my aunty and her son round last week for our first picnic.  We were planning on having it outside but it was one of those stinking hot days (I think it got to 40 degrees in some places around here) so we decided inside with the air conditioning on would probably be a lot better.  We didn’t get any photos of the picnic itself, but got a few of the kids all playing afterwards, you can see photos at the kids blog here

And in other news, I’m pleased to say we didn’t bring home any plastic bags from the supermarket and the checkout lady actually knew how to pack the bags for once.

I was about 50% of the way through a pair of longies that I didn’t really want to finish because I’d made the body too long and I’m sure no baby wants to have his/her pants up around his armpits.  So I updid everything and started again.  I’m doing a small pair of longies using the Pimp my Longies pattern found here.  I’ve learnt a few new skills so far including ribbed waistbands, yarn overs and short rows (which I managed with no holes *touch wood*)

Nothing has been done on the sewing front yet but I’m hoping I can make a little pouch for my stitchmarkers as I keep losing them and finding them all over the place.  I’m hoping to make a stitchmarker pouch as part of the TNN Yarn Swap but we’ll have to see how I go first.

And before I go, here’s a photo of Morgan just because it’s hard to get a photo of her these days

After seeing someone else do this, I have been trying to come up with my own list.  So far I have 93/101 things so only a few more to think of.  If you click here you can see the whole list.  I’ll try and do my best at updating the list and making posts about things I’ve crossed off, but I tend to forget about my blog and updating it.  I can go weeks and weeks without updating, then you’ll get a big cluster of posts all made within a few days.  Unless of course I cheat and edit the timestamp but shhhhhh.

Anyway back to the list.  as you can see there’s quite a few things under Organisation and Cleaning.  my house is seriously unorganised and cluttered.  In short, we own too much crap stuff!  So I’m on a mission to declutter.  Stay tuned, I may take photos (might not too).  There’s also a bit under Crafts as well as Family and Fun.  Both things that I need to work on I think.

I’ve put off starting my list a few days - need to have a quick tidy up to make sticking to the list easier… haha.  Tomorrow is the day though so stay tuned for future updates!

Bob would have everybody believe that he doesn’t like sewing, which I must say is completely false!  Not only does he like sewing, he’s quite good at it.  When I first got my machine I had to get him to do a few things for me because I just couldn’t figure them out.  The other week he got the sewing bug (something I’m hoping comes back to me very shortly, I have a bundle of fabric and things I need to sew) and made a couple of things for Missy Moo.

First up we have a pair of shorts/ 3/4 length pants which I’m sad to say have gone walkabouts.  Hopefully we can find them before Morgan gets too small for them.

Apologies for the sideways picture :)  And next we have my favourite - the A-Line Dress.  I’ve had this fabric for a while, the plan was to make Morgan a pair of shorts with it, then I decided it wouldn’t look right as a pair of shorts so it got put down the bottom of the pile.

And now a modelled shot

Isn’t it just lovely? And isn’t she a cutie? (I might be a little biased though) She wasn’t too impressed that I took the photo of her as you can probably tell by the look she’s giving me.

Anyways, I can hear her crying so good night from me

Well with getting my own yarn swap in the post yesterday, I was finally looking forward to receiving mine.  And much to my surprise it came this morning!   My swappie really did outdo herself, it’s perfect.  (Although makes my parcel to my person seem a little inferior.) The theme chosen was “Pirates of the Caribbean” and being my favourite movies it suited me down to a tee.

First up was the letter, typed up in “pirate” speak, with burnt edges and oldish looking paper.

Arghhhhhhhhhhh matey!

Be ye ready t’ knit from Davy Jones’ locker?  Thy twine is the blues of the Caribbean, fit for a fellow Pirate on this h’re journey. Aye!!!!!!!!!!!! A pattern ye shall find in the parcel for the makin’s of a loot bag of ye fine Pirate.

If ye be mindful, there be treasure to be had.  A fine set of handcrafted stitch markers to aid ye in ye quest.  And a necklace of black pearls on the ocean water waves, savvy!

Ye, be a true pirate only if ye have fine rum. Yo ho ho and a bottle a rum.  Ahoy, if you be cle’er you will be able t’ make a pina colada.
Aye.

Aye, good luck in findin’ your treasure.

Ahoy….. Off ye be!

The pattern is for a mini skull and crossbones tote found here, which is an awesome pattern - might knit it up for someone for Christmas.  The recipe was for Pina Colada which I admit to have never ever trying…queue song “If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.”

Now on to the photos.

The wool:

Close up:

Coruba, the scroll and some of the treasure!:

The rest of the treasure:

Close up of the stitch markers:

And finally…everything all together

Isn’t it awesome? Aren’t the stitch markers awesome?  I can’t wait to use the stitch markers and knit something scrummy with the wool.  My swappie was the lovely Christine…check out her blog here

All rolled up at last - well actually it’s been rolled up for a few days I’m just too slack to take a photo.  I apoligise for the crappy photo, the wool is kind of blurry looking, but hey! at least the grass looks pretty funky.

Zoe had a go at dying some wool today (well kind of, she chose the colours and then got bored and went to play in her room)  She chose the colours pink, purple and blue.  The blue came out really nice, the pink is as you’d expect but I’m not really too fussed on the purple, it looked alright while it was being dyed but I’m not sure I like how it came out.  Will pop up a photo when it’s finished drying.

Well I obviously haven’t updated this blog for a while, bit quiet on the craft front at the moment.  Missy Moo likes to help and I can’t really sew, cut out material, trace patterns or knit with a helper.

I do have a whole heap of photos to put on here of things I’ve made for the Mid-Winter Secret Santa, and the latest is the yarn swap which I still have to finish up the finishing touches.

I tried my hand at dying some wool the other day, and although it’s rather bright it’s still kind of cool.  Not sure what exactly I’m going to knit with it yet as it’s only 50grams but I’m sure I can find something summery….maybe

The wool I dyed for the Yarn Swap is pink, orange and green - the orange is a little bright but still nice. I’ll pop up a photo when I have the whole package finished (there’s several different parts to it, the wool is just one part)

That I am indeed a female!  Bob found some test that takes your Internet browsing history and determines if you are a male or female.  My results were as follows

Likelihood of you being FEMALE is 97%
Likelihood of you being MALE is 3%

See what your browsing history says about you here.