How could I resist...

... a Tikki Knit Along!  Georgie Hallam (designer of Tikki knits) has just released a new pattern for the boys, and with the release came a knit along in her ravelry group for the month of March.  As I was a little late to the party, and making one of the bigger sizes (a size 7 chest, with 8-10 length) I did worry that I wouldn't be finished in time, but I just scraped it in, blocking it yesterday.

 I do love a vest and collared shirt on my boy - isn't he so deliciously handsome?!  I couldn't help but tell him he looked so delicious I could gobble him up.. forgetting how he takes things so literally. 

    "Don't be silly, Mum" he told me.  Then hesitantly, "You couldn't really eat me could you?".
     "No darling". 
    "Then why would you even SAY that!"

He still modelled nicely for me and tried super hard to give me a nice smile (okay, I admit - he was bribed with a red frog lolly!)

I started knitting on the 17th, as I had to wait for my yarn to arrive, and then dyed it myself.  I was aiming for a deep navy colour with some lighter patches, but it decided it wanted to be less varigated and more of a denim shade.  I don't mind - it works well with jeans, and goes with just about every shirt in his cupboard.

The pattern was a little tricky to get started, I haven't worked "saddle shoulders" before, but once I got going it was easy... and addictive.  The cable was a nice simple design and the rolled hem on the sleeve edges is a cute touch.  Another one of Georgie's patterns to add to the "I love" list! 

I used just 200g of the 300g I dyed.  The neighbour just gave birth to a baby boy, so perhaps I can use the last 100g there... maybe a baby vest just like this one is on the cards!

Seeing Orange

Harmony day, which was celebrated here last Thurday, is often recognised by wearing the colour orange, or cultural dress.  Being a very Aussie family, we don't really have anything "cultural" in our wardrobe, so I decided to be prepared, tie dying a t-shirt for Austy to wear to school for the occasion.

 

I am usually not this prepared, (and there has been one harmony day where hubby had to drop Austy at school and rush off to find something!) but knew that with school half an hour away this year there would be no chance in any rectification if I overlooked it.  So I did the shirt anyway, even though there had been no notes home about a casual day that I could recall.

 He didn't end up wearing it, as it seemed this school doesn't really do anything for harmony day.  Luckily his teacher decided to do a few related activities with the class, because Austy was a bit upset about the fact that he has always celebrated it at school before. Alas his t-shirt is still unworn (that's what I get for beiung prepared!).  I think I might applique a charcoal fabric in the sillhouette of a guitar to the front though as I am pretty pleased with how it came out (after my last tie dye attempt was little more than a failure!) and I'd like him to get some wear out of it.

 

On Wednesday night, I came home with Madelyn's harmony day dress for kindy still looking like this:

 

So I decided to let my WIP Wednesday post slide for the third week in a row to turn it into this:

 

I must admit, I did contemplate sending her to kindy in her brother's size 8 t-shirt, and regretted not throwing one for her into the pot with it as I was also trying to bake raspberry jelly cakes as my "cultural dish" for our shared harmony day morning tea at work.  I pushed on and she was very happy with the results.  Unfortunately the only modelled photo I have is an iPhone shot hubby sent me at work, with her grinning as proud as punch!

 

Madelyn took home the kindy's "cultural awareness doll", Sima for a sleep over a couple of weeks ago, and the thing was dreadful - it was sticky, filthy, had horrible messy hair and very stained, and falling apart clothes in it's little pack.  Most of the clothes were cabbage patch doll clothes and didn't fit properly.

 

The first thing I wanted to do was wash the doll, but on reading the kindy's booklet that came with her, the first thing that was mentioned was "Please do not give me a bath".  I contemplated it for a moment, and nearly left her, but I couldn't handle the thought of not knowing where she had been, and feeling that grime upon her plastic skin I decided to give her a bit of a wipe down with a soft cloth and dish detergent anyway.  We spent some time brushing her hair with Maddy's Australian Girl Doll brush, and some leave-in conditioner, and all that was left was to make her some new clothes.

Since we only had her for the one night, she had to go back with just the outfits she came with, but at least she was cleaner and the children could get a comb through her long black hair once again.  Then today I discovered this Mod Kid dolly pattern that I have had unopened for ages, and decided to make a new slightly longer skirt for Emily (the one I made to match Maddy's was slightly to short), and two new long sleeved tops, one for Emily and one for Sima.  So Madelyn has a belated Harmony Day present for Sima the cultural doll tomorrow - a pretty new top, and Emily's too short skirt (which should still cover Sima's knees as she is a smaller doll).

I think I have had enough of orange for a while now!

Designing for a special little showcase

I have been designing again, but this time for a different cause.  I will be releasing this pattern as another freebie on ravelry in the next few days. 

 

Chevgirl Knitting is hosting a showcase called "Hats for Ethan" to raise money to help pay for Ethan's treatment.  Ethan is just 6 years old and has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.  You can read about his journey here.

As soon as I read about this, I knew I had to make some kind of contribution, so it was the least I could do to design a hat especially with him in mind.  This prototype hat will be offered up for sale in the showcase on May 10 (which I think will be held on her facebook page).

Surprisingly, my not so obliging model became my obliging one, while the other wouldn't have a bar of it!  So yes, that's my daughter, happily modelling a boy hat.  I am so happy that she did exactly as I told her and amazingly... STOOD STILL!  I wish I could get her to do that in the dresses I make her.

Sole mates!

After nearly two years in waiting, my sock has found a friend.   I think I am just as much in love...

 

 

Being a me project, these socks took position at the bottom of my list.  I am also famous for Second Sock Syndrome (a knitting conundrum where you just never get arounsd to making that second sock).  But I am glad I did.  There is nothing like lounging about in some soft, pretty, handknitteed socks.  Especially in winter - they are warmer than anything money can buy.

 

 

Lotta thinks they are fabulous too - she slept on the first sock while I knitted the second, and I am sure she thinks they are hers.  She tried to lick them while I took my photos!

 

Knitters - the pattern is easy, and free on ravelry here.

Because little girls aren't always young ladies

Madelyn is a knicker flasher.  Like many 4 year olds, she has no idea of modesty.  Sometimes I feel like a broken record... "Madelyn, put your dress down!"...  "Madelyn, put your legs together!"...  "Legs down Madelyn!" 

Often we give up and keep her in shorts, but we have a few little denim skirts from Gymboree, that all have little cotton shorts attached.  Marvelous inventions!  But not quite enough twirl for a princess.


So once again, Tie Die Diva came to the rescue, with her Twirl Skirt pattern with attached bloomers.

Sweet. 

I see a fair few of these in our future!  I think I might try it with some little stretch knit shorts underneath though, the bloomers really are more like bloomers than shorts and quite "boofy".  But then again, perhaps that is what makes the skirt so puffy and twirly looking.  Some experimenting is in order.

I do love the ruffles.

6 FQ OUT

And another star on the pile

 

I love it when I have enough blocks to make at least a 2 x 2 grid.  You start to see some cohesiveness.  That's exactly what happened today, when I got to sew up the March block:

 

The Ninja Star.

 

 

Loving the sparkle in the background!