The countdown seems to have begun

Everybody seems to be getting ready for Christmas and here am I still trying to sort (clear) out my craft room so we can accommodate overseas guests. I did manage to finish a few more hats (Nos. 5 and 6) for my Year of Projects.

I tried several times to get the colour right in the photo of that butterfly hat and this was about the closest I could get to the pretty mint that it is. You'll have to excuse my granny mandala in the background.

By the end of this week I have a few secret santa gifts to post off and will be including this little doiley in one of them. Its one of my favourite patterns and for this one I used Peter Pan Washable Goldfingering - its white with a very pretty pearl like shimmer. You might see it better in the close-up picture.

This is not the easiest thread to work with and its certainly not soft but I think its pretty and would look nice on the Christmas table.

I know a lot of my dear blogger friends are busy putting up and decorating their trees now that Thanksgiving is over. We have a tradition in our house that we don't start Christmas decorating until after my DDs birthday on December 14. At least one advantage of doing this is that there's less time for the cat to get herself into trouble.

Have a fun week.

Trying to catch up

Just about everything has stopped me from getting on with my year of projects challenge but the worst challenge is trying to sort out my craft room. I have overseas visitors coming for Christmas and need to make room in there for a blow-up queen size bed. Talk about a stash ..... I had to go out and buy three more 57L crates, plus give away a huge bag of yarn to a friend who also knits and crochets for charity, but there's still heaps more yarn looking for somewhere to hide. I'm not as game as some fellow bloggers so will not be showing you pictures of my craft room - sorry !!

I did manage to get the new hat number 4 done.

The previously mentioned hats number 4 and 5 are still on their respective needles and hook but I'd like to think I'll get these finished this coming week. I also finished a scarf which will be a gift for my daughter's MIL - I've been pondering over how to finish this one off and settled for just sc all the way around to give it a bit of a classic look. I used Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10ply and the scarf is approx 60" long x 6" wide. It took all but a few metres of the 200g ball.

In an effort to use up some stash, I've decided to make some cat blankets for some of the animal refuges Knit4Charities is supporting. This month is Save-a-Dog Scheme (obviously they save cats too as they've requested these blankets). The group will also be supporting other animal refuges in the coming months so I'll just keep making the blankets in between other projects. I'm using double 8ply with a 10mm hook - starting with 40ch and working 36 rows dc. The cats don't care about fancy stitches so the blankies are nice and quick - they're also lovely and soft.

Hmmm .. almost dinner time here so I'll nip off to the kitchen for a while then come back here and check out everyone else's progress on their Year of Projects.

Have a great week.

Boom Boom

A dying granny tells her granddaughter, "I want to leave you my farm. That includes the villa, the tractor, and other equipment, the farmhouse and $22,398,750.78 in cash."

The granddaughter, absolutely floored and about to become rich says, "Oh granny, you are SO generous! I didn't even know you had a farm. Where is it?"

With her last breath, Granny whispered, "Facebook..."

The Devil Tommy made me do it !!

Travel Plans

I have been in many places, but I have never been in Cahoots. Apparently you can't go there alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone. I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport. You have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my family, friends and those where I have worked. I would like to go to Conclusions, but you have to jump and I am not too much on physical activity anymore. I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go and I try not to visit there too often. I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm. Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older. One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense. It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart. At my age I need all of the stimuli I can get.

We were in suspense this afternoon when a piece of new furniture was delivered and it just wouldn't go around the necessary corners to get into its designated room. After a few minutes of panic clear thinking, my daughter rang a glass repair company to find out if they could remove the window so said piece of furniture could come in via that way. As luck would have it, they could and in fact were here (from the other side of our city) in 35 minutes and about 45 minutes later everything was back to normal and the queen size bed was IN the room. Phew !!

I'm now recovering by doing a bit of crochet. More about that tomorrow.

Long time no Nanna post

My grandson went to a school disco last night (ah that brings back memories) .. and he had to go dressed as something starting with the letter 'p'. What do you think of my little man - he can take me in any day !!

Nearly lunch time here .. feel like a snack ?

Bacon Strips

5 slices of bread
1 egg
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated cheese
1 dessertspoon melted margarine
4 rashes of bacon, diced

Mix all ingredients and spread over bread. Slice into strips and cook in oven at 200 deg celsuis (400F) for approx. 15 minutes.

Enjoy

Old treasures & FO's

Its an absolutely perfect day here but instead of being out in the 28 degree (celsius) weather, I've been inside, looking through a pile of books I haven't touched in ages and re-discovered these beauties I knew I had but couldn't remember where they were. It would probably have been about 10 years ago, my youngest daughter was doing the rounds of just about every antique shop she came across and found these very old patterns which she thought I'd like.

This is what she wants me to make (to quote her words .. "a family heirloom" !!

My poor old eyes aren't what they used to be and these days I prefer to work with yarn rather than thread but perhaps as a compromise, I could aim for a table runner. Maybe. By the way, did you notice the original price on those patterns - 2d each - that would be two pennies. My how things have changed.

I have two finished projects to show you today. I finished this little dress last night

I was pleased with the way it turned out - I did make a few changes but they were very minor ones.

Finally, as part of my Year of Projects (50 hats by the end of June 2012) here's hat number 3
hot off the hook ..

Hats 4 and 5 should be finished this week (hopefully) however I have a major, time consuming task facing me in the next few weeks so I'm not sure how much crochet and knitting will be done. With overseas visitors coming for a few days over Christmas and needing somewhere to sleep, I have to tidy up my craft room which is currently bursting at the seams with crates, plastic bags of yarn, a table covered with stuff etc. etc. .. you know what I mean?? I have to make room to fit a double bed in there somehow. Oh well, as A.A. Milne once said "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries". Wonder what else I'll find?

Have an exciting week.