Went to my Crochet/Knitting circle today, am still loving it and am getting things done and finished.  One project has gotten the better of me again, a few years back I started a cardigan in Cleckheaton 100% and pulled it out last week to try to get it going again.  It is not going well, I've knitted and frogged constantly this week, Right now there is a tangled mess of yarn on the couch taunting me. 

What did I do?  Went out to buy more yarn of course and fabric too. 

I took a step today that I've been thinking about for a while, I asked about having a stall at the place the crochet circle is at.  They have either permanent (Tuesday to Saturday) or casual stalls (Saturday only),  the cost of the permanent stall works out to be $20 per day but I do have to arrange my own liability insurance.  The only other cost would be if I wanted use of the electricity, they charge $5 per week extra. 

Really am thinking about it, is going to be a lot of work, I'd like to mainly have handmade items - clothing, bags etc.  Mum and Dad said they'd be interested in putting things in too, Mum does patchwork and Dad paints. 

Won't be giving up my job, not yet anyway, am hoping that my daughter will man it days I can't and Mum said she'd help out too.  We don't even need to be there all the time either, the stall holders all help each other out. 

I also asked at a consignment store at Glenbrook about selling items through them, they need items to go through their boardmembers before the ok is given.  It's also an option that I could do with or without running the stall. 

I do need to look into the legalities, insurance and tax are a high priority, whether I need a business name or not.  There's a lot to think about. 

Harvest

Here's a pic of the first Aldi Garden bed I set up, there's Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, English Spinach and lettuce varieties in there.

Here's today's harvest, not a lot but enough for tonight's dinner. 

 Right now the sage is being heated on the stove with honey to make James Wong's Sage Honey.    I got over a nasty head cold last week and now have developed a cough and bad throat.  Sage Honey is great, it ends up thick and practically chewable, really sooths a sore throat and calms coughs.  

Hot off the Needle/hook

Owl Hand Warmers

I made 2 pair of these last week, the pattern came from Simply Knitting magazine.  One was knitted to size and the other on the next size down needles to fit my daughter's tiny hands.  They need eyes but the most suitable buttons I've found so far cost too much.  

My latest crochet project, is the Angel Wing Pinafore made in Magnum Soft 8ply.  The pattern is very easy, easily made up in an evening in front of the tv.  Mine is 1 row shorter than the pattern simply because I only had 1 ball left in my stash.  The thread to the side is all that is left.  It needs buttons but I am debating whether to sew partway up the back.  A lot of the projects on Ravelry were worked in the round after the 6th row.

H

Rhonda's Muffins

Decided to make bread tonight and headed to the computer to look up the recipe from Down to Earth Blog, then remembered that Rhonda included it in her book.

  I cheated a little and started the bread in the machine while I prepared dinner.  The page flipped over to her Basic Muffin recipe, oooh muffins I thought and set to making a batch for after dinner plus snacks for tomorrow.   Chopped a couple of bananas and added them to the mix, searched the pantry for the chocolate bits I knew I had in there, my daughter informed that my son had eaten it.  So banana muffins it was. 

 

Delicious Banana Muffins

The empty hole was from my son, he had just finished his last mouthful of dinner and couldn't wait.  He's already scoffed down his second too.  I reminded him there were only 3 each so he should make them last, he agreed to having his third for breakfast - if he can last that long.  He's a growning lad, already as tall as his Dad. 

 

I really liked the way the banana pieces were hot and mushy, usually I make them with mashed bananas but the chunks were a really nice change.  It would have been extra awesome with chunks of melted chocolate too.  Next time.

Spent time out in the yard today, it's been really neglected and I've been wanting to make some changes, such as adding a nice meditation corner and extra vegie beds.  Started with setting up a metal raised garden bed I had bought from Aldi last year,  Had already started a no-dig garden in one and have been harvesting lettuce, broccoli and have noticed my brussel sprouts are sprouting.  MMM can't wait.  The new bed has been set up in a sunnier spot, newspaper has been put down to smother the grass

Needed to add cardboard up the sides because the ground slopes and the sides needed to be built up.  It will help stop the layers from escaping.  Later will be surrounding the planter with gravel or similar.

Freshly mown grass clippins along with a little cow have been added to start composting in the  bed .

I'll leave it to heat up and give it a couple of weeks with regular turnings to get going before adding the extra layers. I am hoping Aldi bring back the beds this year, I'd like 2 or 3 more.

Stitch Markers and Down to Earth Book

Last week I bought Simply Knitting magazine and it came with free stitch markers, I liked them so much that I wanted more than the 6 provided so out came my beading supplies. 

Beads and charms on pins and add large jump rings.

And Voila!

They came in handy when casting on knitting, put them every 20 stitches, made counting so much easier.  Even for counting rows.  Can add them to the ends of the needle to represent each row needed.  I simply removed one at the end of each knitted row.  I am terrible at counting rows, I think it's what takes me the longest, having the danglys on the needle helped me.  Though my husband said it made for noisier knitting,


The book I used as background is Down to Earth, written by Rhonda Herzel.  I've been reading her blog for years and she always writes the most wonderful posts about living simply.  Whenever I want to look something up, such as bread making, Down to Earth is my first choice.   I found my copy at The ABC Shop.

I was wondering what project to get on with after finishing the Lacy Duster so decided to check on how much work was needed to finish some of my UFOs.  One knitted cardigan has been sitting for close to 10 months waiting to be finished, with my history that's not long at all, there's one that's over 5 years old.  All I had to do to it was unpick the seams of one shoulder, stitch it and the side seams as well as knit the ties.  Probably too me all of an hour.  Had been worried it wouldn't fit me I had gone with a smaller measurement but it fits fine, even wore it out today. 

The pattern is Chicest Link by Pat Menchini and featured in Simply Knitting magazine May 2011.  The yarn used was Moda Vera Marvel, 3 1/4 and 4 mm needles used.  No modifications were made.  Can't tell how many balls of yarn were used, I bought quite a few and had enough left for another project. 

My thighs are aching tonight, yesterday I got out in the sun and did some toning exercises I found in a magazine.  This morning could feel that my stomach muscles did some work, my legs were fine but as the day wore on my thigh muscles let their protest be known.  I took the time to meditate in the sun as well, the sunshine showing through my eyelids as red but there was a few moments when it turned green.  I noted there was music coming from a neighbour a couple of doors down which helped with relaxation.  After I finished I noticed the annoying little dog next door was barking it's head off, nothing unusual about that but I didn't remember hearing it while meditating.  The dog pretty much yaps constantly, it obviously had driven my father to destraction, I heard him screaming at it to shut up from over the fence.  He ended up getting the whipper snipper out to drown out the noise.  The poor dog is pretty much bored, the new neighbours bought it after moving in and it has nothing to do or to distract it. 

Am just a couple of rows away from finishing the Duster, I knew I was going to run out of yarn when I got to the last ball.  Left the last few rows on the body and moved onto the sleeves, hoping that the sleeves would take less than one ball.  Sent emails to stores looking for the right dyelot and got 3 answers back, the closest being 30 minutes away, I had been planning to head to Mittagong until that answer came in.  Picked up the extra ball today, making a total of 8 balls.  I didn't want to have to adjust the length and the sleeves have taken more than one ball. 

I'll finish the Duster tomorrow, too tired now.  I had been hoping to have it done by today to show it off at Crochet group, even still everyone was impressed and a few asked for the website.

I may wear it to a wedding Friday week, I had planned to make a dress but time is running out and I was asked to cover for the boss this week and next week, he has Jury Duty and then for a family bereavement.  Couldn't refuse, it's only a couple of extra days I still have Wednesday and Friday off.

 I looked through my wardrobe, there are a couple of dresses I could wear in there, one a simple black dress I wore to a niece's wedding.  I had added a silver and black shawl, used the same fabric to embellish the bodice.  If I go with the silver and black, am thinking of  wearing the shawl backwards with a twist and draping in the front for more emphasis.  If I go with the duster, will need to find beads/gems to match the colour and add that to the bodice.  Can't forget a zingy blingy necklace either.

It's been cold here and wet too.  Just 2 days ago I was wearing a short sleeved tshirt wondering where winter was, now I know.