Even the cat is ginger!

Wormies and my vege patch

2009-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

So, last week i shot off to bunnings to buy one of these;

A can of fun for ~~a grown up woman~~ kids, yeah well try telling that to mine. Isla wanted to go play with the girl two doors down, i called after her rather mournfully "what about the worms", she just shrugged and said "i'm not really interested mum".

Sadness.

Now 1000 worms may seem like a lot, but in actual fact, it's like the box says, a starter amount.

I'm giving these 1000 a month to settle in, and then i'm buying a booster pack (500). By then they should have made worm babies, and my farm should start eating more. I really need a compost bin as well. The amount of food scraps we have here is crazy stuff. Never mind, that should soon be solved when we get some hens too! Can't wait!

Here they are in action, it's hard to get a photo of them, as they dive for cover when you lift the worm mat (aka wet newspapers)

And here is their worm wee

This stuff is apparently potent stuff and needs to be diluted down until it looks like weak tea.

It will take a bit of time before they produce enough castings (nice way of saying worm crap), maybe 3 mths.

Here's my wee little garden;

I'm just doing stuff in pots until i get around to sorting out some raised garden beds.

beetroot

chilli & capsicums

and below, we have basil and lettuce in the tires, strawberries in the pots behind, and coriander in the bucket.

I also have carrot seedlings and beetroot seedlings on the go, and a few other bits and pieces.

You have to start somewhere, right?

I will never ever eat a cheese sandwich ever!

2009-10-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

Something happened today at school that made me feel both mortified and proud.

I sent my 6 year old daughter off to school with a cheese sandwich (and a banana and yoghurt) for her lunch.
When i picked her up, i didn't get a lovely greeting. What i got was a 6 year old with a face like thunder, declaring that she does NOT like cheese sandwiches.

Then her teacher comes out and the plot thickens. Apparently, Isla approached her teacher and expressed her dismay upon finding the cheese sarnie in her lunchbox. He advised her just to eat the bread and leave the cheese. She moaned and mumped, and went on her way.

After lunch the phone rings in his classroom. It's the lady in the office with a funny little tale to tell.

My daughter, rather unimpressed with her teachers response to her sandwich situation, took it on herself to go to the school office and tell the office lady a tale of woe, about how sad she was to find a yucky cheese sandwich in her lunch box, and that her teacher had not "done anything about it" and could she please kindly ring her mum so that she can bring the princess another sandwich. Needless to say, i did not get a phone call and Isla was sent out on her merry way.

The teacher was informed of the office visit (the office lady is his wife) and had a little chuckle to himself, especially when she later ate the sandwich. Her tummy obviously got the better of her.

I so wouldn't have had the guts to do that at her age. She will go far!

Finished hoodie, crafting with rice, and dreaming of chooks...

2009-10-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a hoodie i finished recently for Mr H. It's for next year.
The pattern is from Debbie Bliss 'essential knits for kids'. I used luxury 'stone' from bendigo woollen mills (10 ply), it's lovely and soft. This was my first time doing cables.

I've now started one for big brother in luxury 'blue denim'.

I also need to buy some yarn to do Isla a 'bloom' http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bloom-9, i might do these projects at the same time to keep me interested (i get bored easy). I would love to do the bloom in a lovely green (to go with her lovely auburn hair), but missy wants...sigh... pink.

I have got a bee in my bonnet about having chooks. We went to a garden and outdoor show today and saw a beautiful chicken coop that also came with a beautiful price tag.

Bless my darling husband, he came home and started thinking about how he could turn this hideous gazebo into a rockin' coop. Here he is deep in thought...

Poor man. I have the 'ideas' and he is the one that puts it into action.

I'm going to screen off this area, just off the gazebo for the chooks to peck around in and have dirt baths or whatever it is chooks do... They will have a huuuuge area.

Today i coloured some rice with the big kids (stole the idea off a blog i randomly hit on)

pretty!

really, really should have worn gloves...

mixing

Mr C lost interest by now...

ta da!

That kept my girly busy for a while, although the rice everywhere made me twitch a little, i got over it.

My computer is broken...

2009-08-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

hence the lack of blogging.
The cd wotzit thingy isn't working and i can't reload my camera software.
Tis a pain in the neck! I have finished objects to show!

Currently i'm working on a hoodie for H(16mths) for next winter. Knitted on flats! ew! It's got all sorts to keep it interesting, cables, pockets, etc...

I'm on a mission to read childrens classics to I6. So far we've read;

The magic faraway tree
Charlotte's Web

We are currently reading 'The enchanted wood', then after that it will be 'The folk of the faraway tree'.

I've just ordered off ebay;

Heidi
The secret garden
The peppermint pig (apparently this is a modern classic)

After that i'm not sure, maybe the little house on the prairie books?

C4 is now a big kindy boy and is going 4 afternoons a week. He gets an hours worth of help with his speech from the SSO and i believe will see a Dept of education speechie once a term. He also needs some help with his fine motor skills and has low muscle tone.

H is going along nicely. He is certainly a bit more full on than the other two were at the same age. I think the boy has 3rd child syndrome. He thinks he's a big kid too.

Slowly getting there...

2009-05-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Still going steady on Hamish's 'duck soup'. Taking a wee break from it to whip up a rainbow dress for Mairi. Then it will be back to the duck soup, and then on to some pants for Joshua.
These fingers... they don't stop! I wish i had a cleaner so i didn't have to stop for stoopid housework! ;-)

'Duck soup' - 12ply bendigo woollen mills in 'java'. Wish i'd done the 18mth size.

Mairi's rainbow dress. Really pleased with how the varigations are turning out.

It seems i'm ...

2009-04-26T05:59:00.001-07:00

not very good at this blogging thing.

Let me see what i've completed since i last visited here.

(awwwww isn't he so cute! Has a fascination with dropping things into the toilet at the mo, little rat! Nobody in this house, 'cept me, can remember to CLOSE THE BLARDY TOILET DOOR!!!)

More 'pimp my longies' for the H-man. This time i did the large size instead of extra large, but i used 4.5mm needles instead of 4mm. Perfect fit. For the next pair i may add another set of short rows. The little tike seems to be inbetween large and x-large, i just found the XL to be too wide in the leg for him.

The wool in this pic is bendigo classic 8ply. I just soaked the ball in vinegar then plopped it into blue food colouring and 'cooked' it abit. I love the speckley look.

Here is a pair in XL

(see? a bit big in the legs, but a good fit in the bum)

The brown yarn is 'deep earth' from woolganics, and the multi coloured is bendigo 'boutique' (dyed by me). These are yummy and soft!

And currently on the needles -

'Duck soup'

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/duck-soup

I'm knitting this in 'java' classic 12ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Think i made a wee stuff up in the hood, but i solidered on and think it'll be alright in the end.

It's pretty much seamless (except for the top of the hood)

I have completed most of another hoodie, but it was on flats and i think will be too small so i've lost the love for it. Eek to all that seaming.

More dyeing

2009-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm really pleased with this. It's not perfect, but i think i have to organise myself with the right tools for the job, and also arrange Steve to take the kids out for a few hours (or the whole day!)

Love how it's knitting up. I used Rit dye (dark brown) from kmart and the other colours are royal blue/sky blue and teal (cake dyes). I love using the cake dyes to dye, it's fun and not stressful and also requires no special/separate equipment.

Finished! Now what next?

2009-03-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished rainbow dress.

I'm not 100% happy with it. A few little mistakes here and there. Too many late night knitting sessions whilst watching sex in the city.

Today i received some GORGEOUS yarn called 'mint splice' from minicuteture.com.au.

Now i need to surf ravelry and figure out what i'm going to do with it.

Another rainbow dress

2009-03-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

This one is a size 9mths.
The colour of the bodice is actually a pale mint green. It looks a bit grey in the photos.
The bodice is cleckheaton country and the skirt is my hand dyed yarn (can't remember which brand)

Pattern is on Ravelry (by Georgie Hallam - Tikki)

It's been a while...

2009-02-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

Finished my first 'Oriental Lily' dress. Here is the recipient modelling it.

It was quite an enjoyable knit, though i was a little panicked i was going to run out of yarn. That would have been a HUUUUGE disaster!

Also have 98% finished some longies for H(11mths - walking!) (am leaving the legs to finish closer to winter as he may not need them for at least another 8-10 weeks and is growing like a weed!)

I can't believe he's in the extra large size! What a fatty!

My friend Jodie (tis her little girl above) made this awesome Owl for H man.

We call him 'Owly' and he lives in the cot with 'Ollie-dollie'

On the needles now... Another rainbow dress. Stay tuned.

More stuff

2009-02-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a dress i'm knitting for a friends little girl. Mstr H was kind enough to model it for me. I just need to do the sleeves.

Cute pic, but i just don't think he can pull off a dress!

Went around to a friends house on Monday and did some more dyeing.

And what i currently have on the needles, another pair of longies for H-man.

It's a mixture of my home dyed yarn and woolganic (raindrops).

Where I'm at...

2009-01-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Longies for H... Just need leg cuffs finished and elastic in waistband. I'm leaving these like this until closer to winter incase he has a growth spurt!

This photo dosn't do them justice. They are super cool if i do say so myself. I love 'em.

I will have to do a hoodie to go with it.

Here is the simple dress i did for I5 a couple of weeks ago;

Excuse the yucky HSM tatts!

And what i have on the needles currently 'Oriental Laila'

(pattern by the awesome Tikki (http://tikkifabricaddict.blogspot.com/2008/07/oriental-lily-dress-pattern.html)

In other crafty endeavors i dyed some yarn (it came out abit girly for my liking, but i luff it anyway!)

Getting there...a work in progress

2009-01-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

These longies were neglected for a few weeks due to Mr H being a bit of a teething misery guts.

I'm back in the swing of things now, can't wait to get these finished and move on to my next project.

New dress for Miss 5

2009-01-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Watching tele - typical!

This pic is a bit blurry, i had two boys trying to climb on my lap at the time!

It's got twirl action

Trying to stay away from the computer - it's tough!!!

2009-01-11T00:17:00.000-08:00

I decided to try and take a computer break. A break from forums for a few days or so.
I had found myself with tons of fabric and tons of yarn piling (sp?) up, a lot of time looking at other peoples crafting and a sense of frustration for not getting anything done.
So far so good, although i couldn't help a teensy look at facebook and a quick pop into my forums. I had the best intentions but baby H9mths has been very clingy (teeth) and likes to sleep on me, so whats a girl to do...
So far i've finised one easy dress (can't post a pic cuz it's on Steve's work camera, which is at work!). I've got about 75% through another dress (will post pics when finished - hopefully tomorrow) and have done some baking with the kids.

We made gingerbread men from scratch

We made homemade passionfruit icecream

and homemade bacon and cheese bread rolls

Phew!

2008-12-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

Today I stayedd in my pj's, didn't shower, nor do my hair or even wash my face.

Today i was a slightly neglectful mother, pretending not to notice those little hands dipping into the cookie jar a few times too many, or the little boy who ate all the icing of his dad's finger bun. Hmmm, actually maybe i'm not too neglectful since i made cookies and pink & blue playdough with the little tikes this morning. Lets just say i was neglectful from 10am!

I spent the day making this for a friends little girl.

Getting my boy to model this for me cost me the promise of a treat tomorrow. It just looked so wrong on him. Must be the boyish frame or the way he stands or something!

On the needles

2008-12-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

Yet more longies for H(8mths)... These are for next winter, so will leave legs on stitch holders until closer to the time.

The brown wool is 'woolganic' (ahhhh) and the colourful one is my hand dyed 'boutique' wool from BWM.

Shorties finished!

2008-12-02T01:08:00.000-08:00

Made from my home dyed wool (bendigo).
I'm really pleased with them. Already cast on another pair! I'm always insanely happy when i finish a project, hence the zillion different photos from every angle! I can't even begin to tell you of the half finished long since abandoned projects in my cupboard. Have slightly cheated, elastic is in the waistband, but not sewn in yet, so that's why it may look a little funky. Next time i'm going to make sure i watch a youtube video on short rows, to avoid getting the little holes.

Jenny's 'pimp my longies' pattern again!

sans baby

standing shot

laying down shot... hehehe

close up shot

Our day at the beach

2008-11-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

What a day. So exhausted. Taking 3 kids and all their changes of clothes and drinks and nappies etc is full on. I felt like a pack mule. The kids had a real blast. They played in the fountains, splashed in the surf, scored a pony ride and an icecream.

C3's first pony ride. Nana got a great photo of the kids sitting on the camel.

It's the easy life for some eh Mr H?!

The big kids with their dad

More wool dyeing

2008-11-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest efforts. I'm thinking a pair of longies for next winter and a matching hat. I might stripe it with blue just so it's not so in your face! It was originally pearl coloured 'boutique' yarn (65% Wool, 25% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, 10% Mohair: An exotic blend of Wool, Mohair and Bluefaced Leicester. Bluefaced Leicester Wool is renown for the lustre of fine, long fleece) from http://www.bendigowoollenmills.com.au
Really soft and lovely. Can't wait to see what it knits up like. I have two other projects on the go at the moment so i'll have to be patient!

YAY dress is finished!

2008-11-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

It was so nice knitting something girly, i think it will really suit baby C.

picot hem. Would have liked to have hemmed the dress in the same wool as the bodice, but i ran out and no chance of dyeing more exactly the same. Not for this novice dyer anyway!

recycled buttons, you can see my wee mistake in this close up. Wool (bodice only) was dyed with wilton cake dyes, the skirt is cleckheaton.

trying to be arty farty! It seems the 'thing' to take pics of your knitting hanging in trees!

Mum decided to get in on the crafty act, and made these for the kids.

On the needles at the moment... A winter hoodie for Hamish. I think i'll have another rainbow dress on the go at the same time, or else i get bored. Busy fingers!

Wool dyeing session

2008-11-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy with today's efforts! The sorta purpley bits were suppose to be black, not quite sure what happened there, but pleased none the less.

Not so sure about this wee number (this was down last week)... I think i'll use it striped in a hat or something.

Got some more outside drying. Addictive stuff this!

Drool with me

2008-11-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

I made a trip to spotlight today. Was only meant to get one measly ball of wool...
yeah right!

and this is what it's for (without the pants - blurgh!)

Fabric has been hidden away in the cupboard, away from my darling husbands eyes.

I am very naughty and am putting myself on a fabric buying ban until i get some projects completed!

The same goes for wool.

Today the scales gave me a nice surprise, the lowest weight i've been in a while (77.7kg). I felt so inspired i opted for sushi for lunch when mum and C3 had maccas (stolen chips don't count right?)

Plans for tomorrow. Wool dyeing with T, and some fabric cutting. Squee.

Tikki rainbow dress

2008-11-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

Frustration is....

running out of wool with only a teensy weensy bit to go.
ahh well, just an excuse for another trip to spotlight!
This is for my friends wee girl for next winter. I just had an urge to knit something girly.
I'm planning on finishing it with a picot hem and embellishing it with some buttons or a knitted/crochet flower of some description.

I've enjoyed knitting this and will do one for 'L' next ;-). Not until my stitch markers arrive though! Using waste yarn is a pita!

Pattern can be found here http://tikkifabricaddict.blogspot.com/2008/08/rainbow-dress-smaller-sizes-test.html

btw, the 'skirt' colour is a much richer purple, looks a little flat on my screen.

Some sewing and photos of my little men!

2008-10-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

the boys (i think this car will soon cause fights!)

sporting a new nappy we got today... ssssh don't tell daddy!

awww!

I made this top and dress for a secret swap. Now they have been received i can show them!

size 2, swing top - great for toddler tummies!

my poor son modelling the dress. He's 6mths and it's a size 12mths. I wasn't happy with how the sleeves turned out nor the fastening at the back. I so need to learn the button hole function on my sewing machine! It was my first time using bias binding too. ugh!

My wee Sportacus fan

2008-09-22T03:48:00.000-07:00

He's so gorgeous.
He wore this to kindergym and to the supermarket with his Dad. Awwww.
Now to find Missy Madam a 'Stephanie' dress up. Am not having much luck!

I think i'll leave it to the professionals!

2008-09-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

So tonight after bath time, i tried to take some pictures of the kids. It quickly descended into chaos!

Pic 1 - C3 looks a bit goofy! Big thumbs up to H5mths, looking at the camera oozing cuteness.

Pic 2 - C3 tilts his head back so it's a good shot up his nostrils.

Pic 3 - H5mths starting to look concerned...

Pic 4 - Now here's one for the grandparents! It was at this point i gave up.

Baby on my back.

2008-08-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

Baby H(5mths) on my back in the mei tai.
He giggled when i put him up there (freaking out the husband when i superman'd him over my shoulder!) I watched a 'how to' video on you tube. Still, it's one thing to do it bending over your bed, and another to try it on the street!
Only bummer is that i'm not flexible enough to get the dummy to him, and it is inevitable that he will up-chuck down my back. I guess it'll make a change from between my boobs!

Some mothers do have 'em

2008-08-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

I5 drew this lovely picture for me last week.
It's of our cat Poppy doing a wee.

I use to get rainbows and flowers...

New hat for H

2008-08-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a wee hat I did for H(4.5mths) using shepherd colour-4-me and my hand dyed wool.
I used the 'how to knit a basic hat' pattern off The nappy network. I'm not sure if the rolled edge is a very manly look though?

This is what happens when you try to take a photo of a baby in a bouncy chair!

awwww.

Have just received my parcel of wool from BWM and have ordered a 12 pack of cake dyes off ebay. Stay tuned!

H's longies - finished!

2008-08-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hooray! My first 'in the round' project! Well the first one to actually work out! I did short rows and a gusset even.

I'm rather pleased with them if i do say so myself.

In this last pic, he's decked out top to toe in my knitting.

Now i'm working on a hat using my home dyed yarn. It's like i have to constantly knit these days. The house is a total pigsty because of it!

So proud!

2008-08-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

I5 comes home from school on Friday. I ask if anything exciting or interesting happened.

"I bought a cookie from the canteen at lunchtime" she says.

Just before bedtime, she comes out with this...

It's a bit hard to read, but it's a special award handed out by the school principal at assembly for "having a go at story writing".

*beam*

On the needles and scrummy fabric

2008-08-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here's what i have on the needles currently.

This is my first project on circs (well the first one that has worked out!) and is such a great pattern for a beginner. I used Jenny's pattern (pimp my longies).

And here's some beautiful Amy Butler fabric i ordered off ebay. Can't wait to get it. It's so pretty!

Dyeing wool

2008-08-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

Well i've been having a great ole messy time dyeing wool. I've tried once before using koolaid. This time i tried Wiltons cake dyes. I just wish spotlight had a better range of colours.

First soak wool with an even mix of water and vinegar. I soaked mine for over an hour.

Forget to put on gloves.

Best to try dyeing when you have 3 wide awake children too. It's even better if they are unable to do as they are told and keep trying to pick up your little pots of dye.

nuke in micro, soak in vinegar solution once more.

ta da!

Baking Thomas cupcakes

2008-07-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

I thought WW3 was going to start over whether we baked the fairy cupcakes or thomas.
In the end, I5 very kindly let C3 bake his thomas cupcakes. I think the fact they were chocolate (fairy cupcakes are vanilla) swayed her decision!

Now that's a happy boy! Cupcakes and thomas all in one.

Ignore the mess in the background and on the bench! Hey, at least i'm doing stuff with my kids right? Housework will always be there.

C3 is not wearing pants (he's got undies on though!) because he cracked the egg and managed to get half in the bowl and half all over his pants. Bless him.

:-) Quick and easy and the kids get their thrills.

To start me off... Introducing the kids!

2008-06-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my three kids! I just love them to bits.

I is 5 and a bundle of energy. She is loud, fun loving, confident and FULL ON! She likes to be the centre of attention. She is no shrinking violet this girl! She has a heart of gold, but knows how to look after number 1. She could talk the hind leg off a donkey.

C is 3 and my little softie. He has great big brown eyes like chocolate buttons. He melts my heart. C is having a little trouble with his speech at the moment, but we are working on it. He loves trains and bob the builder with a fiery passion. He sneaks into our bed at some point every night and has perfected getting in between us without waking us up.

H is 3mths and just the most gorgy, chubby, jubbly, squishy cheeked baby ever! Now we have got ourselves sorted and sussed each other out everything is apples! He is quite an easy baby and is growing waaaay to fast for this mothers liking!

Our family is complete!