Dinosaur! Roarrrrr!

That's the name of the lastest pattern I've purchased on Ravelry.

I'm on a self-enforced yarn buying ban this year and so am trying to knit from my 'stash'. I saw this little pattern recently released by it's author Luciana Jorge and thought the budget could probably cope with it's $4 purchase seeing as it would pay for itself, what with all the cute gifts I could make from stash with it (I should also add too that I've had a couple of emails from the designer and she's just lovely - I love supporting people that are so nice...though most knitters and designers I've been in contact with are all fabulous).

The reason I really 'needed' to purchase it though was we'd bought a pressie for James, (one of our antenatal kids who was holding his birthday party today) but it needed something else

Anywho - to cut a long story short, I bought the pattern Wednesday and by Friday night the Mumma and Bubba Steg were completed, after being knit, washed, blocked, stuffed and sewn. I could get addicted to toy making - so quick, and Penny was besotted.

'Now, Tim you can be the baby stegosaurus, and I'll be the mummy stegosaurus...

(click to enlarge)

A Labour of Love

My family draw names out of the hat to decide who is buying for which member. This year it ended up that I was buying for my brother. I asked him if there was anything in particular he really wanted and he replied 'a CD or DVD, anything action or NZ'.

Now, this made me nervous...my brother buys a lot of DVD's and CD's and I was worried about picking one that he already had. There's a bit of pressure involved - this could possibly be my brother's only Christmas present and I wanted to get him something he'd like.

So that's when I threw his suggestion out the window and tried to dream up a super pressie (in hindsight I've decided that this is what I don't like about the name drawing/buying a present for one person with the pressure that it could be there only present and that I need to find them the ultimate gift)

I decided to make my brother a photo album with pictures of grandparents (3/4 now deceased), parents, himself, my siblings, rellies, friends and nibblings. This was not something I could do on my own.

I emailed everyone related and asked for any photo's of family stuff that might appeal to my brother and luckily the family responded. Photos came of reunions, weddings, Christmas get-togethers, relations etc - dating back as far as 1910 and as current as last week.

I saved them, compiled a disc of 190 odd and had them printed. Last weekend the album was constructed painstakingly (painstakingly when you lay them all out and realise you have too many...or that once you've stuck them in after the 3rd attempt at arranging that you've left out a page in the album - easy to do with the acid free tissue like sheets between pages)

Couriered to Hawkes Bay on Monday to ensure it a) definitely got there and b) that it arrived in time

And today, Christmas Day, a get a phone call from my brother in tears. He loves it and is really chuffed.

Phew - mission accomplished. Super gift status reached.

The front - a photo taken 1986, my father and brother together - not orginally a b&w pic but I made it that so that it would match the front of of the album

The start of the album - each set of grandparents had a page which included their wedding pic

Then there's a page each of Mum and Dad as children, and then together

Followed by Luke's arrival and then pages of him growing up and family pics

It included events - balls, birthdays and here, camping out at a family farm to see in the millenium

Lots and lots of family weddings and unfortunately a funeral, truly, it's like 4 weddings (in my immediate family) and a funeral

The arrival of different generations - here is my first babe, Luke's first niece

And more recent photos of get-togethers and new additions to the family

Altogether, the photo contained pics of 5 generations within it's 40 pages.

Family - there are lots and lots more photos of all of you and your weddings/children/graduations etc - I just didn't put up every picture as I wasn't sure how you'd feel about those pages being on my blog. xoxo

Gorgeous Wee Nieces!

I've had two delicious nieces born in the last month to two equally wonderful sisters of mine. I really am not going to give them identical presents for the rest of their lives, but I just had to knit up a couple of rainbow dresses and cupcake hats! I hadn't knitted either before but loved both patterns and it won't be the last I do of either!

For Amelia - born on the 8th of the 8th, my ~ Precious ~ set:

For Abigail - born on the 13th of the 9th, my ~ Joyous ~ set:

In fact, I can add cupcake hats to my list of custom knits as I've been granted permission by the lovely designer to knit for sale - so feel free to contact me if you'd like one whipped up!

Transformation

Take a cone of 2ply merino, in the colour 'maize'

Hank - now hanking 160gms of 2ply without a swift takes a wee while... I won't bore you with a picture of it wound around chair legs.

Dye - this was kettle dyed using food colourings

Dry and then ball up ready for knitting. Now, the balling took forever, thank goodness for Blair being in a really good mood that night! He patiently sat there for about an hour and a half with his arms out as I hand wound the ball, fixing any snags that we had along the way. Then using the wool winder I reballed so I could have a centre pull ball (and so it was nice and tidy). I called it 'Emerald City'

And then the fun part - the knitting...

This is a large sized Ishbel named 'Arohanui'. It's going to be given with much love.

My first real lace and 2ply knitting, as well as my first time full on blocking, using and inserting a life line and my first time reading a chart. Crazy, I've been knitting for probably 20 years but I've been playing it a bit safe I think ;)

Get this though, there is still something like 110gms of the hand dyed yarn left!

Wee Daisy Clutches Available

Fancy Collecting Some Daisies?

This looks like just the right situation for a wee Daisy Clutch!

It's a lovely wee felted bag - inspired by Amanda's Around About. I've been in discussion with Amanda and will be selling these wee beauties!

It's something I whipped up this week - it's actually not for Penny but she loved trying it out (I wanted to check how functional it was. It passed the test). It was great in that while she was using it, it sat flat on the ground (super blocking on my part if I do say so myself), and the two handles opened up nicely. Then on returning inside with her flowery stash it was easy for her to hold and carry - nice and light. I wouldn't suggest she collects a bag full of stones with it, but it would easily hold a number of special stones, shells, leaves, flowers oh as well as her cellphone and sunglasses. What wee girl doesn't need something to carry those around in?
 
Email me on jstanfield@xtra.co.nz if you'd like to order one, prices start at $20.
Embellishments (knitted or needle felted) are also available for a small additional charge.

I love the idea of making them to match wee tops and cardies. In the pic, Penny is wearing a little 'Spring Butterfly' designed by Rachel Evans

Much to Penny's dismay this was also not for her, but for a swap I'm taking part in. But what a nice knit and fit. I will have to whip one up for Penny I think.