grumpygirl

Sedate

If you read my sidebar (and why not, it's fascinating stuff) you'd notice that I've started another granny. I'm using the pink and white Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton that I got in the Cleggs sale. But I had to buy 3 balls of the silvery gray as a third colour. So I've 33 balls. How big a blanket I can make, I'm not quite sure. Queen sized?

The sense of urgency I had to crochet like a mad woman has left me slightly. So I'm dropping back to a more sedate pace and enjoying having miles of planed yarn ahead of me, with my two WIPs. And the best thing is, they're both portable, so I can sit in the car and crochet if ever WB falls asleep.

Plus, my other current addiction is Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician Trilogy. It's nice to have a new set of books to read again. My problem is that I tend to devour new authors so quickly that I end up with nothing left to read. Hopefully I'll learn to be continue at a more sedate pace in this regard also.

Good things

Tuesday
Spent lovely afternoon at our ace local park with L&C.
C was a great model, but still lots to learn about lighting.
L managed to play in sand without actually touching sand with hands.
Rare moment of contact with said sand:

Model moment:

Wednesday
After mother's group, we go to Sunspun.
Bought 5 balls.
Bad bad grumpygirl.
About to put WB in carseat when we get beeped by crazy lady in car tank waving madly at us. Crazy lady turns out to be Sockmonster.
Coincidence! Just like time was in shop whilst ceels doing phone order.
Have a quick hot choc with Sockmonster.

Today
Stroll around shops with E&G.
Bought glass jars for biscuits that are about to be baked.
These arrived from Book Depository.
$40 for 5 books.

Look forward to delivery of Book 1 soon so I can start.
Vale David.
Am going to be sad re-reading these.
Luckily his characters are belly-achingly funny.

Another

Purty, huh? Even better in that it's from stash yarn. I originally bought the yarn for the Georgie cardigan but I know I won't be knitting clothes for me for a long time, so a blankie will be perfect for this yarn. Machine washable wool. This yarn is too thin when knitted, so perfect when crocheted.

I did 4 rows of 12 repeats and then decided it was too wide.
So I cast on and did 4 rows of 10 repeats. And decided it was not wide enough. Doh! Shoulda hedged and done 11. Back to the 12 repeats. I've got 10 balls, so it should be JUST long enough. If I block it right.

I'm feeling so happy and relaxed at the moment. I've almost shaken off the cold and am feeling really productive, craft-wise. And, I even found a new fantasy writer with lots of books to put on my library list.

I think a large part of my new wellness is WB's sleep. In the last week, he's finally settled into his room. He's happy to have BD settle him at night again, and generally go into his cot without tears, is asleep by 8pm at the latest and we have our nights back again. He ends up in bed with us sometime between midnight and 2am, but this is slowly getting later and later, rather than the other way, thankfully.

For his day sleeps, I'm not even bothering with the cot anymore, it just upsets him. We loll about on the futon, reading, sometimes feeding, then he falls asleep without any crying. It's great. I'm still not 100% so sometimes I've fallen asleep too (I'll know I'm completely recovered when I'm no longer able to nap). But the best part about it is that I'm able to leave and he will still sleep for at least 2 sleep cycles - 80 mins. And then he has about another hour in the afternoon. He's slowly getting used to the noise from the street too, which is great. I ground coffee beans today and heard not a peep from him. The futon is great - being so low, WB knows he can get off it whenever he likes, so he doesn't usually bother trying. Not when he knows he can cry out and I'll come running. And it's a double so he won't fall off. But if he were to, it's not a big drop.

So all in all, life is good and I hope it continues for a little while yet.

Honestly

Honestly, I could just sit and stare at my lap all day long. This blanket is making me so happy, I am in no rush to finish it. Which is so odd, considering how much angst the yarn gave me for such a long time.

I'm not sure I'll be able to give it away as planned.

My view

Here is a slightly burred and overexposed photo of our backyard, newly mown. This is taken from our back balcony just outside our sliding doors in the lounge. The view makes me happy. You can probably tell by the number of recent posts that I'm feeling much better and energetic. This outlook makes me happy.

Hugs

The 4 ends of every
intersection of the 48 squares
have all been weaved in
Not to mention the ones on the outer edges
So so many ends
And yet, I want to make more
of these blankets
that hug.

I remembered that I have always wanted to make two blankets that I saw ages ago on Posie Gets Cozy.  Firstly the granny square blanket from her post on the 27 Feb post with the expanse of cream around it. And I love love love the soft waves ripple one here (but erm, sans le chat).

However, my problem with leftover yarn is that I don't really have any. Stash yarn yes, leftovers no. I hate leftovers so much that I will plot and plan to ensure I include all yarn into a project.

Alas before I can start a ripple for our own bed, I have 2 others apart from this one to do first. Hmm, maybe I can make a ripple with the wool cotton purples using a random stripe generator.

Killing two birds and all that. Not that I have anything against birds. Sneezy-making cats, yes..

Just 'cause

I love being able to wrap my son up in my handknits.
Here he is in three layers - vest, jumper and blanket.

 

Here he is in two taken at the park today:

And one, just 'cause I can:

And 'cause my new lens kicks ass.

Crochet seaming tutorial Mark II

I tried to seam the Sublime Organic Cotton squares the way I have done with the previous blankies, but it just didn't work. I think the yarn needs to be much stiffer. So instead I joined them with a double crochet from the back.

Herewith a quick pictorial.

The seam looks like this from the front:

And from the back:

l

2. Double crochet through all four loops.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. Repeat.

All sewn up

Well it's all sewn together now - it took a little over a ball. Just the borders to go now. I say 'just' but this will involve at least 3 balls. I think I'll do a row of yellow, a row of green, then pink then green again.

Here it is in perspective with the little master who sees knitting and must walk all over it:

Up close:

Closer:

And again:

Love, love, LOVING my new lens. No more messing around with iPhoto or lighting.

Dirt

Right now, right this very moment, my dream job would be an archaeologist. Specifically, one working with the Time Team. In my uni years, getting dirt under my fingernails was nowhere near what I'd call fun; medieval history drew me instead. But as I sit here with my box of tissues (sick again) watching Time Team episodes on ABC's iView, I can't think of any other sort of paid work I'd like more. Still pondering why exactly.