Reading Room

Looks like a great reading corner to me!

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Oh My Donald

Little Mouse on the morning commute...

'Oh my Donald had a farm,

E-I-E-I-O Cow!

Wit a moo moo here and a moo moo here, moo moo everybody here.'


And lest you think nothing but charm comes out of the mouths of my children...

Little Monkey impatiently waiting for something which she can't have just now because I'm cooking....


'Mum!

If I was a Mum.....

I'd be faster'


!!!!!!

Project Diving

Lately I've been trying to sort out the many many many bags, drawers and boxes (and saucepans, shoeboxes and baskets) that contain yarn, fabric, projects, WIPs and various craft abandoned items which will be really useful someday but not just now.

I can't deny that I have a hoarding disorder. I even collect materials for crafts that I don't actually do. I've the makin's of several lovely quilts, altho' my sewing machine hasn't been threaded since I hacked made some curtains when we moved into our house 15 years ago. FIFTEEN!!!

Hmmmm. Now that I think about it I'm starting to worry about the embroidery kits I got at the Knittin' 'n Stitchin' Show recently. I'm starting to see a pattern of unfounded project ambition here.

Anyhew...I've been trying to sort things out a bit and I came across this little beauty in amongst the stash. It's a pattern called Flore from this website.

I loved making it - tho' I didn't find it easy at all. It was pretty tricky, but a great challenge and very rewarding when it was finished. Kinda like the buzz you'd get working out a complex mathematical problem. If you liked that sort of thing. Come to think of it, it WAS a maths problem!

(I stress that the pattern was perfectly well written and clear, it just took some concentration and visualisation. No criticism of the pattern itself intended.)

It actually makes people gasp. Unlike many of my other handknits, I have trouble pursuading people that I made it. They probably think I'm delusional.

Now, I am delusional about many things;

- like that I can still get Little Monkey out to school within 5 minutes although she's only half dressed, can't find her shoes, hasn't finished her homework and she's currently chasing Little Mouse under the dining room table.

- like the true size of the clothing I should bring into the fittingroom

- like how much I need a particular yarn or project tho' I can hardly get into the yarn/junk/box room

- like I can meet my urgent knitting deadlines in November

But this?

This is real baby.

Sigh.

I love knitting.

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Just because...

...it looks like nothing's going on around here,


...sounds like nothing's going on around here,


...seems like nothing's going on around here,


...that doesn't mean that nothing's going on around here.

Just so you know.


Knitting has stalled on the Shepherd's Sock Secret Project due to a greater deadline of the Christening Coat. Photos to follow when I manage to get my laptop and the camera and the cables all in the same room at the same time.




Recently we went to Palma Mallorca for a long weekend. It's a great city. I love it. Lovely architecture, access to beaches, wonderful shop fronts, winding little streets, old pedestrian areas (er, the areas are old, not the pedestrians - tho' there are a few wise old ancients here and there around the place).

I love the Cathedral area, and the walk up to the train station, and the panoramic train to Soller in the north of the island, and Soller itself, which has all the great elements of Palma listed above (including old pedestrians) but on a smaller more accessible scale.

The panoramic train itself is reason enough to go. We took it on a wet day and stormy day, with thunder and lightening around us as we chugged throurgh the mountains. Great fun.




Little Monkey left her mark.

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Dis-Harmony

Recently Little Monkey has started this amusing dialogue on car trips.

'Are we there yet?'

[pause]

'Are we there yet?'

[pause]

'Are we there yet?'

[pause]

[longer pause]

'How 'bout now?'

[pause]

'How 'bout now?'

[pause]

[even longer pause]

'Now?'

[PEALS of laughter]

[repeat joke]

'Are we there yet?'

[sigh, and my head hits the steering wheel]

She saw it on some cartoon or other. You can imagine that it's endlessly hilarious to her. Slightly less so to me.

She especially likes to start it when we're only 2 minutes into the journey.

In any case, I mention it because of this:

'See anything wrong with this picture?'



'How 'bout now?'

'Now?'

Shocking innit?

I had been carrying them in my handbag for out-and-about-knitting and they must have got caught up in a keyring or something and snapped. Tragedy.

I have carefully preserved the tip for some reconstructive surgery involving wood glue and some sandpaper.

I am hopeful.

Bloody but unbowed.

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Love Bunny

The start of another school season means lots of new stationary, pens, folders etc. I love stationary.

Little Monkey does too, with a vast and chaotic collection of notebooks, drawing pads, colouring sets, papers and folders*. Of course, it’s waaaayyyy more fun if you decorate your folders too, so out comes the glitter and pens.

This particular scene is based on her current favourite book. Dear Bunny: A Bunny Love Story. Normally we don't do schmaltz in our hourse, (sentiment yes, schmaltz no) but this is delightful.

Valentino and Valenteeny, (Tino and Teeny for short) live across the valley from each other but have never spoken because they are VERY VERY Very very very (very) shy. Anyhow, they write each other little notes and eventually meet and fall in love. I just love the way these bunnies are shown in profile with their ears straight up. They look like they’ve been electrocuted!

And can you see the little hearts coming out of their mouths? Sweet innit?



Oh yes. Knitting.



There's that too.



* I guess she didn’t lick that chaos off a stone either.


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Fish Felt Thing

What can I say about this? It was to be a potholder for my friend’s birthday. She gave me such great encouragement over the felted bag swatch shown earlier that I wanted to say thanks. With felt. Heartfelt thanks in fact.

She's a fabulous crafter and makes the most sublime rolled felt (i.e. wet felt) things. Just. Fabulous.

There's no joy compared to giving someone you love something you made yourself, that you know they will really appreciate. (And don't TALK to me about knitting for your children. Little Monkey would break your heart! Mind you, she's very considerate - perhaps with an eye to her disinheritance. 'Yes I like it Mummy, I just don't want to wear it!')

Knit for other knitters I say - or in this case, felt for other felters*.

Well, it IS a potholder, but it turned out a bit bigger than planned, and then I got a little carried away with the embellishments so now my friend says she’s not lettin’ her lasagne dish anywhere near it.

So let’s call it a Fish Felt Thing and leave it at that.

That yellow thing in the corner was going to be a a flower, but Little Monkey said it was obviously the sun.

She's probably right.

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* Oops. Sounds vaguely obscene, sorry!

Butterfly Close Up

As requested....love that Mona Lisa smile!

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Body Art

Speaking of Little Monkey, we have arrived at the Age of Body Art (apparantly that's 7-and-a-half, who knew?).

So far, of the painted or sticking-on variety thank goodness.



Exhibit 1 - a lovely fairy-like mask effect over one eye by a very talented face painter. This is the original state-of-the-art.

By now it's 3 days old (no pics) and it looks like she's got an open wound on the side of her head. Makes people stare in the supermarket I can tell you.

Not to mention all the paint on her pillow.

Sigh.



Exhibit 2 - a silver tattoo. She loves it and is hoping it lasts until she goes back to school at the end of the summer so she can show her friends.

She also has an enormous silver tattoo which she wants to stick on her back. So far I've pursuaded her to keep that one for a special occasion.

I can see her refusing to wear clothes at all.

Which is a whole other phase entirely.


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Little Monkey Knits

First off the camera is this project, a Knitted Bag, designed and knit (mostly) by Little Monkey. *



Lovely innit? (It's Regia 6ply sock yarn, in case you're wonderin'.)

You can see by the detailed design layout above that the concept is all hers. It clearly states its intention to be a knitting bag by the heavily embellished title under the handle, if you can make it out. A knitted knitting bag in fact.

The butterfly motif? Not lovin' that so much. It's pretty an' all, but I can see it causing problems for her to make down the line. Love that butterfly expression tho', and the way the antlers look like an especaily tall hat.

The design to the right of picture is Little Mouse's contribution. She has yet to reveal what it is it, but I think it's wearing a grass skirt.

That garter stitch in variagated yarn is quite yummy. I've never been a big fan of garter stitch, but this looks vaguely delicious. Strawberries and cream?

The real triumph of this project is that it's the first thing Little Monkey has stuck with past 2 rows and that she keeps asking to knit - even to the extent of reaching for it while watching a DVD.

Now there's a knitter in the making.

Am I proud?

You bet.


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* ETA: of course this sample isn't finished. It's going to be a basic rectangle with a fold-over triangular flap and finger-knitted handle. In case it's not that clear at first from the design specs-with-butterfly.

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JGG Update

So there is some knitting to show after all, despite the lack of actual knitting in real time. Here is a sleeve from the Jolly Green Giant, from 'round about the time that I had to cease knitting-through-the-pain.

Isn't it purdy?

And yes, it is hanging from a tree in the garden. NOW I understand why blogs always show the knitting hanging around outside lounging on vegetation. In this case it's a particularly nice maple tree and this is the branch that Little Monkey spends a lot of time hanging out of.

(If I remember, I'll post a picture of this tree in Autumn - the colours are SPEC-TAC-ULAR.)

And here is a detail of the Hugs 'n Kisses detail running up the sleeve. Notice that I removed the 1/4 pattern at the rib edge. Happy sigh. Much better.



And by the way, this lurid colour is far closer to the actual colour than the pic above. People, I tell you, this is a green to take notice of. A green that is not ashamed. A green that will heard and noticed.

You can see this baby from Outer Space.

At night.

In a Black Hole.
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Sunny Monday

In honour of the lovely weather we had over the weekend, (and in the absence of any knitting progress), let me present the following. On Sunday, Little Monkey picked these flowers from the garden. She went to a lot of trouble to get a mixture of flowers and greenery together.

Notice how the two little fair flower heads are leaning together?

Now see how these two little fair heads do the same?

Aw....

Of course, Little Mouse had to get a closer look at the camera.

Double Aw.....

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Knitting Bag Two

And continuing the theme, here's another Knit Bag from The Bag Lady. It's a miniature one for Little Monkey (aged-almost-7-years-old).




Little Monkey loves it of course. And here's her Very First knitting project. A scarf in alternating purple velour and a multi-coloured ribbon yarn.



Cute innit? That kitten really does it for me. (For those interested, the kitten was cut from another fabric and appliqued).

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So, how old is Jesus anyway?

Description: A recent discussion between NicKnits and NicKnits beloved eldest daughter of 6 years, Little Monkey.

Scene: driving to school

Setting: in the NicKnits car

Little Monkey in a tone that indicates she is or is about to be up to something: Muuummm...what does Christmas celebrate?

NicKnits: Well..........

Little Monkey: I know I know I know! It's to celebrate Jesus's birthday!

NicKnits: That's right pet, it's Jesus's birthday.

Little Monkey: So....how old is he now then?

NicKnits: (......silence!)

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I did finally manage some kind of an answer about how infinite and universal Jesus is etc. and she says that it doesn't matter how old Jesus is, he still helps everybody in the Whole World.

So there.

And that includes you.

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