Happy 2011 to all

Just a quick look at my latest effort. I'm not at all sure about this one. The pattern and colour selection came from a pattern book but it is very bright and I'm not sure that I will finish it although I love strong colours. I rather feel for the poor little person that might end up wearing this. What do you think?
In my corner of the world yesterday was last year and didn't it go out with a bang. The noise of fireworks, in the housing estate oposite us, started at about 9.pm and continued with great enthusiasm until a couple hours into the morning. We weren't dog sitting this year but if we had been I think I would have been under the bed with them. I'm not a fireworks fan. I know they're very pretty when they're not being just plain loud but I grew out of them a long time ago - they terrify animals, not just dogs and cats but horses can do themselves injury running into fences in panic - they waste an awful lot of money and can be downright dangerous in the wrong hands. "Bah Humbug!" I say.
So there. Now that I've nailed my colours to the mast, you'll know what an old sourpuss I am but I still want to wish you all a Happy New Year filled with all sorts of good things.
Bye for now until next time.

The man of the house at last believes that he has sufficient evidence to enable him to have me certified and sent along to a home for confused gentlefolk. Personally I fail to see what I've done that is so weird. You see one of the woodworkers confided in me that he needed a draught excluder for his garage as he didn't like the wind blowing leaves in under the door and making a mess. Now it happened that I had, in the bottomless pit that is my sewing cupboard, a bundle of curtain sample pieces that I thought might one day become useful. As well as that there was a bag full of clean discarded items, now only suitable for donating to the the op-shop for their rag bag. It seemed logical to me that I could marry this hoard together and produce the necessary draught excluder. Whoopee! A chance to get rid of some clutter. How big did it need to be? Answer - 17ft. - the width of a double garage door. So - much sewing and lots of stuffing later, this is what I produced.
Result: My friend is delighted, my husband thinks I'm nuts and you can't even see a gap where all that hoarded stuff was.
The finished work had to be rolled into this snail shape so that I could photograph it. The man of the house added the banana so that you can get an idea of it's size.
I hope your Christmas was a happy one. Bye for now until next time.

Woe is me.

My dentist has gone on his Christmas Break.
My dentist has gone on a spree.
Without him I can't eat my Christmas cake.
Oh bring back my dentist to me.

Wouldn't you know it; I've broken that darned tooth again - just brushing this time. But before you reach for the tissues to join me in commiseration, I must confess that it isn't hurting and apart from being really awkward to eat I can wait until my dentist returns to work. What is it they say about Murphy's law? What can go wrong will do so at the worst possible time. Right on Christmas Eve - yep, I'll agree with that.
Now that I've had a jolly good whinge I want to wish everyone out there in Blogland a Happy and peacefilled Christmas and a prosperous New Year - and if your faith doesn't follow the season then I wish you happiness in the pathway you've chosen for life.
Bye for now, until next time.

Just ducky

A friend had been looking for a waddling toy duck for her grandchild. She'd been to all sorts of markets, she said, and had not been successful. After going through the library of books on wooden toys that we have at the woodworkers club, the man of the house disappeared into his shed and this is what he produced. I loved it on sight and it went over very well with our friend too. The leather feet flap and cause the duck to waddle from side to side. I think it's really cute and got a bit of fun playing with it myself before we gave it away.....well, I didn't have a waddling duck when I was a little girl - just filling up a hole in my list of lifes experiences.
Back to winter today. Do you know the weather man predicted snow in high places. Not that I'm complaining - much more comfy than the sweltering temperatures we could be having at this time of year. Steamed pud for Christmas dinner is much nicer to eat on a cool day.
Bye for now until next time.

A lacey change.

I love the challenge of a lacy pattern and now and again take a break from the garter stitch that I use for blankets. Really, after the first couple of pattern repeats it becomes no longer a challenge as my memory takes over. Still the pleasure remains. Dodging my pet hate - sewing up, I knit to the armhole shaping then put all the pieces on a circular needle. No seams - luvly. I think it's more comfortable for the little one who will wear it too.
This time, following an enquiry with the welfare group that I'm knitting for, I'm using acrylic as very often mums in difficult circumstances don't have the washing facilities that enable wool to be washed carefully. If a garment can't go into a washing machine it can be more a nuisance than a benefit. I like to use a wool blend if I can as that washes well, but it can be difficult to find at this time of year.
I joined Ravelry this week. Goodness knows why as I have no idea what to do with it.
Dropped my camera this afternoon - disaster!! All my pics disappeared. I had saved all but the last half dozen or so on a message stick but I really wanted that last half dozen. So I went haring up to see the nice man in the camera shop near home who put my chip into his computer and rescued them, putting them on a disc. If I'd had my wits about me I could probably have done that myself and saved $10. Never mind, as I said, he's a nice man and the experience has taught me a lesson, actually two. 1. Don't be such a clumsy clogs and 2. Back up immediately.
The man of the house made chicken & dumplings for dinner and rescued the fruit cake that I forgot I'd put in the oven. He really is a gem, bless him.
Gotta go now, my turn to wash the dishes.
Bye for now until next time.

Just as we'd hoped.

What a day it was. We'd been dodging rain drops all week but our Gala Day turned out fine and not too hot. I really got my 10 thousand steps in, helping to carry and set up the toys for this display. We handed them all over and got the chance to thank so many folk who help us out through the year. Those who donate paint and timber and, of course our wonderful patchworkers. As she does every year, Joe's lovely wife made 20 pretty quilts too, especially for the prams.
The picture here is only some of the toys that went to local welfare groups, there were 605 in all, but it gives you an idea of the kind of thing we do. In receiving the toys for her organization, one of the recipients said, "Every year I think the need can't get any worse, and every year it does." That's a sobering thought in this land of plenty, I think. Then there was the little boy of about 3 years, whose Dad's ticket won a toy in our fund raising effort. The little one's round-eyed "Ooh" as he accepted his toy made our day. We don't often get a chance to see a toy in the hands of a child. That was a real treat.
Planning begins now for the list of toys we will make next year. One of the blokes, who will be on holiday for a good part of next year has started on his toys already. It's addictive. We can't help ourselves and it keeps our little grey cells ticking over very nicely.
Anyway, a rattly feeling around my rib cage reminds me that I haven't had lunch and in my part of the world it's nearly 2.00 pm, so I'd better be off.
Bye for now, until next time.
PS if you want to get a closer look at the toys you can click on the picture to enlarge it.