Updates, updates!
I finished the back of Satin! Hoo-bloody-ray.

It’s not that I’m not enjoying knitting it, or that I don’t like it, it’s just that it seems to be taking so long.
In addition, I started something new 🙂
I’ve ordered Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. It was quite expensive locally, so I hunted about and ordered it from an Amazon dealer, saving around 25% on the local price. Did I check the local library? No. Because their knitting selection is crappy, and I just know that they won’t have it. Guess what?
Of course they had it. So, being the impatient soul that I am, I went and borrowed it 🙂
I started the “garter stitch cardigan” which is knit in a 8ply (DK weight). Nothing suitable in the stash (!), so I headed off to Spotlight (bleurgh) to seek out something suitable. All the pure wools they carry are too scratchy for a baby, and they carry no “luxury” yarns, so I was about to give up when Em said “Hey Mum, what about this?” “This” was Patons Zest, an 8ply acrylic courtelle. I looked at the label and turned up my nose immediately. However, my little yarn snob in the making insisted I feel it. And damn if she wasn’t right! It doesn’t feel acrylic-y! It feels like a soft well worn cotton. So I bought it, and am pleased with it so far, but it is making my hands ache 🙁 I’m nearly finished though, so it’s all good.



The knit is super quick and easy, but cute anyway. I’ve never knitted a garter stitch all in one cardi before, but I am impressed by it. I like to see babies all dressed up and sweet, but sometimes simple is lovely too. The cardi is meant to have garter stich front bands and sleeve bands, but I think I’ll leave it until the baby is born, then do the bands in pink or blue. It’s making a nice change from Satin, at any rate.
Emily has been learning a duo dance with a friend. They competed for the first time last night, and they won 🙂

I can hardly sign off today without mentioning Pope John Paul II.
I am a Catholic, however until just a few years ago, I was most definitely lapsed. When Emily was 8 or 9, I started to take her to Mass, as I wanted her to make her First Holy Communion. I was surprised to find that I was enjoying Mass, and that Emily was too. Since then, we’ve been regular Church goer’s. In fact, Emily is a regular Altar Server, and is attending the Catholic High School. I would never shove my beliefs down someone else’s throat, I believe wholeheartedly in to each his own. DH’s religious beliefs are vastly different to mine, and we respect each other’s beliefs.
I was only a child when John Paul began his Papacy, and he is really the only Pope that I’ve ever known. His passing is not unexpected, but it is extremely saddening anyway. While he was very conservative, he always struck me as a kindly, loving man. He will be a hard act to follow, and sadly missed.
The prayer “In Paradisum deducant te angeli” from the Funeral Liturgy seems appropriate today.
In paradisum deducant angeli:
In tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres,
Et perducant te in civitatem sanctem Jerusalem.
Chorus angelorum te suscipiat,
Et cum Lazaro quondam paupere
Aeternam habeas requiem.
Into paradise may the angels lead you:
May your arrival be greeted by the martyrs,
And may they lead you into the holy city,
Jerusalem. Choirs of angels sing to you,
And with Lazarus, once a poor man,
May you have eternal rest.

I like to think that he was met at the gates of Heaven by Our Lady.

So apparently today is Flash Your Stash Day. I’m not quite ready for that yet 😉
So I decided that baby steps are in order. I’m flashing my Sick Sock Stash.

I didn’t start knitting socks until January of last year, when I found a ball of Opal that I really liked. All of this has been accumulated since then. Sock knitting hasn’t taken off here in Australia yet, and there is very little sock yarn readily available. From whats in the stash, only the 2 balls of Opal, the hand dyed yarn (by Celia) and the Ozyarn sock yarn was obtained locally.
I have enough yarn on hand for 28 pairs of socks. That is my whole sick sock stash, apart from the Mountain Colors I’m currently working with.
In addition to the yarn shown, there is enough for 5 more pairs on it’s way from Elann, and I’ve ordered enough Lorna’s for 3 more pairs from Lisa.
I have Regia, Lorna’s Laces, lots of Elann Sock It to Me, Opal and Lion Brand. Of all of those, only the Opal is available locally. This yarn has come from lots of sources, Threadbear, The Knitting Zone, Elann and Knit Happens. Some has been gifted to me by Jill, Katy, Lisa and Janine.
I love sock yarn 🙂
I love that you can buy enough for a whole project, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I like that it doesn’t take up much room, then sit there glaring balefully at you until you knit it. I love hand knit socks. I like knitting them. I’ve pointed out more to DH that I would like to receive for Mothers Day. I’ve asked for Sock Knitting Books for Mothers Day.
My name is Donna and I am a Sock Yarn addict 😉
The other yarn will remain hidden until further notice.
In keeping with the sock theme, I have frogged the Friday Harbor sock. The pattern is for people with nice slim little ankles. I don’t even have ankles. My legs look like legs that little kids draw – straight down to the foot, no tapering, just tree trunks. 😉 A new pattern will be found for the yarn.

Seeing as I finished DH’s Big Mexiko socks, and my Sick Sock Stash is reaching rather large proportions, I decided to knit myself some more socks. Mind you, SixSox next sock starts tomorrow, so I should probably wait for that, but common sense doesn’t apply to knitting 🙂
I have been inspired by Sandy’s sock knitting adventures, and have decided upon the Friday Harbor socks from Knitting On The Road, which was kindly gifted to me by Jill.
To make these socks, I’m using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Crazy Woman.

The colours are darker than I thought they’d be when I ordered the yarn, but it is heavenly soft to touch and knit. It has 60% wool, 25% mohair and 15% nylon, and is fast becoming my favourite sock yarn 🙂
Mind you, I’ve only done 14 rows.
Satin is progressing s-l-o-w-l-y. I like the yarn, I like the pattern, but stockinette bores me to tears. I pick it up, knit a row (142 sts), get distracted, put it down and walk away. Must persevere! Must!
Like everyone who resides in this house, Twinkie likes chocolate. Well, I haven’t tried the budgie yet, but the budgie eats everything we do. At least, he tries.
Saying Twinkie likes chocolate is possibly the biggest understatement of the century. We used to get her little bunny chocolate drops at the pet store, and giveher a treat sometimes, but they don’t stock them anymore. I have been breaking off teensy teensy little pieces of Easter egg for her, and she then follows me around like a puppy.
We got home from dancing last night, and Em ate an Easter Egg. She then laid on the floor to play with Twinky.
Twinky obviously could smell the chocolate, and went insane, trying to eat Emily.

Emily was giggling hysterically and the rabbit was hysterically trying to find the chocolate.
I live in a madhouse.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend 🙂
I love long weekends. I’m a sleeper, so being able to sleep until 9am or so is the perfect way to start the day for me. Most days I have to be up to get Em on the 7.30am bus. Yuck.
However, I have eaten far too much chocolate. I can almost see all those kilos I lost lining up to jump back onto my butt.
Anyway, I knit 🙂

I finished DH’s Big Mexiko socks. And I must say I did a pretty good job of matching up the pattern. (Mind you it wasn’t a particularly complex pattern). I did a little of Satin too, not as much as I should, but some 🙂
And look what the postman brought!!

Lisa had a caption contest on her blog a while back, and being the generous soul that she is, she decided that everyone won! Thankyou Lisa!! I especially like the pup pic, and it is residing on my desk as I type 🙂
I went a bit mad with the end of Lent and as well as ordering sock yarn from Elann, I ordered a couple of knitting books. I ordered The Yarn Harlot’s book, and I also ordered Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.
I love to knit baby clothes. Unfortunately, most of my family are babied out now. DH’s cousin and his wife are expecting a baby in a few months though, so I plan to get knitting 🙂

Happy Easter!!


Twinkie was not especially happy about playing Easter Bunny 😉
The bow lasted all of about 2 seconds, which is why there isn’t a great picture. Maybe she would have preferred a pink gown and tiara. 😉
What did I get in addition to chocolate for Easter?
Look Up! Up there in the little URL window at the top of your screen!!
I now have my own domain! And you didn’t even notice because my very clever DH set up an autodirect thingy that sends everyone here if they try to go to the old URL. If you’d like to change your bookmarks, the new URL is http://www.randomknits.net/, but apparently it doesn’t matter much. 🙂
My own home! I’m told that I should no longer have trouble with you lovely people leaving comments, because I’m on a new server, and I don’t have to worry about super slow server time at various times of the day. Hoo-bloody-ray!!
A lovely Easter Sunday was had by all. We had beautiful weather, and headed over to my big sisters house for lunch, where Em showed off on the trampoline.

I’m very glad that all those dance lessons I’m paying for are achieving something! 😉
PS I did this entry at what used to be the slowest time of day, and had nary a glitch, and no server waiting time! Yippee!!