Sorry for the blog blackout. I’ve been kind of snowed under. Well, busy at any rate.
Last night was Em’s dance concert. Do you know what that means? That means that I’m free of dance lessons for the rest of the year! I don’t have to go to the dance studio 7 times a week. Hip hooray!!
The concert was lovely, the best yet, I think. Em didn’t win any of the major prizes this year, but she did receive a special award for having 10 years of perfect attendance. That’s right, not one missed lesson in 10 years.
Her teacher gave her a lovely gold bracelet with her name engraved on it. See Emily? Up there? Over the moon?!
We did take time out for a nice relaxing day on Sunday. We had a beach day and headed down to Wollongong. The weather looked a little bit iffy, but it turned out gorgeous.

Beautiful view, and the skydivers were out, enjoying the weather.



We had fish and chips for lunch, ad the seagulls came along to check for leftovers.

I took along my knitting, of course.

I started the first front of Buttercup.

However, when I got home I took a good hard look at it, and I wasn’t happy with it.

The picots looked a little crowded and messy to me. So I frogged it and started over. The picots are meant to be done every second row, but I’m doing them every fourth row. I’m happier with it now, but not totally happy. I’m not very good at nice, even, tidy picots.

I’m tempted to rip it out again and start over, abandoning the picots altogether. But I’m too lazy.
David came home bearing flowers yesterday.

For Twinkie, not me. Spoiled much?
15 days until we leave!

Busy like a beaver. But not much I can show for it. I ordered some Zara in pink from STYK, and thanks to Janette’s super service, it was here Monday morning.

But it’s another secret project, and I can’t say what it’s going to be. Well, I should say what it is, because it’s done, and it’s blocking right now. Here’s a hint.

I can’t say I’m entirely happy with the project, because it’s come out much larger than I’d hoped, but I hope the recipient likes it. I’m done with my secret knitting now, so hopefully I’m going to have blogworthy stuff! The secret projects will be revealed in good time.
I have also been working on Buttercup, and despite the fact that I don’t normally like working with cotton, I’m really enjoying this project.

I’ve made some good progress on the back. It’s a fun knit, just a seven row repeat, which isn’t’ nearly as difficult as it looks, although a few rows back, I left out one row and had to frog back, but I just wasn’t paying attention.
And I picked up a long neglected project, although I haven’t given it nearly enough attention.

The Shetland Shawl has been brought out of hibernation. I have plans to enter it into the Sydney royal Easter Show, but I figure I’d better finish it first.
Thank you to everyone for your continued good wishes for the recovery of my foot. I’m still not wearing decent shoes, there’s still some bruising going on, and I’m still hobbling, but it is improving.

As to whether Twinkie is repentant.

Does she look like it? Her only concern is her belly!

Where do the weekends go?
I have another finished project! Flicker is finished!

I knit it almost twice, but I’m pretty happy with it. Bathroom mirror shots coming up.


The hat was purchased as a kit from Kim Hargreaves, here. It wasn’t a difficult pattern, I just can’t seem to learn to swatch.
I used 3.5mm needles in the end, the yarn is Rowan Wool Cotton in “Misty”. This is the first time I’ve used Wool Cotton, but I think I’ll be using it again, it’s a really nice yarn. Not at all stiff like some cottons, it feels much more like wool. It stood up to the frogging very well indeed.
And here’s what was supposed to be a shot of the back of the hat. Not an easy picture to take!

I’m not usually a hat wearer, but I’ll wear this one.
I also finished the top secret project, but I can’t show you that one just yet. And I started another secret one!
I also started a new scarf for Em. Just because she doesn’t wear any of the others that I’ve knit for her. I’m a sucker.
I started it a few weeks back actually, but it wasn’t going well.
She wanted a pink and white scarf, and I wanted to do it in a chevron pattern. I flicked through my beloved Barbara Walker treasuries, and came up with this.

I was pretty happy with this, but I didn’t like the back.

So I tossed it aside until this weekend, when I came across the perfect scarf in Scarf Style, ZigZag stripes.

But now I don’t think I’m going to have enough yarn!
For the Twinkie fans, here’s her new trick.

To get a “kiss” from a bunny, hold a grape between your lips!
24 days until we leave for the USA. I’m not sure if I’m more anxious or excited. I’ve already had bad dreams about the flight!

Well, I’ve finished Nicole. Finally. But I have to say I’m not 100% happy with it.

Please excuse the very bad hair day.
It’s a nice top, and I love the Cathay, but I’m not sure about it. I don’t think I’d wear it out in public the way it is. (And what does it say about me that I’m saying I won’t wear it out in public, but I’ll put it up here, on the internet for potentially thousands of people to see?)
The lacy bit on the front is possibly a little bit too lacy to be worn on it’s own. And it’s not my style to wear it over another top. It’s not uneven at the bottom the way this picture would suggest, btw.
And I think I would definitely need to button it up all the way to the bottom. I’ll leave the navel baring to Em, who has a nice flat tummy, thankyouverymuch.
So, I’m undecided. And I think that’s why I haven’t been in a hurry to finish it. I’ll have to think on it a little longer.
I did start something else.


It’s my Buttercup shrug by Kim Hargreaves! (Why do I keep calling it Butterfly?) All is going well so far. Let’s hope it stays that way.
And something else may have been resurrected from the WIP pile….

I’d like to say that I’ve been absent because I’ve been sitting with my foot up, knitting.
But I’d be lying, I’m afraid. I’ve been flat out.
Ailsa’s birthday party was wonderful. Great food, great people, great atmosphere.
Too many drunken pictures, but here’s one of Ailsa and her hubby.

Most of the others on my camera are blurry or too dark. No idea why, it certainly wasn’t the ridiculous amounts of alcohol that were imbibed!
For Rose Red, even though today isn’t Shoesday, here’s a picture of the one shoe that I wore to the party.

Nothing flash, just something not too high, comfortable, just nice black strappy shoes that can be worn anywhere. And yes, I wore the single shoe. As you can see, my toe is healing up nicely, apart from the pretty colours! (But I still can’t get any decent shoes on my feet.
Em’s mobile phone got pinched on Friday night, so most of Monday was spent trying to unlock an old mobile phone for her to use, and then she had dance photos Monday night. Yesterday, I did some long overdue housecleaning, then I finally sat down to knit.
I’d almost finished my Flicker hat over the weekend, before the grim realisation that it was just too big hit me. I tried to deny it, but Ailsa confirmed it for me on Sunday morning. So I ripped it out, and yesterday morning, I’d managed to get it back to here.

So no real progress there, but it’s this close to finished now. And I finished something else, too. No pics yet, but this afternoon I wove in all the ends, and put the buttons on Nicole. I haven’t even tried her on yet, but if all goes well, pictures at the weekend, I promise!
And my Ravelry t-shirt came.

Now I’m all news-d out!