Blogtober - Day 9 - Shhhh

A bit of secret knitting...
Just started today, and only two weeks to finish it.  As if I don't have enough projects on the go!
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Blogtober - Day 8 - New Clothes

Today has been very productive.  For me, that is - nothing happened on the building front.  They get a long weekend as they're waiting on more materials to arrive.

I spent the day holed up in my office keeping the sewing machines company.
It took me most of Tuesday to trace & cut a pile of patterns, then cut out the material for this t-shirt.

BigMiss is quite pleased with it.

I also made these easy bike-pants. 
Artsy photo taken by MiddleMiss

I've been meaning to make some for the girls to wear under their school uniform for ages (little girls have no modesty when playing - or even just tying shoe laces!)  I wasn't sure how the pattern was designed to fit, so only made one to see and choose what sizes to make each of them.  This one fit MiddleMiss perfectly - without even having to put elastic in the top.  (I'll see how it goes with wear as to whether I put any in.)  I have to make a bigger size for BigMiss still.

Then LittleMiss felt she was missing out, so I spent the rest of the day cutting out and sewing up this top.
Excuse the still-half-asleep look

I'm not too sure if I really like it though.  It seems too wide.  It might end up going to cousin J for a birthday present in a couple of months time.

And yesterday I finally got around to blocking the top I finished knitting for BigMiss.
She had great fun posing for me!

I'm halfway through writing up the pattern for it, and already started on the prototype for the DK/8ply version.
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Blogtober - Day 7 - My Latest

I've recently decided to be brave and knit myself something bigger than a sock or scarf.
Do you think I'll look like this when I'm done?

This is the Geodesic Cardigan.

It's knit in laceweight/2ply yarn - that's like knitting with sewing thread.

I don't think it will be finished for use this Spring.


But I am making progress:
Though, I'm contemplating undoing it all and starting again.  I don't really like the way the edges are done.

I was planning on actually following a pattern without modifying it for a change.

Oh, well.
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Blogtober - Day 6 - Busy, Busy

So, today consisted of:

Three extras to entertain for an hour and a half this morning.  (I got in a photo shoot with Nephew D for my Elisaac jersey pattern.)

Off to the shops as soon as the extras were gone to buy school sandals for all three girls.  And the additional three pairs of jandals for only $2 each.  (Making use of the special before it's over instead of the week after as I've done before!)

While up town, getting a text to say that Aunty K was coming in half an hour to pick up LittleMiss for the night, as pre-arranged, and us not being quite finished town jobs or lunched yet.

Rushing to the bakery to get coffee and slice to take to visit with J at work.

Visiting J, eating caramel slice for lunch, then rushing home to meet Aunty K.

Having a natter and look at renovations with Aunty K in the sunshine, before loading LittleMiss into the car.  (Nephew E, 3yrs, was most impressed - "Aunty Amber!  Look, at what they're doing to your house!")

Back up town again to visit the last shop we didn't get to so we could buy some bamboo/wool yarn to make MiddleMiss' top (my latest pattern), then to the library to return overdue books and get more.

Home again to tidy the multitude of puzzles left lying all over the lounge floor from the morning.

And now I have to get the wash in, fold it, and make something for dinner!
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Blogtober - Day 5 - Renovations

As of just last Tuesday, we have been subjected to early mornings and days full of banging and sawing.

This was our house before any changes happened:

Photo taken about a month ago, courtesy of one of the girls during a random photo-taking session.  (These sessions seem to be a common occurance - and it's amazing and interesting some of the photos they take.)

Since then, the fence has been taken down, half the concrete path has been taken up, my clothesline has been moved and the lawns are a bit longer!

And...
By Thursday last week

Friday last week.

Monday.

Today.

The builders have been here.

The girls have been loving it.  They've collected piles of sawdust and offcuts and made themselves a 'shop' that sells food of all descriptions.

Yesterday afternoon it was on the builder's work bench so it had to move today.  Here it is nicely set up on top of the dog kennel.

I asked the girls to take these photos themselves.

This is a cake.

These are hot-cross buns, bananas, and jam.

This is butter.

The stones in the corner are chocolate.  The big thing with the grass & sawdust is a cake too.

And they're quite entertained just watching the builders sometimes too.


The mornings are early because the builders turn up before 8am and we have to be dressed, breakfasted, beds made and curtains open before that.  Normally this happens, but it's supposed to be school holidays and I'm usually still in my dressing gown when J leaves for work at that time!

But I'm not really complaining as it's making me so much more productive on my home days.  I feel guilty if I sit down and do 'relaxing' things like knitting or surfing the internet (like I sometimes do) when other people are busy working hard outside.  So my house is spotless - dishes done, washing folded, lounge tidy - every morning (before morning tea time - helped by the fact that the apprentice always comes in to borrow the jug for their coffees and I hate people seeing my house in it's normal state of 'mess') and I'm doing more useful things.  Today it was drawing and cutting, but maybe more on that tomorrow...
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Blogtober - Day 4 - Too Late

I've been having too many late nights and early mornings.  I really need a catch up on sleep.


I was planning on doing a post on my latest knitting project (something for me).

Or on my latest knitting pattern design (first prototype off the needles, waiting for blocking).

Or on the renovations currently going on around here (why I have to get up early even though it's school holidays).

But I really think I might just do the dishes and go to bed.

Maybe you'll hear about it all tomorrow...
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Blogtober - Day 3 - I Haven't Fallen off the Wagon!

I do realise I missed posting yesterday.

It's not that I forgot to post.  I chose not to.  I have a self-imposed rule of leaving Sundays computer-free.  (It would be tv-free too, but we don't do tv.)  It's nice to have a break, even if sometimes your fingers are itching for the keyboard and mouse...

I'm not really sure, though, if doing an extra post on either the Saturday or Monday is cheating*.  Is it cheating my rule to double my computer time on one day (ie two posts) just to be computer-free another day?  And is it cheating Blogtober to double-post one day to make up a 31-post total for the month at the end?




*Cheating is probably the wrong word here.  When there's no winning or losing, there can't really be cheating.  Maybe I should say "Am I being silly to double-post instead of just missing a day each week?"
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