Knitting the Moody Blues during Covid Iso.

May 17, 2020 ~ margaretsealey ~ 2 Comments

Stuck in Covid isolation, Kenn and I have found ourselves bingeing on Netflix or Foxtel. Now this is not necessarily a bad way to while away an afternoon or two or three but I’ve found there’s been some unintended consequences.

I think I’m in danger of turning into a social media meme because I couldn’t just sit or lie on the lounge and watch TV for an extended period of time. I obviously needed to build up my stamina for this new endeavour for I found myself taking lots of breaks to peruse the depths of the pantry or the fridge for a little something; preferably something I had just baked that morning, stashed in the darkest recesses of the freezer or opened the night before. All too soon, my jeans seemed a little tight. This had to stop. I had no desire to turn into a puffer fish. I still harboured dreams of being a svelte sardine!

So to stop my hands wandering on their merry way to my mouth and depositing inches on my hips, I opened the door to my craft cupboard where my yarn stash awaited. As I watched the first season of Prodigal Son, Locke and Key, and Ozark, caught up with some old favourites like Anne with an E and movies such as Ride like a Girl and Downton Abbey just to name a few, I’ve knitted and I’ve knitted. And without meaning to, everything I’ve knitted is a different shade of blue.

Happy with earlier efforts knitting with cotton and cotton blend yarns, I firstly finished a summer top for myself in Drops Paris, a cotton linen yarn which I had begun before Christmas and neglected. And I persuaded my daughter Melissa to model the finished project for me.

*This is Sirdar pattern, 7972 and I knitted a size smaller than my usual size as I’ve found that cotton yarns give a little more with washing than wool.*

***I particularly like the slubby texture of the linen/cotton blend and the cable and lace detail on the yoke. I purchased this yarn online and the service was great.*** ***Drops is a Norwegian wool company. Their yarns are very well priced and mostly spun in the EU.***

I was on a roll. Now it was time to knit something for the grand children. Such a joyful thing to do don’t you think?

***I decided to try and knit a jumper for Ilyssia who lives in Darwin.***

I found the pattern on Lovecrafts. It is called ***Lil Rascal*** and is by West Yorkshire Spinners. I particularly like the neckline. There are no buttons etc and so it is very easy for little ones to put on themselves. I also like the easy cable panel of 0’s and X’s or as I like to call it hugs and kisses.

Next came a cardigan for Genevieve. I finished it in time for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. She turned 5! It seems just yesterday that Kenn and I were holding her for the first time in Perth! And she is still as lovely as she was then, a wonderful big sister to Frankie and Harriet. We were a little sad that we couldn’t be there to help blow out her candles but that’s Covid for you.

Once again I found the pattern and yarn on Lovecrafts. I knitted it in Willow and Lark’s Nest which is a beautiful blend of merino wool, cashmere and tencel. It is really lovely to knit with.

***I couldn’t get the light right for this photo. The buttons are brighter than this***

Well with two knits for two of the girls, it was time for the boys. As many of you know I have two beautiful grandsons who serendipitously live here in Byron Bay. I thought it would be super cute to knit them matching jumpers but in different colourways. But instead of wool, I would knit them in cotton which suits our winter better.

After much deliberation and a long chat with my sister Jenny, I settled on a pattern by Oge Knitwear Designs. Again I purchased this pattern on Lovecrafts and downloaded it.

***I began with*** ***Huddy, pictured here enjoying a day out with Poppy***

This is the first time that I have knitted anything with a collar. The pattern was very easy to follow

And then it was time for Jude’s. What colours do you pick for a Botticelli cherub?

Why white of course! The main section and second contrast is knitted in King Cole’s Bamboo Cotton while the first contrast is knitted in Drops Cotton Light. I think both jumpers look great but I personally prefer the feel of Jude’s jumper. Bamboo Cotton is a great yarn!

Practice makes perfect so they say and this collar went on even easier than Hudson’s.

Restrictions are now beginning to ease and maybe it’s coincidental or maybe it’s my subconscious at work but my current project intended for Francesca, Genevieve’s sister, is ruby red! The Moody Blues have left the needles.

What have you’ve been crafting in lockdown?

Covid 19 and social distancing in Byron Bay

April 27, 2020 ~ margaretsealey ~ 4 Comments

It’s been an awful few weeks for all of us. There is such a sense of loss pervading the world. It’s hard to grasp the loss of life first in China, then Italy, Iran, Spain and more recently the UK and the United States. While here in Australia, we seem to be doing well in comparison to the rest of the world, Covid 19, with its plethora of social distancing regulations is still affecting all of us in many different ways : some good, some not so good.

For example, I thought that social distancing and social isolation would be a breeze for me. After all, hadn’t I whiled away many an afternoon lost between the pages of a good book? All by myself? And I had made a serious New Year’s resolution; namely to don my Marie Kondo persona and declutter every room in the house – a herculean task that would keep me gainfully employed at home and Vinnies restocked for the foreseeable future! And there was the cupboard full of crafty stuff longing to see the light of day. All I had to do was open it.

But I discovered that it’s one thing to choose to be isolated and busy in your own home and quite another to be forced to isolate and social distance and be busy in your own home. Initially, for me, it changed how I viewed these ‘at home’ activities. They lost some of their appeal because, with the exception of going out for some exercise, they were the only things I could do. I spent too much time dwelling on what I couldn’t do. Whether it was spending precious time with the grandkids, going out for coffee or a meal with friends, enjoying a visit to the cinema or local library, being able to exercise with more than one person or leisurely browse the shops for that perfect but non-essential gift or new pair of shoes, I was resentful that for a time, my connections to the wider world had changed.

However, when I began focusing on what I could do, I found that although much had changed, I had so much for which I was grateful.

Back in early February nearly 24 inches or 600 mls of rain decided to fall on Byron Bay over a couple of days. It was a deluge. So much rain that we were almost flooded!

We had waterfalls cascading down our retaining walls and surrounding the house on three sides.

Despite spending far too many hours sweeping water away dressed for the occasion in my pyjamas and gumboots, or on hold with the SES or bemoaning the lack of sandbags, I am very grateful that the house survived intact and was not awash with mud and slush.

So of course, now that we are confined for the most part, to the house, Kenn and I have been busy repairing the damage. Generally, I’ve watched, admired, made coffee and planted while Kenn did all the hard stuff.

New paths constructed and stormwater drains installed

And while the garden continues to be a work in progress, we have taken advantage of the beautiful autumn weather to leave the house and get some exercise. Mindful of social distancing we have generally avoided the walk up to the lighthouse for even in this time of social distancing amid the Corona virus pandemic, there are still lots of dedicated walkers ahead of you and behind you. Instead we have enjoyed the Three Sisters’ Walk at Broken Head and its easy to see why.

The track is only 1.6 kms return and follows the clifftop to a lookout over Kings Beach.

**Initially, you enter a shady tunnel of greenery where**

We have also enjoyed daily beach walks. We are lucky that people have obeyed the rules and so our beaches have not been closed.

***The water is still so warm and as you can see, hardly another person in sight***

***And at the moment, the rock platforms are revealed at low tide. Such fun to explore***

***Loved the colours through the Pass. So much to see and feel! Here, it’s easy to forget Covid for a time.***

Kenn has thoughtfully pumped up the tyres on our pushbikes and we have ridden around our local bike track. It hasn’t changed very much since I wrote about a year or so ago. And of course, I’ve been able to go to golf. I really was upset when for two whole days golf was on the taboo list. Byron Bay Golf Course is just beautiful at the moment and I’m enjoying the stroll around the course while I try to curb my wayward driver, over enthusiastic pitching wedge and disobedient putter. It’s great to chat, from a distance with your partner as you complete the course but of course I miss the the fun of the 19th hole. But how good is it that I’m able to play?

***View over the 9th hole at Byron Bay Golf Course***

***Although there is a lot of water around the course, I love the reflections and the ducks.***

Now that I can’t go out for dinner or lunch as I used to do, I found myself spending a lot more time in the kitchen. I’ve been cooking some retro recipes such as my sister Jenny’s curried sausages. Haven’t had curried sausages for years but these were delicious. And of course I’ve baked bread! As I kneaded vigorously for the required 10 or so minutes I told myself that I was building muscle that I would be able to utilise for my drive. ( I wonder how many loaves of bread I will have to knead before I notice a change?)

I made it easy for myself by using this mix. They are a family business from SA.

My Marie Kondo persona has also made a tentative reappearance. The great decluttering has begun! Kenn tackled the garage and following quite a few trips to the tip, the floor and walls resurfaced. Inside, the study is once again an inviting space. There’s still so much to do but then Covid 19 isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

Now I’ve never been one to linger over housework but Covid has made me more thorough than normal. I actually wipe most surfaces such as floors, benches and door handles with disinfectant everyday where it would have been once every few days or in the case of door handles, once in a blue moon. To make the task more appealing, I’m using a local product that has a wonderful scent of lemon myrtle. It’s like bringing the rainforest into your home.

This local company has a full range of products which do a great job. And I would never have noticed them if not for Covid 19. I found them in my local Mitre 10 store but the products are readily available online.

Nor have my afternoons been idle. There has been time to read or binge on Netflix or Foxtel while knitting a little cardigan here or a little jumper there for the grand children. The craft cupboard is well and truly open for business.

I’m hanging out for an easing of restrictions. While I was sad to say goodbye to our overseas trip to the UK ( we were due to fly out late May) I’m more concerned that I won’t be able to travel to Darwin at the end of July to meet a new grand child. When this little one comes into the world, Kenn and I will have seven little Australian grandchildren. Who would have thought? We were childless nearly 5 years ago! At the very least, it would be lovely to be able to travel intrastate and catch up with family that we haven’t seen for months. While face-time is great, it can’t replace that special hug a little one bestows.

For the moment we have to keep on keeping and focus on those little things that make each day special: the flowers, the blue butterfly that loves visiting the azalea, the breeze in the trees or just that special cup of coffee made for you with love.

How have you been keeping busy during Covid 19?

Summer knits for an Australian summer.

November 14, 2018March 3, 2019 ~ margaretsealey ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by Craig Reucassel’s TV documentary series, ‘War on Waste‘, I decided to set myself a personal challenge: to make something for myself to wear this summer. Instead of buying a few new t’shirts or tops for summer, I would try and knit a couple. This could be my small contribution towards stemming the tide of super cheap fast fashion that is so easy to become addicted to, but is so bad for the environment. After all, when you craft something, watch it grow and evolve over a period of time, you have a vested interest in it. You are less likely to consign it to a Vinnies bag after donning it a couple of times!

But even though I was full of good greeny intentions, I had a few inner misgivings as knitting something for summer would be a first for me. I wondered if this project, which I could visualise so tantalisingly in my mind, would feel good on. Would it be too hot or scratchy or itchy against the skin? And perhaps most importantly of all, would it fit well or would I be wasting my time knitting up a shapeless garment that even a charity shop would reject?

But I would never know if I didn’t try.

Perusing my favourite knitting website, Loveknitting, I was surprised by the range of summer yarns and patterns that are available. After much deliberation I chose cotton blend yarns in DK or 8ply and found two patterns that I thought were simple enough for my first efforts. (I know my limitations – my fingers definitely do not move at the speed of light and I did want to finish this project before Christmas!)

page_medium — This pattern is by an independent designer, **Laurimuks patterns** and is called ‘**Pebble summer top**‘ One of the things I like about independent designers is that their directions are always very clear, detailed and easy to follow. The designer knitted this in King Cole Smooth DK but I wanted a natural fibre, not a microfibre yarn, so I substituted with another King Cole yarn with the same tension .

I thought it might look good in white so chose a cotton silk blend by King Cole, called Finesse.

20181114_105227 — This is beautifully soft to the touch and has a beautiful sheen and texture.

And my second choice was Sirdar pattern 7280.

sirdar7280_2-1 — This pattern has a sleeveless version but I thought I would knit the version with sleeves. Unfortunately, the colour I wanted in **Beachcomber** wasn’t available so I substituted another Sirdar yarn called **Amalfi** with similar tension.

20181114_105122 — This is a cotton viscose blend. I love the flecks of colour in the yarn. It too has a lovely feel.

I knitted up the Amalfi yarn first. I think Sirdar have been very clever with the marketing of this yarn because as I knitted away, memories of our stay on the beautiful Amalfi coast hovered over my needles. While I found I had to pay attention to the pattern for the first couple of pattern repeats, it was very easy to follow and much to my surprise, I was soon finished. I am very happy with the result.

20180914_133729-COLLAGE — The central rib pattern gives the top elasticity while the lacy pattern really helps with air flow. It feels lovely on the skin and I particularly like how the orange highlight does not dominate but just adds to the unique texture. Special thanks to Liss for modeling the top for me. (**Postscript**: This yarn keeps its shape very well when washed. While it’s not a top for a heatwave, it is lovely to wear when the temperature is in the mid 20s. The pattern is very true to size and there is more than enough ease. Next time I will consider more closely whether I would like the finished top to be snug or loose fitting and if snug is my decision, I would go down a size.)

Could my second top be as good? I cast on my stitches and was soon making progress.

20180915_095325 — This yarn felt absolutely amazing as I knitted it up. So incredibly soft! And it has this lovely sheen and texture! But I wondered about the bottom edge which was knitted without a basque. Would the finished top be too loose?

The pattern was really easy and soon I had finished.

20181114_142940 — While the top is the same front and back, the broken rib pattern allows the top to mold to the body when worn, giving an attractive silhouette. It is very cool and comfortable to wear. And suprisingly, the bottom edge does not ride up! There is something special about cotton/silk blends – an affordable touch of luxury. (Postscript: I have since washed this top a couple of times. While the top still feels and looks amazing, there has been a little bit of give in the garter stitch bottom edge which annoys me a little even though others haven’t noticed. I think that I would incorporate knitting elastic into the garter stitch edge next time if knitting in this beautiful yarn, Also the pattern has more than enough ease. I would be tempted to go down a size as well. Having said that, I love, love wearing this top. It’s worked out so much better than I could have hoped and plan to knit a jumper for winter out of this yarn.)

My tops have brightened up my summer wardrobe. They were very cost effective. Yarn and patterns set me back about $50 Australian. So not much more than cheap fashion! I really like them and will be careful to follow the washing instructions given for the yarns, hopefully ensuring several years of wear.

And while it shouldn’t matter what others think, it does give you a lovely feeling when a stranger stops you and asks, “Where did you get your top?”

Go handmade!

A Tale of Two Cowls and a little Jumper

July 18, 2018July 18, 2018 ~ margaretsealey ~ 1 Comment

Two years ago, our family and friends were celebrating Lyndsay and Reece’s wedding at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. Although it didn’t snow, it was cold. So cold that everyone was rugged up in beautiful coats and jackets, hats and beanies and interesting scarves that flowed this way and that, while we enjoyed exhilarating walks that ensured that blood still flowed to our extremities.

Coming from Byron, my cold weather garb was particularly uninspiring: of course I had purchased a lovely outfit for the wedding itself, after all I was the mother of the bride! But everything else I had was comprised of items designed to brave the New Zealand wilderness on walking treks. Practical, yes! Stylish, well only if you’e modelling the yeti look! I cast an admiring eye over the stylish casual attire and accessories everyone else was wearing. Before this, I hadn’t really noticed that infinity scarves or cowls had become a fashion accessory. My sisters, Jenny and Maryanne looked particularly good in theirs so I resolved on my return home to give knitting one a go.

It’s only taken two years to follow through and I can’t even use the excuse that I didn’t have the materials on hand. Nestled in my stash were two skeins of very special, hand dyed, hand spun wool that Lyndsay had brought back from her travels in Montana a few years ago and I had found a free pattern on Ravelry that would be perfect for the job. Still better late than never as they say.

I knitted the cowl on a circular needle.

20180506_075641 — I decided against knitting in rounds and joined my cowl using mattress stitch. Even though the wool was very chunky, the join is virtually undetectable and you don’t have to worry about twisting stitches or moving stitch markers.

What was interesting about this pattern was the edging: it formed a very natural roll on the finished cowl while the lacy middle section made for an interesting textual contrast.

20180713_141652 — The finished cowl can wrap around two or three times depending on the look you are after.

The pattern does suggest you use a stretchy bind off. I had never used one before, so I consulted You tube to find out how to do it. As you can see from the photo above, it gives your cowl an elliptical shape ensuring that it sits better when you wrap it around your head.

I was so pleased with the finished scarf, that I decided to knit one as part of a birthday gift for my sister Jenny. I knew that she already had a couple of chunky cowls in her wardrobe so decided to try something different. I settled on 2ply Silk Mohair. I wanted something unique, so I sourced the yarn from Lara Downs, an independent Australian Merino Wool and Fine Mohair grower in Victoria. Pam has a wonderful Etsy shop and luckily for me, she had just enough left of a beautiful rosy pink silk mohair yarn for me to purchase. Very quickly this beautiful yarn arrived. It was super soft and had a beautiful sheen but was so, so fine. For the first time, I felt just a little daunted. I had never tried to knit cobwebs before!

Luckily, you knit this yarn on quite big needles. I used 5mm straight needles. You have to be careful because it is very apparent as you knit, that if you were to drop a stitch, it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to retrieve it! Even unraveling the knitting would be well nigh impossible.

20180520_143428 — I used the same pattern as I used for my Montana cowl but added a few rows of garter stitch between the lace sections to give the cowl more stability. You can’t really see from the photo, but the silk gives the yarn a beautiful, subtle sheen and of course it is very, very soft.

20180605_152319 — Of course the cowl isn’t as long as the Montana cowl as the yarn is so fine but it wraps around twice easily.

If I was to knit another in such a fine yarn, I think I would purchase Addi specialist lace needles which have a very sharp point to make the job a little easier.

Of course I am still knitting little bits of this and that for the grandchildren. I finished a little vest for Lyndsay and Reece’s new baby which is due to arrive at any moment.

20180622_145801 — This will be a Darwin baby, so I knitted this in scraps of **King Cole 4ply Bamboo cotton**. This is a really lovely yarn and knits up to any 4ply wool pattern. I have knitted a lot for the other grandchildren and wanted this baby to have a little something from his or her Nanna.

Most projects are still on ongoing but I have finished a jumper for Huddy in the same yarn. Bamboo Cotton is designed for the European summer but is perfect for winter in the Bay.

20180618_094147 — I was using up yarn in my stash and only had white and blue left. Didn’t realise I was knitting a Geelong jumper for an Adelaide supporter! This is also my first ever V neck jumper and was really pleased with how it turned out. The instructions in my Patons Baby knitting book were really easy to follow.

The jumper fits Huddy with plenty of room and I think suits his colouring much better than brown and yellow don’t you think?

20180619_094751-COLLAGE — I feel good … swinging high, sliding down the slippery dip, crawling through a tunnel, eating my cupcake or scrutinising the skateboarders, I’m dressed for success!

Having actually knitted something for myself that worked, I’m thinking about knitting a top or cardigan for summer. Loveknitting has a great sale on for July and I’ve started collecting ideas. There are so many fabulous yarn with interesting combinations of natural fibres such as linen, cotton or silk to choose from. And I have found some easy patterns as well. If I actually follow through, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

A friend sent me an affirmation the other day and I thought I’d share it with you. ” Love, creativity and dedication. That’s what goes into handmade!” The human touch means so much don’t you think?

Byron Bay Japanese Festival

November 28, 2017 ~ margaretsealey ~ 2 Comments

Kizuna Taiko Team : a fantastic Japanese drumming group from the Gold Coast

Last Sunday, hoping to celebrate and share some of their cultural traditions, the local Japanese community hosted the inaugural ‘Japan’ festival on the Byron Bay beachfront. We knew that parking would be difficult so parked close to Clarkes Beach, just a short walk away from the festival.

Such a perfect day: even though the seat beckoned, I resisted for I could see the flags of the festival up ahead.

There were lots of stalls to explore, outside on the beachfront and inside the Surf Club. I was drawn to the beautiful clothing, pottery and jewelery.

20171126_102713-COLLAGE — So many lovely shapes and the glazes – just beautiful

20171126_104906-COLLAGE — I love clothes made of Japanese cotton: the material just gets silkier with every wash and last and last..

All around were members of the Japanese community and their families having fun. The children in particular, looked adorable.

sedan chair — We arrived just as this activity was finishing.

And while a variety of alternative therapies are always a feature of markets in our area, it was interesting to see a Japanese perspective. I was particularly intrigued by the Singing Bowl tent. It seemed a little similar to the Acutonics therapy that my sister Maryanne has trained in and which is gaining a devoted following.

sound therapy — Multiple Singing rings or bowls are placed around and on the body. As the Harmonic Sound Resonance from the bowls vibrate around and through the body, a deep sense of relaxation and well being is engendered. The lucky recipient of this massage/therapy seems very content and there was quite a line up of those wanting to experience this for the first time. More information can be found at https://www.singingring.com.au

And inside the surf club, there were lots of cultural activities on show. Part of the club had been turned into a tea house for the afternoon where still and silent, an appreciative audience enjoyed the tranquility and harmony of the ‘tea ceremony’.

tea ceremony — I sometimes think that Japan is the Scandinavia of the East: uncluttered interiors, natural colour schemes and every thing within, a thing of beauty.

There was origami jewellery, a calligraphy workshop, a landscape artist and Japanese board games to enjoy to name just a few of the activities on offer.

art — These cards would make any occasion, very special.

And then there were the food stalls! I will confess, it was the thought of a yummy plate of gyoza ( japanese dumplings), piping hot pork buns and yakitori that had initially enticed me to the festival. Food in hand, Kenn and I found a lovely shady spot under a nearby Pandanus palm and enjoyed every morsel and a wonderful beach view.

beach 1 — The water was really lovely. Following our time at the festival, Kenn and I grabbed the beach umbrella, our swimming costumes and enjoyed a couple of hours of quality beach time. Bliss.

But for me, the highlight of the festival were the performances. Firstly a small group of Japanese children who live locally and attend a Japanese language and culture class once a week sang and danced for us.

kids perform — It was delightful how the older children looked after the little ones. A lovely performance.

A musical duet featuring Japanese instruments followed.

music 2 — There is a haunting quality to the sound that these instruments produce. It reminded me of one of my favourite records; James Galway’s “Songs of the Seashore, a collection of Japanese melodies”.

And the final performance was a Japanese drumming group from the Gold Coast. They treated us to three, terrific compositions utilising the drums in different ways. Their energy and enjoyment was infectious. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be a drummer!

drumming 1 — The drummers really loved drumming and it showed! Their rhythms rocked the beach.

drumming 3 — The sound of the barrel bass drum down the back was amazing.

drumming 4 — The amount of force used and the variations in dynamics was impressive. No tuck shop arms here!

The festival was a great success. I’m already looking forward to next year’s. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Nanna Knits

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 ~ margaretsealey ~ Leave a comment

Hudson was having so much fun at The Farm and doesn’t he make my knitting look good?

Nanna knits are so very special. I clearly remember how thrilled I was when I received my first Nanna knits. I was 8 weeks pregnant with my first child and in the throes of terrible morning sickness when a box arrived in the post. Nestled within were 12 pairs of booties in four different colours featuring 12 different patterns. They were so small and so adorable! As I touched each one, I’m sure that baby Christian could already feel his Nanna’s love.

And so I’m following family tradition and knitting with love for the grandchildren. When it’s for little ones, there’s a real sense of anticipation when you cast on the stitches for a new project. You’re excited because you’ve found the pattern and chosen that special yarn and can’t wait to see how it knits up so your little one can wear your hand crafted creation. But there’s always a little bit of trepidation as well. Especially if like me, you’re not an expert knitter. Will the pattern prove too challenging? Will there be painful unraveling and re-knitting involved? And if I’m using a yarn I’ve never knitted with before, will I like it and will they like it when it’s finished?

I think that everything’s mostly worked out this knitting season. After all, little ones run here, jump there and shake it all around, making everything they wear look good. Luckily, the patterns I chose for my projects were also relatively straight forward so there wasn’t too much unraveling involved and my yarn choices pleasantly surprised me. Naturally, as I now have three grandchildren, there were three Nanna Knitting Projects.

Project 1: Francesca’s baby blankets

Baby Francesca arrived in March. Christian and Kelly wondered if I could knit her a super thick, closely knitted blanket. Normally, I would choose to knit a baby blanket in Australian merino wool but thought that a super thick woolen blanket might be too heavy for a baby. So for the first time, I put aside my prejudices about synthetic fibres and chose a super bulky acrylic yarn. I found a pattern on Ravelry that was free and sourced the yarn, Lion brand super bulky premium acrylic, from Loveknitting.com. As it was knitted on a big circular needle, it knitted up very quickly.

As you can see, the blanket features a moss stitch border with a simple cable detail.

Despite its thickness, the blanket was very soft and light.

Because it was finished so quickly, I had time to knit another just for fun. This time, instead of an acrylic yarn I used a bulky cotton yarn, Elenna, which I found in my local Spotlight store. Deciding to experiment, I created a simple garter stitch, unisex blanket knitted on the diagonal. It too, was finished in no time. I could become a fan of bulky yarns and super fat needles.

My design worked out better than I hoped. I liked the textual feel of the cotton too.

Project 2: Huddy’s Knits

And of course I had to knit an item or two for Hudson who turned one in June. However, because we enjoy a mild winter here in Byron, I decided to knit in cotton. Again I sourced my yarn from Loveknitting.com. For his cardigan I chose King Cole 4ply bamboo cotton and for his jumper, Sonora, an 8ply cotton yarn by Bergere de France.

The bamboo cotton yarn was lovely to knit with. The stitch definition is great and I really liked how fine and how soft the finished cardigan is The yarn is thinner than 4ply wool but has a lovely sheen and drape. Huddy has worn it a lot. It’s perfect for our mild winter days. This yarn would make a great spring or summer cardi in cooler climes and the cardigan only took one ball of yarn!

This yarn from Bergere de France was also great to knit with. I liked it so much that I wanted to knit a jumper for myself but alas, the yarn has been discontinued. This was a super easy pattern and again, a great weight for our winter.

But then I saw this pattern online by an independent designer, Oge designs, and just had to knit it. (I fell in love with the owls) I knitted it in Paton’s superfine merino 8ply. This yarn is also a delight to knit with and I was really pleased with the result. And luckily, we have had enough cooler days for Hudson to wear it.

: Interestingly, the designer has used reverse stocking stitch to make the little cabled owls pop. I would like to try using stocking stitch as the right side next time to show off the beautiful stitch definition of this particular yarn.

Project 3: Genevieve’s cardigans.

And I couldn’t forget Genevieve who dances her way through the day. Her cardigans are still a little big!!! Oops! While I did knit them to the pattern and yarns recommended, that’s the way of it sometimes. Hopefully, they’ll fit her properly next year.

Little details make the difference. I learnt a couple of new techniques here. Thank goodness for Utube!

Oh and I nearly forgot. I’ve knitted a couple of beanies for some of the grownups, reducing my stash of wool in the process. I might have to go shopping to replenish it. After all, you never know when inspiration will strike for next year’s projects.

Brunch du bebe

May 1, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ 5 Comments

brunch on the deck — Brunch on the deck at Melissa’s place

‘Brunch du Bebe’, Melissa’s baby shower was held last weekend. Yes, you are reading correctly, Melissa and Ben are having a honeymoon baby, due around June 15th. As you can imagine, we are all very excited. But, she is on strict instructions from her father and me to take things easy, put her feet up and rest as much as possible so as to be on time or preferably late…by about a week. For you see, prior to the wedding in September, Kenn and I booked a trip to Canada and unfortunately we don’t get back until the 12th June!

Lissa wanted the shower to be at their home and so she didn’t have too much to do, Kenn and I helped where we could. Kenn demonstrated the awesome paper skills, old school primary teachers have and made the bunting in shades of pink and blue as no-one knows whether its a little boy or a little girl yet.

bunting 2 — Can’t wait till you arrive baby Gow!

Melissa and Jo created the awesome atmosphere with gauzy ribbons, roses and white linens.

decorations-COLLAGE — Little details make a difference.

The games were fun. Not surprisingly, Emma guessed the circumference of Melissa’s tummy (She is due three days after Liss) and fabric painting our singlets allowed some of the guests to showcase their design credentials.( I have none!!!) Then it was time for brunch.

The food was very tasty and mostly imbued with a French influence. I volunteered to make pink and blue cupcakes and a gluten free orange cake. Now the cupcakes were a breeze but the orange cake was nearly a disaster! There I was, the night before, happily following my friend Annie’s recipe. I boiled the oranges for two hours, whizzed them in the food processor, added the eggs, sugar and what I thought was 250 grams of almond meal. Dumped the lot in the cake tin and put it into the oven. Deed done I thought. Wrong! I was clearing away and looked at the back of the almond meal pack. I saw to my horror that 250 grams was about 2 and 1/2 cups and I had put only one cup in. I had confused 250 mls with 250 grams! I looked at the time. The cake had been in the oven for about five minutes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I thought. I whipped the cake out of the oven, poured the batter back in the bowl and added the extra almond meal. My daughter in law, Kelly assured me that it would be great, just like twice baked camembert! And she was right, the orange cake turned out great … in the end. Others helped as well. Brooke made her wonderful mini quiches and Lissa and Jo whipped up fabulous fruit and cheese platters, croissants, meringues and mini baguettes. Together with a glass or two of champagne or fruit punch, it was a veritable feast.

food collage.jpg — Some of the goodies we consumed.

I’ve watched as Melissa and her friends navigated the ups and downs of High School, university, jobs and relationships and now I’m watching as they become mothers to adorable children. And I loved seeing Genevieve having such a good time. She looked so adorable with her pink bow.

baby g and puppy — Look I have a friend who is helping me with the dishwasher!

baby g-COLLAGE.jpg — That was great Baby G! What are we going to do next?

And of course there were presents. Lots of them! All imbued with love and best wishes for the safe arrival of Bebe Gow.

And to make a great day perfect, Melissa found favour with the weather gods at last and not before time. Could anyone forget the 200 mls of rain which fell the day before her 21st birthday party? Even for Byron, that’s a lot of rain and it turned what was meant to be a summer garden party into a slushy mud fest. Or her wedding day, where outside the church, just as all the family and group photographs were to be taken, the wind attacked, swirling our dresses and ensuring that our hair took on the Hermione Granger look. Imagine my relief when despite dire predictions of rain showers and wind, the day was perfect: sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Third time lucky, I guess.

From Akaroa with Love

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ Leave a comment

After we completed the Queen Charlotte Walk in early December, Kenn and I visited Akaroa near Christchurch, before catching our flight home. Friends had said it was a ‘must see’ and they were so right. Cruising along in our little Yaris hire car, our first surprise unfolded as we drove down, and I mean down and down some more. Akaroa is situated on the edge of a beautiful harbour, a harbour which was once the centre of a volcano. We realised we were driving down the sides of a caldera and the views were magnificent.

the caldera — This road will bring out your inner rally driver.

Akaroa is charming. Originally settled by the French, it is so ooh la la! The french influences are everywhere: from names, french blue lamp posts and public seating, to the tricolour flying in the breeze. A word or two of my schoolgirl french returned to assist in translation.

PicMonkey Collage2 — Lots of lovely weatherboard heritage style buildings and delightful cafes

There are flowers everywhere. From beautiful cottage gardens surrounding delightful BnB’s

to fences and shop fronts garlanded with hanging baskets.

hanging baskests — They obviously remember to water their hanging baskets

We took leisurely walks along the foreshore to the little lighthouse and various points of interest sampling the coffee and friands in one establishment and the coffee and croissants in another. We indulged ourselves over breakfast, lunch and dinner. A highlight for me besides the Sunday morning chocolate crepes served by our motel, was the fish. It was superb. There must be something in the water in New Zealand that we don’t have because fish always seems to taste better there than here. I noticed a Cooking School but alas no classes were running while we were there. I would have loved to take a unique recipe home and know how it should taste and be cooked.

cooking school — Lots of french with a kiwi twist inspired recipes

All however was not lost. I found something lovely to take home while souvenir shopping. I was on a bit of a mission. Before departure, Melissa and Ben had shared the happy news that they were expecting a honeymoon baby. Our second grand child was on the way! What special something could I buy the baby? It was while I was buying a cute woolly sheep for the nursery that I spied some special baby wool. It was relatively expensive at nearly $14.00 NZ but felt so soft. It was DMC’s 100% Baby, extra fine pure merino wool. Made in Italy, it looks like a 3 ply yarn but knits as a 4 ply. I have never seen it in Australia, so bought two balls of white. Enough to knit a little something. Then Kenn spotted some great buttons and my purchases were complete.

But as every knitter knows, it is one thing to buy wool, another to knit it up. What would I knit with this special wool? A jumper? Maybe booties? Perhaps a little hat? The hat I had knitted Genevieve had been a hit.

genevieve 2 — Genevieve Grace has arrived!

In the end, I decided to knit a cardigan in the newborn to three month size. Luckily vintage is in, for I decided to use a pattern from the ’70s that my mother-in-law, Betty had given me. It comes from Patons Pattern book 792, 10 Baby Knits which, to my amazement is still available on ebay. It was easy to knit and the buttons give it a unisex, contemporary finishing touch, don’t you think? By the way, the cardigan took just one ball of wool! I think a hat and maybe some booties will be making an appearance.

front of cardigan — Heritage pattern with a twist

back of cardigan — It always feels so good when it’s finished!

So what have I been doing since I finished this project? I’ve started a baby blanket which hopefully will be finished by June. It’s definitely not heritage in any way. An interesting project, it’s something to do after I’ve been for my swim and beach walk or perhaps shared a coffee with friends. It’s a wonderful world out there.

beach wallow — The water is so clear and warm at the moment. Perfect for wallowing

How cute is this?

July 12, 2015May 5, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ 5 Comments

My version of Georgie Hallam's Gidday Baby pattern — My version of Georgie Hallam’s ‘Gidday Baby’ pattern

Not so long ago, my friend Julie who is so gifted at all things crafty, sent me a link to a new knitting website called Loveknitting. ( www.loveknitting.com )

There, while I was drooling over an amazing variety of yarns and projects, I found a free pattern for this adorable little cardigan. It was by Australian designer, Georgie Hallam. Her version was knitted in a beautiful 8 ply White Gum wool, a boutique Australian merino yarn and is pictured below.

I downloaded the pattern, printed it out and was impressed by how clear and detailed her instructions were. Nevertheless, as I perused the pattern, I was a little concerned. The cardi is knitted in one piece from the neck down on circular needles. I had never attempted anything like this before! However, I had suitable wool in my stash, a lovely angora, bamboo and merino wool mix. So nothing ventured, nothing gained, I would give it a go.

Wool and circular needle in hand I looked at the first instruction: Cast on 50 stitches using the long tail cast on method. What did she mean by long tail? Who could I turn to in my time of need? Youtube! I watched a couple of clips and chose one to follow closely. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn4rcAnnS7U) This cast on method created a very firm and defined edge. Mmm looks quite professional, I thought to myself.

I knitted the yoke, and found the increasing very easy to follow. Soon I was down to splitting for the sleeves and body and Georgie’s instructions were excellent. Crossing this hurdle, it was a simple matter to knit down to the hem incorporating the garter stitch bands as I went. And there were no seams to sew up later! At this stage, I was wondering why hadn’t I done this before!

love the garter stitch bands — Garter stitch bands are simple yet effective

Then I came down to earth. I had to pick up stitches for the sleeves. Georgie stipulates in her pattern that you use 8inch/20cm circular needles or your own preferred method for knitting in the round. I have avoided knitting in the round as much as possible in my knitting career so I certainly didn’t have a preferred method! I tried to buy the right circular needles. At first, I was unsuccessful. I found some. (www.luciatapestrieswoolcrafts.com.au) They were made by Addi. While they were coming, I knitted one sleeve on four needles – a painfully slow process, but the end result was nice.

Then the Addi needles arrived. And the knitting was easy.

Addi tiny circular needles — Addi tiny circular needle

That left only the buttons to be sewed on, a couple of strands of wool to be woven in and I was finished.

I’m with Georgie, when she says that this “cardigan is perfect for welcoming babies into this world and into your heart.” This pattern and others by Georgie are available on both LoveKnitting and Ravalry. I must confess, I can’t wait to see this cardigan on little Genevieve!