Lace. Dare I?

Those tangly bits are my first attempts at a lace project. Bells is pseudo hosting a pseudo knitalong, the Long Lacy Summer and, although my self-imposed knitting challenges usually amount to naught, this time I'm going to try, try, and try again. I've frogged this only four times already. I can't really say what it's going to be, because it may yet not eventuate. The raw materials are Fibreworks 3ply Angora colour #7 and size 2.5mm sticks (I need pointier ones, I think. This knitting is so tiny.)

Vintage sheets

Aren't they gorgeous? They are vintage sheet fat quarters. The lovely Anne over at pinsandthimbles hosted a recent swap and this is the package of goodies that I received. I have to say, it was a bit difficult ripping up some of my own favourite vintage sheets and pillowcases to send off for the swap (Go check Anne's blog. My offering is the one tied up with blue ribbon.) But I reckon I did pretty well in return, don't you? Now... what to do with these lovelies...

Not much knitting

But a lovely, long, long birthday weekend with two lovely ladies, Daughter1 and Daughter2. Much eating, drinking and spa-ing was done in sunny and warm BrisVegas. No time to knit.

Family

Several years ago, my best friend and sister and I decided to pick a date to celebrate being sisters. Yeah, well, might sound a bit mushy, but we love it. So each year in September we send each other a little something to say 'thanks for being you'. It's just a little celebration of family between the two of us. My Sister's Day gift arrived today. It's not Sister's Day today, but it is a very special day for us anyway, so I opened my gift early. I think she'll understand. Notwithstanding Ralphie's hint of disinterest, it's a lovely handmade market bag, the likes of which might one day be seen on the telly. Thank you, Sister.

The perfect stay-at-home weekend

I had big plans this weekend: Saturday in the garden (yes, I checked the weather forecast), and Sunday getting to know my sewing machine.

The plan for Saturday was to build a new vegie garden. It's still a work in progress, but it comes from stark beginnings.

There's a lot of lifting, shovelling, shooing away compost-eating puppy dogs, more shovelling, digging out awful plants and weeds that were in the way, more shovelling, lifting bricks used as useless edging, and some more shovelling involved in creating a new vegie patch. Sore muscles at the end of the day were soothed with a beer, a curry and Lars and the Real Girl.

Sunday: finished Tim Winton's Breath over breakfast, then cleared a space in the study/ storage room/ sewing room, and spent a lot of time gazing at my stash of fabric. I tackled a few little projects, but I'm most pleased with this.

Yes, bias binding. I could get hooked on making my own binding. I have a doovalacky to assist, and I really like it. I also cut out fabric for more adventurous projects that are in store for next weekend.

And to finish off a lovely at-home weekend? Dr Who, of course.

Will I ever learn...

...to get gauge? Started knitting BSJ2, same yarn as before, bigger sticks this time. Result? This will probably fit ma minette when she's about 5.

At least I'll have plenty of time to pick the right buttons.

Yarn: lovely locally grown, homespun, hand-dyed purply stuff, and some Cleckheaton Country Naturals 8ply from the Great Cassidy's Sale ages ago.

Sticks: 6mm KnitPicks

Bargain Saturday

$25. Big Salvos Queanbeyan. Bargain? I think so.