A Hat or two ......

These are two hats that I have just finished knitting for the homeless at St Mary's House of Welcome in Melbourne. I do quite a few hats and scarves over the year for them and also for a women's refuge that I support.

The blue hat was knitted in 2ply handspun, using white merino tops and then dyed. This hat has a garter stitch border at the bottom.

The multi coloured hat was knitted in 1 ply handspun merino tops which had been randomly dyed. Note the slant in the body of the hat ....... this is because I knitted the hat before I washed the handspun single .... this is called an "energised single". This hat was knitted on a circular needle and has a turned up brim.

Saturday Sky

State Elections today ....... this photo shows the entrance to the polling booth. Voting is compulsory for everyone over 18 years. Ern and I walked to the polling booth and voted for ??????? We were there about 10am and the school was having a sausage sizzle ...... yummy .... (well, you have to support the local primary school) !! From there we walked down to the bakery and had a relaxing coffee/hot chocolate.

Two girlfriends called in this afternoon. It was a complete surprise. I haven't seen them for perhaps over a year. It was lovely to catch up on their families, their jobs and their latest crafts.....

November SP 9 Gift to Canada

It took 13 days by airmail for my SP9 parcel to reach Canada ...... it must have gone by seagull!! (at least it didn't go inside a floating bottle ..... cause then, it would have taken forever !!!

My SP9 pal said that she likes knitting baby things ...... so I included a few balls of baby wool. Mind you, I didn't send a baby pattern book.

I send Jenn this lovely sock book. It has some lovely patterns in it. The Knitscene Magazine had some wonderful patterns, and I thought she would really appreciate them ...... this magazine caters for the younger/trendy person.

These gifts went inside a knitted and felted bag. I used some of my handspun wool to make the bag.

Jenn thanked me by email and I hope she really did like her November parcel.

Saturday Sky

This photo was taken at 9.30am from Flinders Street Station and shows St Paul's Cathedral to the left and Federation Square to the right.

I took this photo on my way to the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Vic November meeting. It was an extremely hectic day. In the morning the Guild held a Christmas workshop. I demonstrated a Christmas tree made from beer bottle tops covered with material and glued together. Ciara demonstrated a beaded angel. It was beautiful.

Immediately after the workshop, I held the Teacher's Committee Meeting. This was then followed by the Summerschool tutors saying something about their topic and showing some samples. I am the tutor for Creative Carding and Spinning and also one of the tutors for a Spinning Weekend, where I will be teaching Colour Carding.

Was there time for lunch ....... NO Way !! The meeting was about to start but no Minute Secretary ...... so I said that I would do it ......

Then it was a SLOW and long trip home by public transport. Buses were replacing the trains and this added at least 35 minutes to the trip, apart from the time waiting for the missed connecting bus/train.

I WAS SO GLAD TO GET HOME .......

Anyone for a scone or two ??

Scones are the easiest thing to make. Always remember to have the dough moist. If the mixture is too dry add more moisture.

The recipe I use all the time is just so simple:-

3 cups Self Raising Flour
300 ml container of cream
300 ml milk (full or skim)
2 tsp sugar

Mix altogether, lightly knead on a floured bench. Cut out with a cutter or a knife. Bake at 210C for about 12 minutes.

If you want to make savoury scones, omit the sugar and add some bacon, cheese, parsley to the mixture. In fact you can add anything to the mixture, dates, sultanas - anything you fancy.

Now sit down, relax and enjoy your lovely risen scones.

Saturday Sky

LEST WE FORGET

In Australia today we commemorate Remembrance Day.

At 11am on 11 November we pause to remember the sacrifice of those men and women who served their country, have died or suffered in wars and conflicts.

From 1916 to 1918, some 265,000 Australians served on the Western Front in France and Belgium. More than 46,000 were to lose their lives in devastating battles at places such as Pozières, Fromelles, Bullecourt, Messines, Passchendaele, Amiens and Ypres - a greater loss of life than in any other Australian campaign or conflict of the 20th century.

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the battles of 1916, in which more than 10,000 Australians lost their lives and a further 30,000 were wounded, the Department of Veterans' Affairs has released its 2006 Remembrance Day poster, featuring an image of the unveiling of a memorial to fallen members of the 1st Australian Division on the battlefield at Pozières.The division captured Pozières on 23 July 1916 and Charles Bean, Australia's official wartime historian, later wrote that Pozières Ridge outside the village marked 'a site more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth'.

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Ern went to Croydon to commemorate Remembrance Day. This is the first time in 21 years that I have not accompanied him. No matter where we are, we still have one minute's silence to remember.

I went into the Handweavers and Spinners Guild for the last class of the 2006 Certificate Spinning Class. We all brought something for a shared lunch ...... maybe some of the girls could give me a lesson in cooking !!! There was such a varied array of food, from health foods to luscous home made sponge with cream and strawberries..... yum yum

I actually baked last night - I made a batch of scones.

Birthday Flowers

What is the best thing to do with a bunch of flowers once they have outlived their vase ???

Use them for dyeing ....... (colouring !!) of course ...

Kate gave me these flowers for my birthday. They were truely lovely.

When they had died and dried I "stuck" them in the enamel pot with a "bit" of alum and some water to cover. I placed the staples of fleece in with the foliage, which was a bad move as pieces of foliage stuck to the fleece. However, the colour turned out very pretty.

Current Knitting ....

I am a member of the Aussie Knitters Yahoo group. They are having a freeform KAL, starting with a basic leaf shape. Of course, I can never stick to the pattern and have altered the shapes ...... but then it is freeform knitting!!

I plan to make a bag with the shapes. I have seen beautiful vests made with freeform knitting/crochet, but I think a vest would make me look twice the size !!!

I should have the basic bag finished soon.......
who am I trying to kid ???????

November SP9 Gift

I want the whole world to know that I have sent my SP9 her November gift today.

How long will it take ??? ....... approx 10 days by air mail.

What's inside the parcel ???? ...... not telling.

Will Jenn like it ????? ........ I hope so.

November SP9 Gift

Recently my SP9 Pal emailed me saying that I should keep watch on the letterbox over the weekend ......

......... considering that we don't have weekend mail deliveries, I guessed that it was going to be delivered by her or an accomplice!

My mum went back to Wangaratta and after arriving home from seeing her off on the train, there was my gift ...... AT THE FRONT DOOR !!!

I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself from ripping off the paper. Inside the beautiful blue paper was a complete surprise. There was a lovely scarf in her own design. In an email later that night, Sue said that so far she haven't given it a name: maybe she should call it the "Vivienne Scarf". The scarf was knitted in Rowan Summer Tweed, 70% silk, 30% cotton - it is just so soft and warm.

Apart from the lovely card and the heart confetti inside the card, there was a container of homemade caramel tarts. They WERE delicious ..... Ern and I ate them !!

Thankyou Sue, my lovely SP9 Pal for the thoughtful gift.

Saturday Sky

My brother Darryl plays Pennant Lawn Bowls for Box Hill RSL and today they were playing the Ringwood Bowls Club. Ern, Mum and I went and saw him playing. He played quite a good game. How lawn bowls has changed ..... years ago it was played mainly by the elderly. Now the players are all ages, some being extremely young.

As can be seen by the colour of the sky it was a rather dismal day. It was cold and it looked as though it was going to rain.

Mum's Visit to Melbourne

This is my Mother (in the mauve jacket) taken at Southbank in Melbourne ..... and the other person is me!!! The buildings behind us are the main buildings of Melbourne and the river is our beautiful Yarra River. Well, I think it is beautiful. Some people say that the Yarra River flows upside down ....... just because it is brown !!!!