Ella

I brought my camera to work today so that I could pull off some pics of Ella I took while in Havelock North. She's friggin adorable.


She keeps herself busy and although I love to play with her, it's also fun watching her play on her own.


And the lucky little munchkin has a sandbox in her backyard! It was fun building mini sandcastles with her (fill a bucket, turn it over, and there is your mini castle) - even though as soon as it's finished she knocks it down :)


My next trip to see Ross, Ang and Ella is tentatively set for the weekend of November 10 and 11th. Can't wait!!

9 hours of knitting - the bus to Hastings and back

I still haven't taken a picture of my bolero. But I'm wearing it today and was hoping that when I got home I would take a picture so I can post it tomorrow. I really do love it. I am in the middle of knitting an army green (my FAVOURITE colour) cardigan in mohair for myself. It is the business. I cannot wait to finish it.


I went to visit Ross, Ang and Ella this past weekend and had the best time!! Ella is getting so big and becoming such a sweet little girl (instead of being a sweet little baby). If you want to see how Ella really feels about me - go to Ross, Ang and Ella's page in my links. Friggin adorable. Ang and I picked out some more wool so I can knit Ella a beanie and some mitts, a beanie for Ang, and a little jumper for the new baby (due in January). Those will be quick knits so I will probably get on those after my cardie. There aren't enough hours in the day for knitting!!!

I spoke to AJ yesterday and we are sorting out him coming to see me at Christmas while I am (briefly) in Winnipeg. I cannot wait to go home and see my family, friends and my boyfriend. Hopefully I can get a lot of crocheting done on the plane :) It'll be 12 hours of hard core crocheting! I can easily get 4, maybe 5 beanies done in that time, easily...

Cheating - an old photo

I have finished this crocheted bolero I started months and months ago - and I LOVE it. I have been too busy to take a photo of it to post, so I am going to be naughty and post a photo of my friend Jeff posing in a tuque I knit him when I first moved here almost 3 years ago.


Jeff Palmer is a proud Palmer, hence the tuque with his family name. He is actually the father of the sweet little Leni who I knit the blue and brown cardie for. I just realized I knit them both brown and blue things...

Tomorrow we are having our annual Thanksgiving dinner at Jenny and Colin's house. This is our third year. I love that my kiwi friends get so into a canadian holiday. We are having about 17-18 people. I have a can of pumpkin from Canada (because I taste a huge difference between New Zealand pumpkin and Canadian pumpkin) to make pumpkin pie and we are having turkey and potatoes and brussels sprouts and stuffing - the whole deal. It is so much fun that I forget how sad it is that I'm away from my family (sort of). I am actually so excited. I LOVE THANKSGIVING!!!! I am going to pig out (as per usual). Hopefully I'll have some fun pics from our dinner to post Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!

More baby knits

I finished 3 little baby knits this week. This first one is for my friend Crystal who is due in about 8 weeks, I believe. It is knit in the softest, nicest wool and although it is a bit chunky I think it is quite cute. I love pink with taupe. It is an adaptation of the pattern I used for the next sweater.


You're probably thinking, was it really necessary to post both? They look exactly the same. Yes, it is necessary for a few reasons. The first being that although they look the same, this one has a different cuff and bottom. Secondly, one has stripes and the other doesn't. And the last reason is because I want to mention that the wool for these 2 sweaters cost me, in total, $12. Yeah! I know! Awesome. I love sale wool. Oh, and the best part? They took me less than 4 hours each to knit. Gotta love quick knits.


But this last one is by far my favorite. It is for Amanda's baby, who, for all I know, could be born right now, but I haven't heard anything yet. She is due this week. Anyways, this is a mini version of Chelsea's, but with a hood and a vest instead of full sleeves. It has a little tab with buttons on the front to allow an easier pull over baby's head.


My friend Alaina asked me if I could knit her an adult-sized one. Haha, back of the line, honey. Although I am knitting her a headband like the one I am wearing in the pictures I entered in the calendar contest. That headband is great. It's warm but doesn't mess up your hair like a tuque does!

Matthew Isaac Smolenski

I'm in love with this soft, tiny, beautiful little baby boy. He smells so wonderful, he is the lightest little peanut ever. He is so sweet and cute. I just adore him. Mind you, I have only been around him for about an hour, and he slept the whole time.

He was born on August 29th to my friends Shelley and Grant. Apparently the labour wasn't that pleasant. Approximately 24 hours or so and a few stitches. As baby crazy as I am when I hold them, as soon as I see the look on any woman's face when I ask about labour, I instantly realize I am not ready to go through agony like that yet!! (But are we women ever READY for labour??)

So I am now almost finished a little pink sweater for my friend Amanda's baby girl (who is due in a week). I must say it rocks. Amanda and I have very similar taste - so the sweater is pink and black with a black skull on it. I know, I know, so not appropriate for a baby, but I know Amanda will love it. It's kind of a mini version of Chelsea's skull sweater, but the skull is on the front. I will post a picture soon. Then my next task is a baby sweater for my friend Crystal who is due in about 9 weeks. AND THEN I finally get back to knitting for me!! Just kidding, I wish. Then it's time to begin Christmas prezzies. Oh and in between knitting, I have to somehow find time to wirte my thesis.

Baby fever

I'm not saying I'm getting sick of knitting mini sweaters and booties and tiny little tuques for babies. I'm not saying that at all. All I'm saying is it would be nice if I had a little break sometime soon so I could get started on Christmas presents for big people. They take longer and Christmas comes way too fast when you are a knitter!!

Having said that, I LOVE knitting for babies. It's quicker and the things are the cutest. I just finished the miniature Highlanders jersey and gave it to Shelley and I must say, I did a great job. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo before giving it to Shell. I may have to sneak a picture next time I am over cuddling sweet little Matthew. He won't fit it for a few months, but right in time for the Super 14 season.

Here is Leni, my good friends Nikki and Jeff's little baby girl, sporting a little cardie I knit her a few months ago. Again with the long arms!! The patterns I follow are always saying to knit 7.5 inch arms. After this one, I have decided to shorten the arms by at least an inch, maybe 2.


Next up I am knitting for my good friend Amanda, who is having a baby girl, and my good friend Crystal, who is also expecting a girl. Didn't I tell you it was nonstop??

Chelsea's purses

I don't know anyone who has as many handbags as my sister Chelsea. It's unbelievable. And they are all very stylie. It is quite an honour when she sports a purse that I have knit for her. I made this first one a few years ago and lined it with some black with multi-coloured polka dots material.


I love bamboo handles and always wanted to make a purse with them. This purse is the absolute easiest purse to knit imaginable. You just knit a big rectangle, then wrap the ends over the handle and sew it up. I used thick cotton wool to make it strong enough to not need a lining.


This last purse is my favorite. It is the first thing I have ever felted (on purpose). I knit it with a lightweight wool, and it was so floppy when I finished it that I thought it would be useless, but as soon as I felted it, it got a lot tougher and held it's shape much better. I love the little mini pouch, although I'm not really sure how useful it is!


One day I think I will knit myself a purse. Maybe the felted one. I just have so many people to knit for these days. Maybe if my friends stopped having babies I would have some time to knit for myself!!