Knitting progress

I thought that my general knitting speed was around 25 stitches per minute, but discovered yesterday that it is more like 35. This doesn't really mean except I will have a new cardigan slightly sooner than I expected. I started it last December, and am expecting to finish it just in time for it to be too cold to wear it...

I have also finished a shawl that must remain secret until later in the year as it is for a luxury yarn club, and failed to finish a sock. The construction on the sock is a little interesting, and consequently the fit is not quite what I would like. When it has had a wee rest I will rejig the numbers in an attempt to make it work better.

Putting the sock aside has also given me more time to work on the Christmas stocking, which may actually stand a chance of being finished in time. I don't think it will be an actual stocking, I may just pin the embroidery onto a pillowcase this year...

The other side of the world

Is hot. Very hot. Well, it is summer, at least. Three weeks in and I think I'm kind of getting used to it, although I'd still be happier if it was a little cooler.

In the last few weeks we have learned a few things:

• Jet lag and teething are a horrendous combination
• Singapore is hot and tropical, and that's just the airport
• There are many ways in which you can create a swing
• Bugs here are generally much bigger than I'm used to (also slugs, snails etc.)
• It is surprising how quickly you can get used to walking next to old brick/plaster buildings that are not in the best condition (Christchurch people will understand what I mean about that...)
• There is quite a lot of decent outdoors here, two large forested parks withing 5-10 minutes walk
• Children like sausages. Except when they're 2 and decide they don't like anything...
• It's amazing how many aeroplanes you can fit into a small space if you're determined
• Having a lot of recycling bins outside, and a different day for each type to be picked up makes for great entertainment pretty much every day.  Also, the rubbish guys are great at waving to small children as they drive past.  (And OSH appears not to exist here, the men just stand on platforms on the back of the truck and hold on.)
• And the Czechs really know how to make a good drinkable beer

And a few photos to illustrate some of these points:

Hunting reserve visible in back, this is what we see from our apartment


Just one of the interesting swings we've found (this one is also a good size to lie back on for adults). Also, train.


In the hunting reserve, on the way to another playground (with a multi-person swing).


Swing just mentioned


Lots of plane, not enough space.

Squirrels' Paradise Blanket

A bit over three years ago I started designing a baby blanket. I found the perfect colour yarn at a Knitworld sale, and started playing with stitch patterns, tweaking until I had exactly what I wanted. When it looked big enough I started playing with ways to finish it off and settled on a cabled i-cord edging. And half way through I ran out of yarn. The reason that it had been on sale was (of course) because it was discontinued, but I eventually found some in a different shop that was being sold off too - but I had to buy the whole pack of (I think) 6 balls, when all I needed was half a ball.

After all that hunting I had to summon up the enthusiasm to pick it up and finish what felt like an endless edging.



Unfortunately, the yarn didn't wear well, so by the time I was ready to tackle writing up the pattern and decided I needed better photos it was looking pretty tatty. So I made a second one, in a completely different yarn (Skeinz Vintage DK, colour Merlot).



And now the pattern has finally been released!

Available on Ravelry, NZ$7.00

Ten Days!

Somehow time is slipping away, and there is so much to sort out (while still fitting in the regular stuff). I keep getting lost trying to choose car seats - I am an extremely tactile person, and I hate not being able to play with them in a shop before buying. I haven't entirely ruled out buying some European seats here to take over, but would be quite happy to not have the extra luggage to deal with. I think we've just about made a decision, just need to attempt to order the ones we want (which ideally means finding a Czech website that has both the ones we want available, and muddling through ordering in a foreign language).

This weekend we bought suitcases - a cabin bag sized one for the monkey (he can just fit into it), and a giant one for us (which I can just squeeze into). We have already paid for seats on the plane though, and I suspect they'll be a bit more comfortable...

We went to music last Friday, in the last couple of months The Monkey has really started enjoying it, and learning actions to songs. It seems a shame to have to leave just when he is really getting into it, but I guess that just means we'll have to try to find a similar group overseas. One more week left, and we will definitely be back in the new year.

Everything seems to be counting down - last visit to the local woolcraft group yesterday, second to last preschool day today, second to last playcentre day on Thursday, last music on Friday.

Three weeks!

Things have started happening, and in 3 weeks we will sitting on an aeroplane, being climbed all over by two small children. Packing hasn't really begun yet, but thinking about what to take has. We will be away for 6 months (to the day), and that is a long time to pack for. There are a lot of decisions about what to take, what we can do without, and what we will replace when we arrive.

(Importantly, I have found a website that appears to list all playgrounds in the Czech republic, with details of play equipment and facilities. I had already found the two closest to where we will be via google maps, but now know where to look for a few more nearby. Also, a wooden hippo.)

Maybe miracles do happen.

Less than 3 years (by about a month) after moving out of our house we actually have a payout from EQC! I think we're still expecting another cheque sometime, although given how wonderful the lines of communication are it's hard to say for sure.

Next step, dealing with the insurance company...

Gumboots galore!

A week ago I decided I really needed to make some slippers for the monkey, so I went hunting for a pattern. I'd decided I wanted to try crocheting something, and when I saw these I knew they were perfect. He loves wearing his gumboots, so what could be better than warm woolly boots?

The pattern is Booties Toddler Goshalosh Boots by Elizabeth Alan (The Lovely Crow), and I was pleasantly surprised by all the little shaping details. To be honest, I think having different shaping on right and left is a bit unnecessary for toddler slippers, but it does make them even cuter. (I have no expectation that they'll ever go on the correct feet...). I love the firm edging on the sole too, makes it seem much more like a slipper than just a glorified sock.

The first pair I made was theoretically the right size (Size B), but I didn't bother checking gauge because I am slack. They fitted just, but would have been better being a bit longer. I'm not worried, the baby will grow into them. So I did the next size up (C), which was a better length, but a bit roomier in the foot than he really needs. I'm not going to blame the pattern for that though, he has narrow feet (some shoes are pretty ridiculous on him too).

And since I was on a slipper kick I made the smallest size too, for the Changeling.

The slipper horde:


I think my crochet has definitely improved over the course of these slippers, although there is still plenty of room for improvement. I feel like I have learnt a lot about shaping in crochet too. Creating a design like this still seems like a bit of a black art, but I'm feeling quite tempted to try to come up with a me-sized version at some point.

Shhhh...

I'd love to show you the shawl I'm currently working on, but it's a secret. The design is for a yarn club, and I'm looking forward to being able to share more details. For now I just want to report that the yarn is divine to work with, and despite initial misgivings that I was crazy and it wasn't really going to work I am pleased with how the shawl is developing. I have no idea if it will be finished before we go overseas, but as we have no idea when that is happening I am seeing how far I can get.

(Seriously brain? I have samples that show that the concept works, and no real reason for it not to. Why can't you just sit back and have a bit of faith for once?)

This post brought to you courtesy of awake-too-early baby.

Madhouse!

Things are going to be a bit crazy around here for the next little while I think. There has been background planning for a (work related) trip to Europe for a while now, but we have just been notified that there has been a change and we can go as soon as we are organised! (Previously we were expecting to be leaving sometime in July or August).

So, frantic scrambling to get everything sorted out for living on the other side of the world for 6 months with two little people. What do we need to buy, pack, make, organise??? Maybe I will have to look for some books about travel and aeroplanes from the library for The Monkey to look at. I still have some half made shirts for him, and some clothes for myself that I was going to make.

At least my original goal of saving the much-needed shoe shopping to do over there might actually work out. And we probably won't need to get any more firewood for this winter after all!

There will be more knitting and sewing here at some point, when the dust settles!

Kids Clothes Week Overview

Well, I managed about half a week...

The first four days or so I managed to squeeze in an hour of sewing a day, and finished off a shirt (just needed buttonholes and buttons):

Pattern is Burda 9792, size 2. I added about 5cm extra length to the body, although it was probably unnecessary - the sleeves will be too short before he really needs the extra length! This is the first long sleeve shirt I've ever made, I'm pretty happy with the result. I think I'll mostly be doing short sleeve shirts in the future though, more growing room.

And a pair of pyjamas, sans elastic. I put the elastic somewhere safe, and I need to either find it or get more. The new stuff I got a while ago is too wide for the channel I made, which was measured off the elastic I had planned to use - so clearly it is somewhere! (These were mostly done, just needed buttonholes, and hand finishing).


Pattern is Burda 9747, size 3.
I originally meant to cut the top with extra length, but forgot as I was cutting, hence the blue fabric that I added to the bottom. To make it look a bit more deliberate I also did a blue pocket, and blue inside the sleeve and pants cuffs that will show when they're turned up.
The other thing I disappointed myself with was failing to look closely enough at the monkey print. I looked at it and saw that the monkeys hung both up and down, so didn't worry about the cutting direction. It was only when I was sewing it together that I saw that all the faces are up the same way. I managed to cut everything upside down except the back of the pants! Oh well, they're monkeys, and monkeys like being upside down, right?

I also managed to get two short sleeve shirts half finished - one green and one with penguins (also Burda 9792). It's really not that easy to get uninterrupted sewing time with two small boys - one who doesn't want mama to abandon him, and one who has to help whenever I'm sewing. Despite not meeting the hour-a-day goal for the entire week I'm still happy to have made some sewing progress!