Aussie Maria's Australia

First off -

Go RABBITOHS we beat them PANTHERS - YEAH!!!!!

This is a long running friendly feud between my almost-SIL and his favourite NRL team, the Penrith Panthers and my favourite team - South Sydney Rabbitohs.  And we beat them BIG time!!!!

Ok, now down to business

One of the most annoying things I find about the amazing digitial cameras - the fact that you usually don't print them to look at them!!!!.

For a couple of months now I have wanted to share some photos with you, but 3 home moves, 6 computers and 3 digital cameras later, I could not find where they were.  I was sure I saved them.  I know I never printed them.  But where were they?????

Finally found a disc over the weekend that I never look at - it is labelled photos, but nothing else, and yes there they were

So what am I going to show you????

Well it happened in the end of July 2004.  A surprise for a wedding anniversary.

A weekend away in one of our favourite areas of NSW - The Hunter Valley.  I did a post of one trip here

Yes we checked out our favourite wineries and yes the favourite food shops.  But this time hubby had organised something special.

Unfortunately it involved a extremely early start, can't remember exactly what time now, but I can tell you it was pitch black and would be for another 2 hours after we arrived at the destination.  Please remember that this is our winter time and while the Hunter Valley has beautiful spring, summers and autumns, the temperature can drop quite low (well for us anyway :-P) here.

So please don't be surprised at some of the photos and our faces - early hour remember.

We saw this .......

and we got views like this

yes that is sunrise

and a little of The Great Dividing Range

and just to prove it was us ☺

this was just prior to becoming airborne

A Bucket List moment

They like everyone to take part, so you are requested to help with the inflation of the ballon and the packing up at the end of the trip.  Lucky for me I was responsible for the camera, as the balloon looks very heavy.

Inflating the balloon

and packing it up

We then went back to their office/base and had a wonderful breakfast and a glass of champagne to celebrate.

Bye for now

A Giveaway at Scotty's Place

Pop on over here for an absolutely amazing give-away by Pammy

Lady Helsie's Cake

After reading Lady Helsie's Blog yesterday, I just had to make this .......

5 Cup Cake

Still trying to work a new oven out, so could have been a little browner in the middle.

But yummo!!!!!

I got a quick, very easy, very tasty, much needed sugar fix

I did save a little for hubby - but only a little ☺

Granny Takes A Trip

Hi everyone

Just saw this link via a Ravelry group and funnily enough thought straight away of The Garden Bell!!!  Now I wonder why?????

If your after the pattern, click here

Bye for now

Super Easy Fingerless Mittens - My first writing of a pattern

Hi everyone

I had grand plans for yesterday including writing a post and then ...............

we had a black-out (not sure why) and all my grand plans that involved electricity went out the window - no ironing, no vacuuming, (that was the best excuse I have come up with yet!!!!!) and no computer

so what am I to do ........

except sit down (no cuppa!!!!!), pick up hook and yarn and ......

crochet!!!!!!!


BTW - I forgot to check when the power came back on, could have been 1 min or hours!!!! Crochet time was had instead.

So here is what amused me yesterday.

For the charities, lots of people do scarfs - some because they are beginners and others for the mindless knitting and of course there is always the just cause!!!!. Those that want a bit more of a challenge usually do beanies - and all for similiar reasons. But me, I do both, but wanted something a little different.

Started thinking then notice a request for fingerless mittens and gloves - simple enough and quick - just up my alley. So I have knitted and crocheted a few pair.

But yesterday I wanted something super quick, super easy and very warm. So I played around and came up with ideas from all those other patterns done in my style - which I will share with you.


My fingerless mittens, originally uploaded by Aussie Maria.

Super Easy Fingerless Mittens
Ch 32 (or size required to fit); htr/hdc in 2nd ch from hook, htr/hdc to end; join with slip st to beg ch
*2 ch, htr/hdc to end, join with sl st to ch* Repeat until work measures approx 10cm/4in or length required
Sl st across 6 more st's, 2 ch, htr/hdc to beg, turn, 2 ch, htr/hdc back, sl st to htr/hdc to join back up (this will create a hole for thumb)
*2 ch, htr/hdc to end, join with sl st to ch* Repeat until work measures approx 15cm/6in (in total) or length required.

My apologies if this seems like double dutch, this is my very first attempt at writing what I do. And I did use a mix of all my other patterns I use as a guide.  The only major difference that I did was the extra row gap at the thumb hole, a lot of patterns just join on the one round and I find I like a bit more moveability around my thumb area.  And I now do foundation chain rows, instead of chains then the stitch.  I learnt this way of starting here

I also made this ..........  pattern here - the Divine Hat

and I learnt fptr/fpdc and bptr/bpdc

 - just so you and I are clear this stands for "front post treble/front post double crochet and back post treble/back post double crochet".  Check out YouTube for some excellent instructions if this is new to you like it was for me ☺

And these ........ Child's Slippers

Great thing about making items for chairty -

• 
  
  it will fit someone!!!!
• 
  
  great way to try out patterns before committing your very expensive choices
• 
  
  never boring, always something new - adult, child, animals
• 
  
  use up old or gifted stash!!!!

So a productive day (in the craft department) was had!!!!!!

Oh well, back to the boring housework  :-(

Jamberoe Vest

Hi everyone

Well you know how I have been telling you for weeks and weeks and weeks (about 6 or 7 actually) that I had a big project to show - but I didn't show you??????? First off it was too warm to wear it and then I could not get photos, so then I gave up - not great photos, but at least you can see it

Well here it is .........

Jamberoe Vest Back On, originally uploaded by Aussie Maria.

Now for the front .......

Looks better on the hanger  ☺

Now for the details -

Pattern was found here - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/red-granny-square-crocheted-vest

Dawn also has a blog in which there are many beautiful crocheted items.  So pop on over here, Fiddlesticks,  for a read, that's if you have not already been there ☺

I only loosely followed the pattern as I am too short and too wide for the dimensions, but the instructions are worked based on your own measurements.  It was mainly the length that I found tricky and adjustments were made.  It is basically granny squares and triangles.  I would have liked it a bit more on the front or .......

I can always lose some tummy  ☺  ☺  ☺

Yarn - Colinette Cadenza Jamboree and Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury in Ruby - both of which are 8 ply very, very, very, very soft yarn.

Hook - 5mm (that's just my preference for the slightly thicker than normal, soft 8 plys)

I am very happy with the vest.  I usually don't like too much on my arms and this was an idea I was working on while The Garden Bell was working on her VO cardigan.  Similiar ideas, heh!!!

Have a great weekend

I am going to see Cats tomorrow with D3!!!

Chaos

Hi everyone

For a couple of weeks now I have been feeling frustrated looking at all the wonderful projects on Flickr and Blogs.  So much wonderful, beautiful, inspiring creations.  I felt I was going nowhere, that I was not completing anything, that I had too much on the go, that ideas were leaking out and not becoming anything.

Suddenly I realised that I did have a lot of things to share with you!!!!

Firstly ......

I did have too many projects on the go and my mind was swirling between them and causing more chaos.  I have actually named one of the projects chaos as that is how it started and continued throughtout and I started this the night before the wedding ☺

Here is how it started ......

I like order, I follow patterns, I like knowing what to do next

and yet I allowed this to just happen, to let the colours dictate what I would do with each length of yarn

Not me at all!!!!

Well I did influence it a bit as the next photo shows

Just another six of my funny styled hexagons and it became this .....

More little projects and one large project to show, but they can wait for another post.

Need to keep it fresh  ☺  ☺  ☺

Bye for now

BTW - for those in the Northern Hemisphere it is finally getting cold down-under (well our version of cold anyway below 20C/68F)  I have the heater on cause of cold tootsies, socks and jumpers are coming out of hiding and long warm trackies are on too  ☺

Nicholas Wilfred ROSKELL 1819-1877

great-great-grandfather.7, originally uploaded by shadowgirl386.

A photo of a painting of my great-great-grandfather, Nicholas Wilfred ROSKELL.

Nicholas was born in 1819 in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales and died in 1877 at Penang, Malaysia.

His parents were George ROSKELL (first mayor of Flintshire) and Mary Anne POTTS. He is one of 14 children. The family had a connection with "Stokyn Hall" in Holywell

Nicholas was captain for the P & O Line and a Royal Navy Commander.

He married Mary Charlotte JONES, no details on their marriage have been found so far.

Nicholas & Mary had 6 children

Weekend update

Hi everyone
There have been some requests for photos of me at the wedding - Sorry, I just can't do that as I spent a lot of time behind the video camera.  The only photos of me with the couple are the professional ones, so you will have to wait a while to see them.

Now on to Mothers Day - do you remember this glimpse I gave you ages ago (beginning of March)

Well it became this for my MIL for Mother's Day

The pattern is here and let me say it is easy and works up wonderfully. 

I used Bendigo Luxury 4ply, shade is called Ghost.

So soft, so light, so comfortable

There is a couple of other projects to show, but one I should be wearing so you might not see it for a little while and the other - well I might let you know soon

Bye for now

Give-away

I know, 2 posts in one day, what is going on.

Well I would not do it, but Molly insists its the only way I can get another chance at winning her give-away at Bookworm.

The book sounds very enticing to me and I would so love to read it.

And while your there - if you like crochet, check out Molly's other blog

Bye

What a weekend and a bit .....

, Hi everyone

Well I made it through the weekend, but boy I am still weary.

The weekend started on Friday morning for me.

As you may be aware, Mothers Day was on Sunday, so my girls decided to give me a treat earlier.  So on Friday they took me to get a manicure, pedicure and nails done - for the wedding of course.

Then Saturday - what a picture perfect day.  The weather was glorious, I think temps were around 25C/77F, absolutely clear skies, not a breath of wind - wonderful.  It was like this ALL day and those temps were at 3.30pm in the arvo!!!

But now all those months of planning and organising came together and all within a few short hours.  Everything went perfectly, even the surprise video for the Groom from his oldest, oldest friend who could not be there.

The setting was absolutely perfect and the staff worked very hard and very competently and created a smooth, hiccup free event - Well done to all staff at the Newport Mirage!!!!

Just a glimpse of the beautiful flower-girls in their capes - which they definitely did not need - way too hot to wear, so I had to grab a quickie shot with them in the corner ☺

You would think these two beautiful little girls were sisters, the way they look, speak and mannerisms.  But no, they live on the opposite side of Australia from each other (one in Sydney the other in Perth) and they have absolutely no family connections.  I think they became best friends in a matter of minutes, even managed to squeeze a sleep-over on the night!!

And a photo of our combined Motley Crew!!!

Now as for Sunday, well there is a project I want to share, so you can wait for the next post

Bye for now

SIBOL Squares

Seems I missed posting a photo for my "Sunniest" squares heading off to Mrs Twins SIBOL Blankets.  I think this is blanket No. 9 for her which she has just completed.  So here is what I sent off back in mid March.

If you would like to know more about the SIBOL Blankets head to the blog or Flickr or the link is on the right hand sidebar.

There are always new challenges - the one running now is for flower squares and the next one is for blue & white squares ........ its listed on the blog

Beneath Hill 60

Hi everyone
Yesterday we went and saw a movie that I was supposed to watch last weekend for Anzac Day - Beneath Hill 60.

I am not a fan of blood,gore or violence.  But I do love History and I love movies based on true stories, especially Australian ones, as there is so little information around.  I have learnt more about my own country doing genealogy than was ever taught in school - which is a HUGE shame on our education system.  Ok off my soap-box and back to what I meant to be talking about.

I loved it!!!!

No big HOLLYWOOD names in it, great Australian actors (I did recognise their faces but did not know their names) and an amazing story.  While it brings the reality of the situation they were in to your mind, they did not accentuate with gratiutious blood and violence.

We need more movies like this, so go and watch it!!!