Last Friday night ....

Hi everyone

Well I thought you might like to see where I went and what I saw last Friday night.

Travelled to Homebush Bay (Sydney Olympic Park) with D3 to see this

D3's hubby was a cast member,

so we were lucky enough to get free seats.

Warning - this is a stadium, I don't have a super-dooper zoomy camera, a lot of things moved very quickly and it frequently was dark

So here is a glimpse of what went on

The Royal Imperial Guards

A galleon was created out of 4 separate parts complete with slaves and guards

And, of course, chariot races.

Now this was a very hard photo to take

They were moving FAST!!!!

This is an open-air sporting stadium, so lucky for us the storm that was brewing held off till the next day. 

And what am I doing this Friday????

Well, hubby and I are flying to Melbourne for the weekend.

This weekend also happens to be Derby Day at Flemington!!!

So just may have to visit

To attend The Melbourne Cup is on our "Bucket List", but I'm sure we can make-do with The Derby!!

So I'll catch up next week

Aussie Maria's Australia

Hi everyone

Having a memory lane moment while trawling through my old photos - yes real printed photos!!!!

So that will explain the colour saturation

Random photos of places and areas that have left a lasting impression with me in my travels ....

Mataranka Hot Springs

Northern Territory

Apr 1988

Three of those tiny little blobs in the water are mine ☺

This tropical stop is just off the main highway that connects Adelaide and Darwin, and is renowned for its thermal pool – a sandy-bottomed lagoon fringed by palm forest and a rejuvenating swimming spot for weary travellers up and down ‘the track’.

This place was heaven after the heat and long, long, long, long, dry, red open flat areas.

Might have to show that one day too ☺

Is it a Shawl or a Scarf or a Cowl????

Hi everyone

Love, love, love this idea

Messes with your head

But so rhythmic

And it works so easily and so well

Are you wondering what it is????

Well with the help of my wonderful model, Nicholas, I hope to explain

It's a shawl

Its a hooded scarf or just a scarf

Or a snug cowl

Details - Pattern Moebius found here

I used scrap 8ply acrylic mohair (Yuck) and 5mm hook

Foundation row 140

Approx, 110cm circumference

Great idea and I really loved the way it worked

Round and round

But no end and no beginning - well at least when you have finished it

Sur-prise!!!! Sur-prise!!!! Sur-prise!!!!

Hi everyone

I received mail yesterday.  "So what" your saying.

Well, for one thing it wasn't a bill!!!!!! Yeah.

Secondly, it came across the seas to me!!!

So I opened the plain brown envelope and found this ....

That was enough to make me smile

My favourite red mixed with a rainbow of cottons

Who is Alison???

Pop on over here and say Hi to Alison at Alisonb2

A very lovely lady whose favourite colour is Purple, lots and lots of colour and craft!!!!

But the note?????

What did it mean

Well I just had to find out

So I opened the wrapping and .......

opened the wrapping and .....

opened the wrapping and .....

By this time I am giggling, I know what Alison meant

But I also had to explain to hubby why I am stopping and taking photos

So he had a quick run-down on blogland etiquette

So what's next?????

And what's inside the violet paper?????

To be honest, I didn't care

I felt like a toddler - far happier with the paper than caring what was inside ☺

But I did open it

Wonderful, tiny, bright, gorgeous rainbow buttons

Of course they have rainbow cotton with them

Ideas are spinning - what to do!!!

No rush, I can just admire for a long, long time - if I want

Thank you so much Alison for such a wonderful consolation gift

I haven't moved them from my coffee table, so I can keep looking at the wonderful colours

I hope your day is filled with rainbows and sunshine

(Unfortunately, Alison's gift is as close as I can get to sunshine here today)

SALE!!!!! SALE!!!!! SALE!!!!

Hi everyone

Just a quick little post, just opened my mail and found that

Bendigo Woollen Mills has their SALE!!! on now

The yarn whether cotton, merino or alpaca is Australian yarn

And remember their balls are 200g!!!

Wonderful prices

And orders over $30 are free delivery - not sure about overseas
Sale ends 30th Nov 2010

So pop on over - I will definitely be stash enhancing

I already had an order in my head prior to receiving this mail

BTW - I am not connected with the Mills, just a lover of their yarn and had to share

You can click on the tag "Bendigo Woollen Mills" to see what I have made with their yarn, but I am not showing what is in the stash - just in case hubby reads ☺

Link is in right hand side or above

Have a wonderful weekend

Smoothie Sunshine

Hi everyone

Well we finally had a bit of sunshine this morning, but even while I type clouds are rolling over it.  Not rain clouds at the moment, but they are predicted.  So as I was lucky enough to have finished the blanket and have a small glimpse of sun, I took some photos

While you can't "see" the pattern with the varigation, you do get the feel for the basket-weave effect.

The pattern I used is from Project Linus (an American organisation I think), pattern name is Sideways Shell Baby Afghan, pattern here or if your on Ravelry (which is where I was able to see the stitch) here

I used Patons Smoothie DK with a 5mm hook

Now for whatever reason, I have trouble with foundation chains.

They do not stretch, they twist, they do not give the neat start I require.

So I modified the pattern by doing a Foundation Double Crochet (sc for USA) row

And it works beautifully - for me anyway ☺

My Foundation Dc Row is 120 stitches

Measurements - 90 x 90 cm

This is a super simple, little thinking, soothing (for me) pattern

And it looks wonderful!!!

Well, unless you make your own, you will have to take my word for it.

It shows up much better with solid colours

Now I'm not complaining, rain after a drought that has gone on for so lllllllooooooonnnnnnnggggg is extremely welcome.

But please a little bit of sunshine in between is great for the soul

I know, I know, won't be long and the permanent heat will be here

We celebrated D3's daughter yesterday and I was going to show you the results of Lady Helsie's World's Easiest Chocolate Cake, but there were not even crumbs left over

So the families verdict is

Bye for now

Hi there

Hi everyone

Yes it is Sunday morning, so why am I here?

Well, hubby left while it was dark this morning to play golf and I thought I would catch up with blog-world.

Now I do have something to show you, but the weather has been overcast for almost 2 weeks now.  And I really think it has gotten confused and thinks it is now Autumn, a little cool, not Spring, a little warm.  ☺

I wanted to take a nice, sunshiney photo, but it seems to be going against me - so you will have to just get a glimpse of it.

Now before I show you, I will tell you the story ....... didn't I mention something about that in the last post

 ☺ ☺☺

About a month ago I mentioned that I was not alone in the hospital waiting room crocheting.  So while us ladies chatted and compared notes - I really admired her lovely pattern, which was for a baby blanket.  She could not remember the name, so I tried to work it out by looking at it - Nope, not my forte!!!!  I could not follow what she was doing - I was chatting and working on my project at the same time - I'm just not that talented ☺  She did mention it was really easy and was always her fall-back pattern.

So I have been scouring the net, but unfortunately I really needed to see a close up of the stitches to confirm I had the right pattern - it took me a few weeks of searching to find that close up - came close lots of times, but was never quite sure.  Then I spotted a close-up of some-ones project on Ravelry - Yahoo!!!!  I found it.

Now hubby's cricket season has started and this has become a perfect, no actually PERFECT, pattern to work

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will show you a little glimpse

Eventually .......

Firstly, I am working this in Paton Australia's Smoothie - an acrylic which is not usually my choice.

It has been discontinued and a bargain is a bargain

And I was very surprised how soft and squishy and SMOOTH!!!  this yarn is

Ok all good so far

But there is one drawback, and for me a MAJOR one

See if you can spot it in the photo ....

Yep, it sure is splitty

Lucky I'm using a slightly rounded head crochet hook

I still have to be careful that all the strands are looped

This would be so difficult knitting or crocheting with a pointy head

You really can't see the pattern too well with this yarn, but it is still working up so lovely

It looks like a basket-weave when done in one colour - another project which I will definitely be starting shortly in more male colours, or in neutral colours

As today is D3's hubby's birthday and D3's is on Wednesday, I am off to have lunch with them and D2 and partner and a whole lot of other invitee's.

Eventually hubby will join us to

But he will miss out on the scrumptious lunch

Hope you all enjoy your day of rest

Mini Xmas Stockings 2010 Challenge

Mini Xmas Stockings 2010, originally uploaded by Aussie Maria.

Hi everyone

Knit4Charities has a mini Christmas Stocking Challenge. These are handed out to the homeless and those in difficulties, mainly children. A little something is popped inside, such as Candy Cane, Lollipops, Lollies etc. Just to give a little cheer at "that" time of year.

They are expecting that over 5,000 will be turning up - and that's only in the Brisbane area!!!!

So here is my input for the challenge.

The knitted ones are from Jean Greenhowe's site - very quick and so very simple. I used more of this pattern as the yarn went further and the colour changes worked better.

The crochet one on the left is a side-to-side pattern, another quickie, but I didn't like how the colours worked - even mixed me up in the head ☺

The crochet one on the right is a hexagon folded - loved making this one, but again I did not like the colours spinning. Will probably rework this in plain colours and solid trebles (I did this one granny style)

These would also be a fantastic idea for a recycling/reuse Xmas wrapping/bag if you have tiny gifts or Advent calenders or Tree Decorations or Teddy's Boots or Doll Boots or ...........

Bye for now
Off for a lovely long weekend - Labour Day on Monday holiday

Whirlwinds

My mind is a whirlwind at the moment

If you care to join me, please read on

But you have been warned

From the start

I have the yarn, it is a beautiful soft Australian cotton

I had an idea

But I wanted to test it first - just to be sure

So I pulled out some gifted acrylic to try

This is the pattern or picture I used for my idea

But I only worked trebles/dc's

Ok, so my idea worked and I am happy with it

But I would prefer another row of white

Then Crochet with Raymond's Mandala kept popping up

Kept playing with my mind

Even Scotty's Place is having a give-away that involves these Mandala's

Pop on over and check it out

And of course, hubby pipes up and says "Why don't you make a circle blanket"

So I just had to - didn't I

But not another new project

Oh no!!!!

So I added it to this

Another one that I am happy with

But I have just noticed that I have a wavy thing going on

So a bit of work required when working this big

And what has prompted this

Well D3's friend has just found out that she is having a girl

And I gave her this, which was made a while ago

Just in case ☺

Just a plain granny square in a lovely, squishy, soft cotton

Perfect for an end of summer/autumn baby

Ok, so what did I decide on???????

v

v

v

v

v

Well, that's another story ............ ☺ ☺

I did warn you

For those in Australia - have a great long weekend

And I hope your footy team wins - whichever code it is

Enjoy all the bbq's and socialising