BLESSED SPEEDY

Well Christmas has come and all - all that worry and stress over "will they like that present" and also "is there enough food?" of course happened and really we didnt have to worry (but you always do dont you?) Oh the joy to share Christmas with my 3 year old granddaughter Mia - Nan you HAVE to bake cookies to leave out for Santa or else he wont come!

Extremely Blessed - courtesy of Gloria Copeland "A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth." (Proverbs 17:8) If I could give you a gift this Christmas, the Word is what I'd give you. I'd rather give it to you than a check for a million dollars. Because you can run through a million dollars real quick, but the truth of God's Word never quits--and it will get you out of situations a million dollars can't get you out of. Gary and I are just ordinary people. But when we latched onto God's Word, we latched onto something out of the ordinary, something that changed our lives. Every area of our lives. Nothing that's happened to us has happened because of us. It's happened because of God's Word. In fact, I don't even have to know you to promise you this: If you'll give God's Word your full attention--and not be afraid of His will for your life--you're going to be hap...

Ive been busy joining blocks and making small "snuggle" quilts for sick children and babies with blocks donated to my local patchwork group.  Ive made 6 and they are quilted and bound and ready to go.  Great way to use up scraps of binding, batting and even thread! And all for a good cause.

This is summer in Australia, a friend reminded me of the well known poem by Dorethea McKeller - I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of drought and flooding rains, I love her far horizons, I love her jewel sea, Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me. Yes this is our farm on Thursday morning, mud, slush and fog and its December!

Well as I suspected - my quilting genes have returned - see previous posts!  As I have not been having the best of times lately, Ive been feeling I need to get back to what I used to love doing - and one of those things is quilting.  So.....to cut a long story short, dug out this quilt top that I hate to think how long ago was made and proceeded to machine quilt, bind and label it.  Yes the purists would say it should have been handquilted but I dont care!  Its a lovely quilt and I just wanted it done.  It looks lovely hung over my sewing machine.  And the roll on continues - found a table runner that just needs some blanket stitch embroidery on some flowers and leaves and binding and then it is done!  For your knitters dont despair - knitting is STILL being done as well.

Well after weeks of on and off rain saturday 20th november was a lovely (although a bit hot) day for my oldest daughter Aimees wedding to the man of her dreams Jason.  My other two daughters Sarah and Megan got to play bridesmaids and Aimees daughter Mia (and my fabulous granddaughter) was flower girl.  I got to do a reading too! Dont they all look gorgeous?

After a week that I wish I had never experienced, during which time I had hours and hours of knitting time - I came home Thursday and actually felt the urge to sew quilt something.  Thankfully Mum had given me two little quilts of hers to finish - well to tell the truth I was at Mum's home and we were having lunch.  While I was eating I was looking at two little quilt tops that were pinned to her curtain - I think they had been there for quite some time - years in fact.  I said to Mum "would you like me to finish these for you?" Of course she jumped at the chance as her eyesight is pretty dodgy now. So......got out the tops, found some wadding and back etc and quilted them.  I had forgotten how relaxing quilting is when its all going according to plan (which it was).  Bound them and even labelled them.  Dropped them off to Mum last night and she was amazed - thought I was quilting them for her for a Christmas present! SO I gather Im in Mum's Good Books....

Once upon a time there was a knitter reasonably new knitter who could knit shawls and jumpers but had never knitted socks.....so.....she joined a group on ravelry where someone would knit an item for you and you paid them in yarn for their trouble.....so.....said knitter asked for these socks called monkey to be made for her by drbones.  Arent they fabulous. A strange thing happened though.  As the knitter trying to stretch herself knitter watched via email the progress of these socks she thought to herself - I think I can do that!!! So what happened.... She did this, which resulted in this And now she is making this!! So in the tradition of all good fairy tales - have a go, you never know what great things can happen for those who actually have a go and a try and who progress from being a beginner knitter to a sock knitter~!

Have a look at this! First sock done and second one cast on! And yes I CAN knit socks - it fits perfectly and everything.  Am I impressed with myself? Of course I Am

Ive finally taken the plunge and cast on a pair of socks, knitted on dpns (double pointed needles - 5 of them for the uninitiated).   Its my birthday tomorrow so I had some birthday money given to me, so splurged and bought a set of the lovely Knitpro wooden needles.  The yarn is colinette jitterbug in blue and is a joy to knit with.  The pattern is peacock rib socks and I got it from Ravelry.  Looking good so far I think!

Well with a lovely day today of around 24 degrees, and a grandfinal on the tv that I didnt want to watch (btw Collingwood won) I decided to spend it in the garden.  Pulled a heap of plants out, put in a few new ones and generally did a rearrange - and it looks pretty good now I think!

Sorry for the sideways picture but it just wont load properly!!!!  This has made Gary (hubby) very happy - here he is cutting hay (while the sun is shining) and its going to be fabulous hay - its been a long time since he's done something like this and he is quite impressed! 

Hooray - Aimee and Mia came for a visit today - I dont see them enough but when they do come its fabulous. Of course the calves had to be inspected and Mia even had a ride on one! And she was quite impressed with the hat I knitted for her as well!

For those of you who follow this blog - you may have noticed that I havent really done anything quiltwise since March - yes March!!!  I had to do a tidy up as we had visitors coming at Easter time and the result was that everything got shoved into huge plastic tubs, and to be honest it was too hard to unpack it. However I had signed up at material obsession  to join in their next block of the month for the Sue Ross blocks - they describe it as Twisted tradition - A quilt of traditional blocks in modern fabrics! Pattern, fabric and templates included for a queen size quilt. I had seen a few blocks done by others on their blogs and they are fabulous.  Well.....the first block arrived about three weeks ago, I glanced at it and put it aside.  On Thursday I had an email from material obsession (sneaky, very sneaky) telling me that block 2 was due to be sent very soon!  Of course that MADE me get block one out and yes (suprise suprise) I started it today...and its t...

Isn't this lovely?  Saeka sent me this photo of the quilt I gave her - and how she now has it hanging in her bedroom.  So nice to know it was appreciated and will be loved! BTW the pattern for this quilt was a free block of the month I got from the internet - from The Rabbit Factory if memory serves me correctly.  Different patterns for each month and for the changing seasons.

A few more knitting finishes - airy hat using Smooshy - it was a kit from Yay for Yarn!  Gathered Pullover using the lovely and yummy Bendigo Woolen Mills Allegro and.... February Lady sweater using Debbie Bliss Cashmero - ran out of wool hence the shorter sleeves Please note all items are for me!!!!!

Ive just been checking over my blog and noticed I havent finished anything quilt related since March- I actually dont think Ive even SEWN anything quilt related since then!  What have I been doing you ask??? Knitting! Ive rediscovered my love of knitting - thanks mainly to http://www.ravelry.com/   Firstly is the Irish Hiking Shawl which I made for Megan and on then the  Summer Flies Shawl - not sure who will score this one at this stage, maybe myself!

Well we had a fabulous time with Saeka staying with us, but all too soon the week was up and she was on her way home.  Ive been too busy since then to load this, but am doing it now. I gave her a small quilt to take home with her to remember us by - Im sure she loved it!

Last night Saeka made us dinner - it was sushi and it was delicious!  Saeka tells me that she has never made it before but we think she did a fabulous job.

What a lovely way to spend a sunny winters Sunday - fishing.  Unfortunately no fish were caught but Saeka did get a bite - but the fish got away!

Saeka loves our cat Speedy, and Speedy loves her. Especially as she is getting lots of pats, cuddles and being brushed!

Saeka had and I quote "the most fantastic experience of her life" helping Gary milk tonight.  She enjoyed herself so much and quickly the hang of how to milk! Also a thankyou to Saeka and her family for the lovely gifts she gave us last night - here is what she gave Gary and I, Megan has her gifts in her room.

Saeka is really enjoying being here!  Here she is ready to go to school and with Megan before they head off on the school bus.

We are blessed to have a student from Japan come and live with us for a week.  Her name is Saeka and she arrived yesterday.  She quickly fitted into our family and soon was outside meeting all our animals- with Megan's help.

I wasn't sure how I would go knitting this - Ive never knitted lace before- but Ive done it!  Its forest canopy shawl and it was heaps easier to knit that what I thought it would be.  Yes I did a bit of frogging here and there but nothing too terrible. Here it is blocked and drying - cant wait to wear it!

Look what lives at our home now!!! A brand new (yes brand new!!!!!!) 2010 Ford Territory TS Mark II - how cool is that??????

I havent been quilting/sewing at all - but I have been knitting. Finished these three lovelies this week - yes I know it sounds impressive but really there was only ends to sew in on two!