The Weekend

I like to save my haircuts for days when I have an event on. No point in letting a good blowdry go to waste. Saturday night I met the Mr's first Mrs and thought it would be a good idea to visit the hair dresser to cover up a few greys and get my ends trimmed.



I saw Rose Byrne in Madison Magazine whilst sitting in the chair and decided to get a fringe cut in too (which I haven't had for a long time). This is about as creative as I get these days as the Mr is a long hair lover. If I had my way it would be off boy short.

Anyway, I'm liking the new do and Mrs's old and new were lovely and pleasant.
Hope your weekend was top notch.

Mx

its apostrophe S

I know a lot of people don't, but I care about punctuation and spelling in my text messages and the question of when to use the apostrophe in its has been bothering me for a while.

My brother is my to go-to guy for all questions grammar related, and this is what he told me yesterday...

It's a wise dog that scratches its own fleas.

Now I'll be able to remember it and so can you. Thanks Mikey.

Mx

Little Green Man

I've written the pattern and I finally have pictures of Charlie at the Disney Extravaganza going away party we went to last month.

The beanie was a huge hit and Wee man won best costume.

Here is our L.G.M. with Snow White...

here he is with Tinkerbell...

and here is the pattern I put together with the help of this pattern and this pattern.

Size: 6 mo
Yarn: 100% Acrylic Little Grins Yarn in Apple, less than 2 x 50 g balls (it doesn't say what ply but according to the info sleeve a 10cm knitted gauge square on 4.5mm needles is 19 stitches by 25 rows)
Hooks: I used a 3.5 mm for the antenna and the top part of the hat, switching to a 4 mm hook once I started on the sides for quicker progress.

Antenna & Beanie (worked from the antenna down)
Start with a magic loop. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of your round and move it up to mark first stitch of the next round as you go.
Round 1            -   6 single crochet in to magic loop
Round 2            -   2 sc in each sc (for 12)
Round 3            -   *2sc in next sc, 1sc* around (for 18)
Rounds 4-6       -   sc around (for 18)
Round 7            -   *sc2tog, 1sc* around (for 12)
Round 8            -   *sc2tog, 1sc* around (for 8)
Rounds 9-27     -   sc around (for 8)
Round 28          -   *2sc in next sc, 1sc* around (for 12)
Round 29          -   *2sc in next sc, 1sc* around (for 18)
Round 30          -   *2sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc* around (for 24)
Round 31          -   *2sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc* around (for 30)
Round 32          -   *2sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc* around (for 36)
Rounds 33-43   -   continue with above pattern increasing the number of sc between 2sc by 1 for each round (you can always add more rounds if your child is older/has a bigger head, mine was about 13cm across)
Rounds 44-61   -   sc around

Ear Flaps (just continue on from where the hat finished for the first one and then start the second one on the opposite side of the hat)
Row 1   -   sc 17, chain 1 turn
Row 2   -   sc2tog, sc in next 13 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 3   -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 4   -   sc2tog, sc in next 11 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 5   -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 6   -   sc2tog, sc in next 9 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 7   -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 8   -   sc2tog, sc in next 7 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 9   -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 10 -   sc2tog, sc in next 5 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 11 -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 12 -   sc2tog, sc in next 3 stitches, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 13 -   sc across, chain 1 turn
Row 14  -  sc2tog, sc in next stitch, sc2tog, chain 1 turn
Row 15  -  sc across, ch 1 turn
Row 16  -  sc2tog,
chain stitch for ties and fasten off.

Ears
Row 1   -   chain 9, chain 1 turn (for 9)
Row 2   -   sc 9, chain 1 turn (for 9)
Row 3   -   sc 9, chain 1 turn (for 9)
Row 4   -   sc 2 in next sc,sc 8 to end of row, chain 1 turn (for 10)
Row 5   -   sc 2 in next sc, sc 8 along, sc 2 in last sc, chain 1 turn (for 12)
Row 6   -   sc 2 in next sc, sc 10 along, sc 2 in last sc, chain 1 turn (for 14)
Row 7   -   sc 2 in next sc, sc 13 to end of row, chain 1 turn (for 15)
Row 8   -   sc 14 along, sc 2 in last sc, chain 1 turn (for 16)
Row 9   -   sc 2 in next sc, sc 13, sc2tog, chain 1 turn (for 16)
Row 10 -   sc 15 along, sc 2 in last sc, chain 1 turn (for 17)
Row 11 -   sc 2 in next sc, sc 12 along, sc2tog, sc2tog, chain 1 turn (for 16)
Row 12 -   sc2tog, sc 13 along, 2sc in last sc, fasten off.
sew ears on to beanie.

Stuff antenna tightly with hobbyfill so it will stand erect, and glue goggely eyes on front in an arc.

I hope that all makes sense. This is my first go at writing a pattern so if you've got any useful feedback please let me know. I'd love to see any photos if anybody makes one, they are serious cute overload when they are being worn.

Mx

The Weekend

...was Margret River with friends.

the house

the view

the river


the walk

Charlie on the walk

all packed up and ready to head home

I do not complete enough projects for this to be craft blog, and looking back through my posts I enjoy the reminder of what's been going on, so I will endeavor to at least post weekly after the weekend. For myself, and memories.

Mx

Happy Mother's Day

I've enjoyed my first Mother's day and want to share a favourite photo of my beautiful mother.



My Mum is an extraordinary lady and I know how lucky I am to have her. She has always let me follow my own path and loved me unconditionally. Not something everyone gets I've learned.

Love you Mum.

And thanks to my Mr* for making me a mother, it's the best thing I've ever been given, such an honour and a joy.

Mx

*he doesn't read my blog, but anyway...

Co-Sleeping

The Mr has been sleeping in the spare room for a month or so now to see if it would help him feel more refreshed in the mornings. It is helping a little. I knew the wee man and I were disturbing him but now I know he was also disturbing us. The first week I really missed him, but I got used to it and it has given me the opportunity* to co-sleep with the wee man... and I LOVE IT!

It's just lovely to have the wee man so close during the night. It feels very natural to have him sleeping cuddled up next to me and I'm not at all worried about smothering him, I'm very aware of his presence, but it doesn't hamper my sleep. I think it enhances my sleep because I'm reassured by his proximity and feeling his little chest rising and falling with his breath and knowing that he is warm enough and safe in my arms (especially since the nights have turned cold).

Wee man wakes up just as much but I don't have to get up and get him out of the cot when he does, he either resettles himself or its just a quick side lying breastfeed and we're done (I couldn't do this before because it used to give the wee man the gomits, and I'd be wiping up chuck off the floor and myself all day) so I am not feeling as tired, which is great!

There are a couple of other girls in my mother's group who co-sleep, so I'm glad it is becoming more mainstream, and I highly recommend it.

Mx

*You can co-sleep with both parents in the bed but my Mr was not comfortable with this, worrying that he might roll on the baby and hurt him. We compromised with a sidecar set up on my side of the bed (a 3 sided cot pushed up to the bed with mattresses level).

April

1. 2011 0401, 2. 2011 0403, 3. 2011 0406, 4. 2011 0413, 5. 2011 1504, 6. 2011 1604, 7. 2011 0417, 8. 2011 0424, 9. 2011 0430

:: A last Hoorah fancy dress up
:: Easter camping
:: Rain!
:: Days and nights holding an unhappy teething baby with a cold

Mx