Stitch 2 Stitch

When I first saw this yarn, I fell in love with the colorway and bought it before thinking of what I could do with it! lol It reminded me of mixed berries and honestly, I think it looks yummylicious! So as I went through hundreds of free patterns on Ravelry, I finally found something that I could knit with the confidence, something that was sweet and simple.

I picked Natalie’s Scarf which uses the basic stitches and yet the outcome is nice, at least I like it lots. (Nothing fancy, I know!)

Here is where I am at the moment. I know it’s no big deal for some but for me, being a newbie at knitting and all…I’m quite happy with it!

Actually this scarf is my in-between project. lol I knit this when I get into a knot with my other main project which is Brandon’s baby jersey. So whenever I get into trouble and go online to ask for help, while waiting for the answer…I knit this! It definitely helps to break the monotany of the boring beige with garter st most of the time.

This scarf will take awhile because it has to be long so at least, I will always have an in-between project to keep me interested.

You know what makes my day? When I get something, anything in the mail… I’ve been buying stuff on eBay for quite some time now and some sellers a nice, some are curt and just mean business and the rare few go all out for you, and give you so much more than you expect!! I love that kind a lot.

I have to thank my short attention span coz I was busy with some adapexin reviews when I lost interest and suddenly decided that I wanted to go see what’s happening on eBay since I havent been shopping there for awhile now. More like since I put my sewing machine and overlocker away coz that means that I havent been sewing, see? Anyway, since this whole knitting craze started, I’ve been on a lookout for knitting needdles and while I prefer buying my stuff immediately and not bother stressing out about bidding and such, sometimes I take the bait and bid. This was one such occasion and I came up a true winner!!

It cost me AU11.20 for at least 20 pairs of different sized knitting needles and since the sellers husband needs to past my place on the way home, she offered to drop it off in addition to some knitting patterns her mum used to own. But the sweet surprise was that it was not just a few pattern sheets, she gave me a HUGE plastic bag full of patterns including hardcover books too!! I was way touched and so thankful. MIL says that I have enough supply to last me a lifetime! I have to admit that she could be more right! Now I have no reason to buy any new patterns…EVER.

Just when I thought I’d heard just about everything there was to know about knitting, I am once again surprised by another notion that is related to knitting. If I hadn’t been on youtube getting lessons on how to knit certain stitches and such, I would never have known about….the yarn bowl!! Yes, it’s such luxury really. lol What it does is it keeps your ball of yarn in one place so that it doesn’t roll all over the place while you’re knitting/crocheting. It’s a bowl with a hole on the side for the yarn to go through while the ball sits in the bowl. I think it’s a clever idea but oh so decadent!!

My ‘yarn bowl’ is either a plastic bag that I tied up at the top OR Arianna’s big bear who sit on one of our chairs – he’s got huge legs that ensure my ball of yarn stays puts – it sits between his legs! And no, I’m not being cheeky, it’s the honest truth!! While those bowls are indeed a luxury to me, I wouldn’t mind getting me some thumb supports because of all that silly thunb wrestling Ted and I were fooling around with earlier today!! If I don’t settle this issue, my knitting will suffer!! I won’t be able to hold the needles or ease off the yarn properly either!! EEEEeeeeeeeeekkkkksss!!

I decided that there was always room for more! Yes, I went nutsy and got me another bunch of needles. A huge lot off eBay and in good condition too. The seller was very kind that she offered to drop it off at MIL’s place today and she’s also giving me some free knit patterns too. What a gem!!

So what’s new with my knitting? Well, I did hit a dead block with my baby jersey but thanks to the wonderful people on my Ravelry forum (Hello Malaysian knitters!!) and CM forum, I am slowly getting myself untangled from this web of questions. The ladies have been excellent and patient with me and so helpful too!! I do hope I get pass this hurdle coz I’m somewhat 3/4 finished. I am completing my sleeves once I clear up my confusion and then it will be yoke and voila, I’m done!! But because I have that many needles, I have started another project going – a scarf for myself.

I recently chanced upon Bubs2Grubs while on my search for online yarn stores in Australia. Run by Karina, her online store has loads of yarn (what’s new right?) and currently she’s having a clearance on some discontinued yarn. Since I’m a newbie, I didn’t want to jump right in and buy all those exxy yarn and then end up ripping it over and over again so I got me some Paton and Heirloom 8ply yarns to play with. I’m absolutely loving the Heirloom Dazzle in mixed berries color. It’s simply divine!!! Although 100% acrylic, it doesn’t get all ‘fuzzy’ like the Vera Moda Marvel from Spotlight which is good news to me. I’m really enjoying knitting with it because it’s lovely to look at and easy to knit with. What more could a newbie ask for? Plus she was really generous and threw in a few hook protectors for free when I asked to add it in my order as I had forgotten to add them in the basket before I checked out. Now THAT’S what I call service! She’s definitely got me hooked in.

Once the baby jersey is done for Brandon, I’ve already decided on my next project – a Tropical Lily from tikki. I reckon Arianna would love it and it suitable to wear in summer AND for layering in the cooler months ahead. The only problem is that it uses Anchor Magicline yarn and apparently it’s hard to come by. And this is such a pity because the colors are such that it really suits the pattern so well!!! I might have to just use a plain color or find out an alternative yarn for this pattern. Can’t wait to try it!! So ambitious, isnt it??

It’s hard to focus on reading about apidexin when sites like eBay and other lovely yarn and fabric online shops are constantly pulling my attention away! lol They are after all, just literally a click or 2 away and it’s really no effort to move my index finger for that.

I reckon the amount of shopping I’ve done online has by shot up so high, I can’t say that I don’t go shopping anymore coz although I am still indoors and not out there working out by walking from store to store, I’m still shopping in the comforts of my home…which incidentally is the whole idea of online shopping! *sigh* The wonders of the internet….can’t live with it, can’t live without it even more.

…..then don’t say anything at all. I truly believe in this and I always keep myself in check before I say something to someone especially when it might be something unpleasant. Many people fail to put themselves in the other persons shoe before they make a comment. And more often than not, it is normally something hurtful. And just like the “send” button, once you’ve clicked it, there’s no way of taking it back. The same goes to when one speaks….once you’ve said it, nothing you do could ever take it back. And worst still, if it was something hurtful, then it will be forever etched in that persons mind. Once can forgive but not forget.

I have lost count of the number of times that people have stop me in the middle of the street to tell me about some acne product and recommend that I try it. That’s like telling me to click here for acne products! All this happened when I was a teen….how do you think I would have felt back then? Hormones raging, sensitive feelings, feeling displaced….all this going on INSIDE me and then on the outside, I had to deal with this kinda crap. That is why today, I know better. It’s always better to hold one’s toungue if one if not sure of the outcome of the conversation.

It’s hard to admit it but it’s true…. I AM A HOARDER! And Ted (and Mum!) would gladly agree to my admitting it too. :/

When I was into sewing, I was buying fabric like there was no tomorrow and my stash just grew and grew and grew. Currently, I’ve got fabric stashed everywhere that I’ve forgotten where I’ve hidden placed them! Since deciding to wrap my machines up temporarily, until I got things under control with this little tribe that I have, I’ve been knitting or attempting to knit. So far I’ve successfully finished a beanie that no one but the toys can wear and then I was working on a cardigan for myself. Looks like it will be ready by 2012 winter by the time I’m done coz I’ve lost steam on that. But got my knit-jo back and am knitting Brandon a little something.

The thing is, now that I’m into knitting….I find myself checking out other online stores to look for yarn. I think I’m turning out to be quite the yarn hoarder/stasher collector. As how I’ve managed to grow my sewing AND knitting pattern stash when I can’t even knit a simple beanie!! >.< But I have hope in me…in fact, I reckon other people have more confidence in me than I do. Which isn’t all that bad when you think about it.

Never say die….

Ps. What makes my day? Getting a fat parcel in the mail and it’s jammed with YARN!!!! ^.^ Next project….a scarf for me. Not even 1/4 done with Brandon’s jersey and I’m already thinking of my next project!! That’s me true and true….

Growing up, I was never one who was into sweet things. From personal observation, people start off loving sweet things as kids and then they get older and become health conscious. This means that sugar intake is suppose to lessen but it is the TOTAL opposite for me! >.< You could hardly see me eating sweets or candy, I was into the savoury stuff like chips. While both these foods are bad for me, I am still at it. And more sweet these days though and I'm so not happy with it!

And to make it worst, Christmas was no help either seeing that I had Mum's fruit cake, MIL's fruit cake, MIL's pudding, a dozen mince pies (which was all mine coz I ate them all), the ginger bread house and not to mention all the chocholate and candy canes! While I didn't literally have the lot (except the mince pies), the sugar in all of these foods are ridiculous! I'm so not happy about it at all...I'm angry at me for eating all these because of my low will power. Despite nursing exclusively, I havent lost THAT much weight, I would like to lose more. I can't wait till all of these junk food is gone as we dont normally buy candy and chips. They are more of a luxury for us.

While I know I have the option of taking weight loss pills to help me manage my weight, I can think of a better alternative. A shopping trip to Spotlight!!! They just sent us a $40 off $100 voucher in the mail. Heh….time to ‘workout’ baby!!

I’m not the most creative mum in town and to be honest, I think I suck at being creative and imaginative when it comes to kids play. And since we’re being honest here, I was never a kiddy person to begin with. Although I love babies and always had since I was a teen and stuff, I was never good at dealing with toddlers. I always thought that they asked too many questions and mostly I would end up in a blur state coz I didn’t know how to answer them. Heck, it’s slowly happening to me now! :/ As Arianna is getting older, she’s been asking me stuff and so far, I can still deal with it. Lord know what’s going to happen in the years to come.

Anyway, in my (lame) attempt to be creative, I suddenly remembered this art thingy that we used to do in school. We’d each bring something along to stamp with. I remember bring along half an onion and potato that Daddy carved. Then during art lesson, we’d dip the onion/potato into watercolor and stamp it all over our white drawing paper. It was really fun!

So I think I might do the same with the girls just to see their reaction and how they react to it. In fact, I’ll also go and get some rubber stamps as well coz I really hate to waste food. Now more so since the Qld floods and all. Fruit and veg are getting more and more expensive these days, so I have to be careful or we’ll be eating just dry bread!

O, what a common thing to hear from me if you live in the same apartment unit as I do! lol I spend some time of the day saying this because the girls loooooooooooove to irritate each other when they are not being nice to each other. It’s really funny how lost they are when the other is not around. In fact, they seem like angels stratight from heaven when other is not around. Makes you think that perhaps I should get rid of one of them!!

The other day, I decided to let them have a go at plastacine that Aunty Jenni gave them for Christmas. While Daddy was with them, monitoring them (while busying himself by making a model of his fav bird, the rainbow lorikett – he did a good job of it, btw), I could still hear them screaming when the other touched their colored plastacine. And I wasn’t even close by!! I was in the room nursing Brandon.

It is times like these that I wished that I could fix a mic or loudspeaker to our home speakers so that I didn’t have to scream at them to shut the heck up and just play nice. *sigh* When they play nice, they really play nice…when they fight, then all claws and hair pulling happens. Aaahhh…..sibling love couldn’t be any more real.