Naki Swap #3!!!!

So unfortunately i forgot to take my camera to knitting on tuesday DOH!!! so instead of borrowing photos etc i thought i would just direct you over to my lovely friend Sheryls blog and you can read all about it over there :)

here is the package i put together, themed "Zen Garden"




The three words i oulled out of the hat were "Pray" "Rock Pool" and "Handcrafted" so i chose to use both "Pray" and "Rock Pool" to come up with my theme :)

Spreading the Love

Yip its swap season again!!!!!! These things see, to go in seasons where swaps are due all at the same time! this makes for very exciting letter box trips in the mornings, we are very lucky to have received all couriers and mail by 9am! so no waiting impatiently all day for me!

A few posts back i blogged about the Sock Lovers swap i was involved in and my "Where the Elves Play" package i put together. Well i arrived back from holiday to find my swap had arrived!!!!!!!



My theme was "My Vampire Boyfriend" which is a pattern i have been dying to make My yarn was 100grams Henry's attic "Thread soft" ( from jolly jumbuck) dyed in delicious pinky reds. it also came with Charlaine Harris's first Sookie book "Dead till dark" which is AWESOME!!! i have read it in e-book form but cant wait to read it again properly Its the first book to start my collection.

Then yesterday i received my "Vampire" swap!!! yes yes i know a whole swap dedicated to vampires hehehe. I am still putting together my swap but here is the one i received:



It was all wrapped up in a Kite and included 200grams (! !) bendigo luxury 4ply dyed int he colours of the forest surrounding the Cullen's house, a vile of Edwards blood (rich red cake gel ) a stunning shawl pin dripping with beads of Bella and Edwards blood, a sheet of midnight blue sparky felt and in my Rav account was the pay pattern to the " La Cumparsita" shawl pattern. ( the name of a piece of music used to dance the tango- the dance of danger and love)


Also tonight is our Naki swap night and we will be exchanging mystery swap ;) will post more about this tomorrow!

Im baaaaaack :)

Well I'm back from our holiday and a wonderful one it was!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Swimming in the lake everyday, spa's under the stars every night, pizza from the pizza oven etc BLISS.
I didn't get as much knitting and writing done as i had planned but i have a few things to update you with :)
This shawl hadn't finished blocking by he time we left so i couldn't take photos of it but i manged to do it yesterday :)





I made this for a personal swap with my friend Viv in return i will receive some gorgeous cloth napkins and place mats :) It is the wool i dyed here and made to the Ishbel pattern ( #5!) It is be second entry for 10shalws2010. The pattern will be ceremoniously ripped up and burnt now haha i have had ENOUGH and am branching out to new patterns!

I also whipped up some gorgeous things for a current "RED" swap i am participating in but i cant show those till they have been received and they are currently winging their way across the Tasman :)

Time for reflection and relaxation

We are off on holiday in a few hours for two whole week!
Two whole weeks of no Internet
Two whole weeks of no agenda
Two whole weeks of nothing bu family
Two whole weeks of knitting!!!!!!! haha

We are off to the family Bach on lake taupo in Kuratau, i been looking forward to this for ages and can SERIOUSLY do with the down time.

I will be filling my time with reading, knitting and even plan on doing some writing, something i haven't done for a very long time.

The past couple of weeks have seen me and my husband doing some serious reflection on our future and plans etc. Bubba #3 is now on hold for another 2-3 years, untill we have started our travel plans. Baby making was going to be the agenda in a month or so but after some soul searching we have realised this is not the right time. I need to concentrate on getting my mind, sual and body back into shape and being who I want to be. This involves some serious weight loss for me ( already lost 4kgs in the past couple of weeks) and bringing into my life things that make ME happy and that i can do for MYSELF! Singing will be hing on this priority list with a recording session planned in the near future.

This holiday i am going to spend an hour alone each morning, walking along the lake and breathing the fresh air. I am going to sit and write, and knit, and just enjoy spending time with my family.

here is the knitting i am taking with me:


Two pairs of socks ( green and red) and some beautiful Uruguay lace yarn i received in the mail yesterday to make MYSELF a shawl :)



I cast off my second shawl of the year on Wednesday night but haven't had time for a photo shoot so you will have to wait till i get back for photos.

See you in two weeks!!!

Where the Elves play.......................

This was the name of my latest yarn swap i put together.
It was a speciality "sock lovers" swap where we all dyed up sock yarn and associated gifts. The theme was all our own choosing and i wanted to go with something a little magical for the lovely Monique.

The yarn:


"Alorah" the felt Elf

Closeups of embroidery



Elfin charm bracelet


All together:


I also included the patterns for Rivendell socks and A Midsummer nights Dream socks ( in email form as Alorah didn't approve of printing and wasting her forests resources)

Coraline

I was asked to make a Coraline doll for a 4 year olds birthday and here is what i came up with!

It was so much fun designing her and figuring out how to make all the right parts. Usually my dolls are 2D with the exception of hair, but this time i made her double sided, complete with full jacket and hood :) Oh, she is made out of felt

A winner!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all so much for you support in following my Blog :)
I finished my shawl yesterday and had it blocking over night, shot out for a photo shoot this morning and voila!!!!!!










The winner of this little beauty is faerysarah!!!!!!!!!! I have sent you an email so once i have your details i will get this baby into the post for you :)

The pattern i used was called "Damson" by ysolda, and while it looks stunningly intricate and fancy it was a breeze to knit, so much in fact it was a little boring at the beginning ;) but worth it is the end!!!!!!

And so, it rounds up my first shawl for the year, to go towards 10 Shawls in 2010 :)

Thank You

Thank you all so much for your kind words yesterday, you had me in tears

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deep and meaningful for a change.

I have been thinking today, as i often do, why i feel the way i feel alot of the time. I don't usually write anything personal o here and leave it up to crafty bits and bobs but i thought i would put this out there and hear your thoughts.

On the outside i am a head strong confident young woman. On the INSIDE that could be further from the truth!

My whole life i have suffered at the hands of bully's. People who were jealous of my family ( we traveled lots and i had a very exciting childhood), people jealous of my confidence, my talents at school etc.

To be truly honest it didn't bother me all that much as a child and young adult. I was comfortable enough in my own skin and had great, strong friendships wherever i went. Sure it got me down now and then but mostly i could deal with it. My mother was my best friend and i all ways had someone i could talk to.

Now as an adult, and mostly since having children ( these went hand hand as i had Ash at 19) , i have lost my self confidence, lost my rubber suit that lets the negativity bounce off.

I feel it stronger than ever. I think about it all the time and it eats me up. People seem to think that because i speak my mind i have no feelings, that somehow they can say whatever they like about me, to me, and it wont touch me ?!?!?!

Ive been beginning to feel lately that i don't belong where i thought i did, that friends arnt really friends, that i must view things very differently to others i thought of as on my wave length.

What have i done to attract these sort of behaviours and attitudes and these sorts of people into my life? Why do i have this suffocating desire to be liked by everyone and be included in everything and not be left out?

For Pete's sake i am 23 years old, not 13 anymore! I KNOW better that to let it eat me up and rule my life............... so why cant i stop it?

Sorry for the big ramble but i needed to get it out and set it free :) Hopefully i can let this go and move on with being HAPPY and confident again.

xxx

making progress...

My Damson shawl for my giveaway is FINALLY coming along. The garter stitch section could not keep my interest so it took me way longer than it should have.
I'm finally onto the interesting bit now though so it shouldn't take me long to finish :)


(that little hand took off with my knitting the second after i took this photo! haha)

remember that all new follower before i finish are into win as well and as an extra incentive, if any of you blog about my giveaway you will get a SECOND entry and double your chances :) so get blogging dudes! (post here to let me know)