2paw

Run, Peri, Run.

The Hydro is laying pipes across the park at the dam where we walk. Peri and Gilly have had to have their leads on so they don't run into the path of the digger. On Saturday it was all quiet and so they could have a lovely run.

Gilly ran:

And Peri ran. Away. For ten minutes we couldn't find her. I knew where she was. She was up the hill near the smelly things. Gilly and I drove to the gate and back and parped the horn. Peri was waiting at the spot where the car was parked and came running to us.

She ran so fast I didn't have time to get out of the car before she arrived!! I didn't worry that she wouldn't come back, but I thought she might have been caught on a branch or some wire by her collar, or have hurt herself. She just had awfully smelly, muddy feet.

It's been reasonably quiet here, although there was a bit of a stir in the neighbourhood when the new people over the road lit a fire in their garden. The smoke was very bad, I couldn't even see over the road. My washing, and the knitting that was blocking, smelled smoky and there was ash all over the car and yard. Luckily it was a bonfire of wet vegetation rather than a dangerous fire.

He did come over later on and apologise, but I think we've all checked the Fire regulations and next time we'll ring the Fire Brigade instead of dithering for half an hour.

That's the roof of our house and the smoke wafting high up into the sky.

Whilst doing nothing very energetic I have managed to finish my Short Scene cardigan, which fits, and find some very good buttons. I think finding buttons is the hardest part of knitting a cardigan.

There's a new hot water bottle cover, and a repaired cuff on my mittens and the Dexter Haven Hat.

The beret is finished, I just need to sew in two ends. I am hoping it looks OK. Hats don't suit me, I don't know why. I finished the Secret Knitting for MrsDrWho as well.

The weather has been both very cold and quite warm: the other morning it was 1*C when we went for a walk, but today it was 18*C and I went out in a Summer skirt and top. Peri and Gilly are enjoying the not too hot Autumn sun. Gilly has been feeling quite well, though I watch her like a hawk and try to discourage mad beserker-bonkers running in the backyard.

I've made about five batches of Lemon Meringue Cupcakes recently. These were for the doctors and nurses at The Animal Medical Centre. They look after Peri and Miss Lorelai Gilmore so well!!

So basically, we're having a lazy time here: resting, lying on the couch with a hot water bottle and a quilt, taking a book and a cup of tea outside in the afternoon to enjoy the sun.  I'm saving up my energy for an outing to Afternoon Tea on Sunday. There may, or may not, be a new dress. Only time will tell!!!

Thou Speakest Visor Than Thou Art Ware Of.

Here, As You Like It or not, are three more Star Trek felt book pages, almost complete. There's Geordi with his visor to help him see, a glove to help you Live Long and Prosper and Worf and his Bat'leth. I am very pleased, and about to start the Enterprise with the saucer section that detaches. I have made a hole in my right middle finger pad from pushing the needle through layers of felt. I am not a very nimble stitcher with a middle finger thimble though. All my life, apart from appointments and pre-determined outings, is about The Star Trek felt book.

Peri and Gilly have had some lovely play times with Sandy. At first, Peri and Sandy were both running after Gilly, but she is quick and agile and soon turned the table on them!!!

MrsHouseOf came to visit for her birthday and I gave her the skirt,

and a black top as a present and she really liked them. I'm glad she liked them!! MrsDrWho, Mrs HouseOf and I ate out. It was all very delicious. I didn't have any dessert, though I did have the Endless Cup of Green Tea.

I have some new wool. I have 10 balls of Damasco for Heirloom. It is Merino and acrylic, and I am in love with it. I am not sure which pattern to knit: I am thinking of either this, or this. I want a longer length cardigan, surprise, surprise. Twenty-three years ago when I came here to live I knitted a long sea green/teal mohair cardigan with a v-neck, pockets and a cable down each front beside the button bands. I don't plan to start right away ( Star Trek felt book anyone??) so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Then there's a skein of Ella Rae Lace Merino 4ply. I am in love with it, it is soft and has a beautiful twist. I am thinking of a scarf or a longer narrow shawl type affair.

MrsDrWho and I have caught up on February's Craftsy BOM blocks:

March's blocks use left over strips from all the fabrics and so we have decided we will be able to whip them up after blocks 19 and 20. Bear in mind it took us 2 1/2 hours to make Block 4. We are very optimistic!!

I am feeling very tired. This morning I walked with Peri and Gilly, went to the Hospital for blood tests, came home, fed The Labradors, went to Leukaemia Support Group came home, went back to The Library as my DVD was overdue, and then came home again. I had to sleep for three hours and it was 27*C.  I have to go back to see my specialist at the Holman Clinic tomorrow. I am always nervous and worried about what my results will be. It will also be 28*C.

And then (lots of elbows of excitement) in the evening MrsDrWho and I are off to the local ABC Radio station to be the audience when Miriam Margoyles is interviewed live, right there!! Somehow we both managed to NOT book tickets to see her show on Dicken's Women so this is a sop to our hopelessness!!

Is it wrong to be looking forward to a big rest next week?? I think not.

I went out the front door to get the letters and there was a parcel on the table. My mum does the That's Life competitions and every Monday when we talk I help her out with the ones she doesn't know. She put my name on the entry form and she won a prize!!!  I think she already has good outdoor lighting and I could really use these to light the path down all the steps from the car to the back door!! Mum has been on a holiday for few days on the East Coast with one of the ladies from Probus. The weather is wonderful so they will be doing lots of touristy things. It's a poor photo. Again. The new energy saving light bulbs just don't produce enough light for a proper picture when it is dark, even with a flash.

Now I need to cut out all the parts of The Star Ship Enterprise before I go to bed.

The Lovely Bones Marrow

Since it has been on the news, and you can see the video here, I feel I can talk about the awful thing that I mentioned a little while ago, which has happened to my dearest and closest friends. It is so very sad and we are all devastated. I can't donate bone marrow because mine is compromised. I wish I could.

My heart breaks regularly. I think of them every day, and send them my love.

Today was the Turning of the First Sod of our new Northern Cancer Support Centre. It cheers me no end to think that there will be much happiness for people who are able to use the centre when it is finished.

Peri and Gilly have been engaging in circus worthy activities. They are up very high. It must be the cool weather, which is so lovely, urging them to such heights.

MrsDrWho and I finished one of February's Craftsy blocks on the Cup day holiday. It was an easy block and hers looks fabulous.

Remember this material??

I dyed it chartreuse and it's almost a dress.

And now I am off to a Vietnamese restaurant for tea with my knitting friends. I''m taking the scarf and I hope to have it finished soon. It's so Autumnal I think I can pull out my cardigan in a few weeks and finish it off.

Grace Under Fire Ban

On Thursday when we drove towards the dam, this is what we saw:

Just when the temperatures are going sky high, 39* in the Southern Capital today (the record is 40 point something) and 34* at our house, they decide to burn off. The Labradors and all the other dogs and their human companions  were flummoxed as we had no warning. We went to The Tail-Race, where Gilly used to walk when she was a puppy.

Lots of pelicans, and when Peri had a moment off her lead, plenty of mud through which to chase the pelicans.

Today the area was open again and the burn off complete. The Walking People seem to think they have done a pretty good job. I can see that the gum trees are all still alive and it is just the undergrowth that was burnt. The bush needs careful and controlled burning for some things to regenerate. The Male Walking People talked to the Ranger and found out that it was a slow burn so we could stop worrying about the slow echidna being burned.

All the dogs were very happy to be back to their normal routine: Peri, Gilly, Jet and Sandy!!

It's good to keep cool in all the heat and so I have been watering the lemon tree and the rhubarb and they both seem to be doing well. The lemon tree has lots of new buds and the lemons are getting bigger. The rhubarb has more leaves and longer stalks. My patented blue acrylic wool and dowel seems to be keeping it fairly safe!!

Peri and Lorelai Gilmore keep cool in the pool as soon as we get home.

Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust the pattern: it's not exactly what Guy Clark meant but I should have trusted the pattern and my instincts. I cast off 246 of the 256 stitches of the scarf I am knitting and it was too narrow. Then I has to un-cast off the stitches and now I am knitting on more successfully with the second ball of shiny metallic wool. In the last three or four days I've knitted and watched all last season of new Hawaii Five-0 and I am right up to date on this season. Not sure what i'm going to watch next.

The sewing gods smiled on me and I made a new skirt. The BSODL (tm) brochure showed new Lisette patterns and material, so I bought a pattern and some material and whipped up a skirt.

It is cut on the bias and I was worried it was too short, so instead of a normal hem I used a strip of fabric as binding. I set in the zip by hand. It is ever so easy and if it holds up I might do that every time. I think I might have just got away with it. I really need to clean the verandah mirror, I didn't realise rain could fall that way.

There is a Total Fire Ban over the whole island tomorrow as we are expecting very hot weather again. There's one big fire in the South that is inaccessible at the moment, but not threatening any property or life. We're having bushfires and Queensland's having floods. One more very hot day to endure and then mid 20s and rain to come. At last.

I have read both The House of Silk and Death Comes To Pemberley. The House of Silk was OK, I guessed what the silk meant and so it was a case of enjoying the story to the end. There was a lot of buzz about this book, and it I was giving it a score, I'd say 6/10. Death Comes To Pemberley only rates 4/10. It wasn't a gripping murder mystery for me and I also strongly disagreed with PD James' ideas about the characters in P&P. She retrospectively assigned what I believe to be wildly inaccurate and inappropriate emotions, thoughts and actions to the characters. In the end, dear reader, I skimmed. For me it was a disappointing book, and it also had lots of good press. I think I should steer clear of sequels written by writers other than the original author.

It's 30* inside here at the computer and we are not planning to sleep any time soon. The Terminator is on TV and I am a sucker for that film so I'm recording it. Again!! I see more scarf knitting and Arnie in my immediate future!!

To Market, To Market, To Be At The Gig

We went to the new Harvest Farmers' Market and came home again, home again, jiggety-jig with a few bags full of produce.

Dutch Cream potatoes for $1 a kilo, the red onions, baby bok choy, radishes and a bunch of chives all for $8, a kilo of the freshest and most sweetly smelling and tasting strawberries for $8 and 6 medium zucchini for $2. I missed out on the sourdough bread, but because I know the baker's wife I have been promised a loaf at the next knitting outing. I can't stop eating the strawberries.

I have some new wool, it looks like liquid Mercury. In truth is is acrylic and viscose and I want to knit a scarf. I need a pattern with lots of stocking stitch that will show up the liquid silver sheen of the wool.

The roof of the vandalised picnic hut at the dam has been saved and moved to a grassy area. Peri thinks it is the best thing out and likes to run through the roof.

Miss Lorelai Gilmore is not so sure and though by the second day she was brave enough to go closer, when the wind made the struts sing, she was very wary.

Gilly has been playing in the paddle pool and then burying a bone. It is not good for the complexion or the eyes, but it is an enormous amount of fun and makes her very happy.

In the last nine days MrsDrWho and I have radically improved our patchwork skills. Or maybe we just concentrated and chatted less?? We made the second patches in a little over an hour and there was successful use of the rotary cutter, special ruler and not once incident of sewing the right side to the wrong side. So that's both of January's squares out of the way. We hope to get to February's before we are too far into March.

The GardyGardeners and MrsDrWho have kindly offered to replace Harki's stolen roses. There are lovely people in the world. I may have to chain the roses to the wall.

RN, the newly styled Radio National, has a changed programme this year and I have discovered In Our Time, which explores the history of ideas and I can listen on-line. I'm also enjoying First Bite, which is all about food. I can add these to my usual listening diet of The Science Show, Lingua Franca and  Background Briefing, all available to download or to listen on line.

The Oscars are coming up and so I was interested to watch a short video about The Bechdel Test. It made me think. I had already been thinking about films because it was mooted that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy would not be shown locally. On further investigation and a lot of back pedalling on the part of the cinema, it has been confirmed for late March. The same thing happened with The King's Speech last year, and we saw neither hide nor hair of the Harry Potter Postcard where in the weeks leading up to the last film they showed the whole series on Sunday afternoons. (I am running out of puff and so there are no more film links) I had thought I might try to go more often to see films, but they just make it too hard. As do the TV stations, which is why the DVD of Sherlock season 2 is winging its way to our house!!!

Cooking from magazines is going exceptionally well, and I think by tomorrow afternoon I might have three weeks of Friday Food up my sleeve. I have some chicken baking in the oven and plums and ramekins for two more recipes all ready to go.

The weather is muggy, but cooler and drizzly and I feel a little more able to do normal things. Tomorrow there is no dog walking and so we can all sleep in and then read the paper in bed with a nice cup of tea. The Labradors would like toast as well, but crumbs are anathema. I like that, it means especially dedicated to evil, and crumbs in the bed are definitely evil. I might even read two books I have borrowed from Mrs HouseOf via MrsDrWho: The House of Silk, a new Anthony Horowitz Sherlock Holmes book and Death Comes To Pemberley by PD James, set in Austen's P&P world of course.

Oh and in other TV news, MasterChef is filming here for a week. Last year I was not so enamoured of the show, but I will definitely be watching the episodes set in our state: it was Salamanca Market today I think, so maybe they'll travel North now??? I don't know if I am anoracky enough to actually venture out to see them in person if the come.

A Week Is A Long Time In Blogitics

A week is quite a long time, but thankfully since Sunday is has been cooler: 19, 21, 22 and 23 so far. Everyone is happy, in fact there has been some jumping for joy:

And sitting in the restaurant, looking out the window at the almost horizontal rain on Sunday evening, there might have been one of these: pink Moscato.

To enhance the coolness MrsDrWho gave me the most wonderful present, and I have test driven it this evening for a 150 minutes and it is fantastic!!! Basically you lie on it, and it is cold. And stays cold for three hours. It was still cold when I woke up. There will be some more cool sleep tonight!!

There has been some finishing off and gifting by me too. Not all this week, but in the brief cool days between the heat wave too. Here are two skirts for Mrs HouseOf. It is hard to see but they both have curved flouncy panels in real life and dippy hems.

Then a patchwork wreath inspired by one on the Purl Bee and also a Santa.

A LOL Scarf for my next door neighbour. Her eyes lit up when she saw my green scarf. It is a Labour Of Love to knit one, and I really appreciate all the work Mrs Reno put into making mine!! Thankfully there are only 80 metres and I knitted it in an afternoon and a morning.

I made another Nativity for MrsDrWho. This is not it, it is the photo in the magazine. I have had it since 2001 and always meant to make it. Last year I started but the heat got the better of me. There will probably be a photo of mine in December this year when it comes out of the bag.

Another small quilt that needs a border, backing and some kind of quilting. The colours have been changed to protect the innocent.

Today MrsDrWho and I made our first blocks for The Craftsy Quilt. Hers is lovely. Mine has a wonky right leg, but I lost the will to sew. I shall have to fix it for the third time later on. We planned to make the second square but we dithered and faffed about so long that we were too tired!!!

Peri looked so cute when she popped her head through the dog door tonight. She is a beautiful girl.

Lorelai Gilmore is happy to sit for a photo, but then her interest is taken by something over there, and she's off before I know it.

It's evident in their reaction to a treat. Peri will stand politely, albeit impatiently, for a photo and then potter off to her mat. Gilly on the other hand, says thankx,bai and she's off at the speed of light. I think it is because she is always second and fears someone (Peri? ) will commandeer her treat!!

Tomorrow is Friday Food and I am baking from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine for MrsDrWho. School goes back next week so it's something for her lunch box!! I have already been to see the Lovely Psychologist to help me prepare for The Going Back To School event. I am feeling OK. For the first time I was able to discuss it without breaking down into gales of tears. Still, I will make myself busy next week so I don't have time to dwell.

Back tomorrow with Friday Food!!!

This Year Of Living Dangerously

I have been sitting on the verandah following our New Year's Eve tradition of Filling-In-The-New-Buffy-Diary. To ease the burden of writing in all the dates, holidays and birthdays I rewarded myself with some dip at the end of each month and a sip of cider whenever I liked. The cider is in a glass my dad used to drink his beer from.

Peri and Gilly met a new friend called Jet on their walks this week. They ran and played together very happily.

The veranda was the coolest place to be, after a walk and a swim for Peri and a paddle for Gilly this morning, we went back to bed until 3-45pm: avoiding the hottest part of the day. It's a good thing there is a liner in the car because Peri gave a big shake again after she hopped in.

Last night I went to late dinner with MrsDrWho and her family and friends. MrsDrWho and I had Wagyu beef. It was utterly delicious. It is grown in the North West of the state. Mine was medium well with a mushroom and bacon sauce. It truly was melt in your mouth meat.

2011 has been an interesting year. The most horrid part was when I had to go to hospital unexpectedly with the septic shower in my blood stream, and then I spent the rest of the year working hard, and I think successfully, not to be depressed and anxious.

Peri and Gilly have lost over 7kg each and, despite of The Widdler and The Winky Eye, they have had a very happy year.

My new car is still going nicely, the big oak tree is gone from the garden and I have my nice new computer with which to surf the Internet.

I am so lucky to have wonderful friends, real and imaginary, and a kind family who have all helped me in many ways.

This evening I made some collages of the craft I have completed this year and Self Stitched September too. I am quite amazed at all the things I have made, though there are some projects languishing and I have yet to produce another wearable dress: my bete noir. I will finish them off when the weather is cooler.

 

I am now officially agog, I must have buried myself in my craft. Oops, the christmas tea towel bags are there twice.

Next year I am looking forward to The Olympics, spending lots of time playing with Peri and Lorelai Gilmore, making a wearable dress, finishing my two cardigans and generally being more organised. It's a Leap Year so that makes it extra special. I think I shall be doing Friday Food and cooking from magazines this year: I always mean to but hardly ever do.

Lorelai Gilmore has been racing about searching for the source of the fire cracker noise and Peri is saving us from the party at the back. They are very good girls.

Happy New Year: welcome 2012*!!!

I say Twenty Twelve 2012, just like I say Ten SixtySix 1066.

Purple Wayne

Last year I hemmed, with great trepidation, MrsSherlock's daughter's lined Wayne Cooper maxi-dress. All went well. MrsSherlock's daughter has been gaining health, and she asked me on Thursday if I could take in the bodice of her dress for Sunday: that's today. She tried on the dress and we pinned and then decided on an amount to be taken in. Which I then promptly changed when I went to sew it yesterday. The dress is boned and has lots of gathered outer fabric over a firm inner lining and the pinned tuck was actually much longer then it was unpinned.

I knew I had a day up my sleeve so I went ahead. I decided to make two darts, a wider and longer one in the front  and a second shorter and narrower in the back at the side seams.

I tacked down the centre line of each dart and then outside the dart sewing line and then I sewed. I finger pressed the darts towards the side seam and then carefully sewed them to the lining. On the outside of one dart I had to catch the ruched fabric to the point of the dart. I took it to be tried on and it fitted perfectly. What a relief, though I had planned extra time in case it needed to be adjusted. Here are the Before and After pictures. I think it looks OK.

Still walking around the block instead of going to the Dam. There is a lot of grass growing on the nature strip areas and Peri and Gilly have been helping by chomping and eating lots. Peri has been full of energy and giving Gilly a run for her money.

Gilly is particularly enthusiastic. I've been worried she's looking too thin and her harness is quite loose,  so I've been giving her a little extra rice and vegetables every day. This morning Gilly was waking us up using her front paw and she scratched up inside one of my nostrils. Can't have a bandaid there and it's really sore.

The Admiral Halsey Notified Me, He Had To Have A Sock Or He Couldn't Go To Sea socks are complete. And I must remember not to have such a long name for the things I knit ever again. I used 'square' 2.5mm Knit Pro double pointed needles and Admiral Druik Opal sock wool. The wool is nice and soft and the colour repeat longer than one of my socks. I am proud of the stripe matching!!

The needles are great, I think my stiches look so neat and uniform and smooth. I am an even knitter, but I can see an improvement. I also can't use my usual Death Grip, so I felt very relaxed all the time.

I knitted a Cat Bordhi Sweet Tomato Heel, and although I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of the heel, it doesn't fit my own heel very well at all. It will be OK, but I'll go back to my normal heel flap and gusset next time. Although, the lady in the wool shop gave me an unusual heel flap and turn pattern, so I could be swayed. All in all, I have really enjoyed knitting these socks, even though I knitted three heels altogether!!

Donna Hay's 10th Anniversary Magazine (and yes I have them all) has a section on Brownies and so I am cooking my way through them all. The first is a plain and ordinary brownie, just butter, dark chocolate, brown sugar, eggs and flour. It makes a 20 x 30cm brownie. I shall be asking MrsDrWho for a review each brownie as I go.

There is also a section on making your own Ricotta cheese. It must be a band wagon, because there's a post here too. I'm all aboard the cheese making wagon and I plan to make some of my own cheese tomorrow, which I shall turn into a tart.

It's "V" this week for my Tuesday's Letters Eat and I shall be cooking with Vegemite!! I am looking forward to the experience!! I roasted a half leg of lamb yesterday and it was so melt in the mouth and tender. I made mint sauce too. And now I am roasting some potatoes in the casserole I used yesterday. In lamb fat. Well lamb and extra virgin olive oil fat. I don't care if it is bad for me, I love potatoes cooked with a roast.

I'm making discs with my DVD today. I'm enjoying the new shows Person of Interest and Unforgettable* so far. Haven't caught up with Terra Nova and though I really want to like Ringer, the reviews aren't good. I will tune in before I tune out. I am especially looking forward to Homeland, with Damien Lewis. My favourite!!! You know when a show isn't rating well as it goes first to the digital channel and then to the HD digital station. I predict a lot of show shuffling.

*It was originally going to be titled The Rememberer. Glad they changed it!!

All The President's Labradors

The Babygate scandal continues. Gilly hates it. The gate moves by itself and makes a bang when it closes. Peri doesn't like it because it locks her out of the Food Acquisition Area (kitchen).

They have been enjoying the last few sunny days. Of course today is Show Day and so the weather is dull, overcast and threatening rain. It's either like this or blisteringly hot.

I have been preparing for Summer Sun by having my eyes tested and purchasing some new prescription sunglasses. Ghoul Eyes courtesy of Picnik!! My old glasses are four years old and they have faded something wicked. The new ones are so nice and dark that is seems as if supermarkets are experiencing a power cut, when in fact the glasses are just screening out the light and glare.

I thought about the Owl Apron Pocket Fiasco and I mused upon a way to fix it. I sewed a piece of green fabric onto the side which was too short and then clipped the curve and trimmed and pressed it. I cut it to fit.

Then I carried on as I assumed I was meant to, sewed the pocket and lining right sides together, and turned it right side out. It worked well, it's not perfect but the plain green will be right at the edge near the topstitching to attach the pocket to the apron.

On the other hand, if you are making a Cat Bordhi Sweet Tomato Heel with three wedges and a bazillion wraps and wraps and stitches knitted together, and you drop a stitch after the heel is complete, this is what happens:

And in Dog Car news, it is an ex-car. It's dead, Dave. Uncle Dutch gave me the verdict on Tuesday. The part I needed was not the problem, he'd need proper mechanics' tools to access the pump, even after he took the tyre off. I could probably buy a secondhand car for the price of having it fixed.

Whilst investigating they saw other things that were about to go wrong, so it's goodnight Irene Dog Car. It's been a very good car, and until now, only one big thing has had to be fixed. All the dogs went in the car: Vundy, Tori, Harki, Peri and now Gilly. It is full of every kind of dog hair!! If this had happened a few months ago I would have had a Florence Nightingale decline. Instead, The Dutches and I discussed what I might do, talked about options, and I am buying a special boot protector. My seats fold right up, and The Labradors are only in there for eight minutes.They can just be very close for that amount of time!!!!

Until then, they are apparently very happy to walk on their leads. On the way to the shops we saw a chook and a rabbit, so much tail wagging and sniffing ensued. A man at the shops asked if they were retired guide dogs because they were being so well behaved.

This evening I am going to Sewing, and I am talking some of Jamie's Portuguese custard tarts and the Tomato Mustard tart for supper. I shall be re-knitting the heel of the Admiral Halsey Notified Me, He Had To Have A Sock Or He Couldn't Go To Sea Sock #2.

SSS20 (even though it is the 23rd)

On the 20th I was wearing:

• Freshly Cut Grass hand knitted cardigan
• Green stretch cotton top, sewn from a pattern I made from an old top
• Ultimate black jeans
• New Emerald shoes!!!

My new Emerald shoes from The Ebay are not the height of fashion, but they fit, they are comfortable, they have a wedge heel and they are really, really green!! I like them a lot.

I have been almost sewing skirts, and actually sewing a little blanket/quilt for MrsDrWho's niece's cat. It needs to be small enough to travel in a suitcase on the aeroplane. The quilt, not the cat. I am attempting a Bagheera from Jungle book applique with an upside down kitten border. Even though I paid particular attention to the kittens being right way up, they are upside down. Kittens are like that. Once I ran out of bobbin thread, I knew that was a signal to stop sewing. It just needs to be bound.

I've finished one of the Admiral Halsey Notified Me, He Had To Have A Sock Or He Couldn't Go To Sea socks. The Cat Bordhi Sweet Tomato heel is interesting and fun but it doesn't fit my heel. I am seriously considering unravelling the sock. The whole sock is a few rows shy of ONE pattern repeat. Wow, that's a long pattern repeat. I love the colours.

The new Knitty Deep Fall appeared and I fell in love with Vignette. In love, yes, but I wanted an 8ply cardigan for Spring and Summer not a 10ply one. So I made a tension square and took out my trusty pen and paper and calculated that if I made the second largest size in 8ply it should fit. I have started knitting my Short Scene in Lime Zest Rondo and I am increasing after the waist on the back.

When I went out this afternoon I gave Peri and Gilly an apple each. Peri was so happy, wagging her tail and crunching into the fruit. Her tail is so cute when it wags!!! You can see Lorelai Gilmore in the second picture, her apple is down the stairs.

Gilly has worn herself out this afternoon, guarding the house and playing with her plastic cup.She is so tired, but doesn't want to miss out on anything. She keeps falling asleep even though she is trying desperately to stay awake.

I picked up the new Baby Gate from Lay-by and installed it. Gilly is not very happy at all, and neither is Peri. The gate clicks shut automatically, so there's no chance of a sneaky kitchen raid!!

I bought some interesting Dog, and some cats, Christmas material to make myself a skirt for December. The ladies in the shop were slightly horrified in a very nice way that I would wear it, but I am looking forward to a Jupe de Noel!!!

I don't think I should be in charge of any crafts tonight, I am too tired and sure to make mistakes. I am going to watch the new police detective show on the ABC and then we will all have an early night. Tomorrow I have to catch up on my SSS pictures there will be re-creations on the verandah!!!