Yesterday it rained. A lot. A whole lot of water, but also a whole lot of Jacaranda and now there are a whole lot of bees. That first photo is courtesy of Jesse - who is tall enough to see the roof and realise it was worth photographing. Being that tall may mean he doesn’t get to the top of my knitting queue often but it has to have some advantages right? It’s only fitting that he should photograph the roof and I the ground.

And look what came in the post today. This is the first time the posty has ever handed me a sack!

The second instalment of birthday books! Unlike the last parcel three of these were from the top of my wishlist and I am ecstatic.

Today was somewhat gruelling but all of a sudden in the late afternoon everything came together. I collected this parcel from the post office, received some wonderful news from a dear friend and then (at last) got the definite go ahead for my emrbyo transfer tomorrow. If you pray tomorrow would be a good day to pray for us.

And finally - one of the best things about daylight savings. There is a enough light to (sort of) take photos of my sleeping beauty.

I have whined more than once about how pretty but un-fun to knit this sock was. While I won’t exactly take that back, it certainly got easier as it went along and now that it’s done I find I am far more attached to it than I expected to be. May the second one match.

Pattern: Jacket With Moss Stitch Bands from baby knits for beginners by Debbie Bliss. Flowers from Marnie’s Frog Pond pattern.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in colour 340503. Flower made from kitchen cotton and easy wash merino scraps
Needles: 3mm & 3.25mm Addi turbos

I am pleased to say that I am happier with this colour knit up than I was when it arrived. The yarn was delightful to knit with and has washed well, at least the first time through the washer. The pattern was easy and apart from my little seaming disaster it was a quick knit. I would definitely consider making another one for some future babe. I am thrilled with the flowers and feel that they have really added the feminine touch that this set needed.

Pattern: Loosely based on the Debbie Bliss Simple Hat, at a finer gauge, in the round, with a moss stitch band. Flower from Marnie’s Frog Pond pattern.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in colour 340503. Flower made from kitchen cotton and easy wash merino scraps
Needles: 3.25mm Addi Natura DPNs, 3.25mm Addi Bamboo circular & 3.25mm Addi turbo circular

Well both the hat and my cycle have come through the nail biting suspense of the last week with a fairly decent outcome. The hat is in one piece again, all be it with an ever so slightly visible grafting line, and my transfer is to go ahead next Tuesday. My hormones leave something to be desired but were passable in the end, perhaps it will all come out in the wash like the most obvious signs of the grafting.

After cutting the top off the hat I picked up the stitches of the brim and knit upwards for about an inch. I didn’t actually measure it so I can’t tell you exactly how much I added. I then grafted the two pieces back together. Again, many thanks to Knitty. I think ripping the brim and knitting down from the severed top would have produced the most seamless outcome but I went with the grafting because I was too impatient to wash and dry the yarn from the old brim before fixing the problem.

The cardigan is done too but that will have to wait for another day because I just can’t get a decent photo of it.

Pattern: Moss Stitch Shoes from baby knits for beginners by Debbie Bliss. The strap is my own addition.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in colour 340503
Needles: 2.75mm Pony Rosewood DPNs (used as straights)

LOVE the addis, HATE the birch, tolerate everything in between. I guess I need to come up with some sort of storage system other than the packets they came in, but I am yet to find anything that will store all of them in as small a space and make them easy to identify. can you believe the the size of those honking great straights in the middle? I bought them to knit a scarf with the Rowan Big Wool that Froggy sent me, but I am finding it hard to imagine actually using them.

My cycle is in a similar state to this hat. It might come back together quite nicely. And then again it might not.

Yesterday Isabelle and I went to visit Amber, Ella and Arky. I gave Arky the first Simple Hat and he kindly tried out the moss stich flower version too. The moss stitch flower hat was too short, like an inch too short, so I came home and took a pair of scissors to it. My grafting isn’t bad. Well it wasn’t last time I tried - though that was quite a while ago - and I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end.

I admit to being a lot less worried about the hat than I am about my cycle, possibly because I won’t have to wait until January to make another hat if this one doesn’t come good.

Isn’t Arky gorgeous?

Well I don’t know that they’re a perfect match, but they’re close enough for me. Now for the straps and buttons.