Lynne's Lacy Summer October 2009 - January 2010

Now when I say "lace" dear readers, do you think lightweight yarn knitted into frothy light-as-a feather confections?

What is lace knitting but a combination of increases (usually in the form of yarn-overs) and decreases? And so I bring, for your viewing pleasure and my contribution to Bells' Long Lacy Summer KAL, three baby blankets.

First there was Diamond and Smock Cover (Rav link) knitted in Spotlight 8ply cotton and destined to be used by Grandbubby the First. Don’t jump to conclusions about the colour: this was all I had to hand when I got the urge to knit a baby blanket. DD loves blue and she thinks this teal is suitable for girls and boys!

BTW, the cradle was used by SIL and his three siblings (two older) and has been lovingly restored by WM.

As a knitter I love trying new things and that “smocking” around a group of ten stitches was certainly a new technique for me – it’s very easy but very effective. Not so easy was the "purl five stitches together" – cotton is not the easiest yarn to work with when faced with directions like these; especially when the cotton is 8ply (DK).

Then, when my Ebay purchases of Fiddle-De-Dee cotton (10ply/worsted weight) arrived I started this: the Tilting Block Blanket (scroll down if you are looking for the pattern). I modified the pattern so that the tilting blocks covered the whole blanket - no stocking (stockinette) centre panel as in the original pattern.

You may remember that I have knitted this one before, for my niece whose baby was born in March 2009. This new one was to have been for DB and SIL’s daughter (due late March 2010) before I knew they were having a girl. DD was quick to claim it after the news was broken – I have so much Fiddle-De-Dee with pink in it that she thought it only right that I knit something pink for my new niece!

So, as a Christmas present for DB and SIL’s daughter (to replace the “pre-claimed” lemon blanket above and to use up some of the "pink" in my stash), I knitted "Tyler" from Fiddle-De-Dee cotton. This pattern is from Quick Knit Keepsakes Book 2 [front cover].

This was the first of the three blankets that I blocked. DD, now living half a city away from us, used to be my blocking partner. I tried to block this blanket on my own but the job is much more easily done with two people, especially when crawling around on the floor. And WM turned out to be a natural! Once he realised that one can’t just grab an edge of wet knitting and pull but must ease the knitting into its finished shape and size, he was a wiz!

So there you have it, my contributions so far to Long Lacy Summer KAL – it may not be light and frothy but it is lace knitting!

She's back!

We left our little beach cabin at 10am today - only three and a half hours ago but it already seems ages! It seems so quiet here now that I can't hear the pounding of the surf. *sigh* I will add photos when WM has had time to download some.


WM is back to work on Monday but I have all this term off; that is, I don't go back to work until after Easter - the doctor is still concerned about my health and wants to avoid a relapse of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so he's not taking any chances! Therefore, I still have eight more weeks off work - how will I survive? LOL

Happy 1st Anniversary DD and SIL

She doesn't look like this at the moment - twenty six days till her due date!

On the road again

WM and I are leaving home again. The doctor has given WM a week off to have a real holiday given that his annual leave was swallowed up travelling back and forward to my parents' town and spending time there.

We will spend a week in a "Pacific View" cabin at a semi-south coast caravan park. The weather forecast is for showers for the whole week but that's okay. There will be walks on the beach and along the walking track, some meals in local cafes and lots of reading and knitting - for me anyway; for WM photography and Sudoku is more likely. There may be even be visits to the local op (thrift) shops and the movie theatre! One never knows what may happen when one's week is completely unplanned (apart from the arrival and departure dates)!

This is the view I am hoping we will have from our cabin.

the photo was copied from the caravan park's webpage

Although I am taking my laptop and will have internet connection, you may or may not hear from me in the next week!

Hey it's good to be back home again

Thank you for all the good thoughts, wishes and prayers on the death of my father last weekend. The funeral was held last Tuesday. The service was simple (just the way he would have liked it), a lot of tears were shed and a lot of memories shared afterwards. My parents-in-law travelled the 1100 kilometres (690 miles) round trip to attend the funeral. They spread it out over three days by driving up on Monday and returning home on Wednesday. One of our very good friends also travelled 1024 kilometres (640 miles) to be there - he came and went on the Tuesday (a long drive solo!) and he barely knew my father; he was there to support WM and I.

My brother, his pregnant wife, my uncle (dad's brother) and aunt, DD and SIL left on Wednesday morning, and my sister and her children left on Thursday after lunch (she had to work that evening). WM and I were going to leave on Saturday but the forecast temperature was 43*C (109*F) so we decided to wait and come home on Sunday (which was still very hot until we were fairly close to home). It's going to be a tough few days for mum but she'll get through it.

As for me, the whole thing seems quite surreal and there a lot of tears left to be shed. So, thanks once again, I truly appreciate your support and prayers.

And now, dad's spirit is in heaven with his Lord and Saviour and his earthly body rests among the hills and in the valley which he loved and to which he chose to retire.

This photo was taken by WM, June 2009.

Love you, dad.