The Bloody Long Walk

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Something to think about:

The Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (AMDF) has provided a discount code for those who missed the Super early bird registration rate. Registering with the code will cost you $99 which is a saving of up to $22!

BLWNABMED2016

Putting on an event like this cost money and ultimately this event is to raise money to assist those with Mito and to fund research etc. rather than just covering their costs. Please consider donating to our Everyday Hero page:

https://blw-sydney-north-2016.everydayhero.com/au/vicki

Please share with everyone!

Thank you!

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From AMDF

Luca

Mito Luca

Luca

 

 

Luca first became sick when he was just 17 days old. His symptoms include seizures, difficulty feeding and failure to develop normally.

Mito deprives the cells in the body of the energy they need to function. This causes multiple organ dysfunction or failure.

On 21 February this year, Luca’s family celebrated his first birthday as if it was his last. They desperately hope it won’t be.

Luca’s mother Nadja feels “utterly helpless” but she’s determined to do all she can to fight mito…

That’s why she and her husband Marc are joining you for The Bloody Long Walk!

Funds raised through The Bloody Long Walk will help find a cure and treatments for this devastating disease and help support others like Luca and his family.

 

WIP’s and Australian humidity..

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Thank you all those who are still looking though my posts and hopefully gaining some insights  and benefits from my rambles! It’s been a long summer here in Oz and we are still loving our 30 degree days, although the humidity is starting to take it’s toll… my garden is suffering, but more importantly, one simply cannot pull yarn through sticky hot hands and fingers, and no we do not have aircon…

I want to show you a few WIP’s I have on the go, and have managed through the cooler days of the summer:

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My neighbour Totoro newborn hat

OMG, I cannot believe I didn’t show this off!! Look out for a post on this with my gorgeous new nephew as model!!

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My intention is to cover the lounge, but well, you know…

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Another finished, Infinity scarf for my sister in law

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This is.. something for my Mum.. Lap rug..? It’s Bendigo woollen Mills Pumpkin and just lovely! I will finish it…

Totoro Lovey blankie, for the same nephew

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Angel Christmas Tree Ornament for an Angel Baby

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Tunic for myself, also Bendigo Woollen Mills.

There’s more but we will get to it!!

I’m really looking forward to the cooler months for once, but only for the crochet…

See you then..!

xx

Crochet Christmas Stars

How many can I make..? Crochet Christmas Stars

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I have been buying cotton for a couple of years now – I hear you cough *yarn obsession* – without really making anything worth telling you about and this year I had a grand plan of making Christmas decoration, which I have actually followed through on, almost to the point of another crochet obsession…

Christmas stars! Many Crochet Christmas stars!

I found the pattern through Penny Peberdy’s blog Tea at Weasel’s which she has now moved to Violet White. Her free pattern can be found on Ravelry.

I found them a bit daunting, having not worked with cotton much and not being great at pattern reading. But I finally had a go and was really happy with the results and how easy it was.

Gorgeous Crochet Cotton Christmas Stars

I then of course had to wait until the next day to buy some ribbon but I did get to use up some of my many button from my collection!

Many Crochet Christmas Stars

Many Crochet Christmas Stars

I have been thinking of gifting them someone along with Christmas cards or presents. So far I have made nine and I’m about to run off and make some more…

Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins Tweaked!

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I’ve been making the healthy banana muffins from over-ripe bananas for a while now, but I felt they were a bit lacking. They lacked a bit of body so I thought I would try them with a couple of spoons of wholemeal flour. I had my little helper too.

You can see the original recipe here – What to do with over-ripe bananas

so I add 2 heaped teaspoons of whole meal flour and I also add just a dash of water – use could use milk – then whizzed it all up.

Waiting patiently

Waiting patiently

My little helper was very eager!

Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins

Overall they are much the same but they hold their shape just a bit better. I think I would add a little honey next time. They did seem to stick a bit more but I think thats because I had the over too hot. 3 small bananas made a dozen small muffins.

Has anyone else given these a go? Have you had any successful tweaking?

Squares

What have I been up to…

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yes I have been a bit absent, it’s been busy, as life tends to be.

I went to a wedding and a funeral in the one week, a surreal experience going through the happiest and saddest of emotions in such a short space of time.

But I also managed a bit of crochet therapy.

Firstly I have been making these super cute baby beanies!

Baby Gumnut Beanies

Baby Gumnut Beanies

The idea originally was to make one for my soon to be niece or nephew but the pattern (which can be found here) is for preemie babies and does not increase well to a newborn size, so there was a lot of experimenting.

This is how i did the pattern (Aussie/UK terms):

Using 8ply and a 6mm hook, I started with the stem – in the above pattern this is made separately and joined later.

Magic circle, 2 chains, 5 DC into the magic circle. join

rows 2-5: 1 chain, DC around and join (5)

row 6: 1 chain, 4 DC into first 4 stitichs, 2 DC into next stitch, join (6)

row 7: 1 chain, 2DC into each stitch, join (12)

row 8: 2 chain, 2 Treble into each stitch, join (24)

row 9: 2 chain, *2 treble, 1 treble* repeat around and join (36)

row 10: 1 chain, *2DC, 1DC into next 8* repeat around and join (40)

row 11: 2 chain, puff stitch into every second stitch – please youtube or google this

row 12-18: 2 chain, puff stitch into each space around and join.

row 19-20: 1 chain, DC around and join.

Tie off – I prefer to leave all ends long and use a darning needle to weave the ends in.

Up cycled Stripe Jumper to Vest

Up cycled Stripe Jumper to Vest

I also made this…

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This was a lovely jumper that had a couple of tears starting in the seams

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I cut off the sleeves as that is where the worse rips were

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and I took in the side seams, partly to help with the seam integrity and partly because it always was a bit of a floppy jumper

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a bit of hemming on the arm holes too

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very happy with the result and wore it to work a couple of times.

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It’s lovely quality, cotton and a little bit of glitter through the edges

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Square Swapping!!

Square Swapping!!

I also joined a crochet block swapping group!

I had been turned off by another I joined before I even started thanks to all the negative comments with people stating they had send heaps and only received a few back. No I don’t have time to make and send heaps and this group had nothing to control who sent to who for an even swap.

so I joined a once a month swap where you do not even need to participate each month and you are designated a partner. You can also suggest colour choices.

I chose blue, orange, silver and purple for my girl and was very happy with my squares!!

I made a pink and purple and a rainbow square for my partners and have eagerly joined up for a third! I also made one square myself so the resulting blanket has one square from Mummy (bottom right)

I’m worried my crocheting days are number.. well until next winter. today we had a 29C day, not bad for the 2nd week of spring! but I will soldier along! In fact I have purchased some cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills to stretch out my crocheting days for as long as possible!

Happy hooking!

on the huh

and I’m a Yarnaholic

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Well we did not travel around this week but  was still on holidays and I did still do lots of hooking, and more yarn shopping…

Sparkly Sequin Yarn

Sparkly Sequin Yarn

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I bought this lovely silver sequin on sale with the idea to make a shawl for a wedding but it was a bit thicker then I thought and I ended up deciding to make a dress… watch this space, hopefully it will work into something worth writing about!

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On the Huh rainbow Crochet Square

On the Huh rainbow Crochet Square

Meanwhile I joined a monthly square swap. I had almost joined another one which would’ve meant I had to make a lot more squares and mail off, but this one seems a bit more casual, so after finding out my partners wishes I made this as a tester. I plan on making a final one for her now that I have bought more yarn (note, this is the second yarn purchase mentioned in this post).

The pattern can be found here. I gave the tester to my daughter – after confirming it’s OK with my swap partner – so she could use it as a baby blanket.

The original Granny Square

The original Granny Square

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I then also made a square for me to start of the blanket that will be amde from all the squares. I’m making it for my daughter who always asks for crochet things to be made for her.

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From the Simply Crochet magazine

From the Simply Crochet magazine

Sven Bracelet, as ordered!

Sven Crochet Bracelet, as ordered!

I then made up the bracelet from the front of my Simply Crochet magazine I bought on holidays, and was instantly commissioned to make another…

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Another Magic cirlce

Another Magic cirlce

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And finally…

I made another magic circle!!

Crochet Bear Hat - no pattern, just kinda made it up!

Crochet Bear Hat – no pattern, just kinda made it up!

Oops, I mean I made this soo cute bear hat for a cute bubba born only a few days ago!

The yarn was already in my yarn stash so no purchase needed 😉

Sparkly!

Sparkly!

And just for good measure I bought this, with no plan… I will make something for my daughter from it for next winter.

Sparkly!

I’ve learnt I’m not alone in my yarn addiction, in fact I’ve joined a group who seem to be great in enabling each other in their yarn purchases…

Does anyone else out there suffer from this addiction??

Holiday Hooking

Holiday Hooking!

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We have just had a long awaited and needed holiday. Just a week, and a bit random in the planning, but over all I’d call it a success. We saw snow, beaches and wineries, and I took along some yarn and hooks…

So here’s a little glimpse of the crocheting side of our holiday…

OK, so the first ones a bit of a sad sorry… after my darling nephew past away last year I’ve been wanting to contribute to the NICU and Angel babies, so when someone from my online crochet group asked for photo props and keepsakes for these little ones I happily made this hat and a blanket. I will keep making them but I don’t think I’ll post them much, too heartbreaking. A tiny tiny hat

and then someone posted picture of a Granny Square Bag she had made her daughter, I had to make one….

Crochet Granny Square bag by the fire…

I did start a pair of slippers as I had forgotten mine, but they were not working out as planned and I have not finished them, maybe they will appear in another post??

I bought my first ever crochet magazine along the way… 

which has a cute bracelet to make with stitch markers as charms…  which fits in really well with the whole crocheting on the move thing! I didn’t have the right size hook on me so I’ve been waiting to get home and make it up!!

And for the remainder I worked on the ever present WIP…

Gorgeous crochet WIP

Luckily this is so beautiful I can happily pick it up and add to it any time!

Once home I decided to join a monthly 10 inch square swap and so I made this to be the foundation of my blanket which I plan on making up for miss 3, who loves blue and orange. Also it is #GrannySquareDay2015 according to Instagram…

10 inch blue and orange classic crochet granny square

Pretty productive holiday really… I’ve taken crochet around with my before to parks etc, but this is my first holiday – except visits to my Mum’s house, which don’t count. Quite happy as I can hook and chat and it keeps me occupied and warm!

Have you taken your hobby on holidays with you?? How did it go?

Something to think about – Cake Angels

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While most of the time we know we should eat well, healthy, low sugar, real food, especially our children. We also know, there is a time for cake! Especially when your a kid, and being diagnosed with a serious illness should never get in the way of cake eating on your birthday!!

Enter – Australian Cake Angels! A non-for-profit group who make amazing cakes for sick kids, on their birthdays and other special days.

Cake Angels Network - join the angels to brighten a sick kids birthday!

Cake Angels Network – join the Angels to brighten a sick kids birthday!

The Cake Angel originally started up almost by accident in Melbourne donating the cakes to Ronald McDonald House, by April 2012 they were in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane and they now work with many charities all over Australia.

“Cake Angels is run completely by volunteers, some are hobbyists and some run their own cake decorating business. All have not only a love of baking cakes, but also the desire to support a deserving cause and to make a difference, by bringing a smile to a seriously ill child when we can.”

If you can bake, decorate or (wo)man a cake stall, Have a think about becoming a Cake Angel, surely the best kind of Angel! Check out their Facebook page or Instagram for more information.