Welcoming

Our beautiful baby girl,

Emerson Noni Lowry.

Born Monday, 27th Februrary 2012, at 8.56am. 8 pound 11 ounces. Looking just like her brother and bringing tears of joy to her Mama.

We are now home - falling in love, kissing little cheeks, tickling little toes and cherishing our first days as a family of four.

More soon.

Shawl inspiration

L-R: The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, Damask, Henslowe,
Percy Shawl, mara, Leaves Dancing,
textured shawl recipe, MILO, Pretty Maids.

Oh shawls, they are such lovely things, aren't they? My first ever shawl was one I found while thrifting as a teenager. It was dusty rose coloured. A cobweb like shawl with several holes that I imagined were from years of use. It would have truly fit through a wedding ring, a quality my Grandmother admired and which fascinated me. I kept it for many years, draped around my many rooms, until the sweet thing finally all but fell apart. 

Even then, I still thought shawls a little old fashioned and impractical before I attempted my first crochet shawl for myself. Then I quickly fell in love with them as more than mere decoration. A shawl in a knot around my neck is now one of my favourite Winter items. And surely they are just as practical to wrap around ones shoulders for middle of the night feeds. Which may be why I've spent so much time on Ravelry of late, trying to choose a pattern to attempt my first knitted shawl.

My Creative Space

As the 39 week mark approaches, I am still here knitting, reading and waiting. The back and front of the raglan sweater are finished and I've begun on the sleeve. In the past week I've made my way through 'The Slap' and 'The Seamstress.' Two rather large volumes I highly doubted I'd have time for when I picked them up from the library. (I love ordering my books online and getting a text message when they are ready to be collected at the library. Sometimes you just want to keep library visits quick with a toddler in tow.) 

I'm feeling a little emotional and frustrated about our camera today. It's funny how attached one gets to ones camera, is it not? My dear camera comes with me everywhere and is always ready at a moments notice to capture a toddler smile or an interesting cloud. Unfortunately our beloved Lumix has incredibly bad timing. The shutter button will only depress with all sorts of super human effort, making most photos blurry as a result. It has thus been taken off to the repair man, a month out of warranty, and just before the impending birth. I feel quite a bit naked without it already and I have little hope of it making it's return in time for the birth. Thank goodness for sisters cameras, though things may be quiet here on the blog until I get a chance to borrow it.

Hope all is well with you and many thanks also for all the lovely comments of late.

Ravelry.

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More Creative Spaces here.

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38 weeks and, as expected, starting to feel a little fed up and cabin feverish now. 

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You'd be forgiven for thinking it was Winter in these parts, rather than mid Summer, given all the knitting of late. I can't seem to see my way to any other craft. I do believe a part of me is trying to fit in as many stitches as I can before the baby comes.

These wrist warmers made it off the needles yesterday. My first every double pointed needle project and a great way to learn. Definitely one I would encourage others with a fear of dpns to try. They were much simpler than anticipated, quick and satisfying. My next step is more practice, in order to alleviate the 'ladders' formed where the needles meet, which are visible when worn. This article also seems like a great place to start.

The little man has been wearing these around the house and waving his arms around like some sort of woolly action hero, exclaiming 'mine, mine!' Which may explain why he kept asking 'knit for me?' while I was working on them. He seems to have ignored all my "no, they're for Mama" answers.

Free Pattern: Toast

Yarn: Harmony 10 ply, 100% Pure NZ Merino Wool

Ravelry.

My Creative Space

It's been almost a year since I knitted my first ever garment, a vest for Cohen, and posted it in 'My Creative Space.' Hooray for recording such moments through blogging. The differences between these two vests amaze me. From miscounting my stitches on that first vest, and making the vest too large, to learning how to calculate a smaller chest size than the pattern offered, so that the cabled vest fits Cohen now. Or crocheting around the neck for fear of picking up stitches, to picking up many stitches around the neck and arm holes to make the ribbing. Needless to say, I'm quite pleased with how this little vest turned out and how much my knitting has improved. I also think a three year old in a vest is a pretty cute thing, though I may be biased.

I'm feeling inspired for the next knitting challenge...

Pattern: 'In the family', Vintage Knitting Book

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Rustic Wool 8ply, Green Tweeed

Ravelry.

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More Creative Spaces here.

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I found this pair of old, rusty, green and white enamel industrial lights on ebay recently and declared them my Valentine's gift from Dave (making things easier for him indeed) and the perfect lights for my studio. In return, Dave decided upon a concert ticket earlier in the month to see Cavaleara Conspiracy at West End. (Not my cup of tea I'm afraid.) Dave also surprised me with an array of sweets yesterday and cooked me my favourite meal while organising for family to look after Cohen. He surely knows the way to this pregnant woman's heart is with good food and sweets.

His next trick is to dismantle and hang the second light shade...

How was your Valentine's Day?

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Part of the appeal crafting has for me, apart from the practical outcome and sense of satisfaction at creating with your hands, is the challenge. I find this especially so with knitting, probably because I always considered myself to be someone who couldn't really knit. But the last twelve months I have been changing that. Each new pattern I undertake is a learning curve and each achievement can then be built upon. There's still so much to learn. So many beautiful techniques that all stem from the simple knit and purl stitches. Many of which seem more than a little intimidating.

One such technique is knitting with double pointed needles. It seems like a difficult undertaking with only two hands and all those needles, added to the possibility of twisted stitches. So in order to overcome that fear I've started my first project knit in the round, a pair of wrist warmers, with thanks to Kate, who suggested we undertake this pattern together. After half an hour of fiddling this morning and the 'help' of a toddler, I managed to cast on, divide onto three needles and knit my first rows on double pointed needles. Feeling that sense of satisfaction indeed, and hoping at the same time that I can repeat those steps for the other half of the pair of wrist warmers...

Pattern: Toast

Yarn: Harmony

Ravelry.

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37 weeks. The hospital bag is packed. And checked. And repacked. Our dreams and conversations drift constantly to the baby. The excitement is growing. Dave and I both are reminiscing about our time as new parents with Cohen too. We find ourselves in wonder at welcoming a new baby and becoming a family of four. I'm sure Cohen feels that the change is closer now too. He talks about the baby often and understands that he and I will be spending our first ever nights away from each other. Something I'm secretly not looking forward to.

Other than that, issues that have troubled me the last half of this pregnancy have been laid to rest and I feel at peace with them. I'm calm and waiting. Full of joy at the thought of a reunion with my twin sister, who arrives home today after her six week scholarship in Canberra. Though this may have to wait longer than anticipated, for her sake and mine, as the poor dear seems to be coming down with a cold and is feeling miserable. As much as I want to see my sweet sister, I'd rather avoid a cold at this late stage in my pregnancy. We shall have plenty of time together after the babies birth though, loving Aunt that she is. And she will have a chance to spend time with Cohen, who has grown so much these past six weeks, as she has been entrusted with babysitting while I'm in hospital.

I'm sure I'll be quite fed up with waiting within the next couple of weeks, but I just keep reminding myself, not long now.

My Creative Space

I started this 8ply cabled vest for Cohen on Monday, after convincing myself that I would just cast on and knit the ribbing before returning to the 4ply raglan cardigan. Just to see what the wool was like. But It's knitting up so quickly. And the raglan cardigan? Um, well...

Ravelry.

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More Creative Spaces here.

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In the garden...

The first tomatoes are appearing

The lettuce are ready to be picked as needed

The watermelon vine creeps on

The corn grow taller

The potato is in flower

More basil, awaiting more pesto making

Purple beans climb

Several snow peas are ready for picking each day

The weeds are taking advantage of my pregnant tummy's desire not to allow me to bend over.

More lettuce and pea seeds have been planted. 

Carrot and celery seeds are ready to go in this weekend.

What's growing in your garden?

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36 weeks. Another ultrasound today. Perhaps our last black and white visions of our little ones' internal world before we meet him/her in person. In the meantime, I've been distracting myself with cooking, knitting, reading and resting. Wondering all the while, nonetheless, how much longer it will be. One week? Four? And taking each moment as it comes.

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Basil. It is the one herb that thrives wherever we live. Or perhaps, the one herb I'm yet to kill. Our first basil came without fanfare by way of a small potted plant from the supermarket. Unlike the other herbs purchased at the same time, it survived it's time on the window ledge - which Dave calls my ledge of death - and was planted out in a pot and eventually into our garden. We have never been short of basil for pizza or pasta since.

Recently, I accidentally grew several basil plants from seeds, in a pile of dirt Dave had put aside for a project. I'd tossed the picked seed heads onto the pile without a second thought. Totally neglected, those basil grew quickly with all the rain we've had lately. This weekend Dave started and has almost finished building a retaining wall and that pile of dirt is about to be called into use. Thus, I picked my wild basil and made basil pesto for the first time, using a mortar and pestle. Enough to refrigerate for the week and more in the freezer (the recipe is the same, minus the parmesan.)

Tonight I am looking forward to admiring our finished retaining wall, making fresh pasta to accompany the pesto and a salad with lettuce picked straight from the garden.

What have you been making, baking or cooking this weekend?

My Creative Space

Completed back, front ribbing begun

I have been waiting on the arrival of some wool, but felt the need to have something on my needles in the meantime. Especially given all the moments to knit I have been finding lately. (Though who knows for how much longer.)

After completing my first ever raglan sleeve garment, I felt quite optimistic about trying another one, though for the baby this time. I discovered this old knitting pamphlet amongst some gifted knitting booklets and retrieved a ball of 4ply wool from my stash - which had been brought for a project that has since been abandoned. 

I love that this pattern has a 4ply and 8 ply version. If I can knit it with success this time, I dare say I shall be knitting it again in the future. I did have a fair bit of ripping out to do after I realised I had been K2tog, P2tog, when I should have been K2, P2tog for the raglan decrease. I'm also hoping that blocking it at the end will have the fabric looking less holey that it does at present, though perhaps it is the wool?

What have you been making?

Ravelry.

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More Creative Spaces here.

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After a few quiet days at home Cohen and I were both itching to get out and stretch our legs today. Heavy rain began to fall, as if by surprise, but we made our plans undeterred. By the time Dave was home from work, and we were ready for our adventure, the sun was shining once more and we were able to leave the umbrellas at home.

To our delight, tucked away in suburbia, are 36 hectares of beautiful forest. Our first visit to the Springwood Conservation Park did not disappoint. Boulders, caves, cliffs and a gorge. Creeks, waterfalls, bridges, wallabies, birds, lizards, mushrooms. More than one walker was surprised to see me waddling along the paths. Thankfully Cohen's through inspection of everything kept the pace slow.

There's something just so right about walks like this. Taking in the natural beauty. Exploring as a family. Sharing Cohen's discoveries. I came home feeling really good. Refreshed and re-energised. The knowledge of this little treasure is being tucked away for future exploration.