six and a half stitches

YOU READY FOR ANOTHER BACKTACK?

As sands through the hourglass, so too are the days of our lives, and we come to find that once again we are on the cusp of another backtack installment. Nicole and I have been working on a slightly different backtack experience for BTIII. It will be a challenge for some of you, but a whole heap of fun as well, and when we put the final results together in a flickr album, you'll understand why we set what we did.

You didn't think we'd tell you right now though did you? Oh no. We're much more sneaky than that. On the 5th April we will announce BTIII - on both our blogs and on the backtack site as well. We will tell you then exactly what you will need to do for this one, exactly what we require, and there will be explicit instructions to comply with for signing up and for playing. We urge that if you are interested in playing, that you read that post very carefully. The new backtack button above gives a huge hint about what is in store….

And if you're keen, follow the sign up instructions on the backtack website on the 5th April NOT BEFORE because we'd love to have you all come and play.

3 LITTLE DUCKS WENT OUT ONE DAY...

OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY...

And then Mariko and Carolyn came to visit and in true blogger-meet-blogger fashion an absolutely fantastic time was had by all. I had such warm welcomes and open friendships offered to me while I travelled last year, that I was genuinely excited to be able to repay some of that kindness forward by showing Mariko and Carolyn around my city.

With Max in tow and the promise of sugar laden sweets we wandered through the city on a beautiful warm sunny, perfect Sydney day. We strolled through arcades, looked in closed shop windows (can you believe everything I wanted them to see craft/sewing wise was shut. Everything.) and made our way to Bodhi's restaurant - one of the best Yum Cha ever, and gluten free and vegetarian. Set in Cook and Phillip Park, it is a fabulously Sydney thing to do.

We got rid of Max (legally) and headed up and down King Street where we all shopped at cute little shops, and bought cute things at cute shops - from Made, Yoshi jones and Pentimento. Afternoon restorative drinks were had at another favourite cafe, and then we headed off in the car.

The car very kindly drove us towards glimpses of kodak moment views of the harbour and along to Watsons Bay in time for late afternoon sun to shine pure gold over the harbour and the park. A perfect setting for fish and chips from Doyles Seafood.

I hope that the two girls enjoyed themselves as much as I did - one of the nicest days I've had in a while and I am so glad I got to meet these two in person. And they bought me Peeps. Ahhh, so that's what peeps are...Max likes peeps. And the chocolate.

IN WHICH YOU GET TO PLAY A STARRING ROLE

The wrap top has been finished. The daylight hours are fading with each new day. We now officially own a block of land with some trees on it. There will be no photos of the wrap top till daylight once again makes an appearnace in my life other than when I am at work. It's cute. Trust me. Imagine cute wrap top....about....here. I started immediately on some socks. And stopped almost as immediately. My siren song is for a baby quilt.

And so came to pass an afternoon of sketching out ideas, coming up with viable sewing alternatives that will work with the fabrics I have so far collected. Needless to say I rearranged the primary fabrics a few times to ensure my new obsessions got more air time. I think the inclusions of the deeper purples, prussian blues and citrus colours will work better, sharper and fresher somewhat (I have Nebo to thank for that obsession) and I have this intense need to use more and more Liberty print fabrics.

The wonderful friend that Di is, offered to go fabric hunting at Patchwork On Central to supplement the collection with new lines. I'm hoping she was successful. I want also to highlight central areas with knitted inserts or squares in different knit patterns, using up spare wool left over from other projects - like the wrap top (how coordinated) and some shibori felting with left over handpaintedyarn.com deep blue/black colourway (Paris Night). The knit and felted pieces will add weight and texture to the soft lightness of the majority of the fabrics. This then, just leaves the choice of pattern to be used:

1. I love the quilt I made for Kate last year. Totally made up pattern with big areas of coordinating fabrics and a large shibori bobble pillow as centre piece. I wanted to follow this idea a little more, even though the patterning is very simple, I think with the right combination of fabric patterns and colours it could be really dynamic. I have to bear in mind I don't know whether I'm having a boy or girl yet, and I can't wait - little miss itchy fingers - to find out before starting.

2. A large collection of log cabin squares. This was the starting point idea. Spurred on by the prolific, beautiful and graphically gorgeous cushions Lisa has been making, I've been smitten for a while with the idea of log cabin. Then Mason-Dixon posted a wee little thing about log cabin quilts (Feb 07), and I was seriously sold. Actually I think the vase in the middle of the bed sold me.

3. A simple square patchwork quilt. The easiest, but least appealing option.

Each option would work with the fabrics chosen, but I'm undecided. Suggestions? 1? 2? 3? Something different? Too many decisions...

And I need help with another, very major, potentially life path critical decision. I've recently been in discussions with a publisher about writing a book. It would be taking the blog and expanding upon it exponentially, opening my life and my loves up completely and taking you much further than I feel able to in a blog. It would focus at times on craftwork, cooking, inspirations and hopefully there will be patterns in there too. All that, amongst other things. A simple decision so one would think. But not, at the same time. You, dear readers, are what makes this possible, so I am calling for your vote of confidence. Yes, or no? Should I do it, and would it appeal? I don't often blatantly appeal for comments, but I'm really interested to hear your comments on this one, and would appreciate any thoughts.

I'M ALMOST WITH YOU

"All I ever wanted to see was just invisible to me."

The nicest thing someone has said to me in the last few weeks:: "Mummy, I'm going to go into your tummy and get the baby out so you'll feel better". Max's sentiments were right on, even if the actual process would have led to heartbreak. On the one hand there has been relief this week, and on the other, fairly impressive use of stomach muscles. I have cried in utter desperation these last few weeks - desperate is the only word I can use for how I've been feeling. And hence, not so much blogging or nice stuff.

It's been a mammoth exercise for me in between times to write and make a pattern for the book I'm contributing to, alongside writing a piece for it as well. But finally the pattern is done, the end product looks pretty neat, the pattern is drafted out, and the written piece re-edited. And lots of pins were used, that's all I will say about it.

The little baby wrap top is coming along, despite being frogged half way through (note to self: listen to the inner voice which says stop, go back, and start again in a smaller size before you get to the halfway mark) and it will be finished sometime this weekend. I hope. Then I really should pick up Max's Charlie sweater again and get that going. And some socks - I am drowning in sock wool - and wound some of the Rohrspatz and Wollmeise wool to start on...it looks even better wound than on the skein, so I'm eager to see it knit.

Remember a few weeks ago (well, quite a few weeks ago now) I went wandering to see who was reading my blog from Lichtenstein and ended up spending money because of beautiful wools on show? I love seeing who reads from what country in my blog stats, and at the time I said Turkey was next on the hit list. Well, let me introduce a blog I cannot understand but which has beautiful food pictures none the less and recipes I cannot ever make unless I learn Turkish. There is a potato dish in a recent post which a) looks fabulous, and b) has a really nice bowl. Every new post makes me hungry for simple clean food, and I leap to read when I see they've updated in bloglines.

And now I think I need a little lie down.

FINISH ONE, START ONE

Generally, the only reason to finish something, is to start immediately on something else. Yes? Good. I got my arse into gear and finally finished the baby items that have lingered unfinished for way too long. The jumper itself has taken 2.5 months - 1 month of that spent not being worked on at all. These are all for someone else, and she reads, so no full on photos here. Yet *. I will reveal all later when they have been sent. I can say, that the jumper was a labour of utter love, and way more involved than I normally make baby clothes be, but the results are worth it. Especially considering I made half the pattern up, decided to use stash yarn, ran out, made other arrangements, ran out, re-evaluated, made additional arrangements, ran out, and then gave up and bought more yarn to finish.

But that means, I can start something else.

Remember the post about possibilities? This is the yarn pictured. Or one of them. The other yarn has also been converted into something, but pictures will have to wait on that one. This is the Martas Yarn variegated sportweight yarn, which I fell in love with as soon as I saw it and had to acquire it for "future petite 6.5st baby project". I like to think ahead. This week has been truly rotten morning sickness wise, and I came away from the first scan last week needing to do something to validate the pregnancy and not focus on the way I was feeling. Hence the flurry of activity to finish the other jumper, so I could start this one. In between trips to the bathroom.

It's going to be a simple kimono wrap top (again). It wasn't until I started working out what size to make it that it finally dawned on me that this is a summer baby (simple concepts sometimes bypass me), and Sydney summers are long, and knitted items like this, which really are only suitable for babes up to about 6 months are kind of useless (umm, I should confess that at this point I'm convinced it's a boy, and kimono wrap tops aren't cool in the playground baby world for boys once they can hold their heads. If I'm wrong, and it's a girl, well then, it's open season on kimono wrap tops till she's 15). Damn it, the baby will wear it, even if it's 40 degrees outside. Add to that a number of other knitted items which I've already blogged about (one of which I said was for someone else last year and then couldn't bear to part with) and Petite 6.5st is already well catered for in the first 6 months of knitwear modelling. Damn. I'll have to re-think my game plan here, and come up with more appropriate things to knit for winter. I feel kind of cheated here - but I know sewn items are just as good, and can be made appropriately for summer. And I figured out a bit more about what I want to do for the quilt, and I'm going to incorporate knitted pieces into it, so that still counts. Yes?

* Hasn't stopped me posting some of it on flickr.

MORE THAN WORDS

And then Sarah comes along and sends this, which just melted my heart the other day - perfect sentiments after a long day.

I want to thank everyone for their congratulations and kind wishes and words. You guys have no idea how much each comment means to me, and how much better it makes me feel when I'm not feeling my best. Thankyou.

BUNS IN THE OVENS

Baking frenzy. Not sure why. Quells the all day all night nausea. I think. Hell it tastes good anyway. I have a new favourite ingredient - Chinese 5 spice powder. Baked good No.1 - White Chocolate and Pecan Friands (except I haven't got friand molds so they're muffins). They look overcooked, but the deal is they're made with fluffy egg whites, and so that tended to caramalise on the tops and sides adding a chewing edge to it all which is surprising, and rather flash at the same time. Voila. Baked good No. 2 - Surprise Strawberry Cheesecakes. Inside each cake is a strawberry and a dollop of cream cheese. These ones are exceedingly nice, given they are made with custard powder in the mix, and are just very, very, well, nice. I think I may make all my cakes now with custard powder in them. Both recipes from Little Cafe Cakes by Julie le Clerc - a wonderful little book but sometimes a little hit and miss with the workability of the recipes. These 2 however, I can highly recommend.

Baked good no. 3 - work in progress. I had fears it would turn out a little like this (and there's still time, the feet and arm paddles looked suspicious and I swear there was a trunk in there...at least it would explain my rapidly growing abdomen which out does any other 10 week pregnant woman by miles), or that this might be the result (god, no, not twins, please), was kind of hoping maybe one of these would appear, but will settle for a perfectly sized petite 6.5st (singular) living deep inside me with a strong little heartbeat. I live for the scans. Bring on the next one I say. This pregnancy lark is crap. I don't particularly enjoy being pregnant - I enjoy the concept, and the delight in growing a baby within me, but the physical actuality of being pregnant is something I can well do without. Once the morning sickness has gone (I'm thinking somewhere in the next 6 weeks if Max was anything to go by) I'll be stuck with discomfort for the last half of the pregnancy - hooray - sick for the first half, a wobbling ginormous uncomfortable blob for the last half. Neat tidy elegance will not be shown here at 6.5st. Sorry. But I will make cute baby things instead.

PETITE 6.5ST

I've been collecting this little lot of fabric over the last few years, adding to it with scraps and larger pieces bought especially to work in with the patterns. Lots of reds, duck egg blues, dark blacks and purples, and flashes of light murky greens.

I started this little baby jacket (another customised version of the Family Circle jacket I've been obsessively making over the last 6 months) at the beginning of the year, and have had to stop unfinished temporarily. In about 10 weeks I'll be able to finish it.

These two photos are very much related. They explain why Max's quilt hasn't been finished (the heat was only part of it). They explain why no other crafting or knitting has been happening. They explain why I've been in bed by 9.30 most nights exhausted. They explain why my stomach feels likes it's in perpetual motion. They explain why I cry at the drop of a hat at the moment. They explain why there will be an explosion of baby related items on here over the next few months.

They explain why later this year Petite 6.5st will be snuggled up as only a newborn can be in a quilt made from the above fabrics, wearing the baby jacket, and possible some handmade pants and shirt as well.

For the woman is with child.