Knitting - but not me

Mum has been busy on the needles whipping up this for me. I have already worn it a little and it has a tendancy to grow and to pill, but it is really light and really warm. Long enough to keep my bum warm and I love the colour.

Amazingly it is all from Lincraft - the wool(well yarn - it is 100% acrylic mohair!). The pattern is from Lincrafts pattern book and is made up exactly as in the picture - which is really rare for us. I love the colour and it is actually a really useful knit. Thanks Mum!!

Note: Lincraft winter warmth at $2.99 per ball. Large size used 7 balls and the pattern was free!

Mr Potter

Xandy and I are engrossed in our third installment of Mr Potter. Reading the paper today I saw that they are replaying previous movies at the cinema in the lead up to the release of the final chapter last month so today we took the opportunity to go and see The Chamber of Secrets on the big screen.

We have read the book and seen the DVD (numerous times) however the big screen is certainly a different experience. Everything is bigger, louder and scarier. With a well timed toilet break during the spider scene Xandy was literally jumping out of his seat.

J.K. Rowling has certainly earned every cent from this creation because it is truly a wonderful different world. Our race is on to finish the third book in time for next weekends shows.

Library Bag

While I was sewing my dress, I got the kids to be a little creative too. I set them up with Fabric pastels and a large piece of rubber backed curtain fabric (at one time I had a whole roll of this) to do me a drawing.

They each designed their own artpiece - Benji drawing fireman sam

and Spencer drawing an array of, yes, Dinosaurs.

I sewed it up into a quick bag and this is now our library bag to bring home an assortment of fire and dinosaur books. Loving the variety.

(Sorry there are no measurements nor instructions for this. I simply hacked into what I was using as a tablecloth at mothers day and whack it together - thats just how I roll.)

I thought dinosaurs were extinct

But lately we have seen an awful lot of them - on TV and in person. Yesterday after swimming, Dad and I took the twins to Scienceworks which has just opened an animatronics dinosaur exhibition.

Spencer put on his usual petrified performance, so much so that they reluctantly sold us the tickets, but again once we got in there he was in his element. Scienceworks is always worth the trip with all of their interactive displays, and this was great, with a number of life size moving dinosaurs and other experiments for the kids to discover.

We didn't overstay, getting back in time for school pick up, and could quite happily go back again.

Perfect for winter.

Yes - what every girl needs a summer dress - in yellow stripes no less. I got this fabric the other day on my crochet hook expedition, but rather than wallow in the stash, it is made!

In the current Burda 3/11 I saw this pattern.

What I liked was the pattern piece for the front and thought it may be interesting with stripes.This is my version - sans zip and shoulder gathers. I am pretty happy with it, it was easy to make and is comfy. It however is freezing here and I could have done more in terms of styling, but you get the idea.

Challenge

Two things have moved me to make a change (yes another one!!) The first is all the motivational words I've been seeing (and pinning) on Pintrest. Most of the ones I like are about procrastinating and getting on with things. I see the pattern.

The other one was the radio- you know when you are half asleep and they are talking about something and it weaves its way in to create stupid dreams? Yeah, well that happened and starting today.........I am only drinking water!

Big call I know but that seems to be the only way I get things going, and one I get past 21 days, it gets better and becomes normal. At this point, well before today, I literally drank no water. Like none - unless you count the stuff that had a tea bag soaking in it, because I do have a lot of that stuff, but no clear, hydrating water. With winter upon us, and the heating on everywhere, I have started to feel the effects and feel a bit like a dried out sponge - on the inside.

I am sure there will be lapses, and I can feel a bit of a caffeine withdrawal coming on already, but as I nurse my mug of hot water at this point I resolve to flush out my body from the inside and try to grow a fondness for my new freshwater friend.

This may be more of a challenge.

Copy Cat Cowl

Last week Jo was wearing an awesome crocheted cowl that she had whipped up. She explained the concept - and then I was off to spotlight to get myself a massive hook - size 19!

I had a scarf that I had started but ran out of wool- I decided to make that into the cowl.

Mine has 42 chain to start and then trebles throughout - basically until I had used up the two balls of wool I had which is 5 rows. Best of all it didn't take any time at all!

And it is long enough to go around twice.Only downside is a double twist that accidentally made its way into the cowl - but I am going to pretend it was there intentionally. Must go now and clean this mirror!