My birthday surprise

I turned a year older last week. I begged the powers that be for a baby but instead I got this piano! It was a lovely surprise. I received a phone call around lunchtime asking if I'd be home at 3 for a special delivery (oh do I miss my concierge in NYC!). Of course I stayed in and it was worth it. Mr M had surprised me with a new piano.

From the time I was 6 until about 16 I endured the hours of practise required to be a pianist - not all willingly mind you. But now I thank my mother for making me get up at 6 each morning and do 1-2 hours practise before going out to groom my horses. I read an interview with one the mother of one of the current Billy Elliots and she said that making her son practise his ballet was a bit like making him brush his teeth - sometimes he doesn't want to do it but she knows it's the best thing for him and therefore makes him do it. That's how it was with my piano and I'm so glad my mother made me do it.

It was actually Mama V who first got my mind thinking about a piano. I visited her one day and tinkled about on her ivory keys for a few minutes and suddenly dreamed of sitting at my piano with Master R and playing beautifully. That's when I started to beg the man for a piano.

What a shock last week when I finally sat down to play. I really had forgotten everything. I'd forgotten even where the notes were apart from middle C. At least that's a good start! I tried to play something and could only get through a few bars of Fuer Elise. The other shock is how hard it is on my weakened wrists. Previously about 1 hour was done each day just on scales to strengthen my fingers and encourage agility but now of course they have neither.

I've been practising most evenings now and can kind of do a scale properly and pick out a page of Beethoven's "Mondschein". Mr M is really enjoying listening to me and of course Master R loves banging away at the keys. Longer term I hope it inspires some creativity in my son.

The urge to finish

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with being in the final days of my pregnancy but I've had this sudden urge to finish all those projects I've had lying around - some for nearly a year. While it looks like I've been ultra-productive, in most cases it has been about putting in a couple of hours to just get the project finished. That's what I've been doing the past couple of weeks so I now have a few finished projects to share.


First is this dress. I bought the fabric about 3 months ago. The style is the same as a $1 dress I bought off ebay and wear and wear and wear. With the elastic top it was great to breast feed in and it is just so comfortable. I'm wearing the old dress literally to it's death. The idea was to make this one for summer. As the nights get longer and summer draws to a close I probably won't get much of a chance to wear it this year but it's a great dress anyway and was so simple to make!

The fabric comes with the elastic already sewn in the top. You just whip up the side seams, top and hem. Viola! Easy! The yellow, red and green stripes mean it will look great with red sandals and red cardigan.

Sorry about the picture. I had to use the self timer on the kitchen bench.

Sorry also for this picture. But nothing I could do would give this cardigan justice. It looks wonky here but it's not. I'll take a live shot once I fit into it again. It is a stunning design with lovely 3/4 length sleeves in the same lacy pattern and a scalloped edge. However, this was the most difficult knitting project I have ever undertaken! Only because the pattern was written so badly. It was almost as if they wanted you to fail from the outset. Just terrible. Mama J and Mama H, I promise I'll always help you with any knitting and crochet pattern you do EXCEPT this one!

Just a very basic blankie. Master R is such a little blankie boy (which I find very cute). But his wonderful 3Marthas blankie is in a sorry state. No matter how much I wash it I can't get out the ground in dirt. They don't make them anymore and I couldn't find one in blue and white on any of the US sites I searched so I thought I'd make one. The knitting was very simple but sewing the ribbon around wasn't so easy because my poor old machine didn't like sewing through the thickness of the wool. So I'm rather ashamed of my sewing and won't own up to it!

I was concerned that Master R would reject the replacement blankie but as soon as he saw it lying on the sofa he screamed for it and wouldn't let it go. Mission complete!

Last but my absolute favorite is this cabled hoody. I started it in October last year and had finished it by February but hadn't put in the zipper. I tried to get to the haberdashery store in NYC before I left but didn't get there. Finally yesterday I bought the zip and sewed it in. However, there is a big problem with this hoody. Those with a keen eye will see that there is a lighter strip of knitting around the waist line. I was furious - I ran out of yarn and went back to The Point and was assured it was the same dyelot. As you can see it was not. I've considered ripping it back but decided to just live with it in the end. It's a lesson that I should ALWAYS check the dyelot and NEVER knit if it's not the same. Mamas J and H - this is a great pattern for you. The yarn is beautiful and the fit is wonderful. It's a quick knit too because it's on big needles.

Now to get back to the sofa and finish some more outstanding projects.

A wonderful weekend with Mama V and family

Mama N and Mr M in the kitchen.

Mama V, Master K and Mr A at the farm.

Mama V and Mama N (looking MASSIVE) at the farm.

Chunky Master R and long lean Master K playing ball in our backyard.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of hosting Mama V, Mr A and Master K. Having not seen Master K since February I couldn't believe how tall he is! Such a little sweetie.

Master K and Master R played so well together. On Saturday morning they taught each other some great dance moves and thought it was hilarious. So did we! They were so funny jumping around everywhere, throwing themselves on the ground and then laughing uncontrollably. Master K is the only older friend Master R has played with recently who hasn't beat him up so he appreciated that.

Saturday night Mr M wanted to cook his famous lamb roast for our guests. I think they enjoyed it. He followed up with BBQ 4 course breakfast the following morning. It took so long to eat that we only had a little time to show them our local hangouts and take the boys to the farm. Both Master K and Master R loved chasing the chooks (Australian for chickens) and watching the enormous pigs snore in their sty.

All too soon it was time to leave and Mr A was getting anxious about getting to the airport on time. Once they'd left the house seems so empty and quiet. Master R was exhausted and slept for 4.5 hours! He was asking for Master K when he woke up. We really do want more friends to come and visit please!

Toddler toothbrushing tantrums

I'd really love some advice. I go through toddler tantrums every day twice a day with Master R when it comes to brushing his teeth. I feel ready to just give up! I've tried different toothbrushes, mine, Mr Mr's, electric and handheld, different flavours and brands of toothpaste and nothing helps. He'll gladly eat off the toothpaste or turn on and off the brush but he just won't give the teeth a brush. I try to demonstrate and get him to copy me but nothing. I then have to hold him down and gently attempt to brush them while he thrashes about and screams as if I'm administering torture.

Any suggestions or experiences welcomed!

Patchwork inspiration

Source: JenSport's shop

If you haven't yet discovered Etsy then you're in for a handmade treat. This website is a market place for thousands and thousands of crafters to sell their wares. Anything and everything handmade or home made or vintage or not. It's main downfall is that there is so much on offer that it can get confusing. But I've made a few fabulous purchases from recrafted vintage jewellery to baby bibs, vintage clothing, new clothing and now a patchwork quilt pattern.

I made my first patchwork quilt - or started my first quilt - when I was about 8 years old. Mum wouldn't let me use her sewing machine and made me sew each little hexagon and triangle by hand. I don't think I did ever finish it and I have no idea what happened to those little cut out scraps of pink and while fabric. Since then I have done a lot of sewing and inspired by Mama H's beautiful quilt am ready to tackle my own, this time with my trusty sewing machine.

My first project was going to be something boyish for Master R. However when I saw this Union Jack I just had to do it. While I'm not British. I've lived here since the end of 2000, with a two year stint in New York of course, practically all my adult life. I have a British passport and now so does Master R. I do feel a certain pull towards the Ol' Blighty but in a different way to my deep smugness and pride of being Australian*.

After searching ebay, I've bought some red, white and blue fabric and will be commencing this hopefully while my mother is staying so she can help me with the finer points of patchwork such as what backing and padding to use and the best method of finishing. Let's hope it's a quickish project and I can show you some finished pics in the not too distant future.

*During my very pompous group naturalisation ceremony the Lord conducting it turned to me in front of the others and asked where my allegiance lay in regards to the cricket. He said that was the true test of Britishness. I'm sorry to say I have zero interest in cricket but of course my allegiance is with Australia. If Australia and England play rugby, I'm rooting for Australia. If a Brit and and American are playing tennis, I'm all for the Brit. If Germany and England are playing football (soccer to you) I have to go for Germany or be booted out of my home. We are a confused household!

Admitting defeat

Sometimes with any handicraft there is a point where you just have to admit that it's not working out. It's best to cut your losses and either start over or set it aside.

A certain mama amongst us is due with number 2 in just 6 weeks. I thought I'd be extra early and knit her something now. I saw this pure wool in Austria and snapped up a couple skeins of each in navy and orange - 2 skeins is normally enough for a newborn cardigan style top. I had read that this striped pattern was particularly yarn hungry so I bought extra thinking that I might have enough to do one for myself if I have a boy.

After knitting about half the jacket I realised I was going to run out of yarn - despite the pattern saying I had enough. Other knitters had complained about this on Ravelry. I also decided that the colours were probably a bit out there for this mama's tastes. I love orange and navy but it's not to everyone's taste. So I frogged it - a knitting term for rip it, rip it, rip it.

Second attempt was this all in one seamless baby kimono. Again the pattern said 100g of yarn was enough, this is exactly what I had. I knew from the beginning it was going to be close but was determined to keep knitting until it was finished or the yarn ran out. As you can see, the yarn ran out. NOOOO! Not twice?

Today I did a speedy trip with screaming Master R to my LYS (local yarn store for the non knitters) and picked up some yarn and have started something tried and true. This HAS to work or a certain mama will be getting a store bought gift.

Or maybe a gift voucher hahahaha!

Merle O'Grady: Find of the month

Merle O'Grady has caused quite a stir in a very short space of time. Her feather weight perspex jewellery was snapped up by Beyonce while on a break from performing in Dublin. Since then customers have been clamouring to buy her unique and striking jewellery. The lightness of the perspex is particularly good for those who love big dangly earrings. You won't even notice these but everyone else will.