Talk to the Foot

Fake it 'til you make it

I'm not sure if I'm under the weather or I have PMT or post traumatic stress disorder from becoming a parent but some days the enormity of raising a little human being feels so stressful. There are moments when I just curl up on the floor and have a bit of a cry.

When people ask if it's worth it (which they do) I say it's the best thing in the world but the hardest thing I have ever done. I have this massive amount of respect for parents now because I feel this background level of constant anxiety that Lucia is getting everything that she needs, enough food, enough stimulation, enough education, enough tummy time, enough sunshine, enough sleep..... that she will grow up to get the right education, find the right path in her life, the right career for her, the right life partner and that she will do all those things with no pain, sadness or hurt (which is impossible).

She is a constant joy and a constant concern.

Dalai Lucia says...

Happiness is not something ready made.
It comes from your own actions.

Quote actually borrowed from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama :)

Spring is springing

I love living in the Yarra Valley but I still have trouble getting used to the fact that in Victoria it takes until the end of October for us to have our first proper warm day of the year. I didn't know if I would get used to the cold weather after moving down from Queensland but then the change of seasons just captured my imagination.

Since moving to the Yarra Valley I love it all the more, being able to watch the seasonal changes, the sheep getting pregnant, lambing season, shearing season and driving through the vineyards watching the grapes grow, be harvested and then the groups of workers manually pruning back the vines for the next years growth. That growth came on in the last month and I swear that it's growing 10cm a week up the orderly trellises.

They grow up fast huh!

Check Lucy out playing on her playmat, she's almost 10 weeks old and can bash stuff and smile and laugh.



We had been taking a very relaxed approach to getting her to sleep and it was working brilliantly a couple of minutes of cuddling and rocking and she was out like a light and then about 5 days ago it all ceased working and there was screaming in our house and I was a broken Mum. So I decided to bite the bullet and try the routines from the book called Save Our Sleep by Tizzie Hall and it was brilliant.

I had read the book about a million times but didn't have the guts to go through with it because I couldn't bear the thought of Lucy crying in her bed but the first day she cried a little bit and I gave up, the second day I stuck it out for about 6 mins (she wasn't screaming or anything but just grizzling) and she went to sleep and every sleep since except for the 7pm one last night when she spat the dummy (not literally because we stopped using one because it was more trouble that it was worth) she has put herself to sleep in her cot. I can't believe it works so well! (knock on wood).

We've booked a holiday away at the beach for the week after new years and I can't wait!

Cooking: Sugar Cookies (or Bikkie if you prefer).

Just got back from the maternal and child health nurse and the good news is that although Lucy has been sick she put on 1 kg in the last 4 weeks and the nurse said just keep doing what we're doing because she's doing fantastic.

I've been baking too. On the weekend I found the best cookie cutters and I tried some out on a sugar cookie recipe that I got from the The Splendid Table website, which is the website for a podcast that I absolutely love. If you're a foodie you should get onto it because it's amazing, the host Lynne Rossetto Kasper is a passionate food lover and she can talk about anything, her years of experience shine through when she takes random calls from people asking ANY food question under the sun and the road food segment of the show is an interesting listen because inevitably as an Australian I'm amazed at the weird junk food that they have in the U.S. as unearthed by Jane and Michael Stern (although it's not all junk food).

I have taken to keeping biscuits in the house that I've made because I've got a biscuit tin. A special tin that I got from my Nanna Rose's house when I went to her funeral. My Uncle and Aunty said to take something to remind me of her and I couldn't think of anything better to remind me of my Nanna than her biscuit tin, she always had biscuits or slices ready in her house for when people visited. Although I didn't visit her many times because we were often on the other side of the country or overseas when I did visit her as a kid I remember being very impressed by the delicious things she made.


Snails, Cats and Rocketships :) with M&M decorations

Knitting: Big Button Hat

I salvaged this button from a bag that my Mum gave me that belonged to my Nanna which I'm now using for a nappy bag. It's the perfect button for this BIG button hat which I made from my September skein of Dream in Color yarn in the once off colourway Bayou. The yarn was 12 ply knit on 6 mm needles so the hat knit up extra fast and is super cushy and warm.

Knitting: Hand Knitted Baby

So Lucia is sporting the latest in what's in fashion with hand knitted babies around the world (actually that's not true, she's just wearing what I felt like knitting for her).

First I knitted Maile out of my August skein of yarn from the Dream in Color (spelling is U.S. as it's a U.S. company) Dream Club where I get a skein of original dyed yarn and a pattern every month. It's so much fun getting the yarn but I have found that the patterns don't float my boat that much so far. This cardigan is totally adorable and was designed specifically by the designer for her daughter Willow. The lace at the shoulder is based on the type of Hawaiian vine that the designer wore as a lei at her wedding. I like a design that has a story behind it and is made with love.

Then on a mission to use up some of my own hand spun I made the Eyelet Cables Baby Hat, not the best for handspun it turns out because you can't really see the eyelets due to the fluffiness but Lucy still looks darn cute in it. I can't remember who I got this fibre from, it might have been Ewe give me the knits but I know that it's sheep and silk from the feel of it.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I have the fondest memories of wearing significantly tie dyed clothes as a kid/teenager and doing quite a lot of tie dyeing myself (with mixed results, there was that one shirt that ended up with circles over both boobs that made them look like targets - how embarressment). So at the markets today I found a man who tie dyed anything that didn't move and I brought Lucy a summer suit to wear. I hope that those of you reading this who would expect a gift from me this Christmas like tie dye because you or your children are probably going to be recipients :)

Here's a little video of my cherub.



We also got her a hobby horse (named Charlotte (we didn't choose that name it was already named when we brought her, like a cabbage patch)).

Knitting: Ishbel

A shawl I finally made one. The lace was so much fun!!! I have lace fever now and I can't wait to knit some more. I have enough yarn left over for the matching hat that has been made to go with the shawl. Too much do you think :)?

The yarn was sock yarn from Moseley Park, dyed by the lovely owner Jane who has a prodigious talent even though she told me that she hasn't been dyeing all that long. She sells amazing yarn and also beautiful fibre from her own flock of sheepies at great prices.

The pattern is the oft knitted Ishbel by Ysolda Teague the young overachieving super cute knitgodess that she is.

Happy Family

Purple is the new black

Like father like daughter

If you go down to the woods today...

You're in for a big surprise

Sweetness and Light

Babushka, babushka, babushka yah yaaaaaaaah

So Matt and I put up these colourful stickers today over the babies change table. SO bright and happy and hopefully something to keep her attention when she's getting her butt changed. How cute are they!

They're from http://www.matryoshkastore.com/

Baby baby baby

We're having a baby! You know that because I've told you all before but it's really really soon now :) any moment, any second, well some time in the next couple of weeks anyway. So Matt doesn't really want me to put a lot online about the baby, well at least photos of her but I didn't think that it would hurt to put up a picture of some of the preparations that we're making for her imminent arrival. I love her bassinet! it's so royal and the toy is an alpaca it's the softest thing I've ever felt, we call it lolpaca. The room has excellent light and will be a such a beautiful relaxing place for her.

Embroidery: Zee Cutest Buttons

So check it out. I embroidered some buttons to go on the the tropical lily halter that I made! They are zee cutest! I also did a couple of cherry ones for myself! I used the Lazy May iron on designs. I can see these making great Christmas presents this year.

The furniture that you have when you don't want any furniture

So we're decorating our new house and the walls are all cream so there is lots of space for us to put things up to inspire and entertain us. I wasn't sure what to get for the wall behind our bed which is a double ensemble and I found these vinyl decal headboards on Etsy. I ordered and it was sent over from the U.S. in no time flat! I got to choose the colour so, you know I had to get purple of course!! and Matt and I put it up on the weekend. So cute and the best thing is that you can just peel it right off if you're bored with it and want to change your decor.

Knitting: Tropical Lily

This top is so cute and it's the best use for Anchor Magicline cotton which I brought a profuse amount of but now have no idea what to do with it. The pattern is Tropical Lily by Georgie Hallam, it's a little halterneck pinafore for a about a 3 or 4 year old. It was fun to knit and I'm putting it away for our little baby. Hopefully I'll get action pics when she's old enough to wear it but, in the meantime you can check out the pattern page if you're interested to see how it's worn.

Knitting: My First Handspun Item

This hat is Urchin a pattern by Ysolda. It is a great pattern and available free on on Ysolda's website. It works perfectly with handspun, especially beginners handspun like mine that is all thick and thin. The small size is pretty small :) so I've put it aside until I find a likely head amongst my friends kids that needs to be kept warm.

Knitting: Full Speed Ahead!

It's on like donkey kong, only 7 weeks to go and some serious baby knitting to do before the little one makes her debut into the big bad world. A quick update on some of the projects that I've completed but haven't had time to blog about



1. Milo by Georgie Hallam of Tikki Fabric Addict this pattern is so much fun to knit because it has no seaming and is kind of like magic. It comes in a heap of sizes and I made it in the leftover Bendi yarn from Matt's Jumper so that he and the bubba can match

2. Shroomy Rattle by Whit's knits on the awesome Purl Bee website. Don't think I'll ever get to the store but the projects that they put out are awesome and inspiring.

3. Infant Socks by Judy Ellis, a brilliant little pattern because I'm sure it's going to stay on her feet due to the ribbing. I used leftovers from my stash and it only uses a smidgen, a great way to get rid of scraps

4. Sweet Baby Jayne - by Heather Hill and published on Wear With Style if you want to buy a kit. See earlier post regarding the awesomeness of Joss Whedon and the show firefly

Knitting: WWKIP as good as ever!

WWKIP was as brilliant as ever, lovely people, great venue and wonderful chats :)

Big ups to Toni for having the cajones to ask around for prizes and stuff so that there could be festive door prizey goodness and for listening to everyones feedback but making all the executive decisions.

As an aside Tjanabi was the venue and I would give it a big thumbs up to anyone who was thinking about eating there, the food was tasty and a good price and the venue was lovely and right on Flinders St and in the heart of Fed Square which is such a great heart of the city.

Knitting: WWKIP (World Wide Knit in Public Day)

I'm sure that if you read this and you're in Melbourne that you already know that it's World Wide Knit in Public Day tomorrow, Saturday 19th June for us in Melbourne (there is another event being held on Sunday 20th as well) but I'll be at the Saturday event.

It starts at 1100am and is in Tjanabi Restaurant in Fed Square overlooking Flinders St! There are awesome prizes up for grabs with prizes from Sunspun, Morris and Sons and others. As the Ravelry Rocketeers scooped the pool at the last WWKIP I'm donating a voucher for $50 to be used at Yay! for Yarn as a doorprize. Yay! for Yarn have lots of great yarns that are a bit harder to get here in Oz like Cascade, Mountain Colours and Dream in Color.

Yay! for knitting solidarity!

Knitting: Magic Mushrooms and Ruby Wu

Yay the Queen for having a birthday and giving the good state of Victoria a reason to give us a long weekend. The best part of which was having my delightful Rita come and visit with O's and the bee-you-ti-ful Ruby Wu. It was the best kind of relaxing, the boys drank beer and cooked, us girls chillaxing in the lounge working on crafty projects. I finished a Toadstool Rattle from the purl bee pattern and it's cuteness incapsulated and I gave it to the the adorable, well behaved, funny and nomable Ruby to take home. We went and had DEEEElicious breakfast at Wombat's Chai in Healesville and then did a spot of touristing up and down the main drag. It was a wonderful weekend!

Our Very Own Home Sweet Home

Matt and I have been busy busy busy, not only have I been gestating madly (baby is now 30.5 weeks old in utero and due on August 15th) but we've brought a house and moved in and are finally at the point of putting up the paintings so you know most of the hard work has been done :)

We've moved out to Healesville which is about 1.5 hrs from Melbourne Central and it's a little home on a BIG block. It's in the heart of the Yarra Valley surrounded by wineries and waking up here is like being on holidays every weekend. I am carpooling to work for the next 5 weeks which means that I can get some knitting done for the baby.

We have big plans for our hilly 1/3 acre block although I would love to get an alpaca or two I think that chickens are more likely. The front yard is going to be our vegie patch and up the back we're going to plant out with an edible forest. All kinds of delicious things grow here which we could never have dreamt of back in Queensland like Cherries (om nom nom)

Knitting: Jumper and Jaynes

OMGOMGOMG I finished Matt's jumper!!!! It's Leo from Knitty and I think it turned out very well, he's worn it many times in the last week and I haven't even finished sewing all the ends in. It's knitted in Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic (Mid Green) and the yarn is very crepe-y. All in all my first full size adult garment experience was quite positive. My seaming could do with more practice, but the simple mods I made to the pattern to knit both the body and the arms in the round were successful and really saved me a lot of sewing at the end of the piece.

Also in the world of knitting I finally completed a pair of Jayne hats, inspired by the fantastic sci fi show Firefly that was cancelled after only 14 episodes. In episode 12, Jayne Cobb receives a cunning hat knitted by his Mom which he dons immediately to the amusement of the other members of the crew. If you check out the pictures of Matt modelling below you'll know why :) Also suffering some knitted furmiliation is my giant kitteh Max. These hats are destined to be sold at an auction supporting Can't Stop the Serenity a global charity event that supports the charity Equality Now, an organisation that work to end violence and discrimination against women and girls aroudn the world through the mobilisation of public pressure. The Melbourne event is being hosted by the Melbourne Browncoats who are a group of people that are fans of Firefly, the movie that followed the series Serenity and Joss Whedon (the creator of the show and movie).

A New Australia(n)

My friend and colleague Prashod took a giant step today! He became an Australian citizen and I was lucky enough to be there to sing the national anthem along side him. It was such a special and momentous occasion. I think it takes a huge amount of bravery to permanently call another land your home and I know Australia is just a little bit better now because Prashod has pledged to make it so.