If you read Chaletgirls blog, which I am sure you all do, you would know that little Emmeline recently turned one.  I normally buy her kids presents but I really wanted to make this little girl something special.

I wanted to make a topsy turvey doll.  You know the ones that have a head at each end with a skirt in the middle.  They are normally fairy tale characters, like red riding hood and the wolf; or cinderalla as a maid and a princess.

I wanted to crochet it and after having a quick look on ravelry I found the gourmet crochet pattern.

I ordered it from crochet australia and received it pretty much the next day.

I used wool from Yarnplanners’s stash (thanks susie).  I was really quite surprised with how much wool this pattern uses.  I quickly ran out in a few colours so had to be a little bit creative with my colour choices.

The skirts are separated by about an inch in the middle, so you will always see the other skirt underneath.

If I made it again I would stick with two colours like the pattern has – pink and white, white and pink. Then it wouldn’t look so odd seeing the other skirt.

I got it done and I love it. This is probably the best toy that I have made so far.

I was a little late getting it to her but by all accounts she loves it too.

The door bell this morning announced a delivery from the postman. My project bag swap stuff arrived from Bribroday (on ravelry).

I got a beautiful brown bag that has orange and lime accents – it is so very very me!!!






It was full of goodies.



Including another little project bag that is so sweet and would be perfect for a one skein project. Sorry yarnplanner but I think this will have to be my handbag project bag from now on.

The kids even got something. Hairclips for my little girl and dinosaurs for my boy. Even the box was played with.

Thankyou so much Deb. You have gone to so much effort and I really appreciate it.

I have created a totally huge and totally unachievable queue on ravelry.

I have a small stash of yarn destined to become things and I am determined to make them all.

My projects are

1.
february ladies sweater by flintknits

from 3 balls of BWM black alpacca

2.

top down round yoked cardigan by milobo

from 3 balls of BWM Rustic in cedar fleck

3.
Lilta Dinum by Cheryl Oberle from Folk Shawls which is a knitted faroese shawl. This will be a challenge and might be beyond my skills.

(this one is by toomuchwool)

using my BWM 2ply in havana

4.

Cinnebar Crochet cardigan by Doris Chan from Everyday Crochet

using some brown wool that has been in my stash for years

5.

another eva shawl also by milobo at without seams

using my BWM 3ply cone in moss

6.

a crochet lace scarf using one of the patterns from this Japanese Crochet Stitch Dictionary

using some plum laceweight Habu

If I manage to do all of this then I will spoil myself and buy some Kaalund Enchante silk in poisettia

7.

to make an Arrows stole by Annette Peavey.

this is vhanna26’s

Its a doozy of a list isn’t it.  I reckon that if I try and complete a project every two months I might get through my list by the end of the year. Then I would have all of these new knits – 3 cardigans, 2 shawls, a scarf and a stole.

This is just my knit/crochet list.  I have lots of other sewing/quilting projects that I want to do too.  And all of those pop up “must makes”.

This time next year I will look back on this list and see how I went.

It is going to be a big year!!

I was just part of a rainbow swap on ravelry – in the australian swappers group. (I apologise to those not on ravelry).

It was a pretty simple swap.  $25 budget with the requirements of including at least one ball of red yarn.

I got a package from K10.  There were lots of red goodies.  Some are pictured below including some beautiful Habu lace weight merino. It is the most delightful plum colour.

I have been admiring this arrows stole pattern for ages and this might just be the perfect yarn for it.

I sent my package off yesterday. I took some photos but due to technical difficulties (damn camera), I lost the images.

I am normally pretty slack about contributing (financially) to my favourite sites, blogs and podcasts. I know that most people do it for nothing and survive on love and the generosity of a select few.

But with ravelry I was ridden with guilt. The have made a superb community and it is loved and used by hundreds of thousands of people. To show my support I bought a t-shirt and pin from their mini mart.

The shirt is a Hanes Womans V.  They don’t seem to have this pattern/colour in stock at the moment. If you can’t read backwards is says “a daily dose of fiber’” and the plants are soy, cotton and bamboo.

I was a bit worried about the sizing. This is an XL and is marginally big – I am normally an aussie L or 14 in shirts.  But if it was marginally small I wouldn’t wear it.  It is very comfy.

I wear the pin on my lanyard at work.  One day I might run into someone that understands what it means.  The only comment I have received about it so far was asking if it was a grid iron helmet. Stupid bloke!