Knit 4 Life

Have you heard of The Ricefield Collective? 

Need a beautiful new knitted hat or gorgeous cowl? 

Want to help the ladies of Ifugao, in the Philippines stay and work on the land that has been in their families for generations?

Then check this out.....

Here is the link ... KNIT 4 LIFE

Happy Birthday Rambo!

Who is Rambo you might ask??

He is the Big Merino!  A landmark and local icon of the town Goulburn in NSW, Australia, that is celebrating its 150th Birthday.

Look what the Knitters Guild of NSW made him for his birthday present....

Here is the article in the local paper with all the information about his scarf.  

Isn't he fabulous and handsome in his new birthday present!

Just so sweet I had to share...

Mac is going to be auctioned as one of the Red Nose Dolls to raise money for Comic Relief on March 15th in the UK. 

"Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK which strives to create a just world free from poverty – and we work 365 days a year to help that vision become a reality."

"Our mission is to drive positive change through the power of entertainment."

This little video is gorgeous.....

Here is the Red Nose Day dolls BLOG  and their FACEBOOK PAGE  if you would like to find out more about them.

The Sock Walk of Shame

.
Last year I bravely stated that was going to make socks!  Not just one pair but 12!  What was I thinking?  I think too much Christmas cheer must have been around!

I jumped right in and joined in with a Mystery Knit-a-Long for a beautiful pair of socks.  I was going great guns and even whipped up two at a time to avoid the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome.  And then school started and that's as far as I got. The socks are beautiful and unfortunately they call for a lot of concentration so I just never got back to getting into the groove.  Then Tinky chewed thru the yarn and I threw them into the corner and left them for later....much later it would seem!

Throughout the year I have started a couple of other pairs of socks in an attempt to reach my goal only for each pair to sadly meet the fate of the first pair, chucked into the corner and put to the back of my mind. Gone but not forgotten.... One I knit in the wrong gauge and never realised until I had finished the first sock.  The second I made as a mismatched stripy pair thinking it would be easier if I wasn't following a pattern BUT I forgot about all those ends didn't I!

So here is the Sock Walk of Shame in all its glory. 

***Note that I have a fairly small foot so  my sock photos seem to make the socks look really odd.  Trust me they do fit perfectly....

Soooooo this year I plan to finish these pairs of socks.  THEN learn to knit socks with confidence, two at a time and finish them.  I like one idea I heard (The Shy Lion) but not mentioning any names.... knit different socks in the same colour, that way SSS never strikes  :-)

Have you made any New Year Resolutions this year?

Annus Horribilis

.
It is almost 2013 and I have to say I am not sorry to see the end of 2012.  It has been a tough year for us.  There have been a few highlights but generally it has not been a good year.  Business has just limped along and the financial problems have overshadowed the whole year.  I have tried to stay in the moment but it has been a challenge.  

It has meant that the lows have left me feeling drained and struggling to keep up a positive outlook.  I have felt that I am letting everyone down because I am usually the driving force in the family.  Everyone seems to look to me for direction and some days that has been too much responsibility.

My whole system is out of whack and the energy of this year has at times left me really low.  My blogging has probably suffered the most.  I have taken lots of photos but just haven't had the energy to transcribe that into a post.  Instagram was joined in April and I have found support from that community and have shared there instead of my blog.

I am unsure of my direction in 2013?  I do feel that it will be a better year so we shall see.  I am not going to put pressure on myself and say I will blog more often.  I am hoping that will be a natural progression as the year unfolds.

So as our beautiful Queen said a few years ago, it was 'Annus Horribilis' !!

Goodbye 2012!    Here is my year in photos ....

Welcome 2013!

Happy New Year to you, I hope 2013 is good for us all.

Love and Blessings

Post Script

Yes Billy and I had a lovely time in Cairns.  Thank you for all your kind wishes.

We had a nice walk along the Esplanade and then a delicious dinner at a Balinese Restaurant whilst the  boys had a great day swimming in the pool and playing with their cousins back on the Tablelands.

Here is the Ink we got for those who were keen to see.  We are both very happy with the results.

                                          12/12/12