Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Chocolate Cafe

Last Thursday we had an hour to waste before an appointment, so I took Mathew to a new Cafe I found in Ringwood. It's one of those Cafes that sell really rich coffee and cakes and lots of different chocolates in little patty pans. His eyes nearly popped out when we walked in, then he just didn't know what to choose!

He decided on the Mountain Mousse Cake:

And I had Lemon Meringue Pie:


Well Mathew managed about a third of his as it was SO rich. The guy there kindly popped it in a container for us to take home. He had it for breakfast the next day, then after school as well, then he finished it off for brekky the next day. That's how rich it was. It tasted like it had a light sprinkling of liquor through it and really was delish. I said that next time if he wants that one or something like it, we'll share a piece.

Mine was devine, gorgeous tasty sticky meringue and sharp sweet lemon goo. OMG it was soooo good!

Just Found Comments!

Hi all, I was just mucking about adding a new gadget to this blog when I found some comments! Woohoo! Thank you to all for your lovely comments, I didn't know they were there because I wasn't emailed about them. Hopefully I have fixed that now, so I'll be able to respond if any more comments come my way.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Cat Bordhi - Part 1: wrapping & turning, concealing wraps

Cat Bordhi demonstrates Judy Becker's Magic Cast-On

Cat Bordhi-PERSONAL FOOTPRINTS-start toe on 1 long circ

Cat Bordhi-PERSONAL FOOTPRINTS- toe on 2 circs

Toe Up Socks - 1st Increase Round

Cat Bordhi-PERSONAL FOOTPRINTS-overview

Cat Bordhi - Part 2 of Knitting on Two Circular Needles

Cat Bordhi - Part 1: Knitting on 2 circular needles

Friday, October 1, 2010

School Holidays

Hi all, today is the second last day of our Spring school holidays. Mostly the weather has been miserable, cloudy, wet and very cold. BUT today the sun is shining, we are all in short sleeves and my backyard looks like a green suburban jungle. The grass needs mowing again (after only being done a couple of weeks ago), and the fruit trees are growing new little leaves as fast as they can. The blossom has almost gone and the backyard is almost all shady again, instead of stark with "nude-y" trees!

My little Toby and I like to call them "nude-y" trees as this helped him to understand how/why they lose their leaves in winter.

The other day we were driving to an appointment when suddenly Toby called out, "Look Mum! There's nudey trees!!" His brother Mathew just curled up laughing in the front seat, so then I had to explain why we called them nudey trees. Both of my boys have Autism so they are very visual and very literal, which can make for some very interesting conversations!

Today we are staying home. You see today is a very important day, it's Grand Final Day in the AFL (Australian Football League), as last weekend was a draw..... YES..... a draw!!

Me and my boys watched it last weekend and spent a couple of hours watching the game and screaming at the tv. The two teams were St Kilda and Collingwood, and we are all die-hard Collingwood supporters. I don't follow the footy very much unless Collingwood are doing really well, and this year they have just flown up the ladder!

We decorated the front of our house with black and white streamers and balloons. Then we watched the game.... and it ended up a draw.... YES a DRAW!!!!




So it's a repeat of last week to hopefully get a winner! So many supporters are disgusted with this outcome and this has led to the rules in AFL being changed so this doesn't happen again.

Now onto CROCHET!

As you know I've been decluttering, and that includes my stash of yarn/fleece/roving. Last weekend my friend Marion of 'Spinning a Yarn' (a small business of spinning supplies, fleece, and Marion is a spinning teacher) came over and took a whole pile of my handspun yarns with her as she's having a market stall at a heap of local markets. We spent the afternoon weighing and pricing my yarns and her first market stall is this weekend, hopefully she'll do well!

I sorted out three huge baskets of odd balls of my handspun yarns that I dyed that not enough to do anything much with, and I've made three lovely crocheted blankets with them. Here's one. As you can see it was going to be for the back of our couch. Our couch looks quite tatty so I thought these blankets could cover it and brighten it up, BUT Mathew fell in love with the first blanket even when it was only half done and he nagged and nagged and nagged as he wanted it, so I ended up giving it to him.



Now he has his doona, a handmade patchwork blanket I made him and THREE hand crocheted blankets I made him as well, on his bed. It's a wonder he can move in his bed!!

This recent blanket is all completely pure wool so he must be incredibly warm!!

The second blanket is finished but I haven't taken a photo yet, and the third just needs a few rows added to it to be finished. I'm very pleased with how all three of them came out. It's an excellent way of using up those oddballs of handspun into something useful. The second blanket won't be going on the couch, that will be used by my eldest son and his girlfriend out in the caravan when they come to stay as they were cold last week because we'd run out of blankets.

Last week my eldest son Josiah (17) came home for the week with his girlfriend Clare (who I love to bits), and we had a lovely week together catching up. They took me out for dinner on Thursday night and it was so nice to get to know Clare a little better.

My three boys, Josiah (17) left, Toby (4)middle, and Mathew (13) right.



Seeya! xxx