Finger less gloves my latest project

I have been knitting up a storm while watching the tennis and had several beanies and scarves to donate. A few days ago a suggestions for finger less gloves came across in my emails. These were for kids overseas which I used to make and send things too but the postage is just too much so I have changed to making and donating to places here in Australia.

I liked the idea of the finger less gloves, they looked quick and easy to do but I had to adjust them for adults and thicker wool.

It is a make and see as the wool thicknesses that I am using are different, I have been using either Warren's or my hands to check the length and the width of them. I am using up some bits and pieces to add some colour on the top and bottom so they will be all different. The scraps are mainly 8 ply so I am using it double. The one on the left is sewn up ready to go.

That is how they fit. Just started my fourth pair but my knitting will slow down after today as there will be no more tennis to watch. They are a quick knit though so should be able to get a couple of pairs done each week.

Beds (sigh)

I have not ever thought about beds much only that they are a place to sleep.

Thursday we traveled to Hervey Bay again, this time to collect Maggie Two (new? caravan).

Its supposed to be only 200kms but  am sure that it must be more, seems much farther. Anyway warren had stated that he wasn't going to get up at or before sparrow fart (his words) and drive like a nutter to be there ready for the pick up at 9 am. We would go the day before stay overnight and pick it/her up and drive home in a leisurily fashion

I checked motels in the Hervey Bay area, ohh, I know its on the coast and therefore sought after for holiday but we only wanted somewhere to sleep.

Prices started at $230, I scrolled down and found a place at $88 a night that was more like it. I booked it for the night and when getting the confirmation, it stated "Bring own linen and towels" difference for a motels but we threw bedding and towels and a change of clothes into a plastic box in the back of the ute.

Arriving there, it was a small cottage in a caravan park! There were two rooms a lounge wit table and chairs on one side and sink, microwave etc on one wall and a separate bedroom. The bathroom was a separate room thru the bedroom door and about three or four paces, with toilets and shower. Quite big and that had is own key. Surprise surprise, the bed was made up and there were towels in the bathroom so it appears that the information was either old or wrong.

Bed was comfy however, there were only ceiling fans and boy oh boy it was a hot night. We "slept" with the windows open as there were security screens on all windows and doors and the fan on medium any higher and we were worried that it was going to take off plus the noise was quite loud. Needless to say we didn't get a lot of sleep because it was so hot.

We were ready for bed last night and only watched two sets of the tennis, went to bed and it was blissful to be in our own bed with the room air conditioned. I really appreciated it until it was about the time to get up this morning and Warren let Lucy in. She had been encouraged to jump up on the bed and further encouraged to assist me to get out of bed.

She hasn't jumped up onto the bed much before and only does it when we are there but because she has been encouraged by someone who will remain nameless, she is quite happy to do so. a few days ago i was making the bed and because I was there she thought it would be great fun to jump up and jump around. I told her a firm No and she got off, the following day when I was making the bed she came to the door of the bedroom and and just stood watching me. She is a fast learner.

Aprons

My mum always wore an apron and there are times when I know I should but I had not owned an apron in years. However, from one of my online things that pop up in my email box from time to time, there was a tutorial on how to make an apron from a metre of fabric in less than an hour.

What a challenge! plus I had everything on hand. Last time I went to Spotlight and they had a sale, I bought the end piece of fabric quite cheaply. I can't remember how much but I do know that if the rest of the roll was bought, it was cheaper so it was only a few dollars.

No pattern was required, this get better and better so I actually read the whole thing through, it was only one page.

Ok so i need to measure from top to bottom so where I wanted the top to be to the length I wanted it. Then measure from one hip to the other, and across the top and that was basically it. There were no measurements or suggestions about the straps. An arc from the side top to the hip measurement gave the arm "hole" and was where the back straps around the waist were to be placed.

I cut the main piece according to the measurements that I took and did a small hem around all of it. The side pieces of fabric that were cut off became the neck straps and the back straps. They were quite wide so I ironed a turn over and then turned them on to themselves and sewed all around them. I did think to put stiffing in them then I decided not to as the straps will be tied so dont need it.

I had enough fabric to make two more as i have a gift to make for a friend and her daughter so I made them one each. the one on the back of the chair is for the daughter who is 8/9, Aidan bless his cotton socks consented to be measured for that one. The bottom one is the adult sized one. The fabric is quite light and as the gifts will be winging their way to Mc Kay North Queenslan where it gets get hotter than here, quite suitable for their weather.

It probably took me longer to make as I was ducking out to watch the tennis in between sewing, measuring and pinning but a good exercise. All I have to do now is to remember to wear mine when I am cooking.

Nana naps

I used to laugh at my mum for dozing off in the middle of watching daytime TV (lets face it, mostly its pretty boring!) Now though I am doing it! Taking nana naps I mean.

It seems that most afternoons after lunch and I am watching the tennis on TV, I suddenly feel tired and put down my knitting and settle into my chair, it is very comfy to sleep in and doze off for a few minutes, it may only be five or ten minutes and then I am refreshed again.

I'm up and out of bed early than I have ever been or can remember and possibly I am ready for that nana nap. Yesterday I was going out in the afternoon, we had lunch and then yep, I could have had a nap but I didn't, I went and did something so that I didn't nap and therefore miss the time of going out. What do you know, last night I had trouble getting to sleep, ended up getting a drink and a couple of corn cakes and I read for awhile (finished my book) before going into that slumber state.

This morning bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6.30 am (well at least after my shower I was)

After tracking down Yowies on the weekend, I came home and slept for two hours and we didnt even do that much, there was some walking involved but I blame the heat for that, maybe I just needed to catch up.

Stuffed Peppers

I had taken out two lots of mince for dinner a couple of nights, I intended to make a big lasagne eat some and freeze the rest. Warren suggested we go out for dinner, how could I refuse? No cooking no dishes so sure we'll go for dinner.

While chatting over dinner i told him what I had planned to make for dinner and he told me that he wasnt real fond of it. What? I must admit he is very good and will eat pretty much what i dish up so when he said that I thought that I would not go ahead with the lasagne.

However, there were still two meals of mince unfrozen to be used up. I made hamburgers the following night and then when I went shopping, still with no idea what to turn the second lot of mince into a meal. a solution came in the form of large and cheap peppers/capsicums.

I dont know what I paid but they were $3.99 a kilo and I bought two, often they are up as high as $8.99 a kilo.

I added some bbq sauce, an egg and some peas and after de seeding the caps, stuffed the mince mixture into them. Fifteen minutes in the oven and they were cooked. A slice of cheese of top to melt A salad and another easy meal hits the plate.

I always fine that capsicum when it is cooked becomes quite sweet.

Yowie Hunting

Yowie is one of several names given to a hominid reputed to live in the Australian wilderness. The creature has its roots in Aboriginal oral history.
The yowie is usually said to be a hairy and ape-like creature standing upright at between 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) and 3.6 m (12 ft)




The above information was supplied by Wikipedia.

As a kid we were told about the Yowies, the Bunyip and Big Foot although Big Foot was in Canada and North America, They could have come to Australia so we needed to watch out, of course then there were drop bears too but I didn't know about drop bears until much later in life. Not sure why we were told about these things, if it was scare tactics or just fun to frighten little kids. Anyway Sheri and I were on the hunt yesterday although we didn't set out to look for Yowies, it just happened.

We had been driving West and happened upon Kilcoy and our first sighting on the Yowie which was the statue in a park. It is a rather large imposing statue and along side of it was a smaller version where people could put their own head in and be photographed with the yowie's body.

We read about another yowie a couple of kilometres away and decided to go to see what we could find. It was based at/near the race course. This yowie was a bit more elusive and involved walking around the outside of the race course to try to locate where he was hiding.

It was a hot day and for the first part no shade so we debated where to go or not, I voted for not, but was persuaded to go and we set off for a walk. I'm glad I went as that Yowie was much smaller and definitely cute (as far as a yowie could be cute) his lair was also in shade, smart yowie. We visited for a few minutes before returning to the car.

Thank fully after some lunch in a near by cafe which we were hopefully would be air conditioned, it wasn't, we returned home and a cold change settled in bringing much needed rain to the Kilcoy area and home.

Glenmay Wetlands

Lucy and I visited this nice little place a few days ago. Great spot for walking and I did see a dog fenced area but when we came back, there was a dog in there so we didn't venture over. Lucy was very upset about the one that we have near home and last time we walked past it, she did go in but stayed close to us.

Lucy didnt feature in this photo, shes not silly, she is at my feet but in the shade, there was a covered seating area,(can see the shadow.)
We left early to go walking as it has been so hot. Lucy has been getting car sick on longer rides so we are trying a few things out, no breakfast before we go, a ginger biscuit about half an hour before and we hae the back windows down a bit so she can get fresh air.

So far since doing these she hasn't been sick so here's hoping, I am taking her on short trips also for her to get used to riding in the car, to the wetlands it as about ten kms.

Lucy has her own mat that goes over the back seat, I had made a towelling one but it was a bit slippery so we bought a custom made one and the seat belts go through the cover to hold it in place. If we take anyone in the car, its an easy thing to slip off which also removes the dog hair. Even though she is a short haired dog with little fur, she still does shed which I was surprised to see.