a waldorf rag dolly

Recently I thrifted a pink angora jumper for a few dollars. I decided to make a little soft bodied dolly for all the little girls I look after to cuddle, particularly because they've all started liking to take a doll to bed for nap time but we don't have enough dolls. It turned out that I didn't have any tricot fabric left for a face (or I just couldn't find it in my mess of a craft cupboard) so I used an old cotton t-shirt instead. We carded our own wool for stuffing which was very cheap so all in all this is a very inexpensive doll to make

I cut the body pieces out based on some instructions in Making Waldorf Dolls. I used only one arm of the jumper so there's lots left for other projects. I hand stitched all the pieces and it didn't take long. (What your cotton doesn't look like mine? Im guessing this had some thing to do with one of the cheeky little one year olds:)

I had a good helper with the wool carding. She did a great job and and really stuck with it which was good because its amazing how much you need to card for one little doll

 She was pretty excited when I pulled out Pelles New Suit and saw that they had carders just like ours. I've been meaning to pull it out anyway. With all my recent knitting we've been talking lots about how wool is processed so this book has been well loved today.

 After they went home I sewed on a face and a hat

 and now shes hanging out with her big sister waiting for some cuddles next week

Today was a fabulously foggy day. We almost stayed home because I was worried about rain but Mitch has been asking me every time he comes if we can walk to the playground and every time he comes recently its been raining. I decided to take the umbrella and pram rain cover and hope for the best. It drizzled the tiniest bit, just enough that it was fun but we weren't cold and soggy.

My blanket has been coming along nicely but not so much this afternoon. I can't figure out what happened to one of my circular needles. I'm thinking I may need to start on this (for an under shirt because moths have made on my current one resemble swiss cheese) if it doesn't turn up soon. Or maybe even if it does :)

winter solstice centripetal

 Yippe, I finished it!! The cables did get a bit tedious towards the end but its so worth it

 I was worried about how the sizing would end up because of using different yarn. It turned out shorter in the body then I would of liked but not too short that id like to knit it again. I'm thinking it will lengthen a little when I block it. I hope. With the weather at the moment it would take a few days to dry so i'm guessing it will get its first blocking when it gets dirty enough to need a wash. For now its staying wrapped around me, all cozy and warm.

Iv'e got to add some button loops (as its currently held together by a dpn or safety pin) and weave in ends and then ill call it done

here's a picture of the cable piece before I sewed it together

While I was blocking the sleeves and back piece I also blocked this little cardigan that I finished a good while ago. Its nice to see it blocked. I don't often bother with blocking but for this little cardigan it made a huge difference

the blanket is coming along nicely

Here's our winter solstice apple cinnamon cake. We've been baking for quite some time now without milk and eggs because we have a little one with allergies. Iv'e been experimenting and trying to make some thing that's also low sugar, somewhat whole meal and still enjoyed by all. This one was delicious! It was the exact same recipe as we use for muffins every week but the cake shape made it sooo exciting for the little people. I will for sure start making this for their birthdays

bits and pieces

 the first bulbs of winter to flower smell soooo good

 A new project because It turns out I got way more wool then I needed (and I needed a break from cables)

 wooly wooly wool

 warm tea and button pins

 mums zentangles

 late autumn leaves and a winter sprite

 dollys and rain boots

 I took the doors off the cupboard for something different. I love the doors but I love the plants in there more

Because of the doll house cupboard the play kitchen is in the 'big kitchen'. Its kinda perfect there

spinning

centripetal progress

 Oh my goodness, I cant believe how fast this is knitting up! I guess 6mm needles will do that.
I only got the wool on Friday and we've had a busy weekend but I've taken it along and its grown and grown.

 I've finished both of the sleeves

 The back piece (and the buttons for it arrived)

So now i'm working on the big circle piece. I learnt German short rows and let me just say, Germans know what there doing when it comes to short rows. They are less fiddly than the ones id learnt before and end up neater too

Here's a picture of the fabric I used as a background for these photos. I got two fat quatres at my dads work friends garage sale and its my very favorite! Now I need to figure out what I want to make with it because it needs to become something really great.

Benny used to play golf with his parents when he was younger and hes recently started going out again. He absolutely loves it and I love seeing him excited and tagging along to find mushrooms with his mum. Last night I made bacon and mushroom carbonara, yum!

knitting and thrifting

 

 I knitted another pair of stripey madelinetosh socks. I used the same pattern as my other pairs.

 As you can see in the picture I really should have taken a photo before wearing them while caring for small children. Oh weal, its an accurate picture of what my socks generally look like- play dough crusted.

 I received my wool for my Centripetal today, yippee!!!! Its not the wool I had planned on using but oh i'm glad to have this instead. I'm in love with these giant skeins. I almost want to use one as a pillow, its so soft. It also helps that it makes big novelty sized balls. The day care children were so excited for me to get out the skein winder and swift. (so excited that I almost needed ear plugs;) The wool is a bit thinner than I needed so  i'm knitting a larger size with a smaller gauge. We will see how that goes.

 On the weekend my dad and I went to some garage sales. I picked up this little cupboard. I've been keeping an eye out for something to raise the doll house off the floor for a good few years now and finally here it is. From the same garage sale I got a lovely house plant for 80c, what luck!

 Then on Wednesday I found these doll house dolls for 10c each at my favourite opp shop, perfect!
Maddison picked up the two on the left and said 'hey we visited them in Adelaide' I asked are they my Oma and Opa? and she said yes:)
So the new little dolls are Oma, Opa and their grand children

25

Today I had some visitors for my birthday and what a great day it was!

Oma, two of my aunties, Helena and Jo, my cousin Elly and my parents all came to visit and spoil me with yummy food

They also gave some birthday money and it wasn't too hard to decide how to spend it

 I've been eyeing off the Centripetal.

 Partly because its pretty but I think even more so because it looks fun and interesting to knit and put together. You knit a circle and then add in the upper back/shoulders piece and sleeves, how clever!

 I'm going to knit it with bendigo woolen mills rustic wool. I think ill go with 'sandstone' colour but I may change to 'aran' (plain white) at the last minute. I always find it so hard choosing yarn colours because its tricky predicting how it will look once knitted, and which colours would look best on me. I'm always so happy once its ordered so I don't have to keep second guessing my decision

 I will also add buttons and i'm deciding between these

...or these