on the needles.

a few slow burn projects happening in these here parts, hence why the projects aren't flying off my needles to be blogged about...
let me share some stories though...

this first project has been on my needles for quite a while. since april according to my ravelry page and this post.
however, i did a silly thing... in my haste to gleefully cast on a beautiful new project, i neglected the one thing i constantly talk about, SWATCH!
what a fool!



while the texture is absolutely gorgeous, my row gauge is CRAZY different to the patterns... this means that my jumper won't cover nearly what i would want it to in the belly area, even once it's current tenant has left!

i've been thinking that i would just rip it back to the pocket, and fix it from there, but i think it will be much better served if i rip the entire project out and start anew. eventually.
i need to find a particularly motivated day to do all that ripping and re-balling as i have moved onto bigger and better things...

this jumper was one i promised my brother for his birthday. his birthday was in january folks!



it is obviously plenty overdue, and i'd love to get it to him sooner rather than later. especially as this whole winter thing seems to be wrapping itself up!
the body is done, and i'm just working on the sleeves... though i'm not unconvinced i won't run out of wool! thankfully i know exactly where to get more he he!

i've banned myself from starting this project until i get my brother's jumper finished, but...



this yarn, and this swatch are going to become a little crocheted baby blanket.
i couldn't help but swatch for it over the weekend just gone, which i spent away with an absolutely gorgeous group of crafty ladies in an equally gorgeous old country homestead. i'd write a post about it, but i took ZERO photos and just spent the entire weekend eating, crafting, chatting and relaxing in equal measure. i'm sure i'll mention it a bit though as it was truly invigorating and just what i needed!

anywho, back to the crocheted blanket... this yarn has been in my stash for a while, and i have a decent amount of it too. pretty sure it was inherited from my grandmothers stash when she passed away, or potentially her sister's... either way, a nice, light, vintage yarn, in a gorgeous navy that should make the perfect lacy baby blanket!
when i allow myself to get started...

this project is still not even beyond dream stage... i took it away on the weekend, thinking maybe i could get a swatch done for it, but it just didn't happen!



the yarn was purchased at last year's sheep and wool show, and there are plans bubbling away in my brain to turn it into a milo vest.
but nicole, i might hear you say, you've knit 1283702 milo vests. but i've never knit one for myself dear readers!
the milo vest pattern goes up to a 6 year old size, but i'd really love one for myself!
hence why this project is in the 'dream' stage, it's going to take a bit of work!
grown up adult ladies have quite the different body structure to 6 year old folks so it'll take a bit of manipulation to account for the extra lumps and bumps.
i'm confident i can get there though, though maybe not for a while...

and finally, the last thing on my imminent knitting agenda...



i've been on a bit of a mission the last month or so of work, to get all of the single ball samples (a single ball, knitted in stockinette stitch to show off the texture of the knitted yarn) that were missing in the shop, completed! these are the four that are left.
they don't take too long (a couple of nights of knitting at most) and are super mindless! i think i'll aim to get these done in between running out of wool for my brother's jumper sleeves (which will happen after a few rows this morning) and being able to get to melbourne town to pick up some more (most likely next week!).
hopefully while i'm in the shop, picking up the extra ball i'll need, i'll be able to resist the siren call of new yarn! although i've brought the stash down a wee bit with lots of baby knits, it's still a sizeable beast! would love to bring it down a little more before starting any other big projects!

what have you been working on lately? what stories are your needles telling?

projects galore.

how many projects is too many projects?

i have a real addiction to starting new things at the moment, and even though i really, REALLY want the satisfaction of FINISHING something, i keep starting things!



so that would be, two pairs of socks, a mitred square memory blanket, bits of a tea cosy (still don't know what size tea-pot i'm knitting for, so technically, i CAN'T finish), a stack of swatches to stitch together into another blanket...
oh and a puzzle. that's a slow process now that all the easy (colourful and patterned) bits are done, and only hard (black and unpatterned) bits are left...

if only i had another few sets of hands... i could knit so much more ha ha!

how many projects do you have on the go at the moment?

august.

i'm a day early with my monthly goals, but for good reason...
i've got quite the reveal tomorrow, but i'll save it for tomorrow...

now, for the month just gone... i'm quite proud of what i managed.
i got some things finished, and started something new. i also celebrated my mum's 50th birthday, with all of my family.



and august?
well i've already said i have big plans. but those plans are for this space...
i've also got big plans financially this month. august is my birthday month and when bb asked me what i'd like for my birthday, i announced i'd like to save some of our money. live frugally for a bit.
i'm hoping to save some cash by cutting back on the more luxurious things we indulge in, dinners out, buying lunches, getting manicure (well that's just me...), wool shopping (yep that's just me too...) and well, you get the picture.
i am absolutely desperate to get our foot in the property market door and i'm hoping that this month of saving will get us one step closer.

this month of saving, will mean lots of meal planning, and lots of working through my stash. doesn't sound like such a bad thing to me at all :D
i've got bamcal squares to work on, some more wool for my granny stripe and i've got my reversible wrap to finish!

i'm also hoping to finally get to the 5k mark with my running. i've been working on it for a few months and i am so very nearly there!


do you have big plans for august?

july.

once again, the past month has absolutely flown! the few little getaways i had, meant that i felt like i was chasing my own tail around all month!
but i still managed to get a few things done...
i got some books read, and some new lamps,
i did some knitting
and my bamcal squares done.



and as for july...
well, i've got a little something to finish,
some blocks to crochet
and a beanie to finish. then i might whip up one or two more, for a fantastic cause.

what are your plans for the month?

meal planning monday.

monday again. after a weekend away, i definitely need me some planning to get myself through this week!



for tonight, i've got some chicken in the fridge, ready to go, so i'm thinking some mediterranean chicken for the slow cooker. sans olives (neither bb or i are a big fan) and maybe with some home-made pasta...

tomorrow night, date night. i'm craving some dumplings, so we'll be heading somewhere with some delicious ones!

wednesday night is ncb night, meaning we'll have a special dinner guest. i'm thinking italian meatballs. in the slow-cooker of course.

thursday night, i'm keen to try slow-cooked chicken cacciatore with a parmesan crust. delish!

and friday, i'll pop and aberdeen sausage in the slow cooker before i go to work. i've never had or made one before, but it sure sounds delicious!

saturday and sunday i'll leave up to bb. he's quite the chef when he sets his mind to it! last week, he made the most delicious rolled pork belly roast. to die for!!


what are your meal plans for the week?

meal planning monday.

it's been a bit of a struggle, trying to get back into the swing of things since getting back from our little getaway, but i figure planning out some meals will definitely help!



i had grand plans for dinner tonight, great intentions of having something delicious bubbling away in the slow cooker before i left for work... i even bought chicken in my lunch break at work yesterday, only to leave it sitting in the fridge at work! *facepalm*
so instead, i've grabbed some bolognaise out of the freezer, quick, easy, delicious.
tomorrow night is date night so we'll be heading out for dinner, hopefully to somewhere new and exciting (to us anyway...), but i also have the day off from work. so in between studying and housework, i'm hoping to get a pot or two of soup made. i've been buying it from the supermarket premade to have for lunch at work but i know i can make it myself at a fraction of the price :D
for wednesday, i might throw that chicken in the slow cooker. with some spices. paprika chicken, yes indeedy.
thursday night, i'm at work 'til late, so i'll definitely need to throw something in the slow cooker for bb when he gets home. maybe curried sausages? yes, that'll be fabulous!
as for the rest of the week... well i'm off away for the weekend (again, i know!) with my lovely lady cousins and aunties and my mum for a bit of catching up and r&r. it's going to be wonderful!! i've got some books ready to be packed, i've got some cupcakes on order to take with me, oh and i need to buy some wine!
can't wait!

what are your plans for the week ahead!

june.

last month i mentioned that april was the quickest month ever, but i think may would have to take that award!
now, what did i have planned for may...
i wanted to get my beanies finished, check.

i also wanted to get my bamcal squares done too...



also check.

i was hoping to get the final two cupboards in the kitchen painted too, but due to me not ever having more than one day off at a time, unfortunately didn't come to fruition. bum.

i did however get that skirt finished, last night, just before the deadline... but it needs a post of it's very own to show off my excellent basic pattern-making skills.
and as for the quilt and knitted jumper plans... they'll have to wait a little while longer i think...

which brings us to my magnificent plans for june...
you know what? i don't actually have anything grand planned!
well i do, but nothing crafty... i've got a couple of getaways planned over this month. one to fnq to celebrate some nuptials, and a cosy catch up weekend with my lovely lady cousins and aunties.
i'm very much looking forward to both and i'm guessing both will inspire some on-the-go crafting.
i'd look forward to many posts about different patterned dishcloths, in a rainbow of new colours.

what are you up to this month?

kicking goals

last friday, i set myself a few goals to have done as soon as humanly possible.
well i've got some goals met people!
first up...



my tenth beanie festival beanie, is done and dusted! well i still haven't sewn the ends in but pish! later!
and also...



i'm well over halfway through my second bamcal square for the month! in fact, this one only needs a row of single crochet and it's done! i think i can get this one finished and hopefully the last as well.
that means tomorrow i'll get to open up and play with my delicious package of cottons!
yahooo!!!

happy days :D

what have you been achieving lately?

meal planning monday.

monday again? goodness me!

well here goes the planning for the week then...

tonight, i've gotten one of the hundreds of portions of bolognaise sauce out of the freezer, so i'll be cooking up some pasta to have with that!

tuesday night is date night!! i'm hoping to drag bb off to he local mexican restaurant! i'm in the mood for some nice spice!

wednesday night i'll be heading into the city! it's my parent's wedding anniversary and they've got a family get together planned on southbank! need to remember to behave as i have a big day of work the next day!

another meal from the freezer on the cards for thursday. this time, some osso bucco! i'll dress up some rocket and cook up some pasta. nice and easy :D

friday, i'm working late again! i think i'll pop a curry in the slow cooker. i like to make sure bb has some food to come home to after work! i didn't have anything planned last week, but i ended up making up some fresh pesto and having a big bowl of pesto pasta waiting for him when he got home (a big bowl for lunch kept me going all day at work today too!)

saturday is another big day of work for me so i'll be delegating the cooking to bb! hopefully he'll come up with something delicious...

another day at work, ho hum! i think i'll ask bb to pop on a roast! maybe a rolled pork roast? yep, that'll do it! love a sunday roast!!

what are your meal plans for the week? or even just general plans?

may.

woah! quickest month ever? i think so!

i think i did pretty well on my goals for april. i got two more cupboards painted in the kitchen (bb helped, which was lovely), i got the pictures hung AND i got my bamcal squares done too!
i've only just realised that i haven't blogged them... good work there nicole!

c so here they are, the patterns are on my ravelry page!



i didn't quite get to that quilt that i was planning, due to the bank wanting me to pay off my credit card. how rude! i really need to stop forgetting about the whole bills thing, sometimes i am quite unorganised!

but what about may?
in may, i'd like to get the final two cupboards in my kitchen painted. fingers crossed i have a weekend or two off to get them done :D

i've also got the may bamcal to do, and i'm thinking of ordering some more cotton to make some more wash cloths.

i have also promised bb a knitted jumper. big words for someone who hasn't ever actually knitted a garment before... ho hum!

i've also got two beanies to get finished, and maybe i'll make a skirt too! there was a skirt in the lisette pattern, maybe i'll make that one!

oh and that quilt i was banging on about, yeah maybe i'll get to that too ha ha!

what are your plans for this month?

nesting.

today, i have a day off from work and boy do i have plans for today!
and for once, my day off plans DON'T involve copious amounts of housework and running around like a mad woman!

today, if you need me, i'll be here...




in my craft nest.

i set all this stuff up on sunday night. bb came into the lounge room and made a noise. i said, 'oops, sorry, i made a mess.'
he replied with, 'you've made a nest'
and i didn't disagree!
today the heater will be turned on too, melbourne is turning out some frightful weather this morning!

now i'm off to make myself a giant mug of tea and a steamy bowl of porridge and to catch up on episodes of my new favourite show.
hope your tuesday is fabulous!

meal planning monday.

gosh it's monday again?!? these weeks keep zooming past, one quicker than the next!
but what's on the menu for this week?



tonight, i've got a nice piece of beef to go in the slow cooker, with some red wine and peppercorns. should be delish and fabulous on sandwiches tomorrow for lunch too!

tomorrow night is date night. last week, we tried something different and went out for korean bbq. it was super fun :D but what to do this week...?

wednesday, anzac day, bb and i have the day off together... i think i might try something a little tricky. maybe some rice paper rolls! i've never tried them but they should be something fun that we can do together! maybe i'll try a recipe or two from here.

thursday, working til late at work :| definitely need something for the slow cooker... maybe a beef and carrot ragout. yep, that'll work!

friday, another big ol' day at work means that the slow cooker will be in charge again. moroccan lamb shanks will do. they'll work a treat to perk me up and get me through another weekend of work.

saturday, i'll leave bb in charge again. hopefully he'll organise something delicious. and healthy. this past weekend we had kfc :| not exactly the healthy dinner i'd been hoping for all day at work!

and sunday, i'm thinking a roast. in the oven (as opposed to the slow cooker!), i'll leave bb in charge of the cooking, and choosing what variety too i think...

yum!

how's your week looking so far?

meal planning monday.

oops, it seems i forgot about blogging for a little while again. well it would seem anyway... i never forget, i just feel too tired and brain dead to write posts that anyone would actually want to read...

image source

but i'm back today, with some delicious meal plans for the week! last week was a bit of a disaster in terms of meal planning, and cooking in general as it was the first weekend in a long time that i wasn't able to visit a farmer's market and find some inspiring produce. it's really amazing the effect that delicious, fresh produce has on my cooking mojo!
anywho, i'm making do with what i can find at my local fresh-food outlets this week, as i've just had a big weekend of work, and have another next weekend too.

so what's for dinner tonight? tonight, i'm FINALLY going to get to making this recipe, as written by this lovely lady. i've got the afternoon free so i've got lots of delicious prep time :D

tomorrow night, date night! i'll have to find somewhere amazing to go out for dinner.

on wednesday, i've got work all day, so i'll be throwing some pork in the slow cooker for some thit heo kho tieu. i've never made it before but it sounds DELICIOUS!

thursday, i'll be working again, big surprise there ha ha! so a slow cooked chicken curry it is!

friday night, another late night at work, i think i might try a bolognaise in the slow cooker... i can only imagine how delicious it will be!

bb will be home all day on saturday, whereas i'll be at work, so he can organise dinner. yes indeedy!

and i feel that sunday is just that little bit too far away to worry about, don't you think?
i can't plan too far ahead ha ha!

what are your dinner plans for the week? or even just your general plans?

april.

it took me a little while to figure out exactly what my goals were for this coming month...

first and foremost, i want to get some sweet easter treats made up. i've got an idea brewing for some little gift bags for my work colleagues :D i'll be sharing those soon i think!

i'd also like to get this big pile of pictures, hung up on the wall.


there's not much point having them sitting here next to my dresser, getting under my feet and collecting dust!

i'm going to keep working on getting my kitchen cupboards painted. last month i managed to get the above-microwave cupboard painted, and also the cupboard under the sink and i'm LOVING the results. not only did i paint the insides, making them look fresh and clean and lovely, i also went through the contents of the cupboard like a dose of salts. i said goodbye to anything that we hadn't touched in the three years since we moved into this place. let's just say the local op-shops are loving me at the moment :D
it's amazing how liberating de-cluttering is for me!

i also have grand intentions to get started on a quilt. i've had a pattern in my head for months and i definitely want to get started on making it! if i can make a dress in a day, i can definitely make a start on a quilt!

oh and i've got the april bamcal squares to do too!

what are you up to this month?

meal planning monday.

i thought i'd play along with the lovely pink patent mary janes and her meal planning for the week.
this morning, i got up nice and early to set up the slow cooker meal that i mentioned last night. oh boy did i appreciate it when i got home from a long day at work. melt in your mouth beef, in a rich and delicious tomato sauce, ready to be spooned over a little bit of pasta and topped off with some fresh and zippy rocket.




i may have used the hashtag #foodporn when i posted this photo on instagram earlier. completely justified don't you think?

in any case, i'd best get to the meal planning section of this post... my intention with my meal explanation, was to point out that i will be using my slow cooker a LOT over the next coming weeks (or every day for the rest of eternity...)

tomorrow will be the exception however as it is date night! i'm thinking mexican! there's a pretty awesome mexican restaurant within walking distance of our place that we've only been to once! in almost 3 years! can you believe it?

wednesday, i'm thinking slow cooked curry. chicken curry in fact... i think i'd best be off to trawl the internet for a good recipe :D

thursday will be another slow cooker day (i'm working so many days this week!). maybe something lamb-y? maybe lamb shanks? in a white wine and vegetable broth? sounds perfect!

friday is my late night. late night shopping = late night working. retail is so great, isn't it? i'll probably have soup at work (i've just discovered these soups in the fridge section in the supermarket, so easy, so delicious!), bb is on his own!

saturday i'll leave in bb's court. he's home from work all day, i'm at work all day. seems fair to me!

and sunday, well sunday i think i may just have to try out this mouth-watering recipe i've just found. yep. i can see this going very well...

what are your plans for dinner this week?

march.

last month i didn't write a monthly to-do list, something that i started doing last year. i'm not sure why, i think i was having a bit of a busy time with work and i just didn't have to mojo...
but i'm back with a vengeance baby! monthly to-do list is go!
first up, is this months bamcal squares!
i finished joining together january and february's squares yesterday afternoon...


and they're definitely feeling warmer!
i can't wait to get the patterns for march on (and off) my hook and to get them joined on to this growing blankie :D

in march, i'm also booked in to get my wisdom teeth removed! i'm having them out under general anaesthetic as i'm terrified of knowing exactly what would be going on, teeth cracking and pulling. eep!
i've got a few days booked off work, as does bb, so it'll be quite nice to spend some time together, even if it will be a bit uncomfortable for me. i've got plans of cleaning out and painting our kitchen cupboards while we've got the time off together but i'll just have to wait and see how it all goes for me! wish me luck!

this month, as part of my monthly reading goal, i'm getting stuck into 'the hobbit'
i've never been a big tolkien fan, i've found in the past that his wordy and descriptive prose tends to send my mind wandering, but knowing that the hobbit movie is coming out in december is getting me focused.
i've also started a little morning ritual...



reading on the kindle while sitting on my exercise bike. stretching my muscles and my mind. forever the multi-tasker! it's ensuring that i have that little bit of time to read everyday and that i'm getting some exercise. it ticks two boxes of my big 2012 list! interesting first paragraph that i decided to photograph... very funny words from ms. marieke!

and finally, as yesterday was leap day (a day where you should supposedly do things you wouldn't normally do...) i signed up to a sew-a-long. now the concept of signing up to any crafty type-a-long isn't unusual for me (hello, bamcal!) but signing up to a sewing one is! the full details of what we're sewing are here (you can join in over there too!) and i'm fairly excited! i'd love to get into the practice of making myself clothes and this dress is just so cute!

what are you getting up to this month? do you have a big to-do list like me?

sunday suppers.

i managed to survive my first week of first time work! i even managed to attend a few social gatherings and rustle up dinner most nights too! more than a little bit proud of myself...
this week i thought i'd keep myself on track by getting a bit of meal planning happening, i've even got a theme to cook by...




cooking from the freezer!
our freezer is looking fairly packed at the moment... after a few bulk purchases of meat, over a fair few weeks, we're well and truly stocked up and i think it's time we start getting through some of it!

on monday we'll have homemade chicken kievs (chicken breast with garlic butter in the middle wrapped in prosciutto and tin foil and baked for an hour or so), teamed with a heap of salad and maybe some potato rosti too (need to get through our potatoes!)
for tuesday i'm thinking some lamb cutlets, some steamed vegies and maybe some smashed potatoes with fresh rosemary from the garden.
wednesday, i've got the day off so i might fish a roo roast out of the freezer, and fix it with all the delicious roasty trimmings :D
thursday, i've another day off, but have a tutoring session arranged for the evening. sausages on the bbq and some salad. too easy!
and friday, i'm working til late so maybe some kind of fresh fish, with some oven chippies and a big whack of salad.
saturday, i'm dining alone! thinking of a chicken stirfry, lots of vegies and some noodles. that way there'll be enough for dinner and for lunch the next day :D
and sunday, well i might play that one by ear... i'm not sure if bb will be joining me or not, so i'll wait and see before i plan anything!

do you meal plan? kate, wrote about her meal planning the other day and i must admit, it has inspired me more than a little. i only wish that our meals were planned around what was in our garden and coming fresh to our plates. something to look forward to for the future perhaps...

catching up.

oops, it's been a week! and looking through my phone, i don't even have any photos taken to play along with sunday snippets!
i've been keeping up with my goal (of two weeks ago!!) to be more of a morning person, and it's coming along nicely. i managed to drag my butt out of bed at around 7.15-7.30 that first week, and then 7 this week just gone. it's resulting in more breakfasts being eaten (also cooked, bb is loving it!), lunches being prepared on occasion, and a fair bit of housework getting done too!



the only issue i'm having, that by dinner time, i'm absolutely exhausted! i'm not game to admit how many times in the past week we've had take-out. i'm more than a bit disappointed in myself.
i think i may need to start working dinner organisation into my morning routine, that way when i get home from work and am absolutely pooped, i have something ready to pop in the oven or a pan.
hrmmm yes, might be an idea.




in other news, i start official full time work tomorrow. i've been working casually my entire working life, so this full time thing might take a bit of getting used to... but not the holidays and sick leave, that will be awesome ;)



i've also started on a new crochet project. after seeing some crafty ladies getting their granny stripe on, i just HAD to get in on that action!




the photos from this post (with the exception of the crochet one, that was a progress report from the other day) are from a whirlwind trip to the country where i managed to squeeze in a night drinking with my mum, a quick op-shop trip with brianna, a ridiculously fancy fine-dining lunch, a pub trip with many games of pool, oh and driving there and back! big 24 hours!

how has your week been? any quick weekend trips? new crafty endeavours?

what i'm reading... february.

one of my 2012 goals is to read a book a month. last month, i successfully (finally!) got through this book, which took me almost a year! it wasn't a bad read, i'm just a bit of a spontaneous reader. i'll be in the mood for a read, read a third of a book and then not touch it again for a month or two!
this one took me even longer to read because i managed to lose my copy in june, only to find it in a second hand book store again in august!

this month however, i'm making a flying start!
i've chosen to read...



after a fair few people had said some good things on 'the twitter'

it was actually the first purchase we made on bb's christmas present...




a kindle! thanks to the delightful wes, for tweeting about the super bargain price!
i'd never used one before and was a whole lotta skeptic, but i do kind of love it :D
it takes all the awkwardness out of reading because of the buttons on either side.

i'm over half way through this book and although there's been a couple of moments where my inner prude has recoiled somewhat, the large majority of the text is quite easy to read. there have actually been a couple of instances where i've laughed out loud, scaring the crap out of bb, or whoever is on the train/bus next to me.

definitely a page turner, er, button clicker, so far. i don't think i'll have much trouble getting through it by the end of the month ;)

what are you reading at the moment?

this week...

i'm going to try being a morning person on for size.
i am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a morning person. generally i roll out of bed at most an hour before i start work/have planned commitments that day and then spend that hour or less frantically getting myself ready to get out the door.

this week though, i'm going to try and change that.
my plan is to wake up that little bit earlier, actually get out of bed a bit earlier, and seize the day a bit!
maybe i'll get some housework done, or go for a walk, or, heck, maybe i'll have time to write some blog posts!
this early morning lark should help with my goal from a few weeks ago of eating breakfast daily too... after that one week of breakfasting, i fell off the wagon miserably. but these two goals should go hand in hand :D




i'll also be finishing off a beanie (hopefully) when i head to SAY tonight and NCB on wednesday (again, hopefully. last time i said this on my blog, i failed to make it to either!).
and i'll be finishing up my BAMCAL squares for february. i've finished two, just one to go now :D

what are you up to this week?