Time Flies

How is it possible that nearly a month has passed?! The latter part of September was pretty busy, from my sister's birthday, to my girl friend's the next day, my cousin's the day after that, and then the day after THAT, my mother in law gave birth to a beautiful baby girl :-) So we've been basking a bit in that.

On Saturday, it was my niece's first birthday. We had a lovely time seeing the family, and the little one was very happy with her present:

It's not exactly easy to tell from this photo, but it's a cat. I realised half-way through making it that I crochet amigurumi inside out, and it was too late to change. I started it in July, so Bellamy Blue was crocheted the right side out. It turned out well though, and I enjoyed watching my niece play with it. The pattern can be found here, though I can't remember where I got the translated pdf :-/

Just a short one today, I know, but I have to get back to doing stuff.
Until next time!

Busy!

Well, it HAS been a busy week or so! So here's an update:

Father's Day went very well. Kyle cooked bacon and eggs for the in-laws for lunch, which went down well.
I made lasagna for my Dad and stepmum, which was delicious.

I was incredibly impressed with the babka. The hazelnut paste by itself was incredibly strong, so I only spread a little on the babka. The problem being that this made it too mild when the babka was baked. Even so, YUM! It was worth staying up until 2AM Sunday morning to make it.

I made two more loaves last night... There's only one left.... And I don't expect that to last through lunch time tomorrow.

Then, last Wednesday, I celebrated one year since my corneal transplant. I had planned on celebrating by regressing to how I'd been the previous year- moaning and groaning and sobbing "There's too much light! Can we close the curtains? And turn off the lamp? Please? It huuuuurts!" in between two hour naps, but instead I took Amber to school, cleaned out the cat litter, made dinner (don't worry, I washed my hands!), and went to the optometrist to make sure my contact lens wasn't trying to kill my other eye. Yay, it wasn't!

On Thursday we took Amber to the physiotherapist- she's flat-footed and pigeon-toed. She's been put on a wait list for orthotics, and given exercises for her intoe and weak hips. Following that, we went shopping for her sports carnival on Friday- shorts, socks, etc... And then I was rushed to the Emergency Department with chest pains. Yay.

After blood tests, ECGs and chest X-Rays, they couldn't find anything wrong with me, except for some viral activity in my chest. So, some sort of 'flu? Seems like it! In a related note, I'd like to thank the ED staff at Swan Districts Health Centre- they rushed me in, the nurses were lovely, the doctor incredibly kind and sympathetic, and they were THOROUGH. They tested blood sugars, heart, lungs, everything. I swear, I've had worse service at a nearly-empty restaurant.

After getting home and assuring Amber that I wasn't going to die (I gave the poor girl quite a fright, I'm afraid!), I tried to settle in a comfortable position in my bed and made some gold pom poms and a headband for Bellamy Blue so she could support Amber at her sports carnival the following day.

Amber is in Gold faction, in case it isn't obvious.

Following that, I made a scrunchie for Amber:

As you can see, Kyle used spray-on hair colour on Friday morning. Outside, but it still drifted inside an aggravated my poor, sensitive chest.

So while I was well enough to craft on Thursday night, I woke up feeling so awful I was worried I'd have to go back to the hospital. Instead, as it settled down, I sent Bellamy Blue in my place with Kyle and Amber to the sports carnival, and I spent the day at my mum's, watching Mad About You.

Amber got a blue ribbon in one of the relays she raced- I was so proud of her, and disappointed that I could only see it in a video clip Kyle recorded.

Then, Saturday. Oh, Saturday. Election day.

When I turned 18 in 2007, I wasn't excited because I could drink or go clubbing. I was excited because "I get to VOTE!"

I love voting. I love election day. I loved standing in the cold with a 'flu, waiting for the line to clear so I could vote.

No, seriously. I'm not kidding. To me it's worth it.

As for the results.... Well the less said about that, the better. I cried. And not tears of happiness. I'm an avid Labor supporter. I was looking forward to the National Broadband Network, and the conscience vote on marriage equality. Goodbye, hopes and dreams! I don't even want to read the news until the next election rolls around. 

Please note, this is my personal opinion. Any Australians out there who voted Liberal, that is your right. I would never take it away from you. I just strongly disagree with it is all. And that's my right.

That's enough politics now. Last time I said I'd share a picture of Bellamy Blue's shawl pin, so I'll leave you with this photo:

A jump ring and a teeny-tiny handmade headpin. Easy peasy, and it works.

Until next time!

So much to do...

Father's Day is coming up this Sunday, and I'm nowhere near prepared! I have so much planned, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it all in time.

I have to help my stepdaughter make a card for my partner. And maybe make one for my own father.

I'm loving this Bigger On The Inside TARDIS card from Triple Threat Librarian. While we have some blue paper, it's not card, and nowhere near TARDIS blue... But maybe we should make one for Amby's Doctor-loving Daddy?

I need to spend most of Saturday cleaning, as we've got big plans for Sunday. We've got Kyle's mother and stepfather coming over for a Father's Day fry-up lunch. Then we've got my own dad and stepmother coming over for dinner. I still haven't decided what to cook, but I want it to be good, since this will be their first time coming over for dinner since I moved in with Kyle. At nearly 24, I probably shouldn't be so anxious to prove I'm a grown-up, but hey.

Then there's presents. With money being a bit tight, I've decided to make a chocolate-hazelnut babka for my half-Polish dad. The catch being that I've never made one before, and I have no idea how it'll turn out. But it's something I've wanted to try for quite a while, and I'm going to try and psych myself up for it.

Meanwhile, I woke up feeling incredibly blech, so I'm trying to take it easy today. I haven't even finished Bellamy Blue's new tunic. But I'll share this picture of her new dress:

Winter's almost over, but we're only now getting a decent amount of rain. So here is Bellamy, in her new purple dress, with her new shawl, waiting for the rain to stop.

Once again, her dress is inspired by the clothes provided on Beth's blog, but is otherwise patternless. Her shawl is a reduced sample of the Sweet Pea Shawl in Stitch 'n' Bitch Crochet: the Happy Hooker. It is held in place with a teeny-tiny handmade shawl pin. I plan to have a close-up picture of that next time.

So, that's it for now. I should consider getting up and doing something, I suppose.
Until next time!

Bellamy Blue

So, my first proper post (now that I'm awake again) shall be to share with you my latest craft, Bellamy Blue.

Bellamy Blue is a Free Spirit Doll, made from a pattern by Beth over at By Hook, By Hand. I'd advise you to head over there if you haven't before, and check out her work and her patterns. She's a very talented woman, and her patterns are all very clear and easy to understand. My doll does not do her pattern justice, I'm terrible at the finishing aspect.

Even so, I'm very proud of Bellamy Blue. I gave her the alternate torso provided by Beth in the pattern, and added a bosom similar to the one provided in one of her Steampunk Spirit tutorials.

When I first began crocheting, Bellamy Blue had no name but a very clear intention as to who she would be. She would be an elegant lady with fancy hair and lovely dresses. She didn't listen to me. She wanted to be a bohemian artist and gardener, with layers in her hair reminiscent of Veronica in the early first series of Veronica Mars. She's happiest in jeans and her green tunic top, posing in the gardens. And I love her.

And I look forward to making her more clothes. Lots more.

Until next time!

Hello!

Well, first post in a new blog! I'm using email on my mobile to do this, hope it works. I'll use this post as an introduction, not very interesting but it'll give you a bit of background.
My name is Eli, I was born in 1989, and I live with my partner, stepdaughter and cat in Western Australia.
Last September, I had a penetrating keratoplasty in my left eye- it's a fancy way of saying corneal transplant. Before this, I was pretty much blind in both eyes; I couldn't even cross the road by myself because I couldn't see the cars. I also couldn't read or craft, which broke my heart. I've been a reader since I could read, and I've crafted regularly for about seven years, beading, knitting, crocheting, sewing. Being able to see again, my passion for craft (especially crochet) has been restored. I'm planning on using this blog to document my crafting life. I may even occasionally throw in a post about cooking, or politics, or cats. Yes, cats seem most likely.
So that's a brief overview. But it's getting late here, and I need some sleep. And maybe a back rub.
Until next time!