Toys galore

I was asked if I would like to test a pattern for KristieMN at Crochetville after commenting how Jessica is totally into her "babies" at the moment. Kristen had said she already had the testers she needed so I was really surprised to get a PM asking if I would like to test too. Of course I said yes! I just adore Kristie's patterns!!

Here is Hallie, a BackPack Baby pattern by KristieMN which I imagine will be available at her Etsy Store Kristie's Kreations just as soon as she has all her testers results. I haven't done the bear as I still can't find a smaller hook! Hallie is the name Jessica chose for her new doll.



Also completed 2 cute balls. So quick and easy. So much so that I even embroidered on them just for the sake of it! Basically just cat balls with bells inside crocheted over which means they jingle when shaken, rolled, throwed etc. I think I will be making these and stashing them to sell when markets come up etc. Only thing is that I need to get to a discount store to buy them. The larger balls at the local supermarket are 2 for $4 (almost) and the smaller ones $4 (almost) for 4! So quite pricey really!! The colours in these balls are the same as Hallie but as she was photgraphed inside in the evening her colours aren't shwing as bright. These are a truer representation of colours used. I will probably send one of these balls to my friends little girl Hayley for her 1st bday which is fast approaching. I made her a toy when she was little that she loves, will keep it up as a tradition *lol*

And last but not least, I am so proud to show you Barbie in a mermaid tail that is all my own work! This took me days!! I am really very pleased with it and owe so many thanks to Vicki for sending me the colour of cotton I wanted all the way from Washington state USA! I have wanted to make a mermaid since I was on that real Barbie kick for Jessica's bday this year and just didn't have what I felt I needed. So heaps of thanks and love to ya Vicki for rescuing me!

Right now I am working on a top for Jessi. I would have finished already but I made the first piece too small so have to make another. Not to worry. The small one will likely become a halter, also for Hayley's birthday :D Where there is a will there is a way! And I waste little!! I will show them off once complete. I don't like showing half objects. Spoils the surprise. Oh, these are all my own design too which makes it so much more rewarding.

I decided to start getting this house of mine organised yesterday. What a disaster, but also a lot achieved. I moved the fridge and I tell you what.. I wish I hadn't done that. I was trying not to puke while scrubbing the floor under it. So relocated the fridge and the pantry which allows me to then move the tv and couches etc. You see, so much in my house needs something done before something else can progress and that's a lot of the reason I just leave it be. Totally reorganising things creates a huge mess. Right now you can barely walk through my kitchen, simply because to move the other cupboard that was in there I need to move things in the living room to put it in there. Some of those things from the living room need to go into Jessi's toy room which isn't even in existance yet. Ahh.. the joys! *lol* anyways, I got some done. Will get to the rest soon I suppose. It needs doing and I need to stop procrastinating about it. That simple.

A minute to breathe, at last!

Finally I can update my blog. It seems like I update less and less, but not through a lack of wanting. I like writing here it’s kind of therapeutic in a way only I always feel so tired, or I am playing some game for hours on end to try avoid thinking about things. A lot has been happening as usual. Things I wish had never happened. My friend tried to hurt herself, Jessica spent 3 days in hospital and I had to fight the dr and nurses the whole time. I need to see the dr tomorrow and I really don’t want to. The less I see of that guy the better!

They made me see an asthma nurse yesterday. Implying (imho) that I knew nothing about asthma and that I was perhaps over reacting about Jessi (the dr didn’t want to hospitalise her, he was sending her home even with her oxygen saturation at only 92%). So.. I went along to see the asthma nurse yesterday. Least I could do since the poor guy travelled 1.5hrs to see me. Besides, it’s better to stay informed about these things. Steve, the nurse, was so nice. He asked what I knew (finally someone who doesn’t treat me like a 5yr old) and we discussed Jessica’s hospitalisation in the lead up to and time we were there. He was dumbfounded I was sent to him. The nurse here who arranged it just said she had a mother who needed asthma education and he had none of our notes or anything so was very surprised at what I knew and said to me “you know as much about it as I do”. He said I asked all the right questions and had appropriate expectations. He wasn’t happy at the way things were handled but said as this isn’t his jurisdiction its hard for him. For him to speak up he’s walking on treacherous ground. Well that was annoying! As I said to him, what’s the point of me being educated/informed on these things if it still means nothing when I see the dr or take Jess to ER.

I cut Jessi’s hair the other week. It had been annoying me for aaages and said to her one night “next time we’re in Kalgoorlie I will have to make you an appointment with the hair dresser” she replied “you can cut it mummy” as I had asked her only a week or so before to cut it and she looked horrified. Not at the prospect of having it cut, but at me doing it *lol* Well, while she says do it I wasn’t wasting any time. Couldn’t find my hair scissors so we went straight to nannas and chopped it off. It’s not perfect, one side looks a little longer than the other, and there is about 6 whole inches gone, but it looks SUPER CUTE!!!!

Before and after


I crocheted her a very sweet little wrap top from the lionbrand website in Bernat Cottontots. She looks absolutely adorable in it, and loves wearing it. The cottontots is surprisingly warm so perfect for this time of year. Such a fast little thing to crochet too, took me maybe 12hrs on and off. I hated sewing up the seams though.



On the craft front I have been dabbling. Doing a little bit of this and a tiny bit of that. Crochetville is holding it’s Holiday in July Random Act of Kindness (raok) lists and I have been tatting for that. A lot of people ask for handmade ornaments or anything handmade. It’s something I can post relatively cheaply as most things have to go over seas. I’ve done a snowflake from a pattern then just made up a couple more, a tatted angel, tatted bookmark (see that hugely obvious mistake?), and a dragonfly I did when I was teaching myself split rings that I somehow over looked photographing before now.


I’ve also knitted a little rose which is really cute but was quite tricky to knit, a few crochet flowers and some tatted ones. All were just something to do at the time cos I have no plans for them. I do love the knitted rose, and the crochet one. The crocheted ones are so quick and easy!


I attempted some knitting and am at a complete standstill! I was given a whole set of a 1980’s collectors series called “Get Knitting”. You had to buy one a fortnight from the newsagency. I found a few patterns in there that were cute (and literally only 6-8 from over 100) and decided to make this for Jessi. Using bigger yarn and needles. It was all going along well until I had to decrease and pick up a stitch repeat without instructions. I guess it was written for an experienced knitter. That I am not. I have had some good help just haven’t got back to it yet. I think I will run out of the yarn before finishing too. Again it’s Bernat Cottontots and Jessi loves the colour! She really wants me to finish this.



Right now I am crocheting a mermaid outfit for Barbie. The stitch I am using looks like scales which is so cool. Slow going though. The colours are blocking which is not what I was after and I am pretty bummed about it. Will see how it looks when I am done. Might even be another RAOK. If Jessi doesn’t claim it first.

I have netball tonight, it’s so cold, I am getting a flu and Jessi already has one. Fun fun. Wish we had an indoor sports centre!! Oh, my mum moved back to town too!! It’s so nice but I am sad for her. Things didn’t work out how she hoped which must be hard for her. Jessi is rapt to have her back!