Summer Knitting

If you're in Melbourne, Australia you would have experienced winter 5 days into summer today, hail storm and all!  Some people might complain about the weather but not me.  I love winter and don't mind even if it continues through summer.  Not to mention, the cooler it stays the more suitable it is for knitting!

Although I must admit, I haven't done much knitting throughout this year.  Having three children under the age of 5 meant that I hardly had time to myself.  But I'm glad to say I've made it to December and things are getting easier. The older 2 play together nicely for most of the time and they simply love having their baby brother around.  And just when I feel like I finally have gotten the hang of things, it's all going to change again next year as my oldest starts school! But there is still lots of summer fun to be had before that happens.


I've got the heater cranked up and have spent the afternoon adding some delicious new yarns to my store.  I'm very excited to have a few more yarns by Manos del Uruguay in selected colours.

Manos del Uruguay Lace is a wonderful and luxurious blend of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere. It is light but warm, and is extremely soft to touch. It would be perfect for a few of my favourite patterns: Rock Island, Gradiente and Color Affection.




If you love Manos del Uruguay's Silk Blend then you will also love Fino.  It has the same merino wool and silk blend but is a sport weight for the more refined and elegant projects. Made with a new dyeing process, they come in subtle and tonal colours which are beautiful and different to the strong colours we have been used to seeing from Manos. I personally love soft, pastel colours and have fallen in love with this range of yarn. I also can't wait to knit up these: Fino Circle Scarf, Eternidad Scarf and Martine Hat.


A yarn that has beautiful drape for summer garments is the Manos del Uruguay Serena. It is made up of baby alpaca and prima cotton and has a very versatile gauge. They are coloured using the new kettle-dyeing process which gives the yarn a heathered, stonewashed look. Some suggestions for this yarn and also some of my favourite patterns are: Chiton Pullover, Serena Shadow Shawl, Rayures, Wharton and Sofia.

We have more colours in Lace and Serena arriving soon so be sure to keep an eye out for them!

Joan xo

A New Life

So I mentioned that there was a baby on the way a couple of posts ago and how I was knitting a few little things for him. I am delighted to introduce to you our beautiful boy, Ryan. He came into this world on the 1st of January. Needless to say, over the last couple of months I have been busier and lacking sleep more than usual. All well worth it though!

Life with a newborn - I am once again reminded of how quickly time goes by and how fast they grow. Those early days with them are so precious, so fleeting. Now I know why so many older women whose children have grown up gush over every newborn they come across. It is such a short and wonderful stage. Yes they are usually seen through tired and blurry eyes but to be able to cradle a small new life in your arms, there's nothing else like it. I do not look forward to the day I have my last child, knowing that he/she will be my last newborn. I guess, although I didn't always know it, I was made to be a mum.

As for knitting, I have not done any since Ryan was born and am proud to say so. Life is so precious and should be cherished. I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment with my special boy since he was born. He is growing everyday but my wool and needles will still be there unchanged until the next time I am ready to pick them up again.

Hence my new tag line for my blog "A blog about life with knitting on the side". While knitting is a great hobby to have, the rest of life also needs to be lived so I plan to blog more about the reality of life over this next year but will of course continue to update you on yarn and knitting too. And if you are in need of any knitting supplies, you know where to head! :)

Thanks for reading!

Joan xo

Winter is over, Spring is here!

Another month has gone by, another month of sickness and motherhood. I seemed to have caught some kind of nasty virus which stayed with me for a good 4 weeks if not more. Winter colds are never fun, especially not when you can't get a break from being a stay-at-home mum!

My husband and I, however, did manage to escape the cold for 4 days without the kids to a beautiful place in Queensland called Heron Island. We snorkeled with the beautiful fish of the Great Barrier Reef, saw a handful of green turtles and reef sharks, and were even lucky enough to witness some Humpback whales go past as the sun was setting one evening!

But alas, winter is over (hopefully the worst of our sicknesses are over along with it!) and spring is here! Spring...my favourite season, flower season. I haven't yet been able to enjoy the beautiful fragrance in the air that you are met with when you are out on a walk on a warm spring day but I'm looking forward to soaking up the balmy spring sun and checking out the beautiful gardens in the neighborhood as the days warm up over the next couple of months. What's your favourite thing about spring?

The Other Side Of Life

So now that the business is up and running, I thought I'd spend some time sharing a bit more about the other side of life. That is, life as a stay at home mum.

Anyone with (young) kids would know that life gets very busy. Nappy changes, food preparation, craft activities, book reading, games of imaginary proportions, etc. And then there's the constant teaching of how to do life in general, how to/not to treat others, how to have self-control, how to behave in certain situations, how to deal with your emotions, how to love. Being a parent is hard work!!! Sometimes it can feel like all the long hours have gone to waste but then suddenly a corner is turned and you see a distinct change, a better choice made voluntarily, an act of love between two sisters....and it's all worth it.

I find myself learning every day, about myself, about my kids, about how to do life as a stay at home mum as efficiently and effectively as I can. Let's face it, no one has EVERYTHING together. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but the key is to remain humble and teachable. And by God's grace we will get through it just fine.