it's a funny secret because it's being done quite openly but the birthday girl in the house who turns 87 on Saturday (21st) does not suspect it's being done for her. She just thinks i'm "keeping busy" - ha!
And now, my brand new today, dedicated knitting chair. I am one of the thousands (millions?) world wide who suffers from restless legs at night after a busy day and i need to have a chair which is low enough to put some weight on them to relieve the waves of relentless involuntary muscle tightening. Also this wonderful chair is wide and has low arms so that my knitting elbows are not cramped. It's well upholstered, has good support, i got it at an end of year very low price and best of all it's in Charlie's colours so if he thinks i've bought it for him his donated fur shouldn't show up too much. Do you have a dedicated knitting/stitching/beading chair? i'd be interested to know more about it, why you love it so and what it looks like. I have been searching for this chair for months now. oh and the reason it's so low to the floor is that i've removed the legs
And now on to a little showing off, my tomato crop is looking good. I think i have 5 different types all with fruit on them and all are starting to ripen except for the 'roma' so far. I started with a small 'tumbler tom' in September and really, really looked after it, carting it around to the sunniest spots all day and bringing it inside at night and this tomato is still rewarding us with a half dozen every day, tho it's fading a little now. The 'yellow pear' is for Mum as she loves yellow toms, there are also 2 types of larger bite size toms there and an 'apollo' which has just started to ripen. I can soon start to freeze the little ones for use in Winter. Oh and btw, i bag my tomatoes on the bush after they get to a certain size to ward off bugs and birds. It works well and i can use a lot less spray. The bag material is a lightweight frost protector synthetic which dries quickly if it gets wet. Waxed paper bags work also but they don't last as long. Don't try plastic bags - unless you want cooked rotten toms on the bush!!!
And finally my last 2 angel wraps, these ones are larger, i cut them at 13" square (reminder to self), with a hood at 4 1/2" sides. For these ones i broke away from the completely neutral and safe fabric patterns to a bit of gentle baby design. 
The Midwife friend i gave them all to loves these soft fabric (flannelette inner and soft cotton outer) wraps and said they would be a lot easier to wrap the babes in than the knitted pods - tho she does like them also. She's also asked for knitted premmie beanies, sizes to fit an orange up to a grapefruit, so if you want to use your baby wool for that instead, these quilt wraps are very quick to make. I just have to stitch on a satin ribbon for a tie now and they can be delivered. 
Love your bigger little pods, they have sweet critters on them.
ReplyDeleteand your legless chair....thats such a nice chair, I'm not a huge fan of those colours but I do like that. I sit at the kitchen table to bead and hand sew, I think because I have the table surface to rest on, and to have my stuff spread around....I can also see out the back and up the yard and beyond to Qland! I knit anywhere..garden chairs, the daybed on the verandah, kitchen table, lounge room sofa...wherever the light's good, or the coolest/warmest room.
hee hee had to laugh at your not so secret secret knitting, it looks like my basket?... your mum will love it in that case
Hi Kaite, your toms are looking good. I've rated a couple of mine but really they are a couple of warm days away. Yum.
ReplyDeleteWhat a comfy looking chair and I can see how the low arms would be great for a knitter. I don't have a crafty chair. Hopefully one day I can get one for my studio :)
Haha, the birthday girl might read your blog and ruin the surprise! I have never heard of restless legs, but I know you are pretty active during the days and should have a nice rest at night. Comfy looking chair! Love Nat
ReplyDeleteNanette i didn't have a lot of choice in colours, it was either this one or hot orange or red! that was why the price was low, end of run. I knit anywhere too, but in the evenings it's nice not to clutter up the dining table anymore.
ReplyDeleteSarah this is my first dedicated crafty chair, i've been waiting a looonnng time for it. It reminds me of those old velvet lounges, only this one is nowhere near so heavy.
Nat restless legs don't want to stop moving, they are literally restless all by themselves at night when one should be able to stop and rest. I don't have it as bad as some do, thankfully.
I love your creating right under the nose of the birthday girl! SO, Happy Birthday to her!
ReplyDeleteI love that you got your perfect long-awaited chair. It looks like a great find. My neighbor has what is called a 'chair and a half' - oh my how I'd love one! Talk about wide! But I shall keep the arm in mind too, so they work well with my needs.
Those tomatoes look scrumptious! I just recently saw Brown Tomatoes for the first time. I was told they are very good!
And still love the work you do for the little ones and their families. Blessings.
I can almost taste the vine ripened toms. just from the color.
ReplyDeleteI have a chair from Freedom with a foot stool. Got it about the time of the hip stuff. It's firm and I have added an additional cushion of boat foam. My arms rest at 90deg. on the chair arms. It's deffinately my chair.
The chair looks comfy and the tomatos,yummy!! Coralie's basket is coming along nicely and it will be a nice surprise for her on Saturday. You're really becoming an expert with all the fabric knitting you're doing. What a great way to use up scraps and no longer loved fabrics! Are you restricting yourself to cottons? How about silk, rayon and linen? Have you given them a try?
ReplyDeleteNancy thankyou, i'll pass the message on to her. I usually grow the black tomatoes but not this year.
ReplyDeleteTerry thankyou for the description of your chair, it's good to have your own.
AMD, most of the fabrics i'm knitting with were purchased specifically with knitting in mind, these ones are only leftovers from other knitting projects. I have used silk but it's expensive, but not rayon or linen. Linen could be too stiff.
Many happy returns on Saturday to Coralie and wishes for a day filled with quiet joys, laughter and good times. Lovely gift you are making for her Kaite.
ReplyDeleteMy chair is what I call a marshmallow chair; puffy and wide, a recliner that is so comfy that you sink into it. Made of a brown suede-like material, the arms are nice and wide and sitting in this chair feels like getting a big ole hug. Only problem is that after sitting for about an hour, oftentimes I find myself taking a little nap!
Your chair looks just perfect for knitting! I sit on the sofa with elbow room on both sides and a small cushion behind my back for support. - Your tomatoes are beautiful! Congratulations to Coralie!
ReplyDeletewishing your mom a grand birthday. i knit while sitting on my loveseat that has seen its better day but it is comfy and serves its purpose. interesting looking basket.
ReplyDeleteMarti thanks for your wishes for Mum, i'll let her read the comments after she knows about the basket. Your chair sounds very comfy, a napping chair.
ReplyDeleteUlla i'd sit on the sofa too only we don't have one, no room in our small house. Thankyou for your wishes for Mum.
deanna thankyou, Mum will have a lovely read of all these good wishes. what's a loveseat? a 2 seater perhaps?
My chair is currently one of the overstuffed recliner chairs - it's comfortable enough, but not wide enough for me to curl up in...which, truth be known, my back would prefer I didn't anyway. I generally have to share it with one of the cats.
ReplyDeleteAND - please wish Mum a very happy birthday on her special day! I know she'll love her new basket.
Nice chair! What a great idea - it would make your knitting time seem more special too ;)
ReplyDeleteMA i tried a few recliners but i thought they'd be too claustrophobic for me, i like a bit of space around. Thankyou for your wishes for Mum, she will enjoy reading them.
ReplyDeleteAll the best wishes to Coralie for her birthday. I hope she was very pleasantly surprised with your gift, and has a lovely day.
ReplyDelete