The Ironing Pile

For the first time in a considerable time, this morning my husband has the complete collection of his shirts from which to choose which shirt to wear. Today his entire collection is hanging awaiting his perusal, all laundered and ironed, summer, winter and every other season, and I feel GOOD!. This is a result of me attacking the ironing pile yesterday evening.




I don't know how it is at your house, but here clean laundry requiring ironing is folded and placed on a cupboard shelf in the laundry, awaiting my attention, which may be later rather than sooner, depending on my mood, how much time I have available and what's going on in my craft filled head. It's not that I don't like ironing, its more a case of out of sight, out of mind.

Items that I know won't be used for some time, for example special table cloths, napkins, out of season clothes, gradually move to lower position in my ironing pile while I concentrate on the important, urgent items. Thus inevitably some items may be there on that shelf for a considerable time. That's just the way it is. This results in feelings of discouragement for me because the pile is never completely abolished.





Last evening, having tackled the shirts, I was about to disconnect the ironing cord and dismantle the ironing board, when I glimpsed how it might feel if I should finish the job, by ironing all the summer PJ's; the table cloth; the apron; the pillowcases and handkerchiefs my pile would be non existent and it surely would only take me a little while longer...so that's what I did. I smiled to myself at my perception and stick-ability whilst I finished the job.

What's that? A missing button, oh dear, I'd better put that aside for attention later. Well what do you know? I have a mending pile that I operate in a similar way to my ironing pile - urgent cases first - thus certain items may go out of fashion (unlikely in my world) or no longer fit before I get to replace the button, mend the seam, take up the pants etc etc. It must be a character flaw of mine - piles everywhere awaiting attention.

I asked The Man this morning if he had noticed anything different in the wardrobe, after I mentioned my epic ironing episode, he smiled and said that's nice.

Fulfilling my housekeeping duties should be its own reward, but hey, it's nice just to gloat once in a while - isn't it?

I've just got a few spare moments-now where did I put my knitting....?

Simply Susan

Twirly Scarves

I have some catching up to do.

In my 'silent' time I have knitted a multitude of twirly scarves, primarily for my enjoyment. Colour after colour tempted me to knit another and another, until I have completed around two dozen. So what better way to raise money to give to the overseas missionaries that our church supports than to sell them. Everybody wins.

I get such joy from knitting, seeing the way that unusual yarns produce such interesting and attractive accessories, so I move from colour to colour, inspiration to inspiration, often from fellow knitting enthusiasts or from library books,my creativeness is fueled by the input of like minded people and my desire to see the next project completed. I particularly like fiddling with knitted and crocheted flowers to adorn my creations, I work on them when the opportunity comes and endeavour to use them in some way to spice up an item.

Here are some snaps of my 'twirly' scarves.








The cool weather is a great opportunity to get those needles out and get cracking
Go for it, gals
Simply Susan

Hooray for Shawls

Back in March I wrote about the beautiful Japanese sock yarn that I purchased in New South Wales, whilst on holiday, well since then I have used the yarn to make a shawl. In fact, I was so taken with the result that I sought more yarn from Spotlight and made another of similar style, but incorporating a lovely picot finish on the frill, that I think looks very feminine.

May I say here that shawls or wraps are wonderful accessories for a gal to have in her wardrobe, especially in the climates that enjoy/endure widespread air-conditioning. So often I find myself in an interior that at first feels cool, but soon chills me, a shawl is the perfect item to throw around the shoulders and eliminate that frozen feeling!

Over the years I have knitted many of these in various styles and colours and enjoy snuggling in them, particularly during visits to the cinema, when I need to feel cosy in order to focus on the plot before me. They are light and easy to scrunch up and put into a bag, ready to be produced in an instant. Voila! WARMTH!

You may think that a shawl is suggestive of an old lady, well,let me tell you that the old gals were onto a good thing when they came up with this accessory. A shawl totally feminine and decorative and may be warn in several ways. Simply around the shoulders, loose; or tied at the front or around the shoulders with the ends thrown over opposite shoulders, or even around the hips; even doubled and looped, like a scarf if its not too bulky.

Give it some thought ladies, If you don't own one, give it a try and be amazed how useful and lovely they can be.

While I am talking about Spotlight, Australia's only Mega craft store, I received yet another email from them advising me that yarn is being discounted by thirty per cent, yep, you got it! I paid my local store a visit and discovered that the sock yarn that I bought earlier for five dollars instead of ten was now down to just two dollars and ten cents per ball! That is a BARGAIN, when you consider that it only takes one ball to make a pair of socks! Yes that is my next project. I bought two balls and then just to make sure I had enough, if I am successful in my endeavours, I popped back in and bought another two! I invested in a new set of double pointed needles and I'm ready to start, once I've completed the scarf that I am working on...

(For those who may not know sock yarn is so called because it may be dyed in a variety of colours and in such a fashion that when it's knitted into socks the changing colours appear beautifully like fair isle knitting - intricate patterns that are made by using very fine yarns of different colour, a very challenging way of knitting)

In case you are wondering why I haven't written anything on my Blog for such a long time...there are two reasons, firstly I have had two eye operations and am experiencing challenging times with my near vision. Secondly, I am the proud owner of my very first laptop and I am on the verge of going crazy, in my near sighted fog, I seem to inadvertently be touching keys that have 'secret' commands attached to them, that are taking me to places that not only do I not want to go, but that I do not know how to leave, thus halfway through this entry, in frustration, I am back on our PC trying to finish this in familiar surroundings, whilst the lap top is lucky not to have been thrown through the window!

Does anyone else experience technological challenges?

Anyway, be inspired readers with my crafty endeavours and try a shawl or two. I'll be back.
Simply Susan