The JJ family is moving! (fingers crossed)

... into much larger new digs that happen to be zoned rural!

Here's the proposed animal head count so far:

• We've got three chooks at the moment, let's just say they will be getting some new friends and having a much bigger space to free-range.
• Both Roy and I also agree on getting some ducks. Oh how I've missed the company of ducks!
• I think we should have one or two sheep. R's grudgingly agreed :)

Our only immediate neighbour is a horse. I plan on going to meet him when we move in. Maybe he would like an alpaca friend? I think the paddocks next door are for agistment!

Talk about counting my chickens before they hatch! So far our offer has been accepted pending sale of our current house. It was listed on the web yesterday and this morning I went out to get the mail only to find a new for sale sign on our front yard. Reality hits! Much cleaning and decluttering and painting to do. A couple came to see it this evening!

So, please cross all your fingers and toes for us!

The best thing, I finally get my dream dye studio!! WOOHOO! (9 months in the begging/pleading/dyeing messily in the kitchen phase LOL)

Year of the Pig

(I know I'm being such a naughty tease not showing pics, but that's half the fun of being my own boss LOL)

These longies have been a long time in the making! I got the inspiration before JJ re-opened on Chinese New Year this year. I'm glad I didn't rush them to have them ready for the re-opening.

"This Little Piggy" will be large/toddler Picky Pants (with long inseam and seeded cuff for those growth spurts). I *may* also make it into a set. The pants are more suited for daytime use (with the cute embellishments, you will want to show them off!)

Plus I've just had another piggy idea! I think I will do a lot of little pigs this year, spaced throughout the Year of the Pig.

WIP: Fairy Curly Pants

(I told Susan not to look in my blog until these were finished LOL!)

I was sent 100g of lovely aran BFL dyed by another WAHM with a mission to make something for winter that was "girly" but not too "girly"! I needed more wool for the longies, so for the waistband and ruffles I chose the 12ply Pandora (Pear Tree Merino) as it is creamily soft and heaven to knit with. I love knitting with BFL too (that's why I accepted the custom in the first place LOL) , so I thought the two luxe wools would make a nice knitting experience for the custom.

It was a challenge to find the perfect match for Ali's wool! Different dyers = different wool, different dyes and different techniques! I found some other colourways (and future projects) in getting there, but finally managed to get a nice match in lilac. The two yarns took dye very differently, here they are side-by-side.

I knit 2" of a Curly Purly waistband in Pandora then switched to the BFL for the pleats and body. I wanted a wide leg look so I'm very gently flaring out the legs. I'm knitting both legs at the same time. A very timely package from Canada has just arrived with three pairs of 5.5mm 30cm Addi's -- two for me and one for Lucretia.

I'm not convinced that there will be enough BFL to knit to longies length but TBH the ruffles I'm planning on finishing them off in look better on capris anyway. Put them on longies and they might fit great for a while but as we know kids grow up and taller. I think an obvious and ruffly hem might look a bit odd when the legs are just a bit too short for longies but too long for capris. Does that make sense?

The progress so far...(front):
(back):

There are some darker flecks in there that I'm not sure what to do with. I might try to enhance them by embroidering a row of lavenders by the creek??? I'm not sure. My other idea was a fairy theme.

The idea is to have a set with a long-sleeve Bonds dyed and felt appliqued raglan tee, with a pair of Huggalugs if they end up being capris.

UPDATE: Well it took a while for me to get completed project pic up here (I was so eager to send these off that I forgot to take pics!) Here are the capris on the adorable Sabrina:
I had enough wool to make a matching "Minies" keychain:

Which Huggalugs organic cotton tee-shirts do you like?

(I know there's a way I can properly set up a poll, but I can't work it out at nearly 4am LOL!)

There are some really cool Huggalugs organic cotton tee-shirt and leg/arm warmer sets available!

All Huggalugs t-shirts are designed and made in Australia from 100% Australian grown organic cotton which is comfortable to wear in any weather and will not irritate sensitive skin. The cotton in our t-shirts is grown in Australia organically on a dry land (non-irrigated) farm.

Sizes available are 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6.
Which t-shirts would you like to see on Ozebaby in April?

Here are the designs -- droolworthy, no? I want one of each!!!

Cool SpiritPop Diva
Anna

Palm Sugar

Vote by leaving a comment in Blogger, or just email me!

Venus (Purewool Merino)

It's been a big week for Jolly Jumbuck. Venus arrived last week and I've only had the chance to play with it. It's gorgeous wool in the handy worsted weight so that you can knit your American patterns calling for worsted wool (eg. Picky Pants) without doing conversions. Spun from the finest Spanish Merino wool and imported from Uruguay, this wool is a single-ply and seriously soft. Items made from this do pill quite a bit in the first few washes but I think the extra care is worth the pattable softness.

My short/long list of favourite wools is growing at an alarming rate! ... :P

Jolly Curly Purly

YAY! Marnie has received and approved my sample piece and it's full steam ahead for my Curly Purly waistband licensing. I am already working on a couple of custom pieces featuring this design.

Look for Curly Picky Pants, and Hybrid2Rib.

The CP waistband is fantastic for snug and trim woolies, with no elastic or drawstrings to fiddle with.

I love it!

Huggalugs!

I am so excited to be stocking Huggalugs on my Ozebaby shop -- these are fabulous leg and arm warmers made with a cotton-rich/elastane blend knit fabric.

• Great for nappy-free time.
• Very cloth-friendly! Extend the useful life of your woolies by pairing summer shorts and skirts with these cozy leg warmers.

• Perfect for use with the Ergo -- keeps chubby little ankles warm when the pants ride up.
• Makes great knee protectors for little crawlers.
• Use as arm warmers (same versatile product) to wear with tee-shirts.
• Sized to fit from age 0-6 years, older children and adults can also wear them as calf warmers, open-toed socks etc.
• Funky style for boys and girls!

Best of all, they are Aussie owned and made! :D
I am now taking pre-orders for Huggalugs (choose from over 30 designs). Grab yours at an introductory price of $15/pair (they usually retail for $16.50). Orders will be shipped to you in the second week of April.

Phoebe and Pandora

(I have been so slack at posting on my blog lately, not for lack of stuff to post but for lack of computer time -- hopefully this will change once I save up enough $$ for a laptop as our computer is away from the main living area)

I am sooo excited, Phoebe has landed. As has her big sister, Pandora. These are both Pear Tree Australian ultrafine merino wools. Phoebe is the 8ply version and I am stoked to also have Pandora, the 12ply. Honestly, I have never felt anything so soft, not even cashmere! The wools are lofty but very light so there's a surprising large amount (yardage) of yarn per 100g. One wool snob (LOL) described this wool as "about 10 times softer than the Treliske" and I would have to wholeheartedly agree. I've just finished a custom Flirty Skirty with BFL for the skirt and Phoebe for the undersoaker, and I kid you not the BFL feels like straw in comparison!!! (and we all know what a nice soft wool BFL is). I love how it takes dye too.

You won't believe it's not a superwash wool (superwash wools have a coating that removes the wool's outer scales hence preventing felting/feeling softer than non-superwash counterparts). Pear Tree Merino yarns aren't superwashed.

I'm so keen for people to try this wool (it's usually exported to boutique yarn stores in New York and beyond and kind of bypasses the Aussie market) that I will have it available at Jolly Jumbuck @ Ozebaby for a low introductory price of $16.50/100g (undyed). It's the creme de la creme of wools and is heavenly to knit with!