Cute little knits

I recently heard about a little man that was born a little too early and that his Mum was not well.

Julie decided to start a little collection for the family with the thought that some things would be for the little wee man and others would go to an auction.

I went straight to the stash boxes and patterns and knitted up a cute little blue Milo and a Baby Puerperium Cardigan.  I then tied them both together with a little beanie (although the beanie ended up more 12 month sized then newborn, it will give him something to grown into)

 So that is my creative space.  I have been using some of my own advise and have been busy creating.  How about you? For more creative spaces pop on over to Kidspot - Vintage Voices

When Julie received them she jumped straight on the phone to personally thank me. I think that we were on the phone for an hour and got off with a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart that I had done my good turn (I was a brownie and a guide and still try to achieve that motto of a good turn daily)

If you would like to join me in a good turn and bring a smile to a few sick little one's face, please see yesterdays blog post.

Hottie...

I was lucky (or quick enough) to be one of the first 20 people to comment on Cam's blog post and nab a spot in the Hottie Challenge.

Mine is finished and being Express Posted tonight to Melbourne with the hope (fingers crossed) that it will get to The Hottie Challenge/CurlyPops Headquarters before Thursday.

So here it is.  I had lots of fun doing this and thinking of what I was going to do.  I felted a thrifted vest that I picked up whilst opshopping last year (with the plans for big things) 

Blanket Stitching and a  crochet flower, complete with original zip that doubles as it's opening. 

This hottie is functional and hoping that it will keep someone warm on a cool night.

I am going to have to head back to the opshops and see if I can find another one so I can make one for us.

The Hottie Challenge is raising funds for The Margaret Pratt Foundation, which raises funds for Heart Lung Transplant Trust.

If you are in Melbourne, I would suggest getting yourself down to the opendraw between  Friday July 1 to Sunday July 24, 2011 to check them all out.  They are going to sold - fingers crossed someone likes mine to pay $$$ for it:)

My Creative Green Space...

Was your creative space GREEN yesterday?

 Ours was.

I sent Amelia off to school with a green t-shirt and wacky hair to celebrate Saint Patricks Day.  One of the teachers had his head shaved yesterday. The fine for not wearing a uniform went to Worlds Greatest Shave for a Cure and the students were able to participate with Crazy hair and hairspray during the day.

I also made a flower to match Amelia's for her teachers. 

Fun was had by all and Amelia was very proud of her hair and told everyone why she had funny hair.

Also in my creative space is a skirt for me.

Looking forward to getting this finished.  I may just have my sewjo back.  For more creative spaces, make sure you pop around and say hi to a few of the other crafty wonders around the world.  Full list of participants can be found at the home of Creative Spaces at Kootoyoo

Crochet Blanket

A little love on its way out to Laidley Kindergarten.

When I heard that this Kinder had muddy waters through there Kinder my heart broke.  I know first hand how hard it is to establish a centre and the years it takes to collect and make resources.

Hoping that this little blanket will bring a much needed smile to some little ones when they eventually get back into their centre, they have started the year in the High School Hall.

Pattern is Summer Garden Granny by Lucy of Attic24 and used left over yarn.  A great stashbuster, I might have to do some more and get rid of some of the yarn that I have lying around here.

Drum Roll!

Many thanks to all those that entered into my little raffle.  You helped to raise $70 for those affected by the recent floods.

I wrote out all of the names and got the kids to help me.

Congratulations....

Sorry it is a bit late at being drawn - we have had a H.U.G.E week here and all are a little tired. I left a little girl at school today in tears because she wanted to go home with me, going from 2 days of learning to 5 is a little exhausting.  Thanks for all of the lovely comments that have been streaming in during the week.  She is enjoying herself and came home excited that she did Music yesterday.

Have a great weekend everyone - we are planning a quiet one here with a swim thrown in. 

Premiers Flood Relief Raffle - CLOSED

Doing my little bit.  It is not much, but every thing will help at the moment.
For my part I am running a Raffle/Giveaway.
One scrumptious Salad Sandwich with Cheese and Devon.  Low on cholesterol and made by me from washable yarn for easy care.

For your chance to be in the winners barrel this is what you need to do:

* Donate $5 to the Premier's Flood Appeal

* Come back here with your reciept number and leave a comment under this post with the number - if you    don't have a google account to comment please send me an email at mealybugcreations (at) hotmail (dot)

com

*Please be honest - this is for charity and there will be people keeping an eye out on reciept numbers for  us. One $5 donation doesn't give you entry into all the giveaways occuring.

* Good luck - I will pay the postage to you.  International entries welcome. Entry closes Wednesday 26th January 2011 at Midday.

Thankyou from the bottom of my heart.  I live in this once beautiful state and am proud to call myself a Queenslander.  With your help we can help people get there lives back together and move past this heart ache.

And if a crochet sandwich is not your thing, there are more auctions and raffles happening in blogland - make sure you keep an eye out on Toni's blog where she will compile a list over the weekend.

Little O'l Me! What can I do to help?

I thought that I would put a list together of ways that you might be able to help.

Some are like me, at home looking after the little people in there lives.  I for one have only seen my husband for a total of 4 hours since Monday night - to say he is tired is an understatement.  And, unfortunalty - there is no end in sight - long hours will continue for the next few months. But I am greatful that we have each other (even if not face to face) and that we are all safe and dry.

As our community clean up I would also like to take a moment to think of others.  There are families in Emerald and Rockhampton who are only getting back to their homes now after 2 weeks - imagine (oh I dont think that I can)

Also for our neighbours down south.  We got news last night that Tim's parents had knee deep water through the farm house.  There are also many areas that are being hit with the floods for the second time in months - some of which have only just moved back home after repairs.  How heart breaking

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Back on track, that list of ways that you can help.

Quilts for Queensland : Retromummy and her team of sewers are making quilt blocks.  12.5 inches.  You dont have to have any quilting knowledge - just be able to sew two pieces of fabric together.

Hope Softies : Steph is collecting little handmade dolls and toys (softies) for the almost 1000 children left withou a home to go to.  Lets show them that they are not forgotten.

Global Kids Oz -  Are collecting school and stationary supplies for schools.  96 schools have been affected by the floods and they are working at getting things together so the students can go back sooner rather than later.  The school term here in Queensland starts on Monday 24th so not long.  Why not pop an extra item or two onto your child's school shopping list and send it to

Global Kids Oz Headquarters

PO Box 1979

Cleveland QLD

4163

They are after anything from exercise books to textas, Let's make it happen.

C and K Kindergartens -  Many Kindergartens and Day Care centres are in the same situation.  They are asking for home corner, collage supplies and dress ups.  Please leave a message with your email and I can put you in contact with those in need.

Do you live close enough to drop off a batch of biscuits or a cake?  If so, check in at Digella she has spent the last week organising food drops around the flood affected areas.

Are you in Darwin.  They have a Shoe Box of Love Appeal on at the moment. (facebook link)

Volunteer, give a hug, make sure your friends are ok.  After the initial clean up dont forget these things either, it is going to be a long road to recovery and repair for many people. I have friends who personally will never look at the Brisbane River they way they used to :(

If there is something that I may have missed please let me know so I can add it.

I will leave you with a few pictures.

My husband recieved word the other day that a black hawk was required for a rescue - he asked what it was for (part of his job obviously) and was surprised to hear that it was for a cow on a roof - I guess it was a dry spot.  He was scared off by the noise before they could get to him.  What a story to tell his mates in the paddock (when they eventually find which one he belongs in.) News Link

 The last one is of a friend standing pointing at the water line on his residence.  It really hits home when you see someone you know in a photo of what has just happened.

Stay well, stay dry dear friends.

QLD Flood Appeal Auction

The talented http://tonicoward.blogspot.com/ of Make it Perfect. Is organising a crafty auction.

For more information please here to this blog post. 

I am getting a few things together, will let you know more when I hear - auctions will be run on crafty bloggers blogs or stores and all money raised will go to QLD Floods. 

Edit:  Is there anything else that you would like to see - I dont think that I have time to knit up anything big - but you could always bid and I make it latr to the size etc - more personal - let me know what you think.

Movember

So,  how many of you had to put up with a hairy upper lip for the month of November. 

I was spared (only because my darling husband still manages to pull of a patchy moustash and it is ginger)  Shhh - I did not just tell you all that.

Anyway - I have a friend that works in a man's world and she was getting paid out on for the lack of Mo she had been able to pull of.  So I hooked her up her own, felted it and sent it along for her to wear at the fundraiser BBQ at lunch time.  It was a hit!

So, we now have a year to wait until the men have a real excuse to grow there Mo. Movember a great cause, raising money for men's health.

Daffodils and Hoping...

As most of you would know today is Daffodil Day.  The Cancer Councils big fundraiser for the year.

Make sure you stop and pick up a bunch or a pen or a cute little bear if you find a stand at our local grocery store.  No, change that, hunt them down and find  bunch. 

We picked up a bunch today and Amelia is also going to take a flower each for her Kindergarten teachers.

Remembering those that we have lost and hoping and praying that they will one day find a cure for this not so silent killer.

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Do Daffodils get you thinking of Spring?

It is just around the corner and I am missing that we dont have our own popping out of the ground this year as we did last year. 

If you are finding something to do this weekend and hoping for a little sunshine on your back and in the Brisbane area maybe you would like to take a drive:
festiValley is on out at Samford on Saturday
and Sunday Newstead House is celebrating it's 164th Birthday with free cake with a Spring Affair

The new dress and an Auction...

I know that you have all been waiting to find out the finner details of the sneak peak of the dress that I gave the other week.  Well the pattern has been released and I can now share it with you.

But before I do.  Would you like the chance to have this come and live at your house.  Here is your chance.

Amelia has kindly offered to give the dress up for Auction.  She has only had it on for photos and although loves it so much there is a little girl who needs some much needed funds.  (and she is on a promise for another and has already selected the colours)

Isobel is a little local girl who has was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of eight months.  Friends of Isobel are raising funds to get Isobel over to Germany for a form of stem cell treatment that is not available here in Australia.  The procedure differs from most stem cell methods, it will use the cells from Isobel's own bone marrow.  This treatment has a significant chance of impoving Isobel's quality of life.  Now two, little Isobel can not sit, crawl, walk or talk and any return of basic motor skills will make a huge difference to this little girls life.

So, lets have ourselves an Auction.

The prize is this beautiful dress, sized 4-5 (21 - 23 inch chest) knitted by me. From 100% Australian Wool.
Purple in colour.  It sports two lace hearts and a dark purple contrasting hem and is 21inches long from the shoulder.

Team it with stockings and a skivvy or wear it by itself as the weather starts to warm up.

This is how it is going to work.

• This Auction is open to all readers world wide, please include your email address in your comment if you do not have a public profile page on your blog.
• All bids for the dress are to be in Australian Dollars and indicated in the comments section of this post.
• After you leave a comment indicating your bid, please tick the box that subscribes you to the comments from this post so you can stay informed of new bids.
• There is no limit to the number of bids on person can make.
• Bidding is open from NOW and will remain open until Tuesday 10th August at 4pm (Australian EST)
• The highest bidder is the winner and must make an online donation to Friends of Isobel. Via Direct Deposit or a paypal LINK, and then email me both a receipt of the donation and an address within 48hours of the end of the auction.
• Good luck to all - and thankyou from the bottom of our hearts.

Of course I am not going to stop anyone from donating, unfortunatly there is only one dress though.

Finally, the pattern details

Pattern: That 70's Dress by Anadiomena

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills, Luxury.

Needles: 4mm ciculars in 40 and 60cm lengths.

Will I be making this again - a thousand yes's

The day of darkness!

You will all know what is going on in this great southern land of our's. The worst fire disaster in history. Currently the death toll is horrifying and the homes lost are well into 700.

I have had to turn off the television. There are so many sad stories of loss and families seperated forever that I thought that I would put my enegies to something else. Last night while chatting to some online friends we thought about making things for those that have lost everything. I thought that since it is winter really only just around the corner that I could put my knitting skills to action and knit a few beanies etc.

Then this morning the wonderful Pip at Meet Me at Mikes sent out an email (via facebook)

She is going to be a drop off point for Handmade Help. And how can you crafty people help.

Mike's will act as a drop-off point for any handmade items you may want distributed to victims of the Victorian bushfires. This includes toys, clothing, quilts and baby items. They will look after them and they will be past onto The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and Red Cross

Donations can be sent to 63 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria. Telephone 94163713 (to be sure we are open at the time you will be dropping off!) Or feel free to mail us something marked Handmade Help on the envelope and we'll pass it on.

Thankyou so much Pip for starting this. I am going to chat to my little local knitting group and see if they would like to make something as well. Everyone can help. I will also sew up a few winter pj bottoms etc - they will be needed in the next few months. (Note - Pip is constantly updating her blog with other requests - so make sure you go and check it out)

And to think that Nth Queensland resembles a river! Sad really isn't it - Wish we could bottle some up and send it down.

Photos from Red Cross and newman