My Creative Space

This week I finished a little dress for 2 year olds to go in my etsy shop, but unfortunately I have been far too distracted by my knitting...

Every so often I get so into knitting that all my other jobs just don't happen. I don't read anything, I don't sew, and I don't listen to anything that anyone is saying. I just say 'Mmm', or 'really?' or 'stop talking to me, can't you see I'm trying to knit?', or worst of all, "what the hell is that burning smell?' Pretty much anything could be going on, but I don't care because I just have to finish the row....

These pictures are bits of my new, nearly finished blanket which was inspired by some blankets in a book by Sarah Dallas, who is one of the Rowan designers. Can't remember the name of the book. Sorry.

But now I'm up to the tricky bit, at least for me, which is to crochet the chocolate strip to the edge of the stripey bit. I am crochet challenged, just ask Beck, which means that I get confused about simple things like where the wool should be and where the hook goes in. I get mixed up with which hole I stick something into. I'm not even going to make a rude joke here because this is serious business. I just don't get it! But I will eventually.........

I am finally going to conquer my crochet fears soon. Not only do I have a blanky to finish, but I need to crochet that super man vest from my last post. Hope you are all having lots of crafty fun at Kirsty's!

Cigar, anyone?

Another rivetting image from the History of Knitting archive. These ones are from a Cleckheaton catalogue from about 1980? As you will note, smoking was not only still acceptable, it was downright sexy!!! Let's hope the yarn wasn't flammable, although this guy is surely hot enough to set her mostly synthetic garment on fire by himself.

Here he is putting a giant shell on her shoulder, and why not? Nothing says Cleckheaton wool like a giant shell on the shoulder.

This one has a more European feel...good to see he has lit up once again and is ready to pounce on her. I don't think knitting catalogues are anywhere near as raunchy as this now. I feel like this one could easily lead into a whole story / romance novel where he is a former bullfighter who has just inherited his family's stake in a cigar business. He is bored and looking for love. She is a knitwear model...aware of his bad boy reputation and yet amazingly attracted to his easy ways with shells and cigars......

Where was I? Here is another knitwear model who has never had a giant shell placed sexily on her shoulder.

This is my first poncho, from a Rowan pattern I started only this winter. Now that's a miracle. Perhaps I don't need cigar smoking men when I have a poncho to snuggle up to. Happy Crafting everyone!

Meet Rusty

Is this a cute pup, or what?

Rusty is the newest member of our family, and has a bit of an identity crisis. He is part fox terrier, part jack russell, part pomeranian, and part chiuaua so we are expecting multiple personalities. A bit like the United States of Tara but with less swearing. We think he is pretty cute and we have had him for nearly a week, which we are celebrating tomorrow with a visit to the vet and a big, fat needle. I haven't told him yet.

Matilda and I are teaching Rusty to knit and so far it is going pretty well! He likes yellow and is working on a free form type of garment at the moment. We have wanted a dog for so long, but for many years we lived a nomadic Army life and it didn't seem fair to have dog. Also we knew some doggy families living in Army houses who had to pay for new turf or new carpet before moving onWe looked around at dog pounds for a while as well, but in the end some friends of ours found out their dog was up the duff, and the rest is history!
Thought I had better throw a bit of craft in, since this is not a doggy blog(gy). This bag is from a book called Bags That Rock by a girl called Kelley who is the lead singer of a band called The Breeders. If you didn't know that Knitting and Felting were the grooviest, most rocken activities on the planet, well you do now! Also they go perfectly with private suburban loungeroom dancing......you can bust out the latest moves and then knit in between songs. See, I think of everything. Happy making and grooving!

Can you see the whale???

I swear, there is a whale in this photo. No, really...you just have to zoom in to a white splashy area in the middle somewhere. Despite all the amazing whale sightings we had over the holidays, this is pathetically the best photo I managed to come up with. We saw a whole session of breaching and tail whacking less than 1 km from the beach, but by the time I ran (frightening to behold) back to get the camera it was all more or less over. We did see whales every day, though, despite the lack of evidence.

Then there was the sandboarding action...

The sunsets.....

And the walks along the beach with the family and our Brisbane buddies....

But now it is all just a distant memory and it is back to Winter in Daylesford. At least I have my knitting to keep me warm (this new project is a blankie....more nanna knitting). I always feel slightly depressed after a holiday, for obvious reasons, and the only thing that takes away the gloom is to a) plan the next holiday, and b) plan my retirement years. Yes, I do find the second activity uplifting!! Imagine having all that time, no kids sponging off you, no job to turn up to, no expectation to wear anything other than comfy tracksuit pants, very little hair to bother with, and still functioning hips. Can't wait! So many places to go and so many 5pm RSL Club meals to eat. Have you planned your retirement yet?

My Creative Space

Welcome to the wonderful world of red....it's all about red this week! Red fabric, red wool, and pink cake, which has red food colouring in it. Firstly I have been working on a new top pattern with my red flowery fabric.

Then the cranberry red wool arrived in the mail, so that is being made into a ponchoy type thing. This is a Rowan pattern from one of their books of a few years ago. Apparenly I will look like this when I wear it. I can't wait to get that smug look on my face!

Here is some gorgeous Japanese fabric I was given a few years ago by some friends. I found it again in the crypt and it is one of those things that I love so much I am almost afraid to do anything with it in case I muck it up. This one is screen printed, but the traditional dyeing method was to use grains of rice and tie the fabric around each grain individually to create the dye resistance. Like mini tye-dyeing. They love coming up with mind bending techniques that require the patience of a monk.

Here is a goregous photo of an excellent kid, if I do say so myself. I was going to upload a photo of the pink cake I ate yesterday, but I am having technical issues, so I will leave you with my son George...contemplating the universe. Hope you are contemplating something creative this week!

My Creative Space

It's knitting time!! Now that the weather has turned, it is definitely time to get out the knitting needles and get creating. Recently, Kate, reminded me of the wonderful Bendigo Woollen Mills and their range of goodies available online. I used to buy wool from them quite a few years ago, when you used to have to actually fill in a form and send it away. I had forgotten what great value they are and how it is all Australian made and fabulous. Also, the added bonus is the sensational patterns you can purchase and how extremely attractive the male models are. Mmmm.I used to be mostly into knitting patterns with different colours (instarsia?)

But I'm into cables a lot more lately

I must tell you about my knitting tragedy of a few years ago, which even now I can work myself up about if I think about it too hard. A few years ago we moved back to Australia from overseas and only one of our boxes went missing.....but in that box was all my knitting wool (about 30-40 balls), all my knitting needles (about 20 different sizes), and some lovingly half finished (typical) jumpers, cushion covers and other bits. Some of the wool was beautiful quality Rowan yarn, which is like the Rolls Royce of wool. Can you feel my pain? Anyway, I spent about a year hoping the box would find its' way back to me before finally accepting my loss ...there are 5 stages to grief I think....and now I have moved on .Or have I?

Anyway, happy knitting or whatever else you are working on, and also hi to my gorgeous sister Weens. Are you still reading my blog, Ween???