stuff i thought u might like to know...x

First

Farmer Bren has taken over the Daylesford Organics blog!

That's right, there are now two bloggers in the Foxs Lane fam (yikes).

And wouldn't you know it, he went straight in there and did all this fancy tech stuff and now it looks completely different.

I guess we can expect bloggy bits about farming, gardening, bread baking and other Farmer Bren thoughts and theories on life.

Follow along here if you wanna.

Second

I wrote a piece and took some photos for Slow magazine.

Slow is one of those very rare magazines that I read from cover to cover. It's a beautiful Australian magazine filled with stories about interesting people doing interesting things.

I was particularly thrilled to have our story included in the Spring issue alongside Rhonda from Down to Earth, Tim Winton, Paul Kelly, Charlotte Woods, Edwina from The Old Post Office and so many more. Like Rhonda said on her blog;  It's like I'm part of a lovely and familiar Slow family. Totally.

Third

Have you seen this?

My friend Pip from Meet Me At Mikes is running a blogging e-course. How ace is that?!

In her very own words;

It's called Blog With Pip! and is designed especially for crafty and creative types. This course will teach you lots of valuable things about blogging, writing, inspiration and social media. It's perfect for beginners OR for people who have blogs already, but might want to refresh them.  If your blog needs a bit of TLC, this is the course for you. (It may offer a bit of TLC for you too, truth be told!)

Find out more about it on Pip's blog here.

I think this is such a brilliant opportunity to learn from one of the most crafty, cool, creative and generous girls around. Hop to it I say.

Fourth

So many people asked me what the top of our pea tee-pea looked like. This is what it looks like. So far we have just sort of woven the tops of the branches in together. Later on, as the peas start climbing and the whole structure gets heavier, we might tie it all up to strengthen it.

Fifth

I am knitting Olinda for Miss Pepper at the moment. It is a gorgeous lacy pattern and I am loving watching it all come together. I'm knitting my way down the second sleeve at the moment, not long to go. Hopefully she'll be throwing it over her shoulders before the week is out.

Sixth

And lastly, here is my podcast from yesterday's ABC Radio National's Life Matters program.

If you want to hear what my voice sounds like, if you want to hear my nervous giggle, or if you plain just want to listen, click on this link.


Phew, that's it for me and my news for now.
How about you?
Do you have some stuff you think I'd like to know?
Are you going to click on any of my links?

Go on.

xx

The blanket/The winner

Project deets:

Name - Roads & places blanket.
Pattern - Bulls-Eye by Brittany Tyler.
Craft - crochet.
Hook - 3.5m
Yarn - Lots of colourful bits of 8ply wool. Some bought especially for this project and lots of scrappy ends too. Actually, this is a great project for using up all those tiny balls of yarn at the bottom of your basket.
Started - In Busselton WA on November 7 2011.
Finished - On the Nullarbor. Somewhere between WA and SA on December 11 2011.
Squares - I stopped at 20 because I ran out of charcoal yarn.
Border - I crocheted the red border as we crossed the border. I only had enough red yarn for one row of the edge but I would have preferred at least two.
Blocking - Nope!
Made for - Snuggling in and picnicking on and hiding under.
See - My Ravelry project page for more photos and details.

I'm so happy with how this blanket turned out. I almost can't believe I really finished it. Completely. All the squares are sewn together and all ends are sewn in. Done!

I really love the look of it laid out flat so you can see all the circles properly and also all scrunched up and messy like. I even like it all folded up in the back of the car ready to drive home. It's filled with road trip stories and memories. I'm so happy I made it and we'll have it as to remind us.

And the Make Hey! giveaway winner...
Thank you all for your entertaining comments. I just loved reading through them.
I asked Miss Pip, the very clever author, for a number between 1 and 114 and she gave me number 82.
Comment number 82 is The Jade Leaf!!!!!!
Congratulations Jade, I know you are going to love this book.

I hope your last full week of 2011 is such a happy one.
And I got the days mixed up and we are really heading home tomorrow. Tomorrow!!!!

Happy travels.
See you soon. xx

Make Hey - Give Away!!

The lovely people at Hardie Grant sent me a copy of Pip Lincolne's new book, Make Hey! while the sun shines . We picked it up at the post office when we were driving through Carnarvon in WA. It was actually addressed to me, but you know what?? I didn't actually get to look at it until a couple of hours later.

My girls ran away with it.

My girls loved it.

Miss Pepper loved looking through all the brightly coloured, beautifully styled pictures.
Miss Jazzy loved pointing out all the projects that she NEEDED me to make for her.
Miss Indi took the longest. She studied every page carefully, reading and going through the patterns and recipes and lists and working out what she could make herself.

Even my self-confessed, crafty-challenged friend Trish loved it!

When I finally got my hands on Make Hey! I completely understood the excitement. In her introduction Pip says 'This book is about projects and ideas and even nice things to cook. It's all about sunshiney fun stuff to make and things to put you in a dipping-your-toes-in-the-river-shady-picnic-popsical kind of mood.' And she's totally spot on. It is!

It's a great book. It's a beautiful book. It's a happy book. It's a spunky book. You would love this book, I know you would. It even has pictures of the cutest old caravan in it.

And lucky for you, the wonderful peeps at Hardie Grant have given me one copy of Make Hey! to give away to one of you. Hooray!! So leave me a comment below. Tell me something. Anything. We'll pick a winner on the weekend.

(Unfortunately this giveaway is open to Australian residents only.)

Have fun and be kind. xx

Softie 4 Mirabel.

Well hello there!

Actually, truth be told its goodbye!

You see I am leaving the farm today and heading into the bright lights of the big city for a real adventure.

I am dressed in my fanciest outfit. I have my matching shoes, scarf and hat on and my designer handbag is filled with all the important stuff that a girl simply cannot live without. I've spent hours getting my hair just right, I just hope this rain doesn't make it frizzy. And I've been hiding from Miss Jazzy who wants to cover me with glitter and make me look like a rock star. You see, its just no good for my complexion.

A girl's got to look her best you know. She simply has no idea who she might meet on her travels.

I must be honest and tell you that I am most excited. This farm and all the dirt and green is OK for some, but you see I am a lady who appreciates the finer things in life. I love nothing better than shopping, gossiping and lots of long lunches.

I have my sights set high and I wont let anything get in my way on my journey to the top.

So its farewell from me for now.

I'm heading to Pip's and from there to my new best friend's place. I cannot wait to see what delights my new future holds...a star on the Hollywood boulevard? A hit music video? The new female lead on the next Twilight movie?...the sky's the limit.

So ciao ciao for now.

Oh and if you want my personal details so you can text me, I am Raveled here.

Last night.

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Pip's new book Sew La Tea Do.

It is a great and beautiful and chunky book. The styling is gorgeous, the projects look fun and like things you'd really want to make and use.

It was great to finally meet and chat with Pip. She is as ace as she appears on her blog and was kind and generous and surprisingly calm amidst all the goings on.

And it was also such fun to hang out with lots of other bloggers. It was a strange feeling to look around the room at one stage, and see so many familiar faces and know that many of them I'd never even met in real life.

And it was wonderful to be surrounded by like minded people. People who love craft. To be asked what I make rather than what I do. To stand next to someone and have them pull their knitting out of their bag to show me. To share this with my not so crafty but very musical sister who was my date for the night. To argue the benefits of crochet versus knitting. To not feel self conscious snapping away with my camera. To be complimented on the green cardi I was wearing that I'd made.

The venue, food and drink were all pretty fab too.

Today I am slightly weary and snatching moments between the chores to gather strips of fabric and bind bits of doily and I am looking forward to putting the girls to bed tonight so I can have a closer read of the book.

Have fun out there. XX