Making time

Hello lovely friends. How are things with you? I'm good. Really good. Really busy and really good.

You see along with all the spring craziness in the gardens and orchards and at home, we are also getting ready to hold our first ever clearing sale this weekend. We've been on this farm for almost 15 years and oh my goodness we've collected a lot of stuff. Sheds full of stuff, cupboards full of stuff and a cellar full of stuff.

So this week, along with all the planting and weeding and watering and parenting, we've been pulling out and sorting through our history. It's been fun and emotional and exhausting.

Farmer Bren has a bit more info on his blog if you are interested.

In the meantime I thought I might do a bit of a show and tell about my knitting.



First up we have the green love heart socks.

I knitted these for my Mum.

I don't know about all mums, but I like to think that most mums deserve a pair of socks hand made especially for them. My Mum calls these her magic socks and wears them when the going gets a bit tough. It makes me happy to think that in times when things are a bit hard for her, she can put on her magic socks and know how much she is loved.

Heart toe up sock details here.



I made this little cardigan for our friend Steph's new baby Holly. Like I wrote on instagram - not much makes me clucky for babies these days BUT knitting teeny tiny cardigans, now that's another story entirely.

Holly's card details here.





Then I started contemplating the growing pile of little sock balls leftover after I finished each pair of socks. I couldn't just let them sit there now could I?! I decided it was either knit one pair of socks with all the bits and pieces, or I could start a patchy memory blanket. Each square, or each few squares, a memory of a time and a place a person I knitted the socks for. The blanket won.

This is a looooooooong term project. Each square is knitted with 4ply yarn on 2mm needles which means they are small and slow. But I'm loving the though of it. And if I get sick of it at any stage I can turn it into a cushion.

Scrappy sock blanket details here.



And then I decided I needed some more colour in my sock blanket so I cast on a new pair of socks. You can't see it yet but these ones will have a cute diagonal stripy pattern thing on them.

And that green ball up there on the right was wound with the ball winder and swift my family bought me for my birthday. How ace does it look!! I love it. I just want to wind all the wool into balls now.

And that's me. All knitted and caught up.

So how about you? What have you been making in your spare, or stolen, time? Care to share?

Loads a love to you friends.
I hope someone you love makes something lovely for you sometime soon.

Bye!

xx

Knitting fans.

I am such a sucker for a beautifully styled 'how to' book. I don't care if it's a knitting, gardening, sewing, cooking or crochet book, if it has gorgeous photos and instructions, I am in.

I found this gorgeous book a few months ago in Melbourne. It was love at first sight. Gorgeous hard back, stunning photos, and perfect projects and patterns sized to fit two of my girlies. I pored over its pages for ages. Front to back, back to front. I tried to work out how many of the patterns I was likely to actually knit and for who and with what yarn.

And then I popped it back on the shelf between the other knitting books and walked away.

I really didn't need anther knitting book. I have hundreds of items in my ravelry queue and hundreds more in my head and in books I already own. And most importantly, I am not a fan of the seamed knit and that is what this book is full of.

But over the next few days I couldn't get that book and those patterns and that style out of my head. I longed for it.

And as luck would have it on the way home to Daylesford a few days later, we stopped in at a book shop/cafe for lunch and there it was, sitting on the shelf, patiently waiting for me. It was meant to be. And I promised myself I would knit from it often to justify my purchase, seams and all.

So the second I cast off what I was working on, I chose a pattern, some wool and cast on.

A much wanted and needed cardi for Miss Jazzy. Wool and pattern chosen herself.

And to be honest, the pattern was incredibly difficult for me to follow. There were not enough instructions and I found myself guessing and unravelling and re knitting a lot of the time. There may have been some swearing too.

But I persevered. I had a bee in my bonnet about that book. And that pattern. And the way my Jazzy would look wearing it.

And then finally one day after knitting the four bits and sewing them together. After crocheting all around the entire garment. And after blocking it lightly with a steam iron. Miss Jazzy tried it on...

And she couldn't move.

Even though I had knitted a size older than she usually measured, it was so tight across the back and under the arms that she struggled to even get it off.

All I can say is lucky Miss Pepper was more than happy to try it on.

Phew!

I think I'll stick to knitting in the round so we can actually try the garments on as I go in the future. And I think I'll knit Jazzy's next cardi from a pattern from a designer I know and have knitted before.

Fan Stitch cardi ravelled here.

Are you a sucker for a styled book?
Which type of book can you never resist?
Are you having a lovely day?
Are you being creative?
I hope so.

Later lovelies. x

My creative space.

Because you asked Kirst, my hot tip for staying creative is to create.

I am never so creative as when I am making. That's when I hatch my best crafty plans.

It's like using the making tools, unlocks the creative part of my brain. 

When I am lost for inspiration and don't know what to make next, I know my best trick is just to get on with it. Use those tools. Get my sewing machine out and mend something, knit a few rows, pull out an old unfinished project and give it new life, draw an idea for a pattern, or rearrange my wool stash into rainbow order. 

And as if by magic the creative comes. It's like the more I create - the more I create. It's infectious.

And my creative space this week is the pile above. It's like my creative to-do list. Another crochet collar dress plan, a carving plan, a dying plan and some baby making plans (ha! not mine!).

But before I get on with any of those crafty plans I am making myself finish the Feather and Fan cardi.

To be honest I am sooooooooooo over this project. I started it to justify the purchase of a book but the pattern itself is doing my head in. It's tedious. The numbers never add up and I have my doubts it will even fit Miss Jazzy in the end.

 But I am loving the Bendigo Tasman Blue.

And I only have a few more rows to knit until cast off.

Then there's only the blocking and stitching back together until I can tick it off my list and move on. I am SO looking forward to that part.

So that's me and my creative space.
What's going on in yours?
Are you hatching lots of crafty plans or are you being good and finishing off what you started?

Keep cozy.

xx

Suzanne (the cardi).

We walked through the forest, she and I.
She didn't want to go at first but I needed to.
I had to.
So I bribed her with a piece of fairy bread and she came skipping.

I told her that the rules were that we were going to listen instead of speak.
That we would try to hear all the forest's noises.
That we would try to see all the treasures.
And maybe even some creatures too.

And she loved it.
She found handfuls of moss, mushrooms and interesting sticks and leaves.

She listened and heard birds and crackling branches and the faraway dogs.
She heard the wind through the trees.

And of course she heard the camera shutter.
Funny that.

I loved it.
I loved watching her.
I loved the silence.
I loved the stillness.
I felt like I could breathe. Like I could think. Like I was slowing down. Like I was listening.

And the day went on.

Miss Pepper is wearing my latest hand knit Suzanne the cardi.
Suzanne is the most wonderfully, clever pattern designed by the fabulously clever Georgie Hallam aka Tikki.
Suzanne is still in the testing phase but I'll be sure to let you know when it's released.
My Ravelry details are here.

Next I'm knitting a stripey hottie cover and crocheting the last of my motifs.
I like to follow long term projects with quick.
Do you?
What are you making at the moment?

I hope you are having a wonderful week.

Bye!
xx

Miss Ruby Red.

Credits.

Model: made by me and the Farmer Boy.

Red cardigan: knitted by me, raveled here.

Buttons: vintage wooden from a garage sale.

Outfit: models own.

Hair: deloused, washed and brushed by Foxs Locks. (Does that sound like one of those tacky hairdresser names?)

Make up: mostly rubbed off on long car journey from home, still a bit of lippy on I think.

Tree: found somewhere in Melbourne, next to a playground, on the way to a wedding.

Crew: big sister watching from a nearby swing, small sister asleep in the car, Dad watching small sister and playing with his phone.

Photographer, director and all round bossy boots: who do ya reckon.

house/heart keeping.

I'm home!

The heart bubble has burst and I'm back to brush hair, do laundry, make food and turn off lights. They missed me terribly which is a great thing. Miss Pepper took a long, hard look at me and told me I still look gorgeous. Phew. Jazzy keeps asking me to spell icup (get it?!) and Indi wont stop cuddling me.

Life goes on here. There are so many stories and questions and jokes and fights and needs.

But its like there is a loooooooooong string tied between my heart and those of my parents. And while I am busy with life here, an enormous chunk of my heart is there. I never usually answer the phone but today I am. I am waiting anxiously for a scrap of news. Anything.

I am at home but I also feel far away.

Last weekend before I left for Melbourne I made Miss Pepper her caravan pillow case from a pile of fabrics she had chosen.

I wish I was brave enough to chose fabrics like she does. The brighter and more patterned the better.

She chose red for the crocheted trim.

At night while I was away I liked to think of two of my girlies fast asleep on their Mama made pillow cases. It was almost the next best thing to being able to kiss them goodnight.

Indi's is next but she's still undecided about what she wants.

I've got a yukky cold so this is probably the best place for me. I'm drinking coffee I brought back from Melbourne, knitting rows of Miss Ruby Rib, making toasties for lunch, cuddling my darlings and trying to be a patient, enthusiastic Mama.

It's such a shame blogger gobbled up the comments from my last post as I was looking forward to showing them to my Dad. As a blogger himself he totally gets it. But nevertheless I read them and appreciated them and thank you for them.

And finally, due to blogger's tantrum yesterday, I think I'll leave the Genki giveaway open for a little bit longer. Enter here and I'll choose a winner on Monday.

I hope you have the most wonderful weekend.

xx

Talamh-at long last.

Ugh, no wonder my kids have had enough of posing for me and my blog. Standing in front of the camera really doesn't feel all that comfortable for me either.

I did consider a couple of photos of my Talamh cardi on a hanger, but then you wouldn't get the shapeliness or the placement of the waffle lace.

So after lunch today I was brave and I stood up near the shed and told my Farmer Boy what sort of photos to take and what bits to focus on. I stood there and twirled and whirled and he snapped away. All the while the other farmer boys were pretending not to watch and I was hoping like anything that he got some good ones and we could hurry it all up and go back to what we were doing before that.

Just in case you are wondering, Talamh means land, earth and ground in Old Irish. I have absolutely no idea how it is pronounced.

My Talamh was finished a couple of months ago but after I stretched out the lacy bits while blocking, it grew about three sizes and was unwearable. So it sat in a grumpy, bad tempered heap in my sewing room until two days ago when I decided to give it one more go. This time I soaked it and laid it out on a towel without any stretching at all. As you can see, it does fit a bit better now but it still does slip off my shoulders. I'm thinking a couple of buttons and something underneath might help fix that situation further.

Ok, so there it is. Talamh Raveled and blogged and we can all go about our business.

How do you feel about standing in front of the camera?

Are all of us bloggers better at being behind it than in front?

I'm starting a few Friday photography classes tomorrow so chances are no one will ever be allowed to touch my camera again once I really know how to use it.

I hope you are having a sunshiny afternoon where ever you are.

We're having tofu wraps for dinner. You?

See ya. xx

On a Thursday...

To be completely honest with you, over the past few days waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of my creative space has been spent staring at this pile of deliciousness. I love, love, love this little rainbow of linen I bought from Leah's gorgeous little shop.

Now I have to decide: a quilt, a couple of little dresses or maybe they just have to sit on the side board for a little bit longer as eye candy.

I've been knitting little bits of a cardi for Miss Pepper.

I have knitted this pattern before. Last year when I was first learning to knit garments. It took so long that time and I undid bits and googled how to do the stitches the entire time. This time I feel like I know a bit more about what's going on. Its a great confidence booster.

I must admit though that I'm not entirely thrilled with the mess of colour. When I bought the yarn, the skeins looked like the colours were broken up into chunks of solid bits. I guess that's just another knitting lesson I've now learnt.

I am crocheting granny slippers. Well, granny slipper anyway. Another one of Michelle's wonderful patterns.

I am cutting and over locking and pinning and sewing little dresses.

And I am spending most of my time over a hot cauldron stirring sweet, sticky quince jelly.

I hope your Thursday is a creative one.

We are off to creative dance and then story time.

See ya. X

Finishing...

This week's creative space finds me starting and finishing lots of little projects rather than completing my long term project, my grey cardi.

Its the strangest thing, I only have five rows of ribbing to knit on the left sleeve and then I can cast off and wear the grey cardi I've been so excited about for so long, but something is stopping me.

I can only compare it to finishing a book that you have been reading for ages and have loved. A book where you know the characters so well you almost feel like they are your friends. You feel comfortable in the story and can slip in and out of it whenever you please. When you are in the middle of a book like this you look forward to finishing it and seeing how it ends, but when you only have a few pages to go you start to wonder about the next book. Will you enjoy it as much? Will you ever get to know the new characters as well? Will it take you long to get right into it? Will it feel as comfortable and part of your life as the old book did?

Once I cast off my old friend the grey cardi I'll have to choose a new project. I'll have to make sure I have the right coloured yarn and enough of it, I'll have to knit up gauge squares until I get one right and then I'll have to learn a new stitch sequence. It'll take a while before I can pull it out at school pick up time and knit a couple of rows without really thinking about what I am doing.

And so I have been putting off the final five rows and crocheting squares and triangles,

I have been knitting a tiny green beanie for a chef friend about to have a baby(Ravelled here), a bunch of rainbow carrots (Ravelled here) and a hooded scarf.

So do you think I'm a bit cuckoo or can you relate? Do you have a long term project that you would feel a bit lost without? A project that is comforting in its comfortableness? A paper pieced hexagon quilt that you pick up like an old friend, a crocheted granny rug that you know the pattern of so well, or a book that you only have a few pages left to read but must start another to delay the inevitable.

I wonder...

Today, along with the gazillion Thursday things to do, I plan to make a final decision on the buttons for the grey cardi and then knit five rows of ribbing, cast it off, block it, sew on the buttons, darn in the ends and wear it. Its freeeeeeeeeezing and a grey cardi would look great over the dress I'm wearing.

I hope your Thursday is a creative one.

See ya. XX