project attempt 2!

Isn't this a sweet pattern? For this place, Brisbane, this is an utterly un-seasonal choice of projects to be making. Perhaps a dream of winter is behind the force of wrap making that has taken me over the past few days. I have 3 on the go, this one is by far the best yarn though, a big chunky sage green from lion brand yarns. It was a gift and I will need to source some more to finish it. It is a rectangle style wrap secured with a large button and I will hopefully have them whipped up in no time, I can't wait to go through my button stash to find the right buttons for them.


Speaking of finished projects, this bag, made from just the most awesome piece of fabric is done and up on my made it site. It is my favourite ever bag made so far, a make it up as I go along pattern and lots of individually designed finishing made it such fun to create.


I put a lot of thought into it because I cherished the fabric so much, and I felt relieved as much as anything that it worked out so well. I have to give thanks to my mums 60s dress sense, because this kind of graphic print is so hard to source nowadays!



And now I have to find something which will do justice to this lovely yarn, actually banana fibre?!


It is like a slightly rough, beautifully thick silk, linen coloured, and is so much more gorgeous than this photo shows... a treasured gift from my dear sister in law Sam. Hmm...I am thinking this over a lot and only hope it won't take quite so long as the above bag to create.( I carried the fabric for about 12 years before I was game to do anything with it!!)

suggestions welcome,
xkate

a little green friend...

After feeling less than excited about crafting for a while I was very excited about a new shawl I was making. A sweet yet simple crochet shell pattern, made up with a thick black cotton yarn. The yarn ran out.. so I thought it might work to mix in a nice green yarn. Which, alas, was a totally different ply, which made the top bit bulge out all over the place like a muffin top and stuffed the whole thing up. I have 'yanking apart a messed up project fingers' now too, humph. At least it will be easier to follow the pattern now I have had practice at it...lesson learnt-read the instructions *especially the yarn required* section.

I was going to take a 'in progress' picture of my new shawl, instead here's the frog

that visited my kitchen last night

when I accidentally left my un-screened window open. Cute. It's a native green tree frog, quite lovely to have around. And also of note is that it is sitting on clean dishes!!
xkate
p.s
http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=137
This site has the best resources about froggies, even has recordings of their croaks so you can identify by sound what might be in your area...I think it's a bit cool...

organisation

I am presently struggling/attempting to keep productive despite my tendencies towards distraction and multiple conflicting projects (like creating silly backyard alien photos)


Maybe its the lack of routine...with school about to begin again I feel this force towards having a clear plan for this year. And I don't, at all really.

It's sort of scary but I am just trying to see what arises and so far what has arisen has been-lots of swimming with my kids and lots of beng with various visitors(especially enjoying the teeny tiny ones)I don't seem to have words available to describe these days or ideas so I thought I would post a few of my favourite photos instead,

best wishes,
xkate

morning lovelies and night sweets

Been photographing like a mad thing lately...around my backyard 'meadow', capturing these beautiful visitors. Ladybugs are so sweet and cute, watching them awkwardly clamber over the tall grass stalks is such fun-it must be a lush jungle from their viewpoint.
This heron has been popping in each morning, such a careful bird, so graceful, too flighty by far to sneak up on, so this image was taken through a window.



I have not been taking many of my work lately, cos not a lots being made! In between trips to the pool, the coast and visits from friends there has not been much time or energy for anything substantial! But a few nights back this was snapped, Lukas' new green sleepy friend. I allowed little Lu to select a colour, from all my wools, cottons and yarns. And the one he chose was a yarn carefully recycled from my dads old favourite jumper, which more than thirty years ago was hand spun, dyed and knitted by my aunt. Warm fuzzies. He is sitting in a bag of rickrack ribbons.

These packets are not my usual mess of un sorted craft materials; my mums' friends have been going through their collections and passing their un-wanted but special things along. Oh, I love them-they supported and put up with me as a kid...and a teenager...and still so generous and sweet to me!
groovy 70's orange and green embroidered rickrack... yards and yards of vintage embroidered ribbon-navy blue,red and yellow....white ribbon with red roses...really beautiful.
xkate

school holidays

Everything seems more open and natural on the summer holidays...I know some parents are probably going spare right now but I am loving these days. Walking down to the end on the street to look at the sunset beautiful clouds...staying up late talking...watching sponge bob and laughing til ribs ache...eating bowls of ice cream for morning tea and dessert...floating in cool water...playing chasey in the pool...making little crochet friends while my children watch mr men...my only complaint is that the days pass by too quickly...except maybe one other complaint; that green ants seem intent on finding tender parts of me to bite, 3 bites and counting. bl@#dy things!

The little sleepy one, complete, made in blue...meditating beside the cucumber vine.
It's not the picture perfect one of the illustration with the pattern, but for my first go it'll do...and I have 2 more in progress, red and green, I might just make a whole rainbow family of them!
xkate

multi tasking

have been...
uploading this collection of piccys of Bertie Blackman and such from Sunset sounds...while looking through the enormous range of patterns at Ravelry and finding this... http://owlishly.typepad.com/owlishly/2008/10/free-pattern--sleepy-sarah-amigurumi-pattern.html
which I will be making,
xkate

wattle tree

A teeny tiny view of a year in the life of a wattle tree...

Sam mentioned this bighugelabs.com mosaic maker on knitglob, and ooh, I couldn't wait to try it out...but umm...its little huh?!
I will have to work out how to size up the images cos clearly I haven't quite got it right yet, but I am sure anyone else using it would be better at it than I(not very tech savvy yet) and it's so much fun-check it out here.
http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php
xkate

summer-time

D-bar beach, Coolangatta.

a familiar pattern of summer, long journeys for fleeting joys...maybe next year it will be different?
xkate

all is quiet on new years day

Life passes, as fleeting and delightful as a delicate bubble floating into a strange atmoshpere, what will this year bring to anyone, who knows?
happy new years,
xkate