spring

What's Cooking installation

Another lovely festival and craft/creativity session at the Redcliffe botanical gardens "Whats cooking" event...thanks so very, very much to all who came along, you all truly make me happy. 

Such amazing childrens' art-check out this great recycled felt leaf, so cute!

Aside from the happiness of being with such wonderful clever and creative children and adults this event brings me joy because I adore yarn bombing or 'dressing up' the gardens before the event. It's such fun!

Pink the galah was probably the most popular part of the display, he was modelled after the lovely galah family which lives in a large tree near our home.

 I was also touched by how much the children responded to the fungi covered log.

I tried to slip in a little information here and there and I hope some of the kids will be telling their friends about how fungi can be all sorts of colours -they can even be blue! 

 I have been taking lots of photos for my conservation course work assignments, I need to gather images of weeds and native plants. So many weeds out there, I wish it was a little harder to find them! Anyway, of course I notice other things too while spending time outdoors. And it's such a healthy thing to be outdoors observing nature. 

Isn't this a lovely butterfly? And can you find the tawny frog mouths in this picture? There are three tucked up in the tree...

 happy crafting especially in the great outdoors!

Whats cooking 2013

Whats Cooking event information 2013

This Sunday the beautiful Redcliffe botanical gardens will be filled with colour and fun-during its annual celebration of gardens, cooking, craft and community; the 'Whats cooking on the garden' festival!

I will be setting up a colourful crochet yarn bombed pop up lounge room and will be teaching crochet from soft comfy couches-beginners welcome! 

At 10.30 and 1.30 I will be offering half hour eco friendly craft workshops for children where there will be materials, inspiration and instruction for making soft fuzzy felt leaves to decorate a driftwood tree and take home finger puppets (utilising recycled materials.)

Children can also enjoy finding the fuzzy creatures I will be 'hiding' around the site...

My favourite ABC gardening presenter Jerry Colby Williams will be presenting a talk about sustainable living, I visited his beautiful property Bellis during the last open garden day and know he has lots to wonderful wisdom and local knowledge to share. 

You can find further details here about the many other wonderful workshops and activities running on the day.

So I hope to see you Sunday and in the following weeks I will be sharing my favourite free crochet patterns on this blog so pop back in won't you :o) 

happy crafting!

April-May

We spent some quality time with my family this Easter, the boys, Sitara and I. We LOVE our family time but getting there is challenging (almost 2000km trip) Its sometimes hard to with the kids, they are occasionally impatient about the long days in the car. I always thought it'd be easier once they weren't toddlers...hmmm.

But the journeys have their moments, this is a red capped robin we spotted in Victoria while driving near Echuca. Even though we often miss stuff driving in such long stretches on highways the little stops and observances along the way do mean a lot to us.

Upon our return this furry fella had disappeared. He returned a fortnight or so later looking shabby and skinny...he was ever so purry/grateful to be home.  He quickly regained his weight and is back to his usual behaviour, biting toes and swatting us when he's hungry. He's laying on top of the lovely blanket Sitara made by the way!

There has been much crafting, with my boys learning some skills while hand stitching some lovely owl softies at the Woodford Planting festival...

I spent some time dyeing and spinning with gentle natured Mel. The weather has been dry-after a summer and autumn of near continuous rains it's a wonderful thing to be able to dry yarn!

 During my classes I have been learning about tree species and weeds. I spend a lot of time collecting plants. I always keep an eye out for fungi, I loved the colour and stripes of this one which had come up on an old stump.

I have also been trying out new skills propagating native seeds...I'd been puzzled by the lack of growth in this tray at home. Hmm, she found herself a sunny soft spot, maybe she thought they needed hatching??

Til next time, happy crafting
Kate

Summer/New Zealand

Hello, 

dash robin is pottering along, although I have dropped doing markets. I haven't stopped making though-I really enjoy crocheting, dyeing yarn and making softies, scarves, hats and brooches.

The last few months I have been mostly making things when I am on the road. Car time is great for crochet(or sleep if you're a little fella and have had a big holiday!) I made a toy for a friends baby and a couple of presents for family in a hired campervan in NZ and in our big blue ute as we travelled up and down the east coast of Australia.

 I gathered some lovely yarns in the beautiful colourful town of Bellingen in NSW. I found an op shop and I was not disappointed by 50 c balls of beautiful pure wool! And I bought home some very special wool straight from the yarn producers of New Zealand. 

The cowl above was made with a blend of possum fur and merino wool-lusciously soft and beautiful to wear, a gift for my mum who turned 70 this year! 

I loved visiting New Zealand and would love to go again! It was inspiring seeing a country where it seems the environment is well respected and where travellers can visit so many free camping sites. The eco centres I visited while there-including the royal albatross centre and the Orokanui eco centre were brilliant. 

this albatross gave a fantastic display of gliding...

 The views everywhere we travelled were just stunning.

Back on home ground again I've made a few changes this year, taking some time out of full time career crafting. I've begun studying conservation and land management in Nambour. It feels fabulous and wonderful to be studying something I am so passionately interested in..I keep getting my homework done and wishing there was more to do!

Last week we had a field trip camping overnight at Charlie Moreland park to record fauna and flora. We saw lots of beautiful Australian mammals, birds, frogs and we aslo had 6 encounters with 5 different species of snakes (all in under 48 hours!!) I think snakes are gorgeous though and so long as you are careful you are safe-they really aren't out to get you, more like get away from you! 

Here are two of the species we saw, the carpet or diamond python and the brown tree snake. 

I like this brown tree snakes- it has the most cartoon- like face of any snake with its bulgy eyes and smiley mouth. It'd make a perfect amigurumi model!

So now that I have freaked out anyone who is snake phobic (sorry mum) I shall sign off and wish all well and happy crafting!