going through a yellow patch!

i'm getting ready, i'm packing for an unexpected journey!
my teenage son had to laugh up his sleeve when he saw me packing my knitting bag for a two week trip, and i admit it was the first thing i packed. forget suitable clothes, toiletries and blankets, it's the knitting that i can't live without. at the moment i'm knitting a shawl from a beautiful mustard 5 ply wool and the colour just glows.  it will be sure to brighten up the grays and blacks i usually wear in winter.

fallen leaves shawl in progress

it's been noted that i am a fan of yellow. i have a yellow bag, yellow shoes and lovely yellow roses in my backyard. i was pleased to see that after the scorching summer when they didn't flower at all, the autumn rain has brought out a flush of blooms. these were whipped off the bush and into a vase seconds after i took these photos!

i'll be sharing some more information about my journey in future posts and i'm sure there will be some funny stories to tell...

spring knit and sow

with today being the first day of Spring, i felt rather enthusiastic about pottering around in the garden. the sun was shining and the birds singing etc. so the excitement caught on with Abby as well. we had already dug up the potato crop last weekend, so a bit of light weeding and a sprinkling of lime was all we needed before we could plant some pea seeds under their rather fancy teepee! of course Abs couldn't resist planting some sunflowers along the sunny wall as well as some pansy seedlings i had forgotten about. is there anything nicer than flowers and veges mixed in the same garden bed?

pea teepee

earlier in the week i finished a knitting project (amazing!) that i've been making for Abby. it's a little cropped cardi to wear over dresses and skirts on Sunday on those chilly Spring mornings. it was a free pattern from Lion Brand called the Fresh-Picked Cardigan. i used the yarn recommended (also amazing), called Cotton-Ease in a mauve colour which i purchased from their site. its a cotton and acrylic blend which is soft when knitted in plain stocking stitch, but satisfyingly crunchy in textured stitches. more info is on my Ravelry page (i recommend a look if you intend to knit this pattern because there are problems with it).

blossom cardigan

during the "fashion shoot" i've noticed that there has been a growth spurt over Winter and some Spring dress making is well over due for my little medium girl (yay)!

a new book!

dithering

 today's crafting has been all about decisions; raiding the stash for colours, playing with different fibres and yarns, and paging through patterns.

natural or black?

knit or crochet?

plain or variegated yarn?

i never thought i would say it, but its actually fun to make tension swatches! i've learnt the hard way in the past, it's a good idea to see how the yarn looks and feels before committing to a big project.
one thing i haven't needed to think too much about colourwise, is my BAMCAL squares. yay! i've finally caught up with the last two squares for July.

eight pointed flower

stained glass

these squares were so much fun to make and look quite spring-like. just look at the inspiration in my garden...

early spring blooms

tea and potatoes

today i'm in the garden again and also daring to try a new-to-me craft. i've admired Di's beautiful needlepoint before but never found the right pattern to tempt me. that's until i saw the cutest cushion in Mollie Makes magazine #12 in an interior spread  and thought i'd have a go at making my own pattern. i'll show more of this as it progresses.

stitching in the vege patch

while the weather stays fine i'm also cutting strips from recycled denim clothing to make my own yarn, inspired by forever love, also featured in Mollie Makes #13 (anyone notice a trend here?). this is a messy activity creating lots of fluff, so it's a perfect way to enjoy the sun while still getting a bit of crafting in. i haven't decided what to make from my yarn yet, but i can't wait to try it out!

recycling jeans

denim strips

i think my 'dutch cream' potatoes are really enjoying my company; i've complimented them on their glossy foliage and gently warned them of impending frosts, all the while thinking of mass murder mashing! ssshhhh

by the way, i get my Mollie Makes locally from Albany's Paperbark bookshop or from Brooks Garden newsagent. you have to be fast but its worth it; nothing compares to having that copy in your hot little hand to browse over a cuppa. i know the spin doctors say books will be obsolete in the future, but i'll never give up  that smell of paper and being able to read in bed for hours! thanks for your comment Bec!