Busy bee

I feel as though I have somewhat neglected my beautiful blog this weekend.
But fear not my faithful readers- I have been busy crafting and adventuring!!

Firstly: My Hooked Zpaghetti endeavour....
Well I must say that I was a bit over whelmed with it all when the parcel arrived. I was very unsure of what to do with it and how to use such a unique material! It was heavy and thick and unlike anything I have ever knitted with.
But I LOVED it!
After testing a bit out on some size 10 needles I decided it was a bit too heavy for a scarf but perfect for a cushion cover. I made two plain knit squares of 27 stitches and joined them together by weaving some hooked spaghetti yarn between the two.
Luckily I got several cushion inserts for free from work last week so my new covers have a home already!

I will certainly be buying more Hooked Zpagetti .... We love it!!
Two people suggested using it to make a bath mat-great idea!!!!



Secondly my work has begun on my hot water bottle cover for Curly Pops group entry to the Open Drawer Competition and here is a sneak peak of what I'm doing!!
Shhhhhhhh




I went to spotlight and spent too much money with Miss H- it was awesome. I got supplies for next weekends trip to the craft retreat and general spotlight crafty goodies!
Had a fantastic time with Lady S today in Melbourne. We went to the Markit@Fed Square and there were some Great things there( I will write about them during the week). Explored some lane ways,came across the most fab lookin chocolate(looked but didn't buy)&visited Myers new Parfumerie and bought some very expensive but VERY yummy perfume. All in all a great weekend with no housework ! Just how I like it!!

To brighten my day

A beautiful bunch of gorgeous flowers arrived at work for me this evening and I cant stop smiling!

I heart chef boy

Latest purchase

Well I can't remember how I discovered this product earlier this week but I am very excited to try it out!!

Whilst browsing the inter-web I happened upon Hoooked Zpagetti.... An Australia company that sells "a unique yarn made from offcuts of new fashion garments". Basically it is like a spool of t-shirt material in a manageable sized strand perfect for chunky knit and crocheting.

Unaware of the size of the spool or length of the yarn I ordered two spools and they arrived this morning. They are huge! However as it is a chunky knit I will probably fly though them.

So at lunch I will try a small bit out to see what it looks like before I decide how I am going to use it.
Tick tock tick tock ..... Come on lunch time!!!!




*****UPDATE...lunch time experiment



Hmmm so it is a lot less softer than I envisaged. Quite structured. LOVE the colour. I think I will use it for soft furnishings. A cushion cover or a throw perhaps. Ooooh exciting!!!

Mid week wonderment

So my faithful readers I have decided on my hot water bottle cover. After much deliberation and discussion I think I know where I'm going with it.

And here is a sneaky peak of what I found for it. I have to go and buy some felt and decide on what the main body of the structure will be made from.
Phew..... so glad I have an idea at last. The panic was setting in when I saw that two people have entered their covers already!!!finished!!already!!!



Sneaky peak....

So I will get stuck into that this weekend.

I also got my pack from the lovely people at Thread Needle Crafts for the craft day in Daylesford. In it was HOMEWORK!!!

Hmmmmm what to do with this?????
Any ideas???




Do you like my new photo frames?? 3 in 1 eh!!

A little treat, a crafty retreat!

So I have booked myself a treat to celebrate A YEAR IN AUSTRALIA.

There is a great craft retreat happening in Daylesford (the spa captial of Victoria wuuuu). As you may be able to tell I am very excited about this! I will finally get to meet the faces behind some great crafty blogs, have a great creative day,lunch (and merilyn promises afternoon tea and lots of chocolate) AND a GOODY BAG!

Click HERE to read about it all

I am struggling slightly with my hottie cover challenge...........not sure whether to do a soft toy or something cleverly embroidered. AHHHHHHH so much choice!!!

here are some really "different" hot water bottles for those of you who are also struggling for ideas!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="282" caption="They’re part messenger bag, part water bottle left over from Germany’s Federal Defense Force from the 1960s.a 1925 hot water bottle thankfully i am not having to design a cover for this!!!A glass hot water bottle holy moly"][/caption]

 

 

I made you a mix tape....

Well today was a busy but slow day. Chef boy and I have our house inspection tomorrow so there was bit of tidying to be done and then I sat down to finish off some embroidery I started last night. I found a blog called Pepper Stitches and she had one or two cool sketches to embroider. I LOVE her style I chose the mix tape image


Plan is once I master some cool embroidery I will then do some cool cushion covers for our couches and some plain tops to jazz them up.

Last time i was in spotlight I found these cool wooden bangles to decorate yourself. Out of boredom and fear of quilting today I procrastinated and spooled some red thread around it. Voila !





Other than that I kinda took it easy/was a bit lazy- but it's Sunday so that's ok!!
What did you get up to?

Anyone got any ideas for the hot water bottle cover???

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row....

What a day the weather is crazy here! 6 degrees one day and then 20 degrees today!?
I finished the scarf for sister number one but it was a little warm for her to wear it today!!


So I am fairly proud of how the two hoot garden is coming along. I thought it had been a while since I showed you some pictures so here they are!
I moved the carrot and rocket seedlings I have grown from seeds into bigger tubs and the same with my pea seedlings into a bigger pot with supports.

There was a considerable amount of detangling needing to be done with the snow peas I was growing. But after a few fiddley minutes I had them all running up the right supports again.
I'm really looking forward to the rhubarb as I can't wait to start cooking with it!!
Yummy!

Must get chef boy to build me some more garden beds. He did such an awesome job with the first one!




Big broccoli


Rocket, LOTS of rocket!



Spinach for Pop Eye



Snow Peas



The last of the flowers left in the garden



Rhubarb



Chillies



What a gorgeous red

Rain Drops on Roses .... a few new favourite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, Brown paper packages tied up with strings, These are a few of my favorite things......

So not only have I given yoga a go but I also gave the blog a fresh look and came across my new favourite blog!

 Introducing CURLY POPS . I can only dream to have a blog as great as Cam’s. Everything for great tutorials and recipes to general craftyness! AND my favourite part so far : THE HOTTIE COVER CHALLENGE. This is a challenge to create a hot water bottle cover using any art or textile technique by the 24^th of June. All the covers will then be displayed in a gallery and judged! The winner gets a trophy (wuuuuu exciting!) and, I think(maybe I’m making this part up), that the covers then get sold for charity too.

The project is being run by the Open Drawer who are: “A unique centre for quality art and textiles, providing workshops, supplies and the sale and display of finished product and a place for the art and textile community, to come together for sharing and creativity”. Head to http://opendrawer.com.au to check them out.

 It’s all in aid of the Margaret Pratt Foundation. This foundation works to raise money for research of heart and lung transplantation. Entry is only $5.00 and it is super easy to sign up! You just add your name to the list on Curly Pops , email Cam your details and she will post the pack out to you. You can pay via paypal or bank transfer. EASY! It literally took me less than 2 minutes to sign up. The rest of all the information you need can be found at http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2011/05/hottie-challenge.html or at http://opendrawer.com.au/about/goodwill-drawer/hottie-cover-challenge/  

So off I go to get some ideas for my cover !!! If you have any ideas please post them on this comment!

Downward Facing Dog Upward Facing Smile cont…..

 So forgive me for not being able to expand too much on my yoga session last night. Too much to say sooooo little time! So here is a quick run down of my first go at Yoga……

Arrived with Miss H at Yoga place and the smells of incense and wicker mats filled the air. I though “here goes, an evening with the hippies!”. I signed my life away with the Yogee lady’s paper work and entered the studio with an open ( but busy mind). I really enjoyed the session! Although I found myself out of breath for the most part of the session trying to inhale and exhale at the right times. I would have just taken a breathe in and she would say and “inhale and stretch”…. What followed was me rapidly exhaling and inhaling so I could catch up with the next step with the class!

By the end of the class  I did find it very calming but I certainly didn’t find my inner chi! I was too busy concentrating on breathing at the right time, not falling over, learning the positions and most importantly not passing gas while doing all of the above! Oh so many tv shows and films that depict the eager office worker trying out yoga include that cringe worthy passing of gas at an inappropriate time. But of course there was no such moments. The fear of it was enough for me to ensure I kept all my core muscles engaged the whole time though!! Looking forward to it all again next week. Have a visit over to Miss H’s Blog she has written another update to her short story.

 

Chef Boy to the rescue!

Yes my darling chef boy has saved the day today after he found the pearl pendant from my favourite necklace in the driveway.
Last week after my physio appointment I found the chain to my favourite necklace on the floor in work WITH NO PEARL CHARM to be seen anywhere. I crawled around the floor trying not to get upset looking for said pendant but couldn’t see it anywhere. It resulted in me thinking that it had either been vacuumed or taken by the cleaning staff in work and I rang chef boy very upset. He promised to get me a new one but I just wanted the one my best friends gave me for my 21st! Anyway, he found it taking in the bins this morning….apparently it is slightly scratched (I may have driven over it) but I don’t mind once I have it!!


Three cheers for Chef Boy!

Downward facing dog, upward facing smile

So as you can see I have finally started the makeover/transformation of my blog. Yay! Pretty eh?!

Speaking of transformations- I participated in a yoga class with Miss H tonight. Feel a thousand times lighter and "balanced". So a big thank you Miss H!

I will post properly later on.... But for now enjoy the pretty things :)

Nearly finished sister number one's scarf

Diary of a whingy kid &16 balls of wool

Whinge whinge whinge.....
That's what I feel like doing today so apologies in advance:

I will have been in Australia a year in June and I have to say that while it was the right thing for me to do for my career/ to get a career.... it has been at the detriment to my social life.

Moving half way around the world was never going to be an easy task but it's certainly not made any easier when the object of the exercise is not to backpack and party but to find a job.

Of course I have made friends and met people and by gob I'm not miserable here. But sweet Jesus I miss being able to call someone to go for a coffee or wander through the shops with. I have great friends here but when you dont have your entire social circle to call upon your options are limited! And as it gets cooler and winter approaches I feel like I'm in Ireland but then I take out my phone to txt someone and I remember....nope not at home.

I do hope that crafting will open more doors for me and I'll grow a great network of people to meet for coffees and craft with :)

So anyway I did quilting due to my f*!kin back....
But I went to picadilly market this morning- which I have to say was disappointing. Seems like market mums have started all doing the same things and there is little differentiation or innovation in the products for sale now in these types of markets. So I left empty handed!
shame!

So now that chef boy's 2 sisters want snoods I ran to spotlight with miss j and got wool...LOTS of wool. Totaling 16 balls in the end. However- I must say that I got that much because I wanted to be sure that when I start the blanket eventually-I do not run out of wool and find that spotlight don't have any in stock!!
So I started the snood for sister number one this evening and finished one ball of wool already.
It's a lovely chocolate brown this time. So many people have commented on my scarf while i was wearing it this weekend,I am really chuffed!

So excuse my venting ... I will get over it- it's usually worse on the weekend if I get bored. I must keep busy: craft more, blog more, garden more, exercise more, get pampered more and whinge less!
Magnum gold made me feel a bit better while I blogged :)

Two scarves later ...

So as horrible as my bad back was (yes WAS! it's much better today)... I did discover how enjoyable knitting was again. I completed my scarf/snood/cowl -is that how you spell snood!?
It is super super soft and cosy and I'm very impressed at how fast I got through it: started Monday night finished wednesday night!
Thursday I was too sore for work and spent the morning with chef boy before he went to work that evening. Thursday night, by special request, I made chef boy a scarf.
And now his two sisters want what I knitted for myself... So off I go I suppose!

This weekend I want to finish piecing block one of Lenora's quilt and make a good go of block two. Having said that I will not be crouched over my machine of my back isn't completely better :(


I have had a bit of "the fear" this week: feeling trapped at work due to the lifestyle I have now acquired with my good salary and a immense desire to do something creative that makes me happy....happier than the current work environment I am in.

Yes I am aware I can't live off selling people knitted scarves or baby clothes at the slow rate I produce them... And I'm not saying that
But there has to be more than this to life!?

For now, while I try and discover some sort of sense of being and self assurance in where I'm at currently I will let this be my creative output.

I heart blog
Happy weekend !

My scarf/snood or whatever you call a scarf that is one continuous loop!
So many ways to wear it!






Chef boys simple chunky knit grey scarf

Jiminy jilikers it's chilly....

Wowsers my dears it is coooold!!!
So I'm feeling a bit miserable today. My back is sore as you know but I'm just achey all over and my eyes feel like they are going to fall out of my head. Not fun at all :(

Miss H popped over last night with some information on a pilates and yoga class and has kindly asked me along with her to class. Yay. So when my back is not acting old lady on me: off we go to salute the sun and what not!
Check out miss h's blog over at hayleyti.tumblr.com
I especially love her short story but super love her list she compiled on her 29th birthday.

Here is how far I am with my knitting tonight. I had to buy more wool.
Chef boy wants a scarf when I'm finished this one for me. I may try and cast off tonight.
It's very snug laid out on my lap as I knit...I am contemplating knitting a throw for the sofa as this one is so stretchy and snug.

Two balls of wool

Knitting night number two and I'm into the second ball of wool.
Exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chunky needles and wool=quick knitting!
Wuuu
Head feels relaxed, brain feels lighter and overall less tense.
Back is still in bits but I have a painful physio session to look forward to in the morning.

Here is how much I've done this evening....

She told me to meditate so I started knitting

To start this short tale let me begin by stating
- I am too young to wake up in the morning and complain about joint pains
and...
-I am also too young to be half crippled with a bad back. (i'm being melo-dramatic I'm not "crippled" as such-it's just knotted and sore)

So the bad joints thing has been an ailment of mine for 6 years now. Swollen fat fingers, stiff joints, inflammation like part of my hand are on fire. On for days upon days an then unseen and forgotten sometimes for weeks and weeks even months if I am lucky. We have tried and tested lots of things...from steroid injections into the joints to food allergy tests. No the heat or the coldness doesn't make a difference either.
I just accept it at the moment and take it easy on my bad days and occasionally cry to mummy two hoots about it...she is awesome

Anyway whatever--not looking for sympathy just painting the picture of what's happening.
So I have been having Physio/massage on my back for a few months now as it has been tight and knotty and the chef isn't around to rub my shoulders when I get home from work-so I outsource!
My Physio danni is amazing and also does needling on my back too to release pressure in the knots.

Friday night I felt a twinge in left shoulder and thought what a yucky knot. It got worse and today I was in so much pain I begged the Physio to take me. Danni wasn't free but I couldn't care I needed someone,anyone to help. The Physio chatted to me while she prodded and poked and dug her way through the knots in my back. She couldn't hide her astonishment at how bad it was nor could she pretend that he had other people my age with this much tension in their back.

New Physio lady asked was chef boy at home when I got home from work.... I scoffed and then replied "no" and explained how he gets in when I'm going to bed. She said " I thought so, so you have no one to off load to and talk to once you get home from work?".
Nope nada
And on the rare and few days that I do have his company on my return from work I apparently "won't stop talking"
Can you blame me-finally a human being in the house in the evening.....


Anyhuuu New Physio lady explained that in the absence of having this ability to spill or vent any frustrations or stress I have had during the day means that I continue being tense and lack the ability for my body to relax and turn off.

So she suggested I learn to meditate
Hmmmmmmm


Now I did have a corporate resilience day last year in work where we had a specialist come in and talk to the project team about how we can e resilient in life and the work place. The guy training us had overcome brain tumors and had subsequently changed his lifestyle and ethos on life and what is important.
He taught us some meditation techniques and couldn't emphasize enough the importance of it.

Right I thought I'll go to the library and get a cd and give it ago..... And then i remembered my darling and dearest J had started knitting after work so she could wind down.

Well that seemed a hell of a lot more appealing to me then meditating on the cold floor this eve so I sped off to spotlight and got me some wool and needles.

So here is tonight's work......


I will start meditating- i obviously need it- I'm just not sure how to approach it. So for now I will make a scarf :)

No quilting this sunday

So no patchwork this weekend. Not that I didn't want to but I needed to get around to finally re-covering the couch as the cheapo fleece blankets we had adorned it with initially now look just as shabby as the couch did!

So I went about measuring and cutting around the cushions. The complexity of right angles and awkward shape of the cushions with no patterns has stopped me doing this for months.

So here is cushion 1 finished. Phew
Time for dinner now me thinks!



This is what I'm covering up....




***UPDATE****
cushion 2 finished.... Decided to leave dinner till I had finished it.
Jeepers I'm hungry now!!
But yay half way there!!

Block of the month pack 1

Ok so after all the hu ha with reading the wrong page earlier for the star block I have now cut all the pieces except for the mitre block and I have sewn all the star blocks in pack one

Once I got into the star blocks it was quick enough. It's difficult to suss out what material is what from picture of the block on the pack as some of the materials are very similar. But luckily I didn't cut the wrong material- had a close one though!!!

All seems very manageable at the mo. Haven't done the appliquéd heart or flower either but ill tackle that on my next go.

I think I will leave all the embroidery till the end as I'm not sure whether I'll use the words in the original pattern.

Anyway busy crafty sunday!

Time to chill now

Xoxo megs



Not bad for my first star blocks!!


Everything cut and ready for next time!

Measure twice cut once

My first ever star block....So I repeated this mantra over and over in my head knowing that I only had the exact amount of material in my block of the month pack.
I measured, measured and measured again. Spent AGES drawing straight lines and making sure I measure exactly 1/4" where necessary.

Looking three times at the pattern and instructions I had lovingly put in a folder in plastic pages a sudden panic washed over me while working on my first ever 4" pinwheel

"sew the two rectangles to form a 3 1/2" square. Oh god no! Mine were far smaller than that! I flicked back a page -"cut two 2 3/4" squares" oh Feck! I cut 2"squares! I was sure that's what it said

So I pulled all the stitches out. It was too late the fabric had been cut so I decided that I would hand sew the seam much closer to the cut and that would save the day and give me the extra bit needed.

So I spent quite some time doing this and just as I finished and was about to sew the squares together to form a rectangle again I spot that I had been reading the directions off the 6" star block instructions page which was right beside the 4" star block instructions in my beloved folder

SO I WAS RIGHT
God dam it-what a waste of an hour! And now my star block was over sized and not symmetrical.

Anyway crisis diverted. I trimmed the excess material and continued on reading from the FOUR INCH STAR BLOCK instruction page to which all my measurements and cuts were correct....

God that nearly killed me
Here's hoping it gets better from here



Trying to figure out what is what



Measure twice cut once

finished it!

Crafty Sunday

So I was looking back on my previous projects this year and it seems to me that I tend to make stuff on a sunday and I have just realised why.....because sunday tv is woeful!

Ok so here goes the house is clean, well the living room anyway, and I am going to craft today I AM!

Out of my previous list I have completed one of the tasks " keep veggie garden alive" so yay for me.

However I have a lot of crafting to do so on goes a movie and out comes all the books, patterns and fabric.

Will up date you later :)
Tootles!!

Here are a few pix of some of my garden......

My broccoli and lettuce


Spinach and peas


And my little seedlings carrots, red onion, White onion, shallots, rocket and peas. Delighted they finally sprouted was getting worried I would just have pots of dirt there for a bit!!!