Monday, July 29, 2013

a little sangin'...






Me and ma ladies, aka "Dear Cedar" at Open Studio last Friday night...
oh the dreadful wind and rain......

Saturday, July 27, 2013

woolly times

Last weekend my dear knitting buddy and i took a trip to the Bendigo Wool and Sheep Show...all up a very absorbing and woolly affair! We raced around, meeting folk who knit, spin, whittle, peddle luxurious yarns, design knitting patterns, enter knitting competitions, dye wool and  breed woolly beasts! Pure indulgence for a wool obsessed gal like moi...
I was quite restrained in the wool procurement department, very largely due to a few boxes of the stuff sitting at home awaiting transformation!
Here's a few pics!
This gentleman was a real charmer, wearing the viking mail and helmet (complete with beard) made from his own spun yarn! Marvellous!



 The beasts!!
 Weaving by Heather Dunn, preparing for her exhibition in Bathurst. Below is her "leaf litter" dyeing.
 This gorgeous dress was showing at Viewpoint Handmade Gallery in Bendigo. I failed to note the maker of this divine felt and leaf dyed garment (if anyone know be sure to enlighten me!)



And the very modest booty, but very exciting!
 The Fibre Company Meadow: a 2-ply lace weight blend of merino, baby llama, silk + linen purchased from the lovely Alex of ZigoZago. It was so great to meet her and rant and rave wool!!
The colour is Pennyroyal, and oh my goodness....
I am toying with the idea of creating a Seashore Cowl  like the lovely Lori made, combining with the Suri Silk/Alpaca (above) purchased by the most amazing salt of the earth woman, Robyn Betts, gets this soft heavenly stuff spun from her own animals!!
Below is a skein of her MeriSuri, where she has teamed with a friend to make a truly incredible merino and suri alpaca mix. The colour is also enchanting!

And something else a'brewin'.
Knittin' and sangin'. Just heaven. We got a name'n'all.
 Dear Cedar.
Joining Ginny and her Yarn Along: still going with Hitch (very slowly!) and reading a wonderful book written by an incredible creative couple, Australian actor William McInnes and his wife, filmmaker and animator Sarah Watts (who since writing the book has passed away), Worse Things Happen at Sea. Amazingly intelligent, inspiring read!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Lapland in Felt!!

My 13 year old girl has finished her project!
A miniature felt Lapland, complete with a little Saami family, teepee and reindeer!
Let's say it was a mother/daughter collaboration.
The reindeer was needle felted with antlers fashioned out of Fimo modelling clay and the tee pee is covered in scraps of leather all glued together. It was the first time I used a glue gun, and I've gotta say, what a revolutionary move that was! Instant satisfaction!






joining Nicole of Frontier Dreams' "Keep Calm Craft On"

Saturday, July 13, 2013

the heart of winter

The sun has been shining and we've been having wintry beach adventures on the Bass Strait!
LOVE!


The parade of knitwear...someone's mother is a wee bit obsessed....
yep, that's her...





  and a hearty craft project!

We are making a family of Sami people, nomadic reindeer herders from the Arctic! and Inspired by a most divine book: Children of the Northlights by the incredible artist couple Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire. Such incredibly beautiful illustrations!
It seems very fitting we are making these warmly clad folk in the heart of winter, and having just oh so myuch fun with the details! The hats! The embroidery and little shawls. The shoes with the curled up toes for holding on skis, and darned if I'm not going to whip up some little skis any minute!





not finished yet! The reindeer needs antlers, and where's the teepee!!


And!  What's on the needles??

Here is Hitch, a design by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, and appearing in Brooklyn Tweed's Wool People 5: a jumper (sweater/pullover) for moi! It's a very fun pattern, knit in pieces (my lord, seaming!), and a bit of cable and simple lace pattern at the front.
I'm using Rowan Felted Tweed DK in Clay.
Yarning Along with Ginny!
And reading this magnificent children's book by one of my all time favourite illustrators: Mitsumasa Anno. ANNO'S FLEA MARKET. No text just pages and pages of fascinating market stalls in a medieval town square. Love it!

ravelled here


AND Frontier Dreams'  Keep Calm Craft On (very wise advice!)

Saturday, July 6, 2013

off the needles...


Camilla Kid by Carrie Bostick Hoge
Knit with Quince and Co. Osprey in Bird's Egg (a most delicious squishy yarn!)
Ravelled here.

I've been picking up a few graphic novels for adults from the library of late: this one, Fallen Words by Yoshihiro Tatsumi quite took my fancy.


Joining Ginny for a Yarn Along