Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers..

I was having a conversation recently, on crafting - be it spinning, knitting, sewing, quilting or whatever floats your boat. The question was asked as to whether I am more about the 'process' of creating something, or whether I am more about the 'product' that you get at the end. I've been thinking about that.

Initially I figured I was more about the product - because generally speaking if the end result is not something useful, in some form or another, I am hesitant to make it at all. And then I thought that perhaps I was more about the process - being a monogamous knitter I like to devote all my attention to the process of creating a single thing.

I've since realised that for me at least, the answer is neither. I'm more about the potential and the possibility. I am a pretty tactile person. Self confessed yarn sniffer, fabric toucher and fibre feeler. I'm an evil horrible mother who is making my children share a room so that I can have a studio. On one hand, this is necessary for the business. On the other hand I freely admit that I enjoy having a place I can go to sit and just be surrounded by pretty things, hold them in my hands and let them whisper to me about what they would like to become when they grow up. The intricate designs in fabric, cotton and cool to the touch that feel weighty in my hands. Soft, fluffy, barely there fibre in beautiful colours - some bright and vibrant, some natural and earthy. Subtle switches in colour along the length of a skein of yarn that remind me of a present you have to unwrap - you never ever know just how those colours will move while you are knitting them - until you do. I like to plonk myself down on the floor of my studio and just - touch things. Consider their possibilities, the best way to unlock their potential. It's all so pretty and so inspiring and I always walk out of there fired up about what I want to create.

This is the reason though, that I am a mostly monogamous crafter. When I start something I like to see it through to the end, to give it the attention it deserves, and that it needs. I also tend to attach feeling to random inanimate things, so if I have numerous projects on the go, I imagine they are lonely. Then I feel guilty and stressed. LOL! I also let things marinate in the stash a long while sometimes, because sometimes it takes a while for them to tell me what they want to be. I'll go through various ideas rejecting each one till I settle on the right one.

So here is my weekends fruit, spins from two fibres that have been marinating within the stash for about a year, both of them.

The first was fibre picked out by Master Mayhem when he requested I knit him a 'Bright Green Beanie' for winter this year. It's a 3 ply, fingering weight yarn, and 286 metres in it. Machine washable Merino that was custom dyed for me by Mandie at Ewe Give Me The Knits as part of the 'birthday custom' program she ran last year :)

There is too much there for just a beanie, so he might be lucky enough to get socks out of it too :)

The second is some steel grey natural Gotland Lamb. It has been marinating a while, because I just could not figure out what it wanted to be. I've been warned or clued in to the fact that Gotland loooves to felt. Recently I spied the pattern for some felted slippers, and I knew it had found its calling.

Worsted-ish weight, single spun and 241 metres

That's all from me today. I've got loads of stuff to do today, but I am enjoying the much cooler weather.

I'd love to hear what anyone else has to say about the process, the product or the possibilities though! Which part floats your boat the most? And why?

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Apples and Oranges..

Two quick items to flash on the blog today.

The first - if some of you may remember from a previous blog post - was knit from this handspun yarn.

Which was spun from some superwash merino and bamboo batts from David at Southern Cross Fibre.

It has since turned into a very thick and squishy cabled beanie for the Big Mac, to keep his ears and head warm this winter, ecspecially as he now rides a bicycle to work in the mornings.

The pattern is 'Habitat' by the very talented Jared Flood. It only took me a couple of days but the pattern was actually pretty challenging. (as in - it actually required me to concentrate).

The second finished object is a 'Citron' shawl. In my view, calling it a shawl is a bit of a misnomer. Knit to pattern directions, it's not really big enough to be considered a shawl, but it IS the perfect size to be a wee bit of texture you just throw around your neck to stay warm. And for that, I love it.

The yarn is handspun, not spun by me, but by the very talented Ali (also known as wooliewombat) and was spun from a merino silk blend in the colourway 'Saffron'. The only real modification I made to the pattern was to change the increases to yarn overs because I wanted the little dots to look like seeds, or a ray of light.

I think it worked. At any rate I love it as a finished item and can see it being just the thing to throw on on your way out the door when there's a bit of a chill about during the in between seasons.

And oh yeah - I got a new haircut. :p I like it! (a rare thing for me).

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Water and Wheels

I hope everyone had a great easter! We headed down to stay with my mum and dad over Easter, down to the ocean. The easter bunny came (of course) and delivered delectable treats, and there was darts playing, music and loads going on. We went to the Foster Craft Market, where the kids played on the playground, jumped on the jumping castle, and rode on the wee train run by the rotary club. We also bought the kids a kite each, then headed down to the beach so the kids could fly them while we were waiting for Dad to come back in on the boat.

The kids also collected shells, watched the stingrays fly under the water near the boat ramp and generally had a grand old time when we were away.

Since coming back, things have been busy and flat out. The weather has cooled significantly, which means it's now officially soup making and knit wearing weather - yay! And I've managed to squeeze in some knitting time (everything yet to be finished) and some spinning time too.

This 'Magic Ball' from Ewe Give Me The Knits

I split into three, spun each part, then plyed together. The end result is a very groovy rainbow style gradient.

Which I have named 'Space Invaders'.

Also, yesterday saw the first Farmers Market for Bendigo. We popped along and scored some fabulous currant buns and sourdough from Redbeard Bakery (my fave) tried a while host of preserves and stuff. By the time we got there most of the produce was sold out, and we tried for a snag - we really did! - but it was a case of first in best dressed, and at the time, we were neither. Next month though - we'll be back!

Today though, we headed out to the recycling centre here, in search of a 'good enough' bike for the Big Mac, to get him to work and back. We found an old racer style bike for him which was great, but we also spied a very groovy retro bike for me. Once I saw that it was in fact candy apple red ( I may be just a little obsessed with that colour) I decided it had to come home with me. It's quite old, but in good condition, ecspecially for its age. Master Sports brand, made in Australia and very cute! It's quite the cruiser :)

That's me done for tonight, but I'll be back soon. For more info on any of the above pics, just give em a click and they'll take you through to flickr.

I've got a date with mah spinning wheel!

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Pic a posy (image heavy)

It has been a big few weeks around here. Both creatively, and life wise.

The last three days have featured some pretty heavy migraine duty going on which is never a good thing. I suppose I didn't really need the nutrition out of everything I ate according to my body, but it's certainly a nuisance getting rid of it. ~sigh~

The bad news is - our car crapped itself a couple of weeks ago. This is not your standard 'oh man that's gunna take a lot to fix' type of curling up of toes, but the big nasty 'it's going to cost more to fix than the stupid thing is worth' type of toe curl. So, the 'bloocah' as Master Mayhem called it has now gone to god, or the wreckers as it were, and we are now car-less aside from a car generously loaned to us from my father in law.

The good news for this is that Mayhem and Chaos is now offering awesome prizes that you go into the running for by signing up to our next sock club. It's going to be an 80's themed sock club, three months of yarn and treats mailed to your door. The segway of course of this being that it helps me get funds towards a new car. So if you want to have a chance at winning some Wollmeise, sulky silk and camelspin, or alternatively fabulous fibres by M & C, Southern Cross Fibre, Ewe Give Me The Knits and Ixchel bunny - not to mention the gauruntee of some seriously sexy sock yarn - check it out!

Moving right along - I participated in the Ravelympics. Timed to co-incide with the winter Olympics it's run on Ravelry, and you can sign up for different events. I signed up for the spinning, the sock challenge, and the challenge of finishing a work in progress. The only one I even knit a stitch on was the work in progress, but I triumphed, and on the final day I pulled one blocked cardigan off the floor, sewed on buttons and wore it proudly. I also think it looks awesome over my favourite black dress.

The yoke is knit from a handspun corriedale in a 3 ply I was sent in a handspun swap. The spinner was Verabee, and the yarn is spun from PigeonRoof Fibres in the colourway 'Vitals'. The rest of the red yarn is Bendigo Woolen Mills 5 ply Classic in 'Cherry' and the gorgeous buttons:

are from a second swap. They were sent to me by the lovely Liedra who is currently living in Belgium. They are vintage buttons, handmade in the 1920's that she bought for me on a recent trip to Paris. Things like that tickle me pink and I treasured them as soon as I received them because of their history, and how far they came.

I made up the design on the fly and am calling it 'CandiCaneCardi'.

Once that was done, I was itching to cast on something quick, but interesting. Miles of stockinette and garter stitch like in a cardi DO tend to bore the hell out of me, no matter how worth it the end product may be. Now, Miss Chaos seems to have this thing happenning whereby whenever you put her in a beanie she winds up looking like a hobo. For whatever reason the shape of a beanie makes her look kinda bedraggled and what not. Regardless of how practical they may be! I had been wondering what a Tam / Beret would look like on her. So I pulled out a skein of Mayhem and Chaos Socky Goodness in the colourway 'CherryBomb' and cast on a 'Snapdragon' Tam for her, pattern by Ysolda Teague. (I love Ysolda's patterns, so much). It was a small enough project to satisfy my desire for a quick knit, but certainly interesting with its intricate cables.

I obviously modified it, given it is an adult pattern written for worsted weight yarns. I knit the band on 2.5mm needles, and the rest of it on 3mm needles, and the Socky Goodness is a 4ply or Fingering Weight Yarn. I knit the largest size given, and it was a really enjoyable knit!

I think the end result suits her down to the ground. It's a perfect fit and can be pulled forward and over the ears to keep them warm quite easily, and as much as I may hate to admit it, she DOES rock the pink. She seems to like it too - judging by the fact that it had to be wrestled off her before she went to bed the night it was finished, and she begged me to let her wear it to kinder.

Finally, I realised that it had been quite some time since I had really sat down and done some spinning. I pulled out some 'Coffee' batts that I actually managed to snag at the second to most recent Southern Cross Fibre update. (For those that don't know, David's Southern Cross Fibre updates go so fast you generally don't even get time to see the stuff, much less buy it unless you are an itchytriggerfingered ninja of the lightning fast variety)

I plan on making a cabled beanie for the Big Mac this winter and the fibre was lovely and tweedy and brown, so I spun it into a worsted weight 2-ply yarn, because I think it will be perfect for the pattern I had in mind.

It's luscious and tweedy and oh so soft - a blend of Superwash Merino and Bamboo Viscose that I can't wait to get on the needles - just as soon as I finish up this shawl that was accidentally and rather sneakily cast on while I wasn't paying attention. Ooops.

There will be another blog update soon, I'll have some details to share about a HUGE project that I've been stealthily working on for ages after tomorrow night.

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On Turning 30 and the simple things in life..

It's been a busy and often hectic few months. There was kindy break up, chirstmas and new years and all the hilarity usually involved in those times of year. There has also been the launch of the first Mayhem and Chaos yarn club, and two sizable updates in the shop thrown in there too. There was also the non stop hunting for and applying for a new house, which took all my time and got very scary in there, followed by the subsequent moving to a new home as well. In that time there has been no small amount of dye poured, tea poured, miles covered and tears shed. Much of the time, most things had to fall by the wayside in order to reprioritise other things - like finding a new roof to put over our head. Out the other side of all this, I have emerged to look around me, and be blindsided by turning the big 3-0.

It's a fairly momentous thing in my life, this turning 30. It's not something I dreaded or feared at all, I have always maintained that women only get ~really~ interesting after they turn 30. The last few weeks in the lead up have seen me re assessing things a little more. Wondering what lays ahead but for the first time in a long time, appreciating what I have right now, and letting go of a few things I've been hanging on to, and shouldn't have been. It's very cathartic.

I've realised that I really do enjoy some simple things in life the most, and that there's naught a thing wrong with that. I've come to the conclusion that some people really do enjoy playing high school games, some people really do enjoy being miserable and negative, and I need to let go of my annoyance with that, and just move on and leave them to it. And I've decided that when it comes to my family, it's ok to fight for the things that I believe in, to state my thoughts and opinion, and that I have just as much right to be heard as anyone else.

I'm wondering if this is a midlife crisis, (of sorts) but have decided if it is, that's ok too. Some people get fast cars and faster women (or men), I get emotional and mental revelations. Fair enough.

Enjoying simple things is something that many of my lovely friends understand about me, judging by the gifts I have received. From my mum and dad I received a new food processor and blender combo - my previous one was killed from over use through time, so I am pleased to have a brank spankin' new one, and wasted no time at all in cranking out something tasty.

From my sisters I received the first series of Miami Ink on DVD, and a Dymocks book voucher. With the voucher I went and bought myself a recipe book I had been eyeing for a while - 'Apples For Jam' by Tessa Kiros. My husbands lovely family gifted with another of her books also - 'Falling Cloudberries'. Both books are filled with stories behind recipes, beautiful photography and fantastic homely recipes that cross many cultures. As a bonus, both books are extremely beautiful to look at, too.

From another of my sisters I received some delicious loose leaf tea, a brand spanking new beautiful teapot, and some matching tea mugs. From a gorgeous friend of mine Darrow I received a tea tray, some madagascan vanilla loose leaf tea, a big infuser, and a mug that is more of a BUCKET than a mug. It seems people know of my love for five minutes quiet (when I can get it) with a hot strong mug of tea. Is there anything better, I ask you? It forces you to just SIT for ten minutes, assess your day, and just be a little more aware of your surroundings.

Not pictured but loved just as much I was also gifted with two free fiddle lessons from the lovely Gillian, a beautiful necklace from the stunning Jen, and some cashmere to spin and a felted project keeper from Susan :) I have most certainly been spoiled!

Last but certainly not least there is the gift I received from my husband (and children, by proxy) which detracts from the running theme of simple pleasures being the best. Co ordinating it was not simple, and it in itself is not simple either - intricate and detailed is a better description.

After five hour in the chair, I have a complete outline which I love. More pictures from start to finish coming in a month or two when it is fully completed on glorious colour.

Adios!

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A Stitch In Time..

It's been a big week around here. There's been knitting, there's been new additions to the household, and there's been cake of the birthday variety. Lots and lots of cake.

Wednesday of last week saw my wee boy, Master Mayhem, turn 4. He was such a tiny baby - 5lb 9oz when born, and even the 00000 size baby clothes swam on him. But so cute!

He was an IVF baby, and we tried for many years to get him. I remember saying when he was in the special care nursery when he was born that he was sooooo quiet. He almost never made a peep! I was assured that would change and it did. By the time we got him home, colic kicked in and he routinely screamed the house down every night from 9pm till 1am. We got that sorted out with the help of a chiropractor, and things were pretty good from then.

Until of course, he learned to roll. And then we got the first inkling of the daredevil within. He would roll at lightning speed around the house, getting himself wedged under coffee tables, entertainment units. I would go to the toilet and come back and he would be, just.. gone. I would have to search the whole house to find out where he had rolled to. It only got worse once he pulled himself up and started cruising the furniture! Then he got into the pantry, and the fridge, (and the cat) which was a sign of things to come.

Since then there has been numerous emergency room trips - the screw he got out of the kitchen cupboard hinges then deliberately swallowed - the faceplant into the fence outside that split his head open from eyebrow to eyebrow - the faceplant into the coffee table which cut open the underside of one eye. The measles. So far, no broken bones, touch wood.

However, he is a fiercely affectionate kid, who is only too happy to hand out kisses and cuddles, and who often tells us he loves us. (he tells the cat too, but thats besides the point) He's really creative, he loves music, and has impeccable manners 80% of the time, almost always using please and thankyou.

Like most kids he loves a good chocolate frog, 'pink milk!' (strawberry milk) and of course lollies, but his favourite food remains broccoli with cheese sauce, and he will knock over a hot jam donut faster than I can :p

Happy 4th Birthday my boy! (how'd you grow up so damn fast?)

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Since I finished the Swallowtail for my sister, I had not knit anything. I felt a bit knitted out after the mammoth effort it required to finish in a short spanse of time. As often happens though, during the week, I had a moment where I HAD to knit, and it HAD to be handspun yarn. I have little fits like this sometimes. I had a skein of beautiful merino and seacell sitting here, in about a sportweight, in really subtle dark colours. I cast on a pair of mitts, and less than ten rows in, Mac proclaimed they were 'his'. I was dubious he would continue to like the colours as they were knit, but I was wrong. The seacell has knit into a really soft gorgeous fabric, and the sizing and colours suit him right down to the ground. They were a quick, and immensely satisfying knit.

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Finally we have a new addition to our household. On Thursday I took a little drive and picked up she who has now been named 'Stitch'.

She is a 7 week old Jack Russell mix, cute as a button with a lovely nature :) She has made herself quite comfy in her new home, follows her chosen favourite (Master Mayhem) around everywhere he goes, and his adoration is certainly mutual. We are in the process of beginning to train her, but that said - she has most of us wrapped around her wee paw (particularly Mac - it's hard not to love someone who is smaller than your foot and has big brown eyes, huh?)

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For Whom The Bell Tolls..

You know, I'd love to have a big cottage garden. A massive vegie patch out the back, filled with potatoes, plump carrots, brightly coloured capsicums, piles of tomatoes for eating straight, and making sauce. And elsewhere within the garden, fruit trees, laden with goodies, spring being heralded by massive shows of tulips, daffodils and irises pushing their way through the earth. Huge climbing vines of roses in loads of colours (particularly yellow), a big kitchen garden of herbs in every flavour, along with Lavender, pansies, gorgeous colour and flowers.

There are a couple of obstacles to this though, not the least of which is the fact that big mac is allergic to bees. You see, I have been living a double life. I am of course, me - music nut, knitter, spinner, sewer, food freak. But although I might try to hide it I also have quite the black thumb. One might go so far as to say that I am the botanical grim reaper.

Got a plant you want to die, quickly and horribly? Give it to me. Through over loving it, neglect, or plain stupidity I will manage to kill it in under a fortnight. They catch horrible diseases. They wither and crack. They burn, they get mould on them, they flatten out onto the earth and sometimes - they plain just up and vanish. 'What the hell? I swear to god I planted a gardenia here two days ago? Now there's just a hole?' I am of the opinion it upped and ran as soon as it got a chance, one moonlit night.

A few christmases ago, my mum gave me a lovely planter box, filled with four different varieties of herbs. Surely, thought I, this lot will live? They were a GIFT after all? And so began my battle with a neighbourhood tomcat. Who decided on top of my precious herbs was the BEST place to sleep. Every morning they were curiously flat and I got up really early one morning and discovered him asleep, and discovered the WHY for the flatness. So I moved it up higher, onto a ledge. He knocked it off the ledge, thus tipping the herbs out, and went back to sleep. I replanted the herbs, put them up even HIGHER, and he did this little trick again. After the second replanting, I put chicken mesh over them. He pissed in the planter and every last herb died. I guess he really did show me who was boss. I can compete with many things, but tomcat urine is clearly not one of them.

When we moved into this house it was February, In the middle of one seriously hot summer. The weekend we moved in it was above 40 degrees celsius both days, and water restrictions were in full force. So, you see the tree out the front never really had a chance. It was a really young tree, you see, and it was already convulsing when we moved in. It was the heat that truly did it in, not me. Although I suppose Master Mayhem ripping it out of the ground didn't help? At any rate, it did leave a round paved area of garden bed in the front yard looking rather bare.

Meet Barry.

Barry is, as you can see, a lavender plant. He is also, however, a hostage of sorts. You see - I said to Mac that if I could get Barry to live, maybe I could try again, you know? Get some more plants. Maybe some pansies, or again with the herbs. But first, Barry has to grow.

Here he is, freshly planted, and has been told of his fate. Live? Get friends. Die? Bin. He looks confident in rising to meet the challenge, dontcha think?

Still. I'm sure any thoughts you can send Barry's way would be appreciated. It's a lot of weight for a $6 lavender from Bunnings to bear all on his own.

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