What Does The Fox Say?

I love this Mollie Makes book that I got for Christmas bought for myself. I couldn't wait to get started on one of the projects, a knitted fox 'draught excluder', titled Flying Fox. 

 I love a simple, mindless knitting project, and this one was perfect, with some simple shaping and lots and lots of rows of stocking stitch.

   Whilst working my way through watching 3 seasons of Parenthood, (with the Ballerina) I knitted and knitted and stayed up way too late on way too many nights. 

 But I do so love the end result.

  
 Good thing I finished knitting Mr Foxy before the Melbourne heat-wave set in....guess he will have to wait a while before he gets to do his job.

Does any one else knit in Summer, or stay up way too late watching box sets??????

Cutest Ever Baby Knickers

I used the pattern in Pip's first ever ace book: Meet Me At Mikes. 

The pattern was designed by Nichola Prested, and is  quick and easy to make, if only  a little fiddly, particularly around the leg openings.

So now they can be sent off to the twins to wear in warm and sunny  Queeensland. 

Another project to tick of the list. Yay!

A Chilly Collection

1.&.2. Comfort food

3. Loving this book so very much

4. 30 degrees is still not enough to heat a home with so many windows and no curtains, as yet. dreading the electricity bill.

5. & 6. A finished cushion with just the right amount of squish

7. A strange combo of apricots, banana and cashews

8. Bunny planter with a snippet of something from the garden

9. & 10. The nook, as it is now known, a reclaimed section of the garage is a freezing place to be for any length of time, blankets are essential for computering.

Playing along with The Beetle Shack

My Week

 

 

 

 

A week of - trying to stay cool in the heat and in the selling our home. Trying to buy a car for the big girl, trying to manage being back at work. 

1. an old UFO from way back  here  and here  finally  finished, hooray! One less project in the trusty orange basket
2. celebrating with a new project! Round Cushion Crochet Along  the front
3. the back (using up scraps)
4. a reminder for all about keeping the house tidy for inspections
5. taking advatage of a sale - new baby gift in the planning
6. delicious home-made chai. Recipe from Pip's -  Sew La Tea Do book, with almond tea, as the tea canister was empty

Linking up with Beetle Shack stills

My Creative Space ~ W.I.P + Ribbons + Give-away

I have been working on my Birthday Planner/Organiser.

I have been struggling with the titles for each of the 5 tabs, which is kind of like that  blank page syndrome! A few times I have actually stopped to  ask myself 'What is the purpose of this planner?' to try and figure out exactly what it is I want to organise. So far I have come up with three headings and have made a contents list inside the front cover with the corresponding paper tape as used on the tabs. I have put my motex labeller into action!

So far I have:

wish lists
gift ideas
parties

any ideas would be appreciated.

I am excited to announce that I am hosting a give-away to win some of the Collected & Co goodies I used to create my Organiser and I would love you to enter -  here

Collected & Co

There is nothing quite like new stationery in my book!

I have also been doing my least favourtite, not at all creative sewing task. The arduous task of sewing ballet ribbons and elastics onto pointe shoes. I was attempting to watch Parade's End, whilst stitching (and measuring and pinning and adjusting, and re-adjusting) but couldn't really figure out was going on. But I am pleased to report that the new shoes are all ready for Thursday's ballet classes. (look how shiny and pretty they are compared to the worn out ones)I can't imagine going through more than one pair a year, let alone several during one performance. I think then it will be time to teach the ballerina how to do it herself!

 

shiny home of creative spaces

Reading And Pondering

A less than recent find from an op shop, or garage sale, I can't remember which.
An unexpected gust of wind, (when reading at the park) which removed the fragile cover.
A moment to ponder people past, whether real of fictious.
An intruiging tale, interest piqued by a recent trip to the Rock.
A quick fix with some pretty paper tape.
A promise to track down the movie.

Made!

Pin The Pin, Make The Make

via Miss Prudence

This is my completed crochet banner, inspired by this pin, and made from this book, which I got for my Birthday.

I decided that 2013 will be the year of Make and Do, so the banner will serve as a visual reminder of that pledge.

 

 

 

Then I got a bit excited by the possibilities and created this rainbow banner for the new room at my Kindergarten, that was finally finished at the end of last year. 

 

 

I think that it matches our new chairs perfectly!

 

Pin The Pin, Now Make The Make

I love, love, love Pinterest. I am a collector, an organiser, a visual learner. I am a pin board maker from way back. Always cutting out snippets of text and pictures from magazines, the newspaper, the junkmail! Collecting cards and drawings and sketched ideas. As a girl, my Dad made me a huge corkboard, and it was always covered with bits and pieces. Now, I stick those snippets (I am still compelled to complile) into my journal, and collect virtual images on the growing world of Pinterest. The web is a rich feast of pictures, a land of dreams and imagined ideas. Being a visual person, I love that what were once bookmarks are now pictorial reminders, with the link to the website for further investigation or follow-up. Never again will I be baffled by an unknown web address, or foiled by long lists of who knows what!
Now I will pin like crazy, creating new boards and a never-ending compilation of possibilities.

The amazing Miss Prudence has created an exciting challenge for the Pinterest addicts: Pin The Pin, Now Make The Make. It is all about turning those pinned dreams into  reality. Pick a pin, then make the pin, then post the make. Simple really! And brilliant.
 

Source: dottieangel via laurel on Pinterest

Personally I have long been coveting the idea of a crochet banner, like the ones in the Granny Chic Book and many blogs about the place. So this is the project I have chosen. I will be back shortly with a finished project. I always love a challenge!

So do you love Pinterest? Are you playing along with the challenge? Please do, we would love to see what has taken your fancy and spurred you into action!

Limited?

Just wondering.......should I limit making more crochet squares to the 6 colours I have been using, or should I introduce other colours? I have just been playing around with the designs from this delicious book, and don't have a plan in mind of what they may become.

Probably another blanket, because surely I don't have enough!

What do you think?

Autentico!

When invited to a Mexican Feast it is only appropriate that one makes authentic sweets to bring. In this case, Flan and Polvorones (cinnamon cakes)

The perfect accompaniment to tortilla chips with salsa, tacos and enchiladas.
VAMOS FELICIDAD!

 Thanks to my trusty volume "Mexican Cooking" for the recipes. I purchased this book over 20 years ago, after being inspired by the delicious food I ate on a trip to Mexico at the tender age of 19.

Writing and Publishing a Book

You may be familiar with the Children's Picture Book "Where Is The Green Sheep"

My kinder kids love it. Last year I attended an inspirational talk by the author Mem Fox, in which she read the book aloud. It was hilarious. Since then I always ask the children if they want me to read it in my normal or crazy voice. I am sure you can guess which they always pick!

Take a few minutes to read this article that Mem Fox wrote on how the book came to be. How a book of a mere 190 words took well over a year to write! It's a cracker of a tale!

So back to my kinder! We decided to write our very own book, based on the adventures of a "kinder" sheep, a sheep that would have many adventures and guises. We discussed ideas, and then the children got to making their own page for the book, using a blank template.

I brought our new binding machine home and then struggled to interpret the very basic diagrams and instructions contained in the accompanying booklet. I had the teen on the job, and she too was baffled. I turned to Mr Google for help, and tried and tried again. It turns out to be extraordinarily simple!

I can't wait to show the finished book to the children on Tuesday. I hope it is the start of a great new interest for the group. And boy am I keen to get that binding machine fired up again...now I know how!

P.S The sheep is upside down on the front cover as a result of human error (mine) and not by design, although perhaps it indicates that he is a crazy sheep!!!!