A Fresh Collection

Breakfast at a fancy new cafe with excellent company

Flowers (from my garden) for my Mum recovering from knee surgery ( I may have forgotten to pick up the flowers I ordered from the florist)

Beautiful colours in the garden, and the promise of Spring

New boots for work - now my feet are warm and dry
Bright 'new to me' place mats certainly cheer up the dinner table

Finished knitting these fingerless mitts, so now onto the lovely red crochet ones from my Winter Yarn Club (better be quick before the next package arrives)

A pom pom flower I made for The Colour Swap. I really think I need one too.

 Loving a long drive way when the door-knockers are about

More night walking, this time along the road leading in to town. It's definitely a bit better lit.

weekly stills @ The Beetle Shack

A Winter Collection

 

1. Feeling the urge to knit and keep cosy
2. Walking and discovering the other end of the Rail Trail
3. Noticing the difference the Winter sun makes
4. Picking up some produce from the local independent supermarket and pinching a rose from the Fire Station garden on the walk home. I love that I can walk to my local shops to pick up a few things or post a letter
5. Winter Yarn Club thanks to Jodie @ Jellywares
6. Simple Lemon cake
7. Couscous is back on the menu, with Mr M away
8. Needing a workout to counteract the cake
9. Getting a wet bottom in the process
10. Mr M is apparently having a wonderful time in Brazil

Stills Collections @ The Beetle Shack

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??????

The Out and About Colletion

Trying to take a photo of a finished project

Taking our  friend Nori, visiting from Japan out to lunch @  The Fairfield Park Boathouse & TeaRooms

   

 New runners and no excuses

 A beautiful day for a picnic on the beach with the Ballerina, my super dooper new Tiffin Tin and refreshing T2 chilled strawberries and cream tea to drink.

 The first beach we went to was too deserted for her liking, and we were none too keen on the rocks either (or the mangroves in the distance for that matter) 

This one was better, but a looooong walk to reach the actual water, which was very pleasant I might add. And there was hardly any seaweed which is a huge plus in my book!

Loving the fact that I now live less than 30 minutes from a beach. Must come back with the runners....

Weekly Stills @ The Beetle Shack with the ever-lovely Em.

A Bits and Pieces Collection

a bit of sunshine in the garden

 conjoined gingerbread men

a  gift for a young friend

 passing on the sewing love

patterns/tutorials used: Monster Ninni & zipper bag

 some special Christmas gifts that make me happy

knitting and watching

playing along with Em @ The Beetle shack

Lacy Knitted Scarf

I have finished knitting my lovely lacy scarf, but please don't look too closely! 

It appears that Winter is back in Melbourne, so I will certainly get to wear it over the next few days at least.

I used Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca, in Basil. The yarn was an absolute delight to knit with, soft and light, did not split, or catch when unpicking mistakes (a rather important feature for inexperienced knitters or complicated patterns)I would highly recommend it.

I purchased it from Millrose Cottage in Ballan, and they provided me with the pattern. 

You can click here for a list of Australian stockists

Knit One

It has been quite some time since I have picked up my knitting needles. Recently, (amongst all of my other busyness), I went on a trip to some beautiful shops between Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat with a bus load of crafty types.  At Mill Rose Cottage in Ballan I fell in love with a lacy scarf and decided that I must make one, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult. 

So wool purchased and pattern in hand I began knitting. Well, after I had managed to untangle and wind the skein into a ball that is. I am sad to say this took up two full nights of knitting time.

This is the first serious lace knitting I have undertaken, not including some lacy dolly undies,  and whilst it is laden with little mistakes, I am finding it very satisfying. I have to   tick off each row of the pattern as I go along, so as not to lose track of where I am up to. 

The wool is a lovely soft alpaca and a delight to knit with. At the rate I am knitting, there should still be a few cool mornings left of the season for me to wear it too.

Linking up to Christina's Made By Hand

Grandma Was A Trailblazer

I absolutely love this cutting from a newspaper from many a year past.

My Grandma Hazel was the queen of make and do!

 

P.S. (My Dad is the cutie on the left)

In My Creative Space - Random Crafting

Working on a secret Christmas Ornament for the handmade ornament swap

 

Here is a little sneak peek. Can you guess what it is?

More embroidered pillowcases for newly weds

 

 

and a little knitty fellow for a reptile lover.

A real crafty mix!

More crafty stuff over here, as always!