Ripple Progress

I have loved this crochet project.  Loved snuggling up underneath it waiting for my baby to call me.  I have enjoyed the colours as they throw a brightness into my home.

Yes the wool ran out, all the balls I thought would finish my ripple blanket.  It was slightly too small for my bed, or perhaps that was just an excuse for me to purchase the same colours again and continue this wonderful blanket allowing it to envelop me this winter.  I really should place it on the bed again soon as I've crocheted a number of rows since these pics were taken.

I'm feeling like I'm fighting a virus or the like at the moment so I'm going to snuggle up again under my bright ripple and let it nurture me as I rest this evening.

Tiny Pillow for playful little heads

 I really like the Bobble-Shell Edging devised by Lucy at Attic 24.

 It was the perfect finish to this little pillow I made for my precious little Eee to use for her little toys as she lays them to bed around the house each day, every day.

 I had just finished making a tension square for a new top I plan to knit for myself this summer.
Not bothering to frog it back, I couldn't see the sense in throwing it out when it would be a simple job to crochet around the edge to join them, stuff with some poly-fill, then finish with the bobble-shell edging.

It makes such a precious sweet pillow for little Emily (I think that's what her name was today!).

Rippling, Relaxing, Resting and Waiting

Here I am resting, waiting, relaxing...still with a very large bump in front of me.

We are enjoying the colours Ess and I have chosen to make a woollen ripple blanket and I am very happy with the 100% wool I purchased from Bendigo Woollen Mills recently. It is excellent value for money, lovely and light wool, not too prickly and without any splitting at all when I work with it. This is a selection of the Classic 100% pure new wool range.

Wishing you a happy week. It is a pretty exciting one for us...filled with anticipation. By next week we will have met our new little cherub.

Hopefully we might introduce you too.

Needles Clacking

If the knitter is weary the baby will have no new bonnet. ~Irish Proverb

Writing a previous post about focus must have been just what I needed as I have found that the last week or so have allowed me some more creative time, space and energy to begin working again on the blanket I have been knitting for little Eee ever since she was a baby. I am determined to finish it this season. We have both been using it lots already as the mornings have been very cool these past few days, leading into the house staying cooler during the day. This is particularly so when the pilot light on our central heating refuses to light and we are left waiting for the tradesman to replace it. (Fortunately it is all repaired as of this morning).

I really love this blanket, as do most visitors we have here, and I will find it hard to give away to little Eee however it will stay around our home for many years to come.

I have even got my hook out also in order to make a little gift for my nephew. I hope he likes his little 'blue' pear.

I'm hoping this newfound energy will last so I can complete some unfinished projects (am counting on the nesting phase to take care of that) and then to create something new for our new little cherub.

The last of the cotton dishcloths

I know I'll keep making more, yet Mel's cloth create-a-long will be winding up shortly.

I really enjoyed crocheting this Tulip Stitch Dishcloth. I think one of the best things about making dishcloths is the opportunity to learn new stitches and styles. My babies have used a sweet pink crocheted blanket over the years. As it was a hand-me-down from my sister's in-laws I do not know the people who made it, even she is uncertain. So I could not find who to ask about the unusual style of crochet. Yet I believe it is very similar to the one used in this cloth. So I am delighted to have finally discovered something which has long been in the back of my mind. Now I might consider making myself a whole blanket...might! There are a few mistakes in my cloth, learnt on the journey into the new style. Yet I have left them as a reminder of what not to do next time and because this will be a cloth I use in my home and not as a gift. I'm pretty sure I've learnt from my mistakes...at least I hope so. That's what they're there for aren't they!

Now on my needles can you guess what it might be?

Here's a different perspective with a hint or two.

The pattern can be found here.

I just love embossed prints and patterns.

I am very glad to have increased my little cloth stash from three...

to ten.

They'll serve me well as gifts for when I'm travelling and visiting family in the next couple of months.

Valentine Heart and Kissing Cloths

How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said. ~Victor Hugo

This little Valentine Heart cloth was a quick knit I did on Valentine's Day. I found it via Ravelry but for non users the pattern is here.

Here is my kissing cloth, the Xstitch cloth I referred to at the end of my initial cloth post, complete and ready to go. I think this will be the first one my husband will use for scrubbing some of those dishes.

So here are a couple more to add to my stash - one knitted, one crocheted. I like keeping all my needles working and both balls of blue wool diminishing at once.

I've a couple more on all my needles as we speak.

Cloth Create-a-Long

There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. ~John Gregory Brown

Over the weekend I joined Mel's washcloth create-a-long. Just like she, I had a big stash of cotton waiting to be made into cloths. I have previously made many and used some as gifts, but a little motivation to increase my pile didn't go astray. The yarn I am using is Lion's cotton bought for about $2 a ball at Spotlight. It is a little course, but does knit or crochet up to be a nice sturdy cloth.

Here is my first cab off the rank. Believe it or not, it is exactly the same yarn as the above, only photographed on a different day at a different time. This bright blue looks almost unreal, the light must have been so bright when I snapped this.

It looks so sweet when it is folded in quarters. This little wedge with a cake of soap on top will make a delightful gift. Sadly the blog on which I found this pattern no longer exists so you'll have to leave me your email address in a comment if you'd like to use this pattern. I think it's my favourite.

On my knitting needles and I have another one on the go.

Just to keep me interested I am hooking this cool X stitch pattern from Celtic Mommy.

My Little Pink Bag and ensuing pretty scarves

Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,

The days pass quickly when I am sewing.

~Author Unknown

Do you remember this rectangle of fabric which I pieced together ages ago using a simple method of Alicia Paulson's?

I have wanted to make a bag with it as the lightweight interfacing makes it nice and sturdy. However which type of bag? It begged for something more, something prettier, than a simple tote, perhaps a drawstring??

However I became creative with my rectangle as I sat with it. A pleat here, a few more there. A fold this way, a matching one on the other side and there was the bag taking shape.

Now, as it turned out not to be a drawstring bag, I needed to devise some sort handle.

So with a crochet hook in hand and some inspiration on a style of crochet from Juliane, I began to hook.

Before long this pretty handle was ready to be fastened to the bag with a few decorative buttons.

and a little lavender bag was popped inside to ensure a sweet fragrance lingered.

The handle looked so much like a scarf according to Ess, that I set about making another longer piece of work so she could have an alternative scarf for her lovely Bella.

Pretty soon there were scarfs all around. The top one was made by Juliane and was my inspiration.

I think Bella wears hers beautifully, don't you. This is exactly the way my precious Ess adorned her.

Now I'm contemplating more little scarves and I'm knitting some leg warmers in the middle of summer. Crazy, I know! Although I heard today that we are expecting lower than average temperatures in the next few months. No-one could complain about that during heatwave season :)

An Advent Tree of crochet, ribbon and lego

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

Last night, on the eve of December, I was busily making final preparations to our first homemade Advent Calendar.

A couple of weeks ago I became 'hooked' into a November Mystery Crochet Project. Not knowing what the result would be, yet having much green yarn on my hands, I commenced crocheting Granny Squares... and this is the result.

What do you think?

I am not sure I would have chosen this project knowing the result, however once hooked I always complete a project.

Our finishing touches last night were to add some messages of Christmas and of love, as well as little note deliverers to each of the 24 pouches. Now the girls will enjoy reading a note each day from this advent calendar. We also use another card advent calendar which contains the story of Christmas read day by day as we open a window on each day leading up to Christmas.

See the tiny little Lego men in each pocket handing out notes. These are the deliverers of much excitement and anticipation. It was Sponge Bob who delivered our note this morning - who will it be tomorrow we wonder?

Ah anticipation! Children bring such a sense of anticipation in all they do and this is particularly evident at Christmas time. They anticipate receiving of course but also decorating our home, making rooms more beautiful, making and giving cards to friends, visits with family and friends. These are the things which make Christmas special and tender.

I hope you are finding space to enjoy this special time of year.

Bringing in Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Living in Adelaide means that Christmas starts much earlier for us than it used to. You see, Father Christmas arrives for a quick visit to the children of Adelaide during The Pageant before he settles into his Magic Cave for the leadup to Christmas. This year we braved 40degC heat to enjoy the parade and what a wonderful day we had. Armed with our big beach umbrella, lots of water in cool bottles for us, as well as spray bottles to squirt anyone near us including the very warm pageant participants, we enjoyed the sights and wonders of the most fantastic street parade I know about. All the floats are so lovingly built and maintained and new ones are added each year. I have never thought of so many Christmas themes until I saw this Pageant three years ago.

At home our days have been quiet and cool - indoors at least.

Yesterday I had a choice to visit the supermarket to pick up a few things I didn't collect a few days ago due to our extreme heat, or to stay at home in the cool and enjoy being creative. Can you guess what I chose? There are now a few more Christmas gifts in the making around our home. I can honestly say that I so much prefer to spend my time thinking and making for friends and family than following a catalogue or department store promotion and buying this and that for people on my list. This is the softness and beauty of Christmas for me - calm, thoughtful and peaceful. How about you?

I stumbled across this November Mystery Project and couldn't resist joining in as I have loved getting back into crochet recently. I haven't crocheted Granny squares since my Granny taught me as a child. Here are my dozen. Pop on over to Sarah London to see what she made.

My creative space contains preparations for gift making. Pieces cut out and ready to sew.

I particularly like this piece of patchwork in a new technique. I don't have the patience, time or attention to detail for the traditional patchwork to be completed beautifully here. So I have picked up on an idea of Alicia's at Posie Gets Cosy. It's not yet complete but hopefully soon it will become something special. What would you make with this?

So while the children played outside in a little splash pool Santa had left them on Pageant Day, I enjoyed the cooler indoors, thinking of those I love and creating for them.

My Sunday was definitely a day well spent. How was yours? I hope you are having days which are soft and beautiful.

Amigurumi Pears

As for my next book, I am going to hold myself from writing it till I have it impending in me: grown heavy in my mind like a ripe pear; pendant, gravid, asking to be cut or it will fall. ~Virginia Woolf

We can be sure this little pear is very ripe. It has taken so long to grow and to become suitable for your consumption. Remember back in September when I showed you his beginnings?

He had a few hold-ups. I am not a holiday crafter. I like to be a tourist and observe my surroundings when away on holidays so he sat at home and awaited my return. In a similar state as you saw him last. But since my return he took shape and sat there smiling at me waiting for his mate. This is the smallest version of a set of three which you can make when you purchase Salihan's pattern. I planned to make a pair of pears. They took my fancy and looked very enchanting sitting atop our television delighting little girls and greeting us with smiles each morning. However I didn't purchase enough green yarn and now with the end of the winter season I am finding it hard to source for a reasonable price. I did however source some red/pink yarn on eBay.

So my little lone pear has some friends...

for a while. They will make lovely Christmas gifts I believe.

Now I am still waiting to find some green yarn as these little strawberries would be perfect in this red yarn. It just looks so like strawberry sorbet to me, the true fresh variety we make in our own kitchen with our juicer and frozen pieces of strawberries. Yes that's all we put in - strawberries alone.

Projects on the go...

Can you guess what I'm making?

I have had such fun with this, honing a new skill by refining my crochet which Granny taught me as a young child. Perhaps one day I'll be courageous enough to show you the rug I worked on as a child. Now I'm exploring amigurumi...just by chance. Lots of fun!

I've used some more of my lovely hippo fabric, to make a bag for all the bits and pieces which came with my new camera.

I do have a proper sturdy lined camera bag for carrying it around in but this is something to hold the instruction manual which always gets so dog-eared and the recharger and the software and other warranty info etc. etc. I'm sure you know the drill.

Once again I thought the simple black and white design so suitable for a camera accessories bag.

The other thing on the go is a lovely little memory banner which Ess has been quite inspired to make. She is drawing from memories of her whole 5½ year life so far, such as her 2nd birthday party and cake, which is so very sweet. Can't wait to see what else she recalls.