This Autumn, to fill in my long and dark evenings, I am finally conquering my goal to learn how to knit.  I have been shown numerous times how to cast on and off, and how to do various stitches- however nothing has really stuck.  So I thought if I teach myself (again) and stick with it, then maybe just maybe I can carry on the tradition of knitting in my family!  I started with a knit stitch, following the instructions here and made a pair of hand warmers…

my first knitting project

And then with the left over wool I made a lil jumper for my partner in crime, best cuddler in the world, and cheekiest monkey around, Marvin…

The next project is going to be a wide scarf with huge tassels or pom-poms attached to the end…  The problem I have is figuring out how much wool I need for each project,  I will have to do some further research (maybe a trip to the local op shop is in order- a cup of tea with an experienced knitter will set me right I’m sure!).  The scarf is going to be made from a purl stitch using these instructions, and with fancy wool (40% possum, 50% merino, 10% silk)  Will keep you posted, till then keep warm x

I have long been a fan of soft leather and sequins and often pondered ways of combining the two, with out looking like a thrift store haberdashery fiend; I think this collect is the best relationship Ive ever seen between the two.

This full length vest is even more amazing; shape and form but still super sloppy- love love love

When you know its love, you’ll do anything for it…  I am on a mission to find my one true and bring it home with me.  Thank you NOM*D  (p.s you should check out the awesome collection and video of the runway show at: http://www.nomd.co.nz- where these images are curtsy of x.)

i was looking around my desk/ creative/ studio space the other evening and decided that my collection of draw shelves would be a wonderful way to start! the shelves are made from the draws of an old desk; re stained and the back covered with some vintage wall paper i have collected. they are then packed full of werid, wonderful and sentimental curioso’s aquired by me over the last few decades or so.

enjoy my first collection

the african violet (left) was a gift from my mamma. she grew it from a cutting and had kept it for years without it flowering. i brought it home with me after a visit in the depths of winter; and low, it flowers for me in the spring!
the geranium (right) is not actually a geranium, but i cant remember its real name; and they are related anyways. this was a cutting i took from the neighbours garden last spring. i went for an early morning walk and was so startled and pleased by the amazing deep color of the flowers that my green fingers just couldnt resist growing my own!

enough of this pottering about however I have work to do; the sun is shining and the sky is blue, the more I get done the sooner I can be home with you x

we are just past the middle of spring, and i swear in the last few months it has been colder than the middle of winter! I can prove it too…
i was celebrating another year of life in the middle of winter and it was a lovely sunny day. I wore shorts (albeit with tights, i mean c’mon!) and we were drinking bubbly in the sun at four o’clock.
last weekend, on my way to work (grumpy as it was a saturday morn’) it was only three degrees; there was a gale traveling straight up from the arctic, freezing torrents of water were pouring down and it just got colder as the day went on! truely!

it is another grey day today, but it has definatly warmed up; so cant really complain! Especially as the sunsets on days like these are beautiful. I was in a parking lot the last grey spring day we had there was the most beatiful rainbow! A double rainbow in fact!

but then a quickly as it appeared, it was gone; and the sky was replaced with gold! beautiful x

I thought I had broken my back gardening; but infact I had a kidney infection! O my it was sooo painful. So I have been resting in bed and eating grapes (apparently they help) but I still cannot manage to keep a thought in my head.

I will be a much better blogger from now on…promise! x

I must confide; one of my irrational fears, aside from outer space, is taxidermy. I was in a whirlpool of feelings when I saw a store dedicated to the art in my travels! However I also must confide, not being too much of a reality tv fan, Fear Factor was something Ive always thought I would consider being on! So this was the perfect opportunity to test my metal!

I had a lovely chat with the store owner, there were four of them in the company and they get comissions from all over the country and further afield. He said it was a family business and they work out the back…he seemed to sense my squirmishness and didnt offer me a tour- that would have been too much! I was some what relived to see the sign “NO TOUCHING” and decided to respect their rules!

It smelt funny, and I couldnt help but feel sad that these beautiful animals had their lives cut short, some murdered in their prime, to become someones trophy! I cant understand hunting- so I guess it makes sense that I cant understand why anyone would wanna display the evidence on their wall! Each to their own I guess! It was a pretty crazy, movie like experience in the middle of no where!

So exotic- such a waste!

Still though, am not getting any work done that I have had planned for ages! I am tryin…
When I move out of a suitcase and back into my place I will be back on form!

Till then adieu x

Here are some that would do me nicely, thank you x

They were so fun to make; I had a lil factory set up and went crazy! Maths was never one of my fortes, so to speak; and due to some mis-calculation, I made many, many, many flags! Flag-tastic! There are about 12 meters of flags shown hanging here, and I have a pile big enough to make about double that again- oops!

It was very relaxing; coming up with different fabric matches and making some really pretty ones. My favorites are the ones made with black lace and pink satin, or the doily printed linen, and the brown posy fabric, o and most of them really!

I think I will give strands of flags to my lil buddies when they have their birthdays! Currently they are hanging over my bed and every morning I wake, look up, and get a lil flicker of happiness! yay; what a nice thing to give to someone, what do you think?