Foxs Lane: washer

Showing posts with label washer. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Feeling crappy.

This morning I'm sitting here feeling crappy.

Its Wednesday today and that means that for the past three days the soundtrack to my life has been the sound of poor little Pepper crying. It breaks my heart and at times has had me in tears too, but seriously, the noise.

I'm feeling crappy for the big girls who are desperate to get out of here and into the big wide world to go and do some stuff but instead are stuck at home again. I feel guilty that most of the time I can't play with them because their little sister is so needy.

I feel bad because Miss Pepper just wants to sit and snuggle with me but I am not great at sitting still for extended periods of time. If she'd let me knit then maybe...

I feel bad because I am so tired after all these nights of not sleeping that I am only doing the barest minimum around here and no one has clean undies and we are living on shortcut food.

I feel bad because Bren has so much work to do on the farm but I need him here with me to make marble runs with the girls and take turns with Pepper.

I feel bad because when I went in to Pepper in the night she started crying harder because she only wanted her Dad.

I feel guilty because I know that this will be over in a few days and I know how lucky I am and that I have no right to whinge.

I feel bad that it made me feel so happy to sew this dress yesterday when Bren took Pepper on a drive to the irrigation supplies shop. I loved working with these gorgeous vintage fabrics and sewing them into a dress for my soon to be shop.

I guess one funny thing to come out of all this was the look on my face, and my snort, and then the look on Indi's face, when the doctor told me Pepper has a severe case of coxsackie virus. Say it aloud and you'll see what I mean.

I am so lucky to have my farmer boy who makes me love heart lattes each morning and I am grateful that the sun has come out. Maybe we'll rug up and go for a walk.

Huge thanks to Jodie for this wonderful package of washer swap goodies that was waiting in my post office box to brighten my day yesterday. I love it all, its so sunny and springtimey. Thanks also to Jodie for organising another wonderful washer swap, its been great.

So what's going on with you this fine Wednesday morning?

I hope there's a bit of sunshine in your life today.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

My creative space.

After I finished knitting the long, long rows of plain and purl for the green cardi, I felt like knitting something small and complicated. Something that would make me think and concentrate.

The Vineyard wash cloth fit the bill perfectly. Details here. I loved knitting this pattern of intricate intertwined little leaves that came together so quickly.

This wash cloth is getting packed up with some soap and some seeds and heading to my secret partner in Jodie's Spring Washer Swap. I hope she likes it.

And what's a girl to do when she can't possibly concentrate on intricate pattern but needs a project to keep her hands busy while out and about? Why crochet ric rac of course!

This is for Ms Beccasauras for a little swap we did. A pair of Dortjes for a pile of crocheted ric rac.

And then there's the beginnings of another Olearia. I'm dying to see how the pattern looks in this multicolour yarn.

And finally, thanks so much for the gorgeous messages left here and on Ravelry about my green cardi. I appreciate and love reading each and every one. You guys are the best!

So what are you up to today?

I'm off to Kirsty's to check.

Happy Thursday y'all. X

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Crocheted egg cosies & more.

I've been thinking about ways to decorate our market stall and make it look a bit festive for the last few farmers' markets of the year.

The egg cozy pattern out of the Vintage Crochet book that I bought in Melbourne last week, but haven't seen since we've been home, really appealed to me. I'm pretty sure this is what they looked like.

I love the button detail.

I made these two first but soon realized they aren't really the look I'm after. I think I might put them in the present pile.

I'm thinking about making a few more and then maybe some crochet bunting to replace the fabric ones.

I've also started another washer and just finished these two pot holders. Do you ever feel that crazy panic to make everything you want to make, so you have to do a bit of everything all at once?

A huge Happy 42nd Anniversary to my parents!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

No more school & a bit of baking.

The teachers' thank-you presents were finally finished late last night and then gifted this morning. One each for Indi and Jazzy's teachers and one for the music, art and Italian teachers.

I've got a few more to make but I work better under pressure, so I'll be making them at the last possible minute.

I love how these little stacks look.

I hope they understand the whole hand made wash cloth thing. Recently I was knitting one at a market and more than one person looked at me strangely when I told them what it was.

I had so many sewing plans for the last day before school holidays, but unfortunately Miss Pepper woke up from her nap just after I'd put the washing away, so not a lot got done.

Instead we made cup cakes.

And apricot and peach pies in these gorgeous little dishes we found at the op shop yesterday.

I hope you are having a lovely Thursday.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today.

Today my house is a tip.

Today there is slumber party residue every place I look.

Today my friend's Dad is so sick in hospital and I need to make her and her family a lasagna.

Today I really have to work on my softie. I'm not good at these long projects, I'd be a terrible quilter.

Today I need to do the week's lunch box baking.

Today there is constant chainsaw noise as the trees too close to the house are being cut down.

Today I have not yet seen Bren who woke up and went to work before I opened my eyes.

Today I need to wash the school uniforms as I never got to them on the weekend.

Today I had a lovey coffee with my Mum and Dad and Bren's Mum before they all headed back home to Melbourne.

Today I need to heat set and label more clothes to go to Dear Prudence.

Today I need to food shop for the week and to shop to set up Bren's parents' house across the road which will be our bush fire refuge.

Today I have to pick up the big girls at 3.20 so realistically a lot of this list will be seen again on tomorrow's list. Isn't it funny how some days you feel overwhelmed, where on other days the same list feels ok? Luckily I am having an all is ok week.

The top two washers are the ones I sent to my swap partner in Jodie's wash cloth swap. They are; It's a spring thing and Garden swan.

I made the Little garden girl for our house.

And the Knitted baby feet cloth I made for a beautiful friend who is making Indi's best friend a sister.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Wool, washers & (w)apple doll.

Yesterday we drove to Bendigo and I paid my first visit to the Bendigo Woollen Mills. Bren came in with me, did a quick circuit and then went and sat in the car to read his seed catalogues.

Did you know they have a back room called 'The Bargain Room' full of discounted, not quite right yarn?

Needless to say I spent most of my time in there with the not accurate weights, not perfect die lots and the discontinued lines.

The pile above is from this room. I know it would be a better photo without the plastic wrappers but without the labels I'll have no hope of identifying what's what.

With summer fast approaching (?), the cottons were what I was really after. I came home with these eight huge 200gram balls. While I was a bit disappointed at the time with their lack of colour range, when I got them home and put them on display I was only excited.

Yesterday my washer swap parcel arrived from the lovely Anita. The cream angel washer was quickly snatched up by Jazzy the fairy/angel lover and the coffee cup is just perfect for me and Bren with our coffee obsession. As for the lettuce seeds, let's just say in bio dynamics it will be a leaf day next Tuesday and Bren is excited about another variety to plant. Thanks so much Anita.

Thanks Jodie for organising another great swap.

I thought I'd leave you with a photo of Jazzy's apple doll that was uncovered last weekend when they dug all the old sand out of the sandpit at the local kinder. I can't believe how good she looks considering the fact that she has been buried for close to a year. It's funny that her hair and top survived, while her skirt and pants didn't.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

And incase there is anyone who reads this blog and hasn't entered my giveaway, click here.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Swaps.

Last June when I first started this blog, I wrote a post about some alpaca wool that I had bought and was disappointed with when I started to crochet using it. See photo below.

One of the comments I got to that post was from Jodie, who said she would love to do a swap.

I sent her the wool and so far she has knitted this hat and this winter kerchief using it.

This week I received the most amazing package from Jodie in the mail.

It contained the 2 bowls above that Jodie crocheted from wool one of her friends made using coloured scraps left over from shearing a few years ago. They are such beautiful bowls and will definitely find a special place in my collection.

It also contained the most gorgeous pile of wool, cottons and ribbon, some bought, some handmade. My wool stash is really coming along now!

Thank you so much Jodie, I am thrilled and inspired.

I have also signed up to another one of Jodie's washer swaps. I have a month to make and send a washer and a packet of seeds to my assigned swap partner.

Last night I completed my 3rd ever knitting project, an apple washer using this pattern. Please excuse the wrinkles, I haven't worked out how to block my work yet.

I hope you are having a creative day.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

On Bowls & Swaps.

I am having one of those days where it feels like the pressure is building and I'm being wound tighter and tighter so I'm going to try to get this out in a way that it makes sense in words the way it does in my head.

I feel like I've had a bit of a thing with bowls for most of my life.

I've been on a mission to find that perfect soup, salad and cereal bowl since I've had my own kitchen. I've even been known to accidentally drop one or two that aren't to my liking.

When I was at uni I made a dinner set out of cut-up old blankets that I zig zagged over and over on the machine until they held their own shape. Of the 3 bowls in the set, this is the only one I have left.

One of our dear friends Petrus Spronk has perfected the bowl during his life as a ceramic artist. He has travelled the world for inspiration and is in himself an inspiration to us and our community.

This bowl was a gift from Petrus for Pepper's birth. It came with a broken shard of ceramic inside it to represent the place of Pepper in our family and our place as a family in the community.

I could hold and admire this bowl for ages. It has the perfect shape. The sides have the perfect curve. The base is small but sturdy, the sides are long and smooth. Its surface is cool to touch and it is heavy enough to feel safe and sturdy in your hands.

My own work with bowls is truly a work in progress. I am experimenting with materials, shapes and patterns. I love the meditative round and round of creating the sides, but also how many new ideas come to me during the process.

I am excited to see where this journey will take me and to watch the materials, shapes and techniques that I discover along the way.

In other, non bowl related news, my washer swap package arrived today.

One of the best parts of Jodie's washer swap adventure for me has been the discovery of new blogs and like minded people. When my package arrived today I was thrilled to find that it was from the lovely Tammy. Inside the hot pink box were two gorgeous knitted butterfly washers in the softest bamboo yarn, a bar of hand made soap and one of Tammy's fabulous hand made cards.

Thank you soooo much Tammy I love it all.

Thank you too Jodie for organising the swap.

In breaking news; it seems my package has arrived at it's destination today too.

Check out Selina's lovely blog and her post about it here.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Crochet Methadone.

When I first decided to join Jodie's washer swap I scoured the internet for patterns, filling a whole bookmark folder with the links I had found. I made heaps of them; circles, hexagons, hearts and squares, made with all manner of different combinations of stitches.

This went on for a while and then I discovered amigurami and went off on a different tangent.

So of course when I got the email telling me that it's time to get the gear in the post I had a bit of a panic.

After a bit of looking back and a bit of thinking about what I like to use in the shower I decided on this pattern for a face washer. I made it out of a bamboo/cotton yarn and it is soft and luxurious feeling.

I also made up the sunflower dish washer/potholder from this pattern.

The soap I included was hand made by Kate from Daylesford's Cleopatra soap. It is lemongrass, lime and ginger and smells absolutely delicious.

I'll pop my package in the post when I take the girls to school in the morning. I hope my swap partner enjoys it.

In other news, my lovely friend Doily Steph came over for a visit today.

Steph is a bit of a keen knitter and presented me with the gorgeous wool and bamboo knitting needles in the picture below. She told me she thought I would find knitting patterns a bit more practical than crochet ones.

When Bren came in for lunch he asked Steph why she was setting me up for another addiction?

She laughed and told him she was trying to get me off the crochet addiction.

Ah, said Bren, like crochet methadone.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Little Stitches.

How things have changed.

The other day I was in Ballarat to pick up supplies when I pulled up in front of this shop. Only 6 months ago that sign would have made my heart beat a bit faster. I would have raced inside and grabbed arm loads of those awkward, long bolts of fabric, dragged them through the aisles and to the counter where the checkout chicky would have gritted her teeth at my request for a meter of each.

I would have chosen spots, stripes, plains and florals because I might need them one day.

Like I said, things have changed.

I now know I have plenty of fabric at home and unless I start making women's wear I am set for a long time to come.

This time I was looking for yarn.

These delicious colours in cotton, wool and bamboo.

These small balls are what makes my pulse race now and they are so much more convenient to carry around the shop in a little basket while I make my decisions.

While hunting the internet for crochet washer patterns I have come across some cute teacup patterns which I haven't been able to resist.

The pink one is from here and the purple from here.

As far as I can understand from my small amount of research amigurami is the Japanese art of crocheting little, cute objects. It uses cotton and fine crochet hooks.

After making 2 and a half cups and saucers I have learnt that amigurami single crochet (sc) stitches go through both loops of the previous stitch and that it is best to mark the start of each row, I used a safety pin.

There have been lots of form versus function debates raging through my head while I have been crocheting these mini stitches. After crocheting washers and dishcloths these don't seem so practical or useful but there are some very thirsty dollies about to wake up in their cradles who would love a tea party, I'm sure.

I hope you have a great weekend wherever you are.