Crochet

Blessing Bowls

Iddy Biddy Bowls

Starburst Cushion Cover

(pattern in Mollie Makes mag)

Teensy Tiny

Le came to visit and commented on the crocheted tea cup l'd created, so l retrieved it from my studio to show her and she rolled her eyes (in a nice way!) and said "l know you like making small things but l had no idea it was this tiny..you have to take another photo with a 5 cent piece to show the scale".  Well l chose a button somewhere between the size of a 5 and 10 cent piece and then had to create some more to see how they looked in different colours.......

Tea anyone?

Secretly Crocheting

Well while I haven't finished the last birthday retreat post- (I'm having trouble getting photos and text in the desired position and I am wondering why the text size keeps changing right before my eyes and it appears differently on the post as it does while I'm actually writing the post which makes it all look a bit higglety-pigglety.........aaarrrhhhh...............) Anyhow.......

I have been crocheting like crazy while pretending to be staying up late watching the tennis (Australian Open). Here's my ta-dah's..........

Here's my first project in progress. I was enjoying a moment of quiet while little miss 1 was sleeping and little master 5 was playing with Dadda. I had a wonderful view of the mountains from the decking and I was enjoying the changing colours of the summer sky. Just moments before it was what we call the Golden Hour. It's at about 6pm in the height of summer when as the sun falls below the tree line and sets down the valley, golden ribbons of light weave their way through the canopy of gums and highlight natures bounty right before our eyes. It is truly beautiful.............



Here 'tis. I love it's cheery colour. I bought this stool from the op shop about a year ago for $4 with mind to crochet a cover for it. Finally it sits proudly in our row of stools at the breakfast bench and it greets me happily when I walk in the door.

Now there's more to come but it's now lunch time and we are all hungry. Little miss 1 has just woken, master 5 is playing Lego. So while it is too hot to play outside we will retreat for a few hours until it's more pleasant to head outside and take a splash in the river.

x Le x



40th Retreat Day Two November 24 - Part One

Thursday 24th November


The dogs next door managed to wake me at 7.30am- not impressed considering this was my first sleep in without children since hmmm, 2006!!! I actually woke quite a few times in the night. Right about when gorgeous little miss 14months would wake a for a cuddle. Our goal for today was to get to the hot springs, early and this was our best attempt, 9.00 ! 

9.05am- And here we are. Not quite the early birds we thought we'd be (in by 7am out by 10am = $15 refund on $30entry....tomorrow maybe?). What a gorgeous place and can you see us there in the very top pool- 41c, 360degree view of the peninsula and only a few clouds in sight. And oh the relief.... ....ahhhhhhhh, just leave me here all day.

Amazing what you'll do when no one is watching!! We indulged in some much needed yoga poses. 14 months of sitting all scrunched up breastfeeding and picking up baby and my big 5 year son who still loves cuddles (thank goodness- never stop cuddling your boys) had been taking it's toll and especially now I was 40, I could feel it all- everywhere!! Em's quite diligent at doing her stretches and inspires me to get onto it.

My favourite was/is the Reflexology Walk. An underwater path

of varying pebbles and rocks that aim to tickle or torment all parts of your foot. I know some people can't stand it but my favourite thing in the world is having my feet pampered and tickled. I absolutely love it. I could have it done to me for hours and never tire. Such is this path that leads to the thermal pools- it's a tease, a little taste of what delights lay ahead. And look at the beautiful native plantings- just gorgeous. Yes Em, I've made these pictures small for good reason :-)

The detail is not lost. We noticed the robe hangers are lovely smooth rocks and thought this such a good idea especially as Em has an outdoor shower at her place and her lovely husband is a talented sculpture ( Juet Sculpture ) who has created many wonderful outdoor garden rooms on their block.

We had a marvellous time. A total of 2 hours of bathing in pools of varying temperatures. Oh and the Turkish Steam House- ooohhhh yyyeeeaaaahhhh. A large domed room filled with steam and lined with marble benches, marble sinks and a huge, flat, hexagonal marble 'stone' right in the middle at about knee height. We took turns laying on it and ceremoniously poured cool water over each others body's from head to toe. Oh the sensation of cool and hot all at once was both relaxing and invigorating simultaneoulsy- wierd!! We could do this again and again.........

11.30am -  Breakfast- yes this is holiday breakfast time. We drive to Sorrento for breaky and a spot of shopping. Unfortunately we didn't take any photos of our first breakfast away as we were too busy enjoying a lovely ocean view on a glorious sunny day. A really good coffee for me and that delicous Calmar Sutra Chai for Em. I had mushrooms on sourdough toast w/ free range bacon and soft poached egg and ditto for Em minus the bacon I think.

the Sorrento foreshore with the Queenscliff ferry

While we ate we thought we may as well ummm hmmm, shop I suppose!!!

There was colour everywhere. It's what I love about beachside towns. They embrace colour, bright cheery colours that put a skip in your step and make you feel happy. And that's just what we felt - springy, skippy and happy.

We tried on clothes, tops, pants, scarves, tunics and bought things. We both had birthday money to spend so I spent some of the money my mum gave me on a Vigorella tunic and a long, soft, floaty scarf edged with crochet cotton. Em bought 2 tunic tops, hmm can't remember if she got this one she's trying ( did you get this one Em and was it 1 or 2 you got from here?????) I love Vigorella. I have about 10 pieces now that I have gathered over the last 2 years. They are floaty, feminine, easy care and flattering. I've bought some retail and some on ebay.

Em sipped on a lovely latte as we strolled the sun-drenched streets

We looked in book shops, sat on outdoor furniture we couldn't afford and soaked up the rays.

Ok I'm outof time now so stay tuned for Day Two Part Two ........

xx Le xx

A River Somewhere

Le, you forgot to mention the guilt...were we still feeling it at this stage?  My memory is clouded....but of course, we must have been !
We're just back from another camping holiday at the beautiful Howqua River....
I crocheted all the way there and the kids kept asking me what l was making..is that a bowl mum? are you making a basket?  I finished just as we rolled into the bush campsite (complete with pit toilet) and revealed its title and purpose.  Miss 13 rolled her eyes and said "why!?" with the sort of face that only teenagers can do and miss 11 said "but what do we need it for?"



...just because....

(l didnt see Miss 13 rolling her eyes as she strolled down the bush track swinging the toilet paper by its crocheted handle on her way to the pit!)

Mr Bags and Bags (its a long story) was happy with his solo fishing expeditions...



a brown and a rainbow trout



Surrounded by many beautiful rocks and inspired by the blog Resurrection Fern, l had a go at a rock cover...

And because l love making teensy tiny things l had the idea of creating a little tea cup....

Master Six was pretty proud of himself as he embraced the water....

And my favorite saying (after reading Eat, Pray, Love), crocheted as a gift to me by the beautiful Le, hanging pride of place in the camper above our bed as a reminder to not feel guilty lying in and reading til 11am...



Bel Far Niente...The beauty of doing nothing!



Ciao!

Day One November 23- Part 2

 And so it continues straight on from the other post a few days (maybe a week or 2 ago). By the way, nice post Em. Your bowls are very gorgeous. Actually can I show off the ones you made for me?

I love my delightful little bowls. Aren't they sooo sweet. They sit on the shelf at our desk in the lounge room and fill with buttons and bells, bits and bobs that will evenutally get sorted. Do you spy the one to very left of the 2nd photo. I've been a bit inspired and have been going around and round myself.

So Day One, Part 2............

12.30pm - Post pedicure we floated across the road to the little parisian cafe and sat ourselves cross- legged at the bench right in the window so we could enjoy the sunshine. Actually it was to oogle the clothes shops opposite that we were going to bombard and have a go at ACTUALLY TRYING ON CLOTHES sans children! Oh the excitement was almost too much. A rather lovely coffee and delicious shared platter later we spent 2 hours, woohooo, browsing, trying on clothes, jewellery, fondling beautifully soft handbags and having abit of a laugh at ourselves as it had literally been years since we've tried on clothes together and post children, it's whole new experience!!! Did we make a purchase hmm, actually no that's right. We knew we had a whole week of this ahead so we kept our purses shut and troddled on to pick up the key from a friends place.

3.30pm- Now 5 hours after we left home we had only cleared about 20 km!! Not bad, no stress, no time limits, no children to feed, no sleep routines to follow. We picked up the key at 3.30 and were prepared to head off straight away but Rach had a birthday pressie waiting on the doorstep for me. Awww! It was a gorgeous framed hand-dyed silk butterfly created by our friend and very talented artist, Jude Craig of  Naturally Dyed . After lots of awwwing and checking out they're new front door and outdoor area we head off.

4.30pm- Yeah we're on our way, heading on the highway when Em yells (literally) OP SHOP !!!!!     UUrrrrrrr, can you hear the brakes screach!!  An op shop a day. Really, that's our goal, at least and we had just happened to be passing one we knew was good. A big Salvos to the right, across the traffic, car park right out front, painted toes, big smiles and off we go. OOOhhhhh, it's big, it's organised, there's lots of stuff. We try on bangles, rummage through racks of jumpers looking for woollen ones to felt for craft and look what we find..........

Honestly who gets rid of things like this! A crochet afghan shawl, not quite my colours but fabulous for wintry mountain days. the sad thing is we put it down to look at other treasures and forgot to pick it up again so alas there it remains unless some other lucky soul has found it and given it some love.

And what about this number- oh the nostalgia! I remember having a dressing gown just like this, only much smaller when I was a wee girl. All nylon and flammable that doesn't breathe (no natural threads here baby), but oh the memories of getting rugged up and mum and dad piling us in the car on a saturday night. The 3 of us, myself and my 2 brothers, in our jarmies and dressing gowns heading off in the pale green Ford to my aunty and uncle's for our parents' regular card night. WOW.......all that from a dressing gown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woollen blankets, a dress, a very fine pure wool jumper in a gorgeous shiny leaf green,  a cushion cover, a jar of little metal rings to make crochet thingys, a retro towel, something for a friends birthday pressent which we cannot reveal and $22 later we are ushered out the door at closing time to take a pic of our finds.

Here they are on the ground in the car park. A nice little stash (minus crochet shawl).

5.15pm- Five and bit hours after we left we are literally 30 mins from home- hee hee hee and this time we really are going. 

Sometime later- aahhh we are here, YES, WE ARE HERE!!   Elation, relief, excitement, unload, unlock, unpack,  put New Zealand wine in the freezer, set up craft table and enjoy strawberries and chilled sauvignon semillion blanc on the deck watching the sunset. YES WE ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CALM    RELAX     BREATHE.............................................................

8.15pm-  Hmm without the routine of dinner, bath, bed we are unaware of time and suddenly think of dinner at 8.15!!!! woohoo we're usually chowing down at 5.30 to reach the goal of 7pm kids in bed, but 8.15 !!!!!!

We decide to head out to find food and with not much contemplation head to the resort restaurant and just make it for the 8.30 cut off time. Life in the fast lane hey!?!?!?  Tonight is Steak Night, $30 steak and glass of wine and we are happy not to have too many choices.

We enjoy a generous steak that has been cooked to our liking, a full glass of wine, a pinot noir I believe and we revel in our independance and how grown up we appear. Aren't we clever?! Until Em says, "well what now?" and for some reason I find this completely amusing as to me it's quite obvious that we pay and go home but I manage to ruin the whole charade as I spurt my whole mouthful of water all over the table and my poor dinner companions face as a stray laugh bursts from my throat. YES WE ARE STILL IN THE FANCY RESTAURANT, now both in fits of wild snorting laughter and expressions of complete shock! I can't believe what I've just done and neither can Emma. I am so embarassed and horrified what my dear friend is enduring right now. SO totally uncouth. How on earth can I recover from this abomination of courtesy and etiquette. Sadly, I don't think I can and never will.

We pay and leave trying to pretend nothing happened and drive home (all 2 minutes) and I can't stop apologising.

Pleased to be home and in our jarmies we go about setting up our craft table (a distraction of which I am grateful) and doesn't it look wonderful................................

A whole table of crafty, inspirational goody goodness and many trasures we can't be without. I am now totally addicted to  Mollie Makes  magazine. A treasure trove of crafty,thrifty,vintage, creative inspiration. Pages and pages of crochet, sewing, tutorials and trends. Love, love, love it. Our folders containing our collection of patterns, craft books, threads, wool, my crochet starbursts which will in time become a fabulously colourful cushion cover and all by candlelight. The only thing missing in the photo is the sewing machine which I set up the next day. My friends laughed at me because I took the sewing machine. However I didn't want to get to a moment in our retreat and for either of us to say "oh I wish we'd bought the sewing machine". And because we were only restricted by what would fit in the car, well............why not!!

12.15am - A calming cup of tea, a little hooky crochet and we are off to bed. This is my first night without the kids. My first night of sleeping in a big bed all by myself. My first night not breastfeeding my little one. I wish them Good Night in my thoughts and I'm out like a light.

Idle Camping Happiness

Finally..time to sit and write my first post, but alas.. no update on the 40th retreat as Le has the diary and the photos...the owl softies look great Le!  We're just back from a little camping tour of the Great Ocean Rd.  Car and camper trailer were packed with the essentials...

 

... and we were off..

"We're on the road again"...that's the usual chant, however after setting the alarm for 6.30am for an early getaway and getting not even halfway down our road before the newly attempted bike rack weld broke and the bikes fell and one smashed a fist size hole in the back of the car and we all trampsed back up our road (did l mention our road is on a steep hill) pushing our bikes that were now no longer coming with us..the chant didn't come to mind! 

"Back on the road again"...

Aaah, the simple pleasures..roadside stops for breakfast, scanning for op shops, second hand books, the ocean, the Great Ocean Rd, koalas, swimming, camp coffee, cricket, open fires (and marshmallows) !  Oh, and craft...l've been crocheting round and round....



I love working in the round, especially with the Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn, every little bowl is a new colour and l finish one thinking l should move on to a different project, but then see the possibilities in the next length of yarn and figure one more won't hurt....





Day One of Our 40th Retreat, November 23, 2011

I'm sneaking this one in while Little Miss S is soundo and Little Mr R is making music. While there's not much to do outside even though it's the middle of summer, it is cold, rainy and we have been pelted with hail, HAIL. In the middle of summer, what is going on??? Wish I had a photo to post as the hail came down but it happened so quickly. Water drips in through the gaps in our ceiling, the chooks are huddled cozy in their pen and I still have my dressing gown and ugg boots on at midday!!!!

So.......DAY ONE.....(as this is what it's all about right!)

Well you know how we pondered and felt guilt of the enormous variety? As soon as we kissed everyone goodbye and were fairwelled with enthusiastic waving at the gate, we got in the car, drove down the road and went...........WOOOHOOOO................ not a single ounce of guilt left. It was replaced with an excited 'Thelma and Louise' type exhileration and a few girlish giggles. Just 2 friends with a great history, celebrating our journey til now. We are off to be pampered.

Our tootsies were treated to an hour of delight and they had been waiting in anticipation for a long time. Chamomile tea, calm music, sweet scented oils and a comfy chair. While one got pampered, the other crocheted. Our gorgeous friend Rach, had given us each a birthday pack. A magazine, some chocolate and a new crochet pattern book- how she knows us so.

cute little cups of chamomile tea and a warm, fragrant foot soak- aahhh can't you just feel it

pampered little tootsies looking all jazzed up and feeling very, very relaxed indeed and it was only midday

Making Time

Hmmm, Making Time. It's been sooo difficult to make time to update posts and add photos and I find I'm usually doing it way past my bedtime and perhaps my computer's bedtime as well as the poor old thing doesn't cope too well with the late nights (rather like me actually!!).  Em and I have been wondering how to approach the whole thing. Do we get the 40th posts out the way and then catch up on our daily life or does it just have to fit in with each other when we can? How can we be disciplined enough to regularly update when daily routine (or lack of) sometimes doesn't allow for discpline or time? The I thought we should take the pressure off and do it however it comes. Let it unfold without too much direction and thought. So here 'tis- post number 2.

So you see we've both been crafting in our own time and I've been quite hooked on creating little owl softies. Not crocheted but sewn on B's mum's old sewing machine which is a ripper. I've rediscovered a love for sewing after beeing totally crochet mad (which I still am. This is just quicker!).  So here's the little fella. I love that he's rather odd looking. He was made especially for my friend's

2 yr old son. The fabric is from 2 pairs of pants that were his and now refashioned into little hootie. The squeal of delight when he opened it 'my pants, my pants, whoooo whooo'. It was so delightful watching him running about the room with hootie in full flight. It made my heart swell. The joy and the heart-felt glee. He is double sided with opposing fabrics and different eyes to suit whatever mood takes him. The pattern is from The Crafty Kid book by Kelly Doust. Very easy, very flexible. Love that!! I've since made another one for another friend's son from some flannelette pj fabric which I will post a photo of next time. He's super cute.

Well bedtime calls. A cup of tea and a few pages of my current read and I'll be off to dreamland. Little miss 1 has been sleeping really well and I think I need to make the most of it while it lasts.

Sweet Dreams

x Le x