This is my place to chronicle the simple pleasures of my life.....I knit, crochet and sew etc. I'm a proud Mommy, a wife and above all a soul of living light. Join me on a journey to inspiration amongst craft or life.....

Monday, December 31, 2012

I-cord snake pattern - knit

I made up these simple little stash busting snakes for my kids for Christmas - nothing too special but I was trying out an i-cord and thought I'd keep note of how I did the head, enjoy!
They literally take less than a few grams of yarn to make.



Stash gram snake.

Start with making an icord the length you want your snakes body to be.......lots of tutorials in how to make an i-cord can be found on youtube.

Next we will begin knitting by rows......

KFB (knit into front and back of stitch) into each stitch across .....this increases your sts to 6. Turn.
KFB, Knit 4, KFB .....increases to 8 sts across. Turn.
Knit across. Turn
Purl across. Turn
Knit across. Turn
Purl across. Turn
Knit across. Turn
Purl across. Turn
K2tog, Knit 4, K2tog........this decreases to 6 sts. Turn
P2tog, Purl 2, P2tog.......this decreases to 4 sts. Turn
Cast off in knit.

Embroider eyes with black cotton thread and tie on and knot a piece of red yarn for the tongue.
Weave in all ends.




Friday, December 21, 2012

Christmas 2012.

Baking gingerbread is my most fav thing to do at Christmas time - to me the smell alone signals a season of joy and peace. My children love it - I make them gingerbread men, reindeers, round cookies I cover in whipped cream.....mmmmm I (heart) Christmas!



Can you tell they're actually upside down gingerbread men......  
Gingerbread house made with my eldest daughter <3 br="br">
My Dad's special Christmas pressie.

Another pressie
Another pressie.....

And lastly this was a gift for a friends new baby girl!!!! A cloth nappy cover knit in a gorgeously soft merino and embellished with the bubs first initial and a sequined star :)





Friday, December 7, 2012

Conjoined twins....

Isn't this sunflower amazing....they're conjoined twins!
Both flower heads are joined completely on one side of each head, sharing a central "face" which continues on around the back. How interesting!




Sunday, December 2, 2012

Summer and still clacking away ;)

And boy is it getting hot....phew!
But of course there is alwaqys plenty on the knit list to get done so here are my latest ones :)

Teacher aide gifts......I just adore how smart and pretty this washcloth pattern is! Poplar by Julia stanfield.

My first 'Nina' test knit for my lil princess Calliope......
This is a second knit of 'Nina' by craftyweewifey on ravelry.....This one I gifted as a surprise to a little girl at my son's school.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Project 112....

And it's this project that completes my commitment for 112 projects in 2012 with the ravelry group of the same name!
All my projects can be found in my thread http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/112-in-2012/1958126/1-25
I'm quite stoked and it's so fun to keep track of what you've been making throughout the year all in one spot....of course I've heaps more projects that will be finished before the year is out but it's fun to know I made it!!!

 
 






Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Photography....

I love taking pictures with my camera........what started as a way to show others (namely my Grandma) what I had been making or doing has become a fun and interesting way to document my life, children and the smallest things I see as I wander through each day.
I don't have a fancy camera.....nothing special but I guess I'm not really into the complicated side of things more the preservation of a memory and time. When I take photos of my craft and children I may fiddle a little with the pics in photoscape, adding fancy borders or sharpening etc but my nature shots are just as they are - I think that's important! Of course I do have to crop and resize the nature pics and maybe add a simple border but that's it.

One of my fav pics I've taken.........

This little guy lives in a tree near our vege garden

3 more scarves for a custom order.....

Sunflower - I can't wait til more open and I can show off a sea of yellow....

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Knits and learning a new skill.....


Poplar' wash cloths.....such a cute pattern!
  

And ta da.....something new! My very first try at colorwork and a chart! Super proud of this one and I love the colors....

the back.

Wee and warm' test knit - I love this seamless pattern.


Green living...

"The biggest part of how humans function must be green 
or we will have failed the planet"


Kookaburras taking time to survey our vege garden...

Our first raspberry

An ants view....looking up into the sunflowers...

Found this lil guy as I was planting flowers - google tells me it's a fiddler beetle! I love his markings.


Fresh made pesto for the freezer - my husband has grown the most yummiest basil this year!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Crocheted french treats!

Some French Macarons - pattern by Charlotte W.on ravelry and a bon bon lolly. This is a set that will be used as a pincushion!
I made up the lolly, plate and leaves as I went along and then glued it to a felt piece.....I love how it turned out! This is part of a swap package I'm getting together for a 'Paris' inspired swap on a ravelry group - hope the recipient likes it too!








Sunday, October 28, 2012

My lil model...

I'm really loving bold colors on my lil Miss Calliope and this top is no exception!!!
I do a lot of test knitting for yarn-madness on ravelry and this cute top is a test knit of 'Fair lady'. I love how the detail is so simple yet gives the top so much......Madeleine is a fantastic designer you really should check out her patterns!!!!



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Forest baby....

Getting a head start on Calliope's winter wardrobe for next year......that sounds good doesn't it but alas the truth is more along the lines of an easy, cute choice for a knit a long I'm in :)
Tried out bamboo tape yarn that I received for free in a grab bag, calculate free and $2 ball of soft acrylic and you have a super cheap project, it was soft and stretchy with nice stitch definition!
I titled this project forest baby.....love woodsy colors together!





Friday, October 19, 2012

Garden progression.....

Thought I would update on our gardens progress and some of the new little plants we have :)

group pic of both areas

Our new raspberry plant

Yay....our first lil eggplant is growing!!!

Beetroot seedlings

Look how big our sunflowers are now

And our very first button squash...white variety

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Pretties...

I've just listed these in my handmade shop 'These Little Wagons...' on congocart :)
I'm almost tempted to add these gorgeous outfits to my own little Misses wardrobe instead of listing them...I just love how they turned out!







Not that my lil Princess is mnissing out mind you - here is her latest knits. Two cute singlet tops (one in cotton and one in superwash merino)....Love this pattern - easy with such a great result. Find it HERE by one of my favorite designers on ravelry.

cotton

merino superwash
This one was a test knit of the 'Amy' pattern.....so cute, I've already made two of these :)