Being absent

It's been a while since I've made an appearance here.

We've almost made it to the end of August, which is always a relief for me as I am most definitely not a lover of Winter.

Roll on Spring, with smells of blossom and freesias, mown grass, and enough warmth to ditch the socks and shoes in exchange for sandals! Yes, I'm ready!

In the meantime, here's a snapshot of what I've been up to.

Indulging in knitting a few tea cosies just for the pleasure of them. You can find these in the shop.

Sewing many, many dresses as special orders for lovely customers.

It's a pure pleasure to create something new that people love.

Finding time to work on a new shirt design for Spring and Summer. 

One of these is already in my own wardrobe. Occupational hazard!

And enjoying a day trip to the city to have a wonderfully long brunch with 2 very special Melbourne friends to celebrate all our birthdays!

Did I forget to tell you?

It's one of those deliciously crisp and clear mornings here today.

Brrr, it's cold though!

Time to whip out the woollies I think.

There's a parcel of neckscarves waiting to go to the post office this morning, bound for The House of Balaklava.

GeorgieLove have some new ones in the shop too.

And if you're visiting The Crafty Squirrel in Ballarat, then keep an eye out for some teacosy kits in Morgan's delightful little emporium of all things crafty!

I'm a little teapot cosy!

Oh, I'm feeling pretty excited about this!

For several months this little tea cosy kit has been in development.

There's been test knitting, and pattern drafting, and sourcing the packaging, and designing the labelling.

I've so much enjoyed working with my clever (and patient) friend Anne, whose design company Ennis & Perry came up with the perfect solutions to all my needs.

And putting the first kits together this week made me want to do a little jig around the house!

They'll be making their debut on my market table this weekend down here at Apollo Bay, but I've just listed some in the shop as well.

Now, time to put the kettle on.

Do it yourself!

I've been bursting with excitement about working with Emma over at Treehouse Textiles on a special little project.

And now the date is in my diary to take a trip over to the beautiful Mornington Peninsula to help with this fun (and delicious!) workshop.

I've come up with a simple cosy pattern that we'll knit together, and then decorate to our hearts content, exactly as you'd like yours to look!

If you're a fan of the humble tea cosy, and like to make your daily cuppa a special occasion, then pop on over and take a look at the workshop details.

Hope to see you there!

And this week...

...has flown past again!

What's been happening? Well, the usual.

A bit of sewing.

Whenever I make a fresh batch of these fabric and recycled jumper neckscarves, I fall in love with them all over again.

They are a time consuming little thing to make, and I need to be in the mood to make a great big mess, but the end result is always very satisfying.

I'll be popping them in my tub to take along this Sunday to Piccadilly Market in Geelong.

Just in time too judging by the cold and wet morning we're having here today. Damn, I thought I'd be able to get through this post without actually mentioning the weather....

And, things are brewing with a new little tea cosy design in the works!

Stay tuned!

Alors!

This marvellous image comes from here.

So many things to love about the French...

Champagne!

CanCan!

D'affonois!

Brioche!

Le Tour!

Croissant!

Haute Couture!

Renault?

The old bloke and I were going to have croissant and cafe au lait this morning, but to be honest, we forgot.

Perhaps we can make it up with something French and sparkling this evening?

And in honour of the tricolore, I've made a new cosy that seems to have a decidedly French attitude....

The girl who mistook her tea cosy for a hat

If you’ve popped in here for a visit lately, you’ll know I’ve been knitting tea cosies. 

Lots and lots of tea cosies!

I’m so very close to being finished with the second part of the big order going to Raw Materials new cafe and foodstore in Hawthorn. The 12 little ones have gone, and now I’m working on 12 big ones that’ll be for sale in their new store.

It‘s exciting, and lovely, to be working on such a large order. But, I have been thinking if just maybe there’s a more time efficient way to be making these (read – quicker).

Any handknitter out there, or crocheter, will tell you that while we love our craft, it’s a time consuming passion indeed. Best done in front of the tv on a comfy chair with no rush!

So, of course, at a time I can least afford to be mucking about with new ideas, my creative muse popped in for a visit. Perhaps I could try and work some of that jumper ribbing I’ve been saving  into a cosy design....

And so I did.

Then, while admiring my handiwork, I must confess to thinking that it kind of, looked a little bit like, could possibly be... a hat...?

So, in the privacy of my own bedroom, I tried the cosy on. Go on, wouldn’t you!?

And now I’m in the throes of nutting out a pattern using some of those lovingly hoarded  jumper ribs and some handknitting to make some woolly and warm hats....

If I can just get that cosy order finished.

Cosy, cosy, cosy

 

I've been bedded down on the couch with my knitting needles lately.

I can think of worse things to be doing than keeping busy with some yummy brightly coloured yarns, the fire going and the sun shining.

I've waved farewell to these little cosies today.

They're off to their new home, a cafe due to open in August (stay tuned for details!) where if you order a pot of tea, the pot will come dressed in a little bit of Frankie & Ray bright woolly sweetness.

Oh, and I was pondering what would be the collective noun for cosies?

A comfort, a splash, or maybe even a brew?

15 minutes!

Yes, it's true.

I've been lurking about the newsagents waiting for this....

And this week it appeared!

I'm feeling a little chuffed, a little humbled, and just a bit proud.

Big thanks to Phoebe McEvoy of Inside Out, who was so nice to deal with.

(it's the yellow one!)

Yellow

Such a sunny, happy colour, it speaks to me of Spring!

Nearly....

Tomorrow morning I'll be packing the car ready to head off to Melbourne!

Nearly there.

Time for just one more cosy perhaps?

A little change of pace

Time to pop the kettle on, sit down and have a cuppa.

This Monday marks the end of the 'season' down here on the coast.

The last long weekend before Winter is over after today, and our little town slips into a slower gear.

There's time for a chat in the post office, lingering at the fruit shop, and catching up with the deli ladies at the supermarket.

Before we know it Winter will be here with it's usual freezing winds and pelting rain, but for now we're enjoying some sunshine and taking it a bit easy!

(And if you need a cosy for your pot, this one and some others will be going off to The Local Shop in tomorrow's post!)

Feeling cosy?

I'm off to the post office soon with a parcel for GeorgieLove.

I'm sending these cosies off to find new homes!

Cup of tea anyone?

I've enjoyed taking a break from knitting scarves lately, and getting back to knitting tea cosies.

Although, I looked in my box this afternoon, and I've managed to knit up about a dozen in the last couple of months! Which is a good thing because they always go well at Magnolia Square, which will be here before I know it.

I love to play around with stitch and colour, and this one came from thinking about Aran jumpers. I do love a bit of cable stitch.

That beautiful cup and saucer belonged to my grandmother, one of a set of 8 that are all different in pattern and shape. It's nice to put one out on show in my bookcase from time to time.

I'll let you in on a secret, I don't actually drink tea...although I do aspire to it!