Something other than scarves

Every year at this time I get a little breather from scarf knitting. 

August is that funny limbo month between Winter and Spring. Oh, it's still cold in our part of the world at any rate, but aren't we are all dreaming of warmer weather and ditching the layers and layers and layers?

I'd been wondering what to do with a bit of left over yarn in my stash. A beautiful Jo Sharp yarn in a gorgeous red, but an odd not-quite-enough-for-anything 6 balls, and then a while ago I found this pattern.

I bought myself the needles, and discovered I could use that yarn I had.

Hooray!

Now, I'm a skinny needle knitter. I like an 8 ply and number 4 needles. I can clack away with that quite happily. So, I'll be honest, working with 2 strands of 8 ply yarn on great big number 9 needles wasn't my favourite knitting experience!

The upside? A brand new cardigan in less than a week!

And I love it.

(especially with my Delilah Devine brooch)

Knit your own with a free pattern download over here!

Colour and pattern

I'm loving my Liberty cottons.

I finish one little shirt, and I'm onto another.

So far, they've all been one of a kind.

(Although, depending on how much of each fabric I have, I can do a repeat or two.)

Guaranteed to keep me interested, and itching to find that next combination of fabric colour and pattern!

In between

In between Winter and Spring.

In between markets until September.

In between breakfast and lunch.

And in between making and organising!

It's been just over a fortnight since my friend Sal and I embarked on this crazy idea of bringing some beautiful wares to a charming old hall in Apollo Bay on Melbourne Cup weekend in November.

Today we are half way to a full market.

I am filled with admiration for all the wonderful makers and their work who'll be taking the plunge with us on our adventure! I'm already making a shopping list and saving my spending money.

In between now and then, make sure you keep an eye on our facebook page and our blog to find out more about the fabulous things that will be coming our way!

Market, market

I am so happy to be taking part in this fantastic little market tomorrow.

Run by the charming and funny Fiona from Squirt Baby, who manages to juggle about 12 of life's balls (so to speak!) without ever losing her cool.

So, I just know this is going to be one fabulous outing.

Plus, there will be some seriously good stallholders there too. 

But wait, there's more! Music, food, an art auction, book readings....

I'll see you there!

A little Liberty for all

I love it when somehow I hit on something that everyone seems to like.

And, even better, I love making them too.

There's an endless number of fabric combinations lurking in my stash.

So much fun!

Hello weekend!

Even though my working week is all over the place, I still love Fridays.

And I'm very much looking forward to this weekend.

It's been a while since I've been off to a market, and this Sunday you'll find me in Geelong.

I'll be hoping for a good catch up with some of my market friends I haven't seen for a while.

The venue is lovely, and the line up is fabulous as always. so come along to the Deakin Waterfront Cafe for a great Sunday outing!

A big week

Time flies when you're having fun!

It's Wednesday afternoon already, and this last week's been busy.

I've had the pleasure of another custom order for not one, but two, lovely little shirts, that are today winging their way off to Switzerland. Fancy that! 

Every now and again there is a reminder that we live in a little global village after all.

In other happenings, my friend Sally and I have been dreaming up a new adventure.

We're jumping our market trestle tables to become market organisers, and after several very fun meetings over coffee, and quite a few phone conversations, we've hatched our baby!

The historic Apollo Bay Mechanics' Institute Hall is booked for Sunday, November 4.

That's Melbourne Cup weekend, a strange non-long weekend that usually is, with most people making a 4 day break after Winter by hooking up with the first Tuesday in November public holiday. 

We've set ourselves up a facebook page, and a blog.

Come over and take a look, and if you're a designer, maker, grower, or cook, perhaps you'd like to come down and join us?

Scarf weather

Well, yes, hello, it's still Winter!

Not much we can do about that is there?

The evenings are getting just a little bit longer.

And we had some lovely sunshine here yesterday.

It was nice to sit outside a cafe in the street and have a coffee in the sun, and dream of Spring.

But, while we're waiting, there's some new scarves in the shop to keep you warm and snug!

The long and the short of it

One gorgeous Liberty fabric, two ways!

Trying to pick a favourite is impossible!

But, I have always been a bit partial to a polka dot.

Sunshine in a bag

There's nothing like some colourful linens to brighten up my day.

I've been meaning to get around to a couple of tea towel bags for a while - nothing like a long deadline to turn me into a total procrastinator!

The beautiful Western Australia bag sums up the perfection of a souvenir tea towel - it's all there, the Swan River (with swans!), the Perth city skyline, and a selection of wildflowers. 

I'm delighted that my beloved Aunt will be taking this with her to the West as a gift for a dear friend of hers.

While I was at it, I couldn't go past this beauty from my stash.

It's Spring in a bag!

If you need your own dose of sunshine, then it's in the shop this morning.