Category Archives: Other Craft

Bead People are Go

Posted on April 16, 2010 | 6 comments

Success! But a little bit funny around the neck where their insides are showing (oo-er!) I shall have to make a whole gang anyway no doubt, since at present there is only one each for the bigger kids, and that is not enough to prevent ‘troubles’. So I’ll improve my technique a bit as I go.

The Steiner/Waldorf blocks (also affectionately known as ‘offcuts’ around here, thanks to Dermot being the son of a joiner!) were from Mum for Rohan’s birthday. They came from Winterwood, we visited for the first time last week. For the record – beautiful shop, beautiful, beautiful felt, but I don’t recommend driving from here to there and back again with a passenger prone to carsickness. Sorry Mum! (She couldn’t even drive us, since my car is a manual and I won’t let her drive it!)

6 Comments

Posted in Kid Crafts, Other Craft, Sewing, The Kids

Tagged crafting for children, waldorf toys

My Creative Space – Bead People

Posted on April 15, 2010 | 4 comments

Today I’m making wee folk for my wee folk. Do you want to know how? Trudi posted this great little tutorial a couple of weeks ago as her Creative Space. She also sells kits in her etsy shop, with all the little bits and pieces you need, including some pieces of her hand-dyed felt. The embroidery floss is the only thing not included – I picked these two out of my stash of my own hand-dyed floss. (I’ve been itching to get back to some dyeing, too – so little time, so much to fill it with! But who’d be happy if that was reversed?!)

Have a happy Thursday, whatever you’re making or doing. Check out some more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s.

4 Comments

Posted in Memes, Other Craft, Sewing

Tagged crafting for children, my creative space

My Creative Space – Beauty and the Beast

Posted on April 8, 2010 | 13 comments

In the left corner we have Beauty: crocheted ric-rac, inspired by Kate at Fox’s Lane; quick and easy tutorial found here. Fun, easy, and slightly addictive crocheting. No idea what I’ll be doing with it yet – I did threaten the bemused other half I’d trim a lampshade in it!

And in the right, the Beast: product of an impromptu knitting lesson with Mum yesterday. The change in the seasons has started up the two-needle-itch again, and I want to be ready for something a bit trickier than my one completed knitted thing.

Ugly, isn’t it?! But hey, there’s increasing, decreasing, short rows, a wee bit of lacy stuff, heel stitch, 1×1 rib, and picking up stitches along the edge, all in that little piece of ugly!

(Edited to say I realise that sounds like I meant Ro’s cardigan is ugly. No no, I actually meant the grey thing just up there. The cardi is still gorgeous, but I bet it doesn’t fit anymore)

Also in my creative space today are some little bits of not-allowed-to-show-you and a whole lot of nothing-to-see-here-but-supposed-to-be-finished-by-Sunday. (Because a certain wee someone we know is about to be one, and don’t mention it to me or I might just cry!)

My Creative Space comes to you courtesy of Kirsty!

13 Comments

Posted in Memes, Yarncraft

Tagged crochet ric-rac, knitting, meme, my creative space

Hoppy Easter

Posted on April 6, 2010 | 2 comments

I hope everybunny had a hoppy easter!

(!!!Sorry!!! Not sure what came over me there!!!)

We had a lovely and far-too-chocolate-filled weekend at my father-in-law’s place in central Victoria. The kids got to run riot with the cousin they don’t see enough of, and I got bit more granny-squaring in, despite the (was it slightly derisive?) commentary from uncles-in-law. Pfft to them, I say. Also, there might have been a little bitty trip to the Bendigo Woollen Mills and Bendigo Spotlight somewhere in there… can’t remember… crafty amnesia has befallen me. (What stash diet?!)

Bunny finger-puppet project from the purl bee. A great little project for the budding crafter: Finn stitched his own, I just added the face and tail for him.

2 Comments

Posted in Family, Sewing, The Kids, Yarncraft

Tagged crafting with kids, easter craft, finger puppet

My Creative Space

Posted on March 25, 2010 | 8 comments

My creative space has Grannies in it. I was packing up my Grannies. They were stacked so prettily. Then everything went awol…

Sigh. It is the end of a long week. A week in which those toes learned to step. And then to walk. And (before that perhaps?) to climb to lofty heights. There have been near misses (but Facebook friends will have noticed that I stopped mid-near-miss to get a photograph!) It has been a week of solo-parenting. Which I will never learn to love, but which I am learning to navigate more smoothly. It will be a welcome relief when Dermot gets in the door tonight. Even more welcome if he gets here in time for me to rush off to tonight’s Craft Bonanza (or at least a little bit of it.) See you there?

I’m rejoining Kirsty’s My Creative Space meme. See more spaces over at her place.

8 Comments

Posted in The Kids, Yarncraft

Tagged crochet, granny squares, Memes, my creative space

Skirts, skirts, skirts

Posted on March 23, 2010 | 3 comments

So as Debby called to my attention, there are things I have made to post. Hooray!

I’ve been in a fug of not-enough-sleep for so long that my crafty groove was in danger of disappearing completely, but since the year turned, little by little I’ve been clawing it back. On one particular day lately, I was just desperate to be doing something other than cleaning the house (which really needed doing.). So Niamh and I turned up the ABBA music, she danced, and I put together this simple little skirt. And then she put it on and danced some more. It’s the Dancing Queen skirt! And the next day, Molly needed one to match!

The main fabric is from the ‘Natural Effects’ line by Michele D’Amore. I love this particular fabric, it’s striped with three different patterns, so the end result looks more interesting than just a rectangle of fabric with an elastic casing (which is what it is!) Also, I bound the hem with some Denyse Schmidt ‘Flea Market Fancy’ (the only piece I’ve ever owned. How crazy are people for this fabric line?!) Result? Super cute:

Several days later, (actually nights… I left it until late late late one night to work on tulle for the first time. Coz I’m smart like that.) I put together this sparkly concoction for Niamh’s dance classes. Each Thursday Niamh goes to a dance class especially for tinies. It is very cute, but it oversteps my tolerance for PINK! just that little bit. Since there’s not really a dress code (low-stress dance classes = good), I figured I could make something which fitted in with Niamh’s requirements of pretty and sparkly, without it being PINK!

Yeah, she likes it! Naturally, Molly had to get in on this action too (and please notice uber-cool tie-dye t-shirt, which I made years ago for one of Finn’s bears):

PS. Photos of the booties I made for Rohan (which Debby also mentioned) will be forthcoming. Just as soon as I, um… locate the other one!

PPS. There is a disagreement between my significant other and I as to whether my use of the word “fug” in this post was legitimate or not. Dermot thinks it’s not. Mum agrees with me (I probably learned it from her!). What say you? I present to you this meaning – don’t you think that not having slept properly for a year would lead to a “stuffy or malodorous state” within one’s brain?! I’m standing by it, anyway! (Besides, I like to mention the fact that I haven’t slept for A YEAR to him as frequently as possible! It’s a guilt thing 🙂 )

3 Comments

Posted in Kid Crafts, Sewing

Tagged Bamboletta, sewing for children, sewing for dolls

Following the Ocean Theme

Posted on October 6, 2009 | 2 comments

While we were away, I noticed the projects I’d picked up to bring had a bit of an oceanic theme going on as well:

The colours in this crocheted face washer matched the view nicely on that grey, blustery day 🙂

And then there were these mermaids. I put a few hours of stitching in – this is Mirabilia’s Mermaids of the Deep Blue. To be honest, I’m still in a little bit of shock that I actually cross-stitched. It’s been ages – I’d be willing to bet that most of my cross-stitch-y friends and readers have stopped following this blog, it’s been so long!

Blogtoberfest Day 6

2 Comments

Posted in Counted Stitchwork, In Progress, Other Craft, Yarncraft

Tagged crochet, cross-stitch, mermaids, mirabilia, wash cloth

Hankies Your Granny Wouldn’t Use

Posted on August 25, 2009 | 14 comments

I went Brown Owling last night. We had a bit of fun embellishing/improving store bought hankies. The Gocco was out and Pip and the Owls were printing their little hearts out, but I decided embroidery was more my style. ‘Bless you’. Short, sweet, to the point.

But then Leah and I decided on a much more Alice in Wonderland sentiment. I tried to resist. I did. But I couldn’t. Sorry :giggle:

On a related note… I am actually surprised how few people use handkerchiefs. I always have. There’s nothing nicer to blow your nose on, I think! We very rarely buy a box of tissues (sometimes if the whole family is laid up with the sneezles and wheezles). Amanda at Soulemama has a lovely idea for storing your hankies, on this post.

14 Comments

Posted in Other Craft

Tagged brown owls, embroidery

Announcement

Posted on August 11, 2009 | 18 comments

Rohan has something he would like to tell you:

Yes, that’s right – his cardigan is finished! Hip hip hooray!

Also, he would like to tell you that Melbourne weather today is dark and gloomy, so not the best photo taking weather…

But perfect cardi-wearing weather, so it’s all good 🙂

I would like to tell you that I am inordinately proud of my very first ever non-scarf knitted thingummy. Also, I love it to pieces. It is just my style of baby top – simple but gorgeous. The pattern comes from the Winter 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine (an Australian mag). The wool is Patons Bluebell Merino 5 ply – thicker than the yarn called for, but I am impatient and didn’t want to wait… plus I like the colour. I knitted the 12-month size and used just over 3 balls. Rohan is four months old (today!) and it fits him now… but there is a good amount of growing space, so it may still fit him when he’s one. In fact it will probably fit him best in the height of summer, but never mind. There will eventually be nephews and/or nieces to pass this on to, and in the meanwhile I’m going to have him wear it at every opportunity!

Go me – I’m a knitter! :giggle:

18 Comments

Posted in Other Craft, Yarncraft

Tagged handknit baby clothes, knitting

Friday Mornings

Posted on August 7, 2009 | 8 comments

Friday mornings are fast becoming one of my favourite times of the week. A mini-break, if you will. I drop Finn off at school, Niamh off at occasional care, then race home and get Rohan down for his morning kip. Then I get a whole 45 minutes in which I can do anything I like without interruption! Ok, so this usually just means shower, have breakfast, and catch up on some blogs/tweets, but still. We take our little slices of me-time where we can get them, hey?

Once Rohan is up and fed, then we sit around making faces at one another, and omnomnomming on those cheeks for a while before we have to pick Niamh up again. (Or you know, doing something more productive. Only can’t remember what. Maybe it is just the omnomnomming!)

Oh yeah. Such a tough guy!

And if you think I’m showing you gratuitous baby shots just to distract you from the lack of a finished knitting project… well, I can neither confirm nor deny 😛

(But it won’t be too long now, promise. I cast off at midnight last night!)