Autumn weekends and puddles

I have had some problems with my blog but it turns out to be the blogger who is at fault and eventually today I worked out what I had done. Gobbledy-gook instead of photos is a bit scary!  Sometimes I could do with a live-in computer coach instead of just being on the phone, which is very good I might add for those who try to help me!!

We"ve had some rain, I love the reflections,[a sugar gum tree] makes me want to splash through it...but then I would spoil my picture so maybe not!

Diamonds on the lilly, what could be more precious!

The snowball tree in full glory, how I love these colours in the garden. How could something so beautiful be called 'opulus sterile'...a vibernum.

The last buds on my Angel Face rose, given to me years ago by my brother before he died from a melanoma. It has a lovely sweet spicey cinnamony scent, delicious to have even one in a vase as the scent stays with it for days. A lovely reminder. 

The nerines are the first bulbs to appear followed by the jonquils, our first one flowering this morning.

And then there is the promise of things to come.....

the baby sedums nestled into their 'nest' ready to begin their journey.

The little pansies on the way lovingly planted by grandchildren and me. I can't wait to see their faces in the sun!

MY CREATIVE SPACE

My creative space today is in many places, wherever it takes me. In the garden the manchurian pears are dropping their last few leaves now that Autumn is almost officially over. In the midst of the falling leaves creation is taking place, the new budsd  are unfurling their silvery velvety buds. I love to see the new life emerging from the old as we see everywhere in the garden.
I found and old woollen skirt in an op shop recently perfect for the backing for the granny square cushion I am making for a friend. There may even be enough for a second one. Op shops are such a treasure trove, you never know what is going to jump out at you and say 'I must go home with you!'

I chose the colours for my friend , thinking of the colours she likes, but ended up putting some of my brighter colours with hers. I guess that is what friendship is like, intertwining the different threads of long association. Something like a patchwork of feelings. I used the extra cream and the green to surround each square as a frame, the things that always stay the same with friends, no matter how often we see each other , or just share the latest family news in a quick phone call. This friend always makes me laugh and see the funny side of things even in the midst of 'trials and tribulations'. She is a precious friend and the ties are very strong, how lucky I am to enjoy my friend.

My sleeveless vest is at last finished, I'm not happy with the wool I used as it has rubbed just with the knitting  and stretched as well, a lesson for me I guess to be more careful in choosing the wool from on line. I need to know more about the choice I make.

 

I love the antique button I found in one of my treaure boxes, I have two more so am wondering what to do , I might place them for a permanent brooch but I will think upon that!

For Emily Louise

A very bright early morning has faded until now it looks as though there will be more rain. Not complaining though!! The forecast is for showers all this week and it certainly feels as though they are not far away.

I am very happy with this little beanie for little EL and by chance tones in with the little set I had bought for her. I knitted in the round and was left with the uneven connecting stripes so thought a tiny flower from Attic 24 would fill in nicely and I think it does.

She also needed a little pink rabbit which was based on Nicki Trench's 'super cute crochet' book, Bubbles the Rabbit. Her brother and cousin needed a dinasaur each as they often play together. They are from Brigitte Read's book, 'super- super cute crochet.

The purple one has red eyes, the googley ones didn't look right but he certainly doesn't photograph so well, I guess I understand!

So, it's off to the post office to post the parcel. Why is it so hard to post parcels and yet how fantastic it is to receive one! At the moment I am waiting for a parcel from Bendigo Woollen Mills and can hardly wait to get started with the next project, a cardigan for myself. My vest is finished but needs a bit of tweaking before I show you. The wool stretched badly when I was knitting...it was 25% microfibre, 10%cashmere and 65% fine merino and I think the microfibre made it difficult to knit with. Still, you live and learn and I won't use it again . It just sounded wonderful.

Hopefully I will join you in My Creative Space tomorrow.

A wet afternoon

Not a great photo but I had to show you! One son home from work because of the weather, a fire going  and two dogs! Firstly Bear at the front settled himself down to a good back, head on the cushion at one stage.By the time I found the camera, Orak, the retired seeing-eye dog, carefully picked his way around to snuggle on the other side of the nice warm body!

And the good thing was I finished the little parcel to go to the new little Emily Louise, I'll show more tomorrow.

Hopefully the colours will be better in the morning light.I'm off to enjoy the fire again!

Moments to enjoy!

A welcome sight, 24 little beauties from a neighbour this afternoon. He came here about a fortnight ago, very down in the dumps...understandably.... saying all his chooks had been killed in their run. He knew them all by name and had had them for probably longer than he should. I think their days of laying many eggs had finished some time ago but he still managed to bring a few extras down the hill to us. We thought he would tell us a fox had been the murderer but instead it was an evil ferral cat. The cat had climbed up the chicken wire from the outside of the pen, clinging it's claws through the chicken wire to a tree which had grown up inside the run. Pretty amazing. However the good news for our neighbour and for us is that he has bought 4 more chooks, Isa Browns, on the point of lay, as they say, and they began to lay straight away, 4 eggs a day! [Almost a poet!] The eggs are tiny but fresh as a daisy and will be delicious!

Lately I have realized I only really enjoy my cup of tea when it is hot and mostly I find the last inch or two is usually luke warm by the time I finish. So I went to the cupboard and found this lovely fine china cup which belonged to my mother-in-law. I realy love it and the tea I am sure tastes so much better!! And it is all hot!

      My cup of tea with my knitting is waiting for me in my crafty corner, a beanie for a new little girl, my god-daughter's new baby, Emily Louise.

                           

Truth be told I would far rather be there instead of cleaning my house. I am tryng, really trying hard to clean my house but I keep getting side tracked, anything to put off the real effort the cleaning takes to do. We are having a dull day, intermittent showers and it is cold. There is a lovely fire going which I am sure I need to supervise. Maybe I had better do that, at least I will feel I am doing something and at the same time perhaps I could do a little bit of knitting...maybe! Anyway that cup of tea needs to be drunk! While it is hot!

My creative spot today

 

We had a late lunch today and went onto the verandah to have our cup of tea. Autumn colours around and green grass, swallows darting in and out, magpies chasing each other with a flurry of wings, little blue wrens looking for tiny insect treats and two dogs for company! What could be better than staying here after the cup of tea is finished with my knitting! I have got to a crucial part in my vest... I have just picked up ALL the stitches around the vest, something like 684 stitches. And completed the first row, 2 plain 2purl for the ribbing. And guess what! I have had the right number, I have been very anxious about the final tally as it had to be divisible by 4 And I have done it!!

Fairy Rings and Satisfaction in the shape of a wheelbarrow!

The magic of a fairy ring was my amazing sight on my walk this morning. I haven't seen one since I was a small child, before the days of superphosphate fertilizer. We don't put super onto our paddocks, much preferring to put fewer cattle onto our farm and then let nature bring back the native grasses, which, after 10 years here, is happening. The photos don't really show the ring as well as in real life so just use some imagination to fill in the circle.

 I finished weeding a large circular garden bed this afternoon and thought my wheelbarrow was absolute satisfaction to the highest degree! I have struggled with this bed as half of it is shaded from the hot sun in summer and the other half is in full heat, hence the weeds have been allowed to grow. At last I have decided to use a greyish succulent which has pretty drooping pink flowers growing from a rosette, also sedums and the bulbs already there. Strangely bulbs do well here as during the heat they are safely asleep under the soil and only peep their green points out when the weather is cooler, much the same as I do!

All in all a satisfying day!

My Creative Space

My creative space lately seems to be my old armchair and the table beside me with an old copper preserving pan beside me filled with all the things I could possibly need for my knitting or crocheting. Balls of wool, pattern books, hooks, knitting needles, measuring tape, circular knitting needles, my little plastic box with my 'nipper' scissors, large sewing needles and of course a few pins.

Vanessa from 'do you mind if I knit' has inspired me to knit something for myself, the first time for years and years. Vanessa has been knitting a DRESS!!!! In 4PLY!!!!!!  All we have seen of it is beautiful and I can't believe she has the patience to be knitting on that sort of scale! After seeing her effort I decided to make myself a vest, only a back, 2 fronts and a ribbing that goes all the way around the vest in 8 ply so nothing near as challenging but it is big!!!! I have only knitted jumpers for children, for my own and now for my grandchildren, quite different! So you can imagine how thrilled I am to be on the home strait! A completed the back and one side for the front. The pattern is actually for a cardigan but I'm not doing the sleeves, just putting the ribbing around the armholes so hope it works.

 This is where I am in the evenings and sometimes during the day. As soon as it is dark, the fire is going and dinner is sort of organized I curl up in my spot and KNIT, or CROCHET, my time and I love it. 

This is my favourite time in the day... our summers are so hot and although the evenings are mainly pleasant, I love to be able to pull the curtains, have a lovely warm fire going [thanks to my everloving wood gatherer] and there I am, all cosy and snug and crafting! Delicious!