To market

The weather has really turned autumn-wintry all of a sudden in canberra - most of the trees have dropped their gorgeous fiery leaves to the ground, and the days have been really cold this week.

I might be addicted to my new photo app - A Beautiful Mess

The cooler weather has many of us seasonal knitters thinking seriously about pulling out the sticks - and spending far too much time clicking around on Ravelry trying to match up our favourite pattern with a perfect yarn (or vice versa!)

Last year I made myself a honey cowl, which I started in May and finally got around to finishing on our holiday in the UK in late November. I've been wearing it every single day the last two or so weeks, and love it so much that I'm keen to add another cowl (or two) to my wardrobe.

My Honey Cowl in action - riding on the York Wheel

I'm currently trying to decide between Purl Soho's Big Herringbone and the Cupido Cowl.

1. Whit's Knits: Big Herringbone Cowl, 2. Cupido Cowl

I'm not completely decided about which yarn I'll use yet, but there will be plenty of opportunity to squeeze a few contender on Sunday since the end of autumn in Canberra also means that it is time for the Old Bus Depot Markets annual Celebration of Wool. I had so much fun with my friend Suzy Hausfrau last year that I'll be there helping her out again this time.

 And, given both the cowls on my lust list call for worsted weight yarn, I won't be surprised if some of this gorgeous Swans Island worsted in oatmeal comes home with me =)

 

Xo

In May I am reading

This month I'm reading Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy - I'm up to the final book.

I really enjoyed the first book, and then the second not as much.

Maybe that's always the way with a trilogy? The first one is action packed to get you hooked, then the second on slows down for some character development and builds to a big finish in the third?

I am really enjoying the action bits, but have to admit that I have found the romancey parts a bit forced and tedious.

That said, I'm still pretty keen to read the other series - the Mortal Instruments.

There are 5 novels in that series, and the first has been made into a film - City of Bones - due for release in August.

I'd love to hear what you're reading - leave a comment below to let us know, or linking to you blog if you do a monthly book round up too =)

Happy reading

Xo

Woodland sampler :: May

Working on my woodland sampler is becoming a favourite ritual for the first weekend of the month.

I look forward to it all week, and it's lovely to spend an an afternoon and evening (or two) curled up in front of the TV with a cup of tea and my stitching - especially now we're getting into the cooler part of the year =)

I can't say enough how much I am enjoying this project - Amanda and Ashleigh at the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery have done an amazing job designing each month's cute design, and they are just the right size to keep you stitching for a little while, but not so long that you don't feel like you're making progress.

It is also exciting to see what each month's design will be - the girls share some sneak peeks throughout the month and have everyone guessing. This month is a gnome and sprouts. I'm nearly done with his hat, and am loving the combination of red green and yellow on my oatmealy coloured even weave (which, by the way, is AMAZING to work with).

If you're interested in stitching up your own woodland sampler the pattern, along with a bunch of other lovelies, is available from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery here.

Xo

Canberra Brown Owls Blog

logo by Mikaela @ Danvers Creative

It's no secret how much I love my Brown Owls friends - setting up a Canberra group was probably the second best thing that has ever happened to help me embrace my creative side (the first best is my mum, to whom I will forever and ever be grateful for being such a fabulous crafty role model and inspiring me and my sisters since we were teeny tiny).

This evening we launched (haha that makes it sound a bit grander than the reality) a Canberra Brown Owls blog, which we're hoping will be a place for all our owly friends to share projects and inspiration, and to keep up on all the ace crafty goings on in Canberra. Do pop over and check it out if you're interested =)

Speaking of ace crafty goings on in Canberra, this weekend is the first Mega Crafty Day, organised by my friends at Canberra Creatives. I'll be there representing Canberra Brown Owls and demonstrating the lovely and addictive art of english paper piecing (or spreading 'hexy-fever', depending how you look at it ;o)). The flyer is available over here if you'd like more info =)

xo

Quilter's block

I kind of think I've talked here before about process versus product crafting, and how I am for sure a process person - I love being busy making things, but have less interest in the finished product. This is why I only ever knit one sock, and why I have projects sitting around just needing a button, or a zip, or blocking to finish them off. I'm most likely to finish something if it is a gift for someone else, or I want to wear it the next day.

I spend a lot of time talking about quilts and fabric, so I think some people have been a bit surprised to hear that I have never finished a quilt top bigger than baby quilt sized.

My relationship with making quilts has gone through some definite phases.
First up - collecting fabric. For ages - seriously, years - I have been collecting quilting fabric. It turns out I'm really good at fabric shopping ;o)

Scrap vomit & quilty helpers =)

Until pretty recently I was too scared to cut into my fabric (this fact didn't stop me from buying more fabric, mind you - like I said, the shopping has never been a problem!). I think this changed when I cut into a fat quarter bundle to make the two baby quilts I took as gifts on my trip to Denmark last year. Once it clicked for me that I can cut up fabric and put it together to make something I like even more, all I want to do is cut and sew everything in my stash.

So it's totally weird, but now I'm stuck on the next step. I'm really excited about making quilt blocks, but not really motivated to piece the blocks together and make tops (and let's not even talk about basting, quilting and binding!).  Right now in my sewing space I have blocks for 3 different quilts waiting to be pieced (plus one finished top -  a gift for someone else!).

please excuse the dodgy photo - it's hard to get the whole thing in the shot!

In the name of motivating me past my quilter's block (haha get it?) today I took a big, exciting step - I've booked the scrap vomit quilt in for quilting. Then it's going in the Canberra Quilter's exhibition. Eeep.
 I've got til the end(ish) of May to get this baby pieced. And I'm kind of excited - wish me luck (even better, wish me motivation ;o))!

xo

Footy :: under lights

Three regular season AFL matches are bing held in Canberra this year, the first of which was on this afternoon / evening.

Being a twilight game, it was also the first time footy has been played under lights at Manuka oval. The lights looked great - although a bit imposing on a ground that kind of looks closer to a local/school oval than a stadium. =)

The game was good - the young GWS team was more competitive than I expected, and both sides played well at times. It was also a great crowd - the ground was pretty full, and one of the great things about the games here is that probably the majority of the crowd barrack for a team other than those that are playing, so the atmosphere is generally pretty laid back, with everyone just there to enjoy the game.

You couldn't have picked a nicer day weather-wise either - sunny and warmish during the day, and not too cold once it got dark. We're very lucky to live in such a beautiful city, and it can be really quite spectacular in autumn.

We're looking forward to the next game, and luckily we don't have to wait long!
The GWS boys will be back to play the Gold Coast on 27 April - you can get tickets here if you are interested in checking it out =)

X

In April I am reading...

March and April are looking good as far as reading goes!

First (towards the start of March) I found Anne Rice's latest, The Wolf Gift, on super sale - it was just the thing for the plane train plane plane bus train train bus plane of our two recent trips to Melbourne, and I finished it over the Easter weekend.

Whilst I enjoyed it, and it was nice to see Rice back into the supernatural-y horror-y kind themes that first got me hooked on her writing, it wasn't her best ever. It will be the first in "The Wolf Gift Chronicles" though, and I think it might sit better as an introductory book for the series than it does alone.

Then I discovered the joys of ebooks, when I came across a link on twitter for a free download of the 'young adult' supernatural-y novel Spellbound. I wasn't sure how I'd go with reading on the screen, but I actually found it so handy to have right there with me and got through so quickly!
The book was pretty good - like I said I read it pretty quickly. It was a little bit cliched and predictable but still enjoyable - better than twilight but not as good as the hunger games =)

As soon as I finished I went searching for more downloads (did you know you can 'borrow' ebooks from your local library? Mind blown!) and downloaded a free book each from kobo and the iBooks store.

I've already finished one - Bound, which is the first in the Crystor series, and again young adult super natural-y (I do love my young adult fiction! And teen movies too!).
I also found this engaging enough to read quickly, but maybe not as good as Spellbound (still better than twilight though haha).

Next up on my iPad is another one that sounds like a sophisticated read (haha) - Vampire University.
I've also had some books I ordered online arrive this week, including one novel: The Quilter's Apprentice, the first in the Elm Creek Quilts series.

I'd love to hear about what everyone else is reading - to join in with our bloggy book club you can leave a message in the comments about what you're reading, or post about it on you blog and let us know in the comments to pop over and check it out.

Given my new ebook obsession I'm especially interested to know everyone's favourite place to find ebooks.
Ooh, and I've also just joined good reads and am keen to know who else uses it and what you think - or if you use some other similar social networky kind of site to keep track of what you're reading, see reviews and find your next read?

Xo