Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and sweet wishes for the holidays!

Rediscovering the pom pom

I have been rediscovering the pom pom,

For the classic round pom pom, I found the technique I learnt in primary school still works the best- two circles of card, or similar, with a hole in the middle- my experiments with commercially available 'pom pom makers' made shaggy or slightly rectangular pom poms. Now what to do with a room full of pom poms??

Felted collars inspired by kangaroo paws

Lime and black kangaroo paw collar.

Black and red kangaroo paw neckpiece.

Red and black kangaroo paw neckpiece.

Red kangaroo paw collar.

Yellow kangaroo paw neckpiece.

These beautiful kangaroo paws are the inspiration for my new series of knitted felted neckpieces. Hand felting gives them the slightly fuzzy edges that are characteristic of the real flowers. My next challenge- perhaps a larger version, kangaroo paw scarf?!

In my garden

The variegated lemon tree might even have some fruit this year!

the borage has finally taken off- which means plenty of garnish for Pimms and lemonade,

and the view through my (very dirty) studio window is a wall of roses at the moment. All of the garden has really enjoyed the recent torrential rain.

Latest craft project

This is my latest craft project, a birthday gift for a bird lover! The base of the lamp was hand made by the lovely people at Studio Australia in Wagga Wagga. The shade uses fabric that I designed and hand screen printed and have been saving for just the right project. The repeat pattern of the fabric features an image of my cockatiel surrounded by bird seed and seemed appropriate as the crowning glory for this cockatoo!

New work: inspired by pink

New bubble scarves and cuffs inspired by pink and the beginning of spring.

Pink: Inspriation

I rediscovered my childhood sewing basket (christmas c.1978!!) to find these lovely pink velvet flowers. Barb the cockatoo, and of course, the beautiful spring flowering magnolia.

More new orange inspired work

Milk chocolate and orange bubble scarf.

and some more delicious orange flavours!

New work : 2 orange inspired bubble scarves

Orange on orange cumquat bubble scarf.

Smooth dark chocolate with orange bubbles scarf

The next best thing to eating cumquats and chocolate oranges is wrapping yourself up in them!

Inspired by orange - work in progress

My winter warming orange work in progress.

Orange: inspriation

Orange red hot pokers in my garden.

The beautiful crest feathers of my pet Major Mitchel This season's batch of home grown and homemade cumquat marmalade.

and oranges!

Falling leaves in autumn

I collected my purchase of this beautiful scarf by Manon Asarfi from the Scarf Festival. She says: "The colours and circles remind me of falling leaves in autumn in the forest where my parents live, a tiny country town in the Netherlands". I am looking forward to wearing this lovely piece of the forest!

At last my tea is cosy

My first attempt at knitting with 2 sets of double pointed needles. After an infuriating afternoon of not understanding the instructions and making it more complicated than necessary, I finally worked it out! Now I might be able to try one of Loani Proir's more exciting designs for keeping my teapot cosy