start with a photo...

I know it's been a while.  The longer you leave your blog the harder it is to return.  With so many ideas going through your mind where do you start?

I saw Cathie last weekend when I went on the Northside Makers Market bus tour to Daylesford.  Cathie said "Just start with a photo and keep it simple".  So I am.  Here is the photo (well there's two actually).  It's a shawl I crocheted during the week from some handspun alpaca  I bought at the Daylesford craft market.  It's yummy, has great weight and I love how it spirals around on the ends.



It's also a bit sparkly(I'm a sucker for a bit of glitter) and incredibly warm.

Hope you are all well and please forgive me for my absence.  I know I have a give away to attend to and  a couple of other unfinished things.  Promise I'll be onto all of that asap.

Take care. xo M*

hooray, a giveaway!

Hooray! It's the day! A giveaway in May! And it's my first giveaway and I really have no idea what I am doing but I am so busy that I don't have time to worry about it.  Phew!  Make sure you visit Sew Mama Sew and check out other great giveaways too!

So what am I giving away?  If you recall my earlier post I said I was giving away a knitted scarf just like the one I posted about here.  But I also said that I have made this scarf extra special...and here it is!

 

I call this my 'charm scarf'.  I knitted it with pretty much the same yarns as I did my first scarf but was worried about the colours.  Let's face it.  I am Melbourne born and bred and I am really into my blacks and greys for a lot of my clothes and I realise that not everybody else is.  I umm-ed and ahh-ed as to what I could do to add some colour to it without ruining it or making it too over the top...and this is what I came up with...

These are what I can only describe as little charms.  I hand drew some pictures of things and sewed them on to red felt and then onto some of the dangly ends of the scarf.  I think they are so sweet and are intending to make some for my scarf too.  I hope that someone else out there will like them as much as I do!

I apologise for the poor quality of the photographs.  Because I work full-time I am sometimes limited as to when I can take photos unless I plan ahead which doesn't always happen.  I will try and post a better photo tomorrow if light permits.  Alternatively you can check out this post which has photos of the scarf I made for myself in better light, but it doesn't have the cute little charms!

So please leave a comment below and I will randomly choose a winner from a hat on May 31st.  Rules are that the giveaway remains open for 3 days!  So spread the word and don't forget to check out other giveways too.  I know Marelle, Edward and Lilly and Ragland Guld are all having giving aways...but there are more to be found at Sew Mama Sew!

scarf project - it's finished

Well it's finished! Actually, I finished it on Friday night but I didn't get the time to take pics until today. I am reeaaally happy with the way it turned out; the colours, texture and the look and feel of it. It's quite long, 172 cm to be precise, in fact it's taller than me! But this means I can wrap it around my neck properly and tuck it into my coat for extra wind protection and warmth. Bring on winter!!

the next project...

Well, I am already half-way through the next project...

After making the scarflet-cum-mane I was left with quite a bit of left over yarn and I loved the colours and textures so much that I didn't want it to go to waste...soooo I gave it a little bit of an umm and a few ahhs and decided to make a scarf. I know, not particularly complex or original but it is a very useful item and my old black scarf is nearing its use-by date.

For this one I am using the four yarns that I used for my scarflet and are also using some other black wool that I had stacked away waiting for a 'project'. I am randomly changing yarns every 4 to 5 centimetres and am really excited about how it's progressing. The different plies of the yarns are creating an uneven selvedge which I think really adds to the appeal and character of the scarf (if a scarf can have character that is!!). I also really love the look of the ends where I have changed yarns and are going to leave them as a feature too. It kind of has an unkempt, raw, deconstructed look about it which really appeals to me. Kind of like my hair for those of you that know me...he he he...