the neapolitan crochet cushion cover: the end!

 Ta da!  Finito, completo, it's done!  I finished most of the edging last night - I say most of it as I became a bit stuck working out how to finish it off...

It all started at the back... As my one piece granny square became larger, I started to wonder how I would get the cover on and off the cushion.  Perhaps I might just crochet the whole thing together and wash it as one piece when the time came?  Or...

... perhaps I could leave one small section open and fold the cushion to get it in and out...  And it worked!  Whenever I've sewn cushion covers in the past, I've made them with envelope style openings at the back.  For a minute or two I contemplated starting the back of this cushion again and trying something similar, but now I'm glad I forged on with the granny square.  I'm sure I can add a couple of buttons if I need to, but it seems to sit straight without them.  Now I just have to make a calico liner for the cushion as you can see straight through the crochet cover to the cushion itself.  Not very attractive!

Two new projects on the go.  More cushion covers...  or somethings.  Had another idea for the pink and blue squares on the left, so they may become something else.  Hopefully I fit in a bit of crochet today inbetween cleaning the house and running around after Jono.  Fingers crossed!

making helicopters and diggers and daddy and dogs and elephants...

... and cars and cockatoos and birthday cakes and all sorts of amazing creations!  This is Jono's first foray into playdough, having a very slack mum who hasn't made it for him until now.  Do you think it's textbook third child syndrome?  The poor little fellow!  Anyway, he's having a ball as I shuffle through the house moving piles of things from one room to another.  I haven't been feeling 100% this week, so it's been very quiet on the making front; the cushions can wait for another day!  I made a raw dough playdough for this mix, but it's not as smooth as the cooked recipe I used to make.  Anyone have a whizzbang recipe that's not too gritty with salt?!

sophie's birds: a fledgling business

Sophie's bird making is going from strength to strength.  She's started taking orders from her classmates during art and it's no small wonder!  They are amazing!  I love the way her little 6 year old hands are crafting these birds aplenty.  Their coloured tailfeathers finish off her work just perfectly.  I think I will have to set her to work myself!  Makes me even more desperate for a kiln, but it remains - as ever - on the long list of things to buy...  Perhaps if Sophie starts taking money for the birds at school, we could start a kiln fund!!

PS Fledgling business...  get it?!

PPS Sorry!

sundays in the garden: the new garden bed

Last week's rain and my growing impatience with a front garden full of cape weed have fuelled my desire for a new garden bed.  I dug up and turned the soil outside my office, then finally planted gardenias I've had in pots since December (!) and added other plants needing a home.  Since we planted out the side garden, some of the geraniums have filled out enough that I've been able to transplant some of them.  I've only ever started a couple of garden beds before, but I prefer to thickly plant them out, rather than have lots of gaps.  Then I transfer the plants as they grow and find them new homes.  It might be a bit more work, doubling up on extra digging and moving, but gives me the established look I'm trying to achieve.

I started off this afternoon's efforts by myself, but managed to tempt Sophie outside by saying it could be our shared garden bed.  She was delighted to choose places for the plants - including lavender, echeveria, pigface and thyme - then cover them with fresh autumn leaves I'd raked from out the back this morning.  The soil out the front is very poor, but by mulching with leaves and pea straw, they will break down in time and feed everything.  And without a garden budget, we're just going to make do!  I'd prefer to have a few plants die on me, than look at cape weed for the rest of my life!

the neapolitan icecream crochet cushion - a work in progress

Didn't you just love neapolitan icecream when you were younger?  We did, apart from the strawberry, which kind of defeated the purpose!  But it always looked so pretty sitting in the container and I certainly liked the idea of the pink icecream, if not the taste!  This cushion is an ode, of sorts, to the perfect mix of icecream colours, plus an extra pink to add to the mix.  It's all from Bendigo Woollen Mills - wool I already had and it's not bad on my hands...  but again, whinge, not the beautiful strengths of colours from my old favourite Zara.

I've been making this over the past couple of nights and only have a few rows to go of the back.  The cushion which it will cover is only smallish, so it's been the perfect start for me with crocheted cushions...  another new crochet addiction!  It's just so nice to sit down at night and work on a project that's not for the long-term!  My sister Kate suggested I try making a few, now that I've mastered granny squares.  I have another three cushions to cover, so you know what I'll be doing over the next week or so!

autumn comes to the garden

Our two ash trees are looking amazing at the moment, making me very grateful we built on a block that already had a few trees.  I wouldn't like to have to be starting completely from scratch - we already have enough to do in the garden!  The beautiful blue skies of mother's day are just a memory now and I doubt I'll be seeing Sophie in a t-shirt again for quite some time.  We're expecting weather in single digits over the weekend and into the start of next week - great for snow lovers, but making it freezing for everybody else!

Writing-wise, I have a target of 750 words today.  I became a little behind this week, due to having a sickie home one day and then sewing another.  Luckily I have set such a low daily target and it shouldn't be too hard to achieve...  that is, if Jono has a good sleep!

Anyway, must sign off now and write, write, write.  Wish me luck!

on these cold autumn days...

The granny love continues, last night using my ends of Zara...  It's been a much colder start to the week, fantastic to see some rain, but it's brought with it some icy cold weather.  I keep finding dog shaped tunnels in my bed - very frustrating when I've gone to the effort to make it, but obviously Minnie prefers it that way.  She's now snuggled up on these granny squares, having found them on the ground where I took this photo.  Cheeky girl!

Thanks for the yarn suggestions.  I rang Wondoflex in Melbourne and they said the only alternative to Zara is... Zara!  They didn't think I'd find the softness combined with range of colours in another brand.  Mum found some Heirloom Merino Magic, which I will try too.  If you think of anything else, keep the suggestions coming!