a million rainbow seeds

My current knitting project is a stripey blanket.
Its similar to the rainbow stripey blanket I started a while ago, but doesn't involve all the spinning.
 I'm not sure if it was to do with how wobbly my spinning wheel was, the lack of proper cord or my lack of persistence but I got to the point that I wanted to keep knitting the blanket but didn't want to spend all the time getting frustrated with the spinning wheel. I never really 'got' how to adjust the wheel properly, hopefully one day I will get a better wheel and take some lessons because I know I would enjoy it once it got easier. Anyhow, back to the blanket!

 I got the wool from Bendigo Woolen Mills. The colours aren't quite as nice as the colours I dyed myself for the last blanket but they are close and I do love them.

 I was going to knit it with just a small seed stitch border but I like how the colours blend together gently rather than bold stripes of regular knit stitch so the seed stitch continued.. and continued.. and now I thinks its plain to see that it will be a seed stitched blanket!

 Its going to be so warm and cozy, I really do love it

I love that the seed stitch is so puffy and soft

Here are my silkies in a place they love and the place id really rather they visited a little less often, my chamomile patch. If they have their way I think I will be buying shop bought chamomile tea next winter! But still, its the only thing in the veggie patch that they bother so I don't mind too much

Christmas/Summer Solstice angel

Its a strange thing celebrating Christmas here in Australia. Although for us it takes place in the middle of summer we still decorate our trees with snow men, warmly dressed Santa's and the like.
For the past few years I've been really trying to make my celebration into something that makes more sense to me.
Its turning into a mix between Christmas and Summer Solstice. I want to mostly base my celebration on being thankful for the warm summer sun, all the beauty it brings in our garden and nature, being together with family and friends.
I love sharing the excitement with my loved ones of Christmas trees, making special foods, decorations etc. so I'm putting a lot of thought into how i can keep the magic of 'traditional christmas' but do it in my own Aussie nature based way.

So anyway, ill share how my Solstice and Christmas unfold as I go. Ive been working on this angel for the top of my tree. Ive had a few of these small waldorf doll heads that I made and never used, floating around my craft cupboard for a good few years now. This one finally has a body!
Her dress is made of vintage lace fabric and her hair is mohair. I made up the dress patern and im quite happy with how it turned out.

I'm looking forward to adding some wings, and perhaps some tiny flowers in her hair. I will add some gold to her as a symbol of the summer sun that shines bright on our world and gives us such wonderful long days.
And of course I will also add the less exciting thing like hands and a cardboard cone to help her stand up straight:)

I'm also going to be making ornaments out of shells collected from my favourite beaches and golden crystals.
 I've begun a paper mache summer sun to hang up too. I have lots of fun making projects ahead of me!

Our new friend "Bunny"

 I finished off our rabbit and we love him!
I'm not sure if I'm quite happy with his face but ill see if it will grow on me, if not try again.

 Hes been named "Bunny" and has had many adventures already. Last night Josh put himself to bed early like he sometimes does. I went in and he had fallen asleep on top of his quilt cuddled up with Bunny reading a story, with shoes still on no less:) I didn't even think to take a picture but it was so cute

 It didn't take the day care children long to discover what hadn't occurred to me- that he happens to fit the clothes I've made for our Waldorf dolls. So now he has a little blue coat (which I knitted a while ago but don't think I blogged) almost just like I was intending to make him!
 I would still really like to make him a light blue one with brass buttons though. And maybe some grandpa slippers (like peter rabbit)

 I finished the daisies and lavender socks and tonight is even cool enough to wear them (with a summer nightie but anyhow... :) The rabbit likes wearing woolly knitted socks too

yep, hes ready for Christmas

wood and wool (two of my favourite things)

 On Saturday the weather was so nice that Benny and I spent almost the whole day outside working on various crafts and projects and relaxing on the daybed. One of the things I did was add windows to the old doll house . I got to use my favourite tool the trimmer again to round the edges so I was happy:)

 With these warm days wool jumpers (sweaters) at the opp shops are in abundance. Ive been collecting them to eventually make a felted patchwork blanket but this lambswool/angora one really wanted to become a rabbit. After beginning this dear little bunny I realised that I was nearly out of wool for stuffing so he has a nice big bag of rice in his belly which turned out great and means that he can sit on his own. Now I've just got to stitch him together, add a face and maybe a peter rabbit coat

I got the idea for him from a post and a tutorial on Our Ash Grove

happy stripey sock overload

cloudy skies stripey socks

The beginnings of daisies and lavender stripey socks

and more stripey socks!

Ive also made a few more Christmas tree ornaments. This year I'm really getting excited about Christmas. Is it to early to start decorating? (don't worry, I know the answer to that:)

In the garden most things are growing rapidly. Benny is getting rid of a bird cage and moving another which means room for more beds of lush veggies to grow.
These tomatoes will be the first of the season. I hope they ripen up soon because I'm not very patient when it comes to waiting for home grown tomatoes

Some of the tomato plants are half way up their stakes already. These self seeded from compost and as is usually the case they are doing even better than those I carefully nurtured from seeds. Mother nature is the best gardener of all

How cute are these beginnings of little yellow zucchinis. Ive never successfully grown zucchinis before so these yellow babies are especially exciting for me. Fingers crossed they keep doing as well as they are now

Basil plants are going strong! Pesto on toast (breakfast) pesto on crackers (snack) pesto and pine nuts on pasta (dinner) Yum!!! Did I mention I like pesto?

weekend knitting

Ever since I made my Tea Leaves Cardi I've been wondering what to make with the left over yarn. There was just less than 100g left which wasn't enough for anything much, or so I thought...

The other day I was knitting up some blue and white striped socks (yes its almost summer here, moving on from the ridiculousness of when my motivation to knit socks seems to come every year:) and it occurred to me that if I added stripes my beloved madelentosh scraps could become some beautiful socks!

I used Silvers sock class , the Two Toe-Up Socks on One Circular Needle Tutorial.

The stripes made for a bit of an extra challenge but they are so worth it, I love them.

Because of the stripes I had 4 balls of wool going at once instead of 2 but i managed fine and they turned out perfect.

I would highly recommend this tutorial, I've also used the "one sock on four double pointed needles tutorial" and both were so incredibly helpful for a beginner like myself.

Once they were done I still had some wool left so I made a start on Christmas decorations.
The teddy was quite simple but a bit fiddly. At least I was forced to have another go at knitting i-cord for the arms and legs. In the past I attempted it once and it didn't work but this time I had no problem at all so I'm pleased to know I can stop avoiding projects with i-cords:)
The stocking is my first attempt at fairisle and it was a perfect little practice piece