applehead

almost magic...

Like many of you, I always have a knit or crochet (or both) project on the go.
Most often, I have several.
I have never really thought about why I like to create things from yarn - I just do. It is something I have always done and I find it hard to imagine that I would ever stop.
I truly dislike finding myself with a spare moment or two and without a work in progress to keep my hands busy.(Any suggestions for an airline security friendly craft?).
Recently I came across a new blog that I am enjoying immensely.
beautiful things is written by an architect who loves to knit ( and knits prolifically, I might add) and appreciates the beautiful things in life.Want to ogle fiber? ...you can do that here. Want to see works in progress and finished things? Plenty of those too! Links galore so that you can find out where the yarn, patterns and inspiration came from. If you enjoy knitting, you'll most likely enjoy this blog.
Recently there was a post that put into words just why I love to knit and crochet...

"One of the things I love about knitting is how you can create these amazing, three dimensional objects out of a single linear thread, in essence, a line. And all this through variations on a single stitch - a loop looped through a loop. And in one tug you can basically unravel the whole thing. A line doesn't take up three dimensional space. It's like making something out of nothing. It seems like such an optimistic process, creative in the literal sense, and so elemental. Perhaps that is why it is so healing and restorative a process. Words, for example, seem like much more of a social construct in comparison."
beautiful things, May 3rd 2007

So there you have it- and put so simply and beautifully.
Not my own words but at last I will be able to explain just why it is I feel so compelled to knit.

The images are of fiber for two new projects that I can't wait to start....this and this....silk  & stainless steel (black ,navy), fine merino (white) and paper (charcoal,blue).

The Dress

Another of the highlights of the Melbourne trip was meeting up with Pip , Allison, Shannon and Tamara - hot drinks and loads of talking as we all got to "know" one another. Alison very generously gave us all one of these beauties( thank you!). Afterwards Tamara and I went to visit Pip at "Meet at Mikes" in Richmond - it's like a treasure trove! I had to do several rounds of the shop before I felt that I had managed to see most things. I couldn't resist these lovely piles of vintage fabric- tied up with a bow and handed over with a great big smile.

One of my aims during the Melbourne trip was to visit a few of the many jewelry galleries. Kirsten over at assemblage has an amazing collection of very covetable pieces and she very kindly pointed me in the right directions. I visited the Gallery Funaki , Pieces of Eight and e.g etal to name just a few! I was very tempted by a few rings that I saw but in the end fell in love with a dress in Cose Ipanema. The store  was quiet so I had the opportunity to try on many pieces from the range by Tao Kurihara for Comme des Garcons.

This is one of the outfits I swished about the store in - at the same time I could watch the garment being worn on the catwalk courtesy of the instore TV display (small thrill indeed!)  This outfit was a bit beyond my piggy bank hoardings but then I found one that screamed 'The Dress' very loudly to me.

Needless to say, no ring came home with me from Melbourne but I did look and feel very glamourous in my Dress on the plane home( of course I wore it out of the store - it would have been environmentally unfriendly to ask for a bag!)

I haven't had a chance to take a photo of The Dress- as soon as I do you will see it.
There's bound to be an opportunity sometime as I plan on wearing The Dress until it falls off me.
And then I will have it framed.

Seriously.

101 flavours

or rather a  few rather exotic ones...

Raspberry, wattleseed and yellow sapote icecream ( hidden underneath, jackfruit)

On our visit to Cape Tribulation we stopped in at the Daintree Icecream factory.Although there didn't seem to be anything vaguely resembling a factory ( unless you count the tiny tin shed hidden behind a grove of trees) there was a small kiosk selling icecream made the from many different varieties of exotic fruit growing in the surrounding orchard.

The good and bad thing was that you  couldn't choose the flavours - the only way they sold it was as four mixed scoops in a cup. If that hadn't been the case I would never have discovered my passion for yellow sapote icecream or my dislike of the soursop variety. Jackfruit was quite tasty and the wattle seed (along with the yellow sapote) was one of my favourites.

Afterward  we had a quick wander around the orchard to see the fruits doing what they do best...

yellow sapote ,behaving nicely for the camera
(we weren't able to find these for sale to try fresh...has anyone tasted one?)

Soursop...prefer to look at this one on the tree instead of on the end of my spoon! I was told that if you were game to bite the bottom of the ants on this fruit, you would be rewarded with a sweet honey taste
I'd probably prefer to do that than have to eat the soursop icecream again...perhaps the ants might beg to differ?!!!

scissor, paper,rock...

I had the pleasure of making a custom 'smallpeople' collage as a wedding gift for a London couple. It was quite a challenge to come up with something that I felt would be suitable - I don't know them and I wanted a theme that was related to being a couple but without being overly sappy or drippy- romantic!
It took a while but once I nutted out the caption , the rest was almost easy....

I have been saving the green and blue floral for something special , and when I heard that the couple are about to head off traveling, I thought that it was the perfect reason to use my blue Eiffel Tower.
I can't wait to see what they think of it.....

to-ings and fro-ings....

Just before I headed off to north to Port Douglas and the Daintree, I somehow managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Melbourne ( I know, I'm doing it tough this month...)
Highlights ( and there were many!)

Violet and Rose Peg Apron- picture courtesy of the official Violet and Rose clothesline...

Meeting Jo from Violet and Rose and enjoying it every bit as much ( and possibly even more) than I had imagined. Now I just need to move Melbourne and Sydney a little closer so that I can drop around for a cup of tea and a catch up a little more often... the beautiful apron was part of a bag of goodies that Jo put together for me ( if you too want one to help you achieve that drop dead gorgeous look whilst hanging out the smalls, visit her blog. If you happen to be in Melbourne, pop into Meet me At Mikes to see this and more of her lovely work.This shop is full of craft blog goodness, and if you are lucky you will get to meet the most personable Pip!)

Finding this wonderful stack of old Japanese books hidden in a box under a rack of kimonos at Ziguzagu at Kazari Warehouse.

The covers were so perfectly old and weathered and then inside....

I haven't a clue what I will do with them but I just couldn't leave them behind.

The old obis below came from the same place. ( You might remember one of the obi's from last years trip took on a new life as this crochet roll. I so love using this roll.)

Going to the cinema not once but twice to see a foreign film... Paris, je T'aime  and Orchestra seats at the Cinema Nova, Carlton. I think that the cinnamon choctop that I had on the first evening was a large part of the reason for the second visit the following night!

Just a few of the memorable moments...there were way too many for just one post, so expect another some time soon...

 

 

time wasting.....

I'm meant to be crossing things off my 'to do' list.
I don't remember anything on that list about doodling a few birds and flowers and then wasting time playing with the sketch in Photoshop.....but I'll cross it off anyway!

home again, home again...

Cape Tribulation beach

Just stepped through the front door a few hours ago.
This morning I was swimming and this evening I am all rugged up with the thickest socks on that I can find! Quite strange...
I still have to unpack and do all of those post holiday sort of things...wade through my overflowing inbox to start with! I have at least twenty emails saying that I have won over a million pounds in a lottery ( 20 million pounds would cover some serious wool and book shopping now, wouldn't it) and another dozen or so asking for help transferring large sums of money from foreign countries. And they are willing to throw a few hundred thousand in my direction as well!

While I was away the next issue of small magazine was released so at last I can show you 'Leila', the small paper doll that I had the fun and challenge of dressing for this season's issue. You can see her here.
If you like her, drop me a line via the comments section ...I will send out a postcard of Lelia to the first seven people who ask with a sweet "please may I ?"

So much to say, so many photos to bore you with...but for now, I'm off to bed. With a very big blanket!

close up of tree trunk - Mossman Gorge, far North Queensland

I love tree trunks...lucky for me that the Daintree rainforest area was full of them!

need a good book?

Do try this one ,then...really do!
I bought this book in Melbourne on a Sunday and finished it by breakfast time on the Tuesday ( and it only lasted that long because I rationed my reading time!)
It is laugh out loud funny, delightful, sad, poignant and absolutely absorbing - you name it....Rosie Little has it!
Honestly, I would have bought the book for the title and cover alone....off to find Ms Wood's other novel 'The Alphabet of light and dark' as soon as I can!

back soon....

Applehead is up North looking for the sun...back on the 16th of June...see you then!

off on a little wander....

We are heading off tomorrow, bright and early on our annual trip north to find the sun! A little further up than last year - this time Port Douglas and the Daintree. I have always wanted to do a little exploring around this amazing area so I can't wait.I will bore you all silly with the holiday happy snaps when I get back!

In the meantime I have finally managed to finish Keeta's scarf- I bought the wool last year and then got a little sidetracked. Oh well, lucky for me Keeta is a very patient girl and the cold weather has only just set in....

A very simple eyelet knit pattern in Eki Riva 14ply 100% baby alpaca - super soft with the barest sheen to it.Lovely to touch , lovely to knit up.

I have been strict with my packing this time- just two small projects to keep me busy while I'm away...usually I pack several and then never even look at most of them. Drawing stuff is a must though...hopefully have some doodles to show for it when I return.

I've actually  only just arrived back from a quick jaunt down to Melbourne - so it's off the plane, unpack, repack and back on another tomorrow. I was lucky enough to meet up with some crafty Melbourne blog girls so there will be few tales to tell after I've finished exploring.

Until then, take care....