I crocheted this jug cover for my cousin's Christmas present back in December (you remember those really rushy last two weeks) and ran out of time to photograph it. So this morning when I was dropping Archie off at her house, I asked to borrow it for the day and took it home for a photo shoot. Of course towards the end, little hands crept into it, unable to resist the lure of all those beads. Hard not to smother those juicy hands with kisses, after a good wash of course...
I'm on to the exciting part of the little kimono jumper using double pointed needles to make ties. It is so quick and easy that ropes seem to fall from my hands like magic, like Rumpelstiltskin spinning his straw into gold.
You might have noticed I mainly knit in stripes. Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. First, I get bored if I am only using one colour and then the other is that it is so much easier to count the rows. And I have boys, they seem to be made for stripes.
Sail making activities are now well under way. Last night I had a play around and am thrilled by how simple it was. Just knitting two together every three to four rows on one side gave it a sort of billowy triangle shape. Now I will have to start attaching it I suppose.
I'm still pretty tied up with Ann Wood's boats (check sidebar for her link). Well, with the sails and masts to be precise. The hulls are addictive but I think I am getting towards the stage where I should at least complete one. So now I am thinking that maybe knitted sails might be good, and cotton liberty sails with slots for the mast and bottom thingy to go into. Hugo's room had a much needed tidy up today (as did the bathroom - my chest now has more room to breathe) and I now think he could do with a few sail boats hanging from his ceiling.
I am now onto the sleeves of this little kimono style cardigan. I have made so many mistakes along the way just from being a little tired at night but it seems to have absorbed them with minimal scarring. Because I am really enjoying a bit of escape with the telly at night, knitting has been a great way to unwind as shamefully, I can still see the screen. Cheap and tawdry of me I know.
Tomorrow I am going to have a pocket of time to myself and I am trying to avoid the whole, must finish pile of paintings, must finish pile of sewing, should finish pile of washing. There is only so much that can be fitted into the time and I certainly don't want to drive myself into a tightly scheduled, spiralling insanity.
The boys have been playing with my acrylics and loving the colours that have suddenly become available to them. Just for a bit of a change, we have been experimenting with not mixing colours and ending up with a canvas of sludge brown. I felt like a bit of a nazi but it has been worth it as they are so proud of their paintings and how the colours sing out.
Friends who come with "Blueshi".
Friends who arrive and ignore the crafting mess and crafting table cloth.
And plums to fill us with summer sweetness.
At the moment our house is in a major state of craft and relaxation. I have been completely bowled over by Julie Arkell (google her, she doesn't have a blog) with her amazing paper mache creatures and Ann Wood with her wonderful paper mache boats. As a result, the giant kitchen table is covered in paper, glue and paint, a mess which will remain for the next few days as the boys and I have become obsessed with it. 
In the first week of school holidays, Archie and I went to 'Where the Wild Things Are' at the movies. It was a special day being just the two of us so I made him a Maxesque boy (with no tail and quite different so please don't sue me) with fierce teeth as requested by Archie (although without the dripping blood he thought would be a good finishing touch). We both loved the movie and I so appreciated a book/film being made where the consequences of anger were explored and not sugar coated. I know a lot of people thought it may have been a bit too scary but as the mother of two boys, I can honestly say that anger in small and tall people is a frightening thing and the result even short term is often devastating to all those around. Anger is a real issue for lots of smaller people (I am meaning children here, not actually short adults) in the world and it is not often issues like this are addressed in film. And then beyond that, the puppets, the music and the scenery are sublime (and filmed in Victoria which filled me with goodness and warmth).
Today being the second last week of the holidays and with two boys wanting to see 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', I didn't have enough time to crochet fantastic fox-like creatures for two. Fortunately, Mum had made a fox for Archie which a promptly attached to a piece of wool which Archie then wore proudly. Hugo graciously made do with wearing Archie's 'Almost Max' with many promises to have something special crocheted just for him.
Posts have been a little bit slow lately, school holidays have been great but also long so there has been a lot of parenting time going into the day. They just don't handle neglect as well as I would like. More to come, Archie and I are experimenting with paper mache tomorrow. Can't wait. xxooxxooxx. 
Small, scruffy haired boys watching Dr. Harry early in the morning. These holiday lie-ins have been great I tell you. And to think, one day (a long way into the future) they might be bribed into bringing me cups of tea. It will definitely have to be on the pocket money list when they are older.
I am testing my fingers out with a bit of knitting. So far so good but with much less padding on my right pointer I am ready to down needles by the end of the evening. The wool is very soft luckily, part of the 'Luxury' range by Bendigo Woollen Mills although in this photo, the colours aren't really showing up properly.
A few works-in-progress. I always like leaving a few plans lying around during school holidays. It helps me to remember there will be daytime routines again and eventually, even the odd spot of daytime creating.
The new woollen balls pictured second from top are the 'luxury' range from Bendigo Woollen Mills and would you believe they are 200 grams each. At the moment the colours look quite random but they are coming together in my head - the boys are due for new vests soon and they are going to be swisho.
A few snapshots from today to show what we have been up to. That's right, fishing and who was the only one to catch a fish... that's right, me (although Jonno was the one running everything and really is the mastermind behind it all). There is only one other thing in the world like a fish tapping on the end of your line and that would be the first few kicks of pregnancy - they are startlingly similar.
It's progressing, this new summer cushion. It just feels so good too being made from the 4 ply cotton. When I rest my hand on it with fingers spread out, it almost pulses an energy. So of course at night in between squares, I spend a lot of time doing this.
I have had a few good books out form the library and was a very lucky person being given a few crocheting books as well. Here are three of the ones I have been studying intently with every cup of tea that passes my way.
The first one is a library find, 'Tasty Crochet' and is utterly wonderful. With all sorts of chapters ranging from breakfast to dessert, you come away not only inspired but hungry as well. The instructions are very straight forward and even the more difficult projects are very logical - I like playing with the odd bit of logic occasionally.
The photos above and below are from 'Lacy Crochet' which is a beautiful book with lots of lovely projects however, the instructions are not quite so easy with lots of those diagram thingies instead. I have to delve a lot deeper before I give my final verdict - however, in terms of aesthetics, it is a feast.
I am thinking beach today, the sun is shining, the wind is down and the house needs to have some time to recover from all of the squeals (happy and sad) that have been reverberating through its poor self.
These cottons have been sitting next to me on the couch. Often when I am thinking about my next project I group colours together and let them simmer. There is a navy blue I love that spends a bit of time with them as well but for this project I needed the colours to sing in a high pitch (we all have our weired ways of synesthesia - mine happens a bit with music).
So, this is the piece evolving from those cotton reels. A summery 4 ply cushion pictured on a cushion I sewed from echino fabric the other day.
A little closer maybe? Lots more to do on it but I am really enjoying creating a pattern that keeps changing as I get further into it. And if you are wondering, the granny square pattern is one of the gorgeous Lucy of Attic 24 fame. Her patterns are always amazing, well written and beautiful.
This is another little band that is forming. I am still not sure of their purpose yet but I keep glancing toward them as my fingers twirl in their current task.
Some Christmas decorations hiding in the kitchen, desperate to extend their stay beyond the festive season... who am I to deny them.
The dining area looking nice and tidy waiting for some friends to come over for a games night.
And beautiful moisturiser that was given to me by a lovely friend for Christmas and is in use constantly. It's free from all of the nasties too - nice one Cath.