Beads, Blossoms and Vintage Treasure

I've been so busy at work I've had little time to make anything
so I'm going to share some photos of a necklace that I crocheted a little while ago,
made out of ceramic beads and mercerised cotton:

I've received compliments when I've worn it, which is lovely, but I don't put it on very often because the beads chip easily. If I make another I'll use wooden beads, something like this necklace. (If you follow the link you'll find a tutorial on how to construct one yourself.)

Although there hasn't been time to do much crafting I've managed to squeeze in a bit of op~shopping, always good for my morale! I've bought a sweet little milk jug:

and a metal placard with a biblical quotation:

It's not clear in the photograph but it says He Faileth Not in gold letters on the bottom. I'd say they're both from the 1960s. I love 'em.

I still haven't registered for Green Thumb Sunday (an association of gardening bloggers) 'cause I haven't yet worked out how to add the blogroll but I'm going to post some photos from my garden anyway!

Here's one of the grevilleas:

Here,
at my backdoor,
is a pot of succulents and a little, wooden statue of a Balinese dancer
(she looks so gentle and sad):

and,
lastly,
here's a photo of one of the Marguerite Daisies,
flowering in profusion right now:

Just before I finish I'd like to say thank you to everybody who's left comments here of late.
I really appreciate your friendship.
Have a wonderful week!

Small Projects

I've been busy, busy, busy with work this week
so, on the craft side, I have just been making small things:

another Victorian Lace washcloth:

(for me this time),

a washcloth for a friend's birthday:

and a scarf, crocheted out of yummy Jet wool and alpaca,
using crochetroo's fan bookmark pattern:

I also received some absolutely gorgeous hand~spun yarn from insubordiknit:

Isn't it beautiful? I couldn't believe my luck when I came across it in her shop ~ her online store usually sells out really quickly. This is destined to become some fingerless gloves or a cowl
...in the midst of all the demands that are made of me by my work,
working with my hands gives me such simple pleasure.

Although I haven't had time to sign myself up properly to Green Thumb Sunday (which I wrote about and linked in my last post) I'm going to finish with two photographs of something else that brings me joy,
my garden in Winter.

The last of the chameleon roses:

and one of my spiky strelitzias.
I love the dramatic blooms:



Wishing you all a week that's illuminated by simple pleasure too.

No Knit Saturday and Green Thumb Sunday

Saturday was World Wide Knit In Public Day. (It says at the top of this entry that it's still Saturday but actually, here in The Land Down Under, it's late Sunday afternoon.) I hope all the knitters who visit here had a fun day. I couldn't make any meetups 'cause of work (but I told my mother about it and she took her knitting with her when she went out to coffee in the morning. Onya Mum.) I spent most of yesterday and today doing paperwork. I have a week to go before I have to submit reports and then I get some me~time back. I can't wait.

Someone around here got to relax over the weekend, though:

Sometimes I wish I could swap places with her.

Despite all the hard work, there have been some nice things happening here at Chez Inkberry. I received this gorgeous package from my Ravelry swap pal, tasknits:



Isn't the washcloth pretty?
And doesn't the variegated cotton work well with the pattern? (It's Anchor Magicline.)
I love it!

This is one of the washcloths I sent to my swap partner, another Victorian Lace facecloth from Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks:

I made a Simple Dishcloth too.

I also discovered that inkberryblue had been linked by a blogger called the crafty gardener which was flattering (thank you)
and which led me to some fabulous gardening sites, that are listed on the crafty gardener's blog.
I'm in the process of joining a community of bloggers who post about the happenings in their gardens in Green Thumb Sunday
...and I was inspired to go out and take some quick photographs in my little piece of the Earth.
I humbly present to you a few shots of the cyclamen that is sitting at my front door, flourishing in the cold nights we're currently experiencing:

I love its beautiful deep pink colour and its petals.
They remind me of butterfly wings:



I'm going to finish off with my own selection of links to gorgeous gardening posts. I hope you enjoy looking at:

• primrose designs ~ who also has a fabulous online store that sells, amongst other things, vintage buttons,


• Gayla Trail's post about a beautiful kitchen garden at You Grow Girl,


• and one of the latest blog entries by the ever inspiring Alicia Paulson.
  
  
  Happy week, everybody.
  
  
  
  

Finished!

I've finished the Cotton Candy Shrug that I wrote about in my last post. There are just a few ends that need to be sewn in.
Here it is:

...and here's the back:

It's not really wonky ~ it just looks that way because I'm swinging my arm around to take the shot. It's really hard to take good photographs of a garment while you're wearing it! I'm really happy with it...and a bit sorry that the pattern isn't available anymore because it's such a simple, cleverly constructed design.

When I've finished writing all my reports for work I'm planning on making more clothes. I've just bought this beautiful kettle dyed wool from yarnomat to crochet a butterscotch cardigan with.

I've also got my eyes on susana's jacket from the latest Yarn magazine. (If you open up the link, it's the apricot coloured cardie.) It is designed for beginner knitters and is made out of gorgeous, and very reasonably priced, handspun wool from wool connection.

And, speaking of things handmade, I recently received a beautiful hand stitched book cover that I bought over at indigo blue designs. It was all wrapped up gorgeously:

It's so pretty:

and will be perfect for knitting and crochet notes!

Have a great week, everybody.

A Dishcloth, A Shrug And A Little Something For The Cat People

I've had to spend most of this weekend doing lots of paperwork for my job
*sigh*
but there's been a bit of crafting going on.
I have almost finished the Cotton Candy shrug I've been crocheting, there's just the border to go:

(I plan on taking, and posting, more detailed shots when I've finished it.)

I've also been putting together a little swap package for a cloth and soap exchange over at Ravelry, which has been fun. I won't show anything until my partner's received my parcel but here's something similar to what I've been making:

This is a simple dishcloth, which I crocheted about a month ago. I'm using it as a skin exfoliator instead ~ it works really well and it looks pretty.

I've been keeping my stress levels down by meditating as well as crafting, practising some of the techniques I've learnt at a course I'm taking at the Perth Meditation Centre. I'm being taught by Eric Harrison, the Centre's Director. Eric, who has a background in Buddhism, is calm and articulate and learned and brilliant!

...and I've had a bit of light relief from net surfing too. I came across this animation which really tickled my funny bone. It captures what it is to live with a determined cat. Enjoy!

Now, back to the paperwork...