Wednesday 29 October 2014

Adelaide Botanical Gardens

A lecture and dinner  today after work took me to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.
Having an hour to kill I spent time strolling around the gardens. I found myself in the cactus garden to be pleasantly surprise to find the plants just beginning to flower. I must try to return in a week to see them in full bloom.
ENJOY!



















Wednesday 22 October 2014

Well Hello



\
Hello all. I feel like I have disappeared for ages from blog land. There are a multitude of reasons for this.
Firstly I am working full time for three weeks and that immediately limits my time available, particularly time that I am motivated to spending at the computer. 
My uncle was very ill in the early part of last week and I spent a lot of time between the hospital and my parents house, spending time with my cousin and aunt. Sadly he passed away and we prepare to have a service for him in the coming days. Although I expected his death I was surprised by how volatile and raw my emotions were when he passed away. Suffice to say he will be missed but I am glad to say he has lived an adventurous and full life


So in between all this I have managed to cut the strips for this quilt. That little effort only took me two days in the time before I started full time. Last weekend I managed to spend a large length of time sewing and a little time after work so now I have made up twelve squares of this rainbow delight - Soul Searching , pattern by Kathy Doughty of My Material Obsession fame.



 I also was ratting around in my cupboard and found this dark peach cotton , 20 balls that I had bought in an op shop some time ago for $7. Of course I had no idea what I was going to do with them  but have since decided to utilize this colour as the flower center for the spoke wheel flower pattern with any colour pink I could find on the outside of the flower and make a blanket, Well things have just started in  that department so I am sure progress will be slow. I also still have the brown crochet blanket to continue on with. Too many projects not enough time.


 So I hope you are enjoying the bunch of roses I have photographed for you. I am a little guilty about them because as I walked home in the dark and heat of the night last night (the lowest the temperature got down to overnight was 21 degree C) I snipped a couple from a variety of yards. Snip here and a snip there. My husband told me off for stealing from some old ladies yard... maybe but at least they are not dying in the heat but being appreciated by me, I must say it is not my usual habit but the urge was just too strong and well it is really too late to worry about it.
Oh the guilt!




 Look I even have roses in my own yard I have also managed to complete a single strand scarf in gloriously bright cottons (From Jules at Little Woolie) The Prima Cotton are so soft and just delectable in colour.


I purchased a TG Green mixing bowl - so excited to find this one, I have always wanted a  big mixing bowl...just lush.



And beautiful sunsets keep appearing day after day..loving daylight saving times. ..Plenty of time for walking after work


So that is what I have been up too...I will try not to keep it so long in between visits.

Saturday 11 October 2014

Spoke Wheel Flower Tutorial


To visit my Spoke Wheel Flower Scarf  photo shoot visit here, lots of glorious colour and a little bit of me!

Magic Circle. chain three to form 1st treble. Treble 23


slip stitch to join


Round 2. Chain 4

Into base of same stitch as chain 4 treble 1. Chain 1. Miss one treble in row 1 and treble into next stitch, chain 2, treble1 into same stitch (to form V). chain 1

+
#Miss 2 trebles in row one, work treble into next stitch,chain 2, treble into same stitch (V), chain 1# Repeat until end of round slip stitch to join and change colour.


Round 3.
 New colour into the centre of V stitch chain 3,

treble 1, chain 2, treble 2 into same stitch

double crochet into next single chain

Repeat to form the round (treble 2 ,chain 2 ,treble 2 into V stitch, double crochet into next single chain stitch)


To Join to another spoke wheel flower leave 2 V stitches to match to another flower and work as follows.
2 treble, chain1, put hook through V on other flower , make sure in correct line with other joins, hook through thread and loop on hook , 2 treble, double crochet into single chain repeat to make two anchors on the other spoke wheel flower





Single crochet into base of starting stitch to complete round finish off


Joining more rows is the same principle, just count back 2 V per side joined

Hope you understood that. If you complete a scarf link your comment back to your blog so I can go have a look at your creation. :)

Friday 10 October 2014

Special Nights


Wednesday 8th October, a day for some that will be remembered watching the lunar eclipse. For me it was more of a surprise. My sister asked me the night before to attend the wedding of a couple being married in our local church. At the time I understood that the Kenyan couple did not have relatives to help celebrate the wedding and the priest wanted the local community to help make this a special occasion for them. I personally haven't attended church for a while but thought it sad not to help a young couple celebrate their new journey in life.

Impromptu I bought my camera along with me. At dusks light the park across the road is filled with galahs

To the west the sun burnishes across the sky from oranges and changing to crimson reds


To the east the moon competes for attention.. moon rise through the trees at the same time as the sun sets.

My sister bought a bunch of fresh picked flowers from her garden and made a tower of cakes to help  celebrate



Loving hands


And the gorgeous couple

And happily family did come to attend


And the lunar eclipse.. a special red moon for a special night