Onkaparinga River

Last Saturday I spent the  day at the Onkaparinga River for ski races. 

Being winter the events are held on the river rather than the ocean as competitors were complaining it was too cold. 

Gathering to register - most competitors are from the surf life saving clubs wanting to keep fitness up during the winter months

Under 17 lining up for the start. (Ben is in white)
Once the competitors were out of sight and down the river, we went to the local bakery for coffee and cake.

A friendly onlooker, quite used to human company and didn't seem to perturbed by my coming up to him , less than 2 meters but didn't hang around when a dog raced up the river banks

Op Shopping and buying milkware for my sister. I've had some real luck lately when it comes to white ware.

Making another hot water bottle cover. Haven't really got much to report due to the fact that I was flat on my  back for a while, am now standing tall again and have no pain (thank goodness)

Christina Lowry Giveaway

The lovely Christina Lowry has some 9ct pearl earrings for giveaway - beautiful. Go to here to Christina Lowry Designs  and good luck. the girl knows how to celebrate and share!

Vintage High Tea Bag

It is lovely to come home from work to find a parcel post package waiting for me at the front door and enclosed a bright happy parcel - all for me!
I never think that I will win anything but lucky for me I put my name down when Christina from Christina Lowry Designs blog had a giveaway from the very generous High Tea Vintage of Tasmanian origin.

Oh look I seem to have a theme happening here - grey but very stylish and may I say her sewing is superb. OOh I do love the big chunky buttons.

and a quick peek at my finished bobble cushion top. On to the backing now (but I don't know if I have enough wool - oops)

A this fluffy pigeon joined me for coffee yesterday, quite happy to settle down and fluff up his feathers against the cold air. I can really feel winter coming on now! Brrrr.

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Once again phots in the evening as the light is fading but I cant get home any earlier in between running children around to sporting activities after work.

Grey May - The Month That Was

I only say that May was grey as the colour predominantly featured in almost everything I put my hand to. Nearly all of the crochet that I have done is grey. Hence my monthly mosaic is ... yes you guessed it.. very monotone GREY!

Hope you have enjoyed the month.
There are a few photographs I took on not such a grey day of the shop window of Jetty Babes on Jetty Road Brighton. It is a visual feast for children and always full of special toys and lovely crafted items to covet, especially if you have little ones at home. There was a lot of glare off the window at the time but I took a picture all the same.

Okay everybody say Yay!

Look it works!

Sigh of relief I don't have to pull it out again, I dont think the wool could stand being wound up into a fraught little tight ball again and having the life squeezed out of it. 

Apparently if you wait long enough the little bobbles will pop out all by themselves without any help from moi. Crazy idiot I am for pulling out all that work to begin with

A little brag time. Here is what my daughter has been up to. She is insistent about making a skirt with sunflowers and because I haven't actually seen any fabrics available recently with sunflowers on it she decided to carve her own lino print and then print her own. She must have been paying attention somewhere along the way because she managed pretty much all by herself. I just had to get the equipment out 

Jordy took the photos of her work and then put a few of herself up - no shame that girl! I told her that I was putting them up for the whole world to see or at least those whom could be bothered dropping by (and thank you for doing so, you keep me motivated)  But she couldn't care less. Love it a girl after my own heart!

 

Bobble Cushion - Orange You Glad I Share !

Dilemmas  Dilemmas Dillemmas

That's why the caption "Örange You Glad I Share" It's nothing really. As mentioned earlier i decided orange was a neat alternative to grey especially when you pick up 6 balls in the op shop for a reasonable price.

I have started this bobble cushion three times. First I followed the pattern and decided after a few rows I didnt like the bobble that they had as a pattern (Or I wasn't doing it right)

Then I decided to do a bobble stitch I knew (below). They look a little like buttercups don't you think?

But as you see somewhere my counting was out and my pattern is not symmetrical - one diamond bigger than the othe. I knew my count was out earlier on in the work but decided to continue to see how much it affected the work. Not necessary to state the obvious - urgh - I have pulled it all out

So now we are on to a third attempt. Yeh the counting is correct and everything symmetrical.

So tell me why does my bobble not puff out like the blue cushion bobbles? Do I continue on as is or do I try to redo it again or just forget it altogether!
I think my trebles in the bobble are only half trebles but I cant figure out how to retain the six loops on the needle when forming a complete treble without hooking through the loops

Here is how the pattern reads to make bobble

leaving last loop of each on hook work 6 treble into next stitch, yarn round hook and draw through all 7 loops on hook, push treble together and work 1 chain to secure

Dilemmas dilemmas dilemmas :) Bobble on!

Waffle Weave Pillow

Over  the weekend I hung out on my bed and spent many hours crocheting. The bulk of this grey pillow was done Friday night and all day Saturday. I had a busy few days galavanting around town and eating lunches and op shopping so I was inclined to do not very much by the time Saturday rocked around.
Once I got into the hooky swing of things I just couldn't stop. My wrists actually still feel a little sore from over exposure to the crochet hook !
This is the rib stitch which I seem to have converted into a waffle weave stitch along the way. When compared to the picture that shows how the stitch should look I can see where I have altered the pattern but decided I liked it this way. So this pillow was intentionally produced as a waffle weave, whereas my hot water bottle was supposed to have a rib stitch across the top.

This waffle weave is  double thickness of  a normal treble stitch and is really heavy. It also guzzles up the wool at a rapid rate! It would make a great mat or a really heavy blanket.

As usual I have taken photographs at night (otherwise it just wouldn't get done!)

The reverse side with four button holes.

I have just started a new pillow but this time have steered away from grey. It gets a little tiring always utilizing grey although i do like using grey to decorate with colour. I still have half a reel of grey to go so I can see many more projects being greyed in.
Colour of choice orange!