Further to my previous post, I now will not physically be at the Fabric-A-Brac de-stash sale on Sunday.

I would LOVE to be there but the bright lights of New York are calling and I am doing another whirl wind trip with Jason.

We leave Sydney on Sunday, will have 5 glorious kid free nights there before hoping back onto a plane and making the 24 hour flight home. My long suffering Mum will be on kid duty again…she really is the best.

Don’t despair though my de-stashing goods will still be going to Petersham.

Al has kindly offered to take all 18 of my craft books. There is a selection of Japanese sewing books as well as quilting books – all priced at $10.

My fabric will also be making an appearance at Kim’s table. Lots of bundles priced from $8-$12 that include screen printed designs, co-ordinating fabrics, linens and there are a couple of scrap bags…the Liberty one in particular is a great buy.

Also make sure you check out my $2 basket, bagged notions, templates, buttons, perle, knitting needles all $2 each.

x

I promised that once the potholders were done and up on the wall at Calico & Ivy that I would post a pic but to get the full effect, you need to see it in the flesh.

If you are in Sydney, pop in and take a look – Sarah and I are both thrilled with our handiwork…even if we do say so ourselves!

Sarah and I made these potholders using various yarns (available in store) and the patterns came from a variety of sources; japanese craft books, stitch dictionaries and blogs.

So, what are you waiting for?? Grab a hook and some yarn and make your own pretty wall!

Hope you all have a happy weekend!

Regular readers will know that I have de-stashed a few times over the last twelve months (there is still more) and these same readers will know that there isn’t much crafting going on here.

It is not a bad thing, crafting (especially quilting) came along when I needed it most. I had two children under the age of two and was feeling engulfed and overwhelmed by motherhood. I really just needed something that was just about me, making time for myself and having an interest outside of parenting and quilting did that for me.

Fast forward four years and although I have a little more child free time, I am working two days a week and this year have re-enrolled at University. Both of these things make me really happy but mean my time and energy is focused in a new direction.

I am the type of personality that can’t cope with clutter and stuff in the house that is not being used. We live in a inner city cottage, storage space is limited and it is a little indulgent to have an entire wardrobe filled with craft related stuff that I know won’t see the light of day anytime soon.

Which leads me to the Fabric-A-Brac bonanza that is being held on Sunday 6th of May.

I am planning on offloading the vast majority of my craft books (including the Japanese collection), wool, notions, fabric, fabric and yes probably a lot of my Liberty.

Books will be priced at $10 (hardcovers & japanese)
Fabric bundles and grab bags ranging from $5-$20
Yardage from $8
Yarn (madelintosh, debbie bliss etc) starting from $10
There will also be a bargain basket because, lets face it…we all love a bargain – $2

So pop along, let me go home a hell of a lot lighter and while you are there say hi to Alison and Amy who will also have tables.

PS: It is CASH only!
PSS: Save some room for some yummy Black Star Pastry delights, my favourite local haunt.

of loosing half of my blue glass collection, is hunting around for replacements.

Most of my hunting is being conducted from the comfort of my own home (whilst I wait for my kid free days at the end of the week) and I thought you might like to see some of the stunning pieces that are out there, some affordable, some more of a ‘lotto-win’ purchase.

These beauties are from 1001Vintage

Not vintage, but a gorgeous piece available from Avolie Glass

Mascara Jones *swoon*. Teenie tiny pics but you get the idea..

And a little closer to home is iNVISeDGE, I can already vouch for this fantastic store, wonderful service. You will need to click over to see the pics.

Kirst gets all credit when it comes to me and glass collecting, she really opened my eyes to the world of vintage – possessions that have a story to tell and have a bit of soul.

Are you a fan of the hunt?

I was woken at 5:19am by the loudest smash.

At first, I thought we had been broken in to but with a sinking feeling, I realised the blue glass collection had run into trouble.

I loved those pieces.

They represent many fun filled days on the hunt and some were gifted to me so I guess you could say, I was attached.

Now, I fully realise that in the big scheme of things the decimation of half my collection is not really a big deal – it is not but it still makes me a little sad.

Anyway, at least it was a falling picture that was the culprit and not the cat – he would have been shipped straight to the glue factory ;)

Onwards and upwards and in the words of my husband “Don’t worry, there is plenty of blue glass out there”

*sigh*

Happy Wednesday people x

I have been wanting to knit socks for quite a while and have been urged on by the turn in weather as well as Angela’s and Amanda’s gorgeous creations.

Now, I am fully aware of my personality downfalls and with this in mind I am going to tackle a project that looks manageable.

Enter the Pom Pom Peds – minus the pom pom. I think these guys will be the perfect socks to wear at home on the freezing concrete floor.

*image taken from www.purlbee.com*

I am thinking some Koigu KPM will do nicely which is lucky for me as Calico & Ivy has a lovely range in stock.

Let me know if anyone is keen to join in, it always helps to have some moral support.

The fabric for this geometric was cut for this top way back in January, how shameful but the gods aligned yesterday and I finally hauled out the juki.

I have used a mix of vintage checks, liberty, linen, cookies and some kei – the result is bold but I think it works for both boys or girls.

And some unrelated news: instagram is now available on android phones, you can find me here.

Another one for the wall at Calico & Ivy.

I have had my eye on Sarah London’s wool-eater pattern for a while now but didn’t want to commit to making an entire blanket, it does after all use a lot of wool.

This is a very easy hook and looks a lot harder than it is.

Details on ravelry.

I have been a little time poor of late and as a result, craft time has been virtually non-existent.

However, try working in a store that stocks such beautiful materials, I just want to sit on the couch and crochet.

Not at all conducive to writing a paper that is due next week.

Anyway, these potholders are perfect for a quick craft fix, I get to play with colour and try out some new patterns without investing a lot of time.

The Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran is lovely to work with, so soft. Although, if you are going to be using the potholders I would suggest working in cotton.

Sarah is working on a little ‘yarn wall’ installation at the shop and these guys will be included, such a great way to showcase colour and the different types of yarn available.

Right in time for the cooler weather.

Have a great week x

Project details can be found on Ravelry.

This is a favourite salad of mine.

It is hearty enough to fly solo but I always serve it with grilled lamb cutlets.

You will need:

250g baby spinach leaves
3 bulbs of medium beetroot
half a butternut pumpkin
2 bunches of fresh asparagus
100-150 grams of greek feta cheese
100-150 grams of pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice
white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan forced)

Rinse the spinach and spin any excess water off. Place on a large serving plate or in a salad bowl.

Give the beetroot a good scrub, top and tail and chop into pieces measuring roughly 3cm square.

Don’t get too hung up about the size, just make sure they are roughly the same so they cook evenly. Obviously, the bigger the pieces the longer they take to cook. (I don’t bother peeling the beetroot..but you may like to).

Peel and chop the butternut pumpkin into slightly bigger pieces than the beetroot as they cook faster.

Pop beetroot and butternut into a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put pan in oven and cook for roughly 45 mins.

Trim the ends off the asparagus and pop to one side.

Roast the pine nuts. I do this in a dry fry pan, keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn. Place to one side.

When the beetroot and butternut have been in the oven for 45 mins, throw the asparagus in the same pan, swish around and cook for a further 5 mins.

Before you add the other ingredients to the spinach, I like to splash in the white wine vinegar and squeeze in the lemon juice. I do all this to taste so tricky to give you exact measurements but I would figure the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon or so of the vinegar

Now, add the beetroot, butternut, asparagus and pine nuts.

Crumble over the feta and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, season and hook in.

*Serves 4 but is great for two adults, with lunch sorted the next day*