dash robin

painting yarns...

2012-02-16T11:39:00.000+10:00

Dabbling about with inky rich colours, rusty red leaves and barks, transforming cottons and wools.

Lovely times :o)

xKate

wordless wednesday

2012-02-15T17:20:00.000+10:00

colours

2012-02-12T17:14:00.002+10:00

As more storm clouds roll in outside I am indoors gathering some inspiration from old photos. I have some 8 ply raw cotton(un-dyed) which I will be colouring this week.

This is some angora, mohair, merino yarn I dyed last year.

I adore playing with colour, the colour theme in the yarn above was inspired by reflections on water...

I wonder what will come out inspired by these colours? :o)

dyeing yarns

2012-02-11T18:52:00.000+10:00

I had a lovely day today, coffee drinking and book shopping with my lads this morning(they got 'floods' fiction series, dinosaur non-fiction and the flanimals pop-up book with their christmas and birthday money.) Following this we've had a quiet afternoon of hand rolling dyed skeins into balls ready for the market (with Sitaras help) while they read their new books...simple pleasures!

Finished!!

2012-02-09T16:44:00.000+10:00

This is my first ever 'proper' crochet piece of clothing, I am very excited to have created something substantial-and almost all of this piece was created from yarns Sitara found on her travels. The pattern for this 'capelet' (sorta like a snug poncho) came from here-scroll down to find the pattern in english is required!

I love the simplicity of the pattern but this is so special to me because it has such a lovely selection of raw(un-dyed) yarns!

I absolutely love how it contains all kinds of kooky animals yarns, including some Australian alpaca(so frickin' cute, eh) and some Scottish highland cows yarn!
I will be back at Village life this weekend so feel free to bring along your crochet hook and we can have a chat and do some hookin'
xKate

villagers

2012-02-02T10:39:00.001+10:00

Out on the Village green we are starting to set up shop at the market again.
We have a diverse range of community members who hold stalls, perform services such as massage and provide workshops. As a long time Northey street city farm friend I am always stunned by locals who have never heard of Northey street in Windsor. It is only a couple of blocks away from one of the biggest hospitals in our city and is an absolute gem of a garden and market place. It is here!

This Sunday from 8-11 a.m I will be helping lovely artist Lesa Hepburn run a free childrens demonstration of paper making. We went out to Stradbroke Island last year together to enjoy the inspiration and richness of the place.

We also went out to the Caboolture historical village yesterday to see some old letter press printers. They are soooo beautiful.

She used the letterpress to create these beautiful book marks.. these peace printing blocks were over a hundred years old, wonderful timeless message :o)
cheerio Kate

hand spun capelet

2012-01-30T19:05:00.002+10:00

Guess who seems a little jealous of my recent east coast travels? I found my cat Tripitaka curled up in a postage pack, don't cats just love cardboard, huh?

Folks who follow will be pleased to know I did finish the crochet bag. It is currently in use as a library book bag but I will take a piccy and update soon.

I am now making a capelet and am utterly relishing using these gorgeous hand spun natural yarns which Sitara gave me...she bought them from places as diverse as Findhorn in Scotland and Madison, in the U.S...actually just thinking about her trip makes me want to climb into a post pack too!

I would love to see the sheepies which grew this beautiful coloured wool. And, of course, stock up!

xKate

weeding and gift making

2012-01-27T10:56:00.001+10:00

We have had rain bucketing down here the past few days so the ground is totally and completely sodden at my place. I took the opportunity to pull out some fish bone fern which grows around the back of my house. I also broke apart some comfrey growing nearby and popped in chunks of root where the soil was bare and loose.
The lovely border of comfrey began as a piece of comfrey root given by a permaculture friend. It's awesome seeing it take off in the garden to the point where now I would be able to give some away too...

Apart from weeding I am making some crochet gifts for friends from a pattern on ravelry called twitterpation.
If you are on ravelry say hello-my name on it is dash-robin.

The yarn I'm using is a gorgeously rich multi dyed one hand dyed with some help from a lovely friend-I love the yarn 100% but think the random colours cause the ripple pattern to get a bit lost?!

I am making 2 (one each)for a couple, so next one will I make in a single colour.
I feel really inspired to make some special gifts for this amazing pair of women who gave me stacks of stuff when they moved onto an organic farm, into a caravan. Going from a pretty big house to a van meant they had to radically downsize their items and they generously gifted me furniture and other useful household things. One thing they gave me was a printer- which I used to print out the pattern for their gifts! Sometimes it seems so easy for this giving cycle to go full circle...
xKate

works in progress...

2012-01-26T10:22:00.003+10:00

I'm playing along with the lovely kootoyoo my creative space and I wanted to have a picture of a complete crochet string bag to put on here. But as so often happens I got nearly to the finish and started something new...and now I feel really uninspired to get back to this bag-even though there is only a few rows and sewing up to go.

I want to start new things rather than finish this one-with the result of quite a lot of nearly finished stuff gathering dust! Sigh. Does anyone else struggle with this? What do you do to re ignite your interest in a unfinished project? Would love to hear your thoughts...
xoKate

lunch bags!

2012-01-25T13:04:00.000+10:00

I saw this great cloth lunch bag tutorial on whip up today and had to have a go....

As my back yard might illustrate it certainly isn't outdoors weather!!

Anyway, good day for sewing! So the instructions are very clear, I have made reversible bags before so that made it easier for me.

I used materials from my stash...workshop leftovers, op shop scores and gifts from friends.

The buttons were one recycled timber button made from silky oak and a kids plastic necklace pendant, part of a stash from one of my mums crafty friends.
I made the loops for the buttons out of crocheted yarn scraps.

I know that my boys will use the green one but I think the yellow will be mine ;o)

happy creating,
xKate

moth and curtain

2012-01-24T18:04:00.000+10:00

I found this moth resting on the back of my curtain yesterday. I thought its silhouette looked amazingly beautiful...

The poor thing must have needed shelter as it has rained solidly here for the past couple days, 98mm in this area already and still coming...this is the view of the other side :o)

xKate

free economy-sharing

2012-01-23T10:50:00.000+10:00

I have a friend who makes delicious healthy food which she supplies to cafes in our area.

She asked me to take some photos for her-what do you think? I wanted them to convey how fresh and natural her ingredients are.

I like taking photos even though I am not trained in it and am sustained by being able to do things just for the joy of it.

I spoke at Turnstyle which is a community space in Highgate hill late last year about dyeing. The talk was for a group called freeconomy (free+economy) and so I spoke about free or very cheap dye stuffs.

Afterwards I tried out these ceylon spinach berries.

When cooked in hot water with some wool I got a very pale pink shade. A friend of mine tried the berries on cotton and it didn't work at all.

I have not tested it for lightfastness but suspect it won't be very permanent.

The main thing I have learnt from mucking around with dyes and natural materials is how complex it is!

There are some great resources out there though to make it easier....
heres some blogs;
naturally dyeing   beautiful photography
re skilling with dye  fascinating and diverse
dyeing tutorial for gum barks  very clear instructions/photos for yarn dyeing with eucalyptus
Dyeing with Eucalyptus  notes with information on mordants
inspiration India Flints website

One book I recommend is
The handbook of natural plant dyes by Sandra Duerr
I have to mention though some of the dye effects are perhaps exaggerated I think in the book-I'd suggest if you go in expecting subtle natural results you won't be disappointed.

Are there any books or resources for sharing skills which you find helpful? What do you enjoy doing or sharing?
xKate

cramping my style

2012-01-22T15:05:00.001+10:00

I experienced a spate of bullying last year, including some very nasty text messages and on facebook walls. I knew the folk responsible and I knew how irrational it was and yet it still really frustrated and dismayed me. When I asked them to stop it kept coming, when I didn't respond in any way it kept coming. And because I knew the people responsible could be looking at this blog I felt shut down, I felt protective and not wanting to share. I didn't want them to have any window into my life at all.

But frankly they don't get to control me. Not in any way shape or form. They don't get to give me their opinions, their beliefs, their stories about me, their toxic words, their thoughts. I will not accept them. They are not welcome. I write this blog for fun, for sharing. Not for bullying intruders-if that is you then go away-this is not for you.

Now back to the good stuff for good folk!
I went along to a wonderful workshop yesterday...it was based on teachings devised by Joanna Macy-find out about her here
Part of the workshop included a session of truth telling about our feelings around the environment...it's very good to take a moment to fully feel despair, to really mourn for the world and to take a break from being 'just fine' about everything...

It might seem negative to face this stuff but it is freeing and allows change and new ways to come forward.

I have been sewing my own clothes and creating crochet bags - am onto my second crochet 'string' bag. I am making a long style bag from organic home dyed cotton-I used onion skins and added alum as a mordant for this funky colour.

I took the bag pattern from a book I borrowed from the library called Vintage crochet for the home. Take a peek here if you'd like. It is available via the BCC libraries for anyone who lives in this region. It's cool! It is a great book and has my favourite way of presenting patterns-both the written and symbol versions! Yay for clear patterns!

xKate

happy new year

2012-01-05T11:31:00.000+10:00

Hello, happy new year! What's 2012 going to hold? I'm sure that I am not sure o.O Hopefully visits to more sites like these?

I visited a lovely friend (heya Mel) yesterday and said I really didn't know what I wanted to do this year. She gave me a high five... *SO* happy...

I am thankful for big hearted beautiful friends, family, for love. I want to travel again because I love being out of cities and I want to live lightly on the earth. What do you want? What are you thankful for? Maybe you want a free cute owl calender ;o) ...go here to mix and match some cute pictures to print out.

xKate

2011-12-06T12:22:00.001+10:00

Hello again, here's the latest dyeing piccys. I spent some time with a friend using fibre reactive bought dyes-it was really fun and the dyes are certified organic so that's a bonus! I used lots of different dyes, dripped them on and while wet (and wrapped in plastic) squeezed the wool so the colours blended...it was so exciting seeing them come out of the steamer...gorgeous!

It's a really different process using natural materials-more guesswork and happy accidents...one thing I am doing is combining small amounts of blue food colouring with barks and gum leaves...with natural materials the colours are very subtle and the blue food colours very bold so pulling these together gets more complex results. This one above in ultramarine blues and olive spinachy green was a real favourite. It started out a yellowish brownish tone and was over dyed with different strengths of blue food colouring painted directly onto the wool then heat fixed in the microwave.

Above piccy is a beautiful orange shade from different gum barks and leaves, the kind of colour I wouldn't want to do anything else to :o) Apparently all 600 species of eucalyptus trees produce useful dyes so I am going to be playing with this stuff for years to come!

xo happy creating,

tree hugger Kate

Tree brooches..

2011-11-29T16:25:00.001+10:00

I have had some lovely feedback about my brooches lately. It is so special to know they are loved- I love making them too. It's a very eco friendly process, I hand felt recycled woollen clothing, cut out small shapes and piece together and embroider a picture on each one. I used to do little plans first with drawings and paintings but now I make them up as I go and pull out the stitches if they don't look right...it's fun and peaceful all at once. These are my latest and are available at
-Reverse Garbage in Woollongabba,
-Cultiver in Ipswich,
-Village Life market, every Sunday 8-12, Northey Street city farm, Windsor
or this Friday 10-4 at a special market at Bleeding heart cafe and gallery on Ann Street, Brisbane

Take care folks, xkate

Plant dyeing...

2011-11-03T12:29:00.001+10:00

A friend and I have been experimenting with dyes created from locally found plant materials. I have used non toxic food colour to dye wool previously but I am keen to try 'going local' with my dye materials.

The process is hit and miss, we tried using these gorgeously colourful silky oak flowers and got next to no colour :o)
I really enjoy not knowing what will happen and learn best by doing and trying.

We found some lovely colours in mango leaves and bark and also lemon myrtle leaves and bark.

(If you are keen to try using tree materials please remember barks must always gathered from small twigs not from the tree trunk, so as not to damage the tree.)

Here is some lovely merino, mohair and alpaca blend wool soaking up some lemon myrtle dye...

I love the scents released from boiling the lemon myrtle.

The finished dyed yarns in skeins.

I noticed tonight while looking through some photos taken at Stradbroke Island how similar the colours turned out to the tones in these Banksia pods.

I will have a selection of yarns available at my next markets so catch me at the

Village life market every Sunday 8-12 at Northey Street, Windsor

or the annual Brisstyle eco market on the 12th November

or the Fairtade and Sustainable Fair at Peace hall,

102 Macdonald rd, Albion from 10-2 this Saturday.

Bye 'til then, happy creating,

xoKate

travels...

2011-10-17T20:11:00.002+10:00

I have been travelling again, this time the boys and I headed down to Victoria, where we went to Wannon falls...

and Griffith Island

We mainly went to visit our lovely family, including darling aunty Isabel.
She warms my heart and has inspired me all my life. She's a clever, creative, kind and a genius with wool...and she's my auntie-lucky me!

xo happy creating, Kate

Materialistic exhibition pieces

2011-09-12T12:13:00.000+10:00

Hello, thought I'd share my Materialistic exhibition pieces for you lovely readers who can't make it along.

This is a medium sized sculpture made with driftwood branches, collected at my local beach and bound with some coloured threads.

The nest is attached to one of the three pieces of wood and is constructed out of linen thread, wool, doileys, buttons, shells, embroidery cotton and was made using free form crochet and embroidery techniques. I made it so it can be played with and arranged differently, it could even be added to.

In a similar vein are a few nest sculptural brooches- obviously scaled right down!

This little bird brooch features some wool felt and a scrap of antique kimono. The kimono piece is the red silk on the tummy of the bird and has some lovely gold paint on it. It was a tiny fragment left over from the works I made for the Hanasho Gallery 'Reincarnated Kimono' exhibition held in April of this year.

I will update with the rest of my pieces soon.

If you are able to go along you'll find so much more than just my work on display-there are some truly gorgeous and unique homewares, accessories and cards created by some very talented locals...commission of sales goes to Friends of the Earth too :o)

xoKate

2011-09-03T12:31:00.000+10:00

August catch up...here's some of my favourites...

Six month old wombat in Hobart, being raised by volunteer wildlife carer

New cowl finished using Fauve Fibre yarns and forward post crochet stitches

Completed nest brooch for Materialistic exhibition at Reverse garbage

Cute ancient roman coin from MONA collection in Tasmania

Bec and Bella in Cultiver, Ipswich

Lovely shop styling

Friends Veve and Blacky midnight.

xKate

2011-08-20T14:44:00.010+10:00

Hello all, its great to have a moment to catch up on here, been busy-lots to 'show and tell' ;o)

Firstly, I promised to show this side of the the brooch once it arrived safe and sound, and it has, phew, so meet little fairy wren.

I had fun making it, picking out the coloured threads and 'painting it'

It's embroidery -however- I find that such a fussy or dry and dusty sounding word!! So I'll call it a 'stitchy picture' like Lu, my son does :o)

And these nests have been dropped off to Reverse garbage, they won't be in the shop though as they are going to be part of the "materialistic" exhibition.

I am really happy with the items I made for the show, a few other bird stitchy pictures, a few nest brooches and a playful nest sculpture, using driftwood, shells, vintage buttons, doilies (and whatever was in my sewing stash!!)

I'd love it if you are able to get along to the show, here's the details.

'Course exhibition preps aside, I've still been busy creating crochet and textile bits and bobs for my weekly Village life stall.

I've been enjoying the great winter weather with the chilled out folk on the lawns.

This is a little guy made out of recycled knitwear and scraps of felt, a pocket sized owl.

And he's resting on a neck warmer, one of my favourite things to make lately.

The one below is a free form pattern and was made with some fine and lovely fauve fibres hand spun (my favourite yarn to use).

I tried to make it look textured like tree bark...what do you think?

Hope you've all been happy, healthy and having fun creating, xo Kate

wren

2011-08-04T08:32:00.005+10:00

Making up a bespoke bird brooch for give away winner-spectacular fairy wren blog writer Robyn...it's all stitched in soft browns and creams. The bird she chose is commonly known as a blue wren, but the female is brown and it's really called a fairy wren. She has the most beautiful photo of one on her blog banner...so sweet.

So, anyway, I don't want to spoil the surprise for Robyn which explains why you can only see the back. But also the reverse side of embroidery fascinates me...such vitality and chaos, the backs are all 'Jackson Pollock' (expressionistic)...

I'm trying to work some more of this 'energy' into my style somehow-capturing something of the dynamic between order and chaos in nature and bird life.

My latest works have been accepted for the 'Materialistic' exhibition opening in September at Reverse Garbage, so I will share some in progress shots closer to the show opening for those of you who aren't locals. Check back in for the update with the finished brooch piccy once it arrives safe and sounds with Robyn, okay! :o) happy creating,

xoKate

2011-07-27T19:02:00.006+10:00

I think I have crossed some kind of beginner barrier-my persistence has paid off and I am learning to make more complicated patterns. This is my latest piece, a neck warmer, hot of the hook ;o)

For those 'in the know' about crochet it features FDPC and mostly shells and was truly enjoyable to make.It is a beautiful texture-its title is 'honeycomb' and I can really see it but I am not sure the photo here will give enough detail, I reduced it to sepia to try and show it better...

It's light weight, made in sock weight wool, which was lovely to use and results in a very supple and scrunchable end product..great for end of season wear but probably not warm enough for mid winter. Next time I think I'll make it in a thick natural chunky yarn to see how it looks-maybe a Fauve Fibre if I can get some this weekend at Village life.

I love it when Sally comes-her yarn is addictive, I think! What's your latest craft obsession?

xoHappy creating

Kate

shadow shot

2011-07-24T16:40:00.004+10:00

Thanks to harriet for linking up shadow shot Sunday again...

yesterday in the time between my first brown owl craft meet up (drinking tea, chatting and doing crochet) and my first fire twirling and eating workshop (avoiding setting myself on fire by keeping a flame moving) I took some pictures. Maybe to try and mentally bridge the gap.

Anyway, the shadow on the top leaf looks a bit like a cute weirdly shaped snail? Anyone else see it?

x Happy creating Kate

Bribie

2011-07-21T15:09:00.005+10:00

Along the way to Bribie Island we noticed a little nondescript museum, 'the abbey' and decided to stop in.

Some helluva cool stuff in there, including some really old books with fantastically surreal religious imagery, this one represents the eye of god looking down at hands of the 'wicked'

its so funny (god looks a bit like a peeping tom), I'd love to have it on t shirt!

xKate

Give away time

2011-07-18T10:17:00.005+10:00

Give away time! The birds convinced me it was time!

To enter you need to share 2 silly things about yourself & share this give away with at least one person, entered/shared by Friday...fair ?

So friends/family can enter but must share something I don't already know!!

You can enter by leaving a comment here or on my facebook page, if you comment here please make sure to leave an email contact.

And the prize?

A custom made bird brooch (your choice of bird) & a mystery extra gift. Includes postage...

To kick it off-
1-I LOVE old musicals-the cheesier the better ('singing in the rain' is the best ever film for me! Good morning to you)

2- As a child I wanted to be an 'olympic' roller skater-dancer

(I can't believe there wasn't and still isn't a roller skate/dancing olympic sport...synchronised swimming and no disco skating-what is that?? hmm, shhhhh, keep this on the down low but maybe I still want to be an disco skater...) :o)

xoGood Luck

Kate

back to creative spaces here

koala bag

2011-07-17T18:46:00.004+10:00

Oh,I really, really love how this turned out.

It's a reversible bag made out of a vintage koala print linen tablecloth-beautiful but a little stained. It was part of a small cherished collection of vintage tablecloths entrusted to me to make into some special items. It was a good challenge to work around the marked areas by selectively cutting the fabric and 'hiding' stains with pockets!

I made a skirt (scroll down to june 30th to see it) and this reversible bag. The other side features a gum tree blossom and doiley pocket...

Happy creating, xo Kate

birds coming along...

2011-07-13T21:38:00.006+10:00

I have been making some little brooches lately -the pink robin was inspired by my recently mentioned sightings of robins (and many other birds) while camping at Binna Burra.

I have always had a soft spot for kingfishers too and occasionally see them in the wetlands-such pretty colours...

Frustratingly, I lost one of the Kingfisher brooches when it just needed a backing to finish it, I felt so cranky about it I couldn't even look at the rest tonight!

So I made a bag instead of finishing anymore...

Thank goodness, I love how the bag turned out, sometimes crafting can really bring me down when I can't resolve something or when something takes ages to make and looks nothing like I envisioned it to...but this one is so good, I can't wait to give it to my friend (even though I wish I could keep it!) I just have to fix up the handle and it'll be done. Pics soon,

xKate

more creative folks here

2011-07-09T16:54:00.005+10:00

Aww. A little rose robin, spotted at beautiful Binna Burra.

I have been considering starting another blog for my nature and garden images...but as my habit of observing/loving nature inspires me so much, especially in making my art I really can't separate it out like that!

However; if you come looking purely for dash robin craft please feel free to use the label search!

xoKate

2011-07-03T20:50:00.003+10:00

Hello! Hope you're enjoying midwinter and keeping warm...I headed down to beautiful chilly Kyogle to visit a lovely crafty friend Rowena who along with making beautiful felt brooches and toys also co ordinates a art and craft market.

Held once a month in Lismore, at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium the cleverly named 'con artists market' is similar in many ways to Village life market(which I co ordinate in Brisbane), local, eco friendly crafters and artisan makers gathering.

It was great to hang out with Rowena and discuss all things market and craft-we stayed up 'til 2.30 drinking tea, crafting and chatting...we're calling it our 'nannas big night out.' We sleepilly attended the con artists market the next day! I enjoyed chatting to the other stallies, making a few sales of gloves and brooches and the experience of being a visitor...unfortunately I forgot to take photos so here's a piccy of some gloves I sold (at least 'til Rowena emails some through to me!)

Back in Brisbane I was excited to head along to todays Village life market as Northey street were hosting the ANTaR Sea of hands celebration for NAIDOC week. I always love co ordinating when there's something exciting happening and this was wonderful-the sun came out for us!

ANTaR organised banner painting, music, story telling, bush tucker presentation, welcome to country from Uncle Des and an installation of beautiful coloured hands. The sea of hands-represented 'hands up for native title and reconciliation...' What a beautiful colourful way to share a message!

Well, I hope you've all had great weekends, happy creating, xoKate

2011-06-30T08:09:00.003+10:00

Hello! School holidays has been a bonus for creativity-I have had some time for creating and am inspired by the fun things my kids are doing. Here's a quick wrap up of my latest pieces...

I was able to finish this doiley and vintage tablecloth skirt for a friend-it's very special to work with fabrics rich in personal history. I have some embroidered hankies, stained with rust, given to me by my nanna...I'd like to try something inspired by these....

I have got this small collection of brooches finished and a big baggy of brooch backs ready to use, so more to create. I have such fun with these!

And, I am loving making crochet fingerless gloves-this wool is super soft and is actually darker and richer too. Such a great thing to work on during the chilly evenings!

Now off to see what others have been doing at my creative space.

xKate

2011-06-29T10:09:00.002+10:00

This lovely little package arrived in my mail box last week. Talented NZ blogger and maker Rhiannon of 'remarqauble junque' made this clever rose brooch for me out of a zipper! So cute! I like the contrast between the softness of a flower and the metal of the zipper teeth-thanks again Rhiannon!

We both took part in a brooch swap, organised by Susie of Flowerpress, who matched us up with fellow swappers all over the country and even overseas. We all offered to make and send a brooch and in return be made and sent a brooch. None of us were straight swaps though so my brooch is off on it's way to its new owner in L.A! Can't wait to find out how my brooch is received...

xoKate

2011-06-28T19:51:00.004+10:00

Hello, here's some pretty pictures of my latest custom ordered gloves...they were a special order for my very talented artist friend Chrissy Foreman Cranitch.

They were created from the yarn I dyed last week.

I reckon they look pretty awesome with Chrissys' beautiful peacock tattoo.

I am working on a scarf in this shade, its a really uplifting colour to work with so I dyed another batch of yarn up! Yum! I've got the blues ;o)

xoKate

2011-06-27T17:21:00.004+10:00

winter nurture

The kids and I a had a nutritious 'flu fixing' mid winter meal tonight; Buckwheat and brown rice with potato, carrot and tofu lightly salted with soy sauce! Organic too...those bugs don't stand a chance! And some lovely music to go with it? My favourite musicians, Swedish lasses Amiina to the rescue with their crazy beautiful song Pusl

I caught the little one but missed the late night big bonfire of the Northey street winter solstice celebration. The fire funs not over for us yet though, we will be having our own beach midwinter bonfire on the foreshore with some driftwood and palm fronds.

And we'll take our beautiful beeswax lantern candle, made by my lovely friends Peter and Anca. (If you want a gorgeous beeswax lantern too, come along to Village life this Sunday or find out about them here)

Do you do anything to mark midwinter? I had a look at the wikipedia entry on winter solstice celebrations and there is so much diversity, some really fascinating rituals and cultures...anyway whatever you do I wish you a happy winter solstice!

xKate

2011-06-23T18:08:00.004+10:00

hello all.

i have been caring for sick kiddo + feeling sick myself this week so we stayed home as much as possible. Instead of resting though I have been driving myself nuts doing challenging fine crochet work. Much frogging has been done. Fever+crochet=no good will come of this.

Onto brighter things...like the yarn above I just dyed for my friend Chrissy, who is spectacular! She has quite a thing for a certain shade of blue, sort of turquoise like, and I was trying to capture this for some gloves she custom ordered. She was very sweet and un demanding about colours which makes me want to make them ultra special. I love this colour too and was so happy how it turned out!

xKate

shadow and light

2011-06-19T16:10:00.002+10:00

Joining in with the Shadow Shot Sunday linking at Hey Harriets blog...it's definitely not my best photo but I like the curved tips of the rosella seeds shadow...

xkate

love

2011-06-16T07:35:00.005+10:00

I get my littlest boy to model my hats and scarves for my made.it shots occasionally.

I think he's beautiful, but this shot just took my breath away. He looks so peaceful and gentle, which he is, I love the image and love him. It's a privilege to have children around you in life. When people seem to misunderstand this, and treat children as lesser humans, or as inconvenient, I believe it's more about the adults- and their own shortcomings, or fears about their own levels of tolerance, generosity, wisdom and patience. All this fear and frustration gets somehow directed onto children who actually wish the adults well....

I cherish my boys, they are my most favourite creations and I marvel sometimes at the unending love they give me and others so unconditionally. They never seem to be thinking of how much love to give or who deserves it or what effort it might involve. They can teach me everyday!

I am off to Chenrezig today to develop more my ability to love and be compassionate; from that most amazing teacher His Holiness the Dalai Lama! Peace and happy creating folks!

xKate

2011-06-13T16:02:00.004+10:00

hello! I spent a little time in the sunshine today visiting with friends at parks and at home in the garden photographing some of my recent work.

I am trying to take it easy and shake off a cold. I am turning towards using very bold and bright colours as it gets colder and when the skies are grey-this lovely ultramarine blue is my current favourite but the bright red below is not far behind!

I had a few crafty events last week- I joined the fun of the etsy party held at the very funky Salt venue last Thursday night. It was fun catching up with some lovely Brisstyle members including Teneale of Wicked Child Designs. She bought along delicious home made Anzac biscuits(yum! thanks!) and created a little post about the party here

And Saturday was the last day of the Saviours of the Lost Arts festival and I once again was lucky enough to be invited to teach some lovely women the basics of crochet.

It's been another fun and heart warming SoLA festival to be involved in.

Thanks to everyone who joined in so enthusiastically for lessons during the festival- at the homeless connect event, the King George Square market knit in and at the basics for beginners lessons-it was such a privilege to meet and work with you all!

I'd like to make special mention of lovely Jessica who has a gorgeous blog which might inspire you if you have young ones at home. It's all about her interests in early education and art-good luck with your granny squares Jess!

happy crafting(&especially crocheting!)

xKate

2011-06-09T07:52:00.006+10:00

hello creative spacers! Been such a while since I have had the opportunity to get on here...I've been studying permaculture, growing a market, making some big changes to my life and of course CREATING!

The brooches above are my latest attempts at using recycled felt to create trees...they are all feeling a little to me like they are at the idea stage rather than finished pieces but I am liking the flow of them...

And this is this weeks main piece-as you can see it features lot and lots and lots of crochet bobbles! It's a hip/kidney wrap, shoulder wrap and cowl scarf all in one! As you can see in the following gloriously bad photos-taken with the aid of the mirror!

(note to self-I really need a photo buddy for portraits)

The wool I used was a scrummy thick 12 ply yarn from Cascade-it's called 'ecological yarn' I don't know the actual finer details and am hoping it really is eco friendly but at the very least it is un-dyed and minimally processed(it smells really lush and lanoliny and was a dream on my hands)

I made it up as I went along, feeling very strongly the need to make my work really stimulating and challenging lately-I have been pushing my boundaries and trying to rely less on patterns and more on my knowledge of stitches...it's good to have a bit of a repertoire of stitches and techniques to play with!

Happy creating sweet folks!

xkate

2011-06-07T18:33:00.007+10:00

Today has been such a goody I just have to share!

I met up with a friend for a walk along the beach early this morning. We had a great laugh and got some good exercise(even if we were overtaken by the hard-core walkers.)

At the end of our trail we discovered a beautifully constructed fairy like village made of collected beach treasures. It was entirely made of flowers, little leaves, shells and twigs...and was so detailed with fences and pathways, trees and beach huts...thanks to the unknown maker for bringing some wonder to our day...

After such a lovely start to the day I headed into Northey street to help with the winter solstice preparations-weaving bamboo into big paper lantern baskets for children to carry in the parade to the main bonfire. It was so relaxing and fun weaving them. We dried them by hanging them in a tree-don't they already look so pretty? I can't imagine how beautiful they will be once they are painted and lit on the night! Bring on the 25th June!

After this it was back to my normal routine, but luckilly I always enjoy the regular O.T appointment one of my kids has after school, the therapist is so sweet, it's like catching up with a dear friend.

By the time we arrived home it was getting dark and cold...and look what was in my mail box!

Beautiful hand knitted socks-a completely out of the blue gift! They fit me perfectly and feature beautiful flowers on the toes and heels. They brightened and warmed me up and are the most super wonderful gift ever. I didn't need any extra reasons because she's such a gem but I am reminded of how much I really love and am loved by my sis-in-law Sam tonight-thank you dear one!!

I have got warm fuzzies fizzing all over the place tonight after such a special day, I hope some blow your way!

xKate

crochet power

2011-06-01T21:24:00.004+10:00

Hello! I had such a lovely day in the King George Square today teaching crochet and chatting with visitors to the Brisbane Saviours of the lost arts festival and market.

Thanks very much to the organisers, to Sally for inviting me to join, to Penny and Mel who came on board at the last minute and to all lovely women who came and sat with me and gave crochet a go!

For the newies; I hope you find a good crochet/knitting group nearby to continue your good work-here's some links to some groups in Brisbane where you can find out about meet ups and projects...good luck!

Stitch n bitch

brisbane brown owls

Knitting for needy and this site is the ultimate resource for knitting/crochet-ravelry

(I'm dash-robin on ravelry and don't forget you can find me at Village life market, Northey street, Windsor, Sundays 8-12.)

I was really impressed by every ones skills, patience and enthusiasm today and was so happy to see those newly made crochet flowers going home with excited new crocheters...

I forgot to take my camera and as I spent most of my waking hours the past few days making lots of the crochet flowers which decorated the square I am a little annoyed with myself right now!

But the space and indeed us crafters seemed to be the subject of about a billion photos!

(No offence to anyone snapping away, because I love taking pictures too, but my word, it was like crafting paparazzi!), if anyone has any photos of the events please let me know! I'd love to share them...

xKate

artisans pop up shop

2011-05-24T19:07:00.009+10:00

hello,

For Lucy followers I can let you know she has arrived safely at her next destination!

Bye bye sweety.

My spirits were lifted today though by a trip out to Ipswich...Lesa from Red Hot Fibres and I took off for the day and I was delighted to catch up with lovely old friend Rebecca Lewis.

She has worked magic on an empty store in Brisbane street and created another pop up shop!

Working together with Ipswich based artist Kyla their Artisans Pop up shop is filled with beautifully crafted jewellery, clothing, artworks, toys and home wares.

They included some dash robin flower brooches, scarves, hats, hair wraps, bird toys and fingerless gloves. Check it out this week only, details here.

I love having creative friends like this, people who follow their heart and passion really inspire me. I interviewed Rebecca a year ago in my Meet me Mondays interview series so you can find out more here. I have a few folk in mind for some more of these interviews and once my course wraps up this Thursday I will begin working on them. So keep an eye here for some upcoming interviews with some greatly talented locals.

xKate

blog with bunny

2011-05-23T06:37:00.011+10:00

Before my special house guest Lucy heads off today I need to whip up a little parting gift for her...a scarf like this...but it won't take long...she's pretty little!

She came with me to lots of places...friends, markets, cafes, gallery openings(!), gardens, classes-I toted her along in my bag and she behaved beautifully!

She had to sample a organic hazlenut and apricot tart from Sol bread
And enjoyed viewing the Brisbane river from Kangaroo point cliffs.

She's setting a good example by travelling safely between destinations!

In Windsor she met the much loved chooks of the Northey street city farm and joined me and Luka wandering around the grounds seeing the lovely kids spaces on Sunday and meeting the Village life stall holders...

And to end on a high note she had a look at the giant kites flown by the Queensland kite club in Clontarf (on Moreton bay) We are going to miss her SOOOOO much, she was utterly adored by everyone who met her...(in fact she even did a side trip to another bloggers place which I will update about soon)...but in the meanwhile big thanks to Jenni from Baa me knits for making her and making this story happen, its been really fun!

She's off to Sunshine? Paradise? blog next so keep tuned!

xoKate

jam, dash robin and bunnies...

2011-05-15T19:46:00.010+10:00

hello, it's all about the photos this week for my catch up blog.

Those who follow may have noticed my growing anticipation of rosella jam as my plants matured...so I can happilly reveal half the crops been picked with more to come!

The process of making rosella jam was so cozy, picking the beautiful fruits, pulling off the petals, cooking up the gorgeous scarlet lush red pulp and filling the house with a beautiful aroma...

and of course tasting my very own rosella jam! So delicious!

Making the jam was a change from crocheting- not that I am complaining!!

I have been having a very productive and inspired time creating custom designed pieces.

I don't want to spoil the surprise for the folk who'll be receiving their parcels by showing any of this weeks items...and I also forgot to take photos of them! ;o)

Instead here's my lovely new dash robin printing stamp created especially for me by

Chantal Vincent.

I was really excited to have run out of my last lot of bags so I could use it! Isn't it sweet, who couldn't love a robin??

And if you are follower of Baa-me knits you may have wondered where Lucy is? Well, rest easy, she has arrived safely and is feeling the Brisvegas love!

So far she has stayed close to home but there are plans afoot for her to visit a few cool places once she has got her bearings!

But rest assured she is adorable and being adored!

Cheers for now, Kate

mothers day

2011-05-09T12:34:00.006+10:00

I wish all mothers a beautiful day, and if you lost your baby or child I hope you feel acknowledged within and from others that you are always a mother and they will be very much in you, for life.

Your love and memories are authentic and your child or baby was and always will be too.

I appreciated a line in a poem my son gave to me, 'you know me, I love you.'

These are words I hope every mother can take into her heart as surely this is somehow true of us all, no matter the circumstances, and no matter whether our child is profoundly disabled and unable to express this in words or no longer with us or able to easily speak them.

We know these little ones and love them and feel and want for love in return.

This is the best piece of writing I can find to come even close to expressing the profound connection and journey mothering is.

'patience is not learned in safety....it takes time to develop enthusiasm for how remaining open really feels. Through our hopes and fears, our pleasures and pains we are deeply interconnected'

(Pema Chodron)

permaculture day

2011-05-03T16:43:00.007+10:00

The weather was glorious for permaculture day on Sunday, just beautiful. I love being in Brisbane this time of year. The above shot taken during lovely Wendys' visitors tour of Northey Street.

She's the education co-ordinator of the community farm and is knowledgeable, personable and warm-a great teacher.

The sun was shining on the Village life market at Northey Street too- how pretty does this

'little original' dress made by Vanessa look? Aww.

Bunyas' Shiatsu tent was perfectly sited to catch some warm rays, I can actually feel some calm radiating through this image to me...

On the home permaculture garden I am thrilled and super excited to update about my rosellas - they have been producing fruit! I found this little guy and several more! And there are still many flowers opening so YAY! I'm going to be making rosella jam and syrup!

The red thick fleshy petal part in the top piccy is the main component of the jam and inside is a green seed pod. To save the seeds firstly choose the best plant of your crop. If you want to make jam you can pull the red leaves off for your jam, just leave the green pod there to fully reach maturity and then die off.

Once the seed pod is brown and dry you can pop them open and put the round dry seeds into a envelope, labelled, of course, and you'll be all ready for next year! If anyone wants some seeds especially suited for growing in Brisbane and surrounding areas leave a comment below with a link or contact and I will be happy to send you some once mine are ready.

This is a good link for all things Rosella, including recipes, growing, etc.

I love my pigeon peas too. They are excellent to use as a green mulch, provide shelter and also have nitrogen fixing roots. By keeping an eye on them and pruning them before they flower you can continually keep yourself supplied with mulch. Simply chop and drop them to the ground or rake them in a little.

But they are also a staple food of India, and this one will be supplying me with some peas as it's job to nourish the rosellas is near its end. And those yellow flowers are cheerful and pretty on a grey old day like today.

Lastly here is a progress shot on a pair of coffee coloured eco yarn fingerless gloves, custom ordered and now finished! I am happy they are all ready to be delivered next weekend to a returning visitor to Village life market...I love custom colour requests, the support we are getting this year and especially being part of such a beautiful permaculture lovin' community.

Thanks! And of course big thanks to you lovely blog readers, so tell me what's happening in your gardens??

xKate

pink and pretty

2011-04-27T16:32:00.007+10:00

Today I began a new pattern, learning a funny counter intuitive stitch sequence along the way. The x shaped sequence of stitches sets up a loop ready for a treble cluster in the following row.

As I created the set up line I was having a running commentary in my head of, 'oh this can't be right, I put that over here and now I do what? And where? But that looks awful...HUH?'

But as I started the next row it all fell into place. See the first treble going into the x shaped loop above, it's a neat little trick, some may even use the word nifty, some pattern makers are so clever!

(The pattern is 'Francesca' hat from 'cute crochet clothes for kids' by Sue Whiting.)

And here's some garden pretties-rosella flowers and flower bud. These are in my top five favourite plants- they are strikingly gorgeous and the fruit can be made into a lovely jam or cordial. Somehow though I seem to always plant mine too late in the year!!

And despite swearing to get them in earlier this year I slipped up again and am not at all confident the bees will pollinate them in time. I have my fingers and toes crossed, but at least with a plant this pretty I already have some joy from them.

xKate

Holiday crochet catch up...

2011-04-23T08:41:00.007+10:00

This shot is of a portion of some fingerless gloves which were a secret custom order for lovely Anca. Anca and her husband Peter make and sell beautiful 'happy flame' beeswax candles at Village Life Market at Northey Street, Mullumbimby Market and a few other places too, I am a big fan of their beautiful coloured candles.

Peter requested some in this lovely shade for her birthday, so I dyed some fauve fibre yarn and love the way the light shone through the fibres as they dried on the window ledge.

I love making these gloves, so comfy I wear mine to bed on especially cold nights! Are you a fan of pink? I don't mind it, in soft shades like this, but usually go for rich shades like the red above...we all have our faves don't we? These were fun to make with a cotton and wool blend darker contrast top.

And I loved making up this scarf- it's destined for my amazing generous neighbour who recently gave me an enormous lot of beautiful fabrics-thick rich corduroy, wools, etc.

I wanted to make something very special for her and had seen some beautiful examples of Queen Annes Lace scarves on wonderful Crochet with Raymond blog. The pattern is great, I am not sure if I have it exactly right, but it all looked pretty and that's what counts, right?

I love the flow of this pattern, its intricate without being fussy, if you'd like to make one yourself head over here to crafty boys blog for the pattern...

xKate

Don't work...just play with meeee!

2011-04-20T15:58:00.002+10:00

hello again, quite a bit of blogging going on lately.Distracted from doing my permaculture design project?? Never. Ahem....oh well, let's just go with it...

It's really hard to take a good shot of my black cat-he always just looks like a black blob!

And even harder considering he thinks a camera is something to play with, y'know give a bit of a scratch to. Objects or beings Tripitaka doesn't want to scratch are...um...I'll get back to you on that one...*

Anyhoo, Tripitaka had the generosity today to be dozing in full sunlight. this isn't the best shot but look closely- see his secret stripes in this shot, the reddish areas-they cover him from tip to tail, we didn't see them for quite a while, only in the brightest light do they show up.

This is his classic come hither look-"see my fluffy, furry soft belly, I only want a pat"-then whammo, he curls up around you like a little cat ball, whips out his out his claws and clamps his teeth down on your wrist. Don't be fooled, no, no, don't be fooled.

And lastly this is his subtle and adorable way of indicating he'd like a chin rub.

(And of course this gives him a great chance to give a finger a nip!)

X Kate

*Food! He won't scratch food!

easter break!

2011-04-18T19:38:00.004+10:00

hey there and happy holidays!!

I am so content to be home this easter, I have a week off work and going to class-yeeehaa!

It's been raining ALL day(typical school holiday weather!), but as my son requested a day at home for art that suited us all great!

We made lots of marble roller coaster constructions (you know those plastic tube things which connect together multiple ways?), painted, wrote stories and looked out the windows at the heavy rain!

It won't be all play this Easter though; I have some work to do though- got to get my permaculture design plan started.

To get the ball rolling I have been enjoying some dreaming, some observing, some positive visualisations-luckilly we just had a field trip to some amazing houses and farms up at Crystal waters so I have lots of inspiration! That's where all these amazing houses in the piccys were-aren't they wonderful?

The measuring and drafting process of the design will be a little less fun for me but its good to challenge yourself(isn't it?!)

Anyway I will break it up by getting my ol' hook out and making some more free form work...it was so satisfying making this scarf up as I went along. I also have a dragon toy to repair, a long overdue secret project to finish and post and some newly swapped fabrics to play with!

Pretty cool easter plans, huh? What about you? Hope you have some great things lined up and happy easter!

xKate

facebook sharing tips

2011-04-17T16:21:00.012+10:00

You can get up on stage to promote your community group or business, it is wonderful and effective.

But how about reaching people who don't already know about your activities-who aren't in your audience yet? Facebook is an easy way to grow your community group or small business.

It is cheap(cost of internet) and is available for your group or business to use to promote and inform at no cost, right now.

I have my own personal facebook page, one for dash robin and one for Village life at Northey street. Why? Because the potential audience and resources available is far too good to resist.

There are around 6 million active Australian users of facebook....that's a lot of people facebooking!

To get started follow this link to create your own page. It is user friendly. Once you have created your own page you can then create a business or community group page.

Now you have found some friends, uploaded great photos of your groups members, shared activities and invited people to events.

Perhaps you've decided it's time to turn your attention to sharing your interests or helping grow healthy communities.

Beginners guide to facebook sharing...

Discover more and share your favourite community group, businesses and services amongst your network simply by searching for them and 'liking' them.

Each page will have a thumbs up symbol. Once you have clicked on this you have liked a page. You will get updates on your facebook home page whenever this page has any comments, photos or links.

To share this pages news with other relevant pages and your online community is easy!

When you enter a comment or status update you can create an active hyperlink to another facebook page.

Simply type the @ symbol before you write the page name in. This short cut will make it effortless for people to click onto another page. Don't we love effortless?!

Here's an example; the Village life at Northey street page was developed to showcase the Village life social enterprise market which I co ordinate.

We are a community centred market, so low cost and effective ways to promote ourselves are what we need.

Each time I comment about a particular stall holder I create a link through to their page.

So Village life fans may become the stall holders fans too-by clicking the good ol' like button again!

To link your own liked pages all you need to do- as I mentioned above- is add the @ symbol before typing the facebook page name.

As you type in the name of the page it will show up in blue as you can see

Village life market at Northey Street (my facebook page name)
The Herbal Gardener will be back this Sunday with her amazing biodynamic organic magic creams...(my comment and hyperlinking)

Readers now have the option to click on these words and go directly to that page.

All your liked pages' latest news will appear on your home page.

You can share these individual news updates too.

Clicking on the share button will post this news onto your own page profile.

I shared a Gum nut hill stationery page update about their new range of refillable pens made from recycled Australian timber. This is how it appeared on the Village life page.

Gumnut Hill Stationery

Recycled newsprint paper pencils

http://www.gumnuthill.com.au/o

nline-stationery-shop/recycled

-paper-pencil-tube

We now stock refillable Fountain Pens made from sustainable timber. Feel free to visit our online shop for more photos and browse the full range of Gumnut Hill Eco-Stationery :Dwww.gumnuthill.com.au

By: Gumnut Hill Eco-Stationery

437 Impressions · 0.46% Feedback

It is a win-win situation. It is showing the range of things available at the market, it is promoting gum nut hill stationery and ultimately supporting the aim of developing sustainable local business.

I also add links to facebook fan pages with external websites which have relevant inspiring books, courses, events, groups or films.

I love to highlight positive or pro active social and environmental resources. As our market is a eco friendly local market these are targeted to our networks existing interests.

This example linked to the permaculture course page of Northey Street city farm.

Village life market at Northey Street via Northey Street City Farm
new courses coming up soon-book in early to secure your spot.

Northey Street City Farm » Courses & Workshops

www.nscf.org.au

Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. It aims to bring food production back to where people live and to develop new, sustainable ways of living in our cities and rural areas.

208 Impressions · 0.48% Feedback

In this case the impressions reads 208, (see the text I highlighted in red) which means this little piece of information appeared on 208 individual home facebook pages.

By utilising the share option your whole network learns more about something you love.

It is all these small and big details which can help keep us up to date with what is going on.

Good luck and I hope you find this helpful!

xKate

thrifty

2011-04-15T17:06:00.006+10:00

Anyone who knows me, in person, will know how much I love op-shops and garage sales because of my appreciation of vintage wares...

One or two photos of selected areas of my house on a blog looks quite sophisticated and minimal, and readers who have never been to my house could be forgiven for thinking how sweet it it all must be.

But this passion has created a humungous storage problem; pretty things have over run my cupboards, indeed my whole home; I have pale coloured 50s crockery piled high in kitchen cupboards, loads of linen table cloths placed on any horizontal surface & the extras stacked up on top of wardrobes-alongside the boxes of vases and doilies and wall plates and anodised cups...

And these things are beautiful, so special and unique, much too lovely to not be in use, to be packed away. So I will be bringing a whole bunch of bits and pieces, cups and saucers, lovely bowls, etc along to Village life market this Sunday for sale.

I hope this goes well, wish me luck won't you, so it can become a regular thing, I really do cherish this hobby of mine, its fun to be a gatherer, a bit bower bird, and if I can share these items then this will become a way to nourish this interest, and also keep these treasures being treasured! So stop by my stall on Sunday for some of these

...plus some of this!

xKate

pulling out the coats

2011-04-11T20:07:00.005+10:00

Gosh I LOVE this time of year. I am overjoyed when I can pull on my beanies and gloves and am having a total love affair with making crochet gloves at the moment. I always struggle the first time round with any new pattern, but once I have succeeded, I love repeating the pattern; tweaking, refining.

Lately the process of refinement is all focused on fingerless gloves-thumb holes have been altered, wrists lengthened, widened, stitched added-that's the beauty of making hand made things isn't it-making it exactly right for the individual? It is inspiring to have such gorgeous hand spun yarns to work with too, this last one is another much cherished skein from Village life regular Fauve Fibres.

And speaking of customised hand made items the lovely Chantal Vincent is making a special stamp for me with a robin on it. She sent a little work in progress image of it through- it's so brilliant, sweet and cute!

I can't wait to use it, I thought a lot about how to create eco friendly tags. This seemed the best option because once I have the stamp any paper or fabric can be utilised!

Anyway, I will wait to show you the finished product, but in the meanwhile here's a lovely flower our permaculture class saw while visiting properties at Crystal waters the other day....

And check out truly gorgeous artist Chrissy Foremans blog this week as she has posted up an interview with me! I ramble as per usual but her blog is well worth a visit-she has the most stunning bright and uplifting images and ethos-you might remember I interviewed her here?

happy reading,

xKate

crochet kids

2011-04-03T19:26:00.005+10:00

As we approach our cooler seasons I'm listing cozy accessories on made.it and etsy.

I have enlisted my youngest to model.

He loves to pull funny faces so to capture a natural expression I wait until he is absorbed in play...

which means he is always looking down!

I can't always interrupt his playtime to model for me though...

so meet one of my favourite props- 'old velvet'-an op shopped chair...

What are your favourite props? Who gets to be your model?

xKate

reincarnated kimono artworks

2011-03-30T13:49:00.006+10:00

I have two artworks ready for the Reincarnated Kimono exhibition which is opening on Saturday at Hanasho Gallery, West End.

I am torn between them both, one is very minimal, the other very full- I like them equally. They are all ready to be hung (today!) and as I am still undecided which to use I am going to take them both, see which one suits the space better. Failing that I will ask Melanie to pick one, so please 'wish me luck'- it's the first time in years since I have exhibited anything and just between you and me I am nervous

xKate

more frogs

2011-03-23T10:23:00.007+10:00

More frogs. This is for better or worse somehow becoming a frog blog.

Ah well, sometimes life is hectic and stressful but looking for frogs is relaxing and fun! Plus these kind of everyday observances of nature inspires everything creative for me...

so enough words-here's todays friends

...can you spot this one, his colours a giveaway!

This one was up high, notice his little feet curling under the leaf...awww.

And another cute one, showing off his or her lovely green skin by sitting on a Rosella bushes red branch.

and lastly this little one was hiding behind a wooden Buddha plaque...sorry froggy, but I found you!

xKate

little friends..

2011-03-22T19:48:00.004+10:00

Don't these two look adorable? They must be little friends.

x kate

re incarnated kimono

2011-03-18T14:05:00.006+10:00

I am flattered and excited to have been invited by lovely Melanie from kimono reincarnate to create an artwork for the reincarnated kimono project. In essence the project involves 15 local Brisbane artists reworking pieces from 2 kimonos into original artworks.

The exhibition will take place in Hanasho gallery in West End for the month of April. I will have to steer clear of some of my favourite blogs for a while so I can get my piece finished in time and so that I don't see anyone else's work- I can't wait to see what each of us does but want it to be a surprise when I see works for the first time!

xKate

from little things...

2011-03-14T20:20:00.007+10:00

I ordered some business cards last week to hand out to folk enquiring about having a stall at Village life market, impulsively I chose to quote the title 'from little things big things grow'

To inspire me each time I look at it, to remind me of the earth and to ground me (all at once!!)

It's the title of one of my favourite songs, by two of my favourite singers and is now a story book too-so many stories have grown from this song and will go on growing....what's your favourite song?

By the way, if anyone who is interested in developing a eco friendly micro business in the Brisbane area and who wants to test the waters of their product/service at Northey Streets Village life market feel free to pass on my email; socialenterprise@nscf.org.au

cheerio Kate

small world

2011-03-10T18:15:00.008+10:00

Northey street city farm is a beautiful place to be studying permaculture...all the little things...

Join me there on Sunday if you'd like-8-12 at Village life market. I will have my own dash robin goodies and am excited to be sharing a stall with Lynne who makes beautiful jewellery using recycled silver and Australian made glass beads.

From 10-11 a.m this Sunday at the main stage on the farm grounds some folks may also wish to join me in creating a new informal group-'Village life wrap with love crochet/knitting circle'...we'll be making squares to go off to this organisation...

xKate

creating for the joy of it

2011-03-02T20:54:00.002+10:00

hello!

I have been sewing, whipping up these water bottle carry bags. ...it's been fun.

I am using some lovely woollen felt fabric-and delighting in decorating them with embroidery, doilies, applique, felt shapes inspired by nature, by happiness. And by whales!

Did you know the Japanese whaling season was called off this year?

The hunters were kept from harming any whales by the sea shepard crew.

Yay!

Happy creating,

xkate

whale of a time

2011-02-25T11:29:00.007+10:00

Its been awhile since I have had a chance to blog...it almost feels new to me! And maybe thats because I freshened up my layout and have added some new tabs up top there too. This was because of some *helpful* feedback about people not being able to find my dashrobin things...

I hope this makes it a bit easier?

Anyway, I am back because I am excited to share my new dash robin whale design drink bottle carry bags...I designed these to reflect the beauty of this big gorgeous bay I live in, blue and green and added some whales for fun. It's hard to imagine looking at the bay from the shore that far out at sea they travel past, on migration each year. When I have been lucky enough to see them they are a spectacular, majestic sight.

The water tote bags are made out of recycled blankets and knitwear. Usually I find some items or are given items which may have been accidentally shrunken partially in the washing machine or perhaps have been damaged by moths. I wash them-really thoroughly- at least twice. Not because they are dirty(they never are-people are pretty good about giving me only fresh things) but as part of the felting process. Then I air dry them in the sun and then...here's where the fun starts....I start to chop and sew!

These have been such fun to work on, my kids love them and I hope others big and small will too! The first 'batch' of them are in stock at Reverse garbage, which is having its re-opening celebration this Saturday...find all the details here.

Reverse garbage in Woollongabba is one of my favourite places in all of Brisbane-for years now it has been such a brilliant resource for my dash robin goodies. My favourite 'must buy' purchase is probably their large cardboard storage barrels. They are excellent for storing fabric stashes(but none of us would have a problem storing our crafts supplies would we? ;o) but are also good for toys, clothes, magazines, tools, anything! The brown cardboard surface is perfect for customising with painting, drawing or applying decoupaged fabric or paper...

I will be heading in to the celebration around lunchtime so say hello if you are there!

Or you can catch me on Sunday at Village Life-I will be finally setting up a stall again-it feels like its been so long since I have set up there too, but it's been wonderful to spend more time behind the scenes with new and existing stall holders, I am excited to see many of the producers setting up stunning websites-here's one of my favourites luvyabubba!

Anyway, if you come along on Sunday you can meet Michaela and see her sweet dolls and also get a bit crafty yourself. I am offering *free* crochet lessons-I will be providing a hook for your use and cotton yarn, and I will be showing you how easy it is to make yourself your very own wash cloth!

seeyou round,

xo Kate

favourites

2011-02-15T17:00:00.008+10:00

Hello, whats your fave stuff? I have very wide ranging tastes but generally lean towards things which are old and worn, books that have soft corners and slightly yellowed pages, old printed rusty tins, driftwood...

I love green and blue colours, anodised kitchen ware, also grey-the kind you'd see on plated metals which have worn thin...

I love tiny little details and expanses of blank space...

my latest creations feature lots of my favourites- tiny stitches, green thread, blue felt, space(!)...and I am very pleased with them!

These new favourites are available in one of my fave places, Reverse garbage which is having a grand opening, Saturday Feb 26th at thier new location 20 Burke street,

Woolloongabba, 9 a.m -5.

And no, not telling what my new favourites are, you'll have to head in to see!

xKate

cushion making

2011-02-08T11:56:00.005+10:00

Hello! These are my newest cushions. I sewed them this morning from op shopped/thrifted crochet lap blankets, large old holey wool blankets and large cushion inserts.

(The inserts were even new in packets, found in an op shop for $2 each- just days after I had decided I wanted to make some-serendipity!)

They will be great for lounging about on...I totally love the green and blue one-my favourite colour combo is blue and green...what colours do you love together?

xKate

creative spaces here

Bribie island day trip

2011-02-05T18:31:00.009+10:00

Hello! Went to Bribie Island, just north of Brisbane today, for a bit of beach and a bit of forest.

My favourite painter , Ian Fairweather, lived on Bribie island, and the local museum has a small feature wall about him as he lived out there. He chose to live very simply, in a small cottage/shack in the forest. This image comes from the Ian Fairweather project site, and shows him in his house/studio painting.

The forest on Bribie is pretty special, I can see why he was so inspired and felt so attached to the place.

'I came like water and like the wind I go' Omar Khayyam.

The beaches, especially Red Beach, are pretty special too. I have a confession to make though-despite living in the so-called sunshine state- I am no summer person. I am sure this is frustrating to people enduring those bleak European winters...I am sure because I have been told off by many over the years for my lack of 'Aussie beach life appreciation'

By the time I have gathered all the togs, towels, hats, sun cream, etc and gotten us to the beach I am generally irritable-sweaty, hot and bothered, then it is so glare-y and the sand sticks to my suncream, which washes off my skin in about .5 seconds in the water ensuring sunburn will occur, then my (by this stage) totally annoying kids jump all over me and splash water in my eyes and; oh, I could go on but I am sure you get the picture! I'd rather take photos, read a book but there's never much shade...winter, please come now!

Anyway, whiney-ness aside-I loved the shapes of these deeply embedded driftwood tree trunks-just looking at them conjures so many different ideas and forms...

The Casuarina trees which sprawl all over the sand are lovely trees too...apparently the name comes from the Malay word for the cassowary bird, Kasuari, because of the similarities between the trees slender drooping foliage and Cassowary feathers. I wouldn't know, I haven't been north past Townsville and I think they only live much further up into Queensland, maybe the Daintree? In any case I think I'd tend to give a bird like that a wide berth so I will take their word for it!

And I better go and get dinner into my not so annoying anymore kids,

xKate

February is the new January.

2011-02-01T11:54:00.009+10:00

Hello, I am currently enjoying one of those exciting periods when I am feeling very, very inspired! I have some delicious new fauve fibres yarn to play with so I have begun making some completely made up as I go along shawls. My sewing machine is seeing some action too, my works been aided by the lovely books I am borrowing from my local libraries. One I particularly like is 'sew green' Its a fantastic resource for crafters who love using Vintage and recycled materials in their work. It's helping me see lots of things in a whole new/old light. My worn out flowery bed sheets are now my new pyjamas.

They are cotton and so soft and I couldn't part with the funky 60's flower power pattern!

And here's my puss cat Tripitaka getting very cozy with my new op shop scores-two cute crocheted lap blankets, half felted together from years of use.

These two blankets are going to become large floor cushions. Once I get them made I plan to use them both at home and to bring along for the story time sessions in the children's garden at Village life market at Northey street. I reckon they will bring a touch of nanna style comfort to the proceedings!

However much crafting fun I am having I can't ignore what's going on around me...is February trying to compete with January in the dramatic weather stakes? 'Floods? Pfft, I can do better than that, howza about a cyclone...or 2' says Feb.

Fortunately there is quite a bit of advance warning and information and hopefully all the people making safe their friends, pets, families and neighbours are feeling like they are preparing and not panicking.

Queensland is big, actually scratch that, Australia is big, and Brisbane is a loooong way from this area, so down here we are safe as can be.

But I do wish people the world over very well and hope we all keep doing all we can to help...however please don't forget to cover yourselves properly, if I see one more person wading through contaminated water and mud wearing thongs I am going to scream!

Besides who wouldn't want to wear this seasons must have fashion shoe...

Wishing you calm, deep joy and lots more, from here,

to where ever you are,

xKate

talking around the table

2011-01-24T23:03:00.007+10:00

Hello. I spent awhile tonight winding my latest yarn purchase, a lovely natural hand spun fauve fibre, into a ball and talking to my kids. It was lovely, they were sharing some memories of last year and asking questions about what they were like when they were babies.

I wonder how many women, so, so many, have spent a night doing something similar? Isn't it the simple things that are often the most touching?

xKate

let us belong

2011-01-23T20:37:00.004+10:00

Hello,

I am so excited to share a lovely gift I received this week from lovely Cath, who makes beautiful items-she also has the cutest store names; chunky chooky and my bearded pigeon. Isn't this the sweetest cushion?

I love the spirit of inclusion in the message and the simple bold graphic, thanks Cath.

Would you like to learn more about the facts about refugees? This site is a great place to start. I have been heartened to hear some beautiful stories of community spirit- some of Brisbanes' newest arrivals have been lending a hand during the floods. One small example is the charming Sri Lankan community members who cooked up delicious curries to feed volunteers-beautiful!

And speaking of community spirit this doll has been sent off to 'hope softys' appeal. You might have seen my first attempt back a post-I wasn't 100% about it but sent it together with this one for the children who have been flooded out of their homes. You can find out to have some crafting fun and help brighten a littlys day here...

xoKate

my creative space

2011-01-20T08:10:00.007+10:00

Hello. I don't know if I am really ready for this. With everything and more which is going on right now I have been trying my hand at cute and sweet...I really don't know if I have succeeded with this one...cute or odd?

I was slightly distracted while making it up last night by the constant flashes and booms of the thunderstorms and the subsequent invasion/visit of my kitchen by these lil cuties.

About seven turned up on my back kitchen windows! All very charming and lovely. My cat Tripitaka did not agree and thought it best to try and catch them so he was quickly plopped into the laundry. He ought to be in theatre, he was such a Sarah Bernhard-very theatrical meowing about his confinement, I wonder what my neighbours thought of his meow-yowling at 9.30 at night!!

(Wouldn't mind if they knew how to cook!)

Anyway, please anyone with little kids if you don't mind ask their opinion, its meant to be for hope softys but I have a nasty feeling its more like 'confuse children' softys at this point...I am absolutely willing to simply give one of my amigurumi or other dolls so don't be hesitant if you think its not going to comfort.

And now I am going to check up on all that's happening in creative spaces-glad you're back at it Kirsty, thanks for hosting once again-yay!

xKate

the definition of sweet

2011-01-19T16:01:00.016+10:00

hello! I hope this little selection of images gives you some inspiration, specifically cute and sweet creative inspiration!

The very clever Steph of mon petit poppet is organising something very special over here. She is encouraging anyone crafty to join her in making 'hope softies'

Special little handmade toys for the families who have lost thier homes and everything in them during the recent Qld floods. There are thousands of people in evacuation centres, these toys will go to them.

So tonight I will be gathering some of my favourite fabrics and my softies books and will be trying to create something adorable ...won't you join in?

Cute little toys

and just to finish on an ultra cute note...puppies!!

I will update tomorrow with the finished toy!

xKate

2011-01-17T14:08:00.012+10:00

Hello,

This is the waterfront of the Moreton bay, near my house.

This was taken before the recent floods.

And these are after.

A tank and large pontoons.

Garden soil, plants and trees.

The high tide.

It's wonderful some areas are being cleaned but from here the view is not so good-the job is enormous and we need to help and be helped with it.

To register to help locally go here.

To support local craft workers and donate to the flood appeal go to my etsy store here

and BrisStyles handmade ark appeal.

On Saturday we managed with some wonderful volunteers to perform a miracle mammoth clean up at Northey street community farm. On Sunday we held a combined organic and village life markets in the Northey Street farm carpark.

Gumnut hill stationery, Luvya doll, Fauve fibres and my own dash robin stall raised funds for the flood appeal reaching a total donation of over $200.

For those of you who visited us and are helping in any way to contribute to the flood appeals and clean up efforts all that you are doing is being deeply appreciated.

Best wishes to all,

X Kate

Market update

2011-01-14T18:09:00.003+10:00

Hello all,

I will be donating 50% of all my sales to the Premiers disaster relief appeal this Sunday. I am setting up at Northey Streets market held in the Northey street car park in Windsor, early Sunday morning til 10.30.

The nursery and toilets will be open as usual.

xKate

froggerama-relief fund appeal.

2011-01-12T21:57:00.005+10:00

The fingerless gloves were snapped up before I could even post them up here (Yippee!) and I have my fingers and toes crossed this frog will be too.

All proceeds will be donated to the premiers disaster relief fund, and I will happilly provide you with the receipt of course :o)

xKate

Brisbane floods

2011-01-12T13:07:00.004+10:00

My heart goes out to all who are suffering, especially at this point in time by the floods. I am safe and the area of Brisbane I live in is not expected to flood and didn't flood during the 1974 Brisbane floods. If you'd like you can direct your concerns in a meaningful way to people who are genuinely in need of them by donating to red cross. They are working here and in many other parts of the world where people are suffering.

I feel shocked by what has happened in the Lockyer valley and Toowoomba. It has been a wearying time and I wish all well who read this, we will all be together soon and helping each other out as best we can. Northey street farm is closed until further notice, keep an eye on the website for further updates.

'Through our hopes and fears, our pleasures and pains we are deeply interconnected.'

Pema Chodron, 'comfortable with uncertainty'

xKate

hello world

2011-01-07T14:23:00.010+10:00

Hello, I thought I'd share a picture of the toy I mentioned a post or two back that my neighbours son chose...he was made with beautiful wool from my treasured stash of

fauve fibre.

I feel like having a bit of a chat about the environment. I hope people who enjoy my craft also enjoy reading about other interests, if not simply skip it! :o)

Flooding has always been part of a cycle here and is getting more extreme due to global warming and it's effects. And I am noticing a lack of news coverage or discussion about the fact that while we are in a flood period now, we have just come out of droughts. It is my view these extremes need to be accepted and their effects and causes looked into further.

There are lots of things we can do to tackle some of these effects locally, if we know how.

We can plant trees along river banks, much like this beautiful re vegetation plantation which my dad worked on in his home town.

We can buy recycled paper products instead of consuming products created from the destruction of forests. There are beautiful recycled products available now including

Gumnut hill stationery products. I love this collection!

Anyway, there is just so much we can do and be involved with and it is my wish we would as a society take a little initiative in nurturing our home here on earth and the creatures we share it with.

Happily these rains provide nutrients and vegetation to vast areas of land, so lots of little creatures will soon be having boom times in a brilliant habitat, which after the dry years is a lovely thing.

Of course the animals who are suffering from displacement in the short term need a hand and you can find out more and donate via reputable organisations such as wildlife Queensland.

The frogs are already revelling in the conditions and these are a couple I found in my yard...

Don't you want to give them a little kiss?

xkate

dash robin

painting yarns...

wordless wednesday

colours

dyeing yarns

Finished!!

villagers

hand spun capelet

weeding and gift making

works in progress...

lunch bags!

moth and curtain

free economy-sharing

cramping my style

happy new year

Tree brooches..

Plant dyeing...

travels...

Materialistic exhibition pieces

wren

shadow shot

Bribie

Give away time

koala bag

birds coming along...

shadow and light

love

crochet power

artisans pop up shop

blog with bunny

jam, dash robin and bunnies...

mothers day

permaculture day

pink and pretty

Holiday crochet catch up...

Don't work...just play with meeee!

easter break!

facebook sharing tips

Village life market at Northey Street (my facebook page name) The Herbal Gardener will be back this Sunday with her amazing biodynamic organic *magic* creams...(my comment and hyperlinking)

Village life market at Northey Street via Northey Street City Farmnew courses coming up soon-book in early to secure your spot.

thrifty

pulling out the coats

crochet kids

reincarnated kimono artworks

more frogs

little friends..

re incarnated kimono

from little things...

small world

creating for the joy of it

whale of a time

favourites

cushion making

Bribie island day trip

February is the new January.

talking around the table

let us belong

my creative space

the definition of sweet

Market update

froggerama-relief fund appeal.

Brisbane floods

hello world

Village life market at Northey Street (my facebook page name)
The Herbal Gardener will be back this Sunday with her amazing biodynamic organic magic creams...(my comment and hyperlinking)

Village life market at Northey Street via Northey Street City Farm
new courses coming up soon-book in early to secure your spot.