In full bloom

Even though it's winter here, there's a kind of uncanny beauty in the bare branches and dropping leaves.

The fire of autumn has all but gone, with just the odd cluster of maple leaves and one sad miniature cherry leaf clinging on, something like the last embers of a blaze.

The crepe myrtle that fascinates me so much with its bright green leaves in summer and its russet-gold combination in autumn, is now a slightly forlorn collation of twigs.  Just beyond it, the star magnolia is doing just that, showing its stuff in distinctive white petals and pink blush furry buds.

Would it be such a feature in spring?  Possibly not.  I wonder if it knows that just as it is fading, the world is stirring, the earth is warming, and sweet peas, cherry blossom and a larger installment of silver princess gum blossom are just waiting to burst forth as the banksia rose froths onto the front fence.

I feel the same about the daphne as I do about the magnolia.  It has such a distinctively icy winter scent that whenever I think about it taking its place in the spring months, I have to discard the thought.  It is a product of colder days, and there it works beautifully.

So this little patch of ours ticks away, and the main colours that keep flourishing arrive with the camellias - cherry blossom pink, skirted candy and white streaks, puffball mauve, and the occasional cupped cream and gold.  The bounty of the camellias means this jug can be filled every couple of days, just as the top heavy blooms collapse with a soft thud, and petals float gently to the carpet.

Before they give way, however, the jug of camellia catches the sunlight, holds the standard high for winter blooms, and even - just faintly - connects me to the far off spring.

Crochet Love

One thing that is really special is seeing your finished crochet projects 'in action'.

This little cardigan was completed in February, and can be seen here on my lovely baby niece...about a week ago.

She is just beautiful, and I'm delighted to have such a sweet bundle wearing something I made!

This, of course, is just the beginning.  There are more cardigans, blankets, ponchos and toys on the way - and that is but the start.  Sadly, we've found out that she doesn't like hats or mittens, but I have plans for many future projects.

Welcome to the world of crochet, Alisha!

Your very grateful aunt.

Often the best

The simple things, indeed, usually are the best.

There is a reason why many hundreds of pages on Ravelry are related to granny squares or variants thereof.

Not only can granny squares be as elaborate, uncomplicated, cosy or sophisticated as you like - they are economical, quirky, pretty, elegant, simple and all tell a story of both the maker and the intended recipient.

My most recent version - made from the ever popular Stylecraft Special DK - is for a little girl called Violet.  Needless to say, there are plenty of mauves, purples and lavenders in there, edged in the reliable Parchment shade.  I haven't elaborated on design; it's my standard 3-2-3, 3-1-3, and made in pansy and viola shades as well as adopting the violet tones.

I've made many granny square blankets (and other granny square items, from scarves to bags and cardigans) over the years, from a big brown boucle number adopted by my mother, to a Summer Garden coastal blanket in pure wool.  I've adopted the Summer Garden pattern from Attic24, as well as granny stripes, and I've loved every project along the way.

My first granny square blanket - from 1985 - was made for my grandfather, and it stands out as a crafting highlight.  Not knowing then what I do now, it rather uniquely still has all the yarn ends in place, with a jersey fabric backing attached that hides them more than adequately.  It was made from scraps, and my favourite colours and combinations - red and grey, raspberry pink, aqua and orange, to name a few - were present even then.  It took forever to make those 120 squares with the original 6.00 mm hook granted to me by my great aunt, and putting the shell edging on after my mother sewed the squares together (randomly, with a peach coloured wool that was always around, no matter how much of it we used!) was a crafting triumph.

And...it was loved.  I think that is what I appreciate most about granny squares and what we make from them.  No matter how many jokes you hear about the 1970s and burnt orange acrylic, a classic like the granny square is made to last and be enjoyed.  It's the identifying highlight of crochet, and the item that so many prospective crocheters name as something they would like to make. Quite simply, the granny square's the best.

Smelling the roses

I've been thinking of taking a watercolour class, and turning my paintings into cards.

Problem is, time and money conspire against me.  I'd love to learn a traditional technique and add it to my repertoire, but this doesn't look likely to happen any time soon.

While thinking about this conundrum, I've found an app (I keep wanting to say 'application'!) called 'waterlogue', and have been using it on my phone.  It turns my photos into watercolours.  Magic!

Problem is, my phone's temperamental, and patches keep getting taken off the images.

Instead, I tried it on my iPad.  It gives me a bigger view of the final results, and saves them without any chopping.  Magic again!

I turned a photo of a rose into a 1950s style watercolour, then printed it for just a few cents and turned it into a card for Mother's Day.

There was no problem in the end....just my mixed up thoughts about technology, saving money and time, being pleased with the results of combining creativity with buttons and screens, and taking the chance to smell the roses - every which way.  Who knows?  I may get to take that class in the future - or I may not.  In the meantime, this is how I'm sharing the loveliness.

Just grannying

It amuses me that I originally took this photo on my big camera, then saved it on my laptop, emailed it to myself, saved it on my phone, then played with it on an app (Afterlight) for the surround and a dusty filter, THEN saved it on my phone again, put it on Instagram, emailed the final result to myself, saved the photo on my laptop, then uploaded it here for use on the blog....all for five minutes of sunshine and photo out on the back lawn. 

Anyway...moving right along....this is the start of a pansy/violet themed granny square blanket.  I've done a few more squares since, but have put them aside to finish up a medal ribbon themed scarf (for my father), and to get starts/finishes on another couple of blankets.  It's a never ending story, and a great way of using up the stash.  I'm finding that, as this lean year progresses, I'm working my way through some lovely fibre, and have only purchased minimal amounts in order to fill colour gaps where needed.

The plan for the squares above?  Once I've finished eighty in this fashion, I'm planning to edge each in a neutral colour, then join.  It'll be an eight by ten mix, with a broad neutral border.  I can get about five of these middles done in a night, and it's proving to be very relaxing...unlike the photo saving and communicating process!

Yarnbombing

Well, this is only a temporary form of the great art of 'yarnbombing' (I've decided that it's a compound noun, no matter what anyone says!), but having had to dig this image out in the last week, I can't help but smile.

It's actually my most recent granny stripe blanket in progress (late last year), and it's hanging over the edge of a very elevated terrace at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  It's a stunning day looking into the centre of Melbourne, and even though this is simply an iPhone photo, I think the nature of the city and the blanket alike are very well captured.

When I think of travelling, it's funny how many times I actually connect yarn to the concept.  I'd love to go to Purl Soho in New York, Loop in London, and possibly the HQ of Deramores, Shilasdair on Skye, and a few others in between.  What I'd do in an ideal world is buy some of their beautiful product, step outside, liberate a few loops and leave a signature little granny square or similar, then take a photo, just as a connecting marker of having been there.

Well, that is the dream, anyway.  I'm not sure if yarnbombing my way around the world is a feasible concept, but I'd certainly like to put it on the bucket list!

Heaps

I had to retrieve yarn.

It's said in exercise circles that, for a session to be effective, you should at least end up a bit sweaty and short of breath.  In that case, I've found the perfect workout.

I had to retrieve yarn of various types in order to get a diverse group to try out a chain stitch.  So I toted a variety, including chunky, acrylic, cotton, laceweight, fun fur (for hedgehogs more than novice crocheters), metallics, and a ball of Noro for show and tell.

The response from the new learners was that (apart from the fact that some of them obviously thought I was crazy...hey, it's a general 'train the trainer' class, not necessarily naturally disposed towards crochet love!) this was a LOT OF YARN.

Huh.  No, it's not.  Iceberg, tip.  Not even tip.  This is an iceblock tenderly removed from a massive glacier. I did a spot count while I was gathering the bundle above, and although I haven't been extravagant in purchases - particularly in the last five months - I have at least twenty tote bags full, along with four or five huge plastic bags that are probably double the capacity of each tote bag, one huge 125 litre tub, one 80 litre tub, two drawers in a deep chest of drawers, one big round tub, one basket, and a couple of other bags.

Too much?  Probably.  But it's a great resource and one that mostly brings me much enjoyment except for those occasions when it decides to collapse and get all muddled up in a tangle around my feet.  It represents the enjoyment of making projects, picking out colours and - in my present parlous state - 'shopping the stash'.  I actually look forward to the day - hopefully not too far distant - when I have made as much as I can from my present collection and can then assess my needs, rather than bored biscuit eating time orders, in order to build an informed yarn bank.

So yes, right now it's HEAPS of yarn - but it's also heaps of fun, heaps of resources (when did I get that Cleckheaton Merino Silk in a lovely eggplant shade???  Anyone????) and heaps of crochet stories just waiting to be told.