feeling charitable.

when i wrote my list, of 24 things i wanted to do before i turned 25, i included on it to donate to charity.
bb and i are in a fairly nice financial situation at the moment, so it makes sense that we could donate to some charities!

one that i definitely wanted to get involved with, was kiva.
the idea behind this one is that you don't actually donate, but loan money to someone towards a project that will make their (and generally their community) a bit better off!
you even get to choose where your loan is going and read up on the intentions of the person. very cool!
pop over here to have a read and maybe even make a loan yourself!


i've also been following lexi's quest to wear a dress everyday and raise money for ovarian cancer research. she calls it frocktober.
her posts are tres entertaining, as are her daughter, tiny's, many and varied poses!
pop over here if you'd like to pledge something towards the cause.


i've also been following the goings on over at let's get maybelle to the ellen show and there's lots happening! auctions, special products and a website!
very cool!


have you been supporting any charities recently?
which are your favourites to support?

rainbow toes.

rainbow solidarity. for annie, for hope and a cure.



read why here.
and join in here.

friday.

and a lovely day it has been.
the sun was shining and the boy and i had the entire day off together and we went to see the new harry potter film. have you seen it yet? i did thoroughly enjoy it (even though they can't seem to get everyone's eyes the right colour...)

anywho, i just wanted to quickly let you know about a giveaway that the lovely pip is holding over on her blog! all you need to do to enter is to make a donation to the dry july campaign. easy peasy! you could win a whole bunch of awesome stuff for only $2!!!
now i'm off to have a glass of wine... (just kidding, mostly) and most definitely do some crochet!

flood relief blankie ta-da!

it's done! it is alllllll done!
i finished the last part of the border on monday night but haven't had a chance to get it photographed til today! it's very hard to get nice lighting when you come home from work and it's dark!



even so, not the greatest photo, i didn't have anywhere big enough to lay it out nicely!

so here's a prettier one... bit more deja vu happening. i'm not so creative with my photo taking am i? (to be honest i just wanted an excuse to sprawl out on this lovely creation. the boyfriend is begging me not to send it!)


i can't believe how vibrant the colours are! they would definitely not be in my safe choices! love your thinking outside the box lea!




thought i'd show off my edging too, after working the entire blankie in double crochet, i decided to do a row of single crochet in each colour to finish everything off nicely.
so tomorrow, this gorgeous little thing will be winging it's way to lea, in sydney.
i started it on shrove tuesday (8th of march) and finished it up on monday so just under 14 weeks, not a bad effort i think!

i hope you love it as much as i loved making it for you lea!
i do love making a good crochet blankie... maybe now i'll finish up my ripple... then again...

see you tomorrow for some creativity in this space, and maybe tomorrow night too...

so very close....

after being so close to being finished lea's blankie on thursday, i thought i'd be here with a ta-da, i'm finished post but gosh this edge is taking a lot longer than i first anticipated!



but here i am, on the very edge of the edge. it can't be too much longer surely!

have you enjoyed your weekend? was it a long one? i enjoyed a very leisurely day off from work today. thank you dear queen for being born and such ;)

our creative space.

bit of deja vu happening here... everything is looking a bit the same as a month or so ago, except now, i'm on the home stretch (and the lighting isn't quite as bright...)


hooking up the last few rows and then there's just the edge to go! guess i better start saving up my pennies to send this baby up to sydney, it's getting quite heavy!

i also made a start on one of the baby presents i've been banging on about needing to make!



it's a cross stitch using a counted pattern for a cousin's (almost born) baby! hoping i can get it to near completion before the little babe is born so that all i need to do is stitch in a name and birth date. fingers crossed!

more creative spaces can now be found here!

and we're back.

you know how when you can't do something, you want to do it all the more? that's what i was like yesterday! knowing that i couldn't blog meant that i had about 5 blog posts running around in my head, dying to come out! such is the way of human existence i suppose! anywho, on to the good stuff!

i've been working my little fingers off to desperately try and get lea's blankie all finished and done with and i'm getting pretty excited as it's getting quite close! would you like a look?



i wanted to take the picture measured on the bed, but there was someone in it! in any case, it's the perfect length for me at the moment, i can crochet onto it and it stretches all the way down my legs and over my toes, keeping me nice and toasty.
i think i'm going to try and get at least another 20 rows on it and then start on the edge. very excited to have the end in sight on this project as i have lots more to do this month!

like a cushion! the deadline is creeping up fast and i feel a bit like i'm getting nowhere! can't believe how many people are already finished!



i think i'm almost halfway to having the cushion cover proper done, then i need to crochet for it too! lots of work to go still, and some learning too. i think i'm going to try some buttonholes! figured that would be a good way to keep a cushion insert in (and an excuse to buy/destash some buttons...)

hope your weekend is going well!

why hello!

hi! i'm still here if you were wondering...
i've been feeling a bit absent of late. my buggy computer has meant that making blog comments or posting blogs (or even writing tweets) from it to be absolutely impossible! i found out that it's not full of viruses as i was suspecting, but in fact that the logic board is cactus! well perhaps not completely gone yet, but certainly on it's way out. in any case, no typey typing on it!



this means i have to use BB's big computer which to be honest i'm a little terrified of. it has windows 7 which i have no clue how to use and it does strange things and makes strange noises and i can't really get it to do what i want without a lot of huffing and puffing and such. these computer malfunctions, coupled with many many work hours and trying to catch up with everyone mean not many blog posts ha ha!
now look at me having a big whinge, it's good friday!
are you having a good and relaxing day?
i most certainly am! i love that there's no where to be, as no where is open!
a relaxing day is a very nice idea after a busy week :D
i started my week in geelong (maybe i'll share more about that tomorrow...) and have been busy working and crocheting and sharing meals and drinks with friends and family!

a little crochet update for you?
i've been working hard (yet inconsistently) on lea's blankie.


it's coming along don't you think? i do so like to measure blankies against my bed :D
and in case youw ere wondering, that lovely wool crochet-y close up further up the post, is lea's blankie too! i'm loving the colours, they're so much bolder than anything i'd ever put together!

my creative space.

is once again (and always really) with a crochet hook in hand.
putting row number 116 on lea's blankie, and well probably rows 117 and beyond too...




well when i get home from work that is...
starting a new job, while still working the old one, hasn't left much time for blogging or crafting (or house cleaning either really), so my apologies for the much delayed blog post and same old craftiness too. the good news (well depending who you ask) is that i finish up my old job just before easter, so i'll hopefully be able to have a bit more of a life, both online and offline. can't wait!
more creative spaces over with kirsty.

progress report.

after a very long morning of cleaning, the oven alcove is completely clean! and the outside of the oven (well the back and sides) are pretty spiffy looking too!



however, my cleaning methods were a little voracious and i ended up stripping a fair amount of paint from the sides of the walls. so i'm off to bunnings on my way to work to get some new paint and some tile or lino to cover up those floor boards too!
the discovery of these floor boards under the oven has made me wonder if they're under all the flooring in the house too? wish it was mine so i could start pulling up our (terrible) carpet to check!

a little progress report on lea's blankie too...



i'm 48 rows in (of a calculated 265! eep!) so i think i'll need to pick up the pace a little bit to get it done and to lea by winter! a fair way to go yet.

my creative space.

features poorly lit photographs. just a heads up. where on earth did that lovely sunshine from the weekend go?
anywho, today i'm working some more on lea's blankie...



giving myself completely over to the random* colour choices and excellent hooky rhythm of this pattern. well that is in between housework and a much needed yoga class....

oh and have a look at what's back on the calendar!




tinniegirl has allllllll the info!

pop in and visit kirsty for more creativity!

*random has rules though... i use every colour within a "section" of 5 colours (i've done 2 "sections" so far) and i won't use the same colour twice. totally random.

flea market finds. slightly illegal edition.

so this isn't a new flea market find, it's not even technically a 'flea market' find.
it's a stolen from hard rubbish find. why let something go to landfill when you can find a use for it yourself?



i picked up this large and lovely specimen last year just before the last hard rubbish pickup.
i love it because it's so solid and heavy, unlike most of my other ikea furniture...
anywho, the reason i'm talking about my table today is that it's in pretty bad nick. i'm almost certain that before it got turfed onto the nature strip, it was an outdoor table, used by someone's grandkids as a painting palette.
while i'm sure it served it's purpose quite well as a palette/footrest/pot stand/whatever else, it's time for it to serve it's purpose as my beautiful coffee table.
today is renovation day!
i've got my reno clothes on, my hair tied back and my protective eye wear on (sunglasses).

after 30 minutes of sanding with my* orbital sander, this is how far i've gotten. could be a very long afternoon...



while i'm slaving away, sanding away years of glass rings and acrylic paint mixes, you should do two things:
1) visit the home of flea market finds. sophie is having a giveaway today too, so you should join in!
2) bid on my flood relief auction. you could win an amazing handmade crochet blanket, designed by you! it also ENDS TODAY! get on it!


* technically, it's my dad's sander. having actually used it more than he has, i'm claiming it as my own.

accomplishment.

last night i attended my cousin's wedding.
it was beautiful, the ceremony was held at the botanical gardens so the setting was gorgeous. her dress was a fantastic, cream-coloured vintage number and looked a dream.
the reception was held in balaclava, at a very trendy and overall amazing venue. the food was divine, the drinks free-flowing and the company warm.
and the wedding blanket?
i did manage to get it finished. sneaking out to the car between the entree and main courses.
hence why there are no photos really....
i wasn't entirely happy with the length, i wanted it to be square originally but was completely out of time! i cheated by making my outside edge trebles along either end and single crochet along the sides.
in any case, after the absolute marathon of making it in the past 3 weeks, i feel giddily free. for the entire 3 weeks, i've been saying no to and putting off things that i've desperately wanted or needed to do (sleeping in, gardening, vaccuuming, dusting and organising) and now i find myself with an entire weekend to get some of it done. the boyfriend has even offered to cook dinner tonight!
so i'm off to do some housework (and probably actually enjoy it) while i dream about my next blankie project. you can bid for it here, you even get to design it yourself! and it's all for a fantastic cause. get in quick though, it ends VERY soon!!