A great day for being outdoors!

Anyone who spent the day in Melbourne today would agree... It was the perfect day for a spot of outdoor knitting.

The wee girl - if you missed my post this morning - has finally got the hang of knitting without (much) help.

She's obsessed with it.... (no idea where she gets it from).

After a trip to the dentist last week, we dropped into Morris and Sons (and spent twice as much as the dental bill). OH. MY. GOODNESS. Yarn Heaven....

The wee girl picked out this yarn - aptly called "Fuel". It really sparked her drive to get to grips with the sticks. The instant-gratification of 20-ply on size 8 bamboo needles kept her interest firing on all eight cylinders.

By the time she went to bed tonight (well after this photo was taken), she'd finished 12 rows of stockingette stitch on top of this lot. Meanwhile, I was at the machine, practising short-rows and knitting my way through lovely tencel yarn. Very satisfying, to make a scarf in an afternoon... even nicer with a Spring breeze. The man of the house was pottering about the garden. Things are sprouting up and home-grown vegetables are on the way. There was much pondering of blossoms, and the promise of warm days ahead. I kept thinking of the bike path to work (and that daylight savings time can't come soon enough). I have many things to be grateful for. My family and the ability to enjoy a simple day with them is something that I will never take for granted.

...And the knitting kid is the icing on the cake, this weekend.

There's an up-side to moving to one of Melboune's less-fashionable suburbs....

I'm loving having a HUGE garden, established 40 years ago by European migrants (and currently bustin' out all over with nature's gifts).

It's raining apples....

The veggies are going gangbusters.

And (she says, trying not to hyperventilate) ...the figs are ripening.

Great to be in the land of the ENORMOUS bucket of Greek yogurt, too....

I'd like to think we're at the vanguard of a mass movement from hipper parts of the city, but I think we'll be enjoying the secret pleasures of this suburb for a while yet, before it looks remotely attractive to cool and sophisticated inner-city types.

That's ok. I've got enough figs to keep me happy for a while yet.

Small things

It's been a weekend for enjoying the little things, like taking pleasure in the texture of knitted pure wool, the sense of achievement in finishing something, and the adorable cuteness of baby clothes.

After the initial panic (when baby-size slippers emerged from the washing machine) and the ensuing stretching-the-bejeezus-out-of-dense-felt, there's a huge sense of satisfaction hovering about our house over a certain felting project.... They fit!

Our recent weirdy tropical weather may not agree with delicate little flowers like me, but the garden is looking AMAZING! Lots of baby vegetables and luscious foliage.

Spanakopita, anyone....?

The figgy forest at the bottom of the garden is promising great things (if the bats and birds don't get the fruit first).

And there are lots of little moments to enjoy...
...like a happy, healthy child on a swing

...under a heavily-laden, super-shady apple tree

...in shortie-pajamas and shiny silver shoes

..at midday.

We have many reasons to be grateful. While I feel lucky to have the time to smile at the small, everyday things, my thoughts are with the people who have been affected by the floods in QLD and WA, and with those anticipating impending floods in our own state. I wish I could send at least a little bit of ordinary to them, and wish them lots of safe and dry.

A great day for it.

(....for photographing crafty projects in the garden, that is.)

The finished Boteh Scarf was very well received by my soon-to-be-birthdaying sister.

Mid-laundry-hanging, I was spontaneously inspired to photograph these little dresses. It's best to photograph things before too many run-ins with kid and/or front-loader and these have each seen a few rounds already.

The denim dress detail was featured in my yo-yo post but the green (felted wool) one has thus far slipped through the photographic net. 

The flowers are a combination of felted jumper (the blue), hand felted string and needle-felting and machine embroidery (the flower centres).

I finished a prototype of a wallet (on the request of my sister-in-law) but I wasn't 100%  happy with it.  I had to unpick and redo the binding twice before I bit the bullet and hand-stitched it. 

Now I'm not happy with the finish and I don't think I have the time to develop the design into something machine-stitchable and pattern-writable.  It needs a LOT of development.... but it'll do as an "OFMSIL" (Only For My Sister-In-Law.... yes, the category range of OF's is broadening...).

I was, however, VERY happy with Vilene S520 and S320 on the card pockets and dividers.  Super smooth and fine, but nice and strong. 

There was also a bit of pottery action in the garden (and it's an activity that will ONLY EVER be in the garden.... clay everywhere!).

And there was a fair bit of creative gardening going on.

I hope you had a lovely weekend.