Aunty Shabby

A rather pregnant pause

 After declaring I would post more often, I once again regressed and lapsed into a state of blog inaction. Is that a term? It should be. Anyway, lots of excuses - busy end of the year, mother-in-law from overseas staying with us, and oh, did I mention I was pregnant? Yes, Aunty Shabby will soon be Mummy Shabby. I know being pregnant shouldn't be an excuse for inactivity as such, but when you are feeling like crap for several months, not eating and worrying that your baby might be malnourished as a result, blogging is the least of your worries (all first time mothers can probably relate to some of this)!

I am now more than halfway in my pregnancy, the baby is fine so far and I am feeling much better, so I plan to get back on with things, including this blog and my business. (And NO - that image is not me!!) Which is what, in a sort of circuitous way, prompted me to blog today. 

After going to my prego pilates class this morning, I decide to check out the 20% off sale at Spotlight. As you do. I had started a baby blanket for my baby (to be) and again, as you do, discovered I didn't have enough wool to make it as big as I had wanted. Of course they didn't have any of the wool I wanted left - but I did find some other stuff- when I observed a group of ladies enthusiastically exclaiming at all the different wools. I could tell they were new to the whole knitting/wool thing and when one of them was selecting an acrylic wool next to a much nicer wool I was getting, I couldn't stop myself from pointing out that the wool I had was the same meterage, but real wool, cheaper and much, much nicer. I have never been a big fan of acrylic. Luckily, she seemed appreciative of this unsolicited advice, and we, together with her friends, chatted for a few minutes about the joys of wool, knitting and crochet. One of them then admired the scarf I was wearing - Ghost gum, see this post from July 2008 - describing it as "designery". What a compliment! I told her I had made it and was trying to get my act together to sell them under my label, Aunty Shabby. To which she then replied, "I will GOOGLE it". You can then imagine my horror at her finding a woefully neglected blog, and to date, still no website! I cautioned her to hold off on her search, and so of course was immediately shamed into action! 

I have actually been working on a few things, but can't upload any new pics, as my digital camera acquired a large piece of dust on a recent trip to Sydney - another reason not to go there (oooh, mean) - which is showing up as a big black dot and needs to be removed at some considerable expense. It may be cheaper to just buy a new one. 

Am also helping my sister, greenolive out at the Modish Creators Market at Malvern this Saturday, so am getting back on the crafty circuit! More to follow...

Winter 2008 collection

About five months ago, I told you about a scarf I made that had attracted some attention. I had then promised to post pics of other similar scarves I had made - here they are. Better late than never.

Some of my favourites from my Autumn/Winter 2008 collection:

 

Ghost gum scarf

Coloured Sands scarf

 

Platypus scarf- an Aunty Shabby one-off

Eucalyptus scarf

 

Close-up of Lorikeet scarf - another one-off design

As you may have already guessed, there is a distinctly Australian theme to this collection, with pieces named after iconic flora and fauna, special places or Dreamtime stories. The colour palette ranges from soft pinks and yellows, through to steely greys and rich browns, and vibrant greens, reds and oranges, reflecting the great diversity and uniqueness of our continent. I have used a variety of wools, including merino, virgin, hand spun and hand dyed wools. All pieces are limited edition and some are one-offs. There are more photos of the rest of the collection on my flickr site.

The collection also features several handbags, made from felt in earthy tones, and embellished with wool. Again, all are limited run, but most are one-off designs. Here are a few I love:

Uluru bag

 

Rainbow serpent bag- an Aunty Shabby one-off design

I would be interested to hear your feedback on these pieces, so please let me know what you think!

It's official...

 

Image courtesy of The Simpsons

I have no life. It seems another month has passed without me blogging. Just another part of my life which has suffered greatly from neglect of late. So much for my promises and resolutions to get back to regular posting.

So what has happened to rob me of my life and deny me those precious few hours each week when I know I should be doing something else, but instead blog? It seems LIFE. Let me explain. When I started this blog in November last year, things were pretty normal. I had finished study for the year, work wasn't too busy, everyone was in good health and I had some time on my hands. It seems since I began study again this year (end of February) everything has gone pear-shaped. My Mum's visit over Easter didn't help either, then cue bronchitis, way too much study, a sick cat and lots to do at work, and you get a stressed-out, cranky Aunty Shabby who has no time to blog and even if she did have time, would be too demotivated to say anything nice and would rather lie on the nice, new leather couch and eat chocolate.

And that's another thing. Started gym program as dismayed that weigh same amount as did almost five years ago before went on huge diet and lost heaps of weight, only to put it all back on. I have only been once, as no time to go, but then feel guilty because I haven't been, so lie on the couch and eat more chocolate.

Good thing it was our wedding anniversary last month, as I may have even forgotten I was married. Poor Mr S has also been the subject of my awful neglect, but as he is studying too it has been more of a mutual neglect situation. Oh - before I forget - I got those earrings I wanted. I almost can't believe it. Feel a little bit too spoilt. Very nice though. Will have to post a pic of me wearing them!

And so of course, this little rant brings me to my climax - no time also means no time to craft. I still haven't finished that baby blanket and I am pretty sure the baby has already been born!

My last assignment is due in a week and  half, so if you can indulge me just a little longer, I will then be back in June, bigger (well, actually hopefully smaller) and better than ever!!

Crafty weekend part 2

I said in my last post that I had a crafty weekend, beginning with a trip to the Quilt Expo. Here are some pics of a few more things I bought there -

A mixed pack of lime green yarns...love lime!

Some pink merino wool top - a bag and one I have already ripped up and made into a ball

Now for the rest of the weekend...

I managed to make some progress on my baby blanket. I am trying to go with a random pattern and so have abandoned any thoughts of semi-symmetrical stripes. I am liking it better the more that I do, which is reassuring. Will post some more pics of it soon.

alpaca wool

silk wool blend

We also went to Daylesford (regional Victoria) for the day, which was a nice change. We had an amazing lunch at the Farmer's Arms Hotel and a bit of a drive around town, including a trip to The Mill markets. I usually quite like a bit of forage around old junky type markets, with the hopes of finding some marvelous vintage treasure, but this market was a bit sterile and expensive for my taste. Having said that, I did mange to find some great, cheap wool! I bought some 100% hand spun alpaca wool in an oatmealish colour and 2 hanks of a dark blueish/green wool, which was 85% wool, 15% silk. Greenolive will LOVE this one. I'm not sure what they will become yet, but I am rather impressed with my weekend's purchases.

Out of Africa

I had a very crafty type weekend. It started with a trip to the annual Australasian Quilt Convention & Expo. I was hoping to go again with greenolive, as we had a lovely time last year, but due to her recent car issues, she couldn't make it. Instead I went with a friend who is a fellow crafter, but as I soon learned, not quite as passionate or excited about wool and fabric as greenolive and myself! She was very patient though, accommodating me when I stopped frequently to look at things and feigning interest (well, at times it may have been sincere) when I showed her what I had bought at a particular stall.

  Some of my fabric purchases - groovy fat quarters!

More fabric from the expo

Now before you think I am some quilting freak, let me explain that whilst I do appreciate a nice quilt (and there were some lovely ones on display - my favourites for those of you who went were "Onion", "Inviting" and "Leap"), I go to these events more for inspiration and to buy some nice fabric or wool to use in my handbags or other products. I have done a few semi-quilting type things, but have yet to embark on a full blown quilt. I have a few ideas and would really like to start one soon - Mr S is keen to have a go at one with me too which is kinda nice - but I think I am a bit concerned that it will take me forever and it may be really crap. Also, I am more into functional quilts that you actually put on your bed, than ones you hang up.

Having said that though, last year I bought an amazing quilt made by an Egyptian man, who had been invited to display his work at the expo. I saw it hanging up and was immediately mesmerized. When I found out it was for sale, still available and incredibly cheap, I couldn't believe my luck. After being beautifully framed by a friend of mine, it is now proudly hanging in our lounge room. When I went off to the expo this year, I wondered if he would be back or whether I would find anything else I liked for sale. Mr S's prophetic parting words were "Don't buy anything for over $500." (At this point I should say that as we are trying to save money, we have made a pact that we will consult each other for large purchases or anything over $500. He also knows I am a shocker when I go shopping, especially for cosmetics, skincare or anything craft-related!)

My South African quilt, made by a lady called Ellen

I say prophetic, because of course I found another quilt I liked, but this time it was from South Africa and wasn't cheap! (I just made it under the monetary limit!) This year the expo was showcasing quilts from The Kopanang Project. Basically it is a special group set up to bring help and hope to village women whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS, and one of the things these ladies do is embroider quilts to raise money. Needless to say the quilts were incredible - beautiful colours, shapes and textures, depicting typical village scenes and African wildlife. Some of them were a bit naive and rough but this only added to the beauty. The one I fell in love with and bought was made by a lady called Ellen and features nine embroidered African animals. I asked my friend if she thought it was too scary to put in a nursery (no, nothing to announce, just thinking ahead) because I think that is where I can see it going. I love the sheen and colours of the animals, particularly the contouring on the elephant, which I think is my favourite animal.

The beautiful elephant

I am pleased to report that Mr S was equally thrilled with the quilt! I can't wait to hang it up (better get started on that baby now I guess!) but I think the thing that made me feel happiest about my purchase was the fact that my money was going to a very worthy cause, not just to support the great work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but to empower fellow women, by providing income and furthering their skills and sense of community and self-worth.

A scarf tale

I have come to realise that apart from a baby blanket and my sad softie, Blackie, I haven't featured much of my other craft, particularly my handbags or other knitted items. The main reason for this is that any photos I have of stuff I have made pre-about December 2007 were taken with a manual camera and are not particularly great shots anyway. Without a scanner it is also a bit hard to show them to you! I also don't have much current stock, most things having been gifted, sold or so overused by me or a member of my family, that they are in too decrepit a state to be viewed! I probably should at least take photos of some of the stuff I do have - this is on to my to do list!

I also need to make more stuff. Over the past few months I have been rather slow in my craft endeavours, either stalling on several projects, such as the aforementioned baby blanket, or not making anything. This is also on my to do list!

One thing which I can show you, and which is the subject of the rest of this post, is a scarf that has rather unwittingly become a bit of a star! After purchasing this wool on one of my many (although these days less frequent) fabric/wool shopping trips with greenolive, I had stowed it with the rest of my wool stash, vowing to use it soon. It had then been all but forgotten, until a few months ago I went foraging for some interesting or slubby type wool to make some more of my finger knitted scarfs. I have had some success with this technique, initially making myself a finger knitted scarf about 2 and a half years ago. This is perhaps one of my favourite scarves, ( I will write a post about it one day) receiving many compliments each time I wear it, and is in fact THE SCARF which lead to me making a scarf for Stila Cosmetics' Global Artistry Director last year (hi Shawn if you are reading this in San Francisco)! I also had a local boutique interested in this design, so resolved to make some more, in a range of colours and textures. This is where this scarf comes in!

I had originally made it to see if the wool would work using this technique - it seemed OK, but perhaps a little lighter and less luxurious than the others. Once made, it joined my very small stockpile of items to be labelled, shown off and hopefully sold! By chance in early January, a friend now living in London, who was back home for Christmas, was at my house having breakfast (buttermilk pancakes, yum) and telling me that he was to catch up with a mutual friend for a holiday in Mexico before he went back to the UK. I asked him to take a late Christmas present for our friend (a scarf, what else?), as I hadn't yet sent it to him in Philadelphia. Knowing it would be an Aunty Shabby original, he then asked "how is your handbag business was going?" This is a question I have been asked many times over the years by friends; I think initially out of bemusement that their once ambitious lawyer friend had turned to craft and handbag making and then later, out of politeness, especially when I had usually replied "not really going". Anyway, this time I think he was genuinely interested, so I eagerly took the opportunity to show him a few things I had made. Realising that I had not actually given him anything for Christmas, I then offered him this scarf, which he had admired. (Even though we had initially thought it might be a bit girly for him, it was also the only other scarf I had finished!)

So, even though the scarf had now gone to a good home in London and not into my potential stock for the swanky store, I had at least had the foresight to take some snaps of it beforehand! I posted a few pics of it up on my new flickr site, wondering if it would get any views or comments. It was slow at first, but I was then very pleased to see that Pip from Meet Me at Mikes made this photo a favourite! High praise indeed! I was even happier when a few days later, my sister, greenolive, told me that it had been featured in a Mikes' blog post, in a collage of handmade crafty stuff!  Not bad for a scarf that was initially a test, and then became a last minute, belated Christmas present!

I am now making a few more, as I had been smart enough to buy several balls of the wool. Whilst I do not currently have anywhere to sell them - I really do need to go and see that lady in that store - if anyone is interested in one, please let me know!

Baby blanket revisited

I am pleased to report that I have made some progress with my baby blanket. After purchasing the ergonomic crochet hook, 0.5mm smaller than the one I had been using, I am finding it much easier going! My official review of the new hook is still to come, as promised. I do prefer the smaller holes that the stitches now produce and think it looks better, but am still not sure I love it.

I guess I haven't done too much yet and it is often hard to know in the early stages, but I do like the contrast between the greenish wool and the orangeish-pink one. My biggest difficulty now is that I am doing stripes and am struggling with knowing how big to make them. I don't like symmetrical stripes, as it ends up looking like a beach towel (especially with these colours), but if it is too random or weird, then I think it can look just that! I have only changed colour twice, and have done 8 rows of the orangey colour (plus cast on), then 5 green, and then 7 orange. I toyed with making the combined total of the two (alternate) rows of the same colour equal 15, so that there was some level of symmetry (which is the total of my orange rows so far, ie 8+7), which would mean that I now do 10 rows of green, but am not sure how this would look. I know this might sound like I am obsessing, but I think getting the right stripe ratio and colour balance is important! And I don't want to give the child nightmares!

I then remembered that once, when I made a huge poncho out of different types of orange wools (yes, I do have a thing for orange, which you would know if you read my recent list of 7 things about me), I mapped my stripes out visually, using different orange coloured pencils. I found this chart (I keep everything) and took a pic so you could share in my madness. (Oh dear, Stephanie is going  to love this! She already thinks I'm mental.)

I found this did help, as I could then visualise the effect. I might have a play with something like this and try out some combos first. Unlike my sister, greenolive, I HATE unraveling and trying different attempts (although this is attempt #4 ) if I can avoid it. I much prefer to have a strategy first! Doesn't sound very crafty though does it!

Please let me know your thoughts or experiences with non-symmetrical stripes or combining colour.

I have been tagged...

 

Apparently the lovely Stephanie from "Spices for Violet" has just tagged me.

I have heard of this blogging phenomenon and read responses to said taggings; I even remember greenolive getting in a flap about it when she was first tagged. This is now my first "tagging" and I actually feel a little dazed and exposed. Whilst I was not entirely enjoying my blog's anonymity (the joys of writing for an audience of one do start to wear thin), the recent spike in my stats thanks to lovely comments and links from raspberry and others, and now this tagging business, means the pressure is on!

Try to write things which are honest and insightful but not too revealing. Try to be funny but not sound forced. Try to sound smart but not like a smart-arse.

OK - my seven tantalizing and titillatingly true facts (too much already?!):

1. I suffer from migraines which is one of the reasons I haven't posted much lately, as I have had one for about a week...
2. I love the colours orange, red and brown and have several plastic crates full of orange, red, brown and rusty-coloured wool and fabric. Yet I still buy more.
3. I love a bit of leopard print and have an amazing leopard print trench coat that I have said I will be buried in.
4. I used to be a champion Debater. And yes, I still like a good argument and often consult my dictionary (but now online).
5. I love red lipstick and have about 30 tubes (all different types). I once bought 6 of the same one - my all time favourite red, which will have to be the subject of its own post - as it has now been discontinued. I figured I would then have enough.
6. I have a bit of an achilles heel for Easter Bunnies (the chocolate ones, not real live ones). Red Tulip Elegant Rabbits to be exact. Which is kinda bizarre in itself, as usually I prefer better quality stuff like Lindt or Haighs, not compound rubbish. I secretly dread and yet look forward to this time of year, as I know I will consume far too many of them. My tally so far, 2 and counting (well they have been in the shops for at least a few weeks now...) I blame my father, a fellow bunny lover, for this addiction.
7. My husband and I are addicted to the tv show, "The West Wing" and are currently working our way through the complete 7 season DVD box set, which a very good friend of ours generously gave him for his birthday.

That's it! I could go on but you would probably politely ask me to stop.

The hardest part was actually thinking of and finding 7 people to now in turn, tag. Here is my newly tagged list:

1. the funky felter
2. Jody at meringue
3. raspberry
4. fioleta
5. Robyn at Craft with Me
6. Anna Laura
7. Pip at Meet Me at Mikes

And the rules (as far as I understand them):

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now go forth and tag!

The ergonomics of crochet

What is this funny looking implement I hear you ask? Some sort of medical instrument? Something your dentist might use to inflict pain? An earwax cleaner perhaps? (don't laugh, Mr S has one and they look a bit like this) No, it is a size 3.5mm crochet hook. A "soft touch crochet hook for easy crocheting" to be precise!

Those of you who have read my previous baby blanket post know that I am crocheting a baby blanket. I usually only crochet smallish items like scarves or beanies and favour larger hooks, like 8 or 10mm or so. One of the last blankets I crocheted took me over 20 years, but that is a whole other story. I will blog about it one day, 'cos it is actually kinda funny.

Anyway, so what's the deal with this hook? After seeking advice on my baby blanket, greenolive recommended switching to a smaller hook. Frustrated by my slow and painful progress with a regular bamboo size 3.5mm hook, she then suggested I try one of these. She swears by them. The rows just fly by apparently. So I found myself in Clegs this afternoon, 15 minutes before closing, asking for an "ergonomic" crochet hook. To my slight amusement, the woman serving me even took it out the packet, so that I could marvel at its many features.

Let me list them for you now (as detailed on the packet):

• Optimal shape for smooth crochet work,
• Cushioned handle for easy crochet, and (my personal favourite)
• Designed for comfort in your hand. (Ergonomically correct)

Never having been big on sewing and knitting accoutrements (I only recently upgraded to the longer, yellow-headed, rustless pins at my sister's insistence), I was a bit amazed at the array of other bits and bobs the sales woman then went on to show me. What I thought was a cute little froggy thing was actually a new-fangled stitch keeper (well, it was bright green and the white number parts looked like eyes). I paid for my new hook ($11.95, but $10.75 with Clegs member discount) and left the store feeling a bit chagrined. Clearly I needed to upgrade my tools or risk looking like some sort of wannabe crafter! But then the rational, lawyer side of me thought, "what the hell is an ergonomic crochet hook anyway??!!" I am yet to give it a test drive, but am hoping it works, as I have many stitches and rows to go... stay tuned for a fully comprehensive and objective review, with updated pics of the baby blanket progress!

Are softies the new knitting??!!

It seems you can't pick up a magazine these days without seeing something about softies, heralding them as the next big thing! In the past few months I have seen them in no less than 3 mags - Australian Vogue (see my previous post about this), Australian Woman's Weekly (see greenolive's post) and now, a recent issue of Real Living (an Australian lifestyle kinda mag, for you non-Aussies). And these are just the ones I know about!

Is this some sort of conspiracy I wondered? Another beat-up, just like the alleged "pub knitters" that supposedly began the knitting revival in Australia in the late nineties and early noughties??! (If you don't know what I am talking about, grab a copy of Sharon Aris' "It's my party and I'll knit if I want to". It's an entertaining and quick read and is quite enlightening in terms of the whole knitting "thing".)

I confess I have seen more softies in stores lately and I have even seen the "how to" books at Borders (I browsed BUT DID NOT BUY), but are they really going mainstream?! It wasn't until a girl at work told me that someone had given her sister a toy she had made herself at a recent baby shower, that I really believed it. "A softie?" I asked? "Huh?" she replied. "You know," she went on, "those strange, kinda ugly toys you see in shops, with like, funny eyes and stuff. Like that." Yep, a softie. It seems the name may not yet be "household" but the face is!