My Creative Space

I'm still working on baby things, baby hats really ... and concentrating on learning how to knit on dpns. I'm actually loving it, the more so as it becomes easier.


This week's effort ... I started this totally cute winter's hate for a 9-12 month old.


And it's so exciting because Baby H has arrived and will be wearing hthe baby version sometime soon.

Over to kootoyoo ... lots more gorgeous creative spaces happening there.

My Creative Space

As happens with all “twelve steps” program, the first step involves acknowledgement and let me start today … “My name is Susan and I’m a perfectionist”.

What’s this got to do with craft and why am I sharing? Because I frogged this week’s project because I wasn’t happy with it!

I hadn’t done that much: 3 cms of rib on a baby hat for Baby H and another dozen or so rounds in two colours at three rows at a time. About 6 cms in all I guess.

But it was driving me crazy and I’d never have been able to give it away … there were spots where the knitting was really loose when I moved from one needle to the next. And I hadn’t jogged the colours when I changed from black to red and back again, and I couldn’t stand the uneveness of it.

So I started it again and it wasn’t easy. It took me hours to cast on and redo the first round … I kept getting it twisted between the four needles, and at one stage I felt like throwing it all to the ground and screaming out at the unfairness of it all. (Gee … maybe I better change that to I’m a perfectionist and I’m stubborn!) But I finally got it to work in the end and so far I’ve redone the rib and I’m very happy with it.


Now, Auntie M, before you email me telling me not to worry … it’s not you, it’s definitely me. And it’s weird because I put this level of pressure on myself and don’t judge others to the same standards. I’ve always been the same and for most things I manage to keep it under control but that little personality flaw remains with me for crafting.

Does it happen to you too? Do you drive yourself crazy with the whole perfection thing or do you focus on the experience and getting things done, and it doesn’t matter whether things aren’t perfect? Sometimes I wish I could be like that too …

Want to see what others have been up to? Visit Kirsty at kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

My creative space lately, unsatisfactory though it feels, has been all about this gorgeous book by Zoe Mellor.


I borrowed it from the library a couple of weeks ago and I renewed it last week.

I absolutely love it ... and this is my favourite pattern.


I made a pair in a variegated purple/blue pattern but it looks too boyish and doesn't show the gorgeous moss pattern enough.

So yesterday I went out and grabbed some red yarn and I knitted up the first slipper last night. It looks fabulous and I can't wait to finish its partner in crime tonight.

Maybe I'll even be organised enough, and my computer re-installed and next week I'll be able to share what I've been up to).

(Yesterday I found out little Baby H is due at the end of the month. A little breathing space to get my fingers flying about.)

What's your creative space full of? Are you on a mission or slow and steady? kootoyoo's the space it's happening ...

My Creative Space

I feel as though I’ve hardly done anything for weeks … and judging by my pile of yarn and lack of even UFOs that’s pretty accurate.

So it’s with great embarrassment I present what I’ve managed to do so over the last fortnight on the Baby Boheme by Allegra Wermuth.

A few weeks ago I was using this yarn to make a Morris and Sons cardigan but I ended up not liking it so I frogged the thing (yee hah!) and I’m much happier with this sweet little pattern.

Feeling creative? Want to see what others have been up to? kootoyoo's the place. See ya there.

My creative space

It’s not often I feel like jumping on my bed screaming yippee because my creative space is so exciting (and I can actually say that when it’s my first week back to work after two weeks off) … but it is. Phew!

The main reasons it's been so good is because I’m knitting my first pair of socks and I’m actually getting it … thanks to the first week of a three session “how to knit socks” class at Morris & Sons in Melbourne. What the hell didn’t I get about this bit of knitting a sock?

I’m also so happy because I’m using the Moseley Park 40 Silk/40 Bamboo/20 Nylon (colour Leila) I picked up at the Bendigo Show. The colour is so pretty and I like the variation in colour it’s giving … bamboo/silk always look sparkly and the changes in colour are only adding to this.

And Tuesday I finished the pretty pink and lime hat and scarf for Baby Hannah. I still have to sew in the ends … am I alone in hating the tidying up? Yuck!


What about this gorgeous yarn (Morris and Sons Empire 8ply) I picked up for a little jacket and hat for baby Hannah … but this time for when she’s about 12 months of age and up. So far this is the hat ... unfortunately not knitted in the round because it's knit every row. Poor cousin Ms H … she’s going to be tossing my stuff into the back of the wardrobe so she gets the chance to pick her own clothes for Hannah!


I also went through my stash looking for what to use for my first quilt. I wanted something cheap (fabric wise) and easy (pattern wise) and fortunately I have loads of stuff stashed that’s cheap! I feel really nervous about my first quilt and I don’t want to mess up anything expensive.


I loved choosing the fabric in the end. Can you believe I had all of the following already in my stash and it was definitely cheap: the patterned fabric is from an 80s sheet I used in the recent FQ swap (and I love the orange and green), and the calico was only $2 per metre. The green and beige fabrics I picked up cheap at Carmel’s Discount Fabrics in Mentone at around $10 per metre. The orange gingham I got for about $2 at the op shop and I plan on using it as the binding. All I need to do is grab 2-3 oddments of orange to balance out the green. I feel pretty happy being able to make the top and bottom for a lap/single bed quilt so cheaply … it feels less daunting that way.

But I still can’t decide what pattern to make … at first I was leaning towards a simple coins quilt but the fabric just doesn't look right. For inspiration I’ve been trawling through stuff made by Patch Andi and Red Pepper Quilts … everything they do is so beautiful: colours, pattern, sewing etc. I just hope someday I’ll be as good as them. Any ideas people?

So as soon as the sock class is finished I plan on starting work on the quilt … I haven’t decided yet whether to take a beginners class or to attend the Freestyle classes at Amitie in Bentleigh on Tuesday nights. Both seem fantastic options and the advantage of Amitie is that I can work on whatever I want at my pace. Now I just need to look into getting my machine serviced … it’s way overdue and really needs it.

I can’t wait to visit you and find out what you’ve been up to … pop over to Kirsty’s at kootoyoo and add your name to the list. I’ll be around to visit soon.

My Creative Space

I spent the last week furiously knitting a baby hat and scarf, and then the baby booties for my aunt's first granddaugther. Baby stuff is so sweet. I just love baby stuff and how quickly it knits up.

And now I've started on a hat and scarf for the baby. I've learnt from last week and I'm going to make it a little bigger.


Hannah will be born in October to a northern hemisphere (Canadian) autumn. That means she'll get good value out of a scarf and hat and I need to make sure they'll last six months at least and maybe even the next winter as well.

Just in case you're interested, the hat pattern is the Boyfriend Hat from Ravelry. I've banged on about this hat before including posting an example a couple of days ago of a blue/green version but it really is so simple and only takes a couple of day ... the ideal project for a beginner. It's definitely a better project than the usual boring scarf.

The pattern is in blocks of ten so to make it larger all you need to do it add ten stitches at a time until you get the size you want. I've also made it in exactly the same size (100 stitiches) for an adult male (10ply yarn/4.5mm needles) and for a baby (5ply yarn/3.25 needles). This time I'm going to try it with 110 stitches/5ply yarn/3.25 needles.

Happy crafting and pop over to Kirsty's at kootoyoo for lots more craftiness.

My Creative Space

About a week ago Miss C’s boyfriend told me it was his birthday on the Saturday (that's last Saturday) and since he’s usually wearing a hat of some kind or another every time I see him, I thought I’d make him a hat. Since it was already Sunday, I rushed to visit Morris and Sons on the Monday and picked up some of their Woollahra … an 85% wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere mix.



This is a really nice looking yarn. It comes in a range of different colours and I loved the charcoal I found, and the texture … it’s a little nubby. There's a but though … the wool is really delicate. I was pulling the yarn to secure the first stitch and it came apart in my hands. I had to yank out the whole thing and start again because I was left with about an inch of tail to sew in. And because I’m so nervous about the whole breaking yarn thing my knitting is so much looser than it normally would be.

Fittingly the hat I picked is the Boyfriend Hat from Stephanie Likes to Knit.


This has been the easiest hat to make ... it took me a tiny four days to finish it, and that included unravelling it a couple of times. And it was ready on the Friday night, wrapped and ready to give to the boyfriend on Saturday.

Here's the rub ... his hair was all done when Miss C gave him the hat that I haven't seen him wearing it since.

OK … last whinge for the day … what’s the fascination with knitting on a circular needle? I don’t get it. It may be because I’m using a 16” needle and there’s just not enough needle to grab onto securely … plus I hate having to push the stitches from the skinny bit to the actual needle. I’m sorry … but that gives me the s*#%s! Having said that though, I either love a challenge or I'm a sadist ... you guessed it, I'm knitting another one.

There’ll be lots more activity … and probably a whole lot less bitching at Kirsty’s at kootoyoo. It’s probably best to leave me alone to grumble …

My Creative Space

My creative space has been filled with yarn lately (and thank goodness because it's so cold all the time) ... but I'm stepping away from the needles this week for my contribution. This week my creative space is all about vintage sheets, appliqué and giraffes!

I asked a question for my vintage sheet FQ giveaway ... not because it's part of the rules for winning but to give people something to write about when they said they were interested. I’ve heard some lovely stories … but one stands out as they do and show how Melbourne and craft and kismet come together to make magic.

A few days ago Bellgirl mentioned using vintage sheets to appliqué giraffes on t-shirts … and sent through a picture of what she'd done with her favourite sheet which she thought was donated by me.


It was … and I loved seeing what she'd made. Even better is I have left overs from that sheet which I offered. It was never my favourite sheet and I'm more than happy to pass it on to someone who will use it.


And when I got home I found an entire untorn sheet Bellgirl can have if she's interested ... I wonder if that would be Christmas come early?


But wait, there’s more ... and not another sheet. It turns out Bellgirl's a member of a craft group that I don't get to regularly and we've never met before. Sound strange? You bet, but not really when you consider the status of my “membership” … by member I mean I met Patch Andi back in May at Sew It Together, and I've been once because it's so cold and miserable all the time but I keep meaning to go ... you see what I mean.

Don't you love crafting?

For lots more stories about creative space ... visit Kristy at kootoyoo.

PS If you're interested the vintage sheet FQ giveaway expires on midnight Saturday 14 August.

My Creative Space

A couple of weeks ago I started this cute garment from my vintage pattern stash … and opted to use Mulberry 5 ply Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn and 4mm needles, instead of 3ply synthetic and 2.75mm needles.


This may not have been the cleverest idea because pattern makers don’t put warnings about the risks of not using the recommended yarn just for the fun of it. You guessed it … the pattern needs adjusting to fit a human child of real dimensions.

But the problem is I don’t have a child of the appropriate age to hold the garment against as I work out whether my modifications to the pattern are working. (I must think more broadly about who I can “borrow” of roughly the right size).

My first try for the body looked like it would fit a 2-3 year old so I unravelled it and this time around it looks like it will fit a 12 month old. But using the pattern has led to sleeves that for a much older child so now they need to be unravelled and rescaled to fit the body. Fortunately the pattern is an easy 8 stitch pattern, and having knitted the pattern a few times now I've got some valuable insights into how the garment is constructed.


Believe it or not after learning to knit 40ish years ago this is my first experience with modifying a pattern. I usually never deviate but I’m so inspired by the efforts of others I’m throwing myself into creating what I want. That’s a huge change to my world.

And I hope my Auntie M in Canada (and my cousin) like it. I’ve really enjoyed having so much lead time to make things and I’m not fussed making something that won’t be used for a while. Like most parents I’m sure she has loads of newborn baby things already.

What have you been up to … if you’ve a story to share or want to see more creative spaces pop over to Kirsty’s at kootoyoo. It’s always one happening creative space over there.

My Creative Space

My creative space is again all about possibilities … and this week it’s about vintage sheet quilts.

Earlier this week I arrived home to the welcome sight of a very large envelope sitting on my door step in full view of the street. (PS thanks Australia Post for the care you take delivering parcels!)



What a welcome and wonderful sight ... 80 fat quarters of gorgeous vintage sheets (and only a couple already in my collection).



I love them ... so many pretty blues and purples.



And what about these piles of pretties?



I went through my pile of sheets (many of which I've found after I sent my sheets to the swap like this sheet) ... and don't two of the fat quarters I got go so well with this sheet I found last weekend?



I found this sheet last weekend too ... and I love these two fat quarters with it.



This is likely to be the first vintage sheet quilt I make ... I just love blue and green together and I've been saving these sheets. The green stripe was the first sheet I ever found.



But I love the florals from the 80s too (including the top floral sheet I purchased from etsy) ... and three fat quarters from the swap that fit perfectly. (PS Lucky ducks who scored the green/blue combination I sent in ... I found two of these sheets and it's one of my favourites.)



Thanks Ange for an amazing experience. I'm loving seeing what others got and I definitely plan on swapping again.

Kirsty at kootoyoo has lots more creative spaces to explore.

My Creative Space

My creative space isn't exactly creative at the moment ... it's more a hiatus between creative endeavours.

That doesn't mean I'm not thinking about crafting because I've spent the last couple of weeks leafing through this book of geometric cross stitch patterns I picked up at the op shop.

I love symmetry and balance (so of course geometric is totally me) and these are so striking ... I'm thinking of modifying them and doing them in red and black on a cream Aida.

And these if I can ... maybe a cushion cover?

My creative place is only one of a million ... you'll find the other 999,999 over at kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

My Creative Space over the last week has been a lot of fun … and very productive.

The most exciting part was the lovely sound of ripping, and then bundling, ten vintage sheets to send on their merry way to Ange's Ramblings. (PS And if you want to see LOTS more vintage sheets pop over to Ange's place ... there are more pictures there to drool over!


I was terrified at first but thanks to a really useful tutorial explaining why tearing was better (and it sure takes the pressure of cutting straight if nothing else) I was cooking with gas before I’d finished the first sheet. (I just wish I could get a job at Spotlight so I could rip cloth all day every day!).

I also finished Miss C's scarf but she won't let me take a photo of her wearing it! Instead I'll report a conversation between the little wretch (sorry, Miss C) and I … she did her usual opener which is a sort of throat-come-mind clearing and said something like “I’ve been thinking about annoying you and not wearing the scarf”

Quelle horreur, huh? Diabolical punishment, huh? I think not!

As I told her “No problem darling. I’ll just wear it myself!” And very glad I would be to get my hot little hands on one for myself after knitting two of them forothers! LOL

For more creative spaces; pop over to kootoyoo. She’ll have lots more to creative spaces to visit … and probably stories about far more grateful children than mine!

My Creative Space

My creative space has been fun this week and I thought I’d show some tags I’ve made ... a case of recycling the tags that come with clothing and pages from magazines.


I love clothing tags … they come in all sorts of colours and shapes and the tags of many clothing companies are quite distinctive … the red Esprit tags come immediately to mind.


And who doesn’t have an excess of magazines around the house. Well, I do thanks to Miss C who always seems to have a few kicking around.


So I like to reuse the tags to add to gifts … sometimes I write on the tag and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I add a separate tag with a message. It just depends on how I feel at the time.


Cheap and fun.

For moe creative spaces ... visit kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

I wasn't going to bother with My Creative Space this week ... I feel so blah and I’m working on another version of the same simple purple scarf, this time for Miss C. Pretty, but it's so boring to sharing the same thing every week.

So I'm going to cheat and show another project I put down a couple of weeks ago ... cross stitch hearts I plan to use for a matching pincushion and sewing roll.


On a much happier note I’m so thrilled with another creative space I have a vested interest in … Cam from CurlyPops to be precise.

A few weeks ago I passed along some Ink & Spindle fabric I bought on the Sew It Together bus tour with a request to make a camera bag that I can use for the camera when it’s wearing its flash … which it usually is.

Check out Cam’s creative space for the “oh so wonderful so far” results (and here’s Cam's photo repeated here because I’m so excited I have to have a copy too!).


It’s looking amazing. I love the black denim Cam had to hand with the Ink & Spindle fabric. The black will set it off so nicely and be such a nice contrast ... and to give it a little extra pop some black will show on the outside.

Now ... I have to wait a week until I get the bag. I know it's a week but I feel worse than a kid at Christmas. I really can’t wait.

Thanks Cam for doing such a great job and for your wonderful ideas along the way.

My creative space

I worked hard this week—well, I had an extra long, cold weekend and more time to knit but it sounds good—and I got the scarf for my aunt done. All it needs now is a little blocking and it will be winging its way to the relatively warm location of England.


And I have confirmation that Miss C likes the pattern and colour. I never thought the day would come when she would be happy to accept a hand knit. She usually turns up her nose at the idea. So it’s off to Morris & Sons to get three more balls of the same yarn … definitely my "go to" project for train rides and stitch and bitches.

Now I need to get back to the baby clothes for my Cousin H’s first baby due in August. It’s amazing how fast her due time is arriving.

The last time my mother and I spoke about the baby she hadn’t been able to start knitting because she managed to cut herself cooking a few weeks ago (right at the top of her finger) and it hasn’t healed enough to knit. (PS But it hasn’t stopped her bowling … and winning! Priorities huh!)

I’ve managed to get a few things done so far although I’m only about half way through the package I want to send.

So here’s a teaser Auntie Mary … one cute little winter bootie so far for a cold Vancouver winter and the pigeon pair started. I just wish I had a sweet little six month old to model it for me ... I had to stuff this one with tissues so it stopped looking totally freakish and it still looks weird!


I’ll be starting a ribbed hat shortly … it’s a simple pattern and I’m thinking about making one for Miss C’s boyfriend A. The pattern’s a freebie called the Boyfriend Hat I found at Ravelry (the best yarn site in the universe), and it shouldn’t take me more than a few hours over a weekend. And the nice thing is I don’t need to modify the pattern for a baby as the yarn I’m using is half the ply of the pattern and the needles correspondingly smaller.

I can’t wait to wrap it all and send it.

If you're interested seeing more creative spaces ... kootoyoo is the place to go.

My Creative Space

I decided to take a little break from the baby stuff ... not because I'm bored but because I wanted to make something to send to my Auntie Roz in England.

You see I "borrowed" a photo from her when I was visiting England last year and, while I thought I'd returned it ... it turns out I haven't and I wanted to add a sweetener as a thank you and apology, combined.


The photo's important to both of us because it has my Dad (the litle sweetheart in the centre rear) and my Auntie Roz (front left) in it ... the County Modern School winners in the 1948-49 South Northants Sports. Believe it or not each of these kids are the same age (15) ... my Dad was only ever about 5' 6" in height.

So I trawled through Ravelry and settled on the Lime Scarf. I was going to use the recommended yarn (Rowan Lenpur Linen), but anybody who's ever looked for Rowan yarns in Australia will know how hard they are to find unless you buy them online. So I plumped for Morris & Sons yarn again but this time the 6 ply Paddington.

The yarn's a 6 ply 80% bamboo /20% merino which is soft in a way bamboo does so well, with a little of the sheen of cotton. A really nice yarn and the scarf is knitting up so quickly. I started it on Wednesday and I'm almost half done already.


I modified the pattern a little too. The first thing I did was to cast on less stitches so I'll end up with a blocked scarf of 12" rather than an unblocked scarf of the same width. The lace is also not as open as the pattern as I'm only using 4.5mm needles and the tension isn't 4 stitches to the inch as recommended. I'm not worried though as the pattern is still easy to see, and it'll open up more when it's been blocked.

I hope Auntie Roz likes it ... I"m planning to make another one in the same colour for Clarissa it's so cute.

PS For more creative spaces visit Kootoyoo.

My Creative Space

My creative space is all about possibilities ... or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

You see, I walked down to Morris and Sons in town tobuy three skeins of cross stitch yarn. A few dollars only, but I discovered a sale on and a pretty good sale at that ... so good in fact I couldn't pass up two lots of pretty colours in 5 ply Patons, Bluebell Merino, and a free pattern book for each lot.


And all for about one-third of the regular price.

I love the colours ... purple and green. My new favourites I've decided.

For more creative space pop over and visit Kirsty at kootoyoo. Great name for a blog!

My Creative Space and Good things

My Creative Space
My space for this week is a tease ... for my Aunt Mary.


You see, my cousin Holly, my Aunt Mary's daughter is having her first baby in August. And these are the colours I'm using to make a few things for the baby.

I don't know if it's a girl or a boy ... I just picked colours I liked and thought go well together. The colour that looks burgundy is actually a deep pink and if the baby's a boy and my cousin doesn't like pink on a boy ... she'll at least have a gift for the next girl baby she (herself or a friend) has.

In any event, I'm enjoying making things for a baby ... they're so sweet and quick! I finished one item a few minutes ago ... and I'll probably get another finished by the end of the weekend. And I still have a couple of other things planned.

Maybe next week I should give my aunt a teaser of one of the finished items?

For more creative space visit Kirsty at kootoyoo.

Good thing for the day: Sophie Isobel brooches
I am so happy today because my brooch from Sophie Isobel at Her Library Adventures arrived.


I've been a follower of Sophie for ages and always play along with her Sunday thrifting meme. She was having a special on her brooches on Etsy.com and I asked for a red, cream/white and black brooch ... with "I Heart Cameras and Craft".

Just look at what I got. I love the man and woman ... I'm a total history buff and this is absolutely me.. And it came with a sweet note and an extra brooch in purple. I love purple too!


I've already added it to my favourite jacket.

Thanks Sophie for brightening my day.

Good things: My Creative Space

Today is My Creative Space day but I’m making it Creative Space day and sharing some of the amazing sights from Sew It Together last weekend … truly an amazing and talented bunch of 60 women and one extremely quiet baby in a hotel conference room crafting. Visit kootoyoo for lots more creative spaces.

There were so many things happening, basically anything you could pick up and tote.

Knitting … there was lots of knitting happening, including me.


Embroidery … it sure is getting more popular every day and this piece by Jodie from Ric Rac is one of the most interesting I've seen.


Machine sewing … I was amazed to see how many people brought their machines along to sew clothes.


Crocheting … including someone who only learnt the week before and was busily making this amazing blanket.


Toy making … the amazing Juddie from Flightless Boyds who makes toys to leave (literally leaves them somewhere) for unsuspecting adults or children to adopt. I loved listening to her stories, and watching a gorgeous bunny come to life. I hope she posts a photo of the completed bunny on her blog.

Quilting … all the way from squares to whole quilts (yesterday I shared Andi from PatchAndi's quilt and it wasn't the only one being worked on).


I tried really hard to wander around and chat with as many people as possible. And despite that I feel as though I hardly scratched the surface of the collective talents in the room.

(PS If any of these photos are of you please feel free to take them, and to let me know who you are. I'd love to hear from you.)