5.5.13

UNWIND


I ended up going with option 1, because when I went back to Morris & Sons I realised the colours in the photo I posted came out more saturated. So I spent another few hours in the shop mulling over which combination I would go with, and decided on number 1. (I apologise if I have upset anyone with my decision!) I've posted a photo of the first 3 triangles I've made for this new throw, and guess what - the colours didn't turn out again! Here it looks like mustard, navy and red when in true fact it's more of a lime green, a purpley-blue and magenta. The names of the yarn are Limelight, Storm and Petunia. I wonder who gets the wonderful job of naming yarns... I wouldn't mind that job one bit! 

On Saturday, D and I went for brunch at The Commons. Going for brunch happens once in a blue moon, because he doesn't particularly like breakfast foods, or drinking coffee out of home (what!?). I on the other hand, love breakfast foods and coffee (especially at cafés), so this was a nice little treat for me! The Commons is such a pretty place, which is a café during the day and turns into a restaurant/bar at night. It's full of plants, wooden tables and chairs, filtered sunlight and even has a fireplace. So very dreamy.




27.4.13

WINTER IS COMING

I've been on an unplanned hiatus simply because it has been summer when the sun is out from behind the clouds, days are long, the beach calls my name and it has simply been too hot and sticky to think about crochet (or sitting still, for that matter). However now summer is now gone for another year, and (because I am obsessed with Game of Thrones) winter is coming... But not just yet, as Sydney is in the midst of one of it's most pleasant autumns for as long as I can remember! Autumn is when sun baking on my couch is possible, and when I begin covering my shoulders with cardigans or throws in the evenings. Speaking of throws... I have finally finished the granny square throw I began last winter! 


Voila! Here is Inuka (my polar bear plush from Singapore Zoo) with my very uneven and puffy granny square throw which I have bittersweet feelings about. I am excited and overjoyed that I have finished the first ever crochet project I started! The mint yarn was bought at the Camberwell Markets in Melbourne when I was preparing for my crochet class. The same crochet class where I learned to read my first crochet pattern - the granny square. However I am unsatisfied with the lack of uniformity of the granny squares, which contributed to the unevenness and puffiness of the throw. I also am remorseful over the chosen sequence of the squares as some patches have too many dark colours neighbouring each other. And the colour! The colour is one of the bigger disappointments... I chose these colours with D in mind, as I wanted the throw to be gender neutral. Some colours were pastel and some were solid, which made the throw look very haphazard. Anyhow, I think over the past few days I have begun to embrace all these mistakes I have made and have come to love this imperfect throw. The different sizes of the granny squares show how I was refining my crochet skills over time and the mismatched colours just emphasises how overwhelmed I was when I made my first purchase at Morris & Sons. 

Another year, another throw... For 2013 I am planning to crochet a throw not made up of granny squares, but granny triangles! I toyed around with the idea of hexagons, but decided on triangles in the end because of these beautiful throws. To avoid another colour mistake, I spent too many hours pacing around Morris & Sons um-ing and ah-ing over colours. In the end I decided to run a poll on Facebook and Instagram on which colour combination I should choose. 


I got an overwhelming response! At the moment it is a tie between 2 and 3. I may end up going with 2, just because the yarn is cheaper. I did my calculations and I am going to need 18 balls of yarn! With each ball of yarn costing between $6 to $8, I may have to decide on the cheaper (and itchier) option. Who would've though wool would be cheaper than cotton... 

Hopefully this throw won't take as long as my first throw to complete as I am faster and more skilled in the art of crochet! It has almost been a year since I picked up crochet and I am so glad I did it. I promise to update this blog more often and will post up pictures of this throw's progression! Thanks for reading! 

28.9.12

BALI FILM


Mount Batur - one of the four volcanoes in Bali



The view from Alila

4.8.12

BITS & BOBS

Here are a few projects that I've been working on in the past month...


My ascot scarf which I just finished! Pattern from Mel P Designs & 100% Australian Superfine Merino in Scarlet Twist from Morris & Sons. I love it!!!


Newborn mittens and booties for Moli. Probably the most ridiculously cute items I have crocheted! Pretty sure they will only last a week or two before they're too small!


Crepe paper flower garland. This was the original idea for Andrea & Derrick's wedding, but I ended up making 58 flowers and tying them them to the bonbonnieres.


Lastly, a wedding bunting for Andrea & Derrick's wedding in Bali!

7.7.12

GRANNY UPDATE


I've almost completed all the square for my granny square throw!!!!! Just 2 more to go, and I'll be done! Then I'll begin weaving in all the loose ends and then finally joining them all together. My least favourite part, and the least transportable (the joining part) because I won't be able to do it on the train! I've been crocheting 2 squares per day - 1 square on the way to work, 1 square on the way home. Going to use this technique to join my squares together... I'm very excited! 

4.7.12

COCKATOO ISLAND

The 18th Biennale of Sydney is on! 

Last Saturday some friends and I went to see the art installations on Cockatoo Island. There was so much to see that we only managed to cover half the island. The installations that incorporated fabric and paper were my favourites, but I think the most amazing one was definitely Cloud Parking in Linz by Fujiko Nakaya. The pure-water mist started so slowly but then eventually engulfed the all of the open space... I could barely see past my arm and it felt like you were in a cloud. I guess this is the answer to all my wonderings when I'm in the plane up in the sky...




Industrial Doilies by Cal Lane. So pretty! 


This one reminds me of my childhood... 


I really loved this one by Monika Grzymala and Euraba Artists and Papermakers. 
The light from the windows paired with the paper gave it such an ethereal feel.



This installation was so intricate and such an adventure! You enter a paper maze and when you eventually reach the centre, you are rewarded with a huge paper column with peep-holes at random heights. When you peer through, this is one of the many things you see...



I think this was felt. I love felt! 





Because it has been a little wet in Sydney, there was moss everywhere!