Underworld

Still posting about my trip... (are you bored yet?) I think this is special enough to share... the Chicago Architecture Foundation river tour of the city's architecture. It was fabulous seeing so many famous buildings from a different perspective with the volunteer guide providing juicy stories and interesting snippets to go with each place.

However....

 

I just couldn't stop taking photos of under the bridges...!

I was totally geek-girl-taking-strange-pics ;) But I was just fascinated - do you see it? Aren't they amazing? It's like looking at an intricately composed quilt... the panels, borders and stitching, it's all there :)

I just loved it. 

I see a new photo collection fetish starting here :)

Do you have a 'strange' thing you love collecting photos of?

Journeys - Chicago + NYC

Every time I travel overseas I learn something new. I wasn't really anticipating the same tourist experience this time - I was just going over to hang out with my friend... cups of coffee, lots of chats etc. However, I think I learned more this time than I ever have before. I got to meet so many people and really see how many of them live and think... and I was totally blown away.

Chicago architecture + at the Cubs baseball game

I was so impressed by every single person I met. The best label I can think of to encompass each and every one is that they have a generosity of spirit. Why are we so anti-American in Australia? Is it because of the foreign policy headlines? I'm astounded now to recall all the biases I held against them. Even though I knew lots of great individuals, I still held this generalisation about the whole that... well, that I'm really embarrassed about now.

Spotted Inaluxe bags and purses in so many shops!
So proud to see Kristina + Jason's fabulous work everywhere :)

I had a great chat to the man who came to collect the garbage at my friend's home. Not only was he so interested in where I came from, he was just so proud of where he came from and of the job he was doing. This was typical of so many people I met - at peace with themselves and proud to be able to be a cog in the machine that keeps their country running. It was so humbling.

I didn't really take many photos - I was just enjoying the experience of not being a tourist and just 'living' it. We did sneak away to NYC for a weekend, though. It was Memorial Day weekend so there were a million flags everywhere. I saw the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition... it was amazing. At the risk of sounding totally soppy here, some of the frocks actually made me cry they were so exquisite. (Bought the t-shirt!)

 The best store 'find' though was Purl Soho .... bursting at the seams with the most incredible yarn, floss, fabric, books and everything you can imagine related to wool craft. It was heavenly. So good in fact that I had to box and send my purchases home by post because I knew they wouldn't fit in my luggage (and then not eat that night, of course!) When they arrive I'll have a show and tell :)

Thanks for all your lovely comments while I was away. 

It was a lovely trip and quite a journey for me in dealing with my prejudices.

I hope this post hasn't upset anyone. Kx

I ❤ Chicago + NYC

Hello again... back from my travels to Chicago and New York too (excitement!) Still feeling a bit woozy but I thought I'd pop up and say hi before I drop :) 

Had a most wonderful time. 

Will share soon... and come around visiting soon too.

My Creative Space - Triangles + trips

My Creative Space this week has come out of inspiration from the amazing Mangas rugs. Actually, there's less creative crochet anarchy and more triangle madness going on ;)

I thought I'd warm to my subject with a bit of structure and experiment each time with some new bits of anarchy...

I found the triangle pattern on the wonderful Attic 24 Ravelry page (love Lucy) and made up my own pattern for the half triangles. I have all different colours strewn over the lounge chair and choosing the combinations has been fun :)

I plan to make quite a few and put them in my shop eventually.

So, there's going to be a lot of heavy hooking going on here.

Some international hooking even...

Soon it will be...

Greetings from Chicago!

I'm going to visit my bestie for a couple of weeks.. 
... on my own (no children!)

I have been to Chicago before with the family but this time it will be blithe spirit me with my camera and my crochet satchel :)

Many more spaces to see or to join in yourself at Our Creative Spaces.

Have a great Creative Space day and I'll see you again in a fortnight!

Inspiration: Mangas Rugs

 

I am totally smitten with these Mangas rugs from Spain. I first spotted them here and was so inspired I started crocheting immediately. 

I love that they are randomly patterned and yet structured at the same time.

And then, just when I thought they were gorgeous little cushion-shaped things... 

I saw the images below...

They are huge!

I don't have a hook this big but I'm still working away at my inspiration :)

 Find them here.

What's Going On...?

This is what I've been doing lately...

mostly because I'm so frustrated with what's been happening on my computer.

Firstly, Blogger wouldn't let me follow any more blogs. It said I'd reached my limit of 300 and that was it. I either had to go through and un-follow some blogs or find another way to keep up with new finds. Okay, I thought, maybe I can set up my own bookmarking system... not happy though.

Then, all of a sudden, I couldn't leave comments on blogs that I love 

and have commented on for ages. No explanation, no apparent reason why... It just won't let me anymore. Not happy.

Finally, after a day of blogger being 'down' I notice that half of the comments on my blog have just disappeared... I still can't leave comments on a host of blogs and even comments of mine I've left previously have disappeared on other people's sites...

What's going on?

Are any of these things happening to anyone else?

I'd love some feedback or advice, if you have any :)




Lovely Mady has given me a link that pretty much covers all of the Blogger chaos of late. Find it here for a read (also good to know this site for any future probs!) Thanks Mady! :)

My Creative Space - Little Blue Dress

Make avatar

There are so many things I should have been doing this week, instead I made a dress. 

My Little One received some fabulous blue shoes for her birthday which reminded me of the fabulous blue and black striped jerseys I had in my stash... and I just started cutting and making it up as I went.

 Thankfully, she loves it. 
I think she must like a bit of asymmetrical wonk like me :)

If you want to dance along just channel Leo Sayer You Make Me Feel Like Dancing :)

Just in case you haven't heard the news... Kirsty (who has tirelessly hosted My Creative Space at her blog Kootoyoo for ages) has now discovered some new directions she'd like to explore. So, rather than drop things, she has kindly set up a new blog just for Thursday's crafty show-and-tell peeps... and it's called Our Creative Spaces. 
To see some more spaces or join in yourself, you can now find all the links here.
Thanks Kirsty!

Packaging

I've been working on some packaging for all the brooches I intend to make ;) 

Now, with the laws of procrastination always in evidence around these parts I may very well end up with lots of boxes and no brooches, but hey, good intentions abound :)

The recycled cardboard boxes were a great find. 

I've printed up atomic blocks on linen and glued them to the lid.

Simple, but I think they're effective.

Hope you had a great weekend. What's on your agenda this week?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Australian mums (and to mothers everywhere, of course!)

This was my beautiful present - a silver cloud and black pearl pendant... so in love :)

I've had a lovely lunch with my mother and sister and our respective families.

Hope you've had a great day too :)

My Creative Space - Brooch Swap

My Creative Space meme is hosted by the lovely Kirsty over at Kootoyoo.

In my space this week, a finished brooch for the Flowerpress Handmade Brooch Swap. You might remember it was one of my holiday craft endeavours (also the reason why I've been so speedy in finishing!)

You can still sign up for the Brooch Swap until May 10th and the brooches don't need to be finished until 21st June... plenty of time to follow through!

I'm doing a guest post at Flowerpress tomorrow (Friday 6th May) with a tutorial on how I made my embroidered brooch.

Happy Creative Space Day everyone! 

Happiest of birthday wishes to my darling Little One who is 11 today :)

She has a wonderful wit and a devilish sense of humour... She is fiercely loyal with an unwavering sense of justice, that's my baby girl... 

oh, and she's like a bull in a china shop ;) 

Love you, puppy :)

A most beautiful thing :)

I received a most beautiful thing from a really good egg in the post today... 

It's a crocheted egg!  Isn't it gorgeous? :)

I think it looks perfect on another lovely gift – a lace-pressed bowl.

First, I had them next to my much-loved hoop girl...

... and then I realised that they actually belong with swinging girl :)

She reminds me of someone... can you guess who?

Inspiration: Ari Athans

I am so inspired by the stunning new paintings of Ari Athans. I love their strong graphic nature and pallette combined with some sublime detailing.

I've posted about Ari before – she's a well-known Brisbane jeweller and her shop is just up the road from me (serious temptation!)

Actually, the gallery where her current paintings are being shown is just up the road too... 

more temptation trouble ;)

You can view all of Ari's new paintings here, or visit her blog here for more information.

New Squares

Very excited about this new crochet square (so excited obviously that I couldn't wait to finish it!). Such a simple design but so effective I think. It's just a row of triple trebles then three rows of double over and over.

They didn't have instructions for the triple treble in the 101 Crochet Stitches box so I improvised on the Double Treble instructions. Every time it said 'twice' I made it a 'thrice'... and it seemed to work :)

It's actually called a Track Stitch. Here's the pattern if you'd like to have a go...

I've also completed some more of the Diagonal Shell patterned squares.

It'll be time to get some more wool soon!

Do you have a public holiday today too? What are you up to this fine sunny day? :)

18 years

It's our wedding anniversary today. I'm not really a big ring wearer but I've just discovered this morning that my wedding ring fits me again... The other one is my present :) 
Must remember to wear them now ;) 

Happy Labour Day!