Lily Pad

Geoff took me into Silvermine reserve today. I've never been there before....we went swimming in the dam > I don't know when last I swam in a mountain dam!!

I also realised that I've never actually seen lily pads and flowers in real life before! So I had to take a picture and post it....oooh: and speaking of pictures: I am THIS CLOSE () to buying a Canon G10 (as soon as I can find one) > will keep news posted!

Reflections

Isn't this absolutely beautiful??! Early last week, Geoff and I and our friend Jessica went down to Noordhoek beach to sit on the rocks and have our sun-downers. It was a totally windless evening and an amazing way to end the day > sitting on the warm rocks with beer and nuts for snacks. Our flat sold so we're feeling a bit loose-end-ish as we will be 'homeless' in 2 months time.

Its quite unbelievable actually!! ...and then a taxi will come getto-ing past and the whole flat vibrates with the bass & I remember that there are better ways to live than putting up with traffic noise & watching my car rust to smithereeeeens while I try and concentrate on getting some work done. It has been a kind of romantic experience to live on the main road of a trendeee fishing village at the southern tip of Africa with 5 artisan bakeries on my doorstep... Kind of like living in Venice, I'd imagine > until you get sick of the damp and the tourists and decide to move to the country where you can have a garden that's not entirely pot-plants.

One of many things could happen between now and the 1st of April...and many more will most certainly happen after :)

Beach path

Last weekend we went to one of our best places (and in fact, near where we had wedding pictures taken): down to the surf spot near Olifantsbos in Cape Point.

They've built this absolutely wonderfully fairy-like path down to the beach out of cut-off logs so that one can kind of jump from one to the other.

It was beautiful, as always to be there with my love > hectic week ahead so the rest was great :)

Selvedge Issue 16

I have been looking through Issue 16 of selvedge magazine and totally loving some of the ad links so I thought to share them:

• From the Samantha Holmes site:
  

I've been knitting up a storm of miniture clothing items & its always nice to find some added inspiration of people doing really awesome things - This little alpaca dress is just so pretty!

• Caroline Zoob's site is inspiring new craft ideas
  
  
  
  Some day I will get into embroidering things I've made...I'm becoming an aunty starting in June this year, so perhaps that will happen sooner than later!
  
  
• LOOP: knitting shop
  
  Shelley told me about this shop a while back. I just love browsing through their site!! :)
  
  
• Poppy Treffrey makes cool cosies:

as well as awesome bags > I love Wire Haired Terriers!!

• Donna Wilson has a category on her site called 'Odd Objects > irresistible to click on!!
  


• Check out http://www.katesamphier.com/ for really lovely knits
  
  
• The Black Rabbit has many quirky additions to its site pages:
  
  
  
• Oh my! Embroidered bunting? Look no further than Loopy Design
  
  
• Debbie Bryan's site states that her creations are 'CRAFT BASED DESIGN LED PIECES'. On the site is a collection of Knitted Adornments Scarves & Corsage Brooches
  as well as these resin hand cast brooches which look really amazing:
  
  
• Crafty Computer Paper blows the world of creation and transfer wide open. Check out their site & more info here: http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk/
  
  
• Jane Sacchi's antique linen collections are beautiful > Antique style monograms available too! (The Railway House in Kalk Bay stocks beautiful French monogrammed linen - mostly white)
  
  
  
• There is an article on Deirdre Nelson and some of the art pieces from ' The Dangers of Knitting and Sewing, 2005 ' are pictured. I found her blog: http://dstitch.blogspot.com/ which has some interesting art pieces on it.
  
  There's a lovely quote from this site: http://www.artandphilosophy.com/050130a.html
  
  "Knitting will never be cool, however hard its fans try. I spent most of my teens click-clicking away, not caring much for my poor, neglected street-cred. Recently, guerilla knitters have gathered in public places to flaunt their habit shamelessly. Whether they’ll actually manage to haul the craft’s reputation out of the tea-cosy is questionable; how can soft, fluffy knitting compete with the edgy dangers of the latest public plaza craze, free running?
  
  But knitting has its edge, too. In a new exhibition at St Andrews, you’ll see a whole new side to knitting and sewing. Glasgow-based artist Deirdre Nelson has unearthed a wealth of fascinating facts which illustrate the grim history of this most feminine of pursuits. "
  
  
• There are UNBELIEVABLY cool things on http://www.thelaundry.co.uk/!
  
  Here are some awesome clothes pegs:
  
  

And a seriously pretty tea cosy! (The UK seems to be all about Tea Cosies!!)

• Fibre and Clay > http://www.fibreandclay.co.uk/ is a 'contemporary craft gallery + knit studio' & combines 2 of my favorite current pastimes! Just look at this heavenly looking yarn shop!!

• The Elusive Collection is Mary Davis' Knitwear collection site.
  Such beautiful knits! (her model looks about 12 --- I wonder why!?)
  
• Dumbo Feather is a quarterly publication featuring 'remarkable individuals'
  
• Keen on a cultural craft workshop tour of Peru? http://www.puchkaperu.com/
  
• Pronk Style has amazing fabric prints:
  
  
  Geoff and I have been talking about Batik of late. Check out this book: Batik: 75 selected masterpieces : Rudolf G. Smend collection available from the Selvedge website
  
  
  
• OOOOH! I have to learn to felt!! Check out these hats from HAT FORM: http://www.rosynaylor.com/
  
  
• And lastly: some free knitting patterns are available here http://www.knitonthenet.com/
  

Letter Removal

Bird Bath

My sister's lovely little budgie, Tickalo (Ticks for short) got really sick in a breeze & had to get antibiotics and the works! As a result she ended up getting sticky stuff and bits of seeds stuck to her head & needed a bath. This is what she looked like post-bath :)