Knit Felting Again

Did I write yet that I also have a nephew on the way? My brother Stan & wife Karen will be giving birth to a baby boy (Joshua David) some time in September....and so I have started knitting for him! I have started with some felted slippers (similar to the ones I made for Grace) which I will embroider something onto as soon as they are dry. Perhaps a train...or a doggie or a spider :)

I have no idea about what will fit babies or when these will fit him...I suppose one has to just trust the pattern! I used the Elle Marino Solids this time round. It hasn't felted quite as thickly as the ones I made for Grace (yarn spun by a local spinner) so they are a little bigger than the others...

...perhaps they will still shrink a little more with drying (?)

DIY on Design*Sponge

Again thanks to Thaya (goodness - what an inspiration your blog is!!), I went to have a look at Design*Sponge's blog-style site because of the DIY 'felt bag from scandinavian needlecraft' project... What an awesome idea! ....has my brain ticking on what is going to be possible with my new felting skills! :)

PS: If anybody feels like sending me the Scandanavian Needlecraft book for my birthday (soon), I will be thrilled!

First Day Felting

I was so excited to find out (thanks Thaya!) that Blossom in Kalk Bay does felting courses! I stared this last week Thursday on their 4 week course:

• Week 1 - basic felting technique,go home with a scarf out of one of the techniques you learn.
• Week 2 - Felt balls, beads, round a shape 3 dimensional shape/sculpture.
• Week 3 - Felt through fabric then start combining techniques to decide on a project for the next week.
• Week 4 - work on a project together for the whole morning......

All materials are supplied, tea, coffee and cake...
(Nin's delicious honey cake last week!!)

1. The first thing we did was learn the basic felting technique(s)
2. We played around with making a 'holy' fabric
3. We made a scarf

I have been feeling (overwhelmingly much) that I must make the most of every moment of my life & do as many of the things I want to do that I can. I don't want to get to a point where I wish that I had done more...

Mothers keep telling me that once the kids come, there is time for absolutely nothing that you actually want to do...and today is the only day to start doing these things: and the only time is right now.

In The Artist's Way, she says that some people say Do you know how old I will be when I finish [said dream - say studying something they've always wanted to study]? and the answer to that is - YES: the same age you will be if you do not do it.

I am unbelievably happy with the first results of fulfilling my dream of learning these felting techniques.

Flower Neck Scarf

Yay! I just finished it! :)

Felted Slippers for Grace

I knitted these slippers (for my sister's soon to be born baby girl, Grace) on our trip to George and back & felted them last week...I'm quite chuffed with how they turned out! I've actually added pink felted hearts with green buttons in the centres which I've added to both sides...I'll get a shot of her wearing them one day and post it.

...and with hearts and buttons added:

I'm busy with some blue ones for my brother & his wife's little boy who will be born in September....will post pics when I'm done!

Matching Luggage

I have been quite concerned about traveling safely with my Canon Selphy printer ( the idea is that I would like to create my photo album as we travel ) so I applied the same pattern logic as the camera pouch I made onto a much larger scale. I included a pocket on the front and one on the back to store paper, my paper cutter, double sided sticky tape etc in. I can even fit my camera charger in as well

I got Geoff to help me put strong pearl front studs on the camera case as well as the printer case to close them both...I think I will still put a bit of Velcro onto the back pocket to keep it really securely closed.

3 more sleeps till take off.
Unbelievably much to do before then.

Still Getting Started...

I started knitting a crochet blanket because the Moxy ones are a little bit beyond my budget & I've never seen one that I like the colours of [plus the actual truth of the matter is that I like to make things myself!]

I got started with some lovely Elle Homespun & some other bits and pieces I'd used for something else (I bought 3 balls (Elle Gold Chunky)of the grey for R10 each from the sale bin at The Wool Boutique in Fish Hoek...I had bought the pink, blue and green (Elle Gold Aran) to knit some baby stuff. Then T'Neal suggested I edge all the blocks in one colour. I managed to match up the colour of the centres with an Elle Traditional Aran Knit in the perfect cream!

Kalk Bay Shop

My sister in law, Colleen [aka Koeksista] is such a dynamite person!
We had a early-ish morning chat which led us in the direction of speaking about The Railway House (she works there) needing a blog...and so we got a blog up and running! About time too! This is the first day's page:

I was THRILLED to discover that the blogger domain kalkbayshop.blogspot.com was available as the shop has been under threat of a new name for a mighty mighty long time now. The Railway House will most likely be called 'Kalk Bay Life Design' in the near future...so I've registered the domain http://www.life-design.co.za/ which will (hopefully) have some lekker stuff on it very soon... it will be a 'landing page' for all of Geoff's (and probably mine too) projects.

We have Geoff's blog (in desperate need of update) running - which has his personal projects on it...and Copper Bath will also fall under the Life Design umbrella!

Watch those spaces!

Introducing Yuliya Nilssen

My very very talented friend, Yulia Nillsen asked me to design a logo for her & I am in LOVE with her knitting! ...so we did an exchange: I designed her logo & business card... & she made me a pair of slippers such as the ones pictured! They have leather soles which is great as they are non-slip (brilliant because we have cold cement floors!)

You can visit her website here and place an order for your own pair!

I also got a house stone from her *(brilliant as we were looking for something to stop our front door from bashing against the entrance mirror!)...She has painted the most exquisitly imaginitive designs on river stones (see the pic below!)

LOVING New Blogger Designs!

I really just LOVE the new theme options in blogger...what do you think?

Family Veldrif Weekend

On the weekend of the 16th of April, my mom and dad, brother + wife, sister + husband, Geoff and I, headed off to Veldrif for the weekend (for mom's 50th birthday). We stayed at the most awesome house - River Time > the website photos don't do it justice at all!

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

The river jetties

Family photo fun...can you spot the 2 pregos?
Clue below >

Yay! Grace Cooper in da tum. Due between the 30th May - 8 June 2010!

Afternoon Beach Fun

I forgot my wetsuit last Wednesday (we were meant to go and surf Muizenberg)....so we decided to go for a walk on Fish Hoek beach...which ended up in an unexpected impromptu construction mission!

The start of the waterway from the mountain to the sea

Making progress

Geoff working hard from the top end

OOOH! Random passers by joiner-inners!

Everybody mucking in!
(one lady joined in as her dog destroyed a wall & she ended up sticking it through till the end!)

Another joiner-inner!

Success!!

Some wonderful flow :)

Montegu / Greyton Weekend

Geoff and I headed in Montegu / Greyton direction a couple of weekends back. The main reason was for Dwain and Danelle's wedding..We left on the Wednesday and went through to Montegu to visit an alpaca farm... Now I want some more than ever!! I got some wonderful alpaca wool to create something with & Geoff bought some stunning stock for his shop.

There's a phenomenon in Montegu: Sacred Ibis that flock to a particular tree. It was so beautiful (and noisy) that we had to stop off and take some pics! :

Sacred Ibis

Alpaca mom & daughter

The wedding couple! Dwain & Danelle xx

Finally settling

Geoff and I are finally settling into our new home. The only irritation is a whole bunch of dogs in the neighbourhood which I've never seen get walked. No wonder they bark out of boredom!

We've spent 2 weeks away since moving in so it was great to spend last weekend at home...pottering around...going for the odd surf. Hopefully we'll be fully unpacked soon & I can just RELAX!

New home...Day 1

We moved yesterday. Actually, we are not quite finished moving but we did the bulk of it yesterday.

It is quite perfect moving just before Easter weekend. 4 days of un-interrupted settling.

Today was day 1. We had a lovely sleep last night. The odd getting used to dogs barking...neighbours having a noisy braai...there things will take a bit of patience to get used to.

We spent a lot of time organising today. Geoff set up the music and i sorted the kitchen out as much as possible.

The pool is amazing to have. I have not connected with the garden yet...crossing fingers that my proposed veggie patch will be approved soon!

I took the photo in this post on my first swim yesterday :)

Tikolo

My sister's sweet little angel of a snow white budgie was visiting us for 2 weeks while she and her husband were off to Thailand for a second honeymoon before their baby girl, Grace arrives.

...at least we thought she was a sweet little angel! We found out how one little bird can make enough of a racket to drive us half round the bend!

I've re-nicknamed Tikolo (who was previously nicknamed 'Ticks') to 'THE NOISE BOX'. Shame, she's quite old, and she really is very sweet...kind of like a granny who's past caring what everybody else around her thinks.

I actually missed her a bit this morning when stirring my barley grass (the spoon makes quite a noise on the sides of the glass) & there was no equivilant noise from around the pillar as there has been for the past 2 weeks...The flat seems very quiet without the little extra life inside it.

I Love Fridays

I really really really love Fridays since I started working with clay. Before that, Fridays were just another work day & I never spent time being actively 'artistic' - So Friday became Clay-Day & I've been learning & making amazing things...but most of all, I've been making gifts & experimenting with different clays & colouring / decorating methods etc

These hearts are made of porcelain & are items to experiment with different treatments with:

I plan on decorating them to match & then make a mobile or something out of them when they are done with their glaze firing.

I've made all sorts of other beautiful things, but cannot post pictures of them yet (they are being made for gifts & the recipients may not see them!!) ;)

I had a lovely drive past Long Beach, Kommetjie at midday after my Kommetjie pottery class. When the day is as beautiful as today is, I'm so pleased that this will be such a close beach! Pity the water is so cold.

Sunset Side Sunset

We went over to the sunset side again last night > Geoff wanted to have an end-of-day swim & I wanted to try my new camera out on the sunset. The result? :

It's finally arrived!

My Canon G10 has finally arrived! It's been a bit of a nightmare actually: I ordered it from a very reputable supplier on Bid or Buy as I couldn't find anybody that still stocked them (the G11 is out). It was supposed to take 2 to 3 weeks...and in the end it took 8 weeks because customs got hold of 5 boxes being sent in & kept them from the 15th of Feb.

[This is the kind of thing that happens when a company is trying to operate legally, pay their taxes & declare what they are importing].

Its so frustrating -- I did tons of research... finally decided what the best option is (the G10)... saved up... couldn't find the model I was after... finally found one & ordered it... then had to wait for 8 weeks before receiving it.

It was delivered this morning early & I have it fired up and ready to start snapping!
[We will hopefully go for a walk this evening Noordhoek-wards & snap some pics! ...will post them if we do!]

Talking Point

As mentioned in a (very) recent post, I indulged by buying 2 necklaces by Skermunkil at the Design Indaba the other Saturday.

Somebody mentioned to me that when people wearing Skermunkil creations see one another's choices, conversations often strike up.

Well, let me tell you that just wearing a Skermunkil will get people chatting!! :

I was at the gym on Thursday where I never speak with anybody (apart from saying a polite 'hi' to the receptionist & having a quick chat if I bump into somebody I know)...and no less than TWO ladies commented on my 'Cape Sparrow' necklace - one of whom I had a long conversation with & she told me one of the most beautiful things I've learned in a long while:

Do you know how you get the fur off Angora bunnies?

You brush them (!!) Now I really want some! :)