How to make: an ornament tree

I woke up this morning and looked out onto my balcony with a start. For a moment there I thought the flowers were blooming but alas, it was just the snow covered leaves glistening in the watery light.

☺ Surprise Feature ☺

Just stumbled across my first full-page feature in this month's issue of Mollie Makes Magazine... 

Chuffed  to bits!

Why Sisters Rule

Contents of my birthday goody bag!

Sisters get you the best presents ever. Fact. This is the bounty I scored for my 30th from my oh-so-thoughtful sis Kim, along with more cake than four adults could comfortably scoff. So spoiled!

Book Review: Learn to Knit, Love to Knit

My book review of Learn to Knit, Love to Knit by Anna Wilkinson has just been published in this week's issue of Gathered Magazine by Mollie Makes. Above is a sneaky preview, to read the full article head over to the link above where you can download a copy to your iPad. If you haven't checked out Anna's book yet then get onto it toot sweet! I can't wait to whip up those quirky-wonderful fingerless gloves...

Crocheting stripes: changing colours

Here's a quick vid I made to show you an easy way to change colours when crocheting stripes. This works best with 3 colours since the yarn only has a small distance to travel up the side of the fabric, keeping the result neat-looking. Provided you are using an odd number of colours, this technique saves you from breaking the yarn at the end of every stripe which means less time weaving ends later. Yay!

How to: Tie a Turban Headband

The turban headbands I sell in my shop are stitched in place to maintain that 'twist' and are made from stretchy fabric so all you need to do is pull them on like a regular headband and you're good to go. But did you know you can also achieve the turban look simply with a long scarf?

I Love Old Books

The smell, the texture of the well-thumbed pages, the dog-ears and notes in the margin; nothing beats a well-loved old book.

Dip Dye Extreme

The snows have melted to mush and I just saw cherry blossoms blooming on a tree in the park. And today was the first time in ages when outside didn't make me want to go back inside! Admittedly
it may be a false alarm but somewhere behind the blanket-clouds I feel that Spring is ready to dazzle.

This week I'm all about colour. Vibrant, happy ones. So I've taken to dip-dying anything white I can scrounge from my humble abode. Here is some crochet cotton I intend to make into sugar-starched bowls:

Typewriter Love

I have a new-old typewriter! I always thought this was my Mum's because she used to be a secretary, back in the day when girls took dictation amidst a cloud of pipe smoke and got their bums patted. 

Vintage Nooks for Bits 'n' Bobs

I love finding vintage treasures, especially when they serve a function as well as looking good. Creativity isn't only about the making, it can also extend to the way you choose to store your tools and supplies. Surrounding yourself with things that appeal to your sensibilities helps to nurture inspiration. Here are a selection of vintage found objects that I use in my studio space.