Category Archives: Melbourne

Central Park Granny Square

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And just like that, we’re back! Thank you to everyone for your lovely comments on my last post, and for welcoming us back ~ it already feels like we never left.

Central ParkFor as long as I can remember, I’ve had a love for all things New York City. I have a “To Do in New York” list dating back 30 years, first started when I was still in primary school.

On my last visit, I bought a silk scarf in gorgeous vibrant colours that reminded me of Central Park in spring. It lives draped over my bedhead, there for me to see each day. This scarf was the inspiration for my latest granny square.

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Details
Pattern Name: Central Park
Source: My own pattern
Yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima

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In other news, Moo and I are exhausted. Today was Million Paws Walk, raising money for the RSPCA. In all, we walked for just over 3 hours.

This is Moo collapsed just over the finish line. We needed a little nap on the grass before the walk home ~ doesn’t she look like she can hardly hold her head up?

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Love Terri and Moo x

 

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Yarn Bomb ~ City Square

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City Square is right in the centre of Melbourne.

For the third summer in a row Yarn Corner, in conjunction with the City of Melbourne, have yarn bombed all the trees in City Square ~ this year in all the gorgeous colours of the rainbow. It’s by far the biggest yarn bomb I’ve seen, with the installation in itself being an amazing feat, with elevated work platforms needed to sew the “bombs” up to 6 metres high.

The trees are either knit or crochet, or a combination of both. I tried to calculate the hours of work that this would have taken in total. It would easily be over a 1,000 ~ probably more like 2,000 hours! For anyone in Melbourne who wants to take a look, I believe they will be there for the next month, as long as nobody decides to steal anything and make a blanket for themselves!

Yes, one of these trees is mine (I’ve kept that rather quiet, haven’t I)? I’ve posted it as the first picture, as there are a lot of pictures ~ I didn’t want to miss anyone. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be crocheting anything in orange for a good long while. 🙂

City Square_15sml City Square_14smlCity Square_13sml City Square_11sml City Square 9smlCity Square_22sml City Square_21sml City Square_20sml City Square_18sml City Square_16smlCity Square_23sml City Square_27sml City Square_28sml City Square_31sml City Square_33sml City Square_30smlTerri and Moo xxx

Five Things

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Five Things

Good Evening

I hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend. Mine was fun but busy ~ possibly a little too busy for my liking, since all that activity has seriously limited my crochet time!

As part of the Blog with Pip course I’m doing, we’ve been given some homework, to photograph five things that describe our weekend. Well, since I don’t seem to follow instruction too well (oops!) I have a list of five things I did, and five photographs ~ but they don’t exactly coincide. I’m sure Pip will forgive me. 😀

Things I did on the weekend:

1.  I went to the Design Files Open House. I’ve not been to one before, and it’s a pretty clever idea. Set in a suburban house, or converted warehouse in this case I think, it is a showcase for the latest Melbourne designers and artists. I will admit that it was a little too cool for me, but pretty clever nonetheless.

2.  And at this Open House, there was Beci Orpin ~ autographing copies of her new book. Now, Beci is the coolest of the cool in my opinion. I have one of her books, and it was kind of like having a superstar in the room. Of course, I was too shy to actually say hello!

3.  On Saturday, I went into the city with my mother, and friend Suse. We had lunch here and bought Christmas presents and decorations here.

4.  I admired the photography at Winter Owls, and reminisced about my favourite Melbourne Laneways, and decided it was time to visit them again.

5.  I thought it was time I started making Moo’s Christmas presents. This one is special ~ it has not one but two squeakers inside, for double the squeaky-power.

Squeaky_10smlI chose colours to match her favourite cushion.

Squeaky_5smlSqueaky_4smlUnfortunately, I didn’t manage to hide it fast enough!

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Softies for Mirabel

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Just before Christmas, when I was frantically finishing my mother’s Spring Blanket, I was hoping to crochet a softie to donate to the Mirabel Foundation, for their annual Softies for Mirabel handmade toy drive.

Softies for Mirabel is now in it’s sixth year, organised by the awesome Pip Lincolne of Meet me at Mikes. The Mirabel Foundation supports kids and families who are affected by parental substance abuse. Softies for Mirabel collects hand made softies – they can be knit, crochet or sewn – and each softie is matched to the age and needs of a Mirabel child.

I do feel quite guilty that I missed the cut-off date in December, but it just wasn’t to be. I figured that since Pip has organised this for six years so far, I can be pretty safe that it’s going to happen in 2013. So, I thought I would get prepared early.

Please meet Priscilla Bear!

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She is only small, but the first crochet toy I’ve ever made, and I really am quite pleased with her. She wasn’t hard to make, but fiddly and time consuming.

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P Bear was meant to be all one colour, but that just didn’t feel right to me. I don’t think she wanted to look like “every other bear”.

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Moo thought she would be a rather lovely new toy.

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…. and was not pleased when I told her Priscilla was for somebody else.

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The pattern for Priscilla Bear can be found in “Cute & Easy Crochet” by Nicki Trench.

KOGO ~ Knit One Give One

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KOGO is made up of a group of wonderful volunteer knitters and crocheters based in Melbourne, who make blankets, hats, scarves, toys and lots lots more for those in need.

A friend of mine has knitted for KOGO for years, and it’s often been on my “To Do List” to make something, but I never quite got around to it.  But then another group I belong to suggested making a Granny-Square-A-Day, then sewing them into blankets for KOGO.

So, I’m getting started….

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This is based on a blanket I’ve been admiring on Purl Bee for ages. It’s called Bear’s Rainbow Blanket, and it’s so gorgeous.

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I’m using up leftovers from my pink stash, so hopefully a little baby girl somewhere will like this 🙂

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Nicholas Building ~ Open Studios

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The Nicholas Building is an amazing old building in the city, home to many of Melbourne’s artisans and crafts people.

Each year, they open their studios to the public, in a once only Open Studios event. I’ve been the last three years, and always find it amazing.

Besides the talent and variety of the studios, the building itself is really interesting. It’s just a little bit creepy. I hope it’s ok to say that, I don’t think I’d be the only person who would think so. It’s the kind of place, where if working late at night and you heard a strange noise, you’d think the worst!

I think this pic gives a bit of an idea of what I’m talking about.

Floor 2, Studio 5

The sweetest little shop called Puccello Vintage Haberdashery. I couldn’t find a web link. Strange. Maybe they’re the only place left in existence that doesn’t have a website?

They sell vintage haberdashery, a lovely array of Liberty print fabric, crochet thread, exquisite crocheted scarves, 100% wool felt… and just too much to name.

This is what I bought. Maybe it will crochet into a nice basket?

Floor 3, Studio 10

Dead & Buried is the workshop of some talented Melbourne jewellers and a shoe-maker. One of the jewellers, Emily Green, makes these delightful coloured necklaces. I’ve long been coveting one. I bought one for a friend for her birthday, but have been dreaming of having my own.

Yay!

Moo was not sure why I was out in the yard on such a cold Saturday afternoon photographing jewellery, when I should’ve been on the sofa being a Moo-pillow and turning the heater on. She is ready for summer!

Australian Tapestry Workshop

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This afternoon husband and I managed to tear ourselves away from the Olympics and embark on a Very Small Adventure. I say small, because we really only ventured a few blocks from home.

This weekend is Open House Melbourne 2012. It’s the one chance each year that the average Melburnian gets to have a peak inside some of the city’s most special buildings.

First we went to the South Melbourne Town Hall. A gorgeous old building with an amazing ballroom. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see into many of the rooms. Husband was particularly disappointed that we weren’t allowed up the Clock Tower!

Next stop was Australian Tapestry Workshop. I had no idea just how amazing this place is. If I’d known, I would have taken a camera, so excuse the iPhone pictures.

The Australian Tapestry Workshop in South Melbourne is in a National Trust listed building – opening in 1885, an example of Victorian Free Gothic architecture.
The actual Tapestry Workshop is the only one of its kind in Australia (I think in fact the southern hemisphere), focusing on the production of hand woven tapestries.

Some interesting facts about tapestry:

Each spool is filled with approximately six strands of merino yarn, in slightly different colours, so that even when something looks like it’s just one colour, when you get up close it’s almost like a painting.

The cones of yarn on the trestle tables make up the complete colour palette for that piece.

Many of the larger pieces are woven by two or more artists.

Behind every work-in-progress is a drawn copy of the original art work. This is transferred onto the cotton warp threads.

Yarn is dyed in-house in the Dye Room. There are approximately 360 different colours.

An absolute inspiration. Just makes you want to learn to weave, doesn’t it?

…. now back to the Olympics….