my small world ...

The view from my bed, there is a big screen tv but I'm trying to avoid it. Its useful for keeping my toddler occupied (he likes the interactive kids channel) and I am loving the Food Channel. So inspiring.

I am enjoying having some time to work my way through my big pile of books. I am a bookworm. Authentic certified bibliophile. Lots of wonderful art and lifestyle books gleaned this week from the library sale for ... $1 each. How insane is that?! Mucho gracias mi amigo! I'm not complaining. $14 for my books (hardcover, will share photos of my loot later) but ahem, $45 fine for late returns. Still, its much cheaper than buying books. Some people must have chocolate, yarn or coffee. My love is books.

A bit of bedside crafting. A jar of shell buttons, one almost completed crochet hat and some felt flowers. O, and a glass of Asti Ricadonna. mmmm.

My new workspace while I heal. My mum blessed us with a new sleigh bed and mattress. So good when one has a back injury. I didn't even notice how unsupportive our old mattress was until I lay on a new one. Feeling loved and a bit spoiled. It makes a difference having lovely things.

Here it is completed. It started life as a slouchy beret type hat but when I tried it on, it looked awful. So I tweaked it and made it flare at the bottom rather than taper in. It ended up more cloche/fisherman-like. My grandad was a fisherman and I was thinking of him and his hats as I worked. I enjoy my memories of him fishing. He seemed most alive when he was out there catching our food and not cooped up in a house.

This is my own design. I have a few basic skills. Every time I start, I never really know how it will look until I reach the end. Its a fun organic process. It freaks out people who love orderly processes and counting.

The Knitting book was on sale for $10. I'm a random knitter being hopeless at complex things like reading patterns and shaping garments. I just find that having a knitting/crochet project keeps my hands and mind occupied when I get the odd gap open up in my day. I love the sense of achievement when I design and complete something. I also enjoy the process of finding nice yarns and the lull that is created in my busy world as I slow down and create, stitch by stitch. The tactile feel of yarn as its handled is also rather seductive. Anyone who loves textiles knows that this is why we're so passionate about cloth, yarn and fibre.

It's funny how these days my identity as an artist is intrinsically tied to knitting but I generally lean towards organic and natural textiles, and mixed media object making with tribal influences. But most people don't know that about me either. Currently I exhibit once or twice a year. Those are my main projects that I work on quietly in the background.

I love my new hat. I am working towards having my ideal wardrobe with lots of handmade interspersed with quality NZ made garments using natural fibres.

This green flecked heather wool was perfect for this project. I love green. Its my favourite colour. I wear all black but green is definitely my colour of choice.

I am enjoying Carefree Clothes for Girls book on making handmade garments for girls (follow the link for a review by Amanda at Soulemama). And also Homemade Home (a nice review by another blogger I love, Holly at decor8). Great buys, both using easy to get resources (think thrifting, recycling and basic cotton cloth like muslin, calico, etc) to make beautiful handmades that are simple but have a great finish because we know it is all about the finish!

NB: Please excuse the quality of my photos. These were taken on my phone and at night-time. I am also trying to figure out how to upload more than four photos at a time on Picassa. So I will be running several posts at a time until I get to grips with all the different programs. Trying to get everything synchronised is rather complicated for this technophobe. Lucky for me, I married a technical guru.