sheeps clothing - news from the flock

hiatus

2011-07-16T12:30:00.004+10:00

You've probably realised that this blog seems to have ground to a halt. At this stage I'm calling a temporary break. We'll see just how temporary.

I'll still blog over here, but on a knitting related only basis. If knitting doesn't float your boat, then for now, au revoir.

I'll leave you with some images from a recent break at one of my favourite places in the world, Wattle Point.

Take care, bloggy friends. X

the flood

2011-06-10T16:39:00.002+10:00

If you've ever been to Foster, you probably visited Pearl Park. Pretty, isn't it?

A few kilometres out of town and upstream of Stockyard Creek is one of the area's largest dams. Ever wonder what happens when a large dam overflows?

just goin' to the tip, darl

2011-05-30T20:05:00.002+10:00

I drove past a tip today. Or to use the 21st century term, a municipal refuse depot. With its clearly marked road, high fence and gatehouse, it was barely recognisable from the exciting, dangerous, potential laden tips of my youth.

The phrase "just goin' to the tip, darl" was a highlight of my childhood weekends. 30 odd years may have dulled my recollections, but I'm sure tip visits were a monthly affair during the 1970s. Dad would hitch up the trailer to the chocolate brown Monaro, and various items of household refuse / branches, etc. would be thrown in. Sometimes they'd be secured with a single length of rope crossed twice, sometimes even three times if warranted.

We'd make the trek down the highway to the tip, marked from afar by the ever present circling flock of seagulls*. There'd be a bloke, definitely in need of a wash, clad in a blue singlet and Stubbies shorts in a little lean to who'd lean in the car window, and without the cigarette once leaving his lip, instruct Dad as to where unload.

Then the fun would begin.

My brother and I, sometimes with only thongs on our feet would clamber over the piles of rubbish, in and out of abandoned cars, looking for "treasure". Old fridges would be opened, boxes opened and inspected, sheets of iron lifted.

We never did find treasure, and much more surprisingly, we never came home minus a digit or with a nasty infection.

Today's kids don't know what their missing.

*The old Chelsea tip is now the site of a playground and netball complex. I wonder if any old rubbish ever makes its way to the surface?

Edited to correct bad apostrophe usage. I bet Fairlie noticed.

nilly designs

2011-05-27T16:25:00.000+10:00

Every now and again I stumble across something that I just can't resist. I found Nilly Designs via Little Shop Of and before you could say "considered purchase" I had snapped up one of their linen and Liberty print scarves. This is mine below:

I did take a minute or two to select which colour I wanted and went with one of my favourite colour combinations grey and aqua. I didn't realise it at the time, but this particular print is one one of my Craftapalooza rings. It was meant to be mine, no?

Being, as they say, a small world, I was somewhat shocked to find out that the lovely lady behind Nilly Designs like me, grew up in the hot bed of creativity that is South Gippsland (and only 10 and 15 minutes respectively from Melody and the Mookah sisters, Leisa and Nicole - I suspect they may have all gone to the same school) but is a distant, by marriage relation.

Nilly Designs will be at the Sisters Market next weekend and is also available on Made It.

why i love handmade

2011-05-19T11:59:00.004+10:00

There's a bloke, Charlie, who lives in the USA and goes by the name of Woodturner on Etsy.

For a few years now he's been handmaking buttons for me which I attach to hats and scarves.
The buttons are divine. Perfect in every way, they are waxed and polished to a satin finish.

The best bit about Charlie's buttons is the handwritten note that accompanies each delivery, explaining a bit about the wood he's used, in this case, maple and walnut, and where those trees grew.

Now it could all be a load of crap, he might be buying the wood at his local big box hardware store, but I don't think so.

More creative spaces today at the usual haunt.

soup season

2011-05-18T13:57:00.000+10:00

There's no prizes for guessing what's on the menu this evening.

I've mentioned plenty of times before just how much I love making soup. I can take or leave the eating of it, but making it makes me feel virtuous. Luckily the menfolk of the house love their soups so I get plenty of opportunity for whipping up a batch.

One of my favourite retail day dreams is opening a soup cafe. I'd have about five different varieties to choose from along with a few different types of homemade bread. Yum.

This fantasy ranks second only to my knitting shop idea. I'd stock a variety of hard to find yarns, beautiful needles (no nasty cheap ones) and some interesting knitting related books. As well as new books I'd also have a book exchange / second hand department. All this book browsing will require some squishy couches and as it can be thirsty work, perhaps a coffee machine and a few biscuits / cakes would be good too. I haven't quite figured out how the drinks / food will be separated from the wool (could be disastrous!!), but that will come.

My mental picture shows a combination of Fitzroy's Books for Cooks and Central Perk. I'm Rachel, naturally. (Must grow hair...). I think we need an open fire too. And rugs. Definitely rugs.

Anyone want to come to the weekly knit along? The fantasy me is a great hostess, full of witty anecdotes as well as the font of all knitting knowledge. How could it not work??

closed for winter

2011-05-16T14:22:00.004+10:00

Our vegetable garden is in the narrow space between the house and side fence and after last winter, we decided that there's not much point trying to grow much there this time of year as the low winter sun only hits it for an hour or so a day.

I spent yesterday digging in lots of chook poo and have covered up it ready for the spring season.

Also on the Closed for Winter theme, I see Georgia Blain has released a new book. I loved Closed for Winter and very much look forward to reading her new one, Too Close To Home. Has anyone read it as yet?

in the media

2011-05-15T17:53:00.004+10:00

I'll admit I get a bit excited about seeing something that's come off my very own needles in the pages of a magazine. Especially when it part of an ensemble as cute as the one above which is from the latest edition of Little One Baby.

The red beanie (with different detail) has also popped up in Shop 4 Kids alongside one of the brand new styles, the classic cable beanie shown here in beautiful hand dyed yarn.

Fejoas

2011-05-03T15:50:00.000+10:00

Suggestions anyone?

Fii suggested jam but my jam making history is somewhat spotty.

in the garden autumn edition

2011-05-01T19:06:00.002+10:00

A while back we planted proteas in the hope that they'd grow and hide the monstrous townhouses that loom along our side fence. In fact they are cropping up all around our suburb with alarming frequency and I fear it won't be long before we have the only original house in the street.

The proteas have done really well and have at least doubled in size in about 10 months. The pink ice proteas have even flowered, which is all well and good, but I'd rather hold the flower show in favour of more vertical growth.

Elsewhere in the garden, Harvey takes time to smell the roses (I didn't have the heart to tell him they are hibiscuses).

my creative space

2011-04-28T07:25:00.001+10:00

.... thwarted.

I love all three of these fabrics. Unfortunately, I'm not the only person that likes them. I don't know why the Mr objects to the idea of me "refashioning" his shirts.

Unreasonable.

More creative spaces can be found here.

what's the correct term...

2011-04-27T16:56:00.003+10:00

.... for that state of frustration whereby one has lots of ideas but is too time poor to put them into action?

For feeling like I'll lose the creative impulse if I don't act on them now?

But feeling like I'll drown in the day to day crap if I stop everything to act on the ideas?

I Googled "time poor frustration" and these images came up. Make of it what you will.

learn to knit classes starting soon

2011-04-26T17:20:00.003+10:00

*Pictures are not related to the knitting classes. I just like the picture, okay?

It's not long now until the knitting classes kick off at Melbourne's Holmesglen TAFE.

As mentioned here, I'll be running two classes, Knitting Basics (2 x 3 hour course aimed at learner / refresher knitters) and Intermediate Knitting for those that know the basics but would like to learn the little extras that help knitters achieve the best outcomes.

For further details and dates please see the Holmesglen TAFE

website. For any course content queries, please feel free to email me at stacey@sheepsclothing.com.au.

Looking further ahead, I'd love any suggestions for class content. Have you always wanted to learn how to magic loop? Or perhaps cabling without a cable needle or different ways to cast on and when to use them? All suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

offended

2011-04-14T19:31:00.000+10:00

There's a line in The Simpsons where Principal Skinner tells Mrs Krabappel that he admires her ability to be offended by broad social trends. Apparently there's even a Facebook group for people who take offence to most things. I haven't joined, although perhaps I should.

The thing that is really annoying me at the moment is those stickers that seemingly one in two cars on the road is currently sporting. You know the ones, they are little cartoon character people that are meant to represent the members of your family.

There's a couple of things bothering me about them. Firstly. Why? What's the point?

Secondly, the sticker selection process bothers me. Today I passed a car that had stickers showing the Mum with a little handbag and a mobile phone. Hands up if you have a handbag and a mobile phone. All hands up? Thought so. Dad was depicted on a computer. Is there a man in your house and a computer? Yes? Two kids. One on a skateboard, one in ballet clothes. A dog. Hardly ground breaking stuff here.

Again, what are they trying to say? "Look, we do what 90% of families do" or perhaps "Mum can't think of anything more interesting about her self than the fact she owns a handbag and phone, Dad is a workaholic and the kids are average. Oh and we have a dog." Woot.

In the interests of research I visited the website of one of these sticker providers to see if they had stickers that represent our family. I started with myself. The Mum options included amongst others one laden with shopping bags (vacuous sterotype), Mum in Army gear (I wonder if they were front line troops uniforms - hello Stephen Smith!), Mum in various sporting guises, etc.

I suppose I could have picked the book reading Mum or the tennis playing Mum or even the gardening Mum, but these are activities that I only spend a few hours on per week. Where was the Mum picking up empty toilet paper rolls off the floor sticker? There's a decal I can relate to.

The Dad options weren't much more useful. Fishing Dad could have worked, as could have football Dad or gardening or bike riding Dad. Laptop Dad is the most likely, but who wants to publicly define themselves by the fact that they spend 90 hours a week or so on their computer?

The boy ones had the usual boy activities - football, games console, skateboarding, etc. I looked for the one that had two boys beating the bejesus out of each other, complete with cartoon movement lines, but to no avail. Nor were there any boy leaving books beside the toilet or boy throwing a wobbly when he can't find a piece of Lego images.

There are angel decals too. These just confused me. Do they mean "my kid is an angel" or "my kid is deceased"? At least the ones below cut out the ambiguity in a charmingly morbid way.

winter 2011

2011-04-13T10:53:00.002+10:00

cable knit cowl The online store is offline for a few days while we load our beautiful new product images and 2011 products.

eyelet knit hat with vintage buttons Here's another look at some of our lovely new images by Leanne at hbfotografic.

cable beanie

Working with Leanne is always a lot of fun and our models, Louise, Daphne, Siobhan and Tina (not shown here) were just fantastic. Thanks to all of you!

celebrity crushes: part iii

2011-04-09T17:57:00.003+10:00

As the celebrity crush dinner party seems to have outgrown the size of our humble dining room and even humbler dining table, I've decided out outsource. I just hope The Hotel Inspector, Ruth Watson doesn't think I've invited her for her ability to spot a shoddy establishment or hairs in the bath.

Ruth had me at hello, or if I'm being honest, f*ck. There's something about swearing in a nicely modulated English accent that takes all the rudeness out of it. Try it out. F*ck, as said by us Australians sounds much ruder than when an English person. I think it is a dipthong thing.

As well as her ability to swear and still sound classy, I love her pragmatism and tell it like it is attitude. She's the sort of person I wish I was.

I like Ruth's colourful outfits too. She's obviously a fan of block colour and chunky necklaces. I wonder if she'd let me borrow them?

self belief to go

2011-03-18T11:56:00.000+11:00

Like many suburban shopping strips, ours has changed over recent years. The butcher no longer smokes his own ham and bacon but it does sell chorizo. There's a selection of honey on tap at a shop nearby. There's no greengrocer but there are eight places where you can buy takeaway coffee: There's the cool place, the one that appears in the food guides, where the guy in G Stars and a slouchy beanie greets the regulars like a long lost friend. There's the place that has the great eggs but no ambience, the new ones with the potted olives at the front door or the one that just seems to be hanging on by the skin of its teeth.

Then there's the place where there's often a queue right to the door. When it first opened the proprietor was out on the footpath inviting people in for the "best coffee they will ever have". He's not far wrong.

I called in for an iced coffee the other day and he promised me I'd never have better. There's no no false modesty about this guy. He has the self satisfied shit eating grin of someone who knows their product is good.

He's selling self belief by the takeaway cup full and and I love it.

my creative space

2011-03-17T21:18:00.004+11:00

It's that time of year again. The midnight oil and fast flying knitting needles are threatening to combine inferno style.

Pocket scarves. They look so much prettier with a bit of broochy embellishment. A vintage button here, a crocheted flower with another vintage button there.

Brooch fastenings made so much easier with the new hot glue gun. I've even used it to dabble in a bit of shoe repair.

Now that's creative.

enough already

2011-03-09T20:08:00.004+11:00

We have one kid that bowls everywhere. As in each movement from A to B is comprised of a run up and imaged delivery of a cricket ball. We have a second one that likes to practice his batting in the backyard in his PJs before school.

Then there's the husband. He's the only person who uses the lawnmower.

I'm informed there's just over six months until the start of the next cricket season.

*sigh*

Standing in the second slip position is our fig tree. It is absolutely groaning with fruit.

How many have I eaten? Me=1, possums =328.

High tech possum shields have been installed.

Watch this space.

sometimes....

2011-03-07T22:01:00.003+11:00

... you just need to spoil yourself. I knew I was going to love it before I even opened it.

And I do.

the underdog

2011-03-01T15:05:00.006+11:00

The interschool swimming sports are tomorrow and our elder boy is a little bit excited and apprehensive about what the day will bring.

He has only swum competitively once before (against much more experienced racers) and came well down in the placings. Rather than being disheartened (which I admit I would have been...), he left the meet full of ideas of training, practising and how he could work harder to do better next time.

The little guy, he's such a competitor. He asked his Dad (himself a very good junior swimmer) on the weekend if we'd take him to the pool in which the inter school races will be held so he could practice his dives and turns and "get a feel for the big pool.". Despite it being a cool and drizzly Sunday and the pool being outdoors, his skinny little arms and legs churned up and down that pool for a good hour or so.

If life is a Disney movie in which the underdog comes through with stirring music, he's a chance. I hope he's not crushed.

glued

2011-02-28T19:28:00.005+11:00

I really do wonder why I haven't bought a hot glue gun before now. My glueing efforts are taking only a fraction of the time and I think they may be achieving a stronger hold.

The gun's first task has been the flower attachments for an order to be delivered to Noah's Aeroplane next week.

I wondered on Twitter whether the gun would be up to the task of keeping Ethan, aka Captain Loophole*, in his bed of an evening. A Twitter correspondent warned me of the dangers of hot glue actually damaging his skin.

It's a risk I'm willing to take.

*So named for the many loopholes he employs to avoid staying in his bed:

- He needs: a drink / wee/ cuddle / tissue / to tell us something / put something in his school bag / take something from the school bag
- Conor is: farting / talking / singing / looking at him funny / humming / annoying him / putting something in his school bag

brotherly love

2011-02-27T10:46:00.004+11:00

Play at the cricket was a little slow.

I had Joyce Carol Oates keeping me company.

The boys had each other...

learn to knit at Holmeslen TAFE

2011-02-24T18:27:00.006+11:00

I'm very excited to announce that I'll be running two knitting classes in conjunction with Holmesglen TAFE, commencing in May.

The first class is aimed at absolute beginners or perhaps those that may have dabbled with the old knitting needles way back when and would like a refresher. Running over two weeks (six hours in total), the Knitting Basics course will equip you with all the skills you need to knit your very own tea cozy. All materials required are included in the course fee.

The second course is a three hour session for those that know the basics but would like to fill in a few gaps in their knowledge or learn those little tips and tricks that can ensure you get the best possible outcome from all your hard work. The Intermediate Knitting course covers topics such as yarn substitution (what happens when your pattern calls for pure wool but you want to use a cotton?), Australian / UK / American terminology and knitting and the internet.

For further details and dates please see the Holmesglen TAFE website. For any course content queries, please feel free to email me at stacey@sheepsclothing.com.au.

new vintage button accessories at the all new leeloo

2011-02-19T11:54:00.000+11:00

There's some that might say I spend way too much time playing with vintage buttons and pairing them up with pretty fabrics.

The colour combinations and possibilities are endless.

These new ones here are Leeloo exclusives. Be sure to visit the all new Leeloo site for their great range of Australian made goodies.