laughing purple goldfish designs

Wow!

2013-05-22T08:00:00.000+10:00

This doesn't look at all like I expected! So basically, when the navy yarn felted... it pulled the non-felting yarns in tightly as well... And left all those loose fly away knots. I kind of like it. Well... most of it! I'm not too sure about this mohawk of eyelash yarn at the top. It's a bit too QUIRKY for my liking. Time to get out the hairdressing scissors, I think! And if

A Felting Experiment

2013-05-21T08:00:00.000+10:00

So I'm working on a felted beanie... First time ever. And I have NO IDEA how it will turn out. In a way, every time you felt it's a bit of an experiment. I mean - you never seem to know just quite how your yarn will react to the process. It's sometimes even a complete mystery whether it will felt at all. Of course, you could always felt a swatch piece... But let's face it. I never

Where are you Ashley W???

2013-05-20T08:00:00.000+10:00

So I used the Random Number Generator to chose... and # 20 was the winner. According to my calculations: Ashley W left the 20th comment over at the Beanie Giveaway, so she is our winner... "Kiss Kiss and Bumpy Bits are my two favorites. I actually just moved to Alice Springs, so I can't wait to see these in person. I know nothing about the Beanie Festival, but I'm looking forward to it

Yes... And I don't know.

2013-05-18T08:00:00.000+10:00

YES... I am still collecting tea bag strings. I DON'T KNOW... What I will make with them yet! My ball now weighs 76 g. I've been feeling like it just doesn't seem to grow. No matter how many strings I add to it, that ball just seems to remain the same size... But then I looked back at my last blog post about it. And guess what? IT HAS GROWN! Last time it was only 22g... And

And a Dresser Stool...

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000+10:00

Remember Astro Boy? Cute enough... but not the RIGHT kind of cutie for Little Miss Katie's new bedroom. But look beyond the cartoon to the stool underneath... Can't you just picture it with a full-on crazy fluffy white cover instead? I certainly could! The stool itself came from one of my Wonderful Work Buddies. Not that I actually work there anymore, but I still think of them

And Now For The Curtains

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000+10:00

Well... Of course the room needed new curtains, right? And of course I wanted to UPCYCLE something in the process, right? These double bed sheets were perfect for the job! I love their "Vintagey Vibe". They feel just like the kind of sheets that I would have had on my bed when I was eight years old - and Little Miss Katie loves them too. In fact, they came with a couple of

Branching Out

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000+10:00

I'm trying to branch out a little. I love recycling yarn, and always will - but there are so many other ares where we can UPCYCLE. During my blog absence, I revamped Little Miss Katie's bedroom with a fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. My timing is not always smart with these things. For starters, Mr Goldfish was away. He's a Scout Leader - and he was interstate for a fortnight

Beanie Giveaway.

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000+10:00

I've been having a blast making beanies for the Alice Springs Beanie Festival... The problem is - I can only send ten hats up - and I've made eleven. Which means that one hat needs to stay behind. So here's the thing... I want YOU to tell me which hat I should SEND TO YOU instead! Just leave a comment here on my blog telling me which one is your favourite. Anyone can enter. Go and tell

Mothers Day Surprise

2013-05-13T08:00:00.000+10:00

I don't often talk about my eldest child here on the blog... He's a Teenage Boy - what funny little creatures they can be! But I really wanted to share the gift he made me for Mothers Day this year. I reckon its Pretty Damn Awesome for a 13 year old... He made it in Woodworking Class at school. The instructions were for a simple hinged box, with everything sitting

Early Entries...

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000+10:00

Pssst. Have you signed up for the May Challenge yet? The one where you get to make a felted bag, and then embellish it any way you fancy? Want to check out the competition so far? We've had three completed entries already. And they're all deliciously different. Take a little look: Juanita has incorporated the eyes into her bag - but it looks nothing like mine! She's really glammed it up

May Challenge

2013-05-11T08:00:00.000+10:00

Ready for a new challenge? This month we're working on a Felted Crochet Bag... I give you the instructions for making the bag - and then it's up to you to decorate it any way you fancy! You could add a crochet trim and maybe some embroidery... How about some beads and buttons? Anyone own a BeDazzler? I always wanted one of them... Imagine the bling you could add! Maybe you're a whizz at

Winner Announced!

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000+10:00

Golly there were some gorgeous turtles created this month... I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the challenge - testing my pattern and helping to iron out the kinks - your turtle are quite simply AH-MAY-ZING! My favourite one was made by Julie. In addition to the knitted turtle, Julie has designed and crocheted her own baby turtle... and eggs... I love

April Challenge.

2013-04-11T08:00:00.000+10:00

Pssst. Don't tell anyone... But it's April already! Yep, that's right... APRIL!!! Can you believe it? I feel like an Old Duck saying this... but WHERE does the time go? Meanwhile. That's my baby in those photos. She turns two in June. Again I ask... Where does the time go? Well April is disappearing quickly, so if you want to join in the April Challenge - you'll need to

Hello.

2013-03-17T08:00:00.000+11:00

Is there anybody out there? I know there's a few of you about - because I've been getting some lovely messages... Thank you! I've been away a long time, haven't I? And I don't even have a good excuse for having been gone so long.... My last post was at Christmas - and now it's almost Easter! CRIKEY. Life has just been busy. Especially life with a toddler! Just look at these busy

The only 2 ply lace scarf I will ever make!

2012-12-26T08:00:00.000+11:00

I can't imagine that I will ever crochet another 2 ply lace scarf... The stitches are wonderfully delicate... and I love the way they look... But they're a little bit too "fly away" if you know what I mean... It's as though there's not enough weight in the scarf to allow it to drape... But it does look gorgeous... BUT it was pretty fiddly to make... So...

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-26T00:44:00.002+11:00

Wishing you all a Fabulous Christmas!

Christmas Eve Blocking...

2012-12-24T17:16:00.000+11:00

Every Christmas I end up in a last-minute-muddle and vow that I will be more organized the following year! And here we are yet again... It's Christmas Eve, and I'm busy finishing off gifts. At least it's not the wee small hours of Christmas Day.... It's 5 pm on Christmas Eve - and the final gift is all pinned out and blocking as we speak. This time I'm using an arrangement of

Laceweight Ziggy

2012-12-21T08:00:00.000+11:00

Yes. I'm obsessed with "The Zigmeister". It's yet another Ziggy Lace Scarf. This time it's a LACE WEIGHT yarn... That's a 2 ply yarn... And Yes. It IS a Christmas gift! Hopefully. It's surprisingly fiddly. Somewhere in my naive mind, I thought that a 2 ply yarn worked on a 4.0 mm hook would actually work up quite quickly - but I couldn't have been more wrong...

It Blocked Beautifully...

2012-12-20T08:00:00.000+11:00

How about that? The Ziggy Lace Scarf blocked up beautifully - and is now the perfect length - YIPPEE! I do need to organize some blocking wires for myself though... Is it too late to send a letter to Santa? I fiddled about and used a bunch of straight knitting needles - but it really wasn't ideal... And just to refresh your memory about how the stitches looked BEFORE blocking: And

Moving On.

2012-12-19T08:00:00.000+11:00

Working my way through the Christmas list... Checking off item number one - the snails are done! Item number two is the red Ziggy Lace Scarf. Free online pattern available here. I'd have liked to make it a few inches longer, but I ran out of yarn. So I'm hoping to be able to add a little to the length during the blocking process. The scarf is off having a quick soak,

Snail Buddies.

2012-12-18T08:00:00.000+11:00

Finished. And they're going to be SO hard to give away... Honestly. I have to stop getting so attached to my creatures. I ended up ditching the wire in the antennae which I was talking about here. It just kept poking out in all the wrong places - so I was really unhappy with it. So I used some glue instead. How exactly? Well, I just wet my fingers... Put a dot

One and a Half Snails.

2012-12-17T08:00:00.000+11:00

I've been plodding away very slowly at that To Do List of mine... The first snail is finished... and the second is nearly done. The crochet is complete, but he still needs his shell attached and stuffed, then his eyes stitched into place and a little bit of wire threaded into his antennae: If you're interested in the pattern, you can find it here. If you're not already a member over at the

Starting the Sun Hat...

2012-12-12T08:00:00.000+11:00

Starting out on the Sun Hat from my Christmas List. Using Bendigo Cotton 8 ply in Wild Lavender with a 3.0mm hook... Love the effect of using Back Loops Only!

To Do List...

2012-12-11T08:00:00.000+11:00

Fourteen days left until Christmas... and there's still some goodies to be made! Scarey part is that the last four items on the list haven't even been started yet... One of them is an Endemon, and I don't even know what that is - Apparently it's a Minecraft character, so I've got some research to do...

Ziggy Lace...

2012-12-05T08:00:00.000+11:00

Well, it suddenly dawns on me that I'd better get a few gifts made! I was fussing about the other day looking for a simple lace crochet scarf pattern - when I remembered about the Ziggy Lace Scarf. I've made a few of these before, and I find the pattern easy to follow and quick to work up... Particularly important - since it's already December. I'm working it up in a 4ply fingering weight