Holidays

I've been busy doing all sorts of things but nothing particularly of note. On Good Friday I spent the day making fabric bags to stash all my projects into. My long term Babette rug project that is growing oh so slowly has a lovely pattern made up of squares on it. My scarf project has a floral drawstring bag. The children's hats and vests have a bag with cowboys on it. This is so I can just grab the right bag when the urge hits to do a certain project.

This hat and the vest below are for the winter warm project. I'm knitting hats and vests for the save the children fund for children who will be freezing in the Afghanistan winter- follow the link in the side bar if you want to know any more apart or how you can join in.

This vest was made from a pattern my grandmother 'Cammy' used to make for our kids. They are quite quick to make and take about 400g of yarn. They were so good to pull over the kids long sleeve tops and the kids were always happy to wear them so I'm assuming they are comfortable. Cammy always made them quite long in order to keep their kidneys warm. She had such a preoccupation with this and as teenagers my sister and I would dread the birthday gifts of cotton undies, usually washed out colours and floral patterns. These undies were full briefs of the fullest type designed to embarrass any teen and of course keep our kidneys warm!

I finally got round to planting a tree in the middle of my paving in the front yard. This area is the hottest spot imaginable. Paving may not require watering but it gets bloody HOT. Especially as this is on the western side of the house and gets sun continuously from 12 o'clock onwards. It's not a nice place to be in summer. So I've planted a Chinese Tallow- especially for its non invasive root system and deciduous habit, shade for summer and sunshine in winter.

I planted some veggies and herbs in amongst the flowers, I figure if I'm going to tend it it's got to give me something back!! (Both the kale and the silver beet are going well. The snow peas not so well. And the coriander is dead... I don't know what it is but i can never get that right.)

I made a new garden bed just out from the patio. (That's Chicky Babe in the hammock.)

This little frangipanni earns it's keep by providing unusual little flowers with lovely perfume.

I've just finished these felt place mats. They were inspired by a design on a piece of fabric I am crocheting around to turn into a tablecloth. I am in need of some long tablecloths to cover my long outdoor table. I had mum and Ron here for lunch and was mortified by her sideways look at the shortness and unironedness of my tablecloths. That and the fact that I didn't have any place mats to pop on the end where it didn't quite meet the end of the table.

As my sister and her crew are coming for tea next Thursday along with mum I thought I might just be able to redeem myself.