Better than the gold of kings are memories of happy things

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Good morning lovely people, I have just stepped in for a quick post today, just to touch base with you all. I am so excited that my commissioned works are finished at this time and I have been able to do a little bit of my own pleasures in knitting. Below are some cute little poppies, a pattern that I'd wanted to try for ages. They measure about 2 inches in diametre and are so pretty. The centre of the poppy can be knitted in black yarn (which I chose to do) or knitted all in red yarn and add a black button or beads. 

These are the last of the orders I had to do.....yoga socks. I tried several patterns and using cottons and acrylic. The lady can make a choice as to which ones she would like. It will be interesting to see her choice.

Milo decided to have a nice little wonder around the yard with me this morning. Such a little sticky beak. lol 

Well my friends, I have about half an hour to get ready and go to work. Not even dressed yet!!!! lol Work is a 2 minute drive so no panic.

Ciao, Anita. x

 Let the real knitting and crocheting begin!

Hi there ladies! I'm pretty happy right now, I have one more commissioned piece to make and I'm done with orders for a while. Sadly and, in one way, happy because the markets this month were cancelled due to the unpredictable weather we were expecting. Sad because I didn't make some extra dollars but glad because it gives me one whole month of knitting or crocheting whatever I like. It gives me a chance to use some of my ever growing stash of yarn in the sewing shed.

Since I blogged last I've been doing lots of group walks out in the bush. A group of us have started the Kep Track that starts in the Avon Valley and goes all the way to Mundaring. We have been walking it in sections. One day we walked 24kms!! 😲....that one was tough. lol 

Along the way we have come across some interesting sites, some found only in Australia. 😂

The photo below is Maria and I standing in the door way of an old brick factory entrance. The factory has been abandoned for many years and I bet the walls have many stories to tell. 

As a child one of my favourite things to do was to walk along the pipelines. Here I have relived my childhood and had Zari join me. 😁

I enjoy historical buildings and history a little more than the natural beauty, but one would have to agree that the Australian bush is just incredible.

In typical Australian style you often have wildlife walking right passed you. Can you see it in this photo? 🦘 

He joined us for a fair distance.

I am enjoying school holidays at the moment and I've been spending time with my Great niece and nephews. We had a games day recently, what fun it was.

One of my little partners in crime and I having a little sit down to rest our weary feet at the show. Don't be fooled by Chris's innocent looking face. She is just like me. 😂😂😂😂

So the holidays have been filled with lots of walking and exercising but I have been doing lots of craft work as well. Crocheted topped tea towels for a customer......💖

                                          The last of the finger less mitt orders. 🎉

This little girls jacket is loaded with bright splashy colour!!!!!! The bright buttons make me happy, the bright rows of yarn make me happy, and the fact that there was hardly any sewing in ends, make me happy. lol Lots of left over yarn used up here and I am a happy girl. It was one of those projects that was the reward after making so many other things that were commissioned works.

I am having a big cull in the sewing shed and I have come across a bag of soft chunky yarn that I'm going to use first up. It will give me so much free space in that shed once I have used it. Looking forward to that. 🌷🌷🌷🌷

Well lovely people, it is time for me to actually do some thing. I plan on continuing the cull and that mean filling the trailer up again to do another dump run. Wherever you are in our beautiful world......namiste! 💟 

Ciao, Anita.
 

 

🌷 Showtime is over 🌷

So I'm back for real now! No more sneaking around and hiding my craft work and what I've been making. 😂 It is always difficult in the months leading up to our annual show to make things to put away, to complete commissioned work for customers and to make things and show on my blog. I will have to think up a new system on how to get around this problem.

 

Again, the entries were down in the pavilion, in most sections and this is a pity. Our young generation may never get to see all the amazing crafts out there in the world. People have told me repeatedly that their work is not good enough to enter, and it cranks my handle a bit when I hear that. The show is really a display for the whole community to see and it is a means of attracting people from other places to visit our town. I don't know how to overcome this problem as it is the same for many other regions. 

In the meantime, friends of mine and myself continue to make as much as we can so there is a display in the show. 

Below is my knitted scarf that won first prize🏆 and won the blue ribbon in the Needlework section for overall winner. I haven't won the ribbon before, Heather the feather has, so it was nice to win it, though I would rather see someone else take it home. 

I made this bag and entered it in the Craft work section. The pattern was something I saw on Youtube and really loved the texture and design. It won first prize and will go with me to the markets to sell.

I had fun testing my crochet skills with these two little cute baby jackets. They didn't win any prizes but it was good to get more practice in crochet.

Now this beauty did win 1st prize and I have to say, I really love it. I loved making it, the colour is super and the feel of it as it was made was so soft.

I'm loving old Youtube, honestly, I have found so many interesting patterns that by reading a pattern, I would never have understood what to do. Below are a couple of woolly hats, they were fun to knit. I love the smocked look on the pink hat and the bobbled hat was fun to make purely because I loved the feel of the yarn. I know, crazy hey!!

My first prize baby booties....love them.

So here is the old gym gang at our coffee get together. We decided to meet at an old pub in town that had been closed for about 20 years and Esther (grey and black striped top and standing to the left of me in this photo) and her husband have been renovating the pub for about four years. Finally it is open as a coffee, eatery, alcohol beverages and a gathering place. It is fabulous.

Oh Lord, that grin!

Well my precious friends, I am off now to catch up on so much house work it isn't funny anymore. The last two weeks, build up to the show has just been crazy. I have also judged in the Needlework section in a neighbouring town for their show. I was honoured once again to be asked to judge at their show. I would love to hear from anyone in regards to ideas on how to encourage people to enter their works in to the show. I am almost at the end of my ideas and would love to hear from you.

Ciao, Anita. 🌻

 

🌷 Happiness often sneaks in a door you didn't know you left open. 🌷    

Hello beautiful friends! I only have a few pieces of work to show you because all my time has been spent on making show entries for the 2021 annual show here in town. I can show you this woolly hat, mitten and scarf set I have made for a customer. A cute little shark set for a boy. All pieces have been made without any pattern and just by looking at photos of what I've seen on the internet. 😂

I love the teeth and red gums of the shark mouth on the mitts. lol I ran out of the grey yarn otherwise I would've added some fins.

We have been saving hard to buy an outdoor setting, and as they are expensive, we first bought the two seat piece and then the two single seats. It is not a very good photo because today it is overcast and the light is shining through the blinds.

In recent weeks I've spent lots of time out in the garden. That is in between all the rain we have had this winter. I have scored lots of bargains over our buy and sell page on facebook. I picked up two very tall blue glazed pots yesterday for $50 each!!! They are heavy and they are beautiful. I have placed them at each end of my Greek garden.

I also bought a Moses statue last fortnight. He is amazing and a much loved addition to my garden.

The other additions to the garden are....   

a new outdoor umbrella to fit into the wrought iron seating that has also been moved to the outside area.

Used brick blocks that have replaced the old wooden sleepers that used to be in my Italian garden area.

Concrete angel shelves gifted to me from lovely Chris. I love them! 😊

I have also purchased a gorgeous plant called Red Anna. I'm waiting hard to see how this little beauty grows.

Everyone in town is stunned by all the rain we have had this winter and I have to say, I last remember this kind of winter when I was a child. There have been so many days in a row with continuous rain, and for my Italian friends, just to let you know, this is not usual for Australia. Especially not in our area.

So now I leave you all for another week and hopefully I will have some sort of craft work to share with you next week. 

 

I am also waiting patiently for Heather the feather to return to Western Australia. She has been on a holiday which has become an extended stay. The longer she stays away, the more havoc she will cause. 😂😂😂😂😂😂.

Ciao, Anita.

 

 Best friends  

they know how crazy you are and still choose to be seen with you in public  😂

I think I know what it feels like to be one of those bears that have gone into hibernation for the winter!!! 🐻🐻  The last month or so I have concentrated on my health especially and through the month of June my gym group were in a Push up challenge. Every day a different amount of push ups were to be completed. A few days we had 220 push ups to get through. This was all for mental health and raising money, so it was a worthwhile cause. Now I am doing a walk/run challenge. So I believe that is were all my time has been spent on.

In the way of my craft work, I have spent time stocking up on finger less mitts,  ponchos and head bands. I can't ever keep up with the demand of either item, people just love them in the winter. I'm pretty happy about that. 😁

Beanies are another essential item that people love and that I love to make. I often get given small amounts of yarn that people think they can't make anything with because it is a small amount....but you can always find something to make. Like these two soft woolly hats.

These circular vests are amazing too!!! It's one of those relaxing projects I love sitting there making. They can be made in multi colours or in one single colour, what ever you fancy.
 

As for these amazing ponchos, three of these in this photo have been sold already. I am so happy these have come back into style because they're another favourite project of mine.    💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

When I said I've been concentrating on my health.........😅😅😅😅😅....I meant it. lol Our new instructor means business and she takes no hostages. The crew in the Running Club are another amazing bunch of people. Something I have noticed as I age, sometimes people doubt your ability to do certain things. I love it when you show them you are very capable, especially when you've out done them in something. 😇 I'm certainly not referring to any of the groups I'm with now but it has happened in the past. lol

These amazing people below are from the Running Club and they've welcomed me with open arms. I've never been a very good runner but when the gym I'd been with for years stopped offering classes then I looked for other options. I found the Running Club and slowly but surely my running is improving. A one legged ostrich could run faster than me but I keep pushing myself.

Every week we find a different place to run. Each week there is always someone new that joins in, it's so much fun. We run at night, day, rain, no rain, in puddles lol.

So as always around show time, I have nothing much to show you in my craft work because I'm busy hiding it all so no one sees what I'm making. lol Heather or Chris might copy my ideas. or they might find a better pattern than I have. 😂😂😂😂 Next post I will have something to show because I am also doing orders for people.

I hope you are all going well and healthy. I'm off to make a cuppa now, I've waited for a fair while this morning before turning on the coffee machine. I don't want to wake up His Lordship who is still asleep. lol

Love you girls!!!!

Ciao, Anita.