A new cardi

A new cardi
Originally uploaded by redmag

....my children are growing like weeds!!....as I type this they run around in ill-fitting rags....shivering (actually the shivering is artistic license they don't seem to feel the cold except to use it as a reason to get out of the bath before they've even gotten wet because they prefer the feel of filth on their skin to warm soapy water)

.....but we are experiencing a bit of a clothing crisis here on all fronts, mine included..so I've started to make a few things for them and me.....this is a quick baby jumper....(took me three evenings and I'm a pretty slow knitter) ....I used 1 ball of 8 ply Rustica in graphite from Bendigo Woolen Mills ...the buttons were from my stash I think they came off a vintage jacket....and the pattern is a Debbie Bliss one from here (it's free!)....it was originally intended to be for a little girl....i just added buttoms in place of the suggested flower snap closing to butch it up....it works well...my only compaint is that without ribbing along the bottom it curls up making it look a little like a crop top/bolero number and dosen't quite cover the precious kidney region (why do we angst about covering the kidneys?).....I think I'm going to try it again but with either more length or perhaps a little ribbing along the bottom....in another colour....something brighter....i like bright clothes in Winter....but the folks at Bendigo don't seem to have many bright colurs which is a shame....I'll have to find a new online source for yarn....if you have a good suggestion please do leave a comment...

...anyway I have a huge problem finishing things - there are three jumpers slothing about my loungroom that are 80% finished right now....so to give myself a deadline I've signed up for the one-week kids clothing challenge over at elsie marley....wish me luck...

While on white

While on white
Originally uploaded by redmag

...I signed up for Sooz's teatowel swap....and while I'm a bit late I've finally finished......on the off chance one of my swap partners read this blog....I'm only going to post a sneak peak......

......apart from the obvious joy that has come from the lovely tea towels that have floodedmy mail box ( thank you Claire, Meagan, Justine and Gina...I will post pictures of their lovely work once I receive a couple more) it's also be ACE to re-visit screenprinting...I did find that I need alot more practice at both desigining something good and in the technique department....but I loved it....for those of you in Melbourne I did find a great place to get my image put on a screen - Screenplay, $40 to get your screen cleaned and your imageadded and if you don't have a screen he'll sell you a decent secondhand one for reasonable price. For those you you in Canberra - just join Megalo - it's brilliant!

Kindness of others....or making the most of others gluts

{59/365} Kindness of others
Originally uploaded by redmag

When we realised we were going to move right at the beginning of summer we mourned the potential of a summer crop in our veggie patch. We compensated by giving away the tender seedlings and seed potatoes we had ready for planting to family members, so that we could live vicariously through the gardens of others and we eagerly accepted any excess produce on offer... all was well
It's only just occurred to me that one unforseen bonus of not having a patch this summer has been not having to endure the inevitable glut - no racking the brains for yet more things to do with zucchinis or growing tired of your favourite dish. The gluts of others - tomatoes and eggplants in this case - have suddenly becoming exciting intellectual problems to solve. So for those of you with too many eggplants and tomatoes, i recommend this lovely dish, adapted from a Gourmet Traveller “Menus” book from 2001.

Eggplant and Tomato Curry
You need:
500g eggplants
500g tomatoes, chopped
A few spring onions
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 ½ tablespoons of brown mustard seeds
A handful of curry leaves
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
½ a teaspoon of ground chillies
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 ½ tablespoons of tomato paste
Oil
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 180C and roast the eggplants until tender then chop into small pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil into a frypan, when hot add the spring onions, ginger, mustard seeds and curry leaves, and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes. Add spices, tomato and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and season with salt to taste, simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the tomato is pulpy.

Blanks

{57/365} Blanks
Originally uploaded by redmag

....a roll of twenty blank linen teatowels patiently waiting for ink for the "wash the dishes"swap....actually only 10 of them are for the swap....and 10 are for the gift stash (well a number less than ten that takes into account those that fell in the name of craft)

......I love the potential of blanks.....the seductive pleasure of a crisp white blank linen canvas.......can't wait to mess them up.....I also can't wait to show you my idea.

The organic pant pattern

{50/365} The organic pant pattern
Originally uploaded by redmag

Loads of you have them....a simple pattern traced of a pair of pants both you and your child love.....that just keep getting remade over and over slightly bigger each time as your child grows.....these were PJs for a two-year old that lived hard and died young ( seen here when they were fresh)

My tip is...well.....i use old cotton sheets....they are nice and comfortable..... designed for sleeping really......and cheap....and its nice to reuse things.....and i like the flowers.

.....a new design for a first birthday next week

{48/365} .....a new design for a first birthday next week
Originally uploaded by redmag

...OK new design is a bit of an exaggeration....it is a re-work of the trusty pattern that has been a koala, rabbit and a gnome in the past.......this time it's meant to be an eskimo.....what do you think? It's a bit wonky but not bad for my first attempt at using the dreaded fur and while i think i may now have fluff-lung.....it does feel lovely. The only thing I can't decide is whether to make him happy or cheeky...any thoughts?

One of the main reasons I've slowed/stopped making things to sell was that i didn't have the time or the drive to make anything for my family.....so 2010 is all about fixing that.....there have been lots of clothes sewn and knnitted already......but nothing big no major events to celebrate until now......the first birthday (both for this year and ever for the birthday boy) is next week and this is for him......
It feels good to shift things back into the right priority order.....

{40/365} An abondoned project discovered

{40/365} An abondoned project discovered
Originally uploaded by redmag

.....goodness....look what I found in a big plastic bag at the oppie....158 lovely little squares.....all for $7! ....as luck would have it ...I did have a granny square project on the list of things to do in 2010.....while this seems like cheating on the craft front....I wasn't going to anger the opshop Gods by leaving this one on the shelf..... ........oh well I'm Catholic....I'm terrific at burying irrational guilt ....especially the kind that comes from breaking silly self imposed rules about crafting.....and will surely get over it the moment the grand plan comes off!