Mama sewing

So I made myself a top. I can't tell you how exciting that is!

I love peasant tops. They're loose where they need to be and fitted where they need to be. I think the only thing more exciting than having made myself a top, which fits perfectly, and is very 'me', is that I bought this sheet from an op-shop for $3. I heart op-shopping.

My mother-in-law once told me if you find a pattern that works well, make one in every colour. I think this pattern is that. I am about to cut a few more out. It's cool and drizzling here. My husband has taken over the kitchen and the kids are playing with the train set. Perfect time to sew!

The cooler weather and our planned Easter camping trip to a cold place had me sew a hoodie for Mr 4. Not a blue one, not a mini-man one, not a commericialised one that would have my son looking like walking advertising, just a nice hoodie for a 4 year old boy. I also picked this sweatshirt fabric and the ribbing up from an op-shop many moons ago. They go perfectly and have resulted in a hoodie that my boy is happy to wear anywhere.

Lastly, a quick knit just off the needles for Ms 6.5 months. A simple yoke neck cardi with ribbing. Super easy, super stretchy and super cheap when using $2 clearance wool from Spotlight. Buttons from the op-shop too. Oh and how cute is she sitting up! Love <3

An Etsy treasury

I've been featured in another Etsy treasury! This one is themed 'chocolate' and I'm delighted to be included in such a lovely Eastery treasury!

Ask and you shall receive...

So many op-shopping bloggers have used this post title! Now it's my turn! I have a lovely shrug pattern sitting here waiting to be knit, copious amounts of divine yarns to choose from, but not the right needles. After kindy drop off today, I ducked in to one of my usual op-shops to have a ferret around in the hope of finding 3.75mm needles. I pretty much only knit on circulars, even if knitting flat, so I was thrilled to find circular 3.75mm needles! Hooray! I picked up some lovely things while I was there.

My op-shop loot from today; a gorgeous big basket, a new bag, two sewing patterns, knitting needles, kids knit poncho and a knit cardi for one of Ms 2's dolls.

I picked up these two patterns for 50c each. They are my style of clothing and I can't wait to find the time to get stuck into them. I actually have a top my mum bought me from Colorado that I had been trying to work out how to replicate because I wear it everywhere, and it's identical to one of these! Hooray!

I have been getting stuck into kids winter knitting and intend to make just about all my childrens' winter knits, but when I see a super cute kids knitted poncho like this, for $4, I can't pass it up! Fits Ms 6 months perfectly. Hooray!

I picked up this brand new Sportsgirl bag for myself. It's a real mummy bag- you know the one- a big bag you can stuff heaps into with pockets everywhere for the millions of things you need to take with you everywhere you go. Brand new faux leather, in a gorgeous green, hooray! And I got something for me! Double hooray!

Sunday market

I had my usual stall at the Village Life market at Northey Street City Farm on Sunday, along side Fauve Fibres and Dash Robin. And as usual, it was a lovely morning sitting around chatting to beautiful people; catching up with friends and making new ones. I only had Ms 5 months with me and many willing arms to hold her so she was content and so was I. I came home with two new books and a pile of gorgeous yarn. See!

The kids book is a beautiful book about babywearing across different cultures. We're a big babywearing family. Our 4 year old is still back carried at times and our 5 month old just about lives in a carrier, like her siblings did at her age. It's a really lovely book, I'm so glad to be teaching my children about connection and attachment whilst living in a society that models disconnection and violence so well.

The second book is an early 90's baby craft book. It's got some outrageously ugly patterns in it, but it has some very sweet toy and bag patterns as well! Oh and it was free, who can argue with that.

These yarns are all Sally from Fauve Fibres dyeing creations. 50g 8 ply pure wool, 140g 10ply cotton and 200g 10 ply pure wool. I wound the aqua-purple skein last night, intending to make something for winter for Ms 2. The colours are incredible.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

An Etsy treasury

I've been featured in an Etsy treasury! Well, not me, but one of my peacock coloured vintage tops. Very exciting! Have a look...

horse pj's

My son loves horses. He lives and breathes them. He has been riding since he was 3 after a year of searching madly for a school that would let him start as early as possible. He has an entire farm set up in his room, devoted to horses. We thought it was a phase when his love for horses began, somewhere between 12-18m, but at 4 years and 3 months, he is completely and utterly devoted to horses. It's lovely!

I used to ride when I was younger and his passion for horses has reignited mine. I've promised him when he turns 10 we'll go in an endurance ride together. In our town, there are often international endurance rides on, and I always take the kids down to walk around and soak in the beauty of horses. Miss 2 seems to be picking up an interest in horses as well. She tells me when she turns 3 she's going to start horse riding and she's going to come on endurance rides with us.

So what do you make for a boy completely and utterly in love with horses? Horse pj's, so when he's tucked up in bed, no doubt dreaming of all things horsey, he can be wearing them as well! I love my boy :)

Etsy stocked!

I've just loaded some winter lovelies to my Etsy shop. Some fun and original kids clothes to keep your little ones warm with the cooler weather that's headed our way. I kinda like having my kids in upcycled clothes. There's a lot to be said for preloved and repurposed clothes keeping them warm as they play outside. But that's just me :)

g r e e n i e

The only craft I seem to be doing at the moment is knitting. I guess that's because I usually have a sleeping baby on my back and I've got to pace the hallway, or I'm out and about so much that I stuff my knitting into my bag as I'm heading out the door. I'm not complaining, I'm really enjoying putting a huge dint in my wool stash :) Means I can replenish it at some point! I recently finished this soaker for Miss 5 months.

I just adore it. It's 100% organic merino. I don't think I've felt a softer yarn. It is butter soft and oh so divine on the skin. The colourway is Let Us Eat Lettuce and the base is Pandora, from Jolly Jumbuck. I have a few more colourways on this base and am madly searching Ravelry for ideas! I thought the leaf ends went perfectly with this colourway. This Vanilla soaker is completely seamless and a very quick knit.

More knits

Two posts in one night, that's unheard of! Just getting round to taking some photos of a jumper I made Mr 4 for his birthday. I love it!

This soaker skirty for Miss 4 months is just off the needles.

My knitting bag is so full it is ready to explode. I'm making dresses, soakers, jumpers, vests and cardi's. I'm getting in early this year so I don't get caught out by cold weather and have to buy my children winter woolies!

yarnie

Today was one of those days where Miss 4 months wouldn't sleep anywhere but on me. So into the Yamo she went, on my back, and I dragged my yarn boxes out to do some winding. It's the one thing I can do happily for hours with a sleeping baby on my back. Mr 4 and Miss 2 were straight over. As usual. Mr 4 is always so eager to try whatever it is that I'm doing, so I showed him how to use the ball winder. I held the yarn for him as I don't have a swift and to my surprise, he wound a pretty decent ball! It's a bit loose, but easily knitable!

Then he wanted to try being the swift for me so I could wind the remaining skeins quickly and make lunch, and again, he held the skein up perfectly and even had the wrist flicks down pat! Anyone who has ever had the joy of hand winding a centre pull ball knows what I mean!

How gorgeous are these two skeins? The rainbow is my kind of rainbow. Bright and fun! The second one is such a stunning metallic shimmer, it's just beautiful. They're both 12ply WOOT, and they're from Fauve Fibres. Love.

I've got some lovely hand painted yarn that I'm going to make into a pair of shorties for Miss 4 months but I needed a co-ordinating colour for the waistband and leg cuffs because I won't have enough of the variegated yarn on its own. So out came the dye pot, the vinegar and food dye. And my audience :)

So all in all we had a wonderful day. Miss 4 months slept for hours, Mr 4 and Miss 2 were busy and happy and I got to dye some wool and cake loads of wool!

Winter knits

I've started this winters knits for my children. I finished this lovely handspun pinafore for Miss 2.

The purple trim is the divine WOOLganics and the gorgeous handspun is from Fauve Fibres. I'll be at the Northey Street markets this Sunday, alongside Fauve Fibres and many other creative souls. Looking forward to a day of great company, great atmosphere and great food!

Bedding to bedding

I finally did some sewing last night, after blogging yesterday about having to find time to sew! I used one of my op-shop finds from yesterday as well. A lovely single bed cotton fitted sheet that had no elastic left in it. It cost me $2. I turned it into a pair of cotton summer pj's for Miss 2, and have plenty left over. I heart op-shopping. And Miss 2 hearts her new pj's.

So single bed sheet to pyjamas. Easy peasy.

Op-shop bargains

I went op-shopping with my 3 kiddies today. Check out my bargains!

Op-shop number 1

One of my favourite op-shops, with very low prices and a real mix of everything.

Honourable mentions go to the huge funky dinner plates with red circles round the edge for 50c each, the pink cotton single bed fitted sheet with no elastic that is going to be recycled into a pair of pj's for my daughter for $2, two complete puzzles which will keep my son amused for hours for $5, and a set of gorgeous vintage duck plates for 50c each.

Op-shop number 2

The closest op-shop to me, and it's a super centre. It's HUGE! The kids always head straight to the toys to play and I get to browse around and ferret through everything.

Honourable mentions go to the funky orangey yellow corduroy I found in the fabric pile for $1.50 and the vintage floral woven cotton that seems to match perfectly for $2, a pair of well loved girls Birki's for $6, and a gorgeous handmade dress for $2.

Miss 2 modelling her new dress!

So, as usual, I picked up some lovely fabrics and have wonderful ideas for them.... now just to find the time to make them! 

2 months?!

Has it really been 2 months since my last post? Really? Gosh, where has the time gone?! I might do a quick recap of the last 2 months to fill in the gaps then. What has happened to me in last two months? Well...

I turned 30!

My MIL bought me a brand new fancy pants sewing machine which I pick up in a few weeks, and my family got me this...

... a Nikon D3100! I've always loved photography so my new digital SLR is a much wanted and longed for gift. I'm off on a short course next weekend to learn how to use it properly.

We had Christmas.

I think the biggest surprise for me was my husband buying me this...

... a wool winder! He found the Tangled Yarns shop location online and went in himself and bought it, all without me knowing. He's definitely a keeper! I've had loads of fun winding wool. Loads!

Hmm, what else has happened?

We got a four year old on Boxing Day :)

We got piggy tails!

We went from counting Anya's age in weeks to months!

Otherwise, I guess the biggest thing that has happend is lots and lots of rain! All the river crossings around us are in flood, and for a waterway ecologist like me, there is little more beauty than to drive around and admire all the swollen rivers, inundated floodplains and active birdlife. Except maybe birthing a baby into your husbands hands by candle light at 2am in your own house, surrounded by family and powerful women.

So what's in store for us this year?

We're off to Ballina for our annual Australia Day holiday with the in laws, Mr 4 is off to kindy, we've sworn to do a handmade pledge cross consumption rebellion type challenge and only make or buy our clothes secondhand, loads more revegetation on our block, attending markets regularly and making the most of long weekends and holidays by doing as much camping as possible!