Sunday.

It's raining here, which feels like nothing short of a miracle. It's Sunday, and despite the rain, balmy and warm, which is cause for celebration in itself....

The windows have been flung open, the house has been tidied in a rudimentary manner, The Man is off to see his kids for the day, and I am Making Things.

I have dye pots on the stove:



Some nongs waiting for faces and outfits:



Some yarn on the winder:



waiting its turn to be knit:



I'm even wearing a apron, for christsakes!

It's been so long since I had a full day - a day of making and pottering and listening to new albums, and flitting from one project to the next...

So today, I plan to get some custom orders out the door, and some things finished for myself. Small goals, but worthy ones. Hell, I may even manage to cook something.

Happy Sunday, dears.

xxxx

And the winner is......

*edited to say - I've fixed the Madelinetosh link - sorry!*

Wow - 148 comments!

I want to say a big thank you to everyone to stopped by to congratulate me on my three years of blogging. The comments are the best part, no? I love hearing from all you people - whether you live just up the road or a thousand miles away. The internet makes the rest of the world so accessible, and I find it comforting to know that even though we are all so far away, we can gather on one small page in all the internets, and have an impromptu party....

And without further ado, my friend the Random Number Generator has chosen My Open Roads as the winner!

I wish I had enough yarn to send you all a skein, and hopefully one day I'll be able to dye enough to make that possible! In the meantime though, please keep dropping by, my beautiful friends, it's lovely to see you....

Leah xx

And because no post is complete without a picture, my birthday present to myself arrived this morning, a day early:



It's Madelinetosh Vintage in Turquoise - gorgeous, right? Now I just have to figure out what to knit with it!

Three Years.

It's hard to believe that it's been that long since I started blogging.....

I remember when I first started, and hearing about other bloggers celebrating the two or three or even five year anniversaries, and thinking it was such a good milestone - to be creative, and share your creations for such a long time.....

I know I'm not around these parts as much as I used to be - full time work has taken care of that, but this space still serves the purpose I set it up to be. A space for documenting the things I have made, my learning process, sharing information with other makers of all persuasions, and involving myself in a community that has provided me with so much.

Through this space I have gone from being a scrappy, irrereverent maker of random things, to an educated, considered crafter in my own right. I've learnt skills that were in serious risk of dying out altogether, and in doing so, I have forged a deep connection with the art of taking something raw, and with two hands and two sticks, or a needle and thread, or a pair of scissors, turning that raw thing into something practical and beautiful.



What a pleasure it's been.



So in return, I offer up a gift to my fellow crafty mavens - a kit with all the ingredients to knit a pair of socks, to keep your toes warm and your hands busy......



There's a skein of my own hand dyed sock yarn in 'Amelia Earhart' - a bright turquoise blue overdyed in shades of black, plus a set of two circular needles in the right size for socks, as well as a set of stitch markers made by my beautiful friend Anneli, whose markers can't be beat.....

So friends, all you have to do is leave a comment, and I'll pick a name out of the hat in a few days or so.......

Thanks so much for sharing the last three years with me, and here's to the next three - hopefully I'll have my own yarn shop by then, and you can all drop by for supplies!

Cheers,

Leah xxx

*by the way - you're not beholden to knit socks, by any means - make whatever you like!!*

Road Trip.

I've just returned from the Port Fairy Folk Festival in Victoria - the phone died along the way, but the photos I did take are below:



I'm loving my new iPhone app - Hipstamatic - it takes photos like a little old plastic camera. Lots of fun!

I have other exploits to share - namely a thigh high sock and a steeking tutorial, but I'm still on holidays, so forgive me for faffing about a little longer.....


xxx


ps: it's my three-year blog birthday soon - maybe a giveaway is in order?