Happy Easter!

 

 

 

 

He

changed my world.

 

 

naturally Carol xox



Rain Fruit!

 

hi there!

 

this year has been mostly very wet

and there are good things happening in the garden.

 

one of those good things

is that our washington navel orange tree

has tripled in size.

 

last year it gave us one beautifully juicy orange...

 

this year

{all being well!}

there will be three....

 

one

 

 



 

two

 

 

three!

 

even though they're green still

they're a decent size already.

 

the coffee bush

has grown too...

 

 



there are some other bunches of beans

but the camera missed them...

or maybe it was me!

 

mr w is looking forward

to making  his own coffee with these.

 

i've finished my friend's beanie

but i can't find my big needle to sew it up...

oh dear!

i'll have to go and look again!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Good Friday...

 

good afternoon...

 

one a penny

two a penny

hot cross buns!

 

home made hot cross buns!!

 

yesterday

mr w had the brilliant idea

of making his own hot cross buns for good friday.

 

we shopped for ingredients

&

this morning

as soon as the kitchen benches were clean

he amassed the ingredients

&

began his labour of love.

 

at 2pm we ate.

they may not look like bought ones

but sweet and spicey they were,

smelling slightly yeasty

and mmmmmm..mmm!  delicious...

 

spread with butter...meltingly...

 

bellissimo!

 

 

the other dozen and a half were eaten

by the time i thought about taking a photo..hehe!

 

aha!

 

but that's not all...

 

these are a healthier accompaniment

or alternative...

 

 

made with wholemeal spelt flour

they have a nuttier flavour.

 

dark chocolate pieces and craisins were studded through

&

they were meant to have chocolate crosses

but we ate them while they were hot and crossless..hehe!

 

an easy morning

a bit of a read through some canadian magazines miss b sent over for me...

a friend dropped in to share a cold drink..

still hot and humid...

the guys picked up a queen size mattress for mr m to sleep on

as he's been camping on the couch for a couple of months now...

washing hung out...

a shower of rain...

late lunch...

i think a bit of knitting is on the cards,

i've promised a policewoman friend a beanie like the other

but just a bit purpler and a bit longer,

for those cold winter night shifts.

 

have a good friday...really good!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 

 



Rainbow Ridge Beanie...

 

hello...

 

yesterday was a day full of stitches...

today, not a stitch has been knit

but as promised

i have a beanie to show you.

 

 

i loved knitting up this wool

'cos it was never the same blend of colour.

sometimes more solid

sometimes tweedy

but always an interesting and delectable colour combination,

carefully thought out.

 

 

 

it isn't the easiest yarn to knit.

it's very soft and very light

&

on 5.5mm needles, quite loosely woven.

 

 

 

the fibre itself is 50% wool and 50% acrylic

and is marketed 'splendour' by lincraft.

they recommend a cool machine wash

but it's probably just as easy to wash by hand.

 

 

 

although it looks baggy on ted

i think next time i'll add a bit more length

for more slouch.

 

this morning

going to church was the event of the morning...

this afternoon

i'm just about to get changed and go for a swim,

the heat and humidity

are at human melting point!

 

take care and have fun!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



Saturday's Stitches...

 

good afternoon...

 

i've had a quiet knitting day today.

i did intend to go to the shops

but then mr t ordered in a duck, blue cheese and bbq sauce pizza

for lunch...

so i didn't have to.

 

i finished off two little projects today...

 

 

as you probably know,

old queenslanders don't have a lot of built in storage

&

these boxes hold all kinds of odds and ends

and are stacked up against the wall in the sleepout.

 

miss flamingo

needs wire legs...

the others in her flock are out frolicking in the front garden

fading  'n' paler by the season

but she is pinkly preserved

&

made a great model for my skinny pink scarf.

 

 

 

 

this scarf was made for a friend's birthday...

next monday. 

 

 

i didn't expect to get this little hat finished

but it's a quick and easy knit...

 

 

 

 

i'll take a 'completed' pic for you to see next time!

 

 

 

a happy and relaxing weekend to all!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 

 



Skinny Scarf...

 

the early worker has departed...

so for the last time this week

it's another very early

 

good morning to all

from me!

 

yesterday,

on a whim

i bought some lincraft electra ruffle yarn...

 

 

the shop assistant

kindly showed me and my friend

how to knit it up...

 

it spreads apart from it's initial centimetre 'til its about ten wide.

along the opposite side to the silver thread

there are loops which you catch and 'knit' with.

 

this is done on six stitches

and you carry on until the whole ball is used

and it makes a decent length skinny scarf.

 

 

i've finished it now

and it's about a metre in length,

it's looking a bit more ruffly than these pictures

and is light and pretty.

 

i have two more colours to experiment with

and can't wait to start on the next today...

they take about an afternoon to knit up.

 

 

happy birthday mum...

this one's for you!

 

 

 

i hope you find something to learn

or make something pretty today...

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



While They Were Sleeping...

 

another very early 'good morning' to you!

 

this time mr m needed a lift to work

so i'm up early again.

 

the photos i showed you yesterday

were from the coast of taiwan

that we visited just over a year ago.

 

miss b will be there soon

and it brought back memories of our visit.

here are a couple more...

 

 

 

they are from the north western coastline,

the rock formations were unlike any i've seen

with their rounded tops.

 

the day we visited was wet and windy,

just like it has been here the last couple of days.

i love that kind of weather though,

it is invigorating to be out in,

dramatic and wild...

cool but not cold.

 

 

china

was just across the sea...not far at all.

 

it seems amazing to me

that a little baby will be born in taiwan

who will be a part of our family.

 

genetically coded to be one of us...

and yet belong to a country we hadn't known until recently.

the things life brings are incredible really,

things we never think of until they're reality.

wonderful!

 

funny,

the things you think of

early in the morning!

 

have a wonderful day...

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



Seizing the Moment...

 

good morning!

 

it's very early morning here.

 

 

 

every second week

mr m has to be at work by 4 a.m.

&

i find myself waking up at 3 or thereabouts

in sympathy.

 

mostly i just go back to sleep when his car drives off

but this morning i'm wide awake.

 

my mind was buzzing with some material

i'm teaching later this morning

&

i've just done some extra prep

that i was too tired to do last night.

 

 

 

the early hours of the morning

are like a bonus to the day.

they are good hours for thinking

when the house is quiet

&

a special kind of stillness pervades the neighbourhood.

even the birds are silent.

by the time they

start their morning chorus

i'll be back in bed

just catching a few extra zzzzz's

before getting up for real

this morning!

 

what opportunities

await you today i wonder?

 

seize the moment

&

live life to the fullest and a little differently....today!

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Blanket Finish!

 

good afternoon!

 

in a few short days

this little blankie

will be on it's way to taipei.

there is will await

the birth of a very precious baby in may.

 

 

i am thinking

that this fabric would make

great coordinated sheets.

 

 

i realise these aren't your typical baby boy colours

but my thinking is

that in a couple of years time

they will still be suitable to wrap him snuggly in a stroller

or cuddle with him on the couch.

 

 

 

colours of nature...

rock

lake

moss

lichen

earth

 

 

but

warmth and cuddliness

is what counts most!

 

 

now i'm thinking...

what next?

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



 



 

 



P.S...Blanket Update!

good afternoon!

 

i have just taken some more pics

of baby bean's blanket in progress.

i couldn't resist showing them to you

while they're fresh...

 

 

we love little 'bean already

so i just wanted him to know it.

 

 

four rows down,

fifty eight to go...

silver grey is the last stripe to finish.

 

 

give me a bit more knitting time

&

i'll post the results.

 

 

take care...see ya!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

pps...two posts in one day...unbelievable!

 



 

 

 



Suddenly!

good morning!

 

just popping in here

to wish you all a wonderful weekend...

 

&

 

 

to show you these...

 

 

the garden bed was dry

and there weren't even any weeds surviving....

 

 

well,
the rains came and

the weeds sprung up first...of course...

as weeds do

 

 

then all of a sudden

these popped up too.

 

 

 

of course
these aren't innocuous mushies
but
deadly toadstools
beautiful in form and colour only.

 

my baby blanket is growing

and i've added another colour.

i'll show it to you again really soon.

 

bye for now!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 



Blanket for Baby Bean!

good afternoon!

 

hehe! it's still raining here...

but we're down to a few stormy showers a day

instead of a constant deluge.

 

i am going to be a grandma soon,

around the end of may...

all being well.

 

it's a boy!

little bean.

 

it's been a good excuse for a browse in the baby section

at the department store

and i've been gathering a few tiny things in assorted sizes...

all very small.

 

i've also been knitting a 'purl bee' blanket...

 

 

 

 

i'm now just over half way through...

 

 

 

this is the easiest blanket i've ever seen...

120 stitches, garter stitch, one ball of yarn per stripe...8 ply, 4.00mm needles.

i've used acrylic 'cos when i had my first baby

i had knitted things in pure wool

quite a few bootees and jackets were rendered useless

as i shrunk them in the washing machine or dryer.

 

this blanket will happily be washed and dried without fear of shrinkage!

 

i have stalled on my scarf.

it's those pesky ends.

i really don't feel like sewing them in...

but i'm sure when the cold weather hits in a month or so

i will summon the required energy to do the job.

 

 

so much for stripes.

 

this week has been full of challenges...

cars breaking down

and misunderstandings.

 

but...

it's all turning out ok.

 

what's your week been like so far?

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 

 

 



Froggy Green!

 

hi there!

 

the big wet...

...is not over yet!

 

this little guy

came to say hello the other day.

mr t snapped him

as he climbed up the drain pipe outside.

 

i can hardly blame him for wanting to get out of the rain

for just a little while at least!

 

his mates are singing nightly in the gully,

making babies by the thousand, i suspect.

tiny froggies hiphop across carparks and gardens

smaller than crickets, they are.

 

the rain finally ceased today for a spell,

but there's more due tonight

&

we're in for another wet weekend.

 

every day for the last two weeks has been a day out somewhere...

i'm looking forward to some cosy days in.

summer is officially over...

welcome to autumn

with her crispy mornings and pretty leaves.

 

enjoy your weekend...

 

naturally Carol xox