Sunday, March 31, 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, March 29, 2013

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
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sunday, March 24, 2013

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, March 23, 2013

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
 
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, March 22, 2013

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
 
 


Thursday, March 21, 2013

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
 
 
 


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

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
 
 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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
 

 

 
 


Saturday, March 9, 2013

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
 
 
 
 


Thursday, March 7, 2013

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
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, March 1, 2013

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