Baby Afghan...finished!

 

good afternoon...

it's a rainy saturday afternoon here.

 

i didn't think it was going to be

'cos it was sunny and windy this morning...

an excellent day for drying

so i washed a few blankets and hung them out on the clothesline.

 

i had to quickly fetch them though

when the heavy grey clouds started to close in from the south.

 

i was up early this morning

tying in woolly threads

to finish my baby sized afghan.

 

 

 

i am pleased with it

&

feel happy to give it to my friend

for her grandbaby.

 

 

 

 

this is about the limit of my ability in crocheting...

especially at a moment's notice

but another friend who popped in this afternoon

has a book of 101 crochet stitches to lend me

so hopefully i can learn a bit more.

 

 

 

 

the rest of the day

was filled with another knitting start

 

 

 

&

fetching a few groceries.

our diet has been woeful in the last week or so...

filled with quick meals

and hardly a green leaf in sight.

it was time to rectify this awful situation

&

get a variety of salad veges,

some lovely olives and other seasonal goodies.

 

do you ever go through periods

where laziness prevails and the dinner table suffers?

{or is it just me?}

 

oh, well...cheers to you my good friends...

you are an inspiration to me!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



Baby Afghan...WIP

 

have a great weekend everybody!

 

 

i have been madly crocheting this afghan

in all my 'spare' minutes this week...

the baby girl is due any time now...

{no..it's not our baby bean!}

 

 

 

 

 

her grandma requested this

only last sunday,

so there isn't much time!

 

 

 

 

 

i keep my wool from running around

by putting it in a paint tin...

what do you do?

 

 

happy creating!

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 



One for the Girls...

 

hello!

 

the week's rolling on

&

already it's tuesday.

it seems to me that with the cooler days

the pace of working days heats up!

 

no longer do we have the laid back days of summer warmth...

that slowed down holiday atmosphere

that permeates through til march around here.

 

 

 

i started my winter preparations early

with knitting scarves and beanies.

lately i've been practising baby boy beanies

but i've been eyeing off those sweet pink yarns as well.

 

i said 'Lord, please send me a few baby girls to knit for too!'

...and He did.

 

 

 

last weekend

i was at the local shopping centre enjoying a cappucino

and along came a friend

with her daughter and granddaughter in tow.

 

miss emma is 8 months old.

i asked whether i could knit her a beanie

and she agreed to let me.

 

 

 

i've knitted her two.

i hope they fit....or i'll just have to practise some more..hehe!

 

by the way this pattern is called 'spicchi'

by barbara aroldi

&

is available on ravelry...size 40cm head.

{free download}

 

i have added a bit more width and height on this one for a slightly bigger head.

 

 

i must say

i'm having fun with pink...

i'll show you more next time.

 

hoping your tuesday is terrific too...

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 

 



The Pink Pompom Tree!

 

{wordless wednesday}

the pink pompom tree & the bee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

today

let's sit under the pompom tree...

me, you & she

that makes three.

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox


p.s...linking in with {wordless wednesday}australia at 'my little drummer boys' with trish!

 

 

 

 



Little Jilly Bag!

 

 

hi there!

 

i was thinking of all those who've entered my giveaway yesterday

who have more than one little girl needing a bag...

 

so i set out to make another one just in case it's needed
or
it could be second prize.

 

weeeell a funny thing happened...

catastrophic at the time really.

 

i was busy cutting out the red spotty lining

then cut out the little squares at the bottom edges so that it has a base...

then

oh, no!

i realised i'd cut them out at the top not the bottom...aaarrrahagggg!

 

but then not only did i make one mistake...hehe

but another..

i was measuring the amount needing to be taken off the other side of the bag

&

whooops!

i took off a full half inch more on that side.

 

well i evened it up...

&

it became shorter,

but sweeter i think!

 

talk about making strawberry jam out of squished strawberries..hehe!

 

i've also made the front pocket wider...

so i thought it needed a completely new name

so it's my "little jilly bag".

 

if you want to enter the giveaway...

just comment on the previous post.

it's still going 'til sunday night.

 

haveagoodweekend!

 

naturally Carol xox

 

p.s...mr t took this gorgeous photo for me...you can see the budding jacaranda tree and a brewing storm in the background.

 

 



Giveaway Very Pink Petite Tote!

good news!

a giveaway!

 

i've made another petite ..very pink...tote

just for one of your little girls,

probably best suited for 2-7 year olds,

but younger ones will grow into it soon enough....

 

 

&

i'm giving it away

to one of my followers!

 

so anybody who follows 'naturally carol' will be eligible,

just leave a comment here..on this post
by the end of sunday...aest..queensland time,

&

the winner will be posted here

on monday, 24 september.

 

my decision will be unequivocally indisputable..hehe!!!!

{which means that my decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into!}

 

 

so if you have any little pinkophiles in your life

i know they'd love a petite tote

to help you with shopping...

guaranteed to fit at least a few sweet surprises inside

&

 has two outside pockets

just waiting for a petite purse or tissue

...perfect for tiny hands to hide tiny treasures in too.

 

 

feel free to become a follower

&

if you have a good reason not to

i'll accept that too!

 

oh..and by the way

everybody..aussie and international followers are welcome to enter,

i will send it 'round the globe for you...

 

hoping you're all feeling terrific this thursday!

 

 

naturally Carol xox


p.s ...i've just linked in with mycreativespace..hop over there for some scrummy creativity.

 

 

 





 

 



Hot Pink!

 good afternoon

on this quiet monday...

 

mr w left this morning

to go back to work,

up north again,

won't see him for at least a fortnight...

{talk daily though}

 

mr m

who was here just for the weekend

went back to brisbane shortly after.

 

it's quiet here

&

there are empty spots where their bags and clothes were,

where computers and phones abounded...

where shoes were abandoned.

 

mr w was here for a full ten days

i'd gotten used to having him around...

feeling married again!

 

it's a monday of adjustment around here.

 

on a brighter note...

 

 

 

made this.

still the jane market bag...

just jazzed up the colour a bit

&

relaxed the pattern a tad.

 

bring on summer i say!

 

how is it at your place today?

 

 

 

naturally Carol xox

 

 



Pretty Special!

hi..

i can't believe it's already friday!

i don't really know what has happened to this week

it' just flown by...

and here we are at the end of it

again!

i started the week off with a few dreamy blues

well,

i'm ending it in the pink

with two pretty special fabrics

which were whispering in my ear...

make me into very cute cushions

for a girl somewhere.

having ignored them for a few weeks,

wanting to savour this fabric and it's sweetness first,

i could put them off no longer

&

got out my ricrac to match

&

a length of pink bobbley bits

and sewed them all into these...

these cute little vespas

are already to go...

vroom, vrooming in amongst the pink polka dots

big and small

orange and pink...

sewing in the bobbles

all the way around was a bit tricky...

but lots of fun

&

i just love sewing anything pink

which i think goes back to having four boys

and being surrounding by blue,

with only one daughter,

who, of course, i couldn't make wear pink all the time..could i?

she tells me now

she didn't really like her pink painted room...

but i must say i did

and she didn't say very much at the time.

oh, that's right...

i painted it when she was away on holiday!

{i must have been a bad, bad mum!!}

i hope she doesn't feel scarred for life

by pinkness.

although i am absolutely certain

she'd love these cushions

and the vespas and spots, ricrac and bobbley deliciousness...

aren't you?

i hope you have much deliciousness

planned for your weekend...

and knowing there'll be blue skies here

helps a lot!

naturally Carol xox

In the Pink!

good evening!

i know this isn't my usual blogging time...

at least not usually the time i write posts anyway,

but my mind just wasn't in the right space to write earlier...

too much going on around me!

my little 'madeit shop' needs some new covers

&

lately i've made some things for me and my sister

but not for the shop.

these two will spruce things up

and add a splash of pink spring fun to any space!

by the time i fiddled around and got them made

the light was beginning to fade.

so i took them outside to get the last of the sunlight

and found a lovely flat rock to sit them on beside the fence.

i love this one particularly

'cos i started off by making a mistake

and put buttonholes on the large square of fabric

that was originally the front.

i didn't realise it til i'd joined the two pieces together

and they were nearly the same size!

anyway i had one scrap left over

and ended up joining them near the base of the cushion

with the last of my white bobbles in between.

funny thing is ...

it's now my favourite of the two

as i love the way the bobbles just sit perfectly on the bottom

echoing the top beautifully!

some mistakes were just meant to be made...

next time i'll do that manouvre purposefully..hehe!

this one's teamed with black

a smart look...

with clear buttons.

a pair of cushions for a bunch of pink fun...

wouldn't they be great teamed with lots of white

on a lovely front porch

or taken outside on a warm day

for a relaxed and comfy picnic

or a reading session on soft grass...

well at this stage with my grass growing at enormous speed,

with a little bit of spring sunshine and a few spring showers,

i think i may get lost out the back if i lie down in it!

just as well mr w is coming home this weekend...

we'll trade him some belated father's day pressies

for some lawn mowing skills!

you'll find some more creativity

over at 'ourcreativespaces' with kootoyoo.

whooppeee..it's almost friday!

have a wonderful weekend too, everybody...

naturally Carol xox

Sweet Caroline!

hi ! good afternoon!

monday...and off running..no not literally..sorry cate!

this morning i visited with some georgeous girls doing a course locally,

called 'way to go', coordinated by the local women's health centre.

i was just there to encourage them...

for twelve weeks last year...feb to april...4 days a week..

a group of us got to know each other really well

and some wonderful women...ruth, jo, and anna,

 helped us to open up our lives.

 We confronted fear and sometimes pride,

getting to know ourselves better in a safe and affirmative environment.

i took along my 'meadowsweet' apron, my crocheted cushion,

my new, new york cushions and the 'mushroom cushions' i haven't shown you yet...

and

guess what..they liked them.

i hope it will inspire somebody to have a go...at anything they want to!

speaking of cushions...

this sweetie was made by caroline,

of http://www.ateliercaroline.blogspot.com/.

the sweetest of tiny rosebuds..a lovely textured fabric...

i hope you go and discover her blog...

caroline sews beautifully.

this amazing rose is totally handmade by caroline...

doesn't it just 'make' the cushion.

the dreamy spotted pink on the back,

tomorrow i'll show you what other covers she sent me...

it's just that they deserve a post of their own!

now...after my fun morning...

i think i'm just ready to take my time...

choose some more fabric from my little box

and cut out a few more covers for theodore.

i can see the light at the end of the tunnel now..

with this project,

so on with a quiet, contemplative afternoon!

'til tomorrow...

naturally Carol xox

A Pink Parcel!

good morning all!
i'm joining in with 'my creative space'..at kootoyoo this morning...

before christmas,

i put my name down with maree from 'on my verandah'

to take part in my very first swap ever.

{thanks maree for organising this...they don't happen by themselves!}

it was a 'colour swap'.

the colour i chose was 'pink'!

the partner i had wanted 'red'

so i put together some red stuff and sent it away

i had to get some red thread

a fat quarter in red

a red treat

and include something pretty that was red...

that was a lot of fun

anyway

melody sent me some pink stuff...

that's the lovely 'dog' card..and you know i love dogs...

thanks melody..very thoughtful,

my georgeous variegated pink embroidery thread..

haha! i was just thinking of buying more variegated thread..

so it's just what i wanted.

the very pretty fat quarter is what i've used as a background

...a 'table cloth' to put everything on to show you all.

i was showing off to my brother on the weekend

and he wanted a piece of the coconut ice that melody sent

so that was opened immediately

and we all scoffed it for morning tea! yum!

there was also a pink packet of 'droste' chocolate pastilles

and

cute hot pink foil wrapped chocolate hearts

...talk about spoiled!

do you see that beautiful rosy magnet there,

that cute pencil

and a little package wrapped in clear cellophane

with soap and a tube of hand cream..wow..

and the pink ribbon she wrapped the parcel with?

but i haven't even got to the best part yet...

i reckon the very best of all

was that she made that amazing mug rug

and dilly bag

that i will be able to keep forever!

i just love the fabrics she's used in them too.

so

thank you melody,

what a treat!

i hope someone has treated you too today...

naturally Carol xox

Le Petit Bunting Giveaway Winners!

good morning!

i have filled my bowl with

origami doves!

there is one dove for every entry...

so if you entered a comment about the bunting you got a dove

and

if you were a follower/friend as well,

you got two doves!

i then took a long pair of tongs

and stirred them up

and the first dove i pulled out was

NO. 14

the first winner is:

trish at 'my little drummer boys'

congratulations trish

the second dove i pulled out with my tongs was

NO. 31

the second winner is:

gwen at 'gwenny-penny'

congratulations gwen

and

i have made an extra present for these winners

as

i figured the bunting would more than likely

feature in a kids room

i made the mums both a 'pink flower sugar' apron

these will be put in the mail with the bunting!

 



and

i decided there would be a 'runner up' as well

the next dove my tongs connected with was

NO 23

congratulations to

joni illanora at 'the diary of joni & anya'

she will receive a little cushion

with a frill...

i will contact you all asap

and ask that you email me with your names and addresses

so i can send you your goodies!

my commiserations

to everyone else who entered...

i appreciated your encouraging comments

and would have loved to see you all win...

maybe next time!

naturally Carol xox

Pink Flower Sugar, Pretty Please!

i can just imagine

afternoon tea

served out under a summer tree,

with pink iced fairy cakes

on a patterned plate...

pink and white marshmallows

tumbled into a chrystal bowl...

 sparkling white sugar cubes

gently lifted with shining silver tongs,

plopping gently into caramel coloured tea...

emerald green grass

studded with small yellow centred daisies,

fluffy white clouds

drifting across a blue blue sky...

a pink flower sugar apron

freshly ironed,

showing off it's pretty polka dotted pinkness...

miss chair

will have to do...

as alas, there are no suitable models available

since sharrie left last week.

have a pretty fantastic wednesday...

naturally Carol  xox