Country Hospitality

It was very opportune for me that the Kureelpa Spinners’ Friendship Day was held today while I’m still on holidays at Noosaville. Kureelpa is a rural/residential area six km west of Nambour on the road to Mapleton in the Blackall Range. It is thought that the name derives from an Aboriginal expression describing a native rat or mouse.

When I think of a country town two things immediately come to mind and that’s hospitality and community-minded and today’s Friendship Day had those in abundance.

A number of traders had their tables of wares set up to tempt us.

Barbara was there with her collection of Weave-It looms and pattern books. Needless to say, I own most of these 🙂

One thing that did catch my eye was this very interesting spinning wheel made from a bicycle!!

Have a look at that treadle. It’s the best use of an ironing board I’ve ever seen!

I wonder what makes someone wake up one day and decide to make a spinning wheel from a bicycle 🙂

We were plied with copious amounts of food consisting of cakes, biscuits and slices followed by hot soup and sandwiches for lunch and lots of tea and coffee.

A display of members’ handmade garments was presented and there were some amazing garments to be viewed.

One of the most prolific knitters was a gentleman in the group whose knitting was stunning. Amongst other things, he made this blue jumper.

We spent a bit of time just chatting and crafting. I brought this Melissa scarf I’d started a week or so ago. It’s an easy garter knit so is an ideal project to work on when there’s a lot of talking happening. The wool is Bendigo Woollen Mills’ sock yarn which I solar dyed using Queen food colours.

And these two little sheep just jumped into my bag 🙂 How could I resist them at only $5 each?

As we left I took some photos of the beautiful mountain scenery.

Thank you Kureelpa Spinners for such a wonderful day. The best part is I’ll be seeing a couple of the women tomorrow at Pomona when I meet with the local spinners and knitters for another session 🙂

Until next time…

Melanie

Holidays!

It’s that time of the year when I gather lots of knitting projects, pack my car and drive to the beautiful seaside town of Noosaville located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The only downside is that most retirees from the southern states do the same thing to escape their bitterly cold winters to enjoy our balmy winter days.

It’s practically my second home and I love grabbing my chair and knitting and then stroll to my usual spot and gaze at this tranquil view for a few hours.

I have started knitting another Pebble Beach Shawl although this one will be the small size as opposed to the large one I made a while ago.

I’ve only given you a glimpse of the shawl; more will be revealed once I’ve finished it 🙂

I was going to bring along a spinning wheel but at the last moment changed my mind and brought along my Weave-It looms which I bought this year. I haven’t used them much so I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to practise some more.

This particular Weave-It is a 6″ stretch loom and is perfect for weaving handspun yarn, 12ply yarn or in this case, mohair yarn.

Not long ago I found this absolutely gorgeous baby garment pattern on Ravelry called Watermelon Baby Cardigan. It is a quick knit and looks adorable.

This is what I call addictive knitting; something quick, colourful and so pretty.

My internet connection here is soooo slow so I’m not sure how many posts I’ll be able to release as I don’t want to spend all my holiday time on the laptop!

So I’ll leave it there and get back to some knitting!

Until next time.

Melanie

New Zealand Sheep Haul!

Let me first say how saddened I was to hear of the earthquakes in New Zealand this month. They occurred days after I returned home from a wonderful 14 day cruise around that beautiful country. I do wish everyone in those affected areas all the best Aussie luck I can send Please be safe!

Although my holiday was mainly a cruise, we did stop at six lovely cities and towns so of course, I managed to add to my collection of all things sheep!

This little alpaca caught my eye and he’s the first alpaca in my collection 🙂

And my first brown sheep!
Who could resist that cute face 🙂
Another apron to add to my collection.
I haven’t done any cross stitch for eons so I’m going to have to start so I can complete these cute little bookmarks.
These cute plastic cups couldn’t be left behind!
And of course, I had to add to my sheep mug collection 🙂

This one is quite unusual.

This little quartet of sheep is quite unusual and quite small so it was easy to pack (and buy!)
A rather unusual vinyl holdall with a zip top.
I found these microwave/oven mitts at a market in The Octagon in Dunedin.
Salt and pepper shakers!

A little All Blacks supporter 🙂
I picked up these salt and pepper shakers in a one day sale on board the Sea Princess. They were the only ones there so I literally grabbed them!
Sheep paper serviettes…..who’d have thought!!
As if I need more socks!
More goodies from the market in The Octagon in Dunedin.
I use these hanging hand towels in the kitchen every day!
Lots of souvenirs, some of which I kept and some were given to friends.


I now have a huge collection of sheep tea towels.
I’d love to make some project bags but I’m not the best at sewing.
There was such a huge variety to select from.

This one matches my new apron.


Didn’t I get a great selection?

And this is how I felt after each day’s shopping 🙂
The scary thing is this isn’t all I bought. There are more mugs and bits and pieces which I haven’t gotten around to photographing but the good news is that I’ve just about found a home for everything 🙂

I think I need to ease up on sheep stuff for a while by keeping away from the second hand shops I normally visit.

I wonder how long those good intentions will last 🙂

Until next time…

Melanie

Holiday Opp Shopping!

Who’d have thought I’d go on holidays and manage to discover a whole lot of Opp shops in the area! I visited my sister in Mooloolaba and on the way home I stopped at Maroochydore as I’d discovered there’s a long stretch of Opp shops along Aerodrome Road. I cleaned them out of toy sheep!

This magnificent ram looks brand new and was only $4.50!

These four sheep were discovered in Noosaville.

And I found this little one in the Noosaville newsagent.

Wow! where am I going to put them all when I get home???

And of course I also managed to pick up these four sheep mugs all at the same Opp shop in Tewantin.

And this one from Maroochydore.

Plus these two little knick knacks. I think this little sheep would have resided in the kitchen with maybe some utensil resting in that hole??

Not sure what this little egg cup shape item would be used for but it looks cute 🙂

I also visited the Eumundi Markets last Wednesday, which is a must for anyone visiting the area and found a stall filled with bags. There were hundreds of them. I asked the owner if he had any sheep bags and this is what I left with.

It’s rather large and made from vinyl so is water repellent to a certain degree. I was quite exhausted after this purchase so I grabbed a coffee and a couple of sinful jam donuts 🙂

And totally not related to sheep, I picked up these two pairs of shoes. I have more of these at home in different colours so I was really happy to pick up these ones. They are so comfy!

I’ve also been doing lots of knitting but for some reason I’m stuck on knitting fingerless mitts and haven’t touched any other projects. I’m also thinking about selling some of my knits through my MelsNattyKnits Facebook page. Once I’m home I’ll start sorting out what to sell.

I’ll leave you with a couple of my everyday views at Noosaville.

Until next time…

Melanie

Knitting News from Noosaville

I’m now enjoying my fourth day of holidays and you could say I am completely relaxed. That’s what Noosaville is all about: relaxation, no stress, slow living, doing what I feel like and when I want to, knitting, walking, drinking coffee, meeting friends, eating lots and just being happy!

How can you not be happy when this is your view every day?

I arrived on the Saturday around lunch time and was lucky to get the keys to my unit straight away so I unloaded my car and then headed off to the grocery store to stock up for the next week or so.

On Sunday, I met some friends for a coffee and lunch and then met some more friends along the banks of the Noosa River. It was so enjoyable chatting and having a drink of wine. On the way home to my unit I spotted this lone pelican on the river.

Yesterday, I did a bit of walking around to combat all the food I’ve already started eating!!

Today I spent about four hours sitting on the banks of the river reading and knitting. It was forecast to be a warmer day today despite the fact we’re in the middle of winter. However, under the shade of the tree I was sitting under it was quite cool and there was a strong breeze. Luckily I had brought a poncho with me so I was quite toasty and warm 🙂

And then I took a walk along the esplanade and had a coffee and read some more 🙂 I’m reading Linwood Barclay‘s latest novel ‘Far From True’. He’s one of my favourite authors.

Since I’ve been here I’ve made a pair of fingerless mitts.

And this morning I completed the first in another pair!

I’ll give you more details in a later post. Suffice to say, I made my first pair of fingerless mitts about three weeks ago and since then I’ve completed about 10 pairs!!

Tomorrow I am off to meet with some of the spinners and knitters at Pomona which I am looking forward to.

Until next time…

Melanie

A Mini Getaway

I’ve just come home from a four day mini getaway in the Redcliffe area which is north of Brisbane.  Last Monday and Tuesday I attended beginner/advanced weaving workshops where I learned quite a few new techniques so I can now add a bit more interest to my weaving projects. If you live in the Brisbane area, I would highly recommended these workshops. Lindy is an Ashford agent and knows all about spinning, weaving, knitting and a multitude of other crafts. She holds these workshops regularly so you can send her an email to book a spot.

We each made a sampler over the two days which displayed all the different techniques.

Not the best colours to mix and match but as it’s just a sampler and not for wearing I am happy with the results 🙂

As an aside, my son visited me last weekend and I showed him some of my woven scarves when he asked whether I could make a man’s one for him. Now, that was the last thing I’d expected to come out of his mouth. I just didn’t think he’d want to wear a scarf. So I said to him ‘what about this grey one with the black stripe’ and he immediately put it on and claimed it. I gave him strict instructions about hand washing the scarf too 🙂

I stayed in a motel in Margate for the three nights and had a wonderful time walking along the waterfront from Margate to Redcliffe. For those of you who live in the Redcliffe area you are so lucky to have this lovely waterfront. This is Margate Beach.

Imagine waking up to that lovely sight every morning!

In Redcliffe I visited the very famous Bee Gees Way which is a wonderful tribute to the brothers Gibb.

I took a stack more photos which you can view here.

And of course, you didn’t think I would visit a new area and not check out the Opp Shops!! Margate has a cluster of these shops within walking distance of each other so I visited each one (and some of them twice!). Here are my bargain buys.

This gorgeous knitting mug for $1…

How’s this for a rocking sheep! I was amazed these items are actually made let alone me finding one for $6.

Another little sheep to add to my collection…

I was also given these six beautifully hand made coasters by Pam, a member of the Redcliffe Spinners & Weavers. Aren’t they beautiful?

Along the foreshore at Redcliffe there are lots of eateries which were a welcome sight after my rather long hot walk from Margate. This was my view from one of the coffee shops.

There is something about being near the water which instantly calms me. I would love to one day own a home right on the waterfront so I could hear the gentle lapping of the waves as I did at Margate. I also spent over an hour sitting on the jetty at Redcliffe peacefully doing some knitting.

On the Thursday, I attended the Redcliffe Spinners & Weavers Friendship Day which was lots of fun and has geared me up for the Redlands Spinners & Weavers Open Day on 21 June. I was also given this lovely plate from my friend Gillian who spotted it at a second hand shop recently.

And on Friday night at another regular crafty gathering with two others, my friend Stephanie gave me this sheep mug she’d found in an Opp Shop.

Isn’t it stunning? Every sheep on the mug is different. It’s probably the most unusual mug in my burgeoning collection 🙂 I’m very lucky to have this mug as it’s from Scotland as can be seen by the logo under the mug.

And to finish off, even though this isn’t sheep related, I did find this rather lovely bag for only $4.

So, all in all, it was a lovely quick getaway to an area of Brisbane that is less than an hour’s drive from my place but I never seem to get there.

Now, it’s time to get back to some more weaving, spinning and knitting 🙂

Until next time…

Melanie

Noosaville Holiday Wrap-Up

My three weeks’ holiday at Noosaville has now come to an end 😦 It’s been an amazing time and I have loved every minute of it! This is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world and I am so lucky to live so near to it.

I’ve had spectacular weather and was privileged to walk along the Noosa River and look at this every day.

I love these majestic pelicans that make the Noosa River their home.

This particular part of the walk along the riverfront is quite magical.

So many people have stopped and chatted to me as I sat at my usual spot near T-Boat Hire knitting to my heart’s content. Most of these people have been Victorians, Tasmanians and New Zealanders escaping their bitterly cold winters to spend 4-8 weeks in our gorgeous winter sun. The kids were all back at school so it really is the best time to visit the Sunshine Coast. One couple who stopped and chatted to me remembered me sitting in the same spot last year!

I have experienced some gorgeous afternoons as the sun set.

And of course, I’ve had loads of fun at Sheep Thrills meeting so many lovely knitters and crocheters. I even met a spinner originally from Brisbane (now living in Tewantin) who knows someone in my spinning group!

Bonnie (the owner) gave me a big hug this afternoon as I left for the last time. I was quite sad as I really love this little shop and the eclectic mix of women who visit for a knit, crochet or simply to purchase yarn. Today it was very busy with 21 noisy crafters at work.

And I’ve gazed at so much luscious yarn. And of course, I have bought a lot of that luscious yarn 🙂

I even managed to buy this very cute little sheep at the local newsagent of all places! She’ll fit right into my bedroom with its orange accent colour 🙂 I bet you wished you had her Bonnie 🙂

During the last three weeks, I have crocheted a C2C afghan, knitted three Croc-a-tail scarves, a My Friend Nancy scarf, a Chunky Misti Hand Paint Alpaca scarf, a Lophelia cowl, a Cria Concentrate scarf and a Margarita hat. You’ll get to see all these projects once I’ve blocked some of them and settled back in at home.

Many thanks to my friends whom I met with during the last three weeks. I’m going to miss you all but the good news is, I’ve already booked my three weeks for next year so I have something to look forward to!!! 🙂 🙂

To finish off, here’s a collage of all the selfies I took nearly every day and posted on my FB page, no doubt, driving my friends mad in the process 🙂

So until next time…

Melanie

A Chunky Scarf, Baxter and a C2C Throw!

This little project took me only one night to complete. Granted it was knit on 9mm needles using Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky yarn which is luxuriously soft as it’s a 100% baby alpaca.

The pattern is Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf and has lovely ruffled ends.

This scarf has certainly kept out the bitingly cold wind which I experienced not long after my arrival at Noosaville.

Another little project I completed not long ago is an adorable little bear from a gorgeous book called Knitted Toy Tales: Irresistible Characters for all Ages by Laura Long and it’s the Daddy Bear pattern. This book has the cutest little characters you can knit and they are all photographed beautifully. I have called my bear ‘Baxter’.

These little bears are quite easy to make especially the face as the nose section is knitted separately and then sewn onto the face. And of course Baxter had to have a bright orange I-cord to match the accent colour in my bedroom as this is where he lives.

The wool used to make Baxter was spun by someone else. I just plied, washed and skeined it. I recently bought another spinning wheel and two of the bobbins were filled to the brim with spun yarn which looked salvageable so rather than throw it away, I plied it. The yarn felt a bit coarse to be worn close to the skin so this teddy was the perfect project. He’s also stuffed with wool so he’s a 100% wool bear!

Here’s Baxter with the other two teddies I’ve made with a couple of sheep that wanted to get into the picture too 🙂

While I was at Sheep Thrills last week, I noticed a lovely crocheted throw and when I asked about it I discovered it was a corner to corner (C2C) pattern. I was instantly intrigued so the next day I sat down in front of my laptop and watched Mikey from The Crochet Crowd explain how these blankets are made. I’m using the lovely Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran wool I bought and I am quite pleased with my progress.

Who’d have thought I’d put down my knitting for some crocheting!!

And to finish off, what do you think of this lovely large and orange carry bag I picked up at Noosaville? It’ll be perfect to accommodate my C2C throw as it grows larger and larger!

Until next time…

Melanie

 

Holiday Happenings

The last few days have simply flown by; I hope the next two weeks slow down a bit. I’ve met with wonderful friends, done lots of knitting, walked a lot, bought lots of wool and met some fantastic women at social knitting.

The weather has been perfect! Blue skies, lots of sun and very cold at times so needless to say I’ve been trying out all my scarves and socks. This morning was absolutely stunning as I walked to Sheep Thrills to partake in social knitting (the third time this week!!)

The Noosa River looked absolutely gorgeous. It was a crisp and vigorous half an hour walk for me. That’s one way to warm up.

This is where I normally sit and knit on the riverfront.

Today I met a whole new group of women at Sheep Thrills. I love this little shop. It has such an inviting atmosphere and you’re instantly made to feel at home. You could say it’s now my ‘home away from home’.

Two women reconnecting with their craft so their table was relatively quiet as they concentrated on how to knit and crochet.

The glorious selection of yarns is to die for!!

As you know I love a yarn bargain so I just had to indulge in these yarns which were on sale for only $4 a ball!! These are Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran which is a 100% extrafine merino.

I am going to use these balls to make a couple of In Threes baby cardigans.

These three balls of Lotus Yarns Miya will be used to knit a gorgeous lacy shawl or two with beads. This is a 2 ply / lace yarn and is made from 70% mink, 20% merino and 10% silk. It is wonderfully soft.

At Sheep Thrills there are gorgeous handmade throws and garments all around the rooms that are on display and for sale.

One the throws I saw was a C2C crocheted rug. Now I’ve heard a lot about C2C from the women of the QldBaysideYarnClub so I was intrigued. Leah told me about The Crochet Crowd tutorial video which I viewed and now I am really quite interested so I have earmarked the 20 balls of apricot and brown Lotus Yarns Winter Sun Aran yarn for this project. I am going to be busy!!

Until next time…

Melanie

 

A Star is Born!

Well, maybe not quite a star but I am pleased to say that an article appeared in today’s Wynnum Herald which was sourced a few weeks ago by a local journalist. Now this is not a great copy as I’ve downloaded it from a photo taken by a friend of mine. As I’m at Noosaville I can’t actually get to an original copy until I get home.

Unfortunately, they spelt my surname incorrectly and there’s a couple of other minor errors but as the interview was done over the phone, I’m at least pleased they got the gist of the story correct. The journalist found me through this blog which is good to know.

I visited Sheep Thrills this morning for a short session of social knitting (I’ll return tomorrow). Nothing nicer than looking at something like this while you’re knitting and chatting..

All that lovely yarn! If you’re a fan of Ella Rae Lace Merino, you’ll know that here in Australia it retails for around $30 a skein. At Sheep Thrills it’s only $20 and they have a fantastic range of colours too.

I bought a skein in a colour I don’t usually buy as it is quite eye catching.

I’ve also started knitting another scarf using some lovely yarn from The Fibre Company called Road to China (which is a 65% Baby Alpaca, 15% Silk, 10% Camel, 10% Cashmere blend) and I think I’m going to be short a ball so I found this Eki Riva Sport which is a 100% baby alpaca yarn today and bought a couple of balls. I think it will be a nice contrast. It’s a little thicker but I’m hoping it won’t detract from the scarf as it will only be the top edge of the scarf where I’ll use the substitute yarn. Time will tell!!

Here it is against the Fiber Company Road to China yarn.

However it turns out this scarf is going to be soooo soft!

That’s my news for today.

Until next time…

Melanie