Blocking

My mystery project is all knitted, but it needs to be blocked to make the most of the lace. I don't have a designated blocking board. I hope this will do instead:

It's  funky floor cushion spread out on my couch. I can't pin anything directly to the couch because it's leather.  I'll try it tomorrow.

Beading Meets Knitting

I'm knitting away at a mystery project--it's a gift and I don't want to spoil the surprise. But there's no reason I shouldn't show how I'm keeping track of my stitches.

These stitch markers are basically just like an earing, but without the hook. Winding the wire like this minimises the chance of the yarn snagging in the marker. They really help me to keep count and show up any mistakes before it's too late to fix them easily. 

Simple Necklace

I spent most of the day yesterday hiding from the heat in my studio. I threaded beads to make a simple necklace while talking to a friend on the phone.

I wasn't quite sure about the gold colour in the feature bead, but I thought I'd give it a go.

And a Hot One

. . . and I'm off to the studio where it's cool enough to think!

Desperately Seeking Cool

It's just about time to turn our thoughts to Autumn here in Melbourne, but instead we've been hit by another heat wave. The forecast today is for 38 degrees--that's higher than body temperature, which is my definition of much too hot for comfort.
It was hot already yesterday, so I spent a couple of hours in my studio. Even there it was too warm to work with wool. Beads don't mind how sweaty my fingers are, so I made this:

It's a little brooch made from glass beads, wired together. I like the way the layers bring out the colour of the glass.

Today I think I'll make the most of the studio. I do need to head out to do some basic shopping, though, so I won't escape the heat altogether. 

Testing--Facebook Link

Just testing if this now feeds to my facebook page . . .

OK, I'm looking for some help here. Is there a way to make each of my blog posts automatically link to my facebook page? I know it can be done one post at a time . . .

Suggestions gratefully accepted!

Today

What to do when a morning meeting has been twice as long and twice as difficult as anticipated . . . Go to your local cafe; order a nice lunch and cold drink; sit and sip and eat and knit and knit and knit. One stitch at a time--as if nothing else in the world exists--at least for a little while. You can become immersed in the knitting like this:

After a while you have something like this:

. . . and a slightly better perspective on life in general.