Peonies

I was weeding today after the rain. It was impossible to weed last summer when there was no rain as our ground without moisture is just rock hard so we have much more than our fair share of weeds again and I desperately need to weed each time it rains as the weeds are out of control. I checked out my peonies (through the tall grass weeds) and they are just magnificent, breathtakingly beautiful! When we were in Canada in July the boys got fed up with me rushing off to look at peonies and admire them everywhere we went, I couldn't believe how many there were. They were prolific in the markets and supermarkets and florists. But not better than these....

At the top of the picture where the petals are standing up I discovered a neighbourhood of about 40 earwigs. They must have pressed the petals down and made a really large space in there.

FfGatBQCwip cont'd with peacock!

Maree was stitching shells after finishing her washer.

The washer sat nicely with the reds of my puffs.

This washer is for a swap.

And when I got home the magpie baby was hungry and I threw out some bread but the peacocks were watching and ran to get the bread. This boy was displaying his tail while he gobbled the pieces of bread. I made sure the maggie got some also.

FfGatBQCwip cont'd

Shannah was appliqueing.

Yelena was cutting and stitching.

Anne was sewing down binding.

FfGatBQCwip!

Friday 21st November 2008
Everybody seems to have abbreviations in their language now, although if you knew anyone in the Army 30 years ago, they were doing it then on a daily basis. Far be it for we country yokels not to be up with the fashion, so here is our FfGatBQCwip! (Friday friendship Group at Beechworth Quilters' Cottage works-in-progress).

Kerry was stitching.

Pam was crocheting around blankets made from 'longest scarf' squares.

Denise was selecting fabric,

and working in triangles (or are they flying geese?).

Oh Pants!

I have been busy in Granma's World sewing pants.
Paris Cats in 3/4 length (oh I do hope so) for Georgie. About as close as a Granma can get to Aristocats.

And coloured cats for wearing with pink or purple tshirts, also for Georgie.

And some blue cammo for Boy Wonder, just to test a new sizing of the pattern now that he is up and running.

Hope they arrive in the mail tomorrow.

Spinning Tuesday 18 November

Maree is knitting a washer for a knitting group swap (on Ravelry)

This is the prayer shawl that I have been working on and today it was gifted.

And Maree got her spun wool and flax plied before dashing off to work.

I've been reading a lot about frogging lately....

I've been reading a lot about 'frogging' recently as I wend my way through the Ravelry web.

And it was warm last weekend while I was at the computer, but I didn't expect to see this little fellow sitting a metre away on the screen collecting insects from the rose bushes. I've been hearing the loud clunk (no gentle 'ribit') of his 'croak' on warmer evenings, it's nicer than honking horns and screeching brakes of traffic noise. But somehow not quite fitting the frogging image of the Ravelry community!

I think I will call him Kit as it is much better to K it than rip it.

This is the beautiful little sewing box given to me on Friday by my friend Liz.

Isn't it gorgeous, it opens up and has little pockets to put needles, cottons, buttons, scissors etc.

Thanks Liz, it's lovely.

Patchwork on Prince Charles' Birthday

.........................Happy Birthday dear Charlie, happy birthday to you!

In the antipodes however, on 14th November there was stitching by Anne, lovely hand quilting

and crochet, crochet and more crochet on the scarf to rugs project by Pam

And some new fabric for Fran's handstitched hexagons.

Spinning Mon 10th November 08

An all-round lovely moebius......

....that's just what it is, a moebius, a circle with no beginning and no end: spun, knitted, grafted and modelled by Fran. Very clever indeed. Inspired by the wonderful Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Can be worn in several ways as well!

And here is the scarf I have just taken off the needles, 485 sts and not many rows. We lined up the spinning wheels just to show how long it is.

So totally different to Fran's innovative moebius scarf above, but we can both keep our necks warm.

South of the border, down Clematis way

Now for all you northerners who can't grow clematis very well because it is too darn hot, please look and drool. There are wonderful things here south of the border....

And the 3rd clematis has just finished flowering, but Tiger sometimes sits with Bruce the Gnome.

I think he is hoping that Bruce the Gnome will give him a pat.

No such luck to date.

Monday 27 October Spinning and Craft

Aren't these wonderful ladies? Pam calls them her 'dollies'.

These 'dollies' took many, many hours to cut out.

Remember Fran's spool from a couple of weeks ago? It's ready to knit now. Wonder what yummy creation it will be.

Maggy, our newest member, was helping with the longest-scarf-to-rug project.