making a ripple effect blanket

Today was very hot and humid and, call me crazy but, I sat and did some crochet at lunchtime.  Woollens and hot weather don't necessarily go hand-in-hand but I'm trying to get this done before winter (June 1st).

It will be a blanket for Mikayla when finished.

I'm using a ripple stitch and I absolutely LOVE the effect!

After a lot of searching, I found a very easy-to-follow pattern for ripple stitch over at Attic24. All I needed was the basics and it was all systems go from there.  Here's a hot tip...be sure to cast on the initial chain stitches quite loose so that it sits nice and flat when the ripple pattern forms.

I've started rolling the wool I buy into balls after getting a hot tip from Tammy who makes beautiful baby afghans among other things.  Shop-bought wool can unravel when you don't want it to and end up in terrible knots which can be near impossible to undo. I find the wool also rolls out so much easier as I work.

This blanket is sure to keep my little granddaughter cosy and warm throughout the winter months and knowing this makes me feel all cosy and warm inside.

~ Love, light and peace ~

i have been sketching

Recently, I signed up for, Sketchbook Delight, an online class with Alisa Burke

and I'm loving it!

I set myself various creative challenges at the beginning of the year but I have discovered that my heart keeps going back to plain, simple sketching.  I love keeping a sketch journal! My problem is that I don't sketch often enough because I procrastinate too much about just what to sketch, I am too much of a perfectionist when it comes to sketching, and there are a lot of distractions in my life. Excuses, excuses, excuses....I'm over it! I want to keep a daily sketch journal that's not about creating perfect masterpieces but rather, a record of memories, my days, events, parts of who I am, likes, dislikes and anything else that takes my fancy. I yearn to loosen up and work faster with my sketching and I felt that Alisa Burke's class was just the ticket....I was right!  I like that Alisa loves working with pen a lot!  Alisa's class isn't about formal sketch studies, it's more about finding our muse, developing our own style and creating loose, free-flowing and pleasing sketches. 

At the beginning of 2009 we noticed a tiny two-fronded common fern springing up in our backyard lawn....a gift from nature which I immediately fell in love with.   Beau suggested potting it so I did.  The pic below was taken back in April of 2009 after it had grown a little but...

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....look at it now!

So thick and dense......I just love it!

So, after being inspired by Alisa's class, out came my sketch book and, working directly with pen, I set about sketching one of the fronds that had broken off the fern.

I then added another sketch in pen, then some watercolour and info to the page.  It's still a little tight for my liking but I'm hoping to loosen up more as time goes on.

Pen and watercolour in A4 sketch journal

Another very quick sketch of the doll I bought from Michelle when she was making and selling dolls a couple of years ago. Her name is Rachel and she lives in my bedroom.

Pen only sketch in A5 sketch journal

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Recently, Michelle and Alex bought a play gym for Mikayla and, judging by the look on little Mikayla's face, it's a winner!  She loves it!

LIFE IS GOOD!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Stranded on a day trip and another self portrait

On Sunday, Beau, Brad, Aaron and I went for a drive out to our favourite spot in the Lamington National Park region - Burgess Park - which is situated beside Christmas Creek.  It was a very hot, humid day with temps of around 35°C/95°F but, due to all the rain last month, the creek was a great height for swimming and perfect for cooling down.  Beau and Aaron couldn't resist going in for a dip shortly after our arrival.

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The water looked so refreshing and inviting but, due to a surgical procedure on Friday, I could only watch and envy.

Beau and Aaron LOVED it!

Brad wouldn't have been able to negotiate the rocky creek bed so he stayed with me near the car.

Our dilemma started when Beau realised after his initial swim that his car keys were in the pocket of his board shorts.  His computerised car keys.....and, yes, the water killed them.....YIKES!!   We couldn't get his car to start because its computer couldn't detect a signal from the key.  To add insult to injury, we were in the valley of a national park region and, try as we might, we could not get reception on our mobile phones.

We were stranded an hours drive from home! 

After trying to send several text messages to both Michelle and Reece with 'failed to send' results, Beau said he was going for a walk to see if he could get reception somewhere else along the country road. I didn't like the idea but there wasn't really much choice.  My kids often laugh at me because I go into panic or worry mode when situations like this arise but I tell you it's hard not to when you're a Mum.....especially after I'd had a dream the night before in which Beau was bitten by a venomous snake.

About 15 minutes after Beau left, we heard Aaron's mobile message alarm sound off and we were over the moon to see a text message had reached Michelle.  She was at my house wanting to know where Beau's spare car keys were.  We had no idea so I decided to leave Brad and Aaron at the car and walk a little ways down the road to see if I could call to Beau.  Problem was that, even after my walk down the road, my son was nowhere in sight.....my 'snakebite' dream kept rearing its ugly head in my mind and I started to feel very unsettled.  I walked back to the car in tears and tried to get back to Michelle but the mobile phone reception was nonexistent again.  All we could do was wait.

Thankfully, some time later, Beau made it back...MUCH to my relief.....and, after more attempts to get reception, we were finally able to get onto Michelle and establish where his spare keys were.  Michelle, Mikayla, and Alex then made a mercy dash out to Burgess Park.  Due to the circumstances, we were there for longer than we had intended and we ran out of drinking water so we ended up quenching our thirst with fresh creek water.  To my surprise, it was crystal clear and delicious!

Despite the initial upset over the waterlogged keys, it turned out to be a nice, relaxing day and even Michelle and Alex enjoyed a lovely swim in the creek.  We are already planning another family day out to the same spot very soon and, without doubt, we will all be making very sure that Beau's keys are on dry land before he goes for a swim in the creek next time.

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This is my self portrait for last week which was Week 7 in my '52 Weeks of Me' challenge.  I took this at Burgess Park.  I love all the greenery around me.

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Currently, the New Zealand earthquake death toll is 75 and still expected to climb.  The news footage is heartwrenching and my tears just flow!  After all the emotions I felt with Queensland's severe flooding last month and, now this, it makes me wonder what's next?  It certainly puts life into perspective, that's for sure.

~ Love, light and peace ~