Craft Hatch here I come!

I've figured out what time I have to be at Craft Hatch and will catch the 9.29am train to the city. I'm excited and apprehensive. I love this tiny market and hope that, despite tomorrow being cold and wintry, that people will come to the City Library and have a look and maybe even buy!

I took a quick picture of the new things that I take to the market. It's a good reference for me and reminds me that I have worked over the last two weeks. The first week was spent spinning and dyeing with a bit of basic knitting. This week has been more knitting, and finishing off each item and then pricing and putting on their tags. (Sigh!)

I'm happy with the new neckwarmers in single colours, the new lace-up fingerless mittens, dyed after they were knit. Just one more scarf sneaked in and I would have liked to make more button up mittens, but I managed one.

Sort of feel satisfied after spelling it out. Off to move the car as the builder finishes up his work tomorrow. Pictures to follow!

Drop Spindling for fun

I know have my favourite take along project in its own little carry all.

Remember this bag I created for the Woolybutt summer challenge. It's just perfect to contain my drop spindle and current bit of beautiful fibre.

The drop spindle is just fun and I love this beautiful dyed tussah silk top from Fibreworks.

The spindle is made from Banksia and I bought it at the Australian Sheep and Wool show in Bendigo. It spins just nicely.

You can see how much I've done! Yes, sadly, yesterday at Rose St. was not very successful. In fact it was a very dispiriting day. It was a quiet day overall, however, the two other textile stalls went along OK, I just seemed to be very uninteresting with few lookers, much less purchasers. Unfortunately, it happens. That's the life in a market and I have to respond by looking at what I had and where it can be improved.

Let's see, not enough variety in the neckwarmers and I suspect all the 'fashionable black' wearers were not interested in dots of bright colour, so more 'subtle' colours are required. Not enough fingerless mittens and I suspect the lovely young ones who did stop by are a bit more price sensitive, so some more of my new design, the lace up fingerless mitten. And more shawls! I really made these for the summer, but they seem generally popular.

So there's my to do list for the next to weeks, when I try again at the Craft Victoria's Craft Hatch in the city library.

News flash

Just a few items of information, just to keep you all up to date!

1. I had a wonderful day at Craft Hatch, successful on many levels, including selling three hats......I hadn't sold a hat for sooo long.
2. Nothing was finished for sale, so no pictures. I thought it was a good week and was surprised on Sunday, alot must have been started?
3. The first year students of the DVA have an exhibition called 'Landscape' on at the moment. It's at the Pigment Gallery on the 2nd floor of the renowned Nicholas building on Swanston st. (corner of Flinders Lane). I have a painting in it. The opening was yesterday and it's a wonderful showcase of all our work, and it's good!
4. Buttonmania is on the same floor and their sale is on! I'm going down there today, as it only lasts till Saturday. Definitely don't want to miss this one.

WWKIP

Yep, today is World Wide Knitting in Public day (WWKIP). There are people gathering all over the world to knit in public, be proud and have fun. Here, in Melbourne they'll be meeting at Fedish in Federation Square from 12.30pm on. I'm hoping some of them will make it onto the trams and take it to the people!

You may have noticed, so far, no 'I' in any of this, well 'I' will be at Craft Hatch in the City Library in Flinders Lane from 11-4pm.

I did manage to finish my Harrietville fibre sandwich yarn fingerless mittens. These were more of a trial than they were supposed to be, I even changed the very simple pattern and am now happy.

The pattern is a mix of moss stitch and stocking stitch. I tried a chequerboard effect and it looked a bit messy. The stocking stitch columns tamed it just enough. Don't you love the buttons I added!

I'll be wearing them today at Craft Hatch and I will be knitting.

Buttonless mittens no more!

I've got through the pile, and these are the mittens I finished this week.

More purple, this time with cable down the side.

The black moss stitch, with the coloured embroidery.

And another red onion skin fingerless mittens. The yarn had copper coins as a mordant.

This week I'm excited, I get to stock Incube8r on Friday and Saturday is Craft Hatch at the City Library.

More yarn, more mittens!

Colour Inspiration

I don't usually post about blogs I read. Most people I know keep track of far more than me and I tend to preach to the converted. However, there is one blog I'm continuously fascinated by: http://www.colourlovers.com/blog

The latest post that I've seen is a colour palette of pets, including a picture for all you spinners and knitters out there: http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2009/05/07/80-pet-inspired-color-palettes They also include pictures on a topic:
fog http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2009/05/05/the-colors-of-fog and sea dragons http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2009/04/29/color-in-nature-leafy-weedy-seadragons have been my latest most fabulous set of pictures.

I'm off today to Craft Victoria's emerging artist market today, Craft Hatch at the City Library. Have a look at their website: www.craftvic.asn.au guess who's going to be at the next market in June (yeah!) and then we'll call in at the Rose St market: www.rosestmartket.com.au We're looking for a present for our niece, who's about to turn 19. (Happy birthday Hayley)

There's always something to look at!