Isn't January a funny time?

You think you have all this time to catch up with projects, jobs, friends, exhibitions and well....you find things half done. So, I've started quite a few things, but haven't really finished much.

I did finish this though:

I know, it's another shawl, but if you look closely, it's a new pattern and one I'm really happy with. It consists of actually picking up fabric and hooking it onto the knitting machine and continuing knitting, creating a fabric that moves and is more three dimensional. There is a first one, but it disappeared at Rose St. very quickly. It was beautiful in a really gorgeous cream cotton that I only had enough for one.

The other reason that I like it, is that this one seems to represent another step. I've been doing alot of machine knitting, but it's not something that I have ever done alot of, except, of course, when I had to learn how to use the machine, an intense 6 months. The shawl represents, for the first time a style that I feel reflects my aesthetic and a more professional approach to mistakes, and a more capable ability for fix mistakes.

It's as I've often said, the test of a skilled and professional person is not how well they do the work, but how well they deal with the mistakes.

I feel happy to have reached this milestone.

And, I did manage to go and see an exhibition: West Africa: Rhythm and Spirit at the Immigration Museum. Well worth seeing, as are most of the exhibitions at this lovely Museum. This particular exhibition is worthwhile just to see the two minute film showing a group of men and boys weaving. Breathtaking!

Masks of China at the Immigration Museum

On a blazing hot day in Melbourne we headed to the Immigration Museum for the 'Masks of China' exhibition. It was worth it. Masks ranged from the very beautiful to the quirky to the downright disturbing! As a bonus there were some beautiful textiles with the traditional embroidery that we associate with Chinese textiles. Colours were vibrant with a great combination of the three primaries plus green and white for a scheme which worked better than just the three primaries.


I would love to know more about Gnome Grandma and Gnome Grandpa, especially Grandma, who had some very interesting facial expressions.


Unfortunately, knowing I would be unable to take photos, I had assumed that the Museum would have published a catalogue which I was ready to purchase. There was none and there was, apparently, insufficient funds to produce one. This Museum needs more funding. Its exhibitions are always interesting and in a country of migrants this is intrinsic to how we think of ourselves.