Seaweed is endlessly fascinating

I hope you all had a successful flutter on the Melbourne Cup. Two of the four of us managed to pick 2nd and 3rd place getters. Good luck to you if you picked Viewed.

We usually spend the long weekend at the beach, this time managing to get down on Sunday afternoon and staying till Tuesday afternoon. It's always a relaxing atmosphere and I always wonder how to maintain the feeling when I get back to Melbourne..????

Anyway, this was another chance to add to the seaweed collection. Not many different types, though I always love the colours and forms of those I found. A new discovery was, don't do this when walking with someone else...."I thought we were walking.."......"We are, I'm just stopping to take photos...."

Saturday afternoon was Experimental Spinning and we spun with cotton, wrapping it around a core. I love cotton, having spun it a few times. It is challenging because it is such a short fibre, but creating punis (mini-rolags using your hand-carder) or using a core, as we did, makes spinning so much easier. Ginned cotton has a very satisfying texture, being full of lumps and bumps. (Question: I do wonder how cotton is processed to remove these?) The resulting yarn is beautiful and soft.

Off to SnB today, yes, we couldn't miss it for a week!

Seaweed

Just back from a weekend at the beach. Friends, food, wine, good conversation and a much more active bunch of young people. They all went boogie boarding at the surf beach. It's amazing what friends can get you to do.

Had wondered if my seaweed project would have enough inspiration to be worthwhile, and, if I would find 'new' seaweed to add to the collection.

On the last day, I went for a lovely, lonely walk along the beach and I found this most unusual seaweed. I have never seen anything like it. So it just goes to show.

All my projects are just at that awkward beginning stage. Skinny length of fabric, needs adding to. Kimberley knitting is just up to the first tree tops....but looking great. More spinning and dyeing required for the rest.

Book bargains and seaweed

I've arrived back from Phillip Island, having escaped the worst of Melbourne's heat. I thought I'd share some of the things that inspire me, or, really just amaze me with the beauty and diversity of the world.

The first is 'the seaweed series'. Walking along the beach, which does get quite a bit of seaweed washed up on the shore, I suddenly noticed the amazing diversity and it struck me that I should do a photographic series, maybe even use it for the 10x10 challenge in February. Having forgotton to take my camera on this trip, I diligently photographed for the rest of the week. I did however, feel a bit odd at times standing and to all intents and purposes photographing sand and not the view!

It is amazing the changes each day and I think I'll keep this up.

The other is yet another bargain book: 'Rainforest: a photographic journey'. It was $80 before Christmas and just $15 after. I snapped it up. It is full of the most beautiful photography: plant, animal and insects. Poor hubby, he was the one who was supposed to be spending his Christmas gift voucher at Angus & Robertson, and he couldn't find anything!