my creative space.

this week, i've been working on this little number.



it's the m.1. scarf from shibui knits and it is knitting up a treat.
i'm knitting it up in some of the wool i found last time i went to bendigo. i don't have a huge amount of it, potentially not enough to make a decent sized scarf...
but i should have enough for a lovely squishy cowl... the ends will definitely be sewn together.

even though this wasn't on my january list, i really want to get it finished by the end of the month, and maybe knit up another of these bad boys...



there's still time right? right?!?

i've got these two yarn cakes out too...



ready to knit up some projects in the new month ahead, as well as join in on the summer of the single skein.

what are you making at the moment? are you knitting anything for the single skein kal?

green love.

this week could be called the flower edition. there's lots of pretties around my garden at the moment.



part of me wants to plant a whole heap more roses here, but another part of me knows that i might not be here to see them grow up and bloom. the fun part of renting, i guess.
luckily past me had the foresight to plant this beauty though. yellow loooooove.

now, this is really a little plant that keeps on giving.



i'm pretty sure i bought it reduced, most likely very unhappy... and i've planted it in probably the most inhospitable part of my yard, where i've always had trouble growing stuff...
but it just keeps growing and flowering. such happy blooms too.

and i love the delicate pink of these beauties.



they look so precious. and i like that they're pink. supposedly they were supposed to be yellow.

and for a distinct lack of flowers...



my tomato plants are all getting bigger, but no flowers in sight. despite my best efforts with my early seed planting, i think it'll be another late crop this year, if any!
oh well. all part of the learning experience.

and no flowers expected here any time soon...



a pineapple update for my cousin. it's getting biiiiiiiiiiger!

what's growing in your patch at the moment? much flowering? how are you tomatoes doing?

spring socks.

one of my goals for this month was to finish up the 'twilight' socks i started back in october and i'm SUPER happy to say that they are all done!



they're absolutely massive on me, but they're done!



the heel flap looks a little silly on me, and i've managed to make them too long, as well as not quite working enough gusset decreases, ending up with more stitches on the sole of my socks, than on the instep. oh well. they're still warm.

and i LOVE the colours.



i've got quite the collection of hand knitted socks building up and it's rad.

do you wear hand knitted socks? do you knit socks?

meal planning monday.

oof, monday again!
i am trying to get over the fact that there's less than a week left of january, but i can't! slow down please 2015!
anywho, best get on with this meal planning lark...



tonight, we're eating a nice roast dinner. we've got a bit of pork in the fridge, ready to be slow cooked in the oven for a pretty good portion of the day. can not wait.

tomorrow night, we'll be munching on some bolognaise bb put together yesterday while we were both off work. i'll cook some pasta when i get home and reheat the sauce. dead easy.

for wednesday night, teriyaki pork with some noodles should do the trick.

thursday, i'll grab some lamb chops from the butcher on the way home from work and serve them up with some vegies. classic and simple.

friday night, i'll finally put on that osso bucco i wanted to last week. hopefully.

saturday, imma leave bb in charge of dinner, as i'll be working. maybe we can finally go and see the hobbit movie? and grab something for dinner while we are out of course!

and sunday? i'm hoping to get a bit of a cook up happening, so that we'll have lunches sorted for the week, i'm thinking perhaps a curry, or some kind of pasta dish. that'll probably be dinner for the night too ha ha!

what are you eating this week? do you batch cook for lunches too? have you seen the new hobbit movie yet?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.
a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was.

last night saw a wee trek into the city to catch up with some of bb's family.



i spent quite a bit of time knitting. walking through the city and knitting, drinking cider and knitting, riding the train and knitting.
these socks now just need a quick kitchener-ing and they'll be done! woohoo!

a quick breakfast before work...



whipped up with what i had hanging around in the fridge. grilled haloumi, garlic and chilli mushies, a poachy on a sourdough muffin from the freezer. so delicious!

the simplest things are the most entertaining.



i carried him around like this for a good half hour. i think he was spellbound seeing all the stuff he normally misses out on being on the ground.

i spent monday and tuesday of this week in the most wondrous place.



i can't ever see myself getting sick of being there, surrounded by scrumptious wool.

and a sweet treat on wednesday night.



ncb this week was in the city, at 1000£ bend. there was an n2 stand just across the road which was amazing to check out. i didn't eat this, but the lady that was going to was more than happy for me to snap a quick picture.
yes, that IS a donut covered in whipped cream on TOP of the milk chocolate, cookie studded ice cream.
the entire menu looked amazing, and i will definitely be going back!

what did you get up to this week? what is your favourite ice cream?

green love.

i am absolutely loving getting my little jobs done around the garden every day (well most days anyway...).
it's keeping everything looking nice and tidy, but there's never any shortage of little things to do!



these little bright things on my front steps never fail to put a smile on my face.
i inherited this boot pot, and another from my late grandmother and they are SO awesome and always remind me of her.

a friend gifted me over half a punnet of spring onions early last week.



and i planted them out in a pot i had ready to go in my backyard. spring onions galore are just around the corner!

the bird netting i've been keeping over this bed is doing wonderous things!



the tomato plants AND the poor bedraggled chilli plant are looking heaps bigger and happier. touch wood they stay that way!

the rose in my front yard never fails to amaze me.



most years, it puts on a pretty good display of blooms, but this year, it seems to be going from strength to strength. SO much new growth.
might be the fact that i'm actually taking the time to give it a good water every other day... funny that!

how are your tomatoes going? have you grown spring onions before? how often do you water your roses?

the fabric stash.

after the awesome little sewing session i had with some lovely ladies on saturday, i was feeling all sorts of inspired. and a little confused.
you see, i took along my entire fabric stash to the sewalong, and found that i had WAY more fabric than i'd first thought. and not just little scrappy bits, but nice sized, completely usable lengths!
naturally, i pulled it all out when i got home, so that i could make PLANS for it!
are you ready?

first up, garments!



these three lengths will definitely be made into dresses.
the purple flower print in front, i bought at the same time as i bought the fabric for this project, thinking i would make two of the lisette dresses, but i never did! time to change that i think!
the graphic pink and brown number, i'm also hoping to make up into a lisette dress. it's SO easy. particularly as i've already made one!
the heart print, i'm picturing it in a more structured dress though... it might take me a little longer to get to that though i think, as i will most definitely need help ha ha!
big thanks to my lovely bestie for the pink and brown print, and the hearts too. she couldn't see herself wearing them anymore, but they look perfect to me!



i bought this flannelette AGES ago, intending to make bb some pj pants... never quite got around to them though. they'd make the perfect valentine's gift though. must get sewing them soon as february will be a CRAZY busy month for me with work!



these two prints, i want to make into more wiksten tanks! i made my first one on the weekend, and i LOVE it! and i loved the process of making it too. simple, straightforward and easy.

and now, the rest!



these florally scraps will be going into my hexie blanket. haven't touched it since i did a whole heap of stitching on it last february. i should definitely get back to it and get some more done...



i'm wanting to make these little panels into cushions. i think they'd work perfectly!



and this pile? well i'm hoping to make a rag rug out of these bits and pieces. we'll see how that goes i guess?

do you have any sewing plans? have you made a rag rug? are you a garment sewer?

meal planning monday.

once again, last week's meal plan didn't exactly go to plan... monday, tuesday, the meal plan was going great. and then everything fell apart wednesday ha ha!
we had thursday night's dinner last night, so roast chicken is still on the cards this week!



tonight, i'll whip up an easy favourite. meatballs!

tomorrow, i'll have a little more time on my hands as i won't be working, so roast chicken will definitely be happening! AND i'll throw the bones and some vegies in the slow cooker to make stock afterwards. love a double duty dinner!

wednesday night, i'm heading into the city for ncb. we're trying somewhere new to meet so hopefully it goes well! and ben can have soup made from the stock from the previous night, with noodles and leftover roast chicken meat.

thursday night, i've got a recipe for baked jerk chicken that i'd like to try. hopefully it turns out ok!

friday night, i'm working... osso bucco in the slow cooker might be the way to go.

i'm working all weekend, so i'll leave bb in charge of the dinner situation. hopefully he is up to the task!

what are your plans for the week? what's on your menu?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.

a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was.



i spent the day yesterday with some lovely crafty ladies getting some sewing done! they're all quite experienced garment sewers so offered me great advice and helped me whip up this awesome number.
i am stoked with how it turned out, and already have plans to whip up a couple more of these tanks!

i spent a little time this afternoon exploring this wild backyard!



there is a LOT going on back there, and i can only imagine the discoveries you could make in that jungle!

this guy was being his ever so helpful self last night.



i spent a little bit of time going through my fabric stash, and couldn't help myself but make plans... more about that on tuesday though...

and the kombucha mother i started growing last week?



well it's coming along nicely! i can't help but think it's not too far away from being able to make some kombucha for real! it hasn't taken nearly as long as i'd anticipated it would!

what have you been up to this week?

meal planning monday.

oops! last week's meal plan did NOT exactly go to plan. tuesday night, and the two nights i had planned to go out went as i had planned, but the rest, nope!
hopefully this week will be a little different!



tonight, i'll throw together some haloumi patties for dinner. and there should be leftovers for lunches too! yippee!

tomorrow night, i'm back at ballet, so a-slow cookering i will be. satay chicken will be quick and simple and easy. but most importantly, delicious!

wednesday night, i've got fancy plans. beef wellington. a new recipe so wish me luck! the recipe i'm using looks pretty simple so hopefully it'll be ok!

thursday, i'm working late. i'll whip up an old favourite in casarecce with fennel and chorizo before i head to work so i have something to eat on my break and bb has something to come home to.

friday night, i'm heading out with my family to celebrate my brother and a close family friend becoming another year older. it should be super fun!

saturday night, i think i might try out another new recipe! well kind of... i want to make pad thai, which i have definitely made before. however i normally use a sauce out of a jar, and tonight, from scratch! wish me luck!

sunday night, i might try for the roast chicken i had planned last weekend. here's hoping it actually happens this week!

what are you eating this week? have you ever made beef wellington before?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.

a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was.

this has been my staple lunch almost every day this week...



a bowl of spinach leaves, some tomato, cucumber, maybe some carrot and a WHOLE lotta goat's cheese. so delicious!

i've made a start on one of my goals for this month...



i'm trying to grow a kombucha mother, so that i can brew my own. it's something i've been reading up on for a little while, and, well, i'm doing it!
it definitely won't be a goal i'll get finished in this month, as it can take up to a month to grow the mother (or scoby as it's also called), and then the fermentation process for a batch takes another couple of weeks... i'll get there though!

sampson has been helping me with my knitting.



or helping me to not knit...

and i bought myself something lovely online which arrived in my postbox on thursday...



i do love brown paper packages, tied up with string.

particularly when they contain...



beautiful vintage dresses! sophie is having a wee instagram de-stash over at her retro adventures. be sure to check it out if you love anything vintage.

how has your week been? do you drink kombucha? what's your favourite thing to have in a salad?

green love.

one of the goals i wrote on tuesday's list, was to have a bit of green time, everyday. my goal is to spend a bit of time out in my garden everyday. not necessarily a huge chunk of time, it might only be 5 minutes or so, but just enough time to get at least one task done a day. maybe getting the plants watered, or pulling some weeds or dead growth from a bed or a pot. little jobs, working me towards a neat, tidy and productive little space.

it's going well so far!



i FINALLY got my act together and got some tomatoes planted out!
i had four poor plants that were languishing in teeny pots in a box next to my front door, i hope they still do ok.
i'm also trying to keep them (and the barely surviving chilli plant i planted last year on bb's request) safe with the bird netting. stay away possums!

the potatoes i planted seem to be pretty happy...



though i do need to top up the bags again. so excited about the prospect of home grown potatoes!

tidying up this strawberry box was one of my little 5 minute jobs this week.



there was a whole heap of dead growth on the plants (oops, forgot to water properly on the hot days!) as well as quite a few weeds. looking good now though!

i left the job of pulling out my broad bean plants a little bit late...



and it's growing again! OOPS! oh well, fresh broad beans will never go astray.

and finally, my yard is looking a bit tidier than last time...



phew! feeling a lot happier in this space now. and now to keep it up!

how's your green space looking? how much time do you spend tending your patch?

2015

it's 2015 and it has been for a few days now... but i've been feeling a little bit lost.
some years, i have HEAPS of ideas and plans for the new year, but this year, my plans and ideas have been a bit slower coming...

but i'm getting there!
i decided to play along with sophie and make a little list. not quite 30 things like her, but 21. because why not!



get my passport sorted.
green time. every day.
reduce my yarn stash.
sort out our bed linen.
try new recipes.
get preserving.
wear more dresses.
read one book a month.
get back to duolingo-ing. french!
keep growing my hair.
make some clothes.
eat alfresco more. it's fun!
keep up with my blogging.
learn to spin.
explore more.
watch a sunrise.
try and put something new in my shop every month.
keep saving (and maybe even buy a house!)
be more organised with gifts. handmade/homegrown all the way!
get baking. bread, biscuits, cakes, yum!
make time for friends and family.

and while i'm at it, this resolution thing, i've been thinking about a word for the year. yep, a nice big list of things to do AND one word to go with too...
bron has a list of words on her blog too...

anywho, the word that keeps popping up in my brain when i think of this year is CHANGE. and how it might happen this year, and how i want to be ok with it.
sometimes i get a little caught up when things CHANGE because i get nervous about not knowing how things are going to turn out but CHANGE is ok. CHANGE is good. and fun and natural.

what are your plans for the year ahead? have you made a list? or do you have a word? or both??

meal planning monday.

first meal plan for 2015!
i've missed having a meal plan the last few weeks... can't wait to get back into it today!



tonight, i'll grab some lamb chops from the butcher in my lunch break, and serve them up with a big heap of salad. perfect summer dinner!

tomorrow night, i think a frittata will do the trick. again, with a big heap of salad.

wednesday night, i'm back at ncb! looking forward to catching up with some lovely ladies and grabbing something yummy for dinner.

thursday night, i'll put together some baked fish parcels with some asian greens. quick, easy and delicious!

friday night, i'm working late, but before i head off, i'll throw together some haloumi patties. i can take some to work with me that way, and bb can fry some off when he gets home.

saturday night, i'm hoping to catch up with some friends who we haven't seen in an age. can not wait!

and sunday night, maybe a roast chicken? there's one in the freezer, and i'm on a bit of a mission to clear that out at the moment... should be delicious!

what are you eating this week? what's your favourite summer meal?

sunday snippets.

playing along with {tinniegirl} and her sunday snippets.

a few pictures, and some words, summing up the week that just was.

we've had a couple of super hot days this week.



but once the cool change hit, i was on the front steps, with my knitting and a cider. bliss.

one of the gifts i received for christmas was some itunes vouchers.



i don't know that my brother (the gifter) would approve of my purchases though... i've been enjoying myself though!

i have been eating so much fruit!



my bench and my vegie crisper is full and i can't get enough!

and another of the awesome gifts i received for christmas.



a preserving kit! my mumma knows me very well! can't wait to get preserving some awesome things!

and finally... the scarf i got to knitting when the cool change came through, well it's my first finish for 2015!



and it's up in my shop already too!

how has your week been? were you gifted anything excellent over the holidays?