It is stupidly hot here. We’ve already had our hottest average national temperature ever and the hot spell has not even peaked. And yet I still go on preparing for our Yuletide celebrations. I’ve been baking gingerbread as we do every year. I’ve been crocheting winter plants from other lands to decorate our lounge room. […]
Category: look
All through the winter we had good rain and some sun. The dill, coriander, kale and chard flourished and in spring, the poppies burst into happiness. Now, as I wait for the zucchini, corn and cucumbers to grow and flourish, I am also waiting for the second harvest of those winter and spring crops…seeds. I […]
One of my favourite places in the whole world is my back garden. It is a place to be curious, gently industrious and still. Small amounts of effort, reap bountiful rewards over time. Seeds are sown, seedlings planted out, plants are watered, tended and observed, produce is harvested and seeds let to set for saving. […]
Follow my blog with Bloglovin What do you write on a day of global climate action? In the Australian Guardian today, Australian academics published an open letter which I am excerpting below. It says everything I want to say. The science is clear, the facts are incontrovertible. We are in the midst of the sixth mass […]
As I write, the house is filled with boxes and empty shelves as we are getting ready to move into our new home in Ballarat. We will have a proper garden again, there’s a little greenhouse, room for chickens and over a dozen established fruit and nut trees in the back and front garden. There’s […]
Dearest readers, I never mean to be away so long…life just happens and the days get away from me. Firstly we had the whirl of school holidays and then there were birthdays. Lots of things were made but escaped being photographed. Those of you who follow me on Instagram will recognise the following pics from […]
knit | look | spin
Memento Mori
This post is about a sheep, a very special sheep called HRH or Old Leader. HRH, photo by Nan Bray, used with her permission In 2016, I had the great fortune to encounter a very lovely fleece from White Gum Wool whilst studying for the Spinning Certificate run by the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of […]
This is a wonderful, fascinating book. The patterns are extraordinary and require lots of gazing upon and wondering at. But this is the bit that truly amazes me. Have a look at these knitting symbols. Now consider these words from the introduction. Unlike other stitch pattern charts you may have seen, Japanese charts do not […]
Dear Readers, The Artisans Textile Festival, part of the Australian Sheep and Wool Show extravaganza was almost two weeks ago now and it was a great success! The Bendigo Bowls Club was packed to the rafters, warm as toast and buzzing with energy. I was there on the Saturday, staffing the My Spin on Things […]
Thank you dear readers for your enthusiastic support of the latest endeavours at Needle and Spindle, and now…a little more news. Along with the Natural Gradient Alpaca Shawl Kits, I will have also been preparing English Leicester locks for sale at the Artisans Textile Festival next weekend in Bendigo. For a long time, I have […]
