Thursday, December 27, 2007

Almost finished!

I spent a few days in the Blue Mountains last week, having some well-earned time out after a frantic year. The Blue Mountains are west of Sydney, an easy 1 1/2 hour drive. Here is a photo I took at night, of the "Three Sisters", a rock formation and popular tourist lookout.

While there, I sewed together my latest Bouquet Scarf, in summer colours of royal purple, ultramarine, cobalt, sky blue, jacaranda. The fuzzy bits are mohair, for some textural variation. Mohair is very warm and very light. It doesn't drape like merino wool does, though, it tends to "float", so I usually use it with wool, to give it some extra body and weight. I only use fine quality mohair because the poorer quality can "itch".
So no, all I need to do is finish the ends of the scarf, press it and it's ready for my etsy shop.

Hmmm. Everything is "blue" at the moment, even the Mountains!

And so that was Christmas...

Hmmm, I haven't posted for a while, can't imagine why LOL. Been slightly busy...

Actually now I see my previous post looking really horrible, due to me squeezing in too many pics too close together and the type being squashed between the flower pics. Apologies! I will try to fix this.

BRB

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Hydrangeas


Despite the drought, I have an abundant crop of hydrangeas this summer. Along with the vibrant blues of agapanthus (there's one just starting to open up, left), and purple tibouchina and jacarandas, the whole of Sydney is awash with blues and purples.


There are some of the colours I am using in my summer bouquet scarf.



Here's a pic of the bits I've made so far. I never try to reproduce the likeness of the actual blooms, but I create "fantasy" flowers that don't actually exist in nature. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...



While I'm at it, I need to introduce one of my assistants. This is Frankie, who is 15 1/2 years old, whose keen eye for detail and constant flow of creative ideas, are indispensable!

Friday, December 14, 2007

My first post - ta dah!

At last I've had a chance to sit down and create this blog.

"Produce" (as in the Noun) = stuff which I make. Which varies. Enormously! From day to day in fact. I paint, draw, stitch, bead, embroider, knit, crochet... I can't help myself.

I might have to change the name of my blog as it does sound a bit daggy now, like fruit and veg or an imperative verb, a command - "produce, or else!" Bear with me.

Anyway, here I'll post a couple of pics of recent "produce".

What have I done today? Working on another "bouquet" scarf, this time in shades of blue and purple, to echo my current summer garden which is filled with hydrangeas and agapanthus. The original one, the "bright bouquet scarf" is this one.

I've also done a winter version in muted berry tones, so now it's time for the summer edition!

They're all designed "on the needle" which means, as I make them. I simply crochet random flowers, which I invent myself, in several colours, in varying sizes, depending on what mood I'm in. Then I choose a leaf colour, and then I start laying it all out. I add more bits, whatever's needed, and then comes the boring bit: stitching it all together.

Which is best done in front of a good tv show, with a strong light over my work!