A Granny a Day....want to join in??

What a great idea....Pip over at Meet me at Mikes has (as usual) come up with another brilliant idea!!

Crochet a granny square every day.....more if you like when you are on a roll, and by the end of winter you will have a brilliant granny square blanket to snuggle up under while on the lounge crocheting more granny squares for another blanket!!! Perfect!!!

As Pip says "A Granny a Day is a great way to learn to crochet or to build up a good stash of crochet squares. You can do one each day or you can fudge it and do one a week, or one every two days if that works better. Just do what is best for you!! 

Read more about it here and also sign up!!!

There is also a How to Crochet video tutorial here!!!

Come on - join in!!!

Let me know if you sign up and we can share photos and help inspire each other!!!

Happy weekend!!!!

xox Jo

you wanna learn to crochet....go to crochet school!!!

I love to crochet....I love the simplicity and freedom to kinda do what you want and make it up as you go. The lovely Dana over at the Crafty Minx has her own crochet school blog to teach you step by step....how cool is that?

Check it out here and see how much fun can be had!!!!

And if you need some crochet hooks, I just received a delivery today of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10mm bamboo hooks.....$5 each or the complete set of 8 for only $35. Contact me at sales@indigoinspirations.net.au for questions and orders.

And if you just happen to need some yummy wool to get you inspired you can check my hand painted colour ways here

Happy crocheting ♥Jo

Today....

I know I have spoken about my Mondays and Tuesdays before and this week was no different....I could totally use a whole other person on these days but instead I rush and rush and some days like today I feel like I haven't really completed anything. I have done lots, but completed...not too much. And it is the completion which has the 'feel good' effect.

Just because I am half mad and not busy enough already I thought I would take on something else....I have become involved in another wonderful opportunity. A space in the beautiful heritage listed "Old Bakery" building in the heart of Mullumbimby town became available and 10 of us are setting up shop full of amazing local, hand made crafts and art pieces. I am sooo excited BUT it means making sure I have enough stock for two shops....ahhhhh.... it will all  be OK.....but more on that next time.

Today I have been receiving more stock and pricing and dyeing mohair for dolls hair and dropping parcels off at the post office and, and, and.....

But I thought I would show you my Night Time project because that is more fun....

At night I am working on a new babies blanket in my Coconut Ice - hand painted chunky, super soft, unplyed yummy wool and mixing up the squares with the natural cream in the same wool. I am using a 10mm bamboo crochet hook so that "completion" comes around quicker. I am loving the colour combination but will have to do a more boyish one next time. 

Oh....and I did have a quick lunch. I have given up bread again....I do this every so often and I definitely feel better for it but then I just give in to temptation and toast and tea is back on the breaky menu. So sea salt and cracked pepper vita grains with local avocado and tomatoes from the garden with more sea salt and cracked pepper on top is my favourite at the moment.

Oh.....and here is the latest autumn rainbow hand painted mohair I have been working on.

Hope you are all well...would love to hear what you are up to.    ♥Jo

breathe out....it is school holidays.....

Well I think this....I think "yah school holidays" - time to breathe a little and slow down and get some of the much needed jobs done around the house and get on top of my business. I am fooling myself really as I always over extend myself and therefore everyone around me. I am a bit of a workaholic (I know where my Sasha gets it from) and I can always organise both Justin and myself and also the kids.

I have high hopes of painting the house..this is one that I really don't think will happen. For starters everyone is quite happy with it being blue - I am ready for it to be white. We are having building steps days and walk in wardrobe building days. The beauty of old weatherboard farmhouses is that you can cut out here and add on there and it all works out. We are also doing renovations to the chook house as the chickens keep going into Curly's (the sheep's) little bedroom to lay their eggs and then he comes along and squashes them which is not good.
Amongst all this I will be dyeing wool and felt to try to get ahead a little. Which brings me to today. I was going to spend the day sewing and crocheting my blanket together but instead I am a little tired. I heard an imaginary phone ring at 1.30 this morning and ran to answer it in the kitchen. Both my teenagers were staying out for the night so I immediately thought of them. But as I said it was all in my head...I must have been dreaming it. As a consequence I couldn't go back to sleep and ended up listening to podcasts of Women in business - Australian Business Network at 3am. I am working on an order for Luisa from Dance in my garden and she mentioned them the other day so what else is there to do at 3am (except sleep of course). It is the "can't waste a moment" part of me which was still working at that hour.

Here are some photos of the amazing vintage fabrics I picked up yesterday - some from op shops and some from a specialty fabric shop. The second one is of some Christmas bunting I have just started working on....don't you just love bunting?

And an update on the new family member.....he is sooooo cute. He comes for walks around the block in the mornings and afternoons with Puddles (the dog) and Sasha and myself. Sasha has been getting up at 6ish to feed him his bottle. Here they are....

Sasha is out there now with Pa building him a shelter. I will show you that next time.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend were ever you are. 

I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment.

♥Jo

My Monday's and Tuesday's are like no other....

I love Mondays and Tuesdays.....I work from home on these days and I am home alone. I never have enough time to do all I want/need to do and so have learnt the art of 'List making' so I don't waste a minute.

The music is either up loud or off depending on what "I" feel like. We always have music on in this house so peace and quiet is usually my preference although for some reason today it is 'on and loud'....I don't know why.
The photos above are of a pile of my hand dyed wool felt.....which I worked on yesterday.....doesn't it look so pretty?
Today I have been painting wool for an order for 'Treasure House'....the shop at Noosa Pengari Steiner School and making about 40 felting kits as I have fallen so far behind with these.

I have only finished the rainbow packs and the pinky/purpley packs....lots more to do.
Well I best get back to it before I have to do the usual Tuesday afternoon pickup from school and drop off at circus and soccer training....

Before I go....here is what is Happening this week...
Reading: the latest mammoth issue of Frankie Magazine
Working on: what seems like a million felting kits
Lovin': my new addiction.....crocheting...I have just finished my first beanie...it doesn't fit anyones head in this house but I am sure there is a head out there that it does fit.
Also Lovin': early morning walks and afternoon walks with Puddles, the dog and sometimes with Sasha, the son.
Eating: chocolate bullets...can't help myself.
Hope to hear from you soon ♥ Jo
And here is a photo of my above mentioned walking partners.

my new addiction.....

Crochet has become my new addiction....yes I know it could be worse and much more expensive so I am quite happy about it. Lucky I have pretty much a never ending supply of pure wool as I paint it myself but books....there are so many of them. I have been tempted to buy a couple.....and will show you them when they arrive. I learnt to crochet when I was a child....I can still remember the pale pink and white baby wool blanket I crocheted when I was about 10. I have no idea what happened to it.
So I was very excited last week when I learnt how to do other stitches. Last Saturday at the MILK and HONEY CRAFT MARKET, Mary one of the other stall holders showed me how to do the double stitch and I was off......I created round, rectangle, frilly bits with chain and kept pulling it apart to do more. I was hooked, so to speak.
So you can imagine my excitement and happiness when I finished my first pair of wrist warmers. (at almost midnight because I couldn't put them down). I used a 5mm bamboo crochet hook and 8ply hand painted Autumn Rainbow wool and it took less than 50gms. Check them out.....what do you think?

Coincidently, another stall holder at our market, Helle Jorgensen was offering crochet workshops starting yesterday and running for three Saturdays for two hours learning how to make flowers and experimental and freeform crochet techniques......yah!!!! so of course I just had to go. I went along with Julia (another amazing, creative friend) and this is one of my new creations.

Just a quick look at Helle's gorgeous studio in Murwillumbah and her amazing creations. Helle works alot crocheting with plastic bags and receives them from all over the world so she has an amazing selection of colours. On her blog there is even a PLASTIC BAG YARN TUTORIAL....check it out and you can also see more of her photos on her blog too.

And just in case you are in the area and want to join in the fun, here is Helle's workshop poster.

Oh if only I could just sit in the sun today and crochet and crochet......fortunately/unfortunately I have more painting of wool to do so it will have to wait. I will show you more soon.
Am I the only one who is crochet mad at the moment? (or maybe just mad)
Have a lovely day and would love to hear from you ♥Jo