The Botanic Hat

Hello friends!
Just before Christmas I suddenly realised I needed a present for a man, that would be easy & quick to make, but still be wonderful (to match the recipient :-) ). So I started searching through Ravelry and stumbled upon the Botanic Hat by Stephen West (he's awesome, check out the rest of his patterns on Ravelry too!)

 I was SO happy to find this pattern. I made the first one, using local alpaca and Noro Kureyon, as soon as I downloaded the pattern, it's very well written, easy to understand and it's REVERSIBLE! Then I still had some of the same yarn left... so I made another one...

Then I remembered my brothers Birthday was only a few days away as well, so he got one too... For this one I used some Scheepjeswol Stone Washed XL (which I absolutely LOVE).

Then I remembered the beautiful handspun wool from EIisabet's Handspun, that I had been saving for something special, but I'd been busting to use it... So I made another one. needless to say, this is now my new go-to pattern when I need something for a man!

HOT TIP: When making this hat there is only one colour of yarn used per round, you don't cut the yarn after each round to change colour, you just carry it up the side of the hat. But, make sure you leave the yarn not in use at the FRONT of the work until it is time to use that colour again. This will result in the yarn carried up the side being invisible, which is a bonus, especially, when this pattern is reversible :-)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hello friends!
My Birthday is late in the year, right before Christmas, which can be a bit of a downer at times, because everyone is too busy with Christmassy things to do anything for your Birthday, so for my most recent Birthday, instead of letting the poor timing of my birth get me down I made myself a really fabulous Birthday present, crochet, of course!

I crocheted myself a bag! I was heading out the night of my Birthday for a non-Birthday related event (which was awesome, by the way) and I REALLY wanted to use this bag, so I did have to finished it record time, and I was seriously still stitching the lining in as I was running out the door, but I did indeed finish it!

I used Scheepjeswol Cotton 8 which, despite the name is a 4 ply/Fingering weight 100% cotton yarn. I really enjoyed working with this yarn, it has a nice hand feel as you're working, it comes in LOADS of amazing colours, has a nice matte finish, and isn't splitty! So there's lots to love about it.

I didn't have a pattern for this bag, instead I reverse engineered it from a picture I had seen on Pinterest. I later discovered that the very talented and delightful Lucy from Attic 24 has a really great tutorial for the motifs used in this bag. I used the "join-as-you-go" method, which saved a lot of time because it meant I didn't have to sew any of the motifs together. I vaguely guessed the size for the lining and used some black satin that had been languishing in my fabric stash for a few years, which I sewed with my machine, then I hand stitched it into the bag. The plastic handles had also been languishing in my crafty stash for many years, waiting for this project I guess!  In total, the bag took 26 motifs to complete.

Have you ever made yourself a birthday present? What was it? :-)

Libertas Cardigan

Hello friends,
You might remember the Libertas Collection that I released late 2014? Well, I have a few more photos to add, as I thought it might be nice and useful for you to see what the Libertas Cardigan looks like on a human, instead of a "flat lay" :-) So, here it is!

The LibertasCardigan pictured above is beautifully modelled by the lovely Kay of Crumbz Craft in Healesville. 

The Libertas Cardigan pictured above is made using Panda Cotton Blend, which is a really great yarn! It's fantastic to crochet with, and it's not "splitty" like a lot of other cottons, when you try to crochet with them :-)

You can purchase the Libertas Cardigan pattern from Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy. This pattern can also be purchased as an ebook which includes the Libertas Mitss and Libertas Hat patterns from Ravelry, Etsy and Craftsy :-)

Also, we've had quite a few "beginners" make this cardigan so far, and they have been very successful, and pleasantly surprised with their garment making skills. This is a really great introduction to crocheting adult garments, as it's very simple and easy to follow, works up quickly (yay for instant gratification) and it's all made in one piece with NO seaming! So, if you've been meaning to attempt an adult crochet garment, but haven't found a pattern you feel confident you could finish, this might just be the one! It's available in 8 different sizes as well! So why not go for it?! It works up just as well in cotton for summer as it does in wool for winter :-)

Welcome 2015!

Hello friends!
It's time to welcome in 2015! I hope you all had a stress free and relaxing Festive Season, and hopefully a bit of time to get crafty as well :-) I have been a bit slow on the yarn craft front so far this year because the weather has been rather warm, and really not conducive to working on a massive woollen blanket that's draped across my lap, for example. So I've been trying to work on a few small things, like fingerless mitts (still in the testing phase, so I'll show you some pics soon :-) ) and a few new sock patterns as well. I aim to get a few more patterns released this year than I did last year.

Some of the patterns currently being tested are 4 different womens cardigans, knitted in 10 ply/Aran/Worsted weight yarn, one plain, and 3 with some simple but effective colour work. Yay! More adult garments! And another 2 womens pieces in 8 ply/DK/Light Worsted weight yarn, with options for a cardigan or a sweater,  one with stripes and the addition of some fruity knit or crochet embellishments, and the other with some simple colour work. 

There are also a few sock patterns in the pipeline, a shawl pattern, and one fingerless mitts pattern (so far). I'm also working on some new 4 ply/FIngering weight cardigans, one knit, one crochet :-)

And for the little ones, there will be another e-book of crochet sweaters/jumpers coming out very soon,  and it will have patterns suitable for boys and girls, and in sizes, from newborn to 6 years!

So stay tuned for some more Shara Made patterns in 2015! I hope this year is the craftiest yet, for all of us!

Kotori Jacket

Hello friends!
While I might have been quiet on my blog, I have been very busy in the pattern writing department (yippee!). This particular pattern has been available for a little while now, and it is already one of my most popular patterns (thank you lovely crafters!!) and I have made approximately a squillion of them so far :-) I can almost make them in my sleep now (it would be pretty handy to be able to crochet whilst sleeping, right?)

I like to try and write my patterns in LOTS of different sizes, so you can make one for all the little people in your life, and so you can keep using the same pattern and make a new jacket as your child grows :-) This one is available in sizes from newborn to 6 years! That's a lot of sizes!

It's a simple style, that is suitable for both boys and girls, and can be made with long or short sleeves. This pattern works just as well in cotton, for a Spring/Summer jacket, as it does in wool for a Winter/Autumn jacket. The simple design also means it the perfect "canvas" to play around with stripes or some gorgeous hand dyed yarn :-) And even an adventurous beginner could make this jacket in a few evenings! And did you know that I am always happy to help with any questions you have when making anything from my patterns. I promise you, there are never any silly questions :-) You can leave a comment here on my blog (I always get a notification so I don't miss any questions) or drop me a line via my Facebook page HERE

The Kotori Jacket pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy & Craftsy!

I'm also thinking about making and adult version, with a bit of subtle waist shaping. What do you think?

Libertas Collection

Hello friends!
Wow! It's been a REALLY long time since I last posted anything to this blog! Apologies! I do get into Instagram a lot, almost everyday, so if you like to have regular contact and see exactly what I'm working on each day you can follow me there @shara_made . I really LOVE seeing what everyone else is up with their creative pursuits too, so let me know you Instagram name in the comments below so I can find you there too :-)
Hopefully these new patterns will make up for my lack of contact over the last few months :-)
The Libertas collection includes, a cardigan, fingerless mitts and a hat, and they've been so much fun to work on and develop. You might be familiar with some of my knitted scallop beanies and a few little cardigans I've knitted with the same scallop pattern?? Well, I really love it! It could be petals, or maybe shells, or waves, or just a pretty pattern :-) Lots of my lovely friends who are strictly crocheters love the scallop pattern as well and wondered if I might be able to make a crochet version... Well, I do love a challenge, so I got busy and soon enough I had a crochet scallop pattern that I was able to incorporate in to various garments and accessories :-) Besides the cardigan, fingerless mitts and hat, I am presently working on a blanket using the same pattern, as well as a scallop scarf, cowl, and skirt!
For this series I have had some extra wonderful test crocheters who have been extremely helpful too!
The cardigan is made from the top down, all in one piece (no seams to sew, woo hoo!) and has a v-neck & button closure, with 3/4 length sleeves (my favourite, and very practical for busy crafty folks).

The hat uses 3 different colours (but you could use as many or as few colours as you like) and only uses a small amount of each colour, so it's a perfect stash busting pattern (and remember, the more of your stash you use, the more NEW YARN you can justify) On a side note, I have been doing a MASSIVE stash bust this year and you can see the results on Instagram by searching the tag #operationstashbust2014. I still have a lot more stash to bust, but I'm making a big dent in it.... Yaaaay!
You can find this pattern on Ravelry, Etsy & Craftsy!

The fingerless mitts also use 3 colours, but just like the hat, you can use as few or as many colours as you like here, and once again, it's the perfect stash buster! These work up really quickly and you could easily have a pair finished in an evening. They make a great last minute gift for when you suddenly remember that you forgot you favourite workmates Birthday! Or there is an extra guest coming for Christmas dinner :-) You can find this pattern on Ravelry, Etsy & Craftsy!

For the hat and mitts pictured I have used Australian Superfine Merino by Cleckheaton and if you haven't already tried it, I urge you to get your hands on some! Oh my goodness! It is SO soft and squishy and delicious and it has a gorgeous drape, but is still very springy and has great stretch and recoil. And it seriously comes in the most amazing colours!!! It costs a little more than a regular 50g ball of wool, but it's actually a bit bigger (65g) and the yardage is about equivalent to 1.3 balls of yarn, so it works out quite economical :-) I'm looking forward to the Southern Hemisphere to roll around to I can make myself a delicious sweater or cardigan with this yarn (and it will definitely be some sort of colourwork  number, so I can use lots of the pretty colours!)

The cardigan pictured is made using a combination of Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury (the main colour, Slate), Bendigo Classic (hot pink, "Deep Rose"), Cleckheaton Coutnry Naturals (mustard/ochre) and Utiku Corridale (oatmeal/natural). You can find this pattern on Ravelry, Etsy & Craftsy!

And all three patterns are available together in an e-book on Ravelry, Etsy & Craftsy :-)

Aro Hat Pattern

Hello friends!

It's been such a long time! I've missed you :-) but never fear, the reason I've been so quiet on my blog is because I've been busy writing a LOT of new patterns! Yippee! 

So, here is my first new pattern for 2014: The Aro Hat!

You might have seen some of my other stranded colour work pieces here and there, but this is the first of my stranded colourwork patterns, and it even comes with it's own special chart to work from :-)

this hat is a really quick knit as it is worked in Worsted weight or Aran weight or 12 ply yarn. It has been successfully tested with all 3 types/weights of yarn :-)

The particular yarn used to make the Aro Hat pictured is Mondial Merino Special which can be purchased at various places, but I got mine at Lincraft

The pattern can be purchased via Ravelry (using the "Buy Now" link above, Etsy and Craftsy :-)

And as a special treat for my readers I am going to give away! To win this pattern, and any other single pattern of your choice from my range, you need to like my Facebook page HERE, "like" & share the Facebook post, then leave a comment here to let me know that you've done it!

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on the Facebook page on Wednesday 26th February!!

FAQ:

We're friends in real life, can I still enter? Yes, of course you can!  

I live in a country other than the country you live in, can I still enter? Yes, of course you can! The patterns are all digital PDFs so they can be delivered anywhere in the world to your email address :-)

I can't knit, but I can crochet, if I win can I choose two of your crochet patterns instead? Yes, of course you can!

I can't knit or crochet, if I win can you please send two patterns to my crafty friend instead? Yes, of course I can (you're a lovely friend)!

If you have any other questions, please let me know in the comments below and I will be happy to help :-)

xo Shara

ETA: I have drawn the giveaway and the winner has been notified :-) My dog actually randomly selected the winner :-)

Little Christmas Stocking Pattern

Hello friends!

It's been a little while since I've posted on my blog…I have been super busy! Just like everyone else, the build up to the festive season is very busy for me too! I have been making LOTS of crochet Christmas Ornaments, for friends, for myself, for various swaps, and for the shop :-) I have also been making lots of crochet toys destined  for Christmas presents (this is a really fun part of the festive preparations :-)

I though I would share one of my ornament patterns. I had been looking for a simple crochet Christmas Stocking ornament pattern and hadn't found quite what I was looking for, so I decided to write my own pattern :-)
You might also like my other free Christmas ornament pattern LITTLE STAR PATTERN

Little Christmas Stocking

As this is a decoration, it's doesn't really matter what size it is (well not too much anyway), so you can really use whatever yarn you like and a suitable size hook. It's a good idea to think about using a hook that is one or two sizes smaller than the recommended size for the yarn you're using, this gives the stocking a little bit of stability so it will keep it's shape while hanging on your tree or mantel :-)

The pink and green stocking in the photo was made using 8 ply (Dk) weight cotton yarn and I used a 3.75mm (F) hook and it's quite sturdy and measures 10.5cm (4") from toe to heel, and 9cm (3.75") from the bottom of the heel to the top of the cuff. This should give you some idea of the sizing of the finished stocking.

Have fun with it, use up some scraps, mix colours you might not think of combining, and Christmas decorations don't necessarily need to be red, white and green :-)

The stocking takes approximately 35-40m of yarn to complete. To get the contrasting toe heel and cuff you'll need at least two colours, but theres not reason you couldn't use a different colour for each section :-)

Abbreviations (Please note that this pattern is written using standard British/Australian crochet terms, with U.S. crochet terms in parenthesis below :-) )

ch: chain stitch

sl st: slip stitch

dc: double crochet (U.S. single crochet)

dc3tog: double crochet (U.S. sc) 3 stitches together as follows: insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, draw up loop (2 loops on hook), insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, draw up loop, (3 loops on hook), insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, draw up loop, yarn over, draw through all 4 loops on hook.

**NOTE** The 1ch at the beginning of each round does not count as a stitch unless stated otherwise.

Pattern

Toe - ch3, join using sl st to form a small ring.

Round 1: 1ch, 6dc into ring, join in first dc using a sl st (6sts)

Round 2: 1ch, 2dc in same st as ch, 2dc in each st to end, join in first dc using a sl st (12sts)

Round 3: 1ch, 1dc in same st as ch, 2dc in next st, (1dc in next st, 2dc in next st) repeat to end, join in first dc using a sl st (18st)

Round 4: 1ch, 1dc in same st as ch, 1dc in each of the next 4 sts, 2dc in next st, (1dc in each of next 5sts, 2dc in next st) twice, join in first dc using a sl st (21sts)

Round 5: 1ch, 1dc in same st as ch, 1 dc in each st until 1 st remains unworked, 2dc in last st, join in first dc using a sl st (22sts)

Round 6: 1ch, 1dc in same st as ch, 1dc in each st to end, join in first dc using a sl st (22sts) Fasten off.

Join new colour for Foot:

Rounds 7-14: 1ch, 1dc in same st as ch, 1dc in each st to end, join in first dc using a sl st. (22sts)

Fasten off after Round 14 is complete.

Join new colour for Heel (the heel is worked back and forth in Rows instead of in the round like the rest of the stocking):

Row 1: 1ch (counts as 1st, here and throughout heel section), 1dc in each of next 10sts (11sts), turn.

Rows 2-7: 1ch, 1dc in each st to end, turn. (11sts)

Row 8: 1ch, 1dc in each of next 3 sts, dc3tog, 1dc in each st to end. (9sts). 

To join the back heel seam, working on the wrong side (or inside) of your stocking, fold the heel in half so the first st and last st of Row 8 are together, sl st join the edges together, by inserting the hook into a st from both sides at the same time, yarn over, draw through everything on the hook (like a normal slip stitch), continue with this slip stitch join until the heel seam is closed. Fasten off.

Join new colour of Leg section in the centre of the back of the heel (top of the seam):

Round 1: 1ch (once again the 1ch at the beginning of each remaining round does not count as a stitch), 1dc into same place as 1ch, work 4 more dc along the edge of the heel, 1dc in each of next 11 foot sts, work 6dc along the remain edge of heel, join in first dc using a sl st (22sts)

Rounds 2-10: 1ch, 1dc is same st as ch, 1dc in each st to end, join in first dc using a sl st (22sts)

Fasten off after Round 10 is complete.

Join new colour for Cuff section.

Work 3 Rounds as Round 2 of leg section. After the 3rd cuff Round has been completed, and after joining  in first dc using a slip st, ch25 (or desired length) for hanging loop, join using sl st in first ch. Fasten off. Weave in ends and enjoy your little Christmas Stocking!

 © Copyright Shara Lambeth Designs. Copyright remains that of the author at all times. The pattern is for personal use only. Reproduction of this pattern in anyway (electronic, email, photocopying, transcribing etc) is strictly prohibited, except with the explicit permission of the author. Please do not sell the pattern or the finished product that is made using this pattern without permission of the author, as this is a direct infringement of the copyright laws protecting this pattern. Also please be aware that copyright laws vary from country to country (sometimes even from state to state), I am Australian, in Australia, therefore my patterns are protected by Australian copyright laws. This copyright protection still stands no matter what country the item is made in or who makes it. Thank you :-)

If you do want to sell the Little Christmas Stocking Ornaments you make using this pattern at a market, craft fair or in your online store please do ask, as in most cases I will give permission :-)

And please feel free to make as many Little Christmas Stocking Ornaments as you like for yourself, your friends and family :-)

Sparrow Hat Pattern

Hello friends!
I have been busy writing some new patterns for you! Yes, that's right, more knitty fun for everyone :-)
A collection of four little hats is ready for release. I'm so happy to finally have the patterns ready after all the designing, playing and testing.
The first pattern to be released is the Sparrow Hat. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you would have been seeing this hat design for quite some time now. It's one of my most popular designs, so I was pretty excited to be able to share the pattern too :-)
You've probably figured out by now that the "Fishtail" lace used in the Sparrow Hat is my favourite lace stitch. I use it a LOT. It's easy to remember and very effective :-)
Knit all-in-one, in the round, with a seamless construction, which means now seams to sew! And as you can see from the pictures above, the ear flaps and ties are optional, with instructions given for both styles in the pattern.
The sizing goes all the way from newborn to 5 years, so all the little Sparrows in your life can be warm and cosy :-)
This hat uses only a small amount of yarn, approximately 55m-120m (depending on the size you're making), so it's a great stash buster and you can use up all the little bits of delicious yarn that have been languishing in your knitting basket.
A quick and surprisingly easy knit, you can have one finished in a few hours, making it the perfect last minute gift for a new arrival or special birthday girl :-)
This hat is part of a collection of four little hats, so stay tuned for the release of the other designs. You can look forward to the Mio Hat, which is a plain and simple hat, perfect for both a little boy or girl, great for playing with stripes or a lovely hand dyed yarn :-) The Pip Hat is also lovely for a little boy or girl, with a deceptively simply textured stitch in 2 colours :-) And the Miel Hat, lovely for a boy or a girl with a simple, but effective eyelet pattern!
All 4 patterns will be available separately and as part of an E-book via Etsy, Ravelry & Craftsy :-)

Little Pixie Bonnet

Hello friends!
I knows it's been a little while since my last post! Sorry! but I have been very busy making lots of fun new things and writing a bunch of new patterns, due for release in the coming weeks! (Yes, exciting times!)
Here is a little bonnet I made yesterday :-) it is crocheted using a combination of Australian alpaca, cashmere and organic Australian wool!
Even though this one is for a baby, I am a little bit tempted to make one big enough for me :-)
This hat is available in my store HERE
Have a wonderfully crafty weekend!

SEAGULL Self Striping Sock Yarn

Hello friends!

Well, here is ANOTHER skein of self striping sock yarn that I have dyed. The colours of this skein were inspired by the beautiful colours of the seagull. I know that seagulls can be annoying at times, like when you're trying to enjoy a picnic by the sea, for example, but have you ever really looked at one? They're quite beautiful! I really love their bright, vibrant orange beaks and legs and I REALLY love their magnificently smooth feathers and the way the grey graduates into the white. it almost looks as if they've been painted :-)

The sample photographed is a 60 stitch sock knit on 2.5mm needles, so you can get an idea of what it looks like when it's knit up into socks :-) 

The skein is 100g & 420m and is enough for a pair of socks :-) With 75% soft squishy wool for comfort and warmth and 25% nylon for durability :-)

You can find this yarn in my online store HERE along with a few other skeins :-)

What sorts of things inspire you in your crafty pursuits? Do you see colours in nature/the city/your garden that you love and try to recreate? Tell us in the comments! :-)

COAST Self Patterning Sock Yarn

Hello friends!

Here is another sock yarn that I have hand dyed, this time in a colour way called "Coast". The special way that this yarn has been dyed means that when it's knit in the round into socks it creates a "spiral" pattern around the sock, and the best part is all you have to do is knit! 

The sample photographed is a 60 stitch sock, knit on 2.75mm needles, so you can get an idea of what it looks like when it's knit up into socks :-) 

The skein is 100g & 420m and is enough for a pair of socks :-) With 75% soft squishy wool for comfort and warmth and 25% nylon for durability :-)

You can find this yarn in my online store HERE along with a few other skeins :-)

Do you knit socks? Did you find yourself addicted to knitting socks once you had started?? I did!

Watermelon Hand Dyed Sock Yarn

Hello friends!

I have been busy dyeing up a storm... well, some sock yarn really :-)

I've been experimenting with the dyeing process for self-striping sock yarn. I really LOVE knitting with any sort of self striping yarn, it adds an extra dimension to your knitting, and it's fun waiting to see what the next colour will be. Another thing is that you get a lot of bang for your buck, if you know what I mean, you get a lot of fun and colour etc in your knitting with very little effort: you knit and the stripes happen!

You might remember a pair of socks I made last year using some other yarn I dyed so that it would knit up in a "Watermelon" effect. I used a similar method to dye this yarn :-)

The sample photographed is a 60 stitch sock knit on 2.75mm needles, so you can get an idea of what it looks like when it's knit up into socks :-) 

The skein is 100g & 420m and is enough for a pair of socks :-) With 75% soft squishy wool for comfort and warmth and 25% nylon for durability :-)

You can find this yarn in my online store HERE along with a few other skeins :-)

Wordless Wednesday 22nd May 2013

Crochet Jacket Extraordinaire!

Hello friends!
Well, here it is! Remember when I posted a few little pics of some mysterious crochet recently? A little while ago a lovely friend of mine sent me an email with a photograph a crochet jacket that she'd stumbled upon on the internet. She really wanted it... so I obliged...and made this! There was no pattern for the jacket available, so I improvised the design, construction and a pattern of sorts from the photograph my friend had sent me.
I had a lot of fun working with my friend choosing the colours :-)
Some of the yarn is 100% pure wool yarn and 100% Alpaca yarn from the Bendigo Woollen Mills, some is 100% wool that I hand dyed, some is a random alpaca that had been languishing in my yarn stash for a little while and some is a Cleckheaton 100% wool :-) I think the colours look pretty amazing together :-)
Just in case you are curious the yarns are as follows:
-Dark green is Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8ply/DK in Pine colour way.
-Bright green is Bendigo Classic 8ply/DK which was originally in Magnolia colour way that I dyed a neon/Granny Smith Apple colour using a Wiltons food dye in Kelly Green (using vinegar and heat to set the colour)
-Coral is a Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8ply/DK that was originally Magnolia colour way that I dyed Coral using a Landscape Dye in Coral colour way (these dyes are available from KraftKolour)
-Deep Red is Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 8ply/DK in Cranberry colour way.
-Deep Purple is Bendigo Woollen Mills Persian 8ply/DK in Eggplant colour way.
-Rust wool is Cleckheaton Country Colours Naturals in #1832 colour way.
-Bright Blue is The Rare Yarns Company Rare Essentials alpaca/merino in Lapis colour way.

I worked on it for 4 days, crocheting, measuring, stitching and weaving in ALL THOSE YARN ENDS!! Oh, then yarns ends! In the end the jacket weighed just over 1 kilogram!
As I said, I didn't have a pattern to work from, so a lot of "designing" and planning was involved, but it worked very well :-)
After making this one, I'm pretty tempted to make myself one as well :-)

If you already follow me on Facebook at Shara Lambeth Designs or on Instagram at shara_made 
 you may have already seen some little sneak peeks of this jacket. If you would like to see more images of the things I make, or what I get up to on my travels, you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram too :-)
P.S. It was a little tricky to find the origins of the original images of the jacket that my friend emailed me that inspired this jacket, however after a bit of searching we discovered that it was from a blog post that now no longer exists, which is a shame as the jacket in that blog post, that was such an inspiration, is quite spectacular and I would have loved to have included a link here :-)

Hmmm, what could it be?

Hello friends!

I hope you've all been well and happy and productive with your creative pursuits :-)

I have been very busy!

I went on a mini holiday (I'll show you some pictures soon!), I have been cooking up a storm and I have begun working on a big commission piece for someone :-)

 I'm going to keep a little quiet about the commission piece until it's completely finished... but these photographs are little pieces of it. I'm really loving the ways it's all coming together. It's not something I have made before, and it's using all my powers of mathematics, but I'm loving every minute of it.... Well, actually that's not entirely true, you should see all the little yarn ends I have to weave in!!!! Insanity, LOL!

 I'm looking forward to showing you more pictures soon!
xo Shara

Wordless Wednesday 24th April 2013

Wordless Wednesday 17th April 2013

Wordless Wednesday - 10th of April 2013

Autumn...At last!

Hello friends!

Finally... after a very long wait, Autumn has finally arrived! Summer seemed to have missed the memo that it was over at the end of February in my part of the world :-)

The weather has finally started to cool down. The mornings are crisp, the days have been really beautiful and the nights are chilly... just the way I like it!

because the weather has been so unseasonably warm here none of the trees had started to change colour when normally at this time of year the leaves have turned and have almost all fallen to the ground... but in the last couple of days I have noticed the trees have caught up and the leaves are slowly changing colour and a few have fallen... 

march is normally when i would be finding all sorts of marvellous fungi when I'm out walking... but I only JUST saw my first one today! I wonder if this might mean the mushroom season will last a little longer than usual?

We even got some rain yesterday!! I was excited enough to take a picture out the window of my bus :-)
This kind of gloomy weather is even more beautiful when you know you're on your way home and there will be someone lovely waiting there for you with a hot cup of tea :-)
But, alas, I can't get too used to this cooler weather because the forecast is for some more unseasonably hot weather over the weekend... Come on weather, make up your mind :-)
xo Shara