Pattern Review: Simplicity 2176 (The Scribble Dress)

In regards to this hot weather, I figure if you can't lick 'em, you'd better join 'em - or in my case, keep the summer dresses rolling!

Project Details
Pattern: Simplicity 2176 (Project Runway)
Fabric: 1.5m cotton from GJ's Discount Fabrics
Notions: Fusible interfacing, 35cm invisible zipper

Ach, you know me - can't go past the classic pink'n'red combination! It reminds me of my uni days as a science student. I know to the casual observer that there doesn't seem to be an immediate similarity, but bear with me! We used to wear lab coats for half our classes, and when bored would resort to scribbling on them. Sort of like tatts for lab coats. This dress, in a roundabout way, feels like a grown-up version - and is far more flattering to the figure than a lab coat that stinks of horse blood agar! Ah, those were the days - might explain why I now run a website focusing on sustainable fashion, rather than spend all day at a lab bench, hee hee!

Ok, enough reminiscing about the past - let's get to the sewing! This was a pretty easy pattern to make up, with no major adjustments required. The one big quibble I have is that the pattern instructions call for you to press the front bodice seam (the one right over the bust point) towards the centre, rather than clipping the curves and pressing the seam flat open. I did this against my better judgement, and now regret it, as the seam doesn't sit as flat as it should. Darn it! Won't fall for that one again!

Also, I really should have added some pockets to the skirt. The pattern doesn't provide any, but I feel this is a definite contender for pockets. I keep flopping my hands about the skirt, hoping against hope that some pockets have miraculously appeared, but nooooooooo! If I ever make it again, some quickly self-drafted pockets will be a must!

Apart from that, it's a cute easy dress. I quite like the pleats, and can picture a red one in the future with some cute patterned grosgrain trim. Not that I'm planning on any more summer dresses...ahem!

Can't take the heat

Dear Weather Gods,

According to the latest forecasts, ol' Melbourne town is due to have 9 days of temperatures reaching over 30 C or more. To that I have this to say:

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? C'mon - it's officially autumn! Time for beanies and mittens and pumpkin soup! Now, while I love a summer frock as much as the next girl, I'm sort of over the heat. I'm over the bike ride commute in the blazing sun, the perma-sweat moustache I'm always sporting and I'm over the hat hair (trumps skin cancer, but still - not.a.good.look!)

Plus I have grand plans to knit up a whole bunch of winter dresses. Now, that ain't gonna happen if this heat continues. My craft priorities are getting muddled - do I keep on making summer dresses or do I swelter trying to knit in the heat, preparing for (hopefully) cooler days ahead? Confusion is reigning! So please please pretty please can we get the weather back to normal? A brisk 15 C will suit me down to the ground.

If this is unachievable from your end, then I shall simply have to pack bags and head to Scotland. Good old reliable blissfully cool Scotland!

Yours sincerely,
Jorth.

Scribble dress in progress

"What a surprise!" said a drawling insolent voice from the thread draw. "Pink and red again. Geez, that Jorth sure likes the tried and true, don't she?"

"Who cares!" muttered Sabrina the irascible sewing dummy as Jorth fussed about, pinning the dress bodice to her. "At least she's put down those dratted knitting needles and is doing some actual sewing again! Even if it is pink and red again, I'll take it!"





(Pattern: Simplicity 2176)

An unexplained explosion of exquisite purple yarn

Oh dear. It all started innocently enough. I was flicking through my pattern books at home, and came across this lovely dress, called Dapple, in Nectar by Kim Hargreaves.

I'm a bit fuzzy on what happened next, but I suspect it may have involved a trip to the yarn store, because now lying on my bed is this:

Oh no - how simply ghastly! A whole pile of cashmere merino silk, just sitting there. Oh well, I guess that despite my memory blank, I shall just have to knit it up into a lovely new dress for winter. Couldn't let all that lovely yarn go to waste, after all. That would be criminal!

Monthly Menu Plan - February

I've had a few emails recently asking if I would share my monthly menu plan, and I'm most happy to oblige!

Just a note, though, if you are a hard-core meat eater who needs to consume a bloody 600 gram steak at breakfast - the menu plan is mostly vegetarian. We do eat a little meat, but that's it - only a little. We're sort of the opposite of what Paul McCartney is trying to achieve: instead of Meat Free Mondays, we have Meat On Mondays. Well, not always Mondays, but you know what I mean! I have no personable objection to eating meat, but as an environmentalist I am very aware of the impact that meat production has on our environment, so try to limit the amount we consume as part of my ongoing commitment to reducing my footprint. However, I do also have a growing child, so I also don't want her to miss out on any vital nutrients that meat does so readily provide. I feel that by eating meat only once a week it's the best happy medium I can come up with at this time.

(And for anybody who is going to have major issues with this, I will take the opportunity to remind you that we don't own a car, we only fly once every 10 years, and we try to be as plastic free as possible. If you still have issues with all that, then there are plenty of other blogs to read. You are most welcome to leave this one and engage with them instead. There, that's said!)

Anyway, enough of the blather, let's get to the menus!

I'll provide links to recipes if I use them directly from a website. If they are from a recipe book, then I'll link to the book. If the recipe has no link, then the recipe is one of my own that I have invented over the years. Hope you like it, and that it inspires your own menu planning.

Week One
Monday - Vegetable curry with paneer and saffron rice
Tuesday - Carrot fritters with avocado salad
Wednesday - Roasted vegetable tart with rocket salad
Thursday - Spaghetti with zucchini and cherry tomatoes, with garden salad
Friday - Vegetarian sausages with potato salad and corn on the cob
Saturday - Tacos, with beany tomato mix and coleslaw
Sunday - Macaroni and cheese (with peas, broccoli and zucchini)

Week Two
Monday - Spring vegetable soup with garlic bread (from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)
Tuesday - Spaghetti and meatballs
Wednesday - Tofu and vegetable noodle stir fry
Thursday - Cauliflower and lentil pilaf with minted yoghurt
Friday - Cheese, tomato, mushroom and spinach omelets with salad
Saturday - Pizza (toppings vary, but probably mushroom and capsicum, and roasted veg and feta, with rocket)
Sunday - Lentil spaghetti bolognaise with feta, and salad

Week Three
Monday - Roast chicken with salads (roast chicken a la Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef)
Tuesday - Sweet potato and zucchini risotto (any left of chicken will be sprinkled on top before serving)
Wednesday - Spicy Mexican bean soup
Thursday - Creamy mushroom parpadelle with rocket salad
Friday - Tofu burgers with sweet potato wedges
Saturday - Picnic cob with salad (like this recipe but without meat)
Sunday - Silverbeet spanakopita with roasted tomatoes

Week Four
Monday - Lentil and ricotta cannelloni with garden salad
Tuesday - Chilli lime and tomato risotto
Wednesday - Spicy beef stir fry with noodles
Thursday - Spiced carrot and lentil soup with garlic bread
Friday - Zucchini and smoked salmon pasta with salad
Saturday - Bean burgers with coleslaw
Sunday - Falafels with all the trimmings

So, whaddya think? Let me know if you want me to write out each monthly menu plan as I do them. Whew, all this food talk has made me hungry. Time for lunch!

Introducing Handmaker's Factory!

If you are wondering why things have been a bit sparse around here, it's because I've been superbusy launching Handmaker's Factory with the clever Nichola from Nikkishell!

Handmaker's Factory is a brand new website we have set up, providing a space for the sewing/knitting/crafting community to share projects, meet inspiring creative people, learn about sustainable fashion, check out some pretty darn awesome crafty stores and events, and generally have a lovely, lovely time!

We've had a fantastic response so far, so if creating your own garments and being fashionable without wrecking the earth is your thing then pop on over, join up and share in the fun!
 

Tutu tutorial

For weeks people have been wondering why, whenever they see me, I seem to be covered in little bits of glitter. It's on my face, my hands, my ears... I even found some on my toast just before I popped it into my mouth! What, my friends began to question, is going on with Jorth and the glitter?!?

I am here to tell you that reports of my setting up a glitter factory are greatly exaggerated. Instead, I've been making glittery tutus for the school fete, and thanks to this snazzy little tutorial I've whipped up, you can tutu! (sorry, couldn't resist!)

Not only are these quick and easy to make, but they are brilliant for craft stalls, birthday pressies, dress ups or just for a bit of sparkly fun.

You will need:

2cm wide white elastic, long enough to fit around the waist of the person wearing the tutu (for a young girl we used 60cm)
2m sparkly tulle
Scissors
White thread

1 - Take your piece of elastic, and sew the ends together securely to form a loop, as below.



2 - Cut your tulle in half, so you have two pieces measuring 1m long. Place one piece of tulle on top of the other, then fold them in half lengthways, then in half again, then in half once more, so you essentially have a big log of tulle. Trim off the selvedge edges, then cut the tulle into sections about 2cm wide. You will end up with a whole bunch of tulle lengths measuring 1m x 2cm.     



3 - Sling your loop of elastic over the back of a kitchen chair, fold each length in half, then begin to tie each piece of tulle to the elastic by tying through a loop as shown in the shot below. Continue until all the tulle is tied on.



Oh hai! Look - an action shot!

4 - Remove tutu from chair, then find somebody to look adorable in it. Too easy!

I'm seriously considering finding some black glitter tulle and making myself one! I'm thinking black leggings, killer kitten heels, boat neck top, red lips and big BIG floating etheral tutu. If anybody asks, I'll just tell them I'm channelling a French ex-ballerina with a lotta attitude! I think I can work it. Well, that's my birthday outfit sorted out!

Anyway, hope you like the tutorial. Any questions, just leave them in the comment section.

Me and the cables, the cables and me

Once upon a time, me and the cables were NOT friends. No matter which way I approached it, I could not do any sort of cable knitting without things ending in a hot swearing mess (and that was just the yarn - you didn't want to see what sort of state *I* was in!)

My cable needle would poke me. A lot. I didn't like being poked. And I told it so. Not that it seemed to care. Or if it wasn't poking me, it was poking the knitting, resulting in snagged, ugly stitches. Other times it would float about at the back of my work, like a small boat bobbing defiantly along on a treacherous ocean, resisting my efforts to capture it, until finally stitches were dropped and my determination to finish whatever cabled garment I was working on fell overboard.

But then I saw the pattern for the dress I'm currently making for Grumbles. I couldn't resist it! I HAD TO MAKE IT! But what to do about the whole cable needle incompatibility? I needed to conquer the needle, so I squared my shoulders, put on my most determined face and marched into the yarn store and begged them to tell me what sort of cable needles they had in stock.

The lady behind the counter, maybe knowing instinctively that I was a knitter who would no longer be messed with, quickly showed me this little gem, and I'm not ashamed to say that it has changed my life (well, my knitting life, at least):



It's pure genius! Look at the beauty of that curve! It doesn't poke me, or prod the knitting at all, instead staying meekly where it belongs until I am ready to use it. The short end is used to quickly pick up the to-be-cabled stitches, and the long end is perfectly proportioned for knitting the aforementioned stitches back into the row. It's bliss, pure unadulterated bliss to work with. Yay!

Ahh, dearly beloved cable needle - for $6 worth of plastic, you sure have brought me a lot of knitting happiness!

2013 Knitting Project #2: Isabel Cable and Little Branch Dress

I know, I know - it's a wee bit early to start the winter knitting, but I have so many things I want to knit this year that I decided that I really better get a crack on if I have a hope in hell of finishing them. So for starters I have begun on a dress for Tyger, the Isabel Cable and Little Branch Dress from Labour of Love by Vibe Ulrik Sondergaard.

How flipping darn cute is this dress? I LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT I NEED TO TYPE IN CAPITALS (don't let anybody fool ya - it's not the chocolates or romantic getaways that show love - it's the capital letters typing. You heard it here first!) If I didn't have a knitting list as long as my arm, I would seriously consider grading it up to my size. Cables! Branches! Bobble-ey bits! It's pretty rad.

And the yarn - mmmmm! I'm quite liking the Amy Butler Belle Organic DK. I was a bit worried that it would make my wrists sore, being a mix of cotton and wool, but so far it's been divine to work with, and has superb stitch definition. And it's organic! Niiiiiiiiice.

Evening knitting. Supercute pattern. A gorgeous girl to clad in my stitches of love. I'm one happy and very blessed lady.

Back to school muffins

Wheeeeeeee! I sure am in for one heck of a busy year. I'll be juggling two jobs, as well as my duties as a wife, mother, and general all round awesome person (hee hee!). Plus there's all that crafting I'd like to do - I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I kinda like to make things. And then blog about them!Ahem.

So how to fit it all in? By starting with one of my FAVOURITE things to do: Make a list. In this case, a rather big list. Which is sorta comprised of a whole shebang of other lists.

For starters: Keep up with the monthly menu plan. Once a month I sit down with my favourite cook books and various food websites, and compose a menu plan for the entire month. People think it's crazy, but I love it. I always know what we are having for dinner, and I can really cut down on food waste by planning effectively. For example, if I know I'm using half a carton of cream in a recipe one night, I make sure that I include a recipe to use up the rest over the next few days. Or I might make up a huge batch of tomato sauce one night, some of which is used for that evenings pasta, then the next night on pizzas and the rest squirreled away in the freezer for cannelloni on the 12th. It does take me a little bit of time initially to do the menu plan, as I make a new one every month based on the seasons and what fruit and veg is available, but it saves me heaps of time on a weekly - heck, even daily - basis if I follow it properly. And it saves money as well, as we don't arrive home in a big tired heap after forgetting to do the supermarket run and resort to take-away instead. I will admit, there are nights where it doesn't all go to plan, but that's why there is always cupboard staples lurking in the pantry so I can rustle up a basic but cheap pasta if need be.

Aha! Pantry staples! That leads nicely into my next point. As part of the year of being organised/saving money/not creating waste I've decided to make Monday cooking day. Once a month I want to make my own stock, so I don't buy the stupidly expensive stuff from the store in plastic packaging. I also aim to, on a weekly basis, make up a batch of muffins or biscuits at the start of each week. I don't know about you, but life feels so much better if the biscuit tin is full! This Monday gone I made up the above Raspberry and Coconut muffins, and stashed a whole bunch in the freezer, so they can be brought out as needed for school and work lunches. Ja, ja, I am a genius! I also plan on cooking a big pot of soup up once a week in the cooler months, so the Tyger can take some to school on chilly days for her lunch, and I can gorge on it for breakfast. Seriously, if I was told by a doctor that I could only eat soup for every meal for the rest of my entire life, I wouldn't really be that upset. In fact, I might leave their office with a veritable spring in my step, such is my love for soup.

I am also sticking to my weekly schedule planner, which is written up in bright pink laminated paper, and lives next to the fridge. It details all the events in our lives, from what time piano lessons are to when I need to hand in a freelance article to reminders to hit up and bakery and buy more bread. It's sorta daggy, and unfortunately highly visible when people come over, but dang it does the job of keeping us all on track. It's also brilliant for keeping on top of school stuff for Tyger, like fitting in extra reading or knowing which day P.E is.

So that's my plan. I'm going to be highly organised, with loads of goodies stashed in the freezer, saving money and using up that craft stash. That's the aim, anyway - maybe you should check in a months time to see how well I'm faring!

What was that? You want the muffin recipe? Well, since you read all the way down here, I suppose you should have it, as a reward for lasting so long through my blather!

Raspberry and Coconut Muffins

2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup raw caster sugar
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
125g butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, whisked lightly
300g frozen raspberries, thawed

1 - Preheat oven to 180C, and line a twelve hole muffin tray with muffin cases.
2 - Sift the flour into a bowl, then mix in the sugar and coconut. Make a well in the centre, and then add the butter, buttermilk and eggs. Stir until combined, and then add in the raspberries.

3 - Spoon into the muffin cases, then bake for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Also very, very good with frozen mixed berries.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 1803 (a.k.a The Cabbage Dress!)

I know the year is still in its infancy, but I think we might already have a contender for the dress of 2013!

It has all the hallmarks of a classic Jorth favourite: pockets, interesting neckline, full gathered skirt which makes riding a bike a cinch, and most importantly of all, an amazing print. I mean, c'mon - who wouldn't love a dress decorated with CABBAGES, I ask ye?

When I pounced upon this fabric in the shop (and believe me when I say pounce - it was, quite literally, an actual pounce, accompanied by a delighted squeal), and then showed it to Galumph, he did something that only the bravest of husbands would ever do in a fabric store: he questioned my fabric choice. I believe his actual words were "Do you really want to walk around with cabbages on you?"

"You bet your bottom dollar, honey!" I replied. And I'm so glad I didn't let his concern cloud my fabric purchasing decision, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this dress has turned out! Don't tell anybody, but so does he now that it's made up. Besides, if Stella McCartney can make clothes with citrus fruit on it, then I figure I can go nuts (ahem) with the cabbages. And don't tell Stella, but I kinda prefer what I made, hee hee!

The fabric is a Kaffe Fassett fabric for Rowan called Cabbage and Rose, in the fuchsia colourway. It's lighter than a regular quilting fabric, and I have a feeling that the cotton may have been mercerized, as it's super soft with a slight sheen. It was simply lovely to work with.

As for the pattern, it is a beauty. My only quibble is with the amount of ease provided. I'd heard before that the Project Runway patterns had a lot of ease, and it appears to be true in this case. I made the dress up in the 8, my usual size, but it is slightly gappy around the bust. I definitely could have gone down a size. Next time I might make up a bodice muslin if I use one of the PR patterns again. But apart from that, the pattern was great. It has a bunch of different neckline options, plus two sleeve variations. I do like a pattern that can be used to make a whole variety of dresses, especially one as cute as this.

Project Details
Pattern: Simplicity 1803, view B
Fabric: 2m Kaffe Fassett for Rowan (Cabbage and Rose), purchased from GJ's Discount Fabrics
Notions: 40cm invisible zipper, bias binding

Dropping it

"C'mon Jorthy!" she told herself sternly."Feel the fear and do it anyway!"

But this was beyond your average, garden-variety of fear. This involved hours and hours and hours of knitting and - gasp! - deliberately dropped stitches. Despite the pep talk, Jorth wasn't sure she could do it. What if the whole thing unravalled and all those hours of work turned into nothing but a loopy pile of yarn on the floor? Or even worse, what if the Knits Protection people caught wind of what she was up to, and incarcerated her into the Home For People Who Perpetrate Deliberate Acts of Cruelty Unto Innocent Knits?

Not for the first time she glared at the cover of the magazine and muttered "Curse you, Vogue Knitting and your devilishly tempting knits that lead a good crafter like myself into all sorts of strife. If this fails I am going on the biggest meanest Ravelry rant ever!"

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, bracing herself for the dropped stitch moment, and then thought better of it when she realised that that particular tactic would only end in disaster. Eyes open once more, she let off a nervous fart or two, then dropped the stitches just as the pattern instructed her to, feeling like she had been ordered to march off an alarming high cliff.

And...




and...




and...



by Jiminy Cricket - it bloody well worked!

Project Details
Pattern: #14 - Drop Stitch Scarf from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2012
Yarn: 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK  in 18010 (from stash - woohoo!)
Needles: 4mm

I must say, I'm pretty happy with this fancypants scarf! And once I got over the sheer terror of it all, dropping stitches was FUN!

Pink Drape Drape 2 dress

Remember this little number?

Well, I have lived in it! It is one seriously comfy dress - so much so that I decided that I needed another for this summer. In hot pink, natch!

Once you get the hang of tracing out the pattern for this dress, it is no brainer sewing at it's best. This one I made from a super light jersey, and it is perfect for those 40C plus days, especially when your brain has melted from the heat, and the whole vexed question of what-to-wear is simply too taxing to contemplate. Drape Drape is the answer!

Project Details
Pattern: Dress #2 from Drape Drape 2
Fabric: 1.5m of cotton jersey from Rathdowne Fabrics

White ruffle skirt

What do you get if you mix a birthday part invitation with a quick jaunt down to GJ's? A super sweeeeet white ruffle skirt, if you please!

I whipped this up (seriously - an hour of sewing and it was donzo!) this afternoon after Tyger and I decided that we'd rather make her friend a gift than buy one. Since I'd already made a version of this skirt for the Tyger last year, the sewing was easy. I didn't even read the instructions, just jumped right on in. Love an easy sewing project!

It's a bit hard to tell from the pic, but each section of the skirt is made from a different white fabric, and each has it's own unique texture, which I really like. I was hoping to find a white Broderie Anglaise with a scalloped edging so that I could thread a fine pink ribbon through to use as the bottom tier, but I was plum out of luck. I'll just have to remember that idea for next time!

Project Details
Pattern: Cocos ruffle skirt #15 from Ottobre Design Magazine 1/2011
Fabric: Three different white cotton fabrics from GJ's Discount Fabrics
Notions: 54cm of 20mm wide elastic for waistband

Pattern Review: McCall's 6320 (aka The Green Dress)

Finally - finally! - I managed to snare the Galumph and get him to take some pics of me in my green dress. It's only been finished since mid-December, and here we are mid-January. In a brand new year. Yikes!

Still, better late than never. I used McCall's 6320, view B. As far a patterns go, this was a pretty easy dress to sew up, but as far as projects go it was a bit of a palaver. Firstly I couldn't find any lining anywhere to match the fabric. Green is always hard to get a good match with at the best of times, but after visiting 4 different fabric stores this began to be a bit of a joke! In the end I settled for a light avocado rayon lining, and resolved that if anybody had the nerve to point out the lining didn't match the dress then I would answer with supreme disdain "Dude - design feature. It's meant to look like that. Scoff!"

Thankfully this so far hasn't occurred. I'm AWESOME with the dripping disdain in the privacy of my own loungeroom, but not so flash with it in real life.

I also had a wee bit of trouble getting a zipper to match. The pattern called for a regular zipper, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and go the invisible. Which thankfully turned out to actually be invisible, so you can't tell that it, too, is a weird avocado colour. I just need to make sure I don't wave my arms in the air a lot and reveal the mismatching pull tab. That's a challenge for an arm-waver like me, but if I just keep my hands in my pockets then I shouldn't run into too much trouble!

Oooooh! That's another thing - I love the pockets! As you can probably tell by the pics. I did try and find an image of me without my hands in them, but alas, no cigar. I love the shape the pleats/pocket combination gives to the skirt. It gives the illusion of a smaller waist and hides the tummy flab. Win win!

This pattern gives you the different bust size options, which is great if your figure isn't standard (and let's face it, whose is? I'm usually an 8 in the bust, a 14(!!!) in the waist and a 10 in the hips. Go figure!) All in all, it's one heck of a cute dress, in possibly one of the best colours around. I wear mine during the day, but I could see it being ahhhmazing made up in a gold brocade or a deep red duchess satin as a sassy little cocktail number. Ack - so many sewing possibilities, so little time!

Project Details
Pattern: McCall's 6320, made up in size 8
Fabric: 1.6m Donna Karan stretch cotton from The Fabric Store, plus 0.80m rayon lining for bodice
Notions: 35cm invisible zipper

2013: The Year of the...?

The bookies stood rubbing their hands together, certain that their bank balances would soon be boosted, with the odds in their favour. They stood around in small, shady groups, eavesdropping on the punters who were reassuring each other with confident phrases such as "It's a sure bet, my good lad!" and "Trust me, dear chap - you've never seen better odds than these!"

The gambling public happily plonked down their money, choosing not to see the pitying gaze of the bookie as he wrote out the betting slips for each sucker, then huddled around the intercom to await the announcement. Would Jorth declare 2013 to be the Year for World Peace (clocking in nicely at 10 to 1)? Or would it perhaps be the International Year of Telling Bad Jokes (a slim chance at 25-1, but imagine the riches on a $10,000 bet!) Most were betting that she would go for that old reliable favourite, the International Year for Children, Safe Water, Literacy and Driving On The Right Side of the Road. Hedging one's bets had driven this one right up to the top of the list, at odds of 2 to 1.

The intercom suddenly crackled into life. The crowd hushed, and more than one neck was craned towards the speaker, awaiting the announcement that would surely lead them to sudden riches. The bookies stood by, wearing their impassive faces, when the words filled the room: Jorth announced 2013 to be The Year of the...


A brief silence. What the heck was going on? Didn't the speaker have it written down, for land's sake? The suspense! Oh, the suspense!


The intercom came back to life. The speaker cleared his throat and began again: 2013 will be The Year of the Stash!


"Gah!" said the crowd collectively, tearing up their betting stubs in a fit of pique, before heading out the door to drown their sorrows at the local down the road. The bookies started to wipe their chalk odds off their slate boards, and began speculating amongst themselves which project Jorth would begin first. Being gambling men, they simple couldn't help themselves. Would it be knitting or sewing? 50/50 on that! Maybe she'll use that fabric she bought 3 summers ago - I'd say the odds on that would be 13 - 1. "What about that teal Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn, purchased about 6 years ago, made up in that Drop Stitch Scarf from Vogue Knitting?" asked a young bookie who was still learning the ropes.

The older bookies guffawed at this. "Cashmerino? In the height of summer? Blimmin heck kid - I'll give you odds of 1 million to one on that bet!"

It's certainly a pity the young bookie didn't take his superior up on the bet, for he was a honest, decent lad who was obviously in the wrong profession. Honest, decent, and unfortunately for him and his scruples, now $1,000,000 less well off.

And Jorth's stash was currently depleted by 3 balls of teal Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Hello, 2013!

Slow summer days

I'm trying so hard not to rush this summer away. People (husband, brother, even the damn piano teacher) are always telling me: slow down, girl! what's the rush?

As for that, I have no answer. What can I say - I'm a girl on the move, for what that's worth. Bouncing from one to the next, never satisfied unless another 8 projects are lined up, and then usually overwhelmed which does nothing productive but inevitably results in an increase in speed. Watch out world - Jorth is coming and she can't slow down! Who gave her a license? (nobody, thank heavens. Imagine me on the road? Shudder) When God was handing out life philosophies, he definitely grabbed one from the ant basket for me. No singing the summer away like the slothful grasshopper for me. Heck, one might enjoy themselves that way. Must. Go. On. Always. Full. Speed!

Except for this summer. A nasty bug that hit over Christmas and has lingered, casting both a pall over new year and the gift of an prescription script has meant a lot less zooming by yours truly. And loathe as I am to admit to myself, I'm actually enjoying it. Sleeping in past eight, and dribbling on the pillow. Spending a whole splendid afternoon doing nothing but knitting on the couch. Sprawling on the bed in the heat creeping in from the bedroom window despite the drawn blind, and lazily devouring a book. Heck, I'm even savouring the cracked heels and chipped sparkly nail polish from too many hours in the local pool doing the slowest breaststroke laps you ever will see.

Besides, it won't be long before Grumbles will be spending her summers hanging out with friends, leaving her poor old mum behind in her own speedy dust. I've gotta make the most of this time while I still can because one day she won't want to spend a summer with me playing Lego Friends, ramming tokens into the Connect Four set, making pancakes on the weekend morns. I've gotta grab this summer with both hands, and enjoy it. Slowly and deliberately.

Start as you mean to go on

2013 is going to be, I suspect, a very busy year for me. I have big plans, people, big plans! And an integral part of those plans is related to crafting.

So that is why on the 1st of January I could be found perched on the couch, happily casting on for a new knitting project. Because I'm a big believer in starting as you mean to go on. And besides, who could resist ringing in the new year with some lucious cashmerino yarn? Not this little black duck!

Besides the non-stop-crafting-juggernaut I also want to:
- eat more fruit (I say this every year but this time I mean it, nagdammit!)
- read more books (I used to read like I was breathing - effortlessly, without even thinking about it, and feeling rather panicked if no new reading material materialised - what happened to that?)
- get up earlier and breathe in that glorious morning air
- take more pictures, laugh at more jokes, and enjoy the little moments as they come, rather than always rushing toward the next thing.
- Er, I should probably practice my piano more, too. Two years of learning, and my pièce de résistance is the Tarantella? Surely I can do better than that!

Merry Christmas!

Whoa! Where has the year gone? I know I say this every year, but it seriously speeds up as the year comes to a close. It's like the calendar feels the need for speed once August is over, and whooooooosh! December is almost gone before you know it!

Sorry for my absence around these parts, and thanks for all the sweet messages for those who were wondering if I had been eaten by a feral dog or something. Nothing so exciting - just been super busy with work, setting up a new business (announcement coming in the new year!) and believe it or not, a bit of sneaky sewing on the side. I have so many new dresses to show you all - including one featuring cabbages. Yes, cabbages! Not real cabbages, obvs - that would be smelly, not to mention awkward to hang in the wardrobe. It's just a really awesome cabbage print. I think it might be my favourite dress ever! And it's not even a Vogue 8184!

Anyhoo, the real reason for popping in here today is to wish all of my readers a happy and safe festive period, and a totally friggin awesome year ahead. Thanks for all the blog love - every comment leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart, and my world would be the poorer without this lovely space and all your kind thoughts. I hope you all have a terrific year end filled with your favourite kind of weather, good times with loved ones and plenty of soft focus fairy lights. Especially fairy lights. It just wouldn't be Christmas without 'em!

Yoohoo - anybody seen Jorth?

"Why won't she keep working on me?" asked the half-completed green dress in a tone of utter distress. "Has she gone off green? Stacked on the weight so now I won't fit? Decided that she's no longer a dress girl?

"Or is it me - have I done something wrong? Am I too creased? Too pleaty? Is it because my lining doesn't really match my fabric? For the love of all things sewing, somebody tell me what is going on - I'm going kerraaaazy over here!"

"Oh, settle down you stupid half-finished whippet!" snapped Sabrina, the fiercest dressmakers dummy in all of sewdom. "If you stopped thinking about yourself and your completion rate, and opened your eyes a little, you may have noticed that poor old Jorth is up to her eyeballs in work at the moment, leaving precious little time for sewing. At least she's spared a few minutes to work on you when she could - her poor old blog is a whole different matter! Last time I checked there were real estate agents knocking on the blog door, wanting to know if it was vacant, such is the extent to which she hasn't been there. So count yourself lucky, young miss!"

"My word!" breathed the dress. "Don't tell me she's going to retire her blog?"

"I swear", said Sabrina through gritted teeth, "you young dresses get stupider every year. NO! She is not going to retire her blog - she just needs to get some work out of the way, and then regular programming for both blog and sewing shall recommence. And for that I shall be thankful - I'll be pleased to get you off me and into the cupboard!"