Your Crafty Ideas

Over the Christmas Holidays, I'll be away at the coast; which means my knitting will be here at home. But I'll also be looking around at craft ideas to share when I return next year for more fun and games here.

While I'm away, feel free to come in and share what craft ideas you've been getting into through the comments section at the bottom of this post. I'll give them a try and post them up giving you full credit for giving me the idea.
So, wherever you are in the world this Holiday Season - and however you celebrate - I wish you all a very happy time with your family and a safe and prosperous New Year. And I do look forward to seeing you all here again next year with more crafty fun things to get our hands busy with. Until my next post, keep knitting and keep creating.

Fun Paper Beads to Make

I saw on 'Better Homes & Gardens' last Friday night how to make this necklace with paper, glue and spray-on varnish. Now, if you're not careful, you'll end up with a blister on one of your thumbs or fingers; so please do take the precaution and wear a band-aid on your thumbs (and don't do what I did and work for hours on end and find that you can't use your dominant hand the next day because your thumb is killing you..:S ).

First thing's first: gather together some paper. Old wrapping paper (something with a bit of substance, not the metallic stuff) and old stationery you've got hanging around with about three sheets left (and you don't know what to do with) is perfect for this project. You'll need a ruler, pencil, scissors, a glue stick and a large table and a bowl as well. Make sure you have a long good-quality wood skewers.

Mark out along the paper with the ruler length-wise isosceles triangles that will fit end to end on the paper then cut them out until you have long lengths of triangles. The wider the base, the longer your paper bead will be; the thinner the base, the smaller and more dense. Then, take up your skewers and - starting at the widest part of your triangle of paper - roll it onto the skewer, then run the glue stick along the rest of the paper until it's coated and then roll the rest of the paper up onto the skewer until it's finished; then start on the next one on the same stick. You can fit up to around 5 beads on one skewer (depending on the size of your beads).

After you've finished around 8 or so skewers, take them outside with the spray-on varnish and (if you've got a box big enough for them, use the box) poke the pointed end into the ground and spray each skewer at close range and leave them alone for about 10 minutes in the sun for them to dry. Then, you can start again. And the result? Well, I made a necklace for my niece out my mine. Isn't it gorgeous?

A New Project!

Yep! I'm at it again with the knitting needles! This time I'm getting together a scarf for my brother's girlfriend, Kat. Seeing she wears a lot of green, I've found a variegated green 8 ply wool and am doing a Moss Stitch.
Using size 8 needles, I've cast on 29 stitches with closed cast-on (this means when I cast on the next stitch, I push the needle between the first and second stitch so there's no loops when I look at it after casting on; so it's nice and tight). Then, I've garter stitched the first row and then K1 P1 each row until the end of the scarf - which is as long as you like it.
For the tassels, I'm going to pick out a nice emerald green or olive green wool and buy some glass beads to attach to the long thread that hanging off the end; just to make them look that much more special.
Once it's finished, I'll take a lovely photo of it before wrapping it and placing it under the tree for the big day! Now, I've told you what I'm making for somebody special this Christmas Season. Are you making anyone anything special? Leave a comment and let us all know. Until my next post, keep knitting and keep creating!

14th, December, 2009 - It's been a while since I wrote this post. However, I've finished the scarf and am now ready to wrap it for my Katrina for Christmas! So, here are the photos! And isn't it gorgeous? The colour for the tassels took a little while longer to find than the beads - which I found at a fabric shop in Logan Central where I get all the beads and accessories for my craft ideas. I hope Katrina loves this scarf as much I did making it!

I also hope you enjoy having a go at it too! Until next year's project and fun bigger things I'll be getting into, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a creative new year!

This Is Just The Beginning!

I have had my share of paintings - good and bad - however, I've found that some of them just aren't finished. A lot of them haven't even been signed. So, while cleaning up the office one day recently, I put away the signed and finished ones and left the unfinished ones that looked rushed. And in the last two weeks, I began working on the first of many which are going to be fixed up and finished to how they were meant to look like. First though, I'm making sure I'm going to take a before photo so you can all see how they look before and after the fixing up.

This first one is un-named. So, I'm running a competition. Whoever can name this painting will be getting a book on art sent out to them. I'll make the draw once I've finished and signed it and taken another photo of the painting for all to see. You have to be in this to win this. This is an international competition. And I found the perfect book! Here it is! If you'd like this book at the end of January next year, enter this competition to name the painting at the top of this post! Just leave your suggested name in the comments here on 'A Natural Background' and you can enter as many times as you like.

At the end of January 2010, I will be putting up the name of the winner in a new post with a photo of the completed painting. I'll be needing the winner to post an e-mail address I can contact them on for their mailing address to send them the book! Good Luck!

A Win At The Logan Art Gallery

Each month at the Logan Art Gallery, there's a raffle drawn and the winner collects a box of goodies ranging from books, chocolate, wine and arty gear and lollies too! For the last goodness knows how many years, I've entered this raffle every month; however I've never won it.
So, it came as a great surprise when I opened my PO Box last week and found a letter addressed to me on Logan City Council stationery; and I had won this very raffle! Woohoo! And have a look at the box! Lots of goodies for me to get my teeth into and have fun with!
Well, until the next time I'm doing something arty... and I get a chance to photograph it, keep knitting and keep creating!

Old Paintings Lookin' New Again.

I've been looking through my older works and they really need saving. There's some that I rushed through and didn't finish for no real reason; and others that I said were finished, yet I didn't sign.

So, recently, I grabbed the ones that I wanted to put away and sorted through the rest and have organised myself to finish my unfinished paintings. It'll get me into my art again and I'll totally enjoy it as it'll get off the computer and working on other things around the house (and back into my knitting trees too!).
I'll keep you all up-to-date with what I've been doing and how well the paintings are doing (or not) and I'll be providing photographs with their progress too! So, stay tuned and you'll see them go from bad to good to better as I fix up my paintings from years ago into what they are supposed to have looked like to start with. Well, until my next post, keep knitting and keep creating.

Riley's 10th Birthday Gift!

Today, I gave my niece, Riley, her birthday scarf. And she loves it! The moment she unwrapped it, her mouth dropped and she pulled it and put it on! I'm so pleased she loves it so much. Here's some photos of the moments of pleasure and joy from today!

And she wore it until a few moments ago when she asked how I made it. I told her how and she said it's not itchy or anything; saying how lovely and soft it is; even the tassels. So, I've made the best scarf for the most wonderful little girl. I said that once she gets older, she'll be able to put it with other outfits too and she said she'd never throw it out.

Not Much Happening ... Craft-Wise

It's been a while since I posted anything to do with my knitting, trees or painting; and I must apologise about that. It's not that I'm not doing anything, it's just that around this time of year, we have a lot of things going on in the social calendar that craft tends to take a backseat.

So, I've been trying to knit a thin scarf; without success. The painting of my chair is still halfway through (I'll finish it later rather than sooner, I know it!) and I'm learning a bit of the piano right now... which is harder than it sounds; as the silly thing is really out of tune!
Otherwise, one of the scarves I knitted in one of the earlier posts has been given away as a birthday present and Mum absolutely loved it! Just look at her on her birthday wearing it! Doesn't it suit her? She loves the long tassels and the purple colouring of it. I'm so glad she loves it so much. Well, until the next time I have a project, keep creating and keep knitting.

Riley's Hannah Montana Scarf

For the last week, I've been working on a scarf for my niece, Riley. Next month, she's turning ten and she's a BIG Hannah Montana fan. So, while I had another ball of tri-coloured yarn left over from Winter, I thought I'd get into a third scarf. As you can see, it's Moss Stitch again and it's going well. I'm hoping to have hot pink, long tassels hanging off the ends so she can throw it over her shoulder next winter and be in fashion; matching the colours of her idol.

And what lovely colours they are for a young lady to grow into! And she need not just use the scarf as a Hannah Montana scarf. Once she's grown out of Hannah Montana, this scarf can be used to just throw on to keep the brief winter chills that visit us here in Australia.

19th, September, 2009 - I finished this gorgeous scarf last night; adding the last touches of the tassels. And it's absolutely gorgeous too! Just look at the sparkle they add. I had to hunt around for that particular pink which would have any 10-year-old feeling as glamorous as Hannah Montana herself! I really do hope my niece does like this one.

If you'd like the pattern for this scarf, it's on Ravelry.com. The link to the site is on the sidebar. Anyway, until my next project - whatever it may be - keep knitting and keep creating.

A New Art Project!

I've been trying my hand at recycled materials for a while now without much success. However, whenever I get my hands on old wooden chairs, boxes or anything that can be pulled apart and sanded down, I love it. So, I've begun looking along the footpaths around the time of the Council Pick-ups to scavenge for any such items that may be useful enough where I can give them a second life.

Like this chair I'm currently working on. It's an old dining chair and I've taken it apart, left the steel frame out in the garden and taken a piece of sanding paper to the wooden seat until I've found a shape I'm happy with; then I've put a background colour (white) on it and took some designs from my old paintings from about a year or so ago and drew the design on. And now look at it... beautiful isn't it? And it's only half finished. I've still got some second coats to do and a spray of varnish and - voila! - it'll be ready to use on the hot days where I'll be out in the carport with the table from 'The Reject Store' at Sunnybank I painted in much the same way and this chair to read a book. Not a bad rescue if you ask me!

Stay tuned for more projects like this one and my knitting and other art works too that I get into. Otherwise, keep knitting and keep creating.

A Birthday Scarf For All To Make

In the last few months, I've been taking it easy due to the weird weather. In one instance we don't know if it's going to rain or if it's going to be a stinker of a day. So, I've been sticking around the house to catch up with writing, reading and practicing the piano (check out my other blog 'The Book Craze - Not Just About Books!'); I've also been finishing up all my extra yarn and knitting some flat work.

Here is my Mum's birthday present of a long thin scarf. It's been fun to get it all done before her big day in September. And I've also gotten some people I know on a bookswapping site to pitch in too to help celebrate Mum's big day.
I have knitted another scarf very much like this one; however it's wider and shorter. But this one is a lot thinner and longer with massive tassels. So, if you'd like the patterns for either the wider or thinner one you see here, go to the ravelry.com site and you'll be able to find it on my projects pile. I use the same screen name as here.
And what do you know... I've begun yet another one! This time it's got earthy colours. I'll be showing you guys that one when I've finished it; and I'll let you know what I'll be doing with it as well. Until my next post, keep creating and keep knitting.

Who's the Vandal? Nature or Human?

Okay, I knew art wouldn't be an easy thing to get out into the public arena. However, vandalism is just low. But really, you have to ask who the vandal is. Would it be some idiot kid who didn't like the look of my work or a bird that needed my knitted stitches for its hollow in the tree in the next park? It's a little off-putting when you go and check up on your work that you've lovingly applied to the outdoors and have found that it's either vanished or been stretched so bad you've had to remove it.
This is what I had to do with one of mine last Saturday outside the Logan Art Gallery. It doesn't bother me so much that the tags are stolen on the same day I installed the art work. What bothers me is that I had to remove my work because I couldn't repair it.

It doesn't bother me so much that a bird wants to line its nest with the knitting that I had put out there. I'm just grateful that the other pieces of work haven't been attacked... yet. I'll have to check on them. Until my next post, keep creating and keep knitting.

I've been shopping!

Yes! You read right; I went out today and shopped for more than just the anchors at the Riot Art Shop at Garden City... I also thought it would be beneficial to purchase an art apron. I know, I know; after all these years of painting and working up a paint-spattered wardrobe just for the use of it, I go out and buy an apron for my hobby. However, I think it's best to do it anyway just to keep everything else I love - like my favourite miniskirt and the odd pair of good shorts - clean from the paint I like to cover all my other older clothes in.

Anyway, I'll be out and about attaching my art to trees again before you know it. However, I'm also working on the recycled chair right now and I've done up a wicked design in the tradition of my three-panel works you can find on my photos on myspace.com... it in the public photo albums (http://www.myspace.com/mozette1791) for all to see of my work.

Well, a short post today... there'll be longer ones in the future. And I'll take the opportunity to say welcome to my new followers here as I've noticed them as signed in today. Thanks for joining up and I hope you enjoy my art work and the sites I've also advertised on the sidebar for further investigation. Otherwise until, next time I post, keep creating and keep knitting!

A Birthday Idea

Well, seeing I haven't been out and about doing a much of my art in the trees lately, I thought to do something a little more constructive with the wool I have still laying about in balls. On another site that I'm a member of, I have a Birthday Buddy; and her birthday's in October. And so, I thought that in amongst my reading, writing and gardening, I'd get in and start on her birthday gift. Last week, I thought to knit a scarf for her.
It's a gorgeous one that I've decided to do in Moss Stitch with around 33 - 35 stitches cast on. And I've decided to use up the rest of one of the balls of wool I've become tired of using; and it doesn't match any other wool because I've run out of the red and yellow balls. So, the tassels on the ends are going to be short, but the same colours as the scarf. It's not yet finished, however, I'm hoping to finish it either tonight or tomorrow afternoon and then I'll take some photos and post them here. It ought to look lovely. Along with the scarf, I'll be adding in some other little bits and pieces. I'll get in a book or two and some other things I'm sure she'll love.

I've also picked up an old chair from out the front on the footpath that somebody thought to toss out. I've taken it apart and I've sanded it down to paint it up and give it a new life as my seat to use in the carport during Summer. I'll paint it the same colour as the little folding table I did up from 'The Reject Store' at Sunnybank.

And while I'm here, I've found some anchors at an art shop. They measure two metres long and are around $3.00 a bag. So, I'll be out there in the fresh Spring air before you know it, putting up more beautiful knits as the weather warms up. Until my next post, keep creating and keep knitting!

No Anchors - Looking Out For New Ones.

Okay, I haven't installed many pieces of late and the reason why is really basic. I've gotten down to my last two bootlaces and my supplier has decided to charge me for them. Not a problem; I offered to pay in the first place when I asked about them. However, I haven't heard back from them since our phone conversation a few weeks ago. So, it looks like I'll have to look around for another supplier.

Art Stores: here I come! I may pay through the nose, but it's going to be absolutely worth it! I need to get those swatches out on to the trees and the tags anchored in a permanent way somehow. And tying them on with cotton just doesn't work. So, for the next few weeks, I'll be looking at Bunnings and other art stores to see if I can get my hands on some other leather bootlace for a good price - not vinyl. It wears too easily; and people can just cut it off too easily as well.

So, here it is: my notice to say that things may slow down a little until I get my hands on some either bootlace offcuts at another supplier or some thin strips of leather from art stores that are long enough to be used for what I'm doing. Wish me luck - I know there's a supply out there waiting for me to get my hands on it!

Until my next post - which I hope will be soon - keep creating and keep knitting!

Strawberries & Cream

I find that whenever I install my work at any time of year, I sweat a lot! It may be because I'm worried about people picking on me and laughing, kids laughing at me (and believe me, kids can be pretty cruel!) or me trying to explain exactly what my art work is. However, once my work is up on the tree with the tag attached, I loved to get out the camera and get in a few shots. And I had to really walk a long way to find this tree. It's on Audrey Street in Slacks Creek; around the back of the old Argonaut Skate Centre. It's the skate centre where I learnt to roller skate when I was young and I got all my cloth badges; however now, I'm not sure what it is. The last I heard, it was converted into a church.
Anyway, I was going to try to get some of my work onto Reserve Road, but there were no trees on the footpaths; so I tried my luck on the first side street but found that some of those trees were either too young or needed a prune badly. So, I kept walking and found the pretty and quiet cul-de-sac of Audrey Street.
While kids played their version of State of Origin, I stitched this pretty double-8ply and double coloured creation to the tree. And isn't it beautiful? I thought it would be nice and eye-catching right on the footpath too. The best thing was that I felt I didn't need to hurry as there was no traffic, no people in a hurry walking past and nobody popped their heads over the fence and asked me questions of what I was doing there. So, besides the weather looking rather ominous, I was going well.
However, I did forget my pen, so I took a nice photo of street sign which I thought to include in this post. Until my next installation... keep creating and keep knitting!

Knitting fast - but slow installations

Last month, I only put out one installation and had a limited amount of leather bootlace to go around. At the moment, I'm knitting like no tomorrow and so there's not a lot of the swatches to go around - more than enough. However, there's only three bootlaces left hanging off my easel out the back; so I have to wait until Triple B have more off cuts for me.

However, the weather has been cold enough for me to be making larger pieces to put on the trees; and so they have been on bigger needles and appear as though they are supposed to go around the trunk; instead of the branch! But I'm thinking of working on thicker branches with the bolder colours out there; seeing that I've seen larger balls of wool in the shops now.
So, don't worry, I haven't forgotten this part of the blogs. It's just that the bootlaces are a little low - that's all. I'm still creating and knitting up a storm at night in front of the television while watching 'Two and a Half Men' and 'The Big Bang Theory' (and I love the latter show for the quick wit and humour!). There's still more stitches to learn in my little book of knitting too!

Until next time, keep knitting and keep creating!

And The Weather Begins to Clear!

I woke up this morning and found the sun shining and a chill in the air... however I still wanted to get out and make it a day of attaching my knitting to trees. It sounded perfect; however I still needed to get some housework done first. And so after the laundry was put on, washing up was on its second load and I read some of the paper I wanted to, I prepared myself to get out into the Winter sunshine.

First thing I did was replace the tag in front of the Logan Water on Smith Road. Then, I found I didn't have enough supplies to keep going; and so had to come back home and collect another bootlace and more wool to get it all up and attached to a tree. I took enough for any of the works I had with me. I walked up to Harris Fields School and found the trees were wonderful, but they were far too big. So, I walked across the road and found a few smaller, perfect trees for my work and got to it.

Since it began raining a few weeks ago - off and on - I haven't had the time to get out and do my art. So, I've had time to sit at home and work on other things. There's been my other blogs and more swatches at night in front of the television set when there's not much else to do. So, when today cleared up enough for some work, I didn't hesitate.

Unfortunately, today, I noticed that I'm running low on bootlace leather. So, it's going to be a morning of excursions tomorrow. First, I'll go to the post office, then and send off a few things, then I'll walk to Miller Road and collect a few more bootlace offcuts; more than I asked for last time, to keep me going. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos and tune in next time for my next installation.

Until then, keep creating and keep knitting.

The New Tags and Anchors!

Today was a beautiful day to be out and about. And after the initial housework of laundry and putting away some wiping up was done, I grabbed some money and headed out the door. I was on a mission. I had a long way to walk and only about two hours to do my errands this morning. First thing's first, though. I just have to let you all know that the new tags are being tried out and the new anchors are now being used. I've been around to Triple B on Miller Road at Slacks Creek and they've been wonderful people to help me with my dilemma of people stealing the tags. When I showed the owner my work and explained what I was doing with it, and how the tags were being either stolen or not lasting long enough, he was good enough to give me offcuts of his work at no cost. After all, they just throw the metre long pieces of bootlace in the bin; and now there's place for it and it's on my art works.

So, here's some snaps of the new anchor and I've also added on a link to their website so you can see what Triple B does - besides supply me with offcuts. They are a brilliant leathercraft suppliers who also do work for the police and security companies as well. My family have known the owners for a long time; and so this is another reason why I chose them to supply me with the offcuts. I also promised to add their link onto my blog too as free advertising. In the next few weeks and months, I'll be adding onto the blog as I've been working on more and more swatches for trees.
In the last few nights, I've worked on one for a tree trunk instead of a branch; but it's in its experimental stages at the moment and I'm unsure if it'll work or not. Let's hope it does and I can show you what I've been up to. There's going to be other things coming onto this blog soon too. I'm researching knitting sites and have been talking to friends to get them to have a look at some of the things on here and my other blogs as well. So, with all this work happening, I'll busier than I have been in a long time. Keep working on what you're working on and happy knitting!

The Philosophy

It's been a little while since my last installation. This is something I must apologise for first. I haven't lost interest; it's the weather. In the last week or so, we've had the most horrendous weather around and so I've been here at the house knitting up a storm every night to get some new designs onto the trees out there into the Logan City area.

There have been other problems that I'm looking into as well. The tags are either being ripped off my work (as you may have noticed in one of the posts) or they aren't lasting all that long. So, I'm thinking of getting them professionally printed up at a place not far from where I live and using a piece of leather as an anchor. I won't tie it to the work, however, as it'll be ripped off again and cause major damage to the work and I'll be back at square one. Instead, I'm thinking of tying it to the branch or trunk complete so that it will look good, but it also won't damage the knitted stitches. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know. I know a person who does leather-works and I'll see if I can offcuts of leather strips that don't necessarily match the work, but will work well in the weather.

I can imagine that you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to attaching flat swatches of knitted work when I could probably follow a pattern and make a jumper or a scarf. Well, you see, I love trees and we - as humans - love to destroy them. So, I think that if we can make them look as beautiful as we can without attaching anything artificial, they'll stay where they are for as long as possible. Trees are our life source. They suck up the carbon dioxide and push out oxygen into the atmosphere. They are homes for birds, spiders and all kinds of insects and critters. But we don't see to really care about that and destroy their homes. Koalas have been losing out for a long time and it's only recently that we've actually noticed how quickly they are in decline; especially in their health. So, my philosophy behind my public art is to love the beauty of trees a much as we can for as long as we can. I use my knitting and wool to try to be kind to them and only attach my art to fully matured trees and not saplings so that they are not restricted. So, there you are. The philosophy behind the art. Until my next installation, happy knitting!

Rosey Red

In the last few weeks, I've been shopping for new balls of wool; cheap as dirt, but in lovely colours. So, I knitted this eye-catching beauty. It's on Park Road not too far from Kookaburra Park. I was hoping to do another tree on this street - as I am hoping to do more on the other streets around the place I've already hit so you all can follow the work from street to street and see them develop.

This one took me a little over a week to knit because of the complexity of the rainbow stitches. It was mainly done at night and so that why it took so long. But I've enjoy making it; and loved the way it was so easy to attach to the tree. I attached to work at around 2:30pm on Sunday afternoon. The Winter sun filtered through the leaves on the tree; and after I finished, I took around six photos of it; but only two really looked good (as you can see). I also used a carpet stitch to attach it to the tree. While I was making notes, a teenager rode around the work and looked at it, taking note of the tag then rode back to a house not far away; across the street. He had glanced at me but I didn't know what he was thinking. So, I didn't think anything of it, just curiosity.

On the way home, I checked up on the Kookaburra Park work and found I had to replace the tag on it as it had worn out. Fortunately, I had many more tags with me and enough dark blue wool to attach another tag to it. It looks like I'll have to find a more permanent way to attach the tags. How? I'm not to sure. Stay tuned to find out.

Jacaranda Avenue

Today, I had my volunteer work. So, I decided to take my knitting bag with me and brown and beige swatch with me to attach to a tree. However, I got off the bus early to try out different trees before arriving at work; unfortunately, the trees I looked at were either too thick or too narrow. So, I kept walking up Wembley Road and to the corner and found the right tree.
It was a little way along Jacaranda Avenue on a relatively smaller tree than I expected to use; but it was in public view and that was the main thing. I reluctantly put down the knitting bag and my other things and began stitching. The day was warmish and the wind was cold and blustery; but I kept at it until I finished. And doesn't it look beautiful! I'm so glad I got the photos I did; as the day turned overcast later on and it rained a little.
Also, I'd like to know who ripped off the tag. You see, they are put there for a reason... to show other people besides yourself where to go to find other pieces I have done around the area. And no, I didn't replace that tag. I wish people would please get out a pen and paper or use the camera built into many mobile phones these days. This may sound harsh to those who have left the tags on my work, however, I'd like to say that my work is art, not something to be vandalised.

Southgate Street

A cool breeze was blowing and I thought to wear a jacket today when I left the house. I'm walking further and so have to judge the weather more; seeing Winter is well and truly on its way and our days are shorter and cooler. But I like them more as they become cooler and brisker simply because it causes me to walk faster and further and I'll be able to spread my work around to other trees! Southgate street isn't far from Moss Street; actually it's the next one along from Rudge here in Woodridge/Kingston.
I walked along this quiet street full of houses, cars and people having well-earned barbeques for the long weekend (it's Labor Day here in Australia; a public holiday on Monday). So, here I was looking for the perfect tree for my 'Earth, Tree, Sky' work. And I found it about halfway along just after the no-through-road on the right. It's a huge, buxom tree where the branches are shaded by a gorgeous canopy of lush green leaves. I got to work straight away and had to keep flicking away two stink bugs that were mating on the branch.
One of the residents from a house nearby came out and asked what I was doing and what my outdoor knitting meant. I said it was outsider art and it was meant to make the tree look pretty; that I'm not harming it in any way. He nodded, said 'Right, then. Good day.' and went back inside. I took my photos and walked home in the cool afternoon. On the way home, I tried to find another tree for my second piece I had with me; without success... oh well. Next time!

Being A Knitter

I was taught this craft when I was around twelve years old by my Grandma during school holidays; and I have never forgotten it. It's something that can be done anywhere at any time with two sticks... sounds pretty cool, eh? Well, to somebody like me it does. I enjoy the craft of knitting, the amount of stitches it has (and would you believe that there's now over 20 ways you can do a stitch and the knitting will come out all different?) and what I can do and make from a ball of wool and two needles.
Grandma didn't just hand on a craft to me; she handed on her cylinder of needles and her knitting bag along with a thin book on how to sew and knit. And the section on knitting in that book takes up about 4 pages! My Mum recently bought me a book on knitting that's about an inch thick and has every possible question about this particular craft you could possibly ask. It's also got colour pictures and a brilliant index! I have also bought myself a desk calendar with knitting patterns for each day of the year for 2009... some of them I've done and they work well! Others on there were ones I didn't think I could do; and some of the ladies who have invented their own patterns have really opened my imagination about this craft.

And so, this is how I thought about doing my outsider art with mine.

I thought to let you into a bit of how I got into this old-fashioned style of making things at such a young age. And when I get to make these swatches of colour that I attach to trees around my local area. Well, I knit mainly at night because I do other things during the day. I'm a bookcrosser, a writer and reader and never watch day-time television (besides there's nothing on there anyway) and so, I do some housework and take care of a very spoilt little budgie who runs the household... hehe... really she does. Anyway, I've been working on some textured pieces and they'll be showing up on other trees. I'll take photos of them and show each one to you in the next few weeks - of course - as our cooler months progress; all in the daytime so that the light is at its best. Well, until my next post, take care and keep looking out for that natural background with my knitted trees.

Smith Road

Today, I left the house at around midday in search of the perfect tree for my next piece. This one isn't very big; yet it's lovely and textured. I've joined together two 8ply threads of green and brown together; not a bad combination if you ask me!

I didn't have to walk very far up Smith Road to find my place. Outside the Logan Water Department, they have three weird-looking trees. Well, the work is on the middle one; it's also the one closest to the front pedestrian gate to the building itself. So, this one will get a lot of people walking past it. This display isn't far from the Harris Fields Primary School and so there's sure to be kids and parents walking past this afternoon and in the next few days (or weeks) looking at it as they go past wondering where that website'll take them.

Anyway, I'm glad I did this one today because it was a lovely warm Australian Autumn day for it. I look forward to my next one because it's got a pattern in it. Also, I've gotta go shopping for more wool tomorrow. Who knows what the next colours are going to be? Not me, for sure!

Randall Street Project

This one was kind of a challenge. I took a longer walk than usual and hunted for a little while for a suitable tree yesterday; finding one on Randall Street, Slacks Creek near the printing shop and post office on the corner. This one is on the 5th tree along; next to the driveway. It was a nice hot Autumn afternoon at around 2pm and I walked along Kingston Road for a little while before I found the tree I wanted. It was tall and the trunk was white and it was absolutely beautiful! But after crossing the road, I found - as I walked closer to it - that I had misjudged it. The tree was beautiful and sturdy and healthy. However, it was also too big for the piece I had planned to display. What a pity! Oh well, I may yet use this tree for another one... you never know.
Anyway, I looked across Randall Street and there they were. All in a row were short trees with their limbs all twisted this way and that. They didn't look strong, however, they had been pruned recently enough to show that I could attach my knitting to it. So, I pulled out my work and tried it out. Sure enough, it not only fitted, but it look wonderful!

This swatch took me a little while to do because I decided to make a pattern in it of either two pyramids or two solid arrows - whichever way you look at it. But it looks good winding its way up the branch, doesn't it. And it matches its surroundings. However, I lost my stitching needle.
(N.B: I found this needle only this morning at the post office. They had found it during their cleaning up just before they closed up yesterday; how fortunate that nobody - especially a child - had found it. I was very worried that had occurred.)

What I find ironic about these posts is that I'll compose them and put in the photos and all with the date I've place them, however, due to this site being American, it'll seem like I've time-traveled to the future and done this... hahaha. Nope. I'm in Australia doing this guys. So, please give it up to the beauty of the dateline... not me in a Tardis.

Enjoy and I look forward to my next installment.

The Second One

I took a walk today to display my second work of art. It's got a lot of garter and purl stitching in it and patterns too. It's in a park a few streets away from my house on a native tree. The one thing I try to look for with trees is that they are fully-grown so that the patch doesn't strangle the branch and it looks comfortable. This time, I added a little label that can lead people here to see my other works.

I attached it to a tree next to a path that runs through this park which is on a busy street; so that whoever walks past will most probably see it if they happen to look at the trees. This one wasn't so difficult to do as the wool was gripped by the bark on the tree. I look forward to doing more of these so I can make the world more beautiful. Keep watching this space for locations of my art pieces. As for this one?

It was placed on 20th, April 2009 Kookaburra Park in Slacks Creek, Logan City, QLD. Happy Knitting!