Creativity....

I put it down to getting to the end of my knitting orders that the creativity angel has hit me with her wand....or maybe that I'm just a bit more confident in my abilities.

I finished off a little lace bonnet over the weekend that I had being toying with for a while, and last night I was mucking around with a crochet stitch as I wanted to make some cushion covers.....those cushion covers will now be a baby blanket.....and I may just write up a tutorial for the blanket once it is done.

All up it's been a creative weekend.....hope yours was just the same.

Vicki x

Work.

I'm tired, really tired at the moment.....it's a case of being able to see the finish line but trying to summon the energy to get there!!  The 'ready to ship' era is fast approaching and I have to complete quite a bit of work by the end of October so I can start November with not a single item to make apart from stock for my Etsy store.

I've done some counting back and I believe it has been close to 3.5 years since I had a clean order book.  Even when I started out dover & madden....when it originally had no name, I always was knitting some sort of order for someone.  A friend, someone from a mother's group, a work colleague....there just hasn't been a time when I haven't had a free moment.  My last holiday I even took work away with me and that was well over 18 months ago.   So with that all in mind, I'm just focusing on the prize of a wee bit of spare time in the near future!

This week has been a little bit of a stretch, I've had to send 3 hats over to Jodi at Che and Fidel for a project she has coming up.....(so expect to see little Poet sporting some d&m head wear next Winter).  One of those hats was completing new little PURDEY in a bigger size without doing all the in between sizes, and then writing the pattern out as I go...got there in the end....but a 3.23am finish has sort of thrown my week out.....probably explains why I'm tired....along with the extra shifts I've done at my casual job....all up it's been a lot of hours of work.

Anyway that is enough of me whinging....it's Saturday afternoon, I have another day of work tomorrow, then a restful and relaxing Monday and Tuesday....it is my birthday on Tuesday, I have no plans....just a quiet day.

enjoy.

Vic x

Pretty in Pinks....

dover & madden doesn't really do a lot of newborn hats....I sort of start most of my hats at around 3 months....I figure that fresh little NB's only lie around sleep,eat and cry, they don't need little wool hats on their heads just yet!!

I've been pressed for NB hats for photo props from Joy Wright and Denise Burridge so I thought I should get my fingers into gear.  My perception of newborn heads is really out of whack, when I knitted these little hats I thought they were wayyyyy to small, so I did block them a little more than needed, but you live and learn.....at the end of the day babies only grow in one direction, and that's bigger!!

Delightful little photos that popped into my inbox this morning from Joy Wright Photography.

Hope your week was as good as mine.

vic x

Everything's Gone Green....

The weeks are just blending into one as we start the countdown to Christmas....I'm just trying to get through October!!  I've made a new hat...named Purdey, a little patterned bonnet.  Just trialling the new sizes...the hard bit! Trying to come to grips with green tea, after being a tea with milk girl for a long long time.  I'm telling myself it will taste better in a pretty cup.  Sorting out my wardrobe and realising I've got a lot of green dresses, beads and shoes....and add into the mix my new green bag, which I'm loving a little too much, and judging by the amount of people that have stopped me to ask where I got it from....everyone else is loving it to.....and here we are at Saturday.  Enjoy your weekend.

See you next week. Vic x

Joy Wright Photography....Some New Pics

Joy Wright Photography in Hayden Alabama US, takes the most wonderful photos for me.....She sent some more photos my way this morning...I use these for Etsy, FB, here and postcards for promo use. 

Joy found me a couple of years back through Etsy, we now have a mutual respect for each others work...she lives on one side of the world, and I the other, I send her hats, she photographs them just the way I want them, and it's a working relationship that works even though we have never met.....my little Norwegian hats, plenty of stretch and when tied under the chin very snug. This little cherub is wearing both a 3M to 6M, and then she is also sporting the 6M to 12M in the darker shades ....known to me as little LARS hats....cute as! 

To find out more about Joy's work, take a look here.  Thanks again Joy....Love your work!


Vic x

The Week That Was......

A quiet week....trying to get myself back into the work groove, but something seems to be out of kilter.  I'm pressing on as best I can....but one groove I did manage to bet back is reading....and yes I read that book, and finally finished another one....and now moving on to In The Pleasure Groove by John Taylor.  I have had this sitting at home for a week or so and am itching to read it, but I know once I pick it up I won't put it down, so I'm waiting for a couple of free hours instead of a tired 15 minutes elsewhere.

I've managed to get some orders out, the bigger ones are still pressing for next weekend, made a second ready to ship hat...only 6 of those to go, and was looking at a new 8 ply/DK wool supplier, as much as the colours were great....the texture of the wool didn't sing to me....had a feel and look of an inferior product, and that's not what d&m is about, so scrapped it.

We had a stinking hot day during the week, and got inspired and pulled out some Summer clothes....the next day it went back to freezing and now I have the heater back on!!  I'm sure next week will be better.

Enjoy Vicki x

Stir Crazy.....

You know that odd feeling when you know you've been inside for way too long......I've been rostered off work since last Thursday so it was the perfect time to try and get some bits and bobs completed, watch the football....yes my team won the AFL Grand Final...too exciting for words!!.....and before I knew it Monday afternoon and I soooo needed some fresh air, some exercise and a bit of time out.  Oh how I love Melbourne this time of year.....Spring has sprung, and it is true what they say, you normally do love the season that you were born in!

So a quick walk and as a person with no garden I'm more than happy to sticky nose at everyone elses!....Through to Albert Park, across the fields, back out over the light rail, down the back streets and lanes and back home just in time for a cuppa and a home made banana and walnut muffin!!  30 minutes and done....although I really could have done without the muffin!


Enjoy Vicki