hello

wow, has it really been that long since i last posted! Well it has been pretty busy, my wonderful little shop is all up and go now, running like ive been there forever. Being there 7 days a week 10 hours a day may sound exhausting to some, but to me it is bliss, i love it, i love my job, and i love my shop.  I did have a wee break away last week though.  I was lucky enough to attend the biannual 12th Southern Hemisphere Felting Convergence, it was held in Stanwell Tops this year hosted by the Illawarra Feltmakers, and they did put on a great group of tutors and feltmakers. Our Guest Lecturers were wonderful and travelled from all corners of the globe to be there with us. Leiko from Japan, Martien from WA and Anna from Iceland.  All are very different felters, with very different techniques, that all achieve unbelievably amazing felt.

here’s is a little pic of all us girls and the lecturers.

the feltmaker hosts had made many flowers, pods, tree decorations, woolly sheep, and many other decs that were scattered throughout the grounds to discover over the 5 days, it was so delightful to come across a random felt flower in a garden along a footpath on your way to a tutor class, lecture or talk.

these amazing felt poles were made by the Canberra feltmakers, which they bought with them and erected at night for all to discover at sunrise, they intrigued me for many hours on many days, discovering something different every time you looked at them.

this handfelted Yurt was created by many feltmakers all around Australia, Martein told the story of its creation, and the history of its travels.  It has no owner, it belongs to no one. It travels to any feltmaker that wants to use it, gets packed up and then rests waiting for the next time it’s needed, she is beautiful. I was standing inside it on the last day of convergence, looking at the walls, the roof, the pictures that are felted inside and out, and was amazed that this beauty was created by so many that love to do what i do. (soppy i know!) Its been travelling for over 10 years now, and i think it’s still has 100’s of years still in it, it will be around for ever.

A great 5 days was had by all, (my back, belly, nose, and chest are still recovering!) I made many new friends and spend wonderful time with old ones as well. Bring on 2015 when we all head to NZ for the next one, where my friend Raewyn Penrose will be our host! (im taking my pillow next time!).  Raewyn is staying in Australia for a week before she heads home where she will be doing 5 days of felting classes @ my shop Knitch. Raewyn taught me to felt way back when. She is an amazing teacher, and awesome feltmaker, and the best lady you could ever meet, i am proud to call her my friend.

ok, enough now…… thanks for reading…………….. Ax

 

 

 

 

 

 

Im OPEN!

And its been a wonderful first few day, thanks to all the visitors, old and new that have taken the time to visit my little store. I have been overwhelmed with kind words, many hugs, and well wishes.

I love having my own little slice of heaven, and i hope you enjoy it too.

Thanks again……………. Ax

 

Opening

Opening this Wednesday 24th July… See you then! 

Im Doing It

yep im finally doing it. Ive had a dream for quite a while now to open my own bricks and mortar yarn store, and yes, the time is right, and im finally doing it!

85 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, Q, 4064

i will be opening mid July 2013, so stay tuned for updates.

 

thanks for reading………………………….. Ax

 

off to the show i go

So the Brookfield show was on last weekend, the Brookfield show is a country fair that has been going for many years, 75 I think from memory, if im wrong, someone please correct me! And I entered a few pieces into the creative fibres section.. now im not a huge competitive type, and I think it goes back to my hairdressing days with the IHS awards and the Loreal Trophy, I use to look at the entries and think, well congrats to you on entering and winning, but I also use to think, what about the people who don’t enter these comps, im sure there are more creative people out there, they just don’t enter.  But alas I entered a few pieces into the show, you got to be in it to see where you’re at with your labour of love…right??… I entered two felted items, the blanket that nearly killed me, my blanket of love, my blimey limey  and the beanie in the post below, and out of 6 entries……

I got this!!!

I was pretty excited I have to say.

I spotted my blanket first at the show and was absolutely stoked to get a 2nd place ribbon considering this blanket drove me so so insane!. Then I moved down the aisle to the felted goods, and gave a little squeal of delight when I also saw a 2nd place ribbon on my mosaic bag.  I wondered to myself.. hmm, I wonder who beat me, who else might I know that had entered the Brookfield show, so I shuffled along a little to see who took out the blue ribbon, and let out a little jump for joy.. it was ME… I beat myself..lol. I have to say, I was very surprised, all the entries in the show this year the judges said were of a much higher quality, and almost double the amount of entries from previous years.  so YAY ME, I can say that at least once can’t I!  as for my other entries… I got nothin!

here are some pics of my items and awards under glass at the show.. sorry their cloudy, I was trying to not get a reflection of myself in the pics.

  

oh I almost forgot… my bike..  my bike was a huge hit at the show, the ladies said they could have sold in 1000’s of times…  might be a new business venture..  NOT!

here she is behind chains lock and key!

thanks for reading ……….. Ax

Kvosin… bless you x

most of you know me as a crocheter of felter, and occasionally I knit..  but my knitting is on a roll at the moment, look at this sweet thing I just whipped up.

it’s the Kvosin slouch beanie by Stephen West, I do love his patterns oh so much!, It was a cool, wonderful, adventuress, exciting and interesting knit, because there were so many different elements to it, I was not bored once… yep not once! from start to end I loved it!

details are here..  happy knitting….. Ax

i want to ride my bicycle… i want to ride my bike..

but I can’t and do you want to know why??  here I will show you, remember the sneaky peeks I gave you a month or 2 ago, well …………….

I have covered it in crochet.. yep that’s right, and so like me, if it stands still I will embellish it!

here are some close-ups for you

        

you will be able it see it in all its crochet glory this weekend coming at the Brookfield Show.  So the details….  8 ply yarns all pure wool, and all australian made…  3.50mm hook, a vintage bicycle from my garage, and a basket from the basket shop.  i really do love it so so much…. whats next!!!

 

thanks for reading……………….. Ax

 

AR Fibre Art

So I have finally done it, Ive registered my own Business..  It took me many years to do this, I don’t know why, but it did. I got a little shove in the right direction!, my family has always been supportive of my creative obsession, they ooh and ahh over what i make and create, and I love them and adore them for that but it’s not until someone you respect and admire, looks at your stuff, then looks you in the eye and says…  you have to do something more, you have to do something with this, you have to get your stuff out there, you have to get real, stop doing things for others all the time, and do something for yourself, stop being taken advantage off, and use the advantages you have for yourself…  So I thought about it, and I did.  The next stage will come soon, but in the mean time I have set up another etsy store just for my felt and fibre items. Just to give me time to create a few more items and get my self organised.

thanks for reading………… Ax

 

podlette….s

So not much crocheting or knitting is happening here lately, because unspun wool has taken over the last 2 weeks.  I’m working on a collection at the moment and its become an obsession, its only a few pieces but they have become my only thoughts for weeks..  making prototypes, sketching, more sketching, laying, felting, rolling, rubbing… and then starting again from the beginning. (im not the best sketcher, im more of a doodler, but I know what I want am what im saying!)I adore working with wools, silks, chiffons, and I love how they can all come together to create a textured fibre that will do what ever I want it to do.  I just love to felt.. lucky I have until July to complete it!

I’m off to Convergence in September and we all have to take a 20x20x20 3 dimensional piece with us, these will be raffled off to raise funds for the 2015 convergence, so I have been playing with a few creations to see which one will come with me.

 

i do love both of these very much, but i will make a few more and see what happens (my mum saw these ones today, and i think she has her eye on them). I have been assigned the best room mates i could imagine, there will be 6 of us in our accommodation block, and because ive got pod brain, i decided i would make a mini podlette for each of my roomies,

 

aren’t they cute, they take a bit of time to make, actually almost as much time as the big ones, you can see how small they are by the one in my hand, i think im going to make a pile of them and string them together as wall art.  So my few days of “for fun” creating have come to an end, I must get back to the thinking drawing and serious felting again, and hopefully fit in a bit of crochet too…

Thanks for stopping by………………….. Ax

felting = F U N

i have been back on the felting bandwagon again lately, ive had a wee break, but in the last week in between my crochet and knitting i have been creating with the wool of the unspun kind.  Im still amazed every time i create something when i felt, how can some unspun roving, a little soap, a little rubbing and some rolling turn into something so wearable, and interesting and soft and squishy so quickly, so instantly and so so, well so heart leaping exciting….  ive layed out a few wraps, a bag, hat and a few flowers, and with most things i make i smiled the whole time….   so here are a few images to have a look at.

   

the rest i havent photographed yet, but will update again tomorrow, i just wanted to share these quick creations with you all…

oh p.s, i have exciting news too,     until next time ………………… Ax