Valentine's Day Yarnbombing

We don't usually do much for Valentine's Day - a book, a CD, something like that - but this year I decided to yarnbomb the tree outside our house with knitted and crocheted hearts, for something completely different.  Amusingly, George is so used to me doing bits and pieces of 'stuff' that I made all the components with no attempt to conceal them, and he asked me when I had found time to make it!  I got the kids to help me tie it onto the tree and we had heaps on fun (and yes, they are 19 and 16!).

I kept it up there for about a month...

I was going to take it down after a week, but after finding this note attached to it I decided that I would keep it up longer.  I don't know who left the note but I was so chuffed to find such a sweet recognition of what I had done!

My Creative Space

I haven't done a Knit Along (KAL) for yonks, and in fact I don't think I have ever finished one really!  This one attracted me because of its freeform, oddball nature.  See Jane Thornley's site here to see what it is about, and while you are there, have a browse - even if you don't knit, or don't like stuff like hers, the site is a riot of colour and texture and FUN!!!

From top to bottom - the collection of yarns that I grabbed to make the freeform vest - mostly purples with touches of greens and other colours.  And a variety of textures, too.  I may not use them all, but I like to pick a palette and work from it, picking them out from the pile as I go.

The first couple of inches - a chenille yarn (from Lincraft I think - most of these yarns have been maturing in the stash for quite a while, and not many are complete balls) and moss stitch.  Jane recommends moss stitch (only she calls in seed stitch) as good foundation stitch because it adds strength to the overall construction, and I have to say that I like that idea.

And then more progress.  As you can see I moved on from the chenille yarn to a bit of leftover Lincraft Prism, to some stuff I picked up in the Bendigo Woollen Mills backroom years ago with a boucle thread in black and brightly coloured slubby stuff wound in with it.  And in that picture you can barely see it, as I had only knitted about two rows, but now I am using remnants of a yarn I spun and dyed myself several years ago, which will make up the rest of the back.  I am almost up to the neckline now and will post more progress pictures next week.

To see more creative spaces, please pop over here for a riot of colour and amusement.