Yarn Fest -- Fashion Show

While at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo a few weeks back, Tam and I decided to make sure we saw the fashion show. They have some outrageous outfits--as all true fashion shows do--but my photos for the most crazy came out blurry.

There were still some odd looking outfits and the type of outfits that I imagine would be in a wool fashion show. I was quite surprised at how normal and nice some of the outfits were and found myself asking, "They're really made out of wool??"

Some kind of woollen fabric that drapes so well. I can't remember what they said it was.

I thought this one was pretty good for a specific-occasion-dress. Flag of my home country. Nice to see some 'Aussie' on clothes rather than 'USA' or other places that seem to be the in-fashion thing.

I was pretty impressed with this woollen bridal gown. I think this was one of the first pieces to be modelled that surprised me with its "that's woollen?" aspect. I don't much like the headpiece though. Why would you want feet up there?

I liked these ones. The first was my favourite entry for the highschoolers competition for a woollen garment that fit the Carnivale theme (of Brazil). The second is just cute. I like the colours too.

The butterfly dress. I think it was THE showpiece. The main event of the fashion show. It's quite spectacular and again surprises me with the woollen factor as it looks so light and whispy.

It was interesting to see how versitile wool can be. I already thought you could do more with wool than most people realised and here my ideas were expanded again! I love to see other's creativeness too. Creativity is expressed in so many ways.

cherry bolero

Here's my finished cherry bolero. The first pic is as I wore it to the wedding I made it to wear to.

I based the design on the same one as my round yoke cardi but with a few alterations. It's short at the back. (That's why I often just call them "my sleeves".)

I was originally intending on doing a puff at the cuff but I couldn't get it to work. I think I could have with time but the wedding I was intending on wearing it to was fast approaching. So I went with a simpler option which I'm quite happy with as well. It's a bell sleeve with a shammrock picot edging. I also added a bit more to the neck, making a mini collar that sticks up and also has the shammrock picot edging.
It was perfect for adding warmth where I need it most as well as brightening up my black outfit. All without looking too casual.

And these little guys, Mr & Mrs Smith, knitted by Tam at my request (flower crocheted by me for identifying the Mrs) are happily with the newly weds. The story goes that my friends who got married had seen an echidna on each significant day of their relationship. One when he asked her out, one when he asked her to marry him... so these were the echidnas for their wedding day. Cute.

Yarn Fest -- Experience and On Show

I went with Tammy to the Australian Sheep and Wool Show last Sunday in Bendigo. What a treat! We'd been saving for months to a spend up on some good stuff. Lots of pics. This is just the first lot. We didn't really visit the animal and farming area sticking to what interested us most...fibre and products.

First shed we went in had a big felting area with lots of display from wierd to amazing. Should have taken a photo of the wall hanging you can see just a little of near Tam's head. This lovely lady showed me the basics of felting which sound interesting and pretty easy and had me deciding to defintely give it a go.

In another shed there was spinning and you could have a go. It looks so simple but there is definitely technique to it. Practise required.

This year I decided to give it a go too. The man helping and an experienced spinner next to me were amazed at my first time work. They kept commenting on how well I was doing. I kept worrying the fibre was going to break and toward the end I was twisting it too much. Still, I felt pretty happy about my first handspun.

And of course there was shopping to do! Tammy bought more of a variety than I did. Shopping for button above. I spent most of my money in the stall below--Garments and Gadgets. Great stuff, interesting and excellent quality. Lots of colour choices too. Here I stocked up on fibre for felting and some special wool mix stuff to help. Now I've got additional stuff to go along with the purple/grey fibre Matt and Kylie gave me for my birthday. I'll show you my purchases in another post.

And then there was all the products! Some to buy, some in the many competitions that are a part of the show. I like to look for ideas...

These necklaces were really interesting and different. I quite liked them. I actually quite liked the simplicity and interest of the grey one with a little multicoloured patch off centre. Might have a go at that one day. And below is a hat I also liked and want to have a go at creating one the same shape.

This one was just intriguing. It's all felted.

These were interesting and looked yummy. Coils of potato, deep fried and with your choice of spice/salt. But for $5 I wasn't going to try one. Here's some competition stuff. I quite liked the Hey Diddle Diddle theme. But I still think the sheep in the sky should be a cow to complete the original rhyme. (The cat and the fiddle are still in the space ship on the side.)

Some crochet competition work on display.

A knitted hat and below Tam checks out the handspun entries.
And this one!! This one is simply amazing! I love it. A seadragon with great detail and colour, handfelted. I think it won first place in it's category.

More yarnie goodness to come....

dragon games

That softie swap I participated in.... Well this is what I made.

Designing as I went, I crocheted him from pure wool; the multicoloured, which looks scaley and quite effective, is a Sean Sheep ball. Starting at his snout, where I did some raised stitches for a boney look, I stitched the purple back and forward for a while, then attached the multicolour and stitched that back and forward joining at the edges as I went. Then I'd stuff him a bit to see if he was the shape I wanted. I also bought appropriate eyes (hard to make such small cute eyes) and attached them before I got to doing the body. Once the body and tail were done and stuffed, I added ears, wings with more boney-look raised stitches and legs. I made the back legs with a round piece and a long piece for big animal-like back legs and gave him little front arm/legs. And I attached the wings at the base so they can flap around.

He seemed adventurous and curious and full of energy.

Still young though and yet to master a lot--including flying.

He has a bit of a temper but thankfully his fire-breathing hasn't come into full adult capabilities. He seems quite happy in his new home too where he's loved and played with.

crochet lessons

My 10yo neice was eager for me to arrive and teach her some crochet. My 6yo nephew also wanted to learn. So I decided to take them shopping and get hooks and yarn. Of course once the word was out that if you were gonna learn to crochet you got some goods they were all eager.

Once home and waiting for lunch to get cooked we started. It was different than teaching my sister-in-law coz she had a better understanding in the first place. I had to explain each little thing a bit more. I didn't realise how much technique I used either like even just how I hold my crochet hook. Of course my 4yo nephew didn't really end up doing anything. I think he just didn't want to miss out by the 10yo, 8yo and 6yo slowly got the hang of it and are in the progress of making things. The 6yo was the first to get his head around it and the 10yo when I got to explaining it to her picked it up fairly easily too. Both of them have apparently sat and watched their mum do it which probably helps. More detailed coaching for the 8yo and he's going well too. All are improving every time they pick it up to do some more.