gone all gaga over a dishcloth...

I am afraid that I may have gone a little mad...around the twist...a bit gaga (and not as in the lady...if lady is indeed the right term)

Oh I wonder what her majesty was thinking...and that cute little bespectacled kid in the band...captions please!

The dishcloth obsession started like this...

• went to my friend Susan's beach house for a bit of a break (a tour of her lovely house is here);
• was forced volunteered to do the washing up...Richard did most all of the cooking so, in retrospect, it seems only fair;
• Susan had a knitted red dishcloth bought from some fancy schmancy shop in Milton; and
• it was...without doubt...the best messy bench wiping up thing I'd ever used. Chux wipes?....Ha! You are history. 

And knitted ones are ever so eco chic aren't they? Yes. They most certainly are.
I did cunningly suggest to Richard that we take a drive to Milton so that I could source one, but it poured with rain that day and staying in and drinking wine seemed to be the preferable option.

But do cut me some slack...I was on holiday...it was my birthday...so, in my mind, perfectly reasonable if not positively essential. Although...
Anyway, I came home from the coast and couldn't get the knitted dishcloth out of my mind. The term 'small things amuse small minds' has just occurred to me, but I've decided to go with the 'joy of simple pleasures' instead.
Just as an aside, my friend Chris (she of chandelier fairy fame)...having stayed at Susan's just the day before us (you still with me)...was also enamoured of said dishcloth and when the man and I went to dinner at Chris and her lovely husband Terry's a few Saturday nights ago and I pulled out the knitting to show her....well let's just say she completely understood! The eye rolling from respective men won't be mentioned here....but I haven't forgotten. And revenge could be sweet.

So off I went to...

...bought the cotton and some teeny weeny knitting needles and started to make my own.  Because, after all, I had the crochet granny squares completely under control and I already knew how to knit...just ignore the fact that the last time I'd done it was around 1982!
Not a problem....except... (you know by now there's always an 'except' with me don't you!)...except, it took forever. 

Fine cotton, stupidly small needles, and not quite wide enough in the end. So I tried with different cotton, and different size needles...I can't begin to tell you how many stitches I cast on, took off, tried again...

because I had a certain look in mind, and dammit...I was going to get that look! I even tried cotton and bamboo thread...
with small needles first (note: this is damn near impossible) so I did the golden arches upsize trick with the needles and ended up with...

not exactly a dishcloth, more a...potholder. It's fab though...so soft and thick and...well, potholderish. I'm making more of those!

And I am going to persevere until I've perfected the perfect (as in perfected) knitted dishcloth...even if it takes...

...maybe. I will keep you posted. It should be sorted by Christmas at this rate! Stocking fillers anyone?
And by the way, if I have any credibility left at all...these knitted dishcloths really do feel fabulous and work incredibly well! 
for like ever poster from here. others me or the magic that is google images.

chinascapes ~ as in dishes, not the country...

There I was...minding my own business...when all of a sudden I had an urge to arrange some china bits 'n pieces yesterday and play around with photographing them...

I've found that it's as good a method of procrastination as any other...

The plasterer came, did a good job and left a slight mess, but I'm not complaining...

Turning up, working and recommending a painter to come and paint my 5 metre high wall in the living room means I'm more than happy to vacuum up a few odd bits of plaster!

...and this was fun...

especially since I may have been avoiding doing something...

...what do they say about having to make a mess before you can get really organised??

...you'll be pleased to know the study is all better now...but alas, too late in the day to take a decent photo to prove it. And I've decided to paint the bookcases. Hello...wouldn't it just have been easier to buy lighter coloured ones in the first place...always go with your instincts bloggy peeps. How about the steam coming off my cuppa though!

My day off this week is today (which I'm not all that pleased about, but clients needed me on Wednesday and who am I to argue). I'm going off to the optometrist to get new glasses...multifocals I suspect! Who ever thought I'd be needing those? Sheesh!! Better leave you with a pretty picture.

Have a lovely week everyone and welcome new tranquil-ites...nice to have you in the townhouse...promise not to make you clean up the study if you drop in!

what to do while waiting for the plasterer to arrive...

Can you believe it? A plasterer is actually on his way to do some work at the tranquil townhouse...I am beyond chuffed...and still slightly disbelieving! The area he'll be working on is the bottom 'level' of my bedroom. Sounds much grander than it is believe me...but once the plastering and painting is done I will certainly reveal all.
So while I was waiting...what better to do than sort my scarves...

Hanging on an antique towel rail I bought when living in the UK 20 years ago...I think it's welsh pine...and I love it. And here's the offending area...or part of it...

When I moved in here, there was the ugliest laminate built in desk you've ever seen in this spot. I can't begin to tell you how difficult it was to remove (and I did it all by myself...you can read about it and see some of the ugliest photos ever here) and how pleased I was when it was gone. This space has been designated as my reading spot when it's finally done up...

...provided the vampire slayer doesn't get there first...good luck with that one Kez!

...not room for much more than the chair, but that's ok...

..it's enough space for me to read and look out at the courtyard. I'll be sure to do a proper before and after when it's all done, dusted and painted...those brown windows drive me batty...and they're all over the house...don't worry, on the list!
...and there's the doorbell, I kid you not! Have a lovely weekend bloggy peeps...wherever you are, whatever you're doing.
And...for those of you who want to see Central Australia in all its glory, go here to follow a family of five who are doing it in a campervan...armchair travelling at its best! Us, not them.

top 10 pictures from the week ~ 15.7.10

My first day of not working on a Wednesday yesterday...and did I read books, flop around drinking tea...flick through the mountain of magazines still waiting to be devoured? Nope. Of course not. I cleaned the chandeliers with the chandelier fairy (they look awesome), went looking at fabrics for cushion covers yet to be made...and scored six dining chairs at Vinnies (which of course need to be painted and reupholstered...nothing is ever straightforward around here)...but boy am I a happy little part-time worker! And the other thing I did, of course, was put this lot together. Enjoy!

by erin's art and gardens

See how there's some cunning colour grouping going on in the collaging..

via cornflake and the diversion project

...that's because I like you

via ada and darcy and little blue deer

because I care...

via brabourne farm and chinoserie chic

The grey's an aberration for me...but I just couldn't go past that chandelier...and having done a bit of chandelier cleaning yesterday...well, it was the proverbial no-brainer really...and it is a beautiful room...

via greige

and this, I feel, is country kitchen personified...how long do you reckon it would have taken to line all those jugs up properly?

via la maison boheme

...and I think if there was any profession I'd like to have (if I didn't have the one I've got of course) it would be a food stylist/photographer...this is the work of deb kaloper (via the design files for the full interview and more stunning pics)

...and, in memory of Marija...who I didn't know well but who was kind enough to hit the follow button here...and who's blog I always loved to visit...blessings to your family who must be feeling so lost...

via holding court

the wonderful synchronicity of giveaways...

To say that I've been hanging out for this to arrive would be something of an understatement...

...but it was in my letterbox when I got home from work yesterday, and luckily for me today is my first day of not working at work (if you know what I mean), so I may actually have time to look at it. 

I won this subscription at the launch giveaway of the awesome blog A Very Fine House co-authored by Katrina and Julie-Ann...thank you lovely ladies. I'm sure you've all been there, but if you haven't...skedaddle off now.

I'm so thrilled to be holding all those wonderful pictures I see around blog world in my hot little hands...but before I can get to it with any sort of concentrated effort...the chandelier fairy is coming to help me clean these. 

Now I just have to find an electrician and there'll be lights ablazing in the tranquil townhouse.

And on the subject of giveaways...slacker that I am...the wonderful and extraordinarily talented Mariska Meijers from I used to be snow white but I drifted, blogged yesterday about receiving my very first giveaway...the glass art that my wonderful and also extraordinarily talented bloke Richard made...here's a picture of it in Mariska's home...so chuffed she has it, and so sorry I took so long getting it to you Mariska...she was far too polite to mention that!!

Back tomorrow with the top ten pics of the week.

books...the unread piles of them

When I saw this I knew I had to post it...

If you haven't seen this site before, you must go and have a look. Leah Dieterich posts a thank you note a day, on anything and everything. They are a delight. Really. Do yourself a very big favour if you haven't already. And I do believe there may be a book in the offing for her as well. Hope she gets to read that one!

I wish I'd written that little note to myself because it's just how I feel about these...not that I'm a slow reader...I'm just not giving myself the time these days...

And there are more...this is just the neat pile! And this one came home with me today...an apple for the teacher...oh groan, I'm lame sometimes!

And then...on the same day that I found the thank you note post, this post from homelove, the blog of stylist majestic, Megan Morton...pointing me in the direction of this tumblr site...bookshelf porn...oh yes it is! Not in the least bit sleazy though I assure you...

And if that wasn't enough on the book front, Ann at My Villa Life has this great idea on her site for keeping herself on track with her book reading...a list on the sidebar of what she's just read, what she's reading now and what she intends to read. She said I could steal it...so I have, because it's an awesome idea. Here's hers...

If you haven't visited Ann's blog please do. She's a great writer and tells really good stories about her new(ish) life living in Auckland...her third country in four years. Impressive!

Are you like me? Has your reading gone waaaaay downhill since you started blogging? I love books and I need to make more time for them. Get my reading mojo back. How about you?

my weekend project ~ a gift for a new baby...

It's been a very long time since I've had the paints out bloggy peeps! Too long. So I thought I'd start with something very simple...to ease me back into it...if you know what I mean.
A friend of mine became a grandmother last week, so I thought I'd make something for her new grandson...

I wanted to give the message that every baby is unique...

different in their own special way...

'like no other' in fact...

It's a very imperfect 'painting' I know (soooo out of practice) but I like the design...and I'll be working on it...perhaps I'll use watercolours next time...

Now I'm just waiting for someone to have a daughter so I can make a girly version...butterflies I'm thinking...
Oh, and you won't believe the plotting and planning I've done for the etsy shop...even bought a new sewing machine. Whoa...my first 'day off' Wednesday is looking jam packed already! But for now I'd better go and wrap this up and send it off!
Hope your week has started well...and once again, because I can't say it too much or too often...thank you so much for all your lovely comments and incredible support. It means heaps! It really does.