Happy Easter | how to make marbled eggs

There is something so special about passing your own childhood traditions on to your own children don't you think? Especially when you have only recently remembered them!

A couple of weeks ago an old memory popped into my head of beautiful coloured marbled eggs that my mum used to make. A bit retro 1970s you think? Absolutely, yes...and super easy to make. 

Boil yourself up some eggs, and then whilst they are still hot tap them all over to create cracks in the shell. Immerse them in a bowl of coloured water, and when cool peel them to reveal beautiful marbled eggs. 

I used good old Queen's Food colours, a pink one for the princess and blue for my boy. Perfect to enjoy for an Easter breakfast or lunch. 

But do you know what? The surprise for me was the crazy designs on the shells, next year I'm going to have to think of a way to use these too.

Here's wishing you and your family a Happy Easter,

suzy xoxo

ravelry 101 | 3 steps to choosing an alternative yarn

Do you suffer from yarn-lock? Like when you've found the most divine pattern, can't get it out of your head...but the choices of yarn are so overwhelming that your brain is in 24hour yarn-lock. Or maybe you just head for the recommended yarn on the pattern and that's that. I could say lucky you, you would certainly sleep better at night...but I hate to be the one to tell you this, you are seriously missing out, or dare I say it, in a yarn-rut!

Choice is everywhere and we are all suffering from information overload, and more than that, life is just too short not to try out as many exquisite yarns as you can. I'm not wanting to be presumptuous here, but most of you have heard of Ravelry right? Think Facebook with a purpose for knitters and crochet folk? Now, if you have, don't go laughing at me. Because every time I do a pop up shop or market it's obvious that there are still lots of people missing out on what is singularly THE BEST RESOURCE for yarn tragics! Full stop, exclamation mark, exclamation mark again.

So today is the first in a series I'm calling Ravelry 101. A how-to-guide, how to get the best out of THE BEST RESOURCE for yarn tragics...and today's topic is how to navigate through Ravelry to help you overcome yarn-lock or yarn-rut, and choose an alternative yarn for that project.

Let's begin...

1.  When you belong to Ravelry (btw it's free), you can begin to add potential projects to your queue. Here is my queue and today I want to find an alternative yarn for project #298. Spring cloud by Sachiko Uemera.

2.  When I click on that project it brings up the front page full of information about the pattern and details of the yarn suggested. But I don't (yet) have Louet Gems yarn in my store and well call me crazy but suzy likes to shop at suzy hausfrau. So I click on yarn ideas.

3.  Bringing up yarn ideas I strike gold. Two people have used Shibui Knits Staccato (a yarn that I stock).  I can then click on the 'used 2 times' link and check out their projects - pictures of the finished project, what rating they give that yarn, what needle size they use,  any relevant blog posts and so much more.

It's that easy. If this post has introduced you to Ravelry, don't be afraid, three million members can't be wrong! But be warned, it's addictive and hours will go by as you begin to unravel all the possibilities out there.

Have a great (long) weekend and a Happy Easter,
suzy xoxo

seven | habu textiles tsumugi silk

seven
seven sublime patterns perfect for habu textiles tsumugi silk

1. Oshima pullover by Olga Buraya-Kefelian
2. Whisper cardigan by Hannah Fettig
3. Pineapple wrap by Hiromi Endo
4. Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
5. Foldover top by Olga Buraya-Kefelian
6. Shetland triangle lace shawl by Evelyn A Clark
7. Essential cardigan by Laura Grutzeck

my creative space | shibui solo L.1. KAL

...and so it grows. 10 days to go of this KAL, and a there is a lot more growing yet to be done.  This is my creative space today.

Project details can be found here.

More creative spaces being shared over here.

Have a great day,

suzy xoxo

seven | BC Garn Baby Alpaca

Something new for the blog tonight.

seven.
seven patterns perfect for the sublime BC Garn Baby Alpaca.

1.  Viajante by Martina Behm
2.  Vlad by Tammy Bailey
3.  Kingswood by Alexandra Brinck
4.  Camomille by Helga Isager
5.  Ocean waves by Agneiszka Rupnik
6.  Zilver by Lisa Mutch
7. Seascape Stole by Kieran Foley

my creative space | african flower crochet

It's great to be back again and sharing in my creative space. It's also great to be back on the hook again. I've joined the African flower craze and am loving it. Making 3 or so a day. Nothing strenuous. No deadlines. Just me, the hook and a plan for something lovely.

Project information is over on Ravelry.

More lovely crafty peeps are sharing their journey over here.
suzy xoxo

autumnal days | Swans Island worsted

With the mercury sitting at around 14 degrees today, day two of autumn, I'm finding that my knitting fingers are starting to twitch for some woolly projects.

Lucky for me the gorgeous folks at Swans Island sent me a sample of their worsted weight yarn. It is divine, and yes I've ordered heaps of this weight and more colours of the fingering weight to add to the store.

Happy Knitting!
suzy xoxo