Slow Days

Autumn has set in, and so have the slow days.....fast on the knitting, but slow on everything else.  It turns out I've had a low grade virus for a few weeks, which may explain a few things....sleeping a lot and not feeling much enthusiasm for anything else....so I've just tucked myself away, knitting like mad and watching re-runs of favourite DVD's.

I've been cooking up a storm, the big pots and slow cooker have been given a workout....stews, soups and casseroles, and hopefully all this good hearty food may have me ship, shape and shiny before I know it.

I've taken a few slow walks around the hood, a few blocks to the mail box, dropped off a hat parcel or two....and then ambled my way home with crunchy leaves under my feet.

I've been re-visiting some planned colour palettes I had stashed some time ago for a new blanket..... once the current WIP's are completed.  The end of May should see me finish up with the remainder of my hat orders, and then hopefully some "ready to ship" stock should happen in my Etsy store.....then I'll take a break to get those patterns written up....yes they are coming.

No other news around these parts...I think I like Slow Days....

Side Projects.....

I always have some side projects on the go.  I'm knitting a gift for new baby Juniper Valentine over at Rummey Bears.  Rummey Bears has always been I think one of my favourite blogs, if not my favourite and sadly Anna has decided to call it a day in the blogging world.  I've never met Anna but we converse by the interweb and for those of you who don't know, she designed the dover & madden logo.  She was a customer now a "web friend" (my reference to those I haven't met) and her gorgeous little girls are the recipients of quite a few knitted goodies.

I'm knitting a caplet for Juniper, I've started it in cream, but I have the same alpaca yarn in soft grey and donkey brown, so we'll see which one she gets.  The pattern is from Rowan.

I've also been doing an octagon a day on this long overdue blanket that needs to be moved on and become available in my Etsy store.  It's made from 100% Australian Organic Wool.....unfortunately the company that makes this yarn decided to shut up shop.....big shame really, but if I ever find they've started up again I'll let you know.....this yarn is to scrumptious not to share... I'm lucky enough still to have a large stash of it, although some colours I'm coming to the end of.....insert unhappy face here!  I'll blog about this blanket when it's completed.  It does come from a pattern, but I've lost the book it comes from.  I'll do my best to hunt it down if I can.

PS.  I've found the pattern and created a page on Ravelry for this blanket which will lead you to the pattern book.  You'll find it here

Have you noticed my blog has had a bit of clearout?   I've just done a bit of a tidy up.  You can still follow me.....scroll down to the bottom of the page and join.


Anyway I'll sign off with my standard line....I've got hats to knit!!

Colour Inspiration.......

I've been a bit inspired by colour this week.....I'm itching to get through my hat orders so I can start making some more in colours that are out of the box, I think we sometimes play it too safe with colour.  

I was scrolling through Ravelry this week, just looking at blankets and colour combinations and thinking about how clever some people are.  I get colour. I did textiles at school so I think my eye is pretty good.....but I'm not going to lie, some people don't get colour....I have friends that struggle putting colour together when choosing outfits to buy, so I do understand we weren't all hit with the colour wand!!.......I personally take my inspiration from nature.....gardens are always good for working out what colours go with what....I always know when something doesn't work together, I just get a jarring feeling about it, and it just doesn't look right.....as I always say....If in doubt swap it out!!!

The links for all these beautiful pieces are below, giving credit to these very talented people is warranted, such spectacular work.....the yarn at the top was delivered this week.  Here and here and the little cotton sandals I made some years ago and just came across the picture again this week.  You'll find the pattern here.  My Sunshine Day  Blanket from Alicia Paulson that you'll find here.

All the others you'll find here

Blanket 1

Blanket 2

Blanket 3

Blanket 4

Blanket 5

Blanket 6

Hope you enjoyed a little colour inspiration and it has given you a few ideas.

Vicki x

Dover & Madden on the Streets.....Well on the Beach really.

It seems dover & madden is getting quite a reputation with the well styled little bubs in Adelaide, South Australia.  Little Eva Cassisi sporting her d&m CLOVER earflap hat and her dad, Port Adelaide AFL footballer Domenic Cassisi, were snapped at a recovery session at Glenelg beach over the weekend.    This picture made it to the back of the sports pages in one of the major Adelaide papers and was kindly forwarded to me by mum and wife Maiya.  To say I was excited was an understatement.

It just goes to show you never know who's buying your hats and where they'll pop up.

Vicki x

Richard Armitage Re-Visited

For those that have popped by previously here are a few more images from the Q&A in Sydney on May 1st...I managed to get some extra images off my friends phone and my phone....excuse the poor quality.....As well as these pics I did manage to find 3 even poorer images from my phone (had to b&w them to make them visible) of RA's rather quick exit across the room and I did feel the breeze as he was whisked past. 

Vicki x

Stop on By......

Hello to those that have popped by from Che & Fidel.  The lovely Jodi, gave me the opportunity to be a sponsor on her wonderful site for the months of May & June.

dover & madden on several occassions have been featured on Jodi's fab blog....her daughter Poet has sported several of my hats on more than one occassion.  In answering a couple of questions already about hats, at the moment I am frantically finishing off orders so I have no stock available.....but if you would like to keep track of where I am, and when there will be more knitted goodies available, stop on by to dover & madden's facebook page and I'll keep you posted about upcoming stock over there.

Thanks for taking the time to Stop on By......

Vicki x

Trains, Planes, Cars, Ferries and Richard Armitage.....

It's not that often I do things on a whim, but around 3 weeks ago I was intrigued by a retweet on my Twitter feed.....Richard Armitage was going to be a guest at a Popcorn Taxi event in Sydney.  I will admit I'm a bit of a fan of RA, and let's not mess around, very easy on the eye.....anyway booked two tickets, asked a friend to come along....booked the airfares, hotel and I've just come back from a 24 hr visit to one of my favourite cities.

It is amazing what you can cram into a day.....shopping, sightseeing, eating, drinking, ferry rides and lots and lots of walking.

Sydney turned on a perfect day....and in between sitting on the steps of the Opera House exhausted, we buzzed through the Royal Botanical Gardens, had afternoon tea at Laduree (the licorice macarons are to die for by the way) wandered around the QVB for a while, and then caught a late ferry over to Cremorne Point for the Q&A with Richard, before a late showing of The Hobbit.  Loads of fun, and what a charming, intelligent and humble man RA is.  

24 hours later, a morning flight back to Melbourne, and straight from the airport to work I'm slightly zombie like, but glad I did it.....things on a whim often turn out just right!

More photos have been added to a second blog post here

Vicki x