Queen Malina one last look

Today was sunny and a little bit warm, so I took the opportunity to pack Queen Malina's hive down for the winter. Blogger won't let me upload portrait photos at the moment - so we are missing some nice before and after shots. But instead, here is one of Queen Malina's workers dancing on the frames.

And this one is for Mr BVVF if he is watching.....some CRAZY COMB just for you. I gave the girls some stickies earlier in the year to clean out - and never got around to removing them, and then there was a big honey flow, and the girls filled that box up with crazy comb. This box was above the clearer board, so there were no bees in there, but there was CAPPED HONEY, so I managed to harvest about 4 frames. 

 And this photo shows how it is meant to be done - perfectly perfect comb built on foundation-less frames. Easy to inspect, pull out and harvest. clever girls.

The frames on this box were all more or less half filled with capped honey. I will leave them this one to help get them through the winter. There is enough room to store a bit more honey if a winter nectar flow happens. There are a few gum trees threatening to flower this winter - so you never know. The Red Ironbarks flowered beautifully last winter, but they may miss this one......

Clever beautiful bees.

Lacuna Sabbath

 Yesterday we celebrated the Lacuna Sabbath in the usual moochy way.

We admired the lisbon lemons - almost ripe.

Queenie and I went down to the community garden The soil is so dry - it has been a dry autumn. So we watered some stuff. This is saffron. No flowers yet - perhaps they will not flower until next year....I am not sure.

The garlic is going well (three rows in the center), as are the onions growing in the tomato tunnel. There is rocket and silver beet, a few cabbages, lots of parsley. A gazzilion Jerusalem artichokes. We won't starve......

The other week we batched up a huge pile of compost. This will ferment away during winter and hopefully be ready in Spring.

I need to get around to cutting back the Asparagus - but it looks so pretty with those little red berries.

Here is Queen Aprilia. She has made it to her new location in the bee garden. She had some trouble with ants, and is going into winter a little depleted. I may have to feed her a little over winter. Not sure yet.

Later we had visits from friends. There was much dancing on the roof.

That is all.

Faithful Teacosy Friends

While there is nothing better than finding excellent appreciative homes for one's wilder teacosies, and also, nothing much better than crocheting away with a special tea drinking friend in mind, some teacosies never leave home and instead become part of the stable stable.

For instance, in winter, Miss Scallopini does a superbly functional job at keeping one's tea warm for an extended period of time. The pattern is available for FREE from Crochetroo. It takes a TONNE of yarn, but it is worth it for a super insulating teacosy.

And here are teacosies #1, #2 and #10 all in a huggle. Patterns for #1 and #2 also from the lovely Crochetroo. Here is the link here for the Crochetroo etsy site.

Teacosy #6 was until recently gainfully employed at the Pasha Bulka, more formally known as the big shipping container, but actually the Queanbeyan Government Service Center where a certain duck once kept a hot desk. (AGAIN, a crochetroo tea cosy base)

She is quite lovely from left and from right me thinks.

Knitted Wonder

So, with some delight I signed up for Down to Earth's latest dish cloth swap. I got teamed up with Esther from KENTUCKY! How cool is that. And how lovely lovely lovely are my new marbled green dishcloths. This was so much fun. I really enjoyed crocheting Esther's dishcloths, but I LOVED receiving some in exchange.

Thank you Esther.

And here is a much better photo of my precious!

Tasmania - the crochet isle

Sometimes you go to a City and you just fit in. I mean, REALLY, just look at these dainty sweetly knitted bike racks in South Hobart.

This isnt a great pic, but it is where my sister and I had coffee.
You can see Mount Wellington covered in cloud in the back ground.

South Hobart is just so lovely. It is like a little village. I made friends instantly. People liked my new scarf.

Yes, this is my latest creation. It is BABY ALPACA. I really like crocheting in alpaca. It is so nice and soft to wear too.


The last time I was in Tasmania, I was a baby 19 year old hitch hiking around with my BFATT* having a marvelous adventure on just $8 a day. Folks are just as friendly 22 years later, and the food is just a delicious.

Everyone thinks Hobart is cold, but it is warmer and milder at night than the ONC.
I could live here very easily.


*boy friend at the time

Back soon I promise

Hello dear internets

I am just about to jump on a plane to Hobart to buy more Tasmanian Devil Teacosys visit my dear sister. I have been absent - mostly mostly because my camera died and I have had much to show but not much to tell as there are lots of unformed words but no sentences or even dot points as yet. BUT I preempted an invoice being paid and VOILA I have purchased me a new camera thingy. It is TINY.

If I do not lose it in the next few days I promise some kind of normal broadcasting will resume shortly.

THANK YOU oh gorgeous well wishers and bloggy friends for your hellos and comments and sweet words about tea cosies and post project existence (ppe) . It is all good. There is much to tell.

Well, I am away to undo some good carbon sequestering works by gittin' in an airyplane.




AMEN.

Totally Cool

Hee hee. My dear sister has moved to Hobart. She found these hand knitted Tasmanian Devil teacosys at the Salamanca Markets. A little bit of each purchase goes to the Save the Tassie Devil fund. Being a fabulous sister n all, she naturally bought one and sent it up to me for my birthday. I wish I could find our camera - my stinky phone camera just doesnt do it justice AT ALL. It is TRULY REMARKABLE.

And look, there is the PINK CHAIR just peaking out in the background.