Monday, November 3, 2008

Quick as a wink - Addi Click!



I kind of lied at work today. I told them I was going to see some 'babies' at lunch time, and everyone assumed I meant the human kind, and I sort of let them think that. I spent all morning wishing it away, and finally the clock struck twelve and I rushed off to the um, LYS!

To get a load of these puppies!

I understand I might be one of the first in Australia to see these, as they've literally only just arrived!



They look good too. Although I can't see that size stamp lasting very long.

To make matters even more exciting, when I got there they had just started an impromptu TEMARI Ball workshop! I have long admired these on Wendy Bernard's blog, and until today I wasn't really sure how they were constructed. But today, one of the regular drop-in ladies was sharing her knowledge. She was taught in Korea by a Japanese woman some years ago, and seemed to be a wonderful teacher.

You don't make them with a polystyrene ball, you make them with a plastic bag full of polystyrene beanbag fill (cheaper and it doesn't disintegrate when you're stitching), you wrap and wrap and it turns into a sphere, then you measure and do a bit more wrapping of the 'spines', and then measure and pin, then a little stitching in pretty colours(not exactly embroidery, more like join the dots). It looked very addictive! I can see these (in different colours) looking ethnic and chic in a little wooden bowl on the coffee table, can't you?

I just adore my LYS, Daisy Designs in Fairy Meadow. Rae has tried just about every craft (including signwriting, calligraphy, metalwork, she's even learning auslan!) and when something clicks with her you should see her speed! She's the only person I know to have WORN THROUGH a pair of addi turbo's (2mm shortest, 2 at a time for her tiny baby socks). I envisage a Christmas tree heavily laden with Temari Balls at the shop this year.

Kerry, the other owner, is a national spinning treasure. Completely internet free, she knows the answer to just about every single spinning and fibre question I've ever had. Plus she has an electric spinning machine, an electric carder and a floor loom taking up an ENTIRE room in her house - now that's commitment! I remember the first time I went to her house, I felt very special being invited, and when I got there, well I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

So, Kerry and Rae, congratulations on your new addi-tion, I told my colleagues that mums and bubs were all doing very well!

8 comments:

Katewillknit said...

Oooh they look lovely. I'll have to head in for a visit. I too love the LYS - a magical treasure trove of fibrey goodness, with wonderful guardians to boot.

Rose Red said...

I love the look and sound of the Addis and if I didn't have eleventymillion KnitPicks I'd so totally be having those for christmas. Oh well.

by the way, I'm loving this posting every day from you!!

Anonymous said...

That looks like an assassin's briefcase.

Ruby Girl said...

I am with you, our LYS is the best place in the Illawarra. And as for the friendship we share there every other tuesday night....priceless.

Bells said...

They look so good. I wonder how they feel about trying to compete with the ubiquitous Knitpicks?

Charmaine said...

I miss my LYS so much, but do not fret, I will be visiting in a little over four weeks. Yay!

Anonymous said...

Thank you sooo much Ailsa from Kerry and Rae, but you know you don't give yourself enough credit,I am amazed at all the wonderful and mind blowing projects that you do.Sometimes words don't decribe the sheer pleasure looking at your work, AND make sure you look after yourself and get fixed up, so to speak, or you will have me and Kerry to deal with(not a pretty sight)

Lien said...

I used to live in Fairy Meadow. It's been a long time since I've been back. Definitely going to make a visit there sometime to check out the LYS. My sister brought home a lot of those balls when she used to live in Japan.