26 February 2014

Something for me

Because I'm worth it! 

Here we have the very popular February Lady in some of my favourite yarn, BWM luxury of course.  10ply and coming together quickly.  Really liking the simple lace, hoping for a nice snuggly cardi ready for winter. 

If only I could take a picture true to colour, the colourway is autumn glow.


I am a big fan of stitch markers, can you tell?


~Tan


Linking to- WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis) | Fluster's Creative Buster (Fluster Buster) | Yarn Along (Small Things)

15 February 2014

My collection: Hanstan pottery

I've been inspired by Lisa's fantastic post about Pyrex to share my collection of Hanstan pottery with you.  It's quite hard to find out much about Hanstan, and my only real sources of knowledge are from the Rameking and Australian Pottery at Bemboka. I've not been able to find a definitive list of the items made by Hanstan, but I'm beginning to think my collection is quite representative.  I'll include details about the pieces I don't yet have and am pining over at the end :)

By way of intro, Australian Pottery at Bemboka provides the following useful info:
Hanstan was a pottery started in 1962 by Hans Wright (born in the mid 1930s) and Stan Burrage (1935-1987) at Stan's parent's home and poultry farm in Springvale, Victoria. Both had previously worked as salesmen. Hans had completed an art course at Melbourne Technical College, now RMIT University, and had helped a fellow student make jewellery, but apparently had no other experience with pottery making. After the partnership was dissolved in 1964, Hans and his wife Patricia continued the pottery at an industrial site on the Mornington Peninsula until well into the 1980s. Hans was a champion archer and Patricia managed the pottery when he was away at competitions. Work is marked 'Hanstan' or 'Hanstan Studio' (incised) or 'Hanstan Australia as a printed underglaze stamp.

My mum had three Hanstan cannisters.  Cinnamon, Allspice and Nutmeg.  I've always liked the style of them, especially the script-style font of the labels.  Mum had the white/brown versions, but I'm collecting the orange/brown, which seem to be more common (and much more naff don't you think?).  I had originally thought that Hanstan only made cannisters, as they're the pieces you're most likely to see.  Since I started collecting however, I am now convinced there is no bounds to what you can find stamped with 'Hanstan'!  I started collecting about a year ago.  Most of my collection is from eBay, though many were gifts from more op-shop oriented friends and family.  I have accumulated a lot of duplicates, as they're often sold in lots, so I'll purchase a whole lot even though I only need a piece or two.  But I'm not obsessed... I promise...

Anyway, my collection:


I currently have 46 individual pieces.  This is excluding the 14 duplicates I've just culled that are now destined for eBay to fund future Hanstan purchases!

Cannisters

I have pieces in six sizes, however, even within a size class there is a fair amount of differentiation.  I suspect this is because they were made over such a long period, the variation must be a result of revised making processes or whatever.  The finish and colour are often slightly different, as is the font.

The largest I have are 17.5cm tall (not including the cork).  I have Biscuits and a Cookies cannister.  I never knew there was a difference between biscuits and cookies, but anyway.


I have two 17cm (Sugar and Flour), one 15cm (Rice), two 12cm (Tea and Salt) and three 10.5cm (Tea, Coffee and a blank one).  I know I have two Tea cannisters, but they're different sizes, so they still count ;) I quite like that the writing on the two Tea cannisters is slightly different.


Spice cannisters!  These come in two sizes.  I have seven 8.5cm cannisters - Cinnamon, Mustard, Bay Leaves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves and Pepper.  I know there are at least five more of these that I don't have - Garlic, Curry, Allspice, Paprika and... Arsenic!  No joke, I missed one on ebay many moons ago and still regret it.


I also have six little 6cm cannisters - Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cloves and two blanks - again some duplicates that don't count because different size! And some very different finishes on these.  You can see the varied amounts of speckling on the brown.


Other pieces

So these are all a bit random.  I have three cups, two concave style with handles (11.5cm) and one that was described as a 'beaker' in the ebay listing, its convex shaped with no handle, 11cm.  I know Hanstan also made some convex mugs with handles, so I'm still looking to add them to my collection!


These next ones are some of my most prized pieces: six goblets (16.5cm) and a wine decanter (25cm).  I'd not seen them before, nor have I seen them since I picked them up from Gumtree.


There's that Hanstan stamp!


Three jugs, 21cm, 10.5cm and a mini 6cm.  The second two I suppose you would call creamers.  The baby one is unfortunately a bit chipped, I'm on the lookout for a replacement.


Two ramekins, 11cm in diametre.  The Rameking has a bunch of dirt on Hanstan ramekins, if you feel so inclined.  I could obviously use more of these.  Two is not enough!


Salt and pepper shakers, three types.  I only have one each of the tallest one (13cm) and the rounded one (9.5cm) but a cute set of the little ones (6.5cm).


What are these called, bottles?  With stopper they are 17.5cm tall.  Stopper is unfortunately missing from the Vinegar, and the Oil has some damage that has been repaired.  poop.  You can also get a Sauce bottle, again, still looking :)


And finally, a random pin dish (11cm diameter) and an itty bitty mustard pot (6cm).


It is quite likely I will not get my whole collection out again for photos, so indulge me will you?

OOooOOoooo


Prettyyyyyyyy


Ahem.  So, my collection is nowhere near complete.  I mentioned above a few pieces I still need, but will repeat myself, so I can just look up my blog post if I'm out and about and need to make some quick decisions ;)

  • Spice cannisters:  Curry, Paprika, Garlic, Allspice and Arsenic (aka the holy grail)
  • Sauce bottle
  • Salt and pepper shakers (1 x large and 1 x round)
  • Bowls 
  • Convex mugs

Other pieces I'd love to add to my collection include a coffee set - comprising coffee pot, with matching cups and saucers!


I've also seen but missed out on a rad cheeseboard thing:

So, make sure you tell me that you're impressed, and do do contact me if you have any Hanstan pieces you'd like to part with.  I can pay you dollars!

~Tan


11 February 2014

Garter

After completing a supremely intricate project, it's nice to get back to some rhythmic garter stitch.

Working my way through a doctor-who inspired scarf that was due to be gifted last Christmas, and have cast on a February Lady - unlikely to be finished in February but I can only try.


It's so nice to see these projects grow so quickly compared with all the laceweight I've been dealing with lately.

~Tanya

Linking to- WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis) | WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet) | Yarn Along (Small Things) | Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams) | What you doing Wednesday (SusanD1408 Crochet Addict) | Hookin on Hump Day (My Merry Messy Life)


08 February 2014

365: 321 - 340

Woo the final stretch!!


321.  The Kitten on her (my) crochet mandala.
322.  Icehouse the fighting fish!
323.  Everything is so yellow down my way.  I have a bit of a habit of taking photos out the car window.
324.  Crochet at City Square.  (The site for my circle skirt photo shoot!)
325.  Spotted this fab space fabric at Lincraft.  (I went back and bought it during the sale ;))
326.  Lunch at the Coles fountain.
327.  You can't tell, but here's The Kitten very exhausted after a play session.
328.  Postcrossing!
329.  What gives men the right to govern our lives?!?!?!?
330.  Treats from Balha's Pastry.
331.  Working on my circle skirt.
332.  Spotted in Brunswick, Australia Day weekend!
333.  There is good and there is bad, what you choose is really up to you, but what you choose defines your reality.
334.  Steak and veg.
335.  Love my groovy pants.
336.  Kitty toes!!
337.  Something old.
338.  Something new.
339.  Arches at GPO Melbourne.
340.  A monkey!  At the zoo, where I feebly attempted to do the first run of the Brooks Sunset Series.

~Tan


04 February 2014

Venus: kitty edition

My crafting style:  Get really excited about a project and start it with passion, hit a snag or make a mistake and put said project in hibernation for a bunch of time.  Remember said project after an extended period and then work on it monogamously like a bat out of hell until it's finished.

Venus is a fine example of that.  I started it just over a year ago and cast of over the weekend!  (Is it still casting off in crochet?  It sounds funny to me).

I tried taking some 'before' photos, but I kid you not, after like 30 seconds of setting it up this happened.







Who can blame her?  The pure silk laceweight must be irresistible!  Oh to be a pampered cat.  Blocked photos coming soon.  And t

~Tan

Linking to- WIP Wednesday (Tami's Amis) | WIP Wednesday (Ambassador Crochet) | Yarn Along (Small Things) | Keep Calm and Craft On {Crafting on} (Frontier Dreams) | What you doing Wednesday (SusanD1408 Crochet Addict) | Hookin on Hump Day (My Merry Messy Life)


02 February 2014

FO: Circle skirt

My first circle skirt!

I'm on the skirt-making-without-a-pattern train at the moment.  Not that circle skirts are rocket science or anything. In an case, I used the directions from Cotton and Curls.

Circle skirts are pretty rad, but wow the amount of fabric swirling around is intense.  I'm very happy with this make, my favourite yet!






I used this tutorial for hemming the skirt, which I think worked a treat! There was no way I was doing that sucker by hand.


And did you notice those trees?  These photos were taken at City Square, which has been yarn-bombed by Yarn Corner.


Many thanks to Lulu for taking the photos!

Pattern:  Instructions for DIY Midi skirt from Cotton and Curls.
Fabric:  Something? from Rathdowne Fabrics.  It was $6.50/m and I think I'm pretty sure it's polyester.  It has a bit of stretch.  I think it turned out a perfect match of this pattern.
Notions:  25cm invisible zip

~Tan