silk storage basket

the height of luxury

A recycled sari silk crochet storage basket – every home needs one!

I know I should have been screenprinting, designing my corporate ID or doing any number of things on my massive To Do list, but I just had to crochet this. A sari silk storage basket.

Why silk you ask?

Well, I had three skeins that I'd bought at Lincraft over 18 months ago while I was up visiting Mum in Brisbane. It was only as I knitted it into a moss-stitch scarf that I discovered it was the cheapie kind: too much black, over spun and a bit coarse. I promptly pulled it out, wound the silk into a big ball and put it away. I didn't know if I could be bothered with it. So it stayed wound and ignored for over 12 months.

I don't know what made me think of it, but this weekend I just had to make something with the silk. I decided to contrast the luxury and colour of the silk with the utilitarian nature of a crochet basket. You'll remember these baskets I made awhile back from left over yarn.

So, a silk storage basket – so lovely to look at. Now I just need to decide what to put in it. I'm thinking my tax receipts...

And now for something completely different...its now after 1.30 am Tuesday morning and I am up listening to the radio about the bushfire that is at the base of the mountain. The Urgent Alert has been downgraded to an Alert message BUT the fire is still not contained, and the winds are blowing it towards the mountain, with its sides covered in national park. The last CFA incident update (six hours ago) had it classified as large with 45 appliances in attendance. 

Tonight, for the fourth time in two weeks, we packed the car and evacuated, driving off the mountain in the opposite direction. Earlier in the afternoon around 3pm I could see the smoke as I looked from my office window out towards our mountain. My work colleagues and I watched while the smoked billowed, got blacker and then spread. Determining the fire was at Upway, in the near vicinity of the mountain, and a wind change was expected that would push the fire in our direction – I left work. My normal route home was unavailabe due to several road closures. My 45 minute commute became 1.5 hours, all the while driving towards the black smoke while stuck in heavy traffic. I watched multiple police cars with lights and sirens going rush past, in some cases mounting the footpath when the traffic blocked their path. Of all the close calls we've had this past few weeks this was the scariest. And what scared me most was that mr greenolive and I were separated, he stuck on the mountain without transport and me stuck in traffic, skirting around the northern edge of the fire.

Listening to the radio for the last 10 hours I've learnt that this fire is in the same location as a fire that caused devestation in the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983. I really didn't need to know this. And I don't need to be reminded about how fast the fires travelled on Black Saturday, catching residents of Kinglake and Kinglake West unawares. I'm feeling very unsettled, like the Dandenongs are just itching to go up in fire. And our luck is bound to run out. We've had three close calls so far, each fire in the foothills of the mountain. I don't want any more thank you. 

Comments

[greenolive]

Lynsey - perfect timing - you've mad my day!

[Lynsey]

I hope you are ok now? Probably not the best timing but I have featured your storage basket on Cuteable this morning. http://cuteable.com/

[Ali]

Stay safe, Martine. Thinking of you

[Leonie]

probably an unwanted suggestion but do you know anyone with an unused, or rarely used second car that maybe you could have for Mr greenolive for those times when you are not at home, at least for the next few weeks? I know it would be putting someone else out, but....

[kirsten]

it has been a horror year for fire, hasn't it.
i am feeling for anyone who is living under the threat of fires - it is just going on too long! enough already! stay safe and glad you guys are choosing to LEAVE.
[perhaps we could start a blogland raindance?! get us all dancing at the same time around the world]

[fiona]

i'm with you martine enough already!I cant imagine what thet drive home was like, stay safe lady(thank god for 24 hour McDonalds;)

[JacquiMcR]

I'm saying a prayer that you and your family are safe. I honestly dont think I could cope with the stress of not knowing what way things will go. You sound like a very brave lady. Take care and keep safe!

[Sue]

Goodness Martine, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you keep safe and those fires are soon under control. It is horribly scary. Here in England we're huddled together against the cold and thankful for the gift of warmth and fire... but it is chilling to realise how careful we must be with the gift and how it can turn against us.

Your basket is beautiful... really beautiful. I hope it was one of the things you packed with you in the car.

Take care, friend.