Which Stitch Markers Are Best

When I first took up crochet I didn't have any stitch markers, I didn't even know stitch markers existed. It wasn't long before I knew about them and I learnt the value of using stitch markers, aka stitch savers. That first frustrating experience of when a project accidentally unravels because there's nothing holding onto the stitch to stop it coming undone or your crochet circle grows in ways it isn't supposed to and the worth of this tiny tool became obvious very quickly. But there are so many styles of stitch marker to choose from, locking, circle, coil-less, plastic, safety pins, thread, 3D printed... does it really make a difference which one you use? Is it just how pretty they are? I walk you through a dozen different stitch markers from items you have lying around your home to the fancy artisan styles. I share with you what features to look for and those that don't really hold up to the task.
0

Banksia Flower

Banksia flower spike (inflorescence ) before anthesis
Last week you all wanted to know more about the banksia pod so here are some shots of the banksia flower in it's various lifecycle stages and the tree it comes from. It's been a long week and the shots really deserved more attention then I have the wherewithal to give them so here they are no cropping, no colour correction or brightening. They were all taken using my trusty 55mm-250mm lens.



Banksia flower spike viewed from above

New banksia flower and a spent banksia flower (or cone)


Banksia flower spike after anthesis

Banksia - new leaf growth

Banksia branch with flower spikes

Banksia flower spikes

Spent and dried banksia flower - this 'cone' did not fruit and form seeds


Young banksia tree

A large banksia tree in full bloom

Banksia tree

I made an attempt at determining which species of banksia this particular form is, however I it was beyond my abilities to determine narrow it down to just one.

Comments

  1. Natasha20 December 2015 at 08:37

    Beautiful shots Stella, what a pretty flower! - Tasha

    ReplyDelete
  2. Coombe Mill - Fiona20 December 2015 at 08:46

    such an interesting flower, they remind me of corn on the cob or Christmas decorations hanging there!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kara Guppy20 December 2015 at 15:48

    What an unusual looking flower, pretty in an weird way

    ReplyDelete
  4. sherry from sherrys pickings20 December 2015 at 15:57

    banksias are one of my fave plants. i adore them; they feel so australian. tho i do have scary memories of reading snugglepot and cuddlepie when i was a child and being terrified by the banksia men. Merry XMas stella!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown20 December 2015 at 16:19

    These are beautifully captured. They made me think of the red hot pokers we used to have in the garden when I was a child. Although not the same colour they have a similar form

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown20 December 2015 at 16:22

    Woooo, thank you for that. Love the symmetry.
    Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Unknown20 December 2015 at 21:10

    What a great set of photos, quite unusual

    Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas

    Thank you for linking up

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anna21 December 2015 at 02:10

    Interesting...
    Have a nice week !
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  9. Debbie21 December 2015 at 02:19

    What a peculiar looking flower. It looks like a rather large bottle brush. I love the second picture, which (to me) looks like a strange looking sea anemone.

    Wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Molly21 December 2015 at 03:15

    What a fabulous looking flower

    mollyxxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love)21 December 2015 at 06:52

    What an interesting looking flower - lovely to see what it looks like after last week's photo of the seed pod :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tubbs22 December 2015 at 21:20

    Those are stunning! Thank you for sharing them again so we can see what they look like all year round

    ReplyDelete

Post a comment