MALENY KNITFEST.....

One of the other things I was keen to do whilst on the Sunshine Coast was take a drive up to Maleny for their Knitfest.  When my good friend Barb had spent a week with us at Kinka Beach back in April, I spent some time crocheting red and black squares for her for the car that they covered for Knitfest so I was keen to see the product of all their hard work.

We had arranged to drive up at lunchtime and have lunch with John and Barb and we were to meet them at Knitfest Central in at Maleny Primary School. 

Great views of the Glasshouse Mountains.

The drive up the mountain was quite spectacular,  the country is so green from all the rain, and it is just beautiful,  reminded me a little of the South west corner of WA.  This beautiful part of the country is really right on our doorstep and we visit the Sunshine Coast every year to catch up with family, we really need to make the effort to get up there more often.   The Sunshine Coast hinterland is really a lovely area with lots of lovely little boutique shops and a great atmosphere, and then there is the wonderful scenery, water falls and national parks as well.  I can imagine that we could bring the caravan down and easily spent a month just wandering around this area from Kennliworth to Maleny and onto the coast as well. 

Off to visit Knitfest in Maleny

Steve and Sarah dropped the children and I off at the school whilst they drove into town to find a park.  Be prepared for an onslaught of photos.  The whole town looked magnificent..

All the posts in town where decorated with knitting - a lot of it 3D as well..

 This year the school got involved as well with many of their classes making creations to exhibit during the festival.  The fence of the school was lined with the children's work which was bright, appealing and colourful.

Our grandchildren checking out the wonderful work by the Primary Students at Maleny

Max was fascinated by the big yellow rocket.

 One of the things I loved seeing where the amount of locals who had dressed for the ocassion wearing knitted wear.  Most of them were wearing some form of beanie and these girls in particular caught my attentions with their knitting needles stuck in their beanies...

Love the get up, knitting needles includes...

 We caught up with John and Barb at the School assembly hall, where most of the yarn workshops were being held. 


The very first thing that caught our eye as we walked into the school what the big red car that I had spent hours crocheting squares for.  It looked fantasic.  The girls had done a magnificent job with it and of course I wanted photos.

Posing with it's owner

Of course I had to have my photo taken with it.

   Whilst we waited for Steve and Sarah to park the cars,  I got a chance to wander through the exhibits and watch some of the yarn workers at work. 

Willow loved Fairyland

She also loved the mermaid pool

I loved these colourful yarn birds - they were on top of a teapot cosy

Beautiful handmade shawls,,

Willow loved all the knitted toys

Max liked them also

 I was fascinated by all the detail in the teapot cosies.  Some were absolutely brilliant.  All I can say is there are some very talented people out there

This one was my favourite

You would have to love this one also

This one was also rather cute

 The beanies were pretty spectacular also, espeically the horse head although I am not sure who would wear something like this.

Love the creativity of this beanie but not sure who would ever wear it....

Then there were all the sea creatures..

Max was fascinated by this Harp player... he thought it was an extra big guitar.  He was fascinated as he watched it being played and then a little later enjoyed dancing to the music sung and played by a guitarist at the venue.

Max loved watching this guy play the harp...

fancy knitting needles...

 The theme for knitfest this year was space, and the girls had knitted quite a number of these droids that were positioned in different shops and places around Maleny.  They had a competition going for all the kids to locate the different spots around town where these droids were located. 

Spot the droids around Maleny

 Once Steve and Sarah arrived we decided that it was time for lunch.  It was close to 1pm by  now and the children were hungry.  We decided to walk into town and the first place we came to was the Maleny pub.  We thought this was as good a place as any to have a meal...

Walking across the bridge into Maleny

Lovely carved platypus at the hotel

Barb, Willow and I

 Barb and I have been trying to eat well, mainly cutting out preservatives and sugars so we chose to have prawns, and avocado salad.

Our healthy lunch

Sarah and Steve shared a pizza

Barb and I enjoying our healthy lunch

Max enjoying his pizza

Willow with her pizza...

The others enjoyed a lemon lime and bitter jug whilst Barb and I stuck to water.

 We spent a couple of hours over lunch.  The kids were so well behaved considering the time we spent there.  After lunch we wanted to check out the suitcase markets.  We were a little late to do this...but they had some great stuff...

Love the udder on this crocheted cow...

Willow with her Moppy

Steve and I enjoying a stroll around Maleny

Suitcase markets... a new concept in street markets...

 Barb and John left us then as Barb knees were really sore.  She had been on her feet for days helping to set all this us, and had been up since 5am working around town with Knitfest, so she was well and truly ready to head home and have a break.

Steve, Sarah and I decided to take a walk around town and  take a few more photos of all the yarn displays.  They were everywhere and looked fantasic....

The park in town...

 The trees around town all had these ornaments made from CD's that had been crocheted around.  The looked great on the trees as the sun caught them and made them glisten..

Even the police station was decorated with the Tardis

 The posts and trees around town looked very well dressed with all their knitting and crocheting and make the time look bright and happy.

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The shops were all decorated with banners...

Some of the knitwear on sale...

Feltwork for sale..

Park benches were dressed in their finery

and the trees looked magnificent

 They there were the street posts

 Then there was the Maleny Lane which is a lovely little lawn of eateries

All very colourful and rustic

 There were some lovely little shops too and Steve was quite impressed by some of the woodwork and wood ideas he saw around town.  Working with wood in a workshop back at school, he is always interested in taking photos of unusual projects or projects he thinks his kids might enjoy doing...

Love these little fold away tables

Another great idea with a pallet

Beautiful wooden kids toys.

 

 It was quite late in the afternoon when we left Maleny and we still had a couple of hours drive until we got home to Sarah's in Brisbane.  She wanted a coffee stop on the way home, so we pulled into a roadhouse on the motorway for a coffee at Maccas.  As it was now after 5pm we decided that it might be best to feed the kids now so that when we got home all we needed to do was bath them and get them to bed....

Willow saying hi to Ronald McDonald..

Krispy Creme donuts..

Being good and only have a taste.....even though they are my favourites....

 It has been a wonderful day were many wonderful memories have been made... Loved what we saw in Maleny and look forward to seeing what they do in the future..... It can only get bigger and better from here....