Category: Sparky gifts

Posted in Fashion Sparks, Sparky gifts

The Family That Crochets Together…

Posted on by Cate

…stays together? Amen to that, Daddy-o.

I am very fortunate to have had a really happy childhood. And I remember that crocheted garments were definitely a part of that childhood. Lately though, I have been wondering how much better my childhood could have been if someone had bought the Patons Crystal Family Crochet patterns and got to work on the Jumpers, Cardigans, Suit, Vest and Singlets. (Uh huh, a crocheted Suit.)

But maybe it’s not too late! For less than $4 on etsy, you can get your hands on these patterns and make sure your family is the best dressed in town. People won’t be able to tell if you’re being retro or ironic or, like, totally hip, groovy and fashion forward. And I really want to wear that crocheted suit to work (although am guessing it wouldn’t be quite the thing for a rainy day). If only to get the look of appreciation that Crochet Daughter is giving Crochet Mom in the black and white photo here…

With seven different patterns for men, women and children, you can crochet your way to family happiness in no time. But don’t limit it to your family – this crocheted goodness should surely be shared with colleagues, neighbours and random strangers on the bus. Stitch it up with this collection, or one of the many other foxy patterns from SparrowFinds.

Posted in Fashion Sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Geek Chic

Posted on by Cate

I first saw a version of these amazing Keyboard Slippers on the Inventor Spot site and thought they were pretty cool. Well, cool mightn’t be quite the right word. The original slippers are made by Kito in Thailand and you can get lots of different coloured foot straps: black, yellow, red, orange, brown or dark blue (depending on which of your geek chic outfits you want to match). Launched early last year, the Kito originals cost about $30 and are shipped worldwide from Thailand.

But, as with most good ideas, there is another version of keyboard sandals that are, no surprise, made in China (by a company with a very cool name: A-Yaya). They are priced at under $2 per pair. Which I guess might mean that the Enter key will stick and Ctrl-Alt-Delete won’t actually work. But I’m sure that you can still lose crumbs and eyelashes and cups of coffee between the keys, just like the real thing.

I don’t know your politics on global markets, so whether you want to check out the pricier (but original and brighter coloured) Kito shoes or the Chinese knock-offs, I’m sure that both types will massage your feet as you walk around. Which is more than you can say for your keyboard at work. If you are after the perfect gift for the nerd in your life (especially if that nerd is you), the Kito retailer is here.


Posted in Arty sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Book ’em, Danno

Posted on by Cate

I love books. And when I saw a headline for ‘an eclectic collection of books’ by Melville House featured on Fab.com recently, my curiosity was piqued. An eclectic collection indeed. You can keep your alleged classics like War and Peace or Ulysses, I’ll take How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees, a master in “the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening”. According to the hardcover of this 224 page book, it’s perfect for flange turners, anglesmiths and civil servants. I don’t know any of them folk, but I do know some contractors and apparently it’ll be right up their street too. (On another note, if you do know a flange turner or anglesmith, please let me know. And tell me what they do.)

Or maybe Drunk is more your thing. (No judgement.) Written by word nut Paul Dickson, it’s basically a list of 2,964 synonyms for ‘drunk’ (including such classics as roasted, whazood, whiskey frisky and Boris Yeltsinned). So now you know.

But the choice doesn’t end there – oh no. How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive or I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me or the beautifully covered (yes, I know the old saying, but I’m shallow) Rotis – Roasts for every day of the week (including slightly off-putting pictures of cute animal faces).

So, whether you’re an avid reader, love a pretty bookshelf or you’re a flange turner looking for a helpful tome, this collection could be eclectic enough to suit!

Posted in Arty sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Livers & thyroids & brains, oh my!

Posted on by Cate

These bright, colourful and strange looking soft toys caught my eye on Fab.com recently. And when a product line is described as ‘anatomically correct plushies’, you know you’re on to a winner. Whether you want to encourage a med student, commemorate a successful surgery, or just have some organs scattered around your lounge room, these designs from I Heart Guts are worth a look. They appear to feature most of your big-ticket organs, like the pink and blue lungs shown on the left (which appear to be selling out, so if lungs are your thing, better get in fast). And of course, red hearts and purple kidneys and blue brains. Ho hum.

I really like some of the other organs though – the ones that I imagine are slightly less popular at sale time. The good ol’ gall bladder, source of such pain for so many. Or the pretty pink and purple ovary, yellow (of course) bladder, bright green spleen or worm-like orange appendix. There’s even a pancreas and a whole heap of different glands, in case you’re a fan of those unsung heroes of the body. And the I Heart Guts website is educational too, with great descriptions for kids (or adults who aren’t great with science) like this summary of your smiley orange stomach: The stomach creates a highly acidic environment used to digest all the cookies, ice cream and bacon you gobble up. This lil’ guy’s digestive juices help break down food for the intestine, which absorbs the actual nutrients. Don’t forget to chew. Say stomach in Japanese: Ibukuro!

Wendy Bryan, I salute you. You and your cleverly designed plush organs.

Need some guts? Look here.

Posted in Arty sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Baby love

Posted on by Cate

I love New York – pretty much everything about it, in it, from it, around it. But I don’t know that I really love these Porcelain Baby doll head planter / candy dishes from Brooklyn designer, Danielle. They’re kind of creepy, in fact. And I don’t know that I could be friends with someone who has a garden full of these little baby heads. Although – and yes, I know I can be shallow – if they had a house full of these stuffed with candy, I would probably be ok with that.

And as much as I love fake pets, I’m not sure that fake babies hold quite the same appeal, although Danielle tries to tempt visitors to her site: Always wanted twins or triplets, or more?… You can be an “Octo-mom” (or octo-dad) too – get multiples!

If you’d like to stock up on baby heads, check out Danielle’s etsy store, reshapestudio.