Treasures from Queensland Rockpools and Beaches

Treasures we used to bring home in a bucket.

This is my latest collection in crochet bookmarks and motifs/ appliques. I thought I should use some of the treasures that I grew up with. These ideas and images are protected by (c) copyright. The patterns are available on my Etsy store.

As a kid we would always go to the Sunshine Coast or Stradbroke Island, or to my Grandma who lived on the Esplanade of Moreton Bay. I would always come home with buckets of shells. My brothers and I would try and catch the little fish that got stranded in the rockpools or lagoons at the beach. I designed these little guys who use a minimum of thread.

These are based on the scallop shell. While they are more predominant down south, particularly round Tasmania, to discover one of these on the beach was considered a real find.

I thought I would add a bead as a pearl, altho they dont really grow pearls round this part of the world. I do like the texture of the shell and how these turned out.

After I was satisfied with scallops I created the pipi. These are little bi valve shells that are quite common. If you walk along the beach and squish you toes in the sand you can find them. Fisherman use the flesh of the pipi for bait. In some areas of the coast there are mounds of pipi shells which are protected as these used to be sacred meeting sites of the indigenous people. We used to eat them raw as kids for a dare. They have a salty taste, are quite tough a bit like an oyster.

Periwinkles have a nice spirally shell. These were a bit tricky at first as I worked out how to do them. I have seen freeform crochet that uses this technique. The effect is best when there is a contrast of colours.

This is the spanner crab. He took me quite a while to design.

I have recollections of playing at the foreshores st the beach at Coochimudlo and feeling this enormous pain in my groin. I screamed as my Dad pulled me out. Left clinging to my inner thigh was a crab claw. Funny the things you remember, but my Dad said I was pretty good bait and I should have grabbed the crab for dinner. They are quite a delicacy. I can't remember whether the crab was a Spanner, or a muddy. What I do remember is the pain. They don't really go red until they are cooked. My Mum would boil a huge pot of water on the stove and throw the crabs in to the boiling water. The poor crabs would try and climb out and then they were still, and went red. I don't much care for crab meat now, although is is freely available here on the coast.

I am currently tweaking the crochet patterns but thought I would share the story now.