Quite A Handful

2nd week

2012-01-06T12:24:00.000+13:00

A very Happy New Year to everyone.

Into the 2nd week of the new year tomorrow already, and the days go by, oh so fast !

Tomorrow I am off to Auckland for the annual ASQSS, and I am looking forward to a week of meeting up with old friends, lots of music, recitals, good food and some R and R.
There is going to be more rain, but that won't dampen my mood, not one little bit.

Whilst away I always carry some knitting, and this year I am taking some 2ply merino and a cotton alpaca blend to make the Hakusa scarf by Kirsten Johnstone. I purchased the pattern on Ravelry and have cast on already and have knitted a few rows so I will be able to knit whilst catching up with friends, without having to stop and count stitches.

Have a great week and see you when I get back.

Waterlogged

2011-12-15T12:49:00.000+13:00

This is the view from my window today.
We have had so much rain in the last 48 hrs and it is still pouring down, creating havoc in our communities and town. Our town has been put in a state of emergency and 110 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Whilst marooned inside the house I have managed to stay busy, and I finished a short sleeved cardigan this morning Design 26 from the book Noro Mini knits.

and my woven shawl/throw that I blogged about recently.

This dear little dove of peace is bringing me much pleasure. My friend Mary made one for each member of our small stitching and knitting group.
Mary has had a year of some frightening health issues, and has come through it with flying colours. She has been a huge inspiration to me this year as I have watched her live it all with courage and immense bravery and selflessness.

Meanwhile I am praying for this rain to cease !

A Sea of Sounds

2011-12-03T11:20:00.001+13:00

I see from my last post that it is has been three weeks since I wrote, and thinking about it , I realise that the only time I have used the Mac. is when I am checking the emails....a sorry state of affairs indeed !
My time has been completely taken up with music, music and more music.!!
The last three weekends I have been playing my violin in three different concerts, and the final is tonight.....Handels's Messiah.

There have been many, many hours of rehearsals and practices with my violin tucked up on my shoulder with it's sound so close to my ear, that even when I am asleep I have dreams that I am still playing.
My violin sometimes seems as if it is a very dear friend who I cannot bear to be parted from for even a day.

Some of the highlights from the previous concerts have been Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending, and The Wasp Overture , Mozart's Piano Concerto No.20., Schumann's Spring Symphony, Beethoven Symphony No.8., but I think my favorite is The Messiah with the trumpet coming in on the Hallelujah Chorus and Worthy is the Lamb at the very end. Soul stirring stuff at the very least.

Today I shall make time for a quiet hour at my weaving loom. This blanket is very nearly finished and reminds me of all things to do with the sea on a beautiful still, calm day.

A simple tabby weave using laceweight and 4ply merino.

I hope you enjoy the links to all the music that has been filling my head recently.

Christmas will soon be here and this is always a favorite to listen to as I am making the mince pies.

Wrapping up

2011-11-07T15:51:00.001+13:00

I have finished knitting my first Christmas gift. It is the Simple Effective Shawl pattern, and I used two skeins of Noro Silk Garden light. After the blocking I am going to wrap it up ready for Christmas, I might not be able to wait until then though ... I have become notorious for giving the gift as soon as it is ready !

Here are some images from my garden taken this morning while I had a little wander outside. Every day now, I am seeing lots of little friends opening out, and coming to life again from their winter sleep. Such pleasures ......these gifts from the garden.

One for the boys

2011-10-20T18:04:00.003+13:00

I have been power knitting the last few days, finishing a vest for the youngest boy in my family and trying to work on a vest for the more senior boy in my life.

Baby Leo has just turned one.

Vest was size two knitted in opal sock wool.

I had just put the last stitch in and Leo turned up, right on cue

for a photo shoot. Isn't he lovely !!

I shall show the other vest when it's done ...I don't know if the boy will be as obliging as Leo.

Earth, Sea and Sky

2011-10-16T19:35:00.000+13:00

There's nothing

better

than a

walk on the beach and a

sandcastle to build.

Tiny Pleasures

2011-10-06T17:28:00.002+13:00

Taking time today to take a walk in the sunshine.

To pick some flowers out of the garden,

and to crochet a few more granny squares for this blanket in progress.
I started this a year or so ago, and it had been put away when I was having one of my 'clean up' days.
I was thoroughly inspired to make it when I looked at Lucy's ( Attic 24 ) flickr page and saw all her lovely blankets, and all the other beautiful work that has been crocheted by others that she has inspired and enthused.

I have used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. Some of these colors have been discontinued and I have had to choose some other colors so that I can finish it.
It is supremely soft and cuddly.
A good one for the Grandbabies to snuggle into when they come to visit.

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments on little Basil's passing. He has featured in so many of our family stories in the last decade or so, and it feels really strange living here without his snuffly presence following me around.
His little sidekick Billie is certainly feeling it, he has been very quiet this week, and keeps giving me a questioning look.
I guess we will both get used to it in time.

Basil (March 1998 - October 2011)

2011-10-04T12:57:00.010+13:00

A Dog Has Died

Pablo Neruda

My dog has died
I buried him in the garden next to a rusted old machine.
Some day I'll join him right there, but now he's gone with his shaggy coat, his bad manners and his cold nose,and I, the materialist, who never believed in any promised heaven in the sky for any human being, I believe in a heaven I'll never enter.
Yes, I believe in a heaven for all dogdom where my dog waits for my arrival waving his fan-like tail in friendship.
Ai, I'll not speak of sadness here on earth, of having lost a companion who was never servile.
His friendship for me, like that of a porcupine withholding its authority, was the friendship of a star, aloof, with no more intimacy than was called for, with no exaggerations: he never climbed all over my clothes filling me full of his hair or his mange, he never rubbed up against my knee like other dogs obsessed with sex.
No, my dog used to gaze at me, paying me the attention I need, the attention required to make a vain person like me understand that, being a dog, he was wasting time, but, with those eyes so much purer than mine, he'd keep on gazing at me with a look that reserved for me alone all his sweet and shaggy life, always near me, never troubling me, and asking nothing.
Ai, how many times have I envied his tail as we walked together on the shores of the sea in the lonely winter of Isla Negra where the wintering birds filled the sky and my hairy dog was jumping about full of the voltage of the sea's movement: my wandering dog, sniffing away with his golden tail held high, face to face with the ocean's spray.
Joyful, joyful, joyful, as only dogs know how to be happy with only the autonomy of their shameless spirit.
There are no good-byes for my dog who has died, and we don't now and never did lie to each other. So now he's gone and I buried him, and that's all there is to it.

Freesias

2011-09-30T18:06:00.010+13:00

I couldn't resist sharing a photo of these fresias freshly cut from my garden.

The glass vase is one that was given to me recently by my daughter Sarah. It has a little wire cage at the top to hold the stems in place and I love it to bits. I know I shall probably use it every day from now on.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

2011-09-29T15:01:00.002+13:00

It is not often that I have a complete perfect day all to myself, a day when I don't have to jump in the car, wave goodbye to the dogs and whizz into town on ' matters of great importance'.

Today is such a day, a bright and beautiful day.

I decided to make some jam from the berries left over in the freezer from last Summer...Jumbleberry Jam made from strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and boysenberries.

I did some washing.

We have had some visitors staying in the cottage, they came to see the Rugby World Cup, and they were so much fun. I was sad to see them drive off this morning.
I love the smell of freshly washed white cotton sheets, another one of life's great pleasures.

A little more work on my applique quilt, and I still have several hours left this afternoon. I think it's warm enough to plant carrot seeds and some more sweet peas.
Perfect !

Dyeing with Weeds

2011-09-27T12:41:00.005+13:00

My garden is producing both blooms and weeds in abundance, and I thought I would utilise the weeds for the dyepot before they were put into the compost.

My favourite weed at the moment is the little oxalis flower, also called Sour grass or Bermuda Buttercup and produces a brilliant lemony - lime colour without needing a mordant.

I then added some madder powder to the dyepot and developed this colour which I don't like very much. When it was drying on the washingline outside, it hung there reminding me of the afterbirth that you see after a cow has just given birth. I might change this 'afterbirth' colour after I have spun it, although spinning might just improve it a little.

Feeling Thankful

2011-09-25T21:28:00.004+13:00

These are some of my Mum's favorite flowers....English bluebells growing in my garden each year from some bulbs that my parent's had in their garden years ago.

My Mum has recently been very ill indeed, and after some time in hospital, a life saving operation, two blood transfusions and IV nutrition she is rapidly becoming her old self once more.

Phew, to say I am happy and very relieved would probably be an understatement. !

Yesterday, she travelled with us to our son's farm where we had a family barbeque and

Mum was able to take part in the celebration of her youngest great grandchild's first birthday.

It has been a lovely weekend, and the blossom is still here, couldn't resist another picture.

A very big heartfelt thank you to my children, and wonderful friends who have given so much love and support over the last stressful few months, you are all truly wonderful.

A Shawl for Sarah

2011-09-21T15:28:00.005+12:00

Pattern : Fiber Trends Edged in Lace, design Evelyn Clark. Found on Ravelry.

Wool : Indiecita DK, in a pretty dove grey.....100% baby alpaca

It is an easy knit, but knitting the lace edging took ages and ages !

My youngest daughter came home on Saturday for a few days and fell in love with a very soft drapey shawl that I had finished a few weeks ago.

It is Sarah's 24th birthday next week and it made a lovely gift to tuck in her bag for the cool nights in Wellington. Have a wonderful celebration Sarah !

Blogging and Blossom

2011-09-19T19:28:00.005+12:00

I'm back !

It feels a bit strange to be back writing a post after so long, but I am excited and pleased to be here in this space once again.

It has been too long a winter and my camera has sat on the shelf unused and neglected, it is time for a change, and Spring is in the air.

I couldn't resist taking these pics from the blossom right outside our back door. The white is the blossom on our plum trees and the pink is a little almond tree.....they smell pretty good too.

Intermission

2011-03-16T15:03:00.004+13:00

I am having a break from blogging for a little while.

It has been a wonderful time and I hope to return some time in the future.

If you would like to see what I am getting up to in crafty things, you can still find me on flickr ( I am quiteahandful )and ravelry. ( I am Sallyanne )

Thank you for your love and friendship and interest. I have really enjoyed my time here getting to know you all and reading your stories and blogs.

Ka Kite Ano for now.

A hands free bag

2011-03-10T15:07:00.002+13:00

The other day I was browsing through some crochet patterns that I had put away with the usual "must do sometime" label attached, and found a great pattern for a bag to take when you are out walking or tramping.....for your essential knitting supplies of course,( just in case you wanted to stop and have a quick knitting fix ), and I would add my car keys, and an ipod as well.
This little bag can fit on to your belt or the handle of a violin case, and I am already thinking of many reasons why I need to make at least a dozen more.
You can find the pattern here if you felt like making one and taking a break from all the half finished big projects lying around the house feeling sorry for themselves......I can hear their little voices calling me from the many doorhandles in the house "when is Sally going to finish me"..."hey, it's my turn next ".......soon, soon my lovelies !

Quilt in a garden

2011-03-06T12:38:00.005+13:00

Sarah and Kevin's wedding quilt all finished. I have yet to stitch on a label, but there is no great hurry for that, so I can take my time and embroider something to remember their special day.

You will notice the pink Handmade for Christchurch badge on the top right hand corner of this blog. Please take time to read all about it, I think it is such a great idea and you might want to be involved too.

I am making some items that I shall donate to the cause...some small quilts and some knitted things, and I am thinking that it is going to be many months that Christchurch will be needing help and donations as they start to rebuild their city and their lives. The enormous task ahead looks overwhelming, but some great stories of love, kindness, goodness and courage are appearing each day in our newspaper and on the radio, and I look for these each day...very uplifting, and inspiring.

Hope

2011-02-25T13:55:00.005+13:00

This week is very ,very hard, and I am trying to stay positive and looking for something hopeful in each hour. I am glued to the radio and listening to all the stories that are coming from Christchurch, and today I finished quilting the quilt top for Sarah's wedding.

It feels strange to be doing normal things when the people in ChCh have their lives turned upside down. I would like to offer our home to anyone who needs to leave ChCh and has no place to go to. We have spare beds, and would love to give a safe haven for you, here in Nelson. Just send me an email and we can help you.

Just a wisp

2011-02-16T17:31:00.004+13:00

A little while ago I bought a skein of handpainted 2ply yarn from Touchyarns in shades of blue, violet and red. It reminded me of the delphiniums in my garden, and I decided to make a scarf on a variation of the pattern Pseudo Shibori Scarf in the book Boutique Knits.

I used 4.00mm needles and cast on 55 stitches. I then knitted three rows stocking stitch and three rows reverse stocking stitch, all the way increasing and decreasing one stitch at either end of every alternate row.
I like it so much that I am going to make another...a 4ply version in stocking stitch.

Summer Needlepoint

2011-02-12T10:36:00.005+13:00

It has been too hot for me to get excited about my knitting, and just lately with the summer colours inspiring me from my garden, and along the sea front, I drafted a design for some needlepoint.

I have always loved playing with half square triangles in my quilts, and marvel at the huge range of geometric designs you can achieve with this simple little block.

I am making it up as I go along, which is the way I always design my quilts....block by block.

A Beauty Bounty

2011-02-11T16:54:00.005+13:00

Plum Jam made today,

Pear juice to be made tonight,

Plum preserves and

tomatoe pasta sauce tomorrow.

Anniversary Weekend

2011-02-08T09:55:00.011+13:00

Celebrating 36 years together, Ian and I were down at The Sounds and enjoying a long weekend with family.

Trees were climbed,

and one little elderly Basil dog was wondering.........

why he wasn't top dog at retrieving sticks any more.

Billie was usurping his position very firmly.

Adventures were had with a very large log,

and one little boy learnt a new skill.

So much fun was made.

Windfalls

2011-02-02T16:01:00.007+13:00

We are having some very strong winds today, and I see our poor apple tree is taking a bit of a hammering. The apples are falling before they are quite ready.

Whilst visiting with my granddaughter yesterday she showed me a very cute little apple cosy that she loves to use in her lunchbox. It protects the apple from bruising and she says makes it more crunchy ! What a good idea, I thought as I hurried home to 'google'it.

I soon found what I was looking for on ravelry and made one up this afternoon.

I wonder what our tree would look like if every apple that was about to fall was covered in it's own little cosy !

Looking through windows

2011-01-31T10:28:00.007+13:00

A slow, quiet start to my day.

Today being a public holiday...well here in this town anyway, I watched the clouds move across the sky as I lazily stayed in bed and finished The Nice and The Good by Iris Murdoch. Beautifully written about human frailities, loves and losses, the self seeking part of us all with our egos and the huge inner world of thoughts and feelings.

It finishes with a happy ending ( I so love happy endings !) with a slight twist, and leaves me wanting to embark on another Iris Murdoch novel today, but which one I wonder ? She has written quite a few, and I already have a huge collection of summer reading to deliciously wade through.

Dreamily gazing at the light through the kitchen window as I think about the possibilties for today, and munch on toast with freshly made strawberry jam.

Glancing over to the table I see the quilt that I had pin basted on a productive Saturday morning, quilting...right on schedule, so definitely some quilting time today..... not too much though,

I am wanting to look through this pile of Kaffe Fassett fabrics by this window, to sort out the pieces for my applique quilt. We have our little stitching group meeting for the first time tonight this year, and I need to make some preparations for work on this...

My day is starting...

Sunshine Pleasures

2011-01-28T10:58:00.004+13:00

Freshly picked today, the smell of sunshine and warm, red tasty tomatoes.

Flowers for Sarah and Kevin

2011-01-26T19:23:00.006+13:00

On New Years Day this year, I started cutting blocks for a quilt to celebrate Sarah and Kevin's wedding in March.
It is a Kaffe Fasset design, and very simple, alternating 9 patch blocks with a block the same size, and is a great way to showcase florals.

Sarah wanted a vintage chintzy look, and I had some Robyn Pandolph fabrics and some beautiful Japanese Yuwa fabrics in my cupboard just waiting to be used, so I was able to start straight away without having to hunt the shops for more.

I have almost finished the piecing of the quilt top and want to be able to start quilting it on the 1st February. I plan on giving myself a month to quilt it...hopefully.

I have added some crochet on some of the blocks and some beautiful handmade lace that I bought in Italy, and I couldn't resist this little piece that I found in Venice.

Perfect for these two love birds !

More on the quilt later...watch this space.

Sustenance

2011-01-24T09:17:00.009+13:00

Well, it is 3/4's the way through January already, and I see that I have only written one post this year. I must get into the routine again of blogging more regularly, and using my camera more.

I have been home for a week from Auckland now, and thinking back to that special time there, I feel so fortunate to have started off the New Year with lots of music, wonderful friendships, fabulous food and some time out from Summer's busy schedule.

We are always very busy in these summer months looking after our accommodation business, and this year, lots of things have happened to create a little havoc....massive rainfall that caused slips and blocked the dam that produces the water for the water tank to the house, two lots of guests were without water for 48 hrs.The fridge decided to stop working and we needed to purchase a new one immediately. The washing machine appeared to fill all on it's own accord and caused a flood inside, and the security lock failed to function properly and needed replacing.

Next week, we are going to replace the water tank with another much larger one, and the process of doing that is certainly not going to be straightforward. Ah well, it's lucky Ian is very handy with hooking up water systems, I am sure he will figure out a way to do it.

Over Christmas I made up a large amount of my favourite muesli, and have since made some more...it has been really popular, and fills you up to get you through until lunch or dinner !

Here is what I do

Fill a large roasting dish with jumbo rolled oats and a litre of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a couple of cups each of coconut and wheatgerm.

Bake in a moderate oven until oats are lightly brown and toasted, turning them over all the while until the orange juice is absorbed. ( you can add some honey to this if you wish.)

When cooled, I add chopped prunes, apricots, cranberries, dried blueberries, small pieces of dried pineapple, bananas, papaya, cherries, then brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, hazel nuts, sunflower seeds, yoghurt raisins.

In the morning serve with a large dollop of yoghurt and some fresh fruit.

Some sustenance for the day ahead.

Vivaldi in our Summer

2011-01-07T08:41:00.007+13:00

A very happy New Year to all of you.

Isn't this just the best time of the year when plans and dreams are being made, and you are thinking that anything is possible in the next twelve months ahead. ?

My plans and dreams have all been about my violin lately. 2010 was very intense music making, with me having violin lessons each week with our concert leader and soloist John Thomson. So lots of practise for me each day and it has certainly been challenging fitting those extra hours in to a very busy work schedule. Yesterday I collected two CDs that were made taking the best out of our five concerts that our orchestra performed in 2010.

Wonderful evenings of magic created by a large group of our community who are like a second family to me now.

It has been so much fun. This year I miss our very first concert because it is the same day as our youngest daughter's wedding....26th March. But the silver lining in that particular cloud means that I will have more time to work on Sarah and Kevin's wedding quilt and a woven blanket that I should have finished for their engagement last year.

This last year I have been teaching piano and violin to Arlo and Keira ( Melissa and Tom's two children ). This has been a joy and a huge delight and privilege, and I am looking forward to their lessons starting again in February.

Next week I fly up to Auckland to take part in the Auckland String Quartet Summer School which I have been going to for over a decade now. A week of absolute bliss, combining music, friends, food, no housework or cooking and lots of laughter and playing a Vivaldi Concerto.

What more could I ask for in this first month of the year...I shall see you in this space when I return.

Here is some Vivaldi from my favourite performer to have you tapping your feet and dancing to Summer from Four Seasons.

I hope all your dreams and plans for 2011 come to fruition and health and happiness are yours to keep.

Tis' the season

2010-12-27T16:05:00.005+13:00

I can now share the pictures of the quilt I made for Alexander and Kristin,

I think they liked it very much.....

Christmas has been wonderful, and now this is my favourite week of the year...the week between Christmas and New Year.

Everyone is on holiday, relaxed and happy. Books are being read, children are being read to, there is a lot of lazing about and laughing, and there seems to be a great deal of chocolate to consume........ well, in our house anyway.

I hope you are all enjoying the season and making merry.

Gifts for Christmas

2010-12-23T17:46:00.007+13:00

These precious red flowers on the minty green foliage turn into beautiful green gems of feijoa fruit in May next year. I wandered along our trees this afternoon admiring their Christmassy splendour. They remind me so much of our traditional native Christmas tree, the Pohutakawa.

Santa visited a little early for Eve this year...a tiny motorcycle to match her Mum and Dad's cycles. Her granddad can barely keep up with her, and notice the dogs are keeping a safe distance !

I think of Leo as an early Christmas present too. His smiles are little gifts, each one.

Loved ones coming home for Christmas. Here are Alexander and Kristin newly arrived from the North Island becoming acquainted with their nephew.

A big thank you to all of you out there who read this blog. This year has gone by so fast that it is hard to believe that once again we are on the brink of another year.

My wish is for you all to have a very blessed Christmas sharing lots of joy and love around with family and friends, and I hope you all have a wonderful restful time filled with being and doing everything you enjoy the most. !

Handspun Patchwork

2010-12-11T13:08:00.007+13:00

Sorting out the spare bedroom the other day...trying to get ready for family staying, and I found this blanket that only needed another night or two of work spent on it.

So I finished knitting one of the sides and then crocheted a border on it's opposite edge.

I am really happy with the way it finished up. I started knitting scraps of my hand dyed and handspun wool several years ago and then it was put away for a day when I could decide on the finished size.

If you are a person who loves spinning and knitting, or even if you just enjoy the look and feel of handspun wool then here is a site that you must visit. Spin Off magazine is a mag. that I have enjoyed now for a decade or more arriving in my letterbox, or at my local bookshop. Just this month the editors are creating a new digital emag. called Spinknit and it is worth a look.

Interweave Press are putting out several knitting EBooks and they are great, especially when you want to print out a pattern. No squashing down of my favorite book's pages as I try to cram it under the lid of my scanner.

I still love having the physical book to hold in my hands, but the kindle version is a lot of fun too, and some of the EBooks are free !

Finishing off and starting something new

2010-12-07T11:50:00.007+13:00

I finished knitting a cardigan this week.

I can't remember when I first cast on, but it was probably earlier in the year some time. It's strange I didn't blog about it .

It is a Jo Sharp pattern...fitted cardigan from Issue 3, and using her alpaca kid lustre which is a combination of alpaca, mohair and merino.......soft and super cosy.

I then had no guilt when I cast on for the Tea Leaves Cardigan...a madelinetosh design and knitted on a circular from the top down.

Yeah, I know I probably have 'too many to count' other projects lying around on knitting needles in different bags on many different doorhandles...BUT

I just needed to right there and then ...OK !!

Anyway it IS getting a little stressy now we are into December and Christmas plans and family arrangements and lots of dates where I am to be involved with my flute and violin and Christmas carols are happening, whether I am ready or not. So I definitely needed to start something new with some gorgeous hand dyed yarn...hmmmm...bliss.

Almost

2010-12-01T12:09:00.005+13:00

Another evening of sewing should do it.

I have almost finished sewing the binding on to this quilt. I have used Japanese cottons and silks and quilted long, uneven parallel lines using a long stitch length and Gutermanns quilting thread.

When I previously posted about this quilt, I had just started to quilt using a crochet cotton in my machine, well after a few lines of stitching, I wasn't happy with the tension and ripped it out to start again.

I will show a photo of the whole quilt after Christmas !

Grace

2010-11-26T09:37:00.005+13:00

I am finding it hard to write anything at all today.

My heart is full and my thoughts are with the miners and their families and loved ones.

This is a poem/song for them and for us.

Grace from the Prayer Cycle By Jonathan Elias. This little album has helped me in times past, and brings comfort and healing.

A big thank you to all of you who left comments and concern for Eve. The management and I have come to a very good compromise and Mum is still able to have her showers most days .....phew !!

Some goodness and grace prevailed.

A very big heartfelt thanks to you Dee, and any other of Mum's caregivers who are reading this. I appreciate your love and concern for my Mum so much !

Powerlessness

2010-11-17T11:10:00.005+13:00

I am washing the quilt that I made for my Mum several years ago. It usually resides on her bed in the hospital wing of the retirement home she lives in.

This is my Mum, Eve.

Two weeks ago, she was 82 on November the 1st, and for the last seven years ( since my Dad died) she has been living in a small room, in a large retirement home, just ten minutes away from our farm.

I took the photo with my IPhone in a cafe here at Mum's faourite place.

Kaiteriteri. Lots of happy memories for her here with my Dad, swimming and sunbathing.

Ian and I take Eve out at the weekends. Sometimes she just comes home with us, and we feed her yummy foods that she doesn't have at the rest home. Eve loves to spend time with her great grandchildren.

Today I am feeling slightly powerless on her behalf. She has been told by the nursing care manager of her home that she can no longer enjoy daily showers. She is to be showered twice a week and the rest of the time will have to make do with a wash in the morning, and another in the evening.

For Eve this is devastating. She is paralysed on one side of her body( since she was 50 yrs old) and spends all her time in a wheelchair, and the time she has by herself in her shower chair in her bathroom, is something she looks forward to so much. Many times I have visited her room and I have heard her singing away in the shower.

I have made earnest and heartfelt pleas for her this morning, but all to no avail.

One more loss for her that has seen her stripped of practically everything ( especially freedom of choice ) in the last seven years, her life reduced to a small room overlooking a carpark !

I was told that is is standard practice for ALL the aged in hospital care of the rest homes throughout NZ.

In the garden

2010-11-12T12:21:00.008+13:00

November is proving to be a very busy month for me, and all week I have been trying to find an hour or two to spend in the garden. Today is the day !

A first time for washing the quilt I finished in the winter. It shouldn't take long to dry, and I can have it back on the bed tonight.

A beautiful sunny day here, and I have been planting more sweet peas, stocks, foxgloves, delphiniums, lobelia, campanella and cosmos.

I am hoping to spend some time stitching on this fabric garden this afternoon. Once I start I don't like to put it down, and I have only three more flowers and a leaf to add to the panel.

Have a great weekend everyone, I am wishing you all sunny skies, and some time in a garden !

New Cushion

2010-11-04T15:30:00.006+13:00

Yesterday I had a visit from a dear friend who has been living in Auckland, doing grandmotherly things up there. It was so nice to catch up again and once we had chatted about our children and their offspring, of course our conversation ran on to knitting .

I showed her what I had on the needles and what had been discarded and left behind,

and her suggestion was...that zigzag blanket would make a perfect cushion !

So today I sewed two sides, slipped an inner into the opening and crocheted it together.

and now I am having fun placing it in different places to see how it looks and feels.

Early Rising

2010-11-02T11:02:00.007+13:00

I have never been one for getting up early, I prefer to stay up late at night and to leisurely take my time in the morning awaking to the new day.

However, this last week or so has seen me throwing off the quilt soon after six am each day, and joining Ian for a bike ride down to the local sea shore, and I have loved it ( mostly !).

Today though, Ian had to rise even earlier to start work, and I decided to spend a few hours before breakfast working in the garden.

It was great working out there in the early morning quietness, and I was there to see the sun come up over the hill...bliss.

I was surprised to see how much I managed to accomplish in just those few hours. My Mother -in -law used to enjoy this time of the day the best as well, before it gets too hot and the day's activities have you wilting and wanting a lie down !

Now right through until March, life is going to be full and very busy with most of our work happening through the Summer months.

The first of our summer visitors are arriving today to stay in the cottage, and our house down the Bay will soon be full up too. So there will be a lot of coming and going.....all very exciting.!

Ian is making hay today,

and this is the first cut for the season. I am hoping he won't have too many problems with his baler and wrapper this year.

Cherry blossom and lilac and thoughts of Japan

2010-10-25T09:28:00.005+13:00

When these pretty pink blossoms are out, my thoughts turn to Japan. I have never visited Japan, but I would love to go there one day ( sooner rather than later ! )

I have a friend who travels there quite regularly and she comes home full of wonderful stories about the magnificent weaving, silks, kimonos, architecture, food....endless delights actually. She has me dreaming of exotic train journeys and visits to see how the silks are woven.

I was given some beautiful Japanese fabrics for my birthday and have been cutting and stitching, not having a preconceived idea, but just allowing the fabrics to "talk" to me. I had thought of hand stitching sashiko through the layers, but realised yesterday that I am not going to have time if I want this to be ready for Christmas, so am trying out another idea I had, using fine crochet cotton in my sewing machine...so far it is working very well.

I have dyed some cottons in a dye bath of indigo that my friend was using for her weaving, and have used these in the quilt also.

Beautiful Things

2010-10-21T09:27:00.006+13:00

Leo in his new knits,

A red geranium soon to be planted in the garden.

My new red jug and the last of the freesias, with the music that I am playing here in a few weeks.

I found Jascha Heifetz playing the 1st movement of Bruch's Scottish Fantasia. This is one of the pieces we are playing soon, and it is fast becoming another favourite.

I am feeling like Kat Edmonson today...here she is. Take a listen, it will make you feel lucky and happy too.

Lush

2010-10-13T12:48:00.013+13:00

Some unexpected time spent in the garden this morning brought me so much joy.

I am breathing in the fragrances and renewing lost energy, and sharing some of it's springtime lushness with all of you.

I have made another vest for little Leo with matching socks this time.

Blackwork and Babylove

2010-10-06T10:01:00.008+13:00

Another book on Blackwork, out of the library this time, and full of beautiful stitches and pleasing patterns.

I made a start and discovered that I can draw my own little patterns on graph paper. I must be thinking about it a lot, because last night I woke around 2.00am and apparently said to Ian "must do the embroidery " and then " you need to do some embroidery ". I can vaguely recollect a weird dream about it. I think Mary Queen of Scots was involved ( I have been reading about her a lot lately too).

It's funny where our dreams take us, isn't it. ?
Talking of dreams, little Leo was having some nice milky baby dreams yesterday.

But I was allowed to get him up and have a cuddle, he was due for a feed.

I don't think he was dreaming of blackwork though !

Home Alone

2010-09-27T14:32:00.001+13:00

Our little family went back to their farm yesterday, and I am home alone today...not for long though as I have more grandchildren arriving this afternoon. It is the school holidays here, and daylight saving has begun. The holidays, longer evenings and enjoying the children, unfettered by timetables is making me feel festive and time to shake off the last remaining nasty flu energy.......begone I say, and next year I promise to take my flu shot !

Thank you so much for all the lovely words and messages on little Leo's arrival. I appreciate your comments a great deal, and the friends and support through blogland have been an unexpected pleasure !

The bootees for Leo were knitted up very quickly as he had a need, and they are some that I found the pattern for after googling " stay on bootees ". The link is here, and I loved making them because there is absolutely no sewing up. They are knitted in the round just like socks and so use five doublepointed needles. Very quick and super easy.

Leo Tristan

2010-09-24T09:31:00.005+12:00

There is much rejoicing here today. Our newest grandson arrived this morning at 4.00am. He is charming us all with his presence and a very calm arrival into our lives.

His parents have named him Leo Tristan and this morning I was thinking to myself that the name Tristan has become very much our family name.

Thirty one years ago Ian and I had our first born son and we named him David Tristan, sadly he only stayed in this world for five days. Then a few years later our Tristan Peter William was born and he is the proud father today of little Leo Tristan.

My heart and arms are full !

Standing Upright

2010-09-21T09:54:00.006+12:00

Today I ventured outside to take a peek at my garden, and discovered that the forget me nots have taken over since I have been languishing ( don't you love that word ) very droopily inside the house. The reason for all the languor is that I still have the flu, and have totally mislaid my zest for life and living at the moment. I can't remember when I have last felt this ill for soooooo long !

Is Billie having a sniff or a taste of the flowers ?

Basil has decided to get in the pic. as well.

Yesterday this book arrived ( I bought it from The UK Depository ) and I languidly looked through it and thought to myself ...no, too hard to go and hunt some linen and black thread from my studio, too hard to even think about making a blackwork picture.

I don't want to sew, I don't want to knit, I don't want to embroider, I don't want to spin, I don't want to weave and I definitely don't want to garden !!

My daughter-in-law is about to give birth at any moment, and my thoughts are with her and our son.
I am not having very many thankful thoughts today, but I am truly so thankful that it is not me who is getting ready to push a baby out into the world.

It is all I can do to keep myself standing upright.

Resting

2010-09-14T10:49:00.004+12:00

This is where you will find me today.

I am held captive by nasty flu germs and I am desperately trying to get better, so that I can attend all the rehearsals this week for the concert on Saturday. Today is day 4 since the virus hit, and my daughter tells me that today is the day I will start to feel an improvement.
I hope she is right.

It is not so bad though, sitting here in the sunshine listening to the radio and checking out new stuff in blogland, and online knitting magazines. In fact, browsing around the blogs and other crafty sites is something I haven't had time for in ages. Let me show you what I have discovered :

Here are some great ones
Twist Collective... a fabulous knitting magazine, with loads of gorgeous knitting patterns from all the best designers.
Knitty.com..an old time favourite.
Daily knitter.com a great site to visit every day.
Knit Rowan...I adore this site.

Some all time favourite blogs to visit:

Ysolda
Grumperina
Norah Gaughan
Mason Dixon
Yarn Harlot

There, that is probably enough to get you started. Be careful now, I don't want you to get the flu too !

Comfort

2010-09-09T09:34:00.010+12:00

What do you do when you are in need of some comfort ?
I think everyone here is feeling in need of some comfort after last week's earthquake in Christchurch.

There is a lot of anxiety and fear around, and because New Zealand is so small, every person you talk to, has a family member or friend affected by the quake.

Last night I made my favorite dinner, at least it seems to be my favourite one at the moment.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto...delicious and extremely comforting .

It is (very appropriately) in the 'comfort' section of this cookbook by Julie Buiso.

Another thing I do in times of needing comfort, is easy knitting...scarves are very good fitting into this category. For the scarf in the photo (the same as the one I made for my daughter-in-law's birthday last month), I used Debbie Bliss Baby Casmerino...so super soft and drapey. It is like giving yourself a warm hug every time you wear it.

and I am also using the same wool in different colours to crochet granny squares for this afghan, a warm comforting thing to do .

Sometime soon I would like to make the scarf featured in this book...showcasing the beautiful designs by all my favourite blogging knitters.

Read all about it here. The scarf I am wanting to make is designed by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed

I ordered the book from the UK Depository (free worldwide shipping) and it arrived in less than a week .........a huge comfort !!

For a Boy

2010-08-23T18:55:00.004+12:00

A little boy will be arriving in our family very soon. Number 2 grandson !!!
The last five grandchildren born have all been girls, and of course I adore girls, but a little boy is going to be oh ,so very special, I am counting the days now..as is his Mum and Dad !

I made him a little vest, and even though it looks large here in the photo, it is actually very small indeed. It only took one skein of Regia sock yarn, and I like it so much that I shall probably knit him another.

Sunshine At My Window

2010-08-20T14:40:00.007+12:00

There is nothing better than to sit soaking up the sunshine on a comfy windowseat, feeling a little guilty pleasure at having some time out just to sit and sew, whilst listening to the radio.

I am working on this quilt. It is a design by Kim McLean called Flower Pots and I am using a palette of Kaffe Fasset colours.

I am sewing the applique shapes by hand, using a very simple needleturn method, which I find very relaxing and addictive !

I hope you all have a great weekend, doing the things you love to do the most, with the people you love.

Springtime weaving

2010-08-11T13:53:00.006+12:00

This year is flying by so fast, and during the first week in this month I decided to spend a few days setting up another weaving project. My thinking was that if I didn't get a move on, I would be into summer and Christmas and holidays before I could turn around. Is it just me, or are the rest of you noticing how this year is speeding along ?

I knotted some yarn for the warp

(that I had left over from Tamsin's slouchy cardigan) onto the heddles from the last blanket I made, and found some beautiful blue silk

and possum and merino hand dyed yarn from Touch yarns for the weft

that I had been saving in my stash and all in all, it didn't take as long as I had thought to get started again.

A touch of Green

2010-08-02T10:54:00.007+12:00

An old green bottle with a winter rose, and a hyacinth just starting to show a touch of green. Our pure white cat is the blob in the background.

My 'Tangled Yoke Cardigan', finally finished, and just waiting for me to sew on the buttons.

I haven't checked on Ravelry yet, but I think I probably cast on for this way back in 2007.

I love the finished product, and thoroughly enjoyed knitting it in the round. I think I shall probably make another in the same way, and substitute Fair Isle for the cable on the yoke...it is such a nice fit.

The wool I used for this is Rowan Felted Tweed, the colour is Herb and the pattern is from the magazine Interweave Knits Fall 2007.

A song for you today from Joni Mitchell. Little Green, one of my all time favourites.

Thoughts of Spring and Mothers

2010-07-21T09:23:00.003+12:00

As soon as these blooms appear in my garden, I know that Spring is not so far behind. Time for me to finish pruning the roses and clean up the flower beds ready for a big burst of colour very soon.

Thinking about these two favorite earlycomers of Spring reminds me of my mother, who always had a big vase of mimosa in our living room around this time of the year, and invariably it always managed to bring on the sneezes for my father and myself, and she would throw it out after many protestations to the contrary.

Lori has a beautiful post here about Mothers and Daughters and a great low cal recipe for delicous blueberry scones, that I am going to try out today. When I read her post this morning, it reminded me of a wonderful poem' The Lanyard 'written by Billy Collins, and here he is reading it aloud...you won't want to miss this, it is very good.

Winter Sunshine and Golden Gifts

2010-07-14T13:07:00.008+12:00

A knitted gift for a birthday coming soon, a beautiful peachy coloured Debbie Bliss Cashmerino...I can't show anymore just now in case the recipient is looking...more on this later.

A golden flower picked for me by my granddaughter, Eve

A bowl of delicious sweet mandarins, given to us from our tree in the garden.

A special wishing stone given to Eve from me, this morning, as she danced in the sunshine and wandered through the garden, loving it all.

Making Bread

2010-07-06T12:44:00.005+12:00

It was the perfect morning today to make some bread. I had the fire going in the kitchen, the dogs were curled up in their baskets having a mid morning nap and the radio was tuned to my favorite programme.

Last week I bought the new Alison Holst cookbook on breadmaking and this five seed loaf was a doddle to make...really easy.

It turned out to be very delicious indeed, and all I need to do now is make some Leek and Potatoe soup to go with it for tonight's dinner.

Where Your Left Hand Rests

2010-06-29T14:28:00.006+12:00

Today, a book of poems by Fiona Kidman.

Beautifully illustrated with images of fabrics from Victorian Gilt antique collectibles and endpapers from the Alexander Turnbull Library Collection.

These poems are all about the author's maternal ancestors, their lives and her own. Some she has composed after reading some old letters of her grandparent's and other relatives, and some of the poems were written whilst on her stay in France, when she was the Katherine Mansfield Fellow.

It is a beautiful book and one that I know I will dip into many times, before I turn out the light on my bedside table.

Feeling Happy

2010-06-24T10:40:00.004+12:00

Today, twenty eight years ago I gave birth to our second daughter.....Happy Birthday Tamsin.!

I was just thinking this morning that those years seem like days away sometimes, and in my mind I am back there in my twenties proudly holding my new baby and drinking in the sweet smell of her.

Now, I am holding her precious babies...strange, but great feelings.

This is me with Noa, just a few minutes old.

The passing of time is like a fast train, like the Eurostar, whizzing by before you have barely seen it go past, and other times is just like an old steam train puffing sedately into the station to stop with a sigh.

This is a song that makes me happy today, I love these french guys ! Nothing to do with birthdays or babies, totally unrelated to the post, but it makes me feel good every time I hear it.

Noro Iro

2010-06-21T10:23:00.006+12:00

From the book 'Knits to Fit and Flatter' I present 'Great Lengths Coat'. I used the yarn Noro Iro, which is a chunky weight wool/silk mix.

I am not sure about the' flattering ' aspect to this knit, because the wool is bulky, the sleeves ribbed AND self striping pattern...all combined together, make me feel tubby, especially the arms, BUT it is very warm and the perfect thing for the next couple of months.

and I am very pleased to have finished it.

Winter Sweet and Sunlight

2010-06-17T13:59:00.005+12:00

I planted a row of lime trees today and was told ' stamp them in really well with a heavy tread,' so the roots are firm in the ground and they remain upright when the Spring winds might buffet them.

We have been extending our orchard of feijoas and limes, and I was thinking as I knelt down beside each tree to spread some soil around it's roots, that on a brilliantly sunny day in the middle of winter it is an absolute joy to be outside.

The air is fresh and and fragrant with the perfume of the Winter Sweet bush that grows outside the bedroom window, and each year becomes a little larger than before.

And of course, Phoebe and Fern are Sweetness and Sunlight personified.

Fern's Quilt

2010-06-12T17:58:00.004+12:00

Fern is staying the weekend with us, and tonight I finished sewing her quilt.

A daytime photo would have been nice, but bedtime calls.

June Tunes

2010-06-09T17:55:00.004+12:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately, and Life has been much busier than usual. I haven't spent much time at home, but I have been spending a lot of time with my violin tucked under my chin.

Our concert was a huge success..a sellout, and we have now begun rehearsing for the Mid -Winter Festival concert on the 10th July. We are playing 22 James Bond Movie tunes and have some well known Kiwi vocalists to sing some of the favourites.

Take a look here...this is Tim Beveridge doing the first number.

Running alongside rehearsals for this I am also in a local production of Chess, and I have started up a String Quartet with some friends from our Orchestra.....just for fun, when we can fit in a free evening.

I have my sewing machine set up on the kitchen table, and in between cooking and practise, I am finding some time to finish a quilt for a little granddaughter.

Hopefully next week, I will have something for Fern to wrap around herself, as the June winter days are closing in.

The Last Stitch

2010-05-28T10:52:00.008+12:00

Euphoria: Definition= A feeling of great ( usually exaggerated ) elation.

Ha, that's ME today, feeling euphoric ( very ).

The other night I stayed up very late, and put the last stitch in this quilt that I think I started making, way back in 1998. All those years ago I had just opened a little patchwork and quilting shop, I had three teenagers and two pre-teens and it was a busy and somewhat chaotic life, but lots of fun too.

I chose this quilt to teach classes on piecing, applique, putting together as a quilt-as- you-go, and of course hand quilting. Over the years, other quilts have come and gone, but this has been a stayer as a UFO for a long, long time.

It is very large, and covers our queen sized bed with the sides reaching the floor.

I first saw the design in an Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine, and I think from memory it was made originally by Sarah ? around 1840. ( The magazine disappeared many moons ago).

This center medallion derives from a German design. Sarah (Someone) lived in the States and came from German forebears.

I have used reproduction fabrics that I had in my shop at the time. The reproductions have been taken from the quilt museums and faithfully reproduced exactly.

Another reason for me feeling so happy is that our orchestra is putting on another concert on this Saturday night. We have had long rehearsals all week and it is sounding wonderful.

I am enjoying it all so much that I won't want to be playing it for the final time on Saturday.

This is what we are performing.

Schumann's Symphony No.4 ( that he wrote for his wife Clara, when she had just given birth to their first child...and he was feeling euphoric ....definitely some great euphoric passages in this one)

Paganini's violin concerto no.1

Bull - Et Saeterbesog

The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture

Sorry, I can't give you links to this music. Our internet is on and off this morning, probably because of all the rain we have been having !

In the Garden

2010-05-24T13:41:00.009+12:00

May is always a busy time in the garden for me, a time for preparing my little friends for the next season. Getting rid of ugly dead bits and pesty weeds then snuggling the plants down for the winter in a comfy bed of mulch, and planting lots of winter salad greens and other veges for delicious winter casseroles and soups.

I have been picking feijoas all this month for our local markets, and it has been very time consuming. If you miss a day of gathering, then the following day you see the result of your tardiness on the ground, next to the tree. This fruit is easily bruised and has very little value when not perfect !

Whilst I have been picking and walking through the feijoa orchard I have been listening to this audiobook..The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, and am loving it. I have just read her The Poisonwood Bible also on audio, and am reading in bed at night; Animal, Vegetable and Miracle, also by Barbara Kingsolver. They are very thought provoking and a wonderful read and listen !

The lemons are ripening up nicely and I thought I would make some lemon and coconut muffins for two of my grandchildren that visit after school on Mondays.

They will arrive just in time for a much needed tea break and a cuddle.

A JB Quilt

2010-05-17T10:41:00.006+12:00

When I bought this book a few weeks ago I couldn't wait to start cutting small squares and arranging them in diagonal rows on the spare bed.

A quick instant colour fix using mainly Kaffe Fassett's fabrics that I pulled out of my cupboard, and

here it is, hanging on a tree with a fish !

The Kindness of Bloggers

2010-05-12T09:25:00.004+12:00

A few posts ago I blogged about a winter coat I was knitting, and a lovely lady who lives on the other side of the world, decided to make me a beautiful felted scarf to go with the coat.

Now, I find that amazing...and feel so special and humbled by it.

The package arrived in our postbox yesterday, and when my husband collected the mail and brought it into the kitchen where I was working...he said "quick, quick put it on" and then "Wow, how did Heather make that !!!"

So here it is

This is with the coat I am knitting...Heather has found my favourite colours exactly !

I have a big grin on my face as I write this, I just can't believe that someone would do this just for me...thank you Heather !

Chocolate and Colour

2010-05-08T12:01:00.009+12:00

This must be the fastest 'put together'of a quilt in my quilting history.

Couldn't have done it without the chocolate though !

Fun with fabrics

2010-05-04T17:43:00.006+12:00

This was the sun coming up on Saturday morning, and my granddaughter Esmae and I walked down the driveway to check the letterbox.

A book that I had sent away for months ago, had finally arrived and we raced back to put the kettle on and peruse the pages of this beautiful book.
Jane Brocket is the author and I love reading her writings here and her other two books.
Her photos never fail to surprise and delight me, and this book has done the same.

I was so inspired by the pictures and the fact that Jane's quilts are very simply and quickly put together, that I decided to play around with my Kaffe Fassett fabrics and see what happened.

All other plans were shelved the rest of the day as Esmae and I got busy playing with different fabric combinations...so much fun was had, and finally lots of little piles of 4 1/2 " squares were laid out carefully on the spare bed.

Today I have been sewing, and sewing....

I will show you very soon.

A Watery Footprint

2010-04-27T15:37:00.010+12:00

Today I drove home through a downpour of rain, an occurrence that hasn't happened in many months. Although the rain gladly received today, won't have broken the drought, it will be helping to fill our rivers and streams again.

My daughter was given some ducks in the Spring last year, and when the little stream at the bottom of her property dried up, then her ducks walked off, searching for sustenance elsewhere.

Maybe now they might return, I hope so. I loved them, and their friendly Jemima Puddle duck faces.

When, I reached inside our letterbox later, I was surprised and delighted to find a lovely package with a Canadian postmark. Some beautiful botannical notecards, and a felted flower brooch from my blogging friend Mary. You are so kind and thoughtful Mary, I love these, thank you so much !

Aren't they beautiful?

This little pin is going to look lovely on my winter coat.

On our way down the North Island a couple of weeks ago, I tried to have Ian stop at book shops and knitting shops and of course fabric shops ( especially ones with Kaffe Fassett fabrics ! )

I tried very hard, but found that he was unwilling to stop at craft shops without any warning, or a preplanned visit.

He is pretty long suffering though, when it comes to my craft addictions, as I am with his tractor and farm equipment stops, and I did manage to have a visit to Nancy's Embroidery Shop in Wellington, and made a wonderful purchase on some beautiful Noro yarn.

I am knitting a winter coat with Noro Iro, from the book Knits to fit and flatter and I hope this coat will do exactly that. Being a chunky wool, it is knitting up fairly fast, although I have to be careful not to knit for too long, as the size of the needles and yarn is making my left hand very stiff and sore, hmm, I hope I am not developing anything that might hamper future knitting projects. !

Botannics

2010-04-21T09:49:00.006+12:00

Here is Noa wearing her little sleepy suit last night.

It had been a long day, and we couldn't coax a smile from her, but I think she liked being wrapped in it's warmth. Thank you all so much for your great comments !

Last week, on the last day of our holiday we spent an hour walking around Wellington's Botanic Gardens.

This is the walk that runs alongside Tinakori Road.

A succulent garden that has recently developed.

I love visiting Wellington and I especially enjoy the public gardens there. I visited another favourite place in Wellington that day and I will save the telling for another post very soon.

Something for a Hobbit

2010-04-18T17:02:00.005+12:00

Well, I am home again after ten days away in the North Island. We had a wonderful time catching up with friends and family and of course the highlight was the James Taylor and Carole King Concert in Auckland. I had to pinch myself that I was really there listening and seeing JT himself, after practically living out my life with his songs as the backdrop to everything I have experienced over the last forty years.

The driving long distances in the car became quite tedious, and I kept pushing on with the knitting of Noa's possum wrap. Today I have finally finished it, and have had to resort to trying it on Teddy as little Noa lives more than an hour's drive away and I won't be seeing her until tuesday. I did think that Teddy made a rather hobbit-like model for the wrap.....what do you think ?

I didn't enjoy knitting this very much and I think the reason for that is the rather unclear instructions...especially for the tie closure. I think I might remove the crochet cord tie and sew a button on instead, I shall see what Noa's Mum thinks.

However it is a beautifully soft and cosy garment and I hope Noa will enjoy her sleeps wrapped up in it.

Holiday

2010-04-05T09:00:00.006+12:00

A very happy Easter to all of you. I hope this year has been full of fun times with family and friends.

I have been spending these last few days with my family, little ones and big ones.

and today I am packing a suitcase and sorting out the knitting and sewing projects I want to take with me...... fun, fun,fun !

Tomorrow we are on our way crossing the Cook Strait on the ferry, and driving up to Whangarei to see some friends and then the four of us are going to the James Taylor and Carole King concert on the Saturday night in Auckland.

The next day we drive back down the North Island, stopping for a couple of days in New Plymouth and then Wellington to visit the newly marrieds and Sarah.

I have been really looking forward to this for so long, but yesterday when I was having a little cuddle with Noa, I felt bereft at the thought of not seeing her for ten days.

Hopefully, when I return I will have the baby wrap finished, that I am making for her in possum wool, and then I will go mad with the camera. These first few weeks see such changes in growth and little familial baby expressions, she is sure to have changed yet again when I see her next. !

I shall be away from the blog for a few days, but I look forward to catching up with you all when I am home again.

Fern's flowers

2010-03-31T11:21:00.005+13:00

My granddaughter Fern is spending the day with me today, and first thing on the list is running out to the garden to collect some flowers.

and finding a pretty jug to put them in.

Sometimes, around this time of year, other nice surprises can be found in the garden, if you look very quietly and carefully.

My colours today

2010-03-26T11:37:00.005+13:00

Some patchwork, easy piecing together 2 and a half inch squares, because I felt like it.

Some spinning, because I had run out of handspun wool for my blanket.

Some James Taylor and Carole King because soon, very soon I shall be listening to them LIVE, and I am VERY EXCITED every time I think about it.

I hope you all have a great weekend with lots of crafting and good times.

Nature

2010-03-23T20:27:00.009+13:00

It's not often you come across something very large and wild when you are taking a gentle evening stroll at the beach. This huge sting ray had come into the shallow water and was waiting to be able to swim out again when the tide turned.

I got in very close with my phone and shot a couple of pics, thinking they probably wouldn't be much good,

but I was quite surprised when I downloaded them....

he was just inches away from me, and he had two very big eyes and a very long tail, and I was thinking that he seemed to be as interested in me as I was in him, because as I walked along the beach he followed alongside, and when I turned to walk back the way I had come he did the same. I was quite sad to say goodbye to him, I hope he made it back into the ocean safely.

On the way home I took this pic of the sunset with my phone as well. It was quite a memorable evening all in all.

This Saturday night our orchestra is playing the first concert of the season.

The music is all about 'The Great Outdoors'.

It opens with the Aotearoa Overture by Douglas Lilburn and I wish I could give you a great recording on you tube to listen to, but sadly I only found two videos of the music, one of them is filmed at Te Papa and has lots of background noise and the other is performed by Westlake College and has good sound but is very poor visually.

Lilburn wrote this in 1939 and it is quite nationalistic. We all get very stirred up when we play this. It means something different to each one of us. For me personally I am transported into the native bush of New Zealand, I hear the birds and see the mountains and the rivers...I love it. I find it very 'hand on the heart' stuff !

We then play Weber's Clarinet Concerto, which should be fun, it has been a while since we had a soloist to perform with us.

Finishing with Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony which is always a favorite and exciting to play, especially during the 'storm'. I think of Beethoven writing this when he was happy and on holiday in the country.

Some great music to mark the beginning of Autumn and the start of Easter.

Phoebe's Quilt

2010-03-15T14:49:00.008+13:00

Zinnias in the garden,

and the Bougainvillea outside the back door are giving me lots of pleasure, with their pink blooms,

and this too has given me much pleasure this week.

While I was waiting for Noa ( thank you all so much for your kind words on her birth ) to arrive in the last few weeks, I needed to be close to the phone and was able to spend quite a few hours in my sewing room.

Phoebe's quilt is finished ( yay ) and I can now think about the design and fabric for Fern's quilt.

Just lately the ideas keep coming (especially in the middle of the night) and I wish I could closet myself away in my sewing room and work, work, work, until I have them all worked out of my system.

Do you ever feel like that ? It can sometimes be overwhelming and also fustrating when I am unable to work on my ideas...they become suspended in my head in limbo, then jump to life in the dead of the night, and I lie awake wondering if I should get up and go to the sewing room and start cutting fabric feverishly.

Invariably I fall asleep again when I try and count all the quilts that have been started and remain in waiting for their turn to be finished.

Sarah, if you are reading this, take heart....I found the blocks for your quilt the other day and have started working on it again.

New Footprints

2010-03-10T10:49:00.007+13:00

She waited until her big sister's birthday,

and made a spectacular entrance,

and we have all fallen at her feet in wonder.

Little Noa, welcome to your very special place in this world. You fill me up to overflowing.

A Zig Zag Blanket

2010-03-02T10:52:00.005+13:00

A week or so ago I had a long car trip....I wrote about it here and in those two days sitting in the car I knitted and knitted and unpicked and unpicked.

All in all a very fustrating time, and the reason for all that angst was the fact that I didn't read the knitting pattern correctly. I thought that it was so very simple and memorised it and then just carried on trying to adapt it myself...thinking there was a mistake in the pattern .

Duh, it was only when a good friend showed me that I had missed a KFB in the sequence of stitches that the penny dropped !

I feel SO stupid !!

Meanwhile I had cast on and knitted a few inches of another zig zig blanket...this one from the ripple stitch book that I have.

and now I am not sure whether to unpick this and cast on for the zig zag blanket or carry on knitting this...... maybe I should do both ?

We are still waiting for the baby to arrive....thank you all so much for your kind comments, it can't be too long now !

Waiting and Watching

2010-02-26T15:10:00.003+13:00

Here is our front paddock having it's last cut of hay this Summer.

This has been my view this week as I sat finishing this blanket on the window seat,

watching the activity going on outside, and waiting

and wondering about the new baby that will very soon be wrapped in this blanket.

This is not the blanket I started in my last post, but rather the one I started thinking about last year. I started crocheting this last Summer, and then put it away when our daughter had a miscarriage.

Now Tamsin is about to give birth any day and the baby blanket has been finished with lots of love hooked into every stitch.

I can hardly wait !!

High Tide

2010-02-22T10:47:00.008+13:00

It was a very high tide on Saturday afternoon and Ian and I thought that my Mum might enjoy a sea view as we pushed her towards the Beach Cafe in her wheelchair.
People were stopping their cars on the side of the road and jumping into the sea practically from the pavement.

They didn't let the chains stop them .....

I took in some beach sculpture...

and the wonderful atmosphere of a late afternoon at the beach,

and wondered what it would be like living here in this retro style home overlooking the sea and sky.

New Growth

2010-02-17T12:08:00.001+13:00

I am thinking about making another baby blanket, maybe a zigzag knitted one, and I am going on a long car trip tomorrow, so it would be the perfect time to start.

I don't like bending down and looking at the knitting on my lap or checking pattern repeats when I am travelling in a car or bus....I sometimes feel sick and then I don't feel like knitting at all !

So today I shall wind these skeins into managable balls and work out how many stitiches I need for a generous sized blanket. I will decide on a very simple pattern.

Then I shall be ready to knit and gaze out the window as we whizz along.

Little Pots of Gold

2010-02-12T20:59:00.005+13:00

As you can see this post is much the same as the last one...sorry about that !

But this is what I have been doing ........

Jam making.

Mixed berry jam, greengage plum jam and apricot jam.

Apricot is Ian's favorite.

I have never made the greengage plum jam before, even though the greengage tree has been in our orchard forever, and I have to say that it is truly scrumptious. Sweet, but tangy.

Tomorrow might be the day for scones and jam, I am thinking...

Tasting and Seeing

2010-02-08T17:43:00.016+13:00

That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.............Emily Dickinson

Sounds of Summer

2010-02-02T14:50:00.012+13:00

In the afternoons lately I have been coming in from working outside in the garden and spending an hour or two quilting this quilt that I first started several years ago. Because this is rather monotonous work I have been entertained by watching past episodes of TV shows on the laptop.

Today, whilst wondering why I could hardly hear the verbal exchanges between Donald Draper and his band of merry mad men, I realised that the cicadas have arrived ...whole colonies in fact.

I have all the windows and doors open because yes, it is a beautiful summer's day here...but hey, I can't be outside all the time can I ?

I think February the 1st must be the official birthday of the cicadas here in the 'Top of the South'.

They have quite an orchestra up there in the gum tree. I would love to know the decible count.

I thought I would show you their hazardous route from under the ground. They crawl from a hole in the ground, climb their way to the nearest tree, shed their crunchy brown skin, and become very noisy green little creatures.

I remember when I was eleven and it was the first day back at school after the holidays, my friends and I would spend the whole lunch hour collecting as many cicada skins as we could find and attaching them to our school uniforms...their little leg skins have tiny barbs that would stick on to the fabric of our uniforms. Those were the days !

Aqua Blue

2010-01-30T15:05:00.009+13:00

It has been very hot this week, perfect golden weather for everyone to enjoy.

I found some time to sit in the shade and finished spinning some merino/silk blend that I had dyed and prepared before Christmas. It is now sitting happily in my Etsy shop, and I can think about what shade I might like to dye next.

But first I promised this little friend of mine a swim in the river.

He has waited so patiently for me and is contemplating having to resort to begging.

I am looking after Olly whilst his family are having a much needed break away. I have tried to make it a permanent arrangement ( he is my son's dog) but he is just loved far too much, and everyone wants him !

But I think he likes it best living here with me :-)

Singing Aloud (Allowed)

2010-01-27T19:00:00.004+13:00

When I am by myself and feeling just a wee bit uptight, and sad, I sing.

My favorite place for singing is when I am driving in the car, the tension starts to disappear and by the end of a few old favorite numbers, I am feeling calm and a tad more cheerful. Try this one( you need to see a few clouds when you're singing this)

then sing along with this, it truly does help, I promise.

This singing business has increased somewhat lately, and I was thinking to myself, as I climbed out of the car to take these pictures

while I was on my way to complete a small job for the day,

that this month of January has for the most part been pretty awful, and I am not just thinking about my own little corner of the world, but thinking globally of all the things that have happened in the last few weeks.

I shall be very pleased to welcome February in, maybe with this one.

Starting anew

2010-01-18T15:09:00.005+13:00

My plans were to finish a few things before I started anything new....

I managed to knit one side of the border on this scrappy handspun blanket, BUT

we have a new grandchild arriving in a few weeks and he or she will need something warm and cosy to snuggle into at night

so I am going to cast on for this dear little sleeping suit tonight. The pattern is in the magazine "Yarn" and is knitted in a possum/merino/silk mix.

I am not going to add on the ears though...they are cute, but I think it will look better without. What do you think?

In a pickle

2010-01-07T09:18:00.005+13:00

I spent the best part of the day yesterday getting all steamed up in the kitchen yet again.....finishing the last of the plums and making more sauce. I managed to find these lovely bottles at Living and Giving, they are the perfect sizes, and I can use them over, and over again.

We had a power cut in the middle of the afternoon, ( just when I wanted to turn the heat up again, and was longing for a cup of tea), but it gave me some respite and a chance to snatch a few rows of knitting.
Talking of which, I finished this shawl the other day.

This was my knitting project for the car, I started it last year when we drove up to the North Island in March.
I found the pattern on Ravelry. It is just a simple increase each end, and in the middle alternate rows, I have used two balls of Noro Sock yarn, alternating them with garter stitch and stocking stitch.

We have lots of family staying with us at the moment and Kristin (our daughter in law) kindly modeled it for me.

We have a wedding to attend on Saturday and then we are heading off to the Sounds for a week with all the grandchildren. It will be a blog free week because we don't have access down there, so this will be the last post until the middle of January.

Thank you all for your comments and friendship and I shall see you again very soon !

Bread and Chutney

2010-01-05T17:04:00.008+13:00

We have had a bumper crop of plums this year and I decided the other day to have a go at making some plum sauce, and chutney.

It turned out quite well, and a new friend that we met on Christmas Day brought with him to our lunch some beautiful bread that he had made himself, and he very kindly gave me the recipe.

I have been making a loaf every day since Boxing Day, it is delicious toasted with freshly made plum sauce or plum chutney, and a spread of blue camembert cheese.

We are having a feast of family get togethers, B.B.Q's and sizzling summer times, and my bread is going down a treat!

Celebrations

2010-01-01T09:16:00.009+13:00

A Very Happy New Year to you all.

My friend Lori has written a list of all the simple, special things she would like in each and every day of this New Year, and you can find it here. Her post says everything I am feeling today. Thank you Lori, for expressing it so beautifully.

Yesterday was a day of celebrations, a birthday for Ian (DH) and the knowledge that he is a year younger than he thought he was ! Yes, he has been telling everyone that he has turned 59, when the reality is that yesterday he turned 58..thanks to our daughter Melissa, who calmly pointed out that we have a more time than we thought before we celebrate the big 60 !

We spent the best part of the day at the beach with our family and went home with sand between our toes, and a little fishy story to recall.

We are not sure what happened to this fish, and why it was found lying on the sand when it should have been swimming around in the shallows.

It was buried carefully and with much ceremony.

The week after Christmas

2009-12-27T17:54:00.013+13:00

The week that I love the most in all the year is the seven days between Christmas and New Year.
Here in New Zealand it is a time for relaxing and having fun in the sun with friends and family.

Actually there wasn't much sun in the afternoon on Boxing Day, but it was lovely for swimming and flying kites.

Although sometimes we are busy making hay, this year it was all finished on Christmas Eve.

Today after a delicious afternoon picking berries, I came home to have a quiet hour before dinner.

I cast on 26 stitches to make a border for a blanket made out of odds and ends .

I will show a proper photo later on when it is all completed.

I have knitted lengths of handspun yarn, lots of handspun scraps from previous projects, a bit like a patchwork quilt, and have knitted them together to make a cosy blanket. Too hot to spend a lot of time on this, but it is OK if I put the blanket on the table and not on my lap.

Productions

2009-12-20T20:45:00.011+13:00

The end of a school year.

Time now for playing on the beach and building sandcastles,

picking plums,

and eating Sarah's delicious pavlova with berries and passionfruit couli. You might want to check out Sarah's new blog. It is called Spoon and Spatula and she has been cooking up a storm since her arrival home a week ago.
It is fantastic having your very own resident chef, believe me...she even cleans up !!

Watching some budding ballerinas have their last lesson for the year,

a proud moment for some doting grandparents.

Not many more sleeps now till Christmas.

I have been enjoying listening to this all day and dancing around the kitchen with my little ballerina

Gold Fortunes

2009-12-16T11:25:00.007+13:00

Gold in the garden today,

and I have found another treasure that has been mislaid for a while. My much loved copy of From Breadballs To Brazil and Beyond by Bonnie Kennedy-Grant

This is a book about Bonnie's art and her craft and a memoir on her fascinating life. It is full of her embroideries, needlework and patchwork, with lots of anecdotes, stories, personal recollections and little lessons on how to create your own personal work.

This is a page on her little bullion flowers. There is much gold to be had amongst the pages of Bonnie's book. I am so glad I found it again.

I then found a little embroidery that I had started a couple of years ago using a scrap of Kaffe Fassett's fabric. I intend to finish this and put it on the wall before the end of the year.

But now for the real thing !

A gold fortune of chocolate, perfect payment for kisses from the grandchilren.

Lavender Blue Dilly Dilly

2009-12-12T11:31:00.007+13:00

I am trying to imitate some of the colours I see in my garden right now with my hand dyeing.

It is always a surprise after spinning the dyed roving to see the finished result, and I am pretty happy with these soft lavender colours. The handspun yarn is 50% merino and 50% silk, 245 yards and is 12 w.p.i...soft, soft,silky soft.

Festive Times

2009-12-11T14:46:00.006+13:00

Sarah (youngest daughter) is home for a few weeks, and today is baking Christmas cookies with Keira (4 yr old granddaughter)

I have made a couple more patchwork blankets/throws for the shop

and this

arrived in my letterbox from Lori Ann.

Lori lives in California and her blog is definitely a beautiful place to visit.

I am the proud recipient of the beautiful book My Nepenthe, a lovely colourful thick book, packed with lots of photos,delicious recipes and stories and anecdotes from Romney Steele, a writer, cook and food stylist and granddaughter of Bill and Lolly Fassett.

I can't wait to try some of these mouth watering recipes....thank you so much Lori, I LOVE it !!!

Open Strings

2009-12-07T09:24:00.006+13:00

Great excitement here on Saturday. I had all six of the grandchildren helping to decorate the Christmas tree, and as they arrived Esmae couldn't wait to show me something special.

Esmae now has a violin and has had a lesson from her Mum (Tamsin)...check out the bowhold !

New heights have been reached today.

and I shall spin and smile to myself, remembering other little fingers mastering those open strings.

Good Times

2009-12-02T13:22:00.008+13:00

Can one's life get any better that a big bowl of deliciously red cherries.......

Oh yes, when this big bag of silky soft fibre arrives in the letterbox.......

But this surpasses all that has come before............

YES...!!!!!!!!!!you are looking at a ticket to see and hear JAMES TAYLOR and CAROLE KING !!!

I can hardly believe it myself. I have been listening to these two fabulous musicians since I was fifteen years old. The very first LP I bought was Carole King's Tapestry and then soon after James Taylor's Mud Slide Slim. I have every song and every CD now, and what's more I know all the words and all the riffs !!!!Their music has documented all the special and important times in my life, and the sad ones too.

Last night they were on being interviewed about their concert here in NZ and I could hardly breathe whilst I was watching...my heart was doing little flip flops all over the place. Goodness knows what I am going to be like on the night I am actually THERE watching them on stage.

It's happening now , while I write about it !!

I think I should go and put some of that squishy squashy merino/silk fibre in the dyepot and see what colours I can come up with today. Phew, and find a fan super quick !

Day Tripper

2009-12-01T21:40:00.004+13:00

I had a wonderful day in Wellington yesterday with my youngest daughter Sarah.

Sarah has just finished her last year of university and is starting work in January, she is coming home at the weekend for a month but then heads back to Wellington to a new life with a career and wages ....very exciting !

Wellington is always buzzing and yesterday was no exception. We didn't mind that it was drizzly with rain, Sarah had wheels and the parking fairy helped us get parks outside all my favorite shops !

One of the highlights of the day was a visit Minerva , the most fabulous textile bookshop in New Zealand. There I found this magazine

Quilts Japan

Lots of inspiration here and it doesn't matter at all that I don't understand Japanese...the diagrams and pictures are great.

We had some delicious food and I met Sarah's friends and new workplace. We spent time at Kirkcaldie and Stains beautiful Christmas display and I bought some Christmas presents for the family.

I flew home laden with bags and a happy heart.

Sunday

2009-11-29T19:39:00.007+13:00

The morning after a concert is always a delight.

I can sleep late and then have a lazy lie in with a cuppa and a good book ( or browsing the blogs, of course ).

This morning I did just that, and then wandered into my workshop and saw my loom and thought...I have time, I could finish that blanket today.

So I did.

I have woven a twill using a blend of possum/merino and alpaca/merino. The little orange stripe that you see is tussah silk.

It is very soft and light and is destined to become a warm cot blanket, I think, or perhaps a lap rug for my Mum when she is out and about in her wheelchair in the winter.

I am thinking I might do a similar one using all the odd balls of handspun that have grown into quite a large stash. I was saving them for knitting projects , but I think another blanket might be a good idea, while I have the loom set up.

Tomorrow I am off to Wellington. I am setting my alarm clock to 5.00am and meeting my daughter in Wellington for breakfast.!

An Italian Symphony

2009-11-25T11:26:00.007+13:00

On Saturday night our orchestra is playing The Italian Symphony by Mendelssohn, and this week my head is full of all things Italian...snippets of Italian conversation , images of Venice, and Florence and Rome, the sound of whispered voices and feet in churches, the church bells in Assisi, my own steps on the stone pathways in Orvieto, and many more.
.

Puccini statue in Lucca

It has been lovely to revisit all these memories again, almost as good as being there.

We are playing some Puccini, Verdi and Donizetti too and there will be a huge amount of energy released in the auditorium that night. It is going to be our last concert for the year and then we have a party and talk about the programme for 2010.

This year has flown so fast and the other day I discovered my amaryllis in the garden about to open up. I can hardly believe it has been a year since I saw her last in all her finery.

To help with the build up of pre-concert energy, I have found spinning to be wonderful. The rhythmic flow of hands and wheel is perfect to free up the mind to listen, and just be.

I dyed some corridale fleece in soft watercolours and then have spun it over the last couple of weeks. It is always a surprise to see the colours that appear after dyeing. This soft mint green and wisteria blue is one of my favorites. I am adding this to my shop this week.

Flower petals

2009-11-24T15:40:00.007+13:00

One of my granddaughters was a little flowergirl at a wedding at the weekend.

Keira had her very own basket of rose petals to throw on the grassy pathway.

but,

these are the flowers I love the most........sweet peas, and they are the first out of my garden this year.

I have them growing beside the beans and the leeks and the reason for that is they don't get overlooked when it comes to having a drink of water.

Time spent

2009-11-19T14:03:00.009+13:00

I have been oh, so busy this last week, running around doing all the usual stuff, grandparenting, washing huge loads of sheets and towels, cleaning house ( we have had several families staying at our holiday home) and it is always a mammoth task to get it ready for the next lot of guests.

However, I was very happy to have a couple of days catching up on the things I love to do the most.
I hand dyed some corriedale fleece, spun and then plied it the navojo way.

I made some small progress on Phoebe's quilt this week and I have made a start on this quilt. Very satisfying !

Some weeding was done amongst the flowers, not very energetically, but there are a few "weed free" gaps now.

I hope you have a great weekend, doing all the things you love the most.