Saturday, July 29, 2006

Spring is in the air...

Ok so today is colder and showery but at least I can bear to sit in my craft studio and type without several jerseys, 2 wheatsacks and or a heater.



Our first daffodil for this year is out and braving the chilly blast from the south. There are heaps of buds so it won't be lonely for long.

I could have gone out today to a spin in but decided my time at home was more valuable to me than going out and spending money on yarn I didn't really need. You see if I went to a spin in there would be traders and traders mean I would have brought something. All the good intentions in the world would not have meant I could resist.

Now I had recently purchased some books if you remember this.. Well having read the book I really wanted to try out the technique so off to get a 120-150cm circular. Yeah right! Not one to be had. Not stocked in NZ , well not in Wellington that I could find. So after having read this.. decided to visit here and ask Wendy for ideas as to where to best obtain the best. I did considering doing this but after using the circulars we made to knit some of the armour for Lord of the Rings wasn't keen. I found the cord we were using "caught" on the varnish on the dowel. It annoyed me and I wasn't keen to repeat the experience. Perhaps unvarnished would be better.

Now thanks to Wendy mentioning my request on her blog and the kind suggestions and offers from knitters world wide I have now got several long circulars in the air as I write. I decided if I was going to do this that I would get [a] needles I know I enjoy knitting with [b] several as I am a lace knitter, or at least have been and want to get back to it and [c] Stick to your knitting had a sale and the prices seemed the best. At least the postage was not as high and I won't have to wait as long. :) [The new knitpicks have a wait on their order, I haven't tried them and they are heavier in weight, well so I believe. I will try them one day but decided I couldn't wait!]

So once again many thanks for all the kind offers and suggestions via comment and email. The world is in indeed a smaller place these days.

I have been slowly plugging away at this and am now nearly finished with the third and final strip. Just the side triangles to be knitted and the tassels to make. I suddenly remembered that our area exhibition is on in September so need to get busy if I am to finish it in time to enter. The theme is spring and looking out the window ... Yeah right!!! Rain and blustery wind again tonight. I will enter this and this again as well. Will put a low price on the cape and hope to sell it as the colours aren't quite me.

I did a little shopping some brown to go with the dress I want to knit to go with this for the fashion parade next year. Still having trouble getting the main colour for it but hope to pick up some that is close enough once I have finished the latest project. I did fall in love with these and may go back for some more. Shades of autumn..Beautiful Italian yarn.



I have been rather frustated in the lack of time to get the hundred and one projects done. Managed to get a little more weaving done as well as hoe the vegie garden during a dry period between showers. Took the kids up to see their great nana and spent an afternoon watching them play with her cat in the court yard garden. Until it climbed up a pergola and had to be "rescued".

It's back to work tomorrow, a funeral to go to and to help DS2 with the junior school production this week. DGD is a "rainbow" dancer and is all fired up for her first stage appearance. Her Mum is going Wednesday and Dad on Thursday so at least both parents get to see her. These split family situations can be a pain especially when you know who is piggy in the middle.

We have new coins being introduced tomorrow and as I am cashier at work among other things not looking forward to the next few days. Had a bit of work to prepare staff for the change and guess we will have a few problems , not all adapt or pick up new things so well. It will be intesting to see how often we balance this week.

Anway I am off to read the new Simply Knitting , my treat for a busy day with kids. Perhaps some more of Wendy's book and some hot milk. Gyming tomorrow.

I will leave you with this sunset from the other day. It might rain and blow but .......!!!!





Knit on >^..^< See you all again soon.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Arrival's

Now call me silly and please excuse the inmature ravings but my parcel from DS1 has arrived! Admitedly can someone please explain how New Zealand became part of Australia!!! Australians please excuse this comment but us Kiwis are rather proud of being independant!

This will explain while having paid an exhorbiant amount for airmail postage it took twice as long to arrive as it should have. [ Really son , I could have waited ... $30US was rather a lot..!!]


[ Reads missent to Sydney....]

Excuse the enthusing but a box full of parcels to unwrap!! I waited until after tea then opened them slowly over the evening. Just to prolong the pleasure. [He had kindly wrapped each item separately.] It gave me such a funny feeling, he had wrapped and touched these...OK I know I am being silly but it has been so long since I have seen and given him a hug.


First up was a grey hoodie with the emblem of his work place. Very useful for walks and gyming.




Next up a couple of friends to keep me company on my knitting light. Again these little guys have jerseys with the emblem on.



Also a lovely table mat, runner. Now the pic doesn't do this justice at all. It is a lovely dusty rose and fawn. It will look great on the lounge coffee table which is very large and a dark wood. It happens to match the new chairs and seatte very well. I will however keep this a while before putting it out as I don't want the kids on it. [ They play down there with the toy box in the corner]






And last but not least three, yes that's right not one but three PC games!! Just my / our sort as well. We have had a lot of pleasure with Age of Empires, Myst etc. It just so happens that I have been a great fan of Agatha Christie for many years, have all the books. So I am really looking forward to playing this one.




As you can see 4 pens as well. Three with tip up moveable figures in and one which will be going straight into my bag to use.

I have missed DS1 so much that to have such a wonderful parcel of things to enjoy and feel close to him is something I just had to share.

But i have also been busy with this... An all day spininng and knitting course with one of out national tutors. We played with spinning mulitcoloured slivers and mixing colour into plying.




We also experimented with patchwork knitting and a sample including a ribbon woven effect. Ok I have to admit that I already knew most of the course content but it was so lovely to sit and spin / knit all day. A rare pleasure. I would so much like to get back into my spinning. It's not like I am short of spinning fibre....!! Hmm better not own up to how many fleeces I have stored away , not to mention slivers. Shhh!! But as usual time is my enemy. Lack of that is. One day... watch this space.

On the knitting front I have got more done than anything else. You can blame the weather here. What else can you do when it is so cold and wet but sit next to the fire and telly and knit.

So I have now finished the second strip to the wrap and have started the third. Pic shows the end of the second being worked.




I have sewn up and ended off all the ends for this. I am now half way around with a knitted on border. Just a plain one 9 sttiches incorporating an knitted I cord edge. This was meant to be a birthday prensent for my Auntie in april but better late than never. i hope to give it to her next time I see her. I also forgot to take a pic of the finished Fetching as I was in such a hurry to send them up to Mum but the came out really well with the little pearls sewn on in the folds of the cables.

Now a pic of the loom and the "inch" which all I have had time to weave as yet. You can see the noverty yarns I am using to make my scarf. It was certainly easy to warp up and the weaving is easy, once I get time that is!





Now some excitement while finally getting to hang some washing out, yeah a fine day. Sun what's that...!!

An Iris and the Camelia is flowering perhaps there is life after winter after all!











Well I am off to bed to read. Kids tomorrow so if it's fine we will be off to the park, feed the ducks etc. My DGS is 5 soon so off to school after the next school holidays. Access visits are changing so every Sunday may be a thing of the past soon. It will seem strange having Sundays to myself again. I supppse I will really miss them... but not at first!!


One bit of good news tho DS2 has been offered a job at the Kindy as teacher aide. He is so wonderful with children and really wants the jobs so this may be a new begining for him as well.

Knit on all , see you soon >^..^<

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Knitting at last..!!

We have just had the most wonderful two days! At last sun and calm. In fact one could be forgiven for thinking that spring may be just around the corner. I sure tho that winter hasn't quite finished with us yet. But hope does spring eternal.

One thing we will have to do come spring is dig under the house. Whenever we get really heavy rain the water seeps through the bank of earth under the house and gathers behind the garage concrete floor. So the only option appears to be to dig a soak pit. There is no where to run a drainage pipe to so we will be "trenching" come spring. Any volunteers to help...!!!??

I have been busy in the garden again, this time planting garlic, shallots and leeks. The garlic was a little late but who in their right mind was going out there is the dark in that storm on the 21st June..!!! This is also a first to plant shallots. I believe they bunch and grow fairly quickly and as we are a fan of onions and make our own pickled ones, note Gillian I am keen to try these. As for the leeks I had hung out to buy a bundle rather than a pot as I wanted large ones and less to plant. But whoever bundled them told a lie when they labeled them as 30 to a bundle..!! There had to be 50 at least! I gave up after doing about 45 or so.

Anyway as promised .... I also went a little for a little stash enhancement, as in fossicking in the specials bin at our nearest yarn store, shop.




Orange, one of my favourite colours as well as two kid mohair balls. They can go with my next purchase , from here more over... Thats right 37 balls of the finest kid mohair for just over a $1 a ball. The seller even threw in some free patterns, This is over 90% kid mohair and should make a beautiful jacket for work.




I also picked up for 50% off three balls of an Italian yarn. It has a lovely glitter eyelash ply. I have used some of this in the past two challenges and it knits up beautifully. Just a row or two here and there goes a long way.



Now what have I being getting up to besides kids, work, garden, moaning about the weather etc etc. Well I was talking to my DM the other day and it seems this very cold weather we have been having has made her thumbs ache quite badly so I remembered these from here. I cast on last night and have finished the first one. I am now nearly 2" done on the second and hope to have them finished and posted to her by Wednesday. I am making a couple of small changes to the pattern. they don't fit as snug as I would like about the knuckles so will decrease across as I cast off and do the picots to draw them in little. Also as it is her thumbs that are aching I have knitted the thumb a little longer as well. They are certainly quick and the cables make for a nice fit. I may even sewing on some small beads in the folds of the cables to dress them up a little. I personally would prefer the green of the original but DM is a "pink" Person.




Next up I have finally warped up the knitters loom and have just to thread the reed and tie off at the front and then I can start weaving. I am starting with a red scarf for me and if this goes well will try some for gifts.


Here are the yarns I am using, a feathers, a ribbon, a eylash and another smaller eyelash as well as the doubleknit I will use to for the weft.


Red is another favourite colour by the way!!

Next up is the challenge #2. It is coming along well and I have 2/3rds finished the second strip. Just one more strip then the side triangles to knit and tassells to stitch and hang.



This is proving interesting to knit but rather boring as well. [ If this makes sense] One of those wish it would hurry up and be finished projects.

Anyway that is it for me tonight, better get off to bed! By the way the weather has been so cold I have been reallt pleased and getting a bit of wear from my festival jacket and some hand knitted knee high socks as well.

Knit on all >^..^<

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

When it is not snowing.................!!!



This pic was taken on Monday the 3rd of the Center of the North Island and now we have ............. flooding!!

It has been raining cats and dogs today.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3722273a10,00.html


Looking forward to spring and some of this... my favourite walking spot!!!




More knitting news soon.

Knit on>^..^<

Monday, July 03, 2006

If you can't beat them.........................

Hi all, thought if you can't beat them join them! In other words the craft cum computer room is so cold these days that posting doesn't hold the same appeal. So here I am in front of the fire with my laptop. And of course who has the best spot , on the sheepskin and twitching no doubt dreaming of catching mice....!! The fire must be getting up heat as she has moved a lttle , she did have her tail right up on the slate health earlier.





Anyway the laptop does have the advantage of being portable but really needs reloading. I had a hacker on it with virus's etc. it is now "cleaned" up but needs reloading to get it running better. Just haven't got around to it. [ read here don't know what I am doing so have put it off! It could end up worse!]

The past week has been a better one and now it is school holidays for 2 weeks which makes life easier. As in the next two days only have to run the kids to one place, day care instead of school, kindy with a real rush after work to get to pick up DGD by 5.55pm. So life is slightly easier. Roll on August when DGS turns 5 and they are both at school. I can't believe he is going to be 5. He was only just one when they first moved in with me. So much water has been under the bridge since!!!

I haven't done alot this past week. Still getting back into routine and resting after the "kiddy challenge"!

I did manage to do some more planting and hoeing in the vegie garden. Planted some more cabbage, cauli, broccoli etc. I have got garlic, shallots and leeks to plant this coming Saturday and except for hoeing can forget it for a while. The winter garden always looks a little tidier as the weeds don't grow so fast.



Here are the broad beans and cabbages from the last planting. See Monkee one of my favourite "paths".








Last Friday night had a night out, first in ages. There is a small hall near here that has been turned into a "lighthouse theatre". These are small cafe, cum movie theatres which only sit from 60 -80 people and have lovely comfy sofa seats. They are also licenced so you can have a glass of wine as well if you like. Anyway this one is new and has a lovely cafe and a view over the inlet and bird reserve. So some of us from work decided to have a "mid-winter" do. We had pizzas and drinks at work before heading out to the theatre for a showing and supper afterwards, Very nice. I would have taken knitting as it would be very easy to knit here as it is so comfy but didn't have anything with me that was easy to do in the dark. Ah well , next time.

It was so good thinking if having our Xmas do here. Have them cater a dinner and hire the whole theatre so we can request a movie. Would be something a little different anyway.

As for knitting slowly working on my next club challenge. I have knitted one strip and am 1/3 through the next, knitting it altogether as I go. The corner joins are a little tricky but it is coming along. Not sure if I like this one yet which probably explains why I don't have a pic to show you yet.

I have got a little side tracked with these.. and this and this and dare I say this as well!! I have also got a little hooked on this.... I didn't realise that you could pick up so much yarn cheap this way. I have just brought 37 balls of 70% mohair for just over a $1 a ball.

Anyway all these books and yarn ...I have so many ideas I want to start but need to finish some WIP. But some how at night it just seems easy to sit and knit what is at hand.

Must be the cold, apparently this winter has been the coldest in 30 years!! I would believe it too.
We have another cold southerly on its way north at the moment so was making the most of the sun today.

Anyway my knee is being "marked" out as a sleeping spot, the fire must be dying out a little! Better go and get supper. I will "tidy" and edit this up with links tomorrow from work so check back!!

Knit on >^..^<