No. 2 is 1

Pattern: Debbie Bliss, Baby Knits Book

Yarn: Manukau yarns - colour unknown.

Time spent clicking: 1 weekend

My second niece Alice is one this week. It was her birthday party yesterday in CHCH - I missed out but sent her down a little vest. I was thinking it's getting too late in the year to be sending knits down but the horrid weather we've been having this weekend means I'm ok! It's my usual vest pattern but this time I actually did the neckband - it's a simple one but sticks out quite a bit so I don't normally do it.

Here are some websites I enjoyed a while back - enough to write a note that I tell you about them: Blue Hour Designs - I love the teardrop and rhombus (?) shaped rings; TTP sent me this one ages ago - can't remember if I've referenced it before - but I love the Too Legit to Knit tshirts!

It's CH bday today - I took him shopping yesterday for a new pair of shoes and jeans. Can I just ask does anyone else find how difficult are blokes at shopping??!! JEEZ CH thought we would only be an hour or two - and he only ever wanted to try on 1 item, if it was the wrong size, it was the wrong garment! And he didn't want to bother the shop assistants? And he didn't want to stop for coffee? I think my of last shopping day with TTP - 2 hours in one changing room alone ... that lad has a long way to go! I'm going to make him a nice choc cake today - and maybe find somewhere for brunch - he might not do shopping well, but he sure does eating my baking brillantly!!

Hope you are finding a good spot to knit today with this windy Sunday!

De-stashing

How many odd balls in the stash can you get through before you are bored of beanies and booties? Answer: lots! I thought it was a good effort - at least 5 balls found life warming little bubba heads. Lucky there were loads of new bubbs born this month (the usual September rush!).

The CHCH EQ made my job extremely busy this week, and probably for weeks to come. It was a huge event and still is, I guess with all the aftershocks. My family are all fine, which is good although I think one dog is missing still. I hope your family and friends in CHCH are well and if not, are finding the strength to keep building back to normality.

carrying on with the green theme ...

Pattern: Tank Top from Debbie Bliss "The Baby Knits Book" & a random hand-written bootie pattern from someone.

Yarn: Patons Bluebell (Navy) & Utiku Perendale 8ply (Avocado)

Needles: 4mm

Time spent clicking sticks: 1 weekend

This was the start of my MASSIVE de-stashing mission (just how many booties and beanies can you knit with a box of odd balls!!??). Left-over Utiku from the cabled jumper, a little tank top was in order for a new second cousin just born. I think the booties are a bit big - but little Keegan will grow into them I'm sure - his mum is a soccer player afterall! It's another old fav this pattern - really easy and fun to mix up. I didn't do the ribbed neck in the pattern as it sticks out a bit and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong for that. A little felt heart sewn on to finish it off and complete the sweetness!

Cables in Avocado

Pattern: Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater by Rebecca Daniels from Knitting Daily's "7 Free Baby Knits"

Yarn: Utiku Perendale 8ply in Avocado (052), 1 x 200gm hank

Needles: 4mm and 3.5mm for edges - this doesn't follow the pattern but the yarn

Time spent clicking sticks: 1 weekend

This is such a cool pattern - I've knitted about 5 of these now I love it so much. I have started adapting the cables (although not on this one) and want to start substituting the cable for another stitch like seed stitch. The cables weren't perfect on this one but a solid blocking helped a lot. It's a little jumper for my an old workmate who has just had her first little boy. She is a bit of a knitter so I really wanted to do something nice that a knitter could appreciate.

Who took the beetroot juice?

I must have been channelling the colour violet thru May-June ... not only did I finish my Patons Shrug in Mist (that's what the last post was and once I can get a photo of it on me, I shall report back as it was a great pattern), but I almost managed to grow this violet coloured thing in the vege garden. I'm sure it was meant to be a broccoli or a cauliflower but the fact that I gave up on my winter garden months ago means I really have no idea. It was planted very close to a patch of beetroot which also failed ... maybe the beetroot failed because the thing sucked up it's violet juice? Whatever it was it went to seed immediately from this size, so I didn't need to try and eat it.

How's your winter vege garden going? I'm already thinking of how I can re-position mine for a bumper summer crop.

YPMURG

yip, I'm grumpy ... had 4 wisdom teeth out a couple of days ago ... have a mouth full of stitches, cheeks like a chipmunk... have never eaten so much jelly and banana smoothies in my life ... all I want is a burger and I'm still a few days away from that...

grumpier still ... while trawling through NZ craft sites I found several peeps selling beanies like mine ... the strawberry design seems popular ... now I don't exactly spend 25 hours a day pushing my beanies to world domination, but I didn't think in a small nation people would be so obvious...

grumpiest ... that I'm back at work and can't spend anymore recovery days in front of the telly knitting!!

Local Goodies

So I don't have any pictures to blog with today, and I like a good picture post - it's probably the No. 1 priority for me following a blog. So I thought I would let you know about a couple of good local blogs I caught up on this morning instead of 'doing' my hair for work.

Spinning a Yarn - Jessicah's spinning is gorgeous. I just checked out her 2 and 4 ply silks and am loving the colours the silk fibre generates. I also like that she's doing home renov - at least someone is out there cos I sure ain't!!

Ruby in the Dust Dolls - Heleen is a fabric person for sure! I love her Dolls but REALLY love the notecards she just released. I like the photos of NZ she adds to the blog too.

A Little Vintage - I met Jennie at Crafternoon Tea this weekend and immediately wanted 10 dolls! I mean check out those berets, the necklaces, the ties! I got one of her zigzag measuring tape purses (show and tell once camera has batteries). She reminded me of how far the craft market scene has grown from when I tried doing markets 4 years ago!

Miss Millie - Millie always seems so busy and has heaps to post about eg. Camp Cupcake. And who wouldn't want a sock monkey!?

Normal Services Resuming

Yes-siree, normal services are resuming. I've been pretty busy with work for the last couple of months but that is now finished and I'm looking forward to getting back to taking pictures, catching up with friends, creating & crafting 'stuff', general pottering around the markets and of course blogging!

I have started catching up with friends and in particular crafting friends - great way to get inspired to create again. Luckily there are plenty of bubbs due in the next six months so knitting little projects in first on the list. I'm spending Sat with Granny G doing another podcast of 'What's in the Tins' - go and have a listen, she interviews some interesting people and occasionally my twangy voice pops up when there is baking to eat! (loving the new site GG :) ).

Also looking forward to attending some crafty groups:

• KR - every 2nd Sunday, Mozaic cafe in New Lynn
• Central SnB - first Tuesday of each month, Brew Bar in the city
• Lucky Penny Craft Club - first Tuesday of each month, Mezze Bar in the city

And going to try and get around a few of the markets in Auckland (jeepers there's so many now):

• Crafternoon Tea
• Devonport Craft Market
• Kraftbomb
• Oratia Farmers Market - my fav local!

Normality also returns as I started looking through the cookbooks again. Last Sat I challenged myself to a dinner for 4 using at least 4 recipes and under budget. I finally got out Julia Childs that TTP gave me at christmas and used 3 of her recipes. Here is the menu - it was great and the guests did their part by bringing 2 bottles of wine under budget!

• PORTAGE PARMENTIER
• CITRON SAUMON FENOULL SALAD
• POULET POELE A L'ESTRAGON & CAROTTES GLACEES
• FROMAGE

I love french menus - they sound so complicated with such long titles! In kiwi though, folks:

• leek and potato soup
• salmon and fennel salad
• roast chicken with tarrogan and glazed carrots
• cheese & port - a fresh brie from Oratia Farmers Market

Righto - I've got carried away with my first post back and really need to hit the north-western motorway for work - have a great day!

no reason for a post, post

I don't have any knitting, crafting news but wanted to share my photo of this bread Jen made for us at our last craft day in Greenhithe. It was the softest white loaf filled with green olives and sundried tomatoes - yummy addition to our crafting that day!!

Donkey progress

Still working on the ole' Donkey .... think I can finally say I'm about halfway now (these photos are a month old). What WIP do you have dragging on, and on?

Out of honey

I've been a bit greedy with my fav local honey - toasting my muesli with it meant I was all out this morning. Had to have apricot jam on my toast. Tough times. Hardship folks I tell you.

I had a good Sat today: even with the beginnings of a cold I got all jobs done quickly, brewed my pot of coffee, lit the fire and sat down for a great afternoon of knitting. I made huge headway with the little shrug WIP - I might post a photo soon as it's really a very pretty little lace pattern. Even though I'm nearly finished the lace section I'm still having to count EVERY ROW, EVERY STITCH. My hat goes off to those who can knit lace without looking and still talking!

A few interesting sites I wandered into recently:

icord lamps - designed by Ilot Ilov and I think just gorgeous as a bedside lamp. MY bedside lamp especially!

trucking knitters - go mate, fab idea for traffic jams. Do you think they would ban that like they did with cellphones??

Smash Mag - I esp love the Plush-a-sketch and felted rainbow acorns

elephantine - lovely jeweller, just want to buy it all!!

are these like the piko piko we can eat in NZ???

local gal on Design Sponge - she has some great fabrics for her baby products

Hope you are getting some knitting in this weekend too!

Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater

A nice start to the month of May - show off a FO - actually I finished this ages ago but never got round to taking pictures.

Pattern: Cabled Raglan Baby Sweater by Rebecca Daniels, found in a Knitting Daily free baby patterns printout.

Yarn: Belex Carding 8 ply felted yarn with a cream flock, purchased a few years ago at Jill's Wool Shop in Wanaka (by the Wanaka Transport and Toy Museum on Hawea Rd).

My first top-down, no seams knit - loved it! It took me a while to understand the top-down thing but like most things it was far less harder than I thought. Only change to the pattern would be using much smaller needles for the neck as it's very loose. I would also put a button hole in as I don't like sewing snaps onto woollens.

I'm quite loving this little knit and feel it was a pretty supreme effort for me - cables, top-down, seamless etc - so I haven't found the right bubba for this yet. There is a new second-cousin due in June, maybe it will go to that bubba. No hurry though, I'm happy to keep admiring it - it gives me courage to keep going with my WIP - a lace shrug!!

Do you have your Cat badge too?

It's so true - I'm becoming known as a Crafting Cat Lady. All my birthday cards this year had cats on them. My car freshener says "Only my cat understands me". I talk to my cat more than CH. My cat will help me decide what's for dinner, what to wear that day, whether it's a nice day outside, whether the silver beet needs weeding or if snails are a pain in the as* .... oh dear ...

Autumn Apples

My current, bestest, best dessert - apple tart on flakey pastry with icecream. I love making these tarts - soooo easy, an apple, a square of pastry, some apricot jam! I doing a Sunday lunch tomorrow as TTP is coming up and we are seeing some friends we met on Barrier at Christmas. I'm thinking a lazy chicken roast with veges (roasted parsnip, carrot and beets??) and then maybe convincing TTP the bake something out of JUUU-Lia Childs cookbook - mmm some little fussy friands with coffee afterwards?? Not sure yet, will see what cooking mood TTP is in when I pick her up at the airport.

Drop Stitch Vest

Pattern: "Accidentally on Purpose" Drop Stitch Vest by Jamie Chupick

Source: Stitch'n'Bitch Nation

Yarn: 3 x Katia Espiga - 50% cotton/50% acrylic - discontinued by the looks of it

Colour: ummm - pink??? - I've lost the yarn labels!

An easy knit - it's really just 2 rectangles in stocking st - and then a "scary as hell" final row where you drop stitches on purpose! I frogged it twice as, true to form, my gauge was out but given I wasn't following the rules of gauge and gauge again until correct, I just started impatiently! Anyway the first time I dropped the final row was at SnB one night. Following the pattern with my tension and different yarn I ended up with a tent much to the entertainment of everyone!

I picked it up on the basis it was any easy knit and could use up some of my stash - and it was good on both counts. It's a little tight fitting and I'm not sure whether to where it casual or if it can be dressed up but I have all of winter to figure it out. I would recommend it as a quick knit BUT definitely check your tension first!

Skirts

Some skirts for my little niece. Not the littlest one, the next one up - Miss 2.25 years. Hope they fit - I measured her 3 months ago now! Well even if they are a bit short - nothing a cool pair of wool tights can't fix. Have to say - woollen tights are cool - stripes, cables, rib - mmm wonder if 33 year olds can wear them. Not with short skirts of course!

Bring on Winter!!

This feels like the last time I actually sat still and could say I was a crafter. It was when WIPs became FOs with good pace and there were stacks of WIPs and fantasy WIPS around the house. These days I seem pretty busy with work, night classes, training and home maintenance to seriously craft.

Before SnB on Tuesday I figured out I only had "Donkey" to take LYS and bought some Patons yarn and a pattern book for a new WIP. And you know what I saw at LYS - loads of young women buying up loads of yarn. All these people were crafting! Of course me taking a fine magenta yarn to a dark pub that evening, with no certainty of correct gauge, meant my dedicated crafting evening did not end up so crafty.

This lack of crafting also became apparent this morning when I spent time with a friend I learnt to sail with several years ago. Last time I saw her was at her wedding. That was over a year ago and now she has a bubba. So as I planned to head up north, for the first time in ages I realised I didn't have any knitted newborn gift for her. It was weird because everyone knows I have this weird0/but cute/sort of bizarre/a bit geeky habit called crafting - many don't understand why I would be interested in it but all appreciate a handmade gift. My friend on the other hand, with new bubba in tow had knitted all these lovely jumpers!

It's not a mojo issue, definitely not a mojo issue, as I keep trawling over my new craft book from TTP, I drooled over some new yarns at LYS, fantasy WIPS keep popping into my mind - it's a time thing.

So as I finished mowing the lawns this evening, picked the kakuia grass from the vege garden, I decided that summer is not my greatest crafting season - sewing at a pinch, cooking yip, but definitely not fibre crafting.

I'm looking forward to winter actually - dark, cold nights to stay home; rainy weekends with no home renov in sight; catch-ups with friends on warm cosy couches. YIP - bring on the crafting winter people!!

Hot Cross Buns

Everyone is showing off their great hot cross buns, (Granny G - look the best). But as I was telling Granny G last night, my hot cross buns didn't quite make it. My friend Mer came over and we made some recipe off the net entitled "best hot cross bun recipe". I think that was the obviously problem - any recipe with that name won't be a star as too much reliance is based on it by amateur cooks like moi!

Ours came out rather - ummm, let me think what's the best word - HARD/ROCKS. Nice spicy rocks with sultanas in them. They are so hard now 3 days later I could use them to hold the weed mat down in the garden! With a load of butter I have still managed to eat a few all weekend!

Hope you found a good recipe?

Tomatoes

It's truly the end of summer when you pull out your last remaining tomato plant. I had an up and down year with the crop - firstly they were late bloomers and then got "bottom-rot"; but in Feb they took off!

My favourite ones were these heirloom saucing toms - yucky and floury fresh but so tasty stewed up. I probably used about 6-7kgs of fruit and have a couple of sauces in the freezer.

The other varieties I tried were Money-maker and Cherry - both provided a small but tasty crop (which is way better than last years big and untasty crop!). I definitely going to plant more heirloom crops next year. But for now all are gone and I've got the spinach, broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts in.