Where Did That 3 Weeks Go?

Wow! Its been 3 weeks since my last crafty update.  Whoops! My bad.

Its been a little hectic here, but then when isn’t it.  All we seem to do is dash about getting older, and boy do I feel old lately.  My legs been taped up for the past 5 weeks.  I’m still not allowed to run and I have now been banned from climbing that big hill in my back yard.  There has been minimal improvement lately so if none has occurred over the next week my physio is bringing out the big guns and getting his boss to have a look.  He’s getting concerned that there might be something major going on that he’s missed seeing acupuncture, massage and rest have had no effect.  Here’s the thing, I’m not a sook and I push through pain so we really are starting to wonder what the heck I’ve done to myself.  Oh well.  At least its winter so I’m not missing out on the fun summer stuff 😀 Always a bright side right 😀

Crafty wise I have been right into my knitting.  Last night was the first night in a week that I haven’t knitted.  I’ve managed a few squared for the Patchwork blanket 🙂

Garter Stitch Square

Moss Zigzag Square

That one has a minor hiccup where I apparently zagged when I should have zigged but I didn’t notice till I had cast off.  On to the ‘re-do’ pile it will go 🙂

Moss Stitch Square

I then put the needles down for a few days and did a little cross stitching on Warm My Heart.

Only 1,500 stitches achieved over the past 3 weeks thanks to knitting bug.

So then I went back to knitting and made myself a wee hat 🙂 Now, bear in mind that I have only achieved one completed knitting project so far which is my bunny from a few weeks ago.  I am super chuffed with this even though it’s probably more kid sized and I don’t suit hats.  Going to have another go in a few weeks and make one a smidge bigger so I can get my ponytail in it 😀

Then this past weekend I suddenly realised that I had yet to complete this months craft for next Saturday.  As it was too late to start something new I dug out an old mosaic kit that I started around 4 years ago and had a play with it.  Wouldn’t you know it, kit didn’t come with enough bits! So I go creative and stole some from Natalies that I bought at the same time.  As that was 4 years ago I doubt she will miss them 😀

I kinda like this and now have a wee idea that I might like to make hearts for above all the doorways in the house as I have a wooden one that is already insitue that my cousin made 🙂 Might just add a little quirk to my world 😉

Then I went back to knitting and started on my first ever jersey. After a week I have nearly finished the back and I am rather proud of myself 🙂 I had to un-stitch a couple of times because of errors but it has been rather easy.  Mind your it’s just a stocking stitch so not super complicated but I am about halfway up the Raglan sleeve hole bits which has been a bit of a learn.

Its a yoga jersey and will have a hood for which the instructions kind of scare me but I am determined lol 🙂

The wool is a joy to work with.  A Cashmere and Marino blend and the colour is a sort of dusty sea-foam.  I can’t wait to wear this but I am picking it will not be finished till next winter.  I am going to finish the back this week and them go on to my stripey blanket which is yodeling from the basket at me and has been neglected for too long.  I also need to get my second bunny both started and finished.  Anyone know where I could find an extra 4 – 5 hours each day hahaha 😉

Ka Kete Ano xx

 

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A Week Off And Some Sleep In’s

It’s currently the school holidays here and the arrival of my (step)daughters from Stratford.

As Stratford is 4.5 hours from between our homes, and the girls are 16 & 18 now, we don’t get to see them all that often.  Due to work commitments and other work related events, I have not managed to take time off when the girls are up in at least 5, probably longer, years.  Natalie likes to get home every holiday but Veronica usually only comes up once or twice if we are lucky each year.  This year I managed a whole 4 days with them, in a row even 😀 I had to work the Monday but I got the rest of the week off.

Tuesday was a crappy ‘catch up on the weekday stuff’ day and along with my darling husband we caught up on all the things that you can’t do on a weekend.  The door guy came round and measured for our new door.  Excessively way happier than we should be about this.  Because we live so near the beach in a coastal town our wooden front door has gradually died over the past few years.  All the wood that takes the brunt of the coastal blows has warped, bowed and dropped and now it groans like an 80-year-old getting up off the floor when you open it (no sneaking into our house at night) and you can see daylight through the panels from the hallway.  Obviously this is not an easy fix as we have a unusally sized door and it needs to be specially made.  Door guy came round for the measure and quote so hopefully we will have a lovely powder-coated white aluminium front door with no groans nor daylight very soon.

Also got the cat to the vets for WOF and had internet guy around to fix the mess that was our non-wifi ultra-fibre wi-fi that spent more time not working than it ever did working. This last bit resulted in 3 very happy girls who can now Runescape, YouTube and stream Anime in the sanctity of their bedrooms whenever they want without swearing and getting their grumpies on.

Darling husband was back at work on Weds so it was me and the girls.  The weather was utter shite as it often is at this time of year so we ran around the back of Papamoa until we finally found the worlds best, at least as far as the bay is concerned, Second-hand bookshop.  I lost the girls in there in the first 10 minutes.  We were there at least an hour.

There are books everywhere in here! You literally have to turn sideways to get down some parts of the aisle and I love the place! Nat and I are seriously going back again next time and pretty much every time after that 😀

After that we hit the supermarket and by then it was lunchtime so we headed home for pizza, movies and the fire for the afternoon. It was too miserable out to be of much fun and we all had new books 😀

The weather cleared a bit in the arvo so we went to the beach, me with my book 😉

Thursday saw darling husband again with the day off so we headed over to Rotorua for what was an even more horrible weather day than the previous one.  Plan A was dashed with the powers that be shutting the Zorb range so the girls couldn’t roll around in giant inflated clear plastic balls like people shaped hamsters.  That will have to become next times event.  We then came up with plan B and went in search of other touristy events to partake in.  We found ourselves at the Paradise Valley Zoo where the animals were also displeased about the weather.  It rained the whole time and was rather chilly but we had fun playing with the critters 🙂

From there we got caught in sudden snow and high tailed it too Carl’s Jr for lunch and coffee where I Facebooked them to turn the heating on because we were sitting in the restaurant blowing ‘smoke’ rings at each other and I couldn’t feel my feet Sooooooooooo coooooooooold.  The maze we then attempted to go to was also shut due to weather so we gave up and went home hahaha 🙂 The fire was lovely and we had hot veggie soup for dinner so all was well with the world.

Friday saw dearest husband back at work and me dashing the kids down to the bus at 7am for their journey home.  Bus was about 10 minutes late but we weren’t worried even though it was as cold as a polar bears proverbial.  That was, we weren’t worried until the bus driver pulled up and hopped out asking ‘Do you want the bad news first or the bad news first?’ and promptly informed us that weather had caused major road closures and unless we only wanted to go to Taupo we weren’t going anywhere.  So we piled back in the car and headed back to the warm. Mental note: next time check internet before rushing out the house dressed as Nanok of the North.

At this point we came to the rather slow realisation that the girls had come up during the worst winter storm in 16 years so we laughed (at least me and Nat did, Ron was in a sulk because she wanted to see her boyfriend) and drank coffee.

As Ron was now channelling her inner feral mongoose and about as much fun as a soggy toast Nat and I decided to head for the hills, literally, and went for a hike up the Mount.  Nat had never actually been up it and although it was cold and threatening rain we decided to seize the fear and do it anyway 🙂

You can’t tell by the photo but it was getting a bit spitty. 15 minutes later we were at the bottom and soaking wet so we made a pit stop into a cafe for hot chocolate and chai latte’s and very sympathetic coffee makers 🙂 We were not the first, nor the last, of the soggy mountain climbers for the day.

Arrival back at home for hot showers found our feral mongoose not terribly improved in temperament so once we were warm and dry we headed back out again and off to the local art gallery.  Nat loved the carvings and enjoyed herself 🙂 I love art so was in my element.

We then stopped at a cafe for lunch before heading home and chilling for the remainder of the day 🙂

That day is truly going to be one of my favourite memories.  Nat and I had a fantastic day hanging out and laughing and just enjoying.  We talked about assort’s and I have to say that our baby, our 16-year-old youngest, has grown to be a delightful young lady and an absolute joy to be with.

Roads opened and the heavens sung and they managed to get home Saturday morning 🙂

It was still bloody cold though

Ka Kete Ano xx

 

 

Cast On, Bind Off

After all the frantic stitching to finish Tash & Kids I have neglected my knitting projects and have been feeling guilty for it.  How to counteract that? Getting knitting of course 😀

Now bear in mind that I am teaching myself to knit and as I really need to concentrate on anything that is more than a standard knit a line or purl a line, it’s rather slow going with frequent unravellings so my output is somewhat minimal compared to those who actually know what they are doing. This means that my output is not what others would achieve but I am ecstatic because its huge for me 😀 AND this was only a weekends work.

First up we have a Reverse Stocking Stitch Stripe Square. A nice, easy little stitch that cost me no frustration or rude words although if you look closely you can see that I have accidentally added an extra line into a couple of rows.  I didn’t notice until well above them so at this stage they can stay there.  I may add it to the pile of re-do’s that I am accumulating for after I have stitched them all, but it’s not hugely noticeable so I may just call it ‘artistic license’ and leave it at that.

Next we have Step Stitch Square which totally freaked me out and near caused me to wet myself when I saw the pattern but surprisingly I found it a doddle and really enjoyed the process 🙂

Third up was the Stocking Stitch with Garter Stitch Stripe Square which I have to say is one of the ugliest things I have made for a while

And last, but not least, we have a Basketweave Square which I am relieved to say, is not as ugly as the one above it.

All the knitting for the weekend went great with only a few minor hiccups so I am stocked to have made that much progress.  I do have to admit that it is mostly due to Dry July. Because I can’t have a wine I’m knitting lol

So that’s this weeks miniscule round-up.

Ka Kete Ano xx

 

Crafty Bitches June 2017

Well that month rolled round fast.  I was caught on the hop and made my craft at lunchtime that day. The good news is that at least I prepared for the dinner 😉

Ana wins crafter of the month with this spectacular autumnal bowl

This bowl was freakin AMAZING and she is going to store it carefully for the her Canadian Thanksgiving that we are all attending in October 🙂

The Mama (after 6 months I still can’t remember her name #mybad) sent along her latest creation of a crochet pincushion.

My mama Mel made a fabulous shower poof.  She then promptly left it behind so it now has pride of place hanging off the back of a dinning room chair.  Truth be told, its more to save it from the fat furry bastards that live with us or it would become their latest cat toy.

Amy made it this month so she bought her WIP along too so that we could see it in person.  Because she knows she’s having a boy she has changed some of the colours to be more ‘male’ friendly.  She’s done a bloody good job of that also as you can’t tell that they aren’t original.

Ricki has been awaiting very patiently for the arrival of her next project which finally arrived that day.  She bought it along so we could ooooooo and ahhhhhhhh with her when she opened it 🙂 Now this is going to take a few days to do 😀 :O

Then there was little ole me and my last-minute ‘craft’ and I do use that term loosely.  It is not my finest work and a ‘friend’ recently thought it was a monkey with his penis out at first glance so I don’t think this was a win.

Mel kept us updated with her progress on all her stitches throughout the month.

The country for the food was Egypt this month and I forgot to get all photo’s except the one I did well prior for the brining of my chicken.  It was all really good though and we are looking to next month when the country is Syria thanks to my darling brother who complained the whole night that I had selected a hard one and then promptly one upped me.  Who says sibling rivalry ends when you becomes adults hahaha.

Jamie and Ricki bought yum Koftas with a Tzatziki sauce.  Ana & Craig bought a fabulous Coscos side dish that Kayla promptly scoffed the leftovers off the next day while massively hung over (she has asked if you could make it for her again Ana).  Amy & Brett bought a stellar Moroccan Chicken dish.  I couldn’t make my mind up about what to make so I made 2 different types of chicken, Chicken Shawarma and Sumac Roast Chicken with Lemon & Garlic. Mel made a spectacular Baklava 😀

All up, everything was delicious!!

Ka Kete Ano xx