A few days away ...

We went away to the beach for a couple of nights last week.  I don't have many photos because the battery on my camera ran out but I do have lovely memories!

We had tea out the first night there which is a rare occurrence and so was wonderful!

Candle lit concerts by the children by the fireside

A walk along the beach into the southerly which could almost hold me up

No TV, no mobile and no computer

Op shopping in old and new stores and finding an absolute treasure - more on that later

A husband who did all the dishes

Being read to in the evening whilst crocheting - something I would truly recommend!

I didn't really want to come home which is quite good really because we're going back again tomorrow!!  Why did we come home?  Because I had some work to do.  Work.  Proper work.  Consisting of sewing.  For someone.  All very exciting and I'll let you know soon.

Hope you all had a great weekend. x

The last couple of days .....

have produced a lot of highs and a few lows!

On Thursday morning Cassia woke me up with this beautiful picture:

"Mummy, it's you and friends when you went to Fairyland when you were younger.  You went over the rainbow.  That's a cricket ant on the rainbow.  He just slides around."  HIGH.

Spending Thursday morning on my own with Maia - going into the city, to the library and out to lunch.  HIGH.

I decided to bake and thought I could improve the standard ANZAC biscuit by adding sultanas and chocolate chips.  You would have thought it would work right?

It didn't!  But that could also be due to the fact that butter goes from "melt slowly" to "boil vigourously" very quickly - whoops!  Oh and did I mention they burnt a little in the oven too?!  LOW!

Being invited out by some girls and sharing a bottle of wine with them.  Feeling like I'm part of the real world again - definitely a HIGH.

Cassia wanting to sleep with me on Thursday night.  It could have been a HIGH but it definitely turned into a LOW when she was unsettled all night and I hardly got any sleep.

Feeling so tired on Friday was a LOW but sitting on the sofa with the girls and doing some crochet was a HIGH.

Receiving this delightful pincushion from Nova HIGH, HIGH, HIGH!

Figuring out an easy crochet flower pattern and being able to turn one:

into a bouquet even in a sleep induced stupor.  HIGH

Husband deciding to do some jobs that needed doing around the house.  HIGH.

Husband causing a huge water leak and not knowing where the stopcock was - so, so LOW!

Getting a knock on the door at 5.30pm and being invited to play hooky with two girlfriends by going for a coffee.  A much needed HIGH. xx

My creative space ....

Having seen some of the crochet loveliness that has been around the creative spaces the last couple of weeks (to see more this week head on over to Kirsty's, our lovely host) I was very tempted to get hooking again.  So last Thursday evening I  dusted off my hooks, found some yarn and made these:

Unfortunately in my haste and with both girls tucked up in bed I winged it on the size.  The result?  Too big for Cassia and too small for Maia.  Very quick and easy to do so will make them both some more this coming week once I have finished what has really been taking up my week!

My creative space this week is all about hearts.  I joined the ANZAC Bee earlier this year and for my month I asked for hearts, hearts and more hearts.  This is what I received:

1. ANZAC Bee March block 2, 2. ANZAC Bee March block 1, 3. hearts for Abi, 4. heart block, 5. Abigail's blox 001, 6. Abigail's blox 002, 7. Abigails heart block, 8. Abigails heart block, 9. Abigails heart block, 10. IMG_3382, 11. Abi's block, 12. Hearts 006, 13. Hearts 003, 14. Hearts 005, 15. Hearts 002, 16. Hearts for Abi <3, 17. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Blue Heart, 18. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Brown Heart, 19. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - stripy detail, 20. ANZAC Bee - March Blocks - Stripy Heart

Aren't they all just gorgeous?!!!  (And thanks to Nova for telling me how to do a mosaic - I think they could become quite addictive!).

They were all returned to me by April and have been languishing on the shelf.  So this week has been all about making the most of the blocks.

This is where I'm at as of today:

Phew!!!  What a job it has been but one that I'm really enjoying.  I've still a few blocks to make and then I need to join the rows and then I need to .........  OK so you won't see it finished in this space next week but it shouldn't be toooo far away!

Hope you've all had a great week creating. x

Keeping necks and pencils (!!) warm ...

I've wanted to make some neck warmers for a while now and used the market as the reason!  The prototype was made for Maia and she loves it so I thought I would make some more to sell.  The outside patchwork is from cotton from thrifted or offcut material and it is lined with flannette cotton, again thrifted.  They are finished with a vintage button from my stash!

Thumbs up from Maia and I love them for the reason that they keep little necks warm with no worries about long scarf ends flying around and getting trapped ....  In fact I think I'll make one up in adult size for me next week!

Some patchwork pencil cases made up from vintage sheets and pillowcases.  Again I made some for the girls a couple of months ago and they have had great reviews, from the girls and their friends - so here's hoping!

And now for a photo that makes me very happy.  After bemoaning to and commiserating with fellow bloggers over the phenomenon that is detailed below I was very happy to get this snap.

The phenomenon as experienced by this crafty mama, although I think you will all have a variety on the theme!

• Mum decides to make something for child

• Child likes the idea of having something made just for them

• Mum feels good that she is making something for them

• Mum finishes the something

• Child looks at the something as if it is a monster/disgusting/cat poo (delete as appropriate)

• Child will not try the something on

• Mum bribes child to try the something on so they can get a photo

• Either bribery fails and the photo is taken sans child or bribery works but the photo is ruined by child's face

So for the detail:

Maia, on the left, is wearing a hat I crocheted for her over 2 years ago.  In fact this item is an exception to the phenomenon mentioned above, she has always loved it.  She's also wearing the new patchwork neck warmer made last week.

Cassia, on the right, is wearing a neck warmer I crocheted her last year (the matching beanie is still in the wardrobe but with the temps right down low now I better get it out!).

The other reason I love this photo - my two girls are together - usually when the camera comes out they run as far from each other as possible! x

PS Don't forget the giveaway I'm running to celebrate my first ever market!

I'm a very lucky lady ...

I've been very lucky recently so thought I would share with you.

Last week I was lucky enough to win this giveaway on Craftykin - my first ever blog giveaway so I was very excited to hear the news and can't wait to receive the brooch!

Then I found a surprise package in the post box:



A box of crochet patterns and wonderful written letter from the lovely Julie over at Dreaming of Daisies. Not expected, total surprise and I absolutely love it! Many, many thanks. x

The garage sales have not been very forthcoming recently, in fact there haven't actually been many in our little town. So on Saturday when I saw 5 advertised I was quite excited. I trawled around 4 in the cold, early morning and wondered what on earth I was doing - should I go to the last or not? Of course I should and thank goodness. I got a wooden blackboard/whiteboard easel which I am going to repaint and give to Maia for her birthday (hence no pics!) and some lovely linen.


Two aprons - the one on the left is actually quite marked on the white fabric but I will re-use the the floral applique and ties on another one.

And if you saw this post you'll know I've taken rather a liking to linen teatowels so was very pleased to find this little lot!


The one with 1967 was in brand new condition, you can just imagine someone being given it for Christmas and then not wanting to use it, to keep it for best! So in 2009 it is finally going to be used for its intended purpose.

A very cheesy colourful one. "It starts when you sink in his arms and ends with your arms in the sink"! And my favourite:

"Oxford Street Illuminations" - when we were younger my Mum and Dad used to take us down to London before Christmast and I used to think the lights were amazing so I just love, love, love this one! x

Crocheted winter warmers

Obviously Cassia wasn't really in the mood to model - you're supposed to be looking at her feet not her bum!



Here's a slightly better shot:


Though why I made them in grey and blue - I don't know! Maia then wanted a pair so I made some in much more respectable girly colours of purple and pink, and she was a much more willing model!




I guess this is why I will always favour crochet over knitting - because I know what I'm doing! I can alter patterns, I can size patterns up and down, I can even make up my own patterns and when something goes wrong I know how to put it right. I know I could learn to do all this with knitting but right now it seems a step too far.

And finally, some winter warmers for Cassia.

We have one child scarf in the house and it gets argued over almost daily so I thought it was high time to make Cassia her own. However Cassia has (how shall I put it nicely?) a bloody clumsy streak so I thought a neck warmer as opposed to a full length scarf would suit her better. A quick and easy double crochet neck warmer with a button hole and wooden button from my stash. But it was just calling out for a companion so a matching hat was called for!

And just so that you can see the set properly:

Hope you are all having a great weekend. x

My creative space ...

Having seen a few of these over the last couple of weeks I thought I would play along too.



It's all crochet at the moment. It's just too cold to leave the room which has the fire in and I don't really want to bring the sewing machine, and all the associated paraphanelia, into the lounge!

Brown and pistachio Mary Jane slippers from here - I've reworked one and I'm happy with it just have to finish the second one

Bag of odds and ends that were used for making this blanket

Bag of purple and pink yarn originally used to make a blanket for Cassia and I've a few ideas for the leftovers

Green hexagons - I started this in the UK and love it but I bought new yarn, albeit on special for 100% merino, for it and when I worked out what it would cost to make a cot size blanket, let alone a single size like I originally intended, I decided to make it into a bag - obviously this happend yet but the thrifted handles might be called into action soon

Some new heart patterns I've been playing with and a shockingly bright yellow doily! Please excuse the colour it was the thinnest cotton I had, from a bag of thrifted cottons, and having never made a doily before I thought I would try with this first

The grey and blue yarn is making some crochet slippers for Cassia

A stripy neck warmer for Cassia

and finally, and probably most importantly a book and a pen - I always think I'll remember what I've done but of course I don't so I'm going to try to write things down so that I don't have to re-work it all out when I crochet the second or subsequent items!

And, surprisingly, all this fits into this bag (a recent and very wonderful thrift find):

which is pretty lucky because we're heading to the beach today for a couple of days so it's all ready to go!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. x

To see other creative spaces click here.

June is for finishing - crochet blanket

At the beginning of the year I read on someone's blog (sorry for no mention here but I can't remember whose!) that they were going to use up everything they already had before buying anymore (they were talking about wool I think but it really could apply to anything!). I thought this was a great idea and decided to use up all my wool bits to make a blanket.

Little did I know how much wool a single sized crochet blanket was going to take! Not only did I use up all of my bits and pieces I had to go and buy other people's odds and ends too! So it's finally finished:


To begin with I didn't know if I was going to like it. I'm not very good at doing random and this certainly was!



It was literally use up one bit and start with another. Sometimes I did finish on the end of the row but there are colour changes midway through rows too. When I ran out of yarn I kept thinking "Oh well that's big enough" but Maia had already taken a liking to it and had asked for it for her bed so I kept hunting for the yarn and crochetting on!


What a good use of odds and ends and practical too. Hopefully it'll be keeping us warm for many years to come. Do I like it now? I certainly do.


OK so I said it was finished but there are some ends that still need to be darned in but in my mind it's finished for now - it's on the bed, it'll keep us warm and that's all that matters for now.

This was a really easy thing to have on the go - you could just pick it up and do a few rows here and there, it came away with us a couple of times and it was something that you didn't have to think about - you knew what you were doing and there was no pattern - great for those evenings when you're brain dead after a full-on day with the children!

Now I just have to tackle all my other WIPs! x

I did it!

I got the Mary Jane slippers finished last night. Hurray - a project started and finished in one day! Although as you can see they're not quite symmetrical!




The pattern didn't say how much yarn to use so I thought that one ball of each would be plenty (in fact I was already planning what I was going to make with what was left!) - obviously it wasn't! However, they are finished and kept my feet lovely and warm last night. I actually changed the finishing and closure on the second so I guess at some stage I'll undo them and get two slippers the same. However, last night I really wanted to prove to myself that I could do a project in a day because I have way too many unfinished things laying around. In fact tomorrow I'm going to join Gabes from sweetp knits in her June is for finishing and sort out all my WIP and try to work through those before starting anything else! x

Welcome winter!

Today heralds the official start of winter, and with the snow coming down on the mountains all around us it certainly felt like it yesterday. Some things that we're going to count on this winter. First and foremost is this:



Generally New Zealand houses don't have central heating so you rely on the woodburner a lot. This is the first house where we've lived in in NZ that has such a great fire - and we've a woodshed full of dry, seasoned wood to boot! However, the fire is only in the living area so for the bedrooms you need these:


flannelette sheets! I tried my best to find some second hand but the local op shops were not forthcoming, and when it gets so cold at night you can't really wait for them to turn up. So these are new but so worth every cent when you get into them at night! However, I was more imaginative when it came to Maia's bed:



When Maia was born we had brushed cotton wraps which we used for wrapping her. They were then used for Cassia and have now been re-invented into a patchwork top sheet for her bed and a pillowcase. I was pretty pleased with this little conversion - it cost me nothing and it took about 10 minutes! Even with flannelette sheets you still need lots of these:



the left one has such beautiful colours that I would really like to turn it into something but it has only been loaned to us so it just looks pretty on the bed! The right one was an op shop find and has been cut up into a single blanket and the other half will be used for something, eventually!



The pink blanket is one I made for Maia when she was born - it took me months - what was I doing? The bottom one was one my mum nade to use up her scraps and which Maia took possession of when we were home recently!



This is still a work in progress but may be called into action if it get too much colder!




And this is one I relieved my mum off when we were back - daughters are good like that I find! It was crocheted by my Nan and I hadn't seen it before. It's lovely to have something made by my Nan in my house. In fact there's three generations of crochetetd blankets in my house - pretty cool eh? So for outside of the house we'll need these:

these (with not a handmade one in sight unfortunately!):

these:

and these:

And finally if all else fails this little lot can help boost you up!