Embroidery

I am not the sort of person that can sit without doing anything; so yesterday afternoon I decided that we needed a quiet afternoon at home after school. I couldn't sew the doll's clothes in front of Cristina and all my other projects at the moment require concentration. So I started to do some simple embroidery using a back stitch. This all started a few months ago when I came across a book called the creative family. The book had lots of ideas most of which we already do at home but she had one that I knew I had to do. The writer is Amanda Soule and she has a lovely website. Here is her link http://soulemama.typepad.com and she also has a new book out soon that I'm looking forward to exploring.
Basically you just trace your children's drawings onto fabric, in my case calico and embroider them. A novel way to keep a picture when you have no more room for paper. So this is what I did with both Sofia's and Cristina's drawing. I only traced a few and left the project sitting there for a quiet moment. Well, I started and Sofia became so excited that she took one of her pictures away and we sat there on the couches listening to a lovely audio edition of Hans Christian Andersen stories read by Judy Dench. Bliss. Sofia's is the multi-coloured one. Mine is plain blue.
The calico I picked up from our local transfer station for only 50 cents. I will use the finished embroideries for a few pictures for my girls rooms and some cushions for the sitting room.
Here is the link if you are interested.

Dolls clothes

I am so happy making the doll's clothes for my daughter's birthday. So far I have completed a blanket shift dress that you can see. I try to make things with fabric that I have used for them before. Ans as last year I made them a blanket dress each, I decided this would be perfect.

The first photo with the pink background is my daughter Cristina's dress and the other two photo are for her dolly, also called Cristina.

You used to be able to pick up lots of blankets in the op shops here (charity shops) but they are now rarer and more expensive. if that means that people are valuing these things more and they are not getting disposed of that great but unfortunately I'm on a budget.

The knitted hat still needs a pom pom and the cardigan needs the steek to be finished. I thought it was a good opportunity to try my hand at steeking. It seems to be going ok. I'll post photos as I finish them.

More minessota mittens

I have finished Cristina's mittens. My daughter is thrilled with them. I am pleased that they only took me a week, yay. I will do the next pair on 3-4 plky as I think it will be better and I might try thrumbing. I didn't know what this was until a couple of weeks ago. Thanks Lorna for the suggestion. Basically it's adding wool sliver every few stiches so that it is lined in sliver and very warm an insulating. there is a pattern for thrumbed mittens in Knitting new mittens and gloves bny Robin Melanson.

I can feel a real accessories phase coming on.

Reading Mason Dixon's latest book I realized that actually I don't have many handknits that are actually mine. I will have to sort this out soon. Are you in the same position. Do you find that you make a lot for other but forget a little about yoursel?

Another thing to be grateful for

Dunedin has the most wonderful public libraries. When we lived in the UK, I just didn't find the libraries there that inspirational. Perhaps it's because of where we lived or because I could afford to buy books! In any case I think that we are extremely lucky in Dunedin to be able to access such a vast amount of books in such lovely settings. We use the libraries a lot as a family. Also after a couple of attempts I managed to get a job there. I love it! I'm only working 3.5 hours a week but I feel very lucky.
Working there has pushed me into borrowing more books to read. This is because as I scan the books people bring in I have come across more authors etc. This has been further complicated by the fact that I have never borrowed fiction. Only non fiction. Am I alone? All my friends think that I'm weird. Anyway I'm trying to get over it mostly because of the high cost of books in NZ and because if there is any money around I would rather spend it on books in Spanish for my kids.
So (sorry, I know I'm rambling) I borrowed Burning bright by Tracy chevalier. I loved it. I will have to buy it because I have all her other books and she's amazing!. I also read the sea house by Esther Freud which was interesting.
So if you live in Dunedin visit one of your local libraries if not go to your local library. I'm sure it has something good to offer. And take the kids.

My daughter got married

For those of you who don't know me; I have two older children, Emily and David. Technically they are my husband's children from his first marriage but I brought them up from the age of 9 and 6. I love them dearly and to me they are my children. So Emily got married to Tim in March. As I wasn't blogging then I thought I should post a picture or two. It was lovely that a lot of family managed to come, mostly from the UK, but also my sister from Switzerland. The wedding was everything Emily had wanted and they both looked very happy on the day. Emily was super lovely to me allowing me to choose my own outfit without restrictions. Needles to say I went in my own version of Frida Kahlo. I looked great!

So that's all of us, David next to me and Emily next to Martin, Sofia and Cristina beneath Martin and I; Tim ( the bridegroom next to Em with his parents, sister and his daughter Lily).

Been away

I would love to tell that I was away on holiday but unfortunately I can't the whole family was ill all of last week. Thankfully I didn't get it (it wasn't pleasant) but I was looking after everyone, that is Martin, Sofia and Cristina. I did feel sorry for them. This was the most ill the kids have been. Eventually I did feel sorry for me. I was shattered. I need my sleep so waking up several times a night left me exhausted. But they are all well again. So here I am back and I will try to post every weekday from now on.

Blue house yarns

I've been allowed to put a display of our products at the local library. I think it's turned out nice, don't you think? You can view our complete range at http://www.bluehouseyarns.co.nz/. Hope you like it.

The idea was also to display lots of knitting books. I took the opportunity to display not just the modern American books but also a couple of good Margaret Stove books and also some on traditional Scandinavian, fair isle and Aran knitting. I hope it generates a bit of interest in the business but also that it inspires people to knit something for the winter. It would be great to see more people - adults and children - knitting at the library, the bus stop, the school gate.

We're saving for a caravan

This is what my daughter Sofia and her friend Ola told me a little while back. Fast forward a few months and yesterday we went to Seacliff to their monthly market so that they could sell all the biscuits and fudge that they had baked the day before. Sofia's dad martin helped her and Ola's dad Jason helped her. They both had a great time and us adults had fun visiting all the other stalls. If you live in the Dunedin area try to go sometime. It's really lovely and there is a real mix of stuff. I bought a lovely tiny handmade dolly and a broderie anglaise cushion which I will use for dolls clothes. The market is on the coast road in Seacliff, on the first Sunday of every month from 11-2.

Harvest

I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself to work on the veggie plot. I spent 2 hours there yesterday after a long time away. I did well. However there is so much tidying up to do!. I hope to plant some more leeks and kale for winter and maybe some cauliflowers as a treat. To reward myself for my efforts I cut some beautiful sunflowers and violas. I am so pleased with how they look. I have to make sure I always reward myself with something. I also harvested some globe artichokes for my friend Carola as I know she loves them.

Blue house yarns

Well today I spent most of the morning re-skeining the 8 ply indigo dyed wool. It was very repetitive but for once it was fine. I just love the effect that natural dyes have on wool. how the colour is not flat but the eye travels trying to follow the various hues that are together forming the blue. Anyway I could go on for hours. I told them at the knitting group last night that I thought that everyone should have an indigo vat at home.
So if you are interested in indigo but nervous drop me a line.
Our first advert appeared in the Creative fibre magazine. I am really pleased with it. We'll see what happens. It seems to me that it's more the ocassional knitter that is concerned for the environment that is into our product rather than the obsessive knitter. I could yet be proved wrong.
I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I'm too tired today.