Mmmmmm I LOVE Fridays

I really spend Mon-Thurs just waiting for them.  A day to myself, mostly, with a chance to catch-up with friends and fellow crafters, go the gym without rushing through a work-out and craft all I want.

Tomorrow is no exception really, apart from the fact that my DH has decided to have the day off as well.  I had grand plans and so did he.  Mine involved, gym in morning, going out for lunch to Petone and hitting the numerous, boutique stores down there that I love so much, especially the antique ones as I'm looking for something 'special' to use as a prop at the next Craft 2.0.  Perfect day really!!

His involve programming.  Yep, programming.  Something you do with computers.
B O R I N G!!!!

So we're in disagreement.

What I think will happen is:  I will go the gym, I will then go down to Petone by myself, wander the stores and then bring lunch home.   He will quickly eat lunch and then go back to his programming. 

At least I still get to craft right?

Actually what I then think I'll do is work in my sewing room.  It still looks like a bomb hit it but it's sort of an organised bomb now.  I have just bought a really wonderful old manrobe and I'm really looking forward to getting that up there for storage.  It won't be here till Sunday (thanks Dad) but I should be able to continue to tidy and leave a space for it to go.  I'm actually reorganising the whole room so it's taking a lot longer than I wanted it to.  Means it'll be super organised though.

Hope you all have great Fridays and if you're working - cheer up, tomorrow's the weekend :-)

Catch Up

Wow, seriously where does time go??  Lots have been happening around here so it's time for a quick catch up:

I now have two teenagers in the house.  B turned 13 a couple of weeks ago.  Luckily her personality hasn't yet turned.  I'm hoping we might cruise through these years ahead, I mean I was a pretty laid back teenager, hopefully she will be too :-)

Knitting - I've hit the craft fair market this year so have been quite involved with that and not so much on-line.  It's a hard call really which is better.  On-line is easier, done when you get the chance and fits in around you, craft fairs however give you the chance to interact with people and meet lots of lovely other crafters, but you have to fit around them.  I'm going to try hard to keep up with both though and have again been lucky enough to have a table at the next Craft 2.0 in October.  Really, really looking forward to that!

Organisation - well it's happening.  I admit slowly, but it is happening.  I tried to find a photo of my sewing studio at it's worst but I must have been so horrified I deleted it.  When I head up there later today I'm going to take a 'half way through' photo.

I promise there'll be posts more often.  I have lots of good things to blog about so I have no excuse really.

Bye for now

Craft 2.0

How did it come around so fast!?!

I'll be there, hope you will too :-)

Charlotte's One

A friend of our's wee girl had her first birthday party yesterday. I made her this:

There was also a wee hat to match but I didn't get a photo of it.  I hope they like it - I love it and was very happy with it. 

I'm loving getting back into the sewing but I don't think my sewing studio is - it's a bit of a tip right now and I've decided that I seriously need to get it organised so now that life is back on an even keel (touch wood!) I'm going to get back into my New Year's Resolutions, top one if you remember was ORGANISATION. 

Baby Set

I've been working on and off this set for a couple of weeks - my 'at home' knitting.  However because there hasn't been a lot of 'at home' time, only a few rows got done a day!  Didn't matter, I had Thursday off before it was needed to hand over so all was cool I thought.  Until Thursday turned into a horrible day with the two, what was supposed to be quick, appointments the kids had.  UGH.  However I did get all but one bootie done and as baby isn't actually due for another month I'm not too stressed over finishing it off LOL.

This was based on a Phidar pattern, but modified.  You can still tell that it's the same jersey however the whole knitting process is changed.  The French do some strange things with their knitting - I mean really, knitting a band seperately and then sewing it on!?!  No thanks, that just makes for more seams.

I'm very pleased with it but there are still things I'd change if I do it again.  I've knitted it with minimal seams anyway but the way they do the neck line was pretty weird so I'd change that and I'm not sure if I'd so the rolled hem again.  Their wool was an acrylic blend where as mine is merino and I think that has a big effect on the rolling - the acrylic would stay in place better where as the merino just wanted to keep on rolling back up, even after being blocked.  An alternative hem would be just a couple of rows of double rib instead and I still think it'd look cute.  Also I wouldn't make the cufffs quite as long as they are.

I've managed to churn a bit of knitting out lately so there will be more updates soon.

I LOVE the rain and the cold and the miserable weather

and I always feel guilty over it.  While the rest of NZ is flooding and schools are closing I'm here thinking 'ohhh, please stay cold and miserable'.  

I don't know what it is but Winter has always been my favorite season.  I honestly think it's because I'm a knitter.  In winter I get to wear my lovely knitwear.  I get to wear my scarves, hats and wrap up warm in jeans and jersey's and jackets and have the heater's going so it's cosy inside.  

On top of that I get to KNIT with no guilt - no thoughts of 'oh but I should be outside gardening' which is my summer guilt inducer.  And lately, knitting is what I've been doing (and some sewing too actually).

I've done a few new things - scarves for one and a secret project - and am currently working on a set for a friend at work who's leaving to have a baby.  Here's a hint:

I'm totally loving this set and think I will make it a new product.  I also have other new products to make up - some gloves, more scarves and a new design hat.  On top of that I have new wool - organic merino in colours TO DIE FOR!!!  They're just soooo nice and bright - something I've not found before in the organic.  Can't wait to start using them, which will be later today as I have a 4 day  weekend - YAY!!

Keep warm everyone and even if you don't enjoy the horrible weather like I do, I hope you use it to rest and relax like I am :-)

Super Duper Proud of my Boy!!

So I just have to write a little post about it.

G is doing NCEA this year.  He's a typical boy, not wanting to study or really do much work at all however he recently had his first big internal assessment for English.  Now English is NOT his strong subject, no way, no how, not at all.  In fact if I'm honest, the most we were hoping for was a scrape through.

However, in his first assessment, being creative writing, he came home with THREE (yep you read that right - three!!!) excellences for it (they mark in achieved, merit, excellence - it's a most confusing and tricky system and gives you big headaches trying to work it out).

On top of that it's been submitted to Scholastic for publication in a school journal.  Woohoo.  I'd put it up here, it's really an amazing peice of writing, but as it's been submitted it's not allowed to be published anywhere else (and OK they probably won't care about Mum's blog but I'd hate to risk it just in case) until a decision has been made which takes 3 months.

I'm doing a happy dance I tell you.