sky sea sand

Yesterday was pretty bleak - dull and showery - and we drove to Awhitu Peninsula for the day.  The view from the headland is stunning and even more so when it's wild and windy and the sky is full of rain clouds. The photo was taken from Orua Bay looking across the harbour entrance towards Huia. We came home with two jars of homemade plum jam, a bag of mandarins, a buttercup pumpkin and broccoli - all bought from roadside stalls.

I've loved knitting these baby beanies. I used a lovely, soft, cashmere/merino/silk yarn. I'm developing my own pattern  - to share with you later when it's finished. I'm especially pleased with the pom-poms. I used to make really bad ones. The secret, I think, is not to use too much wool.

Reading The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky + Listening to The house carpenter's daughter by Natalie Merchant.

feathers + flowers

 

I've made another bag - to hold my knitting this time - from a bark cloth curtain that I bought at fabric-a-brac last year. I love this fabric. I love the big pink and yellow roses with the brown ostrich feathers. I'd already used up a little bit of it making lavender bags but it's so nice to have it made up into something I'll use and see rather than have it hidden away in a dark drawer.

The little pink flowers in the top photo are manuka - also known as New Zealand tea tree. Manuka makes the most delicious, golden honey.

Have a great week.

Reading Mark Hearld's Workbook

grey skies

I've made myself a new lunch bag. I take a homemade lunch to work most days and my old bag - actually a bento bag I bought from Muji many years ago - was starting to fall apart. My design is loosely based on the bento bag except, instead of carry handles, I've made a drawstring. I used some fabric I had in the cupboard including a fat quarter of bright yellow and pink floral that was a bit of a surprise to find. And I lined it with brown gingham. There's a good tutorial for a similar bag here on Purl Bee.

Autumn is here. It's a little cooler and we've had some rain. It was misty yesterday morning and out on the harbour there was a flock of black swans. You can just make them out in the photo.

lemon and rosemary

The recipe for these delicious cookies is from martha goes green published in the latest autumn edition of extra curricular. I was able to use rosemary from my own garden and I modified the recipe a bit to make mine gluten-free. They were really good.

May there be some sweet moments ahead for you this week.


Reading Out stealing horses by Per Petterson + Watching Design for living (1933 film starring Gary Cooper)