tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6405808701859813242024-03-14T23:54:52.888+13:00 never odd Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-36081535052730376172017-06-18T11:31:00.002+12:002017-06-18T11:31:58.015+12:00hello tangelo
Three little re-makes because it's the little things that count.
A new succulent - a stapeliad, I think - bought from the Tauranga
farmers' market in its newly painted sleepy head pot. I don't know why
but I'm thrilled with this. Possibly because I think about projects for
such a long time - about how to do it and what could go wrong - so that
when I do make the thing and it works outBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-76991094020902854092017-06-15T14:48:00.000+12:002017-06-15T22:01:33.654+12:00Looking for a new post?
Never odd has moved here
new name, same blog.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-35573918168607628652015-10-19T14:44:00.002+13:002015-10-19T14:44:28.169+13:00to be continued
I started this blog in 2007 and it's time for a new name. So it's goodbye to never odd. And it's hello tangelo.
Please come visit.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-59445092964320085772015-08-31T07:30:00.003+12:002015-08-31T07:32:47.521+12:00nearly new
Two years old, already.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-4882334456054568492015-08-25T21:54:00.004+12:002015-08-25T21:54:51.842+12:00golden
Two views of Broadbeach on the Gold Coast - the beach and the river.
We've had a short trip to Australia to visit my husband's mother - who is ninety-one and just decided it's time she gave up international travel.
For those of you in Auckland Fabric-a-brac is happening again on Saturday 5 September 9.00 - 12.30 at a new venue - St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby. See you Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-24760839844598761102015-08-02T20:24:00.001+12:002015-08-10T08:37:21.355+12:00deep south
- Lake Waihola, near Milton
- Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island/Rakiura
- Scenes from Stewart Island/Rakiura
- Stewart Island robin/toutouwai on Ulva Island
- Native forest, Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara
- Te Waewae Bay
So long since my last post. I've been away for a week to Dunedin, Stewart Island and Invercargill and came home with a terrible flu which kept me out of action for Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-78199063742463584562015-07-12T12:36:00.001+12:002015-08-02T20:26:59.257+12:00outside
It's been so cold. We've been having what the met service says is an Antarctic blast. But even in winter it's nice to get outside. Here are a few photos taken on walks around the neighbourhood recently.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-14874628391703126262015-06-29T21:42:00.002+12:002015-06-29T21:49:23.779+12:00the rocky shore
These pages are from Seashore life of New Zealand published in 1971. I love the illustrations and especially the seaweeds done by Eric Heath - so bold and graphic. When I was at primary school and about nine or ten years old the class spent an afternoon at a local beach were we poked around in rock pools looking at sea anemones and hermit crabs. My husband did the same. Probably Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-13995661002471040542015-06-23T22:08:00.000+12:002015-06-24T07:42:57.585+12:00dyeing
I love linen tea towels. And I loved this project because it was so random. I couldn't be sure how anything would turn out. So, somehow, it was full of delight with every outcome a revelation.
It was actually an un-dyeing process using household bleach to "discharge" the colour from the linen. I added 125ml (half a cup) of bleach to 4 litres (just under a gallon) of water and I let the Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-84869710142822518372015-06-16T20:50:00.001+12:002015-06-17T07:55:33.556+12:00pea soup
I've been making soup lately as the days grow colder and one of our favourites is pea and ham. I always use this recipe from Alice Hart's book Friends at my table.
1 smoked ham hock
1 large onion
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
bouquet garni of 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme and 2 sprigs of rosemary
300g green or yellow split peas
400g fresh or frozen green peas
Soak the ham hock Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-40705240643143990892015-06-12T07:37:00.000+12:002015-06-12T07:37:56.187+12:00fine spells
Waiheke Island from the Maraetai Coast Road taken in the rain on the way home after last weekend's visit to the Clevedon markets.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-75506307048389165682015-06-07T20:23:00.000+12:002015-06-08T07:32:00.232+12:00sparrows and finches
I don't know why I worried that the birdfeeder would go undiscovered. The birds found it three days after I put it out. How did they know? Lots of house sparrows and a few greenfinches. And spotted doves - that I've never seen before - eat the seed that falls on the ground. I've enjoyed watching them and have now moved the feeder closer to the house.
If you're interested in feeding Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-81927894217899047762015-06-01T20:34:00.001+12:002017-06-15T10:36:05.200+12:00yellow beanie
When I posted this photo of my granddaughter digging in the sandpit I realised I hadn't shared the pattern for the yellow beanie. So... here it is.
This is a simple pattern suitable for beginner knitters and perfect to keep your little one snug on a cold and windy day.
1 ball Misti Alpaca yarn
4 mm and 4.5 mm needles
Gauge 5 sts per inch on US #7 or 4.5mm needles
With 4Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-837012165994118942015-05-25T18:37:00.000+12:002015-05-25T18:39:04.403+12:00susie
Another birthday to celebrate on Saturday - on Waiheke Island. And it rained nearly all day. I was hoping for walks on the beach and photos of the sea and distant islands. Instead we mostly stayed indoors in front of the fire. But it was a wonderful day - food, wine, friends. How lucky I am to know Susie.
Reading: Out of winter by Carol LeeBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-38931669298880306922015-05-18T18:08:00.000+12:002015-05-18T20:54:49.159+12:00autumn
Now is my favourite time of year. I love the red leaves and the sunny days that are a bit chilly. And dreaming of winter shoes. And thinking about a new knitting project. I can't decide whether to make this or this.
We've put a bird feeder in the garden for the first time - hoping it might stop the birds digging up our winter vegetable seedlings in their search for worms. But also Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-13082100911605096252015-05-11T07:15:00.000+12:002015-05-11T07:15:01.216+12:00mother's day
A visit with my mum yesterday at the rest home. She'll be ninety in August. We're planning a big party.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-29023027929499378842015-05-05T20:23:00.000+12:002015-05-05T20:51:13.063+12:00cake and sand
On the weekend my family celebrated a 61st birthday with carrot cake - decorated with lime icing, jaffas and gold dust - and washed down with champagne.
And last weekend we improvised a sandpit for our granddaughter. Digging and running seem to be very important things to do. I remember how I used to love making mud pies when I was about six or seven years old. I used to decorate them with Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-49618915192563393142015-04-27T17:55:00.001+12:002015-05-18T19:46:32.280+12:00wilderness
This is Whatipu - another wild, west coast beach. It's about an hour's drive from the city and on Sunday, apart from a few people fishing, it was deserted. It was great - walking on the black sand in the wind on an (almost) empty beach. How was your weekend?
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-34661844442827407292015-04-24T18:00:00.000+12:002015-04-25T09:25:16.917+12:00ANZAC Day
'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-B1460'
Because this year marks the 100th anniversary I thought I'd share this photo of my grandfather, Thomas. The photo was taken in 1916 soon after he joined the New Zealand Army. He was 21 years old. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-86010973542972120722015-04-20T18:30:00.000+12:002017-08-20T08:42:50.105+12:00untitled
These are fabric works made by French artist Louise Bourgeois. I think they are beautiful. They remind me of spider webs and umbrellas. Louise was known as "Spiderwoman" because of the giant bronze spider sculptures she made. I was lucky to see one in New York many years ago.
Apparently you can visit her townhouse - which has been preserved just as she left it - in Chelsea, New York.
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-19642456849739114062015-04-12T21:47:00.002+12:002015-04-13T07:33:33.887+12:00easter in the forest
These decorations were inspired by Evie Barrow's easter garland. I cut out simple shapes (eggs, flowers, carrots) from my granddaughter's drawings, glued them onto card and hung them up with string. Although she did the drawings over several weeks and then I did the rest, it felt like a project that we'd done together. I'd forgotten how much fun doing arty things with children can be. I usedBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-65797537125375255032015-04-06T18:53:00.000+12:002015-04-06T19:50:45.893+12:00west
This is Muriwai - a wild, west coast beach famous for its black iron sand. We visited on Friday hoping to make the most of the last of the warm weather with an autumn swim. I wasn't brave enough to get into the cold water. So we sat on the clifftop looking out to Motutara Island and ate a picnic lunch and watched the surfers.
Reading: We three go South : the 1890 diary of Ethel Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-6325457843972878952015-04-03T16:30:00.000+13:002015-04-03T16:30:01.091+13:00the lawnBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-27307650725988066012015-03-30T18:19:00.000+13:002015-04-01T07:07:27.728+13:00completion
This play mat for my granddaughter isn't a fancy quilt. But I'm sharing it with you because it's finished and it's the first thing I've made in ages. I whipped up the whole thing in a day - using what I had. The top is made from left-overs from a giant duvee cover that I cut down to fit.
The backing and binding is a purple cotton that I'd had in the cupboard for years just waiting for the
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-640580870185981324.post-45701182081913057912015-03-27T18:00:00.000+13:002015-03-27T18:37:17.169+13:00pink Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0