through windows

Here are some iphone photos taken on last week's South Island holiday. The first two are a couple of shots taken from the car while driving from Haast to Greymouth. I like the out of focus blurriness of them. Most of that part of the trip was like that as we drove through mist and rain. But it wasn't all bad weather. I put some sunnier landscapes on instagram.

The last two photos (also taken through windows) are of Queen Mary Hospital at Hanmer Springs that closed in 2003.

animal house one

Some of the animals in my house.

The bowl with the dog image is by New Zealand ceramicist, Sarah Guppy and the cats are Eric (orange) and his brother, Mingus.

I'm off on more travels - to the South Island this time. Enjoy your week - wherever you may be.

Reading Island wife : living on the edge of the wild by Judy Fairbairns

three things

1. One half of Mr Mingus

2. A new cactus cutting I planted in a lovely but badly crazed Crown Lynn cup with a pattern called 'Lilian'. Perhaps I should've divided the cactus and planted the two 'ears' separately. What do you think?

3. A batch of badges I made for winter using woolen fabrics and velvet. They add a bit of colour and texture to a dull winter outfit. My wardrobe seems to have settled on black and grey. I used a badge-maker machine but you could make a covered button and attach a small safety pin on the back instead. I think my favourite is the green tweedy one (centre left).

north

We've had a few lovely, sunny, cold, misty days up North staying on the Hokianga.

- mist on the harbour
- sunset at Omapere
- cobweb
- magical tree of cobwebs somewhere between Opononi and Rawene
- fishing boats on the Waihou River

Reading Travels with Epicurus: a journey to a Greek island in search of a fulfilled life by Daniel Klein

gladioli

 

Another knitting bag made from some lovely floral bark cloth and lined with the green check. I think the flowers are gladioli. It could be a homage to Dame Edna.

The graph paper is me trying to work out a design for a beanie. See what everyone else is working on at Tami's ami.

Have a lovely week.

Reading Tiger, tiger by Margaux Fragoso + Listening to Sugaring season by Beth Orton

put a pompom on it

 

First of all, I've finished the pattern for the baby beanie and you can get that here should you like to knit one for your own baby or as a gift.

Also I've found this fun little Cleckheaton promotional video - it's timelapse. Don't you love that? - with a link to free knitting patterns for beanies for bigger kid and adult heads.



The pompom-like flowers in the top photo are fatsia japonica known in Japan as a yatsude or eight fingers because of the shape of the leaves. They are growing on the edge of a school sports field in my street. At the moment they are in full bloom and covered in bees.

And the 'Danish' hat with the crazy pompom is from a 1977 book Scandinavian knitting designs by Pauline Chatterton discovered in my local library. It's an excellent book with loads of charts for geometric designs as shown on the hat as well as a few patterns for hats and sweaters. Guess what y'all might be getting for Christmas?

with red buttons

Here's a little striped baby's sweater just finished. I love the colour of the brown wool - a sort of milky latte. And rummaging through my button box I found the red buttons. Tres chic. I used a pattern from a Panda book, #205 Adorable baby knits, and Patons Dreamtime 4ply merino. 

Officially it's winter now but already spring flowers are in the florists. Weird. However, I couldn't resist buying these hyacinths. They are such a lovely deep rich purple.

Reading Europa by Tim Parks + Watching DVD Dreams of a life - documentary about Joyce Carol Vincent who was found in her London bedsit in 2003 three years after her death.