Sunday 31 July 2011

Whistling Dixie

 Are the Dixie days soon to end?
I have listed her on Trade Me, so if you have a hankering to travel the country in comfort and at leisure, give me a call. I'll even throw in the teapot! I'd rather be shipping her off to England, but it makes more sense to cash up. The photo here was taken in summer, at the Honey Hive just outside of Taupo, a delightful freedom park-over spot.


Saturday 30 July 2011

Beautiful or what?

The new jacket fits - a bit long in the arms, and a bit tight in the hood, but it looks gorgeous anyway. On such a lovely gal, how could it not?

The reverse of knitting in New Zealand...

...is New Zealand in knitting.
Great map, eh. I live in the Bay of Plenty, which is a pretty good name for somewhere to live. The Rotorua Creative Fibres group contributed this as part of their entry to the annual Spinners and Weavers exhibition in Tauranga

So I think I need to change my blog header, to this, made in felt

And why not a knitted flower garden?

Tuesday 26 July 2011

A jacket for Annie Jean

I have finished the little jacket for Annie Jean, who has just started walking. She loves the hens, so much so that she calls ME Chook. Hmmm.

Monday 25 July 2011

How handcrafts evolve

Well, first I should let you know that the rosehip tea must be working. Or then again, maybe lemon and coconut slice has anti-arthritic properties?


Today, two photos from my Hanoi rambles - the traditional embroidery is decorative, but also functional in that it is part of the structure of the garment. Whereas, what WOULD you do with one of those knit and crochet cactii?

Better to put your money into one of these Year of the Pig moneyboxes.

Sunday 24 July 2011

Rosehip Tea




Somewhere I read about some research that showed drinking rosehip tea was beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis. So I collected some lovely hips that hang over the fence from next door, waiting until after the first frost, as recommended. Bev even delayed her pruning for me to get a good crop. The tea I made was totally tasteless, so I'm trying out the serious teapot. Cushioned in it's nest, the pot is stewing. Waiting for a miracle cure when I start sipping. 

Saturday 23 July 2011

Brought to you by the colour orange



Orange and brown...Dixie the Van went in for a service, and I had a coffee at the Library cafe and then walked back out to the suburbs. 

Mid-winter garden

The broccolini is showing signs of something edible...

Daphne scent assails me every time I go for firewood or chookfood...

And there are clumps of flowering bulbs in odd corners



Monday 11 July 2011

Goat in a coat

 These are some shots of the shops in Jaipur.
This is not the goat-in-a-coat.


Here she is, in her jacket. I love the red ribbon in her tail - it must be a she-kid. Spotted in the streets of Jaipur.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Not happy in the rain


Madge was looking so bedraggled this afternoon. Edna thought it best to just stay in the coop except for food forays. 

Monday 4 July 2011

By request

A hooded baby jacket, in a lovely blue-grey merino
This pattern came to me in a round-about way from someone who recognised my first baby jacket, as posted on Ravelry, when she encountered AJ's mum at some random event in a Rotorua church hall. Turns out the traditional pattern is a bit of a kiwi favorite. I spotted a pink version the very next day in Tauranga. While knitting I'm listening to podcasts from the A(ustralian)BC Book Show.