Daily picks

Colours of the day.

Autumn in the rain

Fog and low cloud takes the edge off the autumn colours at Wanaka, but autumn shines through even in the rain. The mountains are draped in thick, soft scarves and blankets of mist.

Knitting the Rowan yarn bought in Dunedin. Spent forever at Touch Yarns in Clyde looking for something to use with it to make enough for a jacket.

While I was browsing, Elizabeth Ashford dropped in to say hello to Marnie Kelly who owns Touch Yarns. I had a brief talk to Elizabeth about my idea of an article featuring both organisations. Seemed like too much of a coincidence that I should be on the spot with both these people I have been thinking about. Elizabeth is doing a road trip with her 90 year old mother, who looks just fabulous. She said that for 40 years, she and her husband would travel to this area in autumn to paint. There are just so wonderfully paintable scenes.

By the way, I didn't buy any more yarn. Decided to make a few sqaures and see how it is looking before committing. Besides, there is no room in the car for a stash of yarn.

On the road

The sale of my house in Dunedin settled on Friday. Home for now is a laden Polo with a bike on the back.

The first night I stayed in Arrowtown, then cafe'd my way over to Wanaka. Anzac Day today so the town is closed up, and rain has settled in so my plan for a walk up the Rob Roy Glacier isn't looking so good.

The autumn colours are lovely, even with a backdrop of cloud-wreathed hills. I screamed to a stop in gravel when the sun came though briefly while driving into Cromwell.

Monday

This morning I dropped by Knit World to LOOK at patterns as I hatch a plan for my next project. With my mother's words ringing in my ears ("never buy new material until you have finished sewing what you have"), I left the shop with a stash of Rowan Cocoon. Oh the guilt. BUT it is merino blended with kid mohair and is sooooooooo soft to the touch, AND it was in the half price bin because sadly the Dunedin store is not going to stock Rowan any more. I have in mind the Girl Friday cardigan using the colourways Mountain and Shale, plus a scarf out of colours called Alpine, Tundra and Cairn.


Well, the stars are lining up. I love this from the ODT today, can you believe it? I do!



RTM - yes, besides reading the paper over coffee today, I studied the manual for my new camera. I'd like to get the best out of it. And I have the time for this sort of thing. Such a luxury to take time even for something as retro as RTMing. Can you tell I'm a baby boomer?



The lovely folk at the Fix asked me why I was photographing their shop.


"just testing the camera"

Thanks good people.

Impossible pie

I made a citrus impossible pie to take to Marilyn's for lunch. It is called impossible pie because it's impossible to muck it up - so the recipe says. I'm using up things from the pantry, in readiness for moving.

You put the following ingredients into a food processor

4 eggs 100g slivered almonds grated rind one lemon
1 c sugar 1 c dessicated coconut grated rind one orange
Half c melted butter, half c each lemon and orange juice
Half c sifted flour (who sifts flour?) 1 c milk

then you whizz the lot for 1 minute, place this mixture into a well-greased 28 cm pie tin and bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about an hour or until brown on top. Allow to cool and set. Serve at room temperature with fresh berries and thickened cream. Serves eight.

Up to my neck in it

This is a jumper I have had on the go for far too long but really, it is almost finished. I'm posting it so that my shame, should I fail to finish it soon, will be public. It is a lovely merino and silk blend. The silk gives a slightly tweedy look.

Scary

I accidentally discovered that my webcam is accessible to Picasa. The discovery pleased me!

What I'll miss about Dunedin

I'll miss Taste Nature, the lovely organic shop. Just popped in today to drop off a box of preserving jars, and there were these buckets of artichokes flanking the doorway.

Bought black eating grapes. I can't understand why there isn't more of a market for these. Little mouthfuls of pure pleasure.

A new life beginning

These images seem rather appropriate to sum up today's creative moments.

Friday coffee shot

In a list of the things I might miss about Dunedin, I'd have to include The Fix. The concept is brilliant, a coffee shop that does ONLY coffee and allows you to bring your own food. The hole-in-the-wall counter on Frederick St does a roaring trade and out the back a sheltered courtyard offers a wee suntrap. Good magazines. I love the sensory hit on a cold morning when you walk in and are enveloped in coffee smell and warmth.

Dunedin, Friday

This is how cold it was this morning when I got home after a swim at the Physio Pool and a short black at The Fix.