Summer blast

Me and Osk setting up kites on the very brown grass at Caroline Bay.... Timaru is very dry and hot this time of year, can't say I like it! 29 degrees on the 27th of December.... Back in Dunedin it's warm and I'm wearing summer clothing but there's a fresh cool breeze that makes it bearable. The NW wind in Timaru just makes everyone grouchy!

Setting up the dragon kite :)

 

Petanque man, my dad.

Hanging out with my little niece Eloise. She is a character alright! Serious like this in the photo when she's just woken up and full of beans the rest of the time! Laughing and squealing and playing with everything, it's fun but kind of scary, she doesn't know how dangerous some things are. Ovens, heights, small objects etc. Constant supervision is necessary! Nice to spend some time with her :) I think she liked her starfish toy that I knitted her... hard to say. She'll pick up one thing play with it for a bit and throw it away for the next thing she finds. Which makes a big mess! Everywhere! Once she snuck up behind me while I was wrapping dolmades and poked me in the back, gave me such a surprise :0

Elo's knitted starfish!

Xmas was pretty much family, food, hot weather, cold drinks, walks, bike riding, going to the carnival and watching movies and playing games. Got a little bit of knitting done, Not much though. I always plan to take several projects with me and they never get touched!

 Started making this... a slouchy hat with those interlocking lozenge pattern things..

Went for a walk on Patiti point with Oscar and we found heaps of beautiful rocks, red ones, green ones, striped ones and speckled ones. Also several large thin and long ones which we are using as door stops. We found that if we polish them with oil they look like they are wet again which brings out their beautiful patterns and colours.

Intrigued by the gift one of Oscar's clients gave me - a box that she made herself using pipe cleaners and tubes of magazine paper. All the rolls are different - different flowers and plants on each. I really appreciate a handmade gift! More than a store bought one... I never usually receive them.

Working on crocheting up some knitted blanks into leg warmers to go with my new boots:

Two rows of each colorway... fun to see the colours come into play in the fabric. Makes me want to knit more blanks! I only have blue, red and black dye however... perhaps a purplely one....

Also getting close to finishing my Geo Cardigan too. Nearly finished knitting one arm up to the neck. That one will stay on needles while I work the other arm from the armpit up to the neck, then I'll graft them together at the back and knit a rib border around the lot. Really happy with the way this is turning out. The fabric is just the right weight and very soft and lofty. It will be a good size too. The arms seem snug now but will stretch with wear and blocking.

Oscar gave me a 300 lot of Magic the Gathering cards of my own for xmas! I also got his old folder (broken but I repaired it easily) to store them in. So many multicolour cards... They look so pretty in the folder... Not sure if anyone reading this blog knows about this game, but I'm pretty keen on it - I've just made a Morph deck where all the creature cards are morphs, giving the element of surprise to the opponent!

The front of the folder looked a bit plain so I slipped this National Geographic illustration in to brighten it up a bit. I have many plans for new decks to make with my new cards... I seemed to get lucky with the cards they put in my lot, they are completely random, but this really was a great lot.

This is our old crappy chopping board. Yes it split in half! Water damage most certainly...

But Oscar got me this!

A beautiful hand made chopping board made by the Dunedin Wood Turners. It needed a bit of sanding and I oiled it to protect the wood, so it should last a while I hope. Taking extra good care of it so it lasts. Perfect size for a pizza to sit on so you can chop it up. Now I just need to sharpen my kitchen knives and cooking should be easy.

And now Oscar is on Holidays so he is happy and enjoying time to himself :) It's really not that long till our courses start... I am trying to think of ways to get ready for it, but it seems a bit early really. I can use this time to do ask much crafting as I can... Use up my sewing supplies perhaps... prepare a study area... I need to start getting up earlier (I'll have to get up at 7am to get ready and ride 2 km to polyetch by 8.30am, I currently get up at 9am and have done for a long time!) I can work on my bike... make a proper basket/carry bag for it and get used to riding it more. I can order my supplies... scrubs, books stethoscope etc...

I'm sewing this again:

I'm liking the way it's turning out! Needs more rows of pieces and a back and a lining.. perhaps buttons as well.

Well that's all for now, what a long post! We have no plans for New Year's celerbrations but I'm looking forward to welcoming in a new year which is going to be so very different and exciting and busy!

Enjoy summer Southern hemisphere people and winter Northen folks!

N