Blogtober Fest 2012

I'm in! I'm going to take part in Blogtober Fest this month!



Short and sweet blog entry...that doesn't happen here that often. Click the image and it'll take you to the list of blog-participants and their blogs.

There's still plenty of time to sign up too if you're keen to join in.

xx

Julia

Getting ready for the holidays!

It's the first Monday of the school holidays here in New Zealand tomorrow. I know a lot of people find the holidays hard work, children bickering and complaining they are bored (I have vivid memories of doing this to my mum constantly during the holidays), but I am SO looking forward to a little break from my role as child taxi-driver!

So, we're taking a little time to make a list of some things the kids would like to do over the holidays. I might share some of these on Monday, but they're not 'set' for specific days yet. Inside activities might be saved up for wet weather days, or for when we need a break from our adventures.

My aim is to post photos each day of what we've been up to too.

Who's in? I'd love people to join us and spend a little time enjoying moments of their school holidays rather than counting down till school goes back! And with the list of activities, when the kids start that fighting or moaning just choose something and go for it!

Holidays are to be enjoyed, by everyone!

Here's just a few pics from our Saturday - it was dress-up and enjoying the sunshine yesterday.

Cowboys and tigers

 

Butterflies and chrysalis'

 

Ahhh, sitting in the sun eating a carrot - bliss!

 

We've had some great adventures today (Sunday) too, so I'll pop up some pics about it tomorrow.

Happy holidays!

Home Sweet Home

I will return to my series about lovely NZ yarnies, but I snapped off some photos of my kids in our house the other day and just love the simplicity of them.

Maybe it's because of where we are at the moment, after the rollercoaster ride of deciding to sell, trying to buy, having multiple offers on our place and finally deciding to stay put regardless of the dream offer, we're completely at peace with our decision to stay in our home, with the excitement (it's exciting at least in the planning phase!) of building on.

So, the other afternoon, we were just hanging out at home and I took a few photos. I must admit, since having a new camera, I actually get it out less, but I do love the photos it takes, even if I don't understand most of the settings yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Incidentally, anyone who is my friend on facebook, this is the same afternoon that Penny took my 24 hour lipstick to school for 'news'

 

 

 

These last two pictures are a little special - Penny is about the same age as this little blossom tree, a tree which always reminds me of my Dad. You might not be able to see it in the pictures, but it's now sporting a big patch of blue paint which matches the fence...the tree kind of got in the way when I was painting the fence - it all adds to it's story right?

 

The tree is blossoming at the moment, just as my gorgeous little girl is. And there she is, sitting outside the place we've chosen to be our future home, not just our 'it'll do for now home' as we'd always considered it before. 

 

Watch this space, the plans are being drawn up at the moment. The building is likely to begin in February and no doubt I'll need to look back on this post and remember times when I felt more at peace with the process. 

Yarnies I love #2 - Featherbrush Yarns

I didn't intend to follow my post #1 so quickly - but seeing as Rachel of Featherbrush Yarns is having a stocking tonight on Facebook I thought it would make sense to post so that people could possibly join in with that if they wanted.

This is one of Rachel's photo's from a previous yarn stocking

I love Rachel of Featherbrush Yarns - she's been dyeing a while and I have some of her lovelies sitting in my stash right now, waiting for me to cast them on...these ones here.

 

Actually...I have just remembered I have one more package, sitting waiting for me to photograph it too! A lovely yellow that I won and I'm going to cast on for a new design when I feel a little more motivated!

 

Rachel is able to dye trims and variegateds as well as dyeing lovely semi solids. In her shop you'll also find handmade buttons and WIP bags by Amie of Purple Sheep.

 

Rachel's a great knitter (and pattern tester). She knitted her lovely yarn into a Hoodlum for my David - this is her Splice and matching trim. David gets comments on it where-ever he wears it!

 

So, check out her Facebook page for more details on her stocking tonight - I think her stocking tonight is using a lovely new merino base with amazing yardage too!

 

xx

 

J

 

 

 

Yarnies I love #1 - Knitsch & HRYC

I mentioned last time I blogged that I should do a series of yarnies that I love - so here it begins.

Holland Road Company is my local yarn store and is run by the young and talented Tash. She opened the bricks and mortar store in Petone after starting her successful  knitsch sock dyeing business and now her shop is where I stop if I need anything special.

Tash still dyes her stunning knitsch yarn, as well as running yarn clubs with it, but she also stocks lots of luxury yarns that are hard to get in New Zealand - like Spud & Chloe, Fyberspates (I LOVE the sheen of Fyberspates, it's the silk content), Cascade along with many others. Tash also stocks Knitpro and sells all kinds of other fabulous things needed for knitting and crocheting - stitch markers, WIP bags, patterns, well everything!

If you're ever in Wellington with a little bit of time to spare, you should pop in there and have a look - it's a beautifully set up shop.

 

(these photos were taken from Tash's Blog)

My name is Julia and I am an addict

This post seems vaguely familiar. So I've probably written about this before. I like yarn. No, I've had unhealthy addictions to buying yarn in the past. Right now, my bank balance and the lack of space for more yarn in my stash is preventing me from adding anymore (though there was some organic DK merino screaming at me to purchase it a week or so ago here along with some peachy elan at Skeinz last week...but I resisted after carting it and closing the window)

I was just saying to someone earlier this week that I started writing and selling patterns to fund my habit. Actually, that wasn't quite true. Before the writing patterns, I was a custom knitter, working long hours each evening on items for other yarn lovers without the time or inclination so that I could earn my few $ per hour to buy more yarn.

One of my biggest problems these days when it comes to yarn (besides now finding the space to house it as I knit fast...but I purchase more yarn than my fingers can keep up with) is WHO to buy yarn from! There are such a lot of amazing dyers out there now. I can quickly count off the top of my fingers 5 friends with yarn dyeing/selling businesses! Tricky! And dangerous for bank balances.

So I thought I'd do a series of blog entries soon about them and the lovely dye jobs and FOs that have resulted from them.

And whilst I'm here...here is a photo of my stash. Eeeek.

But it can't be that much yarn really if I can fit it all into this picture right? And some of them I've had and admired for years, but just don't know what I can make out of them these days, it's a little nerve wracking thinking about casting on a few of them. So those ones may be destined to be admired in the skein forever more.

Sezza Knits This September

Have I mentioned my very talented little sister Sarah before? She's the one far left in the short pale blue dress, I'm the one next to her in the long white one. Cute right? Our stunning mother in the red dress taught the 4 of us girls to knit when we were young.

Sarah has started designing patterns this year with a hiss and roar. She really should've been doing it years ago, she's always had the talent and the brain for it, but after being one of the best pattern testers out there, she's come out with some brilliantly beautiful and clever patterns of her own.

You can see them all HERE on Ravelry.

This September she's hosting the knit-a-long on Ravelry - pop over HERE and join in! She's giving away some lovely prizes and KAL's are always such fun!

Go queue and fav some of her patterns, there's something there for everyone! Really!