Lettuces, life and a new hat…

Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers, plant your own garden and decorate your own soul – Luther Burbank.This quote seemed fitting as I was pottering in the garden this afternoon,  contemplating life, planting out lettuces and harvesting greens for a salad to have with dinner.Maybe it’s that spring is only now really making her presence felt, the winter has seemed to drag on so loooong. Maybe it’s that I’ve just had another birthday, or maybe it’s just that there’s so much going on in our life at the moment that there doesn’t seem to be enough hours or days or weeks to fit everything in – but whatever the reason I’m feeling a little unsettled just now. Maybe I could solve the unrest simply by spending more time in my garden. Meditatively weeding, planting and harvesting… as you can see it’s blooming into life after the cold and wet of winter. It has grown into a veritable forest of greenery and daily we are rewarded with it’s bounty.This week I  finished a hat (for me), which had languished much longer on the needles than it should have.Many mistakes were made and it was repeatedly banished to the naughty box only to be pulled out a few days later, frogged back and re-knit. The wool is so soft, I love the colour and as you can see, it is a very pretty pattern. I really love the way it turned out.  However for me, who needed to concentrate to keep track of where I was at, it was not a pattern for mindless knitting when tired, with disruptions or even in front of tv… You can find the pattern here (don’t be put off by me it’s a lovely pattern, truly!).

I’m very glad it’s now done, which might be a sign that I should finish some of the other half finished projects I have lying around! Next time I think I’ll stick to crochet – so if you have a good suggestion for a crochet hat please let me know, as Ive promised Maia a new (winter!?) hat. I’d better get a move on if it’s to be finished before our temperatures move permanently into double digits! xo ~ J

 

Early winter snaps and new socks

It was the Queen’s birthday weekend holiday today, and this afternoon we took a beautiful walk through the Hamilton gardens…

The air has a cold chill to it, but  the sun is still lovely and warm. A holiday on a Monday is a perfect start to the week, if only every Monday could be spent this way 🙂

And, in other news, I finished Carter’s new socks. He’s rather pleased with them… but convincing him to sit still for long enough to take a photo – that took about a week!

I’ve cast on another pair already!

Thank you for the lovely reassuring comments in the last post. Maia arrived home from camp on Friday, safe and sound. She had a lovely time! But oh was I glad to have her home 🙂

How did your week start? Jxx

The weekend

Summer has drifted slowly into autumn, and although the weather is still warm, we’re well into the cooler season mode. I’m certainly struggling with moving far from home, enjoying the quieter change of pace that the change of season brings.

Autumn mornings are the perfect time for raspberry pancake squares (yes we are still picking raspberries – yum!)
So what did I get up to this weekend?

Can you spot what’s peaking out from under this beautiful orchid?

Yes I’ve started knitting a pair of socks.

It’s many a year since I’ve knitted, but I’ve seen so many gorgeous socks being produced all over the internet, I decided I would give them a go.

After the initial fiddling and fumbling with the tiny circular needle, no less than 5 starts on the rib(!), and more than a few dropped stitches, I pulled myself together and finished a sock. I’m well into the next one and I’m happy to report that it’s growing on the needles much more smoothly (and quickly ). Im following this most excellent beginner sock tutorial on Winwick Mum.

Don’t you love the lovely self striping sock yarn?

I also spent a few hours on Saturday making a whole new wardrobe for Maia’s Barbie family (interestingly, not one of the them is called ‘Barbie’!)…

Certainly not my favorite dolls, but I’m actually quite proud of how modest,  yet stylish, they turned out! Plus its the only time I’ve made 3 skirts, 2 pairs of trousers, 1 dress and 4 tops in one day. Maia: “You should go into business making Barbie clothes, Mum. They are so much better than the ones they come with.” Thanks love, will keen that in mind if I need to find a new job!

As with most weekends, I also spent some time in the garden. The winter vege garden is in, and while the summer flowers are all but done, there are some pockets of color still holding on…This time of the year I adore the hydrangeas…Their mottled colors are  so beautiful as they dry on the bushes…I know they are probably not for everyone, but to me they are more beautiful now than when they are in early bloom.I will cut them off, but not until they are completely dead (sometime in the middle of winter), for now I enjoy their shabby chic beauty…So that’s what the weekend looked like at our place. What did you get up to? Ever knitted socks? Got any tips to share? ~ J xox

Blooming in my winter garden and new crochet mitts

There’s not a lot blooming in my garden to be honest… but if you search carefully there are a few spots of color, and even the very first bulbs starting to appear – all without any help from me (as the poor slug eaten polyanthus will profess):

This white tipped cyclamen is gorgeous and it has a nice scent too…

Calendulas bloom all through my (sad looking) vege garden…

Early cheer, braving the chill…Poor polyanthus are slugs’ favourite feast…There is going to be a huge haul of tangelos this year…Pretty pelargoniums from Great Nana Williams and a few red rhubarb stalks that should be brought in and cooked up: Paler pink cyclamens…Unassuming hellebores; their downward facing blooms required all kinds of trick photography to share their beauty with you! Got it!And finally, delightful Daphne…Daphne is quite possibly my favourite winter flower. I don’t seem to have much luck growing it; the leaves turn yellow and once that happens they invariably curl up and die within a couple of years. I have to enjoy this bush while I can. The smell is all lemony and quite delicious – makes me want to eat it (or at least a lemon delicious pudding)!This week I made these new fingerless gloves, like shawls they are a regular make for me – especially at this time of year. I love that my hands and wrists are warm, but my fingers are free to do all the important stuff they need to! These ones are a little heavier than I would usually make, but they are super warm and cosy. You can’t quite see it in the photos but there is a gold thread through the yarn which is very pretty. This is a free pattern, you can find it here. Would I recommend it? Yes definitely, the instructions are good and the cable surprisingly easy 🙂

What’s blooming  in your garden, and what are you working on? – J xox

 

Slowly…

Like this tiny snail, I’m taking things more slowly this week. We’re still recovering from the bugs, but there’s only one more week left of the school term so looking forward to the break like a light at the end of the (winter) tunnel. Unlike this snail, I’m not cruising around outside much so you’re more likely to find me snuggled up in front of the fire 🙂

 

An autumn walk

For  those of you that have been following for a while you will know that we live in Hamilton, New Zealand, very close to some spectacular gardens, maybe even best gardens in the world! This afternoon we took a family walk through them, and in the fading  afternoon light I took these photos – which I thought I’d share with you…

Do children always have such boundless energy?

I love this photo, but for the leaves, the fish could be swimming in the sky!

Maybe that should be verdant autumn…

Lots of fun with looooog shadows…

Autumn really is a lovely time of year – the nights are cool but the days are bright and warm. The leaves are changing colour, but there is still so much in bloom. What’s your favourite season? What’s the weather like where you are? J xoxox