tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82096085387362742022024-03-14T23:33:19.868+13:00hello tangeloBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-53705629404636663172018-07-02T14:43:00.003+12:002018-07-02T14:57:45.872+12:00three hats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three baby hats using this <a href="https://www.montys.co.nz/shop/Industries/Charities+%26+Fundraisers/Baby+Beanies+for+Africa+and+NZ-Hand_Knitted_Baby_Beanies_wanted.html" target="_blank">free pattern</a>. One for our baby and two to donate.<br />
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The polka dot fabric is the backing of a crib quilt that I pieced in November last year - and have yet to finish quilting.<br />
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Another work in progress - a make-it-up-as-I-go-along embroidery similar to <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.com/2017/06/lavender.html" target="_blank">this one</a> - that I'm thinking I might make up into a drawstring gift bag. <br />
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<b>Reading:</b><br />
<i>Imagine wanting only this</i> by Kristen Radtke - a graphic novel/comic book about memories and history, loss, ghost towns and ruins. If you're interested in reading graphic novels but don't know where to start I'd recommend t<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/comics" target="_blank">his column</a> from <i>The Guardian</i>. <br />
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<i>Tooth and nail</i> by Ian Rankin - the third book in the Inspector Rebus series.<br />
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<b>Watching:</b> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4299972/" target="_blank"><i>The jinx</i> </a>- six-part documentary about NY real estate heir Robert Durst and the mysterious disappearance of his wife in 1982. I watched this on DVD borrowed from the library. Intriguing. ****Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-68017681296676478952018-06-05T16:56:00.000+12:002018-06-07T10:10:25.183+12:00the story of two hats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Vacuum flasks poster by <a href="https://www.lou-taylor.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lou Taylor</a> from <a href="http://www.frankie.com.au/" target="_blank">frankie</a> magazine.</span></div>
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Accidentally two hats or the pitfalls of shopping online for yarn late at night. I was planning to make my granddaughter a beanie - as its got quite chilly here lately - but I ordered too much yarn and it wasn't quite the colour I'd hoped<b> </b>it would be. Solution: knit two hats - each with a different coloured pompom - and then let my granddaughter choose. She chose the red pompom because what she really wanted was a red hat. The pattern is "ribbed hat" from <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/easy-kids-knits" target="_blank">Easy kids knits</a> (2009) by Claire Montgomerie.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b><br />
<i>Hide and seek</i> by Ian Rankin - number two in the Inspector Rebus series<br />
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<i>The man who went up in smoke </i>by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö - number two in the Martin Beck series<br />
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<i>Mister Pip</i> (2006) by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones. Made into a film<i> </i>in 2012 starring Hugh Laurie.<br />
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<b>Watching:</b> <i>Evil genius</i> - four-part Netflix documentary about a bank robbery in Eerie, Pennsylvania in 2003. Sad and disturbing. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-86238697352587172682018-05-15T13:08:00.001+12:002018-05-15T17:18:11.807+12:00monkeys and fish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've decided to send a small box of toys to <a href="http://littlesproutsnz.org/" target="_blank">Little Sprouts</a> this year and I've started with some sock monkeys like <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/marbles-and-monkeys.html" target="_blank">these ones</a>. I've now used up all my sock monkey making supplies so it's with sadness - but also relief - that these guys may be the last that I make.<br />
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To improve my toy making skills I borrowed <i>Stuffed animals : from concept to construction</i> by Abigail Patner Glassenberg from the library. You can find Abigail's website <a href="https://whileshenaps.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. It's full of good advice, tutorials and some free patterns. The patterns in her book are also available to download <a href="http://larkcrafts.com/bonus/?b=143" target="_blank">here</a>. I thought I'd start with the fish because it looked fairly simple but I struggled with some of the details and had to modify the design to get it finished. In the end it turned out ok. And I learnt a lot - always a good outcome.<br />
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Other things this week:<br />
I cleaned out my supplies cupboard and have three cardboard boxes of stuff to donate,<br />
I attended my son's graduation ceremony - a proud parenting moment,<br />
I received a lovely handmade mothers' day card from my granddaughter who wrote under her name "2018 age 4" and<br />
I ate my very first poke bowl. <br />
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I hope your week goes well. I'll be away next week visiting my mother-in-law who recently passed her driving test to renew her license. She'll be celebrating her 94th birthday next week. <br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <i>Roseanna</i> by Maj Sjöwall (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/nov/22/crime-thriller-maj-sjowall-sweden" target="_blank">the queen of crime</a>) and Per Wahlöö - the first book in the Martin Beck series. First published in 1963. Swedish crime at its best.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-54688932874961334972018-05-08T14:43:00.001+12:002018-05-08T14:45:56.070+12:00tiny socks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Op shop find <i>The it doesn't matter suit</i> by Sylvia Plath written in 1959 and published posthumously in 1976. Delightfully illustrated by Rotraut Susanne Berner.<br />
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And tiny socks using this <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/perfect-fit-newborn-socks" target="_blank">free pattern</a>. I made a few adjustments which you can read about on Ravelry. I haven't knitted socks for years and years so I needed to refer to youtube quite a bit. I found the following tutorials helpful:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcNIgaVCJuM" target="_blank">joining in the round</a> </li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMleqoA-_E" target="_blank">heel flap</a></li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAR2USuQ16M" target="_blank">turning hee</a>l</li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3LVbaiqTAw" target="_blank">gusset</a></li>
</ul>
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<li>slip slip knit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M" target="_blank">(ssk)</a> </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFHXnvfmoBE" target="_blank">kitchener stitch </a></li>
</ul>
I'd recommend this pattern if you're new to sock knitting as, although they can be a bit fiddly because they are so tiny, they knit up quickly and you get to learn about and practise all your sock knitting skills. Plus you end up with a lovely gift for a newborn. I'm saving these for the grandchild.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-59805038611541449782018-05-01T19:32:00.005+12:002018-05-02T17:11:43.909+12:00big hat, little hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I tripped while crossing the road on Friday and gashed my leg. My local GP stitched it up for me but I had to "take it easy" over the weekend keeping my leg elevated as much as possible. So there was much reading, knitting and binge-watching - which worked out quite well really as the weather was pretty bad.<br />
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I finished two of my in-the-round projects. A baby hat using this free <a href="http://www.knitworld.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Plunket-Knit-World-Beanie-Singlet-and-Socks.pdf" target="_blank">pattern</a>. I'll send it to Crafty Volunteers for the <i>Woolen baby clothes project </i>where the aim is to gather 8,000 handmade items of baby clothing by 31st of May. It's a small contribution but it all adds to the goal.<br />
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The grey hat is adult-size. I used this <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pull-on-hats" target="_blank">pattern</a> by Erika Knight from her 2010 book <i>Simple knitting</i>. I'll send that off to Crafty Volunteers too - but not for the baby project, obviously.<br />
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Both hats are stretchy with generous fold-up brims to be worn slouchy or snug.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> I'll admit to abandoning <i>The last hours</i> by Minette Walters. Once I heard there was going to be a sequel I just knew that I couldn't go on. So... I'm now reading <i>Driving to Treblinka : a long search for a lost father </i>by Diana Wichtel. When the family moved from Canada to New Zealand, her father was meant to join them later but never did. The book is about the author's search for him many years later. And so far, it's good. 😀Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-19663890898785962752018-04-26T20:58:00.001+12:002018-04-26T20:58:31.694+12:00knits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The short sleeved baby cardigan - using <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beyond-puerperium" target="_blank">this pattern</a> - is finished. It's for a my second grandchild due in Spring. Very exciting.<br />
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And three new things being knitted all at once in the round and on
double points. <br />
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Cooler autumn weather is great for knitting.<br />
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<b>Listening:</b> <i>Black sheep</i> podcast. This is a Radio New Zealand podcast series about some of the more interesting characters (and some villains) from NZ's history. ****Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-10533130345272381032018-04-17T15:29:00.001+12:002018-04-26T21:04:33.881+12:00cake and elephants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the middle of the feijoa season and we have an abundance. We've been giving them away to neighbours and workmates (isn't everybody at this time of year?) but still have too many. If you're in the same situation you might like to use some up by making this <a href="http://www.foodlovers.co.nz/recipes/ginger-and-feijoa-cake.html" target="_blank">recipe</a> for ginger and feijoa cake. It's delicious, moist, easy to make and uses up 500 grams of feijoa pulp. It's good with lemon icing and might be even better with the addition of walnuts. <br />
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I was hoping to have a small herd of elephants made but I'm afraid there's only two. I used this free <a href="http://ideas.sewandso.co.uk/free-soft-toy-sewing-patterns-elephant/" target="_blank">pattern</a>.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> I've just started <i>The last hours</i> by Minette Walters. It's set in Dorset, England in 1348 and tells how the lady of the manor and her serfs survive the plague. Lady Anne is progressive in her ideas about equality, education, religion and healthcare possibly because Walters is writing from a modern perspective. The characters are (so far) predictable. The book is unbelievable but I don't want to stop reading it.<br />
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<b>Watching:</b> <i>Wild, wild country</i> on Netflix.<span class="st"> This is a documentary series about guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the commune he established near the tiny, isolated town of Antelope, Oregon in the 1980s.</span>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-49607588572004540322018-04-10T18:04:00.001+12:002018-04-12T11:11:29.422+12:00works in progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's wild and blustery day today. This is our first "significant winter storm" and the end of a lovely, long summer. Interestingly, today, as this storm blows in, New Zealand commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of its worst maritime disaster, the sinking of the inter-island ferry, the <a href="https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/wahine-disaster" target="_blank"><i>Wahine</i></a>.<br />
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I have some things in progress to show you. I'm knitting another puerperium baby cardigan like these ones (<a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/07/omapere.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2016/07/magic.html" target="_blank">here</a>). But this time it's guilt-free knitting as I finally purchased the full pattern - <i>Beyond puerperium</i> - that goes from newborn size up to 2 year-old and includes 4-ply, 8-ply and 10-ply yarn options. The <i>puerperium</i> must be one of the most popular free patterns on <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puerperium-cardigan" target="_blank">Ravelry</a> and I've wanted to acknowledge Kelly's generosity - by actually buying the pattern - for ages.<br />
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Plants are always works in progress, if you think about it, and I recently re-potted my ficus. This is my indoor plant success story; it's still alive - and flourishing - after being in my care for a whole year. I'm also very proud of the spider plant that I grew from a cutting. I love propagating plants - so easy really but so rewarding too. I have a few other cuttings ready to be potted up: another spider plant and some succulents and cacti.<br />
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The elephant is really just a spur of the moment try-out of a pattern I found. More on that next time.<br />
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<b>Drinking:</b> red bush (rooibos) tea<br />
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<b>Listening:</b> <i>Border trilogy</i> (podcast) on Radiolab - the background story to USA's protection of its southern border with MexicoBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-68244975218410791362018-04-03T16:23:00.001+12:002018-04-03T16:23:18.844+12:00joy and comfort<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New black and tan checked linen apron to replace <a href="http://never-odd.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/tea-towel-project-1.html" target="_blank">this old work horse</a>. I've added pockets this time.<br />
<br />
And, with no particular baby in mind, a baby cardigan fresh off the needles - although a long time on the needles. I put off knitting those tiny sleeves for months and then had problems with the front button band that I did and undid four times and still didn't get the best finish. However this is a good free pattern that I'm likely to make again. Details <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-yoke-baby-cardi" target="_blank">here</a> on Ravelry.<br />
<br />
<b>Reading:</b><br />
<i>The gentle art of Swedish death cleaning : how to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter</i> by Margareta Magnusson. The idea is that you ought to sort your stuff out before you move out of
the large family home into a smaller apartment and, preferably, before
you die so that other people (probably your grieving children) don't
have to do it for you. Margareta doesn't give a lot of detailed advice
but chats away in a lovely friendly way. I was very fond of her by the
time I finished her book. She suggests you should start your
decluttering early (at about 65 years of age), take your time and focus
on one room at a time.***<br />
<br />
<i>Goodbye, things : the new Japanese minimalism</i> by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYaxgVcgHLU" target="_blank">Fumio Sasaki </a>who is a serious minimalist and lives in a tiny apartment in Tokyo with very few possessions. Even if you're not interested in living in such a seemingly extreme way this book is worthwhile to get us thinking about consumerism. In the 2013 documentary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUBVl0FG6Yc" target="_blank"><i>My stuff</i></a> by Petri Luukkainen, Petri puts everything he owns into a storage unit. He can retrieve one thing a day for a year to discover just how much he really needs. It turns out he could get by with 100 things but needed 200 to live with
some “joy and comfort".***Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-64064377164837845722018-03-19T14:15:00.002+13:002018-04-05T17:28:49.430+12:00dressing the bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sewing for Woe Bear - a dress (made using this <a href="https://ruthplustwo.com/2013/10/10/doll-peasant-dress-free-pattern-and-tutorial/" target="_blank">free pattern</a>)
and self-drafted matching bloomers. Gingham always reminds me - in a
good way - of Sylvanian Families. These grey rabbits belonged to my
children and are now cared for my granddaughter. I like that. I wonder if some of the toys that she has now might one day be enjoyed by her children. <br />
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Nigella in the garden. I planted it mainly because I love its common name - <i>love-in-a-mist, devil-in-a-bush</i>. I think the name came about because the flower sits in a 'mist' of delicate, dill-like foliage. The devil is the horned seed head, also surrounded by foliage. Not a grandiose statement plant. But quietly intriguing. And a good self-seeder.<br />
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<br />
<b>Reading:</b> <i>Knots and crosses</i> by Ian Rankin. This is the first book in the Inspector Rebus series - mindless page-turner crime. Great reading and plenty more where this came from. ****<br />
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<b>Watching:</b> <span class="st" data-hveid="160" data-ved="0ahUKEwipusbnmPfZAhVFbbwKHQsUDNoQ4EUIoAEwAQ"><i>Transparent</i> - a comedy-drama web series created by Jill
Soloway about a Los Angeles family and their lives following the
discovery that the person they knew as their father is a transgender woman. *****</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="160" data-ved="0ahUKEwipusbnmPfZAhVFbbwKHQsUDNoQ4EUIoAEwAQ"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="160" data-ved="0ahUKEwipusbnmPfZAhVFbbwKHQsUDNoQ4EUIoAEwAQ"><b>Eating:</b> At last - feijoas. Although spoiled somewhat this year by the "alien invader" guava moth larvae (those little worms that get inside the fruit)</span>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-36150929328597056122018-03-09T10:42:00.001+13:002018-03-09T11:10:38.385+13:00hem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IB9W55yoBiY/Wp45LodSO6I/AAAAAAAAEx0/4zWpv0e7kwIuA_Y7i0PEZdhhf57aLUivACLcBGAs/s1600/linen%2Bteatowels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IB9W55yoBiY/Wp45LodSO6I/AAAAAAAAEx0/4zWpv0e7kwIuA_Y7i0PEZdhhf57aLUivACLcBGAs/s1600/linen%2Bteatowels.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Autumn is coming. The weather is still mostly lovely but
maybe ever so slightly cooler. I'm feeling less like rushing off to swim
in the surf and more like doing inside things. So I've started off with
some simple sewing - hemming linen to make tea towels. I love linen tea
towels - extra absorbent and long lasting. I have a few 'vintage'
ones found in op shops - but sometimes it's nice to make your own. (Any
excuse to visit the fabric store). The
hardest part is finding linen fabric at the right weight - not too fine
(too absorbent) but, also, not too weighty. <br />
<br />
And more hand hemmed hankies - cut from a graphic leafy floral found in a scrap bundle bought from <a href="http://www.greytownvillage.com/jet/" target="_blank">Jet</a> in Greytown on our recent holiday. One hankie finished and one in progress. One to keep and one to give.<br />
<br />
<b>Reading: </b><br />
<i>Another year of Plumdog</i> by Emma Chichester Clark. Horray, more adventures of <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/plumdog.html" target="_blank">Plumdog</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">!</a>
This is a delightful comic/graphic novel diary written from a dog's
perspective. Compulsory reading for anyone who has enjoyed the company
of a dog. *****<br />
<br />
<i>Remodelista : the organized home</i> by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick. I cannot tell you how much I love this book. It is full of simple ideas - and beautiful ways - to tame the chaos in your home. I want to fill my pantry shelves with jars of chick peas and rice.*****Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-44693177052525206952018-02-23T20:48:00.001+13:002018-03-09T13:31:00.657+13:00jam and other things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started this post in the middle of January - a month ago - when I was going to tell you about jam making - fig and ginger - using figs from our tree. It's an old tree but it still produces plenty of fruit. We didn't throw a net over it this year - just left the birds (mainly sweet little <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/silvereye-or-wax-eye/">Waxeyes</a>) to enjoy the figs - but we still ended up with more fruit than we could manage. So a batch of jam seemed like a good idea. I used <a href="https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/09/fig-tree-auberge-and-fresh-fig-and.html">this recipe</a>. It's very gingery so I'd only put in the two tablespoons of ginger if you're fond of it.<br />
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And then we were on holiday in the <a href="https://wairarapanz.com/">Wairarapa</a>:<br />
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<b> </b>The view from the lighthouse at Cape Palliser (the southernmost point of the North Island) </div>
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the fishing village of Ngawi where the fishermen launch their boats using graders (instead of tractors)</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Castlepoint</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">and lighthouse.</span></div>
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We finished our holiday with an overnight stay on Kapiti Island - a predator-free bird sanctuary. If you're at all interested in New Zealand birdlife I'd recommend the overnight visit. On our last day - the most wonderful and unexpected thing - a sighting of a small pod of orcas moving through the Rauoterangi channel between Kapiti and the mainland. <br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <i>My sister life : the story of my sister's disappearance</i> (1997) by Maria Flook. A disturbing but true story of the author's younger sister who <span class="st">in 1964 </span><span class="st"><span class="st">at the age of 14 </span>ran away from home in suburban Delaware </span><span class="st">and fell into a life of prostitution and substance abuse. ****</span><br />
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<span class="st"><i>I am, I am, I am : seventeen brushes with death</i> by Maggie O'Farrell. A collection of essays about the author's own near-miss experiences with death. Powerful, moving. Possibly my favourite book of 2017.*****</span><br />
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<span class="st"><i>Vernon God Little</i> by DBC Pierre - winner of the Man Booker prize 2003. I'm re-reading this. Loved it the first time round - not so much this time as the element of surprise has gone - but still good. Texan teenager, Vernon Little, falsely accused of involvement in a school massacre, goes on the run. ****</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st"><i>Plant love : how to care for your houseplants</i> by Alys Fowler. Comprehensive plant guide. *****</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st"><b>Watching:</b> <i>Breathe</i> film based on true story of polio victim Robin Cavendish - and his feisty wife, Diana - and their efforts to help Robin live a good life ****</span><br />
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<span class="st"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNi_HC839Wo"><i>Ladybird</i></a> - </span><span class="st"><span class="st">a </span><span class="st"><span class="st">coming-of-age comedy-drama </span></span>written and directed by Greta Gerwig (<i>Frances Ha, Mistress America, 20th Century Women</i>) and starring Saoirse Ronan ****</span><br />
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<span class="st"><b>Eating:</b> Things from the garden - tomatoes, cucumbers, figs, passion fruit. It's been a bountiful summer. 😀</span>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-37488017757127539792017-12-23T18:14:00.000+13:002018-01-04T17:43:45.437+13:00summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my granddaughter's much loved bear showing off his new summer clothes made by me. I say they are for him but, really, they are for her. There's been much secrecy to get everything made in time for christmas as she doesn't like to be without his company for long and I needed him for fittings. He is such an odd shape but by sewing for him I've learnt quite a bit - mainly by trial and error - about pattern drafting like working out how to make sandals for a bear that doesn't really have feet! <br />
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<b>Reading: </b><i>Anything is possible</i> by Elizabeth Strout. This is a short story collection in the style of <i>Olive Kitteridge</i> but the stories revolve around the character Lucy Barton (from <i>My name is Lucy Barton</i>). A beautifully written and compelling book. ***** <b> </b><br />
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<b>Watching: </b><i>Mindhunter</i> on Netflix. Based on the true crime book of the same name. Two <span class="st">FBI agents interview serial killers to help them develop a method for criminal profiling. ****</span><br />
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<span class="st">Happy holidays to you. I wish you safe travels and good times. </span> </div>
Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-80048599246516136462017-12-15T10:11:00.000+13:002017-12-15T17:31:00.513+13:00home and away<br />
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We've just had a wonderful week staying in Russell in the Bay of Islands. Russell is a lovely town and there's plenty to do up there.<br />
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I'd recommend<br />
<ul>
<li>a visit to Waitangi and the new museum </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>a boat trip to Urupukapuka Island - the pohutukawa and flax were in bloom and full of bees and tui plus you often get to see dolphins in the harbour</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>doing the full circle walk from Russell to Opua to Paihia. It's a bit of a stretch - 14km - but you can stop half way at Opua for lunch at the marina.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pompallier House - they now have a small café. You can sit on the verandah drinking coffee and eating croissant while looking out on the garden and harbour.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>swimming at Long Beach</li>
</ul>
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And back home, the cornflowers are in full bloom and bringing lots of bees into the garden. And the christmas cake is fresh from the oven. It's a "blonde" fruit cake that can be made close to christmas. <a href="https://www.annabel-langbein.com/recipes/elizas-fruit-cake/3436/">The recipe</a> is <i>Eliza's fruit cake</i> by Annabel Langbein. It contains prunes which give it a wonderful, moist texture. Last year I spent ages decorating the cake with concentric circles of blanched almonds but this year I got lazy and simply scattered sliced almonds over the top. Have you made your cake yet?<br />
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<b>Reading:</b><br />
<i>Tin man</i> by Sarah Winman. This is a novel about what might have been, memories, sexual identity and love - of childhood friends Ellis and Michael and, later, of Ellis and Annie. It's a well written book but it lost me about two-thirds through. ***<br />
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<i>Bertie's guide to life and mothers</i> by Alexander McCall Smith (44 Scotland Street series) I found this in one of the local book exchange cupboards when I was looking for something light and quick for a holiday read. Which is exactly what I got. I like McCall Smith's <i>#1 ladies' detective agency </i>series but <i>Bertie's guide</i> was just too twee for me. **<br />
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<b>Listening:</b> Tiny desk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoPoI1IwcTw">concert </a>by Cat Stevens Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-27763811690475220182017-11-28T16:18:00.001+13:002017-11-28T21:46:39.100+13:00shortbread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A new apron for Gus - just like<a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/05/sweet.html"> this one</a> - made from her kindergarten fundraiser tea towel. It's very cute with each child's self-portrait printed on it.<br />
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And cranberry shortbread cookies. The recipe is available in Donna Hay's <i>The christmas issue</i> Dec/Jan 2018. Really good. I made them to take to a thanksgiving dinner at the across-the-road neighbours. A nice christmas gift too for family, friends, or neighbours. <br />
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<b>Watching: </b><i>Alias Grace</i> on Netflix. This is based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name. It's a fictionalised telling of the murders in 1843 of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Canada. Grace Marks was a servant in the Kinnear household and was only sixteen when she and James McDermott were accused of the murders. ****<br />
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Have a lovely week. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-84731993934626946452017-11-21T17:27:00.001+13:002017-11-21T17:30:44.401+13:00hello<br />
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It's been three weeks since I posted but I'm sorry to say I don't have anything tremendous to share - I haven't been anywhere or done anything exciting. I just took an unplanned break from blogging and making things.<br />
<br />
So... what's been happening?<br />
<br />
Well, the cosmos is looking great. I planted some a couple of years ago and it brought some chaffinches to the garden. They seem to like eating the seeds from the flower heads. So I planted more cosmos this year but, sadly, no chaffinches yet.<br />
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I've "sandwiched" quilt #4 and started quilting it by hand - which takes me forever but its very enjoyable.<br />
<br />
Everything is ready to begin sewing another dress for my granddaughter. <br />
<br />
And I've started some new knitting. Free pattern <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-yoke-baby-cardi">here.</a><br />
<br />
Other news is that we have a large <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_garden_orb_weaver_spider" target="_blank">orb spider</a> living in the garden. It comes out of hiding at night to eat and to mend its web. Unfortunately a few bees have been caught in the web and I'm torn between trying to save them and wanting the spider to live in my garden. The web is huge and beautiful.<br />
<br />
Also I've decided to rank books/films out of five - a brief summary doesn't really tell you much. What we really want to know is was it any good. Well, it'll just be my opinion but here we go ...<br />
<br />
<b>Watching:</b> <br />
<i>Aspergers are us</i> - documentary about four friends on the autism spectrum who form a comedy troupe. ***<br />
<br />
<i>My beautiful broken brain </i>- Netflix documentary about <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/having-a-stroke-aged-34-was-liberating---i-had-no-past-or-future/" target="_blank">Lotje Sodderland </a>who has a stroke at the age of 34 which leaves her unable to write and limits her ability to
communicate effectively. Rather than let this hold her back Lotje remains positive and grateful for her new life. ** (Even though the story is uplifting and Lotje is amazing, there's just not enough to sustain a full length film, IMO)<br />
<br />
<b>Reading:</b> <i>Theft by finding</i> by David Sedaris - his edited diary entries from 1977 to 2002. Entertaining and
sometimes very funny.****Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-5619100729922899482017-11-01T23:06:00.002+13:002017-11-05T09:37:30.594+13:00bears and mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three things: <br />
1. Sewing: At last I've done it - made something from a Japanese sewing book. It's dress "T" from <a href="http://www.japanesesewingbooks.com/2013/10/30/book-review-girls-style-book-in-english/" target="_blank"><i>Girls style book</i> </a>by <span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">Yoshiko Tsukiori. A</span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"> summer dress in a cotton print </span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">for my granddaughter.</span></span> It's a simple pattern. The only fussy bit was the bias binding around the armholes and neck that I stitched by hand. </span></span><br />
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">2. Yoga: I've been practicing yoga at home for a year now </span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">averaging one class a week</span></span>. </span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"> I'm not consistent. I have bursts of regular practice and then weeks with none but </span></span>I benefit from my practice and always feel great afterwards. I keep a yoga diary - a small notebook where I jot down my thoughts about the poses or my mood or quotes from the teacher (<a href="https://www.melissawest.com/" target="_blank">Melissa West</a>) that I find inspiring or helpful. I'd recommend the diary even if, like me, you're not really a diary kind of person.</span></span></div>
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">3. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP_u08JAxI" target="_blank">Dancing</a>: of the extraordinary variety by the tiny (5mm) peacock spider and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq-r20mlGes" target="_blank">science</a> behind it, if you're interested.</span></span></div>
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<b>Watching:</b> <i></i><br />
<i>No ordinary Sheila</i> - inspiring film about the life of New Zealand natural historian, writer and illustrator <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/95757470/no-ordinary-sheila-famed-nz-naturalist-sheila-natusch-has-died" target="_blank">Sheila Natusch. </a>The pages above are from her book <i>Wild fare for wilderness foragers</i> (1979). She was a true adventurer and free spirit. There is a lovely <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2597913/sheila-natusch-from-stewart-island-to-owhiro-bay" target="_blank">interview</a> with her on Radio New Zealand.<br />
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<i>Maudie </i>starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke about popular Canadian folk artist <a href="https://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/maud-lewis" target="_blank">Maud Lewis</a>. Brought me to tears.<br />
<br />
<b>Reading:</b> <i>Autumn</i>
by Ali Smith. Short listed for this year's Man Booker Prize. It's about
Elisabeth, a
32-year-old lecturer in art history and Daniel Gluck, 101-years-old and
dying in an assisted care facility. He was her neighbour and confidant
when she was a child. He introduced her to “arty art” and taught her to
always be reading a
book. The story travels between the past and present and is, apparently,
an exploration of how we experience time. I found much of this book
really clever and amusing but other bits mystifying.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-27222999991642063012017-10-17T19:32:00.001+13:002017-10-20T10:58:30.499+13:00drops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8sgU3MNZbnw/WeVK8y7UpjI/AAAAAAAAEr0/LFWAoAoseG03tswoetAF2qpERs2OY8fcwCLcBGAs/s1600/drops%2Bsinglet%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8sgU3MNZbnw/WeVK8y7UpjI/AAAAAAAAEr0/LFWAoAoseG03tswoetAF2qpERs2OY8fcwCLcBGAs/s1600/drops%2Bsinglet%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another bundle of baby things ready to deliver to <a href="http://littlesproutsnz.org/" target="_blank">Little Sprouts</a>. I think I've already posted about most of the makes but what's new is the grey striped merino baby wrap like <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/baby-wrap.html" target="_blank">this one</a>
and the pink singlet. The singlet is knitted in the round - I used a baby merino yarn - and has a button
opening on one shoulder. It's a free pattern from Drops Design available
<a href="https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6610&cid=17" target="_blank">here</a> and on Ravelry.</div>
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Other things</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/quilt-3.html" target="_blank">quilt</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/birds-and-apples.html" target="_blank">play mat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/big-red.html" target="_blank">crochet blanket</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/09/marbles-and-monkeys.html" target="_blank">sock monkeys</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/07/omapere.html" target="_blank">puerperium cardigan</a></li>
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I'm pretty keen on Japanese sewing books and own quite a few even though I have never made a single thing from any of them. I recently discovered <i>Easy cute straight sewing</i> by Yoshiko Tsukiori. It has 27 designs for dresses, jackets, pants, tops etc but comes without printed patterns as the construction of all the garments is based on straight lines (mainly rectangles) so you simply follow the dimensions and draft your own. Unfortunately it seems to be available only in Japanese. The diagrams are sufficiently detailed so that you could probably work from them without the text. However I have found a useful free, printable PDF list of common sewing terms translated from Japanese into English <a href="http://www.japanesesewingbooks.com/japanese-sewing-terminology-a-list-of-translated-terms/" target="_blank">here</a> on the Japanese Sewing Books website - which also has a cute Instagram feed @japanesesewingbooks and reviews (with flip-through videos) of many, many Japanese sewing books. I'm not sure if I have the confidence but I'd like to think I could wear some of the very oversized and loose fitting garments from this book. </div>
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Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-22236410226563830302017-10-09T20:31:00.001+13:002017-10-09T20:33:14.178+13:00blossoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le507KHD8VQ/WdrSlZQcfRI/AAAAAAAAErA/3IOxeCjpY4U-TvMJR4PizeXqKsGya9jEQCLcBGAs/s1600/cherry1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Le507KHD8VQ/WdrSlZQcfRI/AAAAAAAAErA/3IOxeCjpY4U-TvMJR4PizeXqKsGya9jEQCLcBGAs/s1600/cherry1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We have two ornamental cherry trees in the front garden that look amazing - and attract dozens of bees - for the short time that they are in full bloom. Which is now. So we celebrated hanami in the rain yesterday with a small family gathering. Hanami <span style="font-weight: normal;">(flower viewing)</span> is a Japanese custom to enjoy the transient beauty of flowers and is usually celebrated with a picnic beneath blossoming cherry trees. Unfortunately we had to have our "picnic" indoors.<br />
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And the top for quilt #4 is done. It's a variation on <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/quilt-3.html" target="_blank">this one.</a> I'm going to focus on sewing for a bit. I've had sore hands that seem to improve if I don't do much for a while. Probably an RSI thing but so frustrating. It seems that crochet in particular and knitting are bad for me.<br />
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Some good news is that a <a href="https://www.countdown.co.nz/community-environment/environmental-sustainability/our-commitment-to-phasing-out-plastic-bags" target="_blank">local supermarket chain</a> is going to stop supplying plastic carry bags by the end of 2018. I hope this will just be the start and that other supermarkets will follow and that eventually all plastic bags will be banned. <br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <i>My father's wake</i> by Kevin Toolis. This is part biography and part thinking about death and dying. The author, who is Irish, believes the wake embraces death as a normal part of living. Whereas the Anglo-Saxon world lives in denial of it. Not as gloomy as it might sound.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-45463117592476863172017-09-29T17:25:00.001+13:002017-10-17T20:13:28.839+13:00red <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some more hankies - like <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/hankies.html" target="_blank">these ones</a>. I've probably got enough now but it's a little bit of happiness to take a handmade hankie out of my pocket. The two outer ones are re-purposed cotton shirts that didn't make the cut (or did?) in a recent wardrobe declutter. <br />
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And a balloon in the bathroom. It's a portrait drawn by my granddaughter of my son simultaneously smiling and frowning.<br />
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The colours of this post remind me of a joke my father used to like to tell. What's black and white and red (read) all over? Answer: a newspaper.<br />
And a childhood favourite of my son: What's red and invisible? Answer: No tomatoes!<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <i>This house of grief</i> by Helen Garner. This is the harrowing true story of the trial of a man who drove his car into a dam killing his three young children. It's heartbreaking to read in parts but written in such a way that I almost feel like I'm on the jury. Was it a deliberate act or an accident? <br />
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<b>Listening/watching:</b> Podcast <i>Wardrobe crisis</i> with Clare Press episode <i>Disentangling style from fashion</i> with Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandelbaum from <a href="http://stylelikeu.com/" target="_blank">StyleLikeU</a>. This is truly amazing. Everything I've felt about clothing and the fashion industry is so clearly articulated. Their <i>What's underneath</i> <i>project</i> on YouTube is so worth watching - short video interviews of (mostly) women talking about self image. <br />
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Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-20152455627893874532017-09-23T11:02:00.001+12:002017-09-24T20:30:53.662+13:00birds and apples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A visit to the zoo this week followed by a walk through a local park to see the birds. This particular park has a lake and is always full of birds and, at this time of year, you can see cygnets, goslings and coot chicks. <br />
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And a play mat for Little Sprouts made from some of <a href="http://hellotangelo.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/fine-spells.html" target="_blank">these fabrics</a> and a surplus-to-needs quilted mattress protector as wadding. To make: cut the backing, top and wadding to size and make a <a href="http://blog.shopmartingale.com/quilting-sewing/making-a-quilt-sandwich-step-by-step-tutorial/" target="_blank">quilt sandwich</a>. But, instead of quilting, simply sew the layers together all around the edge, curve the corners and attach double fold bias binding. No need to quilt as the mattress protector is already quilted. <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/baby-blanket/" target="_blank">Tutorial here</a> to make a mat without binding.<br />
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<b>Watching: </b>Three (!) movies this week:<i> </i><br />
<i>Love is strange</i> (2014) starring John Lithgow as Ben and Alfred Molina as George - an ageing gay couple who have been together for decades but after George is fired from his teaching job they are forced to stay with friends separately while they sell their apartment and look for cheaper housing.<br />
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<i>Leviathan</i> (2014) Set in a bleak coastal town on the Barents Sea, Kolya decides to fight the corrupt mayor
when he is told that his house and land will be seized.
A powerful slow burner that I've been thinking about all day.<br />
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<i>Frances Ha</i> (2012) Quirky movie about a dancer trying to make it in New York City. One of my all time favourite films.<br />
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<b>Drinking:</b> Three ginger tea by Pukka. It's "a warming swirl of organic ginger, galangal and golden tumeric". Infuse for at least 10 minutes - spicy and delicious.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-24644353937682951502017-09-15T11:30:00.001+12:002017-09-15T11:30:04.087+12:00marbles and monkeys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title">Marble painting - drop a marble into paint, roll it around on a piece of paper on a tray and - ta-dah! - art. We had hours of fun with this book</span><i>, </i><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><i>Recipes for play: fun ideas for small hands and big imaginations</i> written by New Zealander Rachel Sumner. Loads of simple ideas for pre-schoolers.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">Sock monkeys - done. Pattern for cutting layout <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/trek/monkeys/sock_monkeys.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. Variations - including the cute folded ears - alternative layout and detailed construction method with photos <a href="http://www.craftpassion.com/how-to-sew-sock-monkey/" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm especially fond of the plain grey one which I thought might turn out to be a bit boring. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><b>Reading:</b> <i>The stranger in the woods</i> by Michael Finkel. True story of Christopher Knight who disappeared to live alone in the woods for twenty-seven years.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><b>Watching:</b> <i>The witness</i> - documentary </span></span></span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">about Kitty Genovese who in 1964 was
stabbed to death on a New York City street while, </span></span></span></span><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">apparently,</span></span></span></span> thirty-eight people witnessed her murder and did
nothing.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><span id="resultsAnyComponent"><span class="title"><span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText"><br /></span></span></span></span>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-43977741925691938902017-09-05T21:07:00.000+12:002017-09-05T21:07:14.030+12:00spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The early Spring weather has had me in the garden so I haven't been spending a lot of time making things lately. Instead I've been trying to lure bees into the garden by planting herbs - purple basil, mint, lemon grass, thyme and oregano - and a few flowers among the veges. We've also planted an avocado, a passion fruit vine and a bay tree. I can't wait to try drying our own bay leaves. Plus, even in a small garden, there's always lots of work to do after winter.<br />
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I did find time though to go to Fabric-a-brac last Saturday. I shopped without intent which was joyous.<br />
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Everyone in the house is away for most of this week. I always look forward to being home alone and imagine myself living a zen life - getting up early, doing yoga daily, taking long walks and eating raw foods but the reality is that I eat apple crumble for dinner, stay up late watching re-runs of Inspector Morse and sleep in. This time though I am without a plan. Today was taken up with a haircut for me, an emergency trip to the vet for the cat and a mad flurry of window cleaning - by me, of course.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> The photo and recipe for the beautiful cured eggs coloured with
beetroot and saffron is in <span dir="LTR" id="baseDirectionInsertComponent"><i>Simple fare - spring, summer: guide to everyday cooking and eating</i> <span class="additionalFields customSecondaryText">by <span class="highlight customHighlight">Karen Mordechai</span></span></span>. This is a stunning cookbook with so many interesting but simple recipes that
I'd love to try. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-56543148395337981842017-08-28T12:07:00.002+12:002017-08-28T13:35:21.221+12:00fine spells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A short, quick visit to the Waikato last Sunday - in the rain - to catch up with some friends and see their new house near Cambridge. It's a long house so most of the rooms get that wonderful view of the river. We stayed the night in Hamilton - pre-dinner dessert at <a href="http://www.duckislandicecream.co.nz/index.php#landingPage" target="_blank">Duck Island</a>, dinner at <a href="http://doughbros.co.nz/" target="_blank">Dough Bros</a>, and an excellent breakfast at <a href="http://www.miltonscanteen.co.nz/" target="_blank">Milton's Canteen</a> (great name for a cafe in Hamilton, don't you think?)<br />
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Some new fabric - a couple of "vintage" prints that I'm very pleased with, a couple from Spotlight and an impulse buy of bright blue linen from <a href="http://www.thefabricstore.co.nz/" target="_blank">The Fabric Store</a>. All fabrics washed and ironed and ready for sewing. <br />
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And, in a moment of madness and for no reason whatsoever, I made a rabbit. The pattern and instructions are in <i>Made for baby: cute sewn gifts</i> by <a href="http://cafenohut.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">Ayda Algin</a>. <br />
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<b>Reading</b>: <i> </i><br />
<i>The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance </i>(a memoir) by Elna Baker. Baker is a Mormon living in New York and looking for a husband. She goes on a diet and only
after losing a huge amount of weight discovers the miseries the world inflicts on fat people.<br />
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<i>Urban jungle : living and styling with plants</i> by Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graaff <br />
<i></i>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8209608538736274202.post-52713716884826762622017-08-15T14:20:00.001+12:002017-08-19T10:13:17.109+12:00big red<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Totally red crochet blanket for <a href="http://littlesproutsnz.org/" target="_blank">Little Sprouts</a>. I know, it's a bit crazy, but I had the wool so I used it. And it will keep a little one toasty warm out and about in the stroller on a cold and windy day.<br />
It's made up of twelve squares that I crocheted together - as I went - following <a href="http://myrosevalley.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/granny-square-join-as-you-go-tutorial.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>. This worked out well -
nice flat joins, no ridges - and so much easier than sewing squares together at the end. I also discovered <a href="http://bunnymummy-jacquie.blogspot.co.nz/2011/06/how-to-make-flat-border-for-granny.html" target="_blank">this method</a> for working the first row of the border so that it doesn't end up wavy. (Blocking also helped.) The little edging stitch I got from <a href="http://bunnymummy-jacquie.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/double-v-edging.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I'm fairly new to crochet and every time I make something I learn a new technique, thanks to all those generous makers who share their expertise on line.<br />
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Work in progress: sock monkeys.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <i>Hunger : a memoir of (my) body</i> by Roxane Gay. I've just started this one. It's a telling of the author’s life and of her everyday experience as a fat woman.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12950699148418193269noreply@blogger.com0