On the knitting needles

 It has been a bit of a knitting feast here. Loving the above book, which i bought for $10 in a Whitcoulls sale. A potholder (which can also be a dishcloth).

 Another dishcoth finished but not quite perfect. I had to change the pattern as it was written for 50 odd stitches, which is far too big for my liking, so I changed it ti to 30 stitches, which then involved me trying to figure out the pattern to make a smaller pattern with 30 stitches! (lots of soccer watching at same time!)

 Loving these socks! Look complicated but really easy. This is a $10 ball of possum wool! Not bad to get a pair of socks from a $10 ball! Very hard to photograph the pattern by yourself... :)

 Another plain sock for the husband - started on plane to Melbourne 5 weeks ago and got very close to finishing and that is as far as they have gone since then!

 Same with these fingerless mittens - started months ago, but then study kicked in.....

And a finished pot mitt.

School hols in a week - phew! - , so there will be A LOT of knitting. No further progress made with the cardigan, but I am hoping I understand the pattern a bit more.
I have a big build up of dishcloths - might do a wee New Zealand type giveaway soon of lots of my favourite NZ things and include a dishcloth! Stay tuned..

                            .......Any craft taking place at your house? Anyone on school hols already?.....

Randomly on a Friday night

1. We've had driving, heavy, sudden rain and phenominal wind today with hail thrown in too.  Rather nice being tucked up in bed now listening to it.

2. Week 9. One more week of school. I am ready for the holidays now. It isn't really even a long term, but yeah, I need a holiday. (School hols save school staff :) ).

3. A week off already and my next university paper stuff  has arrived. This paper (Maori Colonisation) looks TOUGH. The term does not start for another 2 weeks (week two of the school hols - university term is different), but I kinds think I should maybe do a bit now - the first assignment is due 2 weeks into the term. Yikes.

4. Education is tough. I am nearly at the 5 year mark in this job. It is tough. Day in, day out. I sat in on a teacher planning session (2 hours) long - crikey. So involved! So much to think about when "just" teaching. I take my hats off to most teachers.

5. It still does not let me like National Standards though. Lots of NZ children would have received their half yearly reports today. These standards are judged on an entire school year. My 10 year old has already met and surpassed them half way through the year and says "oh well. Not much left to do for the rest of the year then." Sigh. Last year of these standards kid.

6. Knitting. Knitting. Soothing. Every day. Even at school in the lunch room. Knitting 2 different socks and a cardigan for me (had help today with pattern - I hope I can succeed) and about to buy some wool to knit a teacher's daughter a cardigan too.

7. Lots of happy mail this week from NZ, Australia and USA. Divine packages. Love mail.  I have written a few letters too and have a wee pile to start and finish this weekend.

8. Breakfast have progressed to marmite and marmalade toast. Eyeing up the neighbours grapefruit tree, so I can make some marmalade.

9. Soccer world cup. Loving.

10. Puzzle mania with youngest. Loving. Off screeens - yay.

11. Snails - at least 20 of them pulled off my vege patch earlier tonight. Yikes!

11. It is the weekend. All I want is a sunny day to dry a TON of laundry outside! Have a great weekend!

DIshcloth love posted out

I adore knitting dishcloths and love giving/sending them to people. I swapped with Lisa and Nicole (MA, USA who does not have a blog). This is what I sent them...

New Zealand chocolate (Whitakers especially), tea bags and possum wool seems to be popular overseas! I love doing swaps and are amazed at the talent out there and the generosity of fellow bloggers too! I have received Nicole's package and had the boys running down the hallway stealing items from me. Lisa's is on its way.
I am taking aprt in 3 more swaps, so had better get a move on. Enjoying my free time though A LOT!

Any swaps anyone knows of which are still open?

The last week

 roaring fires night after night

 wet days - yes laundry hung outside. Not a clothes horse person unless in front of fire or heat pump. And hate using clothes driers a lot..

 sunny moments

 Tuna Ricebake from Edmonds cookbook - love

 knitting cardigan - although the pattern is challegning to read, so come to a roaring halt! Need some help with decipering it...

 cardigan sleeves finished though

 Mt Everest of ironing - not done for 2-3 weeks or so..

 I scrapbooked and scrapbooked over the weekend - pages and pages. Not fancy pages at all, but happy to get months and months of photos into several albums.

 Lemon meringue pie from Circus Circus - didn't like

The exam - DONE and DUSTED! And 3 short weeks until my next paper (stage 3 NZ history) starts. Yikes.

Good things in life!

Wool and books! A few things as a treat to my self for finishing another university paper. :)
Both on sale. Whitcoulls has had the most incredible book sale and a whole lot of crafty books - lots and lots! This wee pile was bought for $70 down from a retail price of $220 !! My two favourites are the "Design Bloggers at Home" and "60 Quick Knits" (ooooh Cascade 220 wool - divine and WANT!).

 And wool love - Good old Knit World and their half yearly sale. (I was very strong and forbade my self over the summer sale from not buying a thing. This time I mail ordered it to school - if you turn up to my school there might be a few women in the office ooohing and aaaahing over our new purchases (a lot of my mail goes to school) - it's an education for the year 7/8 in textiles :) )
And some more gorgeous Sugar'n'creme dishcloth yarn. Everytime I buy from the Yarnz website, they have a whole new lot of new colours - all gorgeous! I've already nearly knitted one around watching Germany vs Ghana this morning. (it's a dull day here, so photos are not too bright.)

Any new books/wool goodness in your household??

Mad About Bags Blog Hop

I am VERY LATE with this blog swap and carrying on from where Tracy left.

A couple of questions firstly for me to answer  as part of the blog hop -

Me - a mum of 3 boys who leads a crazy busy life. I have already sat 2 university papers this year with another 2 to start and complete by February 2015. I started my degree in 1988 (yes you read that rightt!) but in between did go to Wellington Teachers College to do a library qualification and finished that one. Have plugged away at uni papers on and off for year around the boys, but made a decision to finish the degree (a BA in history and religious studies) last year, so it is full on! I work nearly full time hours as a school librarian too (which really is the best job, manic and crazy and a whole lot more happening other than education being in a decile one school). I am also on a school board for a second term and also used to be a cub scout leader (but gave it up as I was exhausted doing everything else!). I write an awful lot to an awful lot of great penfriends (some whom I have written to for 20-30 years), travel a fair bit (I'd get on a plane every single school hols if I had my way ;) ), read, photograph, scrapbook, bake (hate cooking dinners though but am working on it...), knit, knit, knit, sew, love history etc. Need a lot of down time due to the nature of school.

What am I focussing on now?
Fabulous to pick up the knitting needles again - well I have knitted 2 sleeves for my cardigan in the past 2 weeks while memorizing exam notes. But now I can sit down and really concentrate on the back with its cables. I have bought quite a few balls of wool mail order this week and also quite a few new knitting books too (that will be a blog post!). Loving swaps. Need to knit some more dishcloths.
Since the exam only finished this morning, I am really looking forward to having a real life back, and not having the background pressure of studying! Lots of scrapbooking to be done!

How does my work differ from others?
It probably doesn't! I know few who knit in NZ. My mum and aunts knit, knit, knit too. It was my nana who taught me. I really did not pick knitting up till about 2 years ago! I cannot believe that I barely knitted for the boys when they were young, but everyone else did. The boys love knitted socks and the scout wears a lot of knitted jerseys for scout things,  I knit what I like. Am particular about colours and a wool buying fanatic! I adore knitting discloths and ALWAYS have a pair of socks on my needles!

Why do I create what I do?
I HAVE to keep my hands busy. I knit every morning tea and lunch time at school and have taught students  to knit too. Am trying to get a knitting group up and running this winter too - yay for exam being over as can concentrate on it now! I have a huge list of things I want to do.

How does my writing/creative process work?
No magic formula - I can be implusive with both. Do need to be in mood for writing letters but will get lots done at once! I jsut pick up my needles and knit and am always saving patterns on Ravelry but do not really use Ravelry for much else.

Over to Lisa and Zara - two of my favourite bloggers who will carry on with the blog hop!

I'm Lisa .Married and  live in  Western Australia. I'm a Mum to four beautiful children { 8 year old Girl,7 year old Girl , 5 years old Boy  and 8 months old Girl. } .

I love to explore many types of crafts but my favourite is sewing, Mixed media art , art journaling , learning to draw and sewing dolls/softies.

I really do wish I could crochet or knit !!

I've always been crafty even as a child. But I started to sew 4 years ago . I started sewing Raggedy Ann type dolls and toys for my children... I then discovered and fell in love with Tilda Dolls by Tone Finnanger. They are always on my list to sew.. 

I've always loved art and I love exploring mixed media.

I would love to be able to tell you I have my own craft room but with a big family in a small house all my crafting is done at the dining room corner desk.

I drink copious amounts of Tea ! {black ,no sugar ! or herbal teas.} Chocolate is my favourite {Naughty I know }

 I love to join craft swaps..I love sewing,making or buying something for the swap ..its fun to find out what your partners likes are .I like to go grab a cuppa and read over there blog to discover their likes etc and see there amazing work.

I'm Zara and I blog from Zaranne Handmade.
I started blogging a few years back a few months after stumbling across blogs. I loved the idea of sharing my latest op-shop finds, what i'd made or just what I'd been up to. It's a real little supportive community here, and it's lovely that so many others share the same passions.

A little about me.. I live in the Southern Tablelands of NSW and work part-time as a practice nurse in Medical Centre.  When I'm not working I enjoy op-shopping, baking, tending my little vegie garden, sewing with vintage fabrics and going for coffee dates with my love.

I'm a bit of a collector with healthy collections of milk glass, vintage sheets and linens, Johnson of Australia crockery, Pyrex, Little Golden Books and silver cutlery.

One day I'd love to have my own little farm and open a café and shop.. think pick-your-own fruit, handmade wares, local produce in the café and cooking/crafting classes.

stressed out

Out for a few days - now at the point of tears. University exam study and i do not mix well. No fingernails left. And not much enthusiasm for anything in my days until the exam is over around mid day on Friday. If I could wag my job, I would....  Nothing being done in the house and I'm ignoring everything and body - it is look to your Dad boys for everything. Not good really.

xox

My Dishcloth Swap

Earlier this week I received my dischloth swap package from Glenda, another kiwi. Yay for happy mail. (Glenda does not have a blog). Glenda unfortunately never heard back from her swapper, (nor did I),  so I agreed to swap with her instead. This is what Glenda sent -

 I love it all! The little macaroom kitchen timer is perfect as our stove time as stopped and the tea strainer too, as my single cup mesh one bought in Melbourne in 2002 (when we lived there and I was so happy to see an entire tea shop - less common here back then!), gave up a few weeks back. The youngest has gotten into a habit of boiling himself an egg every day after school, so the timer is perfect for him to use too.

 I adore the dishcloths and love the Sugar'n'creme choices that Glenda knitted them in. I just had to order myself some new balls this week after seeing these - the self striping one I especially love!

Here they are a bit closer with a gorgeous teatowel too. Thank you so much Glenda. My packages to my 3 partners will be going out very shortly -j ust need to be wrapped. Silly study is consuming me.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone has sent each other!

My Other Bandwagon - THROATS

My other bandwagon is sort throats. Today I had a facebook post about sort throats which basically said along the line sof "don't get antibiotics, try this drink instead".

PLEASE go to the doctor for EVERY single sore throat - yes - even as an adult. New Zealand has 3rd world country rates of rheumatic fever. We have a crisis. This steems from SORE THROATS which instead of tonsilitis could be strep throat. Sore throats can KILL you if strep and not treated. You are a danger with a sore throat to an entire community. Demand that the doctor take a swab.

Strep throat is rife in both Central and South Auckland at the moment. Thank God for throat nurses at schools - at a school I know of last week, they had 9 positives for strep throat.

It is NOT JUST a sore throat. Any sore throat is infectious and you could infect a kid with it , who does not have the money to go to the doctor. If strep this could stuff their heart up for their entire life if untreated.

Go to the doctor and stay home. This was a real bug bear of mine when I used to get tonsilitis and / or strep throat 3-6 times a year until I had my tonsils taken out last year! I get angry with any adult being anywhere if they have a sore throat. Keep your kids home from school too.

And lastly watch this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVT-4fqo8Xc

Free reign

The dear husband has given me free reign to study this weekend.
I have done 6 loads of laundry and made lemon muffins (2/24 left at the end of the day!) and knitted a lot... (and undone it all last night when I realised my increasing stitiches were in the wrong row pattern...), but other than that I have stared at notes and sighed and realised I have a looong way to go.....
(and I did have a huge gleeful grin on my face with the English being soooo close to beating our rugby team who I have no interest in at all... we can hear the crowd from our house - better luck next time chaps!).
I think my life has come to a roaring halt due to study and the house/ dinners will be neglected till June 20... this is how I cope! I have a funny feeeling school interviews for 3 kids might be in the same week of exam and those will be getting neglected by me too (I usually go - husband's turn this time!) and school reports under National Standards I have no interest in either. (they are doing fine!).

(drinking Madura English Breakfast and Australian Afternoon Tea a lot - boxes always bought home from every Australian trip!).

Good luck to others studying for uni exams.

My Bendigo Pottery Masterpieces

I absolutely ADORE the pottery vase and bowl I made (with help) at Bendigo Potteries. I love the colours of the glazing I chose too especially the brown being so retro. I could get easily addicted to pottering at a wheel I think...
And the view out my window is divine - more photos as it is just so gorgeous!

happy weekending everyone - it will be a study weekend for me... 2 more full weekends and then the exam.