Art Exhibition and Market Fair

The boys school has annual art exhibition. It is well attended and as a member of the school board, I help organize the wine and cheese. Every has their art work in it.
Our eldest was amazed to find a piece of tile art work he had done around 6 years ago on the school's brand new building. He even remembered it! This building is due to be opened officially in a few weeks - yes it takes years for new buildings in Catholic schools in NZ as the parents pay for the buildings -
Not the government!! This tile piece was ready back then for the new
building.
I was delighted to find a bit of middle child's art work right outside the staff room too . I will be sad when he leaves this school at the end if the year -
Not many opportunities at the next place to go into the actual school!

I made a quilt!

On Sunday, from start to finish, I made my first ever lap size quilt! I am thrilled with how it has turned out! Not 100% perfect - not all squares perfectly lined up - but for a first go I am pleased! I did have to You Tube to get the mitre corners worked out.
I now plan on making a couple for Christmas gifts!
I am absolutely gutted that The Little Craft Shop in Pt Chev is closing down. This has been my go to shop for over a year now and Helen there has really helped me get back into my craft - especially knitting. Very sad to see it closing on September 22. I had better go and stock up before it closes!!!!

Knitting a gorgeous vest at the moment. Photos soon.

Is anyone making anything at the moment?

Peaceful unplanned day at home

The books are piling up at school - blitzes a trolley of shelving yesterday but at end of day, all piled up again.
An unplanned at home due to a nasty woman's complaint , so knitting, watching Olympics and dashing to the loo - sigh. So not impressed with myself! Could not get into doctor's till later today.
Had all my hair cut off the past weekend and hairdresser discovered that I have numerous bald patches, so need to get that checked out too - wow!
I possibly need to slow down - winter sports nearly over and just a few more days till my next assignment is due!

Until then it is trying to stay watered up, eat decent food ( as she sits down with a mallow puff and cup of tea!) and chill! And get the kids into bed earlier - the Olympics have thrown us all out sleepwise! One child had been staying up past midnight on the weekends!

Off to attempt to cable!!!!

Not home alone

I have been having so much trouble with my silly I-pad to the point I nearly gave it to one of the children! I hate the thing and think they are so over rated ! I want a good old-fashioned desk top. My cellphone died too and nearly 2
weeks in I do not know what to buy! Have been using the nearly 14 year old's old one.
Good camera died too, so using one if the kid's one as well. I would like a really good camera- might wait till my birthday!

Husband has been home for a couple of weeks. We have done lots - he has built our new garden shed from scratch - done a great job! Vege garden is blooming! I've been studiously working away on my professional registration for my library qualification which has to be
Done every 3 years - from where I stand it is bloody harder than what a school teacher has to prove! I have my next lot of assignments due in in 2 weeks for my other course - the motivation has not been grand for that!

I have been watching a bit if the Olympics - I never watch tv but with the knitting needles flying , it is good, yay for our men's equestrian team and their bronze medal!

Husband taking me out to dinner tonight - out of the blue! He even organized a baby sitter - what a guy! In 2 weeks time we will have a 14 year old and legally won't need a babysitter ... Hmmm - one or two if the kids might try and kill each other ????

I must make this blogging a daily habit!

Not Home Alone

motivation in school holidays

I am a BIG home person - my kids on the whole are too! We can always potter around the house and find things to do! Obviously for me this involves knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, writing, reading, studying, baking, preserving, jam making etc. Oh and the never ending housework and laundry.
We have had some stunning days these hols and I have been motivated to go out a bit more than usual.. other day to the museum and today on the train into the city, a walk around the newish Wynyard Quarter - Auckland has opened up a whole new part of the waterfront and it is gorgeous. Today we splurged at a water front cafe - probably something my husband would not do with the boys, but he is away, so off we went! :) Great fun! And another fantastic visit to the National Maritime Museum - free to Aucklanders ( just like the Auckland Museum.). The boys always love looking at museums - we struggle with Auckland being such a small city (to us!) and having so few museums. The Art Gallery had a big spruce up last year too, so we must go and visit that as well.
A little bit of more wool buying today too - crikey that is the 3rd visit in a week! But I can now finish the middle child's jersey, which was started over a year ago. I have learnt that when you buy wool you buy a lot, especially if you are going to stash it! The problem with the wool which I started knitting with , was that it was so old I could no longer buy it OR match it. So it had to be undone and then re-knitted in stripes, only to run out of the 2nd colour... sigh!!!! It really is only for camping and tramping with the scouts, but still has to look half decent.

Tomorrow will be a day at home I think! I do love this city - it is so beautiful - I do think we need to go out and explore more of it!

knitting frenzy

to keep warm and my hands busy these school holidays, I have been frantically knitting! Just finished my vest knitted in 4 ply Misti Alpaca. Gorgeous to knit with, it used less wool than the pattern said - I am a loose knitter though and do tend to go down needle sizes with all patterns now. Enough wool left over to knit some socks - i have a horde of sock wool! very pleased with the vest and found some vintage buttons from my aunt's collection - she gave me all her patterns/ cotton (wooden reels!)/ notions/rickrack etc last year!
Pleased I taught myself the lacey bottom pattern - quite easy!

When I was sick with strep throat a couple of weeks back, I attempted to learn cable stitch - found it easy BUT am so cack handed I did a beautiful cable of the wrong side of the work! It was a cowl and I still do like it and will wear it both sides - hee hee. Will attempt another one again another day!

i have spent $100 on wool this week - yikes! Finished and started a slouchy hat for the youngest - thrilled with it too - 2nd only hat i have ever knitted and I am hooked! Will make them for gifts mostly - as my middle child says, we have enough knitted hats to give to a class of kids! He is off on a big scout camp next weekend, so we have woollen socks, hats and jerseys stockpiled. He is only allowed wool and polyprop items. I still have not finished his jersey - need to get to another shop to get particular wool!

I am now starting a simple jersey for a soon to be one year old in Sweden.

I was up in the attic before and discovered hot water bottle covers I had knitted a few years ago - I love them! Don't think I found them for last winter! Wish I knew where the pattern was. Also found my dog door stopper- he still needs eyes! This was knitted years ago too!

what craft has everyone been doing lately?

Husband has gone overseas for 2 weeks for work - I am not a fan of solo parenting and find dinners the worst as he does a lot of cooking - I bake lots, but he cooks more! Have worked out a menu for several days with the kids, so that is a start! Also need to keep myself motivated to take them places! I can get a bit slack over holidays as need a total break myself! We are all home body's too.....
We are booked to go away for a few days, so that will be a break out of the city!

hope everyone is coping with the hols - at least we have had gorgeous weather for once!