Helping in a Small Way

For the first time in the almost three years since we've owned it, we plugged an aerial into our tv screen last night (it's only been used for watching dvds via the computer) and spent the evening watching the news.

If you haven't heard already, I'm sure you must be out of touch with current events.  Christchurch has been devastated by a massive earthquake that cannot be compared to the last one in September.

This is one of those things that will affect every New Zealander in some way, whether directly or indirectly.

I live far enough away that I didn't even feel the earthquake when it hit, but that also means I am limited in the help or support I can give to my fellow Kiwis.  I've decided to follow the initiative of some other Kiwis on Ravelry and donate from my pattern sales.

From now until the 15th of March I will donate half of all sales to the Christchurch earthquake fund.  I'm not entirely sure yet to which charity I will give, most likely the Red Cross, but I will look into it over the weekend.  As my patterns are in US$ I will convert it to the equivalent NZ$ and donate weekly (depending on sales).
I currently have available for sale -  (Ravelry links) Elisaac, Clara, Clara DK, Clara Doll & the Clara Collection.  Check out My Designs page also.  And my newest design, Sweet As..., is finished with the testers and just undergoing final formatting then will be available after the weekend.

If you want to make your own donations or want information on other ways to help check out this page.  There are also other ways to donate, such as a softies appeal and charity auctions (via facebook).
Read More

Passing on the Crafting Love

J was away motorbiking in Norsewood on Saturday so just us girls were home.  I asked BigMiss what she wanted to do and she promptly replied 'Sewing'.  She's been asking me for ages if she can make a toy or some clothes for her doll or other stuff like that and I'd always put it off as it was never a convenient time to teach her.  But Saturday was.

I remembered about a donkey pattern I'd saved from Ottobre ages ago and thought it would be something easy to make by handsewing (I'm not ready to let her loose on my machine just yet).  So we printed it off and she cut out the pattern.  I had to cut out the fabric as that was a little fiddly for her.  I threaded the needle, showed her how to do it and let her loose!  There were tears and tantrums and a need for time out from it at one stage but she managed to sew the ears and two legs.  (Sorry, no photos of her working as the only one's I've got have her with tears on her cheeks.)

Of course the other two were not to be left out.  MiddleMiss picked up her cross-stitch that she'd started sometime last year (and hadn't looked at since) and LittleMiss decided to make the kitten sewing kit she was given for her birthday.

Passing on the Crafty Love 2
It had pre-punched holes which made the sewing up very easy for her.  She stitched all the features on the body (except the buttons as those holes weren't pre-punched).

Passing on the Crafty Love 3
Can you see the walls are now plastered?  This is in the new lounge.

Passing on the Crafty Love 4
She had to take lots of photos of the finished product like I always do of my knitting.  There were some interesting photos - on the car bonnet, on the dog, in the dolls buggy with the doll, etc.

Passing on the Crafty Love 5
This is MiddleMiss doing her cross-stitch - it's a butterfly, if you can't tell.  Artsy photo taken by LittleMiss.

I had hoped to get some sewing of my own done, but ended up spending it on the couch with the girls so I could give them the right amount of attention as needed.  I did manage to get some knitting done, in between helping.

By the time J got home it felt like I'd done nothing all day, but it was guilt-free as I'd spent quality time passing on crafty love to my girls!
Read More

FREE Yarn!

I love giveaways!  I'm sure everyone does.

I've been following a blog that had one every week!  (She's just slowing down this year to every fortnight.)

Yarn on the House is a great place to hear about new yarns, patterns, designers and other interesting knitting-related stuff as well as a chance to win something from the latest sponsor.

February 1 marked Veronika's 1 year blogiversary and to celebrate she's giving away a basket load of yarn each to two lucky people!  All you have to do is be a (public) follower of the blog or a member of the YOTH Ravelry group.  For more details on the giveaway, check out this post.

(I don't mind if you don't become a follower or join the group - it'll give me a slightly better chance of winning all that yarn!  Though if you do win, you can share with me...please?)
Read More

Five

On Saturday my LittleMiss turned 5.

She started school on Monday.  Apparently school is "super easy!"

I'm going to miss keeping company with my little companion.  (Referred to by the builder as his "radio" for her constant chatter while he was here working.)
Read More

The Clara Collection

During testing of the first Clara, I was asked quite a bit for an 8ply/DK version as it seems that some people are a little scared of 4ply/fingering - or at least the time it takes to knit compared to using 8ply/DK.  I had planned on doing this, but wasn't too sure how it would look in thicker yarn.

I was quite pleased with how the prototype knit up.

As it was for a birthday present, I had a great idea to knit up a doll version of the pattern also in the left over yarn so the recipent and her dolly could have matching tops.


I decided to write up the pattern for the doll version also and released it at the same time.  This is available in both 4ply/fingering and 8ply/DK so you can make one to match either Clara version!

The DK version of Clara has all the same features as the original except without the beads and fitted body options.  (Beads can be added if you can find suitable ones to fit over 8ply/DK, though they really do look best in the finer 4ply/fingering yarn.)


All three Clara patterns - Clara, Clara DK and Clara Doll - are also available together as the e-book Clara Collection.


Clara DK Pattern Details:

Sizes:
Approx age/chest measurement
3mth 40.5cm/16"
6mth 43cm/17"
9mth 45.5cm/18"
12mth 48cm/19"
18mth 50.5cm/20"
2yrs 53cm/21"
3yrs 56cm/22"
4yrs 58.5cm/23"
5yrs 61cm/24"
6yrs 63.5cm/25"
7yrs 65.5cm/25.75"
8yrs 67cm/26.5"
9yrs 69cm/27.25"
10yrs 71cm/28"

Yarn Requirements:
8ply/DK yarn: approx 200-600yds/183-549m

Gauge/Tension:
22sts x 30rows on size 6/4.00mm needles over 10cm/4" in stocking stitch

Purchasing details:
Price: USD$6
Purchases are made via PayPal and a downloadable pdf link is emailed immediately.




Clara Doll Pattern Details:

Size:
To suit approx 23cm/9" chest doll

Yarn Requirements:
8ply/DK or 4ply/fingering yarn: approx 65yds/60m

Gauge/Tension:
22sts x 30rows on size 6/4.00mm needles in 8ply/DK

28sts x 36rows on size 3/3.25mm needles in 4ply/fingering
over 10cm/4” in stocking stitch

Purchasing Details:
Price: USD$1
Purchases are made via PayPal and a downloadable pdf link is emailed immediately.




Clara Collection:
All three patterns - Clara, Clara DK and Clara Doll for one special price.

Purchasing Details:
Price: USD$10
Purchases are made via PayPal and a downloadable pdf link is emailed immediately.
Read More

A Top With Five Sleeves

What do you think I do lots of when camping?  (Besides getting sunburnt because I forgot to put sunscreen on.)
Knitting of course!
My latest - 'Sweet As...' ready for testing soon!

Though I think the sisters-in-law think I'm a bit crazy.  I knit and frogged (un-did), knit and frogged, knit and frogged, then knit and frogged once more the same sleeve.  I basically did one each day - each time I finished one the girls were in bed so I couldn't try it on to see how it looked.

But I had to get it perfect!  (At least it was a short sleeve so it didn't take too long to do each time.)
It had to have just the right amount of 'puff'.  Not too little (like the first one), or too much (like the second one), or started and ended wrong (like the third one) but just right!

Do you think I got it right?

 


In case you're wondering, the 5th sleeve was the one on the other side once I'd got the first one right!
Read More

Camping Kiwi Style!

So what does camping look like for our family?

We had directions from J's sister (she knew the farmer and organised the campsite/paddock use) and ended up about 10 minutes drive along an almost dry riverbed into the hills off the road between Cape Palliser and Ngawi.  All of J's family were there - a total of 14 adults and 11 kids, plus some dutch tourists and their 6mth daughter that were staying for the week with J's parents!

Here's our tent with the smaller tent the big girls used just in front to the left.

There were nine tents arranged around the edge of the paddock and J's two brothers (being more adventurous, or maybe they just wanted to be further away from the night-waking babies) were over the fence in the bush.

We took the girls' bikes with them which got a LOT of use being shared amongst the cousins also.

We ate in style, even though most things were cooked on the BBQ!  Here's MiddleMiss 'whipping' the cream for our pancakes.

There was an array of quad bikes and the 4WD landcruiser to provide transport around the farm tracks and along the riverbed.
 The landcruiser all loaded up to go to the beach!

 Swimming at the beach.

Thursday afternoon was very windy.  A good test of who has the best quality tent!  The girls got a little scared at night worrying about their tent blowing down, but the next day (the wind had died down some) was great for kite flying.
No kites with us, but a plastic bag and fishing line works just as good!

Friday (our last day to do stuff) we went to the Crystal Pools, a secluded, natural swimming hole further round the coast past Ngawi towards Ngapotiki.

 You can climb up (with the help of a rope) above the waterfall where there is a great swimming hole, about 7m deep.

 The more adventurous climbed even further up above the next waterfall.

 The view out towards the ocean.

On the last night we raced out to try and watch the sunset, but were a little bit late.
That's the top of the South Island you can see through the haze.
Read More
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)