Busy as a Bee

Today was all about cleaning, I got my kitchen/laundry floors scrubbed, cleaned the grease filter in the range hood, the bathroom scrubbed within an inch of it's life, bathroom cabinets cleaned out, picked up the kids from school and cooked dinner.

Having written it out it doesn't seem a lot really, but it's autumn cleaning time, you know that deep intensive cleaning that you do every 3-6 months.

That's dinner, a quick and on fly version of Thai chicken cocoanut curry and rice.  I seem to have run out of or misplaced my green curry paste so I substituted red, the WG hates hot curry so there's a can of cocoanut cream and a dash of lime in it, as well as fish and soya sauce.  Some red onion, finely chopped mushrooms (finely chopped because if the hubs knows they are there he will object) and some frozen veg because the WG left the veg box on the floor in the laundry on Friday and my dogs ate them overnight while I was at work!

Yes they ate the fruit and veges,  they did leave the leek, onions. oranges and potatoes but everything else is gone burger! They really love banana's best but happily ate the rest too.  Weird dogs! I found the remains spread all over the laundry floor and two very burpy dogs greeted me at the door.

The Henna tattoo on my hand got darker overnight.  When I scraped off the paste yesterday it was yellow, overnight it went brown.

I got lots of interest in it when I went out today to get coffee.  I have a weakness for BP Wildbean cafe's mocha and we were out of milk so I popped up to the local BP.  The barista grabbed my hand to look at it, she wanted to know all about it.

My youngest brother arrives tomorrow with his fiancé.  They live in Australia and came over on a cruise ship for Dad's birthday, and to have a holiday.

I'm excited to see them again.  I will be picking them up at the port tomorrow morning after the kids are dropped off at school.

My middle brother called to make arrangements for a get together and when we are together we will sort out the plan for Dad's birthday bash.  It's going to be a big weekend!

The African flower scarf hasn't been forgotten here is how it's shaping up.  I decided to do a single row and I am working on making the scalloped edges straight.

The monochrome bags (there are two on the go) are nearly done for the trip up.  I shall put Easter Eggs in them as treats for the grown ups.

I think when my niece arrives from Tauranga to stay for the school holidays, I shall get her and the WG working on some dyed eggs.  I found a great tutorial for silk dyed eggs on Pintrest using old silk ties from second hand stores.  I'd quite like to try it.

The girls like doing projects and it keeps them from begging to go to the movies...

The Monochrome Ombre Basket

Ta daaaa!

The other day I mentioned the basket I was making to take up North.  The Ombre Basket by Crochet in Color.

What I would really like to do, is make this with more greys graduating from charcoal through to white.

I made this with a few modifications.  I don't know what worsted weight is (if anyone can tell me please leave a comment) so I winged it with some inexpensive acrylic 8 ply from Spotlight, their Thorobred, in Black, White and Grey.  I used two strands and a 7mm hook.  Using about half a 100gm ball of each colour, slightly more of the black.  I decided to use the black at the top because the white would get grubby just because of the oil we all have on our hands.

It turned out 23 cm (9 inches) deep, 30 cm (12 inches) across.  As you can see it holds itself upright and is about the same dimensions as the one by Crochet in Color.

It only took a few days because I have been working, given the right circumstances I think I could whip one up in a day and a half.  It's not a complicated pattern and once you have the bottom done, it's single crochet all the way to the top.

I'm actually considering this one to a friend and whipping up another to take up north.  Or maybe a couple because I am sure when my stepmother sees it, she's going to want one for herself.

This would make an awesome basket for works in progress providing they aren't too big.

So in short.  If you are looking for a quick and easy bag to make, this is it!

Autumn Storms

That's the shade cloth over the deck.  Not a lot of use for it the past two days with the crazy wet weather we've had.  At least it's not cold, but that isn't stopping Cassie Cat from fighting for space on my lap as I try to crochet.  She's determined that she must come inside all wet, with nasty cold paws and dry off on me.

My African Flower scarf is all but completed, but I'm taking a break from it briefly to make a basket to take up to Kaitaia next week when the family gathers to celebrate my father's 70th birthday.  I first saw it on Pintrest, the Ombre Basket by Crochet in Colour.  Mine is monochromatic, inspired by Aunty Mum's blanket.  Black, grey and white.  It's coming together quickly with a size 7mm hook and two strands of 8 ply crocheted together.

Here's hoping these weather systems will pass before we head North.  We're lucky in that the last major flooding where my parents live on the Hokianga happened during Cyclone Bola in 87, the rest of Northland hasn't fared so well this week with everything North of Whangarei being isolated by slips, downed trees and flooding.  There's always a chance of getting stuck up there when weather like this happens.

Sneak Peak

As I mentioned I am a little behind.  Today was full on and didn't give me the time I thought I would have.  I should have known.  First of all today was our wedding anniversary, second it was the day of the Karaoke/Come as your fav popstar party the WG was attending.

My morning was spent as hair, make up and wardrobe.  Last night I braided a layer of the WG's hair and created long pin curls while it was wet.  About lunch time I was removing braids and pins of varying degrees, which textured her hair with waves, ripples and straight bits to create the "funky" look she wanted.  The make up was way grown up and gave her father palpitations but it was still not as full on as I would wear for a night on the town, just some smokey eyes just like Brooke Fraser wears and a touch of lippy.  The wardrobe was jeans, a long tank top and a lacy rockstar jacket and books.

We added a pair of dangly earrings, a tambourine necklace on a leather thong and the WG's acoustic guitar as accessories.

She looks every inch the rockstar but in a wholesome kind of way in my opinion.  Natural hair, no skin in sight.  I wish there were more rock chicks like her!

I got some rows done while the party was going on, but after we picked up the WG, I was whisked out to an anniversary dinner and a drive about town.  Just like we used to back in the day!

We went down Queen St, around the bays and back again.  Stopped for a mocha and home about 10:30pm.  I think we broke curfew because the Man Child was baby sitting and didn't look impressed when we rolled in.  Oh well!

Anyway.... Moving right along!

Can you work out what I am making? It starts off with a flat circle.  But wait....

There's more!

Granny stitch?

Yes!  It's the Lucy inspired Granny bucket bag!

I'm just a few rows away from finishing the body, then I'll be making the handles and assembling it.

I'm seeing it lined with pretty fabric ultimately but I should have the basic pattern worked to show you very soon.  Providing everything falls into place and does as I want it to do in the household tomorrow.

The past 3 Months

Looking back over the past 3 months (give or take) since I began this little blog, I've had some adventures!


Over 800 views: Which surprises me.  I don't count, but blogger does.  It's amazing, incredible to me that people have looked my little project over 800 times.  I'm currently searching for some free software for my macbook that will help me to  position photographs in a more aesthetically pleasing way.

I've travelled: Twice by air, once by boat and many times by car.  I've driven to Whangarei twice, took a boat trip to Waiheke.  Flown to Christchurch and Wellington.  Not bad really for such a short time period. I've seen the devastation of earthquakes, the seat of Government and basked in the Northland sun.

I've made: Bags, Blankets, headbands, bracelets, flowers, wallets, pencil cases and stepped well outside my comfort zone to make a work of art for the Wee Girl.

I organized: my kitchen cabinets and drawers!  In a fit of domesticity, I lined my cabinets with pretty blue and white spotty wallpaper, sorted, cleaned and put away in a coherent order.  So exhausted was I by this task that I have failed to do the same with my plastics cupboard yet.  I actually dread opening that cupboard full of containers and lids but I vow to complete this before I commence the annual Autumnal clutter bust.

I've photographed, devastation: beautiful scenery, animals, children and so much more.

And I thought I lived a fairly mundane existence!  Speaking of which, it's time to get the Wee Girl from School!

A little nautical flavor

My latest bag.  The pattern is based on Lucy's bag,  in that the base is trebles and circular using her increase by 1 between the two trebles into one stitch method.  Then I went and modified.

I wanted it slightly smaller than my yarn bag, so I can carry my diary etc around and a little sturdier.  So I single crocheted from the base upward.

Single crochet with 8 ply bamboo viscose makes for a pliable yet sturdy bag.

To make the woven decoration I did a single row of treble every second stitch.  I crocheted a ribbon of trebles in light blue and threaded it through and tied it off with a reef knot.

I decorated it with a silver starfish charm.  I think it looks rather pretty.  It easily fits my A5 notebook and diary, pens, the wallet I made.

The colors are navy blue, light blue and a light mint green.