Sunday 19 February 2012

Decision made

I finally decided on which rapeti I liked best. Hopefully Felix likes it too.

Lost pockets

Well I have completely lost the last few weeks - not sure what happened but time has just whizzed by.  I haven't really been doing much sewing or knitting - only a few little things including the cowl for which I just used one 50g ball of wool and came out fabulous.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it before packaging it up though - whoops.  I've also started a scarf for myself FIVE times as I couldn't decide on which style scarf to go with.  Ended up doing a lovely thick ribbed scarf which I tweaked a wee bit from a pattern that my lovely Laura sent from Australia.  It is just a simple knit one purl one with 25 stitches cast on to 12mm needles using two strands (double I suppose you might say) of yarn at a time.  Its coming along really nicely.


The thing that I have been pottering with is an Easter rapeti (rabbit) for Felix.  I'm onto my third one now as I've just not been happy with how they've come out.  The first one (which is in the middle) was too pointy, the second (on the far right) was too long and the third (on the left) is alright.  I'm definitely not going to make another so will think about fixing the first rabbits ears and then decide between the first and the third.  What do you think?




My sewing and knitting partner-in-crime and I went shopping last weekend and came home with a load of fabric so I really need to start sewing some larger things so that I start using up some of my hoard.

Sunday 5 February 2012

Trousers and cake

These are the trousers that I've been working on for Gus. The pattern is from Nina Bonita Designs. I learnt a few things when making these fabulous trousers (always a good thing) - like the importance of cutting the fabric properly to match up the pattern.  Such an amateur mistake! Not that anyone is going to notice it really as Gus won't give them a chance as he barrels past them, but I know so I'm a bit disappointed.  




I also learnt how to make cuffed hems which I think look absolutely fabulous and weren't that hard to do either.  I just had to take the time to think about what I was doing.  Gus was pretty happy about having pockets in his trousers as well - another new thing for me.  



I've also just started knitting a cowl for a present for a fellow crafty friend out of a beautiful grey merino yarn that has a fleck of black and white through it.  I've kind-of made up the pattern to suit my requirements as the patterns I found used different wool and needles to what I had.  I decided to use huge needles to give the cowl a lose knit look which I think makes it seem cosier.  I've used size 10 (metric) with Naturally Aran Tweed 10 ply 95% New Zealand merino 5% wool knops.  I cast on 30 stitches and will knit until it looks about right - maybe about 45 cm long.  Will see how it goes and update accordingly.  I'm going to wing it a bit as I want it to be just right so that while she's sitting up feeding her pepe in the middle of the night at least her neck is warm while the rest of her is exposed.

Yum - I can smell the delicious Plum Cake that's cooking away in the oven which will quickly be devoured at morena kai (morning tea).  I have to share this recipe as it is one of our absolute favourites and is so delicious and easy to make.





Dairy-Free Plum Cake
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
115 g Olivani
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 x 800 g tin plums (or whatever I have handy - either tinned or stewed fruit)
Icing sugar to dust

Sift flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add egg and crumble through with a fork. Press just over half the mixture into a greased and line 20 cm round tin. Cover with fruit. Sprinkle over remaining crumbs. Bake at 180 C for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve. Bon appetit!

Saturday 4 February 2012

For Felix, oops no actually for Gus

I finished another item this week while Grant was away.  The only good thing about him working in Auckland every other week is that I can sew without feeling bad about hiding away in our bedroom with the sewing machine while he sits by himself in lounge with only the company of the television.  


This is a great little hooded vest which I made from merino that my friend Annabel kindly donated.  It was supposed to have a pocket in the front but I used the wrong stitch and stretched the fabric so badly that I had to bin it and I didn't have enough fabric to cut another one, but I think that it looks fine without it.  It is a Red Thread Patterns design - the Playtime Popover which I thought would be perfect for playcentre as it keeps the arms free and dry (as they invariably end up sopping wet up to the elbows).  I had actually made the size 1-2 thinking that it would fit Felix but when I tried it on him, it was more like a tunic than a vest so Gus scored it instead.



Friday 3 February 2012

At last....

Well, well, well.... I have finally got around to setting up this blog.  It is something that I've been thinking about for a long, long time but it has been hard to find the time.  I decided to write a blog after reading in Buddhism for Mothers that writing about your thoughts, feelings and ideas can help to reduce stress and make one a calmer person.  So after trying to write in a journal for a month or so I decided that since I'm faster at typing than writing, this is a better idea.  This way also I get to share my special finds with other like-minded people.


I have been doing lots of thinking, imagining, dreaming, wondering and pondering about what to do with the rare pockets of time that I have for myself.  I had thought about studying either in the early childhood field again, or perhaps creatively but decided that this would require too much time and energy away from the boys.  I had also been chatting with a few friends about selling some of the items that I like to make, but as I like things to be absolutely perfect I'm not sure that my sewing skills are at the level that I would like them to be for me to be happy with selling the product.


So for now I'm just enjoying sewing the fabulous patterns that I've been discovering on Etsy.
Here is the gorgeous Kimono dress by Pattern Runway that I finished on the weekend.  I've just got back from Global Fabrics in search of fabric to make another one because I just love it so much.