Meet my new friends, Frog and Toad! I finished knitting them a few weeks ago, and they're now safely at home with a friend who loves them. Based on the beautiful 1970's children's books by Arnold Lobel, this pattern was a lot of fun to knit. It did stretch my skills somewhat, considering the eyes…

Kia ora from a wintry and wild August! I hope you're keeping cosy, wherever you might be. Thought it was time to share some of the things I've been working on lately. = = = = = = = = = = = My friend Nikki kindly gave me a sweater-in-progress, after I admired it…

  (a repost from 2006 – my early blogging days!) I've been eating this and helping to make it, for as long as I can remember. My grandmother made it for us when we were really small, and I loved it so much I learned to make it too.  Here's how I make lemon curd…

Today I thought I'd share a super simple and practical tutorial. Make yourself a pillowcase or two, finished with French seams. The beauty of this method is that a case can be made from one length of fabric and it's super simple to do. I've also included instructions for shorter lengths of fabric, in case…

I love this time of year for its quietness. Winter in Wellington is not quiet in the way I remember Norwegian winters being, with their sound-proofing blankets of snow laid down fresh each morning. Here, winter storms batter the house constantly and the windows rattle at night. But there are quiet things: the delicate crackling…

Happy solstice – summer or winter! And mānawatia a Matariki! This post is coming to you from a cosy spot by the fire close to the shortest day of the year. It was dark by 5pm today, and cold, too, but I love this time of year. Everything outside is fresh and damp, and the…

Even though winter has officially just begun, the short days and general grey-ness has really settled in and the shortest day is near. Looking at these recent projects, I realise I must be trying to conjure up some warmth and light! A rather joyful discovery in my life has been cyanotype printing. I had tried…

I'd say the heading on this post pretty much sums it up! Winter has tentatively arrived here in Wellington, but here are some photos from the end of autumn.  I found a trio of books from the 1970s and 80s by the NZ painter and journalist Shona McFarlane in a second-hand shop. They kept my…

Kia ora, how are you?  Thought I'd pop on to share some of my latest projects – I seem to be having longer and longer gaps between blog posts this year! Thank you so much if you still visit this space and read my thoughts. Keira turned 17 a couple of months ago. I offered…

You know it's been a while since your last post when the title of it is 'late summer things.' I think it's fair to say we're in late autumn now, with darker and cooler mornings and evenings.  It nearly seems too late to post my last summer knit – but I said I would –…