tiny happy

Went to see some great stand-up comedy over the weekend- Stuart Goldsmith and James Acaster who were both hilarious. When I got home, I did some 'research' and found this routine– the ready-to-eat apricots being my favourite part.

I've been working on a set of small felt pins to take with me to this event. There'll be a gallery/shop for the teachers set up in a communal area, and I'll (hopefully) finish these in time for my display, together with some card sets and books. I really like making these, though I think the other people that live here are getting sick of me leaving threads and scissors and papers all over the kitchen table. 

I'm using some pages from an old sketchbook to design the pins- they're paintings made while working on this fabric design. 

It was a rainy and cold afternoon, and there was much homework and music practice and house work to be done. So the kids and I spent three hours digging through my basket of wool, making pompoms.

Keira made a finger-knitted chain from some hand-spun wool while Arlo and I became an efficient pompom making duo. It all started when I realised we could make them easily using our hands (like this), instead of the usual cardboard-circle palaver. Much better and happier method. 

We made pompoms in various sizes from pale pink, cream, brown, green and yellow wool. I sewed them onto the fingerknitting and now we have a wintry garland for our living area, strung around the doorway to the kitchen as a reminder of a good afternoon.

I'll be teaching some workshops at HANDMADE again this year, and two will involve making this bear from my book. Want to join us? I've been making up some bears as samples and was reminded how enjoyable it is to work with linen and to make toys. The class is also a 'junior-friendly', which means adults are free to bring along a young person aged between 7-12 to make a teddy too. So bring your son or daughter, nephew, niece or grandchild and make a day of it!

Here are the reasons why I think you should come to this class:

* Making stuff in a group is friendly and fun.

* The design is simple but you'll learn a few technical tricks for future soft toy making.

* The bear can be made up in many different kinds of fabric: I've used soft and cosy jersey as well as recycled velveteen (see those bears here)

* Each student can take home their own copy of my pattern and instructions – so you can make many more bears.

* You'll always have a beautiful handmade gift idea for new babies in your life.

* I'll bring chocolate to share.

HANDMADE takes place in Wellington, from May 31- June 1. For more information about the class, click here (scroll down a bit)

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Hope you had a good Mother's Day yesterday, if you were celebrating.

It was a shiny golden day here, complete with homemade cards (with original acrostic poems) and breakfast in bed (black coffee and white chocolate the kids bought from the corner shop- really) and a forest-walk to gather pinecones for the fireplace, followed by some guinea pig maintenance and afternoon tea with extended family.

Happy Mothers Day, and thank you for everything you do to make the world a better place.

Lovely Leunig for today.

Working from home this afternoon, and in the last hour before school pick-up, I decided coffee and knitting was in order. Our resident teenager has requested an 'ear-warmer' type of garment to wear this winter (keeps hair intact and whistling wind out of the ears- at least that's the idea) so I'm knitting her one in some lovely possum/merino yarn. 

Did you know it's NZ Sign Language Week next week? I rediscovered this absolutely beautiful music video, involving sign language, shadow play + my favourite Australian musician, Sia. Brighten up your Friday afternoon and give it a spin. See you next week, dear readers.

Knitting is something I love to do but hardly ever make time for- probably in part due to the many disappointments of my past failed projects. But a late-night Ravelry browsing session led me to this hat pattern, and I happened to have all the materials on hand, so I cast on for this hat.

Two other factors that helped me get over knitting frustration (until another failed project, at least) include:

– this great blog post by my friend Felicia: The false economy of not making.

– having my Mum to stay last week to hang out with the kids while I was at work in the school holidays. She is the most experienced knitter I know, and I asked her a lot of puzzling knitting questions.

– this great video that taught me how to do a long-tail cast-on. Hooray!

I'm really happy with the hat, and I'm almost looking forward to the next spell of wild weather so I can wear it. Almost. The hat pattern is Jane by Jane Richmond, found on Ravelry here, along with so many other beautiful patterns- what to knit next?

There was a window of time to do some gardening over the weekend, and I planted handfuls of anemone bulbs (the picture on the packet promises paintbox-coloured blooms in spring- here's hoping) as well as a raggedy Japanese anemone plant which is getting whipped by the Wellington wind as I type. 

Here are some anemone photos found on my hard-drive. Two of the images were taken in Nelson a few years ago. But the others are from Norway. I remember going walking at the start of spring and being so pleased to find the forest floor carpeted in flowers. Happy May to you, dear reader.

I am very slow to the party, and have just discovered the wonderful work of Beci Orpin. I found her latest book, Home, at the library and have been poring over the pages ever since. I really like the playful nature of the projects, styling and the friendly unpretentiousness of Beci's writing.

Here are two of my favourite projects from this book (as always, you can click on the photo for a bigger version if need be.) One, 'pompom blankets' appeals to my mild bedding-obsession and cold fingers as winter approaches, and seems like a very doable project to me (I even have some blankets waiting for makeovers.)

The other project I can't wait to start is the 'braided rag rug' which Beci makes from soft t-shirt fabric in bright green, white and pink. The other people in my house should perhaps put their tshirts safely away from my craft scissors.

"Mama, why do you always use the grey and black threads?," asked someone recently. So I'm trying to remember the other colours in my embroidery supplies tin. This free-form embroidery was worked one evening after dinner, by the fire, while supervising maths homework. (Not really supervising, the children left me and my maths skills behind last year so rather they tolerate my interest in their homework.)

Couldn't resist sharing some more vistas from our trip to the sea. These were breathlessly taken while hiking a precariously steep path, wondering to myself whether I really needed the camera and down jacket. The view at the top, and the childrens' delight at having trekked up there, was worth it. My favourite part: looking ahead to see the 'Famous Five' (4 kids + 1 faithful dog) striding along ahead of us.