tiny happy

topographical flow

Last weekend Tom and I took a small trip out of town, with our warmest clothes, a big stack of library books, a bottle of wine and some craft projects (me). Whanganui's Sargeant Gallery has always been one of my favourites so we visited the Edith Collier exhibition (look at these beautiful paintings!) and the Maureen Lander's Flatpack Whakapapa weavings.

On Saturday the winter sun was shining brightly on the Whanganui River and we went kayaking for a bit and for a walk along a wild surf beach thick with driftwood that led to a cafe and garden filled with giant succulents and cacti.

Did you know that last year, in a world first, the Whanganui River was granted the status of legal personhood?

Inspired by that trip, and a recent book of poetry I've been reading called Flow, which charts human settlement in this part of NZ, I've been working on some small stitched pieces that are a bit topographical in nature. 

cake stall baking and other treats

Keira made some delicious ginger crunch for a school cake stall, and since then we've had to ask her to make it for us a few times, too. This recipe is here, and it's very delicious. Although we reduce the sugar by quite a bit and it still works fine. The perfect treat to go with coffee on a cold afternoon.

Aren't those skeins of yarn so pretty? I did a swap with Deb of Revive Designs yarn and she sent me these hand-dyed yarns in soft pinks and greys, which make up a kit for a Juniper shawl. The pattern is by Libby of Truly Myrtle. I really like it but I am such a slow knitter, it might not even get started for a few months. 

My knitting life seems to be focused on simple and quick projects most of the time, I think because by the time I get home from work at night my brain isn't up to much. Also because my family love their handknit hats and accessories during the winter. This week I finished this hat for Tom in a navy blue merino. The pattern is 'Windschief' by Stephen West. You can find the details (yarn, pattern link, etc) here on Ravelry.

Last night I went to the launch of Tayi Tibble's first poetry collection Poūkahangatus. Tayi and I work together and she is an inspiring woman. Reading her poems feel like a bit of a punch in the heart but they are also funny and very clever. This morning there's an interview with her on The Spinoff - if you like poetry, and/or lipgloss (she includes some good tips towards the end) you should check it out.

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Have a lovely weekend!

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midwinter days

Hello! I hope you're keeping well and warm on these midwinter days. I thought I'd share some photos from my week. This is pretty much what I've been up to: admiring the first daphne blooms, sewing, embroidery and quite a lot of work, but I don't have a pretty image for that. 

Have you heard of Plastic Free July? I wanted to get involved by making lots of shopping bags from recycled fabrics, and maybe doing some giveaways on here. It might all have been a pipe dream though, as I've found myself a bit busy of late.

Never too busy to go plastic-free though... and I did find the time to make myself a new shopping bag. This is made from striped denim and lined in vintage cotton cut from an old curtain. I used this pattern from my blog - maybe you feel like making one too?

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Tomorrow a friend and I will be heading along to Capital Fibre Fest in Upper Hutt. It promises to be a fun event with heaps of spinning, weaving, knitting and, of course, yarn shopping. You should check it out if you're free tomorrow in the capital.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about was Nanette by Hannah Gadsby (on Netflix). You've probably already seen it by now. Or, at least, heard all about it. I watched it last week and found it really did live up to the critical praise - I thought it was amazing. Moving and funny and intense. I think you will like it.

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