tiny happy

solstice mood

I love this time of year - the days are so short yet it's not properly winter-cold (at least here in Wellington) and I still like making and eating soup and tending the fire! It's nearly the solstice, which is special and always makes me think of our friends in Scandinavia and those long summer evenings we enjoyed when we lived there (although that was more than a decade ago now!)

Other than wintry food, wearing all the knitwear, and watching Netflix under the new crocheted blanket, here are some other things I've been enjoying these days:

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The Bloomsbury Cookbook by Jans Ondaatje Rolls, which is, as you might guess, all about the kitchen, picnics, parties, weddings, Christmases and everyday meals enjoyed by the Bloomsbury set and their families. I probably won't make many of these recipes, but I love looking at all the photos and letters and hand-written shopping lists in this book. Would make a great gift for a Bloomsbury fan you know, or yourself?

Knitting on small projects such as ribbed hats for all the family (I've nearly finished my third of the season, using this trusty pattern) 

A little embroidery - above you can see a couple of project bags I made recently. The one with colourful flowers was a gift.

I recently bought a piece of eco-printed silk from a little shop in Featherston called Perpetua Studio. I really wanted to buy a long silk dress but that's a summer dream! Ceara prints her fabrics using leaves, lichen and natural dyes, and it's so beautiful. I used my piece to line an embroidered project bag, so I can admire it every time I get my knitting out. And there was a small bit left for a luxe scrunchie.

Macrame! We needed a place to put two new house plants, so I decided to try making my own hangers. I've done this once before so I had enough cord stashed away to make the pot holder on the right (along with some wooden beads from an old necklace) and for the other one, I used some garden twine I found in the shed! I used a 1970s craft book to make my hangers, but I also found this YouTube tutorial useful for remembering how to do the various knots. 

Finally, I recently finished reading Patch Work: A Life in Clothes by Claire Wilcox. I wasn't sure about this book at first, but have since decided it's wonderful. The author is a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She writes in a poetic and moving way about her career, but also personal life by describing memories that are each sparked by a piece of clothing or fabric. If you love reading essays and/or memoir, I think you would enjoy Patch Work. 

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Thank you for reading, friends! See you again very soon. Happy solstice to you, whether your nights are short or long right now.

cosy makes

June is the month for reading, watching TV and working with wool. At least it is for me!

I was so happy to complete my second crochet project - a queen-sized blanket - last week. For this, I used two cones of possum-merino blend DK I found at a Woolyarns mill sale a couple of years ago - one cone in medium grey and one in a peachy-pink shade. Both had the spinning oil still on the yarn, so it was quite stiff and rustic to work with, but light and soft after washing at the end.

I worked them up with a size 4.5 crochet hook and used the Purl Soho granny square pattern to help me get started - for some reason, I just wasn't able to understand treble clusters until I read their pattern, and then something just clicked!

The design is basically a giant granny square. I kept alternating colours for each round, and worked in a square until the blanket was big enough for our bed. Then I worked some single crochet around the edge to make a simple border.

I found the clusters were very yarn-hungry and I nearly used up both cones of yarn. I think if you were to make one of these blankets with a finer or more expensive yarn, it could end up costing a lot. So I was very grateful for my possum merino stash!

To 'block' it, I washed the blanket in the laundry tub which was just big enough, in quite warm water to which I'd added a decent amount of hair shampoo. 

Then it went into the washing machine on the spin cycle. I realised I'd have to block it outside because of its size. So I used a tarpaulin in the garden (had to wash it clean first which was a mission) and pinned the crochet around the edge. After a day in the warm sun and fresh air, the blanket was beautifully soft and dry. And i's been keeping us warm on our bed ever since! I'm so happy with it and can't believe how warm it is. It might be the best and most useful thing I've ever made!

I'm keen to have a good break away from crochet now, though, I must admit.

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One of my goals for the year was to read more - I do love to read, but often find that I end up spending the evening knitting, listening to music and or watching Netflix instead! Especially when it's been busy at work or I feel like I've been reading all day on a screen. I thought that if I challenged myself to read more purely for fun, and kept track of what I was reading, I made pick up a book more often.

I guess I"m halfway through the year and I think it has been working! I'm still quite a slow reader, but I've read some wonderful books so far - Ben Brown's A Fish in the Swim of the World was one I recently enjoyed. If you're interested in what else I've been reading, I've tried to remember to share each book in my Instagram 'stories', and those stories are saved as a highlight at the top of my profile page, under '2021 reads'.

I'd love to know what you're reading at the moment if you feel like sharing that in the comments?

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Finally, I thought I'd share a recently completed hat - I made this one for my brother in law N who had a birthday last month and knitted it up in Rowan Felted Tweed. This is a classic pattern - it's another from Purl Soho and you can find it for free here. I've already started one for Tom (but in black) and I think I'll cast one on for Arlo too. 

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The lovely Sacha McNeil has a new site all about the handmade - it's called of small matters and I think you will like it! Sacha kindly featured me - I've offered up a beginner's embroidery tutorial and there's also a conversation we had about creativity for you to read. I also recommend the delicious caramel slice recipe from her friend (amazing chef and food writer Al Brown) that I can't wait to make myself!

Thank you as always for reading, friends. I hope this finds you very well and keeping warm and cosy wherever you are in the world.

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