tiny happy

bias skirts + baskets

I have a beautiful black bias-cut skirt I bought from Ingrid Starnes a while back. Keira's been borrowing it and cinching it in to fit with a safety pin. The fabric is kind of delicate, so I decided: enough was enough! I bought the Evie Skirt pattern from Tessuti and made her a couple of her own bias skirts.

One was like a wearable toile (practice run) for which I used some drapey blue cotton viscose fabric from my stash. It was good to practice my invisible zipper skills and I'm pleased to report I finally know how to sew a decent side zip! Then I used some really nice black rayon blend fabric for the second version. She wears it all the time so it's a hit! I might even make myself one for summer. Maybe from a linen or something light.

I've also included here a pic of my favourite purchase in a while - a small Moroccan market bag/basket for crochet supplies. I bought it from The Dutch Shop (my sister and I visited to buy salty licorice, primarily) and it's just the thing for toting around that never-ending blanket project of mine! (Here's my Ravelry project page for it).

I think in my last post I mentioned that I'd started work on a big knitting project. That garment is a sweater for Tom, knitted up in grey O-Wool Balance yarn. I'm using the Denali pattern, which is a design by Norah Gaughan. The original design has intricate cables worked on the front and back of the sweater. I'm just going to work them on the front. So the back is pretty dull to make, to be super honest. Not only that, but I don't think I have enough yarn to make the whole garment, and it seems to be currently sold out online! And it's spring, so I might put this one on hold for a few months. Sorry Tom!

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The sun was shining so cheerfully last week and I had a day off, so I spent the afternoon making a new batch of cyanotype prints. I thought you might like to see the prints as they were developing (second to last photo above) and then the finished, washed and dried pieces (the last photo). I've been sending these out to friends and using them as notecards. I love how each one is slightly different and you can never really be sure how they will turn out.

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There are two pieces of music I've been enjoying this spring. The first is the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.1, especially its second movement (the Scherzo). What an amazing work. Last month we went to see Hilary Hahn perform it here in Wellington and since then I've been listening to it through the headphones, hearing something new in it each time!

I'm also re-visiting Radiohead's album A Moon-Shaped Pool that I had on repeat when it first came out in 2016. My favourite track is Present Tense, but I find this music video, for Daydreaming, so moving.

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I hope you are well and happy and enjoying some transitional seasonal weather, wherever you might be!

See you again soon,

M

that spring light

Kia ora, welcome!

I haven't made as much time for creative work lately. Let's blame paid work, dark and rainy days and various other things. It doesn't really matter - sometimes down periods are needed to let new ideas come through.

I made a little cardigan for my baby niece Madeline a while ago now but just realised I'd not shared it here yet. The pattern, from Ewe Knit Toronto, is called the Amore Cardigan. You can find a copy here. I used some possum-merino yarn in dark grey and worked free-form embroidery around the neckline, and added little green vintage buttons to finish. I was so happy to see pictures of it on that sweet little baby - it looks lovely on her. You can find my Ravelry notes for this project here.

As for new projects, I've not had much on the go lately, although I am working on sweater for Tom. It's incredibly slow going and it will (hopefully) be done by next winter... sigh! Will share that in my next post, hopefully with some progress. 

My dream knitting project is a vest - I am keen to make the Sara Vest (a free pattern in case you're keen too!) which I think would be a really useful garment for wearing over winter dresses. In preparation, I bought some beautiful hand-dyed mohair from Nikki at Dark Harbour Yarn - it's a grey with greenish tint (I've included a photo above). I will hold that together with some dark grey fingering weight yarn from my stash. Dare I case it on before finishing Tom's sweater? I'm quite tempted.

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Last weekend, some friends and I visited the beautiful Porirua art gallery Pataka. Along with many other treasures, we loved the Star Gossage exhibition, Let Peace Be Among Us. Star is a painter based in Pakiri, north of Auckland. I think her work is incredibly beautiful and had to buy the exhibition book from the gift shop before we left so I could show Keira when I got home. You can learn about the artist by watching this clip, which was also showing on a screen at the exhibition.

After looking at paintings, we noticed a sign for a spring flower show. We bought tickets and in we went. What an amazing showcase of daffodils (both 'amateur' and 'novice') and other spring flowers, old-fashioned morning tea baking and community spirit! We loved it and stayed for a cup of tea.

I hope you're doing very well. Thank you, as always, for visiting me here.
M

p.s. that night-time photo was taken on the Wellington waterfront - it's a Para Matchitt sculpture + crane in the distance. Wellington spring evening twilight skies are my new favourite.