tiny happy

fading hydrangeas

Just a few snaps from the second half of January. What a beautiful, bright month it's been. I'm trying to soak up all the light and warmth I can because it always seems a long while before high summer comes back again. I hope you are doing very well, whether you're in summer or not!

Perhaps inspired by the grey coastline, or the hydrangeas in the garden (they're just starting to crisp up and fade from bright blue and pink to mauve with brown marks) I started a crochet blanket project. For this I'm using all the small quantities of yarn I can find in the boxes under my bed. Most are leftovers from past knitting projects in 4ply wool, mohair/silk or alpaca. I decided to choose only grey or mauve/pinks but lots of different textures and fibres. I'm marling these yarns together and only changing one strand at a time, as it runs out.

My plan is to make a single-bed-sized blanket for Keira's birthday which is in a month or so. It's a very simple but soothing project to work on in the evenings! Once I've used up all my yarn, I'll choose another skein to crochet a border around the edges (which are really quite wonky, due to my lack of crochet skill and experience!)

Tom and I have been watching the 3rd series of True Detective together - it's pretty dark but also quite compelling. And on the weekend we watched The Dig - a British film about the Sutton Hoo excavation of 1939. I thought it was a beautiful film - especially the thread about the mother and her son - and the 30s/40s clothes of course.

What about you - have you watched anything interesting lately? I'd love to hear what you're working on.

XX M

 

books + magic

Hello friends!

I mentioned last week that I'd recently read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and that I would talk about it some more. I know I'm late to the party with this book (it was published in 2015) but I think it was sent to me at the right time and place. I found a copy at the op shop on the last day of the summer holiday and bought it for $1. I had been thinking deeply about my creative life and how to better slot it into other parts of my life this year and wanting to do things a little differently in 2021 - namely, work on some projects I have been too afraid to begin. A strong theme in Big Magic is (paraphrased by me) 'feel the fear and do it anyway.' That might be a rather obvious take but it was actually the message I needed to hear. 

Elizabeth Gilbert's voice is friendly, encouraging, and generous: it's an unpretentious guide to creative living. It encourages me to be more generous, freer, and start now! I recommend it if you're after a pep talk of a similar nature.

Another goal I have for this year is to read more. I do read a fair bit at work, and of course, like the rest of us, on my phone, but what I'm after is that feeling of being deeply immersed in a story and not wanting to put it down, which was such a strong element in my childhood and teen years.

I thought it would be fun, and hopefully helpful, to document the books I finish over on my Instagram page. My goal is to share books in my 'stories' and then save those slides in a highlight section at the top of my account (which is here - not that I've actually started the stories properly yet! I will soon, though.)

Let me know if you fancy following along, or doing the same with your own reading this year! In particular, I want to read a wider variety of perspectives and voices than I might have in previous years. I want to read more widely in general. I'm excited to get started!

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I've been doing a bit more crochet and am working on a blanket to use up all my leftover yarn. In the photo above I've captured a beautiful skein of yarn handspun by my Mum a while back. I plan to cake it up tonight to add to the blanket. It's just simple single crochet but I will need to learn another type of stitch to make an edging, I think! (Mostly because my edges are a bit wonky, shh!)

In the second-to-last photo above you can see some black and white photos. Last week, my dear friend Kylie handed me a package of photos she took when visiting me in 2003! I had just had Arlo. There are photos of baby A wrapped in his first (handspun of course) blanket, the washing on the line, the old-fashioned kitchen we had with louvre windows, and some of Arlo's grandparents too. It was so special to receive these pictures unexpectedly, 17 years later. Beautiful windows to another, equally wonderful, life. 

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See you again next week! I hope you are very well and keeping safe. XX

fresh + bright

Kia ora, Happy New Year to you! I hope you've enjoyed some sort of end-of-year break, whether you're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. We've just returned home from a very warm and relaxing summer break, and while I'm back at work now, I feel as though I'm still carrying it around with me. The full moon on the new year, the solstice moon on the sea, the berries and beaches and books in the sun! It was all wonderful and I'm so grateful we had that time with family and friends. 

I brought a few crafty projects with me but didn't get much done in the end. I did knit a linen top which looked better on my sister than me so that was a good result! I used the Ranunculus pattern (I've made it before here and here) but instead of wool I used some Erika Knight Studio Linen yarn in a light brown/coffee shade. My Ravelry notes are here). 

Tamsin has been wearing it over summer dresses, or with a button-up skirt and it looks so nice! I do love that versatile pattern and the summer version was so quick to knit up! I also cast on some socks (just a basic pattern but with colourful self-striping yarn) and (and this is the most exciting thing of all) learned to crochet!

It makes me cringe a bit when I think of all the times I gave up learning this craft. I'm now 40 years old and know with certainty that I'm not a patient learner; I get easily frustrated with myself and don't trust that I will ever 'get' the new skill. It's not something I like about myself but I really want to work on improving that this year. I have a list of new things I'd like to try!

Anyway, it's great to be able to work some basic crochet stitches now and I have plans for blankets. I'd like to make a big granny stripe blanket from my knitting leftovers (like this lovely one) and maybe a few smaller blankets if I can! Big dreams, as always.

Another lovely thing about the holidays was that I had a little more time to read for fun. My brother and sister-in-law gave me A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar for Christmas which I loved. It brings together memories of a Dad now missing and ancient Italian art and thoughts about places. 

I also read a book based on a local TV series I love: Life as a Casketeer by Kaiora and Francis Tipene. It was such an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Māori culture, how we think about death and grieving, and of course, anyone who loves the show.

On the last day of the holiday, I found a brand new copy of Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic in the op-shop. I needed something to read on the ferry trip so I bought it for a dollar. I think good fortune and fate might have placed that book in my path, because it felt like the perfect thing to read as I started back at work this week and even though in many ways it's a straight-forward book, the messages in it will stay with me always. I hope to write more about that in my next post.

Sending warm wishes to you for a happy and safe new year.

M

 

 

upon the summer solstice

Here are some pictures from around the summer solstice: preparations for Christmas and our upcoming summer holiday, a few handmade gifts and of course the obligatory fruit mince pies.

I hope you and your family have a very happy year's end: whether you celebrate Christmas or not, and wherever you might be in this world.

I'm signing off for a few weeks and will look forward to posting again next year.

Lots of love,

Melissa XX

 

gifts + memories

Hello! I hope you are well, dear reader, as we enter the last month of this calendar year. I must admit I'm keen for the kids to decorate the Christmas tree (it's always 'their' job) and make some fruit mince pies and start the preparations for the holidays. We're nearly there...

I received some really beautiful gifts for my birthday last month. One was a shawl knitted for me by a friend, dear Lizzie. She used a blend of alpaca, silk and wool yarns in blue, brown and cream and the Stay Soft pattern. I love it and have worn it quite a bit despite it supposedly being spring and summer since it arrived! I think shawls are wearable year-round here in Wellington. It's a pretty special thing to have a piece like this knitted especially for you. I couldn't believe my eyes when I unwrapped it!

I've been enjoying reading more lately. I find I go in phases with this - sometimes I have the energy to dive properly into one book at a time and other times I skim-read my way through a range without taking them in deeply. Anyway, last month I read This Pākehā Life by Alison Jones and found it to be an excellent read: one that takes an honest look at what it means to be a white person in Aotearoa, with all the uncertainty and uncomfortableness that comes with that. I would recommend this book to my fellow Pākehā friends.

The books on my bedside table threaten to topple over and join me in bed sometimes, so I hope to have a few more finished soon and look forward to reading time over the summer holidays.

And speaking of those, I've been slowly making a few things to give to family and friends at Christmas, including some socks for my Dad (I think I wrote about these in my last post - now they're finally finished!) For these, I used a basic 3 x 1 ribbed pattern and some self-striping Regia sock yarn. The details of both pattern and yarn can be found here on my Ravelry page. 

I had thought I didn't want to knit socks again for a good while. But then I found this beautiful new pattern - it's part of the latest Knitty magazine which is free and online-only. There are lots of other issues of Knitty to explore too if you haven't already!

I've also been making some washcloths from cotton and linen yarn in my stash. For these, I've tried to work a different stitch pattern each time and it's been fun to learn a few new ones! I think my favourite is the Chinese Wave pattern (the loopy one you see on the top of the stack). The pattern I used for that can be found here.

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And lastly, here is a song introduced to me by my son Arlo. It has a beautiful melody, though perhaps a dark meaning. I hope you enjoy it too: Overlord by Dirty Projectors.

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Take care, friends. See you again soon! 
M

greetings from the kitchen table

Hello friends! I hope all is well in your world. I know that it isn't, for many of us. Second and third waves of the dreaded C-word are sweeping through so many parts of the world. I hope you staying safe and well. All I can really offer are some words about other things! I hope this blog post can be a happy distraction for 5 minutes or so.

The first week of the Soul Craft Festival Online (mentioned in my previous post) has now been completed - there are 3 more to go. What a treat this first section was! I really enjoyed sitting here at the kitchen table with my laptop, knitting and a cup of tea to hand, listening to the discussions and workshops. Yesterday my embroidery tutorial was scheduled to go live and while a bit nerve-wracking (for me) it was great to see some of the participants digging out their embroidery threads and hoops and having a go. The tutorial focused on embroidery flower clusters like the ones you see in the first photo above. I turned the finished work into a project bag and am offering it as a giveaway to someone in the festival comment thread. I hope you'll be inspired to have a go, if you are part of SCFO!

I also felt like posting a photo of the beautiful magnolias I saw growing at my parents' place back in October. A month late, but they're too pretty to ignore. 

The other day I had an amazing score at the op shop - a set of cello records, including my childhood favourite recording: the Elgar Cello Concerto played by Jacqueline du Pre. Thank you, second-hand shop goddesses! This is the JDP recording, in case you fancy a listen. It's an absolute classic.

I have been working on a pair of socks for my Dad - these are knitted in Regia Pairfect yarn at a tight gauge, so feel like they're taking forever to knit! The work-in-progress is living in a beautiful blue patchwork bag that was a gift from my friend Lizzie. It's a lovely thing to have in my work bag each day, for a few quick rows here and there (usually on the bus on the way home).

I also finished a little knitted jacket which I will give to my baby nephew with his Christmas present. For this, I used some soft grey cotton/wool blend yarn and a hardcopy pattern I bought from Broomfields in Nelson (the design is called Maddison Cardy and Jacket).  My Ravelry notes are here.

I've been in a making mood lately and some more projects to show you! I'll be back again soon with those.

Thanks, as always, for visiting me here.
M XX

join us for soul craft online!

I'm really honoured to be part of the line up for the brand new Soul Craft Online Festival, which starts on the 14th - this Saturday! I have two pieces in the festival: an embroidery demo/tutorial video and a chat about making gifts. As you can see in the programme above, there are many wonderful presentations and talks to enjoy!

Following on from the in-person event in Melbourne in 2018, Soul Craft's online edition is a very special interactive gathering designed to bring the craft community together with lots of space and time to share ideas.

Running from Nov 14th to Dec 14th 2020, this event is really a community, a presentation and interview series with creative people, a conversation about things that matter, a make-along (with giveaways!), a series of demos, and an online craft group rolled into one!

Soul Craft Online is a place to explore a diverse range of perspectives on what making is and how it elevates our lives. Taking part will inspire you to make with more connection, more meaning and more joy. Please note that while the festival goes for a month you get to keep the content till May of 2021 so you can watch and listen as your energy and time allows. There's even a beautiful journal to download to keep track of your creative process over the month.

Tickets are on sale now!

There are also scholarship places available for anyone who would like to come but is going through financial stress. Click here to grab one of those places.

Lots more information including a detailed programme, links and videos can be found here.

I would love to see you there, friends!

macrame and moomins

Hello friends! It feels like a while since I was last here. 

We went to visit family and friends down South for a week during the October school holidays, which now, of course, feels like a different month altogether, but we're still in October for a bit! Time is taking on new forms this year. I hope you're doing very well and managing ok, wherever you happen to be in this world.

Since I last wrote here, I celebrated my 40th birthday. I have to admit to feeling a bit of trepidation about getting older but also gratitude and excitement for what's to come. This decade feels great so far, and the other good thing about a birthday is the chance it brings to catch up with friends and clink a glass or two together. 

I was also very spoiled and want to tell you about the amazing gifts and treats I received but I feel I must space them out a bit! Blog content for a month, at least...! In the photos above you can see the little morning tea I had with Keira on my actual birthday. She was home from school and it was my day off from the office, so we drank black coffee and ate the Moomin biscuits she'd bought for that very purpose. 

I've also included a picture of our two happy kitchen plants (they are currently nameless but the varieties are Scindapsus trebi and Tradescantia zebrina. Keira's very keen on propagating plants these days and takes good care of this pair - they have grown a lot in recent weeks!

I finished my reunion cardigan that I showed in my last post - it's knitted up in Zealana Kauri possum-merino yarn. It's already had quite a bit of wear but I know it will be a staple next autumn and winter. You can find a link to the pattern (by Brienne Moody) and other details  here on my Ravelry page.

Also, cause why not, I included a photo of a tiny embroidered sprig of flowers for you. This was stitched specifically for my friend Miriam.

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As far as non-craft-related news goes: I was given a copy of the big and beautiful Wild Honey: Reading NZ Women's Poetry by my workmates on my birthday. I love local poetry and have been enjoying dipping into this comprehensive book every day. It really is a beauty and I recommend it to anyone interested in NZ writers.

Through my headphones, I've discovered and fallen completely in love with the band Talk Talk's later albums, especially Laughing Stock. This piece, in particular, has become an everyday listen/meditation for me: New Grass. 

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more plants + stitches

It's spring, and the days are getting lighter all the time. I know life is getting colder, and harder, in many other places in the world. I hope this finds you well, dear reader.

I'm doing my usual spring thing, which is to find blossoms, petals and leaves in my embroidery work without realising it... there's something subliminal happening in Wellington at this time of the year, I think.

Above you can see some photos of things I've been working on lately: some embroidery (the stitching is finished but the making-up-into-project-bags is on hold for a bit) and a cardigan I've been knitting.

I'm using the Reunion pattern by Brienne Moody for the cardigan, which is a simple raglan shape and slightly cropped body. I'm making mine with a bit more ease than suggested in the pattern, and I think it's going to be very cosy! More details on my Ravelry page here.

In book news, I'm just finishing a novel called This Happy by Niamh Campbell, which I think has gorgeous style, and a memoir by a poet who grew up on a tobacco farm near Motueka in NZ's South Island: A Fish in the Swim of the World by Ben Brown.

I'd love to hear what you're ready, and what you're making, if you fancy leaving a comment below? 

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Here are two songs I'm listening to through the headphones these days:  Woman, by Cat Power

... and a bit of Perfume Genius.

See you again soon!

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felix pullover + other makes

Kia ora, hello! It feels like a wee while since I was last here. I hope you're doing well. 
Spring is beginning to, well, spring in these parts, which is to say that just as the blossoms bravely appear on branches, they're whipped off again by the wind! That's Wellington life in September and October. It's lovely to have more light though, which makes it easier to get up and out the door on time.

I finished knitting my Felix pullover - I think I showed you an in-progress shot in my last post. Felix is a pattern by Amy Christoffers, worked in aran-weight yarn. It's quite a boxy shape, with eyelet detailing on the armhole shaping seams. I used some beautiful earthy-pink DK yarn from Wild Earth Yarns (it's super affordable - you can find it here) and to make it aran-weight (and add a bit of luxe) I held that together with a strand of silk-mohair yarn (hand-dyed a creamy colour by Miro Yarns). 

The finished garment is lovely - super warm and cosy and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it next winter. It looks even better on Keira so part of me secretly hopes she'll get wear out of it too (she never wants me to knit her anything 'to order' these days, but quite often wears things I've made for myself...)

Last week I made a few things for my etsy shop - some botanical-embroidered pins and a few project bags. These were all made from vintage and other recycled fabrics - most of them featuring lush floral and botanical prints, paired with corduroy, linen or velveteen! Thank you very much to everyone who supported my shop and bought one! I've had a few queries about when I'll update the shop next. I am working on some things, but they take me a long time! I hope to have some new project bags and perhaps a few pins listed in there by next week.

I recently came across a beautiful Instagram account: Willow Crossley Creates. Do you know it? Willow is a florist/gardener/designer who specialises in beautiful and slightly wild arrangements. You can find little video demos on her page, here. Hope you enjoy!

Finally, and also on the botanical/spring theme, I wanted to share a beautiful and uplifting book I found at the library: On Flowers, by Amy Merrick.  It's just a beautiful collection of images and words about one of my favourite subjects: flowers! I recommend it if you're after some beauty. 

Have a lovely week, dear friends.

M