When is it going to be Spring

 When it's spring again 

 I'll sing again 

 Tulips from Amsterdam  

Winter has dragged on here (New Zealand), and I'm longing for spring to arrive. I need more sun in the days please. Today was a teaser of what is to come. I managed to actually get three loads of washing on the line and dried. First time I've been able to do that for a long time.

Anyway, enough of my dribble - here's what I have been up to this past week.

I attended an online workshop by JThouse to learn how to make her motif called 'Dione'.

I played YARN CHICKEN with it .... and lost. I ran out of thread just before the very last three picot edgings to the very last 'leaf'. How very annoyed I was (hah! I won't repeat here what I actually said).

But at least I now know how to make the motif.

 Embroidery on my Crazy Quilt block #8. 

Filling in details on some motifs.

Craft Room Organising

Since moving into our new home back in March, this room was 'earmarked' for my craft studio, and also as a spare tv lounge.

This part of the room is my sewing area. All my craft books will be on the bottom shelves, and then all my sewing equipment will be on the top shelves close at hand for my sewing/project table.

The three red stacked boxes on the floor on the left have more of my books yet to be unpacked, I hope they will all fit on the shelves ok.

I'm looking forward to having this place sorted soon so that I can plug in my sewing machine that I have not been able to use for well over a year now.

All this in the photo has been in storage all that time as well. Unpacking it is like Christmas and lots of birthdays all arrived at once and I am being reunited with long lost friends here too, lol.

I hope to have the table clear by next week and carry on sorting the other parts of this room, some of which will be the art & designing area. Lots more unpacking yet.

So that was my busy week.

And this has been another YOP post

Happy stitching

Duodenary Ravellenics Events - & YOP

The yarn events at Ravelry have finished. Here are my latest event finishes, and counting them off on my YOP list too.

Bag Backstroke event - A Freeform Project-Holder Bag
I have overcome my 'fear' of knitting with this project, as it contains 4 different knitted parts. I had to teach myself how to cast-on again though, because I'd forgotten how to do that, lol.
More photos of this are on my Ravelry project page here.

Sock-put event - Bootie Slippers

Afghan Marathon event - Afghan Blanket/Comforter

Hat Dash event - Pink and Purple headband

Household Heptathlon event - Basket to hold my Threads

Household Heptathlon event - A Star Coaster for my glass of wine (or gin)

Household Heptathlon event - A woven and crocheted bookmark for my favourite book of poems

And with the 5 previously posted events:
Sweater Triathlon event - White baby cardi
Sweater Triathlon event - pink pullover
Toy Toss event - Hug-a-monster
Frogging Trampoline event - Frogging thing
Garment Polo event - Toddler skirt

12 finishes altogether over two weeks.
That makes me a Duodenary, lol.

Ravellenics ran from the 5th to the 21st August.

I would officially like to thank my DH for going away for the two weeks.
While the cat's away the crocheter will play, lol.

And, over the last two days since the Ravellenics finished, I have been sorting out and unpacking my craft room. I have re-made the flat-pack shelving, and along with the new set of shelving on top of the flat-packed ones, I now have ample shelving for books and equipment, and I have arranged it so that my new sewing table slots into a space under (and between) the shelves.
I'll get photos for next week to show what I mean. I'm so excited to have a dedicated room for my 'stuff'.

Some finishes for YOP

I have been crocheting away for the Ravellenics Events (on Ravelry) and I have crossed the finished line with these items.

A cute pink top for a baby. (Sweater Event)

A Happy Huggy Monster (Toy Toss Event) - Amigurumi

And I have even Frogged this (for the Frogging Event)

I have no idea what it was meant to be, and I cannot even remember how long ago I made it, I only know it had to go.

And with the frogged yarn I made this little skirt (Garment Event)

My own design.

I'm having so much fun with the Ravellenics Events. 

There is still another week to go yet, and I still have a few more items on my to-do list that I'm hoping will get made in time.

And with that, I have 3 (yes, one, two, three, lol) FO's for my YOP

This has been another YOP post.

Thank you for visiting.

YOP & Team Party at Ravellenics

The Games at Ravelry (Ravellenics) have begun

and I've competed in my first event - the sweater triathlon.

Here is my baby cardi for this event.

The pattern is from Here

I can add a Finish to my YOP list with this one.

Can I get a yayyy!

On to my next event now.

Go Team Party

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This is a Year Of Projects post

YOP - Crochet - & - Cafe's

Sorry I've been missing for a week or more from here, we've been off gallivanting on our travels again, and having fun while also helping our dd. It was a great catch-up and a very productive time with her.

Stitching had to take a bit of a backseat while I was away, but I did manage to 'almost' finish this little purse/bag during the evenings. 

It just needs blocking, a little fringe on the bottom I think, and I'm on the lookout for a nice button to close it, and also put a lining in it before I can add it to my FO list.

I can't remember where I got the pattern from as it's been in my 'files' a long time.

Summers End Mandala

Since arriving back home on Thursday I have added the ecru thread to the outside edge (two rounds), and now

 I have completed Part 13 of Mandala Madness cal - Summers End.

'Only' 5 more Parts to go.

Here is how the full piece looks so far.

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A couple of cafe recommendations for you if you are ever travelling around New Zealand.

The Fat Pigeon

41 Moa St.

Piopio

Such a lovely variety of freshly home-baked foods, and a top quality barista.

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The Wooden Heart Cafe

28-30 Ellis Rd SH 30

Benneydale

We had a delicious meal here. The home cooked pies are heartily packed full, and so tasty. The meats used are all processed locally and therefore very fresh.

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This was a Year of Projects Post

YOPping along

It's Sunday - and this is a Year Of Projects post.

  Summers End   crochet mandala.

3 rows added since last Sunday. One row of orange, two rows of yellow.

As this gets bigger it takes longer to complete one full round, hence only three rows rows done this week. It also takes a fair bit of concentration to follow the pattern (peace and quiet helps too, but there isn't much of this available at my home at the moment).

  Crazy Quilt Colour Journal  

This is a portable project that I take to meetings to work on. 

Each block has a selection of neutral fabrics for the background hand stitched together, and each block is a different colour scheme. 

This block will predominantly read as lime green (I hope) and is number 8 of 12.

Each block will include a paisley or two.

Each block will include a crochet motif or two.

Basic stitches to these seams were done while I was travelling/living in caravan since selling our farm last year. Additions and embellishments have been added this week.

And my new graphic for YOP

YOP - Summers End Mandala

I managed to find some time to get Part 12 done on my Summers End mandala madness piece.

The edges are curling up a bit, but I'm told this will be rectified with the next additions.

Part 12 is the white and peach edge - rows 77 to 82.

It's Sunday

A Year of Projects (week 1)

A Year of Projects (or YOP for short) starts here with my first post.

This is with a group I recently joined on Ravelry here.

There will hopefully be a new post about this once a week as I try to complete and tick off the projects on my TO-DO list between July 2016 and June 2017.

I have some projects lined up that need to be started or completed in a particular month - like the International Freeform Fiberart Challenge that starts January 1st. and ends May 1st. and is a very important project for me every year.

My TO-DO Lists

Crochet - 

A freeform piece for a national arts festival here in NZ.

Lots of baby items for a craft table at our local Child & Baby Expo.

Two afghan blankets.

Mandala Madness CAL WIP needs the last 3 weeks of instructions to complete it.

Down by the Seashore CAL WIP

Knitting - 

One afghan blanket.

Various other items not decided yet. 

Embroidery - 

Hand embroidered seam treatments and embellishment on my Crazy Quilt Colour Journal.

2 x Cross-stitch miniature rugs.

Various other items as my mind introduces them to me.

Patchwork & Quilting - 

Finish my Butterfly Crazy Quilt.

Complete the backing and hanging for my Snorkeling wall-hanging, possibly for the arts festival.

Mug rugs, table mats, bags, and lap quilts for a craft stall.

Other items as the mood takes me.

Art - 

Practice more flower sketches and paintings.

Pen and ink drawings, possibly for arts festival.

Other Crafts - 

Sculpture.
Needle felting.

Soft-sculpture sewing.

Calligraphy.

Weaving.

Spinning.

Tatting.

Bobbin Lace.

Christmas presents - 

this list will be detailed later in the year when I have decided what to make and for who.

Other projects -

Get my craft room designed, sorted and unpacked (after it has been in storage for over a year while we had a touring holiday of North Island).

Now with a large garden to upkeep - plant lots of wildflowers and colourful borders. 

Keep the roses tidy. 

On-going planting and harvesting my new vegie plots.

Well.....    I think that's enough to keep me busy for a year, don't you?

Freeform Down by the Seashore

Week one of the Freeform K/CAL Down by the Seashore has started with a Gastropoda inspired shell (or shells)

This K/CAL is on Ravelry here

Freeform Crochet Exhibition

Every year the International FreeForm Fiberart Guild produces a book and an online gallery for its annual exhibition.

I have, once again, entered a piece of freeform in the exhibition.

The theme for the show is 

Flora and Fauna - native to your region or country.

I chose the New Zealand flax for my inspiration and created this ornamental vessel.

You can read more about my piece on the gallery website HERE

The online Gallery for the show is HERE

and

The book can be purchased HERE
(all profits go to a charity voted by the member)