working on lavender and white striped cashmere baby blanket - yarn courtesy of Jonathan.
and the red knit pants for my friend's baby -SAGE.

I am also posting a picture of a bunch of fabric I bought to make some summer dresses!! It's light weight cotton rayon jersey.. really nice draping .

It just turned spring here, it's still pretty cool though..but we've had more sun !!!

here are some pics of Beauregarde in his sweater i made.
He finally got it after weeks -lost inthe post!!!

my secret pal, Farrah is awesome!!!
i got my special package today and it was so exciting and cool!!
everything inside is wonderful!
from the beautiful card - which is so up my alley - art noveau and the red !!! to the yarn -- wonderful red and black chunky wool skeins and a pattern to use the yarn for- caplet ! tres cool!!
AND some really cool BROWNSHEEP sock yarn .....little T sticky pad...hello kitty sticker!!! - -even a stitch holder holder!!! which i definitely needed -as I just have my stitch holders thrown in with my needles.
and magazines -- which i am sooooo excited about-- i had a quick glance and i can't wait to devour them!!!! and ... a wonderful custom made striped knitting bag!!!!!! wow!!!!! it really felt like it was my birthday!!!
i especially liked the little notes that she included -- really wonderful !!
as you can see from the photos -even the box is loved.. by my cats....
THANK YOU SECRET PAL FARRAH - you made my first secret pal experience really wonderful!!!

LEMON YOGURT CAKE

This is a really fast, easy yummy cake!!!!

• 125 g butter
• 1 c sugar
• zest 2 lemons
• 3 eggs
• 1c flour sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 c yogurt

1. pre heat oven 160 C fan forced (325F fan forced or 350 F regualr)
2. Combine butter sugar ,lemon zest - beat in eggs
3. Sift dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) and add
4. lastly mix in yogurt
5. Bake 45-50 minutes
6. SPOON- icing over cooled cake

ICING

Lemon zest and 1 c icing sugar (powdered sugar) and lemon juice.

As you can see, I haven't progress with much as far as my wrap for my Mom, but the color of this yarn is so cool. i don't know if the picture does it justice..it's like green- lavender-y grey.. mohair - merino blend.


The other the project the red knit baby pants with tail from Stitch n Bitch Nation - for little Sage- is progressing slowly- I had to rip it out a few times. The yarn is totally different and needle size is totally different-and i must not have counted when i did my swatch because it was OFF!!
so I am working on those .

and I've gotten totally sidetracked - I am going to make a baby blanket - striped lavender and white - out of that great cashmerino yarn Jonthan got me. I was going to make a baby sweater, but I was thinking i get alot longer use and wear out of a blanket then - 2-3 months from a sweater.... and it seems a waste of beautiful, soft love to touch yarn..
so- i am on a search for a cool - easy-ish, slightly-mindless knitting pattern for a baby blanket.

Looking at these pics, they are funny- i t doesn't look like much progression in a week!!!!

Getting back into the groove of things after Hawai'i and getting back to work and the daily grind has proven tiring .

I'm back in NZ. Hawai'i was super - spent lots of time with family and friends . I really miss it. It was hard to come back to the cold and rain and work. But it was good to see my husband. I can't believe how much I miss the sun and family. I got a little tan so that was good. I ate lots of food that I missed that you can't get here.. not just local food like poke(raw fish) and good sushi but cheese popcorn and Hagan Daaz ice cream.. my new favorite is MAYAN chocolate - chocolate with a swirl of fudge and cinnamon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Mom really liked the wrap I made for my grandmother , so I am going to the yarn store today! I am also in the middle of casting on a pair of red knit pants for my girlfriend's little munchkin - Sage - she is 5 months old . I am going to make those little red pants with the tail in STitich n bitch NAtion.. they are cute!! I got some really soft wool -bright red yarn. They'll be perfect for fall and winter in Canada.

I 'll post some pics in a few days.

Here are some pics of the wrap I made my grandmother and the abalone/paua pin I made. My sister is modeling it. My Tutu really loved it and the color.

I am having a great time with my family and going to beach . I plan to swim everyday before I leave, back to the winter and cold.

I was going to go to the Honolulu Stitch and Bitch onFriday night , but I got distracted with other things again. I also haven't even picked up my knitting for a week!!! I want to check out the yarn stores here, because we don't have all the selection in NZ that the US has. Only 5 days of sun and family- yikes!

Home at last!!!
A few cousins are visiting from California and we all went hiking in Maunawili yesterday. It was beautiful. I am very happy to be back home, in the sun with family.
I haven't been knitting much though. I was going to the Honolulu Stitich and Bitch on Friday night but I got side tracked. I will go next Friday though, since I've nver been to a SNB before.

2 more sleeps til I get to go home!!!
I am so excited!! I can't wait to jump in the ocean.
I have been sewing more than knitting.
I made hubby a computer bag thing to protect his new lap top. I am working on dress which I hope to finish today. I wanted make something to wear at home and that could with my red boots here..
I slowed down on the shawl/wrap for my Tutu because I figured I could knit on the plane ride...unlessI start a new project that is more portable and smaller..... ummm. I can't go tot the yarn store, andI have plenty of yarn here. those socks were fun!!! ummmmm??????
I did finish the green scarf- i like it !

GREEN GREEN green!!!!
I had limited computer usage lately... but I have been knitting . I am on a green thing right now.
I started a moss green ribbon with some fluff ( it is acrylic though - yuck) scarf. It is tapered at the ends I am knotting it at the ends. It's just stockingnette stitch (5 mm needles) and then I'll do a little crochet boarder to keep it from rolling when I am done.

The other piece is a shawl/wrap I am making for my grandmother's 80 th b-day in a few weeks. She lives in Hawai'i and I was picturing her wearing it with her muu muu and I wanted to make something light and air-y. I bought the yarn - a NZ merino and mohair blend ( it only took me 35 minutes to decide on the color, which is a record for me - andif the store wasn't closing it would have been longer). I am knitting it in garter stitch - using size 11 needles. I am half way done -it's about 2 feet long. I think I will make a clasp /pin of some sort or buy this pin thing. The yarn store had these great carved KORU PIN -stick things.. so I was thinking of something like that or something to hold the wrap on. Maybe like a stich holder and put some beads on it???????

I really had hard time picking a color because my grandma /Tutu wears reds, yellows, purples and Hawaiian prints. None of the yarn that I wanted, this nubby- merino /mohair blend was the right colors- so I thought I'd pick something that would go with all the colors that she usually wears -even though I have never seen her in green.. I hope she likes it . I also thought the colors remind me of New Zealand. We will see.

I think I'll do some sewing today today- I have some mending , and some alterations for a friend. I really want to make this dress that I have material for though..... not enough hours in the day!

This sweater is NOT for my kitty! it's for my friend, Jonathan's poodle Beauregarde. As you can see, Honey does care for it much, he is bigger than Beau - so it should fit. it's a turtleneck.. short sleeve fluffy sweater !!!hahah it makes me laugh looking at it!! it was really fun to knit!

I have been enjoying my salt licorice and maurisis tea that jonathan sent me.My other friend Erin sent me same cool soy bean mint honey shampoo samples, and face lotion and these OILS that are great!! Absinthe, Shiso and Cacao --which I really like it has orange and cacao bean smell .. Stacey also sent me another package of these soaps, candy, stripey tissues , hello kitty candy and another soap with vintage chinese 1930's girls , and another soap that you can't see in the picture but looks like a cicada .... I love things that smell good!! i love packaging ....

I had the day off work today and that was really great!! I loved it - though I stayed inside most of the day because it's freezing...it's winter and really cold. In the morning it's about 4 C!! Tomorrow I am going to start and finish a little cell phone bag for niece .. she wanted a stripe-y one..but I might do a mohair pink one- she likes pink.

My next project after that is to start a baby sweater with the cashmere,merino and microfibre yarn that jonathan go tme . it is soooo soft.. i have not seen anything like it here.....

I am a lucky girl - I have the best friends and family ever. Sometimes living so far away I get lonely and sad.. but things like this make me happy and feel loved-
it was my b-day on23 May , but i got 2 presents a few days ago in the mail and also my sister brought me a present and .. i had to share .. it's not the material stuff but the fact that they know me so well --

my sister got me the coolest anitque chinese hat box ever!!! inside is another hat box!! the best thing is the designs-- in chinese - "fu" is bat-- it is also means "good luck " hence bats= good luck ... and i love bats !!!!! it's so wonderful -- it makes me happy to look at them!!!!

my best friend jonathan -- who has known me for 2 decades- scary... got me alll kinds of tonya things-- salt licorice, mauritis tea (okay i requested that) assam tea, some awesome merino ,silk and cashmere yarn in lavender and white !!! and a Cocteau TWins CD-- and this cool house bag and JEANSSSSSSSSS - which are very expensive here in NZ-- all wrapped sooo purrrr dee in pink and purple tulle -t ooooo cool --

and my friend stacey - sent me this amazing vintage deco hair brush, mirror and container -- I LOVEE IT!!!!
and then later i went ot the mail box and there was another package - from Stacey with soaps, and stripey tissues sosooooooooooooooooooo coool

my sister and her BF - Tobias were here for a flash and they left day Monday and I've been sad.
We had a good short visit --too short- and it is really cold.
this is a picture of tasha and tobias and of a beautiful bag that tobias wove for us out of linen and cotton. It is a traditional Wampanong design . I love it !!

this is me and my friend, the exercise ball . i have learned all sorts of fun and exciting ways to become fit and healthy.
i like to play on my exercise ball everyday.
playing in the garden next to the rose bush wasn't a good idea, as you can see from my patch in this picture.
this exercise is especially fun with the little massaging bumps. yeah!!! hahahahahahhahahahahahhah


no, really - the reason why i posted this is because my friend asked me why i didn't have any photos of me on this blog . the reason is i have only really unflattering and silly photos like this of myself... so there ...

My sister and her BF are coming from Hawai'i on Tuesday, where it's nice hot and summer to NZ where it's winter and cold , so i crocheted them both hats.

My kitties are sooooo cute !!!!

I am getting sick this weekend and feeling yucky. I'm going to spend the ret of my day cleaning and re-knitting my sweater.
I decide to combine the pink and brown sweater and go back to my orignal idea of striped sweater. I will keep the sleeves all brown and re-knit the front and back. The fear of not having enough brown yarn has been holding me back.. pics soon , i hope

yesterday we started staining our fence. It's raining today , so the rest will have to wait. and it's my husband's birthday, so I made as per his request a cheese cake .
I decided to post a picure of the socks- thatI finished--a few days ago ..
My new project is a sweater for Beau , my best friend's poodle. I bought some feathers yarn in maroon, and I bought some pink for my other friends Chiuaua (sp?). I went the our local craft store ,that sells material , house stuff and yarn... and they were having a sale . I bought 20 cm needles-- they are huge - wonder what i should make /use them for . they were only $3!!!! and they are bamboo. they were probably on sale because nobody knows what to use them for!!!!!

my friend Stacey-(in middle) sent me these hilarious sites:

http://cuteoverload.com/

http://stuffonmycat.com/

and here is a picture of us and my sister in 1997 , yikes-

Almost done on my second side of the socks- heading down to the toe... not too bad for a first attempt.

i realised today- i have alot of red shoes-

i like red shoes- i want more red shoes!
those other boots looked dark red when i ordered them- when they arrived they were more like pink.. i bought some suede dye-- red- but i noticed the zipper is more pink - so i might sell them - or dye them - but red or practial brown?


today-i am helping some people with their various sewing projecting- blind hemming 6 curtain panels- and later tonight - sewing a together part of a costume... i really want to sew a skirt.

diamonds or snails???


most gals would prefer diamonds . but i prefer this snail ring, that i have been obsessing about since septmeber. my hubby got me it for my birthday--i love it -- i love it !!!!!!






my hand needs some moisturising.....
and i bought myself a red coat for my b-day because i 've been wanting one and it's winter .....and it 's much cuter on than it looks in the photo. i love it --

i started on the other side of the sock this morning !!!

TA DA!!! pretty much finsihed with my first sock-- I just need to bind off !!! I love the way it fits around the heel- even though they aren't for me . Part deux - the second side should be alot faster than this one.

This week has been really busy . We had our nephew and two nieces staying with us for the week - it was great. Ruth and I both celebrated our birthdays - and had a party. She also has picked up knitting - she learned from her grandmother . she thinks it's eaiser to knit than crochet..... i got her her some new knitting needles with happy faces on the ends and a bunch of varigated feather yarn.

I'm going to finish my sock now and start on the second half!!!