Instagram uploads

Instagram is such a fun way to share photos and play with effects. I love the instant record of life's 'Kodak moments'. My use is rather limited to documenting garden progress, flower arrangements and crafting. Documenting selfies and other social stuff doesn't really appeal so much. In saying that though I do need to get back into the habit of taking more photos of life out and about (not to share all these moments on instagram though but record them for family memories). 

I used to be really good at lugging the camera round and snapping away; somehow that has slipped away over the last couple of years. Perhaps with all that has happened during this time, remembering to be present in the moment and soak it up with out the intrusion/interruption of the camera has been at the forefront of my mind. Anyway I digress. 

Birthday tulips, Lilys from the garden and early morning sunlight

 Instagram snaps are handy to jog my memory of whats been going on our life. The pretty flowers below I picked after a long lunch with Mr. Fox. We walked down to the cafe at the end of the road and walked back along the riverside. We had such a peaceful and enjoyable afternoon. These twigs were growing alongside the footpath...perfect for a foraged bouquet. After lots of searching on the internet I think these might be Flowering Quince blooms? I would love to know for sure and grow some in our own backyard. Will see if these might sprout roots if I keep the water up to them.

Flowering Quince perhaps?

Many of the spring flowers are tiny or have very short stems but I can't resist bringing them inside to enjoy their loveliness. Sometimes I have put little flowers in tiny crystal shot glasses but last week I thought of putting some primulas in an egg cup...don't think I've ever thought to do this and I'm not sure why. Looks pretty cute to me. Egg cups are not often used in our house for eggs so why not.

Squirrel and primulas

Miss Lily the cat is so cute that she invariably ends up on Instagram quite often. My phone is full of photos of the cat....crazy cat lady tendencies are increasing round here but we do love her so.

All tuckered out

While pregnant I haven't made many things for cublet. I had made quite a few blankets, bibs and burp cloths a couple of years ago and these have been stored safely until now.

It has been fun to make a little crochet jacket over the past few weeks. It is rather sweet, made with 48 teeny tiny granny squares. The pattern is from this booklet; Patons Cute Crochet. I used the recommended yarn; 4ply Dreamtime in Donkey.  The jacket was quick to make while watching the UK Home Restoration series on Youtube. All it needs now is a ribbon and the wee one to wear it.

Starting to stitch together the squares

Completed little jacket. 

We have the carpet down in the nursery now and have spent the day hanging up pictures and the heater. With furniture in the room it is so inviting. The carpet is super squishy thanks to super thick underlay. It will be so warm in the winter and lovely for cublet to play on. Just have to paint the doors and rehang them. Also need to work out where we will put our extensive vintage childrens book collection and hang a shelf.

If the little one arrives now it will have some pretty sweet digs to hang out in. The weather is a bit rubbish today so when the sun is shining I'll take some photos and post the progress we have made.

Late June around the house...

These last few weeks have been an emotional roller-coaster. Life has presented both sadness and joy. June 2012 you were full of surprises.

Crochet kitty

Remembering

• Sweet Reuben.  A little boy who made my Friday mornings fun. Your funeral was tough. You will be so dearly missed. I will remember how much you loved to sing, "What does the whale say? Whale says MMMMmmmmmm' and how lucky we were to have sunshine just about every single Friday.
• When I first started dating Mr Fox, so much reminiscing going on as we celebrated 10 years of happiness together. 
• To try and enjoy the winter coldness.

Winter debri

The last of the leaves

Winter view of the North Shore

Loving

• Wearing all my winter woollies. Hats, gloves, scarves, cardigans....the whole kit and caboodle. Gotta love winter fashion. 
• Making progress on my crochet blanket and seeing my wool stash shrinking rather satisfyingly.
• Working on secret squirrel projects. Love making things for others.
• Lilly the cat snuggles; the best lap warmer.
• Hot water bottles and really cute hot water bottle covers.
• Showers, nothing better for cold bones than a long hot shower. Mmm.
• Hearing about Ma and Pa's home improvements. Can't wait to see them for myself.
• That Dad's operation was a success and that he is on his way back to feeling 100%

Shrinking stash

Granny hexagon blanket...(colours off in photo sorry)

Only 2 more big hexagons to go and then on to the littlies

Looking forward to

• Moving in August but enjoying soaking up all the wonderfulness that is our home right now. 
• Getting a tattoo this afternoon. Exciting.
• Little baby Arleigha turning one, how can that be?!! 
• Going out tonight with friends. Yay for the weekend.
• Hopefully getting tickets to see Die Die Die at the Winchester.
• All the birthdays in July.

Flowers and a cat who claims all crochet to be her own

Like a little hobbit valley at night

Love coming home to a this cosy view in the dark. Lace, stars and coloured glass

The week gone by

Well that week went rather fast!  It seems that great weeks always do though.
 For some reason I managed to get heaps ticked off the "to do" list.  Heirloom baby blanket completed, Trademe purchases bundled off to the sellers, quite a few bags dropped off to the Salvation Army Store after a big decluttering and the house got a well overdue clean. Small victories.

All ends woven in and a flower in the middle.

Added a little blue flower to the middle

Lovely to have finished this blanket. 

 Have been practising my chanter.  I used to play the bagpipes as a teenager and haven't touched the chanter much since.  I regret not keeping up a musical instrument over the last few years. However our landlord invited me to attend his local piping band and I'm relearning how to read music and play. Hoping to get along to another practise session and join in shortly.

Revisiting an old hobby

Learning a musical instrument as an adult seems so different.  Maybe it's due to wanting to play properly (no cheating on the doublings this time) and a greater sense of responsibility to upholding a high standard for the other members of the band. I'm surprised at how fast time passes when fully engrossed in playing (already there has been two meals burnt, oh dear).

Have been feeling so grateful about where we live lately. Not sure why? Perhaps because we intend to go travelling in the next few years or how beautiful the area is in Autumn. I don't often take my camera on walks around the surrounding streets but yesterday the light was gorgeous and I had to run some errands. The camera came along so I documented some of my favourite buildings and sights.

The city from Ponsonby Road.

Local church

Three lamps corner.  I do wish the lamps remained

Love that window so much.

Loving this week:

• Catching up with friends; drinks, take-aways and YouTube surfing.
• Honey badger on YouTube. This cracks me up way more than it should. Slightly obsessed. *warning has coarse language*
• Honey badger mugs....sold out sob. Oh I do wish these mugs could have been mine. 



Image from : Honey Badger mug. Corduroy Etsy Shop

• A tidy, clean house.
• Planning and booking holidays for the year. Yippee.

Hope your week is a good one. 

Heirloom Baby Blanket

So the Heirloom Baby Blanket is almost complete. The one I blogged about here.  Just have to darn in the loose ends and I think add a little blue flower to the centre.  It is a reflection of the past few months that it has taken so long to make (read many ripping out sessions) and is rather riddled with mistakes. The mistakes don't worry me too much as it is a reminder of a busy but fun time. I try to convince myself that not being a perfectionist is great sometimes!! I can certainly overlook a few blunders here and there.

Blue border

Don't look too closely if you like perfection!

 This is a blanket is one that I'll keep but it's a pattern that I'll make again. The size of the blanket was getting huge so I missed out the final border and then ran out of wool. Instead of stressing I switched to blue for the border and really like the results. So all the wool came out of my stash and I can finally get the lid on the suitcase that holds my yarn down properly! Small pleasures.

Just waiting for a blue flower for the centre

It is so soft and surprisingly warm despite the openness of the pattern. I have another baby blanket on the go too but I can't blog about that here yet as a certain someone might see (Miss Sammy!). Must remember to get photos before I send that down south in the coming months.

I'm all set to get back into my Art journalling too.  Although I'm unsure about showing every page on here. I have really missed putting pen to paper the last few weeks and can't wait to start the next page. It is so wonderful to have a bit more free time.

Sneak peek into my journal (Art from 2011)

Food for the soul..

The lack of sunshine around these parts has been a bit of a downer, making it hard to stay inspired.  In between the showers we have been making an effort to get out and about. Attending the Fleet Foxes concert at the Auckland Town Hall was the highlight of the weekend. These guys were tight, the harmonies were so impressive live. It was lovely to have a date with Mr. Fox too! There really isn't many better things in life to enjoy than a live band.

Sunday was rather laid back. Had a lovely chat with a darling friend, made even sweeter by the good news she had to share. Ohh exciting times ahead indeed.  A break in the clouds meant Mr. Fox and I could head out to the Auckland Botanic Gardens.  A bit of a drive from central Auckland but a good excuse to get out of the city.

So many Hydrangeas

The reason we ventured out was to see the sculptures but quite frankly we were both pretty underwhelmed by what was there.  The flowers and park itself however were worth the drive. The park is huge, we only managed to wander around some parts. It was great to be out in the sunshine and breathing in fresh air.  Along the paths there were the most wonderfully colourful hydrangeas. Took way too many photos much to the amusement of Mr. Fox but they were just so gorgeous.

Oh that blue

The warm afternoon had drawn out many people, lots of families picnicking and couples walking hand in hand.  Despite most of the sculptures not being to my taste I did have one favourite. A bear, he was huge. This sculpture had a sense of liveliness, it caught the light and was perfect from every angle. Certainly made up for all the other ones for me.

My fav sculpture

It is certainly good to just do stuff sometimes isn't it.  Enjoying the sunshine on my skin, the breeze on my face and soaking up some fresh sights helped lift my spirits. Felt more motivated and ready for new projects. Like this one that started late last year. It is a Heirloom Baby Blanket, probably to put away for myself one day. Got stuck a little the other day but I think it's a mistake that won't be noticed when it's all done. The wool I have chosen is cream, 100% merino.  Perfect to work on while watching Breaking Bad.

Heirloom Baby Blanket progress

Christmas crafting reveal

Now that the presents have been unwrapped I can finally show you what this fox had been working on in the months before the big day. It was awfully fun to see all the goodies together before wrapping them up. Had trouble getting a good photo due to the appalling weather we have had here in Auckland. Rain, rain go away!

Christmas crafting

This year it was lovely to have planned and started crafting for Christmas early. My knitting has improved after all the hats and slippers. It felt good to try out some patterns/ideas from my scrapbooks too. Everyone seemed to enjoy their gifts. 

Christmas tea-towels, flannels and hand towels

I love my Christmas flannels and hand towels that Ma Fox gave me last year so much, they really are such fun to get out at the start of December and use during the festive season. So I made some too giveaway (and a couple to keep). There are some really lovely Christmas themed fabrics out there and it is great to use them on items that are going to be used year after year. And who doesn't love a little festive cheer in the kitchen and bathroom!!

Woolly warmth

2011 was the year that 3D knitting was tackled so it was no surprise that my Foxy family and friends received hats or slippers. The hats with the tassels are using the pattern I blogged about here. The stripey hat was a new pattern in my repertoire. It is the Turn a Square Striped Beanie from Brooklyn Tweed and what a fun hat to knit up. Fits my Pa Fox just right....."not too tight" he says. I added a little extra length to the brim as the winds in Southland, New Zealand can be freezing. Hopefully no cold ears for my family this winter.

If you are reading this my sweet friend Sammy.....Stop!! Your present is yet to wing it's way South yet. Hmmm not the best organised in getting your present to you this year. So look away and scroll down past this next picture my friend! A wee part of this picture is in your parcel.

Owls and fancy collar

Three more cheeky little owls were born this festive season. Using this lovely pattern I blogged about here. Ma Fox received the teal coloured collar. Should keep her cosy during her winter days at work. The pattern is Marcelle's Fancy Neck Wrap from the Interweave Crochet Accessories. The collar is worked in both knit and crochet. The pieces look a little weird before being blocked and sewn up. I very nearly gave up as I just couldn't envision the finished project looking anything like the photo shown in the magazine. So glad I didn't though.

Nana Fox's scarf

Another pattern from the Interweave Crochet Accessories booklet turned out pretty darn good too. The scarf above was given to my Nana. She loved it and was especially pleased with the yarn choice; a merino and possum blend. It is super soft and has a beautiful drape.  The pattern is called Maria's Scarf.

Flannels for a baby boy, pillowcase and oven mitts

The pillowcase was for my Pop Fox....a man that is very had to buy for. I thought this pillowcase would be a fun alternative to socks, chocolate etc. The oven mitt I didn't use a pattern for, just winged it. Copied from my own oven mitts. It has a few layers of woollen blanket scraps and a tea-towel for the outer layer. I am hoping that this will be easy to wash and will last a long time. The flannels are for a sweet little boy that I finally got to meet and cuddle in December. I thought the shapes would be fun in the bath. Oh my what a dear little boy, so  cheeky and cute. Such a pity I live so far apart from him and his parents.

Christmas dishcloths and pincushions

Whew...last picture! Cotton dishcloths are just garter stitch rectangles. The pincushions are cobbled together scraps and are inspired by lots of different pincushions on the net. The ribbons are so the pincushions can be tied to a chair or other tricky spots for crafting on the go. They look better stuffed and have dried lavender and lemon verbena inside too. Mmm fragrant crafting!! 

So I was a little crafted out a few days before Christmas day but of that didn't last long. I started a wee crochet blanket on the plane to Southland but more on that later. Christmas this year was super sunny and I had fun. Enjoyed spending time with my family and friends. It was over all too quickly.

P.s: Ma Fox started a blog, won't you drop in and say hello to her....... Daisies, Doilies and Donkeys

While the bread is baking.....

While the bread is baking I thought I would share a few more of my projects.  Here is another stash-busting project in the works; a crochet blanket.  The only rule is that I am not allowed to buy any yarn for this project.  The pattern is called "Rainbow Granny 'Ghan" and is from a special issue from Crochet Today magazine called 'All-Time Best Blankets'.  It's been lots of fun squirrelling around in my yarn finding the right colours and weight.



Progress from a week ago




Up to date progress.



The blanket is these lovely hexagons with granny squares in between.  I am using a charcoal grey colour to join and for the border.  It is a pure wool but is really scratchy so can't really be used for any other project. I love this grey yarn and have been searching for the perfect project to use it in.  I think I have found the right one now.....really makes the colours pop.  It is going to take me quite a while to finish this one but there is no pressure as it is not a gift. This one will stay in the den.

While my sewing machine was away being serviced I had an afternoon of cutting out. I used bits and pieces of fabric that I had. These are now mostly all sewn up and are waiting to be sold or given away. It was so nice to use material that I had on the shelves especially as I could use up little scraps.



Fabric waiting to made into purses



Mr. Fox and I are saving really hard for our big OE (overseas experience) so I have been avoiding second hand shops mostly....what the eyes do not see, the heart does not want!! However I don't think that abstaining completely from thrifting would be good for my soul so when I have been thrifting I have been terribly restrained. A few goodies have found their way home to the den but only my most favourite, I-love-it-so-much-I-just-can't-bear-to-leave-it-goodies have crossed the den's threshold! Like the gorgeous tablecloth below. It is so fresh and vibrant. Love when it is on the kitchen table...can't help but feel the joys of Spring.

Oooo lovely

As I was hanging out my washing this morning I noticed that almost all of the tea towels, hand towels and bath towels were given to me by my little Foxy family. It made me smile so big. The checked tea towels with appliqued hearts are handmade by Sister Fox, the doily adorned hand towel and pale green embroidered bath towel made by Mama Fox and the gorgeous little elephant towel was chosen by Pa Fox. It sounds silly but I felt so loved and content to be hanging out my washing today. What a lucky Fox.

Washing line of Love!! hehe

And Winter turns to Spring...

With Winter fading and Spring arriving the sun is getting warmer.  Inspiration for crafting is everywhere.



A skiff of snow in Auckland

 It has been weeks since I have blogged and I'm not sure why.  But I do want this space to be fun for me so if I don't feel like blogging I just don't do it!
We have had a wet winter here in Auckland and even got a little snow...very exciting indeed. Even for a girl who is used to seeing snow in the winter time.
I really adore winter and the abundance of crafting time it creates. It is so nice to cosy up in blankets and work on a something like knitting or crochet. But with Spring here I have found heaps of inspiration and motivation. I knit and crochet all year round and of course sew too. Just because its warm outside doesn't mean that creating winter snugglies is out of the question.

The garden is providing such sweet little flowers to have around the house and some vegetables to eat too. Herbs are growing faster again too which is great.  Mr. Fox and I have been enjoying the sunshine on the patio when the clouds part........I just can't wait for long Summer evenings. I think we will spend most of our evenings enjoying the warmth out there as the sun sinks into bed.

Spring flowers bringing cheer into the bathroom

I have a few projects that I haven't yet posted on here..some from a few months back even. Like this little fella.........

Little owl for a little girl

I used a free pattern from Bit o whimsy blog. Such a fun and easy pattern to make. I made it the day the wee girl was born so that I could deliver it on my first visit. It took only a few hours from start to finish. Really recommend trying the pattern out especially because it takes only a little concentration and a little yarn.

With lots of birthdays and Father's Day in the last wee while, most of my crafty projects have been gifts. Some warm, flannel pj shorts for Pa. Fox.  Embroidered pillowcases for Sister Fox and some sweet friends (forgot to take photos of those before I put them in the mail...ooops!) and some purses with metal clasps at the top.  With more spare time due to my current job I am hoping to sell a few of the things I make. Will let everyone know when I have an online shop up and running.

Fathers Day PJs in the making

Will have to sign off and as I am off to work for the afternoon but will be checking back in tommorrow with more photos. Take care all