kcc trip and a peek at the music boy

Joska and papa on the boat

 a few weeks ago we had the chance to join the kcc club ( Kiwi conservation club, a group for children), on a trip in our local abel tasman national park; going by ferry to one of the bays further in the park ( Bark Bay) and doing a few activities with other families. This was our second attempt at this trip as it had already been postponed once due to inclement weather. It was still grey and drizzly, but we loved it. how nice to be in the outdoors, and silly that we don't do it more often.

the split apple rock

 And I couldn't resist adding this snap, taken 5 minutes ago of my wee boy singing the wombles song with improvised mike, and stand; he's no genius or prodigy, but he has music in his veins and is constantly rocking out!  We had a home schoolers ukulele group lesson here in the weekend and he learned the C cord. Lets C where he goes from  here! He he

the boy with music in his head

happy place 2

 A morning with just Joska  and me, saw me try to return to my happy place from yesterday.... my  beautifully carded wool calling my name... alas those "simple' machines I praised yesterday, just frustrated me today...  I couldn't get the tension right on either of my two free or nearly free spinning wheels, but did manage to spin up one of my coloured batts from yesterday into a very gnarly and funky yarn.

Another experimental  "batt": White washed unnamed sheep wool, some purple corriedale, some ashford merino and silk blended together, some angora bunny fibre, romney locks and a sparkly fibre, maybe tencel, found at the dump ( recycling centre),  one day, plus some yarn off cuts from knitting.  Any words of wisdom regarding spinning wheels? Luckily I'm still riding on my high from yesterday, and peace and quiet so not too down in the dumps...

my happy place...

 After a day spent dying wool with  food colouring with another family yesterday, we were able to borrow their drum carder for the weekend. It wasn't exactly working smoothly so I took it apart and defluffed it and oiled it, and put it together. ( I love simple machine like this, and spinning wheels and my trusty treadle; even Me, a  novice can work out how to get them going again). Then we played!

 While we took turns playing with the (almost all) fiber in the house, other creative happenings were quietly occurring in other parts of the house. And this is what we (Me) all needed, after the week I've had. ( Lots of shouting ( all of us), wondering if I'm enough, struggling to find our mojo after the holidays still, and our endless sniffles and random fevers etc)

 I think we clocked up about 6 hours with food just on the run, and baby asleep or jiggled or on my back. Tobin? he made an art batt, played lego ,built train tracks and had many dips in our paddling pool.  PMS has a lot to answer for and I'm still getting in the groove of all that after Joska.  Now, the kids are going to bed and my feet are sore from standing all day, my hands are cut up from the spikey things on the carder, but I feel like I had a holiday and come back refreshed. From my fiber filled happy place. And so glad the kids "got" it too! And I've got 5 shopping bags filled with Batts ready to spin... now to get my spinning wheel spinning smoothly. Happy weekending!