works in progress

 OOh, scary, posting a picture of me ( my husband took the photo, can you tell I was nervous!?), But its the first belly picture I've taken during this pregnancy ( slack!) at 37 weeks ( last week).  taken in my sewing room/ old verandah/porch thingy. My work in progress...? Pipkin in my belly. Inspired by these :/wardrobe-wednesday, and here.

And tiny socks for pipkin ( the bump was christened pipkin early in the pregnancy and so far thats the only name thats stuck).  I don't know about you but little socks make me clucky, so don't anyone show me any after this ones born because for us, four really is enough I think!

knitting for baby

   I haven't done much sewing for this baby except wipes and nappy inserts etc but I have been knitting since the beginning so i thought I'd finally get around to sharing the finished articles. Above is a pebble  vest in white, and  a front tab sweater from a local store called Cruellas.

 Two more vests using up the odds and ends in my yarn stash, while trying to stay neutral as we don't know and I have no strong intuitive feelings about this one. The one on the left is  this one  found on ravelry, and the one on the left is  from an old vintage pattern I think.

The nappy covers are the frantic mama ones and the pants are modified Das monster pants ( modified to be smaller using a lighter weight yarn and less leg length. I kept the rise the same to create ease for the cloth nappies we use). Good old Ravelry!

 

another vest from a vintage pattern found at an op shop knitted in wool also from the op shop and handdyed by me using food colouring , and kanoko pants using some light blue yarn from an op shop too, I think.  I spend a bit of time drooling over beautiful yarn on line and in shops occassionally but  our budget has been super tight so this baby will have to make do with a frugal mama's welcoming and nesting attempts. I just think of pioneering women and how they used and reused whatever they had to hand to clothe and feed the family and I feel proud of my efforts and not so glum!  And I still have plenty of projects I wish to start, for the other children in my family. The longer the baby waits the more knitting will happen....

new corners

 Our new lounge... probably the most "me" lounge I've ever had as an adult! I love the beautiful ceiling details and rimu floors and  how our "art" looks on the light grey ( pukaki quarter) walls. The couch cushions were re-covered and since then I've made some new throw cushion covers too, based on the old blanket plus some decoration idea.
 The printer draw was a dump shop find, as were the lamps which I recovered with recycled coffee jute bags.  Its a very peaceful room, and now I just need to find a piano teacher for our family to play the piano that gilly kindly left with the house! I don't think I said thanks, yet so Thanks, I've always wanted to learn!

a holiday project

we've been redecorating the kids room; they all share a room at the moment ( thats how we are not always 5inabed at the moment, and maybe when baby comes there might just be me and babe in my bed!). We pulled the wallpaper and scrim off, and painted the boards underneath, sanded and sealed the floor, painted  the ceiling, and I made a new/old lampshade; inspired by this book: Eline's winter Huis, and this blog.  I'm pretty happy with the results! Now just to find some pretty curtains to matchish.

some gifts

 Some stitchy gifts for family members this christmas. We have managed to buy things only for the immediate family (the 5 of us), and we do this because we don't often buy new things for ourselves or our children, but we believe firmly in handmade or thrifted for gifts and so I have been stitching up a storm. The embroideries for my niece and nephew have been attached to canvas for bedroom art, while others have been turned into ornaments for next year. And a pair of cushions for struan's sister and partner. The other stitched gifts for my family members are already at their destinations  waiting for unwrapping tomorrow.

I wish everyone a merry christmas, some quiet moments in a busy day, and think again of Christchurch as new shocks  unsettle their lives again.

sunday morning

The holes in my garden are getting filled in; I had enough energy to weed around my seedlings ( I managed to germinate some carrots and parsnips- my nemesis!); a parcel came for me in the mail despite the widespread flooding ( oops, maybe I enjoyed the rain too much!), from the mushroom lane giveaway a few weeks ago! A package of goodness and craft supplies, yay! Thanks Angela.

 Yesterday we harvested our apricots, split from all the rain, before they stared going moldy and turned them into stewed, preserved, apricots with cinnamon and cardamon, for the store cupboard, and enjoyed the redcurrants, fresh and unblemished. Thanks Gilly for your provisions, as I truly cannot claim any effort on my part has come into play here. The strawberries are being eaten before they are ripe, but the raspberries, we'll beat the birds to, I think.  I think the extra iron I'm taking now is helping my energy levels and my husband has school holidays, so the pressure is off somewhat. Looking forward to a more positive time, as I start the countdown to babe time ( a few months to go yet). Hope you all enjoy the solstice time and the leadup to chritsmas:)

time for me

The childrens' aunty is down from Auckland and has taken the kids for the afternoon. Its raining. I'm listening to Ani diFranco and doing some stitching, some looking for inspiration online.

  rainy days are my favourite; I like the excuse to sit inside and be crafty. I can ignore the washing for a day or two. And today  the only interruption to my own ( positive for once) headspace, has been the phone.

Lots of handstitching in the christmas presents this year, a bit of stillness. Some blankets waiting to become cushion covers. A picture downloaded for free to brighten up my "studio", from belle and boo, (see side bar of blogs I'm reading).

The view out the window of my space, red poppies wilting under the weight of raindrops, apricots ripening (?) on the tree, mud from where men ( husband and his father) dug up my garden last weekend looking for soaker pipes and pits ( we found the connection, now  waiting for water to drain away... weather forecast is for rain all week.....) Its okay I'm just stitching away....