Thursday 22 June 2017

Angel Progress

Little by little I have made progress on the Hardanger Angel Version 2
Once this piece is complete I need to get back to my knitting but meanwhile I am enjoying my favourite technique.
So a quick snapshot before I go to bed.  The apron back and the shoulders are now completed.   Just the apron front to go -  perhaps tomorrow evening will see this finished.

Thursday 15 June 2017

Fieldays 2017

Today I joined around 30,000 others to attend the huge agricultural show held in Hamilton city.   Fortunately for me they provide a "park and ride" service which made life much easier.  Fifty acres of display site is laid out in 'roads' and a map is provided but believe me it is easy to get lost:-)
I watched the Contestants for Rural Bachelor of the Year cook a breakfast as part of their series of challenges.  Some of them produced edible and attractive plates of food.  The also-rans were obvious!
Most of them had mothers and no doubt grandmothers in the audience so votes were guaranteed.
These ladies sitting in front of me were probably in the grandmother category.  I was taken with their impeccable elegant hair styling.

After such a tiring day I need some hardanger stress relief ;-)

Tuesday 13 June 2017

Deep Satisfaction

"Aahh" she said with deep satisfaction and sighed happily.

Did you hear it?

The knitting is finished (well, the back and one sleeve) and I have started a new project.   Yes, yes, I know that there are two or three pieces needing construction but they are not on The List1
I started to grow a flower garden....but lost heart when it became difficult to match threads against the background fabric I have chosen.   Colour sense is not part of my genome and this project is proving harder than expected.  So a break from gardening is in order.
I looked around and found the ingredients to make an angel.   A bigger, more lacy and hopefully better hardanger angel than version one.   This one is intended to be all in white linen - 32 count belfast linen to be precise.  She is begun and I am so very happy.

Saturday 10 June 2017

Spring Cleaning - not this weekend

Last weekend I was a bundle of energy and with the prospect of Little Sister coming to visit later this month I gave my kitchen a thorough Spring Clean.   Well, it is Winter here in New Zealand but Spring will come?   Anyway, all good.   The kitchen is now clean and rearranged so the DBEM can lift the cups and plates and what she needs through the day more easily than before.
This weekend I have a nasty head cold and even the prospect of a visit from Little Sister did not give me any energy for any chores.   I curled up on the sofa with a lemon and honey drink beside me and read all 700 odd pages of  Elizabeth George's Just One Evil Act.   This evening I feel well enough to finish off my knitting - the first sleeve - and watch Antiques Road Show.   It will however be a silent evening as I have no voice.   The DBEM has the earphones of her talking book plugged in, I have my knitting and another book.   We are both happy-ish

Monday 5 June 2017

iPad adventure

Note to self - next time remind me that I don't like shopping!

Today I took my iPad to the mall to see about a new cover.   Four years ago I bought the iPad so was not expecting this conversation
Me:   Do you have covers for iPads?
He:   What sort of iPad is it?
Me:   I brought it with me
He:   It's an OLD one  - they don't make covers for them any more!

No bonus points for him - terrible sales manner.

Off I go to another store where conversation went like this
Me:   Do you have covers for iPads?
He:   What sort of iPad is it?
Me:   I brought it with me
He:   It's an OLD one  - they don't make covers for them any more!

What is it with these sales people?   My iPad is NOT old!   I bought it in July 2013!   It is still in good working condition; it serves me very well and all I want is a cover.

Moral of the story - make your own cover and don't expect a male less than half your age to understand even a minute fraction of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without"
Does anyone have any suggestions for a "make it yourself" iPad cover?

Saturday 3 June 2017

A Pollyanna view of today

Today has been a very satisfying day and like Pollyanna there is so much to be thankful for.
I didn't have to get up at 5 am today as I usually do1
I swept up the autumn leaves from the ramp so the DBEM won't slip
I did the grocery shopping
I collected the DBEM's medications from the pharmacy and purchased a new hot water bottle
I took the DBEM to the Hospice Shop to check on sales progress of her knitting -  two thirds of them sold raising around $500 so far
I went to the library -  look at the haul
I sewed a cobalt blue merino tee shirt and crossed another item off the list
I completed the hardanger runner and ironed it -  it's on the table now ( with a small teaser of the next stitching project)
I am thankful that we have a long weekend - a holiday on Monday for Queen's Birthday
And now I'm going to curl up on the sofa with my hot water bottle and read some more of my current book -  a biography of Angela Merkel.