In a Spin

My new Rustic Ever Afters & the last of the Silver Gotland, Swiftly spun (well at least) wound up!

Winter has finally taken a decent bite out of Hawkes Bay.  It has been an eclectic mix of bitterly cold, with icy winds off the snow covered ranges or wet grey weather that just begs you to stay indoors & knit.

The completed Dorian Hitchhiker

I have managed to get a few loose ends tied up in recent weeks.  The Dorian Hitchhiker scarf, which has been my lazy TV knitting is now finally finished.  Done in dreamy 4ply alpaca it has already had several outings.  I also have been doing a pile of samplers & swatches for Skeinz & for contract spins & have had time to knock out another pair of Ever After gauntlets for myself in rustic browns this week.

 

The Moondance Sampler

I am now on the homeward stretch on my Fern Shell & even have been tinkering wit a little crochet.  What comes of the latter I have no idea, but I have been getting myself quite hooked up with a series of scraps & have enjoyed the change of pace away from the needles.

Crochet Anyone?

It just never ceases to amaze me that there is always someone or something to knit for.  My aunt had a very significant birthday last week & I have promised her a pair of fingerless gloves in the matching yarn to her Sunday Market Shawl I knitted her last year - so I got myself a little wound up this afternoon during the gloom & wound off the last skein or silver gotland & also the bag lot of Naturally Sensation angora blend I have been collecting to knit (or it's looking now very likely - crochet) a blanket from.  there is something surprisingly satisfying it setting a swift ablaze & winding off a multitude of yarn.

Sensational!

August is fast approaching & it's Knit nirvana with the Napier tree cosy installation picking up pace & of course KAN:2.  I have had a little publicity around the Tree cosies & I am hoping to drum up some more for the KAN:2 Knitters Market & the remaining workshops available.  If you wish to register for either of these events - make sure you drop me a line ASAP!  Time to stop blogging & keep knitting!

Smile!  Me, keeping one of my trees cosy.

Rapture & Raptors

Louis wearing his new 'Dino Skin' jumper.

There is one fact about Louis, my oldest, which is never in doubt.  Louis Loves Dinosaurs.  This isn't just a passing childhood phase, its a fully blown, Cretaceous sized obsession with dinosaurs.  It started three years ago when for his third birthday his Auntie "Teesha" gave him a couple of small dinosaurs books & his first dinosaur toy - a blue Parasaurophalus.  I should have known I was in trouble then. Louis wasn't just content knowing that this toy was mearly a dinosaur, but had to know when & where it lived, what it was called & ever other fact he could find. 
Fast forward two years & we have the Louis the paleontologist in waiting.  So when the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs arena show was scheduled to hit Auckland it was a no brainer to see whether we could swing it to visit.

The WWD Utahraptors - Louis Favourite.

Preparations were vigorous.  We deliberately didn't tell Louis we were going until the day before we flew out, but I get prepared by knitting him a special 'Dino Skin' jumper to wear to the show & making sure all his favourite dino shirts were laundered & packed.  Once we did break the new the endless questions started:

"Will they have a Velociraptor Mummy?" 

"How did they find the Dino's Mummy?"

"Will the dinosaurs talk to me Mummy?

"Can we take a Dino home Mummy?"

"Can I take ALL my Dino's Mummy?"

Louis & Hugo get prepped for WWD

Needless to say having such a powerful incentive his behaviour over the weekend was amazing & he just adored the show - on the edge of his seat the entire time.  If you can manage to make it before it closes - go, it is truly spectacular!

Louis-Raptor!

I also needed some nice easy mindless knitting for the trip away & for the plane - so I took the three balls of bright Skeinz Circus Louis had selected for another 'Dino Camoflague' jumper.  I whipped it up in record time & he has now dubbed it his 'Utahraptor Jumper' - did I mention earlier that this kid was obsessed?