Starting to feel a lot like Christmas...

The Pohutakawa's a in full blossom all about the neighborhood.

I love this time of year. The garden looks amazing, roses blooming, lushness wherever you look.  The days are longer and you can head to the beach for a quick dip after dinner and the table is overflowing with the fresh season food and fruit that signifies a kiwi Christmas can't be too far away.

Hugo and Renly are both quite partial to an after dinner dip.

The kids finish school this week - so for me that signifies the start to the Summer holidays.  The shopping is all sorted and I am really looking forward to kicking back with the family, catching up with good friends and extended family and even get a good amount of knitting done.

Hugo was so buzzed to be able to see the All Black in Wellington.

Spring saw us visit good friends in Wellington and it also coincided with the Anzac Exhibition at Te Papa (an absolute 'must see', especially if you have children) and the All Blacks victory parade.  It was a chance to visit the Holland Road Yarn company and indulge in all the yarn goodness that Tash has - bliss.

My Doodler, using yarns from my stash, two were spun by us at Design Spun.

I have also been mucking around with another MKAL, this tine Stephen West's 'The Doodler'.  Stephen's patterns are very contemporary, almost avant garde, and the Doodler was a most enjoyable knit.  It have excellent structure and shape, but isn't too fussy in it's design.  I wore it our for the first time this past weekend and I can see me knitting another of these in the future.  So for the first time in ages I have nothing on the needles.  I really enjoyed knitting for our friends daughter and am going to do another project for her, an Oriental Lily using some hand dyed silver toned DK with some homespun of mine for contrast.

Renly guarding one of the 'stash zones'.

But I am yet to discover my 'Summer garment project'.  I have the scraps blanket, but I haven't got anything else in the pipeline.  I am so torn, do I knit stash yarn or do I knit something from Skeinz yarn that I have been dying to try? Not earth shattering decisions I know, but a decision nonetheless.
I am a huge fan of Georgie Hallam's patterns, they fit my shape really well.

Louis Loved Holland Rd - they have a knitted Darlek - he thought that was brilliant!

I have just thrashed all the three patterns I have, the My Favourite cardigan I especially love and am very tempted to swatch a sport weight yarn and reknit in the lighter weight for evening and Autumn wearing.  Yes, I do think that is a good idea - I think I might need to get some swatching started....