Winter Beach

The light was right so we hit the beach after school for ice creams and sweater modelling.  So much blue!  In honour of te Wiki o te Reo Maori today's post is brought to you buy the colour kahurangi.

Island Bay was doing its best imitation of a Scottish fishing village, or maybe that was just Zoe's sweater.  She loves her Matariki - yay - seems the secret is to make it blue and not too girly.

Ryan made volcanoes.

Zoe made....

...a penguin house!

I just like this photo - love the colour of the sweater, the way the shawl collar has worked out (I want one myself), and Zoe's rosy cheeks.  Despite the sun it's pretty chilly out there.

I'm loving our winter beach, like being holiday, everyday.

Marine Life

A while back I posted about orcas in the 'hood. 

I've been meaning to post about how I really don't live in some wild little outpost at the ends of the earth overrun with marine animals. Wellington is a sophisticated and vibrant modern city.

But who am I kidding?

Read all about it here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/cutestuff/3969727/Sleepy-seal-snoozes-in-central-Wellington

From Uruguay, With Love

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Originally uploaded by serrawerra

My beloved has flown away to Uruguay. He really has - he's going to Beunos Aires too, lucky bugger.

I'm staying home to knit. Grandma's homespun Bella's Mittens - great for winter bonfire nights.

In my dreams he brings me wool - Manos, Malabrigo, 100 Pure (hang on isn't that an NZ tourism slogan?), but apparently you can't actually buy any of that in actual Uruguay, it all gets exported to richer nations.

Typi-bloody-cal global economics.

something beginning with 'f"

F for finished!  Matariki take 2.  For Zoe, supposed to be size 8, but it looks biggish, depending on how it fits her I might make this the 10.  I love the variegated stars, they're a Tekapo colour called Landscape - lovely wintry colours.

And they match my photo here!

Suppose I should write up the pattern now, huh? 

Instead I cast on something pretty I've been meaning to knit for ages:

Lily, by the ever clever Marnie MacLean.

I'm using some more of that Bendigo Woollen Mills Harmony, in green this time.  I think it should work perfectly, being stretchy, wear-against-the-skin-able, and slightly textured.  I know it's going to suit me perfectly because the model has my hair, and I often wear floaty skirts with gumboots.  Actually I really do.

And finally two of my favourite things beginning with f:

frankie magazine and Fry's Turkish Delight chocolate bars.  Coffee's on the stove, gotta go....

Monster Cake

Kids are back at school today after two weeks of winter holiday - and of course the weather is lovely.  I'm really enjoying the warmth and fresh air after several weeks of chilly dampness.

So what did I do with my first day of peace?  Went to the supermarket of course (been avoiding it with the children in tow).  My local Pak n Save is in an area with a large and varied migrant population, I find it's meat section fascinating - today they had pigs heads, goat meat, hogget roasts, and ready-mixed pork and veal mince (for bolognese, I'm guessing).  Much more fun than lamb chops and steak.  ( I did buy some mince, but passed on the rest).

And then I spotted this guy:

Made my day!

On the subject of mohawks, My 6 year old has decided he wants one - not a wussy David Beckham one, but a full on technicoloured punk rock spikey one.  "Like a rock star".  Meanwhile my 9 year old tells me she belongs to the Justin Bieber Resistance. 

I love my children.

Winter Sun, Tapu te Ranga, 4th of July

Our brief respite from winter is well and truly over today, but it sure was nice while it lasted.

Unfortunately my camera does not take very good photos. Really need a new phone, big birthday coming up.... ;-)

Blatant Advertising! Buttons by Benji! But wait there's more!

Check out these amazing buttons made by my friend, Nicci.  She is one clever button!

Do have a look at Nicci's blog, lots more buttony goodness for sale, and during July she's kindly offering free postage on order over $20, and the chance to win $100 worth of buttons - woohoo!

 http://buttonsbybenji.blogspot.com/

Even racing car buttons!