Crochet and Botany.

 Sometimes when I am working on a project, I feel like the horticulturist that I trained to be at uni.  It is such a funny way to cross over my past and present, making flowers that are botanically - well, if not accurate, at least recognisable.

Roses give me such joy. $20 for the plant bought years ago has given me endless posies. Even with the house being such a mess, roses in the centre of the table is the best distraction.

Lots and lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Hydrangea Heaven.

 Today I went to a heaven made up of hydrangeas. My friend Shar is a florist and has been percolating some ideas with her hydrangea growing friend Jane which involved me with my camera. I said yes just so I could play with all of the flowers. It was sublime.

 Here are a few peeks from today.

Can you imagine. And can you picture me running around in a frenzy not knowing what to photograph first.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

More Fish.

 I have almost finished cracking the fish code. I just want to play around with the top fin and then it's ready. The minute my finger started feeling normal, I picked up my hook and set to work.

 Would you like a fishy kiss?

 This fish can even swim upside down.

A few scattered carcasses waiting for completion... 

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. go and visit my mum and see her new bike here. I am so impressed... although I think it needs a bit of primping - hmmmmm.

Books for a Hurricane.

 Friday afternoon saw Archie and I at the library stocking up frantically on books to get us through the weekend. Why the frantic pace.... according to the met service, Cyclone Lusi was bowling its way towards us. Of course we did stop at the supermarket as well, food is always good at such times but really, books were top of our list.

I also had this book arrive in the mail. It is such a lovely one - I will take you for a tour another day (I am also trying to get dinner cooked so I had limited photographic time). It comes with a present in a little glassine bag secured with washi tape... 

In the end we were very lucky with the cyclone in that it delivered rain to our area with little to no damage. We lost power occasionally but had it at night - you can't ask for more than that. 

Still no crochet yet. I tried knitting last night but ended up with a throbbing finger again. Patience is required AND a good pile of books helps: 

-I am reading 'Mercy Snow' by Tiffany Baker (who writes wonderful books) and am devouring it. Set in small town America, it has a very good story line with an older mystery running through a modern tragedy.

-I have just finished 'While Beauty Slept' by Elizabeth Blackwell which I cannot recommend highly enough. It is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale using a historic (as opposed to fantastical) spin. I couldn't put it down (which didn't particularly matter with the rain beating down) until I finished and came away feeling so sleek and satisfied. It was so cleverly told and I don't really want to tell you much more because the story is so well known that its reboot delights with surprises and I don't want to spoil that for you. So go and read it and then we can talk about it.

-If you are up for a thrill, then you may enjoy Jennifer McMahon's 'The Winter People' as much as I did. I finished it quite a few days ago but it is still haunting me a bit. She is such a good storyteller.  Watch out for the sleepers (kind of a bit like zombies but much more benign) and the snow.

Anyway, better go and check on dinner - baked potatoes and sausages with tomato jam.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. I am often asked how I get through so many books. The truth is that I wake up earlier than I need  and steal as much time before the boys wake. I then read for a while after lunch (like my mum and granny did before me) and then will always read for as long as possible at night before going to sleep. In fact I can't get to sleep without reading for at least 30 mins. Luckily Jonno is exactly the same so there are never complaints about the lights being on. 

Poor Little Mousie

Here is a tiny mouse from the Stanley book. I am sorry for the way he has been impaled. Sometimes I find things like this around the house. This is really just a little note to say hello. I am so keen to get the fish pattern up (it still needs a bit of tweaking) but have a cut on my right index finger which is stopping me from crocheting at the moment. I had to watch tv last night with nothing in my hands.... can you imagine!!!

I'll write a longer post tomorrow - there is just so much to catch up on.
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Thank Goodness for Blogging and Some Book Talk!

 I have missed blogging this week. Somehow the change of weather from summer to autumn has caught me though and I feel a bit like a weetbix left too long in a bowl of milk. Soo happy to have my favourite season come along but altogether very soggy and needing lots of sleep. Luckily I have had some wonderful books to read. One that I adored (and was a quick, easy read) was 'Whistling Dixie in a Nor'easter' by Lisa Patton. It was such a great comfort read and I really loved the characters.... and then I followed that with 'That Part was True' by Deborah Mckinlay which I really, really, really loved - a little gem. I then went on to Wendy Webb's new book 'The Vanishing' which was spellbinding - one of those books where it is hard to get anything done as the pages almost turn by themselves. She always has a good spine tingle moment but not so you can't turn out the light at night which to me is a great balance.

I have to admit that I wasn't so keen on Sarah Addison Allen's new book 'Lost Lake'. It was a perfectly pleasant read but didn't have as much depth as I would have hoped for. A slight hint of magic to it but once again, not as much as I had hoped for. I really do enjoy her books but I love a writer who develops with time. I am sure this will happen but just not with this one. It is absolutely worth reading if you are in the mood for something very light. 

 Onto other things - I have been crocheting madly for the Simply Crochet mag again. This time it has been a project for father's day... watch this space.

 Still finishing up some projects for the book.... The t-shirt fabric underneath the yarn is for a dress that I would like to make myself as soon as I have finished up the Stanley project. I am starting to get soooo antsy for other challenges. 

 Refining the hot air balloon pattern which will be in the book!

And managing to find a few moments here and there to make the most of a friend's tomato glut. I love the excess of vegetables at this time of year!

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. I would loooooove to know what you are reading at the moment. I have just begun 'The Winter People' by Jennifer McMahon and am loving it. 

Birthdays...

 Hugo turned 8 on Sunday and received a very special birthday present.... a teensy, tiny motorbike. Let me add at this point that he does have a helmet and would never be allowed to ride without it, but this photo was taken at the exact moment he discovered his new bike.... 

 The birthday boy and his big brother - did you know that we live in a big blue barn? I will  have to put some photos up of it as some stage.

 Hugo and I decorated this cake together. We used a very clever technique where we threw the smarties onto the cake and they stuck tremendously well. Apart from the H which Hugo sectioned off with a smartie fence.

Big, grubby 8 year old birthday boy.

I can't believe my baby is 8 years old... it feels as though he only popped out two minutes ago. But what a joy he is - one of the funniest human beings I have ever met in my life. Mischievous and sweet and a whirlwind of energy. We love him.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Crochet Fish

 Hugo's friend turned 7 yesterday and asked me a while ago if I could please crochet him a fish.

 I was very happy to oblige.

 I am still experimenting with all of the shapes but will run up a pattern for the blog in the next couple of weeks.

 This one is crying out for big bobbly eyes.

 I hope you had a great weekend.
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.