Froth

A belated present for Oma's 80th! I'd hoped to have it finished for her birthday in July, but it was a bit much for my brain to cope with to knit lace and prepare to move house. I hope she likes it. :)

The pattern is my own Amy's Scarf, and the yarn is Vintage Purls Lace in 'Birthday Suit' (i.e. undyed). This is the second scarf I've made using this pattern, and I really noticed the difference in how much more comfortable I've gotten with knitting lace since making my own 'Amy's Scarf' in 2010. I was able to memorise the lace pattern much more quickly, and I'm now much better at 'reading' my knitting so mistakes are easier to avoid/notice/repair.

The lace pattern is variously known as 'Spanish Lace' (in my old Mon Tricot stitch dictionary), 'Frost Flowers' (in Barbara Walker's stitch dictionary), and 'Shooting Star'. It's very Victorian, and very beautiful.

Dad lends a helping hand

 

 

After knitting all of this creamy lace, I started noticing all the other white-and-frothy things around the place, and went a bit mad with the camera... ;)

White forget-me-nots (click to enlarge)

Primroses

A pretty ground-cover in a pot

Plum blossoms, now with leaves!

Pieris flowers

Jasmine on the fence

Lichen on the silver birches

My afternoon coffee

And a cushion knitted by Mum. :)

Cardigan success!

It's taken a few months of chipping away at it (in between getting seduced by other projects), but my first proper cardigan is finished! I started it back in April, and blogged about it in my very first post. Awww.

The pattern is 'Chickadee', from Ysolda Teague's wonderful book on knitting well-fitting garments, Little Red in the City. I've put my notes on getting the fit right on my Ravelry project page. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find buttons for it yet, but I'm sure the craft shops in Melbourne will have a good selection. I can use a brooch in the meantime, or wear it open. Next on my garment-knitting agenda is a long-sleeved Cria cardigan from the same book, in variegated greens. :)

Dad and I had some fish and chips for lunch today, down at the 'Heads' - the mouth of the Whakatane river. The local seagulls were pretty excited about our chips! Cheeky buggers.

 

Spring in the garden

I've been practising with Dad's camera again, lurking around the garden spying on the locals. Click the pics to enlarge them. :)
  

A waxeye in the bottle-brush tree

A pair of sparrows have moved into the birdhouse

Hazel guards the veg patch

A bumblebee enjoying the plum blossoms

A monarch butterfly hogging all the nectar

Bees and blossoms

This post is brought to you by the letter B!

Yesterday was a sunny Sunday, so I had fun experimenting with Dad's camera in the garden. We parked the tripod near the plum tree which is just starting to bloom, zoomed in and focused on a cluster of blossoms, and waited for bees to come and pose for their portrait...

(click to enlarge photos)

When I had plenty of bee photos, I abandoned the tripod and went on the hunt for other wildlife. I got lucky with a monarch butterfly, which was resting on the ivy, and a tui which obligingly presented its profile.

As usual, Hazel the cat had been accompanying me around the garden, so I got a few shots of Her Majesty in her domain. :)

So long (for now)

Wellington, it's been a great 13 years! (Has it really been that long?)
See you again soon.

Now for a couple of weeks of R&R at my favourite holiday destination, Mum and Dad's house in Whakatane. And then on to Melbourne!