A Legacy

I have been brooding over what I said in my last post about my great aunts, I called them ‘batty’, it has been bothering me and I want to redress the situation, I should have used the word eccentric.  I have decided to dedicate a post to them as I am beginning to realize that I owe them a lot.

Berta and Magda emigrated to NZ from Germany/Poland with their parents in the late 1890’s; they were the youngest of 13 children.  They helped their parents’ clear bush to create the family farm in Taranaki.   They looked after them when they were elderly as they never married.  They were allocated some land when their parents died and had a cottage and about 2 acres of land on which they had a house cow, pigs, chooks (hens), goats and a couple of sheep.  They lived to great age Berta 103 and Magda 102!

I first met them when I was 9.  My Grandparents decided that my brother and I were to be taken on a tiki tour around the family.  I still remember going down a mossy path to a little house with trees crowded around and being sternly by my grandfather to behave and not fidget.  I thought that they were the oldest people I had ever seen, I realize now that they must have been in their late 70s.

We were told to sit down on a hard sofa and they bustled about getting tea and cake.  The cups were of fine china and the cake was apple cake. I was petrified about breaking the cups they were so thin.  The room was crowded with furniture and knickknacks. After the tea the aunts told my brother he could be excused and look at the animals.  However, I was to stay and was cross examined about my life, then they smiled and offered me a jar with chunks of white stuff, it was foul.  I learnt later that it was nougat; to this day I can’t eat it!

The round crystal jar was the same one that the nougat came in.

I met them again when I was 12 when my sister and I were summoned to spend the summer holidays with them.  I didn’t want to go, but they were the most magical weeks of my childhood.  I learnt to milk the house cow, about herbs and vegetable growing, roses, they taught my sister and me to crochet and do needlework.  I see now that how they lived set a standard for me to follow.  I don’t know if it is genes or personality, but I find myself now living like they lived.  Being self-reliant, industrious, and eccentric!  I did marry but was not blessed with children and now that I am on my own, even though I am nowhere near their age, I am wondering if my nieces and nephews consider me batty!

When I married the crystal and silver bowl were wedding presents.  The doilies I was sent on my 21^st birthday.  All these years I have kept them, they have travelled the world with me.  Even though I never crocheted again after that holiday, I think that what they taught me stayed with me and that is why I was able to start with ease when I took it up again after 40 or so years.

To celebrate their legacy to me I have started a centre piece for my dining table in n. 20 cotton that I found in an op shop.

I was going to try my hand at a table cloth, but thought it was too ambitious for my first attempt at this fine work.  I found the motif in a book on classic blocks I got out of the library.

Berta and Magda Buhr I salute you, you rocked.  You now live on in cyber land.

P.S If you are interested in the recipe for the apple cake I have posted it on my new cooking blog, Zana’s Kitchen.   I have decided to have my cooking separate as I want the recipes all together as my sister and I want to compile a book on family recipes and self-publish so that future generations don’t miss out on our heritage.  I will make a button for my sidebar and have the latest recipe listed for those who are interested.

A Girl Needs a Bit of Bling!

It has been a bitty itty kind of week.  Lots of fiddly things, finishing off projects and playing with some yummy blingy wool. 

This is what my work table aka dining table has looked like this week.

It started with my dear sister, she is coming for a visit next month, and as she lives in WA she will notice the cold, so I decided to crochet her a warm scarf and hand warmers.  This is how our telephone conversation went:

Me: Do you want me to crochet you a scarf?

Sis: Crochet?

Me: Yeah I have taken up crochet; I am a bit obsessed with it!

Sis: Oh ……… What do you make?

Me: All sorts, blankets, doilies, bags toys anything!

Sis: Oh…..

Me: Well do you want a scarf?

Sis: Ohaayyy…

Me:  What colour?

Sis: Khaki.

Me:  Oh….

I knew what she was thinking, granny blankets in awful colours and beige doilies, our adored great aunts adorned their house with such things.

So up town I go and look for some khaki wool, I didn't have any in my stash, now I know why.  I hate it with a passion.  I have been struggling with this scarf for weeks; normally I can whistle one up in a day or two.  So back to the wool shop to see if I can find something more to my liking that will fit with khaki.  The shop owner said she can’t work with pink, and one of the ladies in her knitting group can work with green, she cuts out any green in the variegated sock wool she uses! 

Is there a colour you can’t work with?

The answer to my problem some soft white wool with matching white wool with sequins! See above

I did the hand warmers first and they are lovely, the sequins don’t itch or scratch at all!

I had some of the sequin wool left so decided to make a classy brooch to show my dear sister that crochet is not just for batty old aunts, but can be sophisticated as well!

I think I am going to make quite a few of these brooches for my Christmas craft fair table at the end of the year.

I still had a bit of the wool left so I decided to use it in the dress of the bear I have had on the go for a while.

The pink wool also has some sparkle.  While I was at it I decided to crochet her a poncho and a few accessories.

At the moment I am trying to decide whether she needs an ankle adornment  or some pink tulle under her skirt to balance the top, maybe both after all she is going out on the town!!

I so loved working with the sequin wool, I just might buy some for me….a vest a clutch bag ummm….. 

YES, a girl does need some sparkle in her life!

Thanks for visiting and may you have a wonderful week.

Wrapped Up and Cozy

Monday morning, shivering in  front of the computer catching up with my favourite blogs, I espied Zooty Owls Crafty Blog Road Trip Scarf and I was hooked!  Thank you Zelna you are a star!

I didn't have any variegated wool in double knit, but I had a few skeins of 4 ply.  Immediately I set to and by the time I had to get on with the days activities a was a good way through.  (I used Zelna’s measurements  of 106 cm to adjust the number of rows)

By Wednesday it was finished bar the embellishments!  I had decided to do the final row in white to give it pop, and then added some white flowers to balance.

I so love it, I will be buying some double knit wool to make another. 

I do love variegated wool, to the extent I made another scarf from my stash, a cowl this time.  I am also in love with lacy stitches and found this one from a vintage knitting magazine.

It is 4 ply again, I find I prefer the lighter feel around my neck (might be a different story once the winter really sets in.

In the garden this week it is looking very green, so today I brought some pansies the small flower variety as I find that the big flower once don’t hold up to all the rain we have.

I have also started to collect polyanthus to have in pots by my back door which is a sun trap in winter, I like to sit and crochet on the back porch while I have my cuppa. Their colours are inspiring these days, they make you think of mandalas !  Oh dear mandalitis still rules!!

Once again I wish to thank Zelna at Zooty Owl, she is so generous with her designs and I have just noticed she has just published the pattern for the dahlia mandala! 

Today I am linking to Annemaries Link your Stuff

Have a wonderful week every one and thanks for visiting!

Shawl and a Blast from the Past

Woo hoo!  I have finished Shawl no 1.  It has been on the go for AGES!  It’s the pattern South Bay Shawlette from Lions Brand, except as per usual I changed things, I used 4 ply and did some extra rows.

It has come out paler in the photo, so took it outside and let Lucy inspect it; I don’t think she is that impressed.  Could be I disturbed her with her late afternoon nap in the sun.  The top corner is about the colour it actually is.

That’s one down 2 to go.  Next week I hope to work on the mandala shawl, I've done all the mandalas I just got to work out the way to join them.

Any way I love it, so romantic!  This is the first shawl I have ever worn or had and I love it.  Age must mellow us in our opinions.

Here is a blast from the past.  I love to poke about in op shops looking for vintage china I collect and lately vintage table ware.  Recently I have scored lot of crochet cottons etc.   For example, I got 10 balls of ecru cotton no 3 for $5!  One ball cost about $9 here.

However this week I found this magazine and boy did it bring back  memories, both my grandmothers and Mum used to get this magazine.  This copy is a bit earlier than my memories but near enough.

The patterns were still inside.

Didn't they have slim waists then!  No wonder there were lots of ads for weight loss fixes!

Nothing has changed since 1957!  People were still worried about weight, nerves, depression, sleeplessness, etc.

I loved the ads but mainly I brought it for this little pattern of the girl’s cardigan, I love the hearts and I know a little girl who would love it – pink of course!

Anyway that’s it for today; hope you all have a good week and thanks for visiting.

Pretty As

Finally! I have finished this bag; it was inspired by the Big Fat Bottom Bag on Winks A Creative Being.  I didn't want a big bag, just a bag that I could carry small works in progress when I am on the go.  I loved the flowers which came from Eclectic Gypsy tutorial.  These are what slowed me down.  I could not get them right so gave up and the project went into the UFO Bag!!

This week I dragged it out and was determined to get on top of these puff flowers.  I changed the method slightly and there is a definite knack in pulling tight and getting the loops right.  By the end I could do them with my eyes shut. The old motto - if you fail, try and try again.

I got lucky and found the lining and old lace in a local op (charity) shop.  The handles came from an old bag I brought at the car boot sale a month or so back.  And the beads from an old necklace.  So, all in all a good frugal project.  The wool was from my stash as well.

I am very pleased with it and it is sitting waiting to be fill with yarn yumminess.

We are in the middle of a nasty storm that is creating havoc around the country.  Wind gusts up to 140 km in our area.

I took these earlier before the wind and rain took hold.

Across the road from me, I love rainbows, you can see the bad weather coming

A lovely bit of colour  by my back door on grey days.

I can’t get over this Rhododendron flowering in Autumn!  We even have jonquils flowering, the weather seasons are all to pot, poor plants don't know if they are Arthur or Martha!  Back inside and I see that Lucy has the right idea!

Oops sorry Lucy, didn't mean to disturb you!

I think I will follow her example and hunker down and let the storm ride over.

Have a great creative week and thanks for visiting.

Linking to Linda's May Stash Party.

http://lindacraftycorner.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/stash-buster-link-party.html

Sunshine at last!

Yay!

Sunshine Today!

We have had a dull damp week here in Kiwiland.  

Grey on grey.

I have craved colour, so last Monday pulled out an UFO – little birdies, a variation of Bunny Mummies and Attics 24 birds.  They were originally going to decorate my plum tree, but looking out the window and seeing the ugly grey washing line that the birds loved to poop over, I just had to yarn bomb it!

You can see own murky it has been.

I intend to add more birds and flowers and maybe even some butterflies!

Also I noticed that the birds are no longer sitting and pooping on it, no need to wash it down every time I use it, win, win all around.

This week I also have been toning down the colour bursts with a new project or two.

A few weeks back I talked about doing a white and red and green cotton bedspread, abandoning my lifelong desire for a crochet white one.  I have decided the materials and pattern would make it too heavy, so I gone down a size in cotton to No 3.  I am trying to make up my mind whether to do all white or ivory and ecru.  Or maybe both!!!!!  I love both so much.

Anyways, I had an idea; the popcorn stitch squares are designs that I have cobbled together myself.  (No doubt you will find these somewhere on the net, as crochet has been around for so long and so many people practice it I am sure someone has thought of these variations also.)  I thought that I could make it a CAL project and I could make a page with the patterns to the squares as I go. I found that Jules of Little Woollie did that for her CAL blanket and it was so much easier to go to the page than trawl through her posts.  What do you think?

I am so pleased that our weather has improved and looks set to stay way till next week.  There is still heaps of work to do in the garden before winter sets in for real.

See I will be able to view clearly these cute birdies from the house on horrible grey days.

Here are a few pics of my little slice of paradise.

I got a surprise when I saw this, it is a miniature rose that has forced its way up through the ferns.

Ambrose got stir crazy with the rain and took quick little strolls between showers, definitely a fair weather cat.

I can’t believe this one, I was tidying up by the greenhouse and amongst the weeds this orchid was in flower!  It usually flowers in spring.

Have a great week every one  and thanks for visiting.