Wintery knits

I've just finished making a pair of these

for the studio ...

so cute...

Tonight I'm going to make another pair,

for me,

in cream,

alpaca and wool,

and tomorrow or the next day,

I will have warm fingers again.

In the last 24 hours,

autumn has gone,

winter has arrived,

and flipping heck it's cold!!!

But winter's okay -
cosy knitted jumpers,

nights by the fire,

soup and toast,

and lots and lots of stitching and knitting time :)

Keep warm.

See you later

Jenny

This morning ...

Was running a little late this morning,

cos it's not so easy to "bounce" out of bed

these chillyish mornings,

I struggle a little with the inner demon,

that says ...

''Go on ...

hit the snooze button one more time,

I dare you..."

And so you do,

and then you are,

late,

that is!!!

Thankfully it's was just the child's breakfast

at stake this morning,

and he's even worse than me

for getting going in the mornings!!

So I knew with complete confidence,

that no matter if I did hit the snooze button once,

or maybe twice,

that I would still beat him downstairs.

Now that I've had a cuppa,

and another,

I'm ready to get going!!

This was the gorgeous sight that greeted me

when I did eventually get up!!

Have a fabulous day,

it's feeling like a good one :)

Jenny

The Makers Studio

Over the past couple of months

I've been busily making things,

finding vintage treasures,

and because I am a complete fabric addict,

buying more of it for the studio.

You can see what I've been doing over there.

I probably wont be posting here quite so much just now,

I think I'll do it over on the studio blog

so I hope you'll pop over and have a wee look every so often :)

I bought these gorgeous pansies yesterday,

couldn't resist the colours...

they will look so beautiful

by my new step :)

I have some bits and bobs lined up in the sewing room,

ready to make,

so think I will put the kettle on,

and go ''make'' them.

See you later

Jenny

Building 101

I built a step this week!

Been wanting to do this for ages,

but to be super honest,

 I really wasn't sure that I could do it.

My preferred tools of trade are definitely a needle and thread,

not hammer and nails.

It's all to do with the studio

that's starting to happen.

 I wanted to have a really pretty entrance,

and this is what it looked like ...

Very very blah!!

So

I raided the child's shed

and got out these...

That piece of paper in the middle

was my pattern.

So,

with tools assembled,

and a quick trip to the hardware store for some timber,

I figured,

how hard could this be??

I picked up my pattern,

and pondered what to do next over one of these ...

And then I started !! :))

Yeah - perhaps not quite as easy as I thought,

and certainly there were a few ''tense'' moments

when the child thought he knew better,

and we agreed to disagree until he realised

that I was right

and he was wrong :))

( I so love being right!)

Actually he was really very helpful,

mostly,

though I have to say

that he did start out by saying it was definitely one of my least clever ideas,

and that it was going to be incredibly difficult.

Such optimism, my sweet!!

You should know your mother better by now :)

At this stage of the proceedings the child had to go to work,

and I was left to my own devices.

There was quite a bit of head scratching going on,

and occasionally a few choice(ish) words,

which just seemed to pop out without warning,

when the hammer got too close to the finger!!

But I got to this stage by the time the child returned...

Next day I quickly realised

that I would have to put some more cross bit thingies in between,

cos when I sat the top boards on,

and tested them,

they bounced!!

Not quite the effect I wanted.

So I sawed and hammered some more,

and finally ended up with this...

Now I know that this little step

is no design masterpiece,

and I'm not quite ready for the ranks of master builder,

but hey,

I am impressed,

just because it's there!!

And...

the child told me,

with a shy little grin,

that actually, Mum,

he said,

it looks quite good :))

Did I say that I love being right!

Now I can paint it,

and then decorate around it,

and I will have my pretty little entrance.

I've been stitching and knitting this week,

things for the studio.

If you visit the Stitcheryroom blog,

you'll notice a slight change.

I've renamed it -

now The Maker's Studio.

I'm just starting to set it all up for the winter,

and I'll show you over there.

See you later,

Jenny

Easter Road Trip

Easter road trip...
blue skies and sunny days..

... rivers...

... and lakes...

... and mountains...

... gardens ...

... autumn ...

... and dotty red heaven ...

... and bikes :)

Don't think there will be any more road trips for a while,

it's time to do some stitching.

And knitting.

And crochet:)

Think I will start right now :)

See you

Jenny

Hoppy Easter :)

I know - Hoppy Easter,

so lame,

but sorry,

I couldn't resist :)

This little fella has been with us for a few years,

and before that,

he was with my Mum for a few years.

Have a happy Easter,

eat lots of chocolate,
find a place to stitch in the sun,

and

be kind to bunnies :)

See you,

Jenny

P.S. Got a little bit of news to tell you,

over on the StitcheryRoom blog,

and I think it's going to be fun :)

Bunny Love

Just in case you didn't know,

I love bunnies :)

They are soooo cute -

and it's nearly bunnie time of the year too.

(funnily enough,

it's nearly chocolate time too,

gorgeous,

yummy

chocolate marshmallow

 easter eggs

- bunnies and chocolate -

does it get any better :)

So I've had bunnies on the brain

these last couple of days.

Thought I would have a wee play ...

with bunnies...

of course.

And who does the best bunnies?

Barb does :)

Made a teensy wee bunnie bag yesterday...

... and today I made a bunnie in a frame...

I'm pretty sure

that I'll be making another bunnie thingie

tomorrow -

they are such fun,

and I think I need to make one in blue :)

I've just come home from the best road trip :)

We drove to Rotorua,

and back,

with three days 

in the Whakarewarewa forest in between.

Such a beautiful part of the country...

In all honesty,

it was a bit of a mission getting there -

leaving home on Wednesday afternoon,

arriving in Picton in the wee small hours of the morning,

and catching three hours of sleep

on the wharf

before driving onto the ferry.

What is wrong with the youth of today ...

no staying power :)

And what do you mean,

chocolate chip cookies can be eaten any time of the

day or night!

Off the other side of the ditch,

and onwards and upwards

to Rotorua.

Pulled into our ''camp''

later that afternoon,

and that's about when my staying power left me.

My goodness me,

it's a hell of a long way

and the thought crossed my mind,

just briefly,

that in a few days time

I had to turn round

and do it all again

in reverse!!!

Mostly our time was spent doing this ...

... the Oceania Champs.

He did good :)

I managed to find three hours

on Friday afternoon

to sightsee!

Did a ''express'' tour of the town.

The museum - stunning ..

...and found this gorgeous little cottage

just nearby...

And then, all too soon,

we had to come home again.

Another ferry crossing,

this one late at night,

followed by a midnight drive down the South Island.

Staying power left me in Kaikoura:)

Found a place to park,

closed my eyes,

and again tried to sleep in a semi vertical position.

Almost impossible!!

(not helped, though, by the fact

that I had parked about 20 metres away

for the railway line!!!)

Arrived back in Dunners, later that day,

all 2600 kms later!!

Such a neat adventure,

can't wait to do it all again,

'cos there's nothing quite like

a road trip :)

I need to go back to the north of the country,

there is so much to see,

and it's truly beautiful.

See you later

Jenny