New Kiwi craft publication

I went to Craft 2.0 at The New Dowse on Saturday and discovered World Sweet World, a fab new craft magazine published out of Wellington.

Not only is it full of interesting reads and cool projects but it's obviously been thoughtfully designed: small enough to slip in your bag, with a lovely strokeable matt cover and (am I the only person that notices such things?) it smells great!

I'm very excited and look forward to seeing the next issue (and some sort of subscription offer for those of us not able to pick a copy up locally).

Just realised, you might want to see the finished product!

(Trying to create a suitably fashionable photo shoot for my completed hoodie... Not sure it quite worked!)

You shall have a fishy, on a littly dishy....

Saturday morning saw us up bright and early and heading round to Eastbourne to buy dinner.

Here's how it works:

Check the board for what's available then line up til it's your turn.Chose your fish (freshly caught)then wait while it's filleted for you:(It would seem Tracy chose Flying Fish for dinner)It was all pretty exciting for someone who lives in a land-locked city!

I'm trying to work out...

...how I can buy this as a souvenir and get it home to Canberra.

Oddly enough, I bought this book for $4 from an op shop on my second day in the country. I should have taken it as a sign...

What's happening?

Thursday was blissfully laid back with the highlights being a trip to The Warehouse to load up on Kiwi music and the hiring of a Singstar for the evening.

Good Friday continued along the same vein with a late start, a wonderful home-cooked brunch and then I settled in to watch Eagle vs Shark (quirky local fun):

 

while a backgammon tournament took place out the back (with fresh grapes off the vine and local Supreme coffee for snacks)

There was a bush walk

up to the top of Horokiwi to admire the view (while trying not to be blown off the top of the hill!)

(which made Topsy the dog very very happy)

then fish and chips with a bottle of bubbles, the Kiwi tradition of Shortland Street and suddenly it's evening again. And Scrumpy time!

A day off.

Not much is going to happen round here today (I'm still in my PJs perusing Tracy and Nick's CD collection and contemplating a trip to The Warehouse to buy some NZ music. But since that would entail having a shower and getting dressed even that probably won't happen)

So you might like to go look at the new photos I uploaded to Flickr this morning. I'll add tags and descriptions over the next day or two...

In which I run out of zip

Yesterday was my last day interning. I was full of hope. I was also full of snot. And tired to boot.

It all got a little much at times, especially when I had to do something I didn't quite understand but before I did I had to wander round looking for something I needed in order to do whatever it was I had to do, then suddenly race to the tissue box as my nose erupted, then resume my search before trying to do said thing then wait for Miggs to be free to check said thing just in case I was about to stuff up spectacularly on the home stretch.

So there was just a little grumpiness and banging of head (see above).

Luckily I had this above the machine as a reminder:

And a little help from Miggs with the really fiddly finishing bits when I ran out of time because I had arranged an early evening date with my favorite almost-ten-year-old:

who considers the perfect date burning through $30 on games at Time Zone and devouring one of the chocolate bars he "won" before eating a large KFC meal and finishing off the experience with a huge ice cream from Kaffee Eis. Gulp. I'm so pleased I'm just the honorary Auntie so I didn't have to deal with the resulting sugar rush!

Instead I took myself off on a much less sugar-laden date to The St James Theatre (which I've decided is the nicest smelling theatre I've ever been to as they floors are wooden and obviously recently oiled...)

where I saw The New Zealand Ballet's performance of Red. Which, unfortunately I almost fell asleep during because of the (very expensive) drugs I'd taken to keep my nose from running during the performance.

It was a beautiful ballet in a beautiful theatre. I'm glad I made the effort to go. And stay awake.

Oh, and the hoodie? Finished. Beautiful. No photos of the finished object yet. You'll have to be patient...

Cutting edge...

Today I learnt how to cut a pattern from my block (or at least sound like I know how to!)Then cut it out in lovely soft merino knit and start sewing it together:
I managed up to cuffs before being told to go home. Next up is inserting the zip and apparently I don't want to do that for the first time when I'm tired and sniffly...

Oh and "our" webpage was launched today which was almost as exciting. Miggs would be very happy if you went and visted it so she can check if her stat counter works!

Sew far so good!

Look what I made today!

This is actually the toile (the practice run that would be made of calico if I was a sewing woven not a knitted fabric) but it worked so well I finished it off to wear. Recognise the fabric?

Tomorrow I make the real thing out of better fabric and with a zip...

...and Sunday sights

Sunday dresses

I've definitely caught up on my culture today (and even accidentally went to something that was part of the International Festival of the Arts!)

First stop was The New Dowse in Lower Hutt, which I've not been to since they've extended (and added the "New" to their title).

I saw the most amazing exhibition, A Costura do Invisivel (Sewing the Invisible) which were paper dresses made by Brazilian designer Jum Nakao.

Brilliant!

They also had some pieces from the Dyson/ Issey Miyake collaboration, The Wind:

Saturday was:

A spot of op shopping (of course!)

Yummy lunch at Sweet Mother's Kitchen (Tracy tells me last time she was here she was sitting next to Brett McKenzie. Alas no such luck this time but I did admire the knitted tea cosies they had for sale...)

Dinner with the Parental Units and the Grandparental Unit at Shish Mahal which meant hugs (and a gift) from the owners and a wonderful spread of the  most delicious Indian food (as usual)

Then finally there was Turkish tea and book discussions with the Grandparental Unit back at the Youth Hostel where she's staying while attending the Writers and Readers Week.

Well earned...

Friday on my mind in da hood

It's the end of my first week interning and I feel like a walking zombie (So does Miggs, I suspect!).

But I cheered up when it was declared we'd have a class outing to Global Fabrics this morning to fondle some fibre...Then we went to Wellington institution Midnight Espresso for some Super Nachos.After which life back at the sewing machine looked much more alluring...

Especially when I was told I could move on from men's merino tops to making a merino knit hood and scarf combination. Since my aim while I here was to learn to make a hoodie, a hood is a pretty exciting thing to make. And I was chuffed that THERE WAS NO UNPICKING!

Two footloose and fancy free females on a Thursday night*

Nick's in Auckland for the next few days so after Tracy and I dropped him at the airport we drove home round the Bays (it's a Wellington thing).

I love Tracy. When I cried "Oh isn't that beautiful!" she

stopped

the

car!

Then we re visited an age-old tradition of "Going up the Hutt" late night shopping before heading home

where we started our first knitting class.

Topsy (*the third female of the title) was intrigued and Tracy did very well!

Stretching things

Today I used some Merino wool knit fabric to made this*:and this*:and, more importantly, this:and its twin brother (not pictured)

I've also done a lot of unpicking. That's the bad news. The good news is that most of it wasn't my fault...

(* Miggs thinks it's hilarious how I keep myself amused creating things out of the rubbish bag when she's busy doing other stuff and I'm waiting for her to check something I've sewn.)