yarNZ4knitters: A time of revival!

Hi all!!

Ok! I know it's been awhile. No excuse really other than I promised myself I would finish module 2 of my City and Guilds before posting again. Just didn't realise it would take so long....All in all knitted 86 samples this time. I think I may have got a bit carried away. I am really enjoying the course and find my head just buzzes with ideas.

How's life you say...hmmm two house moves, [ DM and DS2] DP misplaced a disc in his back, sick cat [ better now ] frantic at work [ wet and cold brings them in, what else to do but read of course] house full again of "stuff" to be sorted and moved otherwise much as normal..

The weather here in NZ hasn't helped either. The computer room being at the back of the house in the smallest bedroom cum office [ as they usually are ] means it is freezing in here. We have had the cold wettest winter since some time in the early 1990's. Rain, wind, rain, snow, rain, thunderstorms and did I mention rain! The poor sports teams have had more games cancelled than they have played, with 7 continuous wet weekends and of course rain mid week as well. I don't think I have ever seen, or heard so many thunder storms with them lasting for hours and accompanied by the heaviest of hail storms.

It is fine tonight but the promise of more to come and the prospect of a heavy frost tonight. Brr sitting here with a wheat sack and blanket. See ...

I did make it over to the Hutt to a club spin-in.. brought some lovely hand dyed, hand spun silk for Module 3 and took a pic of the hills....

But all said and done spring is in the air and with the cold we now have an early sign with the garden starting to look a lovely sight with daffs and tulips etc.

As a result of all the rain and occasional sun we discovered this historic oak log in the backyard covered in fungi.....

It is an amazing sight.. forgive the rubbish photos still trying to learn my new camera. This log by the way is from a tree grown from an acorn grown from a tree that grew from an acorn my great, greats brought out from Scotland in 1852 when they first came to NZ!

Oh exciting news ... a group of five of us "The substainable sisters" are going to have an exhibition next year. The emphasis on reusing, recycling, and enviromentally friendly mesages to our art. So have to produce at least 8 pieces. Plenty of ideas but time...

But I have made a start with a semi circle wrap knitted from cassette tapes and yarn.

This pic doesn't look like much ... and the sun has washed it out somewhat as it is a real rich chocolate brown worked from the neck down in stripes of tape and yarn using garter stitch and stocking stitch and edged with the lovely rich dark chocolate wool. Cassette tapes are somewhat of a challenge to knit .. have a tendency to split quickly, some mending has been done already.

Next up a curtain out of video tapes and to dress a window with copper wire "spider webs" in Shetland lace and plastic bag lace curtains to create an outside scupture. I am also still working on my "boxes, hope chests" with mini quilts and found objects.

So art and knitting wise have been very busy, just wish I could afford to give up work. One day...

I did treat myself tho once my module was posted and did some spinning... a lovely deep pumpkin and silk mix... am thinking of plying with pure silk ... should come in handy for module 3 as this features silk.