How does your garden grow?

The garden in this little corner of the world has gone quite mad.  We have an abundance of cabbage, silverbeet (it’s really taking over!), butter and purple beans, rhubarb, a few pumpkin plants that are very happy with the current climate, a single zuchinni plant which is also VERY productive at the moment (evidence follows………), strawberries, lettuce, chives, parsley, celery, eggplant and fifty million (o.k, slight exageration) cherry and big red tomatoes.  I think that’s it??  Ooh, no I forgot the main crop in the garden, the potatoes.  Take one bag of seed potatoes from the Warehouse, add some potato fertiliser, an afternoon of serious digging, a few weeks, and you have a rather HUGE crop of potato plants.  The cauli and brocolli were abundant, but they largely went to seed.  Those that didn’t were savaged by nasty wee white butterflies, despite my religious removal of said nasties.  Grrrrrrrrrr.

This evenings pickings: three cute little cherry tomatoes (there’ll be 5 or so ready tomorrow, yipee), beans, and a lovely cabbage.  Isn’t it satisfying growing your own food.  I must plant the next lot of seeds.  Thanks so much for getting me started on this seed raising adventure Lizzie, I’m having a lot of fun .

 

The marrow that I forgot to pick…………………………………………………………..

We’re going to hollow it out and stuff with mince/onion mix and bake for dinner tomorrow night.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

xxx Kate

New Zealand Fibre Swap Goodies

I was lucky enough to receive a stunning package from the fantabulous Suzie (aka Deepcreek)in the recent NZFS on Ravelry.  Suzie has been incredibly generous.

First, the coolest card that has had me cracking up!

Everything together:

We have the most divine fibre I have ever seen(MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM). Mystery wool carded with firestar (YUMMO!), and corriedale with sari silk. OMG, the photos really do not do this justice, it is just beautiful.

Corriedale


Drooling yet??

 

Mystery wool and firestar.

Cotton (How did you know I’ve been wanting some for dishcloths)
Many, many embroidery threads and holders (so scrummy!)

DMC thread holder (although I’ve been eyeing it up for needles too)
Wee childs pattern for beanie & tunic

It was all beautifully packaged in a fibreous green paper (which I’m keeping ‘cos it’s so yummy, bwaaahaahaahaahaa)

Thankyou so much Suzie, you have put a lot of thought into this and I LOVE it ))))).

Back for the New Year :-)

Sorry about the tardiness of late, life has been busy.  Time to catch up now though!

We’ve been doing lots of crafting.  Here’s Miss Rio, Jade (very cute wee niece) and myself having a go at painting.  Miss Charlea joined in too (that was messy!).  These ended up as pressies for Grandad who has just turned 75.

     

As part of the bithday celebrations, we went out to the Sugar Loaf Islands with ‘Chaddy’s Charters’.  John stayed at home with Miss C., and Rio and I braved the high seas.  She was very brave infact, considering it was her first time on a boat and it was a rather choppy, wet ride.  Both my sister and sister in law lost their breakfast, tee hee.  Poor Julie(SIL) looked very green for most of the trip, and was happy to get back to land I think.

 

 

I’ll be back later eith more to report.  xx Kate

Fluffy Freebie Monday

Thanks so much for all the interesting and scrummy speculation about what the little people in this room box are eating for christmas dessert.  Check out the photo to see what treats they are in for this year.  They have their plates full of food already, and also have a selection of chicken, ham with trimmings, lettuce salad, pavlova with peach slices, christmas pudding with custard (and a bowl of fresh cream), and a traditional christmas cake with a pretty little red bow around it.  Whew, no wonder Santa went awol when we moved house.  He’s probably stuck up the chimney!!!

The winner of last weeks Freebie Monday prize of a newborn Bib and Tucker minky nappy is………….

mum2girls!!

Contact me with your info and I’ll get your fluffy wee prize in the post

Freebie Monday will be on hold here at Bib and Tucker now until the christmas rush is over.  I’ll still be doing crafty blogging (there a lots of swap piccies to load up soon). 

Kate

Touch Yarns & Fab Fibres at Blendy’s

You know how brushing your teeth is pretty much a ‘must do’ to help you avoid those nasty cavities?  Well, Blendy’s NZ Yarn Sampler Box is a ‘must have’ if you want to avoid gaping holes in your fibre stash!!!

Belinda has sourced samples from two truly scrummy yarn suppliers: Touch Yarns & Fab Fibres.

 

Touch Yarns  offer a delicious range of yarn ..‘from the finest New Zealand Merino wool ideal for knitting, weaving, embroidery, felting and embellishment of garments.  All Touch Yarns and colours are designed by Marnie Kelly, inspired by the stark beauty of thyme fields, mountains and the historic goldfields of Central Otago in the South Island of New Zealand’.  Check out the range!  

 

How scrummy is THAT!  Not only do they offer yarn, but also Scarf & Jumper Kits, Hand Dyed Mohair & Merino Sliver (YUUUUMMMM!!!), Mohair Curls (for doll making or art yarn), Bamboo Knitting Needles,  a Selection of buttons, beads & threads, and Handwoven & Handknitted Garments & Rugs.

Touch Yarns are exported around the world, aswell as being snaffled up by eager NZ fibre enthusiasts.  Hop over to their site!

And then there’s Fab Fibres.  One look at the divine range of fibre goodness they offer and you’ll see just why they are called ‘fab’!  Their motto is “Threads with a Difference”, and just feast your eyes on this wee list:

Mixed Textural Threads
Metallics
Woolpaper

Dolls Hair
Nepalese Yarns
Treasure Packs
Freeform Knitting & Crochet Yarn Packs

Here’s a wee taster of the Nepalese Yarn: a Rich Orange hank of silks, cottons, rayons, and banana fibres.  Drooling yet?!

And just look at these Freeform Knitting & Crochet Yarn Packs.  This is the ‘Berry’ colourway.  Don’t you love the range of textures and tones here?

The most fantastic product I found on their site was the ‘Woolpaper’ – ‘Firmer and thinner than felt.  Luscious handmade sheets for embroidery, needle-felting, applique or even making small bags etc’.

 

Ahhh, couldn’t you just eat it up?

New Stockist of Bib and Tucker Nappies

Have you heard about NZ’s newest nappy store ‘The Nappy Bootique’?  My fellow nappy nutter, Julia has launched into the exciting world of cloth nappies with her own shop and website.  In addition to Bib and Tucker, she is the only stockist of our current collection of Designer Nappies.  So if you are in the market for cuteness, she’s the woman to talk to.

  

Here’s Julia’s ‘About Us’ blurb from her site.  “The Nappy Bootique has been inspired by my love for cloth nappies and craft projects.  I am a work at home Wife/ Mother and have two preschoolers, a boy and a girl.  I have opened a shop at home.  The Nappy Bootique…. and decided I should put it all online too.  I have found a passion for creating and discovering things my family can use and want to get these products out to the wider community.  The majority of our products are made in NZ by myself or other WAHM’s.

If you are ever in Hawkes Bay NZ please pop in and see us at our shop…

904B Lyell St, Akina, Hastings

Shop Hours are 1-4.30pm Mon-Fri 10am-2pm Saturdays but I am also happy to open the shop for people out of those hours if they ring ahead on 06 8733362″.

Julia stocks a good range of scrummy N.Z made baby merchandise, including the Itti Bitti D’lish Nappy System, Bootilicious Tutu’s, EcoMoon Reusable Cloth for Women, Bobby J Leather Baby Shoes, and our Bib and Tucker Designer Nappies.

Pop on over!

Kate

Yarn Swap Pressies

I have fluffy mail!!!! I have fluffy mail!!!! I have fluffy mail!!!! 

I’ve just received my gift package for the Yarn Book Swap that I’m doing.  Yipeeeeeeeeeee.  The book I chose was ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s basically a story of self discovery and finding your way in life.

My fantabulous swappee searched the authors website for inspiration on colours and found a picture of Gili Meno Island, off Bali, where the author visited on her travels. The Patons Patonyle 4 Ply sock yarn has been lovingly dyed using Ashford acid wool dyes to match. Teal Blue represents the sky and sea, Leaf green for the sea and the vegetation, and Tan for the tree/wood and the sand.  SCRUMMY!!!!!!!  

For the sock pattern my swappee chose Traffic Island.  A very lovely wee pattern that will look just perfect with the yarn.  

For the recipe we have a tropical theme too. My swappee bypassed the ’suckling pig’ (whole pig on a spit) recipe (thankyou!!!!), and instead chose an Allyson Gofton recipe.  ‘Coconut Muesli’ is based on the breakfast muesli that she at at the Honeymoon Guest House in Bali.

And the gift, I couldn’t believe it when I opened the package!!!! 300gms of MERINO FLEECE. YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Freebies!!

It’s Freebie Monday again folks . 

Our winner of last weeks draw for the hand dyed hank of wool is……………….

HANNAH!!!!  Congrats matey, luck is on your side at the moment with prize draws huh?!!

This week we have  a squishy little fluffy parcel of nappy goodness up for grabs.  A newborn ‘Bib and Tucker’ Rainbow Minky Pocket Nappy with baby blue snaps and microfleece.  Soooooo cute.  It is really strokeable and super scrummy. 

To enter, simply take a look at the miniature scene below and tell me what you think the little people that live in this house would be eating for dessert after their delicious Christmas roast lunch.  Good luck!!

New and Old

It seems that it’s gift season at the moment.  Everyone is busily preparing for gift giving of some kind or another, whether it be Christmas, birthday, koha or swap related.  I am reminded that my latest wool dyeing efforts have eluded the camera, so I thought I should snap some piccies before they disappear.

 

I won’t go into too much detail as these are yet to be gifted, but they were dyed using my new powder dyes and were steamed on the stove top.  I’m finally getting my dyeing technique sussed, and LOVE the effect of using variable dye percentages and tones that steaming allows.

 

My new spinning buddy, Sam popped over a couple of days ago with her latest invention.  A swift case!!  She had one for me and one for herself to house her new swift when it arrives.  Thanks so much Sam, it is just perfect and makes a much nicer home than the brown paper wrapping .  Miss Sam is going into production with these I think, so support young Kiwi talent and buy one!!!  Check out her lovely blog too.

  

I finally finished spinning my first attempt at sock weight yarn.  This was the chocolate and neopolitan roving that I bought a couple of months ago from Vintage Purls.  I’m happy with it now that I have it on the needles, it’s lovely to knit with and is shaping up to be a scrummy little pair of socks.  The pattern is Up, Up and Away by Megan S. Wright.  Thanks to Kristy who gifted it to me in our latest Naki yarn swap .  Ooh, and I have finished my Opal socks too.  Thank goodness.  Note to self; NEVER knit a pair of plain knit socks EVER again.  B.O.R.I.N.G!!  I’ll take some piccies sometime .

We have finally got most of our ‘junk’ out of Mum and Dad’s garage now that we are in a larger house.  Here’s some little treasures I found amongst my folders of work from Uni days.  They are by no means the best of work, but they are nice to have around.  It’s rather strange looking back, that seems like a lifetime ago.  Those of you with children will understand what I mean.  I love being a Mum, but I should really get back into illustration and life drawing in particular.  I miss charcoal and oils and the freedom and endless possibilities that they allow.  One day.

Freebie Monday, yipeeeeeeee

Sorry for my tardiness, life with kiddies is busy!

So, our winner of last weeks ‘Bib and Tucker’ handpainted breastpads is:

NOVA!!  With her ‘boobie monster’ design.  Love it!  Email me your details and I’ll get them in the mail for you .

THIS WEEK  we have something for all you wool nuts – a thick & thin hand dyed hank of subtle pastel scrumminess. 

 

Simply leave me a message saying ‘hi’ and you are in the draw.  Don’t forget to blog etc for another entry.  Good luck .