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Cruising along on my way to Mapua this past weekend I noticed this roadside sign in the settlement of Tasman:
I suspect the point of this originally was to flag that it was getting hard for working artists to be able to afford to live in the Nelson region. But since the sign went up certain other residents decided to note their presence in the community--with tongue in cheek-- as well! Looks like the artists are still winning though....
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Pitstop at my favorite roadside fruit stand, Richards' Orchard Fruit Stall in Mapua. I've come home with some "Black Twig" heirloom apples from the USA (1833), can't wait to bake a pie with this crisp, tart apple variety.
Here's a sampling of what else was on offer this past weekend:
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I actually do some useful things for Struan Farm on my periodic jaunts to Nelson. Really I do! This trip on my regular call into Mapua Country Trading I ordered Granny Smith and Liberty apple trees for delivery and planting in July, along with one more Giant of Gascony quince tree. We'll plant them over by the site for the "Chateau des Chooks," aka the chicken coop.
Love Mapua Country Trading, definitely check out their website if you can't get there!
p.s. I've also special ordered some seriously cool recycled/repurposed/upcycled cake serving pieces. Once they arrive I'll post some pictures, I can't wait.....
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I spent the past weekend in Motueka, outside of Nelson, with my friend Glen Davenport at Doone Cottage. Yes, a weekend getaway to my happy place once again!
And I was even up early enough to catch the first light on the hills and the morning mists floating along, magical views from the Garden Chalet.
Bliss, really, even if it was a bit chilly! And reports from Struan Farm that John has managed to get the birdnest(s) out of the chimney at the Cottage, hooray.
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Dita Padgett has been on the scene since March, so I'm a wee bit late with this but don't think I'm beyond the statute of limitations for a hand knit baby gift. It's a year for a wedding gift, so surely it must be the same for a baby? Provided of course it's not size specific?
I've made several of these Blue Sky Alpacas Eyelet Baby Blankets out of their worsted organic cotton yarn. Very soft, great for newborns. The base blanket is knit in a rectangle, the ruffles are added to each side by picking up stitches on each side/end and then sewing up the corners once all four ruffles are done. Really easy, assuming you're comfortable with yarnovers and have learned the secret for picking up stitches over a large area, i.e., dividing your knitting into sections with markers and the total stitch count by the same number of sections you've made. Once you know this trick there's no looking back!
Now it's on to the wrapping, ribbon and card!
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This past week a package arrived at the post office I've been waiting for with some anticipation. My friend/penpal Heidi has sent me some Wollmeise yarn that she managed to purchase for me upon her return home.
This yarn has travelled from Germany to New Zealand, back to Germany (oops, wrong address?), then back to New Zealand to the right address. We were lucky on this to say the least.
I can't wait to knit with these yarns, the company has such a cult following internationally with knitters, it's very hard to get. Find out more about them here. It honestly sounds like one person with a high end niche product frantically trying to keep up with huge, global success and demand. Time to call in the reinforcements to catch the wave?
Very cool packaging too, brown paper bag with knitting terms translated from German into English. Excuse the rumpled paper but this yarn and these bags have travelled the world to get to me. (I actually may have to send one of these bags back to Heidi so she can use it for reference purposes.)
Thanks Heidi!!! Now I'll need to send you either some alpaca or possum yarn for your next project. xxKaren
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I stumbled upon these beautifully done, handmade felt and embroidered brooches recently on Pinterest, where someone had pinned them on a craft board.
They are made by Jane Smallcombe of Applique Originals in the U.K. and can be purchased via her Etsy site "Design by Jane" here. The quality of the work is sufficiently fine that I knew I had to order one for the Studio at Struan Farm, where we display inspiring craft "objets" for people visiting and/or attending workshops. I also wanted to support the artist making this high quality work.
I love the combination of colors, shapes and stitches! Something I can only aspire to...maybe Jane will visit New Zealand someday and we can talk her into a workshop at Struan Farm?! Here I go dreaming again.....
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Over breakfast one morning this week John and I were discussing something that we both felt was "soul-destroying."
Later in the day I started to think about what the opposite of "soul-destroying" might be. First, I looked up various definitions to make sure I was on the right track. "Soul-destroying" can be defined as:
With this established I started to ask people around me what the opposite of this word meant to them, either in words or pictures. And I discovered that while most understand completely what "soul-destroying" signifies, it's much harder for them to explain the inverse state, that which is or would be utterly positive in the extreme.
For me, this would be a situation that:
What does this say about people? Hopefully this state is something people can conceive of and desire for themselves, but may be so special that they didn't want to share it? Or maybe they were just too busy to give it some serious thought. Hmmm.
Usually joy and euphoria are catching if they're available in a neighborhood near you. Seems to me that a contagion may be called for if people can't tell you what makes them deliriously happy. Has the world gotten too serious? What do you think?
Joseph Campbell, follow your bliss, where are thou? May be time to re-read all that and pass it on.
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I've been very fortunate to receive a review copy of Kiwi knitwear designer Mel Clark's newest book, "Knitting Gifts for Baby." Release date is sometime this month.
The book has 26 patterns for newborns through to toddlers, with designs for knitters of all levels. It has a great mix of projects including garments, blankets, and toys.
Mel has graciously provided me with photos of my favorites so I can show them to you. They are:
"Organic Towel," made with Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Organic Cotton
"Papoose," made with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino DK
"Kimono," made with Rowan Purelife Organic Cotton
"Jiffy Jacket," made with Cascade Eco Cloud
"Ice Cream Rattle," also made with Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Organic Cotton
With a new granddaughter on the way in June I have already ordered the yarns for the first two, but it's almost too hard to chose between them.
No pressure, but what's next, Mel?!! We want more of these fabulous designs!
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It's starting to get chilly at night now at Struan Farm, so John went down to The Cottage ahead of Ella, Livvy and Daniel's visit this past weekend to lay the first fire of the season and make sure the fireplace would burn safely.
It didn't. Seems someone nested in the chimney during spring, despite the metal cap on top that's supposed to stop them from doing so.
I walked out of the Homestead to pick flowers for the table while all this was going on and heard a sharp "beep, beep, beep" in the direction of The Cottage, so walked down and saw this:
Husband up on the roof who really wasn't very happy. The Cottage sitting room was full of smoke, so we opened all the windows and aired it out.
Next weekend the cap will come off and the bird's nest will be history. Fortunately it wasn't that cold this past weekend and Daniel and the girls were cozy with the duvets.
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Hey, Heidi's Cashmere Bandana Cowl is featured on the Yarn Garage's blog Monday, May 13th. Woo Woo!
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Of course I had to reward the workers who helped get the 200 tulip bulbs planted at the main entrance of Struan Farm with a treat, but what?
Cupcakes with jelly beans on top! Cream cheese icing with some lemon curd in it that was really good. Ella, Livvy, Daniel and John enjoyed some as did Aaron and his family.
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You will guess (or already know) that we don't exactly tiptoe around at Struan Farm. Not enough time in the day.
When I put the word out to John that I had 200 tulip bulbs to plant this past weekend to add a splash of spring color at our new main entrance, we decided to call in the reinforcements. Ella, Livvy, and Daniel came to help with the planting, while John recruited Aaron with his bobcat to dig the trench.
It's amazing, but heavy equipment saves time--imagine that?! Aaron arrived before Daniel and the girls and set to work digging out or rather scraping out a shallow trench.
Once Aaron was done with his work, I found a bowl with a 12" diameter, and marked out 40 circles within the bed as guides for the little girls (I'd read that we should plant five bulbs every 12 inches).
I then sorted out the bulbs, purchased from NZ Bulbs in Feilding via their website. One hundred of their "Rainbow Tulip Blend," and one hundred of their "Big Tulip Collection." The latter has five bulbs of twenty different types, I've save the tags for reference purposes. But I mixed them all up in a basket before planting so we would have a random mix of blooms.
Our helpers arrived (wearing pink, what else?) and hopped to it. The bulbs were all placed in the bed in no time. After that we shoveled topsoil back over to fill in the trench on top of the bulbs.
Next: mulch, since this area will now be part of an extended wooded garden. John got the tractor and trailer while everyone else headed over to the Pet Paddock and the big trees.
And who doesn't love having fun with autumn leaves?!
Yes, the leaves did make it to the tulip bed....and hopefully everyone will remember the fun we had planting them when all of the flowers bloom in springtime.
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John has managed to get grass seed spread in the areas of Struan Farm that were graded this summer while it's still been warm enough to grow this season.
Lovely to see grass sprouting around Jim's Hut down at the river. It's a vast improvement over the summer's dust!
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These vivid splashes of color caught my eye on a recent sweep of the gardens at Struan Farm.
One purple hydrangea bloom resisting change, while everyone else around it has turned burgundy and accepted the changing season:
Apricot dahlias drooping over fallen bright pink camelia petals:
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Recent rains have helped my winter veggie garden at Struan Farm start to sprout. I've planted a winter lettuce called "Rouge d'Hiver," rocket/arugula, and three different types of kale, including Cavalo Nero.
Hopefully a decent stash of kale chips in our future!
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The ewes are busy growing lambs at Struan Farm right now. We think even our black lambs Oreo and Sooty might be in lamb (Oreo <without her tail> is below, I couldn't find Sooty <with her tail> when I was out walking around with my camera). They seem to be calmer when pregnant, at least to me, but perhaps I'm imagining this.
I can't wait to see them with their first offspring.
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I've gathered what I think are the last of this season's walnuts at Struan Farm. Not quite as much as our bumper crop three years ago, but still a decent amount for cooking and the morning porridge during winter. Totally organic of course.
They are now drying while I find an enterprising kid who might want a wee bit of spending money in exchange for shelling them!
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Big changes in the landscape at Struan Farm happening, evidence of autumn for sure.
Over lunch John and I watched from the Homestead in amazement as leaves from the big oak tree swirled and danced in the wind as they came down to rest.
But while the big picture is beautiful and pretty obvious, I prefer these more subtle little signs from the universe:
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