I got my new camera

Finally I have bought my new DSLR - a pentax 200D I luffs it - have been having a wee play this afternoon and got a few quick snaps.....................

check out the detail on the bees wings

We went to Dunedin yesterday. Took the kids to the Butterfly house and science museum, something we have been promising to do since last year when we had a quick look on the way through. Then I took the kids to see the penquins out at the peninusula, was awesome. Then got my camera on the way back and stayed at Belindas for hte night before driving home this morning. Phew, busy and tiring couple of days but we have had a great time.

just a few creations

I have made a few things in the last month - or rather finished a few things that have been started!

This is a wee top I made for Charlie from some merino that I hand dyed - I was really pleased with how the colours dyed up and knitted up. It will be lovely as an extra layer now winter appears to be setting in (rain and hail today - oh yay) and if it still fits him next summer he can wear it as a single layer. (sorry its a bit curly, just been washed and dried on the firegaurd.)

This is Sammy with a baby pumpkin, at the weekend I sorted the tunnell house and took out all the dead stuff from the summer in preparation for the winter planting. Then Sam and I weeded the pumpkin patch and I knocked off this little pumpkin - Sammy was very intigued and claimed it as his own for investigation!

Here he is trying to cut it with a kiddy knife.

and last but not least here is a merino top I sewed up for Jess, she loves it - the colours dont really show too well but it is a dusky purple and dusky rose in the hood. (the pattern hood wasnt lined but I thought it would look better so I add improvised) apologies again for the wash and dry crinkling in the picture. Without a working camera I didnt get time to take pictures before the items were worn and washed!

and a slightly blurry modelling of the top before it was washed!

I also have another top I made for Jess with my yarn swap wool but she was asleep in her room when I took the pictures and I wasnt brave enough to wake the sleeping Jess whilst rummaging in drawers to get it out!

Its been 6 weeks since my last confession....

Wow, it has been a while. Things have been pretty busy around here. Firstly we found out that Jase has diabetes. They were initially saying type 2 but seeing as he doesnt fit any of the lifestyle criteria for that they are now looking and testing for Type 1, apparently he might be in the early stages and still has some insulin. We will have to wait and see, it is a pain - but as Jase says it could be worse!
Secondly we found out that we were pregnant again - bit of a suprise and not planned but hey - you play with fire and you get burned! But last week we found out our new wee bubba was not destined to be with us. And then on Monday this week I ended up in an ambulance and into a & e with heavy blood loss. Anyway - our wee baby has now gone to be with his/her big sister Katie and the other wee angel that we lost 9yrs ago before Katie was born. All is well physically but I am pretty tired.
To top it all off at the end of last week Sam had an asthma attack and we ended up in an ambulance with him too (yep you read it right two ambulances in 5days) A day in the childrens ward and lots of salbutamol later and he was fine to come home with the promise of hot chips on the way home!

Sorry this a shortened version of the happenings over the last few weeks. I am pretty tired but wanted to make sure this wasnt all lost and forgotton!

Our camera broke a few weeks back too so that sort of put paid to any photo taking and uploading. I have borrowed Helens old one for now but am hoping to purchase my new DSLR in the next couple of weeks. (exciting!!)

So here are a few pictures that were taken in the last few days.

The Wedding Party and Miss Laura

Jessa

Jessie has been so excited about being a flowergirl at Staceys wedding. Stacey looked after the older kids for 2years until just before Charlie was born.

They had an awesome day. Just as the celebrant started talking Jessa spied me in the crowd and yelled out 'mum I got money in my purse' there was a ripple of laughter from the guests as I tried to 'shhuush' her. She was just gorgeous and her white dress even stayed clean for most of the day!

My boys............

Charlie getting a smooch from Talia - she kinda luffs him.

New Skirt, wool and a gift

The lady who I made my yarn swap for has just had her baby, he is a tiny 5lb so I knitted a wee top and hat for him and made a little 'nuggy' like Charlies. There is an orange in the wee hat to give you an idea of the size!

And my yarn swap arrived - my theme was Very Berry Beautiful. I got 200g of pure wool dyed in pinks and purples, some berry inspired stitch markers (one even has a wee rose on the bottom) a pattern for very berry t-shirt and the recipe for blueberry muffins (very yummy, already tried out and eaten!) oh and some marshmallow easter eggs which I ate while the kids were having their afternoon nap so I didnt have to share hehe) The stitch markers are already in use on a top for Jessie, I am using the wool but a different pattern to the one I was sent.

And here is the skirt I made - I just realised I forgot to turn the picture round before up loading it so this one is best viewed whilst holding your computer screen on its side!

The last couple.........

For tonight - Here is miss Molly opening her christmas dolly with a bit of help from her daddy.

Grandpa in the boat at Kingston, I did remind him just after this that he might want to put on a lifejacket!

I found this one when I was searching for a photo Jase wanted. It was take 2yrs ago but I love it so I thought I would share. That is Daniel on Peters stallion Jock.

And last but not least - Jumbo the elephant. The circus was in town when we were at Wanaka so we visited Jumbo. Sam was astounded and loved him.

Then today I took the oldest 4 to the circus as it was in our town too. It was great fun. Jumbo made an appearance along with acrobats, a trapeze artist, clowns and a little 6yr old girl who can hula hoop with 20 hoops at the same time!

The other thing we promised to do

Was take the kids to the Dinosaur park. Which is a big playground that has a huge slide that is shaped like a dinosaur. Didnt actually get a picture of the slide but there is some of the kids coming down the slide.

Oh and here is the hand at the entrance to the park.

Knee boarding

Unfortunately we only got the boat out once on Waitangi weekend but Laura did get a go at knee boarding ( I think she might be getting a wee bit addicted)

Setting off.........

Up up and........

Away.

Wanaka at Waitangi..........

We decided to head back on up to Wanaka for Waitangi weekend. We promised the kids that this time we would go to the puzzling world. Puzzling world is an place full of amazing images, optical illusions, holograms and a huge maze (more on that later)

Here are the kids in the roman toilets....... (literally!)

The perspective room - big Laura and little Daniel........................

Oops hunny I shrunk the kid - she got shorter!

Jase and Laura in a predicament

So after a trip round the puzzle rooms the girls challenged the boys to a race around the maze. The object of the maze is to visit 4 towers one after the other and then find the exit. The boys headed off and were ahead the whole way, they got all the towers. Laura, Jess and I (oh and we had Charlie in the backback too) raced up to the last tower and sped out after the boys, ready to be gratious in our defeat. We got out and........no boys, hmmm, we though where are they. Then voices were to be heard heading through the maze. We beat them - GO GIRLS (and not only did we beat then but we did it by 10mins and they had to cheat and go through one of the emergency exits to get out. hehehehehehe!)

Yarn Swap V.3

You may remember back in October (I think!) I participated in a yarn swap on an online forum I am part of. (The Nappy Network for any MCN users) Well there was another one and I couldnt resist. Basically the swap consists of some hand dyed yarn, a pattern, a gift and a piece of paperwork. All of which have to fit a theme. As my swappee likes bright colours I decided that Elmer the elephant would be a great swap theme. Now my recipient has recieved her package and (I think) knows who I am I can post it here.

Here is my yarn all dyed and hanked ready for balling

And I managed to find a cheap ball winder on trade me so I could do nice, professional looking balls. Five colours (because that was how many the pattern needed) and one rainbow ball that incorporates all the colours. ( I love this one, oh and the yellow one and I really like the blue one too - hell actually I was quite proud of the whole darn lot and my recipient was lucky I sent them cos I wanted to keep them ;-)

And I couldnt resist playing around with the camera and getting a few nice shots to show of my new found addiction, um I mean talent.

And this is the whole swap all together. I made extra wool (the swap called for up to 200g and I included 300g of cleckheaton 100% wool 8ply.) so this extra was part of my gift along with a little elefante (pattern of ravelry) whom I knitted up from scraps of yarn I had in my stash. The paperwork was a copy of an Elmer story and some Elmer colouring pages (and pens) for my recipients children. The pattern I included is for sticklegged girls cotton ease baby blanket. The blanket is knitted in squares and is very colourful (just like Elmer) you can find it here http://http://stick-leggedgirl.blogspot.com/2007/11/color-block-baby-blanket.html

I really had fun making this swap up. There have been some wonderful themes already recieved. I am waiting on mine with baited breath. It was posted last week so fingers crossed it will be here soon cos I am really impatient to see what wonderful yarn I am to recieve.

Things I have made........

While mum was here we managed to fall into Spotlight after the car threw a steering problem and drove itself into the carpark there. Several rolls of fabric fell in my trolley and the magnetic field on my credit card clung to the eftpos machine and somehow I found myself the proud owner of several metres of gorgeous fabrics! ;-)

So I made the girls some new clothes. Laura wanted a shorter top and I made a headband to match.

And Jessa wanted to wee dress (I know its white, but its got ladybirds on it!)

And also got a matching headband. I think I might even have enough left of this fabric to make another wee top for her too. Might try ruffles next time too. (just need to get my sticky little hands on one of them ruffler attachments for my sewing machine!)

And this little dolly is called Polly. I made her as a christmas gift for my neice, Molly, in the UK. The kids named her.