What to do?

Watching the news and feeling helpless 

I donated my spare cash to the Red Cross

Some lovely ladies have set up a TradeMe account to auction off crafts so I've sent them all the berets I had left

Felt.co.nz are talking about setting up FeltAid again to raise money, however with them based in Christchurch it's been hard for them to organise, and so they've suggested we label things in our shop with FeltAid in the mean time. I've recently popped 3 pairs of fingerless mittens in the shop which I've labelled FeltAid, which means that all proceeds go the the NZ Red Cross.

Heck I'd give all of everything I've ever made to help, though I think there is only so much crochet New Zealand can take at one time!

O for Awesome and O for Awful

I am in awe of the fantastic spirits of the Christchurch people.

I read the news, I cry. 

I watch the news I cry.

For the valour.
For the courage.

I can't comprehend the thought process of (as an example) people who would break into someones' home whilst they are at the cordon area waiting to hear about whether their family members have survived.

Who are these people who look for stuff to steal in a city that is so crushed?

Is it really possible to have such little compassion? 

Can people who are there really have no emotional attachment to what has happened?  

I have. 

And I'm 1020 kilometres away!

And so a glass of wine, whilst I balance the good and amazing against the stupid and  shouldn't exisit.
I'll show you the craft stuff another day

Exciting things afoot

It's been a lovely crafty week this week.

Mel from Wildflower Designs did a brill feature of my creations on her blog

I sold some slippers!

And I also had a request for a baby beanie in the same kind of design as a coffee pot wrap.

Smylee at www.smyleephotography.co.nz was after a prop for her baby photos. What a cool idea!

This is the prototype which Smlyee will receive early next week...

Road trip - Te Aroha

Last weekend we popped to Te Aroha. (we went mainly for the 2nd hand shops :-) )

Te Aroha is a really pretty town at the bottom of the highest peak in the Kaimai ranges. How fab would it be to live in a place named after Love?

 I really like the buildings and it has pretty gardens by the museum and hot pools.

This one is for sale - isn't it fab!

I you are ever there I really recommend visiting the felt studio, the lady who makes the wonderful creations from New Zealand merino wool also offers lots of different workshops. It's my goal this year to go and do one of her one day workshops.

A fab Felt Interlude

Golden Honey Earring...

whiteleaf

$21.00

Hat Pin #2

bobbiepene

$15.00

Lilly-dee Softie Pen...

lilly-dee100

$22.00

Modern Romance- Bobb...

natasya

$30.00

Sea Garden Paua Brac...

wildflower

$41.00

One Red Rose Necklac...

silverlight

$38.00

Henny House Softie (...

erialc1

$15.00

Petal Bowl

greenwarenz

$20.00

Willpower & Focus

I haven't finished quite the squares, I just wanted to know what it was all going to look like in the end. 

My stash wouldn't stretch to do the borders as well so (dum de dum dum duuuummmm) I HAD to go and buy more yarn.

At the shop the yarn called to me from the shelves, urging me to taking it home and make something fab with it. I picked it up and put it back and picked it up and put it back (etc etc etc) which meant I spent about an hour manhandling yarn....  

And what did I leave with? Just the yarn for my border! I'm gobsmacked!

In order to maintain the right balance in the Universe something had to give...  about once a year a loaf of white bread miraculously appears in the fridge, and then it's away with that healthy stuff, that white bread has to be toasted and spread with loads of butter and a generous scrape of Vegemite :-)