Happy New Year

2018 has got off to an interesting start for us.... we managed a few days away....our 'summer holiday' as the kids tease us. Special thanks to ED and her hubby who offered to milk for 2 days and pushed us out the door, taking care of the cows, dogs, cats, chickens, sheep and pig for us!

We headed up to the Far North, to Taipa which is rapidly becoing a favourite spot of ours. An interesting drive not toooooo far away, beautiful uncrowded beaches and somewhere to stay that is on the water's edge. Perfect to just chill out with enough around to keep us just a little busy, but not too much. Friends live nearby too which is a bonus and a further excuse to visit the area.

You can see how un-crowded the beaches are - not bad, especially for
the summer holidays!

While we were away a storm was approaching NZ so the weather started deteriorating ... planned fish and chips on the beach became fish and chips outside our unit.

Dinner for night #2 gets the thumbs up from the MOML.
The ocean is just beyond the trees, not that you can see, it was starting to get
a bit grey and 'a storm is coming' looking.

As always I planned to do a bit of knitting (or crochet) in the car. Last year I made a wee vest for needy children during a car trip so I thought I'd do the same again... but I got thwarted with the knitting in the round - I couldn't remember how to get the first few rounds done.....

Knitters who knit in the round may understand my dilemma..how to join these
without doing knitting gymnastics. I've since found out, I should have had a
Double Loop thing going with my needles....

and didn't get any further. For the trip home I googled a simple wee hat and easily got that knitted.

It seems far too tiny to fit a baby but is newborn size so we'll see...!

We got home before the storm hit....a reasonable amount of rain but not a flood-amount for us. Our sheltered valley got a good battering from the wind though, as did a lot of the region.
We had our fair share of trees and branches come down...this Poplar caused the worst damage, taking out the power line to our pump shed on its way down.

It was a huge tree, we cant believe it was snapped off like this!

Fortunately we have a backup water supply so we could still milk and the cows could still drink... we weren't sure how long the springfed dam and siphon effect would last but thankfully the power crew were here to do repairs before we ran out of the reserve water supply.

I've read a lot of inspiring posts lately with New Year goals, words of the year and so on... I'm still in catch up mode so am holding off any planning until I feel caught up.
It does feel good though as I have a couple of finishes to report - wow, so early in the year Raewyn? - awesome!!
Well, a couple are Christmas presents so they are rather late... and another is something not finished at work (The Country Yard) last year...all catching up stuff....

This Kiwiana runner just needed the quilting and finishing done when I brought it home —

I'm trying to show the quilting here but it doesn't show up as well as I thought.
I did continuous curves in the squares and crosshatching in the borders/sashing.

Although it was started at the shop I'm still calling it a finish for me as that is what it is!

Then there is this Christmas (2017!) project I cant show just yet —

And this one too!

The 'proof it's finished' photo :-)

So I've been having lots of fun quilting - I've been using my quilting rulers quite a lot and have enjoyed the practise.

Just to give you a laugh I thought I'd share this photo... the MOML decided it would be a good joke to give me some bright pink farm overalls for Christmas!! Those who know me well know that I am not a pink girly-girl. However being the good sport that I am, I wore them the other day and made his day.

Don't tell him but they were actually very comfortable;
they are the first Women's fit overalls I have had (ever) and
weren't baggy in all the wrong places as my other ones are!!

I may even wear them again :-)

With four finishes to start the new year I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Long may it continue!! (ahem!) I have a bit more catch up stuff to do though...in the meantime,

Happy stitches,