January---

----comes to an end.

While it seems such a long time since Christmas and the New Year, I can't quite believe we are one month into 2024 already.

January has been a mixed month. We've had some long hot days, the odd cooler day, a lot of humidity and then none. We had a little rain at the start of the month but have missed out on much of what has fallen in Northland lately - even though we are only 45-60 mins west OR east to the coast, we have quite a different climate at times - they've had a good amount of rain this month. 

Which means things are drying out on the farm. The grass has changed and the MOML has started feeding out from our big stack of silage bales. 

(The kids have really discovered the bales this summer. The two older girls used to play on them a lot,  singing, acting and dancing.  The younger kids are now making their own games and fun on them.)

They'll be out of bounds soon as the bales will get moved around for the cows.

Soon the MOML will stop milking at night (just in the mornings) to reduce stress on the cows and the milker. Things change a lot in a month!

It's been a month of family busy-ness with visits from relatives and close family. We've child minded when parents returned to work. And dog-sat while their family went to the beach for a week.

The plums are never-ending, although I think, after this morning's pick, there will be just one more big pick of the main tree for the freezer. Add in the courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes and I've made jam, pickles and chutney. The windfall apples are starting, and the Damson plums are ready to pick.

I've continued on with my daily hill climbs, just missing three days in January, and this morning I clocked over the 100kms mark for this month! Almost one seventh of my goal for the year.

It's always rewarding to get to the top of the first hill to see these great views —

I've fought with wee Tammy in the evenings trying to do handwork but have managed a few wee finishes. (She is slowly learning to do the cat-thing and nap in my lap instead of scragging and playing with everything I try to do!)

I had started this singlet back in November. A group of the ladies who belong to the stitching group at work are making singlets for a premature baby unit. 

It is my second one, and I have enough wool left for another, plus some beanies.

In my last post I shared that I started a wee Pin and Scissorkeep set, a pattern that I acquired up while at my Scrub Stitching retreat last April. I haven't yet made the scissor fob but when I get an empty night or two, I will 'whip it up' - it will be a fairly quick make.

My first make for this challenge was the pouch —

I had a big enough scrap left over from making the bag to line the scissor keep, so that was nice :-)

The pins are poked into the 'gusset' of the pin keep as the stitcheries are gathered around cardboard circles. I've filled it with crushed walnut shell. Check out those tiny cute scissors!

It was good to start the year well by meeting my Chookshed Chatterers challenge goal #6 of finishing these items.

I will link up with Deana's end-of-month link-up when I have posted this- there are a lot of people who have joined in so that's pretty exciting. 

There's been a bit of block sewing happening lately but I'll stop here as this is more than enough photos for one day!

'til next time,

happy stitches, 
Raewyn