Wednesday, June 6, 2012

These wintery days days...


I cast off my scrappy hottie cozy. Details raveled here.
To be honest I thought I was making my hottie a cozy so it didn't burn my skin, but I've since discovered that a woolly jumper insulates and now my hottie stays hot longer. Yay!



We've been trying to eat from the kitchen garden as much as possible. There's not a huge amount of variety at this time of the year but we still have rainbow carrots, lots of salad greens, herbs, rainbow chard, spinach, the beginnings of broccoli and the very end of the peas. Yum!


I've been thrilled and surprised at a thrifted package in the mail from Christina.

It's funny, people ask me all the time how I feel about my whole life being out there for the world to see. I always reply that they don't really know me. They just know the tiny bits I choose to share on my blog. What surprised me about Christina's prezzie, is that every single thing she included, I would have bought from the oppy myself. Maybe she does know me.


I was spoilt.


I watched my farmer boy add another feather to his bow and become a tiler.

And I loved knowing that the construction zone kitchen is coming to an end. Our new wood cooker is coming TOMORROW!!!!!!!


I have loved snuggling up on the couch by the fire every night with my girlies and reading the stories of long ago times.


I have wondered if it is possible that the Daphne might be getting ready to blossom already. In my mind I thought it was closer to September, but I'd be thrilled to be wrong. Oh how I adore that sweet Daphne smell.


I've enjoyed watching the bottle tree change now it's tree has lost her leaves. I love how the old bottles fill up with water, sometimes tinkle in the breeze and reflect the low winter sunlight.


I have been completely indecisive with my knitting. Casting on and then unravelling. Choosing a pattern and then changing my mind. Trialing stripes and then wanting plain. Deciding on a size and then not liking it. One of these days I'll get it right, until then I'll just keep knitting the first two rows over and over.


I've been hanging out with this little chickie. All day and most of the nights too. I've been wrapping her up in woolly goodness and snuggling her close. She's a funny little thing.

And the random number chooser chose comment number 12 for my Japanese crochet book giveaway!!
Commenter number 12 is Kylie!!!
Hooray for Kylie.
Email me your details lovely lady and I'll pop the book in the post.

So that's me, what have you been up to?
What are you cooking/knitting/planting/crocheting/listening to/reading/thinking/noticing??
Do tell.

Travel safe and happy my friends. xx

36 comments:

  1. Oh that bottle tree. It's too awesome for words :)

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  2. The colours on your hottie cozey are just sublime.
    Carol

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  3. Lovely wintery thoughts Kate. Love your new boots and the progress in the kitchen! I love a man who can tile :) I am cooking chilli con carne with homemade tortillas tonight and thinking about the beautiful evening colours at our place at the moment.

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  4. What lovely, lovely Wintery moments Kate! We were surprised how much longer our hotties stay warm with their My Poppet wollen blanket covers too. Yours stripy cover is gorgeous! Your garden sounds delish and I love that you received some perfect mail. To be honest I find bloggie friends the easiest to buy for too. We may not share everthing but we certainly share our likes and dislikes sometimes more than what we would with our nearest and dearest. I have been wanting to start the little house books with the Munchkin. Do you read them to Pepper too?

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  5. I made a hot water bottle cover and for something that's such a small thing, it gives me a lot of pleasure. Mine is a lace pattern and the heat comes out of the holes to make me feel very cosy still (I was worried the heat would be blocked), yet in the morning it is still warm. I love it. It would be a great present. We are meant to be well into spring here with summer around the corner. Yet last night it was so cold I had a hot water bottle to keep warm.

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  6. Hello! Wow, love your knitting and those bottles are such a great idea. How jealous am I of your hunters! Andrea x

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  7. Great hottie cover and I am a big fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder too - been looking for a set to read to my girlie soon

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  8. Love the hottie cozy. I might just have to give that one a try.
    The bottle tree is so effective.
    I'm crocheting a wrap at the moment. I just finished my first every cardi and am a bit chuffed about it still.

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  9. Hmmm, I must check and see how my daphne is coming along. Daphne is third on my list of garden scents: after lilac and wisteria.

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  10. Oh I love wintery days, although today is Perths first and I'm loving every second of it. Lovely post, as always. I nearly wet my pants when I saw the pile of books! *drool* xx

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  11. I loooooved Laura Ingalls! I read it in Afrikaans way back when, and recently found a few kiddy illustrated versions, love it.
    Enjoy the hotty, looks nice with the stripes.

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  12. I love your hottie cover, its gorgeous. I make granny square hottie covers that i sell in my etsy store and i am always surprised how popular they are (especially with the aussies!), i think there are two types of people - those that love their hotties and those that cant believe people still use hotties. I dont know how many people have said "you make hottie covers? Really??, they seem to think I am nuts.

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  13. Glad you liked your package Kate! Loving your new boots! The stripes are awesome. I finished my cabled hot water bottle cozy this week too, just in time for the colder nights around here. Much better than burning myself indeed. I have a couple of other knits on the go and I'm reading 'Walden.' :)

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  14. Daphne is close to flowering in our garden. One year it was in full bloom for my birthday (which is next week), so I always think of it as my birthday flower, my middle of the year treat. I'm always surprised and a little miffed when it isn't out quite in time - perhaps I should be thinking of it as the winter solstice flower and not be so self absorbed ;-) It is my most favourite garden scent.

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  15. Love your "hottie"...I think I would like a crochet one just like that...I am loving the stripes at the moment...
    Your pictures are just gorgeous Kate...
    I love the bottles...very winter...very cool...

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  16. What a fabulous hottie cover. Makes me want one Just The Same!! And yes, our daphne is about to burst out any day now too. It's all about snuggling under blankets at the moment, here in South Gippsland!

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  17. Got me reminiscing on hot water bottles! Love your cosy!

    I've just finished crocheting a giant pouf but am yet to buy the cheap doona to stuff it with... One of these days I suppose :)

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  18. oh good luck with your latest family member Kate - can wait to see her/him (?) all fired up! x

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  19. Yah! Thank you! Can't wait to see this fabulous book :) Love the thrifted items - Christina is amazing how she finds these things! Did you see the old Target label? OMG that took me back a few decades! :)) How bizarre that seeing this symbol was like opening a door in my memory. Hope your cooker is in soon and that you can settle on a yarn project even sooner. I always feel a bit batty without a crochet project on the go ;) Have a great day and thanks again! :)) Kx

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  20. I've been knitting a "sacred scarf" ... Hubby asked why it was sacred... my reply ... "it's holey"
    Hmmm - perhaps it was only funny a the time. Still the creative process is very meditative - just what the human soul needs.
    Reading your blog gives a similar sense of tranquility and calm - Thank you. XX

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  21. A hottie cosy.....is there no end to your talent!

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  22. I am cooking up a storm right now. My life is a little stale, things need a shift & it's like a grey fig is hanging about & somehow cooking/baking makes it all bearable & brings joy....
    I've started crocheting a blanket. I'm such a novice so it's super basic & will probably take until next winter to finish but I'm ok with that.....
    I wish I had more time to read. I haven't read a book in nearly two weeks which is unheard of for me! I just can't settle on a book. It's a bit like you & your knitting, I start something & realise it's not right do put it down & pick up something else only to have the same problem...
    It has finally rained here in Perth & the days are cold, as are the nights, & I'm loving it....
    Your little trip sounds perfect...

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  23. Oh me! oh my! that hottie is divine Kate.
    Love that your Bren is now a tiler. I kind of dig tiling. Such possibilities, x

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  24. It is definitely wintery Kate!! 8 degrees here at tea time is rather cold for our area!!
    I have bought my first 'hottie' for the caravan - when we are without power!! So I've been admiring all these covers everyone is creating!! Is it a pattern for beginners, or am i better off crocheting one??
    Only problem, it will have to wait until the ordered 'rainbow rug' is finished being crocheted for a precious bubba that is due this week!!
    Thanks as always for your inspiration :)
    Sarah x

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  25. i had a sharp intake of breath when i saw your photo of the daphne. i love the smell and i love the name (hence my little one's middle name). i used to have daphne growing when we lived in melbourne and it was always flowering in winter, such a treat when nothing much else is around. we can't grow it here where we live now but maybe when i do a little trip to the adelaide hills next week i will find some.
    love the wellies and the hot water bottle cover.

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  26. Tiler- go Bren! I am wrapping mine up close too ( although not as many layers are required) as I can't get enough of her at the moment. I am sensing things will soon change and although excited of course am scared of how things will change for the two of us.

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  27. My daughter was reading Little House in the Big Woods, but stopped near the start when the father shoots the bear with the pig. She won't return to it now! I guess the avowed vegetarian status of a 6yr old doesn't gel well with those tales of wintry survival.

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  28. Hi Kate, the stripey hottie cover is lovely. We will be tiling the kitchen backsplash tomorrow and I am working on a stripey crochet bag with bamboo handles. Have a cozy weekend!

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  29. The wintery days seem very well spent. That rocket looks so delicious. I crave the stuff. I've been planning to put rainbow chard in. Hope it's not too late.

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  30. ahhh that hot water bottle cosie is lovely!

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  31. I've been re-visiting the Prairie these last few months...I'm up to The Happy Golden Years! Amazing at learning this that mean more to me now as a grown-up, knowing this is true stuff. Such good explanation of the ways things were.

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Kate XX

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