Big smile

Knitted Dan is sitting in my lounge with an enormous smile on his face. You know the main reason why. The boys won! Yes!

There are other reasons. He has Richie McCaw's signature right next to him for a start AND he's hoping very hard that the real DC is going to sign him too before he goes up for auction on Trade Me next week to raise money for Christchurch. Keep your fingers crossed on the signature from the real DC!

We'll be auctioning off some other fantastic Woolly Walkalong pieces for Christchurch at the same time. I'll let you know more soon!

Poor Dan

Yes, I know you are probably sick of hearing about Dan Carter and his groin injury but I'm still gutted, not least because I'm going to miss my 5 and 7 year olds yelling "It's our Dan!!!" everytime they see him play. My knitted version was looking very sorry for himself this morning too. All the wet weather (and I suspect a few 'helpful' people) had him looking very bedraggled.

Photo SaskiaN Designs

I took him off the wharf this morning to do some repairs and couldn't resist a few adjustments. I would have loved to knit him a sexy nurse to rest his head on but no time.

Knitted Dan is all repaired now. I hope the real one is fighting fit soon too.

We love you Dan!

Dan's back

I've just realised that I've been very slack in letting non-Facebookers know that knitted Dan is back. He was stolen from the wharf just over a week ago (poor Miss E burst into tears when she heard he had gone). Being the practical sort, I knitted another Dan. He's been back on the wharf since Friday night, complete with a chain through his middle to avoid any further pinchings.

Whilst I was attaching him, I got chatting to one of the cleaning ladies who works at the wharf. She had developed quite an attachment to our knitted tagging and had been holding on to bits and pieces that had fallen (or pulled) off because she didn't know who to contact about replacing them.I was thrilled to discover she had Elmo's missing arm and the missing owl so both got reattached whilst I was down there. Miss E was so pleased to have both arms back on Elmo and Miss M loved seeing the little owls having a hug.

 If you haven't been to see the Wooly Walkalong yet, it'll be up (hopefully) for the duration of the World Cup. Fingers crossed Dan stays for the rest of that time!



Dan's STILL our man. Replacement Dan on the wharf on Friday night, complete with padlock and chain.

New Job

I'm sure I could happily fill all the extra child free time I've got now that Miss E has gone to school but the things I do to fill that time won't generally allow us to fix the roof and paint the ceiling! I've been looking for a job since E started school in August. I've been so lucky to be at home with my girls all this time. It's really important to me that I'm still home for them when they get home from school everyday and as many of you know, it's not easy to find part time work in school hours let alone work that you will enjoy. I was thrilled when I say that Parnell Farmers' Market was looking for a new Market Manager. It ticks every box on my wishlist and I was thrilled to be offered the job. I've just finished my first week as the new manager of Parnell Farmers Market and it's been fantastic. Yesterday was my first market day and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.



Pukeko Bakery

All the stallholders were wonderfully welcoming to me. 



Clevedon Proteas

I met quite a few regular customers too. Everyone was happy to have a chat. Baskets were laden with goodies (I had to force myself not to go and buy everything I wanted. So many scrummy things)

Miranda Farm Shop

 Look at these lemons. Aren't they beautiful? There were so many lovely yellows and oranges on the stalls. Citrus fruits, yellow tulips, baby  carrots, pumpkins.

Heirloom Organix

I know some of these beautiful organic seedlings are going to end up in our veggie garden before long.

NZ Cheeseman

So many scrummy cheeses. Mmmm.

Cake Concepts

The kids love these sausages in blankets. Those pasties are definately on my lunch list for future markets.

Bethany Flowers

 The sights and smells at the market were heavenly. Managing the market means I have to get up at 5.15am on Saturdays now but seriously, how could I mind that when I get to enjoy these beautiful sights?

I love how these gorgeous veggies were displayed. They sold out within a few hours.

Sunset Eggs

These eggs come from very happy chickens. The NZSPCA regularly audits them to make sure they are truly free range. Happy chickens make me happy.


The Farm Gate

I got home from my morning at the market to discover that M had learned to ride her bike and had made it all the way around the block on her own. Happy days! She is just so pleased with herself. Don't you love it when your kids are proud of themselves? I'm sorry that I missed that moment but I'm so glad that I can do a job that I enjoy and still be there to pick them up from school at 3pm and  hear all about what they've done at school that day (bad and good). If you think you'd enjoy coming down to the Parnell Farmers' Market, it's on every Saturday from 8am-12pm in the Jubilee Building car park at 545 Parnell Road, Parnell between the library and museum. I'll still be running the Devonport Craft Market and Cotton Kiwi. The next Devonport Craft Market is on Sunday 2nd October (next Sunday). Hope to see you there!

Dan-napped

My knitted Dan Carter was pinched from the Devonport on Friday night :o(

Photo Knitty Graffity

Believe it or not, it made National news and was even listed on the Yahoo homepage.

Replacement Dan is well on his way to being knitted and will hopefully be up on the wharf by Friday or Saturday.

I'm writing the pattern down as I knit him this time instead of just making it up as I go along. I am planning on selling the pattern to raise money for Christchurch. Any volunteers to pattern test for me? I've got one but I think a couple extras would be good. You'd need to be happy using double pointed needles and a quick knitter because I'd like to get the pattern up for sale asap. Leave a comment below if you are keen or email me. If you fancy donating the Dan you knit to be auctioned off then let me know that too

My inflatable giraffe is no longer distracting.

Do you know how to really upset a 50 something year old man who works in a hardwear store? Tell him that you need to buy some spray paint to cover an inflatable giraffe. Really. It makes them do this kind of squirmy dance while they try and work out if you are pulling their leg or possibly escaped from a mental assylum. Women working in craft stores, on the other hand, don't tend to bat an eyelid when you go in and ask them to help you match the skin colour of Dan Carter to a ball of wool. Mars and Venus. It's true.

Once the poor man had gotten over his shock and realised that I did actually really need spray paint to cover an inflatable giraffe (and once he had established that I was over 18.... hah!), he helped me find this awesome retro green colour to spray paint my giraffe (I also spray painted some other stuff but that's another post). Thanks to the lovely ladies who commented on my last post and answered the question that I hadn't asked as well as the one I had! ;o) You were totally right. I did love giraffe as he was but now he's even more awesome and much less distracting. If any of you have need to spray paint an inflatable giraffe, I used fridge spray paint and it's holding up pretty well and feels very flexible so I should be able to keep inflating him. I will be using a pump to do it though. No intention of putting my mouth near that paint!! In between my spray painting shenanigans (and the upsetting the hardware salesmen shenanigans), I've also been doing a spot of sewing.

 I found this incredibly cute retro sausage dog print in Spotlight last week and had to have it. I've made it into flat fronted board shorts. So cute! And then I found this perfect blue and orange t-shirt to go with it and added a little sausage dog to the lapel. The set will be on sale at Crafternoon Tea tomorrow. I've got some gorgeous lion fabric too so I'm hoping to get the time to make a few more pairs of board shorts between now and tomorrow. So much to do!!

 Oh and I've been making little headbands too. I absolutely love these and can't wait to see little girls wearing one of my flower filled fairy skirts or a little summer dress with one of these in their hair. I wish it would stop raining long enough so I can get some photos of the kids in the outfits. Maybe over the weekend. These will be on sale this Saturday at Crafternoon Tea too so pop along if you are free.

I'm off to play on my sewing machine for the rest of the day (well at least until I go to do the school pick up!). Yay!

Freaky or friendly?

I was in the $2 shop earlier today getting some stickers for my girls who've been really good lately. I spotted this little inflatable giraffe and knew that he'd be the perfect thing to display my bibs for me.

I've also dug out one of my childhood dolls to help with my stall display.

Hopefully she won't freak too many people out. Even in the lilac dress she has a look of scarey movies about her. What do you think? Too spooky or cute?