Kindy Present for 2009

These are the presents we are giving the kindy teachers this year.


Inspired by other's blogs, specifically Bakerella..... They are a cookie in a jar - just need some butter, egg and vanilla added and they are good to go!

I think they are really nice, and a bit fun. Our teachers are very special - they are Montessori trained, and now have both kids! Jenna is there full days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Hamish does half days Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Yesterday I went to the kindy and did a science lesson for the afternoon kids. It was fun - we looked a x-rays and some skeleton bones, played with a microscope, did some household acid and base chemistry and played with the power packs and lightbulbs.

Apparently they are going to write a book about me.... Kaiako Fiona......

Hamish also had his birthday today at kindy, so following in the family tradition we had muffins and candles. All good fun. There was another lovely little girl celebrating from yesterday, so 2 muffins for all the kiddies.

Another 3 months passes by

So are the days of our lives..

Actually - some days it feels like my life is a bit of a soap opera!

Jenna and Hamish doing some building

Work has been frantically busy, but great. Teaching is definitely my thing, which is terribly comforting. The school I work at is amazing, and everyone is fabulous.

The kids are growing furiously - in both mind and body, and Hamish has started kindy.

First Day of Kindy

I have been plenty busy in the craft world too - lots of dyeing, knitting and sewing. Really enjoying myself.

Painting rocks for Mothers Day

So why no posts? Well I guess I update alot more often on Facebook these days, which is great. I am catching up with friends from many years past - and its kinda cool to see what all my school mates from the early 90's are now doing. Some wonderful things - thats for sure! There are editors, muso's, producers, designers, models, tv stars, but most importantly - lots of nice people, doing good things that usually involve family.

Snow on the Napier-Taupo road in October!!!

So here are some shots of the last few months. Enjoy.

Kindy trip to the zoo last week

Ouch

Its really been 4 months since my last post?

Wow - thats a loooooong time.

Heaps to update on, will do over the next few nights. Obviously I have found a new busy career that keeps me off the puter in my kids-at-home time.

More to follow in subsequent days........

Before and after - first haircut!

Crawford is about 6m old now, and has just had her first haircut. So cute - I could almost eat her up!

Before - and this is after brushing!

Scruffy thing, but loads of personality.

After - soooooo cute!! She actually looks like a proper westie now!

This took 2 hours. Nails filed, ears plucked then cut, face cleaned up, back clipped, bum and tail clipped. A girl has got to have all the treatments daahling!

Amazing! She looks fabulous, and apparently went very well, so the only thing we have to practise before the next trip is plucking her ears as she didn't enjoy that so much.

Calling all customs!

I had a query about customs - whether I am up for them at the moment.

Yes I am!

In a week I will be on school holidays, so that's 2 weeks of being at home - bliss!

I am interested in doing a dye up or two, so if you want to contact me for a custom - fjwolff at ihug dot co dot nz

At the moment I have the following in stock:
4 ply machine wash 100%
4 ply machine wash sock wool (70/30)
8 ply machine wash 100%
and 200g each of 2 and 3 ply lace wool.

I am interested in jumper lots - so if you were thinking of a larger dye job, let me know.

Roll on last week of term ;)

Earth hour

So of course we did this tonight.

A little pointless given all we ever have on at this time of night is 2 60W bulbs, but ya know - we did what we should have.

While all these things are great - ultimately its what you do in your day to day life that makes a big difference.

I am a massive one for the old "reuse, reduce, recycle". It ties in with the classic engineers phrase eliminate, isolate, minimise - but dont tell the greenies that.....

My Precious....

Its a sad state of affairs when you have a thing for wool. I have a thing for wool. Therefore I am sad. Or pathetic. Or whatever.

Anyway - Wollmeise. Hard as anything to get your hands on, and after almost a year, this is my stash. I sold one to Sam who made a beautiful shawl, and knitted up some of my Saami, and this is what is left!



I love the stuff, and it smells great, and since I dye wool (often to sell....) I feel qualified to say her colours are intense, tasteful and insanely beautiful!

From left to right
Fratello (Yarnissima Kits)
Rhabarber
Buxkranzl (Sock Club)
Okzident (Sock Club)
Spina de Pesce (Yarnissima)
Hollerstaud'n (Sock Club)
Petit Poison No 5
Digitessa (Yarnissima)
Jultomte (Sock Club)
Rosenrot
Orient (Sock Club)
Campari Orange
Red Hot Chilli
and 2 naturals along the back.

There are 2 more sock clubs to come, and then I think I am done with buying Wollmeise. Its horribly stressful, there is lots of hoarders of the stuff, and the price is horribly inflated on places like Ebay USA. For example the latest installment of the sock club sold on Ebay for $300 USD. Now I love the stuff, but at $50NZD per skein, thats about my limit!! I cannot justify keeping more than this, nor can I justify the constant trading and selling that goes on. I wish people would just buy what THEY want, and leave the rest for other people who want to buy. I never buy more than 3 skeins at a time becuase postage goes stupid after that, and really, dropping $150 NZD on wool in an evening every few months is obscene as it is.

Recently I purchased all four kits from Yarnissima - she sells Wollmeise with a pattern in a stunning kit. They arrived today from Netherlands, and wow!! The wrapping, and the extra goodies all just show what an amazing buying experience this all is.

So watch for future projects. I think I am going to do a shawl with Rhabarber and Jultomte, and I can see a few other projects of mixing the natural and Saami. I also want to do a petit poison and Hollerstaud'd project I think as mine go beautifully.

I think the wool is worth it - its 150g skeins which in itself makes it worth minimum $30NZD (as most nice sock wools are around $20/100g, and with the colours, the quality and the gorgeous smell (Perwoll wool wash) its an enjoyable thing to collect.