A Quiet? Weekend at home.

My little retreat is all over, and I’ve had three days back at work. They were good days, but the weekend off was even better. Saturday was a mix of a few chores, a walk in the sunshine, and then settling into my chair to see what might catch my attention, until it was time to prepare a potluck for an evening get-together.

I’ve been thinking about gifting my RSC Kiwi quilt top to a colleague who will be visiting her pregnant daughter in Canada in July.

The baby is due while she’s there, and it feels like a happy destination for this quilt. I briefly toyed with the idea of adding some maple leaves to the top or bottom, but I think it might already be big enough. I might still do it, I'll see how time goes. And that golden Kiwiana fabric. Do I have enough? Can I get more? Either way, those kiwis needed legs — so that job began.
Out came the embroidery hoop and some brown thread, and I stitched on legs and added little French knot eyes.

There was a fair bit of wrestling and some cursing involved: manoeuvring the hoop, shifting the fabric, and trying to keep the rest of the quilt top from sliding everywhere. I got about halfway before deciding I was well and truly over that particular exercise and went looking for something less cumbersome.

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A few weeks ago, I found a bundle of crochet granny squares in an op shop and brought them home. It didn’t take long to dig out some similar colours from the scrap basket and come up with a plan. I joined all the squares using a rich, dark, chocolaty brown.

As I worked with them, I came to the conclusion that they’d been made by at least three different hookers. The yarn colours, although similar, are all ever‑so‑slightly different, and the finished squares each have their own ideas about tension and size.
I managed to convince them to play nicely for me though. I’m not planning to enter any competitions with this piece — it’s destined to be donated and keep someone warm — so if it ends up a little wavy here and there, I really don’t mind.

The plan now is simply to keep going around and around until it’s big enough. Big enough for what… I’ll decide when I get there. For now it’s something simple and mindless, perfect for cool evenings, as it will keep my lap warm while I work.
I did a little more on it this morning before the children arrived. We had a fun few hours with them, and now I’m planning to spend the rest of the day in my armchair, probably working on my crochet while Grandad plays his game on the PlayStation.

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Yesterday was ANZAC Day, so of course I had my ANZAC nails on — a little pop of remembrance every time I looked down at my hands.

Lest we Forget.

Today was much lighter in spirit. We loved having the children here, and Master Torstein managed to convince Grandad to add a new game to the PlayStation. A simple game, perfect for his 5 year old brain. I have never seen anyone so lively and animated while gaming; as his character leapt about on screen, Torstein was bouncing around the lounge, controller in hand, in perfect synchrony. There were exclamations of glee and frustration, the visual and sound effects in my lounge were better than the game itself to this Nanny. It was exhausting to watch, but so much fun.

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After we said goodbye, I turned the leftover roast pumpkin and chicken into a soup for the next couple of days’ work lunches. Now I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and pulling out my crochet while Grandad continues his game.

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And dare I start a countdown?

Five weeks until we fly to the UK… just sixteen more working shifts to go.

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