Grandson's Hats.

 Last time I showed this navy blues hat. It was then followed by the next size in aubergine colour.

 It was delivered to Grandson last weekend when we visited.

 Here he is in his front pack wearing his sun hat as it was a lovely hot day. But colder days are coming so the warm wool beanies will be needed.

 He is growing fast and is as adorable as ever . Here he is at bath time.

 At the moment I have stopped knitting for him and  have made some charity hats. A young friend is going to Nepal in a couple of weeks and needs beanies for children at an Orphanage she is going to volunteer at. Any size or colour is acceptable - so I am using up those scraps.

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 Just before Easter we had quite a storm which started the feijoas falling - some before they were ready or big enough. They are okay but not as sweet yet as they can be. I have found a recipe for a feijoa and ginger cake which I am off to make now. I will tell you if it's any good.

Hat and Fruit.

 I finished this beanie for grandson today and have the next size up started.He is growing out of the smaller sizes I knitted.

 R has been doing things in the kitchen today and yesterday. He picked then cut this 

 We were both holding our breath as the first one we cut a few weeks ago wasn't ready. BUT 

 Phew it'a a beauty!

Our grapes are ready and the wasps know it so R juiced this lot.

Not for wine just to drink or freeze.

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I have also secretly been working on Felt  embroidered ball # 26 which is to be for Grandson. I am not showing those photos yet but soon.

 We watched a good game of rugby this morning . In the morning cause it was evening in South America where it was being played. The Chiefs  ( Waikato / BOP team ) narrowly beat the Jaguares in Buenos Aries 30 - 26.

It's Better in the Garden.

This morning it was better in the garden than in the house because 2 blokes came to install  an HRV System and they had ladders and tools and bits and pieces everywhere. They also turned the power off so that was limiting.

 It's a bit like plumbing but for air.

 Making holes through the wall.

 It took them less than 3 hours to put vents to 4 rooms and vents to and from the lounge which will be the heat source. They also changed the bathroom fan which vented into the ceiling cavity to a new quieter one that vents to outside.

 I will report back on how it works. Mostly it is for Winter heating, not Summer cooling.

 So while I was outside I took photos.

 This dahlia has  velvet petals and Black foliage.

 The first Autumn Crocus are out ( or are they colchicums ? )

 I am still trying for the perfect shot of Monarch Butterflies on the zinnias. Why do they like them so much?

Apple Anyone?

Today we picked any apples left on the tree as a possum was getting altogether too greedy and eating about 4 per night. Some were just nibbled and so the wasps had found them. 

 They are Royal Gala  and the tree was planted in 2010.  It is the first really good crop we have got. Some I have cooked - no sugar needed . The last lot I cooked  I bought a punnet of blackberries to go with them.

 The little black marks on some of them was caused by hail damage at the end of last year.

 The heaviest one weighed 403 grams.

 The White Niagara Grapes are also ready. We cam smell them when we walk out the lounge door. They are sweet and we have a good crop.

 We also did our final for this season Avocado pick for the local NZ market. Avos are quite scare  apparently so the price is up.

 Just a little sewing has happened. I decided to try and make a Taggie for Grandson.

 Here it is partly done.

 6 squares 3.5", some short lengths of tape or binding firmly sewn into the seam first then the seam sewn below the first stitching. The trickiest part is getting the final square sewn in.

 I then stuffed it with wool batting scraps I had and hand sewed the final seam.

 Stuffing something cubed is more difficult than something round or ball shaped.The stuffing has to be encouraged into the corners.

 If you haven't seen one before the tags are to make the object easy to grasp for baby hands.  ( and to chew I imagine ) I have seen tags on little blankets and balls and other random shapes.