Afghan woes

I decided recently to brush up on my crochet skills and thought that the best way to do this would be to make some 'Granny squares'.  After all I am a Granny so the title fitted and had a good ring to it. And we have a new grandchild due later this month and a woollen cot blanket would be very acceptable. (The fact that this Grandchild will live in a country where the av summer temperature would be 40+degrees Celsius  and the av winter temp not much less didn't occur to me at the time! However air conditioning does make it cooler inside)

I selected a suitable pattern, designed the colours and off I started making the 100+ squares required. As I completed each square I tossed it into the bottom of my knitting bag and went on with the next. After I was about 3/4 through the required number I decided that perhaps it might be time to sew a few together too see how it would look.

To my horror some were bigger than others. At some stage I had accidently swapped from a 4.50 size hook to a 4.00. The half size difference made the squares 1/4" bigger all round which was enough to make it impossible to sew them together. I sorted them into their sizes and had to begrudgingly rip apart carefully unpick and redo about 35 squares.

I was not happy at all! However I am pleased with the end result.

Santa - NZ style

The Christmas Story

The story of Christmas as told by the children of St Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand. Anyone is welcome to show this film publicly, but not change it in any way, nor make money out of it. 

Te Harinui

(sorry about the quality of sound in this video - it was the version I could find)

Te Harinui - a New Zealand Christmas hymn

Samuel Marsden, the first missionary in New Zealand, arrived in the Bay of Islands on 23 Dec 1814 on board the ship Active. They anchored near Rangihoua on the North side of the bay.

On Christmas Day Marsden held the first official Christian service in New Zealand, using the text '“Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).'.

There is a beautiful New Zealand Christmas Carol, Te Harinui, which was written by Willow Macky to commemorate this event. 'Te Harinui' translates into English as 'Great Joy'.


Te Harinui

Not on a snowy night by star or candlelight;
Nor by an angel band there came to our dear land.

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

But on a summer day, within a quiet bay,
The Maori people heard the great and glorious word.

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

The people gathered round upon a grassy ground,
And heard the preacher say, "I bring to you this day:"

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy.

Now in this blessed land united heart and hand,
We praise the glorious birth and sing to all the earth:

Te Harinui, Te Harinui
Te Harinui, glad tidings of great joy, glad tidings of great joy.

______________________________________

Its a wonderful simple hymn, and always spells Christmas to me. Our children at end of year school assembly would sing it beautifully, it suits childrens voices.

Pull the Cord!

Waiting for the axe to fall..............

Psa (Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae) is a bacterial kiwifruit vine disease. It was noticed in New Zealand and in our area in November 2110. Since then it has spread rapidly, at first mostly attacking the Gold Kiwifruit vines, but now rampant amongst the green varieties as well.

It can result in the death of the kiwifruit vines but carries no risk to human or animal health and does not affect plants other than kiwifruit. Psa is believed to be spread by weather events, namely wind and rain, and plant material. It is also believed to be spread by footwear, vehicles and orchard tools.

It is present in some countries overseas and has probably entered the country on infected plant material. We have very strict Agricultural control at our airports and ports, so strict that many visitors are surprised, but being a country that relies on our horticultural and dairy industries we are very vulnerable.

I have blogged before about our own kiwifruit orchard. Here, here and here.

If you have time, visit those links to see photos of our orchard, and you will see how devastating it will be if we get the disease in our vines.

So far our vines are clear of the disease, but further up our road there is an infected orchard. Most think it is only a matter of time. There is no cure.  If Psa is found, the vines all have to be ripped out and burned. 

Our orchard is 32 years old so the vines are large plants. 

We are just hoping that the disease will bypass us. Scientists are working frantically to come up with a cure or spray that will shield the plants but as yet there is no protection available.

The last four Blocks

These are the last four blocks. Now my 12 blocks are completed all that remains is for me to tidy them up a little, make sure each is exactly cut to 12 1/2  inches, and take them to Carol at Katipatch.

The Friendship quilt challenge finishes in March so I have a long time to wait until I get 12 blocks back again and can make them into a quilt.

Oh yes, one more task - I need to carefully write my name and the date carefully on each block using a pigma pen.

Silver Fern

The silver fern is often seen as an emblem for New Zealand and used frequently by sports teams. Our Netball team is known as the Silver Ferns.

The fern is a tree fern, and can grow to a height of 3 or 4 metres or more. You can see in the picture the silver underside of the fern frond.

When I was growing up our farm backed onto a bush (NZ term for forest) reserve of many thousands of acres. There were always silver tree ferns growing right throughout the undergrowth in various stages of maturity.

I was always taught by my Father that when walking in the bush if I decided to go off the tracks,  I must leave a trail of overturned fern fronds to mark my path for return. The silver side shows up extremely well in the shade of the canopy cover of large trees.  Something like Hansel and Gretel leaving breadcrumbs in the fairy story!

The Koru

You will notice that I have used the koru symbol often in my blocks. The koru (Māori for "loop") is a spiral shape based on the shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond and symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace.

 The circular shape of the koru helps to convey the idea of perpetual movement while the inner coil suggests a return to the point of origin.

And two more........