Kiwi Chicks at Cape Kidnappers

Today we went to Cape Kidnappers to release two kiwi chicks.  They had been hatched at Rainbow Springs in Rotorua.  Grandad Bull got up early and picked them up from Rotorua and we met him out at Cape Kidnappers.

We carried them into the bush a bit until we found a nest and burrow that had been made up for them.  They keep them there with the fence around until they are used to the new surroundings.

They were called Manchitas and Woolly Bugger!

First Tamzin had to put a radio transmitter on their legs so they can keep an eye on them once they are released.

We had hoo hoo grubs for them but they weren't hungry.

Lillie and Marco both had a cuddle and pat.  Their feathers were sooo soft.

Then Tamzin took us to the bird aviary, we saw kaka and kakariki birds and we fed them the hoo hoo grubs.  Marco held the grubs out and slowly the kaka came to grab them.  First they pull the head off the grub then suck out the inside, all yummy and juicy!

What a great day we had!  The chicks only stay there a few months then are released elsewhere when they are bigger.

Goodbye

Today we are saying goodbye to our craft night friend Leeanne, she passed away on Saturday.  So last night we made a lovely wreath for her, we all do different crafts so we had flowers made from fabric, crocheted and felted.

Leeanne was full of knowledge, whenever we needed some ideas she was full of them.  We had a lovely evening sitting round the table making this for her.  We will miss her at craft night.  

And here we are picnicing last month on a garden tour celebrating Lillie's 8th birthday.  She'd ask me every week when am I going to get blogging again so Leeanne here it is, this ones for you,  I will keep at it now, have loads to tell, later.

Rest in peace Leeanne, we'll miss you

Hettie the Hedgehog

 

 

This is Hettie the Hedgehog, she is very soft and cuddly and goes to bed with Lillie every night.  She was very easy to crochet and now is waiting for two wee hedgehogs to be created!  Have the patterns waiting.

 

 

She looks like she had an old nana perm in her hair spikes!

 

And check out my new needle case my friend bought all the way back from London.

You can get hedgehog pattern here from Liz Ward or Simply Crochet magazine issue 11

New cushions

Its been a while since writing here , have loads of photos sitting here waiting and loads of ideas in my head! Then thought I'd saved this to draft then there was a comment waiting so better get it finished.

 

This morning was a cracker frost, its been a really mild winter so far.

 

I've finally finished my cushions, made from old blankets, some saved from someones dump pile and op-shopped doilies!  They don't sit like that on the leather couch though, they slip right off!!

Lion-ee was happy sitting there with flamingo still in his night shirt and bib!!!

And Miss Lillie hopped back into my bed this morn you tube-ing loom band-ee letters, she is doing her name.

Here's an L, I got one too, L for lovely mummy!  Must be easier than K!!!  Hope to have few more catch up posts this week

Dyeing crochet cotton

A while back I bought a bag of white cotton including half a front of a jumper knitted up and the 80's pattern from the Sallies for a few bucks.  Thought I could dye it to suit my living room, and the colours in my curtains to make a wall full of mandalas.  So this is how it goes... 

I started to search online how to dye with plants and food and had a bag of cranberries in the freezer so used them to dye the below lot.  I had to do it all as soon as i 'd started reading up about it!!  Took about a week to dry and faded alot so then I thought I'd just buy some dyes.



This is the curtain fabric that I wanted to match the cotton to. 

 

 

 

 


I went to Spotlight and got some blue and red dylon dyes and found some green food colouring in the cupboard so here they are below. 
They just looked so lovely in the pot!! like coloured spaghetti!!

 

 

 

 

 

Once I'd done the red and blue and taken cotton out I tipped colours together and made purple!  Yah!!!

 

And here they are all wound up, still a bit damp but wanted to crack on making the mandalas so the basket has been living by the fire to finish off drying them.  The yellow one I already had.  Very pleased with the results!