Crocheted hat!

I made this hat over the past week. It began at the last crafternoon, and was finished a week later. I've started work on a new project, taking what I've learnt from this one, and making it more interesting.

At the moment, the Christchurch Arts Festival is on. There's been some really interesting bits and pieces to check out.

In the Square, the Animation Substation has been amazing. Two programmes of animation have been screening in container-ship-container-theatres.

I watched a few today, and when I left, it was cold. I looked up in to the clear sky and saw the moon. It was a waxing crescent. I wondered how many poets, scientists and dreamers had been inspired by the moon. It sort of overwhelmed me how, since the dawn of mankind, the moon has been there, continually changing; always the same.

Crafternoon

Friday afternoon finally saw a planned craft circle come to fruition! My flatmate Melinda and I went to Gareth and Mirabel's house, and it was wonderful and fun and productive.

I was getting started on a crocheted hat. I think it might be a bit small, so I might give it to some lucky child. Melinda was working on her complex embroidery, which is a picture of a diatom. Mirabel used children's picture books to make a beautiful collage card. And her lovely flatmate Alex was knitting an amazing pair of gloves!

I think we covered most areas of the craft spectrum. Gareth made some afghan biscuits for everyone, and they were delicious!

It was so much fun! I'll try and find some pictures, though I suspect here will be the best place

Some cool things

In the last few months I've been getting in to arts and crafts more. It's been heaps of fun.

My flatmates Netta and Fran had some pinking shears, so I got 'pinking'. I made this friendly fellow - his name is Snappy

Why buy furniture when you can make it? I really like cardboard, and figured this would be a cheap/cool/diy project

I made a hot water bottle cover. It was one of the first crafty things I made. Special thanks to World Sweet World for the idea. I love it.

I really like craft blogs, and there often seems to be photos like these. I was pretty pleased with these suede shoes I found at an op shop.

I love walnuts. And, it would seem they love me too.

My friend Joh and I had a KEUT CRAFT MAKEY THINGS COMPETITION. This was my entry. I learnt to knit over Queen's Birthday, and made this little guy. He has fabric stuffing, button eyes, a felt smile, and cardboard limbs. His name is Dio.

The physics department were throwing away old molecules, and I grabbed this one. It's fluorspar, and it makes a pretty flash light fitting.

Lunch

I had some lunch today with my friend Joh. She is such a lovely, interesting, beautiful person.

I had a vegan pie; she had a vegetarian quiche. We talked about what we had been doing. I was really glad when Joh said that she'd been feeling really happy, for no real reason - that's how I feel! It's strange - but it's not like it's a bad thing. Perhaps it's human nature to understand why you feel a certain way.

I know that for me, I have lots of thing to feel happy about. I think the two are really connected - when good things happen, you're far more aware of it; when you're in a good mood, good things seem likely to happen.

We talked about the passage of time, Generation Y, and how you see yourself in the recent past. It feels like Joh and I are in a really similar place.

When you surround yourself with beautiful people, good things happen.

Goodbye hug

No hello hug when I met Ashley - just a hand shake. That's okay - it just makes hello hugs all the more amazing.

I did get a big hug from Beth at the airport. It was lovely. I'd been waiting with her mum, and we thought the flight was delayed, so were just sitting around and then, 'oh, wait, there she is'

We spent a really nice day together on Saturday. It was warm and sunny in Christchurch, and we went to New Brighton. The sun was low in the sky and cast interesting shadows as it reflected off the sand. We played Eye-Spy.

I had work in the evening. It was really quiet, not many people were going to the movies. I cycled to hers when I was finished. I'd misplaced my gloves, which made for some pretty numb, pink fingers.

Next to her in bed, I didn't want her to go. I wish we could have stayed there forever. We drank chai tea.

She was driven to the airport in the morning. I cycled home.

I got a flat tire.

I felt sad, but it was okay. I know that she is still an incredible part of my life, and that Wellington is really close.

We are going to start a blog, I'll give you the details soon

Hello hug

Beth's been in Sydney for the last week. She flies in tonight, and I'm going to meet her at the airport. I am planning on going for a wonderfully clichéd Hollywood moment - running, dropping bags, hugging. I can't wait to see her again.
I'm at uni at the moment. I was going to be doing a phone interview with the creators of Drawn Together, but unfortunately, the phone number didn't work.
I'm staying here to meet a friend-of-a-friend for brunch. I've not met her before, and I'm hoping for a 'hello hug', where two people hug when meeting for the first time. I think that should happen more often.
Yesterday I was waiting for a bus in to town from uni, and at the bus stop there were dozens of sparrows hoping around, scouring the trodden dirt for good things to eat.
Also yesterday, I learnt to crochet. It's really amazing, I think I'm in love. I'll keep practising, and post some pictures.

My Typewriter

A few weeks ago I bought a wonderful typewriter. It was an amazingly cheap $10 from a nice man on Trademe, and I simply love it.

It's a Hermes Baby, made in West Germany. It was one of the lightest, most portable typewriters made. It has both red and black ink, and is a joy to type with.

I wrote this note for you

I wrote this about the last time I went to Wellington

The young man had flown in to the city that morning. True to form, it had been very windy and bitingly cold. He had sent her a text message and caught a bus from the airport to the train station.
Now, walking along The Terrace, he could feel the anticipation rising. Having walked the roads of the central city many times, he was moving on auto-pilot - wearing a large coat and backpack, a sports bag in his arms, and his mind on only one thing.
His eyes were focused toward the horizon of the footpath, waiting to see her. It was lunchtime, busy, people everywhere. That's not her. That's not her either.
Then, unmistakeably, walking towards him - there she was.
Her arms folded as she walked to keep warm. A smile shot across his face; she broke in to a little skipping run.
He dropped his bags and embraced her.
A most perfect moment.
Two people, together, alone in the city.
Holding her, his face pressed into her soft hair.
'I missed you,' she said. Barely able to find the words,
'I missed you, too,' he replied.

I know that we believe in magic

Hello. I hope you've been well. It feels like ages since I've written anything, though it's only been about a week. As I mentioned, I've been super lucky spending time with Beth, and I'll write a bit about her.

Beth and I both worked at The Warehouse over the calamitous Christmas/New Year's period. I thought she was really pretty when I first met her.

We went out for coffee (dated?) a few times, and I really liked her. We started going out, and ended up staring in a music video in which we made out for several minutes. She is amazing.

And she studies in Wellington. We had an amazing month of summer loving, and then she went back up north. We just sort of left things in limbo. I missed her heaps.

I went to Wellington over Easter, and we spent an amazing weekend together, and it felt like nothing had changed. It was so special.

And then we broke up. Even though we had something good going, we decided not to try going long-distance. And so we were really amazing friends for a few months.

Then she came down to Christchurch last week, and again, nothing had changed. We still have this amazingly special bond, and it feels so right. If living in different cities is the only reason not to be together, well, I don't think that's enough. She is so worth it.

I adore her so completely, and when I'm with her, I can just feel the love flowing out of my heart.
She is amazing and beautfiul and good and she, like me, believes in magic.

The title of this post is a lyric from one of my favourite new songs, Hug Your Spirit, by Basketball Nightmare