Anne-apolis

  Last week was intended to be my last blog of the year, with a roundup of my crafting projects , but I was reminded of some that I had missed, so I went back over my photos and found more than 20 that I had overlooked! Many of them were in the middle of the year, hidden in WhatsApp messages. Starting with the jerseys, I made a pullover in a rich terracotta for my daughter, followed later in the year with a green cardigan. My mom has the ultimate pattern which I have copied - every size from a four-year-old to a men's XXL, and all the variations of sleeve and neckline options. I took a short break from adult knitting to make a jersey for a small child using yarn left over from one of my mother's projects. I had some of the green yarn left over from the cardigan, so I thought it would be fun to make a pullover for my daughter's favourite small boy.  I thought I would have just enough, but I ran out half-way up the second sleeve. Unfortunately, I could only get matching yarn ...

  This time last year, my blog reflected back on the needlecraft projects that I managed to complete in 2024 . All of the projects were knitting and sewing  - I have done some crochet and embroidery in the past, but I have really settled on knitting and machine sewing  as my preference. As in 2024, I have kept up my routine of knitting a little every evening while watching TV, and on the weekends I try to make time for the sewing projects.  My ottoman started the year quite full of fabrics and yarns to get me started, but the stash was topped up a couple of times during the year - Arthur Bales ' annual sale being one of the main culprits! I am really not keen on making garments for myself. I find that, by the time I have completed a jersey I am tired of the colour - lovely to see on somebody else, but not on myself. The problem with sewing for oneself is that it is difficult to fit the garment, unless you have a friend or family member with the skills. This year was ...

As a lifelong resident of a water-scarce region, I never complain about the rain. However, living in a city, one is often conscious of storm-water when it causes flooding, or even pooling in the carpark exactly in an arc around your car! For several years, I have been part of a study group on permeable paving, a Nature-based Solution to urban storm-water, headed up by Prof Neil Armitage of UCT. Permeable paving solution Creative commons licensed: https://laturfandpaver.com/shop/turf-block/ Most Nature-based Solutions use vegetation: many of us are familiar with constructed wetlands,  green roofs , swales and rain gardens , where the planting does much of the work in absorbing the rainwater, trapping it in its roots and directing any water that is not needed down into the sub-surface "groundwater". This contrasts with conventional storm-water engineering, where the rainwater is encouraged to flow away as quickly as possible, using impermeable sloping surfaces (roads, paving, p...

  The last time I was on a road trip with my sister was in 1983! Last weekend, we decided to head up north to the Soutpansberg, where the farming side of our family grow avocados, macadamia nuts and pecans. It was our cousin's child's baptism, so a perfect opportunity to catch up with family we had not seen in years. The route is almost entirely on the N1 - Google Maps' route was: "Get on to the N1; drive north for 432km; turn right, then turn left - your destination is on your left". Spectacular clouds and sunsets in the Soutpansberg Because so many family members were coming for the weekend, we had to find accommodation elsewhere, so the obvious choice was Pecan Farm Guesthouse , in the vicinity of our family's houses. After we had made our online booking, the guesthouse contacted us to check our needs and preferences - they pride themselves in catering for every dietary constraint or whim. My aunt recalls an occasion when a French group were staying and wan...