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Showing posts from February, 2017

Sitting pretty

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Dear Diary, Jesse :  Not long ago, I had a couple of requests to show the boys with their individual chairs.  We aim to please: here are the photos. Hans The odyssey of this chair, coming from the US and getting to NZ, has already been chronicled here.  Everyone loved this chair.  It was purchased for Hans but some other boy doll climbed up and liked sitting in it.  Poor Hans had to evict Armand so he could have the chair for himself. I recently knitted the waistcoat for him.  I made three in different colours. Armand I don't understand why Armand was so determined to have Hans' chair when he has a lovely wicker chair of his own.  This chair has a very wide seat which accommodates Armand's wide seat perfectly.  Although I often strap him in to prevent any accidents, he doesn't need it as he sits firmly in place. Adam A Victorian woman's parlour chair in red plush upholstery suits Adam nicely.  Adam's creat

Advice from sasha morgenthaler

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Dear Diary, "It is better a child have one doll to enjoy, keep and play with for many years, than many dolls used briefly and discarded.  A single doll is then treated as people should be treated, with loyalty, consideration and love."    Sasha Morgenthaler, Look , 1964 Jesse :  Dear readers - What do you think? Do you agree with Sasha? Do you have one most special  doll?  Please take a moment and share your thoughts in the comment section!

Rhubarb

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Dear Diary, Armand :  It was time to do the first cutting of the rhubarb and did we ever have a lot!  We decided to make up rhubarb pie filling and to bottle it for use during the winter.  We made 14 quarts. It's very colourful. Then, using the left-over rhubarb pie filling, we made a pie.  Rhubarb pie with political attitude. Adam :  That pie didn't last long and there was still some pie filling to be used-up so we made a delicious cake.  It is kept refrigerated and served cold. The top is so bright and colourful even though the photo doesn't show it well. It looked so good that Adam had some with afternoon tea. Yummy! Jesse : For those of us who have Queen Elizabeth as our Head of State (instead of a barbarian fascist), you may recognise the china.  It is by the Paragon China Company, commissioned by HRH Duchess of York (the late Queen Mother) to commemorate the birth of her daughter Princess Margaret Rose (the late sister of

When sheep meets possum

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Dear Diary, Jesse : I love to knit for the boys which is a good thing since I'm not great at sewing.  In the past, when I would see an old doll with a wardrobe of only knitted clothing, I wondered why. Now, I assume it's because the (grand)parent responsible for outfitting the doll couldn't sew! I have recently been knitting jumpers for Hans; I can finish one in about 3 days of interrupted knitting.  I've been using a wonderful New Zealand knitting wool named 'Amuri'.  It is made of 75% Merino wool + 25% possum hair. In New Zealand, we raise some of the finest Merino sheep in the world.  These sheep have without a doubt the softest and finest wool of any breed. Then, we have possums which are incredibly horrible and destructive pests. Don't be fooled by this cute photo: Here is their true nature:  They are New Zealand's greatest threat to our natural environment and there's absolutely nothing cute about them.   They do