Roadtrippin' and small things spotted

Being married to an after-hours endurance athlete, means a lot of road tripping to nice places, of which my South Africa has no shortage.  So this weekend we went off galavanting to the Trans-Baviaans 24hr Mountain Bike Marathon where  our team of four rode into the mountains, following dirt roads, single tracks, orienteering through the kloofs and slipping down snot-like mud downhill towards thick gravel and potholes.  They started at 10h00 in the Karoo town of Willowmore and had 24 hrs to make to to Jeffreys Bay.  They're allowed only a 1-person logistical support and the checkpoints, and none on the road.   Our novices did quite well, considering one broke his chain in three places, and another had to be medevacked (but is now fine), and they're happy with their finish time of 14:40.

That was at 00h40 in the morning .
#imstillblearyeyed

We, the Wives of Cyclists,  did what the support team does and that is to take a long, slow drive, and pitstop at nice places along the route :-)

First stop was at The Heath, a favourite for good coffee on the the N2 and a nice spot to find some community project hooky:

Mmm...an idea for that basket or straw bag where the bottom corners are getting a bit...worn?

Pretty clutches

Onwards to Old Nick's Village, where I walked with my hands firmly tucked behind my back at Mungo's and just had time for a quick dash through on or two doors...

...where I spotted the lady at Indalo working on these squares!

By that time our boys' support vehicle reported a pitstop at a local church bazaar (fête) and lo and behold, it was just up the highway and 8 km off behind the mountain, so there we went!

The community of the tiny hamlet of Kareedouw hosts a Fietsfees (Bicycle Festival) during TransBaviaans weekend in the form of a bazaar on the church grounds:

How beautiful are these sandstone churches?

Ja...we had to pose...me lurking in the back with the red scarf.

As church bazaars go, there was some craft to be found, and  spotted this beauty of a baby blanket:

Love the sandstone colours.  I might be right in thinking this was done in Elle Premier Cotton DK, a beautiful mercerised cotton yarn.

And again, beautiful work from a community craft project, and I walked away with new washpeg bag and these potholders for me and my sisi:

Some shwe-shwe brightness for my kitchen, with crochet in Elle Premier Cotton

These hand-embroidered proteas will be making their way to Ireland

A most enjoyable, tiring weekend, with very little of my own hooky being done!
Will catch up, hoping for a quiet morning :-)

A visit down the road

My sis and I share a Hanlie Kotzé print with the subscript "Today I took a walk around the block.  It felt like a holiday in a far off land".

Today I took a drive down the highway to the town on the bay.  It was a long overdue visit and it certainly felt like a holiday!!

I joined Yuliya Nilssen's regular crochet class/group at The Blue Shed Coffee Roastery in Mossel Bay.  It is literally a converted old shed overlooking the harbour and inside you find the best of coffee, quiche en other baked goods.  Plus it has the best atmosphere ever - which makes it a good thing that it's a good 35 min drive from home, otherwise I'd hang there every day.

It really is an old shed :-)

The inside is old and threadbare and I don't think there's one superflat surface of real corner or two pieces of furniture matching and i really love that it's not sleek and styled beyond submission.

Suffice to say that it was like a homecoming.  

I've loved the venue already and it was great meeting like-minded ladies who produce such beautiful work that I actually just wanted to sit and look.  It really reminded me of our Pretoria Craft Shares!

At long last I met Yuliya who was sporting a spur of the moment new winter dress:

Love it!  Isn't it clever?
Can you see this in steely-grey and it becomes...chain mail?!

We talked hooks and Yuli took out her Addis that I just had to test:

I'm working on her Thank You-scarf

The Addi is perfect for a Knife-gripper like me, more so if you like/need to take a very firm hold.  I would like to see what sizes it is available in and how it would work with T-yarn.
(Yeehaaa, and I learnt that it IS available in South Africa at www.skapie.co.za)

And look some of the beautiful work on the table...

The start of an Elle Gold Aran ripple

Towards a Road Trip Scarf that will be slightly different

Annemarie also made this handbag:

Love the snowflakes

...but look at the bottom of the bag!

Minda is starting an epic  project:

Some Katia becoming tiny squares

...but she also finished this one!

This is seriously one of the most beautiful blankets I have ever, ever seen.  I literally sat there, stroking it, square after square.

The "join" was actually an "after-treatment", but I can't imagine the blanket without it.  

Ah, beautiful.

Black clouds and a howling wind brought my visit to an early end, as I still had to get back for school pick-up through the heavy rain, but this is a trip that I most definitely will make on a regular basis.  I already have a project in mind that Yuliya's creative brain can help me figure out!

My Mzansi 14/10 - My Cool Pretoria

I took my boys out for a drive to Church Square, in the old city centre.  It is the site of one of the latest happenings of Cool Capital 2014, an uncurated, "guerilla" art biennale, by the citizens of Pretoria, for Pretoria.  

At the centre of the square is a large, bronze statue of former  Pres Paul Kruger, president of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek round the turn of the nineteenth century.  For Cool Capital, his statue was covered in aluminium tinfoil, rendering him sparking and brand new!  He will remain as such until 16 November.

My boys getting a dose of local history

The statue was commissioned by businessman Sammy Marks and sculped by Anton van Wouw, cast in bronze in Italy and erected in the 1950's.  It is surrounded by four anonymous Boer soldiers.

(I recently saw a photo of my grandmother here on a visit to Pretoria during the unveiling of the Voortrekker Monument 1938, before this statue was erected.  In this spot was a monument celebrating the crowning of King George VI. Amazing to see how Church Square looked then!)

  

Holding guard, the Old Raadsaal in the background

I could show the boys what real old vellies (velskoen - leather shoe) looked like.

Wonder what Oom Paul would have thought.

There was some murmurs of a crowd that did not like his new cover, but I think the old president might not have been disturbed too much.  Rumour has it, after all, that he has been known to sport a gold earring...

"I see you watching me watching you"

I think he looks splendid!

I've been living in Pretoria for 31 years now, and it's been lovely to see the city slowly shaking off its long-held image of a verkrampte, conservative bastion.  It still doesn't have a city vibe and feels actually just like a very large town (which is also great), but is home to academics, diplomats, refugees and us ordinary folk, making up a very interesting mix. 

My Mzansi 14/6 - In transit

It was Youth Day and we had a long weekend.

Everybody was getting out, the highway was in shutdown.

Egoli* (City of Gold) glistening in the setting sun
*Johannesburg

Later that night, we took a double-up (short-cut). 

Farm roads in the full moon

En route to the hunting camp.

Nosy cattle, thinking we're bringing food

It was a long day on the back of the bakkie. 

Young huntsmen

Buying crochet

Although I crochet myself, I also love buying crocheted items.  I buy at farm stalls, markets, bazaars - if it's pretty enough and beautifully done, and especially by a community project, I will support it, and try telling people about it. 

So I was again happily surprised to find lovely items at the new Johannesburg Kamers Vol Geskenke ("Rooms full of gifts").  Kamers always has a selection of beautiful products that you wouldn't find at any other second market, so it is a treat to wait for the annual  Pretoria event, brace your credit card and enjoy a morning of a visual feast plus great food. 

Here's my loot, found at lapoplap:

A cookie/rusk basket, but it will live in my closet to hold my watch and rings.
(It's about soup mug sized)

A bread basket (± large plate sized) that might migrate between the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom.
(Lourette says hers lives on the toilet cistern and hold toilet paper, room spray etc)

And wrist warmers!
I was going to hook some myself, but why bother when you can buy nice ones?

Lourette du Preex is the brain behind these Stellenbosch-based products that include beautiful embroidery on kitchen and home decor that are functional and beautiful.  Most of it is crocheted in cotton string/twine, with accents in Vinnis Nikkim. 

They're also on Facebook.

There were also utterly beautiful handbags to be found at the stall of Yarn Over Hook, who unfortunately, but understandably, does not allow photographs.  Have a look at their Products page, do not be deterred by the homepage.   I loved the Cami and Jenna handbags, but then...the Stella has my name!  I'm sure they also had shawls and blankets, all beautifully made in lovely colours.  Find them also on Facebook.

All in all - a good day out!

(The Dad entertained The Boys with cupcakes and craft beer for himself :-)

On the road to Ironman

We're in the final sprint towards Ironman - the last week of early swimming and evening spinning, weekend long rides and long runs.  Your man has abandoned all beer, sugar, chips and other vices, has trained on the road with his bike for the first time in years (it's a bit of a hazard - bike training on our roads) and is feeling in great shape.  Must just not get the sniffles now. 

I am preparing The Cheering Family's supporters T's for the day.

For previous years, I've done this:

Drawn a Super-F shape en let the kids colour it in with waxies, then printed on their T-shirts

When the event more or less coincided with the release of the Ironman movie:

...the boys had the same the year after

Mine, two years ago:

Turned the Ironman logo female
Bad, bad quality  - I lost some of my originals after a pc crush :-(

And this must be my favourite...I saw this cartoon on the Facebook Page of  local cartoonist Kobus Galloway

Note my husband's name???

He uses a clever play with words in his cartoons.  The Afrikaans word for "rice" is "rys", pronounced "race", hence the racing grain of rice :-)  And the speech bubble says "Come Fanie, run!".
I mean, it begged to be used!

So I contacted Kobus and paid for the rights to use the image on a supporter's T-shirt for our family, making a tiny alteration...

Perfect.

(Kobus has since published three books with his cartoons - brilliant, if you understand Afrikaans!)

Unfortunately, my original image also disappeared in a cyber black hole, but it looks like the backup might still print fine enough to make a new T for our athlete, while the boys and I will be going with these:

Supporter's gear 2014

All of us will have his race number on the back, and it's obvious which is whose!

The "Est. 2001" refers to his first Ironman, the Isuzu event in Cape Town.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Specsavers' Ironman, of which he missed one, if I remember correctly.

Our T's look a bit worse for the wear - I print on older, end of season T's, as we don't necessarily wear these again. 

So, off we go!

Ps ...this IronWife entered the IronGirl fun run for the first time, assuming that it would, as usual, be a 5km...

Not so.  

8.2 km to conquer.

Might as well be 82. 

Coffee and crochet @ Karoo Café

I was shuffling dates around for a last crochet & coffee for the year, to hook squares for Yarn Indaba, when my sis's visit came up.  Having attending two previous Craft Shares on the very days she would fly back, attending this event was not thought about for longer than five seconds.  More than enough time to pack and shower afterwards and hop on the Gautrain to the airport.  

We were joined by a good number of friends at Karoo Café, a lovely place for early morning breakfast and coffee.  The Karoo breakfasts and pumpkin fritters are fantastic and you can lounge here the whole morning, as long as you don't sit on the Great Dane's couch!

Oops...cut off half the table...was taken blind, hanging from the corner of the table!

Loma and Christia brought a laundry basket full of squares from the Happy Hoekers group at Green Olive:

108 squares!

Petria brought another 76 squares from friend Caren:

We're getting more and more! :-)

With my sis came these two from her MIL:

I love the green yarn.

 Sis hooked these with remaining yarn after completing two baby blankets:

The green square with red edging is one of those of the road trip!

Colourful squares of German wool, courtesy of sis:

More colourful squares:

Wilhelmina brought these with her - beautiful vintage patterns...

...of which one is this:

Her wedding dress of 37 years ago! She crocheted it with Tridalia.

I really struggled to fit behind the dress :-)

Wilhelmina's daughter brought along this gorgeous Christmas snowflake, the size of a sideplate:

Hooked with twine

And Stephni brought along a teaser of their soon-to-be-available I Love Yarn wool, the loveliest, softest blue, on its way to become a shawl.  

 A great day, successful in all matters crochet, breakfasting, hooking up with friends and creating memories. So much so, that we did not even take a photo of the two of us!

Roadtrippin' (2) - Of some crochet, a wedding and two sides of a battlefield

My sis's friend was getting married and in a flash we decided: why not come down for the weekend?

That is now - from Ireland to South Africa.

She did it to a day exactly 10 years ago as well, when our cousin got married.  Within 48 hours we flew down to Cape Town, drove up the West Coast, dipped our toes in the icy, icy waters of Strandfontein, joined a family wedding in Lutzville, drove back south and stopped every now and then: for a seaside lunch at Muisbosskerm, beach runs at Elandsbaai and Lambertsbaai, and ran into Cape Town airport with sea sand clinging to our legs :-)

So we did it again.

She arrived Friday morning, and after meeting a friend, we did a quick shopping pit stop, picked up the boys and started packing. 

Saturday morning we hit the N3.

Crossing the Drakensberg we saw clouds and fog gathering near Montrose.

Legend has it that a boy fell into a rock crevice hereabouts, could not be rescued and in the end was shot by his father.  There's even an old Afrikaans poem telling this tale.

Some crochet came along!  My sis sat in the back and did a few squares for Yarn Indaba 2014, I re-started (for the last time!) my Summer Throw. Still using the Mount Vernon pattern, but switched to Vinnis Nikkim instead of the Bambi, and using the simulated braided join now.


As we descended into KwaZulu-Natal, the  clouds got darker.

Don't let the names fool you -  we're not in the Highlands

But much like the Highland cattle, Zululand cows also stray into the road:

Careful now...

Funerals are big business, and this is a common sight in rural areas on a Saturday. It has, unfortunately also turned into a "be seen" occasion, with fashion, girls and cars being flaunted.

And then we arrived in Dundee, among billowing clouds and rumbling thunder, and the church ceremony ended with a ferocious thunder storm.  Off to the reception and what's more fun than a farm wedding in a shed?  This one had beautiful old hard-wood chairs, raw brick and white and green flowers.  A hoard of children were occupied in another beautifully renovated shed by a handful of nannies.

Turns out that the farm's previous owner was my MIL's uncle!

Luckily there were lot of candles - another mother of all thunderstorms broke loose and the electricity went out at least three times.

Loose bunches of green and white flowers and foliage in glass jars decorated the tables.

Happiness - three university friends reunited!  My sis is on the right - I loved her tea frock.

Even though we only ate at 20h30, it was such a happy occasion, dripping with rain everywhere, kids asleep all over and just general joy.

The next day, as we were so near, and it presented an "educational opportunity", I convinced the dear, suffering husband to make the 80 km detour roundtrip to the Blood River/Ncome museum complex.

At Blood River, a definitive battle in Voortrekker-Afrikaner history took place, during which a relatively small group of Voortrekkers defeated the huge Zulu army.  They made a vow to God to build a church should they be spared, which they did in Pietermaritzburg.

The reason for the battle?

The Voortrekkers launched a revenge commando after two previous attacks by the Zulu.
The Zulu defended their land against an invasion of foreigners.

It ended in blood.

A life-sized replica of the ox-wagon lager marks the spot where the Voortrekkers took position. 

Across the river, a brand-new complex commemorating the Zulu side has been completed.  It was built in the shape of the "buffalo horn" attack formation ; this exhibit displaying the shields of the different regiments.

Bloedrivier to the left, Ncome to the right, and the river still divides them.  A reconciliation bridge  between the two sites is under construction

Driving in Zululand, you have to be careful.  But our goats are clever - they listen to and react to the sound of a hooter.
(Cattle don't, they'll jump around any which way.  Donkeys just ignore you and will stand where they are. Chicken will just blindly run).

And then we headed back for the long drive home past the plains of the Free State and Gauteng. 

And then it was Monday and time for her to go home to Ireland :-(
But not before we fitted in a crochet-with-coffee get-together with friends!  We hooked quite a few squares, and received a huge number more to deliver to deliver to the organisers.
More about that...later.