Wool Spin Weave - Handmade Sheepskin Baby Booties

16/09/2024

Hello Hello..

I hope you are all keeping well..

I'm just checking in as recently I was making bo**ies and while doing this I started thinking about putting pen to paper...

Well fingers to keyboard maybe is a better term!!

I have been thinking about sharing a little bit about the lifestyle I now find myself living every day...

Housesitting full time is a way I have been able to free up my time and finances...it's an interesting way to live...

If you want to find out a little more head to my new page...

I'm looking forward to seeing where this new little writing journey takes me !

Feel free to like and share Living Outside the Box ....I am looking forward to sharing more with you soon.

Devika (Dee) 🏠💚📦

🏠📦 LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Living Outside the Box is about my unexpected lifestyle of living a little outside the square!

My lifestyle that feels a little “normal”

✅️ I work full time in an office
✅️ I have family, friends and hobbies that keep me occupied in my spare time

BUT where it’s a little different is if someone asks me “Where abouts do you live?”

💚 I usually answer “EVERYWHERE”

Refecting back to my first housesit, I am always amazed how that two week Christmas housesit has morphed into housesitting full time.

My friends and family have always encouraged me to write and after a lot of consideration, I thought why not write and share a little bit of my housesitting story.

A lifestyle I love and am really settling into!

🏠📦 BABY STEPS

It has taken a while to get here as housesitting wasn't even on my radar a few years ago.

I have slowly pushed against the “norm” of renting a home or living in my own home and paying my own mortgage.

I feel I'm ready to share as I have a little housesitting "history" now:

✅️ Starting housesitting for a “Free Holiday”

✅️ Then going “Flatting at Fifty” and slowly housesitting more regularly

✅️ Then 14 months later going “Housesitting Full Time” with an “in-between” home.

I pinch myself sometimes as I will have completed 50 housesits by the end of November 2024.

🏠📦 SOMETHING WORTH SHARING

I feel there are different pieces of my housesitting lifestyle that may help someone and even inspire a few others to think a little differently….

You may read along and think:

✅️ “Wow I’d love to give housesitting a go and have a holiday somewhere new!”

Or you may even think:

✅️ “Huh, I might try housesitting on and off for a year to relieve some overheads.”

OR

✅️ It may even reaffirm how much you LOVE your current lifestyle and that you would NEVER consider housesitting!

All of these options are perfect as I feel there is no “One Size Fits All” and I am definitely not going to tell you “this is the way you should live”!

🏠📦 WORTH THINKING ABOUT

I do think anything new is worth “thinking about”, even if you take it no further.

If you told me back in 2021 that my first “Holiday Housesit” would lead to:

✅️ Housesitting full time in 2023 and

✅️ That I would go on holiday to the UK for 5 weeks in 2024

I would have laughed and said “I CAN’T do that!"

I was living week to week and coming to the end of shared care of two children...the empty nest was knocking on the door!

I would have said :

🤔 “I CAN’T have no homebase…”

🤔 “I CAN’T live without my own furniture, photos, personal items, my own pet, a spare room for my kids to visit…”

🤔 “A UK holiday? I DON’T have any money left at the end of each week for a movie, a dinner, extra fuel to visit my family across town let alone an overseas holiday!”

🏠📦 FUTURE ADVENTURES

Sitting here writing this, I am so happy I made the small changes that got me here.

There are so many housesits in my backyard and it is so much fun exploring housesits further afield - both solo and co-sharing with other housesitters.

I can see my “Full Time Housesitting” lifestyle sticking around for a wee while yet!

🏠📦 SO WHAT IS THIS PAGE ALL ABOUT?

I thought I would look back through some of my 50 housesits to date.

NOT in detail about the homeowners homes (as this is private and personal)…but more about my journey to get here including:

✅️Why my housesitting journey began

✅️ How it evolved

✅️ It's benefits - and pitfalls

🏠📦 SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

Of course as with all pages, you can choose to join and you can choose to exit at any time.

Or you may like coming along for the ride and you might even share my Page with others you think may be interested.

I’m going to play around to see where this writing thing goes….as with my housesitting, it is just taking little steps and seeing where I end up!!

Take care – and have a lovely Sunday afternoon!

Signing off til next time….

🏠📦💚 Devika (Dee)

23/03/2024

New housesit ... New project ... New pet friends...
New Way of Life!

I am on a new adventure and am housesitting in the North Island of New Zealand for the first time.. 15 minutes drive from Mt Taranaki to be exact!

For those that don't know, since Covid I have been having a little timeout from WSW, and outside of my day job I am quietly building up stock until I decide how I want to roll this out again ....

I am still selling at - a gorgeous Cafe on the tourist route south to Queenstown.

On this 2 week "overseas Taranaki adventure" I have brought no bo**ies materials! It is only Day 1, and I'm not sure if I will have withdrawal symptoms yet as I always have them with me....

On this trip, I do have a new crochet project. This has definitely been a challenge as I am not familiar with these stitches! I am getting the hang of them, though, and I am really enjoying the result!

AND I have a volcano at my doorstep
that I can't wait to explore!!!!

I am looking forward to seeing where this working remotely adventure takes me and what new ideas it brings ...

Walking with Elevation - Crochet - Housesitting with gorgeous new pet friends - and working remotely for a wee change of scenery from the office ...

Day 1 ✅️✅️

Definitely in my happy place so far....see you soon!

07/11/2023

I am delighted to be sending sheepskin bo**ies to Farm Barn Cafe again!!

The is such a lovely store on Mount Michael Road in Fairlie on the tourist/scenic route south between Christchurch and Queenstown.

This has always been one of my favourite places to stop for a coffee, cheese roll and whatever else grabs my fancy in the cabinet or on the menu!!

I love browsing around the store as there are so many lovely unique gifts....

There are crocheted blankets to cuddle up under in the winter by their roaring fire, or when warmer there is an outside deck with an incredible view. This has always been one of my favourite places to take my crochet hook out and have a break when passing through.

This may sound a little like an advert, but it is actually how I feel about this place!!

It has been part of my "get out of town" Queenstown loop that I have done over the last 10 years. It was a fun, cheap adventure, and I called into a few stores that sold my bo**ies. It gave me something else to focus on during my "non-kid week" as I was coming out of a divorce.

I stopped selling when Covid hit as the stores had bigger things to worry about than selling my product! I was okay as I had a day job...

Two weekends ago, I took a friend on this Queenstown loop. We left town for 32 hours!

We flew from Christchurch to Queenstown ($59 each), had lunch in Queenstown, collected a Transfer Car for $1.02 between us (with a free tank of fuel), stayed the night in shearers quarters at Dunstan Downs in Omarama ($66 between us), came thru Twizel to Fairlie for a coffee and several cheese rolls...then home!! Perfect!!

When we called into Farm Barn Cafe I was lucky enough to see Ellie! She asked if I was still selling my sheepskin bo**ies....and I said I had just started pottering with them again!

Sooooo long story short (?) - this is my first post-Covid delivery

One colour - Natural
One size - 0-6 months

Made with - Possum/merino/silk yarn and sheepskin sourced in the South Island of New Zealand

And I am really thrilled with how the gift box has turned out...as I have been thinking on this for a while.

I love it how things just seem to fall into place sometimes!

I am looking forward to pottering with my crochet hook and see where it takes me next..

Devika 🧶

17/09/2023

Playing around again during a recent housesit...

So much fun following a pattern this time...making the ACTUAL drink bottle (wine) bag I found online when I adapted the pattern for my daughter's "6 pack" version....see previous post.

Have made a linen coloured one for daughter in case it comes in useful, and this one is a birthday gift and currently making myself a larger version...

Apparently the cotton "6 pack" bags are holding up well and daughter's gorgeous flatmate loves her denim one too!! And she (possibly after a few drinks) offered to be my model if I ever put them online 😄 🤣

I think coming across the beautiful brown tag in a local woolshop definitely sets off the green ...and I love that on the other side of the heart is the line....

"Made with Love"....
..which is just perfect 🥰

This has been a lovely distraction and I will now get back to making more stock of my possum/merino/silk boxed up bo**ies...

Thinking the first size has always been the most popular for a first baby gift...so I am back to basics...

One colour: Natural
One size: 0-6 months

Thinking Free p&p within New Zealand....

Still working on what selling platform/website to use...
...and wondering if selling online is really for me...

My gut feeling is to go back down the road of rustic Cafe's on the tourist route between Rangiora and Queenstown.... like in pre-Covid days....

I have always found that you can't appreciate these bo**ies until you touch them....

I will keep thinking about it as I build more stock....one stitch, one bo**ie and one boxed up pair at a time.

Take care everyone!

06/09/2023

What happens when you bump into someone you haven't seen for awhile and they ask where you are living 😉...

You ask what they are up to ....and they say they would love to write about you as they have an upcoming Home & Lifestyle Feature...

Thank you Pattie at ....

https://essencemagazine.co.nz/stories/the-house-sitter

You wrote a beautiful article...and I definitely wasn't expecting a half page spread or to turn up on your website 🤣

I love it ❤️ and a bit proud of myself reading this as I have come along way in the last few years...it's funny to read about my world in print.
....................................................

A MASSIVE shoutout to for taking my hiking picture 📸...and for accompanying me into the great outdoors between housesits...you always capture my best side 💙

And of course to Ralph and Daisy's owners ...who let me use their selfies.
...............................

It really is pretty crazy to be happy with someone writing about me and for my pictures to be shown 📸 . A few years ago I couldn't even take a selfie and send it to a friend!!

Funny how things change when you sit into a way of life you love and have slowly worked on...and the feeling is amazing when it all starts to come together...

This new lifestyle is also opening up time to get my crochet hook out again which feels REALLY good....it's been awhile and it feels my time is coming again...so will see if this means I start bringing back my WSW bo**ies...

Time will tell....in the meantime I will continue down my housesitting path, which is allowing me to save to travel abroad...excited to have my first trip booked in 2024 and my second one is in the pipeline....

So a break for WoolSpinWeave it has been...but it is never far away from my thoughts ❤️

Take care and safe travels everyone xx

Devika

29/07/2023

It's amazing what you can create when your daughter sends u a pic from insta and asks u to adapt for a 6 pack of beer!!! Although I had to test it out with a cider or two! 🍻

24/06/2023

🏔 When you borrow a guy's hand on a plane and his girlfriend takes the pic 👌!!!

No scissors allowed on flights...so a few loose ends to tidy up!

*

I feel a little content as I sit on an early morning flight to Auckland...this time travelling north to visit gorgeous daughter...I could get used to this regular air travel!!

I feel a little stoked to have had three weekends away by plane in six weeks .... crochet hook in hand....enjoying the hum of the engine, the captains safety briefing, coffee, the quiet murmor of couples chatting beside me, a guy reading in front of me as his wife snoozes, a sweet young girl shyly handing out lollies with the air hostess...did you ever get to do that as a kid? I did....Air NZ creating memories...

*

It made me think how I love creating these bo**ies with a piece of sheepskin and a ball of yarn....and reflecting a little how I don't sit down as much anymore to make these and wondering how I can bring it back into my world ...

Funny how a few years ago I was sitting at home after work and Netflix binging with (or without) a crochet hook and "thinking" about exercising...

And now three years later I am still working in a job I love, hiking with elevation when possible or hanging out with friends and family... and trying to figure when I CAN Netflix binge so I can do more crochet!!!!

*

As I find the time to sit, relax and make these sheepskin bo**ies again, I remember how I don't need to think to make these...it is automatic and second nature as I have been making them since I was 18! Crikey that's 34 years ago...doesn't feel that long!

I think I might need to add more planes, trains and busses into my spare time, or a quiet cafe, library or park with a quiet buzz around me .... it is such a relaxing way to unwind after a busy work week...

Or maybe I will hike somewhere and sit in a hut with a fire, good people and a view and make a pair of bo**ies before I head to bed....

Now THAT would create a fabulous photo opportunity...

Until next time...take care everyone ❤️

.
.

19/06/2023

🏔 I haven't done this in awhile, feeling very inspired on the plane to and from Queenstown this weekend...

I definitely feel it's the right time bring WSW into my world again...

Pity I can't fly more often...creating more bo**ies as I travel is fabulous...

It is an amazing feeling flying into Queenstown, seeing the mountain ranges, crochet hook in hand and knowing the natural possum/merino/silk wool I am using is created down here....

It makes me smile...my shoulders relax...it is such a beautiful part of New Zealand...

After a couple of nights south with loved ones, the flight was nearly too short for me on the way home...

It was a very quick 40 minute flight home to Christchurch Airport...I was hoping for a little longer...no time for an inflight coffee even...but still got a cookie 🍪

A slightly smaller plane and longer flight would have meant I could have completed one more bo**ie!

Oh well there is always next time...

I am looking forward to making and boxing more bo**ies up and then heading south again to drop them off...

Til next time! Take care everyone ❤️

04/06/2023

🏔 Getting back to basics...one size, one colour, one pair at a time...

After a long break I am pretty excited as I am starting to carve out time in my world...my crochet hook is starting to come back out again....

When Covid came along, the tourists stopped in New Zealand, and the lovely rustic Cafe's my bo**ies were in went through some tough times...

I backed off and left all my product there as this wasn't my main job, it was a sideline income for me...I was lucky enough to still have my job...

My life has changed sooo much since then...into a direction I never would have dreamed of pre-Covid....

My work
My home
Pretty much my whole lifestyle

If you are interested in having a nosey I wrote a blog ...

https://medium.com/.bigelow/how-to-give-yourself-a-20-30k-payrise-as-an-employee-79bce2ac14db

It is a little scary putting it out there, but I also think the timing is right as my change of lifestyle could spark an idea for others too...

At some stage I will approach the lovely Rustic Cafe's I was in...to see if they will have me back again...I am so pleased they have all made it through...

And I may even figure out how to go back to basics on a Facebook store later down the track.

In the meantime I will keep crocheting one size, one colour, one pair at a time....

Till next time! Take care everyone ❤️

25/07/2022

🏔 A little “snippet” on how WSW started ❤️❤️

⬇️⬇️⬇️
http://www.woolspinweave.co.nz/about-wsw