GO TO WEBSITE

My website has been refreshed. www.nikkigabriel.com

Interview

World Crafters interview; read here.

POST-GRADUATE EXHIBITION AT AUT UNIVERSITY

Finally this body of work is over.....Masters of Art and Design /  Graduate Show at AUT University, Auckland.

CONSTRUCTION KNITTING PATTERNS on new ETSY SHOP

You can now purchase Construction Knitting Patterns on the new Etsy Shop.

INSTAGRAM

All my newsfeed will now be posted on instagram.  I know, I'm probably one of the last people in the world to join up!!  Follow here!

Universal Ballet Costume, Korea

I've just completed a commission for knitted costume from Jenny Irwin for Graeme Murphy's version of the ballet Giselle, for Universal Ballet in Seoul, Korea, which opens in June.    A labour of pleating, braiding, knotting, knitting, each piece designed and handmade on the knitting machine in linen and cotton fibre blends.

Time for the Gather shop to close....

GATHER in its true nomadic nature is migrating to the next chapter, wandering off to the next adventure. The shop is CELEBRATING this from Saturday 31st January until our last day of trade to Thursday 5 February with an awesome SALE.  Discounts on all those beautiful knitted 'nfs' shop samples that have been so coveted by the lazies who don't knit, plus half-price yarns and pattern books for the ladies who do. Pop in on Saturday for a champagne.

Summer Break

A well deserved summer adventure after such a hectic year.  Exploring the extreme northern forests and coast of New Zealand, the road led us to earthly delights and opshop heaven and further ......... where we camped, hiked, fished, swam and cooked delicious food outdoors in and alongside rivers surrounded by giant trees, and oceans where spirits leap.

Oh Stockholm!!

I fell in love with this city.... arriving at twighlight on a big full moon this place satisfied my every craving for culture, fashion, gooood coffee and amazing food.  One of the highlights of this quick trip was seeing me in the Moderna Museet giftstore in the Fashion Knitwear book by Jenny Udale.

Kuopio Academy of Design. Workshops in Finland

So my weeks in Finland were amazing.  Helsinki is a gorgeous city, and of course inspiring. In the minus degree weather I spent my days ducking in and out of coffee roasters, relishing the local traditions of cinnamon buns and salmon soup.... inbetween visits to the Design Museum, 2 floors of Marimmeko and cool little design shops.  I caught the first Helsinki snow, and was amazed at the fact bikes are parked unlocked.  There's obviously no Damos and Darrens in this part of the world.
Kuopio Academy of Design is in central Finland surrounded by lakes and forests.  I was there to deliver some workshops, and gave a 2 hour public lecture (phew!), and put together a exhibition.  I worked with a group of second year fashion and textile students teaching the concepts of Construction Knitting, and applying these techniques for machine knitting processes.  I loved working with these girls.  With minimal direction, they grasped the concept and channeled the work into their own thing.  While some girls were in it for learning and developing technique, others were working the theme into their designs and collections.  Overall a great experience for observing user participation and co-design potential of Construction Knitting.  The Kuopio Design Academy liked this work; so much, that in conjunction with the Finnish Craft Council they are publishing Construction No. 3 pattern in the Finnish language. 

Construction Knitting

If you're wondering why this blog has been so quiet, it's because most of my year has been spent working on a Master's of Design Research project; amalgamating the Construction Knitting method into a theory bound concept....... this is what my Construction Knitting package looks like now.

So, this neat little academic package is also now off to Finland to the Kuopio Academy of Design, as I've been invited to conduct workshops and lectures to the school!  This condensed box of essentially years worth of practice led research is traveling accompanied by wooli kits, patterns and needles for making exercises with the Finnish students.

Organic Home Knits

The Gather shop has some beautiful new cushions in store; organic cotton, natural botanical dyes,  duck feather inserts.  Handknitted, hand-dyed, this cotton makes a soft, matte surface (almost like suede); Oh My! one can sink all their daydreams into these......

Around the corner, last of the snow....

Mt Ruapehu, 2 hours north of Napier.

Winter Passages

Braved bad weather to find Natural Hot Spring baths.

 

We knew they were over there somewhere.....

 

 aahhhhh!!!!