New Book

Jenny Udale is a writer based in the UK, and is the author of Textiles and Fashion, and The Fundamentals of Fashion Design. Her next book is based entirely on knitwear design, which I will be featured in, amongst 40 other designers worldwide. The book is based on a story of each designer, documenting their work and workspace, process and applications. I was fortunate to have Brian Culy do this shoot for me to supply images for this publication. Not sure when this will be published, but will post these details as soon as I know more.

New Books

A shipment of new books have arrived in store. 'Bowerbird' by celebrity stylist, author and retailer, Sibella Court. Sibella has the amazing store Society Inc, in Sydney. You can find my ebony knitting needles at Society amongst Sibella's eclectic collection of retail ephemera.

'Second Skin' and 'Eco Colour' by India Flint. India calls herself a "maker of marks, forest wanderer & tumbleweed, stargazer & stitcher, botanical alchemist & string twiner, working traveller, dreamer, writer". Her books are a sublime expression of all these things.

All 3 titles are available at the Gather shop.

Blue Skies

We are finally getting some clear skies in Napier. My first impulse on mornings like this is to take a walk down the bay, and get breakfast at FG Smiths, find a spot in the sun next to My Veggie Patch. Turkish Eggs, poached, swimming in yoghurt and smoked cummin & chilli butter, with freshly baked flatbread - mmmmmmmm.

The Maker

Sydney uber Retailer, Koskela has created a clever shoot for their Christmas Gift Guide. You will find my Wooli yarn and Knitting Needles amongst 'The Maker'. There's a few things I'd personally love in 'The Gourmand', and 'The Lover of Fine Things'.

Another Sydney outlet, Shelflife, also retail my Wooli yarn and Knitting Needles both instore, and on their online shop. Shelflife is one of the loveliest retail spaces I've been in; not only does it have a strong eco-focus, its also owner-operated by an interior designer making it a lovely personalised & creative space to shop in.

Goods

Oh there's some lovely new sewing notions and stationery arrived at Gather, just in time to start thinking about christmas stocking fillers. Collaborating with a local woodturner, 'Bill', I have designed some wooden bowls made from recycled Macrocarpa timber. Bill also makes my knitting needles and we have some new recycled Rimu ones in store, in their natural colour varnished with rice bran oil.

The Magic of Summer

I'm busy planning some summer camping, and anticipating warm nights sleeping outdoors. I'm sure it won't be anything like the hot summer we spent in South Australia last year where I remember the day reached around 41deg c. We set up camp under the eucalypt trees on our friend Andy's land in the Adelaide hills, and watched the sun go down as we sipped cool champagne for a long time after it. But the most eventful of the evening was before going to sleep, Andy had set up his wildlife movement sensor camera, by the dam on the bottom of the hill. So when we awoke we could see what the camera records that we would miss too early in the dawn. Amazing; these softly moving, thirsty deer family were not so far from our champagne inebriated sleeping bodies.

New Window

The window fronting the extension to the shop / handpainted by my husband, Anthony.

Summer Yarns

Loaded the shelves with beautiful new summer yarns from Rowan. Blends of Cotton/linen, Cotton/Silk, Cotton/Wool and 100% Cotton.

New Shop Wing

I'm just working on opening up a new room in the shop; this is where we will be doing the Gather workshops from now own, and the space is full of yummy new yarns and other things. All that's left to do is hang some artwork as we have some new prints from Aroha & Friends, and framed stitch art by Textile Artist, Jane Denton.

Product Giveaway

Together with Cush&Nooks I'm running a Gather giveaway special this week offering a gorgeous Harvest Textiles Totem Cushion. All you have to do is hop onto the Cush&Nooks blog to enter the draw; and like us on facebook. Good Luck!!

Kinfolk Magazine

New Kinfolk is in store . This is such a beautiful magazine. I'm lucky to keep one from each shipment, they usually disappear so fast from my store.

Photoshoot

We did this shoot a little while ago of the shop for a magazine editorial - will reveal which one soon; as it will be published in December.