Shop Garden & New Products

We've created a little outdoor garden around the shop bike, hoping that will now prevent people from climbing, and trying to carry it off, even though it has a lock on it, with a sign 'Gather' below a shop window with the same name. Crikey!  Anyway, for those who realise the bike is a shop prop, and are enticed by it and our lovely garden to come in to the store, we promise we have lots of exciting new products; chunky felted yarn, pom-pom garlands; and more!!  Have a look at our new products page online here.

Crochet Easter Eggs

A nice alternative to chocolate!, Our Amigirumi display in the shop should inspire an interesting Easter hunt this year.

Easter at the Shop

We've created an Easter 'Amigurumi' display in the shop.  If you're not familiar with this craft, it is a miniture style of Japanese knitting and crochet, super-cute and strange.  We also have pattern books including 'Knitting Mochimochi', and 'Kyuuto, crocheted Japanese crafts'.  On another bender we have the new book in by Swedish knitting duo, Arne & Carlos; 'Easter Knits; Eggs, Bunnies and Chicks with a Fabulous Twist'. 

The Handknitter's Yarn Guide

'The Love of Knitting Blog' has an interview and competition to win a copy of 'The Handknitters Yarn Guide'; a book I wrote in 2011, which was published by St Martin's Press in New York and Murdoch Press in Australia.  We have a copy of the book in Gather, for those who aren't in America to enter this competition.  The book was a time-consuming project, but extremely rewarding; and the project became the inspiration to open a yarn shop.

Wooli Online

My new bespoke yarn; Wooli is now available on my Online Shop.  And a reminder that if you're not motivated to knit yourself, I do have made-to-order Construction garment service also.  Garment colours are in the new Wooli 2 shades.

Wooli Back in Stock

Finally..... a new batch of Bespoke Yarn,  Wooli is in stock; it will be in the Gather shop this weekend, and available on our Online Shop by the week.  Thank you for your patience customers, but I think this batch is well worth the wait; made with recycled wool, alpaca and mohair, this yarn is gorgeous and I have some exiting new colours; MAGENTA, NATURAL, INDIGO and TEAL; and the old favorite CHARCOAL.  I have to say I've come a long way since my very first Bespoke Wool, which was soon after succeeded by my recycled Wooli yarn, of which the first batch of 2000 balls didn't last that long.  So don't delay your Construction Knitting Project  any longer, or try knitting up a new colour from your existing Construction Pattern.

Auckland University Knitting Symposium

I will be presenting at the AUT Knitting Symposium, 'Stretching the Limits' on 11 April 2012.  My last minute abstract was accepted by AUT, which includes me in the line up of industry and academic speakers; Ben Schaffer of Nike (USA), Sandy Black from University of Arts, (UK), Dr Jenny Underwood from RMIT (Melbourne) and Dr Suzette Worden from Curtin University (Perth), plus research staff and post-graduate students.
This is a 1 day symposium focused on research and development in knitted applications. Nike are presenting their new flyknit shoe, a high performance athlete shoe that feels as light as sock, with some pretty amazing knitting engineering!, and Sandy Black is the author of the book 'The Sustainable Fashion Handbook', amongst many other titles written on Knitting.  Jenny Underwood from RMIT presented at the last AUT knitting symposium and showed fascinating design development using whole-garment technology - smart cookie!!  Can't wait to see what she's got in store this time.  I will be presenting the development of the Construction Knitting concept, in new development phases of a book publishing project, and how the method is being applied as an open-ended design exercise in learning institutions.

Goodbye Melbourne

I love you!!!!!!!

Triangle Knitting Construction Pattern

This is an exciting new project, having collaborated with Australian Country Spinners this winter.  These new Construction Designs are now available at all Spotlight stores in Australia and New Zealand.  While in the past I've designed patterns with squares, and rectangles; this is a different approach using Triangles in the most basic knit stitch; super easy!!  Just knit triangles in Cleckheaton Country Naturals Wool, and follow the diagrams in the pattern to join them which will make an awesome garment.

Inside Out Magazine

Gather's online store has a little editorial in the new edition of Inside Out Magazine.

Mohair Silk Colours

New Winter, Mohair Silk Jumpers , made - going to Taylor Boutique. Even the mound of waste threads are too pretty to throw away.

Bon Voyage!!

This is Alex who has been working at the studio for 10 months. Alex is a graduate of a BA in Textile Design from Massey University, and she's leaving us to go to London, having acquired an internship with Selvedge Magazine. We're going to miss her, and I think my customers will too!! I will be lucky to find a replacement with the same enthusiasm for textiles and knitting!!

Deserted Beaches

All the beaches close to us are black-sand/pebble beaches, so this is where we go for a white-sand beach swim. It's less than an hour's drive, and we have it all to ourselves! This is my idea of a beach experience, we usually take a picnic, some fishing rods, and spend the whole day out here.

Sale at Gather

We have a SALE on at Gather starting tomorrow Tuesday 5th January, at 9am, and runs for 1 week only. Reductions are 20% - 50% on all Home Decor and Printed Textiles from our beautiful collection. Don't miss this one!!!

The Farmers Market

Dropped into the Napier Farmers Market for fresh fruit, pastries and coffee for breakfast this morning in the Park. It's part of my routine for picking up morning tea supplies from the German baker for our Workshops. It was nice to soak up some sunshine before being in the shop all day.

Fabulous Book....

I'm so glad to have this knitting shop, because I'm encouraged to look at reading material I'd otherwise never pick up, being the fashion knitter and all. I think this new book we have in at Gather; "How Tea Cosies Changed the World", by Loani Prior is really fantastic. Knitted sculpture on a tea-pot!! - I LOVE IT!

Our January Tumblr

On our Tumblr page this month we channeled Persephone, walking the landscape to gather and soak up the heady atmosphere of Summer's nature, blissed with warmth, inspired to make cool stuff.

Our Natural Dye Workshop is on 17 January at the workshop of Aroha. We have a Summer Knitting Construction Class this Sunday 3 Feb.

Finished the holiday season with an early morning coastal bushwalk. After an hour of walking, we crossed paths with a group of little boys, under pack, (maybe 10'ish) who had spent the night out there sleeping under the stars. What awesome little troopers!!

Folk Art

I've got a couple of framed pieces of antique needlepoint cloth in the store on display, and they attract so much attention. I'm not sure how old my pieces are, but I had a lovely customer bring her own personal collection in to show me, and what's remarkable about hers is that they are 18th century patterns, from which she creates the needlepoint cloth herself. Here she had this delicate folder of tattered pages of patterns tucked away in her bag, with pieces of perfect, colourful cross stitch cloth in bright new threads. Sure, they didn't have the patina or wear of age, but here was a poignant statement about this art still being well and alive, as cross-stitch is one of the oldest embroidery Folk Art forms. In the shop we do have some awesome re-inventions of Cross Stitch; like the Helvetica Cross Stitch Kits by Tamara Maynes, and a project book by Cath Kidston called Stitch. And taking it up a level, Textile Artist, Jane Denton has some framed stitch art in the shop for sale. Jane will be exhibiting new work at Gather in March, the opening details of which we post soon.

Images above are 1. Antique Needlepoint on Display at the Gather, 2. Customer with her 18th Century Pattern Needlepoint. 3. Helvetica Cross Stitch Kits by Tamara Maynes. 4. 'Stitch' needlepoint project book by Cath Kidston available at Gather. 5. 'XS' stitch art by Jane Denton, available as framed finished art at Gather.

Kids Learn to Crochet Workshop

Spent a delightful morning with Anneliese teaching girls to crochet and make sweet little necklaces and hair braids using colourful wool and beads.