Melbourne Workshops

I'm really looking forward to these workshops at Harvest Textiles, as I've got some great projects planned for it / including this EMBELLISHMENT with Braids and Tassels project from my Annex of Construction No 4 Triangle Projects.  Our Wooli yarn is now completely SOLD OUT on the webshop, so the Workshops are the last opportunity to create a Construction Project for a while.  If you can't make the Melbourne Workshop, our stockists Koskela and Est may be able to supply Wooli.

Art Yarns at Gather

Suzie Brown aka WOOLWENCH paid Gather a visit to demonstrate her spinning wheel magic, and exhibit her amazing Art Yarns.  For me, having a yarn shop is like Christmas everyday (even rude customers I liken to drunk relatives), but when Suzie delivered 2 bags of fibre colour, fresh off the plane from Amsterdam, it was like all my Christmases had come at once, because this beautiful work together in one display was overwhelming.  WoolWench's handyed, handspun art yarns are available on the Gather online store, and will be on display in the shop until sold out, and if you don't aquire a piece of this fibre art very quickly, I will knit it all up myself because its just too tempting.

Melbourne Workshops

Melbourne's Craft Cubed Festival is now officially launched, and I will be participating by holding two-day intensive Construction Workshops at Harvest Textiles.  The Workshops include all materials including Bespoke Wooli, Knitting Needles and Patterns.  Plus exclusive to these Workshops, the NEW CONSTRUCTION NO. 4 TRIANGLE KNITTING PROJECTS with additional Annex Patterns.  The workshops will cover hands-on knitting techniques, how to design knitwear using geometric shapes, adjusting and tailoring patterns, finishing techniques / all using the clear visual aids of the Construction Knitting Patterns as a guide.  They are only small classes so I will be able to give one-on-one guidance, and the classes are suitable for all levels of knitting knowledge, from absolute beginners to advanced.
Bookings at Harvest Textiles.   Two separate workshops:
Sunday August 18 & Monday August 19 2013 10.30am - 3pm
Saturday August 24 & Sunday August 25 2013 10.30am - 3pm

Blankets for Smiths

This is taking comfort food to the next level.  I've just completed a commission for knitted blankets for Napier's F.G.Smith's cafe.  Now you can get really comfy, and drape yourself in a wooly blanket while you, in their own words "sip on rich full bodied Hawke's Bay wine alongside lashings of local lamb and venison"... or... what I'd really like to do while blanket is over my shoulders is: 'have a steaming cup of their spicy cinnamon tea in one hand, with a berry and cream cheese brioche bun in the other.'

Merchant & Mills

We stock the product line of English Draper, Merchant & Mills at Gather.  Here is their beautiful story:

Merchant & Mills // English Drapers from We Are Shuffle on Vimeo.

Gatherers

Still a Gathering Culture / Bilums from Papua New Guinea from the remote Omie Artist Group.  We have a rare and collectable selection in store in Gather; and each bag has the name of the Artist on them.  They are truly amazing, each string bag requires the harvesting of bush twine, wet-spun knotting and netting by hand with a bone or wooden tool, and decoration with plant dyes.

SHOP ASSISTANT NEEDED

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Gather is looking to employ a casual, part-time helper with good self-management skills and a hard-working ethic.  If you have knowledge of yarns and fibres, and an interest and passion for design, please email me your details!  info@thegathershop.com

Winter Collection

At Aroha & Friends.

Country Style Magazine Collaboration

Country Style Magazine has released a CRAFT Issue out this month.  They commissioned me to design the Chunky Cable Chair Cover, which is knitted in my Bespoke Wool, on page 52 is the pattern, and on page 54 is the Cable Cup Cosy.

Construction No. 4 & Melbourne Workshops

Announcing Construction No. 4 and Melbourne Workshops.  Construction No 4 is a new pattern in the Construction Knitting Project series, and is a Triangle Construction.  It will be available to purchase in the first week of June on our online store.  Coming up in August, are 2 x 2 day workshops held at Harvest Textiles in Melbourne.  I will be artist in residence at Harvest in the month of August, and the workshop dates are 18/19 August, and 24/25 August.  Details of the Harvest Workshop and how to register are here.  There will be only 10 people per class, and the workshop covers 'how to knit' and 'how to create your own knitting construction'.  So using the Construction Patterns as a visual aid, in the workshop you will be able to design and construct garments using my adaptation of a construction technique.  You get involved in the design process by following a logical progression of design and construction solutions in using graphic shapes.  You get a Workshp Kit, which includes big knitting needles, and my new bespoke Wooli yarn, and a pattern, and over the 2 days I promise you will be able to whip a garment range.  This workshop requires only basic knitting skills, and absolute beginners are also encouraged to register.  This workshop is also perfect as a follow-on from one of my previous workshops as it develops on the knowledge gained from following a construction pattern.

Melbourne Winter

That chilly Melbourne Winter must be coming on by now because the re-orders for Wooli, patterns and needles are coming faster than I can pack them up.  Another shipment for Est is leaving for Melbourne today.

Our Gather Bird

I found this wrecked old mannequin at an auction house with a revamp in mind.  I had to call on a friend who's a bit of a master wood turner to construct a bird head like our Gather logo.  He sent me these pics of the process, I think to make me aware of how much work was actually involved.  Thanks Rog - you're a star!!  Then my multi-talented husband, who's a super star!, fitted the head, cleaned her up, resprayed it, and now she's finished and holding a space nicely in the shop.  Wearing the Triangle Construction Knit jumper for Cleckheaton and merino scarf knitted up in all the MillaMia colours.  The comments I've received so far; the Surrealists Exquisite Corpse, Anthropomorphic Creature, but nobody seems to be freaked out by it, well of course not - she's gorgeous!.

Viva Magazine Mother's Day Special

The NZ Herald newspaper magazine Viva, has published in their Mother's Day Special edition that they Love the Merchant&Mills Sewing Box.  Available online at the Gather shop, or instore.

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Our Gather shop is a haven for Mother's Day Gifts.  Here are some suggestions. A Gather Gift Voucher, or 1.Sewing Notions Gift Box from English Draper, Merchant & Mills.  2.Botanical Dyed Hand-Spun Silk.  3.Angora/Wool Gloves.  4.Book: with Bold Needle & Thread, Adventures in Vintage Needlecraft. 5.Needle Threader from Merchant & Mills. 6. Angora/Wool Gloves in a selection of hand-dyed colours   7.String Bags from the Omie Artist group in Papua New Guinea. 8.Hand-woven flax Kete. 9. The world's finest merino wool from MilaMia Sweden.

Workshops at Gather

Some late Autumn workshops will be held at Gather in Napier.  To register or for any enquiries,  email us at the shop.