Wish I was back there.....

Abel Tasman, South Island, New Zealand.

Viva Magazine

My new season collection is in Auckland's Herald newspaper magazine, Viva, today! Beautiful photograph by Pam Tinning, and styled by Sarah Bell.

Winter Collection

Handknits going to Taylor stores......

Macrame' Installation

Gather's Macrame (supplied by Spoonful Design) installation at The Autumn Salon event last Saturday night at Aroha. 

The Autumn Salon

The Autumn Salon is a showcase of fashion, food, music, poetry and art for girls only this Saturday night / with new collections in store Zambesi, NomD, Karen Walker, and Me, held at Aroha on Saturday 1st March.  This will be an amazing night out in Napier, + I will be creating a special Gather autumn installation for the night.  More information and tickets here.

Shapeshifting Conference at AUT

Shapeshifting, is a Textile and Fashion design conference at Auckland Univeristy, and is probably the most exciting industry event to be held in this part of the world, with Nick Cave (USA), Gareth Pugh (The Mad Prince of British Fashion), Otto Van Busch (New York's Parsons School of Design), coming over.  Wow!!

New Collaboration with Patons

I'm celebrating another collaboration with Australian Country Spinners for their Paton's yarn range.  They have have adapted my Construction No 4. triangle knitting pattern for their chunky wool/alpaca blend called INCA which comes in 18 colours. Available at all Spotlight stores in Australia and New Zealand this winter.

WallFlower Workshop

Gather is holding a one day knitting workshop using naturally dyed yarns of silk, linen, cotton and wool; to create leaves and petals that can transform into sculptural broaches, scarfs, necklaces or garlands.  Saturday 25 January from 11am to 3pm.  To register your interest email or telephone the shop as places are limited.

 

New Years Eve Outdoors

Set up camp in greater Hawke's Bay to celebrate NYE and cooked up an outdoor mini feast.  We had sun, thunderstorms, wind and rain then more sun all in 2 days.  Whewhhh!!

But not for long....

Gather reopens on Friday 3rd January with a SALE of recent season knitwear, samples and seconds which runs for 2 days only.

Aaaahhh, some time off....

An hour and a half drive north east of Napier leads to the Kaweka Forest where we parked the car and followed the track to the Mohaka River.  An hour's walk opened up to a perfect soft patch of grass for a picnic amongst the wild flowers and kereru and a fresh water pool swim amongst the trout.  Don't have any Kinfolkesque action shots,  but you can see the landscape through my lense. Pretty amazing spot to unwind.

Dried Flowers in the Shop Window

Natural Dye Lab

An integral part of my product selection at Gather is valuing the process of raw and natural materials; and that includes making colours from Nature.  Last year I ran some natural dye workshops and this is what I wrote: "Experience how to use dyes from the wildest of nature, trees and forests, derived from ancient recipes. Recipes made from berries, flowers, roots and insect resins that are steeped in history. Experience the stories of the Ancient Dyes; Stories of secret recipes coveted by spies, of cargo that traversed continents and created countries, colours which robed Vestal Virgins, clothed Robin Hood and his Gang, and uniformed Armies of Ancient Kingdoms. Once forbidden and still sacred Colours, Colours that are still grown, harvested, gathered, smoked by fire and blessed by ancient deities. Can it be any more enticing than this, even if its to just absorb the heady fragrances of this old, old world."  We have some new natural dyes in store, including beautiful books on dyeing.

in my backyard

Gather is now stocking the beautiful work of illustrator Katy Wilson of 'in my backyard'.  The range includes framed prints, tote bags, zipper pouches, gift cards and cushions.  It looks gorgeous in the shop.

Gift Guide Page Four.

Gather Gift Guide / From the top left: Rowan SUMMER TWEED Silk/Cotton yarn, HANDPRINTED TOTE by Harvest Textiles, Book MADE BY HAND by Lena Corwin, Handpainted KNITTING NEEDLES by Nikki Gabriel, TRAVEL JOURNALS by OCheck Graphics, HANDSPUN HANDYED WOOL & SILK skein by Woolwench, TRIANGLE KNITTED CUSHION by Gather, KNITTED CACTUS by Odds & Ends.

Gift Guide Page Three.

Gather Gift Guide from the top: Digital PRINT : PORTRAIT OF A BIRD by 'in my backyard', Merchant & Mills SHELL BUTTONS, Book WOODLAND KNITS pattern book by Tiny Owl Knits, MERINO & POSSUM yarn skein, HANDPAINTED ALPACA yarn skein, LE CAHIER NOTEBOOK by O-Check Graphics, raw MADDER ROOT PLANT DYE, CROCHET NECKLACE by Parisian designer, Sophie Digard,  Rimu DARNING MUSHROOM, naturally dyed bush twine BILUM from Papua New Guinea.

Gather Gift Guide Page Two.

Gather Gift Ideas / Products in store from the top: Hemp and Organic Cotton ZIPPER POUCH from 'in my backyard', Rowan CREATIVE LINEN knitting yarn, HUI TEATOWEL from Tofutree Art and Design, PAPER to PETAL hardcover book, '75 whimsical paper flowers to craft by hand', HOUSE AND GARDEN PRINT by 'in my backyard', MACRAME by Spoonful Design, POLKA DOT KNITTING NEEDLES, Handyed HANDSPUN MOHAIR by WoolWench, Applique and CROCHET SCARF by Parisian designer Sophie Digard.

Gather Gift Guide Page One.

From the top: 'Forage' WATERCOLOUR PRINT by 'in my backyard', TOTE BAG in 'tulip print' by 'in my backyard',  ECO recycled cotton yarn by Twilley's of Stamford, PETAL AND TWIG book 'seasonal bouquets with blossoms, twigs and grasses from your garden' by Valerie Easton, CROCHET SCARF by Parisian designer Sophie Digard, WRAPPING PAPER by OCheck Graphics, Merchant & Mills 25 FINEST NEEDLES, WIDE BOW SCISSORS, Rowan SUMMERSPUN COTTON/WOOL blend yarn, RIMU KNITTING NEEDLES.