Warning: Image heavy!

Lots to catch up on!  Here’s the gen on last weekend, followed by some other bits and pieces!

Where: The NewDowse, Craft2.0, Wellington (well, Lower Hutt actually… )

When: Labour Weekend just past

Who: Me, Summer and tons of knitters!

Why: Besides the obvious – feeding the local yarn addictions obsessions yearnings…?  Because when we fly to Wellington and order in pizza for dinner, we feel vaguely jet-set.

They’re harmless, really.

Nanette, Verena, Sharee and Nikki get down to it in the knit corner at Craft2.0.  Knitting in public at its best.

New in store for Christmas - Sock knitting kits!

Included are yarn, needle, stitch markers, a basic pattern, a sample Soak and calico tote to carry it all in.

And we parcel it up burrito-style for giving.  Only $45, everything included.  Be in early because we’re off for a break in early December and if you would like one for Christmas, we’ll have to make sure you get it before we head away!

And just because I think they’re adorable when they watch TV together like this….

‘He ain’t heavy…..

…he’s my brother…”

Yarn on demand!

Great news!  You need not stalk the Needle Food website for the yarn you want, ever again!  Instead, with a few clicks you will have your own personal yarn dyer at your disposal 

Sounds like a plan – yarn on demand; less stalking and more time for knitting!

So the scoop is this – we’re now dyeing on demand.  You order and I will dye it just for you – what you want, when you want it.

This should give me more time to develop new colourways, which is always fun; both to dye and knit.

Also due soon are our new 150gram jumbo skeins of worsted weight yarn in NZ-made merino. We’ll be dyeing these to order as well – I’m just working on the last of the new colourways now.  This yarn is so delicious, so soft, mmmm…

In the Tom-Gooding house, we’re getting back into the swing of things now school holidays are over.  Planning has started for our Christmas holidays, which we take early in December.  Which reminds me, if you’re thinking of ordering yarn for a gift (for yourself or others!) – be in before about the middle of November to ensure delivery before we head off.

I’ve caught the lace bug and have cast on Juno Regina in the new silk-wool yarn – will post pics soon!

New season, new colours

Limited quantities of these at this stage – Spring, Fruit Salad and Lupin.

I am still battling to get enough dyeing time with school holidays and sick children!  Life gets in the way of good yarn sometimes.

Let me know if these fellas should be allowed to stay

Lupin

Spring

Fruit Salad

Settle in…

… I have a few things to report!

We’re taking part in the Ewe Beaut Fibre Sampler, which is based in Australia, but has generously opened up to New Zealand fibre and yarn companies for this latest box.  To take part, you need to go to the Ewe Beaut Sampler group on Ravelry and read up.  From what I can gather, so many boxes are available via Etsy on the 12th October. For the rest, there is a revolving waiting list so you have a better chance of snagging one.  More info about what is included in the sampler on the Ewe Beaut blog here.

Second – a friend of mine, Genny from Auckland has launched the first (well, I’m pretty sure its the first) craft podcast in NZ!  In Crafternoon Tea with Granny G she covers a range of crafting activities as well as baking (two of my all-time favourite things) so if you want some local flavour in that podcast diet, check her out!

And third – we have just launched a new range of yarn.  It is 50% silk, 50% wool in a light fingering weight.  We will dye this one to order, so there is a short wait, but we think it is worth it.  The yarn itself has a beautiful drape and handle, and we think it would be ideal for lace knitting.  That in mind, we’ve dyed in semi-solid colours we think you’d like for lace knitting.

Here’s a few of the colourways to get you started – the rest can be seen here -

Silk-wool in Lavender

Silk-wool in Cerise

Silk-wool in Royal Purple

And the other thing that I had to tell you is we will be at Craft2.0 in Wellington on October 24th.  From 11am-3pm at the New Dowse in Lower Hutt, we will be plying our trade (get it?  a little knitting joke there… )

Needless to say we are very excited about coming to Wellington for a second time and hope to meet even more lovely knitters this trip.

And the winner is….

… Teena!

Thanks to none other than the random number generator.

Thanks for being such good sports!

I’ll get your parcel in the post to you today, Teena

A random challenge

A couple of events are about to overlap so I thought I would share.

As you can see, I’m  incredibly well preserved…
It is my birthday on Monday – I’m going to be 42, and my forties are shaping up to be the best decade so far. Hopefully to be surpassed soon after by my fifties.  Anyway, today I received a card from my friend Maria, who lives in Australia.  She is my evil twin – where I always tried to be good, she showed me how much fun being a little devilish can be.  Times we spend together are honest and raucous.  I love her and her friendship, and can’t imagine life without her support. Many an hour is spent on the phone to the Gold Coast now that we don’t live just down the road from each other, but we get together whenever we can.

So she sent this card and the wordy bit inside said -

“Faith is nourishment,

Virtuous deeds are shelter,

Wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night” – Buddha.

I’m hoping she thinks I have a couple of these qualities already and isn’t prodding me to find them now that I’m supposed to be ‘mature’.

The thing is, I was already thinking about writing a post mentioning NZ Random Act of Kindness (RAK) Day, which is happening on September 1, the day after my birthday.  Which always seems to be a nice way to give things back after the big b-day for me. So the mention of “virtuous deeds” has encouraged me to get on with it.

I think RAK day is awesome.  For one day you can focus on giving to others and that awareness can (funnily enough) have a wonderful payoff for the individual doing the kind things.  It’s great for kids, too.  Ours get ridiculously excited about sneaking around our neighbourhood and leaving lollies in letterboxes.  Anonymously, of course.  Because I have this thing that if you broadcast how wonderfully randomly kind you’ve been on RAK day, it somehow neutralises it.  Maybe I’m just superstitious.

But I’m going to break my own rule.  Here’s a challenge.  Think about some random acts of kindness you might like to perform on Tuesday – carry it or them (if you’re very keen) out and leave me a comment telling me what you did.  I’ll draw a winner and send someone a random skein of yarn (anywhere in the world).

For ideas and RAK cards – go to the website here.

We’ll be doing our lolly drop again this year – and hoping none of the neighbours are diabetic!

Something new

Something new now – just for fun.  You might have heard whispers about the new HiyaHiya Interchangeable Needle sets, which we now have in stock in the small sizes.

They have pretty much sold out elsewhere, and we waited patiently until Mary and her lovely staff made it down the waiting list to supply us!

With seven sets of tips from size 2.75-5mm (2-8US) and four cables to make 16, 24, 32 and 40 inch needles, the whole lot comes packed neatly in a brocade case.  Handily, the case has space for more tips in future and a zippered pouch for the cables.

A very good review can be found here.

February in August!

I love the February Lady Sweater.  I wear the first one I knitted too much. It makes me look like I have no other warm clothes.  Which might be true!  It is knit with Dream in Colour Classy and it has worn like a favourite old blanket through this most inhospitable of winters.  So I figured maybe I need another one.  Because you know, I’m kind of unimaginative like that.  Why fix what ain’t broke?

And then, a friend of mine with an online yarn store had a mega sale of Noro (check Amy out – there may still be some left). Yes, it knits like string, but oh mama,  the luxury on washing and blocking.  Silk Garden is like a butterfly that emerges from his husky cocoon and drapes you in silky goodness.  The idea of an entire garment from such decadence was too much to resist.  And so I give you, progress on FLS #2 -

Thursday and I’d just gotten started…

… photography is always tricky when Tom decides he’s getting in on the action.

“So, wench, when you knitting me something warm for when you put me outside at night, huh?

Then I caught the nasty head cold that has been doing the rounds. I’d avoided it for weeks, but finally submitted over the weekend. Which wasn’t all bad, because February Lady is looking much more well developed. I love this pattern. It is so great to knit from the top down because there is no seaming. None. And then you have a little lace, a little garter stitch – both favourites of mine. Can’t wait for this girl to be off the needles and on my back. And the Noro is looking pretty good, too. I thought there may be too much colour and it wouldn’t sit right with the gull stitch lace pattern, but I think it works.

The pattern is available via Ravelry.  Anyone not on Ravelry yet?

Free patterns

Just a quickie today!  If you’re like me, you like free stuff.  So here’s a few to get you started -

Lion Brand has made all its patterns free – see them here

And Interweave Knits has some free baby patterns here

- Free easy knits here (there’s a great pattern for slippers in this one that I’ve earmarked for Christmas presents)

- A free hood pattern here – the fair isle looks amazing

- Free sock patterns here

- And some nice wraps; with summer coming a shrug can be a useful addition for cool evenings – here

A wee while between drinks

Thanks to someone the other day who said my blog was “naff”.  You spurred me into action.

Call it “twitter-distraction” – when you’re micro-blogging on and off, you might think you’ve filled out your requisite airtime. Not so!  I, for one, have never been accused of not having enough to say!

Life has been busy, yes.  There was Raven leaving home – needless to say that was emotional.  I was very strong at the airport as she departed. I think I bit through my own lip.

I then wept without restraint all the way home.  The upside is, with three other little darlings to distract me, I recovered quickly and tend to only feel the sharpest pangs when Raven herself is struggling without us.  Which is rarely.  Her biggest problem is missing Luke – who is three years worth of cute and has a free-to-all policy when it comes to cuddles.  He is also her LOTR-watching buddy and library companion.  They share a special relationship and both are hanging out for some more Gandalf on Raven’s return for a holiday later this month.

She is getting hella fit walking up all those Wellington hills.

I know about the hills only because a few weeks ago I flew up to Wellington and met many wonderful knitters and others at Craft2.0 in the New Dowse Art Gallery.

Craft2.0 Wellington action - notice me in the background nattering while Kellie and Raven sell, sell, sell! Can I delegate or what?!

(with thanks to Marjorie Dawson for the use of her photograph.. because I didn’t even have room for my camera)

Never has anyone traveled such a short distance with such a heavy case.  Stuffed, it was, with yarn.  Around 180 skeins all up. I stayed with Raven in her house on the hill.  And what a damn hill.  I swear you can see all the way to Australia from up there.  Which is great, although popping out for a loaf of bread takes on a whole new challenge category.

So far she’s had a letter published in the DomPost (look out Wellington, she’s just getting started) and has been star spotting (she saw Bret from Flight of the Conchords walk past her house and was struck dumb.  Being somewhat like her mother and never short for a word, this was surprising).

Anyway, enough showing off about my gorgeous child.  Craft2.0 was a fantastic day, and my friend Kellie flew up to assist – (big thanks to you, chickie – you are curing me of my affliction .  We had a blast and then flew home to recover.

There have been the sock club shipments – which I love – really!   The plan is to hold another club before the end of the year – signups will be in September with shipments in October, November and December, just in time for Christmas!

I’ll keep you updated on progress with that one. There will be more spaces available this time, too.

Also, you may have seen that we are now stocking worsted weight yarn! What a joy to knit something so speedy!  We are also devising some kits with the worsted weight and have been working with designers on some patterns.  Not least of whom is Kate, a very clever knitterly friend who has devised some gorgeous things for us to create.  I truly admire her ability – I am definitely in the ‘give-me-a-pattern-and-I-can-probably-make-it’ group; well short of the skill and courage demonstrated by the designer league.

Those coming soon!

In the meantime, I’ve just loaded some more Odd Balls on the site!

Plummy worsted weight

Cranberry worsted weight