Welcome to 2025

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Kia ora, How are you all? I hope that you have enjoyed the Christmas break, especially the love and company of your special people. Thank you for following along here and encouraging me in what I do. I hope to make it worth your while in 2025 with more posts and enjoyable reading. I often think of things I want to talk about but drift off task and, well …….the focus dissipates. I actually enjoy writing so I should make it happen!

So, what’s news ……

Despite the damp and dreary end to 2024 I finished the year on a high note getting my outstanding knitting projects finished and gifted. In particular my Lana Vest is a gift to me!

I bought the Pakihi yarn for this project in February 2023 when we were on a campervan holiday in Golden Bay. I was on a mission to acquire some very special yarn from Ruataniwha Dye Studio – a blend of Polwarth and Arapawa sheep wools from her family farm. It is a natural grey, maybe grey-brown, colour which I overdyed with a natural dye blended brew of coreopsis flowers plus Saxon Blue (indigo extract) to achieve a marine blue-green colour.

I had imagined this sea-turquoise colour right from the outset as a memento of the beautiful Golden Bay seascape we enjoyed on our holiday. Each day as the tide came in and out we saw sea and sky colours ebb and flow. With the sun shining the blue-greens were brilliant emerald while in the fading evening light as the sea crept in the blue-green was just a wash of colour over the taupe grey of the sand. I kept that picture in my mind’s eye when I made the dye blend. I waited until I felt sure and confident I had the colour blend spot on and the vibe of the day felt right. (The vibe is an important ingredient for me ….lol).

As for the knitting, this project was always a pleasure. Knit top down in pieces and joined below the v-neck and armholes it progressed quickly. I found the pattern with cables and texture easy to remember through each repeat. I did pause for a while as the near-finished garment was too big to take as travelling knitting, and then I picked up the momentum again as my end of year holy grail goal. I’m really glad I did as the cold weather meant I’ve even worn it a few times already – I consider that a bonus. Now I have a precious new handknit that works as well in my wardrobe as I hoped and every time I wear it I am transported back to Golden Bay where I sat and soaked up all the colour inspiration.

At the moment I’m keeping the dyepots and skein winder busy as I’m preparing for this year’s yarn festivals. Here’s a quick run down, I’ve also put all the dates and information here.

First up Martinborough Fair (Saturday1st Feb and Sat1st March) I’ll be helping out on the Palliser Ridge stand located on Kansas Street this year, and will have naturally dyed yarn there.

Next up is the Wairarapa Wool Weekend 20th – 23rd March 2025. This is a new event and promises to be a wonderful weekend. I’ll be trading and also giving a botanical dye-bundle demonstration. Do check out the details on the event website here.

May is Capital Fibre Festival at Whirinaki Whare Taonga Upper Hutt on Saturday 10 May, and Woolfest Auckland Saturday May 24th at Kumeu Showgrounds, Kumeu (Auckland).

I’ll write again soon, meanwhile go well, enjoy getting outside in nature and happy crafting.

Keiry

Fibre festivals

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First things first on the topic of yarn festivals – I recently participated in the Woolfest Auckland event. I will also be trading at the Capital Fibre Festival at Upper Hutt on 10 July.  I’m aware of (some of) the discussion and debate around participating in these festivals, CFF in particular, and have thought carefully about being present, or not. I recognise that having chosen to be part of the wider yarn/craft community that I will not agree with everyone, their decisions, positions and actions. Neither will everyone agree with me, but it seems important to keep trying to go forward in a way that encourages inclusivity and welcomes diversity and that we learn and improve as we go.

So, in choosing to participate here’s what you can expect from me.

I promise to live up to my philosophy of being kind by being inclusive and welcoming to all, treating people fairly, honestly with equality and dignity.

I respect the differing viewpoints other people express and offer my comment or opinion with respect.

I admire those who are confident and authentic sharing their views on social media. I don’t feel my voice is authentic in that space, I will however speak up in person when it’s needed. I understand that some people will want to know more about who you are potentially buying yarn from.

I’m a (former) medical scientist, I believe in science.  I support vaccination against infectious diseases in general and COVID-19 in particular. I support the public health measures put in place to protect us from Covid – mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing (etc) and I diligently scan the Covid tracker codes wherever I go.

I don’t and won’t get things right all the time, and I will do my best to right my wrongs. I know I have benefited from expanding my reading, listening and following to learn and understand new perspectives on important social issues like diversity, colonization and decolonization in the NZ context. I consider it an honour to be a treaty partner (Tangata Tiriti) and I aspire to be a good one. I will encourage and support shared learning.

I will be pleased to see you at Capital Fibre Festival, to kōrero, to enjoy your company.

Update on bunny kits

Back in October last year I wrote about the Bunny kits I had put together ahead of last year’s Capital Fibre Festival. I sold all of them at that festival, made up some more for people who asked, and sold the last few at Woolfest Auckland. In total, $570 was donated to Women’s Refuge to their Safe Nights campaign. Thank you so much for buying these kits – it’s a rewarding donation partnership between us.

I’ve put some more lovely skeins aside and I’ll make them up into kits – I’m trying my best to get a few ready for this weekend’s CFF. This time there will be some nice grey yarn just right for knitting a cute little mouse.