Onwards into 2024

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First of all, Happy New Year! I wish you the very best that 2024 can bring to your lives.

After a lot of thought I’ve made the decision to scale back my natural dye work. I can’t bear giving it up completely just yet, but I won’t be trading at yarn festivals in 2024 as I just don’t have time for all the dye work to prepare. I have really enjoyed trading at both Woolfest Auckland and Capital Fibre Festival in the past and really appreciate the kind feedback and enthusiasm shown for my yarns. But I have other important and enjoyable activities with special people filling up my life. Being Nana is a privilege and delight and I want to make the most of this time.

I am intending to join Lisa on the Palliser Ridge stand at the Martinborough Fair days on 3rd Feb and 2nd March 2024 and will have a range of Kindly Dyer yarns available for sale including Merinos in DK and 4-ply weights as well as Palliser DK yarn cakes.

In the meantime I am continuing to supply natural-dyed Palliser DK yarn cakes for The Land Girl Cafe at Pirinoa and the Palliser Ridge woolshed shop.

As part of simplifying things I will be closing this website down early in 2024, and I won’t be selling on-line via Etsy or Felt marketplaces. However, if you have a question or yarn request you are welcome to contact me via e-mail, or Facebook or Instagram messaging.

While I am feeling a bit jaded about social media I will aim to post from time to time to let folks know about Kindly Dyer yarns and news. I thank you for continuing to follow me – I really appreciate your likes and comments - they give me a little buzz and provide the encouragement for me to keep going.

Here’s a few of my favourite projects and dye batches from 2023

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.