I am Crafty Kiwi

Yeah, so, I'm on Twitter now...

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000+12:00

I may be a (very) slow adopter, but once I adopt, watch out!

Be sure to follow Wabi Sabi Fibres on Twitter for fibre-goodness updates, or me personally if that kind of thing spins your wheels (haha unintended spinning pun, awesome)

Frances and I @ Knit August Nights 2

2011-09-19T16:04:00.001+12:00

Just had to repost this pic of myself and the very talented Frances of Spindles by Sourkraut at KAN2 - totally without permission but I think the fantastic photographer and KAN organiser Maree won't mind...

I ended up buying that drop spindle I'm holding (the whorl is made from maire I think, will check) and an equally beautiful kauri nostepinne . Frances' woodturning craft skills are amazing - it's the most beautiful spindle I own and I ended up spinning some Wabi Sabi Fibres alpaca with it all during KAN.

(note to self: post pics of KAN stash enhancement...)

Wabi Sabi Fibres update

2011-09-12T12:06:00.001+12:00

Hi everyone!

Long time no see! All my fault, sorry :( That pesky M.Arch. thesis has taken over my life unfortunately, but only 10 weeks to go on that hopefully.

I recent went to Napier to partake in Knit August Nights 2 which was fantastic again thanks to all the hard work of Maree and her crew, and all the fabulous participants, teachers and market folk.

Images from the WSF KAN2 market stall

I've been doing a bit of dyeing lately, with some great new fibre bases. Romney, Perendale, Merino/Alpaca/Silk/Angora, Suri Alpaca... mmmm

I'm going to be at the Wigram Spinners and Weavers Day this coming weekend - I'll be one of the traders. Here are the details:

17 September 2011 - Hei Hei Community Centre, Wycola Ave, Hei Hei - Map Link

Trading will be open to the public from 10am until 4:30pm

Education Classes will be Morning classes - 9am to 12 noon, Afternoon 1:30pm to 4:30pm.

There will be a raffle too which will be Pick of the Table from products donated by all the traders present. The raffle will be drawn around 3pm.

Make sure you come and say hi if you make it to the market :)

Tuesday Pic

2011-07-05T13:00:00.000+12:00

Havana Bar

Wigan St, Te Aro, Wellington

Appreciating designers

2011-06-25T13:37:00.002+12:00

Recently I read Simon Garfield's "book about fonts", Just My Type.

It was just the right blend of fact and narrative for reading at night before bed and I was a little sad that it had to end. However, Just My Type has had one lasting effect - I can't go anywhere or do anything without taking stock of the font designs and choices around me and contemplate what they say about the entity/business/person who created them and, more to the point, employed them in this sign, or that menu, or that blog...

Design (both capital D Design and lowercase d design) is ubiquitous. Mostly we don't (and some would argue, shouldn't) notice the role design plays in our daily lives, until we come up against something poorly designed. I have a teapot that I love aesthetically, but functionally it's a dud (it drips). I have a pair of shoes which squeak when I walk which annoys me no end because I put them on forgetting that they squeak. The touchscreen menu on my Samsung phone drives me nuts with its over- or under-sensitivity (and yes, I have tried innumerable times to calibrate it). However I almost never notice the wonderfully simple and elegant water carafe with the glass that inverts on top to keep dust and bugs out that sits on my desk (until I'm thirsty).

When I was an architecture school undergrad I used to spend literally DAYS on preparing my work for visual presentation. Days and days in a small, overheated, poorly ventilated computer studio staring at a large computer screen and trying to make the most of my (limited) 3dsMax and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills.

This time lapse film makes it all look so easy...

I wish I'd had those skills when I did these images...

(As a side note, notice the "woven" joists in the top image and "knitted" concrete wall in the bottom image? These are images from my final year design project for which I designed a facility for the Massey University textile design programme.)

Um, so, what was my point again? Oh, that's right. Appreciate designers in our world. Appreciate the good ones more than the lesser (I'm not an advocate of medals for turning up), but encourage appreciation of the conscious effort to make good things. How? Post about good design on your blog. Or message that designer you've always admired and simply say "Thank you for designing. I appreciate it."

Cats in tanks

2011-06-24T09:21:00.002+12:00

Something funny for Friday...

Cats in Tanks from Whitehouse Post on Vimeo.

Sourdough Bread

2011-06-23T10:01:00.002+12:00

I grew a sourdough starter (which took time, patience, and a pinch of faith. I suspect the beginning of winter is not the best time to do this).

I made sourdough bread (which was the easy part, although it turned out that my starter doesn't have much ooomph yet and takes a loooooong time to rise).

The bread was delicious. With cheese. And soup.

Here's a good link for sourdough advice...

Tuesday Pic

2011-06-21T11:14:00.000+12:00

Winter is here in Wellington. I miss the sun.

Every now and then it makes it's existence known again though.

Tuesday Pic

2011-05-31T14:45:00.002+12:00

I don't think this requires much said...

Tuesday Pic

2011-05-24T09:00:00.003+12:00

these bricks were made by prisoners at the old Mt Cook jail

(see the arrows? means they were property of the Crown)

the patina of age

Repost: The Sartorialist "On the Street"

2011-05-21T15:11:00.001+12:00

original post here

Fabric-a-Brac

2011-05-20T13:38:00.000+12:00

This is just around the corner from my house, I'll be there for sure :)

Letter Press

2011-05-19T13:37:00.000+12:00

I'm reading a great book at the moment about type founding - Just My Type by Simon Garfield - so I loved this little movie when I stumbled across it today.

Letter Press, by Naomie Ross

Tuesday Pic

2011-05-17T10:58:00.001+12:00

I always have a camera with me thanks to my iPod touch, thought I'd start posting some of the inspiration I see in my daily travels...

this little guy escaped the grind, lucky fella

I like to get my coffee (beans and espresso) from People's Coffee in Garrett Street, Wellington, in my Keep Cup reuseable mug. I love their Don Wilfredo espresso blend.

Speaking of love... Joel Henriques

2011-05-16T14:56:00.001+12:00

I stumbled across the AWESOME made by joel blog by artist/craftsman/creator/dad Joel Henriques.

Joel tells us that he has "devoted himself to making arts and crafts both accessible and meaningful. Made by Joel encourages everyone, regardless of economic means, skill level or age to participate in the collective, creative process." I like that.

Joel's blog documents his cool creations and has lots and lots of how-to's and templates so you can do the same. I love Joel's generosity in sharing the fun.

Here are some of the incredible toys Joel has made for his kids (lucky kids!) ...

Paper Owl Mobile

Halloween Box Scene

I love these wooden slot animal toys - they remind me of Eames furniture for some reason...

Joel also has a book coming out in Fall 2011 called Made to Play! which will apparently be distributed worldwide by Random House. Yay!

Go have a look at his blog. Do it now!

Oh Franklin!

2011-05-16T09:26:00.000+12:00

This from Franklin Habit's latest post "Incident At Westminster" on The Panopticon:

“I never saw anything like the crowds on the way to the church,” Harry told me. “They had little flags and champagne and funny hats and it was sort of like Gay Pride Day except way bigger and Englisher and most of the guys had shirts on.”

Love (100).

Crafted Resistance

2011-05-16T09:22:00.000+12:00

“Today making by hand is as much a symbolic statement about how to be in the world as is the making of pictures with a paintbrush. It is about trying to understand our place in the world by understanding the source of things.”

Howard Risatti, A Theory of Craft

At the outset let me say this: I believe craft matters. And when I say ‘craft’, I mean both craft (noun) and to craft (verb). And I don’t just mean it matters like knowing which fork to use for which dish matters in an esoteric, old-fashioned way. I mean craft matters deeply to humanity. I may seem to be preaching to the converted, but I am too often surprised by people I consider to be craftspeople who tell me that their craft is just a hobby, a distraction, a break from the world. True, I also believe that craft is these things, but more than that I believe that, at its heart, craft is a modus vivendi for connecting to the world around us, deeply understanding our relationship with it, and striving to better ourselves and the conditions of our existence. To craft is to resist all that is alienating and alienated in our modern world.

Howard Risatti, an American craft theorist and emeritus professor of art history at Virginia Commonwealth University, believes that all craft has its impetus in human physiological need, helping humans in their struggle for survival, having evolved out of prehistoric humans’ observations of covers, containers and supports found in nature – shells, eggs, gourds, nests for containing, animal skins and interlaced grasses for cover, and level stones and tree trunks for support. With the evolution of the capacity for abstract thought, early humans were able to mimic these by creating and refining techniques and materials to make objects that served the same purposes. In his view, the basic forms, materials and techniques of craft came into existence with craft itself. As such, craft today is part of a vital, living tradition that reaches back to our prehistoric ancestors. However, there occurred a break in the link between the creation of crafted objects and the social aspect of craft in daily life. The influence of Modernism’s valuing of the autonomous art object rejected the value of craft due to its concern with functionality; the relationship of making to being was stretched to breaking point by the Industrial Revolution; and humanity became alienated from the production, tradition, and human values inherent in craft. While fine and industrial arts were celebrated as heralding a new age, craft became marginalised as a necessity of impoverished classes or quaint hobby for idle hands.

This social break with craft has had far-reaching implications according to Risatti and other craft theorists. Risatti speaks of craft’s joining of praxis - the physical making of things - and theoria - the esoteric knowledge of materials and techniques - into poiesis – the linking together of mind and body in the manipulation of the physical material of nature in a transformative process the essence of which is a creative, poetic act. In the modern age, praxis has become the domain of the low-skilled labourer, theoria that of the alienated designer, while poiesis (I suggest) has become limited to the handful of people still engaged with craft.

I am not suggesting that all people who craft are engaged in poiesis. What I am suggesting, rather, is that everyone, craftsperson or not, has the potential to do so. And that activating this latent potential offers modern society much in terms of how we exist in, and bring into existence, the world around us.

Richard Sennett, a professor of sociology at New York University and the London School of Economics, believes that ‘craftsmen’(his term) are those in every aspect of human endeavour who are concerned with skill, commitment, and judgment in a particular way that extends far beyond skilled labour (he gives the specific examples of scientists, musicians, and computer programmers). For Sennett, the craftsperson is concerned not only with the what of creation, but also the why. The endeavours of the craftsperson are in a constant feedback loop of problem solving and problem finding, aspiring not only to the creation of perfection (which is never achievable due to the exacting standards of the craftsperson) but also inquiring as to inherent opportunities for improvement in everything the craftsperson does in a never-ending drive to make things better. For Sennett, craft is not a means to an end, but rather a means of being, an attitude, an ethic, an approach to living that connects imagination and bodily practices (which fuse in skill), engaging with resistance and ambiguity in intentions, materials and techniques to create and advance. The craftsperson is not a passive user, but rather an active maker-user-maker ad infinitum. The craftsperson does not accept (either resignedly or indignantly) the creation of wasteful, poorly-made, or inappropriate objects, but rather engages with them to eliminate those unwanted attributes and thereby make our world better. This approach, so Sennett, anchors us in material reality in a world rife with alienation. The craftsperson resists and corrects that which is wrong with the world through the practice of craft.

Theory is all fine and dandy, but all this begs the question of how to be a ‘craftsperson’ in the modern world? I believe that, as people engaged in craft, we all understand the relationship of bringing together material and technique to create a meaningful object. We can (and do) take that understanding further to enquire as to the origins of the materials and techniques; we seek to understand them, to relate to them, to question the how and why of their existence in the world. When something isn’t right, we endeavour to find a better way, either by seeking knowledge from other craftspeople or inventing/’unventing’ new means (with thanks to EZ). We vote with our wallets when we consider that the production of our objects is environmentally or socially unacceptable. We are engaged. When we extend our engagement to all aspects of our lives, we become a powerful force for improvement, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of everyone around us – immediately, locally, globally. Further, people who craft are nature sharers – we love to enable new craftspeople. By sharing this world view, this approach to living, we can make a real difference in the world.

So, my challenge to you all is this: Craft! Resist! Make better!

Further reading
Howard Risatti. A Theory of Craft. Function and Aesthetic Expression. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.
Richard Sennett. The Craftsman. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2008.

Couldn't have said it better myself...

2011-04-08T04:25:00.001+12:00

In this short clip craftswoman Renate Hiller talks about the importance of handwork in our lives. I especially like her comments about transforming nature and practising empathy. Enjoy.

Wabi Sabi Fibres Shop Update

2011-04-07T12:48:00.000+12:00

Welllll, it's been a long time coming, but I've finally managed some fresh dyepot adventures, which I am slowly adding to the Wabi Sabi Fibres Etsy shop - here's a sample, more to come...

Darling Buds (NZ Merino top)

Glacier (NZ Romney roving)

Martinborough (NZ Merino roving)

Smokey Embers (NZ Perendale roving)

Kitty Purry (NZ Merino roving)

Keep an eye on the Etsy side bar (to your left on this page) for more in the shop soon!

Christchurch Earthquake - Crafty request

2011-03-07T08:55:00.000+13:00

As you have probably all heard Christchurch suffered a massive and disasterous earthquake on February 22nd. I lived in Christchurch for 8 years and my Mum lives there (she's physcially unharmed by the 'quake thank goodness), so I feel pretty close to this event.

The lovely Fran (Kardoo on Ravelry and Christchurch resident) forwarded me a message from Jannz of Jannz Craft Shop requesting items for Cuddles for Kids in Canterbury. Jannz is seeking donations of handcrafted cuddle pillows, blankets, hats and sweaters for children affected by the 'quake. Items can be posted to

Jannz Craft Shop

9 Johns Road

Rangiora 7400

New Zealand

You can also donate financially to victims of the earthquake to any of the following:

The Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.nz/2011christchurchearthquake

St John http://www.donatechristchurch.co.nz/

The Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/;

Any ANZ Bank: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00.

Any National Bank: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00.

Any BNZ Bank: Account number: 02-0500-0982004-000

Any ASB: Account number 12-3205-0146808-00

Thank you all for any help you can extend to the people of Christchurch - they may never know who you are, but they'll be forever grateful.

Recent Wabi Sabi Fibres additions

2011-03-01T22:22:00.000+13:00

Just quickly - some new colourways now available at Holland Road Yarn Company...

Technology getting you down?

2011-02-11T11:39:00.000+13:00

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Putting a wow factor into New Zealand wool

2011-02-01T13:15:00.000+13:00

Research by two Victoria University PhD graduates has advanced cutting edge technology that combines wool with gold and silver to create a new range of multi functional textiles.

photo credit: Dominion Post

Victoria University's Kerstin Lucas with gold-bonded merino wool her team has developed. Her scarf is made from the special wool.

Dr Fern Kelly and Dr Kerstin Burridge have completed parallel research projects that have pioneered a way of embedding tiny nanoparticles of gold and silver in New Zealand wool, resulting in colourful textiles that have functional and aesthetic benefits. Dr Kelly has worked with silver and Dr Burridge with gold.

When the precious metals are reduced to the nanoscale (a nanoparticle is one billionth of a metre in diameter) they scatter light in different colours with silver appearing as yellow, peach, pink and purple and gold producing a range of brilliant hues.

That means textiles in many colours can be created without using traditional—and mostly synthetic—dyes, adding to the sustainability of the innovation.

photo credit: Discovery News

Repeated testing by Drs Kelly and Burridge has shown that the gold and silver are bound to the wool with an ultra strong bond making the textiles totally colourfast and ensuring they do not fade in light or with repeated washing.

In addition, the textile products incorporating silver nanoparticles have strong anti-microbial properties meaning they resist bacteria and pests, like moth larvae, that live in carpets. They also reduce the build-up of static electricity.

Dr Kelly says there is exciting potential to use the silver wools in a range of commercial applications.
"We're looking at the benefits of including the fibre in carpets and also in upholstery on aeroplanes and public transport—places where textiles get a lot of use but it isn’t practical to clean them all the time."
Other possibilities include bandages and clothing such as socks and sportswear, where the anti-microbial properties would reduce odour.

The initial target market for the golden wools is high end fashion accessories, fabrics and floor coverings. While it is around 100 times more expensive than wool coloured with organic dyes, there is interest for niche applications such as scarves, exclusive apparel and luxury carpet for residences, hotels or super yachts.
Dr Burridge says capacity is being scaled up and two 10 kilogram batches of golden wool are currently being produced. Another initiative has seen students from Massey University take part in a competition to design women’s fashion garments that feature the golden wool.

"It's been fantastic getting creative minds on to exploring the possibilities," says Dr Burridge.

Professor Jim Johnston from Victoria's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences supervised both Fern and Kerstin’s research and is leading commercialisation of what he calls ‘world first’ technology.

"It's had enormous market acceptance from the start. 'Wow' is what people from across the wool industry say what they see what we are doing to add significant value to the New Zealand wool clip."

The inventors—Professor Johnston, Dr Kelly, Dr Burridge and Dr Aaron Small—are partnering with Wools of New Zealand to develop the technology and are working with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in London and Milan to gain entry into the high fashion knitted apparel market.

Both Dr Kelly and Dr Burridge, who graduated from Victoria in December last year will continue to be involved in developing and commercialising their research.

The team has been working with final-year fashion students from Massey University on designs using the gold merino and these will be displayed in a free fashion show open to the general public.

The Merino Gold Fashion Show fashion show will be held in the Michael Fowler Centre to mark the launch of the 2011 Year of Chemistry 'The Big Picture'. The fashion show will be followed by a talk by Cambridge University's Sir Richard Friend speaking on 'Exploring the creative tensions between science and technology’.

Merino Gold Fashion Show (followed by lecture)

Wednesday 9 February, 6pm-7.15pm

Michael Fowler Centre

To register for the free event, please go to http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/events/2011-year-of-chemistry/the-big-picture/

(re-posted from the Victoria University of Wellington website with added images)

Further articles of interest here and here.

Wabi Sabi Fibres @ Holland Road Yarn Company

2011-01-28T14:12:00.000+13:00

I am super excited to let you all know that Tash Barneveld's (aka TashB on Ravelry and of Knitsch) new venture, Holland Road Yarn Company, will be stocking Wabi Sabi Fibres. HRYC opens for business on Wednesday, 23 February, at 281 Jackson Street, Petone.

As well as Wabi Sabi Fibres, Tash is also going to be stocking Knitsch and Artisan Lace, Woolganics, Vintage from Skeinz, Little Red Riding Hood, Spinning a Yarn, Maude and Me Fibres, Cascade 220, and Hazel Knits.

I think Holland Road Yarn Co is going to be a much-welcome breath of fresh air in our local fibre community and am whole-heartedly supporting Tash. I really hope all my fibre buddies do to.

Announcing the launch of Wabi Sabi Fibres

2010-12-02T15:03:00.000+13:00

I am VERY pleased to announce the official birth of Wabi Sabi Fibres on Etsy.

Wabi sabi is a Japanese perspective and aesthetic that is centred on the acceptance of transience and of beauty in objects and processes that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. The reason I have adopted this as my approach is that the whole reason I got into dyeing was to explore the possibilities inherent in marrying fibres and colours without a definite or precise outcome in mind. Sure, I have an idea of what I want to achieve, but actively embrace risk, adventure, and the "happy mistake". All my braids and batts (coming soon) are limited editions in that while I keep records I don't stick to strict formulae and so each is essentially non-replicable and one-off. Also, I create my braids to send out into the world and let them become what they will become - they're just passing through my hands on their way to other climes.

My philosophy is to only work with New Zealand fibres, wools for the most part, and explore all that our wool industry has to offer. Sure, merino is nice, but what about all the other breeds available here? Surely the world deserves to have these showcased too? What about gorgeous hand-crafted blends that explore texture and natural colour? This is my self-appointed mission.

I've added a wee javascript gallery for the shop on the left sidebar - please drop by and take a look. I'm taking a beta launch approach - any advice you might have for improving the shop will be very gladly received.

Oh and how cool is this - literally less than an hour after launching my store my fibre was profiled in an Etsy treasury "Dreams in Gold and Blues".

Yay, I'm stoked that this has finally become a reality, keep posted for shop updates in the future.

Giving the woolly good gift

2010-11-30T14:34:00.002+13:00

All the blogs and podcasts are doing the holiday gifts thing at the moment. Now I suspect there are a bunch of people out there like me who learned their lesson long ago about knitting gifts for Christmas presents - the time/space continuum just doesn't work in my favour for that, no matter how far in advance I plan.

So how about this for a way of giving the gift of wool without any stress or worry and with benefits beyond one person - give a pair of lambs through Oxfam.

Shopping through Oxfam Unwrapped means that not only are you buying a great gift, but you’re also giving someone living in poverty in the developing world the chance of a better life. Essentially you give a gift to a family in the developing world on behalf of your loved ones. In turn, your family and friends receive a card detailing the present you bought them, and your donation goes to those who need it most.

I think the Pair of Lambs is an awesome gift for that crafty person in your life. This is what Oxfam say about the benefits of lambs to families in Papau New Guinea:

"A pair of lambs will make a difference to a family living in poverty.

By raising these fleecy creatures, women can support their families by making woollen textiles. And with the extra income, they can pay school fees, healthcare and other essentials to give their families a better life.

Purchases of Oxfam Unwrapped lambs contribute to our rural livelihoods work in Papua New Guinea.

They make a woolly good gift!"

"Fleecy creatures" - If these suckers were on Ravelry I'd Love (100) right now!

If you're after something truly original, how about getting that special someone in your life a Poo Map...

"On a map of the village, each person is asked to mark where they 'go to the toilet'. Too often the community discovers that they have been 'pooing' near food and water sources. After this disturbing lesson, families are ready to improve their hygiene and, with a little help, construct toilets."

Gifts range from under NZ$10 (Seeds) to over NZ$500 (Start a Community Business) so there is something to suit everyone on your gift list.

I have a few people on my list who are, well, expectant of gifts in hand, so they get a modest something (preferably handcrafted and local) and an Oxfam gift.

I also find that giving through Oxfam is just the remedy when I JUST HAVE TO HAVE that iPad - I think it no small matter that for the price of an iPad I could give clean, safe water and sanitation to 1000 people in the Pacific.

Happy Shopping everyone!

I may be a bad, bad boy, but baby I'm a real good man...

2010-11-24T11:19:00.000+13:00

I love country music - Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw, Ray Lamontagne... Nothing like being on the open road with country on the stereo - crank it loud and sing along!

Try it for yourself with "Real Good Man", my favourite Tim McGraw song.

CraftyKiwi - where'ya been bro?

2010-11-17T11:21:00.000+13:00

Well, it appears that I haven't blogged in, well, forever! Sorry gang! I'm just going to blame my teaching responsibilities taking over my life. But that's all out of the way now so look out for more regular posts over the summer.

I'm going to be working on my M.Arch. thesis full time over summer, so in order to keep myself sane I am planning some major Wabi Sabi Fibres developments, some dedicated craft time every weekend, regular blogging, and contemplating shifting this blog to Tumblr - I really like their smooth templates. Does anyone have a view on Blogger vs Tumblr?

I have lots to talk about, lots of new recipes tested, some adventures in inner city gardening (including some dye plants), and travels, but I think I'll schedule each thing as a seperate post and, like a good dose of bran, that should keep me regular. Mmmm, bran muffins, must bake this weekend...

Thanks for hanging in there for more everyone, I'll be in touch again soon xo

Keirsey Personality Type

2010-11-17T11:13:00.001+13:00

So, I took the Keirsey Personality Type test and came out as a Rational Inventor. Frankly I think it's pretty apt. Here's the spiel....

You are introspective, pragmatic, informative, and expressive. You can become highly skilled in functional engineering and invention. Of all the role variants, you are the most resistant to doing things a certain way just because it was done that way in the past. Designing and improving mechanisms and products is your constant goal. Intensely curious, you have an entrepreneurial character and are always looking for new projects to work on.

Though full of ideas, you are primarily interested in those that can be put into action or used to make products. You see product design as a means to an end, the goal being a marketable prototype. When beginning a project, you rarely start with a blueprint. You are confident in your ability to find effective and pragmatic solutions during the design process.

You are often a nonconformist and can have a circle of friends who are interested in your ideas or activities. You are generally laid back, nonjudgmental, and a good conversationalist. You tend to be informative, rather than directive, in your social exchanges. You are often able to explain your own complicated ideas, as well as comprehend the complex ideas of others. In arguments you may use debating skills, often to the significant disadvantage of your opponent. This strategy can backfire, however, by alienating those seeking a cooperative relationship rather than a combative one - a typical source of conflict between Rationals (NT's) and Idealists (NF's), for example.

You are an ingenious individual capable of rising to meet the demands of challenging situations. In work, you are a good leader of pilot products that test your abilities. You are constantly looking for new ways to do things and usually have the social skills and drive to implement your ideas.

Famous Inventors include Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, and Nikola Tesla.

Happy Podcastiversary Granny G!

2010-09-24T14:51:00.000+12:00

I would just like to wish the inestimable Granny G a very Happy 1st Podcastiversary!

Head on over to Crafternoon Tea with Granny G to have a slice of cake and nice cup of tea to celebrate.

Wadda ya mean I've run out of fibre?!?! Oh, just spotted some more...

2010-09-15T12:35:00.001+12:00

Every beginning spinner (and many ole timers alike) has experienced it - the terrible situation where you are ADDICTED to spinning but, quel horreur! you've run out of fibre stash!

Like a junkie jonesing for a fix, the spinner in question will search every secret cache, every cupboard, under every bed and piece of furniture in the house for something, anything, spinnable. Nothing is safe - that "old" t-shirt could be cut into spinnable strips, the cat's hair is definitely spinnable, and the lint in the dryer? absolutely!

Well here's something new, and you don't even need to leave your wheel to access it - BELLY FLUFF!

People often describe learning to spin as akin to learning to rub your belly and pat your head at the same time, and generating enough belly fluff to satisfy your spinning needs would probably require just that action. But if you're truly impatient, why not just buy someone else's belly fluff? For example, via this auction on TradeMe.co.nz.

As the auction description notes, this is top-notch belly fluff.

This is a years worth of 100% grade A Belly Fluff. There are countless ways to be creative with this product. For example a coaster, mouse slippers or what better way to say I like you than with a one of a kind friendship bracelet.

Not only will you get your hands on a unique fibre, you will also be supporting a worthy charity effort.

All proceeds raised by this sale will go to the Leukaemia and Blood foundation, or you can just make a donation by going to the address below and sponsoring the 100 hole golf Marrowthon http://www.marrowthon.org.nz/view_event_profile/228

DO NOT let this opportunity spin out of your hands people! Click the link and get bidding - you've only got till 7.30pm Monday, Sept 20 (NZ standard time, that GMT+12) to get in to win!

[Update: this auction was won for a top bid of NZ$45, good stuff!]

Animated knitting - Les peaux de lièvres

2010-09-14T22:45:00.003+12:00

This is amazing - imagine the planning and hours of work that this took. All completely worth it, what a fantastic project.

So darn cute!

2010-09-13T07:41:00.000+12:00

I usually find hand knit kangaroo pouch sweaters with hoods, well, a little twee (to be kind). But this one is awesome!

It's The Wonderful Wallaby by Cottage Creations (Carol A. Anderson), profiled and for sale on The Purl Bee blog.

I love the yarn and colour selection, and the great construction - that garter stitch wide v-neck turning into a ribbed collar and then in turn into a hood is very clever. The raglan decreases mirroring the tight triangle of the pouch is another design feature that I like.

You can find this pattern on Ravelry here. The pattern is sized from children's size 2 to size 12 and in adult sizes Petite (31" chest) - Super Size (48" chest).

The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn but I have 20 balls of Merino DK in white and have been itching to dye some yarn for a change from fibre - I might re-work the pattern for a DK gauge, especially since I did GrannyG's "Fearless Knitting" workshop at Knit August Nights and now have the skills to do so!

Is there any bird cooler than an owl?

2010-09-10T21:41:00.010+12:00

When I was 16 I got gladular fever (mono for my North American audience). At the time my mother was very into counted cross stitch. Not having much energy to move, I picked up the canvas and thread and got into it myself. Although I started knitting and sewing from a younger age, cross stitch was my first craft obsession and I still have an affinity for needlework. So, when I saw this fantastic design my interest was piqued once more.

This is the Barred Owl needlepoint design by Treglown Designs based on a work by American illustrator Charley Harper. This canvas and many more of Mr Harper's birds by Treglown Designs are available from Purl Soho.

The 2D version of all those minimalist owl softies, not only do I love Mr Harper's style, I love that someone had the vision to turn his works into needlepoint. Now if only the prices were more accessible for the fiscally challenged amongst us...

And while I'm on the topic of owls, the big kid in me is really looking forward to seeing The Legend of the Guardians movie when it arrives here soon.

Eugene Ong

2010-09-08T11:34:00.003+12:00

Update on the fantastic knit pants in my earlier post Simultaneously...

One of my Ravelry friends found the designer! These pants are the creation of Los Angeles knitwear designer Eugene Ong. Thanks for that Ian! Mr Ong's website only shows his women's collections for Spring/Summer '10 and Fall/Winter '10 but there are some great looks there. And all his garments are hand knit - I wonder if they are knit by him personally...

I also feel a kinship with Mr Ong - he also has a Bachelor of Architecture degree but seems to have followed his passion for fibre. No wonder he has such interesting construction - I've always thought you could apply architectural tensile structure principles to creating really interesting knitwear. One day when I have the time I might explore that idea - PhD topic anyone?

New page added - WTF?!?!

2010-09-07T11:35:00.000+12:00

My last post got me to thinking about all the awesome potential projects out there that need to be brought to a wider audience. So I've added a page called WTF?!?! to my blog to showcase them! Click the link in the Pages sidebar and prepare yourself for awesomeness!!!

Simultaneously, I am intigued and horrified...

2010-09-06T18:55:00.002+12:00

I have no idea where this look came from/who the designer is, but wow, talk about knitting extreme...

Bad blogger, bad, bad blogger!

2010-09-04T16:26:00.000+12:00

That's me chastising myself for not posting recently. I have no idea where August went but woosh! and it's gone. But there are lots of posts coming in the next three weeks, including:

Lots of dyeing!
Launch of my fibre business Wabi Sabi Fibres
A wrap up of Night August Nights (KAN) knitters retreat
Meeting the Wigram Spinners and Weavers Guild
WIPs and FOs
Spring and summer knitting

I'm also working on a guest blog post for Crafternoon Tea with GrannyG - I met the WONDERFUL GrannyG at KAN and we've realised we are actually cosmic fraternal twins separated by mere genetics and age, but those are minor issues.

Spring has sprung in New Zealand, it's lovely, I really like spring as a season, so full of promise after what has been a very wet, very grey winter.

So, more to come soon!

New Zealand Fibre Swap 5.0

2010-08-09T09:35:00.000+12:00

How awesome are fibre swaps?!

Behold the amazing fibre love received recently from Tracee of Maude & Me fame in the NZ Fibre Swap 5.0 (link here to the Ravelry group).

The grey batts are Merino/Gotland/Black Diamond Bamboo - I've spun one of the two batts into a fine single, I'm going to do a lace weight 2 ply and would like to knit a lace scarf with beads out of it.

The braid is gorgeous Perendale, not sure what I'm going to do with that yet. Maybe a 3 ply and then a Thorpe hat.

And the winner is......

2010-08-03T10:42:00.001+12:00

Thank you to everyone who entered into my fibre giveaway competition by suggesting names for my dyeing efforts. It was soooo hard to decide which of the names to use for each as the suggestions were all so good, but here are the names I decided to use for each of the braids in the competition.

And fear not, dear reader, your unused naming efforts will not be wasted - I've started a list of names for future efforts.

Now, the competition results - I put everyone's name into a hat (literally) and pulled one out, so congratulations to..........Tobey aka Dustbunnys! (Tobey, I hope you're reading this, I can't find contact details on your blog, could you please email me and let me know which of the above braids you'd like as your prize and your postal address? Thanks).

I'm in the process of setting up shops on Etsy and Felt.co.nz where the braids that remain after Tobey takes her pick will be up for sale, but if you're keen to get your hands on one of them just flick me an email!

This competition has been fun, I'll definitely be doing it again some time, maybe I'll make it a quarterly thing :)

Gotta love a little lovin'

2010-07-21T13:47:00.000+12:00

While I am presently fixated on dyeing and spinning, a few weeks ago I was snowed under marking 260 exams for the paper that I taught last trimester.

Talk about monotony. And while students are expressly told NOT to communicate with the examiner in their scripts, some did. This one made up for the DAYS of reading and marking the same material.

I had to laugh - this student is perhaps the last person I would have thought to write such a note. But considering this was my first teaching gig I was pretty stoked.

Fresh from the dyepot

2010-07-19T18:35:00.001+12:00

Here are some more braids for the "Name That Braid" competition. See below for the details of the competition and good luck!

Dyeing for colour, and a competition!

2010-07-17T23:04:00.003+12:00

Winter sucks. Especially here in Wellington where is has been raining, raining, raining. But life is good with some Polwarth top and dyes to hand...

I'm terrible at naming my efforts, so, here's a competition! Simply leave a comment on this post by the end of July 2010 suggesting a name or names for any of these braids and I will randomly draw one and send you a free 100g braid of Polwarth or Merino hand dyed by me. Yay free fibre!

Tour de Fleece 2010

2010-07-17T22:47:00.001+12:00

So I joined up a number of team in this year's Tour de Fleece - the Ravelry spin-a-long that runs the same period as the Tour de France. The idea is that you spin every day that the Tour runs, with the same rest days. And there are prizes. I just wanted to do it to commit to some spinning every day.

So, I've been spinning...

This is 100% New Zealand Merino, hand dyed by yours truly, spun and N-plied into 350 meters of sport weight yarn. I wanted to spin for socks, and think I've achieved that goal.

I've been spinning some other stuff too, namely...

Clockwise from left: 50g Merino/Alpaca/Silk blend called "Buffy"; 100g Corriedale x Gotland lamb; 50g Black Welsh Mountain.

Lots more spinning to do before the Tour ends...

Book review: Knits Men Want by Bruce Weinstein

2010-06-03T11:10:00.000+12:00

I don't often buy pattern books, especially men's patterns, but I'm so glad I made an exception in the case of "Knits Men Want". The reason I'm not usually keen to buy men's pattern books is that more often than not they are so prescriptive that they are a one-liner - "here's the pattern, knit it" x10 patterns. But "Knits Men Want" is fantastic. I love that each pattern has instructions for a wide variety of sizes and gauges (great if you want to substitute yarn easily and especially great for people who knit with handspun). I also really like that each pattern has a story to it - after all how often do you knit something just to knit it? Knitting always has an origin and a destination. Getting Jared Flood on board as photographer was genius - his sublime aesthetic is stamped all over the images in this book and he definitely knows what men want when it comes to knitting.

The only thing that I don't love about this book (but neither do I really mind it) is the focus it has on women knitting for men - the pitch is obviously to guide women to knit garments that the men in their lives will actually want to wear (pretty clear from the subtitle really - "The 10 Rules Every Woman Should Know Before Knitting for a Man Plus the Only 10 Patterns She'll Ever Need"). That pitch doesn't really work for me but I can easily see past it thanks to the great patterns and wonderful images.

I'd definitely recommend this book and hope that Bruce Weinstein writes another soon!

More dyeing adventures

2010-06-02T15:39:00.001+12:00

I've been doing some more dyeing, which is very quickly becoming another obsession. And also potentially a bit of a money-spinner as some people have asked to buy some. Who am I to deny spinners their fix...

These were all dyed using Ashford acid dyes. The fibre is 100% Merino top, Polwarth top, or Perendale roving.

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and try to sell some fibre online. Keep an eye out here for a shop launch announcement in the near future.

Feijoa Chutney

2010-06-02T14:31:00.003+12:00

Feijoas (Feijoa sellowiana) are a South American native which are very popular here as fruit trees both domestically and commercially. Whatever the original pronounciation (the genus was named after a Portuguese botanist) the fruit is pronounced fee-jo-a here in NZ. Feijoas are in season right now and available everywhere. I grew up in Hamilton which is within the feijoa's growing range and so feijoas were always plentiful through winter and usually viewed as delicious but annoying as the trees are so bountiful - most of the fruit from my Dad's two large trees ended up rotting on the ground. My flatmate who grew up in Dunedin didn't experience feijoas until relatively late in life and he is addicted to them. So, when I saw that they were getting relatively inexpensive at the produce market that I frequent I decided to make feijoa chutney.

The recipe is ridiculously easy and soooo good with cheese and/or cold cuts. here it is for your preserving pleasure.

Feijoa Chutney

(original provenance unknown,

I got this recipe from my sister)

Makes approx. 3 c (750mL)

2 c feijoa flesh

2 large onions, diced

1 c raisins (I used sultanas as I had them to hand)

1 c brown sugar

2 c cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

Combine ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer until onion and raisins soft and liquid is syrup consistency. While chutney cooks prepare jars - I used 3x 250mL Mason preserving jars, I boiled the tops in water for 20mins and sterilised the jars in a 120degC oven for 30mins. Fill hot jars, wipe tops and seal. Leave jars on cooling rack until cold, then check seals. Leave chutney for a few weeks to allow flavours to develop. Then enjoy!

Eye spy

2010-06-02T14:00:00.004+12:00

Wandering around the produce market last Sunday I saw...

Radio New Zealand - Creative Fibre Festival 2010 podcast

2010-06-01T12:44:00.001+12:00

Last Friday night Radio New Zealand's Country Life magazine presented a programme on the 2010 Creative Fibre Festival. Here's the link to the podcast for listening online or downloading: Country Life Creative Fibre Festival 2010 podcast.

The tagline for the programme notes that "[p]articipants all comment about the increasing interest from young people in creative crafts." But I'll tell you one thing - not one of them seemed to even entertain the idea that a MAN might be so interested. Ladies this, women that, on and on it went.

Anyway, I'm going to leave my comments at that, after all women have suffered such ignorance from men for centuries and maybe it's just our turn (not that two wrongs make a right mind you).

I'm just going to have to make sure I get to the 2011 Festival and REPRESENT!

A Nice Gay Jersey

2010-05-31T16:52:00.002+12:00

No, that's not a comment made on one of my sweaters, but rather the title of a talk by Douglas Lloyd-Jenkins at the upcoming New Zealand Costume and Textile Association Symposium Hanging By A Thread at the New Dowse gallery in Petone.

Other speakers will include Rosemary McLeod and Andrea du Chatenier and writer/curator, with keynote presentations by Dr Patricia Wallace on Maori weaving and Jane Wild & Hannah Barret on the restoration of the Ballet Russes collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

The full title of Douglas' talk is "A Nice Gay Jersey: Masculinity and the Knitting Pattern" (what could be more up my alley?!), but unfortunately (for me) the Symposium will take place over the weekend of June 12 and 13 which is when I am heading to Christchurch to catch up with my Mum. If you are in the Wellington region that weekend, you're in for double luck as Craft2.0 also takes place at the New Dowse on June 12. I'll be contacting Douglas to see if I can get hold of a copy of his talk as it is bound to be fascinating.

You can click on the image below to go to the New Dowse website for registration information.

My new toy

2010-05-27T09:53:00.002+12:00

I graduated from Architecture School last week and my family gave me a wonderful graduation gift - a brand new Ashford Joy spinning wheel.

It's the double treadle version with a carry bag - now I can take my spinning (almost) anywhere.

It's taking some getting used to after my Ashford Traditional but I think we are going to be fast friends very soon...

Tonight Matthew, I am going to be....

2010-05-26T12:43:00.000+12:00

...Brenda Dayne.

If there were a fibre craft "Stars In Their Eyes" I would want to be Brenda Dayne. Not because I think I can do an amazing impersonation of her at all, but just because I think she is amazing, and I would dedicate my life to emulating her style, knowledge, wit and grace.

Brenda (being BFFs we are, of course, on first-name terms, well, I like to imagine so) is the genius behind the uber-popular Cast On podcast and blog. She's been taking a break from podcasting recently (although a recent blog post hints that a return to the podcastosphere is in the works) and I miss her like crazy.

Together with Elizabeth Zimmerman, Kaffe Fassett, Anne Hanson and Jared Flood, Brenda forms part of my pantheon of fibre craft deities. The reasons behind those choices is something for another blog post...

I'm not alone in adoring Brenda and her work - click over to the Ravelry Brenda Dayne Fan Club which at the date of writing has almost 1600 members.

So, go check out Brenda's blog and podcast (the episodes never date, I've been known to randomly dip into the archive for some B-love as and when required) and find out for yourself why I hold her in such high esteem.

And Brenda, if you ever happen to read this - Thank you. For everything.

Brenda Dayne

(used without permission but with love)

Adventures in dyeing

2010-05-21T15:50:00.000+12:00

I'm been doing some dyeing lately and I'm very pleased with the results. What do you think? They are all 100g each of 100% NZ merino roving.

Spring Shower

Paradise Duck

Embers at Midnight

Berry Stains

Sums it all up really

2010-05-11T19:15:00.002+12:00

From their album "Long Gone Before Daylight"...

The Cardigans - And Then You Kissed Me

Man I’ve had a few
But they wouldn’t quit blow me like you
You gave me your name and signed
With a halo around my eye.

And it hit me like never before
That love is a powerful force
Yes it struck me that love is a sport
So I pushed you a little bit more

Love, you’re news to me
You’re a little bit more than I thought you’d be
A mole in my well fed lawn
You’re a nightmare beating the dawn

Oh it hit me like never before
That love is a powerful force
Yes it struck me that love is a sport
So I pushed you a little bit more

Blue, blue, black and blue
Red blood sticks like glue
True love is cruel love
Red blood's a power fuel
Sweet love tasty blood
My heart overfloods

Oh you hit me
Yeah you hit me really hard
Man you hit me
Yeah you hit me right in the heart

Lord I’ve had my deal
But I never quite knew how it feels
When love makes you wake up sore
With fists that are ready for more

And it hit me that love is a game
Like in war no one can be blamed
Yes it struck me that love is a sport
So I pushed you a little bit more

Blue, blue, black and blue
Red blood sticks like glue
True love is cruel love
Red blood's a power fuel
Sweet love tasty blood
My heart overfloods

Man you hit me
Yeah you hit me really hard
Baby you hit me
Yeah you punched me right in the heart
And then you kissed me
And then you hit me
And then you kissed me
And then you hit me

Oh you haunt me with your violent heartbeat at night
Oh you strike me with your silence baby tonight
Why you haunt me with your violence baby come hit me
You haunt me with your violent heartbeat

I don't really like crochet, but...

2010-05-11T11:22:00.000+12:00

I am definitely going to try some of these:

The tutorial/pattern on how to make this is on the wonderful Between the Lines blog.

I think these would be wonderful filled with lavender.

Tattoo Update (Session 5)

2010-05-11T10:55:00.001+12:00

It's finished :) It took exactly two months and 14 hours to do. I love it. Even which the itching drive me crazy!

Hot, dusty, dangerous, and fab!

2010-05-05T09:15:00.007+12:00

Personally, if I were stationed in Afghanistan I'd be knitting and spinning in my down time. Or creating Lady Gaga parodies. Probably both actually.

If you're not (yet) au fait with Lady Gaga and the original of this ditty, here's the extended version for your viewing indulgence.

Knitting needles on domestic Air New Zealand flights

2010-05-03T11:16:00.006+12:00

Hey'all,

This might not be news to everyone (or anyone for that matter), but the official word on knitting needles on Air NZ domestic flights is now YES. The reason I asked Air NZ is that I've heard lots of people on the Ravelry discussion boards and elsewhere say they've had no trouble taking knitting needles onto flights, but the Air NZ website still says a definitive No to knitting needles in carry on. But apparently that is no longer the policy. And here's the email to prove it:

Subject Regarding knitting needles on domestic flights

Discussion Thread

Response (Jennifer) 03/05/2010 10:51 AM

Dear Matt,

Thank you for your email. Taking knitting needles is now permitted in carry on luggage for travel domestically within NZ. You may wish to check with New Zealand aviation security whether they would allow metal type ones.

I hope this has been of assistance. Should you have any further queries, please reply to this email or contact
us on any of the numbers below.

Kind regards,
Jennifer Air New Zealand Online Support

Tattoo Update (Session 4)

2010-04-30T11:10:00.001+12:00

I had another tattoo session yesterday, another three hours, man did it hurt! Three hours was all I could handle. Almost done though, only another 3 hours to go, then touch ups.

FOs: Blowin' a Gale and Turn Around

2010-04-23T21:59:00.016+12:00

Two finished hat projects fresh off the needles.

First, Blowin' A Gale in Jo Sharp Aran Tweed

And Turn Around in Naturally Harmony (a NZ merino 8 ply single yarn)

Miaow

2010-04-23T21:14:00.004+12:00

My neighbour's cat likes my handspun yarn...

This is the yarn before I wound it up into a ball. I call it Candy Whip.

I spun this from 100% Polwarth roving. I dyed it as an experiment with some Earth Palette dyes which I had never used before. The dyed roving looked pretty uninspiring, so I split it in half, pre-drafted the whole half, spun a worsted single with each half, then plied the two singles in opposite order (head to tail). I love the resulting yarn - turned out to be a very happen accident :) It's set to become a Seafoam Scarf for my friend Liz.

And just cause he's so cute...

Arthur Ganson - Kinetic sculptor

2010-04-20T13:15:00.003+12:00

I love discovering people who combine two or more seemingly incongruent aspects of their lives into a symbiotic whole, where the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. One such person is artist and engineer Arthur Ganson.

A modern-day creator of "twittering machines," Arthur Ganson uses simple, plain materials to build witty mechanical art. But the wit is not simply about Rube Goldberg-ian chain-reaction gags (though you'll find a few of those). His work examines the quiet drama of physical motion, whether driven by a motor or by the actions of the viewer. Notions of balance, of rising and falling, of action and reaction and consequence, play themselves out in wire and steel and plastic.

from Arthur Ganson's profile on TED.com

For more see Arthur Gason's channel DreamingMachines on YouTube and his own webite http://www.arthurganson.com/

Heaven is a fibre store in Berkeley, CA

2010-04-18T16:46:00.001+12:00

A Verb for Keeping Warm - I want to move there. If I had a fibre store it would be like this. Gorgeous.

I've been cyberstalking AVFKW's webstore and blog all week, amazing. I'm in love.

Tattoo update (Session 3)

2010-04-15T08:16:00.001+12:00

Family values

2010-04-11T19:14:00.001+12:00

Having just spent a week with my family over Easter, this site made me laugh my ass off.

The website is AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com, the above image is from the post Batter Up: Competition is Encouraged. Mint.

Sneak tattoo preview (Session 2)

2010-04-09T17:03:00.003+12:00

My new tattoo in celebration of my graduation from architecture school. This is stage two of four.

The Aotearoa/New Zealand Men's Knitting Retreat

2010-03-26T11:49:00.005+13:00

Here are some pics that James (the organiser) took of the inaugural Aotearoa/New Zealand Men's Knitting Retreat. I'll do a post with a run down of the event soon, I promise!

The Manly Knitting retreaters
Originally uploaded by Fibrealive

Tough guy's knit too...
Originally uploaded by Fibrealive

Nasturtium Caper recipe

2010-03-25T14:52:00.001+13:00

I've been collecting nasturtium flowers all summer for a natural dyeing experiment, but then while I was listening to a Radio New Zealand National podcast on nasturtium foraging, I followed a link to Joanna Knox's Wellington foraging blog Wild Picnic which in turn led me to a recipe for nasturtium capers - essentially pickled nasturtium seed pods. There are lots of them on the plants growing wild in the reserve next to my home where I've been collecting flowers, so I'm going to give this recipe a try.

Photo from http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/

I want to make soap....

2010-03-25T12:25:00.002+13:00

...so I've put together this list of instructions for future reference i.e. one weekend when I have time to try this out.

http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/10/if-youre-saying-to-yourself-ivory-i.html
http://frugalkiwi.co.nz/2009/10/lye-ability-making-castile-soap/
http://soapchix.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/how-to-make-cold-processed-soap-in-13-steps-a-tutorial/
http://www.soapnuts.com/indexcp.html
http://www.chestnutfarms.com/Soap_and_supplies/info/mold_plan.html

Caramel slice

2010-03-22T20:18:00.018+13:00

I decided to make caramel slice this evening for a certain sweet-toothed someone. Sooooooo good. Mmmm. I used the traditional recipe that used to be on the back of the Highlander Condensed Milk can - now available online from Nestle. It's not the prettiest caramel slice ever made (I overcooked the base and forgot to add the butter to the chocolate topping), but man it tastes good!

Blog du jour - Kris's Color Stripes

2010-03-22T11:55:00.001+13:00

I really love the Kris's Color Stripes blog for all its unadulterated inspiration. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful work with the world Kristina!

Without a clearly delineated front door...

2010-03-19T17:08:00.009+13:00

Thanks to my mate Byron and the Re:Speak blog I am now acquainted with this awesome blog - Unhappy Hipsters. Please go check it out.

Without a clearly delineated front door, neighbors...

Just what I need when the world of architecture threatens to get too serious.

Update March 23: Granny G saw this entry, commented about it on Ravelry.com, to which someone replied with this knitting-related entry that I had somehow missed!

Trapped by the tawny palette, he struggled through yet another brown knit scarf.

Original at Unhappy Hipsters here.

Denver Post article on men and craft

2009-09-05T18:55:00.003+12:00

http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_12580071

Nutkin socks close up

2009-08-29T09:08:00.002+12:00

Inspirations

2009-08-28T10:49:00.003+12:00

Some photos taken around Wellington that inspire me colourwise.

Sock scrap blanket by Shelly Kang

2009-08-14T10:59:00.005+12:00

This is amazing. One day, once I've finished school, I'm going to start one of these...
The photo is from Shelly's website The Heathen Housewife.
Actually, just thinking about how much work this will be, I might start with a cushion before doing a whole blanket...

Craft runner - craft supplies

2009-08-14T08:36:00.001+12:00

http://www.craftrunner.co.nz/

Yarn porn on Ravelry

2009-08-13T16:12:00.003+12:00

Spindle spun by Sarkasmo on Ravelry, found in the Spindlers group discussion boards, soooooo nice.

Spindle spinning tutorials

2009-08-13T14:01:00.001+12:00

Here are some links for learning to spin on a drop spindle

http://ispindle.com/
http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/

Graph paper to match your gauge

2009-08-12T17:42:00.004+12:00

Here's a nifty tool - create graph paper for charting that matches your gauge:
http://www.tata-tatao.to/knit/matrix/e-index.html

Also, here's a tutorial on using MS Excel to chart designs:
http://www.marniemaclean.com/words/2007/02/tutorial_using.html#more

Two colour mixing sites

2009-08-12T17:34:00.002+12:00

Found via Ravelry (in the 'Colour by Hand' group):

Dye Mixer Applet and Colour Basics

"Lichen" by Pigeonroofknits

2009-08-12T16:17:00.003+12:00

This is gorgeous.
It's "Lichen" by Pigeonroofknits, available through Etsy.

The red-blue single

2009-08-12T09:15:00.001+12:00

The single shows the range of colour better than the dyed roving, it looks great.

I'm thinking that plying this with a white single would really show the colours nicely.

Side note...

2009-08-11T13:46:00.005+12:00

I also love coffee, and found this ceramic coffee-to-go cup at Iko Iko today. Liz at my LCS (local coffee shop, just across Glover Park from my LYS), People's Coffee, filled it to the brim with her cafeinated goodness, man, this experience really made my day!

Spinning the red-yellow Polwarth roving

2009-08-11T09:34:00.004+12:00

I've starting to spin the dyed Polwarth roving on the drop spindle. I'm managing to get the yarn quite even although perhaps a little over-twisted. I need to find an experienced drop spindler to teach me properly (since I've been teaching myself thus far by trial and error).

25g of the red-yellow food colouring-dyed Polwarth roving has gone from this...

to this...
So far I'm pretty happy with this little experiment.

First food colouring dyeing experiment

2009-08-10T10:17:00.002+12:00

This is my first attempt at dyeing roving with food colouring. I used 100g Polwarth roving (bought on TradeMe), split into 4 x 25g, soaked overnight in 6 cups water and 3/4 cup vinegar, then dyed with liquid food colouring from the supermarket. I used the oven for heat - 60mins @ approx 120degC.

For the blue-yellow and the red-yellow I squeezed as much water as possible out of the roving, put it in baking dishes, then poured over dye diluted in vinegar water from the soaking.

For the red-blue I put the squeeze-dried roving into the dish, then poured over some of the remaining vinegar water till it barely covered the roving, then applied straight food colouring to the dish. I was a bit concerned by the darkness of this dish compared with the other two, I was thinking oops this might have been a mistake.Here they are before the oven.
After the dye had exhausted, I let them cool in the liquid then rinsed them under cool then cold water till it ran clear. Then dried them on a washing line.
The red-blue actually turned out pretty well - a happy accident. Tones from deep, deep purple (that looks a rich chocolate brown in some light) through wines to blueberry.All in all I'm pretty pleased with this first experiment. Can't wait to get spinning!