Round up

Just a couple a pics, the Kotare blanket

 and a 100gm skein of corriedale yarn.  I meant to produce a 4 ply but ended up with double knit when it was wet finished.

This will be the last post until the end of October when I'll tell you all about my travels.  See you then.

Always the bridesmaid!

Had a very enjoyable day in Hamilton on Wednesday before going to the Opening of the Creative Fibre Experience.  It started with drinks and nibbles and lots of hugs of people I only get to see irregularly and then the prize giving.  I received a merit for the merino shibori scarf, 'Kaimai'.  The certificate was presented by the selector, Jane Siddell, and she said to me it was such a hard choice between the winner and two merits.  Its interesting that the other two prize entries was a handspun knitted baby shawl which was beautiful and a felted scarf which was very striking.

Then we were allowed to go in to the gallery to see the exhibition.  I was so intent on seeing everything before the two hour trip home I forgot to take a single photo.

As I moved around the exhibition I was looking at the table of exhibits beside where my "Forest Canopy" scarf was hanging I overheard a lady say "Oh I really like this one" so I was very heartened.  My friend Agnes from Fibreholics won the Robyn Hogg colour award and also the top prize, the Creative Fibre Award, for a beautiful wrap with three interleaved threadings.  Another friend, Lyn Walsh, took the Complex Weavers Award with a wrap in deflected double weave.  Thats the one I covet Lyn.  I'll keep trying and maybe one day ...

Where's it gone?

Have been trying to sort stuff out and finish off a few jobs before going away for a months holiday soon.  Not long after getting back I'm going to be teaching a workshop on loom controlled shibori so opened my teaching box and .... where is the sample scarf to show the technique.  Oh bother, that's what I dyed up for the Creative Fibre exhibition.  No problem, I'll thread the loom and weave another.  After all  I didn't really need a cotton sunfrock to wear on Rhodes!

Don't tell any of my students but one of the drafts I had sent off for them to use had never been trialed by me so I've killed two birds with one stone and threaded the loom accordingly.  I'm so glad I did because I keep thinking of "what if's".  Also glad that, for once, I put on enough warp to sample.  I'm off to roll on the warp and weave.

New model

Who could resist those eyes and grin (not toothless).
Modelling the Owl Vest at 8 months.  The hat does fit nicely with a turned up brim.

Its happened again

Earlier this month I entered two scarves in the National Exhibition of Creative Fibre Society.  This will be held in Hamilton in association with a huge Quilt and craft show.

It was a performance getting the entry in on time as I missed the Rural Post on the designated Friday.  No problem, I thought, I'd do it online.  Mucked up my bank account pin and three working days before anyone would help me so that led me to the decision to go to the Loominus weaving meeting on Monday and deliver the forms etc in person.  I've come to the conclusion I should never travel alone.  Got lost finding Margaret's place for the meeting (I've been there many times before) then got completely bamboozled finding my way around Cambridge.  Ended up in Lemmington which is completely the wrong side of town I needed to be.  Mission finally accomplished I drove home.

I've had word that both scarves have been accepted and that I should come to the opening, please!  The opening doesn't start until 7pm so, say presentations at 8 and, then a two hour drive home.  I'm showing my age by hesitating.  When I went to the opening of the Bay of Plenty exhibition I realised how important it is to go if at all possible because volunteers work very hard to put on an enjoyable show and it is disappointing if the award recipient isn't there.

NZ Bush

NZ Bush close up

Kaimai

Kaimai close up

Opening is 7 September so we'll all have to wait till then.

NZ Bush is an echo weave with two warps space dyed and then interleaved.  Kaimai shows the hazy blues of the hills with a twill back ground and a seperate twill resist pattern.  One side shows blue with green and the other dark green with blue highlights. other

Knitting finished, start next weaving project

I seem to have waffled my way through the last couple of weeks not achieving anything much.  I did manage to knit this vest with cabled owls on the front for Jack before the families visit last weekend.  I've included this picture to show my row marker; an old earring with a closed ring fixture rather than a hook.  Works quite well most of the time.

Owls in Pohutukawa tree

 Now on to the next weaving project.  Can you guess which bird these represent?  Of course, the kotare.

Pounamu

A (sort of) log cabin knit blanket using the thrums left over from a series of woven Pounamu (greenstone) blankets surrounded by white.  All garter stitch, the only rules were that all green knots went to one side and each square had the equivalent of 50 stitches and/or rows.  The squares were crocheted together.