Day out at Robin’s – 26 March 2024

Robin kindly hosted the group at her home in Ohariu Valley. We enjoyed a lovely morning knitting and talking, sharing our results from the previous weeks’ eco-dying day, watching the alpacas, going for a long walk, and eating a shared lunch.

Eco-dying Day – 19 March 2024

We had an experimental Eco-dying day at Rachel’s home, building on what a few of us had learnt from Romain at Fran’s home in the Wairarapa in January.

Materials – flowers, rusty metal, acocado skins, tumeric, leaves, berries etc etc.

Laid out on silk, pre-mordanted with soy flour.

Esther, Jane, Robin, Elizabeth, Glenis, Flo, working on laying out, wrapping and sealing their bundles ready for steaming.

Enjoying shared lunch together afterwards.

Show and Tell – 12 March 2024

Show and Tell is all knitting and crochet this month. From the top: Annie’s Crocheted Hexagons; Elizabeth’s Knitted Twiddle-muffs; Maureen’s Knitted Socks with dog and spider colour-work motifs; and Maureen’s Knitted Cowl (‘The Compleat Cowl’).

Show and Tell of Historical/Heirloom Items – 27 February 2024

Helen’s Parents’ Musical Cigarette box with inlaid wood.

Elizabeth’s Husband’s Great Grandfather had a Gentlemen’s Hairdresser/Tobacconist in Manners St (where MacDonalds is now) in the early 1900’s. From there came these Fob-chains which are made from human hair.

Elizabeth’s Christening Gown which was made from her Mother’s Wedding Dress.

Elizabeth’s Petticoat and Accessories for her Christening Gown.

Glenis brought, in her Father’s old school bag (not pictured), various hand-made Babies and Dolls Clothes.

Fran’s Alice in Wonderland Costume made by her Mother for her sister’s fancy dress party in 1954.

Robin’s Husband’s Christening Gown, made by his Mother.

Rachel’s Grandmother’s Clogs that she wore when working in a textile mill in England. They are made from leather, with wooden and metal soles, and metal clasps

Flo’s Brother’s new-born-size baby jacket, hand-made by their Mother.

Brenda’s Knitting Pattern book, Christmas 1966.

Show and Tell – 13 February 2024

Flo models her felted and beaded Tiara that she made at a recent Felters’ Retreat.

Rachel is knitting a Scarf for friends in Colorado, USA. It is inspired by the Rocky Mountains where they live.  She is using alpaca wool which she had dyed and spun, and knitting it in the ‘Feathers and Fan” design.

Glenis is weaving on an inkle loom for the first time.  These are Woven Bands, the (from the bottom) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd attempts, and also a Friendship Bracelet for her grandchild.

Robin has finished the knitted Colour-work Vest that she has been knitting for her son, and she also showed us a cone and a knitted sample of her daughter’s home grown alpaca, which they got commercially processed and spun.

Helen has knitted a “Pig in a Blanket”.  It started out being a cat, but she decided to change it into a pig by adding a snout and pig’s ears and tail.

Helen has also been weaving, using Rachel’s painted warp.  She is using a table loom for the first time, and has woven a strap for a Bag.

At the Dyeing Day, Fran felted two Rugs which she had previously finger-crocheted using wool roving. The felting process produced a firmer, more durable fabric.  It was finished off in the washing machine.

Elizabeth has sewn three Bassinet Quilts for the hospital.  The fabrics are different colourways of the same design, and she has repeated the koala bear motif in the hand-quilting which can be seen on the back.

Esther has knitted a Collar for the winter, using several strand of yarn to bring it up to the required guage. The pattern asked for a chunky weight yarn.

Esther has also finished a hand-made book which she started at a workshop at the New Plymouth Education Event over a year ago.  The design of the book allows space for thickish samples to be displayed without expanding the depth of the book. She has knitted nine Shetland Lace Samples and displayed them in the book.

Martinborough Dyeing Day – 23 January 2024

Fran kindly hosted the group for a day out at her property in Martinborough, and Romain taught a session on Eco-dyeing.

 

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Using various natural materials such as vegetation, iron filings, rusty metal items and tumeric, we layed them out on pieces of previously mordanted linen fabric. They were then folded, wrapped, and steamed for two hours.

 

Finished results!

A good time had by all.

AGM and Vibrant Embellishments Challenge – 28 November 2023

Rachel presents her President’s report to the meeting.

 

After the meeting our In-House Challenge entries were judged. Prior to judging each person talked about their entry.

The winners were as follows:

Most Quirky – Robin for her felted hat with goldfish on it.

Most exquisite – Annie for her pillow with lovely embroidery.

 

Most vibrant – Fran for her bag decorated with knitted flowers.

Overall Favourite – Three way tie between Fran and Annie, (as above) and Glenis for her felted bowl of ‘planets’.

Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious catered lunch at the Collective Hub.

Show and Tell – 14 November 2023

 Elizabeth’s Quilt sewn for charity, with hand-sewn quilting, (showing each side).

Elizabeth’s cross-stitched Christmas decorations.

Helen’s Teddy Bear with an inkle-loom woven scarf, and Knitted Fish using three methods of colourwork – stripes, intarsia, and stranded knitting.

Flo’s completed moss-stitch knitted Hat.  She made up her own pattern.

 

Esther’s knitted Baby Singlet, using brioche stitch and moss stitch.

 

We brought items to remind the group of techniques and equipment that the Guild has available to use and/or that members may want to share.

 Esther brought along a kumihimo disc and plate.  Rachel talked about her triangle pin loom, about dying and equipment to wind skeins in preparation for dying.  She also showed us an upright loom, and a 4-shaft table loom. Helen brought an inkle-loom, and Fran showed us cards for tablet card weaving (not pictured) and explained how they produced strips like an inkle-loom.

 

Show and Tell – 10 October 2023

Clockwise from top left:

1.  Helen’s Beanie knitted from self-striping yarn. This is the first knitting she has done in the round.

2.  Marilyn P’s Baby’s Sleeveless Jumper, knitted for her great nephew.

3. Rachel’s Knives, hand-made while in Wanaka.

Left: Rachel’s Knitted Shawls – Cotton, Wool, Fine hand-spun and commercial mixed.

Right: Flo’s Knitted hat in progress.

Marilyn P’s Feather and Fan Cot Blanket, knitted for the hospital.

Robin’s knitted Twiddle Muff and detail.  

Show and Tell – 12 September 2023

Fran has completed her merino and mohair woven triangles and crocheted squares. She started out to create them into a shrug, but finished up into a blanket.

Esther has knitted a baby singlet to fit babies in the Neonatal ward. The pattern is “Simple Vest Pattern form Small Babies” in Creative Fibre Magazine June 2023 with Fair Isle inserted.

Annie’s knitted scarf using a Shell Stitch pattern from “Yarn” Magazine. It is in progress.

Fran has been needle-felting, and  Robin is working on a twiddle-muff.

Flo has kitted a little Teddy-bear with hand-spun wool, and Fran is crocheting squares to be made into a blanket in “African Daisy” pattern and using “Strand” yarn.

Fran has sewn a needle and notions book, with a needle-felted cover (not visible).

Elizabeth has made two cot quilts for the hospital ICU babies – 1st quilt….

…..second quilt.