Shuffling and moving

With the new online shop, and it all being in one place, i've decided it will be waaay easier to just blog over on the new site rather than here. For some reason a little beyond my IT expertise, posts here don't always pop up over there.

So from now on, you can find the Knitsch blog in the same place as you can find all the yarny goodies.

Hooray!

If you want to pick it up in your google reader or rss feed, hopefully it should show up if you search for knitsch.co.nz - correct me if i'm wrong, anyone!

A bit fo Vogue knitting

I don't personally subscribe to Vogue (or Designer, depending on where you are from) Knitting, but keep thinking I should.

Until I read Samurai Knitter's HI-larious review.

Dare I say, ew, yuck?  I like parts of those stockings - stockings are on my current love list - and the ones featured have moments of great, moments of, um, what?

Anyway. Go read it.

And let's hope Vogue ups the quality of patterns in the next edition.

Flights of Fancy Yarn Club - Round 2!

Ding ding!

Are you keen? Are ya? Well, here's the details: 

The important info - what will I get?

The second yarn club will see four installments of yarny goodness sent out over a period of 5 months, at approximately 2 month intervals. Hold on, that doesn't add up... well, one of those packages will contain bonus yarn! Hooray!

As with the first yarn club, you will receive approx 120grams of sock yarn in each of the 3 parcels, and the bonus yarn could be...well, anything! The bonus yarn will be of the same value as the other packages.

You will also get an extra knitty-themed treat and a pdf pattern designed by...could be anyone! I have a few designers in mind, so it will be a special surprise each month.

All yarn colourways will be exclusive to yarn clubbers only.

Mystery Escape vs Plan Ahead

Again, you will have the option to choose a Mystery Escape or to Plan Ahead, with all the excitement of a variegated or semi-solid colourway each month.

Postage dates

Parcels will be sent (approx):
15 January
15 March
15 May


And, um, the cost?

Cost? Isn't Christmas coming up? Can't significant others spring the cost? :D

It will be....

$125.00 for the 4 installations

plus:
postage in NZ: $15
postage Australia: $20
postage ROW: $35

Bear in mind that NZ GST is going up on October 1, which inevitably means a rise in the cost of...everything. Including postage, sad face.

For Australia and overseas, 15% will be removed from the cost of the yarn club.

But, um, don't I have to pay now? And wait aaaaages?
Nope! If you let me know that you're in, i'll add you to the magical list. On November 15 (or thereabouts) I will email out an invoice and payment needs to be received within two weeks. 

I'm in! How do I sign up?!

Send me an email, and let me know if you would like a Mystery Escape or to Plan Ahead, and if you would like to pay by PayPal, credit card or bank deposit. 

Get in quick, i'm only going to do a restricted number, and you don't want to miss out this time!

Happy one year home!

I've been back in NZ for one whole year, which means a celebration!


20% off everything (except Hazel Knits) until Monday!

discount code: HAPPY1YEAR

have a great weekend, i'm off to the wedding of a friend of the boy - enjoy the sunshine!

xx tash

The new Knitty! Hooray!

Goodness, normally I don't scroll into the reviews section of Knitty, I just jump straight to the patterns.

But then I realised, something important was in there...

I was super super lucky to have a sneak peek at the whole entire amazing book the other weekend, and it truly is a stunner.

But look what Knitty has to say:

"I don't think it would be
overstating it to say it's a masterpiece of the genre."

Now that is something to be proud of. Well done Grandma! And I can confirm we will be stocking this in the online shop somewhere just past the release date (1 November). 

If you would like to read the rest of the review, you need to go here, and scroll a wee way down for it. Take note of Cookie A's Knit. Sock. Love while you're at it!

BIts of awesomeness

It is the boy's birthday, and while he is not yet home, that does not prevent me scoffing blue cheese, ganache from his birthday cake and wine in celebration.

Let's also celebrate some awesomeness people have been linking to on Twitter in the last couple of days - graffiti moss and a camoflage crochet car.

Yesterday was a day of dyeing mayhem, in which I dyed so much yarn I had to stop as I couldn't fit any more on the drying rack - in fact had to bring half of it home to take over two drying racks here.

But still, I need more, and I need new colours. I want you to come up with them. Go on, dream something up, leave it in the comments, and if I like it i'll dye it and name it after you.

Go on. Do it.

Free Pattern! The Coffee Cowl

Yonks ago, when I was first playing with 12 ply, I knit up this infinity cowl as a product knit - something I wanted, so just made it up as I went along. It's picked up 'the coffee cowl' name as a lady spilled her coffee on it at the June Craft2.0, apologised profusely, and it honestly wasn't a big deal. It's the perfect cowl to throw on for those 'not quite sure' days, when the weather looks like it could be promising, but the it could also turn hideous. Wrap it up nice and tight for the chilly days, and hang it loose for the warmer ones.

Yarn: 4 skeins of Knitsch 12 ply in Silver Lining
Needles: 6mm on a 100cm cable
Gauge: bah! gauge! forgeddaboutit!

Cast on about 350 stitches, or until you get *really* bored.
Row 1: Knit, and join in the round at the end of the row, being sure not to twist the stitches. Although if you do, it won't be the end of the world.

Knit ad infinitum, round and round, until all your yarn is used up.
Cast off.

Weave in ends, and wear.

Hooray! Easy as that. A great in front of the tv, don't have to think too much knit.

New Shop, Hooray!

Finally, after lots of late nights, frustrating moments (i've learned a lot, that's for sure!), and bursts of elation,

the new shop is here!

In it you will find, alongside the usual suspects, Knit Pro needles! And fingers crossed today will see the arrival of my Hazel Knits order...yum!

Happy knitting and have a wonderful weekend - the whole fam-damily is in Wellington for my little bro's 21st.

Hoot-twooo!

Hooray! An FO! I'm so pleased with my Owls - such a fast knit, and hardly any thinking at all :D
I quite like the owls sans buttons. I think if I were to knit it again, for me, I'd go down a needle size and up a fitting size, just to give it a slightly denser look.

All the same, for only the second top i've knitted, it's a winner.

Speaking of winners, keep the nominations of Canterbury knitters and spinners heading this way. Where the week has gone I don't know, but tomorrow is apparently thursday, and the last day for entries.

xx tash

The warm comforts...

After watching the news, I thought how very very lucky it is to be able to sit on the couch, watch crappy Friday night tv, by the fire, with a glass of wine, and knit.

All the warm knitted love going out to not only Christchurch, but Pakistan and San Francisco. All three things truly break my heart, and makes me feel so powerless in the face of nature's force.

It seems a bit frivolous to share pics of a recent FO and a current WIP...but we all need something to cheer us up, right?

Below, Alice's Doddle pattern from the last installment of the yarn club, in new colourway Popeye (a luscious seaweedy green that normally I wouldn't go for, but have fallen in love with)

And above, 'Just another' Ishbel (my first, admittedly) in Hazel Knits Jay Blue. Divine yarn, that is...

Keep those nominations coming in for Cheer up Chch - I've had several worthy nominations come through already, and am lining up some other awesome crafters to take part. Flick me an email with name and address of a knitter in Canterbury who may need a bit of letter box love and i'll add them to the list.

Cheer up Chch

Sitting at my laptop, chatting to mum on google chat, talking earthquakes, reading blogs about earthquakes...

something must be done!

Do you know a knitter in Christchurch who needs cheering up? Who may need an unexpected surprise in their mail box?

I'm putting together 3 'Cheer up Chch' packages ready to go (all surprise and hush hush like) to people who need a smile.

Send me an email with your nomination, and i'll put names in hat. Emails required by 5pm Thursday, 16 September. And an address, if you please. That would be lovely.

xx Tash

Mountains, etc

I'm continuing with the lazy blog theme - photos from last weekend up the mountain. Sadly my altitude sickness prevented me from really enjoying the snow (gah!), but plenty of knitting took place.

Waking up on Saturday morning to news of the big earthquake in Christchurch made it hard to relax - luckily everyone I know down there is safe and unhurt. The continuing aftershocks have all on edge and my thoughts constantly turn to those who live in the middle of the disaster. I'm trying to come up with a productive way to support those who need assistance, so watch this space for info.

Being in Wellington, the traditional centre of earthquake fear, all we had were a few small jolts to indicate anything was amiss, which means there isn't any interruption to Knitsch Yarns.

Right, here are the pics...

It snowed! Right down to National Park where we stayed. Pretty magical...

Catch Up

Whoops...time has got the better of me.

Here's a very fast run down of what i've been up to the last couple of weeks:

• Knit graffiti for the New Dowse

• having a nosey around design spun in Napier

• Relaxing at Port'o Call in Napier (in between having an amazingly inspiring time at Knit August Nights)

• And dyeing some fabbo new colourways! Hooray! They will be in the online shop a bit later today :D

• oooh and mustn't forget - Knit Pro needles! I have an office full of them, and they'll be available for purchase once the new shop goes live (any day now, fingers crossed!)

Road trippin'

A few snaps of this weekend's jaunt to Taranki to take a knit graffiti workshop at the Govett-Brewster. It was wonderful to get away, meet a few fabulous yarnies, and indulge in some beautiful views and great food.

For more photos of what we got up to, pop on over to the Outdoorknit blog.

xx Tash

Talking, knitting, and stuff

Hello!

boy it doesn't take long for the old blog to be neglected. The past few weeks have seen all sorts of things going on - projects completed, projects started, and a whole lot of talking.

One of the awesome things about being involved in knitting in Wellington means the opportunity to meet so many fantastic people. I'm a bit sad that Kreachr is off to the big smoke. Even though i've only met her a few times, I love her unending enthusiasm, and Auckland should count itself pretty damn lucky.

The Blendy book launch went wonderfully despite the huge slip preventing some from making it out to the Hutt from Wellington. In fact it went so Belinda and I hardly had the chance to have a good gossip - which just gives yet another reason to head up that way for a visit.

And yours truly managed to squeeze five minutes of time into a pretty packed schedule to talk knit graffiti at Ignite Wellington. A great knit of some pretty inspiring talks - and a pretty cool coincidence that Nathalie was speaking - we were in the same class back when we were little wee 12 year olds.



I'm not brave enough to watch it myself! :D

This weekend i'm off to the land of my youth - New Plymouth - for a workshop at the Govett-Brewster. The plan is to cruise up visiting op shops and meet lots of lovely knitters. So if you're in the 'naki, pop by and say hi on Sunday!

xx

Giveaway! Hooray!

The very clever Sheryl is giving away some Knitsch yarn!

Pop on over to her blog, check out her gorgeous pattern Epicene - anyone who comments on her blog with a finished pair in the next month is in the draw!

xx

Blendy Knits Socks! Here!

Hooray!

The darling darling Belinda (can't possibly say darling too many times. She really is) arrives in only a matter of days for the Blendy Knits Socks launch on Sunday 8 August, at the New Dowse from 3 - 5pm.

I'll be there with piles of yarn, coffee, cake, Belinda, books, yarn, needles, knitting, yarn, coffee, cake (you get the idea...)

Making Mascarpone

After the great Tiramisu competition at the last Craft2.0, i've been mulling over making mascarpone from scratch.

At long last I had a go, and it went okay - not perfect (cooked it too long, methinks) but still pretty tasty on toast with honey.

Mmmm, yum!

Taking time

hello! It's been awhile!

I sound like a broken record but, goodness life is busy. Busy to the point of, well, something will have to give. I'm one of those people who simply can't refuse a good project idea, and all it takes is one small suggestion from someone to get me excited and enthusiastic and start getting carried away. This is necessarily a bad thing, but it is something I need to rein in a little bit just so that each week doesn't merge into another with no stop or sense of project completion.

In fact, just thinking of all the things on my plate simply exhausts me.

So how about a wee list of things that I have *finished* lately?

• the July yarn club - all gone off to lovely people :D
• the yarn club pattern (although the pics aren't behaving and so it hasn't gone out yet. Damn technology)
• Lots of orders - the post office lady and I are great friends!
• tidying my bedroom (hey, it's a big one!)

Ok so the list isn't huge, but by the end of this week it's going to be much longer. The week after that will be dedicated to some r&r before heading to New Plymouth for some knit graffiti action, and then Knit August Nights a couple weeks after that.
Right - back to knitting yet another secret project!

xx

Gratuitous gorgeous baby post

Over at Never not Knitting, there are some super duper adorable baby pics that nearly made me pee my pants.

Cute overload.

Go have a look!