HRYC

Hooray! At long last we have put together our class schedule. A few new workshops have been added - covering gauge, designing your own socks and spinning sessions.

Beginners Crochet is already full, with a waitlist started. If you're desperate to learn, let us know and we can keep you in the loop about more classes.

Here is the schedule, with short snippets on what each will cover:

Absolute Beginners Knitting
For those that have never knit a stitch before (or can’t remember how)
Wednesday 21, 28 March & 4 April
7 – 9pm
$50 for all 3 – includes yarn & needles

Merry Go Round – FILLING UP FAST!
Techniques for knitting in the round – including double pointed needles, magic loop and circulars.
Wednesday 18 April
7 – 9pm
$20 – byo needles & yarn

Getting to know lace
Are you sick of knit & purl? Learn how to make basic lace stiches and read lace patterns.
Wednesday 25 April
7 – 9pm
$20 – byo needles & yarn

Untangling Cables
Lessons in making cables easy – with and without a cable needle
Wednesday 9 May
7 – 9pm
$20 – byo needles & yarn

Cast on, cast off
Not quite sure which cast on or bind off method to use for your project? Confused by a tab cast on for a shawl pattern? Learn new methods and tips for choosing the best one.
Wednesday 16 May
7 – 9pm
$20 – byo needles & yarn

Beginner’s crochet – 2 sessions FULL
Learn the basics of crochet during the first session, moving onto tips for amigurumi in the second – you’ll be hooking in no time. Taught by the talented Sofia aka Kiwigurumi
Saturday 24 & 31 March
1pm – 3.30pm
$30 per session

DIY sock pattern
Learn how to add your own stitch design into a sock, making a cosy pair exactly how you want them.
Wednesday 30 May
7pm – 9pm
$20 – byo needles & yarn

Reading the numbers
Your gauge swatch is the key to great finished product. We’ll look at how to read your swatch and use it to adjust numbers to achieve a beautifully fitted garment.
Wednesday 6 June
7pm – 9pm
$20 – byo needles, yarn & calculator (the one on your phone is fine)

Spinning Sundays
The last Sunday of every month Tash and Matt of Wabi Sabi fibres turn their hand to spinning. This isn’t a strictly teaching time but we will help where we can.
Sunday 25 March, 29 May, 27 May, 24 June, 29 July, 26 August, 30 September, 28 October, 25 November

For weeks now we've been super, crazy, massively excited about the new stock that's just arrived! There are some seriously delicious yarns now hanging out on our shelves, just waiting for you to walk on in and give them a cuddle.

Say hello to:

The totally divine Spud & Chloe Sweater ($24 100g/146m cotton merino worsted)

And...

Oooh shiny! Oooh snuggly!

Blue Sky Alpacas - Alpaca Silk ($24 50g/133m sport alpaca silk)

And...

Blue Sky Alpacas Sport ($15 50g/100m sport 100% baby alpaca)

More Alpaca...

Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky ($24 100g/41m - we have plenty of colours too)

And last but not least:

More Sokkusu by Socktopus!

I'll write some more sensible words about each in the coming weeks, but right now, my arms are full, busy squishing yarn trying to decide what to make with each. There will be a skein of Spud & Chloe, Alpaca Silk and Sport wound up and accompanied by needles so you can come and have a knit with them. They're all such a joy to have in store, come and share in it with us!

xx tash

A family member is celebrating a milestone birthday this weekend, so the shop will open at 12pm on Sunday 11 March. Enjoy your sleep in!

So...the new Knitty is out. I LOVE knitty. I love the patterns are free, that they push the boundaries and have lots of fun with the designs they publish.

But...I find it a little tricky that their seasons are opposite to ours. Right now I'm rugged up in hand knit cardi and socks, so looking at those beautiful shawls makes me feel...cold. And like the models should be told to put something warm on.

Anyway!

What are your favourites? Did you instantly want to cast anything on?

Here are my picks...

Loooove this! The colour, the lace pattern, everything! Good Day shawl by Amanda Bjorge (click on the photo to go to the Knitty pattern page)

Squeeee! Don't mind me getting all excited that Michaela is featured in knitty! She was knitting this last year at Knit Nation - so pretty. And so lovely. I might knit this just because Michaela is so awesome.

I'm being more and more convinced by the concept of knitted tees. Gemini by Jane Richmond

A pineapple? Of course! Thanks to the ever interesting Franklin Habit. If you're a twitter person, you should follow him - Franklin's joining of twitter instantly made it more awesome and hilarious, if that is at all possible.

So, back to the question: what are your faves?

How could I not? Congratulations to the wonderfully talented Wellingtonian Bret McKenzie for winning the Oscar for best song last week. We grow 'em good here in NZ....

Plus....any excuse to watch Jason Segel. He's up there with Ryan Gosling in my favourites...