HRYC

In New Zealand, at some point, the phrase 'weather bomb' was coined by the media.

Right now, one such weather bomb is raging outside the shop window. The footpath sign can't go outside as it will end up somewhere in the Cook Strait, the heater is on and I'm playing very atmospheric Bon Iver on the Tivoli.

The Metservice is so concerned, this is at the very top of their website (where you'd usually find ads on normal sites):

And this is what the rain radar is telling us right now:

With weather like this, most kiwis are thinking about a day on the couch, under a blanket. I dream of a great, big, heavy, warm knit blanket. It is one of those projects will take some time, but will be so worth the effort.

Jared Flood's Shale Baby Blanket (click the image to go to the pattern's Ravelry page)

Lucy Sweetland's Seraphine for Brooklyn Tweed

Anne Hanson's Hourglass Throw for Brooklyn Tweed

Jared Flood and his Brooklyn Tweed crew really can do no wrong. All the best blanket or blanket inspired garments on Ravelry seem to come from their corner. Anne Hanson's Hourglass Throw would look amazing in Harvest Saffron ($5.50/50g ball) and be super snuggly with the mix of possum, cashmere, merino etc etc.

If you need a bit of bright to help lift the grey days, the Purl Bee, as usual, has something for you...

The Hudson Bay Inspired Crib Blanket by the Purl Bee

Seeing as I'm still stuck on the queue project, the only blanket on my list for this year is still Jared Flood's version of the Hemlock Ring blanket. Shop happy helper person Claire knit one of these in a matter of days - so I'm hoping when I finally cast on it'll be a nice quick and satisfying knit.

Jared Flood's Hemlock Ring Blanket

Right....time to relocate my cold self next to the heater and get on with knitting! Stay safe and dry if you are in one of the weather bomb spots xx

A couple of weeks ago I had the great pleasure of being a Special Agent at Webstock. It is the most inspiring week of the year, which may be why I drop everything else for 5 days and disappear off the face of the knitty planet .

This year one of the recurring themes was 'craft' - craft your work, take pride, take the time and complete work with love. It all sounds rather huggy-happy-hippy, but it's not. Especially when it's coming from someone super amazing like Jessica Hische or Derek Handley.

Jessica spoke of 'procrastiworking' - and is well known, especially on Pinterest boards, for saying:

Jessica Hische said it, Chris lettered it

When I procrastinate, I knit. Or spin. Or bake. On the right track, yes?

But even doing what you love, a little inspiration can be required. Webstock tends to blow my mind and make me feel a little like I could be doing more, better. So i'm on the hunt for words that work, that help give the extra push needed to keep life and the shop amazing.

Like this:

This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often.
If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit.
If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV.
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.

from this great website

So, I'd like to know - where do you look for inspiration when you need a Pick Me Up? Do you cuddle yarn, a person, or look for words on the interwebs? I'm curious! Share! (plus, if you comment, it's much more exciting than spam bot comments).

Strange connections are made in this brain of mine. Going into this year I wanted to make our window displays something a little more special. Jackson St is a very busy place, and at night people will often peek in the windows and browse before coming back to explore inside. So I feel the need to get a little more...out there.

I started to think about the window - what it looked like, how I could use the space. My brain focussed on the word 'Holland'. I LOVED Amsterdam. Avoiding the usual tourist activities, my time there was spent wandering along canals, feeling very jealous of the locals' lifestyle. The bikes were so intrinsic to the city - the sound of bicycle bells never stops, even at night. So it began:  Holland + bicycles:

Amsterdam

plus

an old bike that has been floating around my parents' house for over 12 years...

This vintage Schwinn Le Tour edition is goodness knows how old. But it scrubbed up pretty nicely. A few weeks and lots of stitches later....

We have a knitted bicycle. It's hanging out in our shop window, and some of the conversations we overhear about it are pretty funny. The bicycle will be a feature for the next month - press your nose against the window, take a photo, and come squish our yarn.

P.S. The bicycle features: Prism DK, Vintage DK, Cascade 220, and some hand dyed something or other.

P.P.S. Yes, it is in working condition. If you see Tash riding it down the street, wave and say hi!

Hooray! I'm lucky enough to be seeing Bon Iver as part of the Wellington International Arts Festival tomorrow night - so excited! Enjoy....

The power of Twiiter got me on to Harrison Hudson - Sophie Madeleine tweeted a link, I followed through and got a bunch of great indie music for cheap cheap! Now I'm rocking away in the shop to the great sounds of Harrison Hudson - I love the song enough that I'll forgive the lack of actual video clip for this one - enjoy!

Harrison Hudson - Indie Rock and Roll Queen