I finally finished knitting Tom's socks. I really enjoyed making them, and I think that was due to the beautiful yarn ('Jetsam Sock') from Dark Harbour Yarns, and the pattern, which I think is a good basic one if you're starting out knitting socks. Because i wanted to make the largest size, I used a…

Thank you for your comments on my last post – it's fun to host a quick weekend giveaway! I drew three winners randomly – Lori, Kirsten, and Emily. I'll be in touch with you soon to find addresses, etc. + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +…

My brother-in-law Nick publishes a small quarterly journal called Watercoloured in which he collects together photography, poetry and writing about art and political ideas. You can read the journals on the website. I've contributed a few things in the past, but included in the most recent issue is an interview I did with a local textile artist, Annie Mackenzie, who…

I had a birthday recently and my friend Nikki gave me this beautiful shawl. You might know Nikki's beautiful hand-dyed yarn but she's also a very skilled knitter. I love my new shawl and have been wearing it often, even when it's been a bit too warm for wool. Luckily, Wellington offers wool-worthy weather year-round,…

Thank you for the messages and emails checking in after our earthquakes this week. It's amazing to have people thinking of us from all around the world.  We had quite a fright last Sunday with the arrival of a 7.8 magnitude quake at midnight, and aftershocks have continued since. The South Island town of Kaikoura has…

The world feels like a dark place at the moment. Beauty, making things, the domestic… all feel trivial, really. A friend posted this poem on social media and I thought it would be perfect to share here (thanks Clare!) Good bones  Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve…

This garment sat in pieces on my worktable for half a year or so before I got around to putting it together – but it's now happily constructed and ready to wear for spring. I used some drapey, geometric-print cotton (origin forgotten) and the Scout Tee pattern which has become a firm favourite. It's rather a terrible…

Back in the middle of winter I found a small stash of mohair yarn in the op-shop next to my office. The best thing about it was its deep yellow colour, like honey. And the fact that I was on my coffee break and not expecting to come across such gold. 12 balls of it,…