Knit August Nights

On Sunday morning, with a couple of friends, we headed up to East Pier at Ahuriri, Napier, for the annual Knit August Nights (KAN) market. The retreat actually runs for a couple of days for registered attendees but the Sunday market is open to the public. 

I'd been so looking forward to going along, and once again, it didn't disappoint, I was in knitters heaven!!  It was a lovely day in Napier too - the venue for KAN couldn't be more perfect, right beside the sea.

We found the market very busy this year, KAN was celebrating 10 years, and there were people jammed packed into the whole place. As always, the yarns, accessories, etc were amazing, so much to see!

There were several new stall holders this year and all my favourite NZ dyers and knitwear designers back again to see and have chats with.

So this was my haul!!

Some pretty dishcloth cotton and a pencil from Holland Road Yarn Company:

Sweet Sweet Manuka, a merino by Prosper Yarn from Loopine Wool Co

These fun faux fur pom poms were from Nana Cindy NZ

Some 2019 souvenirs, including this fab calendar supporting the Yarny Army, a group of Hawkes Bay knitters providing warm knitted garments for those that need them :

Gorgeous yarn from Catrien of Yarnflozzy

A new pattern from Libby of Truly Myrtle Designs

And lastly, I was so pleased to see Union Fibre's stall so added these two squishy skeins to my shopping.

We could have spent hours browsing around, and spending a lot more too!  I'll have to start a KAN 2020 saving fund as I'd really like to attend the whole weekend next year.  It's well worth a visit if you get the chance.

See you soon xx

Blackbird Designs Wips & a new kit

This month I've been trying to get a bit of stitching done on some of my Stitchmaynia & Jolly July starts and I have actually finished several of these so I'll share some pics soon. I have a bit of "finishing" in my future!  

I've also pulled out a couple of wips to stitch on including two of my Blackbird Designs projects:

Merrily Merrily We Welcome Spring - I'm using the recommended threads and fabric, 36 count Oaken linen by Picture this Plus.

Hear the Crickets Sing - also using the recommended threads and fabric, 36 count Ale by Picture this Plus

I'm also hoping to make a start on this gorgeous little kit, which was the last kit in the Silver Needle's Friends Stitching Circle Club.

These pretty handmade pins were the extra gift that came with the kit.

Some fun stitching to work on!

Also, just a mention, that it's now only a week away to the annual Knit August Nights, a Yarn & Stitch Retreat, which is held in Napier.  My friends and I just love going to the public Yarn Market, this year its on Sunday 25th August, at East Pier, Ahuriri. I'm so looking forward to seeing all the wonderful yarn and accessories for sale, I believe there's going to be over 25 stall holders from around New Zealand, including several New Zealand knitwear designers with their patterns and samples. Some of the traders I like to check out include Bleating Art Yarns, Yarnfloozy, Vintage Purls, and Truly Myrtle, and many more lovely goodies.

See you soon xx

Knit August Nights 2018

One of my favourite things to do now every August is take a trip up to Napier to the Knit August Nights (KAN) event. This is a whole weekend of classes, yarn shopping, mill tours and lots more but my friends and I just go along to check out the market which is open to the public on Sunday morning. 

For the third year in a row, Napier turned on the sunshine and it was a beautiful day. The venue for KAN couldn't be in a more perfect spot, right beside the sea at Ahuriri. 

Look who I found - Kath! We arranged to meet up for the morning and had a fab time checking out all the gorgeous yarn, accessories, patterns and chatting with several NZ designers and hand dyers.

If you are a NZ knitter you probably would have heard of Libby from Truly Myrtle Designs.
Kath and I had a great chat with Libby and checked out her wonderful designs.

Here are the samples for the Floozy cardigan, which Libby has released recently.  Using Catrien from Yarnfloozy lovely colourways, the pattern and kits have been a huge hit here in NZ and around the world.

I had so much fun spending my yarn money, photos of my purchases at the end of this post.

Once we'd finished at KAN, we decided to head into town for lunch and a browse of the shops, it was such a warm sunny afternoon.

And my goodies - some new pins for my knitting bag

This yarn by Revive Designs is so lovely to squish, so soft, its a silk and merino mix.

One of my favourite hand dyers to visit is Alice from Bleating Art yarn and I've purchased from Alice several times before. Alice and her Mum dye the most fantastic colours.  These three skeins are intended for a shawl, which is going to be an ambitious project for me considering I've only ever knit one small shawl before.

My first ever skein of Hedgehog Fibres, in the Cheeky colour way. Hedgehog Fibres is from Ireland.

It wasn't intentional but I must have a thing for pinks and greys at the moment, lol.

If you get the chance to visit KAN one year, please do so as its well worth it. Maybe next year I'll get along to some classes.

See you soon xx

Knit August Nights

On Sunday morning, with my friends Janet and Elsie, we headed up to Napier for the annual Knit August Nights, a retreat weekend for knitters. We didn't register for any classes but instead checked out the market, which is open to the public.

I've been so looking forward to going along to this market, and once again, I was in absolute knitters heaven I can tell you! It was actually quite overwhelming, people everywhere and so much gorgeous, gorgeous yarn and other accessories.

The weekend was held at East Pier, at Ahuriri, one of my favourite spots in Napier.

And my acquisitions? Well, I was quite restrained this time ha ha.  I was really excited to get a ball of Straycat sock yarn and one of the little bags, as apparently the stock had sold like hotcakes and there wasn't much left on the table.

I also picked up a gorgeous skein from Bleating Art Yarns. Based in Napier, Alice and her Mum's yarns are just divine. I'd remembered to take along the socks I'd knitted from the limited colour way available at last year's market, Inky's Empty Tank, to show Alice and she was so pleased to see how they had turned out.

                  

I couldn't resist the set of cool knitting markers. They will come in very handy when I attempt my first shawl! I just loved this New Jeans colour way from Catrien at Yarn Floozy from Auckland, and then I had a lovely chat with Libby from Truly Myrtle. She recommended her Settler pattern so I can't wait to get this underway sometime soon.

We could have spent hours browsing, and spending more of course, so it will be a definite visit there again next year. I'd better start a Knit August Nights fund!!

After picking up a coffee from Starbucks, we had a quick look at some of shops in the Napier CBD before heading to our next destination, the Silky Oak Chocolate Company, which is just on the outskirts of Taradale.

Lots of delicious looking food to be tempted by, in the end I went with a hash brown, kumara mash and bacon stack, yummo!

After lunch we had a lookie in the gift shop and the chocolate shop, and as I had a voucher to spend, I couldn't leave without picking up a few treats to take home.

The passion fruit vinaigrette is so tasty, it will become a favourite for our salads over the summer I think.

See you soon x