One for Daffodil Day, by Chris Beech

Wool/mohair throw rug in tones I generally avoid. Because I don't much like yellow, I have difficulty working with it, so I set myself a small challenge of weaving a rug from the assorted yellows [ex wool shop sales bins of course] in my mohair stash. Surprisingly, I was able to find enough wools for the warp also in the stash.

As I prepared my rug for the photo, my thoughts turned to the the friends and acquaintances who have suffered or are suffering from cancer, and their families. Sometimes life seems very unjust.

Today is Daffodil Day, the annual fund raiser for New Zealand Cancer Society.

by Chris Beech

Linen Sampler, by June McKenzie

Featuring NZ flax (phormium tenax), this fibre was obtained from the Marshlands flax mill (now closed) on the outskirts of Blenheim by Molly Duncan, renowned weaver and author, for over 50 years ago.

I used this fibre to weave mainly hand-manipulated lace weaves, including Danish Medallion, Brooks' Boquet, Spanish Lace and Leno, for the sampler. Twills are very effective woven with NZ flax as it has a great sheen.

by June McKenzie

Miniature Tapestry, by Win Currie

Recently I have been doing miniature tapestries using a small picture frame and embroidery silks. The design was developed from a small photograph of staircases in an European building. The result is a very effective brooch.

Photos by Rose Pelvin; text by Win Currie

A Man's Scarf, by Betzy Frizzell

Tomas, my grandson, chose the colours; he said mainly black with grey and a little red.The threads are all 2ply with the grey 50% merino/ 40% opossum /10% nylon. I am very pleased with the result as it looks a man's scarf.

Photo by Rose Pelvin, text by Betsy Frizzell

Baby Blanket, by Pat Holland

At the start of the winter, the local Wairau hospital were searching for donations of knit, crocheted and woven baby blankets. In response, Pat Holland made this baby blanket in yarns that are soft to handle as well as soft in colour.

by Rose Pelvin

Annual Rotoiti Retreat

The Nelson/Marlborough/Buller Area of Creative Fibre/New Zealand Spinning, Weaving and Woolcraft Society Inc (read: our chapter of the national guild) holds an annual weekend retreat at Nelson Lake's Lake Rotoiti Lodge. (There is another Lake Rotoiti on the North Island.) This year's Retreat took place last weekend, July 25/26.

There was not a lot of weaving going on, but our members were keen to try everything on the programme. Here the challenge was to produce felt flowers.

Joan concentrates on the task in hand

Denise (a felter) gives Noeline a few pointers on how to get started

Joan works away in the background while Christine (a felter) shows her flair. Note, through the window, how close the mountains are.

Judith, who moved to Hokitika, was so happy to see her old friends again. She has become very proficient in weaving twill shawls for a craft shop in Reefton.

This is Nancy multitasking; all ears listening to the speaker and knitting while also staffing her stall with the scrumptious alpaca yarn many of us are getting to know and love. Everyone attending for the weekend was expected to knit a pair of slippers for charity. By Saturday morning most were already finished.

Collage : Yes, it's fibre, and yes, it's creative. A guest speaker/demonstrator produced these spectacular examples of floral art just in case people were not already overflowing with mind-boggling ideas.

On Saturday at Lake Rotoiti Lodge was full to overflowing with people, spinning wheels, yarns, fibres, books, business and chatter for the annual Area Retreat. The sky really was this blue! There was scarcely a breeze and it was a glorious day for sitting outside in the sun. Tuis kept up their music in the bush all day, and a little bush robin came to visit when it was quiet. He really did have two legs but chose to stand on one most of the time, perhaps showing off the band on his leg. Following this fantastic day, the overnight temperature dropped to -6C/21F!

by Rose Pelvin