Kraftbomb!

hey kids

just got the good word about Kraftbomb next weekend (Sunday April 26th) in Auckland. It’s ON! I’ll be there with hats, undies and hopefully more.

Even made more hats for the occasion…

In the meantime, getting ready to leave Welly and head on up and out NEXT WEEK! This mostly means getting together gifts, trying to finish reading my library books in time, and making myself the warmest merino super-practical one-stop-top to take as my only long sleeved item on the bike trip (it just started getting into + degrees celcius in Finland!). Used scraps to make Jake a warm dome cozy. Oh warm fuzziness.

And…check it out, the trusty steed that’s gonna take me from Denmark to France. 3 gears. Back pedal brakes. The Works. I think it even has a bell.

And if that’s not impressive enough for you, check out Jake’s matching herrecykler! his was custom made for the pro cyclist Kaj Flemming Anderson apparently, another tall dude.

So off we go! Will be back in NZ in October and sewing up a storm for Spring! If you want to keep track of what we’re doing on our travels, check out Champ Tours the New World. YEAHHH!!

UPDATE! and new wooly hats

Dear readers (if there are any of you left(holler)),

I think it’s time I do some splaining about why I’m such an inconsistent craft-blogger…well my friends, the fact that my sewing has been an on-the-go sort of endeavour for the past two years is the main reason. Whenever I can secure a sewing station for a few weeks then I turn myself into a veritable factory. So if I’ve ever housesat for you or been a long time guest, this would explain the stray threads and needles you’ve found in my tracks. Nothing satisfies me more then when I’ve set myself up with a great place to sew, preferably by some windows looking out on somewhere magical, and I like to think that special features from each place are woven into the things that I make when I’m there. This is my current nook, I was so smitten with it that I forgot to take a shot of the outrageously beautiful view of the whole damn harbour to my right. I just made a whole slew of hats here in the past week, made with salty Wellington winds, hardy native greenery, choppy ocean waters and bits and pieces of that amazing NZ light.

I’m leaving at the end of the month for the European continent to cycle from Denmark to France and then live in an ex-nunnery for a couple of months to make a stop motion film with my hubby. (see here for more on that). Have hardly even transitioned into that mode, except for a few books on cycle routes from the library and a “brush up your french in 30 days” audio course. Have just been enjoying being here now. I’ve also been up to my ears in writing deadlines (you can see some of my more recent articles here) so I haven’t had much time to get crafty. Plus I got a little burnt out after cramming in some last-minute projects just before the Cross St. Carnival in Auckland. A little crazy when you’re staying in a tiny sleepout in your friends’ backyard and are trying to sew paint make all at once.

In between deadlines and after finding the most irresistable source of wool and hardy cotton fabrics, last week I decided that it was time to get cracking. My grandma’s sewing machine, which has been in storage for the past two years and got a little beaten around on the train down from Auckland, is still THE BEST. It’s a dream to work on. And plus I have such a great space. And music. And lot’s of Chai tea. So I made a lot of hats (scroll down for photos), and more to come! For kids too!

trees with wooly socks on cuba st

The following hats are all up for sale here, but keep in mind that purchases must be made before April 26, 2009 because I’m hitting the road then and won’t be stationary again until October. Enjoy! And if you click on any one of the hats below you will be taken to my etsy site where you can get a closer look at each one, see the lining, find out which ones are made with wool etc.