So 5 days in Wanaka/Queenstown was lovely - I got loads of practice in with my gampy knee/ankle/back as the fields were way better than Mt Ruapehu (wider, well groomed & soft snow). Had some lovely drinks in the Cardrona Pub and spent a day drinking our way through the Gibbston Valley vineyards. I bought a lovely 2006 Pinot Gris and Balfour sheep cheese from Gibbston Valley and had a scrummie lunch at Waitiri Creek. A bunch of CH's friends went heliskiing after we left and I just have to show the photo they sent to gloat:
BUT onto the knitting: although in the craggy ranges around this area I would have thought there were piles of wool shops but also most is machine knitted ready-to-wear stuff for the tourists. I was hoping to find some reasonabley priced possum/merino mix but no luck. I did stop at a little shop outside of Wanaka where Beth was spinning some lovely natural yarns. I took away from her shop a hank of felted merino yarn, 2 x hanks caramello brown romney sheep and 200gms dark brown and white handspun. I've already knitted up the Debbie Bliss Raglan sweater and the photo below is young Hamish Alexander Campbell at 9 weeks thinking he' s pretty darn special in that jersey!
More woolley news: I went to the Papakura Knit-Out which is probably the biggest Auckland knitting specific event. I was dead-keen to win one of the great prizes - so many shops had donated fab baskets full of Jo Sharp yarns or organic yarns which are really costly. But I didn't win anything. There was also a sock-knitting session which I just missed out on but has spurred me to consider (NB CONSIDER) trying a sock or two.
Anway I'm off to Fiji this week with half my suitcase is wool & bikinis - yes knitting poolside I will be!!
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