Knit some leaves for a community project

Hey - check this out! I've taken this whole post from the OutdoorKnit blog - but it's such an awesome idea that we should all get behind it!

Knitsch, OutdoorKnit, Craft2.0 and the New Dowse are excited to reveal:

It's a tree!

This is a collaborative community project, which means we need you.


The idea is this:

there are a few very tall lamp posts outside the New Dowse in Lower Hutt, and OutdoorKnit decided it would be a pretty fun idea to turn them into something different...trees!

What OutdoorKnit needs is lots of knitted, crochet or even sewn flowers, leaves and native birds to cover these 'trees'. The best medium for this is acrylic - it wears better when the weather gets a bit grotty.

Get knitting people!!!!

Spinning A Yarn Winner!

Wow, I had so many entries blogged, emailed and tweeted to me for the amazing Tussah Silk fibre from Spinning A Yarn. You know you all wanted it... but there is only one winner and it is:

clare :: greenvalleycrafts

Well done to you!!

And the rest of you can sulk for a minute, but then head straight to Spinning A Yarn's felt store and buy some for yourself.

Sale on etsy!

Boxes are now on sale at www.blendy.etsy.com!

Sale Time!

Boxes are now on sale at www.blendy.felt.co.nz! Happy shopping, and please check out the great suppliers at www.blendy.co.nz/suppliers.html

RW Scissors Samples!

We have knits! A last minute surprise package of the highly sought after RW Scissors Knits badges have arrived in time to add to the mountain of samples for the boxes. These are the perfect accessory for your knitted garments, such as hats or scarves, or even to wear with pride on your bag on days when you aren't wearing anything you've made yourself. The secret signal to other knitters that you are a knitter in disguise...

Check out more from RW Scissors, and visit them in real life at various craft markets around Auckland, especially Kraftbomb.

Ballot Winners!

I just drew a ballot for some lucky crafters who have a confirmed NZ Yarn Sampler Box with their name on it. Check your email & Ravelry messages to see if it's you! If not, no worries, the rest of the boxes go on sale on Saturday at 6pm at www.blendy.felt.co.nz

Wool Things Samples!

Jacqui from Wool Things has sent in a huge case of wonderful merino sliver! Each sample is a hugely generous bag of single-coloured 19 micron merino fibre. There is quite an assortment of colours (the picture shows just a few), so if you are a spinner and manage to buy a sampler box, you can message me with your favourite colour and I'll do my best to make sure you get something you like!

Wool things has 71 colours available, so if you are into spinning or felting, then you should really check them out. Request a current price list for the latest exciting fibre temptations! Check out their website at www.woolthings.co.nz

Wool Things factory is situated in the small country town of Eketahuna in the lower North Island of New Zealand. On your next road trip, why not make a stop.

Plus, there is a very cool photo tutorial on their website for making an amazing felt hat - check it out! http://www.woolthings.co.nz/content.php?content.6

Vintage Purls Pattern!

Vintage Purls have very kindly sent a big package of patterns to go in the NZ Yarn Sampler Box. Most boxes should receive this Blue Sky Baby bobby sock pattern! How fun! It uses under 75g yarn, so why not give it a go with some of your sample yarns.

Blue Sky Baby is a toe-up pattern. Work as an ankle sock for a interpretation of the 1950s bobby sock or make the leg longer for a warmer option. The lace stitch for this pattern comes from a 1937 jumper pattern. The lace repeat is just four rows long and quick to knit. For a twist on conventional sock construction the gusset is on the bottom of the foot, it lines up nicely with the bottom increase for the toe. A traditional french toe gives three radiating lines for an interesting and eye catching look. The picot hem is a pretty finish to any lace pattern and is nice and stretchy for ease of wear.

You can purchase this and other Vintage Purls sock patterns for only $7 here: http://www.vintagepurls.co.nz/11-patterns

Register for the sale date!

Hi new blog visitors! Read about what's in the NZ Yarn Sampler Box here, and to be kept in touch with updates and competitions and the all-important sale date and time, register at www.blendy.co.nz or email me at blendy@blendy.co.nz

Time is counting down for the box drop......

Spinning A Yarn Giveaway!

Wow, would you look at this beautiful Tussah Silk Sliver from Spinning A Yarn. WANT WANT! This could be yours (if you can pry it from my hands!). Jessicah has very generously sent in this beautiful fibre she's created - and it will be given away to a random winner on Monday 12th April at 8pm. All you need to do is Tweet/Blog/Facebook/whatever the following:

I want to win the Spinning A Yarn Tussah Silk! Thanks to http://spinayarn.felt.co.nz & www.blendy.co.nz. @blendy

Make sure you include @blendy if you're using Twitter so that I can see your entry, and everyone else can either reply in the comments of this blog with your entry link, or email me if you prefer so I get your entry. (Don't send me the statement above - I want to see the link to where you have told the world about the competition! eg paste it into your Facebook or Twitter status).

Good luck! AND.... don't forget the NZ Yarn Sampler Boxes go on sale this weekend!!!

Fab Fibres Samples

Once again, we are very lucky to have the very generous Fab Fibres samples in the NZ Yarn Sampler Box. There are so many different colour mixes, it's just wonderful! These sampler bags are an ideal taster for crafters who use yarn for embellishing, scrapbooking or creating a wide variety of crafts. You get a skein of mixed yarns, plus a 10m hank of metallic yarn - they are all so beautiful and I'm sure I could think of a way to use every one of these myself!!

These are great items we all need in our stash for making something look extra fancy. And if you have an interesting craft in mind that needs something that little bit more special, then check out Fab Fibres and be amazed.

Fab Fibres is the place to visit when you need fabulous yarn crafting supplies! Check out their website now! www.fabfibres.co.nz

Products:
Mixed Textural Threads
Metallics
Woolpaper
Dolls Hair
Nepalese Yarns
Treasure Packs
Freeform Knitting & Crochet Yarn Packs

www.fabfibres.co.nz
Sue Croke

Jackie Z Pattern

Jackie Z (or kiwigirl71 as you may know her on Ravelry) has sent in this really cute pattern to make a Little Trinket Bag using various samples from your box. What a great idea! All boxes will receive her pattern card, or if you miss out on a box you can download it free from her ravelry page, using the code 'Blendy'.

You can also check out her other patterns for small things to make using sampler box yarns (including some super-cute socks) , and also some very impressive hand made soaps at www.jackiezcrafts.etsy.com.

Felt....like fudge!

The NZ Yarn Sampler Box is sold primarily at felt.co.nz, and many of the suppliers you will find in the box also sell their products in their own Felt store. If you are a crafter, you will know how great this website is! If you are someone who likes to buy amazing and unique hand crafted creations, then you need to check it out right now.

Felt is your online outlet dedicated to all things handmade. Whether you're shopping for quality handcrafted goods or looking to sell your creations, this is the place for you. Register now – it's fast, easy and free!

Lucy at Felt has sent in a whole box load of yummy fudge, because as we all know, sugary treats + craft = AWESOME!! Thanks Lucy!

Blendy's Crocheted Snood Pattern

I recently went to a 1930's themed wedding, so I decided to crochet a snood. I had no idea what that word meant until I did a bit of research, but it is the term for those crocheted hair nets the women used to wear. I found a few patterns, all suggesting you make many in various colours and sizes for all occasions. I ended up making up my own pattern, based loosely on a few that I came across, and I wanted to share it! All boxes will contain my pattern card.

It is a bit hard to see in the picture, but it is a crocheted netting with flowers on some rows. I've also added in some beads as a feature on some of the flower centres. I had intended on having my hair styled in 1930's curls, and the bag would hold the hair - my hairdresser had other ideas however, and pinned it on like a little beret, but it still looks fun!

And best of all, you should be able to make this using one of the sock samples in your box.

Needlefood Samples!

Michelle at Needle Food has again supplied some absolutely fantastic samples for the next NZ Yarn Sampler Box. This time there are two new colours - Boysenberry and Dining in Denim. Both are gorgeous shades, and would look fantastic knitted up in a fancy sock pattern. Both of these are now available at www.needlefood.co.nz for $26 each (for a 100g skein). Plus, there's a chocolate for each of you too.... (unless I eat them first!)

If you are a Needle Food addict like myself, then you will already know how great this sock yarn is to work with, and you'll just be buying it immediately without waiting for your sample. If you are yet to be converted, then browse their extensive catalogue (it includes sock, worsted and lace weight and you can even have things custom ordered) - and by that stage you probably won't be able to wait for the sampler box either!

Take my word for it that Needle Food sock yarn really IS for delicious knits - please, try some too! www.needlefood.co.nz

Mohair Craft Samples!

Mohair Craft - Kid Mohair Yarn


As you drive north and south from Auckland, you have probably seen (and hopefully stopped in at) the Mohair Craft shops at the Motorway Service Centres at Bombay and Dairy Flat. They have a great selection of yarns available, both for knitting and spinning, and also plenty of other crafty gift ideas.

Mohair Craft have very kindly sent an enormous parcel of beautiful Kid Mohair Yarn for the next NZ Yarn Sampler Box. Each sample is a huge 50g ball, so this is a very generous submission! There's a wide selection of colours - the photo shows only some of the available samples. You'll love receiving this sample in your box!

Mohair craft use only the finest Kid Mohair available to make their premium Kid Mohair products. Kid Mohair comes from the younger and better bred goats and is noticeably thinner and softer than the adult mohair and young goat mohair used by most Mohair product suppliers. You will be amazed how soft and luxurious their kid mohair products feel compared to products made with young goat and adult mohair.

Check out Mohair Craft's website at www.mohair.co.nz

Serenknitty Yarn Samples!

These are the absolutely gorgeous samples that Jane from Serenknitty has sent in for the next NZ Yarn Sampler Box - aren't the colours just beautiful? The shade is Metallic Plum - I just love it! I really must try my hand at spinning so I can see what happens with the fibre.

There are two different samples - one is a 10g sample of New Zealand Merino fibre, and the other is a 10g sample of Supersock Select 100% Superwash Merino sock yarn. Love!!

Everything is individually made with love and care. Jane explains that her colour inspiration comes from her garden in the Canterbury countryside and the surrounding landscapes. Her hand dyed yarns and fiber are all unique. Custom orders are always welcome. There are a lot of great yarns to check out in Jane's etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/serenknitty, so check them out now.

Special offers for March - hurry ends soon!:
All orders for yarn, fibre or project bags received during March will receive 3 free stitch markers (of my choice).
Any order over $75 will ship anywhere for free, postage is capped at $10 for orders under this amount. This will be refunded through Paypal after your order has been processed.

Boxy Bags
Not only can you buy amazing yarns from Serenknitty, but you can buy hand made accessories as well such as stitch markers and also, my favourite thing at the moment - boxy and pyramid project bags! Check them out - I had to buy one as soon as I saw them in Jane's store. I have both a pyramid and a boxy bag - perfect for throwing your sock knitting in when you go out, or I have even been using them as a purse.

Southern Alpacas Samples!

Southern Alpacas Stud are supplying their range of natural alpaca yarns for the next NZ Yarn Sampler Box. Working with Just Alpaca, they supply their alpaca for 4 ply and 8 ply yarns in natural shades – white, light fawn, medium fawn, brown, grey, and black.

The samples are generous 50 gram balls! Wow! The 8 ply is 95 metres on 4 mm needles, and the 4 ply 240 metres on 3.25 mm needles. These yarns are 80% alpaca, dye-free, with 20% wool. Enjoy working with these natural fibres.

Alpaca can be used wherever you would use wool and the finished article will be lighter, softer and warmer. Once washed, it is suitable for most allergy sufferers.

Check out the Alpaca Gallery which showcases alpaca and their fibre, as raw or carded fibre in natural shades, beautiful colourful blends, and fleece converted to yarns, knit kits, felted apparel, and knitwear, plus crafting hints for working in alpaca http://www.alpacasnz.co.nz/fibre.htm, and of course you can buy alpaca fibre, yarns and products here http://www.alpacasnz.co.nz/alpacaproducts.htm.

Knitsch samples have arrived!

Sock yarn is totally my thing, so you can imagine my excitement when a huge parcel from Knitsch yarns arrived today. You'll have to wipe my drool off your samples, sorry! There are so many fabulous colour ways, and I'm sure they will look extra good when knitted up as they are two threads spun together which gives a slightly shiny effect (4ply sock weight).

Knitsch are keen for you all to try out their wool, so they've generously sent enough for all the boxes to have a sample. AND.... one sample has a Golden Ticket attached which earns the winner TWO 50g skeins of Knitsch wool! Wow!!

Knitsch sells 100% New Zealand merino hand-dyed sock yarn to really scratch your knitting itch. Check them out at www.knitschyarns.co.nz - their 50g skeins are only $12, so go wild - you deserve a treat today.

Songbird Designs Samples!

Amazing - check out these beautiful gift tags from the very talented Sarah from Songbird Designs. By now you have probably used your tags from the last Sampler Box on your finished items, so keep your fingers crossed you get a cute pack of these extra cool gift tags in the next box. Each packet contains 3 beautifully crafted tags.

If you are in Auckland this weekend, stop by Crafternoon Tea and say hi to Sarah and buy something awesome from her collection of fantastic creations. Crafternoon Tea market is on Saturday 20th of March 2010, from 10am-3pm at the Trinity Methodist Church - which is on the corner of Sandringham and New North Roads in Crafty Kingsland.

http://www.songbird.felt.co.nz

http://www.songbirddesigns.blogspot.com/

Curiouser and Curiouser 20% off!

Attention people who bought the January NZ Yarn Sampler Box: did you just love your sample from Curiouser and Curiouser? If so, check the label for a handwritten code - and use this for your next purchase from Sabine's felt store to save a whopping 20%! Have you seen how much amazing stuff is in her store?? There are 4 pages of delicious yarns - something for everyone.

Get your Knitsch on...

I'm very excited that a new NZ wool seller is featuring in the NZ Yarn Sampler Box! Knitsch sells 100% New Zealand merino hand-dyed sock yarn, and after their launch at Craft2.0 recently, they now have their online shop ready. Check it out at www.knitschyarns.co.nz

Sock yarn is totally my thing, so I can't wait to see what the samples will be. And one thing I really love about Knitsch yarns is that they come in 50g skeins instead of the usual 100g. That means you could buy two different colourways to make matching-but-not socks, or you could do what I did with my Olympic socks and buy one skein and stripe it with a matching solid colour.

At NZ$12 a skein, just buy a whole bunch of different colours as a gift to yourself (and your stash)!

Sari Silk Fibre samples from Yarn Traders!

Wow, did your monitor just explode? Check out these colours! Helen at Yarn Traders has the most incredible products available, and we are extremely lucky to have her included in the NZ Yarn Sampler Box. This time, she has supplied amazing bags of Sari Silk Fibre from India, which can be used for felting, embellishing, spinning and silk paper making. The sample bags are mixed, but not necessarily the same. The fibres are rich colours, and very shiny - my mind is already boggling with potential creations where I could use this. And... Helen has very generously sent enough samples so that every box will receive one! Hooray!

Yarn Traders have also just launched their new website, packed with all sorts of unique yarns and craft supplies. Check it out at www.yarntraders.co.nz

And don't forget to sign up for updates on the NZ Yarn Sampler Box (eg when it will be going on sale!!) - just email me at blendy@blendy.co.nz or read more about what's in the box at www.blendy.co.nz

Silk hanky samples from Spinning A Yarn!

Jessicah at Spinning a Yarn comes up with the most amazing fibres. The samples she has sent in for the next NZ Yarn Sampler box are just stunning. I've never seen silk hankies before (although I'm not a spinner) and they look intriguing. Jessicah had to explain to me how to use them, and now it seems so obvious (and completely fun!) - here's what she says:

Silk hankies are a versatile and fun fibre to experiment with. They are perfect for beginner spinners, as all the drafting is done before you sit behind your wheel. However they are also able to be knitted without spinning, just give them a little twist as you go. Or you might like to incorporate them into a felting project, however they won't felt on their own, so you will need to use them with wool. Maybe you have some left from the last sampler box?

To draft them, you separate the very fine layers, there will be 8-10 per hanky, and stretch them out. Very detailed instructions can be found at knitty:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/FEATsilkhankies.html. The length of fibre you will get from this hanky will depend very much on how thin you draft them, you might be surprised by how far they can stretch! To go make them go even further, ply with wool , or even sewing thread. The possibilities are endless- experiment and have fun increasing your daily fibre intake!

Don't forget to check out the Spinning a Yarn felt store - you will be amazed!

Winners!

Congratulations to the following winners from this week's giveaways (from email, twitter, facebook entries):

Songbird Designs:
1: fabric covered badge and awesome giant paperclip - Rachelle Crosbie
2: 3x amazing fabric covered hair ties - Wendy Pamplin
3: the most beautiful pair of grey rose hair clips - Faery Sarah

Fab Fibres Pack: Nikki King

Well done! I will contact you for your postal address.
There will be another giveaway very soon.

Next NZ Yarn Sampler Box is coming...

don't forget to register so you can be kept up to date with the contents of the box and the sale time. www.blendy.co.nz

TWO Giveaways this week!

That's right - I have lots of goodies to give away! I'm going to run the Songbird Designs competition again because there was an email glitch and I received no entries.

So, we have Songbird Designs and Fab Fibres giveaways!

I have 3 awesome prizes from Songbird Designs. (You may have received a cute packet of their knitting gift tags in the last Sampler Box)

Prizes are:
1: fabric covered badge and awesome giant paperclip
2: 3x amazing fabric covered hair ties
3: the most beautiful pair of grey rose hair clips
(there will be three winners, each receiving one of these prizes)

How do you enter?
Tweet/Facebook/Blog this: "I want to win these beautiful handmade hair accessories from Songbird Designs! www.NZYarnSampler.blogspot.com @blendy" and don't forget to comment on this post so I know you've entered. Winners will randomly be selected on Wednesday 10 March. Anyone can enter - I'll post your prize anywhere in the world.

Check out Songbird Design's blog or their felt store to see more tempting gift ideas.

The Fab Fibres giveaway is a gorgeous sheet (a bit bigger than A5) of orange hand made wool paper, and a tantalising pile of matching yarns for you to go wild with your creating!

How do you enter?
Tweet/Facebook/Blog this: "I want to win the amazing wool paper & yarn pack from Fab Fibres! www.NZYarnSampler.blogspot.com @blendy" and don't forget to comment on this post so I know you've entered. Winners will randomly be selected on Wednesday 10 March. Anyone can enter - I'll post your prize anywhere in the world.

Check out the FabFibres website to see more fabulous yarn, fibres and accessories for your crafts.

Knitting Olympics are over

Well, the Knitting Olympics ended a few days ago. Did I win Gold? No. My challenge proved too difficult, so I've awarded myself a Silver for effort and achievement. I was attempting to knit two socks at the same time, which in itself is not that challenging, in fact I saw many people complete several pairs of socks, or absolutely ridiculously challenging sweaters. However, my handicap of two small boys and other real life activities prevented round the clock knitting time, but I am very pleased with the progress I made in the time available.

Here is my last update picture - this was taken the day before the end of competition, so imagine a few extra stripes added after some frantic knitting during the Closing Ceremony. I think I'm actually not far off beginning the toe.However, as the ceremony ended, and I had not achieved Gold, I was feeling a bit sad (I don't like failing on self-imposed challenges!). Like one of the US Hockey guys said, "You don't win silver, you lose silver". So, what's the best way to lift the spirits of a knitter? Cast on a new project!!

So now I am knitting what claims to be a 3 hour sweater, vintage 1930's pattern. While it will take more than 3 hours, I've already completely finished the back. If I continue at this rate, I could possibly have a new sweater by the end of the weekend!

Curiouser and Curiouser Samples!

Sabine from Curiouser and Curiouser is back in our next box - so many of you loved her amazing and unique samples last time and she has been overwhelmed by your comments. I hope you've made something extra special with your sample. If you didn't get one last time, you have a really good chance this time as Sabine has doubled her yarn sample selection! There are so many beautiful samples of her handpainted art on 100% wool, lambswool/angora blends, silk, possum/merino blend and more. They are all different and all excellent examples of the type of work Sabine creates.

Sabine from Curiouser and Curiouser makes yarns for the adventurous crafter, and also the fabulous No Snag Knitters Handcream. For more woolly goodies from Sabine, check out her Felt store at www.sabine.felt.co.nz

Knitting Olympics

I've signed up to be a part of Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics! I'm casting on today during the opening ceremony, and will be knitting two socks at the same time on one set of my new HiyaHiya circular needles from Needlefood. I'm using Vintage Purls Sock Club for the main colour, and then for contrast stripes I'm using the Vintage Purls samples from the last Sampler Box for one foot, and Needlefood Lupin for the other foot. I know they are a little bit different, but close enough for a pair of awesome purple stripy socks!

So last night I wound them up, but my 11 month old son got in the way and created an enormous tangle that resulted in my lovely husband staying up with me until 1am until we untangled it. That's love!!

Zealana Samples!

I'm pleased to showcase the first samples for the next box - and they come from Zealana. What a treat too - these are not just samples, they are a full 50g ball of... wait for it... double knit weight 60% NZ Merino and 40% NZ Possum! *applause*

Zealana have been extremely generous with their sample submissions and most boxes should receive a $15 ball of this luxuriously soft yarn. There are 6 shades from the 'Zealana Kiaora' Rimu range- Powiwi Pink (pinky-red), Toto Red (orange red), Red Rata Tree (rust), Flax (brown), Lake Taupo (blue) and Pukeko blue (blue-charcoal), plus a dusky pink that is 80/20. You will be able to knit something amazing with this, and because it is so exceptionally soft (but very hard wearing apparently), you'll be the envy of your friends, especially if you are from outside of NZ.

'Zealana Kiaora' is a machine washable collection of yarns that focus on the luxurious blends using New Zealands' own Possum fibre. There are plenty of other vibrant NZ-themed colours to choose from as well - go check them out! www.zealana.co.nz Please note that they do not sell directly to the public, but you can order from their stockist KnitWorldStudios.

Possum fibre is sourced responsibly and endorsed by the Department of Conservation, with the aim of reducing the devastating effect of possums on NZ's native birds and forests.

Songbird Designs Competition!

To celebrate the return of the Devonport Craft Market, and the next NZ Yarn Sampler Box, we have 3 awesome prizes from Songbird Designs! (You may have received a cute packet of their knitting gift tags in the last Sampler Box)

Prizes are:
1: fabric covered badge and awesome giant paperclip
2: 3x amazing fabric covered hair ties
3: the most beautiful pair of grey rose hair clips

How do you enter?
Check out Songbird Design's blog (with photos of some new items that you can buy at this weekend's Devonport Craft Market), or their felt store, then pick something you love and share the link via your preferred social networking. Comment below with your link (so I know you've entered!), or tweet me @blendy. Winners will randomly be selected on Friday 19 February. Anyone can enter - I'll post your prize anywhere in the world.

Craft fairs have taken a bit of a break over the holidays, so I expect it will be pretty busy at the Devonport Craft Fair this Sunday! Go check it out from 10.00am - 3pm at the Devonport Community House, Clarence St, Devonport, and tell Sarah from Songbird Designs that you love her stuff and you saw it on the NZ Yarn Sampler Box blog.

The next box is coming...

I hope you've all been having fun doing something creative with your samples from the first box. I've enjoyed seeing the finished articles people have posted in our ravelry group.

Keep playing with them all, and don't forget to check out the supplier websites and support them buy buying your next project supplies from such amazing crafty people.

Start saving your loose change - the next box will be going on sale over the weekend of April 10/11! I'm hoping this one will be even bigger! (if you make something cool that is knitting related and you want to feature in the box, then I'd love to hear from you!)

Register your interest so you can be emailed the time they go on sale, and updates on competitions etc.

Etsy sales now on!

www.blendy.etsy.com - go now!

Ready to shop?

Boxes go on sale at www.blendy.felt.co.nz in 5 minutes...

Peek...

Here is a quick peek at one of the many boxes going on sale tonight at 9pm - yikes just over an hour to go! All boxes are different, and each contains 13-15 awesome yarns, accessories and patterns, all wrapped up in a cool NZ themed tea towel.

Needlefood Samples!

I've been waiting for these - I'm a bit of a Needlefood addict after discovering Michelle and her stash of awesome wool at Craft2.0 last year. Also, since every parcel of Needlefood yarn that arrives contains a chocolate, my 4 year old son assumes that ALL wool parcels should contain chocolate and he has been rather disappointed this week with so many parcels arriving without treats!!

Michelle has sent in 6 different shades of very generous 20g samples - I haven't yet decided which is my favourite - they are all fantastic! And of course they all come with a Whittakers chocolate :) Here are the colours FYI:

Berry Fruits - shades of reds
Blueberry Crush - shades of blues
Hokey Pokey - shades of yellow
Lupin - shades of purple
Espresso - shades of brown
Spring - shades of green

And to fuel your addiction, there is even an added bonus with these samples of a discount on your next purchase...

Or just go buy some now at www.needlefood.co.nz while you nervously wait for the sale time on Saturday night and Sunday morning!

Comvita Skincare Samples

I'm sorting through all the amazing samples that are about to be made into NZ Yarn Sampler boxes, and I came across the first samples I got and thought you'd appreciate a reminder. I know it's not knitting related, but it is from New Zealand, and I'm sure all knitters would love to try some NZ Skincare products!

In my 'other' life, I'm a nutritionist and naturopath at www.absolutehealth.co.nz, and my friends at Comvita have donated some wonderful UMF18 Manuka Honey skin treatments - EVERY BOX will contain a Lipclear Cream (great for coldsores as it also has lysine in it, SkinClear Cream (perfect for problem skin) and Skintensive Cream (to help with scar healing), and a sachet of Huni Every Day Cleanser. This set of products retails for $42, so this is an amazing bonus addition to our NZ Yarn Sampler Boxes!

Inspire Fibres Samples!

Crafters looking for a source of unusual and beautiful fibres can find what you need at Inspire Fibres. Tracy has supplied a couple of different fancy yarns for you to experiment with - hand dyed tussah silk, and also shiny Italian style silk throwsters.

The silk throwsters are yarn waste from silk spinning mills and are 100% silk. It can be hand spun into textured yarn, or use it as accents in your spinning. You can even make silk paper, or add textural interest to the surface of handmade felt. It's also ideal for using in projects with the dissolve-away cloth and stitching.

The inspiring creative possibilities are endless! Have fun playing with this beautiful silk, and email Tracy for more information on what she has available.

No Snag Knitters Hand Cream Samples!

If you find your hands chapped, scalded, rough and sore – definitely not the smooth hands you need for knitting, crocheting, spinning - then No Snag Hand Cream is for you! Not just for knitters - all fibre artists need smooth hands. This wonderful cream is made by Sabine from Curiouser and Curiouser, and this is what she says about it:

"I've been teaching a Make Your Own Lotions And Potions course for many years, but had never attempted to make a cream specially for extremely dry and chapped hands. So I set out on a bit of a quest to create one that would protect my hands from the ravages of hot water and harsh detergents and keep them smooth and soft for crafting.

For No Snag I don't use any chemical nasties or animal-derived ingredients and the cream is tested only on crafty hands. It is fast absorbed and doesn't leave a greasy sheen. No Snag is also very economical - a little goes a long way - and it smells nice. The subtle vanilla scent is a little flowery and quite "clean". It is not overpowering and doesn't linger too long, either.

No Snag is not just a hand cream - because of its simple formula it can be used for rough heels, as a facial moisturiser for very dry skin, body butter or baby cream. The cream contains water, rose water, a blend of vegetable oils, shea butter, plant-based emulsifiers, wheatgerm oil, cocoa butter, tincture of benzoine and a blend of pure essential oils."

The price is calculated by weight: 50g/$9, 80g/$14, 90g/$15, 95g/$16.50. And you can buy it from her Felt store www.sabine.felt.co.nz

Curiouser and Curiouser Samples!

Wow, what an exciting box of goodies! There are so many beautiful samples, I don't know where to begin. Sabine from Curiouser and Curiouser makes yarns for the adventurous crafter, and of course any good crafter has a wide selection of yarns in their stash, so when you find that perfect pattern you must begin immediately, you are sure to have just the yarn for it.

Sabine's lovely samples are all one-off's so make sure you use it for something really special! Enjoy it as an example of the amazing yarns she creates. She is working on a really nice repeatable series of hand painted merino, so be sure to contact her for more details.

For more woolly goodies from Sabine, check out her Felt store at www.sabine.felt.co.nz

Grrrl Shaped Yarns Samples!

You are in for a treat - check out the Grrrl Shaped Yarns samples! Brooklynne Michelle hand paints luxury yarns, and once you've had a touch of these, you're going to be at her website before you know it buying more...

There are 7 luxurious colourways of these generously sized 20g samples(left-right):
Luna - light bluey-grey Superwash Merino Sock 75% wool/25% nylon
NaeNae - blues and greens Superwash Merino Sock 75% wool/25% nylon
Marina (Blendy Exclusive Colourway!) - sea colours 40% Bamboo / 40% merino / 20% nylon
Marina (Blendy Exclusive Colourway!) - brighter sea colours Superwash Merino Sock 75% wool/25% nylon
Toffee Apple (Blendy Exclusive Colourway!) - green/red/brown 50% silk / 50% merino
Delta Dawn - pink 50% silk / 50% merino
Grandmother's Quilt - pink/blue 40% Bamboo / 40% merino / 20% nylon

Exciting!! 40 NZ Yarn Sampler boxes will contain one fabulous Grrrl Shaped Yarn sample. Go buy some now while you wait...

Moose In Socks Samples!

These beautiful samples have come all the way from Alaska! Moose In Socks are one of our specialty international suppliers and have sent cute bags of Merino/Bamboo fibre called 'Hidden Gems'. It is so soft and shiny with the bamboo through it, and what an amazing colour. Yes, I really must learn to spin!

And look what else I bought from Moose In Socks - this is the most ingenious idea for sock knitting - a hand-dyed sock blank. What's that you ask? Let me tell you, and you'll be dazzled! Two threads of yarn (in this case baby size merino/tencel, OMG, so smooth!!) are machine knitted together into a rectangle. THEN, they are hand dyed, each one unique. Now, the amazing trick to this is, that when you unravel it, you then have two threads of yarn the same length with exactly the same colour markings so your socks will MATCH. Wow. And, if you are super clever, you can knit two socks at the same time and unravel the square as you knit!

Don't have anything like that in your stash? Well, you can hardly NOT have it now that you know this amazing technique. Quick, head over to Moose In Socks' Etsy store and buy one to test out for yourself!

Fibre Passion Samples!

Here are some cute samples from Carlene Douglass who is a Fibre Artist at www.fibrepassion.co.nz. She makes hand-dyed 100% merino wool felt to be used for embroidery, quilting, and needle felting. Eco-friendly Earth Palette Dyes are used, with several colours merging together to give a blended effect. And, you can order them in any colour you like, so they will be perfect for your next project. The sample includes two thicknesses.

Need some now? You can order from Carlene at cdouglass@paradise.net.nz.
A4 size is $10 (thinner) or $11 (thicker)
Fat eighth is $18 or $20
Fat quarter is $35 or $40