Woooooo!

Look at us!

Does being on the New Dowse website mean we're artists?

It's a tree! The PRIZE!

With a fizz and a pop a couple nights ago, I was thinking about it's a tree. It happens a lot.

And with that thinking, I wondered, what else could Knitsch contribute to the project to make it a bit more exciting? (As if it isn't already! What is it going to look like with all the random contributions??)

How about a prize?

An awesome, amazing, but as yet Secret Prize?

How about, every time you contribute an item to It's a tree, you gain an entry to the Secret Prize draw?

Aaand it's done!

Knitsch Yarns is donating a super fabulous amazing Secret Prize to one lucky winner. The prize draw will happen LIVE at Craft2.0 on 12 June, at the New Dowse in Lower Hutt. Each item contributed will gain the crafter one entry into the draw.

yay!

It's a tree! The Felt Tui

Here's a simple easy to make tui for a tree, many thanks to Sue of Craft2.0 and Supervery...

You don't need to be very experienced to make your own tui, Just the ability to cut felt and sew a simple running stitch.

Plus because the tui is black and lives high up in a tree your sewing doesn't need to be very good because nobody can see your mistakes.

As you can see from the photos my sewing skills are not the best, but at the end of the day it's going to look great on a tree.

Step one: Gather everything you need

- black felt

- white felt

- scissors

- thread

- need

- pins

- stuffing

- pattern (this is a pdf so you can print it off and get stitching!)

1. Cut 2 tui shapes in black and 2 circles in white

2. Sew together the 2 circles

3. Sew together the tui leaving a gap

4. Stuff your tui

5. Sew up the rest of your tui

6. Sew on your white circle around the tui's neck

Now while i've used felt and hand-sewing, there are so many other ways to make a Tui, also i bet other patterns, so have a go make this Tui, or try a Tui with your own twist.

Or maybe a tui isn't your style? don't worry we've got patterns coming for fantails an pukeko's d

or even better why not surprise us with your idea for at native bird or animal that could live in our tree..

Leaves and leaves

Sitting at my desk watching the leaves fall from the trees in the backyard, I couldn't resist getting the camera out. I have a bunch of leaves and flowers ready to go for it's a tree already, and thought they'd make a nice soft contract for the crisp dry leaves on the ground.

Hopefully with your help there will soon be a pile of knitted leave as big as the pile of dry ones - now won't that be a cool photo!

Patterns, this time!

Gah, it's one of those days!

Let's try those patterns, again, shall we?

And the pretty pdf versions will be available shortly.

It's a [simple and easy] Flower!

Cast on 40 stitches, leaving a 30cm tail

Knit for 8 - 10 rows

Bind off all stitches.

Using the bind off tail and tapestry needle, do a running stitch along the bottom edge, pulling tight as you go so the fabric gathers.

Pull it all together and make a few securing stitches so it holds. Stitch the free edge to the out side of the flower. Thread both tails through the needle, make a few stitches to carry both to the base of the flower. Leave these so we can attach it to the tree. Done!

It a Leaf!

Abbreviations

CO - Cast on

K - knit

P - Purl

M1 - Using left needle, pick up stitch between needles, knit into back of new stitch using right needle

SL2, K1, P2SSO - slip 2 stitches to right needle, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over knit stitch

Cast On 10 stitches

Row 1: k10, CO 9

Row 2: k19

Row 3: k1, m1, k7, (sl2, k1, p2sso), k7, m1, k1

Row 4: p19

Row 5: p9, k1, p9

Row 6: k9, p1, k9

Row 7: k1, m1, k7, (sl2, k1, p2sso), k7, m1, k1

Repeat Rows 4 - 7 two times

Row 16: p19

Row 17: p9, k1, p9

Row 18: k9, p1, k9

Row 19: k8, (sl2, k1, p2sso), k8

Repeat rows 16 - 19, each time reducing K stitches on each side of decrease by 1.

When there are only 3 stitches left:

Row 41: k3tog

Cut yarn, pull through last stitch, and weave in end. Don’t weave in the cast on tail - we need this to attach it to our tree!

It's a tree! The Patterns

Soo...

here are the sample patterns for it's a tree!

These really are a guideline only, feel free to get a bit crazy. There is no specified yarn type or needle size - for good reason. Do what you will. Have fun!

Finished samples can be posted to:

It's a Tree!

c/- Knitsch Yarns

PO Box 45 091

Waterloo

Lower Hutt 5042

It's a tree!

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.

I've been knitting away over the past few weeks to get my pile of leaves and flowers ready. Watch this space for suggested patterns, installation dates and how to get your contribution added to the tree.