the craft sessions

These are the only photos I have on my camera roll from this past week. Daffodils with Bren and wallflowers with Indi. As well as that we planted lots of seeds, scrubbed our house, celebrated Bren's dad's birthday, celebrated father's day, drove kids around, cooked lots of food, knitted, read, listened, learned.

And then on Tuesday Felicia (right) brought Mary Jane Mucklestone (middle) to visit for the day. Mary Jane is the author of two of my favourite knitting reference books, designer of some of my favourite patterns, Fair Isle and Scandinavian motif queen, and as my girls say - my celebrity crush. 

Those of you who have been around for a while might remember these socks that I knitted back in 2016. Every motif came from Mary Jane's books and thus began my love affair with her work.

The four of us hung out in Bren's studio and admired his bowls and collection of axes, we hung out in my studio and admired the view, and then we ate lunch. She's amazing, as down to earth, and colourful, and lovely as I'd imagined.

And three or four hours later when they were leaving and it occurred to me that we hadn't even knitted a stitch together, Felicia told me that someone had just dropped out of The Craft Sessions this weekend and why didn't I come instead? In two days time!

This is the blurb from the website - 

The Craft Sessions' annual retreat is a weekend of creative workshops, delicious food, quiet moments and inspiring people. It is an opportunity to play and learn, to talk and share ideas. It's about coming together and sharing a love of making, appreciating the beauty in the smaller things, and delighting in the pleasure and simplicity in all things handmade.
The weekend is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a weekend of knitting, weaving, stitching, printing, sewing, dyeing, and making. Surrounded by beautiful greenery the retreat space boasts big light filled rooms with stunning views of the surrounding bush.

I ummed and ahhed overnight (mostly about not sleeping away from home) and then when Felicia told me I could share a room with Mary Jane at the retreat and do two of her three classes, I knew there was only one choice for me to make.

So here I am sitting up on my bed in our room at 3.30 in the afternoon. She's sitting next to me putting together a slide show about her Grand Shetland Adventures and I'm writing my blog. This morning I did a darning class, tomorrow I'm doing a two colour knitting class and on Sunday - Fresh Fair Isle. 

After I press publish on this I think I'll have a cup of tea and do some knitting in the dining room followed by a walk in the bush. With no school pick-ups to drive, no dinners to make, no farm chores or house work to do, it's amazing how much time there is in a day.

I hope you have a gorgeous weekend my friends. I hope it's just the right mix of productive and restful. If you feel like it you could listen to the Alice Fraser podcast Trilogy podcast which is funny and musical and sad and upsetting and heartwarming in equal parts. I really loved it and highly recommend it. 

You could download the very first issue of Yarnologie Magazine and read the six page story about me. 

Or you could tell me something you think I'd like? Or something you've been up to lately? Or anything really, I'm listening...

I'll see you this time next week with some new skills and some crafty stories.

Until then...be kind to yourselves and each other.

Love, Kate xx