My very first knitting book is being released this month (June) and I am very excited that this new chapter in my life has begun. The book, Hats to Knit, features 27 handknit designs that will take you from the skifield to the office and to a garden party.

We are launching the book at Paradox Books in Devonport, Auckland on World Wide Knit in Public Day (WWIP Day). Knitting and chatter and book signings - what a great way to spend the afternoon.

Last week I visited a fabulous small local school - Snells Beach School  - the kids were interested and interesting; the teachers were engaged and engaging. Makes a difference I suspect.  School visits are always a bit nerve wracking, but once I'm there in front of the classes I feel great. The chatter flows; the stories and tales keep coming; and before you know it the day is over. We talked about story telling; about where to find stories and I showed them some videos of our summer trip to the Mokohinau Islands. Talking about underwater adventures is great, but taking them

I had the pleasure this week of both reviewing Jenny Pattrick's latest novel Heartland and interviewing Jenny about her writing. Jenny Pat trick is one of New Zealand's best known novelists. Her first book The Denniston Rose launched her career and she continues to tell amazing stories apparently with ease. I aspire to write that well. You can read about my review of her book here and my interview here.

I was recently introduced to this book, which was published in 1915. Remarkably it is still available in public libraries in New Zealand. The wife of the then head of state wrote a book of some 192 pages of knitting patterns - all of them useful and many with wartime application.

Working my way through the book, I was struck by a couple of things - one was the pattern for a cholera belt. A cholera belt? Thankfully the book and google explained its usefulness. The cholera belt was worn around the midriff to protect individuals from contracting cholera. They were right, cholera was linked to the mid regions of the body, so the intention to draw heat and moisture from this area might have seemed logical. The reality is that cholera is a water- and food-borne bacteria. It is one of the few bacteria that can survive in the acidic gut - bad luck. Consuming water and food contaminated by faeces is the mode of transmission, the belt could not possibly have any effect.

When the soldiers went to India they were encouraged to wear the belts and change them frequently when they became wet with perspiration. One can only imagine what ti was like to wear itchy wool next to the skin in that heat. Remember, there were no possum blends, or soft merino yarns on the market. 

The other distinctly different feature of this book is the lack of pictures and rather scant instructions. The book tells you to increase 9 stitches evenly across the row and you are expected to be able to manage the calculations. Women of last century were clearly more competent in mathematics than we of today - we who require explicit instructions - knit 8, increase by knitting into front and back of stitch and repeat. And many of us need pictures to show the increase - those women did not, they just knew what to do.  The final proof will be in the knitting. I am planning to make a few of the items. I shall start with a cholera belt - you just never know when you will need one!

I wish I was this creative and tenacious. These carefully constructed clouds use mathematical principles to create cumulous clouds using nothing but a crochet hook and wool. And lighting of course. In this display the lighting is what makes it really special. The light creates the shadows and depths of real clouds.
Take a look here