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This weekend we would have been meeting crafty friends in Auckland for our first time at Woolfest Auckland. We are really sorry to miss out on this event - we’re so sorry for the organisers at CreativeFibre Auckland, the traders, and of course all of the yarn-lovers from around New Zealand who were so looking forward to a day of yarn squishing and project plotting. ||
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Instead we bring you some pix from the last knitting event we had the joy of attending before the world changed - @unwindretreat in Dunedin, in early March. We had a wee yarn tasting and had a great time as usual at this lovely event.||
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In this new world where maintaining a distance is likely to be the new normal for some time, we’ve been pondering how we can still come together and share all of our creativity, our ideas, our creations, and even build our skills. Making is even more important for many people now, for lots of reasons. And technology gives us the opportunity to share beyond borders. So we’re thinking hard about what might be fun to do virtually. A slightly higher tech version of putting on a show in the barn! Let us know in the comments if you’d be keen and we’ll think harder! Some ideas: What are some things you’d like to know about our yarns or sewing pattens & kit? Could we get together to talk yarn & pattern matches and share what we’re making? As we always say, we really do love seeing what our clever customers make!||
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#knittersofinstagram #stayhome #kniton #woolfestauckland @creativefibrenz

LOVE FOR THE FOOD PEOPLE: There’s something a little bit magic about people who feed others for a living. We have been so touched by how food people have been managing in this crisis we wrote a little blog post about it. Check our stories at the link just up there and read all about our extreme gratitude for people like @coffee_supreme, @shellybaybaker, @bakergramercy, @89aro, @daniellemariealvarez, @goodfoodau, and @jeremyleeqv. You’ve kept us fed & caffeinated & inspired and for each cup of Bob-o-link or flatbread or leafy green WE ARE GRATEFUL. #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness

TAP TAP, IS THIS THING ON? Hello friends, we’re sorry we’ve been so absent from this platform for so long. Our day jobs have been keeping us way busier than usual in this new COVID-19 world, and we’ve been trying to balance it all with varying degrees of success every day. •
Naturally we’ve been feeling quite small in the face of this global catastrophe but we have been so heartened by the emails and orders that you’re sending through. We love hearing from you, our customers and Insta-pals, and bringing you products and stories that we hope might make life a wee bit brighter for yourselves or your loved ones. Products that can support your creativity, whether it’s in the kitchen, at your sewing machine or knitting on your back step in a pool of sunlight. Stories that we hope will inspire and spotlight the wonderful creative people we have at our (virtual) doorstep. We may be physically distant but we can still hang out here together. Here in NZ we have moved out of our most vigorous lockdown level - that means we can ship within NZ and internationally. But we’re only shipping once a week to try to ease the burden on the courier network - and we can’t promise that everything will be getting to you quick-smart. But it will get to you. 🤞🤞
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It’s Me-Made May, and as creator Zoe Edwards @sozoblog has suggested, it’s an easygoing one this year. Hilariously, on 1 May I set up for my workday at the home office desk (also the sewing table) and realised I was wearing a much-adored me-made that I was finally able to pull out of the closet now the days are cooler. So we’ll try to get some snaps out for that, too - overcoming camera-shyness is probably a good outcome for #memademay too.
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These salted chocolate-chunk cookies are from @smittenkitchen. This divine recipe asks you to let the dough sit overnight, which means it is possible to fill your kitchen with chocolatey brown-sugary aromas FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. And then wonder for the rest of the day if an oozy still-warm chocolate chunk biscuit is actually the true Breakfast of Champions. We won’t judge.
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#chocolatechipcookies #knittersofinstagram #sewistsofinstagram
#shoplocal #breakfastofchampions

WHAT’S NEW? We hope all of you are safe & well. •
Here at our place the sourdough starter is glad of company and regular attention as we work from home and adapt to our new normal. •
There’s a southerly raging outside that’s also very handy for cleaning the windows. •
And we have lots of ideas for making our space a wee oasis while we all come to grips with new ways of living and keeping connected. More on that later.
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Today, maybe you’d like to get your own starter going. It’s an elemental joy every time it works (although fair warning, it may not always work 🤦🏻&zwj;♀️🤣🤣but you will learn a lot along the way). •
Some of our favourite sources of sourdough sorcery:
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@maurizio at The Perfect Loaf - not just bread, he’s our go-to for sourdough pancakes and banana bread too
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@bakergramercy, currently tending a starter on Instagram while the bakery is shut •
@vanessakimbell (a complete sourdough maven)
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@shellybaybaker - baking up a storm in this storm and milling flour too 💪💪
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And of course @tivolirdbakery and @tartinebaker and @kenforkish for their wonderful books devoted to the art of sourdough and home baking. •
That’s our list - who would you add? Let us know in the comments ... •
#stayathome #eatrealbread #bakerealbread #bakersofinstagram #sourdough

LIFE CHANGES FAST: With new COVID-19 lockdown restrictions coming into play tomorrow (Wednesday, 25/3), we have taken the decision to stop fulfilling orders while the lockdown orders are in place. Watch this space, and our newsletter, for updates as this fast-moving situation gets a bit clearer for micro online businesses like ours.
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If you choose to place an order during this period, please understand we cannot guarantee when we will be able to fulfil it, and we will keep you up to date on probable shipping dates. Our advice - wander the shelves if you like but order only when we’ve said we are able to ship. We’ll try to improve our website to make this clearer in the coming days. We’re sorry if this is disappointing but we need to keep our focus on the bigger picture.
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Onto cheerier topics: Our thoughts are turning to GARTER STITCH JOY and we’ll have more in that shortly.
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There’s lots we can do to bring a little bit of happy that doesn’t have to do with order fulfilment and shipping. Cookies, a few rows of stitches and soup spring to mind. And coffee. [image: a tiny speck of a moon rising in a violet sky]
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#coronaviruslockdown #kiakahanz #makersgonnamake #bakersgonnabake

WHAT TO SAY? Our world has been upended by the virus, and it is tough to know what to do, and say, apart from: be kind, wash your hands, maintain physical distance to keep everybody safe, be kind, be kind, be kind. (You probably don’t need all that toilet paper, especially not all at once.)
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We like to think we have a wee community here at Newtown House, and we want you to know we’re here. We’re hardly an essential service but as long as couriers are moving goods around the place, we’ll be fulfilling orders. We are obsessive about hygiene in the most usual of times, but the advice we get from our couriers is to wash your hands after you’ve opened your packages, because parcels pass through many hands on their way to you. We will halt sales immediately if our health changes - health is the biggest priority for all of us.
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More importantly, we’re trying to figure out what we can do to bring a greater sense of community in a world where we’re now actively keeping our (physical) distance from each other.
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So tell us: what would you like to see more of? Shall we explore the glory of pantry meals together? Or the soothing qualities of garter stitch on endless repeat? Diverting books, music, movies? Ways to show up for each other when we can’t do so in person?
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Today we’ll start by sharing a few of our favourite food-related accounts: @rachelaliceroddy is stuck in lockdown in Rome at the moment but always, always a delightful source of food inspiration. And @jeremyleeqv, chef of a restaurant of our dreams, Quo Vadis in London, which he’s had to shutter for now. And @lizprueitt_tartine who is not just an incredible baker - she’s also an accomplished sewist - talk about overachieving! Now tell us about some of your favourites - and we’ll be back soon with more.
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[image: a small pile of chocolate chunk cookies sent out in what turned out to be the last run for Good Bitches Baking - at least for while.]
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#kiakahanz #coronavirus #shoplocal #shopsmall #keepcalmandcarryon

WINDING, FOLLOWED BY MORE WINDING, AND A BIT MORE WINDING: We’ve been having fun building small and unruly piles of yarn balls for our upcoming yarn tasting at @unwindretreat in Dunedin next weekend. Can’t wait to see you all there! We’ve taken the yarn and patterns offline in the shop for a few days to help us manage stock, and all other orders placed next week will ship from 10 March. If you’re coming to Unwind, see you soon! These little babies are all packed up and already on their way! •
#yarntasting #knittersofinstagram #shoplocal #yarn #wool

EXCITING RESTOCK! We’ve just re-filled our shelves with awesome sewing patterns and supplies from @merchantandmills ... including these nifty thread snips, toilet pins (yes! we giggle too but they’re great!) and chalk pencils. Chalk - in a pencil. We’re nerdy enough about our sewing to think that is a brilliant idea! We’ve also got more Box Box and Ellis & Hattie dress patterns in case, like us, you want to swing into late summer with thoughts of some lingering warmth or even trans-seasonal dressing. (Hello linen, we love you.)
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It’s all just up there ⬆️ - and as always, please share your makes with us! We really do love to see what becomes of the goodies we send out into the world when they meet up with your creativity.
#sewistsofinstagram #sewyourownclothes #sewingpatterns #shoplocal

RESTOCK: We’ve just gotten a shipment from Belgium and Sweden, which means we have more Falk copper preserving pans in stock, just in time for jam season! And if you’ve been waiting for more stovetop cast-iron waffle irons from Skeppshult, your wait is over. We have those in stock too! Hop on over to the shop just up there. 🍊🍑🍋🍒
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#jam #nzfood #shopsmall #copperpot #madeinbelgium #craftandpassion #jamtodayjamtomorrow #waffles #madeinsweden #castironcooking

WELCOME ONBOARD: We’ve got a couple of new exciting yarns to talk to you about this week … today we welcome Genmou! Produced by the venerable thread and yarn manufacturer Daruma in Japan, this is a 3-ply 100 percent merino wool yarn made from a ply of untwisted, carded wool wrapped by thin tightly-spun threads that hold the wool together. This unique construction makes the yarn airy and extremely light. The yarn appears wavy and produces a very smooth knitted fabric. We can see it in beautiful jumpers, scarves, hats and more. We dream of holding it double to make a Column by @pucco_h - or one of her Onions hats, a red one! The colours have remarkable depth and movement that is amplified by the unique texture of this lovely yarn. We can’t wait to see what you make with it! 📷 by our friends @clickmedia.nz
#knittersofinstagram #genmou @yokota_co_ltd

Recent finished object was this spontaneous cast-on of the brilliant (and free!) Onions pattern released late last year by the talented Hiromi Nagasawa @pucco_h. We are obsessed with her Column sweater as well - it is an e x c e e d i n g l y satisfying knit and a wonderful timeless style. As was Onions, which flew off the needles in @garthenor’s bulky Wye. I can see a few wee mistakes when I look closely but this was so fun I’ll just make a few more and call this one my wearable toile! 😂😂 (It used 76g of yarn - no, I did not swatch but made an adult S for those wanting the details...)
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We’d love to hear what you might be planning to make with our yarns & sewing patterns or maybe catch sight of your greatest hits. In the coming months we’ll be putting together some stories outlining some of the many beautiful things you can make using the yarns & patterns we stock, so please do come back to us with ideas here or through our details above.
#knittersofinstagram #sewistsofinstagram #shoplocal

GETTING IN A RHYTHM: While everybody gets started on the new year, we have been focused on fixing up our website, organising ourselves for the year ahead, stocking our shelves with new yarn and re-stocking them with more sewing patterns. More on that later ...
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We’ve also got wonderful new profiles up in our interviews section, including pieces on indie dyer Kelly O’Day (whom you may know as Miss Click Clack); talented makers Frances Paki and her mother, Sally Graham; and our suppliers Anki Josefsson from The Assembly Line and Tiina Huhtaniemi of Tukuwool. •
And we’ve been pondering rhythm…so we’ve got a few questions for you all! •
We’re really interested in your creative rhythms and ideas for making time for creativity in the day to day. (The only way it works for us here, we’ve worked out, is to try to get to things *every day*, even if it’s just for a few minutes.) Let us know what works for you in the comments.
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Finally, we’re continuing to set aside 30 percent of our profits for the month of January for bushfire relief. More organisations are coming to our attention every day, and we'll have more on that in the coming weeks. Thanks for your support - everything helps.
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#shoplocal #shopsmall #knittersofinstagram #sewistsofinstagram @missclickclack @francespaki @sallyfgraham @theassemblylineshop @tukuwool

Spreading the word: Here’s some detail on how to make wildlife pouches to help animals injured in the Australian bushfires.
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#Repost @frankieandray with @get_repost
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I'm a woman with a reasonable amount of scrap. The absolute best thing I can do with it right now is to make some wildlife pouches to help all the amazing carers take care of the injured and/or orphaned casualties of the bushfire crisis. Super easy, super satisfying. There are working bees being held just about everywhere, but if you're in a small town like me, then you can still contribute as an individual. Find the Animal Rescue Craft Guild on facebook @animalrescuecraftguild for all the pattern templates, fabric guidelines and instructions, the list of most needed items, and where to send your contributions. If you can't sew, or are pressed for time, a financial donation will help with their administrative costs. Salve for my heart. 🖤

It’s hard to sit in NZ and watch the bushfires rage across Australia, wanting to help and not being sure how. Artist Beci Orpin has put together a great graphic full of ideas.
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Here at our House, we’re committing to donate 30 percent of our profits from all January sales to @redcrossau and @foodbankaus for a start. Happy to hear other ideas as they present themselves and we learn more about where we can best make an impact. This is where we’re starting.
#bushfiresaustralia #bushfirerelief
#Repost @beciorpin with @get_repost
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Right now, Australia feels like an Armageddon movie. My dad is currently being evacuated for a second time, my auntie also lives in a fire-effected town. So many others have been effected on a personal level. The best way to help is to donate money to the above organizations (tagged). If you don’t have money to spare the second image has some other things you can do if you feel frustrated, angry or abandoned by our current leadership. Giving blood also helps. Please do whatever you can.

IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS TIME because the magical toffee recipe from @davidlebovitz is on high rotate. Happy holidays to all and best wishes from our house to yours for a joyous new year.

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