I heart Autumn

Tags

Autumn, inspiration, Knitting, nature, New Zealand, seasons

It’s not officially Autumn yet.  But Mother Nature has already declared it. 

We went for a drive in the country yesterday.  We noticed that the leaves on the trees are already beginning to yellow.

The sun is not quite as harsh as it has been, although it’s still very warm.  Don’t these Calendula look so much like miniature story book suns?  I see pretty sock yarn personally…

The roses are fading, and the days are becoming less long, the light just that little bit less intense.

It’s still a few weeks away before the crisp mornings that I so love.
In the meantime, the cicadas are lustily singing Summer’s swan song, leaving me looking forward to happy sweater wearing time and frosty mornings bright!

I sense a change, and that makes me feel happy.

I thought I’d share a few photos from the last week or so.

Hope you are having a good week.

Time to speak

Tags

community, kids, New Zealand, news, opinion, parenting, social issues, society

Today I’d like to talk about an issue that affects New Zealand parents in particular. As regular readers know, I don’t usually use this blog to talk about social issues (it usually raises comments I would rather not have to deal with).  However, this is a critical matter that needs your attention, so today it’s time to speak.

Working parents with school age children in New Zealand will know about OSCAR (Out of School Care and Recreation) programmes.  OSCAR programmes are often  partially funded by the Ministry of Social Development with the aim of providing support to low and middle income parents needing to put their children in care outside of school hours.

This funding is now under review.  I understand that the broad effect of proposed funding cuts is that parents may soon be forced either to a) pay up to $90 a day for their children to attend school holiday programmes that no longer qualify for funding, or b) put their children in very large programmes (of up to 100 children each) that continue to qualify for funding.

According to the copy of the provider consultation document I have seen, “… the current ‘deficit based’ grant funding system does not encourage programmes to operate sustainably, and has supported some very small or inefficiently run programmes that are uneconomic to run. It has also led to inconsistent grant levels between programmes of the same size and type.

In addition, the current funding system does not allow the Government to direct future service growth, to align with priorities around welfare reform and vulnerable children.”

These are noble sentiments, and there probably is some waste in the system that can be addressed.  Except that I do not believe proper process or consultation of the community has gone into making the proposals that have ensued from this ‘consultation’ with providers.  (Did any of the providers think it of benefit to consult the main stakeholders that provide funding to them – parents?)

The paper goes on to say:

“The Minister set some objectives for a new grant funding system:

• services are available to support parents leaving benefit to go into work, and to stay in work: There will be a network of OSCAR services in the places where parents need them
• OSCAR is affordable and sufficiently flexible for communities where parents are least able to pay for out of school services: Services will be affordable for low and middle income parents so that the cost of OSCAR does not impose a barrier to work. Higher income parents will be expected to pay the full cost of OSCAR.
• OSCAR offers accessible services: OSCAR services will include those that offer care during non-standard hours, weekends, or that cater for parents with children with special needs, or of mixed ages
• child safety is paramount: Services will be approved and will maintain standards that protect children.”

It goes on to say:

“The core components of the proposed grant funding system are:

1. annual base grant funding according to child numbers – providers no longer have to prove they are running at a deficit, and funding is linked consistently and accurately to the number of children at each service
2. annual top-up grant and one-off targeted establishment grant – only available for sites in priority areas, where additional financial support is required to maintain an OSCAR presence
3. minimum child numbers required to receive ongoing base grant funding, to support viable and sustainable services.”

This is very interesting.  From what I am able to deduce from the document, this means that funding will be based entirely on where a person lives and will have nothing to do with their actual economic situation.  That services will continue to be provided means that there will be a programme available, it will just have to be a large one, unless you live in a “highly deprived” or “isolated area” (see document for the list – link provided in next paragraph).

Anyway, this is the basic gist of the paper.  You can read it yourself if you wish on the Ministry of Social Development’s website here.

The reason I am raising it is that I am concerned that a rug is being pulled out from under the feet of many, many parents in New Zealand, and the Ministry of Social Development does not fully understand the implications of what it is about to do and the very severe economic and social impact this will have on families who are already struggling to survive.

This is a blanket approach (that providers will qualify for funding based solely on numbers of children that attend their institution or where they are based) and does nothing to consider the needs of the community.  For instance, what of the children who cannot cope with being forced to spend 8 hours a day for 10 weeks of the year cooped in an echoey, noisy hall full of 100 other children, some of whom are not overly socially developed?  This is not done in schools for a very good reason.  What will it do to the future mental health of our children?  Is this anyone’s idea of fun??

When do large numbers of children in one place ever constitute a safe environment?

What will happen to families who will be forced to travel outside of their school zones (perhaps even a half an hour drive away or an hour on public transport if it’s available) to take their children to a holiday programme that is affordable for them?

In setting out to perform these cuts, I believe the Ministry has failed in its primary objective for OSCAR funding:  They do not meet the needs of the community (“one size fits all” does not work).  They especially do not guarantee child safety.

This is a deplorable state that can only be attributed to a one-sided view of the holiday programmes – that of how to make it ‘cost less’ and not what the programmes are there for in the first place.

If you take advantage of OSCAR school holiday programmes and out of school care providers, I urge you to talk to them to find out what will be happening in your area.  The deadline for feedback is 15 February 2013.  You might even want to consider writing to the Ministry of Social Development.

I have already given them my feedback.

Otari Wilton’s Bush

Tags

Knitting, New Zealand, New Zealand wildlife, Otari Wilton's Bush, photography, plants, travel, Wellington

We’ve had family visiting this weekend.  It was wonderful to see my sister and her family.

Today, we went to Otari Wilton’s Bush for a relaxing walk before they left to head back north.  Otari Wilton’s Bush is a reserve and also contains the only botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants.  The forest is a tiny remnant of mature podocarp northern rata forest that was once the common forest type on the Wellington Peninsula.

Fortunately for us, some far-sighted individuals back in the 1800′s realised that not much forest was being preserved in the rush to ‘develop’ New Zealand.  So this tiny bit of land (today it’s around 100 hectares) has been protected as a recreation area for Wellingtonians since the 1860’s.  You can read more about it in the link I’ve provided above.

Come for a walk with me now,

The majestic Kauri, a tree with an immense lifespan was once extensively harvested for its beautiful timber.

The tawa tree. Its bark has antiseptic properties and a decoction was used to clean wounds.  I love the feathery branches – it’s like a tree from a fantasy, or a beautifully cabled sweater…

Kaka beak.  I want some for my garden!

Ngaio seedling. The leaves of this small tree were crushed in water and used by Maori as an insect repellent. Handy to know if you’re caught in the bush when the midges are out!

These are wee things, only about 1cm (1/2″) off the ground.  Endemic to the South Island hill country, don’t they look just like the ball of fluff that Dr. Seuss’ Whoville lived on?

This is the NZ tree fuchsia flower. The berries are edible, and most delicious.  The flower has bright blue pollen.  It makes me think of yarn.

Still a common small tree, Bushman’s Toilet Paper has a self-explanatory name… it has soft, velvety leaves that are perfect for um… sanitary purposes.

Another South Island plant, it grows low on the ground.  You can see the thick leaves and small flowers well adapted to surviving in high country.

The new, red leaves lit by the sun in the dark green shaded forest looked like a spot of fire!

The silver fern – this is the symbol you often see displayed on New Zealand sports team outfits.

Thankfully still common, this kawakawa is a first-growth shrub/small tree that provides food and medicine. The fruit are delicious (just don’t bite the peppery seed) and the leaves make a good poultice for pain. Pour hot water on the leaves for a refreshing and delicious tea. Notice the moth-eaten leaves (they are nibbled by caterpillars). The holey leaves have the best medicinal qualities.

We only did the short, 30 minute walk.  You could stay in there all day, exploring and learning about the native plants and botanical history of New Zealand.

It was the perfect ending to a happy weekend.

The Interview Series: Happy Go Knitty

Tags

devonport arts festival, Happy go Knitty, inspiration, interviews, Knitting, New Zealand, New Zealand yarn, yarn

Hello, and welcome to Part I of a new series I am introducing to you today about New Zealand “Yarnies”.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how it would be nice to know more about the people behind the yarn I write about.  So I asked a few of the yarnies I know if they would be interested in being interviewed for my blog, and happily, they said “yes!”

This interview today is the beginning of the series, and I’m hoping to introduce as many as possible of the wonderfully talented people behind New Zealand’s independent yarns to bring you their story.

Today, we start with Helene Dehmer of Happy-go-knitty.

I asked Helene to tell me a bit about herself, why she came to New Zealand from Sweden, and what started her journey into hand-dyeing yarn.

Just before we hear from Helene, this is also a great opportunity to tell you about a current project that she is organising and coordinating – Woollypoles in Devonport.

This project came after Devonport Arts Festival invited her to create a woolly art installation for the revived festival in November 2012.

Here’s a sneak peek at what to expect.  I wish I could go up to Auckland and see it when it’s on in November – I’d love to wander around just looking at it, and admiring the work that everyone has put into it.  The knitting is true Art!

Anyone is welcome to join in.  If you’d like to send a piece of knitting to be included in this installation, please contact Helene at knittygraffity AT hotmail DOT com.

The invitation came off the back of another successful knit installation “The Woolly Walk Along” that Helene organised during the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

Helene also put together a look book of the day – an inspirational viewing of the skills of the many talented people in New Zealand, and the wonderful spirit of camaraderie that this event inspired.  It’s a classic example of how knitting brings people together and can tell a story about the human spirit.

And now, over to Helene!

You come from a very crafty family, with sister Mia in Sweden also involved in producing hand-dyed yarn. Tell us a bit about you.

Yes, my family is very crafty. My nana taught me to knit when I was 11 and I have pretty much knitted ever since. My mum knits as well but she mainly weaves rugs. My very clever sister (Mia) not only dyes her own yarn, she also dyes wool and spins it into gorgeous yarn. And she knits amazing shawls with the hand-spun yarn and makes her own patterns for the shawls.

I’m married and have two wonderful kids and we are a very arty family. Hubby is a great painter and musician. My son is very good at drawing and building in 3D. My daughter loves to sing and dance and every once in a while she pulls out her tapestry and adds a few stitches.

Why did you and your husband choose to live in New Zealand?

Oh, that’s a long story that involves a band called ‘Split Enz’! The short version is that hubby and I visited New Zealand a couple of times and we decided that we wanted to live in NZ. We sold everything we owned and in April 2004 we arrived with 4 suitcases and our 2 kids. We had no jobs and no visa… When we came here we stayed in a bach (Kiwi speak for holiday cottage) on Waiheke Island but after a couple of months we moved to a rental in Devonport, Auckland.  The rest is history!

Why did you get into hand dyeing?

I have always enjoyed knitting and about 10 years ago, Mia asked if I wanted to join her in dyeing some cotton yarn. That was so much fun that I continued. At the time, it was very small scale and only for private use. When I moved to NZ, I brought some cotton yarn with me. The cotton I use is very different to what you can find here in NZ. It’s spun with a high twist and has a nice shine.  I found out that it’s spun for the Scandinavian market and doesn’t sell anywhere else, so I still get my cotton from Sweden.

When sis visited 18 months ago she asked me why I don’t dye wool, since that would be so much easier to get. We gave it a go and here I am!  My range now includes sock yarn (100% BFL and merino/silk/nylon), lace weight (silk/merino) and 100% cotton.

What is the thing you enjoy most about hand dyeing?

I’m a very small scale dyer and I experiment a lot while dyeing. I probably don’t use my dyes in the most efficient and economic way, but for me the most important thing is to come up with interesting colour combinations. My colours are very often one-offs. I have also come up with a very fun way of dyeing self-striping yarn. Yup, stripy yarn without the hassle of doing the ends!

Your favourite yarn base so far?

I love the 100% BFL sock yarn – it’s such a nice yarn! But the new merino/silk/nylon sock yarn is also very scrumptious. And the merino/silk lace is so, so soft. And of course I love my good old cotton! Hmm, I didn’t really make a choice, did I?

What’s your favourite NZ food?

I’m a foodie and I love going to food markets. Anything that is fresh and well cooked!

What is the best holiday you’ve had in NZ?

We enjoy going away on trips over the weekend. A favourite place is the old lodge in Whatipu, west of Auckland. I think BookABach (accommodation website) is fantastic, we have been to heaps of different places and stayed in other people’s baches. It works so well. I have to admit that I have never been further south than Christchurch, I would love to travel the South Island.

If you lived in an ideal world, where would you live in NZ and what would you be doing?

Oh, that’s a tricky one… I love the Matakana area north of Auckland and I really like Mt Maunganui. But there are heaps of places I would like to live! In my ideal world I would dye yarn and knit full time. I work as a book designer and production manager for a small exquisite book publisher and I really enjoy it. But I would give it up if I could make a living as a full time yarnie!

Is there anything you’d like to tell knitters and crocheters of Happy-go-knitty yarns?

I hope you enjoy my yarn! You can trust that I always use the best yarn bases and dyes that I can find. My yarn is available at craft markets (check my blog for details on where to find me) or on felt.co.nz. I’m happy to take custom orders if you would like something specific. And please feel free to email me photos of your finished projects – I love to see what people make of my yarn!

What are you knitting now?

I’m a complete knit-a-holic and I bring my knitting everywhere! I knit on the ferry, on the bus and I even walk and knit. I have always got bead-knitted cuffs on the go to keep up with the demand at the craft markets I do.

I have a couple of ‘tangle-free knitted earphones’ lying around to be finished.

And of course I am knitting some artwork for the Woollypoles in Devonport!

Thank you so much Helene for that small window into your life!  I’m looking forward to my next encounter with your beautiful yarn.