Gather - Nikki Gabriel

I was really excited to have my first visit to a gorgeous new shop in Napier last week. It's called 'Gather' and is owned and operated by the very talented knitting guru, Nikki Gabriel. In all honesty, I am no knitter, and my sewing teacher at school used to wring her hands in frustration when I was around! But that didn't stop me from feeling like a kid in a candy store when I first stepped through the doors. Filled with luscious textures and colours, there are rolls and rolls of beautiful wool to choose from; knitting needles that are like little pieces of art; and lots of knitted homewares and accessories. My favourite things were the hot pink sofa and the yellow knitted light shade (sadly these were not for sale), but I also have my eye on a huge, chunky knit cushion, and some fingerless gloves, oh, and some of those knitting needles - just for decoration!

Nikki has a series of really cool knitting patterns called 'Construction' also for sale in Gather. They are designed to be made in stages by knitting shapes, then each shape is like a building block - create a small garment, then add another shape and it grows into a different garment - so clever! Nikki will be holding knitting workshops where you can choose a Construction pattern to make. Phone her on 835 1384 to register.