I arrived at the cafe at 1.55pm, and freaked, the carpark was full, there were cars parked on the field, all of the outdoor tables were full...oh dear, oh my.
I walked up the stairs, full of trepidation, would it all be over before it began, had I made the wrong choice?
No, I had not, the staff were run off their feet, the counter was crowded, but the Packing shed itself was almost empty, I surveyed the two rooms, and chose a table for 6 in the lighter room, because I'm an optimist, ordered fruit pancakes and a chai, and sat down to knit, I am working on a soaker pattern, it is quick and easy to knit, I needed something that didn't require too much concentration.
Five minutes later Gaayathri walked in and said hi, I was so relieved, just one person was enough, and here she was! We chatted about her latest project (handwarmers from Knitty), learning to knit, where to buy yarn in NZ, dyeing, you name it, and something impressed me very much, that she too recognises the distance between knitters in NZ, and the cultural cringe that is still very much in existence in this country, that knitting is something that "Mums and Nanas" do, Women strived so hard for economic, social and educational independence in this country that many can't bear to see other women doing such "menial" tasks as knitting. Gaayathri is nineteen and a uni student, studying law, history and politics, wonderful, dynamic stuff, and just the kind of person we need knitting in public in NZ.
Jo runs the cafe, and has a huge knitty history, we couldn't have felt more welcome, she has so many contacts and ideas that I know that this group is going to be a success, the space is so conducive to creativity, and as Gaayathri said "it's really funky", there are two main areas, both full of art and craft, and wonderful paintings of the nearby beaches and landscapes.
We turned out to be the only ones today, others had transport concerns, hopefully noone turned up, looked at the packed garden and turned tail. Today was definitely a case of small beginnings, but big possibilities.
And we'll be there again on the 15th of April, between 2 and 4pm
