What an inspiring few days! About 3 hours from Paraparaumu, in the Ruahine Range, unlike anything I have ever seen in the US. Here is one of the roads we took on the way….

The retreat was held at Sixtus Lodge, a facility built by a family to be used to teach the children in middle school in the Manawatu area outdoor living skills. Everywhere you look around here was beautiful, this is across the road from the lodge.

We did some ice dyeing…

We were inspired by the Shawlography shawls and the Mrs. May knitted by Bev and Christine…

Tricia’s freeform knitting vest was incredible. She taught several of us how to get started with free form knitting. Tricia is the national President of New Zealand Creative Fibre which includes many different types of Fibery guilds and groups.

There was warping by Ester in preparation for weaving some tea towels, and lots of life lessons😁♥️….

We saw the final stage of life of the Puripuri moth, who spends 7 years eating, growing, laying eggs and resting to get to this stage where he gets to fly for 48 hours before he dies.

There were people who have been attending Sixtus for most of the 40 years of this retreat ….

And friends who were newly minted.

Rosemary showed us her Friendship Blanket, which was 20+ years in the making by a cooperative group of weavers.

We saw glow worms…

…we hiked…..

….but mostly, we unplugged from technology and the world and plugged into our art and each other. It was wonderful and I was fortunate to be able to attend.

The little dot by Apiti is about our location, in the bush of the North Island of New Zealand.