Nikki Gabriel has been a Design Files favorite for a long time now and it makes perfect sense that she has partnered with the Harvest Workroom for makeUp. Nikki's beautiful handmade knitting needles, new spun WOOLI yarn and construction knitting patterns all make for a delightful combination. - Jenny x

When we saw the new range of recycled wool that Nikki Gabriel has just released we knew that she was a must-have addition to our makeUp lineup! Nikki will be bringing her beautiful bespoke wool, Construction kits and other delights over from New Zealand for the festival so don't miss this opportunity to knit with her.

Nikki explains how her new range came about -"A large part of my studio process is in the interest I take in the raw materials and learning their characteristics. The recycled yarn came about as I was researching possible processes of sustainable yarn design. The expense of raw materials were always prohibitive for a competitively priced product, but persistence has led me to this new process of using factory remnant waste. It’s taken a few years for me to develop enough of a relationship with this niche spinning industry - just short of being considered the “pesty yarnbomber chic who doesn’t buy enough and asks a lot of questions”, we’ve found a mutually beneficial production arrangement. The mill only operates using natural fibres on their machinery, so I had access to a rainbow of remnant fibers of CASHMERE, SILK,  WOOL, ALPACA and POSSUM. It’s mixed up and spun into this amazing heather yarn that has a bulky tweed look, which I’ve called WOOLI."

Nikki Gabriel at her desk - love the piles of coloured knits!

For makeUp Nikki is running a number of  workshops called Construction Knitting. In the workshop students will be using chunky knitting needles and her own upcycled yarn WOOLI to make a range of garments from simple knitted shapes.

“Construction Knitting” is following a grid of easy to knit geometric shapes (squares, rectangles, triangles) that when cleverly joined transform into garments. The garments build and reconstruct into new garments as extra shapes are added. Workshops run on the 26th, 27th & 28th of July with various times available. Nikki will also have a pop up shop open to the public from the 26th till the 29th of July. For more info on the pop up shop keep an eye on her blog for details. To book into a workshop head to our website. For more info on Nikki you can read an interview with her on our blog.

Lara, Jess & Em x