NZ welcomes royal baby with gift of shawl (click here)
Last updated 15:54 23/07/2013
,,,After more than 250 hours of spinning and knitting a secret project,
the Cambridge woman responsible for New Zealand's gift to the royal
baby is feeling relieved.
New Zealand's official gift to Will and Kate is a hand-spun, hand-knitted fine-lace shawl, similar to the one we gave when William was born.
The shawl was designed by Margaret Stove, who was also responsible for William's shawl.
The woman entrusted with crafting the elaborate gift, Cynthia Read, was today at her Cambridge home fielding messages of surprise from her friends as it was revealed that her top secret project was indeed the royal's shawl.
But admist all the excitement, Mrs Read said she was just glad it was finished in time.
''Oh the relief, it's wonderful,'' she said. "I had a nice lie down, it was lovely to get it finished."
Mrs Read got the call to craft the new Prince's shawl mid-March and started spinning merino yarn for the masterpiece by the end of the month.
''I was a bit astonished at being asked. It just came of the blue,''
After a few trial and errors, she got the yarn to the right thickness and 40-50 hours later, it was spun and ready to knit, and it was all go from there....
Super-fine merino fleece.
Agnes- 1 yr old merino ewe
1st fleece 2012
Shrek the merino sheep waits in a pen, before being fleeced, in Cromwell, New Zealand. The renegade sheep who shot to fame after being caught by musterers after six years on the run, was shorn and the fleece auctioned for charity. —Reuters
Last updated 15:54 23/07/2013
,,,After more than 250 hours of spinning and knitting a secret project,
the Cambridge woman responsible for New Zealand's gift to the royal
baby is feeling relieved. New Zealand's official gift to Will and Kate is a hand-spun, hand-knitted fine-lace shawl, similar to the one we gave when William was born.
The shawl was designed by Margaret Stove, who was also responsible for William's shawl.
The woman entrusted with crafting the elaborate gift, Cynthia Read, was today at her Cambridge home fielding messages of surprise from her friends as it was revealed that her top secret project was indeed the royal's shawl.
But admist all the excitement, Mrs Read said she was just glad it was finished in time.
''Oh the relief, it's wonderful,'' she said. "I had a nice lie down, it was lovely to get it finished."
Mrs Read got the call to craft the new Prince's shawl mid-March and started spinning merino yarn for the masterpiece by the end of the month.
''I was a bit astonished at being asked. It just came of the blue,''
After a few trial and errors, she got the yarn to the right thickness and 40-50 hours later, it was spun and ready to knit, and it was all go from there....
Agnes- 1 yr old merino ewe
1st fleece 2012
Shrek the merino sheep waits in a pen, before being fleeced, in Cromwell, New Zealand. The renegade sheep who shot to fame after being caught by musterers after six years on the run, was shorn and the fleece auctioned for charity. —Reuters
