Queen’s Birthday weekend marked the very first Handmade event in Wellington. An event dedicated to all things homemade – be it sewn, knitted, beaded, cooked, baked or crafted. I went along to a couple of sessions to get a taste for what the event is all about.

When it came to choosing which events to go along to I was faced with a difficult decision. The programme for the weekend was jam packed with interesting workshops from cupcake decorating and chocolate making, to sewing and knitting, to jewellery crafting and cuisine demonstrations.

Although I love making things, I’m not very experienced so my need to select novice level sessions helped me narrow my choices. In the end I went along to ‘Knitting 101 – how to knit a carnation’ and ‘Fundamentals of Chocolate Making’ – both topics that I’ve been eager to learn more about.

The Handmade event was spread over Saturday and Sunday, with all topics being repeated over both days to make it easier to go to as many sessions as possible. Although the registrations were based at Te Papa, the actual sessions were spread over different locations in the central city. The majority of the classes were two hours max, enabling craft enthusiasts to get along to as many sessions as possible.

First up was ‘Knitting 101’ on Saturday at the Museum Hotel. I went along to this class with a very basic level of knitting skills and looking forward to leaving the class with a pretty carnation that I could pin to my winter coat. The class had eleven people, all with varying levels of skills – from novices like me, to the experienced knitters. The class dove straight into making the carnation and the tutor Mary was very patient with us newbies to knitting.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to finish my carnation by the end of the class and Mary invited those of us who didn’t finish to go to the knitting lounge at Te Papa where she could continue to help. Determined to go home with a finished carnation, I went along. I’m pleased to say that by the end of the day I had a pretty little carnation to pin to my coat. It may not be perfect but I’m proud of my creation.

My next class ‘The Fundamentals of Chocolate Making’ with George Havlik from Bohemein Fresh Chocolates on Featherston Street. The class was held at the Asiana Cooking School and was focused on teaching the skill of tempering chocolate and piping decorations. I found this class incredibly interesting and came away with practical knowledge to apply to my chocolate making – something that I love to do and want to improve on.

George was a fantastic tutor and very approachable. He explained the science behind tempering and then taught us how to pipe decorations to add some flare to our baking.  I left the class with a selection of decorations to show off my new skill. I went away from the class eager to learn more and am now seriously considering doing the chocolate making class that George holds at his Featherston Street store.

These two sessions were a fun way to spend the weekend and great introduction to the Handmade event. I’m looking forward to seeing this event become an annual tradition as appeals to both new comers to craft making, as well as those clever people who make all sorts of wonderful things.