kay shapland

Kay comes from New Zealand, a family of knitters, farmers, shearers and foresters, growing up around woolsheds and farms. She loves wool and textile arts, knits and has dipped into wool felting, wanting to do more with gotland wool. She is also fascinated with the history of wool and craft in communities and how people connect and build relationships and become friends through craft in their communities and more widely.

Kay has travelled for work and pleasure in New Zealand and to other countries. She hunts out agricultural events and shows, including New Zealand’s national agricultural field-days, and is following New Zealand’s wool industry’s innovations.

Kay has worked with New Zealand's primary industries, having worked with farmers, horticulturalists, viticulturists/winemakers, and foresters. Most recently she advocates for New Zealand's rural communities so that people living in rural areas can prosper and achieve their aspirations.

In her spare time Kay gardens on the coast northwest of Wellington where she raised her two sons, knits, reads, practises yoga, cooks, enjoys music gigs, and finds a beach for an any season swim.