woolythyme

Fun with fiber...

Dear Knitting,

I know you've been worried ever since a friend and I (along with about 6 others) signed up for the Playing with Fiber class at the local School of Art and Design.

I missed class 1 on paper weaving (and you were ecstatic, thinking I was ditching the whole idea).   Sorry. I was on board for the

• nuno felting...

 

Check. That was fun, but nothing I'm going to give YOU up for.

 

Next up: some basic free-form

• loom work....

(I think this might turn into a cross-body pouch...I'm felting an old pillow top as I type.  See?  Thinking of you all the time!!!)  This was really fun and I found lots of use for nasty/old/outdated/teenybits of yarn.  I might actually do this again. But probably not real soon.     (Most definitely not real soon.)

 

 

• fabric beading was next                                     ...which can magically become a basket or trivet or something wonderful if you are more artistic than I

You have to use your imagination here.  You must trust me on this one. A finished something is very cute.  I have an unwieldy stash of fabric that might get used for this----someday. Not soon.  Just some day. Once again, Knitting.  You are safe.
 

and finally,

• indigo dyeing.                                                   The baby things were stinkin' cute!  

 

My journal pouch was really too small, so I dyed a new one.

As a total rookie I horribly messed up the scarves, which necessitated some visible mending, resulting in something better than just dyed (IMHO...OK, so not very humble.)

 

 

I have a new project bag (yes, just for YOU, Knitting!) ----Onesie, you are very cute, but you don't need to hop in every photo.

 

After making a HUGE mess....my friend, Miss V, and I ended up with a whole table full of indigo blue when we soloed with the process.

Indigo dyeing?  In two dye sessions, I turned just about everything I own blue...including my hands (I look rather Smurf-like at the moment)... and blue isn't exactly a colour I'm enamored with anyway....so I'm sort of done with indigo dyeing for now.  Not just sort-of.  Done.  DONE.  DONE.  FINI. DONE.  

So there, Knitting.  Feel better?

 

 

fiber-filled weekend....

First and foremost....Flaum is finished.  We're celebrating by going to church together this morning.  It took the whole summer to knit (off and on) which is, I guess, the way knitting should happen....it's off the needles just as the temps are thinking about dropping enough to call our days 'sweater-wearing' days.  This one is made from Madeline Tosh DK...enough said.  It's quite wonderful.

Our town held it's first 'fiber festival' this weekend...a no-brainer in a city that is now designated a UNESCO City of Crafts & Folk Art---the seventh such designation in the world.  While our quilting legacy draws worldwide attention, we boast of an active arts community, too; fiber was simply a natural extension.  

It was small but much fun.  The emphasis seemed to be on weaving.  A friend and I took the inkle weaving 4-hour class.  I'm not sure I took it because I really wanted to weave on an inkle loom or because the cute little loom was included in the cost of the class. (True confessions are sometimes a bit embarrassing, aren't they?)

I was immediately bummed that grey or lime green were not class colour choices, so I had to settle with black and what I had hoped would look more grey, but really looks beige.  The blue?  Well, you know how I feel about THAT colour.  The class was actually fun, and besides the fact that I can't think of a single thing I want to own or make that requires a strap like this (in these colours) I will probably finish it.  At the moment I'm on bookmark #2. (What else could you do BESIDES bookmarks?  In different colours, maybe I could see a button band backing...that might be next...if there is a 'next'!)

This one is just practice...my edges are all wonky, (I know my books won't care), and I'll merrily continue along with this because I have no idea how to end or remove it from the loom.

And then, it can join....

my equally cute little Navaho miniature loom that I sort of forgot I had,

which has obviously been collecting dust.  eep.

To celebrate all these new fiber skills AND an FO...

I cast on Daelyn Pullover using the only sweater amount worsted yarn I own, Shepherd's Own.  (I soooo NEED this trip to Rhinebeck!) A lovely 100% all natural undyed wool hand sheered from herds from the Cataluna, Zaragozo, and Castilla regions of Spain; a wooly wool.  My favorite kind.

 

No, Dear Knitting.  You are quite safe.

You are in no jeopardy of being replace by another hobby.


 

 

 

Blog Hop....Creativity, part 2

A few weeks ago my quilting friend, Rose, asked if I would join in a blog hop...answer a few questions, and pass the 'hop' along.  I had participated in something similar in the summer, but these questions were slightly different; I could post anytime up to the beginning of November.  I was rather humbled to be included in her blog-hop.  She's a published quilter, living here in Quilt City, USA, where we are pretty darn proud of our quilters.  Especially our resident ones.  (Yes, she knows the only quilting I've ever done was done a lifetime ago, and then, not very well.)Sure.  It will be fun. (remember, I'm not a quilter, ok?)  

Being one of the very best procrastinators I know, I was only just beginning to think about this when Brandy asked me to participate in the same questionnaire.  If you knitters don't know Brandy, you really need to.  She makes my manic knitting look rather sane.  Holy-moley can she crank out the knits---and she's only been knitting one year!  I think it's sort of fun to see that this little blog swap is touring not just the knit world.  Or just the quilt world. I wonder if embroider-ers do this, too?  Hey, I embroider....sort of....

So here goes....

1.  What am I working on?

    ::I'm sewing furoshiki cloths

    ::I'm working on a piece of sashito embroidery

    ::I have two sweaters, two pairs of socks, a chemo hat, a beret, two pairs of mittens and a pair of fingerless mitts, three afghans, a cowl, several dishcloths, and an elephant (in pieces) surrounding my knitting 'nest'(is it any wonder you haven't seen an FO in weeks?!?)

    ::I have warped my little coaster loom for some more coasters

    ::I found a Merry Christmas x-stitch on linen from half a lifetime ago; at the moment it says 'M      '; the border is finished, though.  Surely I can stitch a mere 13 letters before December. (surely)

 

    Please note:  there is NO crocheting pending.  I have no rugs in the process of being hooked.  My Russian embroidery needle is at rest.  This probably rates a moment of silence followed by a very loud and raucous hoopla. You can throw in a happy dance if you like.

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?  As you can see, I have just a wee bit of a 'genre' problem at the moment.  I adore hand sewing. a-d-o-r-e it!  Just don't put a sewing machine in front of me.  I can happily work on a piece of slow-stitching for weeks; put me in front of a sewing machine and I think I must complete the project in under 20 minutes.  No matter how big.  

The loom exists for the coasters, just as my old plastic potholder loom lives to keep me supplied with those cotton-loop potholders.  At one time I thought I needed to learn to weave, but I got over that.  I find no thrill or excitement with the warping process and since that takes (me) literally an eternity, I'm sticking with the mini-weaving projects---and only when I desperately want/need the product.

Which leaves us with the knitting.  And maybe my obsession work actually does differ slightly from some others.  As I've mentioned here many times, I'm very much a selfish, copycat knitter.  There are so many wonderful designers designing so many exciting patterns that I will never find myself without something I want to knit.  There, though, lies the rub...I have to WANT to knit it.  I don't do well at all with knit-requests even though I gift far more of my FOs than I keep.  I don't do well with chunky yarn (my cut-off is usually worsted, although I've been known to plough through an aran project or two).  I don't 'do' novelty yarn (sparkles, sequins, fuzzy, hairy, ropey, bauble-y).  I don't do #55 needles.  Ever.  (Well, once---for a granddaughter, but never again.  I didn't post the finished picture.  I was too embarrassed to admit I actually knit such a thing.) And I was totally miserable making those mandatory shop models when I owned a yarn shop. 

3. Why do I write/create what I do? Simply because I always have.  I learned to knit a very very long time ago...I think I knew how to knit before I could read.  There were years (many of them in fact) when I didn't even know where my knitting needles were, but no matter how many other obsessions monopolized my life, and how many 'crafts' ran their course (macrame?  needlepoint?  cross-stitch?...hey, I actually DID design cross-stitch patterns and worked for a while for Ginny Thompson Originals) I've always come back to knitting.  It's always been there.  And I've always been pretty good at it.  

But, since I've been writing (blogging) about knitting, I've discovered even more reasons to love what I do.... and that's in sharing the love and being part of this caring community of fiber people.  There is nothing I find  more satisfying than being able to talk someone through a sticky problem.  To be someone's cheerleader through a project that taxes the limits of their skills...and see them succeed. Or to have someone reach out to me to help spread the word when one of our own is in need of some help.  This is one such request, and while my dancing grands are on the hot-natured side, they are each going to get one of these adorable "ballet" sweaters.  (Note:  it's done in fingering weight yarn; I'm all over that!!!)  You can find more information on Ravelry about this project, and even if you don't have a young girl for whom you knit....I bet you can find a mom (or grandma) who would love the pattern as a gift.  Maria has gone to great lengths to assure purchasers that this is actually the fund raiser it is intended to be.  The thought it was anything else never crossed my mind.  We're knitters.  We're good people.

Don't want to knit a sweater?  How about a chemo cap for this project of Anke's.  A buttery soft hat with a thousand prayers and good vibes knit into each stitch. I'm doing the asymmetrical cloche but will add a funky button to actually make it look aysmmetrical. This is where my creativity takes me these days.  

4. How does my creative process work?

 Easy.  If I like the looks of something, I'll give it a try.

 

I just signed up for a bookbinding class.

 

 

I'm passing the hop on to....

Chris at Crafting from the Underground.

and

Anne at Shintanglestudio

Hitofude.....interrupted

I have truly loved working on Hitofude.... every minute of it.  If you have followed this blog at all, you know that I can blast through projects pretty fast sometimes.  Too fast, really.  That old addage...stop and smell the roses? It goes for knitting, too.  There are some projects that are just like those bouquets of flowers--or a good book....they need to be savored and enjoyed, and I'm putting Hitofude in that category.

It is an extremely simple pattern to knit....the lace is basic.  Very intuitive; so easy to remember.  But, the construction (for me) is very creative.  I worried just a teeny bit last week-- I was ready to start the body increases, and feared that you would have to juggle charts and write down where you were, and add in a pattern as you accumulated enough added stitches.  Phew.  No such thing.  The additional stitches are added simply and look lovely.

I've completed two of the four body increase sections.  Each is 16 rows long.  16 increase rows + baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies = one Cardinals baseball game.  (I'm a fan.  I watch a whole lot of baseball.  This could have been finished this week.)

I've happily let other things distract me so I can savor this process just a little longer.

Like circles.  I'm thinking 9 rows of circles x 11 rows might be about the right size for a throw.  The circles are finished. (yep.  99 of them. compulsive? OK.  Sure.)  I'm waiting for the background yarn to arrive.  What started out as purely a stash-buster has now grown into an investment. (I hate when that happens.)

On that one(!) cool(er) morning over the weekend, when I whipped out the fall decorations....I also cast on for Helen Tindall's Shwook, the hat she designed for Shetland Wool Week (October 4-12).  I think the idea was to knit it up and wear it to the festivities so you could identify other kindred spirits, but since I won't be making the festival, I decided to knit on it that first week of October.  I didn't exactly cheat....I just got the boring ribbing out of the way so I'll be ready to 'fair isle for fall'.

 Lori made this before her Shetland trip; I like her colors much better than what I chose, but this is another stash buster project, so it is what it is.

 

and finally...

a friend and I went to an arts and craft fair over the weekend; there was a weaver...

she had kits....

 

the rest is history.  This might even be a bit too hippy for me.  Maybe not.  It was fun.  (The weaving loom was made from a piece of foam board....a great project for kids.)

 

So, you see....there is still loads of time to join Karen and me for the Hitofude knitalong.  I have a few more distractions kicking around that will at least keep ME knitting on mine for another few weeks!!!!

pin loom-ing....

I have a new toy*....and I can't help but think of it as a toy because it reminds me so much of the potholder loopy looms of my youth. (Although, truth be told, I still have one and I still use it occasionally when I need new potholders, because they are still THE BEST potholders EVER! and I don't use any other kind. But I digress.....)

 

Having that vast loom weaving experience, I wasn't prepared for the need to not only have the instruction booklet out, but the computer as well.  The website says 15 minutes and you will have a square made!  They lied.  Either that, or my learning curve is much greater than they allowed for.

And user errors.

I was weaving along spendidly when I got to the point of tying off the ends.  Oops.  I was supposed to leave a 6" tail at BOTH ends?  Drat.  Here's where all those years of knitting experience comes in.  Note the Russian join!  aha!!!  If it's good enough for a lace shawl, it's got to be good enough for a little coaster.  

It was.  You can't even tell which one had the mini-goof, can you?  I did have to run right to the fridge and get a glass of tea to try it out.  Works great.  My old beat-up, well worn primitives usually don't get coasters....what's another water ring?  But, now!!!!!

I'm sort of working on a coaster for every bare surface in the house!

 

*My new toy is a Zoom Loom by Schacht that I got at PurlSoho for the express purpose of making these coasters. I had visions of it being the solution for all my stray balls of yarn.  It might help, but actually uses very little yarn per coaster.  The good thing is I most definitely won't EVER have to purchase any more materials to use this; the bad thing is, I bought the version of the loom kit with yarn included!

reading this week?  well, the instruction book!!!