28 September 2007
ceriantharian*
a Moebius cowl
MATERIAL, TOOL & RESOURCE: one hank of Handmaiden Great Big Sea in Ivory; size US3, 40" circular needle; Cat Bordhi's A Treasury of Magical Knitting.
PATTERN: Using Cat Bordhi's instructions for the Moebius cast on, CO 140 stitches. Join for knitting in the round and K1, P1 all the way around to the first stitch. On the next and all following rounds, K1tbl, P1 until you have just enough yarn remaining to bind off (my cowl measured eleven inches from top to bottom when I bound off). Bind off in rib. Weave in the ends.
NOTES: When I try this again, I want to see what happens if I cast on with two colors of yarn (either by holding them together or alternating them as I scoop) and knit into them so that the two colors grow in opposite directions from the central spine. Great Big Sea is possibly the most wonderful yarn I've ever knit.** I bought Ivory so that I could overdye it with indigo or madder & cochineal, but the subtle shading of lightest browns in the yarn is too lovely to lose--and it goes perfectly with the Moving Mud closure I ordered from purl. Now I'd like Mrs. Lear to throw all this into The Runcible Bin and tell me what coat I should make to go with these accessories.
*tube-dwelling sea anemone
**Having said that, I think this cowl would be great in Muench Touch Me in a reversible cable pattern like the one for Lisa Daniels's Vintage Velvet in Scarf Style.
MATERIAL, TOOL & RESOURCE: one hank of Handmaiden Great Big Sea in Ivory; size US3, 40" circular needle; Cat Bordhi's A Treasury of Magical Knitting.
PATTERN: Using Cat Bordhi's instructions for the Moebius cast on, CO 140 stitches. Join for knitting in the round and K1, P1 all the way around to the first stitch. On the next and all following rounds, K1tbl, P1 until you have just enough yarn remaining to bind off (my cowl measured eleven inches from top to bottom when I bound off). Bind off in rib. Weave in the ends.
NOTES: When I try this again, I want to see what happens if I cast on with two colors of yarn (either by holding them together or alternating them as I scoop) and knit into them so that the two colors grow in opposite directions from the central spine. Great Big Sea is possibly the most wonderful yarn I've ever knit.** I bought Ivory so that I could overdye it with indigo or madder & cochineal, but the subtle shading of lightest browns in the yarn is too lovely to lose--and it goes perfectly with the Moving Mud closure I ordered from purl. Now I'd like Mrs. Lear to throw all this into The Runcible Bin and tell me what coat I should make to go with these accessories.
*tube-dwelling sea anemone
**Having said that, I think this cowl would be great in Muench Touch Me in a reversible cable pattern like the one for Lisa Daniels's Vintage Velvet in Scarf Style.
27 September 2007
this is living
plant dyed yarns
from the top: cochineal, osage & madder; osage over medium indigo; osage over light indigo; medium indigo; cochineal; osage; cochineal over light indigo
I'm planning to wind these off for stocking kits to sell at the Holiday Fair.
And today I found out about Living Crafts magazine--sounds like the first issue is coming out just in time for holiday toy-making!
from the top: cochineal, osage & madder; osage over medium indigo; osage over light indigo; medium indigo; cochineal; osage; cochineal over light indigo
I'm planning to wind these off for stocking kits to sell at the Holiday Fair.
And today I found out about Living Crafts magazine--sounds like the first issue is coming out just in time for holiday toy-making!
23 September 2007
buoyant
the afghan raffle site is up
Hundred-leagues-deep thanks to fellow WSP parents Amanda Mitchell-Boyask, Denise Straiges Warkov, Kira Gartner and Yvonne Fisher for knitting panels. There are close-ups and remarks about the piece here, here, here, and here.
Dive in.
Hundred-leagues-deep thanks to fellow WSP parents Amanda Mitchell-Boyask, Denise Straiges Warkov, Kira Gartner and Yvonne Fisher for knitting panels. There are close-ups and remarks about the piece here, here, here, and here.
Dive in.
22 September 2007
blue equinox
the year's last hurrah for indigo
natural indigo powder mixed in lye solution...7am
indigo stock reduced...just after 8am
mohair blend, silk blend, and silk yarns soaking in the meantime
three hanks of pink Euroflax scoured in washing soda...two of the three went very pale and the third blanched just a little
what the three hanks of Euroflax look like after thirty minutes in the vat, rinsing and washing
more tomorrow...
natural indigo powder mixed in lye solution...7am
indigo stock reduced...just after 8am
mohair blend, silk blend, and silk yarns soaking in the meantime
three hanks of pink Euroflax scoured in washing soda...two of the three went very pale and the third blanched just a little
what the three hanks of Euroflax look like after thirty minutes in the vat, rinsing and washingmore tomorrow...
15 September 2007
unexpected guest
A fellow parent and organizer of our school's Holiday Fair came by to match the blue of the afghan she's captured for the raffle site (still under construction) against the real thing and to show me this doll. She designed the raglan sweater "as she went along" and used our handwork teacher's plant-dyed yarn for that and the wee shoes. This doll and a handful of others plus hand-knit and felted animals and playscapes and locally made wooden toys will be among the items available this year in a special room devoted to gifts for children.
12 September 2007
phila*craft parenting tip #1
06 September 2007
tucked in
the afghan's in the (linen, machine embroidered) bag
I'll post a link to the raffle site as soon as it's available.
I'll post a link to the raffle site as soon as it's available.
04 September 2007
touched
sashiko embroidered patches for the "bubble and wave" afghan
These are on opposite sides of the same panel. The bubble patch is a wonky, free-hand interpretation of a traditional sashiko interlocking circles pattern. For floss I used silk and merino blend lace yarn I dyed with indigo. The blue and white sewing threads are pure cotton, but the dark blue holding down the wave patch is synthetic. The day I think about dyeing my own sewing thread will, I hope, never come. Today the afghan gets a photo shoot with a fellow parent who has a great eye and a dslr. I'm hoping to post a link in the next month or so to a site where anyone who'd like can buy a raffle ticket to win the afghan. (The drawing will take place on November 17th.)
These are on opposite sides of the same panel. The bubble patch is a wonky, free-hand interpretation of a traditional sashiko interlocking circles pattern. For floss I used silk and merino blend lace yarn I dyed with indigo. The blue and white sewing threads are pure cotton, but the dark blue holding down the wave patch is synthetic. The day I think about dyeing my own sewing thread will, I hope, never come. Today the afghan gets a photo shoot with a fellow parent who has a great eye and a dslr. I'm hoping to post a link in the next month or so to a site where anyone who'd like can buy a raffle ticket to win the afghan. (The drawing will take place on November 17th.)
02 September 2007
inter(blue)de
There's no such thing as too much blue, nevertheless...COLOURlovers.
01 September 2007
at sea
What to do when your afghan panels are reversible, but your seaming technique is not?
Here are the backs of the crochet stitches I used to assemble the afghan. Not even uneven in a charming way, I think.
Here's the "right side" of the afghan.
And here is the "wrong side" redeemed by a line of crochet stitches worked into those little dashes in the top photo. I'm sure experienced crocheters have been doing this since time immemorial, but I felt the joy of "unventing" it for this project. Below you see both faces of each of the five panels. The openwork patterns all came from Lesley Stanfield's The New Knitting Stitch Library.
Here are the backs of the crochet stitches I used to assemble the afghan. Not even uneven in a charming way, I think.
Here's the "right side" of the afghan.
And here is the "wrong side" redeemed by a line of crochet stitches worked into those little dashes in the top photo. I'm sure experienced crocheters have been doing this since time immemorial, but I felt the joy of "unventing" it for this project. Below you see both faces of each of the five panels. The openwork patterns all came from Lesley Stanfield's The New Knitting Stitch Library.
