In the studio - red ruana

Ruana, mixed fibers, wool, silk, cotton, hemp, nylon, linen, mohair, rayon; linen stitch; size 9 cable needle, 24 in.

Et voila!

Stash - remix

Ok, I'm ready to face the fact that I can sit for long periods of time and do very idiotic tasks when it comes to yarn. But I can be patient for the particular results that I want.

Yesterday I spent hours untangling a "skein" of railroad yarn. It was a skein once, at any rate. If the colors were not unsurpassed, I wouldn't bother. But this yarn is going to make something fabulous.

This stash in the photograph above is an instance of such persistence [or some capacity for absolute drudge work]. I have about 20 types of red yarn, so I have eyeballed lengths of about a yard then cut and tied them together to compose these balls. These are two of about six or so that it will take to make a stunning red ruana. The basic yarn that will bring everything together is a beautiful cherry red hemp and wool blend. I put a length of that between just about all the other colors. I don't do any color combination consistently so that it will be an entirely unique fabric. All the other colors make a great blend of novelty yarns and other sort of plain red yarns. Combining the yarn does take some thought. I want specific results in the blend, with a specific kind of fabric as the end result. So the way the yarns follow one another along the strand is important. The fabric is not completely predictable, but it is not a complete surprise either. I make sure that there is a certain evenness to the texture, so that there are not lumpy places or there are not big patches of one color. I tried to keep the range of weights fairly close, but I'm not afraid to put a couple fat ones and a couple skinny ones in the mix. I am very careful not to make big patches of the fat ones or skinny ones, but I keep the textures dispersed throughout the fabric. Sometimes this involves a lot of testing to see the effects of the combinations. This is a different technique than changing the yarn every row and putting the knots at the end of each row

This technique involves putting balls of various yarns out on a table and sitting with a pair of scissors beside a ball winder. Each length of yarn is pulled out of its ball, then cut and tied to the previous length, leaving a tail in the knot long enough so that it can be woven into the fabric. I leave about three cm., or about 1.75 in. I use a very sharp pair of scissors, because cutting hundreds of lengths of yarn with a dull scissors is a big drag. I also usually have a crochet hook or other device to help draw the yarn ends into the knot. It saves time. As the strand grows in length and starts to tangle, I wind it up onto the ball winder.

I'm using linen or woven stitch as it is variously called, for the fabric so that the colors will be blended across the rows.

Transmogrification

Crochet bag, cotton, single crochet, size e aluminum crochet hook

This yarn has given me fits, but I still love it. I've tried knitting a zillion things with it and I can't find very much that feels just right. This is my tearing out of the scarf in seed stitch and deciding to start a handbag. I think the bag is going to be very nice, but the scarf just couldn't feel right for some reason.

In the studio - capelet - circle scarf

Capelet, nylon and rayon, stockinette stitch, size 10 cable needle, 16 in.

I can't help myself, I love this yarn and how it drapes when made into a capelet. It's the Melody yarn from Southwest Trading Company, and I like the idea of a plain ivory colored capelet with this marvelous lacy texture.

In the studio - school colors scarf

Scarf, wool, stockinette stitch, intarsia color work, size 7 wood needles

This is one of the more wonderful purple and gold series items.
I'm playing with school colors and avoiding all the school color pattern cliches. I've got a zillion ideas.

In the studio

Scarf, mixed fibers: mohair, linen, polyester, cotton, size 5 plastic needles

I'm experimenting with these stripes and don't know exactly what will happen. I'm not sure I like the knots - or put more accurately, I don't know what to do with all the knots with these fine yarns. They're difficult to conceal and don't fit in with the refined look.

In the studio - white capelet - circle scarf

Capelet, mixed fibers, cotton, linen, mohair, acrylic, wool, silk, lurex, reverse stockinette stitch, size 10 metal cable needle, 24 in.

I've given up saying "this is the last capelet". I like lots of whites mixed together and this is the perfect sort of wintery mix. I want a decorative crochet edge.

Peace badge

Badge, 3.75 in., wool felt, silk, cotton embroidery floss

This silk inspired me to start embroidering again and I adore these big badges. I didn't bring a large safety pin with me when I shot this round of photos, but I'll try to remember to do that next time.

In the studio

Scarf, silk, Chinese lantern lace pattern, size 8 wood cable needle, 16 in.

Look ma! I'm doing cables!!!

Louisa Harding workshop

I went to my first workshop ever "Experimenting with Yarn Combinations" on Saturday. It was presented by Louisa Harding, a wonderful designer who has designed many yarns that are distributed by Knitting Fever. The workshop was at Colorful Stitches in charming Lenox, MA.

During the workshop we selected five of Louisa's KFI yarns and produced this little bag, or as much as we could knit of it.




One of the most interesting aspects of the workshop was looking around the room at the various combinations of colors. Since color and texture are the main attractions for me in knitting, this workshop opened my eyes to the way that Louisa uses her knowledge (genius, really) regarding color to design yarns that combine in beautiful ways. To see how each person found yet another beautiful combination was a thrill.

She encouraged play, which was a very good thing. I've seen so many knitters who are so involved with getting everything "right" that I think they miss much joy. So I'm hoping they have taken Louisa's message to heart as she offers her encouragement.

The final section of the workshop was Louisa's professional autobiography, and it was especially interesting to hear the life of a designer, from art school student to seasoned professional.

The workshop participants were very interesting and I wished I had time to sit with more of them and hear their stories as well. I was especially please to sit with a fellow librarian who has taken up knitting recently.

In the studio

Hand towel, organic cotton, stockinette, reverse stockinette and garter stitch, size 7 wood needles.

This cotton is soft, and I'm making a series of these towels for my own home. That's how much I like them! I'm working out what sorts of patterns I want to make with the reverse stockinette. They're fairly easy to improvise, however I like how some look better than others. So once I experiment with this series, I'll start another series for gifts or for sale.

The September 13th entry shows off the design a bit better than this one does right now.

The New Look

The new look reflects other changes in content for the blog. The content will be much less restricted to knitting and will reflect more fully what I'm doing in my scruffy little studio. For example, I'm doing quite a bit of collage lately.

In the studio

Capelet, cotton, lace rib stitch, size 9 cable needle, 24 in.

I got this far on this piece several months ago and have been letting it sit while I decide how to finish it. The yarn is a worsted weight cotton, and pure pleasure. The manufacturer used indigo for dyeing and so it will fade beautifully like good blue jeans. So part of me wants to wash it several times and then decide about the details. It is knitted back and forth rather than in the round, so I feel it needs a closure, and I'm wondering about a button or something else.

I just replaced my lost book on braids, so I may do a fabulous braid tie closure. So much to think about!!!!

I still have several skeins of the yarn, and have also begun a scarf. I feel like it requires either something very plain, like stockinette stitch, or something really fancy, like cables or laces. *sigh* Although it doesn't look it, the challenges are difficult!!

Finished scarf

Scarf, mohair, beginner's lace stitch, size 10 needles, bamboo

I'm enamored of this stitch and am trying it with many yarns. It makes a lovely drapey bias fabric. I used several yarns from my mohair stash for this scarf and am inspired to try mixing them more often. I've braided the fringe, which is an interesting touch, making the fringe less fluffy.

When I find my camera again I'll photograph yet another version in polished red cotton. May 30, 2007 entry is the green silk version. I have another silk version going on in sea greens and blues.

In the studio

Scarf, wool, rib stitch, size 10.5 plastic needles [dig the groovey pattern]

This is a celebration of the glorious colors of Noro. I used the yarn left over from a huge shawl to quickly work up this scarf. It's been wonderful protection from those late winter and early spring damp northeast breezes.

The needles are something that just appeared in my local fabric and yarn shop. They're very hard and quite heavy, so I'm not able to bend them as I do most plastic or wood needles - yay! They also have very pointy tips, so I'm using them to advantage with a rather difficult "railroad" yarn now that I have completed this scarf.

In the studio

Cushion cover, hand dyed and spun wool, garter stitch, intarsia color changes, size 7 cable needle, 24 in.

If you look at the left corner of the piece you can see the color change going up from the corner at a 45 degree angle. The color change will continue diagonnaly across the surface of the cushion. I got these two aqua yarns at a farmer's market last summer. The woman who makes these yarns is a dear, and her colors are quite wonderful. This is worsted weight yarn, so with the size 7 needle it is a firm fabric. It's wonderful "social knitting" because there's not too much concentration required.

The color change is a bit more pronounced in real life, however not a lot. It's going to be a wonderful way to use the last of this handsome yarn. I can't wait to see her colors this year at the Troy Waterfront Farmer's Market!

Finished scarf

Scarf, wool, rib stitch, size 15 wood needles

Even though I started this last May and forgot it for awhile, it's been a pleasure to finish it and send it on its way into the wide world. This was taken just before I bound off and weaved in the ends.

In the studio - yellow afghan

Afghan, mixed fibers: wool, linen, cotton, rayon, silk, acrylic, polyester, nylon, mohair, metallic; linen stitch, size 10.5 aluminum cable needle, 24 in.

I last posted about this work on September 24. I haven't worked on it in awhile, but now it's front and center in my studio - well, with only about five other projects. For awhile I lost steam and wondered about working in yellow, but I'm reinvigorated now and am forging ahead. I'm combining two strands for most of the rows to get a surface that is extremely complex, using a range of colors from white to yellow green to yellow to yellow oranges to salmon pinks.

Since I'm not done with my "bohemian" period, also called my "barbarian" period, I'm using the flags, tags and squiggles yarns to really rough up the surface. It's just getting more and more yummy!

Finished stole

Stole, silk and rayon, stockinette st with garter "rib", size 10.5 aluminum needle, 10 in.

I used for inspiration the Colinette patterns in the book "Nostalgia", using two very different weights of yarn. As you can see, the results are very interesting. I've been trying stripes using this idea for a couple months now. some I like, some have not made the cut.

The stole requires a fastener, something I've only done one other time. It isn't long enough to stay on without one. I have mixed feelings about it, but I think it looks really good. I hesitate to itegrate any sort of fastener into the stole myself, because then that limits the wearer's option to whatever I have chosen. If I leave it as is, then a brooch or other fastener can be used in several different ways.

Finished cowl

Cowl, knitted stockinette stitch with improvised crochet border; linen and mohair yarn - 2 strands, four colorways; size 4 cable needle, 16in.; unsized aluminum crochet hook (about size A or size 1 steel hook)

I've enjoyed working with these color combinations. In almost every colorway the linen strand is a slightly different color than the mohair. I staggered the color change rows so that there isn't an obvious transition line from stripe to stripe. The cowl is a very welcome change from scarves and shawls. I'm contemplating a drawstring so that the wearer can adjust either end for a tighter fit.

In the studio

Triangle shawl, wool, stockinette stitch, size 4 bamboo cable needle, 24 in.

This is my latest intarsia effort, which I call my tai chi shawl. Once I started I couldn't stop myself from cutting the skeins of Noro sock yarn into separate lengths of color and mixing them up with other sock yarns to create the color araeas of the shawl. So when I had to clean it off my couch I put everything in a bag. I'm not sure I'll ever assemble it all into working order again. After another zig zag of the color line, the warm colors will take over the top of the shawl.

In the studio

Triangle shawl, nylon and lurex, garter stitch, size 5 cable needle, 24" and size 13 cable needle, 16"

The bronze glinty yarn caught my eye months ago, but I finally picked it up a couple weeks ago when I was in Saratoga Springs for the Dance Flurry. It's a Rowan confection and I'm very much enjoying the drape. Although lots of things really irk me about it, the results are worth it. I have created horizontal panels by knitting an occasional row with the size 13 needles. It's a nice effect. In each wide panel I will be placing several applique pieces.

I was talking it over with Paul at Woodstock Wool Company and I said that I was looking for flower patterns to do the applique. He said "Oh no. Not flowers. That is just not right for the yarn." Or something close to that. Now I know he's right. The yarn is too metallic for flowers. So now I'm thinking about stars or other abstract or geometric shapes.

Finished scarf

Scarf, crochet, mohair, wool, size E aluminum crochet hook

I still want to do even more ruffles!

In the studio

Shawl, Merino wool tape, with silk and rayon blend. Garter stitch. 10.5 "flexible" needles.

This is one in a series of riffs on a two-yarn pattern. I adore the light spring colors. The two-yarn patterns are using yarns of different weights to create stripe textures. Yum!

Let me just say that I hate the flexible needles. These are bamboo with a nylon end, making them capable of holding very large pieces of fabric. The nylon won't straighten out, which makes them a horrible pain as they become tangled in the fabric. Ick!!!

In the studio

Stole, silk and rayon, stockinette st with garter "rib", size 10.5 aluminum needle, 10 in.

I was up in Saratoga Springs at Saratoga Needle Arts and just got wildly inspired by the yarns there last week. So I selected a sea green silk yarn, dyed by Woodstock Wool Company, and an old Berocco silk and rayon tape that was on sale. I love this fabric. It's a riff on a fabric that Colinette has shown all over the place in their adds. They use much lighter weight yarns and get a marvelous effect. But I've got at least three pieces in progress using the same principle, but with very different types of yarn. In this version I'm knitting 4 rows of stocinette with the lighter of the two yarns, then 2 rows of garter with the heavier yarn, in this case the tape. Because of the silk the drape of the fabric is very dreamy.

In the studio

Scarf, rib stitch, mixed fibers: cotton, rayon, wool, acrylic, size 5 wood needles

I'm surprized that there isn't another entry for this scarf, since I think it has been around for a very long time in my studio. I fished it out of the "in progress" heap and finished it last month. I'm sorry I didn't take a photo of the crazy red ruffle that I added to finish, all around the scarf. It is hemp and done with a size 4 needle, and very ruffly!

Finished scarf

Scarf, alpaca, rib stitch: k5, p5, size 5 bamboo needles.

I used the magnificant natural alpaca from Woodstock Wool Company for this scarf. Unlike almost all my other scarves, this is a short one. It's a gift for my cousin Geoff, and I imagine it going under his overcoat, on top of his business suit. The short length will make it all very neat and yet take advantage of the warmth of the alpaca.

Finished capelet.

Capelet, single crochet, hemp with "E" seed beads [at the end of each fringe]. Unsized crochet hook, equivalent to about a size 1 or 2 steel hook.

If this didn't take so doggone much time I'd make bunches of them. It's easy to improvise once you get the hang of how to increase in a circle. I like the feel of the hemp in my fingers. The May 9 entry has better focus, but this is the absolutely completed version.

It took *forever* to do the fringe, which was:
crochet 19 sc,
turn,
add bead,
sc, half dc, dc, tr, dc, half dc, sc,
sl back up to the top of the chain

It makes a sort of teardrop shape pendant. The bead at the tip adds a little glint.

It felt like I was making hundreds of them, because the bottom edge has so many stitches, and I made a pendant/fringe every three stitches.

Finishing: I made a picot edging for the neckline, which softened the austere line of my starting chain [I worked from the neckline down]. Blocking was essential to make the fringes behave themselves, and since there were so many, it took a lot of time. But it looks lovely with those finishing touches.

Finished scarf

Scarf, crochet, mohair and wool, size F aluminum hook

I used a wildly neon green in this scarf and I like the way it lightens up the fabric.

Scarf, wool, intarsia color work, rib stitch, size 10 wood needle.

This is a very soft yarn, and I love the color work. I've wanted to do more low-contrast color work with the intarsia technique after doing very high-contrast pieces, so this is my first attempt.

In the studio

Scarf, mohair strips, size 10 wood needle, rib stitch

This scarf comprises three thin strips, all done in different stitches and in different color ways. I talk about it like it's done, but not quite yet. I'll fasten the strips together in very interesting ways.

Heck no, I didn't stop knitting. In fact, I can't believe I stopped blogging for so long, I kept imagining how everything would look on the blog. I have more photos to be divvied out one entry at a time. I'll post while I'm around, then there'll be a short break, and I'll resume again after the 15th of this month.