Reds! Sunset and hot tropics - the continuing story

 I will finish this within the next few weeks - it won't go back into a "work in progress" bag or bin.

It is the first work I'll complete in my new studio space. I've relocated to Greenfield, in western Massachusetts and hope to concentrate solely on my textiles and paper arts.

This small set of notes is what I used to develop the pattern. It is written on the back of the yarn label.

My working point of view - it's a glorious riot of color.

For an earlier post on this shawl: https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/reds-sunset-and-hot-tropics.html

Little Hands Studio News - The Studio is Moving

Yes, Little Hands Studio is changing location, so it'll be topsy-turvey while boxes are getting packed and unpacked.  But it is altogether wonderful to handle all the lovely materials in the process of packing.

This embroidery is an old work in progress and worthy of some time and attention.

I've been mending these old black jeans for years, so this session I got out the bright silks for some dramatic applique and colorful stituches.

An old pal asked me for a favor and so I finished the yoke and neck. It was nice not to have to get through all that gray first!! I really enjoyed working with the bulky lopi.

 

Little Hands Studio News ; Drawing with pens and ink

Pens and ink are news in the studio. This drawing is made with gel pens and felt tip fine liner pens. 

 It seems like time to hunker down and put hours into learning how various mediums behave and how appropriate they are for my ideas.

In the mean time I'm packing materials for an upcoming move, so I'm going to pack the looms, yarns and other bulky materials and try to keep a slimmed down group of working stuff.

Although I have used a cross, I purposely want to set it off center and give it a bit more abstracted position and also add an asymmetrical setting.

It takes a lot of effort to keep the drawing relatively consistent so that the colors don't drift from shades into tints, and so that the color combinations remain vibrant.

Back to knitting: purple capelet

Capelet, mostly stockinette stitch, about 10 purple yarns, knitted in the round on 24 and 42 in. cable needles, size US 8

I made a series of these  capelets over the fall and this is one of my favorites!

There were some light purples, but the dark ones took over in the end.

The length goes to the elbow.

 

Mixed media works on paper

Since 1996 I've been creating very small scale collage works, around 4" x 6".  More recently I've been scaling up the size, using a 12" x 12" pad of paper as well as a regular 9" x 12" sketch book.  Below are several of these works in a series of exercises in larger collage compositions.

 

Me and Frida and Little Hands Studio News

As the season of giving proceeds Little Hands Studio is gradually moving back into local galleries and pop-ups. The Petersham Art Center gallery member show is my first group show in many years and it's fun to get back out there and see what people think.  One of my textile pieces is in the show [the "whites" blanket https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2022/08/in-studio-news-whites-afghan-continues.html] and displayed very well.  Many works are moving out into the world to live their own lives as capelets, scarves and shawls. I'm looking forward to showing works in more local galleries during 2023.

Me and Frida go back a long way and I am continually fascinated by her art and life.  During this past year I found a copy of her diary that is edited by Carlos Fuentes.  I began removing pages, thinking I would use parts of the images in my art journal. A few minutes into the process I realized that I could leave the book more or less intact and interact with the pages in wildly inappropriate ways. My path was set.  I've begun to alter the book in crazy ways to experiment with her images and diary ideas.  It's fairly mind bending and I highly recommend it. Below are a few of the pages of this work in progress.

....

 

Color play

Watercolors are a way to develop color ideas to use in my textile designs. These are some recent excercises.

 

Little Hands Studio News - November 15, 2022

 This is the group of work I'm using to see if the Shelburne Arts Cooperative will accept my work for their lovely gallery in Shelburne Falls, MA. They ask for an email with photos of five works with descriptions and retail prices, a bio and statement of what level of membeship I'd like.

I'm not submitting any works involving paper at this time, although I am thinking about switching to more paper things or household items.  

Or should I do that for another gallery? I'm also looking at the charming gallery in the town next door as a possibility. I should probably concentrate on SAC first.

I've been preparing for a popup show and sale in my studio for the past month and things were busy in the knitting chair. Now I'm looking at different stitching possibilities, perhaps more like needle and thread. I saw some small fabric bowls that sent my mind spinning out into about a hundred design ideas. Then there are handbags and fabric jewelry that have piqued my interest all year.

Shelburne Arts Cooperative website: http://shelburneartscoop.com

Aqua Silk

Capelet, silk, rib stitch, size 11 cable needle [24 and 47 lengths]

photo play with the materials - these photos are from August 2022

 

Old Prism bubble: completion at last!

Triangle Shawl, size 6 cable needle, 32 in. mixed fibers, rib stitch.

This is how it developed over the final days:

And done!  It is about 75 in across the top and about 24 in at the longest point.

I had to sqeeze it  together to fit it on the table so I decided to stretch it out to its full glory  for display on the triangle loom.

 

Previous posts about this shawl:

 https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/old-prism-bubble-encore.html

https://thatknittingblog.blogspot.com/2017/02/old-prism-bubble.html