Purple Sweater

 

 

I do love Purple. I have had this yarn for close to 40 years. Not kidding. 

Have made & ripped out a couple things from it over time.

This one was a keeper. 

Another example of keeping my hands busy.

Ravelery is a site for knitting patterns and sharing progress 

on projects. Social media for knitters.

This is the Ramona sweater. 

Fairly simple pattern. My "old" yarn was perfect for this. 

I learned how to wet block  to finish this piece. Smooths everything out & 

you can adjust the dimensions to be more accurate. 

A happy girl with her new garment. 

House of Pins

 I've been a bit obsessed with pin cushions lately. Don't ask me why. Maybe because I'm doing so much sewing needed a larger specimen to replace my little calico rooster who is about 30 years old.

 A classmate in my slow stitch class had this great house cushion which I riffed on for mine.

                          


 I had a length of ocher wool I knitted ages ago wanting to felt it for an undetermined project & decided this was it.  After spending way too much time hand felting (I will do this step in the washing machine from now on) I was ready to make a pattern & stitch away.

 

 

 

Roof windows & doors were made from old sweaters I had machine felted ages ago. 

 I created a pinterest board just for all the pin cushion ideas I ran across. 

What to fill them with, patterns, designs, hand felting.

A pocket of bb's is in the base help it stand up. Finally putting them to use. Steel wool is in the center covered with batting. Supposedly the steel wool will help keep the pins sharp. 

I have a couple small round cushions I am playing with as well. 

Next up ...dolls I am working on.

Y is for Yarn Bomb A to Z Challenge

 I belong to the local Yarn Bomb Society.

 It is about random acts of knitting & crocheting displayed in public places. Meant to be temporary.     Yarn Bombing  has only been a thing for about 14 years, according to Wikipedia. 

There is a meeting of our local group at an art association near by. I wonder what we will adorn?

Never heard of it? Have you ever seen an act of yarn bombing in your community?  

Wondered what the heck was going on?  Now  you know.  You're welcome.

The Einstein Coat

A friend showed up at a lunch last year with a version of this Einstein Coat. Because "you feel like a genius when you wear it".  I asked if she had made it. She had. I borrowed the book from her with the pattern, then found the book used online. It was worth the purchase as it has loads of great techniques and instructions.  My return to knitting was on. Approximately 8 months later I had my own Einstein Coat.  Feeling like a genius might be a stretch, but I love it.

This color is a beauty. I used buttons I had on hand, a mix & match approach.

One of my jars full of buttons.

If you are a knitter or would like to become one the Ravelry site is a wealth
of eye candy and information for patterns, techniques, yarn suppliers and forums.

Now I'm working on this pattern in a deep teal.
 It's going to take awhile. Small needles and thin yarn. Stay tuned. 

Knit & Purl #AtoZChallenge

I have recently returned to my love of knitting . 

I learned at a very young age from my Grandmother & Great Aunt. 

 

This is Aunt Mary.

The sweater coat I'm knitting. A friend made one several years ago & wore it to lunch. 

I was smitten, an understatement, and she was kind enough to lend me the book with the pattern.

There are many great tips & techniques in the book I never knew before.

First step is to get your skein into a ball of yarn you can work with.

 

 I used a long sturdy tube and masking tape for my winding tools. 

Who needs a store bought winder?

 

 

The cast on & bind off approach they show in the book

 make beautiful smooth edges on all sides.

 Wish I'd known these tips years ago. 

My friend went with me to her favorite local knitting establishment.

 Wool & Honey in Cedar, MI. The web site is fantastic. 

The 2 sisters who own & run the store are fun & so knowledgeable. 

That is where I purchased the yarn. 

Of course a new project leads to new supplies. I still have lots of needles from my grandmothers collection, but they are metal & I don't like the feel or sound they make.

 I also have a plastic set. Ick. I'm a grownup knitter now. 

These lovelies are made of birch. Lyyke, the Norwegian word for happiness, is the name of the company. They are smooth & beautiful to look at & to use. 

My friend has vowed to help me if & when I need it. I'm sure I will. 

Are there any knitters out there? Do you find it addictive? Calming? Inspiring? 

What other repetitive tasks put you in the zone?

Knitting A to Z Challenge

Child's sweater I made for my first son, who is now 33. You do the math. 

Knitting

 Yeah, it's another thing I do.  I will admit I haven't done much in the past couple years, but it's on the list to revisit in earnest during retirement. Which happens to start in 2 weeks!

                                                                                 I  learned to knit from these fine ladies. 

My maternal grandmother (Rt) & her sister (Lt).

 My grandfather was a tailor. I think I come by the fiber obsession rightfully.

 An ambitious project. I love this design. The penguins are so whimsical. I enjoyed the focus it took to follow the pattern.

Ravelry is a wonderful site to peruse for patterns & inspiration. Image above from their site.

Patterns, yarns, discussions, designers, it's all there.The image above is from them. Free to sign up. 

Of course I have a large Pinterest board devoted to knitting patterns I drool over.

Knitting is relaxing, meditative & tactile. So transportable hence a great endeavor for travel. Then there is the gifting potential. All great stuff in a world where using our hands to create something can be a lost pass time, but is so important to being human. Would you agree?

"Gorgeous" Pacific NW

Returned a week ago from a visit to the Pacific NW. Portland & Bend. Combo of exploration & to visit son who lives in Bend. The trip was grey, moist & fun! I'm glad we did this in the fall. I  imagine the area is packed in the summer months. Fall is our favorite time to travel.

 The pic above was from our 2 days exploring the falls & trails of the Columbia River Gorge. In a word WOW. Used the tilt shift feature in Instagram. I had no idea Instagram had the cool editing features I happened on while working on this image!

Reentry is tough. Most artists find it so. It can be a struggle to get back in the studio & the swing of creating.
So much inspiration out there. Then it needs to be processed then used or put aside.


Visited Pulp & Deckle while in Portland. A paper maker & illustrator making a go of it as a business. I contacted Jennifer before our trip to set up a meeting as I did not want to miss her studio & to hear her story first hand. She & her husband had just returned from the Dard Hunter conference in Santa Fe. As is usually the case in the paper making world we have several common acquaintances. The business recently bought a food truck they are converting into a mobile paper making studio. The Pulp Mobile, of course. What a brilliant idea!!!

Been at play in the studio with different techniques that have intrigued me. T-shirt yarn attempted and successful. I see a trip to Goodwill for fabric fodder. Some crocheted storage vessels a possible outcome.