It's what inspires you that counts!

Inspiration can come from all sorts of sources, yet for many of us it is 'the yarn'. The 'must have' that gorgeous texture, feel, colour or just it's plain craziness!

I am having that reaction with the wonderful silk and stainless steel yarn from Dairing. I managed to get to their Richmond shop in Lennox St. to find a beautiful store. Yarns and more colours and their wonderful designs. I was there to buy yarns, which I did....

but I also checked out an amazing range of yarns, from the stainless steel to linen to linen paper. So now I have something to play with...

Linen paper! I saw a jacket knitted with this and, I think, it was the silk and stainless steel and it was gorgeous. It keeps suggesting to me, for some unknown reason, crochet, so I might team it with some mercerised cotton and a crochet hook and see what I come up with.

What I'd like to have a look at is their amazing designs, clothing and jewellery. Again, beautiful design and maybe a gorgeous something to wear for Christmas!

I was so excited by my purchases, that I've done three scarves for the market. They're done on the knitting machine and I manipulate the fabric to try and create folds that force the fabric to behave interestingly. I think it works!

I do feel a bit of a fraud when I say that ALL the previous scarves have sold.....I bought the first cone at the Handknitters guild and despite it being the only one it went, so next, at the Sheep and Wool show I bought two and a play cone. The play cone is still being played with but the TWO have gone. I did make a mistake and only bought four, when I'd written in my diary, buy SIX....next time. It is surprising, as usually people need a choice of colour, but there seems to always be someone who just loves them.

So here are the next three:

Now I have to go and put tags on all  the finished pieces, in time for Rose St. Market tomorrow.

Just some finished things

Here are the finished articles referred to in previous posts. Just so you know I do finish things!

Firstly, the mystery socks. I slowed down once the last page was sent out, and then they sat waiting for the toes to be grafted. Finally, they're finished, I've worn them and I like them. Just perfect for jeans. Now, I need some new shoes.....

Oh, and, yes, I do have different sized feet and therefore different sized socks!

Then there's the fingerless mittens using the Earth Pallette experiment. I found just the right buttons and I like them, they'll be at Rose St. on Sunday.

And, finally the scarf. I am so happy with it. It has rolls, holes, bits sticking out and, I think, reflects my trip to the Botanical Gardens. The picture doesn't quite show everything, but, I hope you get the idea.

Craft Hatch here I come!

I've figured out what time I have to be at Craft Hatch and will catch the 9.29am train to the city. I'm excited and apprehensive. I love this tiny market and hope that, despite tomorrow being cold and wintry, that people will come to the City Library and have a look and maybe even buy!

I took a quick picture of the new things that I take to the market. It's a good reference for me and reminds me that I have worked over the last two weeks. The first week was spent spinning and dyeing with a bit of basic knitting. This week has been more knitting, and finishing off each item and then pricing and putting on their tags. (Sigh!)

I'm happy with the new neckwarmers in single colours, the new lace-up fingerless mittens, dyed after they were knit. Just one more scarf sneaked in and I would have liked to make more button up mittens, but I managed one.

Sort of feel satisfied after spelling it out. Off to move the car as the builder finishes up his work tomorrow. Pictures to follow!

Leaves

This scarf is a culmination of several different threads coming together.

The yarn was handspun and a gift from one of my lovely customers. I decided to dye it using the colours 'Flax' and 'Coral'. This turned out a bit pinker than I'd imagined. The skein, which I forgot to photograph before I wound the ball didn't show this up, but once it was wound, there was the pink. I'm really not sure how that happened?

I had an idea that started with the idea of Autum, though with the pink, perhaps Spring is more appropriate.

That was the first step. These lace leaves occur in lots of pattern books. They consist of increasing without the mirror decrease. This creates a raised leaf, then decrease to bring the end down. I like the idea of playing with the fabric surface, and these are a good way to start.

I decided to knit this lengthwise and with leaves all along. I swatched and it worked well.

The next part of this was to use the provisional cast-off so that I could knit the leaves in two directions. I haven't done this before so I was glad to finally have a reason. You can see the white line is a crochet length from which I picked up the stitches. This was pulled out as the stitches were picked up and I started knitting the leaves in the opposite direction.

So far, so good...but this is a tale of changes, frogging and different endings.

Half way through the second length, it became patently obvious that I was going to run out of yarn. As the scarf is short anyway, some other design feature was going to have to complete the design. (I will do a double row of leaves another day, it was a good idea).

Second idea............frog it again.

Now, you might be thinking that I should have sampled and checked, but sometimes you just have to go with it. It really depends on how much time you're prepared to lose. In this case just a couple of hours to get what I really wanted, and swatching wouldn't have told me if I was going to run out, well not with some great scales and good math!

I finished off one side with the wiggly little cast-off all the way along. For each stitch, cast on three stitches, then cast off four. It created a gorgeous wave.

I undid the other cast-off edge and used the same technique as the other side, except on the tip of the small leaf I did two six-stitch cast-on and off in the one stitch. For the bigger leaf I did three nine-stitch wiggles. Two different edges, I love it.

What did I finish this week?

I've decided that I'm going to document the articles that I finish each week.....just in case you're interested in anything. Most will end up in my Etsy shop, but not always. I often don't put things on for a variety of reasons: the main being time, however, photographs are often the reason. If I don't feel that I've managed to give a good indication of colour, texture or form, I'll leave them to my market stall, so people can see them for real. Occasionally, I have articles that I need people to feel or try on because they're a bit odd!


So here they are for this week:




Red Onion with Alum mordant dyed silk scarf with folds



2 skeins of chocolate centres yarn (100gm and 90gm)

Purple fingerless mittens with bobbles down the edge of the buttons. (sold)

Doesn't feel like alot of stuff, but there is a pile of fingerless mittens still to put buttons on and more chocolate fleece to spin!

So, if you're interested in anything, don't hesitate to contact me: tsbtextile@yahoo.com.au

Puff yarn scarf

I think I'm in love. I took my Country Conference puff yarn down to the beach, just to knit it up quickly and see how it looks. It looks wonderful. I'm definitely going to make more of this yarn.

I knit on 15mm needles for this scarf as it proved to give a reasonably dense fabric.

I did try on 20mm needles, it was very open and if there was enough yarn, this would make a great shawl as it was very bouncy.

How plans change

Had this weekend all planned, well no plans really, that was the point! One crazy idea....well I thought it was crazy......revealed, and what do you know, I'm spending Saturday and Sunday afternoons, spinning and knitting at Incube8tr (12-4pm).

So in preparation, this is meant to be also an opportunity to go to work!, I've been cutting up silk to use in my silk scarves. I've dyed the first lot, and I've practiced my woollen spinning, so I can create a yarn to ply with the silk. I think the wool gives a better fabric with some of the bounce of wool and it doesn't detract from the silk.

My next dyeing will be with some Rosemary, inspired by India Flint. I always have rosemary in my garden, for remembrance, and my bush is somewhat overgrown, though, right now in glorious flower. It's supposed to give a green, we'll see!

What adventures! So, if your in the area, pop into Incube8tr and see this gorgeous shop with me in it, it might just be the shop for you.

Felting ping-pong balls

Continuing the scarf, now a mini-saga. I've successfully felted the scarf and and pleased with the result, including the areas that didn't take colour.

However, it's not big enough, so I'll have to make another. I'll continue working on this one and make a nice little neck warmer. More buttons are required, but I don't think I can 'find' the right buttons, will have to make a serious purchase of buttons!

What a difference a day makes!

Yes, what a difference a day makes. I had the best day since I've been there....that's right, the best. What was really good was that a bit of everything sold. Except hats! They're supposed to be what is selling, oh well. I did sell some wall hangings, scarves, a little yarn and my fingerless mittens, again. It was fairly quiet, having fallen on the Queen's birthday weekend, so even better. I do hope this continues.

As a result of the boost in confidence and thanks to the long weekend, I had a flurry of activity. I've two 'commissions', one from the weekend, a pair of wrist warmers, and one that I've had for awhile that I've been putting off.

The wrist warmers are knit in some handspun that was slightly felted. I'm not sure how it is working out, but they've given me some more ideas for wrist warmers that are a smaller version of the fingerless mittens. Need to find more buttons! (Apologies, problem with the pictures)

The scarf is machine knit with ping-pong balls tied in. I'm trying to felt it, yes it will felt! but had to abandon the dyeing in favour of feeding my family. I'll boil it to death, take out the ping-pong balls and add buttons to make the resulting ball shape more of a floral shape.

I've then made my first totem. I like it, however, I don't think I'll use toilet rolls as a basis. They just don't have the right look of authority.

Finally, I've started knitting a tri-scarf (must think of a better name) with wool that I spun for the workshop in Bendigo. I wanted to finish this so they could see how the yarns they're going to create look when they are knit up.

It's amazing what a boost of confidence can do!

Inspired by students

After changing over at Incube8tr, still no sales, I took myself off to the Ian Potter Centre (www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvaustralia) to see what was showing. The current blockbuster is the Sidney Nolan exhibition, as that cost to go in, I decided that the other exhibitions were more in line with my 'penniless' mood. What a treat!

The first exhibition was about Black in fashion. It was a very small exhibition and not quite as groundbreaking as you might have thought. The older mourning dresses were wonderful as anything made by hand for the wealthy always has a wealth of detail, but the modern pieces were interesting, but surely there is more, especially Punk.

I then decided to head to the Top Arts exhibition. I must admit, I do always like these exhibitions. Seeing students work in an exhibition setting always highlights what it means to have enthusiasm and energy. The works are always of a high standard, with some being able to fit into any 'professional' exhibition.

My favourites were:

1. three panels where the artist had spread gesso with their hands, let it dry and then did fine line work on top. Initially this looked random, but after reading their artists' statement, there could be found some personal references. I loved this, as you could look at it for ages, it was a really interesting idea and it just looked good as a piece of work.

2. printed paper was cut up and woven. Couldn't go past this one!

3. there was a ceramic work in the exhibition, but, for me, more interestingly, they had the workbook for the artist. It was wonderful, full of ideas, materials, technical details. A work of art on it's own.

Over coffee, I decided that for my newspaper, totem pole, eyes work that I'm about to embark on, I'll keep a detailed workbook and make regular contributions and hopefully create a number of works.

I've also decided that I need to 'package' my work. It makes it easier to buy for gifts and hopefully looks better. Will have to have a play.

I did manage to finish a small scarf. This goes with the hat and the wrist warmers. I like playing with two yarns at one time, trying to make them do different things. (Sorry about the colour, I can't photograph red)

Five scarves

Had a lovely day yesterday. Finished weaving the last scarf. This was a little annoying as I was weaving with some nice fluffy yarn, thinking I had more....wrong. I decided to start again with some handspun and it worked well.

With a little dyeing I now have five very difference scarves. I did try tumeric, which is the bright yellow. Takes alot of rinsing out as you don't want to leave the scarf with a foody sort of smell!

Having not woven fabric for awhile, this has been a great exercise to get back into it. I already have several ideas for the next warp. I do also want to try some of the weaves that I didn't have a chance to do when I was at college....now I have an eight shaft loom.

Back to the weaving

I'm half way through the third scarf on this warp and I'm very happy. I decided to combine the fine wool yarn I've been using throughout with a textured yarn. I tried a fine boucle, but it just got lost. So I chose a very fluffy knitting yarn and it has worked really well.

The next yarn will be about structure and using my 8 shafts. Just have to find a yarn that will work well on this open warp.

Hats and handwarmers finished. Just alot of sewing on buttons left to do.

Shapes

Whilst it would appear that I haven't been working on anything much in particular, I have had a project on the go for a few days. The knitting is finished, but I'm still wondering what I've done. They're a pair of fingerless mittons, only a thumb hole but with quite a cuff up to the elbow. I think they need to be displayed intelligently. I'm looking for the right sized tubes. I have either too large or too small. Sounds a bit like Goldilocks. Anyway I'll keep looking for wrist sized tubes.

I've also just started this triangle scarf. It's been sitting in my head for awhile and this is how it has manifest itself so far. I think I'll add buttons to finish it off.

I have been thinking about presentation for awhile. Some comments made about how people don't always realise that artists such as those at In.cube8tr make unique one-off pieces and that it needs to be spelt out. This has been the last piece in a corner of the complex puzzle, but I thought it might be nice to give each piece a name, with a description that is both useful and hopefully entertaining, as a way of saying something about the unique nature of my work.

I also need to photo my finished work, I have alot of work in progress, but few of the finished pieces. So I'll post these with their name and story. See how it goes!

Thanks George.

Seaweed scarf

What a busy day. Pulled the back panel of last years Sheep and Wool entry to do some vital repairs. Wonderful fun surrounded by yarn, fibre, finished products and dogs.....obviously not my house.


The night was filled with my Beginners Spinners class. This is the half way mark and they are all doing very well. I have not doubt, that they'll walk away feeling very pleased with themselves. Next week we do some random dyeing. After four weeks of cream fleece, it will be time for a bit of colour.


Then I went home and finished my seaweed scarf. I absolutely love this. I hope it finds a home.

Finished and started stuff!

I've finished knitting 'Kimberley knitting'. I'm very happy, but have realised how much work there is to go to really finish it. I'm going to knit a small version to try everything on just to make sure I don't wreck it. I've added up the hours and it's taken 20 hours to get this far. Much more than I expected. So care is the word.

First process is washing and blocking. Then adding the colour and finally mounting. I'm exploring the options: mounting on a block of wood, where it shows through, or, as has been suggested, making a frame and lacing it on with no backing. Both have possibilities and I've finally ordered some Paverpol, this might provide some part of the solution too.

I managed to start a scarf last night using the pick up stitch idea from 'Knitting new scarves'. It's turned out quite different from the first scarf and somewhat different than I'd expected. There are ridges on one side, where I've picked up stitches, which I'd thought would have more impact, but I've come to like them. Next time, I'd like to explore making these ridges a feature by adding on the them by crocheting a frill, or some such thing.

Finally, I noticed a picture of Bjork at the Big Day Out concert wearing the best wristies of all time. Aren't they spectacular? My oldest son went to the concert, said she was great and her costume was spectacular as he could tell me it was gold!

A lovely day for a playdate

Yesterday, with friends, food, books and textiles we spent yesterday lunch and afternoon, talking, laughing, eating, thinking and of course, there were plenty of textiles. What a great way to spend the day. Thanks Tammie, especially for the sheep!

Unfortunately, Sunday wasn't so successful. Again, I didn't sell anything. From an overall point of view, whilst not alot of people came to the market, it was enough to think that you could build on it. I tried my new line of 'wrist warmers'. I do need to find a more interesting way of displaying them, maybe another tube or two?

Having abandoned my double knitting scarf, I've started a black and grey scarf, inspired by 'Knitting New Scarves'. Using the idea of picking up stitches down the centre of garter stitch rectangles/squares as a starting point, I decided I didn't want to make different sizes and then link them together, and sewing in ends(!), so instead of casting off for each square, I left the last stitch, picked up the stitches from that rectangle and cast of extra stitches, knit that as before, then using the last stitch of the previous colour, used that as the first stitch in the pickup. I quite like the effect and there are many more possibilities in this technique.

This could be the one!

I've been wanting to knit a scarf that turn out to be very expensive. I think this is the one. Fine rayon and wool yarns knitted on No14 needles. It took me ages last night to knit this much. Though I must admit I could have been distracted by 'Black Books' on the TV. They're the first of the series and I don't remember watching them. Who can resist: alcohol, craziness and books!

Anyway, this is going to the beach for finishing.

You can never have enough books!

It's arrived! all the way from England, courtesy of the Book Depository website. A good friend showed me her copy and I couldn't stop looking through it, much to her delight. The book is 'Knitting New Scarves', and I don't usually buy another pattern book. This is an amazing exception and lives up to expectations as you keep looking through.





There are so many ideas in this book that it was hard picking only a couple of pictures to show you. I like this grey, as it's just slits and she's added the embelishment later. That could be anything. Long icords, flowers are just my immediate reaction.

Creating waves like this is just having a fabric which is either shorter or in this case, different sized stitches on the front and back.

What is also really interesting is the way some of the challenges of making commercial scarves and still make them interesting enough have played out for her. Using garter stitch, knitting scarves in the round. These are the basic ideas I've been playing with. It's really good to know that it's a reasonable way to go.

This book is going to take quite a while to digest. There are even a couple of scarves I'm going to have to knit from the pattern to see how she does it.

If you want to make scarves, make a space in your library for this. Thanks Catherine.

Note: 'Knitting New Scarves' by Lynne Barr. Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York, 2007

Note: The Book Depository. www.bookdepository.com.uk

Between Christmas and New Year

I hope everyone had a joyous Christmas full of family, friends, love and hope.

Now we have that lovely time between holidays, when even if we have to work, there's a certain quietness that means we can relax and enjoy ourselves. I've been to the Boxing Day test (day 2), eaten leftovers, sorted out some files and, made some more scarves.

The first has been quite a trial - I was wanting a chequerboard effect with drop stitches in between. Unfortunately, this required too much casting off and on and the drop stitches sort of got lost. Maybe blocking would have helped, but it still wasn't working. I settled for casting on lengthwise, knitting a 3x3 rib then dropping stitches in a Fiobonacci pattern (is that how you spell it?).

I started the second last night and picked a pattern from the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary, the Daisy chain stitch. I've used much larger needles and made everything garter stitch. I quite like the effect and will make a long thin scarf.

Next week will be blocking everything! and getting them ready to sell.

Another scarf on big needles

I finished another scarf last night. Just using up purple yarn from the stash. Big needles, knit lengthwise. People really like these bright and quick to make scarves.

The next one will be a bit slower, as I'm going to use the camel and wool yarn that I've spun. I want an open overall lace and insert a few areas of folds. That will need some sampling before I get it right, but it should be quite effective.














I have a steering committee meeting for the 9x5 market, where we'll be discussing a marketing strategy. This should be interesting and more importantly, useful. The next step in the development of the market is to get more people there.