Buttonless mittens no more!

I've got through the pile, and these are the mittens I finished this week.

More purple, this time with cable down the side.

The black moss stitch, with the coloured embroidery.

And another red onion skin fingerless mittens. The yarn had copper coins as a mordant.

This week I'm excited, I get to stock Incube8r on Friday and Saturday is Craft Hatch at the City Library.

More yarn, more mittens!

Embroidery on knitting

One of my favourite knitwear designers/writers is Montse Stanley. Sadly, she died in 1999, but her work lives on through her books, most famously her 'Knitters' handbook'. She collected books and knitting tools, including the first time I read any mention of knitting belts. This was donated to the University of Southhampton and is in their Library collection. Unfortunately, it is not accessible online (well, I couldn't find anything more than a description, tantalisingly, of the collection).

I did manage to pick up one of her books at a HWSG Textile Bazaar. Note to self: after missing the May bazaar, DON'T miss the October? one, always worth a visit on the chance of finding something.

I have been wanting to use some of her techniques. I always found that while dated, her aesthetic is closest to mine of any of the designers I admire. Strong lines, and texture seem to be her strong points and an encouragement to her readers to design.

I decided I would try this very simple technique of one of my fingerless mittens. These are always useful for trying small techniques and this gives me a way of producing lots and mitigating the boredom factor.

It starts with a moss stitch fabric, over which another yarn is woven. I chose a black fabric with the fibre sandwich yarn.

Please don't ask about the fingerless mittens I'm supposed to be knitting for myself from this yarn. Having always being worried that using my own hands for the mittens I might make them too big, I have largish hands for a women, what do I do when making my own.....make them too big! They will be done by Craft Hatch on Saturday........

After a few attempts, I finally settled on this pattern, which I am very pleased with...... Now to sew on the buttons......

A blast from the past!

I thought I'd just do a slight detour today. In the packing up of our house for floor polishing and painting activities, I came across, yet again, a piece of embroidery which is very important in my development as a textile artist. It is the first time that I designed something all by myself! I must have been in my twenties, yes, I am a late bloomer, and, along with the first jumper, I designed, were the first time that I realised that I could do design.

From there, I joined the Handweavers and Spinners Guild, learnt to spin and found a Certificate in Studio Textiles at the Melbourne College of Textiles, in which I enrolled. This all took place in just a few years. It still took me another 14 years to finish the Certificate which turned into a Diploma of Art at RMIT, but it was the start of the journey.

I still like it and I'm going to finally get this framed and hung in my newly painted and bare walled house.