Lace at Experimental

I always love the challenges that each session of Experimental Spinning brings, this time lace was on the agenda, courtesy of an article in the latest edition of Ashford's magazine, 'The Wheel'. It described a method of add those odd bits of lace to your spinning in quite a wild way. Not being a lace girl, cutting up lace seemed like an appropriate thing to do!

We had plenty of lace with a donation from our craft outlet volunteer, and lots from all our stashes.

The first part involved cutting up lace, taking lengths of wool top and threading the top through the lace.

You end up with a pile of lace and tops, like this!

Spinning isn't difficult, or slow, though having my lovely poly wheel with  big hooks certainly helps and even with that, there is some lace that is stiffer than others and does get caught. As I was going to ply this with a fine single, I hoped I could smooth those pieces of lace that had moved or were scrunched up too much, as I plyed.

That proved the case and the plying was done quite nicely and I ended up with yarn that is really quite sweet!

The lessons learnt....

I think that because the pieces of lace were quite short, when I plied they tended to keep sticking out rather than get wrapped. I think that the longer pieces would have been more twisted from the spinning, making the plying easier.
 

For further experimentation:

Trying to get the pieces of lace closer together, for that full-on lace look!

Dyeing would be interesting! All those different fibres!

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this yarn, but it was fun! For such an over the top look, it's not difficult or particularly slow.

Lessons learnt at Harrietville

No, this is not a tale of woe, but a celebration of the weekend away at Harrietville, in the Victorian Alps, organised by the Handweavers & Spinners Guild of Victoria (thanks Marilla, Diane! and Dorothy for bringing the shop).

 You book in before Christmas, never seems to come, and then it's over in a flash!

This year I attended two classes, properly, and watched in another. Unusual, as I just like to sit around, drink coffee and knit or spin. Some of that did get done, as well as the catching up with friends and making new ones!

The first class I attended was the Moebius cast-on with Nicole. This is the Cat Bordhi method of cast on and what fun it was. Spun your head around a little, but once past that it's just knit.

This is my first one, in progress. I decided to go big, I mean BIG! With 8mm needles, a fine kid mohair, I cast on 150 sts and then proceeded to use ALL the yarn. Usually, I can get two decent sized cowls with this, but decided to be extravagant.

This is the result and it's gorgeous. You can see how it twists quite nicely, and there's lots of it.

I have immediately begun another. This time, same needles, same yarn, but now only fifty stitches. You can see how the needle is a double loop, as with the cast on, you cast on down the middle and work outwards on both sides. It means, somewhere in the middle the twist means that you effectively change sides. This is a little mind blowing, as you can just knit and end up with half purl and half knit ??? I think a mathematician would have a field day with that description, but, hey, I'm not a mathematician!

I'm trying for a five rows of knit and five rows of purl to give it bounce.

After this, I'm going to try another little one, but a more conventional use of yarn. An 8 ply and try and find a reversible stitch pattern.

Love Harrietville!

Ideas that rattle

I've had this idea for a woven wall hanging rattling around in my head for ages, ever since I've been looking at birds nests, which must be nearly TWO years now. FINALLY, I managed to do a sample on my lovely 16-shaft loom.

It's perhaps not the best looking sample. I've never been very good at the good looking sample. I just need to see what happens when I try a few things and get sorted in my mind. Once I've done that I get bored pretty quickly with the sample.

However, they are worthwhile as the weaving in its' proper form in coming along nicely.

The weave is a honeycomb, which should collapse into nice little 'nests' when finished. I have no pattern and am just changing the elements as I go. I have two blocks of honeycomb and a block of tabby at each end. This allows me for all sorts of combinations of pattern.

I know the colour isn't quite right, but I hope you can see the subtle colour variations. There's going to be alot more happening, and I still haven't decided if it will need embellishing after I've finished weaving. Probably won't be able to until it's off the loom.

Isn't it wonderful having a studio that you have to work at. I'm hoping to finish it this week, in time for the opening!

Dishcloths, Facewashers and 52 weeks

The lovely people at Knit Picks are doing 52 weeks of dishcloths, I found it following their facebook page. Now I'm usually not a good follower, but as it has coincided with the occupying of my Studio (Oh, you can now follow 'TSB textile - Gallery, Studio and Shop' on Facebook!) I've decided to try and follow these for the duration of my occupancy. I'm not trying to do the whole 52 weeks, just my little bit of it. It eases the pressure, but I'm still behind!

I've done Week 1 and Week 2:

 I want to amend Week 3, because I think I can make the bee look better.

I've completed Week 6:

 

I particularly enjoyed this one. The pattern does a chain over a treble group, then does a little double crochet into the treble group over the chain anchoring it nicely, and, the edging is a little dc, ch1 into each space, very simple finish, but it does finish it well.

I had alot of trouble with this one. Of course the patterns are from America and I kept getting my double crochet (treble) and single crochets (double) confused. Unpulled and amended the pattern to complete.

  

These arrive in the early hours of Friday morning here, so I'm trying to get them done on my Friday nights in the Studio (4-8pm). What better way to finish the week: dishcloth to knit, glass of wine and hopefully, some friends. Join me??

 

Hot days in January

I hope you all survived the FOUR days of above 40C this week. There weren't many visitors to the Studio and I did appreciate the effort made by those that did brave the heat. It's only January!

Anyway, I did start the week very well with an overnight stay in Portsea with hubby and friends. A lovely spot their family has just near the Portsea Pub. (You know the Portsea pub....the "HOW MUCH does two beers and two lemon lime and bitters COST" pub!)

We had a lovely walk along the beach and enjoyed the views of the bay, houses, water and structures. Lovely and cool!

Opening day at the Studio, Gallery & Shop

Yep, it was the first official day that the Studio was open. I had three visitors and a delivery of some gorgeous signs from my husbands' brother-in-law, Lee from Signs UC.

It was a bit of a shaky start, as I wasn't quite ready! We had painted, pulled up the bright blue lino to reveal concrete for the floor of the 'gallery' part of the shop, but there are still some missing pieces from the gallery.

I can't hang all my work in the 'shop' but the method of display works well and I'm quite pleased with the effect. I haven't enough coat hangers and macrame rope upon which to hang things. And I still haven't quite figured out how to hang the neckwarmers. But I'm pleased with the effect.

The first exhibition, I've called 'Journey' as it's a sort of survey of the work that I've done since the days of my Diploma of Art (Studio Textiles & Design). Once I have everything hanging, it will be quite good, but I'm pleased with the effect already.

The studio isn't really set up at all, that will happen over this week. It's exciting!

Grimshaw Street Studio

It's all too exciting.....not sure where to start, but here goes...

As part of the collaboration between Greensborough Chamber of Commerce and Renew Australia, the Greensborough shopping centre has become a project under the Renew Australia auspices.

Basically, what Renew Australia does is take "otherwise empty shops, offices, commercial and public buildings and make them available to incubate short term use by artists, creative projects and community initiatives." They are now working with the Greensborough Chamber of Commerce to use the vacant shops in the Greensborough town centre....and I've got one!

This is it, at 77 Grimshaw St.:

 Basically, on a month by month basis, for no rent, this is going to be my studio/gallery/workshop, where I will be for 5 days a week. (Currently, I don't have the hours, I do....but it seems a commitment if I tell people!?....) I aim to work on developing new products, new sculptures and engaging the community. I have to pay all the outgoings and figure out how to fit out the shop at low cost......but I am SOOOO excited!

Here is my first little installation with a little bit of information just to show that someone is coming. This is an unfinished sculpture called 'White house'. Once Christmas is over and family and friends have been welcomed and fed and the season celebrated, I will be cleaning, painting, getting electricity on and all the other things I keep thinking of....I have to rewrite my list because it's outgrown the small page!...for the opening on Tuesday the 7th January.


Whilst the shop is a little 'interesting' at the moment, it has great potential. In its previous life, it was a tattoo parlour, I'm not short of power points or lights! Under the blue, unlaid lino is a concrete floor, which should come up a treat. The walls will be filled and painted. Tables, chairs, artwork will adorn it and hopefully make it feel welcoming and interesting.


It has a lovely view, with some potential for a little yarn bombing and given that there is Greensborough Shopping Centre right behing the church over the road, quite a pleasant aspect.

So, I hope people come and visit me while I'm there.


Oh, and by the way, I know that there is at least one more space available, and they're hoping that the currently filled spaces will encourage other owners to join in, so if you're interested just go to the Renew Australia website and register your interest.