Fibre Sandwich

Yesterday was a lovely day with the opening of the HWSG Spinning Certificate exhibition. It was great to see the students enjoy the morning and see their work displayed, hopefully well (I helped set it up on Thursday) and celebrate with their family and friends.

The afternoon was spent making a fibre sandwich - salad! We laid out a layer of 'bread' fibre, then a really crazy layer of 'filling', then another layer of 'bread'. This was then divided amongst us and we started spinning it up. I've actually now finished - a first for me at Experimental Spinning. I intend to ply it with my left over English Leicester, but I think I'll spiral it and even then add a binder yarn to really bulk it out.



















Today is about trying to finish this and also finishing the painting of my stall installation, black coathangers and all.

Spaghetti

Our internet connection has slowed to a crawl for the duration of the month, so I've been too annoyed to blog, not only is it slow, but seem to have a habit of timing out. I've had to resort to going to the library to do any serious mail collecting and searching!

Anyway, I've been working on a stand for my scarves and that's progressing well. Need some black paint to finish it off. More tubes have been collected from hubby's brother-in-law, I found some small coat hangers and I'm painting everything black! I'm approaching the stand as if it were a sculpture, with black tubes everywhere. I felt uncomfortable with not having all my scarves out, so I'm trying to create a rack. I'm hoping that will give me enough on the stall to always make a sale!

The first textile picture in the 'Pasta' series is now well on its way, I've only to add a strip of colour and it's well on its way. I want to add a red, green and ??? strips,which should be very striking.

I've started spinning some English Leicester to do the background for the next one and thought I'd find another fleece for the third. Nice to be spinning.

I've also bought the new issue of Vogue Knitting, which has some really interesting ideas in it. I'll expore that further when I have a better internet connection. This has just taken me half an hour to do!

Some more yarn!

Finished the camel yarn and plied it with some brown wool that I had also spun. Needs to be washed properly, but I'm quite happy with it. Unfortunately, I need to scour the yarn, hopefully it doesn't ruin the camel.

I also machine knit the merino I had. Wasn't enough to do a textile picture, but I will felt it to see what happens. It did prompt an idea for a scarf. Machine knit a scarf length, block it and then embellish it with handspun. Could be fun!

Machine Knitting Handspun

Bouncing around my workshop, a little undirected, I felt the urge to spin....problem, all bobbins have something on them. As I want a felt background for my next textile picture series, I decided to felt some leftover English Leicester single (still on bobbin- there is method to my madness) and try and machine knit with it then felt it. It was still quite greasy, so I don't think I scoured it before spinning, only washed it.

It did go through the machine with only one break. I think I need to clean the brushes and make sure I go quite slowly, or, of course, use cleaner wool!

I did felt it, not fully, and I'm quite pleased with the result. Next I'll try the leftover merino for a more serious effort.

I then did manage to spend the rest of the evening spinning camel. I'm spinning a fine slubby yarn and keep changing my mind about whether I'm going to ply with it or not. I do want to then do an upmarket version of my necklet.

'Bonanza'

I finished and delivered my sculpture. I was pretty happy with it, and as it happened, I didn't need a plinth!

The opening is on Saturday and I'll be there, at least for a little while. I've volunteered to sit the exhibition on the 5th December.

Now, I'm wondering what to do next!

Details:

'Bonanza' - CSA members exhibition

Yarra Sculpture Gallery,

Vere St. Collingwood

24th November - 9th December

Pasta making

We had such alot of fun yesterday, making AND eating pasta. I've taken photos and am thinking about how they might make a series of textile pictures. Some obvious answers to that problem, but I'll think about how long thin 'things' can be created and mounted!

We discussed our group entry for the Australian Sheep and Wool show and have an overall guiding concept: World unravelling with the show theme of 'Flora and Fauna'. Now we just have to collect pictures, ideas, anything. I didn't think we'd get this far, but it does work well. It will translate into something positive and interesting.

I also have managed to find my block of wood in the offcuts bin of Danahers', my local hardware store. It's been cut up, stained and one coat of varnish applied. Hopefully it will all be ready by Wednesday.

Knitters' Block

I've really started my latest sculpture. I'm now officially in desperation mode as it has to be finished by Tuesday, when it goes into the Contemporary Sculptor Association members exhibition - 'Bonanza'.

As you can see I've made the blocks and covered most of them with knitting. This part will be finished. I do now need to find a base to stand it on and I need a plinth, which I think I can borrow.

Today is 3D5S and we're making pasta. Am looking forward to this. I'll share photos!