Off to Harrietville

If you haven't been away on a weekend with people who share your passion then I highly recommend it. Harrietville is just such a weekend with friends, old and new, organised by the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria. From Friday night to Sunday lunch, it's wall to wall spinners, weavers, knitters and interested friends.

The weekend goes so quickly, so being prepared is a must! There are a number of workshops, all of the, 'drop in and out when you feel like it' type over the whole weekend. Last year I didn't do anything but sit, knit, spin and drink coffee! This year there are two workshops that are of interest: Historical dyeing and a Blending workshop using wool combs. I think I am prepared....

I have alum mordanted skeins for the historical dyeing. We're going to be doing indigo, madder and osage orange. I never miss an indigo dyebath if I can help it and I've never dyed with either Aliziran for the madder or osage orange. Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to overdye some as the different dyes will be spread over three sessions.

The blending using wool combs will help me get better use out of my small combs and maybe I'll be tempted into some larger ones. I've decided to take away a bag of red and see what happens.

And finally, I have to try and finish the spinning on the wheel, so I have a bobbin ready for the colour blending.

Oh, and, of course, I have to pack clothes, camera, the rest of my spinning gear and try not to forget the toilet bag! As I'm being picked up very early in the morning, it will all be done before I go to bed......I just don't know when I'm going to bed!

End of term 1

It's been a very short term one, with term 2 looming as a long 11 weeks. What have I been doing? My sculpture major is being worked on partly with intent, I know the first thing I want to do, but there's a certain black hole for the next piece. I want three works for the end of year. This is not set in concrete, just an aim.

What have I been doing....crocheting video tape!

Here is the initial inspiration, based on the wonderful nests of the very appropriate weaver birds.

They've become more organically shaped, with me working to see what would happen. There wasn't much of a plan, just an overall shape. This is what happened:

Certainly looks weird in the photo! I'm intending a number of large and small ones, some with different materials included. Right now I'm just hoping it works!

When you get better, you frog!

I always say that the measure of whether you do something well is how well you handle mistakes and how willing you are to deal with the bad stuff. From management to knitting, it's all the same. I must be going really well with my knitting as the two personal projects I've had on the go have both been frogged....back to the start!

The first is 'Leaving' from the Twist Collective. I highly recommend this online magazine. The designs are really interesting and there are things to read. They support themselves by the advertising, but also by selling the patterns.

I wanted to support them by buying a pattern and when I saw this pattern, I decided that it was the one! However, choosing a slightly different yarn meant that even though I swatched, it did seem to be coming out a bit small, so I started again. I kept trying to convince myself that it was fine, but you have to be honest with yourself......so I frogged and started again, AND, am much happier.

From the beautiful to the simple, well that was the second journey. I won't go looking, but I did start another cardigan. There wasn't enough yarn, my compromise sleeves were too much of a compromise and it just sat there, so:

Then, I started:

Which is from the latest Vogue Knitting (or Designer Knitting as it comes to us, via England!) I love the simplicity and if I don't have enough yarn I have a stylish and happy finish, which will involve another colour and an odd sleeve. I love that, so here it is, so far:

Now I'm a happy knitter!

Haircuts and birthdays at Rose St. Artists' Market

I spent Sunday at the Rose St. Artists' Market. March is my 'announcing the start of the Winter season' market. Not many sales, but lots of interest as, hopefully, people get a look at what I have to offer, some new things, some not so new and remember me later when they're cold and need some handmade cheering up.

Even though I didn't manage to make many sales, (the fingerless mittens with buttons, still seem to be a winner!) it was a lovely day. I got my haircut by the very interesting artist, Aero. (Sorry, no photos, you just have to ask me to coffee!) One of the stallholders had her birthday and there was much merriment and good spirits as she is a permanent stallholder there. Esther sells the most wonderful photographs.

I also had a lovely space where I could hang my wall hangings and spread out.

The main thing that I took away from the market is the usual, I need more signage and a little updating of my display. Maybe I'll get a chance this week.

Field photography in the city

Today was a wonderful day spent in the city on one of my friend Leanne's photography field trips. This was a chance to get better acquainted with my new camera, enjoy a day with a friend and hopefully get some worthwhile photographs.

If 236 photos, sore feet and this blog entry is anything to go by, it was indeed a success!

We started with a quick look down a lane and lots of stairs, before a coffee, a read of my manual and some further familiarisation with my camera and we were on our way!

Hosier Lane is renowned for it's amazing display of the work of graffitti artists. The energy, the cleverness and downright naughtiness made for some fabulous photos.

There was St. Pauls'

Lots of laneways and arcades, Myers, the Post Office and Melbourne Central.

We finished the day with another icon:

I've just picked out a random collection of photos, not necessarily the best. Please forgive me, it takes awhile to process 236 photos!

A testement to the day is that it's prompted a redesign of the blog and this entry. I feel alot happier with my new camera. There's alot more to learn.......but there are more field trips!

Managed one pair of socks

This was for last week, however, computer glitches and trips to the beach and warm weather and more good things have meant that I'm a bit behind!

I did manage to finish the first pair of socks....well almost...with afterthought heels, well this one, you have to graft the last stitches and it's not my favourite job. My friend, Dr Bones knows how to knit grafting, but I can't get it into my head....one day! This is surprising, as I've had quite a revelation with these toe up socks and suddenly feel quite confident about amending them entirely and making a whole new sock design. And, yes, I know, with purl stitches on a multi-coloured yarn you get all sorts of crazy colouring and don't really do the yarn justice. But that was deliberate and I quite like the effect.

 My next pair are also multi-coloured, and, luxurious. I was keen to try my new found confidence with these and started with my modified toe-up design. Starting with the toe, I've made it a k1, sl1 pattern, alternating with a knit row. This is often used on heels, which it will be for this, but I always wear out at the toe, so I'm adding this to see if it works for reinforcing the toe.

The pattern I chose was to suit the yarn, and is a slip stitch pattern. These are good as you get a longer piece of colour and it's move around. This is a twisted slip stitch from a Harmony stitch guide. It's subtle, but started out really well.

You can't quite see the pattern yet, but wait!

How many socks can I knit in a week?

It's a strange week, that week between Christmas and the New Year. Almost like an extra week. You've got over the rush of Christmas, there's not really much to do for the New Year, unless YOUR hosting the party! I'm sure it's just another week, if the weather is cold and wintry, but here we're in the SUMMER holidays.

For my family, we all head off to the cricket. India vs Australia. It starts Boxing Day and takes a meandering 5 days, well, that's what it's looking like. I was keen to go and see Sachin Tendulkar attempt to make his 100th 100, but didn't quite make it today. Great to see a legend though and possibly his last tour here.

Where do the socks come in? Well I don't HAVE to do anything this week, it's not January, December work is over, so I've decided to knit some of this sock yarn sitting there, not quite in my stash, because I'm supposed to knit them.

The first one is the 'mojo sock' by Donyale Grant out of Yarn Magazine, Vol 11, Issue 23. She blogs at moggyandme.com and if this design is anything to go by, is a lovely designer. I'll have a look another time.

I've done one and 1/2 socks and should finish this first one tonight or tomorrow morning depending on the cricket....oh and the washing!

I like this design, it's asymmetrical and has endless possibilities, plus it's toe up (never done before) and an afterthought heel (never done before) with a magic cast on (successful attempt this time).