The Fiber Bug

Frugality and Creativity

2012-02-24T22:47:00.000-08:00

Frugality seems to be ingrained deep in my nature. I balk at paying full price, and love to shop at second-hand or thrift stores, to find things I can use at a reduced price. So I often find myself hesitating at paying full price for yarn, especially since I began occasionally buying yarn wholesale. But sometimes a yarn is just so special or so beautiful, that I allow myself to splurge a bit.

Last year, I found myself eyeing some balls of Patons Kroy Socks, a lovely variegated yarn with beautiful colorways. I think it was even on sale, and I had a pattern to use it for. But the problem was, that even on sale, I would have to pay twice as much to make this pattern, because the yardage was less per ball. The yarn I have typically used for my Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves is Red Heart's Heart & Sole, which has 213 yds. per 50g ball; but the Kroy Socks only has 166 yards. This meant that I would likely need two balls. I wrestled with the decision, but finally gave in and bought two balls.

Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

As I began making the gloves, I enjoyed seeing the interplay of color. The yarn was enjoyable to work with, and I soon had completed a pair of gloves. But it seemed like there was still quite a bit of yarn left. It seemed such a waste not to use it for something! And this started the creative juices flowing. I mulled it over, and decided to try making a pair of knitted gloves with the remainder. I made a gauge swatch, and selected a pattern stitch, then hopefully cast on. After knitting ribbed cuffs, I switched to the pattern stitch, and shortly thereafter started the thumb shaping.

When I had completed the glove, I weighed it and the remaining yarn. It would be close! The completed gloves used up all but a short length of the yarn. But what a satisfying feeling to get a second pair of gloves out of the two skeins of yarn!

The completed knitted gloves

Sometimes frugality forces us to use our creativity. If I hadn't been so frugal, I never would have created this second design. Hooray for frugality!

Fruit Cardigans

2012-01-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

I decided to make an apple jacket for a friend for Christmas. I had seen pictures of them before, and they seemed like a cute (but perhaps impractical) idea. Anna had sent me a link to an apple jacket pattern, and she seemed pretty sure she would actually use one (my main objection to making these was that, though these cute little cozies have a definite “cool factor”, I wasn’t sure that anyone would actually use one.

So, I designed my own version of the Apple Jacket. To make a distinction between my pattern and everyone else’s, I have decided to call these wraps cardigans. So much more appropriate, don’t you think? (Well, ummm...except for the fact that a cardigan opens all the way down the front!!)

The Original Apple Cardigan (I later added another leaf, just because.)

So, as a free service to the apples of the world, here is my pattern for the Apple Cardigan. If it is in my power, these little guys will not be left shivering in the cold!

Apple Cardigan

Materials: 1 oz. Caron Simply Soft or similar Category 4 worsted-weight yarn (completed cardigan weighs .7 oz., with one leaf and button attached)

Size G hook

One button, 5/8-7/8 inches in diameter

Gauge: 7 sts and 9 rows = 2 inches in sc

Instructions:

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1: Ch 1, 6 sc in ring. Sl st to first sc.

Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in ea st around. Sl st to first sc. 12 sts.

Round 3: Ch 1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. Sl st to first sc. 18 sts.

Round 4: Ch 1, (2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 6 times. Sl st to first sc. 24 sts.

Round 5: Ch 1, (Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. Sl st to first sc. 30 sts.

Rounds 6-8: Ch 1, sc in ea st around. Sl st to first sc.

Rows 9-17: Ch 1, sc in ea st around; do not sl st to first sc. Turn work.

Row 18 (WS): Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in 3 sts, sc2tog) 5 times. Sc in last st. Turn. 24 sts.

Row 19: Ch 1, (sc in 2 sts, sc2tog) 6 times. Turn. 18 sts.

Row 20: Ch 1, (sc in 1 st, sc2tog) 6 times. Turn. 12 sts.

Edging: Sl st across top (“neck”) edge of cardigan, at left corner ch 13 (or desired length) for button loop, sl st in same corner st, sl st in edge of ea row of front opening to beg of sl st round. Break off; weave in ends.

Leaf (optional): Make as many as desired, attaching to neck edge of apple wherever you wish.

Ch 6.

Round 1: Sc in 2^nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch. Turn; working along opposite side of ch, hdc in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sc in end of ch, ch 2, sl st around any st of Row 19 of Cardigan (this is like working a post st—insert the hook to the right of the st from front to back, and bring it back to the front on the left side of the st, yo and pull the loop around behind the st to the front of the work, and through the st on the hook) sl st in 2 chs, sl st in ea st around first half of leaf, working into back lps, ch 2, sl st in back lp of east of other side of leaf, sl st in stem chs, sl st into next st of Row 19. Break off; weave in ends.

As I was contemplating the Apple Jacket idea, it occurred to me that it would be fun to make some other kind of fruit cardigan. But what…? Bananas and oranges already have jackets, of sorts. But what if Anna wanted to bring grapes in her lunch?? Their bare little heads would surely catch a chill on a winter day. Thus the idea of the Grape Cardigan was born. I realized that this was a very impractical gift, but I sensed that Anna would appreciate the humor of it, even if she never actually used them. Perhaps you would like to make some for a friend, too! So, again, my gift to grapes everywhere…a free pattern for Grape Cardigans!

Anna's Grape Cardigans

Grape Cardigans

Materials: Small amount Vanna’s Glamour yarn (Three of each size on a stem weigh .2 oz.), or similar-sized (Category 2) sport weight or sock yarn to meet gauge

Size 1 steel crochet hook

Gauge: 12 sts and 7 rows = 2 inches in dc

Instructions:

Large and Small Cardigans

Smaller size (fits small-to-medium grapes and small grape tomatoes):

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1: Ch 2, 12 dc in ring. Sl st to top of first dc.

Round 2: Ch 2, dc in ea st. Sl st to top of first dc.

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in next 11 sts. Do not join; turn.

Row 4: Ch 3, dc2tog, (dc in next st, dc2tog) 3 times. Turn. 8 sts.

Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 3 times, sc in last st.

Larger size (fits medium-to-large grapes and medium grape tomatoes):

Work Rounds 1-3 as for smaller cardigan

Rows 4-5: Rep Row 3..

Row 6: Ch 1, sc in 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in next st, sc2tog) 2 times, sc in 2 sts. Turn. 9 sts.

Row 7: Ch 1, (sc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st) 4 times, sc in last st. Break off.

“Stem”

Ch 90, or desired length to accommodate the number of grapes you have made. The grapes can cluster at one end of the stem, but must be able to slide apart on the stem in order to more easily pop the fruit in and out of their cardigans.

Thread the stem chain through the chain lps of the last row of each cardigan. For extra security (we would hate for the poor defenseless grapes to fall out and be smashed underfoot!), run the stem chain through the first lp of each cardigan a second time before threading through the next cardigan. When all the cardigans are assembled on the chain, tie the ends of the chain together with an overhand knot.

To fill the cardigans, slide the first cardigan apart from the others and open up the top as much as possible so you can pop a grape inside. If you include some cardigans of each size on the stem, there will be more options for a good fit. When the grape is inserted, pull on the chain to draw up the loops as much as possible; then open up the next cardigan and fill it. Continue until all your grapes are warmly covered.

Filled Grape Cardigans

Inspired by Stained Glass

2011-12-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I indicated that I would post some pictures of items I have made that were in some respect inspired by stained glass. I hope you haven't been holding your breath in anticipation of this event!

Here are some pieces I have made that have stained-glass-like elements to them. The first is a beaded needle case with a spiral color pattern. I love the way the transparent glass beads glow against the opaque black ones:

The next piece is a rather wild felted knitted hat with a stained glass motif:

Here's a closeup of a tam I showed in a previous post...the colors are really vibrant against the black:

Another hat with bright colorful bobbles and pompom against a black background:

And yet another hat, with blocks of color and stranded patterns interspersed with black:

Last hat--A Rose Window-type pattern in fair isle:

Here's a braided necklace with a glass pendant:

And next, a coin purse made from a recycled sweater with a stained-glass-like color pattern:

And finally, a double-knitted scarf with periwinkle blue and black patterning, which is reversed on the back of the fabric:

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my creations. Coming soon, a free pattern or two!

2011-10-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

Stained Glass

I recently realized why I like the look of leaves or flowers with the sun shining through them. It's because their glowing colors remind me of stained glass! I have always loved to see the sun shining through colored glass; in fact, I remember having a little mosaic toy as a child, with little colored plastic squares that were placed in a transparent plastic grid, which could be held up to the light. I loved to try different patterns and hole them up to see the sun shining through them.

I love to try to capture the beauty of these glowing colors in a photograph, when I see them. So here are some photos that remind me of the beauty of stained glass:

I hope you enjoyed this eye candy as much as I did! I had a few thoughts recently about transparency. As the light shining on these somewhat transparent leaves and flowers causes them to glow, so God's love shines through us to others. He takes our uniqueness, and shines through it to make our lives glow. Like leaves and flowers, each of us has things that make us one-of-a-kind. In the case of a leaf or a flower, it may be its shape, hue or texture that sets it apart. In our case, it may be our unique experiences or gifts that make us special. But each one of us is special in the eyes of God, and He wants to use our individual differences to glorify Himself, even as the light shining through the things He has made brings glory to Him.

Sometimes, though, we mar the beauty of His work in us. When we refuse to obey Him, our sin mars the beauty that He has created in us, like the blemishes on the leaf in the next photo:

The absolutely amazing thing about this, though, is that, unlike this leaf, which will never be unmarred again, God gives us the opportunity to be renewed to wholeness and purity again. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and have all our spiritual blemishes removed! Thanks be to God.

In my next post, I plan to share some fiber creations inspired by stained glass and its glowing colors.

The Predicaments of Pattern Production, or, The Frustrations of Fashioning a Finished Fiber Fabrication

2011-08-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

After working all year on the same two patterns, I finally got both of them self-published. You may wonder why it would take over half a year to get two patterns written up; I am asking myself the same question.

I guess the simple answer to this is modern technology (more specifically, computer programs, and my own ineptitude with them!). In trying to create a pattern that looked “professional”, I had begun creating knitting charts in Excel, using the Aire River Knitting Font, and pasting them into my Publisher file as I created the pattern. This works great, but I found earlier this year that when I would make a pdf of the chart, some of the lines on the chart would come out with uneven thickness (See the example below).

This is not horrible, but it bugged me that when I designed the charts in Excel, they looked fine, but when made into a pdf, they looked different. This seemed to happen randomly, with different results at different times. Adding to this problem was the fact that, in order to create the charts the way I wanted them, I needed to paste them into another program to tweak a few things before inserting them into my Publisher file. This seemed to create even more problems.

It seemed like the three programs I was using didn’t interface very well with each other. I tried many different ways to save the files and many different ways to insert them, but remained unsatisfied. But eventually I found that, though my charts didn’t look perfect on the screen, they did seem to print up reasonably well. So I decided to use the best ones, even though they still irritate me.

Another problem that hindered the production of these two patterns was that I decided to make some changes in the design as I went along. Each time I made a change, I re-knitted the pattern, to be sure that I had written the instructions clearly and accurately. This took additional time, effort, and focus.

In the first pattern, the Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking,

Bavarian Twist Stitch Christmas Stocking

I decided to use a ribbing for the bottom of the foot, instead of stockinette, after designing and writing up the pattern. The instructions had to be rewritten, and some of the charts had to be redone, as well. Then I realized that because the two sides of the sock were mirror images of each other, I needed two separate charts, rather than one repeated chart where the gusset is decreased. Then I tried creating a pdf file from my Publisher file, and discovered that my charts looked wonky because of the uneven thickness of the lines on the chart! But I finally got the pattern published.

The second pattern was the Collared Knitted Capelet.

Collared Knitted Capelet

I had thought this one would be easier to chart than the previous one, because it contains no cables. But these charts also gave me trouble because of the uneven thickness of the lines. And I kept finding “hidden” objects in my chart that didn’t show up in Publisher, but jeered at me from my pdf’d chart, saying, “Catch me if you can!” To make matters worse, I came up with a “better idea” for the crocheted edging. This meant that I had to knit the pattern again to try out my idea. Unfortunately, after re-knitting the garment using my new idea, I discovered that the old way actually looked the best! But in the process, I had discovered a way to keep the front edges from rolling so much. So I started knitting again, to check out my pattern description of this technique.

Now that these two patterns are completed, I am breathing a sigh of relief. I am hoping that my next pattern can be written up with much less trouble. If only I weren’t such a perfectionist!

Preparing a Raw Fleece: Flick Carding the Locks

2011-08-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

I was recently given some raw Romney fleece, and thought it would be a good opportunity to share how I prepare a fleece for spinning. Many thanks to Andy and Pam Walton of Lake View Farm, who donated the fleece, and to our friend Tyson for setting aside the best of the fleece for us. You made this post possible!

A raw fleece consists of many locks of fiber. A lock is a group of fibers that "hangs" together, much like a lock of hair. Here is a lock of fleece:

The upper left end of the lock is the butt end. This is the end that was attached to the sheep; hence, it is usually cleaner than the other end. The end at the lower right is the tip end. Often (though not always) this end comes to a point. Technically, I guess this would be two locks, since I see two tips here.

To prepare a fleece for washing and carding or combing, I first separate out each lock and (when necessary) remove any foreign material, such as hay, seeds, dead bugs, dung tags, and even on rare occasions a flap of skin that came off with the fleece. Here you can see some hay in the fleece.

Next, I flick card it to separate the fibers and release the dirt. This is the tool I use for this procedure:

As you can see, this tool has prepared many fleeces. Working with raw fleece is by nature a dirty, greasy job, and my flick carder reflects this. The flick card has many wire bristles that brush through the fiber to untangle it. I start by holding the butt end of the fiber tightly between my thumb and fingers; then I use the flick carder to untangle and separate the tip end of the lock.

See how the fibers fan out and become much less dense? Next, I turn the lock around and grab the tips tightly with my fingers and thumb.

I then use the flick carder on the butt end, to complete untangling the lock.

Here are the flicked locks, ready to be washed:

I will wash them by soaking them in hot water and dish detergent in my washing machine, being careful not to let them agitate.

Preparing fleece is a time-consuming pursuit, which probably explains the numerous as-yet-untouched fleeces in The Barn (aka our garage). I have learned that, if I don't do this right away, I will probably not get to it...ever. But I do enjoy getting my hands into the greasy fleece and creating order from the chaos of the unflicked locks. And there is nothing quite like taking the raw fleece all the way through to a finished product!

More Explorations in Brioche Knitting

2011-03-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

I am woefully behind in writing posts for this blog. The new year has brought some new challenges for me, as well as a couple of bouts of a particularly nasty bug. All this has not stopped me from knitting, however, I have used my "down time" to try a couple of new brioche techniques. After my first project, a two-color brioche scarf, I decided to do some more scarves to explore the technique further.

The two sides of the scarf

My second brioche scarf was made in a similar manner to the first (see previous post), with the main yarn on one side a solid pink, and the main yarn on the other side a variegated mix of greens, pink, and purples. This time, however, instead of using a selvedge stitch on each edge, as I did in the first scarf, I worked the brioche stitch all the way to the edge on each side. I'm not completely sure why, but I like this edge a little better than the selvedge stitch one.

See the green stripes against the pink background?

I also tried switching the yarns to make a stripe of the opposite color, about 4 inches from each end. This was not difficult to do...one just works the stitches on each side with the other side's color for as long as one wishes.

My third scarf was also worked with two yarns: this time, a dark brown for one side, and a variegated pink and brown for the other. The thing that makes this scarf different is that I switched from brioche to double knitting at regular intervals. This creates narrow, double-knitted slots in the scarf. Basically, to transition from brioche to double knitting, stop wrapping the yarn around the needle between stitches, and position it so that it stays out of the way when you slip the stitch of the opposite color. This way, you will end up with two layers of stockinette stitch fabric, one color on one side of the scarf and the other color on the other side.

This scarf not only has a unique shape, but it also has the potential to be used as a "pass-through" scarf. See the photos for some creative ways this scarf can be worn!

I am currently working on a baby blanket in brioche stitch, again using two-color brioche. I have still barely brushed the surface of Nancy Marchant's book, Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to Brioche Stitch.

Watch for these scarves to appear in my Etsy shop!

New Year, New Technique: The Brioche Stitch

2011-01-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

My husband deftly caught the hint I dropped, and got me a new knitting book for Christmas: Knitting Brioche, The Essential Guide to Brioche Stitch. I have been wanting this book for a while, and was so pleased to get it! I have looked over Brioche Stitch patterns before, but haven't really played around with the technique. So, as soon as things settled down after New Year's, I picked up needles and yarn, and began knitting a two-color brioche stitch scarf. I like this technique: it creates a thick, cushy, warm, reversible scarf, with mostly Color A on one side, and mostly Color B on the other.

Brioche Stitch is knitted in a rather unorthodox way, compared to most knitting. Yarnovers are combined with decreases on every other stitch across each row, and the rest of the stitches are slipped. On any row, one only works half the stitches, and the remaining stitches are worked on the next row (if you have knitted a double-knitted tube on two straight needles, it's kind of like that).

This technique goes more slowly than standard knitting, and it also uses more yarn; but it produces a special fabric. I particularly like the effect when using one solid yarn and one variegated yarn, as in this scarf.

I was very impressed with the thoroughness of Nancy Marchant's book. She gives detailed, photo-illustrated instructions for the basic brioche technique, including cast-ons and bind-offs that work well with the method, increases and decreases, crossing stitches for cabled effects, and a separate section on working with more than one color in brioche. Then the fun begins: A wonderful Stitchionary (55 pages!), showing all kinds of brioche effects. The book also includes a chapter on the design elements of brioche knitting, and 25 projects to make using brioche techniques.

The technique takes some practice to perfect, but I learned fairly quickly how to do the basic technique. I'm looking forward to trying some of the more complex stitch patterns in the book!

"How did I do that...?"

2010-11-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

I love learning and developing new knitting and crochet techniques. Occasionally I will just pick up yarn and needles or hook, and play. This can either be exhilarating, or extremely frustrating, depending on whether my idea "works" or not. I will often start with an existing technique, and play a "What If?" game. What would happen if I wrapped the yarn a different way, or combined elements of two different stitch patterns, or tried to imitate a knitting technique in a piece of crochet (or vice versa)...?

Earlier this year, I decided to use some yarn from my stash to make some fingerless gloves, which seem to be all the rage at the moment (The aforementioned gloves rapidly disappeared at the bazaar last weekend!). I decided to crochet the gloves, but wanted to add some special touches to make them unique.

I had been playing around with crocheted foundation rows, and had come up with some interesting ideas. A foundation row is used in place of the starting chain at the beginning of the work, and is basically a way of crocheting the chain and the first row simultaneously, which seems to avoid the problem of a tight chain at the beginning edge of the work. This experimentation (a "beaded" foundation row which I hope to use in a future project) sparked the idea to try creating a scalloped foundation row to begin the gloves. I liked the way this looked. The great thing about this is that the same scalloped edging can be used at the other end of the gloves, as a standard edging. What fun!

The Scalloped Foundation Row

The Edging at the Other End of the Glove

Sometimes I am too clever for my own good, though. If I neglect to write out how I did a technique at the time that I create it, I may have a hard time deciphering it when I later try to duplicate it. Last weekend, I picked up one of my products at the bazaar and said, "How did I do that...?" Hopefully, I wrote it down, and maybe one day I will find it among the sheaves of scribbled-upon paper that comprise my pattern "library".

To continue my story, a couple of months ago, a lady convo'd me on Etsy to ask if she could buy the pattern for my fingerless gloves. I told her I would try to get it ready to publish, but I didn't know if I had written down the pattern. A vigorous search yielded no sign of a pattern. So I pulled the gloves out of my stock so that I could re-crochet them. True to form, when I examined the gloves, I asked myself, "How did I do that?" It took me a couple of days to figure out what I had done!

But I finally did manage to recreate the gloves. Here are a couple of photos of the finished product:

By the way, I did finally get the pattern written and published:

Fingerless Glove Pattern on Etsy

If you prefer, the pattern is also available as a download on Ravelry.com:

Fingerless Glove Pattern on Ravelry

Cross-Pollination II

2010-10-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

The second shop that we visited on our trip to Lincoln City was Mossy Creek Pottery. It is just down the road from Alder House, and is actually closer to the highway.

This is a gallery with quite a variety of pottery and fused glass items. There are both functional and purely decorative items here. I love the "tiled" texture in these lovely vases:

And the vivid blue in this soup tureen took my breath away (wouldn't that beautiful gradation make a great knitted or woven scarf??).

Here are some beautiful but functional blues:

My husband liked this wall pocket, tucked away in the little corridor between two of the rooms:

I liked it, but was more drawn to this one:

In the next room, we found this shimmering platter:

And also these scenic plates, mounted on the wall:

I have always liked the contrast of matte and shiny, earthy and colorful in this line of products:

And I found this little cabbage-y tea set to be enchanting:

There was a whole shelf of shimmery urns:

Here's a closeup of my favorite one:

Check out the texture on the teacups and the cannister:

Even the bottom of the teacup has texture!! I love it! If I remember right, these teacups were more the size of a soup bowl.

And last but not least, here are some bowls with great texture. The center one reminds me of a crocheted basket.

There is much more in the shop--these are just some of my favorite pieces. I think I need to go find some yarn--my mind is brimming with possibilities! I hope the tour has inspired you, as well. Go forth and create!

Cross-Pollination

2010-10-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Inspiration from Other Art Forms

Sometimes, I find inspiration in things that have been created by others, often in totally different media. My husband and I recently made a badly-needed day trip to the Oregon Coast, and visited a couple of our favorite shops there. We have been fans of these shops for over 30 years now, and always enjoy browsing the beautifully crafted products they contain. Today's post is about the first of these shops.

Alder House is the studio of Buzz and Anne Williams. They, along with a few other artists, create gorgeous hand-blown glass objects in their studio just south of Lincoln City. The studio has windows at eye level, with wide sills for display of the glass, so that the light shines through it and makes it glow.

Seeing the brightly colored shiny glass glowing in the sunlight always inspires me. I want to create this kind of glowing color in my textile projects!

Alder House is more than just a gallery of objets d'art, though. It is a working studio, in which the artisans create the objects that will be sold there. The artist demonstrates his craft in front of the visitors, explaining what he is doing and why. As much as I enjoy drooling over the gorgeous glass display, I cannot resist watching the artist at work, even though I have watched this process many times over the years. It is somewhat mesmerizing to watch the twirling glass at the end of the blower's rod take shape, almost always in a rather surprising way.

This time, we got to watch glassblower Treasure Collupy create a glass starfish. Here he is heating the starfish towards the end of the process:

Here's another shot of the starfish. In this one, I believe he's smoothing the points at the end of the starfish's legs.

Of course, the color of the starfish will be very different when it has cooled. I believe this one will be green and blue!

And now, for a sampling of the vibrant colors and graceful shapes of Alder House glasswork:

I hope you have enjoyed the tour as much as I did. The question now, is, how will this affect my creations in fiber and yarn? How will it affect yours??

Explorations in Reversible Cables

2010-09-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

The matching Saxon Braid Cap and Scarf

Sometimes, my inspiration comes from playing around with a technique or an idea. How can I change an existing stitch pattern to make it look the way I want it to? I often spend a fair amount of time experimenting, trying different variations on a technique or a pattern before I am even half satisfied with the results.

This happened earlier this year, when I was knitting some cabled hats with the Saxon Braid cable pattern around the rim. I wanted to make a scarf pattern to match the hat pattern I had designed, but I really, really dislike making scarves that are not presentable on both sides. As most knitters are aware, most cable patterns look totally different on the back. And the Saxon Braid pattern was no exception.

There is a technique for making reversible cables which do look the same on front and back--it involves working the cable over twice as many stitches, and working the cable stitches in a k1, p1 rib. The cable is twisted in the normal manner (for example, a 4-stitch reversible cable is worked over 8 stitches, with four stitches crossed over 4). When the fabric is knitted, the knit stitches pull to the front of the work, and the purls pull to the back, and you have a knitted cable on each side of the fabric.

A typical reversible cable utilizing k1p1 rib

I tried using this principle to knit the Saxon Braid cable, but it just didn't work. The Saxon Braid is made up of six two-stitch columns that interweave across the braid panel, and I just couldn't figure out any way to easily do these crossings, some of which involve knit stitches crossing over purl stitches. And the resulting fabric was quite unsatisfactory, anyway.

One day, as I was knitting a Saxon Braid Cap, I happened to notice something on the back of the fabric that piqued my interest. An idea was born--and I soon found myself knitting a reversible scarf with the Saxon Braid pattern on one side, and a slightly different interlaced pattern on the other. Woohoo!!

The Saxon Braid pattern is on the right; the interlaced pattern is on the left.

If you are curious about this technique, I have just published the Saxon Braid Reversible Scarf pattern. It will be available in my Etsy shop, and on Ravelry!

I hope to soon have some of these scarves listed in my Etsy shop, as well.

Light and Shadow, Part 3

2010-09-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

In this post, I will share some of my own creations in which I have explored light and shadow. This first photo is a clutch type bag, in a light lavender with a lacy. black flap. I like the contrast between the black lace and the pastel fabric behind it:

I really enjoy beading, when I get the time to do it. This next item is a beaded needle case in peyote stitch, with a stained-glass-like diamond pattern on it. The shiny beads seem to glow, just like a stained glass window!

And here's another beaded needle case. On this one, I was trying to portray the luminous colors of an ocean sunset:

This tam was the result of my explorations of the Domino Knitting technique. Its pattern utilizes two shades of gray:

This short-row tam from handspun yarn also has a stained-glass glow:

In another technique, here's a kumihimo braided necklace, with bright colors contrasted with black. I love how the black makes the colors "pop"!

Highly textured items create light and shadow effects, as in this Saxon Braid Cap:

Some fibers have a reflective quality, like the handspun silk embroidery thread in this embroidered pincushion:

This knitted scarf mixes shiny metallic yarn with matte and furry yarns to create an interesting effect:

Here's another scarf, crocheted with shiny, furry novelty yarn and matte wool yarn:

And finally, a mini paperweight made of shiny colored glass encrusted with crochet:

Most of these items are listed in my Etsy shop, if you would like to see more pictures or find out more about them.

Light and Shadow, Part 2

2010-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

What would we do without light? It is so basic to our way of life that I can't even imagine life without it. Here are some more images that have inspired me--all have some relation to light and shadow.

This moth has a subtle pattern of light and dark brown on its wings:

This forest "tunnel" has a bright green meadow at the end of it:

This next "tunnel" is created by an arch of bright, sunlit leaves; can you see it?

Here is a mossy silhouette, framing the streambed beyond. I see lots of texture here,as well!

Light cast obliquely on an object makes its texture show up dramatically. The light and shadow on this tree's bark create interesting patterns:

These bejeweled flowers have varying shades of pink:

And, speaking of jewels, this cedar tree is encrusted with sparkling dew-diamonds, with the sun shining through them ( I am forever trying to capture the brightly-colored sparkles of dewdrops in photographs, and have thus far been highly unsuccessful; does anyone have any tips for me?):

The different shades of green here are partly created by light and shadow, and partly by different pigments in the leaves of this evergreen shrub:

And finally, here are trees silhouetted against the luminous sunset sky:

Whether it is dark and light shades of the same color, or light shining through translucent substances like flower petals or colored glass, or the contrast of dark against light, I love the effects that light and shadow create. In my next post, I hope to share some of my own creations using light and dark elements.

Light and Shadow, Part 1

2010-09-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am still thinking about the things that inspire me. Most of my inspiration seems to be visual--I see something and get an idea--a color combination, a shape or pattern, a texture, or just something beautiful that takes my breath away.

In addition to texture, I find myself greatly attracted to the interplay of light and shadow. Whether it is dappled sunlight on a grassy lawn, creating lighter and darker shades of green, or translucent flower petals or leaves backlit by the sun, or the silhouette of trees against the sunset sky, I find the contrast of light and dark to be very satisfying.

Last year, I found these trees silhouetted against a backdrop of backlit ferns:

I love the way ordinary things glow when the sun hits them. This is a front yard I photographed on one of our walks, spotlit by the sun. Notice the mottled greens in the grass, and the bright green of the tree leaves:

How I love our walks on spring days! Check out the translucent petals of these flowers against the blue of the sky!

Every Spring, I watch expectantly for our magnolia tree to bloom. Whenever the sun touches these lovely flowers, it seems to make them light up as if they had votive candles inside. They glow with vibrant color, and I love the gradation of the brighter pink at the base, shading up into lighter tints at the top!

What a difference lighting can make. On a day trip to the beach, I captured the following four images within about an hour and a quarter. The first is a storm over the ocean:

The next portrays the sunny beach, in between storms:

Then came another storm:

And finally, the sun set:

Four different light effects, within two hours on the same beach!! Amazing, isn't it!

I have more images to share, but had better save them for Part 2.

The Tendency Towards Texture, Part 3

2010-09-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

Now that I have shared some of my inspiration, I'll show you some of my textured creations. Can you see any ways in which the images that inspire me have affected the things I create?

Most knitted or crocheted items have an inherent texture to them. But some techniques lend themselves to texture more than others. Cables, for example, have a very blatant texture.

Here is a Bavarian Twist Stitch cabled cap and fingerless gloves, with lots of texture:

Twined Knitting creates a fabric with wonderful texture:

This next photo shows a crocheted felted purse, with post stitch ridges creating the texture:

In this knitted vest, bobbles, lace, and textured patterns combine to create a highly textured fabric (note the leaves and flowers here!):

The open spaces contrasting against the solid areas in lace knitting or crocheted lace also create a kind of texture. Here's a knitted example:

And here's an example of crocheted lace, in a bridal wristlet:

Sometimes, texture can be created just by using a fuzzy or textured yarn:

Even the lowly garter stitch creates a lovely ridged texture:

Ruffles can create beautiful texture, as well:

In beadwork, the texture may be produced by the contrast of matte and shiny beads:

And, finally, texture can be combined with color and shape, as in this freeform crochet wall hanging:

I hope you enjoyed the "tour" of some of my textured creations! If you want more information about them, some of them are listed in my Etsy shop.

The Tendency Towards Texture Part 2

2010-09-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Before I show some examples of my own explorations of texture, I have a few more inspiring textural images to share. The first one is some kind of lichen (I think...?), that I found growing on a tree. The tendrils remind me of some of the fuzzier yarns I have seen.

This next photo shows a decaying tree stump, with cracks and smooth, patterned depressions (carved out by some sort of bug...?). It fascinated me.

I see texture in clusters of flowers, too. Here is an example:

I enjoy the pebbles on the beach, or even just in a neighbor's yard. I'm not sure if I'm more drawn to the texture or the color here!

Speaking of the beach, I found these shiny bubbles contrasted against the coarse, dark sand:

And here is foam on the water, reminding me of a damask tablecloth:

Here is more texture on water--isn't it beautiful?

And of course, I must include some pictures of the ubiquitious glowing leaves--see the different sizes and shapes?

Of course, leaves don't have to glow to get my attention:

Even in the winter, they can distract me from my walk:

By now, I'm sure you thoroughly pity anyone who has ever had the unpleasant and tedious duty of taking me for a walk. Kudos to my youngest, who has borne the brunt of the burden for a number of years, now, with patience and grace!

The Tendency Towards Texture, Part 1

2010-09-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

I am inspired by many things around me. I have a great appreciation for the beauty of creation, and I often am distracted from my immediate task to behold some new wonder: the colors of a sunset, the pattern of the petals in a flower, the interplay of light and shadow on a dappled lawn, or the subtle and intricate texture of leaves on a plant. These beauties, while I may not directly represent them in my creations, become a part of me, and they do affect the things that I make. I like to record them in a photograph as often as possible, so that I can review them and continue to be inspired by the images.

I am very drawn to texture, and am always noticing textures in the world around me. Here are some images that have inspired me:

I am always enchanted by the morning light on the huge hemlock tree in our yard. The texture of the sun-bathed needles against the darker background never ceases to fascinate me.

For some reason, after living in our house for a couple of years now, I only just noticed this bush blooming for the first time this spring. I love the way the flower clusters droop so gracefully. For some reason, this bush in full bloom reminds me of a fireworks display (see the next picture). Do you see it?

I love the texture of horsetail against the smoother leaves behind it:

Anyone who has ever gone on a walk with me on a sunny day can attest to the fact that I love the way the leaves of the trees glow when the sunlight hits them. Consequently (much to my family's chagrin), I often stop to take pictures of the textured, glowing leaves. Perhaps I should consider this color, more than texture, but the differing shades of the same color speak to me of texture. Here are a couple of examples:

I guess this second one could also be considered pattern, as I am drawn to the curved branches and the leaves surrounding them. These branches turning upwards towards the sun gladden my heart--they seem joyful, and hopeful.

More fireworks: Can you see the little buds about to burst into bloom? Check out the contrast of the buds, the flowers, the stems and the leaves.

These shiny leaves, with their interesting shape, also fascinated me:

All of these images inspire my explorations in texture. In a future post, I hope to share some of the textured items I have made. In the meantime, I hope you will notice the many intricate textures around you!

Meet My Model, or, The Pleasures of Photographing Product

2010-08-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Lovely, if Lopsided, Miss Fiberworks

As my human model wasn’t available today, I had to improvise. I do have a few head forms, as well as a dress form that I use in a pinch, but I don’t have a head to use with my dress form, and I wanted to photograph a hat and its matching scarf.

When you have an Etsy shop, you get used to eyeing everything in your house with photo props in mind. At least, I do. So out came a folding slide projector table whose accompanying projector is long since deceased, a wooden stool, a head form, a blouse and a cardigan. And so, Miss Fiberworks was born.

I stacked the stool on top of the table, and clothed it with the blouse and cardigan. This looked like a stool with clothes draped over it; so I went looking for some towels to pad the shoulders, so that the form would at least somewhat resemble a human body. I placed a folded towel on the stool, to raise the head level a bit, as the head seemed oddly short when placed on top of the stool. I rolled the other towel, and curved it around the back of the head and out to the sides to create shoulders.

Head and Shoulders Ready for Clothes

It was necessary to thread my arm up through the sleeves of the garments, to pull the “shoulders” into the correct position, and even then they looked slightly askew. She looked very odd from the side (Sorry, Miss F.!) but fortunately I didn’t plan to photograph the scarf from the side or back, so that was okay.

One nice thing about Miss F. is that she is very patient while I fiddle around with the product. Not a single fidget or complaint—I was very proud of her. Her expression can be a bit stiff at times, though.

Doesn’t she look jaunty? As long as I keep her legs out of the picture, I think she’ll work out okay.

If you want to see the finished result, check out these listings in my shop:

Indian Corn Striped Knitted Cap
Indian Corn Striped Knitted Scarf

The Sky at Night: An Etsy Treasury

2010-08-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things one can do on the Etsy site is create a treasury of the beautiful products available there. I just made one, and want to share it with my readers. It's called The Sky at Night, and it contains some amazing creations. If you want a closer look, go to Etsy and check out the actual listings by clicking on each one. Have fun!

The idea behind the treasury is to promote Etsy products in a creative and beautiful way. Treasuries are often created using a theme. The top three rows are the actual treasury, that would be displayed, say, on Etsy's home page (I know, dream on!!). The fourth row is a set of alternates that could be used if some of the items above should sell.

I enjoy trying to come up with the most pleasing arrangement I can of the items in my treasuries. I choose a theme, and do one or several searches on Etsy until I find suitable items that seem to go together.

This one was great fun--I love the deep blues and the luminescence of these items. Enjoy!

Mission: Impossible!

2010-08-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Challenge

Last weekend, we attempted what my husband called “Mission: Impossible!”—selling warm, wool products on a 90+ degree summer day. We knew it would be a hard sell; after all, we’ve been doing outdoor festival sales for over 10 years, now, so we have a bit of experience. But we were willing to give it a try, since we got into the Tualatin Crawfish Festival at the very last minute, and it was an event we’ve never done before.

We had set up the canopy in our space the evening before, to save a little time in the morning. My husband had made some new wooden racks for the booth, so we spent a little extra time deciding how to configure the booth (to be accurate, I spent a little extra time worrying about how to configure the booth; my husband already had it planned out in his head). We hurried to get racks and tables set up, then started placing the product out on them. This is always a challenge, since we have more product than display space. But we managed to get everything in place before 10:00 AM, our deadline.

We had opted not to use any “walls” on our awning, since there was no likelihood of rain in the forecast, but the booths to either side of us had walls up, so effectively we had walls on the two sides of the structure. This theoretically could have shielded us a bit from the sun, but since the sun was at our backs most of the day, it didn’t have much effect. It did, probably, shield us some from the breeze, which was intermittent throughout the day. This was a Good Thing in that it kept things from blowing off the racks and tables, but it was a Bad Thing in terms of our comfort, as the breeze would have afforded some cooling as we sweated out the day.

There was no booth behind us, so we were not shielded from the sun at all from that direction. Did I mention that the sun was behind us?? We kept trying to move farther into the booth to get into the shade, but that meant that we were blocking some of the product from public view. Oh, well…when you do a crafts booth at an outdoor event, you learn to be flexible.

The Cacophony

It is always interesting to watch people’s reactions when they walk by our booth. Some are so focused on their goal (undoubtedly something on the other end of the festival grounds) that they don’t even give our booth a glance. Others glance in, see the cacophony of colors, shapes and textures, and hurry on by. Some dismiss the booth with an “Oh…just knitting” kind of look. Some smile apologetically or say hello, then continue on past. Every so often, some brave soul ventures into the booth. Again, there are quite a variety of reactions:

• The Quick, Disinterested Tourist: After a quick once-around, the visitor’s eyes glaze over, and he departs rapidly.

• The Fiber Addict: This person is quite interested in how the items are made, but is not at all interested in buying; after all, he could always make it himself.

• The Poverty-Stricken Admirer: This would-be customer is very gratifying, if a bit disappointing. If he had remembered his checkbook today, he really would have bought something. Everything is very beautiful, though.

• The Obtuse/Ignorant/Unobservant NonCustomer: “I have one just like this at home!” [Grrrr….! Do you realize that this is a handmade product from an original design? The one you bought at WalMart is probably not quite the same, if you look at it more carefully.]

• The Distracted Shopper With Small Children and/or Pets**:

This category merits subpoints. Several favorites:

• The Touchy-Feely Child: A small child who wants to touch everything (probably a Future Fiber Artist), whose mother is so involved in the shopping experience that she does not enforce the Don’t Touch! Rule she had stated upon entering the booth. This child often repeats the phrase, “Look, Mommy!” while holding each and every item precariously over the dusty ground.

• The Cheeto-Fingered Girl: This one placed her bright orange forefinger firmly on the tip of the nose of our white head form…it was scarred (or rather, stained) for life! And her father pulled her away just as she was about to touch the white scood that was on it.

• The Little Big Spender: This child, usually 7 or under, wants to buy everything in the shop, but only has a dollar. He has to ask how much every item costs, so he can decide if he can buy it, since he seems to have left his parents behind at the last booth.

• The Visiting Dog: We once did several shows at a farm market, which was inhabited by a very sweet dog, named Sally. Sally loved to eat ears of corn, and her favorite place to do this was inside our booth. If we were lucky, she would repose under a table. (Come to think of it, we were the visitors!) We periodically had to remove a half-chewed ear of corn from the middle of our booth, or shoo Sally out so that a customer could get close to our display.

• The Inquisitive Dog: This dog, whose distracted owner is very interested in our shop, wants to explore everything it can reach, and touch it with its wet, inquisitive nose. Sometimes the dog will get its leash entangled around one of our table legs.

• The Runaway Stroller: One time, our table was actually run down by a runaway stroller, which was thankfully empty at the time. Personally, I think the toddler pushed the stroller downhill to see what would happen.

**Please note that I am very fond of small children and pets.

• The Perfectionist: This shopper could potentially be a customer, if I had any products that were exactly the right color, shape, or size. Unfortunately, they are all just a little bit off.

• The Tease: Sometimes it seems that a shopper tries on everything in the booth, without ever having any intention of buying. This often seems to happen when there are two shoppers together. They seem to be really interested in several items, but end up nonchalantly sallying out of the booth, after having messed up the entire display.

• The BUYER (Woohoo!)!!: This shopper actually finds something they, or someone else they know, would like or use, and they have the ability to pay for it. This is our FAVORITE RESPONSE of all, though probably the least frequent.

It is almost painful to watch people as they look at warm hats and scarves on a stiflingly hot day. People will almost recoil as they imagine trying those items on, and they don’t even seem able to process the fact that we have airy, lacy items like doilies and cool, lace-covered glass paperweights. Such is the state of the Fiber Booth on a hot summer’s day.

I should bring this post to a close. Perhaps I should change the title to “Mission Improbable”, as we did manage to sell a few items, after all.

Why I Learned to Weave

2010-08-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I alluded to the fact that I was resistant to learning to use the loom I had been given by my grandmother. I loved having it in my home, I just didn't particularly want to use it. When we first got the loom, the only place it would fit was in the basement--not really a suitable place to use the loom. Reprieve!!

When we moved a few years later, we planned to put the loom in the basement again--but it wouldn't fit down the stairs! So it ended up in our daughter's bedroom. We eventually built a little wall around it, so that our toddler daughter wouldn't get into it.

The next time we moved, the loom graced our dining room. For the first time, I had room to use it. Shortly after we moved, my grandmother had to move out of her house, and as the family member most into the fiber arts, I was in charge of pricing and selling her yarn and equipment stash. As I priced the weaving tools and yarns, I became more and more aware of the gift I had been given. Some ladies from the Handweaver's Guild came to our sale, and one of them plunked down $100 for a small table loom, after barely looking at it. I was amazed--it seemed a fortune to me at the time! And she said the loom was just a stopgap until she could afford the kind of loom she really wanted (undoubtedly a floor loom, perhaps much like the one in my dining room).

About this same time, the pastor of my church was doing a series of sermons on Stewardship. In one of them, he pointed out that we are responsible for our stewardship, not only of money and abilities, but even of material things we have been blessed with. It suddenly occurred to me that I had been provided with not only a loom, but virtually everything I needed in order to learn to weave (In addition to the loom, my grandmother had given me warping tools, shuttles, lots of weaving yarn, and even a few books on weaving)! I became strongly convicted that God meant me to learn to use this valuable piece of equipment that He had given me. I asked, "Why, Lord? What possible eternal purpose could there be, in my learning to weave?" I received no answer to this perplexing question, but I felt I must obey.

So I learned. I had looked into weaving lessons, but felt that they would not work for me. My son was now a toddler, and it would be difficult for me to spend hours weaving at the weaving studio with a little one in tow. My grandmother had shown me the basic operation of the loom, and I had read quite a bit about the weaving process in the books she had given me; but I had no materials which showed specifically how to warp my loom. I followed the directions in my generic weaving books, and learned partly by trial and error, and partly by picking the brains of other weavers I met. The first warp I put on had to be cut off after trying to weave a few inches, as I had threaded it through the loom the wrong way! But I soon found that I enjoyed the process of weaving, and have never regretted having learned this skill that I avoided for so long.

So, why did God lead me to learn to weave?? Perhaps I will never know, this side of eternity. But I have decided that, if there is no great eternal significance to this compulsion to weave, maybe God just gave me this gift to bring added joy and fulfilment to my life. And that's ok with me!

A Studio of My Own!

2010-08-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

One of the looms built by my grandfather--isn't it beautiful?

Last weekend, we moved my fiber stuff (at least most of it!) into my new studio. I now have looms, sewing and knitting machines, fiber processing equipment, my computer and a good portion of my yarn stash all in one room! Yet to come is a place for my collection of fiber-related books, and I'm not sure the spinning wheels will ever find a home in the studio--they may have to live upstairs. I am realizing that I could probably have used twice as much space in here (I still have boxes and boxes of fiber, plus lots of fiber equipment, still stored in the garage!), but I am so thankful for what I have. Kudos to my husband and son for remodeling this space for me from a garage bay to a working studio!

My mind is buzzing with the possibilities. What should I weave first? The looms have been residing in our garage (otherwise known to the family as The Barn) for the last couple of years, so I will have to remember how to warp them efficiently. I still need to find some of the warping equipment, which is still hiding in The Barn somewhere, along with loom benches, shuttles, and bobbins. Oh, well...it will take me a while to decide how to warp the looms, anyway. I always find the planning and warping the most difficult parts of weaving. Once I get the warp in place, things get much easier!

In the meantime, I am busily preparing for a fall season of local venues, as well as trying to write up knitting and crochet patterns for public consumption, to self-publish as pdf files.

The life of a fiber artist is never dull!

How I Became a "Fiber Artist"

2010-08-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

I was bitten by the fiber bug fairly early in life. My grandmothers were both adept at needlework: one did lovely embroidery and crocheted elegant, lacy delicacies; the other was proficient at sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, tatting, and even weaving. While I was (as a teenager) inspired by the beautiful work of my father's mother, I was taught the basics by my mother's mother ("Sit down. I'm going to teach you to tat today."). I am forever indebted to both of these ladies who inspired and encouraged me. I was not always the most eager student at first--I'm sure there were many other things I would rather have been doing--but the skills that I was taught stuck with me.

After I was married, I had time (as a full-time homemaker with as yet no children) to pursue knitting and crocheting, along with the occasional sewing project. I found that the basics that I had been taught enabled me to pick up books on textile techniques and learn on my own. I began to make little changes to the patterns I would follow, and even designed a few of my own.

Soon, my maternal grandmother offered me one of her floor looms. These were large pieces of "furniture" that my grandfather had built for her back in the '50's. I accepted because it was an interesting conversation piece, and part of my family's history (No one else I knew had a grandmother that knew how to weave!). I never planned to actually use the thing--though my husband had big plans for me to weave lots of fabric and sew all our own clothes!!

I'll tell more of the loom saga another time. Suffice it to say that I eventually learned to weave, and even to spin my own yarn.

Over the years, I have discovered that I really enjoy learning new techniques. Even more fun is to play around with yarn and fiber and come up with my own techniques! The items that I create reflect the diversity of the techniques that I enjoy. If you browse my Etsy shop, you will find quite a variety of items. When a person first enters my booth at a festival, often their eyes start to glaze over as they look around them. It is hard to "process" so many different types of products. I guess I have a short attention span--before I finish one project, I am looking around for something different to do next!

I guess the reason I describe myself (with some trepidation) as a "Fiber Artist" (in spite of the fact that I have always considered myself to be highly un-artistic) is because I create the designs that I make. Though I have read a bit about Color Theory and Design, I basically make what I think will be beautiful (unfortunately, my artist's concept does not always come together in the finished product the way that I envisioned!), and I don't worry about what others will think.

So here I am--running a small business making and selling knitted, crocheted, handwoven, felted, beaded and braided products, and enjoying the excitement and fulfilment that creativity brings to my life!