Stitches West was GREAT!

I had such a wonderful time at Stitches West, the big fiber event in Santa Clara this weekend.

On Friday, I took an all-day class in Knitting Rugs, not my first choice, but I registered late, and had to take what was left. It turned out to be a big surprise, with a wonderful history lesson in how our ancestors creatively reused anything made of fiber up to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. We are now only beginning to appreciate their efforts as we attempt to create our own  interpretations of  reuse of materials.

My two favorites of the rug samples we created are shown below:

The beginning of the the rug on the left is the center core of a washboard rug, comprised of  knitted strips of yarn. (To be historically correct, I should use wool, but the center is the remains of some silk yarn.) This would be a great use of extra wool, especially the shades of purple in the Noro that I still have left from my sweater. Combined with purple alpaca, it is extremely soft. How, then, could I ever put it on the floor?

The rug on the right is based on a Shaker confetti rug, with strips of cloth knitted into the rows of plain knitting. Of course, Shakers never used batiks, like I did. This is a perfect one for me and would be a good use of all those extra strips of batik that I cut up for the jacket I was going to make but eventually made placemats!

Below on the right is my favorite rug of our teacher, Rose Ann Hunter.

On Saturday, I took a one-hour market class in mitred squares from Cindy Craig. Mitred squares are also known as Domino Knitting, whereby decreasing in the center of a long strip rather than at the ends forms a square. I have a project started that uses large mitred squares and felt I really needed some pointers. I certainly got what I was looking for and Cindy’s class was a huge help.

Below right is my first attempt and on the left is my second attempt. (Note that the angle on the lower left red square is going the wrong way.) Huge improvement. Thank you, Cindy! As with anything, it’s practice, practice, practice.

Of course, the highlight of Stitches West is the market. I was able to find the things I was really looking for on the first day. Then, I could relax and appreciate the yarns the rest of the time.

Friday, I went alone, but on Saturday, I went over with my friend, Annie, the inkle loom weaver. On Saturday, it snowed both going over the mountain and returning in the evening. (This comment is for the benefit of my friends on the East Coast who think it’s always at least in the 50’s here.) Annie showed me a booth that I had missed where I found an antique bone weaving needle. Thank you!

On the more serious side, I bought yarn to use with yarn I already had. I got some dark yarn to make another heavy sweater I can wear around our cold house. Books. I’m such a sucker for books. But, I found some really good ones I had to have. I even found something to use in my other fiber arts.

I got a Ravelry button and a Stitches West button.

Even though I’ve now been knitting for about 6 years, I feel like I’m such a new knitter. I enjoy it so much. Just keep it up!

Spring in February

I figure I’d better get these plum blossoms posted before the weather changes.

I know there’s several feet of snow back east, but here, it’s a very early Spring and the alley behind our house is lovely. Of course, the blossoms drop within about a day, but for the weekend, they’re lovely and their sweet scent is not overpowering.

The Artist has been busy not only carving his Medieval tables, but also making me some looms. I’ve always wanted to weave, as if knitting and sewing is not enough, and after I saw a tiny little 2” square hand loom in an old magazine, I asked him if he could make one for me.  The Artist researched hand looms on the Internet and presented me with not only a 4” loom, but the instructions (from 1936) as well. I’m practicing. What will I “make”? I have no idea if I will ever have a finished product. But I really like it and I can use up all my yarn bits.

 

Then, on Wednesday, I received an even larger loom from The Artist. I’m almost afraid to start using it, but I sure do like it! It’s 24”x18”.

Exciting Day in the Life

Wednesday was an exciting day in my life. The Artist’s work appeared on the cover of a national magazine.

We had known that the owner of the dulcimer was writing an article for the magazine and she had notified The Artist that it would be in the Winter 2011 issue, but to have it appear on the cover (and the CD that accompanies each magazine) was a gigantic surprise and brought us both tremendous pleasure.

I give huge thanks to the author, a prominent banjo and dulcimer musician, Mary Z. Cox, for her very kind words and thoughtful insight into the true value of historical instruments. Mary maintains a great appreciation for instruments made in the traditional way and believes that musical instruments have real personalities and destinies of their own.  As The Artist said last night, “She really gets it!”

But… the day wasn’t over!

Wednesday evening was the annual Gail Rich Awards in our home town. The awards honor the abundance of creative artists—dancers, craftspeople, musicians, writers, artists, actors, entrepreneurs, teachers, clowns, exhibitors, purveyors—who make our town so culturally rich. This year, one of our good friends was honored. We had to attend and waited in line for a half hour before the awards began.

Of course, I took a copy of the just-received DPN magazine to show everyone we knew and some of those we didn’t! Turns out one of those we didn’t know formerly owned a well-known dulcimer shop in town. (People at shows still ask us if we knew the shop.) “Didn’t know that magazine was still in business,” he quipped. Well, it is and at volume 37, #1, it’s better than ever; in fact, I think it's the best one yet!.

New Chandelier!

For Christmas this year, I gave The Artist a class in “Warm” Lighting at the local community college. I’ve taken so many great classes there: Exploring England (just before we visited), Quick Books, Intro to Photoshop, using PMC, just to name a few. I thought that he should also be exposed to more of the education that the place offers than just the degree in English that he received quite a few years ago.

The Artist started the class by catching the cold that I had. But, true to himself and his work habits, he went in with a plan, remained focused, and completed a new chandelier for the living room within the two intense weeks of 9-5 class.

Plasma welding and sand blasting glass were the two main crafts used in creating what is probably really called a drum pendant light, but to us is a medieval chandelier. We plan to swing across the room like Robin Hood (or Errol Flynn) on it. Or not.

I thoroughly expected The Artist to make something that would be a prototype for an art piece in his business, but noooo, he had to replace that disgusting, ugly, hideously bright chandelier that we had (and hated) with one that looks wonderful over our round dining room table and gives off soft, glowing light, with the same wattage and number of bulbs as the other.  I love this one.

He did enjoy the class and met lots of people. All is not lost on the art front. He’s now doing something in wood that’s along the same lines.

And moi? What am I up to? I have a few more designs just released on Spoonflower and am starting to knit a new jacket, as soon as I can get the gauge right.

Weather has been wonderful lately. Makes me want to make lists of things to do and vigorously check them off. The moon over the last several nights has been delicious, rising just as we sit down to dinner, and waning just as I wake up. Makes you forget about all the problems that exist in the world for a few minutes.

Christmas Colds

Hah! That got you, huh?

No typo here. Not only was the house 59 degrees this AM, but I have a cold as well. My week of vacation has thus developed slight bruises, but it’s not completely rotten.

In fact, we had a great Christmas in San Francisco. Visited the post impressionist exhibit at the de Young and a couple exhibits at the SFMOMA. Shopped for yarn, fabric and buttons. Finally found the buttons at Britex for my Noro sweater. Art Yarns is a fantastic new place on Sutter. Even The Artist had a good time!

I think the most impressionable thing was Christmas day. Although it rained, we were out tromping around Chinatown and North Beach. Grant Street and Stockton were full of life and extremely busy, (need a haircut on Christmas day?) whereas Broadway and Columbus were barely waking up. We did get to see the wild parrots swooping around on their way back to Telegraph Hill.

On our way back, we spotted a French Brasserie, Cafe de la Presse, at the corner of Grant across from the gate to Chinatown and had a late lunch. Jam packed. Wonderful food. Best latte I’ve ever had.

Day after Christmas was just packed with shoppers around Union Square. Even so, it was nice to get away to a big city for a holiday.

By the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

‘’Twas a Week Before Christmas…

 

… and I bought myself an embellisher.

So instead of showing what it looks like, I’m showing what it does.

That’s black raw silk and gold paint with wool roving embellished on top. The machine has 12 needles with little hooks on the ends to push the wool fibers into the silk. It should be a lot of fun to work with. I look forward to combining my yarn scraps with my fabric scraps to make gorgeous new fabric.

I’m finishing up my Christmas cards, so it’s back to work.

By the way, thanks to all who voted for me. Flying Carpet was far from winning. I think you really have to be into social networking and your designs must be very literal, rather than imaginative and cerebral to win the Spoonflower contests, but it’s still fun.

And the Artist? He’s working on the pipe organ and just finished two autoharps.

Vote for Me This Week!

 

Flying Carpet

Vote for me this week! My fabric is in the Time Travel contest at Spoonflower December 9-16.

The Flying Carpet takes you wherever you want to go - the past, the future or just up the street. The process is fused wool fibers done in the wet felting process. When I first made this in my fiber art group, I was very disappointed with it. Then, I stood back to look at it and decided to upload it to Spoonflower as a fabric design. It became something entirely new, with a completely new feeling! It looks like an Oriental carpet!

As one very thoughtful admirer commented: This design has a marvelous fuzzy felted feeling about it. It makes you want to stroke its soft surface as you close your eyes and make a wish to be transported to another Time and Place!

Thank you in advance for voting.

 

And as a follow up on another fiber project, my quilt, Body and Soul, has taken on a new name for the month, Temporarily Santa Cruz, and is in the This is Santa Cruz show at the Santa Cruz Art League.

And The Artist? He’s in the show, too.