Digital Leaf Studio

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-25T00:22:00.003-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Looking forward to a healthy, wealthy and wonderful 2012.

As the year stays new at least till February or even March, I find my self tidying up my 2011 and setting my goals for 2012.

I accept and now will plan for the fact that I'm 'allergic' to my computer during the holiday season, which goes from about a week before Thanksgiving, through to Chinese New Year on Jan 23rd. That, of course, is not to say that things don't get accomplished during that time... on the contrary, lots of friends, family, making things, eating, festivals, etc. What is does mean, is that things like blogging don't get done.

2011 was a short but good year with lots of fiber fun. I wove a double weave doll and am working on a second one. I tatted several new earring designs and started designing a bobbin lace collar. I'm knitting a pair of Maeva socks and finished a pair of cashmere Borough Mittens. I made a backstrap loom and did a strap on the inkle loom. I knitted a vest out of some of my handspun and crocheted a crocodile clutch. I wove a fleece scarf and a gold scarf out of thin 20/2 silk. I purchased more roving and a new golding spindle at NY Sheep and Wool.

....... more to come....

Holiday Craft Fair

2011-11-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

I'll be demonstraing with my fellow Woodland Weavers' and Spinners' Guild on Saturday at Sullivan County Community College's Annual Holiday Fair. We'll be selling our handmade items as well.

CORNUCOPIA: AN ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR
An artisan, farm, food, gift and wine festival

SULLIVAN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
112 College Rd.
Gerry Field House
Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759

Tel: 845-434-5750 ext 4472

Patina Seed Vest

2011-10-29T13:09:00.002-04:00

Back in Oct 2007 I purchased some roving from the Sheep and Wool Festival... I started spinning that wool in August 2009. I spun all of it on my drop spindle using the "navajo 3 ply on the fly" method. At the time I had no idea what kind of project I would make...

I didn't know how much yarn I would get out of the two colors of merino wool roving: The orange-ish color called Patina gave me 246 yards . The other a gun metal grey - 404 yards. I always intended them to be used together. Finally in 2011 I decided on a project... After the great success with seed stitch and hand spun with my cotton candy scarf, I decided to make a simple seed stitch vest.

I knit a scarf with the patina, 30 stitches wide and knit till I ran out of yarn. I added the gunmetal grey to the ends and joined the two grey sections with a panel for the back. I then needle tatted some buttons and loops so the vest would close.

NY Sheep and Wool

2011-10-26T00:47:00.000-04:00

NY sheep and wool Day 1:

My first time in a long time attending the NY Sheep and Wool on Saturday. I usually go on Sunday.
It's a 1 hour casual drive to the Dutchess County Fair Grounds, along the scenic roads of the Hudson valley, meaning with normal traffic condtions, its 1 hr, door to door including parking. I paid toll at the Rhinecliff bridge at 11:40 certain I'd get into the lot by noon, perhaps 12:10. I arrived at the other side of the bridge at 12:20 and arrived via shuttle bus to the Main Gate at 12:45! That's right, it was so croweded they had us park at the entrance to the Bridge!

I discoverd too, that I have no phone signal at the fair grounds, so I did not rondevue with some friends, but all in all it was a lovely day.

I entered the drop spindle contest, not sure how I would compare. I placed third, even though the quality of my yarn was a bit sad, I've learned that spinning under pressure is very odd. There was a huge crowd and people taking photos, flash bulbs going off, the clock ticking, 15 min to spin as much as you can. I didn't drop the spindle or anything, but when I wraped it on the niddy noddy I had a break or two from poorly spun wool.

Shopping! I got a second Golding spindle. Its the 2" .85 oz solid purple heart whorl. It also came with a sample of roving, which was a mix of silk, wool, and glitz. It spun up beautifully. I think I see some sock yarn spinning in my future, though spinning for weaving is also catching my attention at moment.

NY Sheep and Wool Day 2:

There was no traffic getting to the fair grounds. (I stopped at Twisted Foods in Rosendale and got two pretzel rolls; as good as the ones in Berlin. ) I was hoping to see the punkin-chunkin but it was canceled.

I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the show, running into several friends and buying roving.

radio silence

2011-10-22T02:22:00.002-04:00

Its been a while since I've posted. The blog silence equals lots of fiber activity. Weaving, workshops, spinning, knitting, tatting, crocheting, travel and learning...

I've been extremely disinterested in sitting in front of the computer... you could say I've been a bit allergic to it... But I'm feeling its digital pull once more and I have much to share... about 5 months worth to be exact.

So this post is to break the silence...

Smartphone Cozy

2011-05-30T15:47:00.002-04:00

IMG_2616, a photo by Digital Leaf on Flickr.

Here is a quick project I just finished. This multi colored acrylic yarn pooled really nicely, making an interesting swirl pattern. Every stitch is cabled creating a cool woven look. I used i-cord to make a knot button and the loop was knit on the last row before binding off.

striped pouch

2011-04-23T23:56:00.001-04:00

striped pouch fo 2, a photo by Digital Leaf on Flickr.

Finished the tatted stripe pouch after attempting to use a purse frame then a snap frame, I decided I looked best as a draw string bag.

The tatting is size 20 cotton and the bag is royal navy blue cotton velvet and vintage grosgrain ribbon. The lining is dark blue.

Alpaca process

2011-04-23T23:28:00.002-04:00

Alpaca process, a set on Flickr.

I've finally started washing and spinning some of alpaca I got in the fall. So far so good.
I hope to weave something with the singles. There were a lot of shorter fibers in this batch and it took a bit to get the results I wanted. As I see how much yarn I have, I'll decide what to weave and if I'm also going to use it as the warp.

I describe what i did in the Flickr Set.

Beltane Festival

2011-04-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

I'm vending on Saturday:

Brid's Closet 4th annual Beltane/Spring Festival

Sat. April 30, 2011 - 11.00 am til ?

Palaia Vineyards

10 Sweet Clover Rd Highland Mills

NY 10930

Directions:http://www.palaiavineyards.com/directions.html

Admission: $25/under 12 free

Come and celebrate spring with us! Dress in your renaissance. faire best! (fantasy, pirate, renaissance, fun) Tarot readers, Dance the Maypole, Live entertainment, games of chance, classes, music, belly dancing, tons of shopping and food from our fine vendors, and so much more!!

Sponsored by Bernadette Montana of Brid's Closet www.bridscloset.com

(845) 458-8726

Lace making...

2011-04-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

Bobbin lace collective in India is trying to keep the non-indigenous craft alive.
The Hindu : FEATURES / METRO PLUS : Lace making gets a new lease of life

If you have food in your fridge....

2011-03-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

from nativekee

New Etsy Items...

2011-03-27T00:29:00.000-04:00

I've posted some items on etsy.

Tatted jewelry is on its way. And custom items available.

Crosses

2011-03-22T00:51:00.000-04:00

I did a series of tatted cross samples for a local church. Three of them are designs by Mary Konior. The loopy red one (white background) is a vintage pattern made with Handy Hands Lizbeth Size 20. The green ones are made from Presencia Finca Pearl Cotton N° 8 and the white is DMC Cordonnet Special Size 80.
The

2nd day of Spring 2011

2011-03-21T19:47:00.001-04:00

2nd day of Spring 2011 a photo by Digital Leaf on Flickr.

The first day of Spring was a lovely 52 degrees, perfect for a stroll.

The second day of Spring..... not so much.

January and February FO's

2011-03-15T00:44:00.000-04:00

Time, she is a flying... Here are some finished objects from January and February.

Cable Braid Necklace designed by Olgajazzy. I used Karabella Boise cashmere and found the perfect color button.

Tatted earrings for my aunt.

Mini twined woven baskets using waxed cord and embroidery thread. The orange and yellow one I made into a flower amulet. there is a plastic tube so you can put a real flower in it.

And two tatted necklaces. These are two designs I've been thinking about for while. The green necklace came about while seeing what I can do with just one shuttle. I like the mossy look.

The white necklace was more to do with the chain. I really wanted to use split rings in an elegant way, something that looked more like pearls. The green bead added some punch and little weight. Both necklaces are metal free which I've been thinking about as well. Like peanut allergies, there are also a lot of people allergic to metals.

Cotton Candy Scarf

2011-03-15T00:10:00.003-04:00

cotton candy scarf a photo by Digital Leaf on Flickr.

At the end of January, I finished my cotton candy scarf.
It's made from the Nessaland dyed roving. I 2 ply spun the wool on my drop spindle. I spun just over 200 yards from the cotton candy roving and added another 64 yards of green merino to lengthen the scarf.

I knew the scarf might shorter than I wanted so I used a provisional cast on with 30 stitches.

I love how soft and gushy the scarf is. It hugs snug and is really warm.

St. Patrick's Day Parade...

2011-03-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

I'll be at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Rock Hill, NY on Saturday March 12th, 2011. 12-3pm

Parade steps off at 12 pm at or near the Lodge and will end at the Rock Hill Fire Dept. The local Fire Departments, Businesses and Veterans will be marching. Irish bands will be performing along with Irish tenors. Many antique autos, Horses, Motorcycle clubs and many more attractions.

You can find me across from the Trading Post were several vendors will be set up.
See you there.

Needle Felting

2011-01-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

Quick needle felting sculpture. I like the freedom of needle felting. Its like working with clay, you don't have plan to far ahead. I looked at photo reference for the Penguin. The owl's toes were fun to do and I love how Kodama's pose come out. I didn't use an armature, just lots of felting.

Nursery Mobile...

2011-01-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

I was crochet doodling with some left over green Boise yarn. I just knew whatever I was making had to be small, because I was low on yarn. I made a bowl shape and then browsed through ravelry and decided to make a jellyfish. The jellyfish lead to the idea of making a fish.

Then my brother said there had to be shark. The mobile has become very aquatic.
I was so tempted to put the multiple rows of teeth on the shark, but I decided best not scare the kid, LOL.

Welcome to the world Baby...

2011-01-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

November was full of knitting and crocheting to welcome my nephew to the world. Making baby things is so fun, beside the attached excitement of meeting a new person, the scale makes everything more adorable. And of course, I use soft, easy care fibers.

I made two hats. One is a crochet earflap hat made from Karabella Boise yarn (merino and cashmere). I'v knit a lot of things with this yarn, including a pair of fingerless gloves that have had a lot of abuse. It wears well, is washable and soft. I didn't use a pattern. I only had little of blue yarn left so I just worked with what I had.

The other is a Totoro Hat. I used an very soft acrylic yarn I had in my stash for years. It was fast to knit and a joy to get his face right. It looks really good on too!

I also knit a sweater made from yellow Lanas Stop York Merino that my mother in-law brought. Its soft and springy, which is great because babies grow so fast. The sweater will fit a while longer. Since we liked both sides of the sweater, I put buttons on the inside and outside.

Spinning and Loomette...

2011-01-08T02:30:00.000-05:00

Catching up on posts after the holiday:
November turned out to a crafty month. One such project is a pin cushion design I've wanted to try for a while. I saw it in one of my issues of Piece Work. It was made with two squares of embroidery canvas, I made mine with handspun cotton and my Loomette (weave-it loom).

This is my first try spinning cotton. I used a drop spindle I made with a toy wheel and dowel. I used it like a supported spindle since its very light... too light weight. I managed to get a good flow going after I read "Respect the Spindle" and learned some the nuances of drop spindles, spindle technique and fiber choice. It's a great read.

Double Weave Workshop

2011-01-08T02:07:00.000-05:00

Oct 31, 2010:

Another awsome thing you can do with a 4 shaft loom! The Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild of Damascus has a weaving study group, and member Nellie taught a two day Double Weave Workshop which was amazing. At first I was a little reluctant to take the class, as I didn't see an immediate use for double weaving and I was distracted by Twill. I also had a borrow a warping board and get my loom warped before the class, which I didn't get to till the last minute.

So the day before class I started warping, all was going very smoothly. I even used my homemade raddle and lease sticks.

By late afternoon I was threading the heddles only to discover I didn't have enough of them. So I had make my own. "Perhaps I won't go to the workshop?" It went smoother than I thought it would but it was time consuming. It was after midnight and I was getting that "school paper due tomorrow panic" when I prematurely pulled out the lease sticks, having not yet threaded reed. " Noooooooooooooo! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

It all worked out in the end. I finished threading the reed and greatly enjoyed learning a whole new aspect to weaving that I never knew existed. Tubes, pockets, pillows, lace and the ability to weave twice the width of fabric than the width of the loom.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2011-01-01T18:13:00.000-05:00

Lacy Baktus

2010-12-27T14:34:00.002-05:00

lacy baktus cu
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Oct 25, 2010: I finished this wonderful stash buster gift project. I used the Karabella Boise (50/50 cashmere merino). It was quick to knit and uses any amount of yarn. This was the last of the off white Boise that I had left.

Goose Eye Scarf

2010-10-07T18:57:00.000-04:00

I finished my woven scarf. I warped my table during my last beginning weaving class, using two strands of Green and Cream Silk/Cotton yarn I got from Silk City Fibers. I warped both colors at the same time.
I threaded the loom with a twill pattern called Goose Eye in "Weaving Equipment- Patterns, Instructions by Isobel Maguire." I alternated between the green and cream color for the warp.

I used the Green as the weft for the ends of the scarf, and red weft for the middle. I wove 10" of tabby on the ends and rest twill.

Spinning some Hand dyed

2010-10-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

I finished spinning the hand dyed merino wool i got from Vanessa last week. It was was really fun to spin. It's my first time spinning such a fluffy merino. The other roving I have is comparatively slippery and does not have as much loft as this wool. It looked like cotton candy on the distaff.

I Andean plyed the 4 oz roving. I got about 206 yards.

Handspun for Tatting

2010-09-27T00:05:00.001-04:00

My continued exploration of plying has begged the question of shuttle tatting with hand spun. Tatting thread needs to be strong and resistant to fraying, since there is a lot of friction and tension on the tread as you work the rings. I figured you could us regular 2 or 3 ply yarn with needle tatting since it creates a looser ring, but I don't needle tat.

So I un-plyied some 20 cordonnet thread, which I assumed was more like braid, but its 6 ply spun as three 2ply strands are plyed into one thread. I tried it out, plying three lengths of yarn and then plying them together.

I tatted a ring with it and its strong and isn't too fuzzy. It worked great. I over spun the 2 plys to make sure it held together during the last ply.

Now, I have to consider spinning very fine singles to bring the finished size of the yarn down, though I do want it to be thicker that 20 cordonnet. I have some design ideas that will use thicker thread.

Bethel Woods Earthday Festival...

2010-09-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

I will be at the Bethel Woods Earthday Festival, selling my tatted jewelry, some bags and origami accessories and ornaments.

Green Hand Spun Cowl

2010-09-16T23:16:00.000-04:00

JOY! I finished my cowl, made from the 150 yarns of hand spun andean ply. I'm amazed that it knit like real yarn and that it started out as roving.

Hand spinning adventures

2010-09-13T19:22:00.000-04:00

Learning is good.
I've spun my two 4 oz Spirit Trail Fiberworks , hand painted roving; one mostly orange, the other mostly green.

The orange, I spun singles for weaving. It super soft and colors are amazing. I learned if you add too much weight to your yarn while its drying, it looses its springyness, and is best for weaving. My Gunmetal Grey and Patina roving that I navajo plyed has no stretch left in it at all (though I will still knit with it). The orange singles, I let dry with much less weight, and its soft and strong. Lesson learned.

The green roving, I decided I wanted to knit with and try 2 ply.

I rigged a 7"x7" to make a lazy kate. My last try at plying was not successful because the center pull ball i made bounced all over the place and even anchored down, I had some troubles. The Lazy Lazy Kate worked really well, but then Youtube showed the way to Andean ply. Genius method and my lazy lazy kate could already be obsolete. I set the yarn and let it dry un-weighted. WOW, its just like the yarn I covet at the fiber fests: Fluffy, soft, bouncy, dreamy skein and the colors!

Alpaca handspun

2010-09-13T02:31:00.001-04:00

Alpaca handspun
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Long time no blog.... Lots of news on the way. In the mean time, I demonstrated drop spinning at the Bethel Woods Alpaca festival in Bethel NY and here is what I spun. It was my first time spinning alpaca as well as my first time spinning un-preped fiber. I also got to try a drum carder and it was a good lesson, feeling the difference between carded and uncarded fiber. Until now I've only spun dyed merino roving.

I now have alpaca fleece which I'm excited to take through the whole process: Cleaning, carding, spinning... Its a golden brown color.

Finished my woven bag

2010-08-11T12:13:00.000-04:00

I finished my bag last week. It took me a while to decide how I was going to work the handle. I single crocheted 6 stitches wide, into the back loop and sewed the strip around a cotton welt. I also lined the bag in silk satin, which I inner-faced and added an inside pocket for two pens and cell phone.

making equipment

2010-08-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

I made a PVC pipe niddy noddy that makes 1 yard skeins. I do have a 2 yard Kromski niddy noddy but found that sometimes I wanted a smaller length skein. The supplies came to $4.81, which is enough to make 2 niddy noddys. It does the job, but its not as nice as my wooden Kromski.

The idea of making a spindle has come up few times in fiber conversations. My friend Vanessa mentioned polymer clay and after seeing the spindle varieties at the Spin City meetup, I decided to make a mini one out of polymer clay. It Works! I spun a little bit and Andean 2 plied it. Already thinking about some fun patterns/designs I can make with the clay.

spin city meetup

2010-08-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

I attended the Spin City Meetup on Monday, July 26 which I haven't been to in quite a while. It was at the Highline. I learned so much and made some new fiber friends. Saw a variety of drop spindles, including the amazingly cute Jenkins Kuchulu, and one made from a toy truck tire.

A reporter and photographer from the NYtimes happened to be at the highline reporting on a group called Hipnic and Spin City got in the paper... You gotta love NY. Where else can you have people spinning next to hula hoppers and an impromtu gazoo band?

Lots of Spinning

2010-08-01T14:09:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of drop spinning. I finished my 8oz of Abi's Web Patina roving and got 246 yards of 3 ply. I'm getting comfy with Navajo plying and discovered that its better to use shorter sections, which gives a more even ply.

I started on a gunmetal grey merino and pulled out the rest of the roving I purchased at Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool 3 years ago. I'm still in love with the colors. I am, however, a bit concerned about the color fastness, as there was a little color in the water after setting the yarn. I was planning on knitting the grey and patina together, but getting scared that the colors will bleed.

Port Jervis Artwalk

2010-08-01T12:07:00.000-04:00

I'm catching up on postings. On July 17th, I attended the Port Jervis Artwalk with Vanessa. Our booth looked great and very colorful. It was a lovely, hot day and we had a great spot under a tree. I got some great feedback and enjoyed the company of my booth mates, including Laura, Christopher, Merlin and Petra. Unfortunatly there were more browsers than buyers and it was a lament I heard from many vendors.

Idrija Owl

2010-08-01T11:46:00.000-04:00

I started an Owl bobbin lace pendant about a week ago. I adapted an idrija lace motif I saw on Etsy. I've changed it a little bit and shrank it down to 1.5" x 2". I'm using a gold machine embroidery thread with a white working pair, so the joins are white and the "feathers are gold. Its coming along very nicely. Its my first time working with such thin thread and I'm loving the result.

Here a clostup in the "regular" thread, which I've used on my other Idrija lace pieces.

My First Weaving Project!

2010-07-06T23:30:00.003-04:00

I'm so pleased. I did my first woven item on the 4th of July. I had started warping at the end of June, but waited till I got my shuttles in the mail before finishing the warp. I'm using "Learning the Weave" by Deborah Chandler, which is an exceptionally great book. She really covered every question I had as I worked through the process. (I also skimmed through "The Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing Book by Rachel Brown)

I was really concerned about getting started because everyone I've talked to has left me with the impression that warping is a nightmare. I looked into classes, which were very expensive and long (6 weeks). I did however find a willing Weavers guild member who will teach a small group of us starting in August. I couldn't wait that long. I have this shinny new toy and I just i have to play with it NOW.

The warping went very well, I had to re-slay two threads which I crossed. The tension wasn't too bad. I did have a little wabble on beginning of the weaving, but I got it even. I should say, I do have a little experience with warp tension from my bead weaving days on my Indian Bead Loom, so I knew I had to get good tension.

I started with a plain weave. Then I did 2 warp threads up, which is a basket weave with only one weft thread, and finally I did a 2/2 twill. I used an 8 dent reed and all 4 shafts. I used two green yarns as stripes on the warp, one a fresh green color, the other more olive.

I did have some uneven edges on the right side, but the 2/2 twill went beautifully.

Spinning

2010-06-30T22:36:00.008-04:00

I'm now a member of the Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild of Damascus Pa. On the 19th I went my second meeting. The topic of discussion: Finishes. Everyone had tips and tricks for working with and finishing knitting, spinning and woven items, as well as neat tools and make-shift gadgets that will come in handy in pinch. Like making a center pull ball with a toilet paper roll.

One member demonstrated Navajo plying on the fly. A very skilled drop spinner, she made it look effortless and magical. I had to try!

On the ever useful internet and found "Tammy Rizzo's Ply-on-the-fly technique" which also has a link to her blog were she updates the technique, making it even easier.

Here is my hand spun, Navajo plied-on-the-fly yarn. First I did a Navajo ply with already spun singles, which was awkward because the center pull ball i made was very light and it was difficult to get a smooth chain going, without the ball jumping around. The second and third yarns were done on the fly. I spun a bunch of singles and then wrapped them on my fingers and plied them, then repeat.

I also tried plying with a spinning wheel, which i borrowed from my neighbor. It was great using the wheel. Spinning goes much faster but I did have a hard time plying. I found the wheel really didn't want to go in the opposite direction. But I did get a sense of the kinds of things I would want in a spinning wheel when I'm ready to get one. After that short adventure, I returned the spinning wheel to my neighbor in favor of my drop spindle.

Having finished the green roving, I knit a hat with the plied yarn. There was only about 53 yards of yarn so no ear flaps.

The rest of the green un-plied yarn, will probably be used in a weaving a project. For now anyway, its just a part of my stash.

Weaving Sticks

2010-06-26T23:09:00.005-04:00

I purchased 5/16' x 48" wood dowels to make large Lace bobbins. I want to make a bobbin lace scarf out of yarn. As I'm working how I want to complete the bobbins, I decided to make Weaving Sticks.

I sat outside in the lovely summer weather and sanded 8 weaving sticks. I tested it out with some junk yarn. Looks good.

I'll use this on some of my stash and odds and ends.

Needle Book

2010-06-15T14:24:00.006-04:00

Back in December I completed my first Russian Lace Ground. Today, that ground is now my much needed Needle Book. I carry an assortment of sewing needles and darning needles in my tatting bag. This finally replaces my folded piece paper that I was using.

Snaps hold it closed. I used a woven wool fabric. Its a comfortable size at 4"x 2.4"(closed). I sewed the lace down onto the fabric along the edge, and then used that stitch line as my guide to sewing the backing onto it.

Summer Fun Fair...

2010-06-09T14:10:00.003-04:00

I'll be selling some pieces at the Summer Fun Fair this weekend.
http://www.kadampanewyork.org/

Bobbin Lacing at the Church of Craft

2010-06-07T00:39:00.004-04:00

I started a bobbin lace piece yesterday at the NY Bobbin Lace meetup, which we held at the Church of Craft. There were two of us bobbin lacing and had a pleasant time. After which, we went to McCarren Park to see the last remnants of the Renegade craft fair. It seemed many vendors packed early to avoid the weather.

When I got home, I had to untangle my bobbins which go all disheveled.

This is a heart pattern from Brigitte Bellon's Gekloppelte Fruhlingsmotive. It's a half stitch pattern, which I really haven't done since my first two bobbin lace projects at Lacis. I figured out the curve and its coming along quickly.

Duet Drawstring Bag

2010-06-05T20:22:00.001-04:00

Duet bag fo 2
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Finished my drawstring bag. I used Finca Pearl Cotton N° 8 variegated thread for the tatted lace. I bought it from a discount bin and I only had the one roll. I ran out of thread, making the lace shorting than I had planned, but leading to this bag design. I used silk charmeuse with a lighter green silk satin lining. The cording is made with the same fabric. I padded the base, so its sturdy and holds it's shape. The bag is 8.5" high and 4" wide.

My mom was using this fabric for one of her customer's dresses. It happened to be the perfect color; a spring green. And there were enough scraps to make it make my bag.

Weaving in my future...

2010-05-16T21:25:00.003-04:00

JOY!!! I have a table loom!!

It's soooo wonderful. I can't wait to try it out. I've wanted a loom for a long time. I'm still amazed, it was so serendipitous. One of my neighbors, i recently learned, is also a fiber enthusiast and she had this loom in her barn. Its in great condition and I found the operating instructions online.

My neighbor is also a member of the Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild, who meet in Damascus, Pa. every 3rd Saturday. I went this weekend and learned a little about how flax is prepared for spinning. They don't have website yet but its in the works.

I'm looking forward to some the upcoming workshops.

Also, I went to Montgomery, hoping to catch the town wide yard sale, but got there a little late. I did, however get some Asiago bread at the Downtown Bread and Bake Shop. Sooooo yummmy!! Fresh baked breads and pastries, much of it organic, and all of it delicious. I'll make it a regular stop when I'm in the area.

I'm working on a few projects which will be outlined on my website, which I'm also updating. I'll post more info when its ready.

Teaching Tatting and tatting some more....

2010-05-16T21:10:00.003-04:00

On thursday I taught my first tatting class of 5 beginners at The Needlepoint Gallery. It was fun but time flew by really fast. I didn't get near as much taught as I thought I would in the 2 hours. But most got the hand of making the double stitches and starting rings.

It was wonderful to be reminded how far I've come with tatting, remembering those awkward first steps and how weird the shuttle was in my hands.

Tatting wise, I'm making a draw string bag with the Duet pattern in "Tatting with Visual Patterns" by Mary Konior. It uses only rings and one shuttle.

My other two tatting projects are coming along... though till this week, I was doing more bobbin lace than tatting.

Butterflies and flowers...

2010-05-13T23:38:00.001-04:00

Lace Butterfly cu
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Butterflies and flowers, the signs of spring... even though after a few 80 degree days we had a frost. Luckily these two bobbin lace pieces will survive a freeze just fine.

Both of these patterns are from Brigitte Bellon's "Gekloppelte Fruhlingsmotive".

Both were fairly quick projects taking a few hours each. The flower is 4" x 2.25" while the butterfly is 4" x 2.5". The book is written in German, but the diagrams are very clear and there are pictures of the finished pieces, which was helpful in understanding some of the pattern details, like the braided wing tips on the butterfly.

Russian Bobbin Lace Doily

2010-05-13T23:18:00.001-04:00

wiggle bobbin lace 1
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Early this month I finished this Russian Bobbin Lace Doily. Its 7" diameter. It had a ground in the center that uses 2 pairs and the border lace used 9 pair. It from "Bobbin lace" by Karpenko which I got from the IOLI Library.

I kinda want to frame it and make it a tray or trivet or something. The end use of doilies is still a mystery to me... Its not something to fits into my home decor, especially in their traditional role; I don't have any "fine furniture" that needs protecting.

I think the feel of the bobbin lace is part of the experience of appreciating the lace, so I'm torn between locking it behind glass, keeping it clean and safe from elements and leaving free to air.

More russian ground fun...

2010-05-02T17:44:00.002-04:00

russian ground 6_FO
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

This is my second Bobbin lace ground, which i finished the first week of April. This introduced me to two new skills; A double thread picot and leaf tallys. At the last NY Bobbin Group Meetup, Devon Thein was kind enough to show me how to do a leaf tally and picot. The picots are little a little more substantial looking. It's challenging to keep the leaf tallys consistent.

Leona's Hat

2010-03-11T18:22:00.003-05:00

Leona Hat cu
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I just finished a hat for my dear friend. The pattern is "Cabled Rangoli Hat" by Desi Knitter. It was a fast and fun knit. The only change I made is I used a single row bobble, which to me is more defined and doesn't get lost in the great colors of the yarn.

The yarn is "Punta Yarns Merisoft Hand Painted."

There was very little yarn left over, though it was more than I expected. I was able to knit a quick pouch using the star stitch.

Bobby McFerrin hacks your brain with music | Video on TED.com

2010-02-28T15:02:00.000-05:00

I love TEDtalks.
Bobby McFerrin hacks your brain with music | Video on TED.com

A Craft Productive Year

2010-01-02T10:23:00.003-05:00

It was a very craft productive year. :-)

Official 2009 Fiber Craft year in review:
76+ FO's
2 wips

50+ Pieces of Tatting
10 Bobbin Lace
10 Knit
4 Crochet
2 Embroidery

2 amigurumi
15 earrings
4 scarfs
2 socks
10 Necklaces
5 brooches
6 bags
and
1 craft show

Bamboo Thread

2009-12-29T21:18:00.004-05:00

I'm playing with other material to tat with and I love Bamboo. Bamboo yarn is soft like silk with a slightly linen like strength. I tried Mandarin Floss by Rainbow Gallery, a bamboo embroidery thread. It's really nice and it comes in great colors. I used a part of a collar design from "Tatting Theory and patterns" by Jan Stawasz.

I recently purchased a roll of 'Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread and like the Mandarin Floss its soft and has a wonderful hand, but its a bit fuzzy. It would make a great scarf or more fabric like tatting. As earrings, they are wonderfully light and really do look like snowflakes. So the fuzzyness has its advantage.

Russian Lace Grounds...

2009-12-19T12:59:00.003-05:00

I.O.L.I. has a lending library and I just received the book, "Encyclopedia of Russian Bobbin Lace Grounds" by Tatiana and Aleksei Karpenko. There are some really amazing grounds in this book. There are no directions to speak of, just diagrams with schematics showing which direction to go to complete the ground.

The greatest thing is that these grounds only use 2 pairs (4 bobbins). I flipped through the book and chose a relatively simple looking pattern (compared to the rest of the book) and gave it whirl. Being new to bobbin lace, I've yet to collect a large number of bobbins, so I'm delighted to know I can make complicated looking lace with only 2 pairs.

Technically, I have no idea if I did the joins correctly. I did the sewings with a pair passed through the other pair and then I just continued the plaits. I'm generally happy with the picots, though some of the them have a gap, where I'm assuming I didn't tension the plait enough.

Bobbin Lace Meet-up in NYC

2009-12-19T02:03:00.002-05:00

If anyone is in the NYC area and interested in gathering together please join our Qlubbs group. We are planning a meeting for January. Dates are still tentative. The plan is to make and learn about bobbin lace. If you are interested join the group to keep updated on meeting and times or chat on the message boards.

http://nybobbinlace.qlubb.com/public

Leftover threads

2009-12-19T01:38:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of quick pieces I did as I used up the thread left on my bobbins.
The book worm from "Beginner's Guide to Bobbin Lace" and the plaits and pico practice with a book mark from "The Torchon Lace Workbook".

The last piece is freeform. I pinned without a pattern and tried a tight turn and some an open ground.

Second snow...

2009-12-08T22:52:00.002-05:00

Winterwonderland 1
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I love the first snow of the season, even though this is the second snow, its the one that was on time. The post-thanksgiving snow is always great. It makes the leafless trees less gray and drab. It signals the real beginning of the Christmas season. Its a time of year when then idea of knitting a blanket is a good one.

(Now that October snow was not so great. Wrong time of year, the leaves looked surprised and bit insulted.)

CAS Holiday Bazaar

2009-12-08T21:50:00.004-05:00

I had a great time at the Catskill Art Society where I had a booth during their Member Artists Show. Here are some pics of my booth.

The potter was created by a friends dad. They are beautiful glazed vases.

Memberships mail...

2009-11-29T14:54:00.003-05:00

I've mailed my memberships for 2010. I'm now a member of IOLI and OIDFA. I hope to make it to each of their meeting this year. OIDFA is having their meeting in Kobe, Japan in 2010. I was in Toyama Japan as an exchange student to High School for 3 weeks and loved it. Lace is as good a reason as any to get back to Japan.

2009-11-29T13:47:00.004-05:00

I'll have a booth at the Catskill Art Society's Holiday Bazaar in Livingston Manor, NY. I'm looking forward to it. Its next weekend - December 5th and 6th.

I haven't done a craft / street fair in about 15 yrs. I've made tatted earrings, playing with different threads. I've had great success with the metallic threads, as their stiffness give the earrings some weight.

I've completed a few necklaces using an abstract design I came up with over the summer.

After talking to some potential customers, I've learned that people wear brooches! Who knew? So I came up with a leaf and flower design. My favorite so far is the one with the tatted and beaded flower. I need to re-photographs these, so pics later.

I've found that people seem to respond better to jewelry if its has something hard on it, like metal (chain or jump-rings) or beads or shells. There seems to be some hesitation at the idea of an all fiber jewelry and its worth. I'm not much into embellishment, but I'm eager to hear the feed back from CAS Holiday Sale.

So this week is just rounding out my inventory.

Cashmere Spider

2009-11-18T01:08:00.003-05:00

I suddenly had this desire to make a white cashmere amigurumi spider. Random, I know, but he turned out great and he's really soft, despite the tight crochet stitches. His legs are knitted I-cord and he can hang from his strand of "silk". (I used Boise Karabella yarn, which a Cashmere/Merino blend)

I love the internet and it once again provided me with the perfect resource ( Bugguide ) when I needed to decide how to arrange his eyes. I picked the arrangement that I liked best, which turned out to belong to the "Funnel-Web Weavers - Agelenidae"
The animal kingdom is amazing, especially the small creatures.

Blame Ravelry...

2009-11-18T00:43:00.002-05:00

My excuse this time... Blame Ravelry. I have been crafting and posting some pics on Flickr and updating my projects on the wonderful Ravelry. And despite the simple "blog this" tab on Flickr, I've managed to again neglect my blog.

My other excuse... I'm not much of talker.

But I'll give it another go at fulfilling that 2009 new years resolution "Blog More" before 2009 is over and to get a head start for 2010.

idrija lace

2009-10-21T12:48:00.003-04:00

idrija lace 2
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I finished my first Idrija Lace piece last week. I love this pattern. I plan on attaching it to a little purse.

Using what was left on the bobbins I made this Star. I had a bit of trouble with the Plaits and Picos, which are the braided dimond shapes that fill the points of the star. My first few tries the picos split apart, so it looks there are two instead of one. I sorta got the hang of it by the end. I manged to find some really good resources online. (http://lace.lacefairy.com/Lace/)

Lace Day

2009-10-11T22:43:00.003-04:00

I just got back from Lace Day in Ithaca NY. It was a lovely drive up. The falls colors are beautiful. I had a wonderful time meeting people and learning more about Bobbin Lace. I ended up taking a class on Idrija Lace, a lace from Slovenia. ( More on that later). I purchased some much needed threads and turned wood tools.

I'm a bit behind in my tatting class. The emails pile up quick with Yahoo Groups (not a very effective forum format). I'll get some time Tuesday, post my drawing and catch up on lessons.

In other craft news, I did complete a pair of gift socks. I'm always amazed at how quickly socks knit up and only tatting beats in portability. I used the wool/acrylic yarn I got in a Berlin supermarket two years ago.

Design-tat course

2009-09-25T16:51:00.003-04:00

lesson4update
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I'm taking Sharon's Design-Tat course, which has been enlightening. Now on lesson 6, we have to design a pattern around a center motif and write out that pattern in short and long form text and do a drawing version of the pattern, using drawing software.

I'm a very visual person, so I use drawings to design, sketching out my ideas and making updates and changes as I work. As a result, I found the written part extremely unpleasant. I could only make it through the short hand text version.

I'll post the text and drawn pattern when its done, and I've gotten some feedback. But this experience goes a long way in explaining why I've had such a hard time working through some of the knitted patterns I have. (Again, sorry to those waiting for the holiday sweater or the ctn cardigan)

Shuttles

2009-09-25T16:10:00.002-04:00

Shuttles
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Back in June I purchased some Tatting Shuttle from Lacis. I wanted to be able to work on more than project at a time and to try out some of the other shuttles.

The blue and cream shuttles are my maiden shuttles, which I got at from Iris Neibach during the Lacis retreat. I really like them, but they are not readily available in the U.S. Iris brought them from Italy. They are a great size.

The red Boye shuttle has a point on the end which I find relatively useless, and it sometimes gets in the way of tatting. The shuttle is too fat for my taste, like size 13 knitting needles, its just not comfortable in the hands. But this shuttle is readily available in most yarn shops.

Lacis has its own shuttle, called Sew Mate, which I got in a transparent green. It has a curved point, which is great for pulling thread through picos. This shuttle is the same size as the Boye shuttle, so it to is a little big for me, but the curved pint makes it preferable.

The mini Mother of Pearl shuttle is cute and very small. Its so smooth, its almost slippery. Its great for very thin thread. Its doesn't unwind unexpectedly.

The Metalicized Plastic w/ Point, here in cranberry-ish color, is not at all as nice as it looks. The plastic is odd. The point, which is fat and dull, is usless and its downward curvature made winding the thread difficult.

My favorites are the Clover Tatting Shuttle, here is pink and baby blue. I love the size and the small grip ridges keep the shuttle from slipping while you tat. The curved point its excellent for pulling thread through picos, almost eliminating the need for a crochet hook. And the thread doesn't unwind unexpectedly.

tatted drawstring bag

2009-08-07T13:25:00.002-04:00

tatted drawstring bag 3
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I finished my drawstring bag. It was great fun. I love this motif. When i saw this bag, I just had to do something like it. The contrasting background really brings out the lace pattern.

The bag is 6.75" x 7.25", perfect to carry around small projects.

Tatted necklace

2009-06-08T18:54:00.004-04:00

I was playing around with single shuttle split rings. I wanted to cluster several random sized rings together, and for the most part it worked. I really like the result.
I'm not sure if I can cluster much more than 8 or 10 rings, but I suppose I can cluster clusters.

And here's some of the stuff I worked on in May, during my blog silence. Enjoy:

Etsy

2009-06-08T18:37:00.005-04:00

I've updated my Etsy shop. I've been playing around with some tatting motifs. The tatting is wonderfully sturdy and light. They look more delicate than they are.

J U N E ??!!

2009-06-05T01:11:00.004-04:00

Not surprising, May is gone.......................

I've planted my herbs and salad greens and tomatoes, including lots of basil. I want to be in pesto heaven this summer.

We just got a green pepper plant from our neighbor. Eatables are new to me, so I'm excited to see how it goes. I did enjoy my first garden salad yesterday!

As far as knitting, I'm selecting my next project, and since its getting warm and the dresses will be out in force soon, I'm thinking a light weight sweater or just sleeves(aka. shrug alternative).

Lots of tatting going. I've completed 3 pairs of earrings and two necklaces. I'm still in love with the portability of the tatting supplies, particularly the small balls of thread. The pared down scale is really appealing to me at the moment.

Tatted Snowflake

2009-05-04T13:35:00.001-04:00

Tatted Snowflake
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I like working with the thinner thread. I used No. 50 DMC Cordonnet. The pattern is from www.be-stitched.com. I added beads on the picots. I was going to applique this onto a draw string bag, but now I think its nicer as a gift ornament.

Tiny Mermaid

2009-05-03T11:55:00.001-04:00

Tiny Mermaid 3
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

FO! I finished the mermaid this week. She's 4" tall. The hair was fun to do. When I crocheted the head, the first 3 or 4 rounds were worked thru the back of loops so I had a ridge of stitches to crochet the hair onto. The eyes are french knots and the waist line I crocheted on after using slip stitches.

French Knots

2009-04-27T17:25:00.002-04:00

IMG_1081a
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I went to the Rubin Museum, where there is a piece made entirely of "french knot" embroidery. I didn't write down the details about the Buddhist image, but the crisp detail was impressive. A guide said the piece was for a Chinese Emperor and that the technique was only allowed for royalty.

Browsing Flickr, i came across this pillow and decided I had to try making french knots. Here is a video on how to make a french knot.

I embroidered this onto a drawstring bag I made a while back to hold my yarn when commuting. I started with the center of french knots and then filled in the petals with brick stitch. I got lazy when I got the leaves, so I sewed long stitches down the leaves and then wove two threads up the center and wrapped them so they stayed snug down the middle.

Tiny Mermaid 1

2009-04-27T00:33:00.002-04:00

Tiny Mermaid 1
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

My amigurumi mermaid is coming along. I just have add the face and hair. I used 6 strand embroidery thread. It went fairly quickly.

tatted chiffon scarf

2009-04-27T00:24:00.002-04:00

tatted chiffon scarf 2
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

It took me a while to find some decent chiffon. I turned the long edges with the turner foot on my sewing machine and hand sewed the motifs into place. I love the way it came out.

Front detail.

Back detail.

Hyperbolic Plane

2009-04-22T23:27:00.003-04:00

In 2005, I attended the talk "Crocheting the Hyperbolic Plane: A Talk by David Henderson and Daina Taimina" at The Kitchen and was blown away. The coral reef project has and continues to make its rounds.
I was doing a lot of crocheting at the time, especially tapestry crochet and tunisian crochet, enjoying the new possiblities of the craft. Adding a scientific/mathmatical application was just sooo cool. And the crowd was a wonderful mix of crafters and mathmaticians all sitting there facinated. And I remember some conversations after the show, crocheters showing mathmaticans how to crochet, and mathmaticians sharing the possible applications for this kind of science. (There was a woman sitting next to me, effortlessly knitting a pair of fair isle socks. I thought, one day I'll have to try that.)
(And while at the Lacis Retreat this year, Patty showed us her tatted hyperbolic plane.)

Here is the recent TED talks video.

tatted scarf ends 2

2009-04-02T18:25:00.003-04:00

tatted scarf ends 2
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Some more playing around with tatting. This is adapted from a pattern in "A New Approach to tatting " by Yusai Shokoin. I used black 6-strand Embroidery Floss which created a nice sturdy motif.

I'm going to add them to the ends of a piece of chiffon to make a summer scarf.

felt applique mask

2009-04-02T18:14:00.001-04:00

felt applique mask
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

I've been looking a quiting and applique for while a now. I've always loved Hawaiian quilts because its basically Kirigami cut outs. I've done paper cut outs in the past of masks and faces and decided to try it with some craft felt. I zigzaged machine stitched it to a dark blue piece of felt. This will probably become a bag.

Tatting mania 2

2009-03-11T19:49:00.003-04:00

Here is a swatch of a pattern in the Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont. I really like it. I need to look for a way to clean up the joints were the yellow and green meet. Perhaps if I just keep the strings tighter I won't get that little bar. Or maybe I'm not reversing the work consistantly.

The Tatted ball is separate units of 5 rings joined together in two halves. I then crocheted the two halves together, joining only at the picots. I want to do this one again bigger and with thicker string, so its more sturdy. Its using the same concept as unit orgami. I think it could be a fun way to play with tatted shapes.

Rose design challenge

2009-03-05T12:09:00.004-05:00

I came across this blog and decided to give the design challenge 4 a try. Here is my result.
I really like the rose pattern, I could see using it on something bigger.

Tatting mania

2009-03-03T23:29:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a lot of tatting. Its perfectly portable and its easy to finish small projects and experiments. I made a second butterfly for a Aunt, whom I visited after the retreat.

I also made two books marks and the necklace is based on a bookmark I saw online.

I'm looking forward to getting my bobbin lace pillow so I can try another project in bobbin lace.

Lacis Retreat

2009-03-03T14:50:00.002-05:00

It was wonderful. I learned so much and I finally took pictures of my work.
The week long event went by quickly. The first three days I learned bobbin lace, starting with a book worm.

After which I worked on this heart. This piece was really fun and had lots of techniques mixed in.

The next three days were spent learning tatting. We started with three basic motifs, that got us used to loops, picots and chains. Then we made a tatted butterfly with a 3D body. I really love this project.

And the last day I tried needle lace and lace identification. I can see lots of fun applications for the needle lace and it was so wonderful to see the antique examples of the techniques I learned. Its absolutely amazing the kind of detail that went into lace.
Here is a petal to the needle flower I am making. Its still in progress.

Learning new stuff is AWSOME!

2009-02-06T04:05:00.002-05:00

Learning stuff is sooooo much fun. I'm learning Bobbin lace at Lacis. I've completed a
"book work" which covered all the basics and I'm working on a heart, which is almost done. Sorry no pics at the moment... my tech world is in shambles.

my low tech world, is doing well... sewing, weaving and now lace.

BTW, Lacis is amazing. I loved the first time I visited, about two years ago, and I still love it. Its a wonderland of fiber craft: resources, equipment. books, samples and a great staff. It has everything from the popular crafts the the obscure.

Resolution time!... part 1

2009-01-31T01:48:00.003-05:00

Post regularly, I'm aiming for once a week.

$$$ (find it; earn it; spend it wisely; make more of it) repeat

Learn: Tatting, Bobbin Lace, French...

Travel. So far so good. Did Berlin. Shortly - San Francisco and Houston Tx followed by Lancaster PA...

Media Device updates: Need a new cell phone, new digital camera, new personal web page...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T19:35:00.003-05:00

Its officially 2009.

2008 Knit year in review:

21 FO's
3 WIPS
6 hats
3 sweater/cardi
5 socks
1 mittens
7 gifts

Looking forward to an adventurous 2009...

FYI - Holiday Sweater

2008-12-27T12:45:00.002-05:00

Wow, I haven't posted in a while...

Anyway, i am posting to let everyone know that someone else has done a version of The Holiday Sweater and now has a pattern available for sale on Ravelry. Its called the Fireside Sweater by Amber Allison (Ella).

I really don't know when I will get my pattern finished, so check out hers.

In other news, not much knitting going on. Most of my yarn stash is still in storage. I started a pair of slippers, which I think I'm going to frog. I'm not really in love with method though I like the shap of the slipper. I'm finding it difficult to work the toe because the of the sharp curve. (these slippers are knit flat).

I did knit a quick hat out of some thin cotton yarn. I didn't use a pattern, just made spur of the moment decisons at the beginning of each round. I'm happy with the result.

I also started a crochet scarf with the same yarn, which is about 75% done.

I have, however, done some sewing, which has been nice. I've posted some of of the bags (among other things) I've made on Etsy. There is a link on the sidebar or www.digitalleaf.etsy.com

End of round..ding ding ding

2008-08-30T23:11:00.002-04:00

I've finished my test of The Holiday sweater. Let me just say, I am soooo glad I did this as a test. Glad I didn't find some fancy expensive lovely yarn to experiment with. Early on, while working the Rt front, I changed the way I worked the cables for the better. The left front went swimmingly, till I missed the decrease shaping in the front and had to frog more than 2". The top back kinda gave me a headache, as the shaping just seemed off... then i realized I should have made the back wider, giving me more wiggle on the arm shaping and a smoother increase for the upper back. Normally, non of this would phase me. I'm very much a "make it work" kinda person. I'm totally cool with making major design changes mid knit if it the original idea is faltering. But the need to keep track of what I'm doing along the way has made this kinda stressful, not the mention those patiently waiting for a pattern (Thanks for your patience btw ;-).
I feel like I've been working on this thing forever. I'm happy to say, the completed vest, yes thats right, VEST, is perfect...for a vest. An excellent accent piece for fall. Why a vest? well the back arm shaping was wrong since i was missing 16 sts. But the pattern will have sleeves along with other corrections.
I downloaded a knit symbol font, though I have a feeling I'll just scan my graph paper.

Sleeves

2008-08-18T09:41:00.002-04:00

So I'm now in sleeves land. I've started my sleeves on the Cobblestone sweater and will start the sleeves on the Holiday sweater tonight. The Cobblestone body is done and I'm ready to sew up the side seams of the Holiday sweater.

The Bejing Olympics have been a great watch while I knit. Sorry, no pics today.

countdown to Ravelympics and Olympics...

2008-08-07T20:08:00.002-04:00

Well, tomorrow is the start of the 2008 Olympics. I love watching the Olympics though the coverage of the last summer and winter Olympics could have better. They are airing the opening ceremonies at 7:30 pm et.

Thankfully, Ravelympics starts with the official start of the Olympics - 8:30am et. I'm competing in the WIP Wrestling - where i will complete my holiday sweater... finally! Its been on ice for far to long. I'm also doing the Sweater Sprint, completeing the Cobblestone sweater, which I've had ready to start for long time and never did. And in keeping with my teams name "Overly Ambitious Yet Plausibly Possible ", I'm also in the Hat Dash with the Golden Compass Hood. Ambitious...yes, Plausible...sure. If it wasn't a challenge it wouldn't be the Olympics!

It will be an interesting 17 days, as I am also packing my apartment. It really amazes me how much stuff I have o_O'

Stuff n Things

2008-07-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

Dealing with life right now and making very good progress. I'm preparing the embark on a new chapter and as such have not touched 'The Holiday Sweater'. It also hasn't help that its been freaking hot in NYC.

I have to rip back several rows, and I'm not looking forward to that. But I'm considering tackling the sweater during Ravelympics - Wips Wrestling. I'm calculating how much time I'll actually have during the 17 day event, and how much of that time will be in conditions suitable for the sweater, i.e. not the subway.

101 posts...

2008-07-18T22:33:00.003-04:00

This is post number 101. Yay! mini celebration!
(eek! its been two years and two months since is started this blog. )

Anyhooo, in knitting news, I enjoyed a lovely day on Coney Island. With a high of 95 and hazy, sitting on the beach crocheting was a perfect way to spend the day. The water was warm (though there were a few jelly fish) and the sand was hot. It was my first time beaching on Coney Island. I usually go to Far Rockaway. I've been to the Mermaid Festival and astroland park, but not to the beach.

I finished my Stash Buster hat, which didn't actually bust all that much stash. I fused some summer warmth into it, preserving the sand and sun in it for the winter. I added a pompom when I got home and weaved in the ends.

I'm really enjoying this puff stitch. Its simple, rhythmic and fast. I have enough yarn to make some wristbands or something.

Tomorrow is supposed even hotter. Museum for AC or back to beach to watch the Volleyball Tournament?

The yarn that never ends...

2008-07-14T19:04:00.002-04:00

The yarn I purchased in Berlin, at a supermarket, seems never ending. I've made three pairs of socks(1,2,3) , 1 pair of baby booties, 1 lace motif and now I've started a scarf, which i actually think will be a decent length, but we'll see. I have another ball from the same company in a blue and cream color way.

I've been knitting mindless projects, as I reserve brain power for more important matters, like the meaning of life and the wind velocity of the unladen mocking bird, who seems to have finally left my street or at least hasn't had much else to say.

I'm drawn again to lace. I did a single motif from a blanket pattern in "Handmade Lace and Patterns" by Annette Feldman. The first part of the book is an interesting history of lace and how it grew in popularity in Europe, focusing on needle and bobbin lace making. The second part includes patterns for the easier to master lace methods of Hairpin, crochet, tatting and knitted lace.

As I worked the knit motif, I cringed at the thought of having to make 160 of them for a single-size spread! Hell's NO! I could see making 20 really big ones, perhaps. It just seems to keep going, even though it only took a day or two to complete.

I haven't yet given up on lace, but only time will tell.

Knit New York Twilight Knitting...

2008-06-25T00:17:00.003-04:00

Knit New York had their first Bryant Park Twilight Knitting gathering.
It was great. After a short rain shower earlier in the day, I was sure it would be a washout, but it ended up being a lovely evening, cool breeze and sunny, perfect for Bryant Park. There were quit a few knitters too. I enjoyed chatting with a new knitting friend I recently met and joined me for the event. I also got to help a soon to be sock knitter on her first pair of socks.

The best part.... I won the raffle!!!!! I never win the raffle, but I won! $100 to spend at Knit New York. Yay! exciting! Guess where I'll be going sometime this week!?

.........So a lovely end to a strangely started day, whereby my kitchen cabinets fell off my wall and nearly killed me. Guess where I will be cleaning tomorrow >.< !

Uuug.... all's quiet on the knitting front

2008-06-05T18:21:00.005-04:00

Knitting has been sporadic. The Holiday Sweater: Right front is done. 90% of the the back is done. I thought the Left Front was done, but then I noticed I forgot to decrease for shaping the collar, so I have frog it back about 4"! Dang it!! I cast on the sleeves, but now I'm think I'm going to do a cape sleeve in the round instead of bottom up. I'll see how I feel when the body is done.

I'm almost finished with another pair of subway socks. In the middle of May, I did a quick-in-one-sitting pouch out of scrap yarn. And a few spur of the moment swatches for a light weight summer scarf.

Pictures on their way.... i still need to get a new camera, in the mean time i've been using my old fuji, which is clunky and can't focus too well... cataracts

But summer is here and the beach will probably happen this weekend, and I love knitting on the beach. Yay Summer!

Moving Along

2008-04-14T11:35:00.004-04:00

Things are moving along. I finished my subway swirl socks. If only sweaters could fit in my purse and the subway not so crowded I would have more holiday sweater done, but its is moving along.
The mindless sock knitting was also great as I've recovered from my wisdom teeth extraction (uuug, and dentists wonder why people don't go to the dentist more!?)

I'm not so thrilled with the picot edge cuff on the sock, its just not clingy enough for my taste, though it looks good.

I've got no pictures at the moment, as I killed my camera :-(
I dropped it on its nose and it didn't recover. So i gotta buy a new one, which kinda sucks but now... (sinister smile) I can upgrade.

The Holiday Sweater- Progress 1.0

2008-03-30T21:43:00.003-04:00

The most important thing when knitting is gauge. I know this, and its something thats repeated in every single pattern ever written, because its true.

So on the topic of gauge, I did all my calculations and mini swatches, trying to figure out what yarn I needed to use. I thought I had it, knowing full well I would swatch once I got the yarn. So I bought some lovely Karabella Margrite and knit a swatch. WOW! this yarn is sooooo soft and smooth its almost creepy. I love it! .... only its not the right gauge :-(

I couldn't wait any longer, I had to see if my pattern was even on the right track, so i grabbed some cotton from my stash, its a worsted weight, to at least get started with checking the details of the pattern, till my next excursion to the yarn store. Worsted seems right.

So far so good. I'm making a little adjustment to the larger cable motif and I caught and corrected a few issues already. So I'm going to work the back next, so i can check my shaping.
Then, I'll feel good giving the final pattern a go in the lux yarn(TBD)...

(p.s. Its been really interesting figuring out this pattern. This will be my first written out pattern. I've designed stuff before, but on scrap paper and stickies for immediate use. Its fun making a legible pattern and thinking about what info needs to be written and not left in my brain.)

Officially Spring...

2008-03-26T18:56:00.002-04:00

Well, It's officially spring in NYC.
Three consecutive days of sunny spring weather.
My friend had her first ice coffee of the season.
The daffodils are starting to bloom
Kids are playing basketball on the street after school.
I put away my vintage shear ling coat.
And the sound of the Mr. Softie truck is outside my window.

Crosswalkers FO!

2008-03-24T01:14:00.002-04:00

crosswalkers FO2
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

These were really relaxing to knit. Very little brain involvement, great for knitting on the subway and they fit really nicely. These are my 3rd pair of socks, and though I don't see becoming a sock-addict, I do see the appeal, and best of all there is no seam at the toe, like store bought socks, to irritate me. I'm very pleased with the yarn. The colors are not pooling or doing anything weird. So overall, I give these socks a thumbs up ;-)

baby booties and socks...

2008-03-20T01:24:00.005-04:00

Clarity.... after a little refurbishing of my laptop, i can see! I have a brand new screen, new hard drive and new logic board. I guess is safe to say, my laptop has been reborn. No more stuttering, freezing, blackouts... Yay!!

In knitting land, I made a pair of baby booties. Oddly enough, not for any particular baby and NO, I'm not expecting. I was asked to possibly produce them for some gift baskets. It took me just under 2 hours to make a pair. Honesty I don't think hand knitting should ever be for wholesale. The samples I was given were made in Peru, and a shudder to think how much they got paid..... Anyhoo... baby booties are sooooo cute, and really fun to knit! But not knowing whose little feet they will ultimately be on, kinda takes the magic out of it.

I'm also knitting a pair Crosswalkers subway socks (easy to carry and knit during commute socks). I'm using the yarn I purchased in Berlin, a sport weight wool acrylic yarn, with a camouflage colorway. The colors are not pooling and the socks are turning out quite well. I working on the foot of the first sock.

Lastly, those as anxious as I am to see some progress on the Holiday Sweater, will be glad to know that I've purchased my yarn and I'll have a progress report soon... very exciting.

CTN Cardigan is done - FO!

2008-03-06T22:19:00.003-05:00

ctn_fo_1
Originally uploaded by Digital Leaf

Finally. I had to put this one down for a minute. I was low on yarn and my original plan was not going to work. So after lots of thought and looking at it in the mirror, I discovered the solution and I love it!

Fearing running out of yarn, I knit the button bands first to the length of the sweater, knowing that if I ran out of yarn, then I could forgo the bottom hem. Then I reevaluated my yardage and thought, for second, I could get away with adding the longer bottom hem, but no dice.

I did however, get to add a folded hem, to balance the folded hem on the collar. I then picked up the stitches to extend the button band to the finished length of the cardigan.

I used wooded toggle buttons and the button holes are just single YO's.

In hindsight, I should have made the body shorter, saving yarn and balancing the proportions better, which would have allowed me to do the bottom in the sleeve stitch and then add the hem. ( That would have been closer to the original inspiration design) Also, I wouldn't have shaped the shoulders at all. I definitely want to give this sweater another try in another yarn and of course with enough yarn.

p.s. I do have a some yarn left, enough for a simple crochet hat... I think ;-)

(click the image for pics)