Category: art

2021-2022 Year of Projects Finale

Posted on Posted in art, finished objects, knitting, sewing, Year of Projects30 Comments

This is my finale post for a Year of Projects 2021-2022. My goal was to not deviate from the list too much, which is laughable.

Fiber Art

Eight of the ten pieces. Two I wasn’t happy with so I didn’t include them here.
  1. I had a solo show in September 2021, and I made a body of work for this show. I finished ten pieces.
  2. I grew flax and tried to process it to weave an art piece. This was unsuccessful, as I over-retted the flax.
  3. I experimented with fresh leaf indigo printing from my garden.

In 2021-2022 I finished 21 pieces of knitting:

21 knitting projects finished!
  1. Pride Socks for Bob
  2. The Lonely Heart is a Hunter Mystery Knit Along (Rav link)
  3. Milkshake Cardigan
  4. Cemetery Drive Cowl
  5. Nova Scotia Strong Hat for Margie
  6. Autumn Advent: Point Edwards Mitts
  7. Sleepy Hollow Socks
  8. Back Porch Shawl
  9. Number 9 Beanie
  10. Marled Alaska Cowl
  11. Christmas Ranunculus sweater in The Fibre Co. Arranmore
  12. Unbearable Hat for Henry
  13. Celtic Myths Showl
  14. Gourd Party Socks
  15. All Sass and No Squatch Hat
  16. Musselburgh Hat for Freya
  17. Clog socks
  18. Spring Thaw Bandana Cowl
  19. Vertices Unite
  20. Ocean Moon Shawl
  21. Blueberry Popover Day socks for Bob

In 2020-2021 I finished knitting 22 items, so this tracks. Although I now have 29 items on my knitting to do list. I hope to increase the number I finish this coming year. I’ve got three sweaters on the needles. Last year I knit two sweaters, but somehow I finished four sweaters the year before.

Finished Sewing

  1. Emerson shorts in natural linen
  2. Halloween PJ Pants 1
  3. Halloween PJ Pants 2
  4. Ophelia Overalls in Purl Linen
  5. Barcelona Dress in lavender linen
  6. Pietra Pants in dark blue chambray
  7. Piedra Dress in Headless Horseman fabric
  8. Plateau Joggers in olive French terry, black merino interlock, navy and gray speckle cotton fleece
  9. Mile End Sweatshirt in black merino interlock
  10. A Logan Shacket with plaid flannel
  11. Mile End Sweatshirt in Pink Velour
  12. Clare Coat
  13. Gray Speckle Piedra Dress
  14. Born to Knit Melba Dress
  15. Paranormal Day Dress
  16. Felix Dress in floral cotton voile
  17. Black Melba Dress
  18. Eggplant Linen Felix Dress
  19. Charcoal Melba Dress
  20. Spoopy Project Bag

It’s difficult to keep count of finished sewing since I tend to sew multiples of the same pattern. This year I made a lot of PJ pants, joggers, and dresses. Comfort has been key as I try to manage my health.

Spinning

I replaced my spinning wheel and took a class to get started.

Most Proud Make

I made a coat! It wouldn’t win any sewing awards, but it is wearable. I learned interlining and how to bag out a lining in a garment. I expect I will get a lot of wears out of it this year if we have a cold winter.

Favorite Makes

I can’t choose one. These are the items I find I’m using most. I guess I’m a shawl person now.

This is my final post for Year of Projects 2021-2022. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list. I’ve enjoyed being part of this group. I’m thankful Liz mentioned it to me! Next week I will post my plans for 2022-2023.

Thursday Three: New for Me

Posted on Posted in art, books, spinning, The Just CraftTagged , , , 12 Comments

Reading

I have borrowed and purchased many books this year, but reading them has been a struggle. Recently, Liz recommended “Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live” by Melanie Falick.

My heart needed this book. It answers my questions about why humans need to make things by hand, and it feeds my soul. It’s a beautiful, large, hardback, coffee table book. But it’s not sitting on my coffee table. It’s on my nightstand, waiting for me to read a chapter every night before bed. I feel like I’m opening a family bible or an old dictionary, the way I used to when I was a child — in wonder and awe and reverence.

Polymer Clay

I decided to try something new! This is my first attempt at polymer clay. I had an “idea” (pumpkin pie with a yarn ball of whipped cream) so I bought a book, some clay, and some tools. I would say that, as a first attempt, it’s okay, and I’m happy with that. It’s a lot harder than it looks, and I probably won’t be doing much of it. It makes my hands messy and I don’t like the way it feels on my skin.

Coopworth Fleece Roving – I wish you could smell it. It smells delicious!

Spinning

I purchased a spinning wheel! I had a spinning wheel way back in the day. It was one of the many things that I had to sell off during the migration of 2010 (aka The Great Upheaval). I was never a very good spinner, but I enjoyed it. I think with practice I could become a mediocre spinner, and I would feel good about that. I have a Coopworth fleece that is ready to spin into a sweater quantity of yarn, although I will probably practice on some Shetland first.

Letting Go

I’ve also decided to let go of some things. I’ve decided to let the podcast go. I realized it would take more time, money, and energy than I have to really make it work. I’m letting go of art shows. If I want to make art I will, but I don’t want anymore deadlines. Art shows also require an investment of money, time, and energy that I don’t have at the moment. I’m letting go of some subscriptions that are no longer bringing me joy.

What about you? Have you tried anything new lately? Or are you letting anything go?

Soft: A Year of Projects Update

Posted on Posted in art, finished objects, knitting, sewing, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , , , 33 Comments

Fiber Art

My art show reception was last night, and it was wonderful to visit with family and friends who ventured out in support. I sold two pieces, which I’m over the moon about! Here is a gallery of the pieces in the show.

  • Haze Over Maize
  • Hay for Days
  • Blue Moon
  • Winter Sun
  • Coxheath
  • Iona
  • Iona 2
  • Louisburg
  • Ingonish Beach
  • Highland Village

I’m proud I was able to produce this body of work, and was really pleased with the feedback. Many people were surprised to see artwork made from wool. Someone said the work was really comforting, which was my goal. I think we all need a little bit of softness in our lives right now. The gallery’s website is at this link.

In other fiber art news, I experimented with fresh leaf indigo printing, which I shared about yesterday.

Knitting

I’ve been working on my Point Edwards Mitts, which I am really enjoying. I finished my Cemetery Drive Cowl, which I posted about on Thursday. And I finished a super secret birthday present for my MIL Margie, which I posted on Wednesday. It was a banner week for knitting FOs!

My DIY Fall Advent bag yesterday was the Ixchel Cowl in Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Moon Sisters. I don’t know if you can see the bronze sparkles in this yarn, but it’s beautiful. However, I just finished a colorwork cowl, and I’m not in the mood to start another one. I’ll store this for another time.

Sewing

I’m currently working on some Pietra Pants in dark blue chambray. I also sewed a dress last week. It was not horrible.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list. You can read my updated list of projects here.

Wool Wins, Natch: a YOP Update

Posted on Posted in art, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , , 22 Comments

Fiber Art

“Coxheath” wool fiber, 16”X20”, 18”X24” framed, price on request from
Sean Christopher Gallery

I have finished, photographed, and framed ten pieces for my September show, called “Soft.” I drop them off on August 30th. The show event page is here: https://fb.me/e/5o19a4V68 You can see the show card on my Year of Projects page. I will share images of the work as the gallery makes them public.

Yesterday I tested fresh leaf indigo printing on scraps of different textiles. Wool is definitely the winner (far left), and I learned a few things about what kind of surface I should be working on (smooth) and what kind of stone to use for pounding (not one that breaks and imparts its own color, like sandstone, duh.)

What will I do with all this indigo? I’m thinking of bundling the leaves in my yardage of Virginia cotton, for a pretty leaf printed fabric to make — what else — overalls out of. But I need to do a little more research.

I also pulled up as much of the flax that I could find that didn’t have mature seed heads. It’s retting in water in this tub. Hopefully I wasn’t too late to get some fiber out of it.

I have also started harvesting the flax seed for the Rust Belt Fibershed project.

Knitting

I’m halfway through the final clue for The Lonely Heart is a Hunter mystery knit along! (Rav link)

I finished the first sleeve on my Milkshake Cardigan! (Rav link)

Sewing

I made some progress on my linen yarn ball overalls. These are looking like a clown suit. Do I care? Hell no. Will I wear them anyway? Hell yes. Yarny the Clown, that’s me! (Juggling yarn balls.) (Blows up two long balloons. Ties them off. Mimes knitting with them.) Now available for knit nights, fiber festivals, and private knitting retreats.

Plus look at these adorable yarn ball buttons that I found! (Calliope music plays in the background.)

But seriously, I love them. Just buttonholes, buttons, and hems to go.

Gardening

I harvested and put up some sage leaves to dry yesterday.

Bob just brought in this tote full of pears and apples from the trees in our garden. I want to make pie or preserves, but Bob wants to make his own apple cider vinegar. We use a lot of apple cider vinegar, so that’s a good idea.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can learn more about the group on Ravelry. You can read my updated list of projects here.

A Fairly Productive Week 2: Year of Projects

Posted on Posted in art, knitting, sewing, sweaters, The Just Craft, Works in Progress (WIPs), Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 15 Comments

Knitting

In addition to finishing Bob’s Pride socks, I’ve made good progress on my Milkshake Cardigan, and have been keeping up with the clues for my mystery knit along.

Sewing

I finished my Emerson shorts. I’ve got some other sewing projects I’d like to get to, but today I focused on…

Fiber Art

I made a new piece today. I had the same problem with the felt not attaching to the prefelt backing. I think the prefelt backing is the problem, as all my fiber felted together really well. It just slid off the backing. So that’s more needle felting to do, and I’m not sure how I feel about this piece. It’s the remake of the one I don’t like. Why do I keep making it? Because I love the photo! It’s inspired by a photo I took in Iona, Nova Scotia. It’s just really hard to interpret in wool.

Podcast

A new episode “dropped” today, as the young folks say. In honor of Plastic Free July, I thought I would stick close to home and interview someone who inspires me a great deal. He has made a huge impact on reducing the amount of plastic waste in our home by creating almost all the soaps we use in our household from scratch. Listen in as I interview my husband, Bob, about soapmaking, the magic of science, and how to save money while saving the world. (It’s not as dangerous as it looks.) You can listen here or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Listening to Music Intentionally

This one seems appropriate.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can learn more about the group on Ravelry. You can read my updated list of projects here.

2021-2022 Year of Projects

Posted on Posted in art, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 34 Comments

This is my new list for a Year of Projects 2021-2022. My goal this year is not to deviate from the list too much. (Wish me luck!) You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list. I’ve enjoyed being part of this group. I’m thankful Liz mentioned it to me!

Fiber Art

  1. I have a solo show in September 2021, and I need to make a body of work for this show. My goal is ten pieces. Ten are finished!
  2. I am growing flax, madder, indigo, and tansy. This year I would like to ret the flax and weave a wall hanging with the linen on my tapestry loom, maybe including some natural dyeing. Update: This was unsuccessful, as I over-retted the flax. But I will continue to experiment with natural dyes.
  3. I experimented with fresh leaf indigo printing from my garden.

Knitting List

  1. Arrowhead Cardigan (Rav Link) in Lettlopi
  2. Pumqueen Cardi (Rav link) in Cascade BFL
  3. Summer Solstice Wrap KAL (Rav link)
  4. Powdermill
  5. Knitter’s Dude (Rav link) in Comfy for Bob
  6. That Old Christmas Moon Shawl (Rav link)
  7. Auchnaha in Schiehallion in Mooring
  8. Willow in Moonstone Arcadia
  9. Super Simple Summer Sweater in Cestari Ash Lawn
  10. Hansel Hap in Ramsay Farms fawn katmoget Shetland with Jamieson and Smiths for trim colors
  11. Taxus Mitts in Tukuwool Fingering (Rav link)
  12. Halloween Livie (Rav link)
  13. Cozy Autumn Socks
  14. Stash Aurealis (Rav link)
  15. Holiday Doodle Cowl (Rav link)
  16. Christmas Pudding Socks
  17. Glenan in Tarheelbilly Farm Tunis (I may dye this)
  18. Skipwith in black Rauma Finullgarn
  19. Undulation Shawl in Shilasdair Tansy
  20. Straw Cardigan in Tukuwool DK
  21. ‘Onipa’a Shawl (Rav link) in Mindful Folk yarn
  22. Peerie Flooers. I have the J&S Shetland yarn for the original version of this that you can see in the show Shetland.
  23. Celtic Tree Handwarmers
  24. Seavaiger
  25. Long sleeve Treit in Foxglove
  26. Sunset Slouch
  27. Strom Cardigan
  28. Peace Fleece Ronan in Siberian Midnight (Ravelry link)
  29. Felt Cowgirl Hat

Finished Knitting

  1. Pride Socks for Bob
  2. The Lonely Heart is a Hunter Mystery Knit Along (Rav link)
  3. Milkshake Cardigan
  4. Cemetery Drive Cowl
  5. Nova Scotia Strong Hat for Margie
  6. Autumn Advent: Point Edwards Mitts
  7. Sleepy Hollow Socks
  8. Back Porch Shawl
  9. Number 9 Beanie
  10. Marled Alaska Cowl
  11. Christmas Ranunculus sweater in The Fibre Co. Arranmore
  12. Unbearable Hat for Henry
  13. Celtic Myths Showl
  14. Gourd Party Socks
  15. All Sass and No Squatch Hat
  16. Musselburgh Hat for Freya
  17. Clog socks
  18. Vertices Unite
  19. Ocean Moon Shawl
  20. Blueberry Popover Day socks for Bob

Sewing List

  1. Mocha Tunic in yellow linen
  2. Ottobre blouse in Liberty blue paisley lawn
  3. Rachel Shirt in aqua and apricot linens
  4. Clyde Jumpsuit in olive linen
  5. Two A-line Tees in batiked cottons for summer
  6. Free Range Slacks in black and indigo linens
  7. One Hour Top in navy polka dot knit
  8. Gather Dress in floral print linen
  9. Audrey Pants in navy stretch cotton twill and gray cotton twill
  10. Ophelia Overalls in teal corduroy
  11. A Logan Shacket in navy wool flannel
  12. Ottobre Coat in black wool floral embossed coating

Finished Sewing

  1. Emerson shorts in natural linen
  2. Halloween PJ Pants 1
  3. Halloween PJ Pants 2
  4. Ophelia Overalls in Purl Linen
  5. Barcelona Dress in lavender linen
  6. Pietra Pants in dark blue chambray
  7. Piedra Dress in Headless Horseman fabric
  8. Plateau Joggers in olive French terry, black merino interlock, navy and gray speckle cotton fleece
  9. Mile End Sweatshirt in black merino interlock
  10. A Logan Shacket with plaid flannel
  11. Mile End Sweatshirt in Pink Velour
  12. Clare Coat
  13. Gray Speckle Piedra Dress
  14. Born to Knit Melba Dress
  15. Paranormal Day Dress
  16. Felix Dress in floral cotton voile
  17. Black Melba Dress
  18. Eggplant Linen Felix Dress
  19. Charcoal Melba Dress

Spinning

I have finally replaced my spinning wheel after a decade. My only goal is to relearn how to spin, and improve my spinning.

2020-2021 Year of Projects Completed List

Posted on Posted in art, design, dyeing, finished objects, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 24 Comments

Fiber Art

  1. I have a solo show in September 2021, and I need to make a body of work for this show. My goal is 10 pieces. 8/10 finished.
  2. I dyed most of my own wool for this work.

Finished Fiber Art

Haze Over Maize: Granville 2020 for Mother Artists at Work Show

Litmus Cowl in Moondrake Advent yarn

Finished Knitting

  1. Spring Socklings in Bone and Birch Honeybees and Violets Please
  2. Anker’s Summer Shirt in Serpentine Blacker Lyonesse
  3. Water Shawl KAL
  4. Malabrigo Anniversario Rikke Hat
  5. Getting Warmer in Handdyed Red Kenyan Merino (silent auction prize)
  6. Kenora Toque
  7. Moondrake Advent Litmus Cowl (Ravelry project link)
  8. Blue Turtledove
  9. Franca
  10. Pride Socks
  11. Purple emPower Bandaner
  12. Shetland Tweed Throw
  13. Arachne Sweater
  14. Four Square Cowl
  15. Mistletoe Kisses Socks
  16. Pumpkin Spice Latte socks
  17. Broom Riding Cowl
  18. Halloween Socks
  19. Trans Pride Socks
  20. Accidental Autumn Barley Light Hat
  21. Rikkemas Hat
  22. Meep the Christmas Mouse

Finished Sewing

  1. Birdies summer top
  2. Knitting alpacas PJs
  3. Raglan Dress in blue shirting
  4. Ophelia Overalls in brown twill
  5. Water Shawl KAL project bags
  6. Raglan Dress in plaid flannel
  7. Poudre linen curtains.
  8. Coffee filters
  9. Knitting Sheep flannel PJ pants
  10. Halloween Rachel blouse
  11. Winter Solstice project bag
  12. Manatee tote bag

I’m going to try to continue to post music with my YOP updates, as a way to keep up with listening to music intentionally. Here’s an old favorite.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. This is my final list for 2020-2021. I’m pleased with how much I accomplished this year. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link).

Summer Solstice Year of Projects

Posted on Posted in art, gardening, knitting, Year of Projects23 Comments

Happy Summer Solstice! My flax is starting to flower.

Gardening

I found cabbage worms all over the cabbage and kale. I had intended to pick them off, but it was impossible. There were too many. There was no reason to leave the plants in the garden, so I pulled up all the cabbage and kale and took it to the compost pile.

I don’t know if you’ve ever eaten a borage flower, but they taste like cucumbers. Delicious!

Knitting

Happy Father’s Day to Bob, who is a wonderful Dad and Stepdad. I’m knitting Pride socks for him for Father’s Day, and I’m currently being overwhelmed by rainbow yarn barf. I’m hoping to finish these before July 1, when we start over for Year of Projects.

I ordered the beads for my MKAL and I thought they were not the right color for my yarn. Too gray! So I ordered three more colors. Then I took photos outside, and the color is more like I wanted initially. Hopefully one of the four bead colors will work. Every time I take these beads out of their bag, I lose five, so hopefully I still have enough if this is The One. I’ll knit another chart repeat on the swatch and knit the beads on as the pattern specifies. That should give me a better idea.

Fiber Art

I felted a new piece today. I like the way it looks, but the felt didn’t take to the prefelt backing. So I ordered new felting needles, because mine are old and breaking, and I’m going to have to do significantly more needle felting on this piece. I don’t know why it didn’t work, as nothing has changed. This seems to be the theme for my week. Is Mercury in retrograde or something?

Sewing

I didn’t have the energy for sewing this week, so I have nothing to report.

Music

Here is the song I am currently listening to on repeat.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link). I’ve started a new list for 2021-2022, and I’ve created a finished list for 2020-2021. I will post these on July 1. I had to go back over my completed items, as I had a few slip in that were completed prior to joining Year of Projects. Oops! I see how I am.

I got a new pin. I ordered mine from Fibre Space, but they are sold out. You can get them directly from Nerd Bird Makery, though.

Sunday YOP Update

Posted on Posted in art, gardening, knitting, sewing, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , 28 Comments

I updated my list today. I think June is when the Year of Projects (YOP) group starts over, but as I update my list as I go, there won’t be much to change.

Fiber Art

I’m excited to say I have seven completed wool felt pieces for my show. I hope to finish three more before the opening in September. Bob and I visited the gallery yesterday, and we chatted with the owner. I will send him my current list of pieces tomorrow. This is my first solo show in nine years, and my first solo gallery show, although in 2010 I had a combined gallery show with another artist. I’m really happy I asked for this opportunity.

Knitting

I’m focusing on my Milkshake Cardigan, but there’s not much progress since yesterday. Here are two photos of yarn I purchased for projects not yet added to my YOP list. 😁

Shilasdair for the Undulation Shawl
Tukuwool DK for the Straw cardigan.

Sewing

This morning I started working on my Emerson shorts in natural linen I cut out two years ago. It will be good to get those finished, and it will be nice to be able to wear them. I can tell it’s going to be a hot summer.

Gardening

Herb and Bee garden with a Strawberry Border

I think I’ve finally got the garden about where I want it. I planted some cosmos, tansy, oregano, lavender, and creeping thyme this morning. I am trying some short and dirty wool clippings around the transplants. I found slugs all over the baby kale this morning.

My one and only New Year’s Resolution was to listen to more music with intention. Bob and I watched The Leftovers, and Iris Dement’s “Let the Mystery Be” was used for the intro at various times. I’m an Iris Dement fan, but I hadn’t listened to her music in a long time. So I spent a week or two just listening to her music, singing along in the car.

This has been a Year of Projects Update. You can read my updated list here. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link).

Sock It To Me Monday

Posted on Posted in art, finished objects, knitting, socks, The Just CraftTagged , , , 16 Comments

I finished my springy socks! We have an Iris blooming in the yard, and my socks match. Recipe based on Hermione’s Everyday Socks. Yarn from Bone and Birch. I do love plain sock knitting. Next up, I’ll try some Rose City Rollers (Ravelry link).

I have so many sweaters I want to knit, but I keep queuing cables and colorwork patterns. Then I balk because my brain is not up for that. I guess I’m still decompressing from the pandemic year. So I’ve decided to make a Milkshake Cardigan (Ravelry link). It’s the most basic cardigan ever, which I need to replace my thrift store cardigan that had started unraveling. Now I need to decide which DK yarn in my stash to knit it with. I’m leaning toward the Tunis yarn, because it’s so yummy. This is my first Joji Locatelli pattern to knit, though I’ve been following her patterns for sometime and have heard good things. I also purchased her new Straw cardigan pattern. It’s beautiful, but has cables on the shoulder seams. Nope. Not right now, anyway.

Part 2 of A Visit to Tarheelbilly Farm is live on The Just Craft. I had some sound issues, which I did not expect since recording in the fields — which I expected to be problematic — turned out fine. But recording on the porch of the house was much more complicated. It has me questioning my ability to make a good podcast, but I am going to try to think of it as a learning experience. I did the best I could with the sound in Audacity, reducing the noise and amplifying Charis’s voice. I felt that what she was saying was so important I had to do my best to get the episode out. She is very candid about her thoughts and feelings on racism in the knitting and fiber arts community (and the events of 2020 in general) and even though I struggled with the sound, I’m proud of this episode. I think I’ll take a break before I start the next one, though.

I’ve been steadily working on my felt art for the gallery show in September. Some pieces I really love, some not so much. Some get stitching, some don’t. It’s intuitive but I am finding that I tend to stitch on cultivated landscapes and don’t on wild ones. So there’s a method, even if it wasn’t conscious at the outset.

Oh, I forgot to mention I joined Kate Davies’ Bluestockings Club! Again, I think the first pattern may be a little more than I want to undertake at this time. But it’s lovely and I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually.