back into baskets...

this time i'm making some fabric coiled baskets. i've never done them by hand before. i've made some by machine in the past. i'm getting better at controlling the stitch with each one i make. they will be gifts.
Click on the images for close-ups.

fabric coiled baskets

the lace shawl is finally finished. i learned so much but i don't think i'll ever make one with lace weight yarn again. it's really not something that will keep me warm. it's too light weight. it's really shades of brown, not orange as it appears here.

the pattern is 'Skywalker' by Nelkin Designs

this would probably dress up my dark brown velour dress. it's not really orange as it looks here but shades of brown.

 and i'll leave you with this cute idea for a little thread bowl. it would be perfect for tatters or if you are working on a project where you're just using one type thread. you can hook it onto your belt or purse. i had to make one immediately.

a thread bowl

WISHING YOU ALL A GREAT WEEK AND A HAPPY THANKSGIVING FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE.

loving the light...

that comes through the kitchen shutters this time of year during the afternoon.

did a bit more embroidery on this blue scrim-like shawl and am feeling much more comfortable creating bullion knots.

bullion and french knots on lace

in my quest to find better ways to organize, i uncovered some of these hanging pockets that i've had for years. it might work to catch all the bits and pieces lying around from projects being worked on. we'll see if this works. i'm willing to try anything to get rid of the chaos on my cutting table.

all these little things just get lost on the cutting table

and finally...the shawl. it's almost finished. the scalloped edge is worked perpendicular to the shawl and each scallop is 24 different rows. it takes me about 30 minutes to do each scallop and there are 25 in total. if i lose my place in the pattern, i'm in trouble.

5 scallops completed. that blue thread is a lifeline that i told you about in the last post

this week i learned a new way to join a new ball of yarn. it's called a russian join and works like a charm. here is how it's done.

Click on the images for close-ups.

Wishing you all a great week and hopefully some calm weather.

another experiment---partial success

in a post a couple of weeks ago, i had stitched some scraps of cloth and lace to used color-catcher sheets. well i did some dyeing with eucalyptus leaves and rusty things. the color-catcher sheets picked up the leaf images really well but the bits and pieces of cloth...not so much...so i removed most of them. i know now what i'll be doing with all the used color catcher sheets i've collected.

bundle just opened...the white circle is where a can cover was clamped

top square was the only one where attached cloth had some imprinting

i mentioned, in my last post, that i've purchased some new knitting needles that are specifically for lace knitting. they are really wonderful to work with.

the tips are a bit pointier than normal

the cable and the joining sections are perfect

here's the lace shawl so far. will not look like much until blocked...maybe by the next post.

i was so glad to learn about knitting lifelines in my craftsy class. it saved me from having to start from scratch quite a few times already. this yarn is so fine that it is hard to remove mistakes stitch by stitch. i have really learned a lot about lace knitting and am feeling much more confident.
CLICK ON IMAGES FOR CLOSE-UPS...

I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OF YOU OUT THERE WHO STILL DO NOT HAVE POWER. YOU ARE IN MY THOUGHTS AND AM SENDING GOOD WISHES. STAY SAFE. 

some more dyeing results

well, i couldn't wait longer than 3 days. it was completely dry so i figured it was ok to unbundle.
click on the image for a close-up view.

it's this batch that i started with:

spotting created by starting with a braid. seams and stitching were left intact.

stitching removed from seams after dyeing...looks like stitching is still there.

the sheer embroidered cotton cloth dyes well without a mordant.

some interesting sections to work with. i like that orb in the upper left corner.

eucalyptus pods given to me by a friend. i will try to germinate the seeds.

need to get back to my lace knitting. just received some new lace needles that i really like. more on that next time.

MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH ALL OF YOU ON THE EAST COAST AWAITING THE STORM. STAY SAFE AND WARM.

back to dyeing

there are so many leaves around that i couldn't resist a bit of dyeing this week. click on image for close-ups.

a ready made mask...some thought it looked like an owl

i like that just the leaf outline was picked up

i put some scrim between the fabric bundle. the scrim picks up the color so well.

these will take a while to be completely dry. i'm trying to be patient.

and the beginnings of an experiment with bits of cloth and lace stitched to used color catcher sheets...more on this sometime soon.

stitched bits on used color catcher sheets.

more korak and a variety of lace

i was so taken with the Korak Patchwork technique that i did a small piece in pink and white cotton. it will probably wind up being another small pouch. click on the images for close-ups.

Korak in pink and white cotton and lace

i'm learning how to knit a lace shawl through craftsy.com. quite a different feel than the knitting i've done in the past and doesn't look like much yet but it will hopefully be a beautiful shawl when blocked and finished (that's what the teacher tells us).

a lace weight yarn on a circular needle...adding stitches as it grows

i've also been experimenting with free motion quilting on a purchased linen weave shawl using the techniques learned in Karen Ruane's classes.

free motion quilting on a linen weave shawl with added lace and embroidery

and lastly...i just couldn't resist 2 new books.

over 100 beautiful motifs to play with

this was one of my favorite motifs

beautiful filet lace done with a netted cloth and needle and thread

love this particular pattern

you can read more about these books on amazon.com, if you're interested. here are the links:
CONNECT THE SHAPES CROCHET MOTIFS
FILET LACE
the crochet book is quite reasonably priced but lace books are always a bit pricey.
wishing you all a pleasant, productive week.

Korak Patchwork

Korak is an ancient Asian patchwork technique. i purchased a book on creating this type patchwork a couple of years ago but never tried it. the book is someplace in this house but i have been unable to find it. Eva Nerling posted a tutorial for korak just the other day so i decided the time had come for me to try it. i used some of my hand dyed silk pieces. the thinner the fabric the easier it is to stitch because you will be stitching through several layers. here are some images so you can see the process, but be sure to go to Eva's tutorial where she explains it so well. click on the images for a closer view.

1. shows squares folded into triangles and placed on a base cloth. 2. the center panel is hand stitched down to the base and a square and more triangles are added to the sides. the folded edge of the triangles cover the raw edges of others.

strips are added between the sections to cover the raw edges

I added 2 borders with some prairie points stuck in (not korak)

the finished piece measure 12" x 12". I'm going to applique it to this brown pillow. 

you can find more about korak patchwork here on google. be sure to check Eva's blog if you want to try it. she uses some beautiful bright fabric for her patchwork and lots of different designs can be created.
hope you all have a great week.

trying to do it all...

i have not posted here in a while. i've been busy stitching, spinning, knitting, crocheting and trying out some new things. it actually feels good working on so many things at once that i know will get finished. my mood dictates what i pick up to work on. i have to force myself to stop and clean house and straighten up lately because i'm so involved.  and here are some visuals...click on the images for close-up views.

some of my silk hand dyed pieces are finally being stitched into a small throw. it measures 40" x 40". more on this piece as i start to stitch.

another thrift store blouse that was too small got the side strip treatment that i talked about in my last post and is now wearable.

stitching scraps together, one day, wound up as a pocket on a fun shirt i wear around the house on chilly days.

punching holes in cloth and stitching eyelets (as a result of Jude's post in the diaries class). in the background is silk and cotton flannel dyed with RIT dye.

THAT LED TO THIS:

a little pouch 6" x 6" with a needle book stitched to the outside. eyelets stitched on the zipper as well with a crocheted edge. this will be great for carrying scraps to stitch when on the go with pins and needles very handy.

inside of needle book.

i was happy to hear that some of you benefited from watching the video i posted last time. sometimes we can help ourselves by just changing our way of thinking. the full version is no longer available but half of it is available here. this was originally posted by Jude on facebook.

a bit of mending...

i have several blouses/shirts that were purchased from the thrift stores but are a bit too small. i ripped open the side seams from the hem edge to the wrist edge, added 2" strips of cloth (deb lacativa's dyed cloth) and hand stitched on both sides. it now is a perfect fit. i did some hand stitching on the edges to tack down the seams. this is so easy and really enlarges the width of the sleeves, the top arm circumference and the body of the shirt. give it a try if you have some tops that are a bit too small.
click on the images for a closer view.

white cotton blouse mended to fit

still doing some spinning and knitting as well. working on a pair of fingerless gloves that match the cowl i posted last week. the pattern is from the book '10 SECRETS of the LAIDBACK KNITTERS'. this is a library book but there are so many patterns in there that i love that i ordered the book from Amazon. i always manage to change the pattern in some way but i'm not expert enough to make anything other than a scarf without some guidance.

one fingerless glove completed

i've been practicing spinning cotton roving on my new tahkli spindle but still need lots more practice so not much to show other than the spindle and the cotton. the spindle is just under 7" long and weighs about half an ounce.

tahkli spindle and cotton roving

hope you are all having a good week.

UPDATE:
i forgot that i wanted to share this video on HEALING (yourself and the world), if you haven't already seen it on Facebook or elsewhere. it is long but it's the latest info on the subject and very understandable.  sit with some stitching or knitting and just listen. it gives so much hope in so many areas. the link is here. looks like this full version is no longer available but you can watch half of it here.

spinning along...

the cowl is finished and it actually fits. i had my doubts. i really need to start making a gauge swatch before knitting...especially something that needed to fit over my head.
click on the images for a closer view.

knitted cowl with handspun yarn...color is a little more subtle in real life

i started knitting a scarf with the spun yarn that was left over and am now having to spin up some more to finish it. it will be a gift. i'm getting a bit bored with this colorway. i just purchased some cotton roving and that will be my next project. it's a bit more difficult to spin than the wool so there will be lots of experimenting and practice needed.

spinning up more yarn to finish this scarf

i did get a bit of stitching in this week. just a patch to cover up a stain on my favorite t-shirt.

two old t-shirts helping each other to stay alive

 and the most amazing thing that i discovered today...my indigo plants that never got more than 2" tall with itty-bitty leaves are actually producing seed heads. i will collect the seed if it develops and plant them just to see what happens. maybe the second go round will be better, if the seeds are viable at all.

indigo going to seed

have a great week and concentrate on what's positive out there in your world.

spinning, knitting and a bit of dyeing...

lots of experimenting going on with the spinning and i've prepared enough handspun yarn to start knitting a cowl. also attempted making some black and white thread but all i had was wool. it turned out ok but really want to try it with cotton which i prefer for stitching.

handspun wool yarn and the beginnings of a cowl

finally got all the flowers i'd saved out of the freezer and did some dyeing. the cotton pieces turned out better than the silk this time. the cotton pieces were soaked in soy milk overnight and allowed to dry and sit for a few days before using. haven't had much time for dyeing lately.

some hints of blue in that center strip

bits of rust from the cotton wrapped around tin cans

i'm trying to keep up with all of your blogs but haven't had much time to comment lately. wishing you all a great week.