Another hat delivered

When I get hat orders, I like to talk about design.  The beauty of someone asking me to make them a hat is that I make what they want, rather than the process happening the other way around; that they have to chose what is offered.  Sometimes the question, "What do you want your hat to look like?" can be daunting because how often do we get to design our own wearables?  This past order though, the customer knew just what they were looking for and thus the challenge was all mine!

 This is the design he wanted - simple, no?!  His color choice: light green, dark green, and...green.

This is what I came up with: bom bom bommmm...

 Bring me the next challenge - let me at 'em!

Great News!

Weave a Real Peace is a worthwhile nonprofit organization that works with weavers and textile artisans around the world.  Every year they hold a weekend conference to share ideas and travel stories and this year it is going to be in Asheville, NC.  I heard about WARP last summer when I was at Penland School of Crafts. When I mentioned my love for travel, writing, and fiber arts to my instructor Adrienne Sloane she said, "Have you heard of WARP?"  Not being a memeber, I applied for a scholarship to the conference in the hopes that I would be able to learn more about the organization.  And...I was picked!  Whoo-hoo to fiber!  Check out the organization at www.weavearealpeace.org

New Photos!

I have been making a lot of hats lately (thank you snowy weather).  Here are some more photos.

These beautiful photographs were taken by Suzanne Tenuto based in Philadelphia. See more of her work at: http://www.suzannetenuto.com/

More hats for sale!

I've had a great time making hats and this winter is proving to be a cold one.  We had a white Christmas this year, about 8 inches of snow fell on Christmas day.

Hats are $60 and you can pick your colors.  They are Fair Isle style which means I use two or three yarns to create a really warm double-layered hat.

Hats! Hats! Hats for sale!

 

It's getting cold!! I think that means it's time to get a winter hat! I am knitting hats galore this winter -- in all colors.  If you are interested in purchasing one (and picking your own colors) just let me know!!

What do marigolds make?

Last week I assisted my mom in a natural dying and spinning class.  We had twelve ambitious students who seemed to really enjoy learning to dye...color that is.

There are numerous books with natural dye recipes.  "The first time I pulled the wool out of the dye pot I was hooked.  I finally got the colors that I was seeing in nature," my mom told the class.  It is spectacular to be able to take plants, roots, fruits, flowers, and even bugs, put them into a pot, and make color.  Being with color is so much better than being without!   

As a kid I remember going through my mom's studio and seeing the dyed tufts of raw wool.  "We feed them blueberries to get blue wool, and grapes to get purple,"  my mom joked.  In it's raw form, wool does look like it came from a colored sheep.  But the truth is, there area a lot of variables that can change the final color.  With each pot the ratio of dye stuff to wool makes the wool lighter or darker.  Then there's the water itself and the type of mordant which tints the color, or leans it into different hues.

Needless to say, the final reveal can be quite exciting.  Our class continued to stir their dye pots while they learned to spin, and also practiced patience while they (the pots not the students) brewed.  When the time finally came to take the wool out, the colors were vibrant!  Bright! Sparkling! Luscious!  The most breathtaking to me was the marigold -- which makes yellow.

My mom and I decided we had to do a pot of our own.  We used alum mordant and three pounds of marigolds to one pound of wool.

My mom and I getting the marigolds ready

And Voila!

Who knew those little marigolds had a secret power?  Check back to see what I make with this electric yellow!

And the Garden Kept Growing...

My time at Penland has come and gone, but what I learned there and the ideas that were spawned are still with me.

One of the most challenging things about taking workshops and then going home is keeping that high level of creativity alive in my home studio.  It's unusual to work surrounded by eight or nine other people, who chatter and react to each other's work.  The spontaneous moments that happen around a project can lead me in one way or another, and the amount of information passed about in conversation is invaluable.

So here's a look at some of the things I made while I was there - immersed.

We learned how to knit without needles.  Above, is a sample of heavy gauge wire, wrapped around a dowel and then looped by hand in the knit structure.  Below I used medium gauge plastic coated wire for the first time to make a "something-er-other."  Don't ask what it is because I don't know.

Then I used small gauge wire to make a knitted bracelet with beads.  The possibilities are endless - no more "normal" knitting!