The End of Heartless Experimenting

Years ago, in fashion design school, I took a fabric dying class. It was so much fun!

The dyes we used in that class used some very toxic chemicals, so we had to wear masks and gloves to not breathe in or touch the substances or dye our hands.

I used to love coming to class the next day after dying some samples the day before. It was like opening surprise gifts on Christmas morning!  If we liked how one of our samples turned out...our instructor usually had us take our sample and use what we learned to make a larger garment or project. She had a strict rule that if we used a heart shape in any project we would fail the assignment! I guess she just saw one too many heart designs used by students.

On Indy Day I decided to play with natural dyes. Though I know coffee and other natural substances can stain teeth...I'm not sure how dyefast they are without some kind of additive to make them permanent. But, I just wanted to experiment and see what edible items I had around the house that would actually dye something. 
I dyed some white wool my Mom had given me long ago to experiment with.  

I plucked many cherries off my cherry tree before the birds did.

                                   I boiled the wool in the cherries with a little water on the stove.



                            
I also had a cup of very strong coffee I never finished and I dunked a clump of white wool into that as well.

I let the wool sit for a whole 24 hours in the cherry and coffee dyebaths.

Then, I decided to allow these experiments to dry naturally by putting them on some overgrown weeds in the yard to dry. That's what I love about creating...you can turn weeds into a useful tool. In fact, that's how I love to coach too...shifting perspectives to turn something that may look grim into something very useful

Here are the dried wool strands laying out in the sun.

I haven't worked with natural dyes, so I didn't know what substance to add so the wool samples would be washable. So, I decided to use these wool strands on something I'd never wash like a tag.

I added a nice little yarn I sell in my shop along with the natural dyed wool strands to brighten things up a little. I dedicate this tag to my fabric dying instructor!

Getting back into shape

You know how when you stop working out...it's very hard to get back into that ritual? Well, I find sketching the same way! If you don't keep practicing consistently, your eye loses that distinct way of seeing, while your hand forgets how to be patient and follow every line your eye is caressing.

Fortunately, Jane La Fazio's latest DVD, From Art Journaling to Art, inspires the viewer to try some tasty complete-it-in-one-sitting sketches. She also adds her flair for creative borders that make the sketch take on a personality all its own. Plus she adds some techniques from her mixed media class to take your sketching to a new level. I'm very happy with this informative DVD. I've taken some of Jane's classes online and this DVD brings the online classwork full circle by allowing you to actually watch Jane demonstrate those Jane techniques we learned from online class hand outs.

I'm not only back working out after getting out of the loop for a while, but now because of this DVD, I'm getting my sketching back in shape again as well. Bravo, Jane!

Keeping up with the cool tools....

I often wonder how much fun Mozart would've had composing on a computer....or how  Emily Dickenson would've felt if she had online forums and classes to run or take part in. What would DaVinci have done with a Wii? Or Michaelangelo....what great works would he create with an ipad?

The endless new inventions keep us at the edge of our seat with new ways of approaching our mediums.

I have to thank Jane LaFazio for teaching us so many cool things! I've been addicted to her classes lately. She so changed my life by introducing us to the Niji Waterbrush (among many other things.)
The world is a sketch opportunity and a Niji waterbrush is loaded with water and all set to paint with...no messy spills during travel. It's also yet another way (besides knitting) to never have to be stuck "waiting"for detained travel, friends, or appointments.
You can see this artist was very intrigued with this brush when I showed it to him. It froze him into a state of wonder. It did the same to me when Jane taught us to sketch and paint with it.
It has been quite the trip observing the eras I've experienced and how incredible tools have become when it comes to opening up new opportunities. I still can only imagine what the Great Masters would've done if they had the cool tools and software opportunities we have today....and I'm grateful to them for laying the foundation for these tools to exist today.

Sockitecture

I've had a fascination with beads and buttons from childhood. While my Mom was sewing, I would play with her buttons and create all kinds of worlds with them. To this day, I adore creating worlds with beads and buttons in whatever medium they will fit into. Here's a one sock wonder from a Lily Chin design I tried out with "seconds yarn" and some tasty beads I bought at a Stitches convention once. I actually have no intention of knitting the other sock. I just wanted to see the instructions manifested, so I'm happy with the one. It's now an official practice sock to take the experience to new places.

My dad was an architect. I find sock design so very similar to how he'd design buildings...with different levels and design interests. I kind of like perceiving socks in that way....little buildings for the feet! Imagine the possibilities if you see them in that way. 

Fresh off the Needle Runway....

I just ordered these for my shop. I love fresh ideas! I love my Denise needle set too. It's a staple when traveling because all the needles are there and even when a part or a needle gets left behind, they are inexpensive to replace. Now they've added more needle tip sizes and color options to the sets. There's also a new set for knitters who want all their crochet needles along with them at the same time. Any tool that opens up more possibilities finds a welcoming home in my shop.

Hoodarfs Hit the 'Hood

This week, NY Fashion Week introduced the Hoodarf...a combo of hoody and scarf. I'm bracing myself to start hearing customers ask for knit patterns to make Hoodarfs. The closest thing to a Hoodarf that I've designed is this hoody for a dog friend of mine who hates cats. But, I think I want to call that an Arfhoody.

First UFO Sighting of 2011

Starting off New Year's resolutions with the "UFO (Unfinished Object) of the Month Club." This month's UFO is a Debbie Bliss tunic knit in a milk yarn ( I offer both the instructions and many colors of milk yarn in my shop.) I was testing out both the instructions and the yarn. I adore the drape of this yarn and the softness of it. I also love when people talk to you when you're knitting with milk yarn in public....the reactions are priceless! Always a conversation piece when you knit something out of milk yarn. (One five year old wanted to taste my knitting.)

Do you know how fun it is to knit a sweater on small needles out of beige yarn? This is why this was at the top of the UFO list. It helped to call the color of the yarn by it's real name....Latte. So, it's off to other UFOs. It's too nice a feeling to complete one to stop. I wish you many completions of UFOs this year.