Saturday, August 15, 2009

Knitting

For those who know me, it will come as no surprise that I can't, or won't, follow any pattern offered to make an item. Towards the end of last year I decided to start some knitting, and proceeded to find a suitable knitting pattern, and some wool. I certainly don't need another knitted garment but this was to be all about process rather than the end product.
I have now finished and yep, it looks pretty good to me. I have changed the type of wool specified, altered the original instructions, but kept to the same amount of stitches ie rows, decreasing, and general structure. Mostly it was plain sailing but I did have to do some back-tracking because of the occasional 'whoops'. I am particularly pleased with the yoke pattern which I feel I have made up but it may be a recognisable pattern in the knitting world. Now that this is finished I will have to find something else to do in the evenings, oh well.....

This is the original illustration for the garment. Ref: Cleckheaton 958

And this is my version....

The diagonal lines forming the crosses were stitched after the knitting was completed. The back yoke is the same.

And here is a detail of the ninth in my series of 12.

70 days till my exhibition

Thursday, August 13, 2009

More big screen stuff

I am certainly enjoying using my new big silk screen. If only our weather was a bit warmer / sunnier then my progress would be somewhat faster, but I need to be patient while things dry.
I have started another large piece for my exhibition. I am enjoying working my 12 smaller pieces for the exhibition but I have always had a need to vary the size of things; when I finish a small piece, I want to work big again, and when that is done, I want to go back to small. This habit goes well back into my early embroidery days.
Anyway, I painted dye without much thought on to my big screen, left it to dry, then poured clear water over the screen which I jiggled at the same time. Ahhhh.. all the dyes began to run and merge! Lovely. After another time lapse for drying I screened it on to fabric with clear sodium alginate.

Dye on the screen, drying.

Clear water poured over the dried screen. A new thought, must try doing this with some dye in the water.

All printed, washed and dried, waiting for its next stage.....

72 days till my exhibition.