My wool collection includes yarns, threads, fleece and roving. On hot summer days, the latter two are some of my favorite toys. There’s something quite gratifying about putting on your swim suit and playing with soap, wool and water.
Needle felting is nice, but wet felting just brings out my beach instincts. In any case, I’m happy to include both in my art quilts.
Several of my recent art quilts use a felted background. It gives a lovely sense of multi textural goodness that contrasts with embroidery, quilting, applique and beading. For all of the fabric that I’ve dyed and painted, felting gives me a new dimension.
Here’s a background…
That became this quilt…
Earlier this week, my daughter’s college exploration took me to the Pioneer Valley. She considered my suggestion to fiber shop audacious. “Oh, no…don’t you have enough projects going now?”
She’s probably right, or we would have definitely stopped by New England Felting Supply in Eastborough to pick up some dyed quick felting merino roving. Felting has been a fun change of pace from my Master Knitter Focus this year.
I recently felted some undyed Shetland fleece and am here to report that merino felts much more quickly (however the end result was fabulous, pictures in a future post)! The slapping, stomping and throwing were undoubtedly excellent upper body work outs. If nothing else, I love playing with soapy water on summer day. It beats sitting in air conditioning, doesn’t it?
Word is getting out! More people are learning about the Melrose Adult Education program’s topics and signing up to learn painting, acting, business skills, interior design and craft. Yours truly will lead a basic knitting skills class on August 5 and 12 from 7 pm to 8:30
Basic Knitting Skills: Learn 2 ways to cast on, to knit, to purl, and how to bind off. Understand some of the most common abbreviations in knitting patterns and get ready to work on a basic knitting project! Bring light colored, smooth (no novelty yarns, please) worsted or bulky weight yarn and appropriate size of knitting needle. This class works for those who have never knit before, or need a refresher class. With your MCAE registration confirmation Sit ‘n Knit Melrose offers 10% discount on your class supplies. 7 – 8:30 p.m. Offered on Mondays August 5 and 12, 2013. COST: $25.00
I’ll also lead morning and evening sessions for Sit’n Knit’s boot camp series. Seaming knits, buttonholes and new ways to cast on and bind off will be the feature topics. I’ll let you know when registration is open for these Tuesday classes that begin August 13.
Fibercamp 2012: An inspiring open format conference for everyone who enjoys knitting, crochet and a whole host of other fiber arts. This year I learned about coiling from Jeanne and how to evaluate a fleece from Lucy. I also shared my experience with making a duct tape mannequin and enabled a session on seaming techniques for knitters.
We covered the seaming of (wish I had taken photos!)
ends of rows (e.g. the sides of a sweater),
cast on/bound off edges (e.g. shoulder seams)
cast on/bound off edge to an end of row (e.g. a shoulder cap)
I passed around samples and we talked about selvedges and ratios. Knowing that this might seem very logical while in the session, but completely irretrievable in the future, I put together a reference list based on magazines currently on the market, books I enjoy and books others recommended. Here they are:
From the current magazine stands, you’ll find a nice article about seaming in the Debbie Bliss Magazine. Knitters volume 106 has a super article on picking up stitches with a great table.
Amanda W then took the group through the principles of picking up stitches. Hopefully the short sessions gave people the jist and the resources for the next time they need to finish an project.
I’d love to hear any additions you have to the list!
The Common Cod Fiber Guild hosted their first Ignite Craft in 2011. “Ignite” events feature 5 minute slide shows, each slide on the screen for 15 seconds. You get all kinds of viewpoints on a subject. It was quite the entertaining and inspiring evening… if I do say so myself. I was Secretary of the Guild last year and took the opportunity to share a few of the quilts I’d made. Thanks to Brilliant Video, you can see both the 2011 and 2012 videos!
(amazon associate link) by Nancie Wiseman. I love the spiral binding and way it fits in my knitting bag. Of course, this is on top of the wonderful explanations, drawing and photography.
by Montze Stanley is a classic reference that always offers more than one way to do anything knitting!
and of course, June Hiatt’s tomb and gravity source, 
.
