tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91177466997138604122024-02-19T10:38:04.857+00:00The Magic Armchair Traveller in StitchesThe Magic Armchair Traveller takes time out to play with fibre...Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-77638527635006305762012-05-30T21:01:00.002+00:002012-05-30T21:01:21.532+00:00A long time coming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I found knitting and needlepoint great companions when I was first ill with the debilitating illness eventually diagnosed as Myalgic Encephelomyelitis (M.E.) or Post Viral Syndrome or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or whatever - it meant that I had very little energy to do anything and slept away for much of the day, every day. I am still like that quite a lot but there are more better days, twenty-three years on from the beginning. Anyway, doing a little archeological excavation through the layers of life in our house, I came across a completed panel of stitching, which I recall working on at the beginning of my six year journey through the world of City and Guilds Embroidered Textiles. This was when I found I was expecting my third child, who has recently had his sixteenth birthday, so that gives some idea of the time it has been sitting around, unfulfilled and purposeless. I remember thinking that it was probably the last kit project I would ever undertake. Oh, memories!<br />
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I remembered another two panels of stitching I'd worked from a design by Beth Russell for Ehrmann, based upon tile designs by William de Morgan (I've had an almost lifelong love of Arts and Crafts and William Morris and all that), before the passionflower-bedecked piece I had come across, and a little more searching brought them to light, also.<br />
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Anyway, hidden away, unpurposed and incomplete they are no longer. They have been joined by a sample piece of Liberty Hera design (peacock feathers), backed with dark blue velvet and stuffed with cushion inners, to sit resplendent upon my navy-blue sofas. It is about time!<br />
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I think a lot of the delay was caused by being anxious about spoiling them by trying to stitch them onto a backing, In the event, it was so simple, logical and, once the necessary materials assembled, fast.<br />
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So, my time piece is being paid attention to, and I'm determined to complete more projects planned or started, and buried in the domestic chaos that is our home. The excavation continues! It feels good to have finally put my stitching to good use. And, today I mended moth holes in my knitted shawl, so I can wear it once again. Small targets, but progress is being made,<br />
<br /></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-45869154945552800722012-05-16T13:19:00.000+00:002012-05-16T13:19:27.911+00:00My time is up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, it seems a long <i>time</i> ago since the latest International Quilt Challenge theme was announced, and I have been struggling with <i>time</i>, ever since. "Time" was the theme, and my initial thought was of childhood (also a long<i> time</i> ago) and my fascination with dandelion clocks. However, my very talented friend, Sue Martin, <a href="http://mycamerandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/finished.html">interpreted</a> this theme so beautifully and independently that I decided I'd best change tack.</div>
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I came across this memento of my maternal grandmother, who had a good sense of humour, and it started me on a train of thought about inheritances, objects from the past and good advice. The round tuit is a procrastination preventative: : now you have one, you no longer have an excuse to put off doing things...</div>
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We went to Denmark at Easter, to visit my daughter who is spending a year studying in Copenhagen as part of her degree course. We visited the National Museum, which had some wonderful displays of artefacts including Roman bronze articles with glorious aged patinas.<br />
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These in turn reminded me of some Chinese bronzes I saw a couple of years ago at a museum and art gallery in the Cotswolds (the name of which escapes me at present). Sadly, photography was not permitted, but I long to return to maybe sketch these beautiful surfaces.<br />
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I decided to have a go at dyeing some fabrics with a verdigris effect but the results, above, were strangley far from successful - pale and washed out, with the exception of the fine silk organza. That was the clue - my dyes were for protein fibres, not cellulose, and my procion dyes were hiding from me. I did have some habotai which took the dye reasonably well, but I was concerned that this would not stand up to heavy stitching, so I had to think again.<br />
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In one of my local fabric shops (<a href="http://www.spinningweal.co.uk/">The Spinning Weal</a>) I found this verdigris-like patchwork fabric and also another stone-like one, for a background.<br />
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In fact, I had hoped to use a piece of cloth already in my possession for the background, but my house had eaten it and, after a number of days looking for it (more <i>time </i>wasted) once I had got my new cloth home and stitched, the missing length appeared somewhere I had looked several times for it... Anyway, I used a variegated YLI quilting thread to free machine stitch "I'll do it when I get around to it" or "When I get around to it, I'll do it." <br />
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On the green disc, I meander-quilted and then stitched the words: tempus fugit - do it!"<br />
I came to realise that this could reasonably actually be a <i>time</i> piece and had fun and games working out how to do this, which involved finding a clock mechanism and hands (from <a href="http://www.maplin.co.uk/">Maplin</a>) - although the second hand was a discordant red and so I painted it silver.<br />
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In Hobbycraft, I found a 12" square box frame to contain my fabric piece and was able to drill a hole in the mid-centre of the backing board through which to pass the clock mechanism spindle, and then made holes through both cream and green quilted sandwiches to pass it through as well.<br />
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So my<i> time</i> piece is a <i>time</i> piece - a clock, to remind me to seize the moment and not waste time or opportunities. During the time I was making it, my son and husband both celebrated significant birthdays and we heard of the sad death of a good friend. It seems apt to have made this now. It's a shame it took so much <i>time. </i>In the end, <i>time</i> was of the essence, in more ways than I thought when I started out.<br />
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Now for the next challenge: Landmarks. Best get my thinking cap on!</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-16323655146683377242012-03-18T21:33:00.000+00:002012-03-18T21:33:18.726+00:00Back to the Needle!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh, it has been a long, miserable winter of operation recovery, energy-sapping fluey bugs and life's little hiccups, but finally I've found my way back to my needle case.<br />
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The picture above shows my contribution to the <a href="http://internationalquiltchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/">International Quilt Challenge</a> third theme, "Architexture". It was inspired by our trip to Marrakech in Morocco in 1996, and was inspired by the Almoravid Koubba and the city walls, the colours and general ambiance of the city. There was so much food for creative thought there that, in fact, I developed a sort if artistic indigestion, and it has taken until now to begin to be resolved in this small piece, and there is hopefully much more output to come. We took the first flight out of Bristol to Marrakech on this holiday, and I'm sad to discover that the troute is no longer available, as I'd love to return there.<br />
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I am currently a student with <a href="http://karenruane.blogspot.com/">Karen Ruane </a> on her "Extending Embellishment course. Above is my most recent sample, comprising three different stitched elements (two on scrim and one on silk straw paper). It is an intriguing course with much to be learned and absorbed, and Karen gives such excellent material, inspiration and support.<br />
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Here you see the effect of adding hand stitched details to machine-stitched forms on cotton scrim. We are less than half way through and I wonder what delights are yet to come!</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-91180202310809964892011-09-23T13:54:00.001+00:002011-09-23T13:56:27.529+00:00Shadows on the Wall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7gOkKKvxhTNXIeW0L_uqBBT5FKsVut-C3gU2OJS1PVFy4_Dc-fTijRS8vV8qPrkQTTQKMBfL3FzLSXMuohtt6K5LAzibHnXhDxLnMzbOsakRGAl2JfdVjnzVgTyS2F76QjdLyE8-VNM/s1600/IMG_7837-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7gOkKKvxhTNXIeW0L_uqBBT5FKsVut-C3gU2OJS1PVFy4_Dc-fTijRS8vV8qPrkQTTQKMBfL3FzLSXMuohtt6K5LAzibHnXhDxLnMzbOsakRGAl2JfdVjnzVgTyS2F76QjdLyE8-VNM/s320/IMG_7837-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, I am a bit pleased with myself. Not only have I just completed a stitched textile piece of work, I have completed it to deadline as my first entry to the International Quilt Challenge, with ten hours to spare. I overcame my self-doubt and trepidation and actually did some stitched art.....<br />
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The first theme which challenged us was "Light and Shadow," and I was pursuing to separate ideas until I was struck by a beautiful photograph on a <a href="http://brittarnhildshouseinthewoods.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf74c53ef015391b21f62970b-pi">blog</a> I follow, which completely fascinated me. I loved the shapes of the leaves reflected by low sunlight onto a garden wall, but even more was intrigued by the way that the texture of the wall was variably visible through the shadows. It had to be that one, and my other thoughts fell by the wayside.<br />
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I am pleased with the finished work, and enthralled by the incredibly beautiful and interesting variations being posted to the challenge blog as the big reveal happens. I wonder what the next challenge will be?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKdBVxvJ4ik0GBqGUINIsJCLcTQxNI-zXaAWezt5-EFC_Nk4htY90uzl-caTiIZ0JFAlD_Zg-96yk1v_znYnJJOD0-KtML4itO66JovgYSr7SkqTF2k60TQ2Z5oi4wPDEG1yz1N5CbH0/s1600/Square+shadow+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKdBVxvJ4ik0GBqGUINIsJCLcTQxNI-zXaAWezt5-EFC_Nk4htY90uzl-caTiIZ0JFAlD_Zg-96yk1v_znYnJJOD0-KtML4itO66JovgYSr7SkqTF2k60TQ2Z5oi4wPDEG1yz1N5CbH0/s320/Square+shadow+wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I am very good at sabotaging myself and my creativity with self-doubt and paralysing anxiety, but it feels so good to have risen to the challenge and made something in cloth - it's been too long.<br />
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I am having hip surgery on Monday week, and the convalescence from that will probably provide ample opportunity for thinking about how to interpret the next subject. I hope I can make an earlier start next time around and finish with more time to spare!</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-25172063166087296072011-08-18T16:24:00.000+00:002011-08-18T16:24:18.812+00:00Heartfelt Creativity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last year my friend and erstwhile C&G tutor, Jan Connett, curated an exhibition: <a href="http://www.janconnett.co.uk/heartfelt.html">Heartfelt</a> in Bristol's Centre Space Gallery. This year a new Heartfelt will be held at the <a href="http://www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk/comingsoon.html">Bradley Grant Gallery</a> during the month of September, this time in support of the British Heart Foundation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__XrYmCpfBtFxsCwRlvZeULMplT6a9IFuoYac5xesoH1-1fkW58jjVXo4X9EJml6FdBp4tFcMz0RlsnqgNaVMwq6BRA2P_3AlRTNb-YZ-eNe1i9dxQQN9sOnq_JsHnCkvAmXOdcbCI-0/s1600/IMG_7033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__XrYmCpfBtFxsCwRlvZeULMplT6a9IFuoYac5xesoH1-1fkW58jjVXo4X9EJml6FdBp4tFcMz0RlsnqgNaVMwq6BRA2P_3AlRTNb-YZ-eNe1i9dxQQN9sOnq_JsHnCkvAmXOdcbCI-0/s320/IMG_7033.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I have submitted two hearts for this exhibition. The brief was to make hearts which could be seen from both sides, so my first one was worked in traditional rag rugging techniques on hessian. Above, you can see the hooked side. Below the proggy side is shown and I like the way it creates a sort of fringe at the edge of the hooked side.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0F-pH7Dy4kgs6mDU90vhXlEHZDZgW1u5Ux8V28yiCYg9g65xVjj4mnVHTm963oSy6T_PLrzL-rcUetLNUyskfNcmlwz6BPtK4Dj3bcC7sXlt1AVeH0PpXRQBVFFEQSl9_GDJyX-ioPw/s1600/IMG_7035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0F-pH7Dy4kgs6mDU90vhXlEHZDZgW1u5Ux8V28yiCYg9g65xVjj4mnVHTm963oSy6T_PLrzL-rcUetLNUyskfNcmlwz6BPtK4Dj3bcC7sXlt1AVeH0PpXRQBVFFEQSl9_GDJyX-ioPw/s320/IMG_7035.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Mt second heart is in foiled stained glass, and I plan to make more of these in due course as it was very enjoyable to create, even if a drop of solder did leap off my soldering iron and onto my hand, so I now have a pair of scarred hands. The burn is one, and the other is my poor index finger which was gashed a few weeks ago when caught in the car door. It's still very tender and unfortunately the wound became infected so I needed a course of antibiotics. It's now virtually healed but will take a while to return to normal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfTIWwpi_cQL4Yw_MhKUeVs7MX1PUHphL5bI8m2X0g-TaGGlduZeqvLWjQ0_pxfMyFCG6iHKqm84i2ky2jrgtMRcUbROz1MjNwQ3nbO4KJkTi__q9skUwN51SZdbuh3mY26gyxc6m8Sc/s1600/IMG_7036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfTIWwpi_cQL4Yw_MhKUeVs7MX1PUHphL5bI8m2X0g-TaGGlduZeqvLWjQ0_pxfMyFCG6iHKqm84i2ky2jrgtMRcUbROz1MjNwQ3nbO4KJkTi__q9skUwN51SZdbuh3mY26gyxc6m8Sc/s320/IMG_7036.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I am looking forward to seeing what other people have come up with this time around, and really hope a lot of money is raised for BHF.</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-16795463717021672722011-05-20T16:04:00.000+00:002011-05-20T16:04:13.919+00:00More Cosiness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I found another, naked, hot water bottle lurking in the appropriate cupboard, so decided it, too, needed to be more safely cuddlesome and that I must knit a second hot water bottle cover. This time, I decided to follow the <a href="http://thecakeplate.blogspot.com/2008/07/cabled-hot-water-bottle-cover-pattern.html">Toasty</a> pattern, which is knit in chunky yarn, but that I would adapt the pattern to be worked in the round rather than from one long strip (avoiding an upside down cable on one of its faces, and the need to sew up afterwards) and to decrease for the neck in a similar way to <a href="http://veganknitter.blogspot.com/2009/10/hoot-water-bottle-cozy.html">Hoot</a>, with eyelets and an i-cord to keep it snugly in place rather than a double polo-neck.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmhY8wPjiyN6OhWZm3Vdd2rekxNRevdy7qC-E4pRxnlr2ohw2UBQ06kuSEHE2TWIeu6MqTdMp4qvTrZ8p0Q0Eip8qLXEfs0HjUpxyQdjin8-Tg21e7sIg495WLkbc5Gu9qxWbxanOvFQ/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmhY8wPjiyN6OhWZm3Vdd2rekxNRevdy7qC-E4pRxnlr2ohw2UBQ06kuSEHE2TWIeu6MqTdMp4qvTrZ8p0Q0Eip8qLXEfs0HjUpxyQdjin8-Tg21e7sIg495WLkbc5Gu9qxWbxanOvFQ/s400/IMG_7402.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
</div>I finished knitting it yesterday. It immediately needed washing, as the Texere Chunky yarn dye was not totally colour fast and knitting had given me turquoise hands, clothes and knitting needles. Fortunately it washed off my hands and clothing but my wooden knitting needs now have some turquoise graining after washing them: luckily it's my favourite colour, but I prefer to choose where I have it! It took three separate washes (first in silk and wool detergent, then twice with Colsperse before a final rinse with vinegar) before the bleeding stopped.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05b8UXbfP37IlRQZE-pCMyjX2bkaKr2crBFA5sf58p8Sx5meQeRb0vnLu-epNKrEb0MRjiJ_fcC40prAZT7OAzv2VneNBKOpob8pGA7xVDnW6X2l5cFCMpP7g6zQvik5DEdfrmJwqTfg/s1600/IMG_7403.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05b8UXbfP37IlRQZE-pCMyjX2bkaKr2crBFA5sf58p8Sx5meQeRb0vnLu-epNKrEb0MRjiJ_fcC40prAZT7OAzv2VneNBKOpob8pGA7xVDnW6X2l5cFCMpP7g6zQvik5DEdfrmJwqTfg/s400/IMG_7403.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
The cover has stretched a bit on the washing line too, but not disastrously so. I'm glad I decided on a necktie for it, and the i-cord certainly makes a very satisfying tie.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCJIslVvJ6IdqV7AOUggIMeAuczhoyNd_e1oOZ8mQwT3KpDENfT-RZY75aDN7_kI1LQXSfijYMkn2k43tte1GqBSZGIvEii6NtbYDz9fyapJzkNFvl7gEDWjbI6o6B61aRtvXv10m8Lc/s1600/IMG_7404.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCJIslVvJ6IdqV7AOUggIMeAuczhoyNd_e1oOZ8mQwT3KpDENfT-RZY75aDN7_kI1LQXSfijYMkn2k43tte1GqBSZGIvEii6NtbYDz9fyapJzkNFvl7gEDWjbI6o6B61aRtvXv10m8Lc/s400/IMG_7404.JPG" /></a> <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">I like the cables very much and would certainly work this pattern again, perhaps with a size smaller needle. It seems silly to be thinking about cosying up next winter already, when we still seem so close to the last one, but poorly tums and achy backs can now be more comfortably and safely soothed as necessary.</div></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a><br />
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</div></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-55662765958378791942011-05-12T11:28:00.000+00:002011-05-13T20:30:00.679+00:00Knitting in Jade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CRQx3x-MuF3UeUo0GqIzZW9trBpFvzkRma_l7RN8LZViNWSPxHbPX8hd5Az5oFxKsCNzkrN63QFwLj6JVZVWiUwI2Gz5r0y1tZUgdIWCWRRkY5GZGufsT7xDxUAbDOFzwLDF4B-yj8s/s1600/IMG_5863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CRQx3x-MuF3UeUo0GqIzZW9trBpFvzkRma_l7RN8LZViNWSPxHbPX8hd5Az5oFxKsCNzkrN63QFwLj6JVZVWiUwI2Gz5r0y1tZUgdIWCWRRkY5GZGufsT7xDxUAbDOFzwLDF4B-yj8s/s320/IMG_5863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In March I challenged myself by knitting <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/PATTannis.php">Annis</a>. It's a pretty narrow shawl in laceweight yearn, and a free pattern on Knitty. What was challenging about it was that for the first time in my life, I had to tackle nupps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVkCOuYk4ypgbkhOW6EctUxtaEehwjuJQfSaDjw2C2_u27cfB9lunGBOCCLKuy5ra0OEXyd2yp5FucYbyYFKwoXJ9bsaY_Ly0UhQviUXCGmcmV1D9LnA2jTrWwsQ7NPQGlDasBLz9veI/s1600/IMG_5864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVkCOuYk4ypgbkhOW6EctUxtaEehwjuJQfSaDjw2C2_u27cfB9lunGBOCCLKuy5ra0OEXyd2yp5FucYbyYFKwoXJ9bsaY_Ly0UhQviUXCGmcmV1D9LnA2jTrWwsQ7NPQGlDasBLz9veI/s320/IMG_5864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I found a gorgeous <a href="http://www.hipknits.co.uk/shop.php?crn=292&rn=2700&action=show_detail">yarn</a> (silk/cashmere mix 2ply) in a fabulous jade colour, which would go well with some fabric I've bought to make some summer clothes when my sewing mojo returns.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs-cyR0hLrfiw1sGCUcoCVdVZXO7jDXHDX_0L7UtF78Xj29tCKkGUBK3aDTJ0vf1B384ZT49VscIBlwyBaxgukEDcB_cImz7KRiOj71ZUScIf2It3J_VsBfwJ1D_9QzmwLNbgYnY2Ep0/s1600/IMG_5865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbs-cyR0hLrfiw1sGCUcoCVdVZXO7jDXHDX_0L7UtF78Xj29tCKkGUBK3aDTJ0vf1B384ZT49VscIBlwyBaxgukEDcB_cImz7KRiOj71ZUScIf2It3J_VsBfwJ1D_9QzmwLNbgYnY2Ep0/s320/IMG_5865.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I found knitting nupps made me feel tense cross, so I was relieved when that bit was over - dealing with keeping 7 loops being knit into one stitch tidy and together was not easy for me. There is another way (at least one) of working them which involves the use of a crochet hook, and when/if I return to the nupp, I will try out that method instead.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVje7JYoQAu1OH9MmkVuOY1oP1NaeD0h1tOaQxWbx5FjgmK2sTL9cUu6vZdErAkO3RATx6jtdFqi1ufsHPJqUu0JcgCaj4a4i5_LSFCBQvmTbo9a9jrbOXyhyphenhyphenBvPFcSJZaON9YY4dvLeY/s1600/IMG_5866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVje7JYoQAu1OH9MmkVuOY1oP1NaeD0h1tOaQxWbx5FjgmK2sTL9cUu6vZdErAkO3RATx6jtdFqi1ufsHPJqUu0JcgCaj4a4i5_LSFCBQvmTbo9a9jrbOXyhyphenhyphenBvPFcSJZaON9YY4dvLeY/s320/IMG_5866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Annis completed and blocked is, however, a pretty thing and the colour and feel are gorgeous. I'd better hurry up and get sewing so I've got the rest of the outfits to go with mine!</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-24861534273827714342011-05-11T11:25:00.000+00:002011-05-11T11:25:17.526+00:00What a hoot!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">It's been a long, hard winter and I've been ill a lot with a chain of nasty viral illnesses, curled up in bed, on the sofa or in the magic armchair, unable to do very much at all. The latest bug gave me horrible tummy pains and I spent a lot of time cuddled up to a hot water bottle for comfort, the bottle wrapped in a couple of tea-towels for insulation: the brainwave of my son. This was a very good temporary measure, but I decided the time had come to make something more permanent and less <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson">Heath Robinson</a>.<br />
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A quick search through <a href="http://ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a> revealed several possibilities, but then I saw <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hoot-water-bottle-cozy">Hoot</a>. I'm a bit of a collector of owls - what is that called? - and have been fascinated by the cabled owl motif I have seen on jumpers and other knitting projects, so this seemed the perfect pattern to follow.<br />
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I love the <a href="http://agatheringofwool.blogspot.com/2005/08/figure-8-cast-on.html">figure-of-eight cast-on</a>, which created this lovely braided effect:-<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_b7OYgeOg5Xil2UyaC9znugjjI7Yj8wrjdjjWOcltCYzxTEmgFP4ySanmR7jVZSPSWhB0ualW6jmlc-o6j_TvTE1Uo6En4cXqVtk7ShQ4qSsUKc4hPCVTG7Ak1MZLLpgD0YEz_PkdLJs/s400/IMG_6764.JPG" /></div><br />
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It took me three days to knit the cosy, and it was very enjoyable to work. The pattern calls for working with two strands of aran thickness wool worked together on 6.5mm needles - I used a circular needle and the magic loop method.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpd749FjGLhSybQ8CFkI1edcenZj0QRFTMBUGi220KchJ3pJ3dN9bfMUUGjc_OhxWugwlT58RSnEJFRsI7LrYyM1indWjnYuEDy5JGOXxT4ZyB9KwrHeje1cmJGusT7CgJQFapj5hDR0/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpd749FjGLhSybQ8CFkI1edcenZj0QRFTMBUGi220KchJ3pJ3dN9bfMUUGjc_OhxWugwlT58RSnEJFRsI7LrYyM1indWjnYuEDy5JGOXxT4ZyB9KwrHeje1cmJGusT7CgJQFapj5hDR0/s400/IMG_6767.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
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Once the knitting was complete, I crocheted a chain tie with two strands of yarn and a 6mm crochet hook, before working the embroidered eyes.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbU_xbFwOkQdcvHMr5XUnoIyDV8hzdCw7oE2JEgdNz5GdmZ9c-VGuJo_BSib6DtFTwYk3Id5wnkl2wr9VJQAloV7X2UDb1SjFe9KMltmJPD0SxUGwm18GxhTRlLI9Ew6E1JmISBXxDxs/s1600/IMG_6768.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbU_xbFwOkQdcvHMr5XUnoIyDV8hzdCw7oE2JEgdNz5GdmZ9c-VGuJo_BSib6DtFTwYk3Id5wnkl2wr9VJQAloV7X2UDb1SjFe9KMltmJPD0SxUGwm18GxhTRlLI9Ew6E1JmISBXxDxs/s400/IMG_6768.JPG" /></a> </div><br />
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Rather than using the not-very-cuddly buttons some people had used, or the satin stitch suggested in the pattern, I worked rounds of blanket stitch rather densely with some leftover dark grey aran yarn and I'm pleased with the effect.<br />
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Now my poorly tum is better and warmer weather persists, so I have not yet had cause to use my newly swaddled hot water bottle. But when the occasion arises again, it will be ready and waiting!<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; border: 0px none; padding: 0px;" /></a></div></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-8498349937498974152010-10-26T16:50:00.000+00:002010-10-26T16:51:22.028+00:00More blooming flowers<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSCIGslpG3bhqyJbM7ACCezzbz_m6nteoUzo5ewu3LnuoEhivOdjFiQ2FTKBO1dG3hVtHXR4r6_mH1h45Y3F0Gv5tGBaJ7QxDTd7f-wHhJvRNfjEhF4W7VHI8hVDPekdZf4CDmq3OTxE/s1600/IMG_5517.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSCIGslpG3bhqyJbM7ACCezzbz_m6nteoUzo5ewu3LnuoEhivOdjFiQ2FTKBO1dG3hVtHXR4r6_mH1h45Y3F0Gv5tGBaJ7QxDTd7f-wHhJvRNfjEhF4W7VHI8hVDPekdZf4CDmq3OTxE/s400/IMG_5517.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV16wMStmg-LmEqrcyr00uT7AtSmIfxFykAezIGOBZOtaGfVgFkQ7H2_lMGMcOKj2Z1xGLjBx2CyYsVpKP95RSjwcW5BEz2hgZ4IcvsUdi4MFJekrYcCLQLz7d2R2U73X7T87PjyCJhN4/s1600/IMG_5518.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV16wMStmg-LmEqrcyr00uT7AtSmIfxFykAezIGOBZOtaGfVgFkQ7H2_lMGMcOKj2Z1xGLjBx2CyYsVpKP95RSjwcW5BEz2hgZ4IcvsUdi4MFJekrYcCLQLz7d2R2U73X7T87PjyCJhN4/s400/IMG_5518.JPG" /></a> </div><br />More keep appearing, day after day. I am getting quite a flower bed together although I now need to buy more compost/navy wool to develop the floral display. It's such fun, playing with the colour combinations.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-34837803855087684952010-10-17T21:21:00.002+00:002010-10-17T21:24:48.611+00:00Band-wagon Jumping<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA543X3LDhPm0Rl7Z1qRC9tdUEwAj3N7U0AiI2c4Z_vI4iVH_vMvUrVCAHxOExjgovslMyese70Q4BLumA2F6UYB6O3i513VK83f96iOAG94sP0a-1CwMXxXdTZtbEBsNTWXtRJbqFJA/s1600/IMG_5515.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA543X3LDhPm0Rl7Z1qRC9tdUEwAj3N7U0AiI2c4Z_vI4iVH_vMvUrVCAHxOExjgovslMyese70Q4BLumA2F6UYB6O3i513VK83f96iOAG94sP0a-1CwMXxXdTZtbEBsNTWXtRJbqFJA/s400/IMG_5515.JPG" /></a><br />
So, I was wondering how to use the leftover yarn from my Gourment Crochet Variations on a Theme Mystery Afghan Crochet-A-Long, when I saw <a><a href="http://thefabricofmeditation.blogspot.com/2010/10/some-crochet-hakeln-gefalligst.html">this</a> and <a href="http://thefabricofmeditation.blogspot.com/2010/10/cushions-life-geschichte-eines-polsters.html"> this </a>and <a href="http://www.moxycrochet.co.za/index.html">this</a> and <a href="http://bockfilz.blogspot.com/2010/09/hooked-on-those-colourful-african.html">this</a>, and decided it would be good to work in rounds for a change. So, I've jumped on the African Flowers band-wagon, and I'm enjoying the results. It's a very pretty pattern - but I'm going to need to buy some more wool! Now - what will I do with the left-overs?! <br />
</div></a>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-72142857312041013292010-10-13T17:11:00.000+00:002010-10-13T17:12:43.058+00:00Christmas Present<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuXA93mTNLMIWk9QJsvV9EoDvJ89c-_BOBOeweGJQI8HMR03n3NcFJkIwz4_4e-jBzaCMH8nDBso-L3zkBv-V8mx-jY8bHrM4EKbnF0UJtR_fFcjHo4p_UhNQB6c3xMm-uxpLDL9uYJY/s1600/IMG_5489.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuXA93mTNLMIWk9QJsvV9EoDvJ89c-_BOBOeweGJQI8HMR03n3NcFJkIwz4_4e-jBzaCMH8nDBso-L3zkBv-V8mx-jY8bHrM4EKbnF0UJtR_fFcjHo4p_UhNQB6c3xMm-uxpLDL9uYJY/s400/IMG_5489.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I started crocheting this blanket back in January. It was offered as a Mystery Crochet-Along by <a href="http://gourmetcrochet.blogspot.com/">Carolyn Christmas</a> on her blog, Gourmet Crochet, and was an adventure in different fan and shell patterns. I decided to work mine in sock-weight yarn to utilise my leftovers, but of course ended buying a fair amount of additional wools, mainly Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, to supplement them. I also wanted to make my blanket large enough to snuggle under on the sofa. When the weather warmed, I lost interest in the project and put it aside, but with the advent of autumn, my crochet blanket mojo returned, and I finished the blanket this week.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh8OOfKSlY-kXXpi7bO_ypX_arHNTKqjNHM0eHU4PXFNibgILC5rXXZ15mrdiH7QVQdbi0OVr6MGrr4y5flgZmhvoRrWtD_5s_418DVyh0afJbv6qvSrsHwS7Y_YqbGgoSNitIOXKLWw/s1600/IMG_5491.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh8OOfKSlY-kXXpi7bO_ypX_arHNTKqjNHM0eHU4PXFNibgILC5rXXZ15mrdiH7QVQdbi0OVr6MGrr4y5flgZmhvoRrWtD_5s_418DVyh0afJbv6qvSrsHwS7Y_YqbGgoSNitIOXKLWw/s400/IMG_5491.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I really like the shell edging on the border, which I worked a little wider than the original.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4698e2KSqC7QGpcNSL89q02nliZuaTtELF_d69Ysp7wkeE5zztCj6eaIXzyvyv_81eW1zl1s-ArInitOKPaTSFCi82UN-lZBNObt24b6iYaSYyqH9QAZv2lJZlJ9mJZRctr0X0WaLpTQ/s1600/IMG_5494.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4698e2KSqC7QGpcNSL89q02nliZuaTtELF_d69Ysp7wkeE5zztCj6eaIXzyvyv_81eW1zl1s-ArInitOKPaTSFCi82UN-lZBNObt24b6iYaSYyqH9QAZv2lJZlJ9mJZRctr0X0WaLpTQ/s400/IMG_5494.JPG" /></a> </div>It is very cosy, and was lovely to work on during the chillier evenings, stretched over my lap to keep me warm as I hooked and stitched in ends. It is very colourful, too, as you can see! It will get plenty of use and I learned a lot while making it - different ways of joining motifs and different stitch combinations.<br /><br />Of course, I now have a fair amount of 4-ply wool left over from this project. What can I do with it?!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-17259222272200248532010-09-07T10:43:00.002+00:002010-09-07T10:43:39.379+00:00On Art"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."<br />
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A. Einstein,Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-52397583438049855752010-07-19T14:00:00.000+00:002010-07-19T14:00:15.032+00:00Plant MagicNatural dyeing is enjoying a resurgeance of interest, and this was an occasion when I followed the fashion. <br />
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbPBHqgxKbmn-CArm-tKl7o2H6r9WhUoXEpW80TnTdYDluO3ppR9AbDdr0rG9c_4P3cG3DoeUOnZTQH0hvZLzKBPXITAIdQ1Hd7Xs6-0h2IGS36dKUueJees7SQdTTOE3DoSiH1QOb7I/s1600/IMG_3960.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbPBHqgxKbmn-CArm-tKl7o2H6r9WhUoXEpW80TnTdYDluO3ppR9AbDdr0rG9c_4P3cG3DoeUOnZTQH0hvZLzKBPXITAIdQ1Hd7Xs6-0h2IGS36dKUueJees7SQdTTOE3DoSiH1QOb7I/s400/IMG_3960.JPG" /></a> </div>Inspired by <a href="http://gerdiary.blogspot.com/2010/06/look-at-that.html">others</a> I decided to have a go with materials I had to hand.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gVviqaA20VLRNxIXF0qTKdP-3mH81765Dh4aDHzdY0JMMalJlmsHpmoCjdA5i2bQtmDHn-iqiv2bGruejkVBcFh8mx28xsXSRrc3d6VEm6bqKOgiuli7tnzY3byv458DXVlg8h8fXlU/s1600/IMG_3962.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gVviqaA20VLRNxIXF0qTKdP-3mH81765Dh4aDHzdY0JMMalJlmsHpmoCjdA5i2bQtmDHn-iqiv2bGruejkVBcFh8mx28xsXSRrc3d6VEm6bqKOgiuli7tnzY3byv458DXVlg8h8fXlU/s400/IMG_3962.JPG" /></a> </div>The colours here seem very "of the moment" and you might think that these pieces of cloth are steeping in strawberry juice (it not being the time of year for pomegranates).<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit10Ah9JfK_9-YQIMYQnEGYKsIl_0dqcWZon8W3EJtOEz8myEjiLF2cagk92TzMR1dOMzHCoIiTZNaxXQKvgLkc8nUrkhndgzgPKp4_vx3h8cCfFFwmsxNXRBLWEr2ih4eIOVY1j96ek8/s1600/IMG_3963.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit10Ah9JfK_9-YQIMYQnEGYKsIl_0dqcWZon8W3EJtOEz8myEjiLF2cagk92TzMR1dOMzHCoIiTZNaxXQKvgLkc8nUrkhndgzgPKp4_vx3h8cCfFFwmsxNXRBLWEr2ih4eIOVY1j96ek8/s400/IMG_3963.JPG" /></a> </div>But no, you would be wrong. <br />
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLIRuIKFElnPtW0izOrh7843h3tS9nRBWBZCWmtCytZlr3RPi0dCUD120LCrP56J1ntBU-GzMmTP4-zCSAKl1GRbBs0JDjKB_QEV5U7vDMJtgrNL5l0s-radp9Z6GP0iIh0HYmVnRu08/s1600/IMG_3964.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLIRuIKFElnPtW0izOrh7843h3tS9nRBWBZCWmtCytZlr3RPi0dCUD120LCrP56J1ntBU-GzMmTP4-zCSAKl1GRbBs0JDjKB_QEV5U7vDMJtgrNL5l0s-radp9Z6GP0iIh0HYmVnRu08/s400/IMG_3964.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: CENTER;"><div style="text-align: left;">I have coloured these various lengths of habotai silk, turban cotton, cotton gauze, fine linen and other lovely cloths using something I would normally consign to the compost bin without a second thought.</div></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5X5lSg6HyQsXr-nh-KLJHLf_4ZlrGKprbDKoe11bjv7dsIo-3mnn9o1xo0Uiy8mNkY48Pryf7lYCLpTbuxhmwbu60y03NrM2xHaGVL0PwRdn5sf4yzdFfxQ1lzwVH0O-hfDfJErFvyQ/s1600/IMG_3965.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491638378664869618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5X5lSg6HyQsXr-nh-KLJHLf_4ZlrGKprbDKoe11bjv7dsIo-3mnn9o1xo0Uiy8mNkY48Pryf7lYCLpTbuxhmwbu60y03NrM2xHaGVL0PwRdn5sf4yzdFfxQ1lzwVH0O-hfDfJErFvyQ/s400/IMG_3965.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
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This fabric has all been coloured by the peel of two avocados, simmered in water for an hour. The strongest colour has been gained on the pieces of material added to the pot after half an hour, the rest has been steeped only in the liquid or simmered in the "exhaust". Pretty nifty.<br />
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I have two avocado stones plus two more avocados in the fridge (to eat) and so more opportunities to play with this techniques are open to me.<br />
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Whoever heard of avocado <i>pink</i> before?!Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-28009789158740285832010-07-02T10:41:00.009+00:002010-07-02T12:27:00.054+00:00Stitching Blues - Again<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrRzJyeiLipOb7vtYcxpQF0zHr9GTN_mOmQ8Z8KsGk-ACmMOGzQQ9BfcZqAjwYkRSJsATMFo2Xw7WUfD3nvHhnsT5DvyzoDXIs67Pw1nqpijHWfHQgFUcg9_mvvjaoot6ryNfPLxIV0w/s1600/IMG_3952.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrRzJyeiLipOb7vtYcxpQF0zHr9GTN_mOmQ8Z8KsGk-ACmMOGzQQ9BfcZqAjwYkRSJsATMFo2Xw7WUfD3nvHhnsT5DvyzoDXIs67Pw1nqpijHWfHQgFUcg9_mvvjaoot6ryNfPLxIV0w/s400/IMG_3952.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br /><br />I am currently taking an on-line course with <a href="http://www.spiritcloth.typepad.com/">Jude Hill</a>. It is called Spirit Cloth, and I'm enjoying it. I took her earlier "Quilt Weaving" class as well, and I decided to put some of my learning to use for another purpose, the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Virtual-Connections/124514857558959?ref=ts">Virtual Connections</a> project by J Penney Burton.<br /><br />Penney says, "<em>I came up with the Virtual Connections idea as a way that we can manifest in physical form a fabulous quilt that will represent these support networks that we are a part of through Facebook.....and it is an idea that can bring together fibre/fiber artists from all over the world! It really can't help but end up being an amazing quilt!<br /><br />Here is how to take part in this project. You are invited to submit a quilt square, made of cotton or cotton blended fabric (it may be new or found material), which is decorated or embellished by the medium of your choice. (you can draw, paint, attach clay, beads, mixed media, etc....to the cloth)....<br /><br />Although this square will be four inches by four inches in size, you will only use the center, a three inch square, to create your work in, which will be surrounded at the top, sides and bottom by a half an inch fabric margin. This is so I may eventually sew the quilt together.<br /><br />Your quilt square is to be inspired by your own experiences with facebook, the artistic and personal support you have received from others, and your relationship with the virtual world."</em><br /><br />Well, my virtual world is immensely important to me as I am virtually housebound by health problems, and I am lucky that it is exceedingly rich. This blue world of ours becomes much smaller and I belong to a community of textile and art lovers independent of geographical constraints.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c-_a27OGm4653YT12a_hJMD-smS431hDjgoRKakA08VmGLjuv7-03y1CgyBOQWvpQaEdEsBgvHRJeStcmgXu6nC94-un2DUX4hzdOeurgTWFV7Fo9rD4ZW6p7_AvXHhOWC8XZf57WpY/s1600/IMG_3954.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1c-_a27OGm4653YT12a_hJMD-smS431hDjgoRKakA08VmGLjuv7-03y1CgyBOQWvpQaEdEsBgvHRJeStcmgXu6nC94-un2DUX4hzdOeurgTWFV7Fo9rD4ZW6p7_AvXHhOWC8XZf57WpY/s400/IMG_3954.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br /><br /><br />My square is a woven base, made of parts of a soft, extremely worn overdyed linen tea towel and pieces of a thrifted, embroidered linen table runner. My virtual world is a circle of many links all around the world, which take me and show me short cuts to new and interesting viewpoints and experiences. There is homage to Jude, to Sara Lechner and to Karen Ruane therein - artists who have virtually influenced me recently in my artistic endeavours and struggles. Internet links help us to bookmark and catalogue links, so there are the forget-me-nots, and the woven frayed edges echo the blurred boundaries of this wonderful virtual world.<br /><br />It is also an assemblage of materials which came readily to hand yesterday when I began to make it, and developed as it grew, but I think the meanings described are valid.<br /><br />So, off it will go today to America and to Penney, for inclusion in her quilt.<br /><br /><div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MMEzacBO_lJJa_TLDZT25C_Qf2JZD5GiZiSFK0ReCE_ZFVuUhTbNkvQi3_N_iWC0FSh3wSjqU_YUDzf2U7r66W17QUg6VcsCzKpDMB57CkzXKis2n8GqMRVEDB9BlJNWxOFo_FdSbMc/s1600/STA_3955.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MMEzacBO_lJJa_TLDZT25C_Qf2JZD5GiZiSFK0ReCE_ZFVuUhTbNkvQi3_N_iWC0FSh3wSjqU_YUDzf2U7r66W17QUg6VcsCzKpDMB57CkzXKis2n8GqMRVEDB9BlJNWxOFo_FdSbMc/s400/STA_3955.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br /><br />This is how it should look in the quilt itself, with only the centre 3 x 3" revealed.<br />I really enjoyed working this piece. It can be good to work small.<br /><br />And I am so grateful for this virtual world and opportunities to share and grow with people I cannot meet easily in person.Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-56991387030805017482010-06-30T16:08:00.000+00:002010-06-30T16:09:01.642+00:00Jewellery Making Class<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0ghDOrVB_ncmQxTU25THVfSmMus_fg8FQY1UJk0of0Z2CfQqx7sMFFjGZyIcLXGKTAHx2LUXsspHaaYzWsF4DsGCw2YoIs7dxu_PqXsnEBdoiHY52vnR0dzj1m4IxgVPxMd5tld_PNo/s1600/2010-06-30.jpg'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0ghDOrVB_ncmQxTU25THVfSmMus_fg8FQY1UJk0of0Z2CfQqx7sMFFjGZyIcLXGKTAHx2LUXsspHaaYzWsF4DsGCw2YoIs7dxu_PqXsnEBdoiHY52vnR0dzj1m4IxgVPxMd5tld_PNo/s400/2010-06-30.jpg' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br /><br />What do you get when you run a jewellery making activity with 15 children aged 4 - 7 during a special off-curriculum learning college experience? This week's results included many furry monster brooches and some funky beaded bracelets and rings, a lot of fun and rather a lot of mess! Nothing that couldn't be cleared up quite quickly, though. I am impressed by the strong ideas and opinions of these lovely children. Some of them are remarkably adept at grasping the techniques involved while others need more support, but what a lovely, lively and enthusiastic bunch they are!<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-79062456124529588562010-06-11T17:38:00.002+00:002010-06-11T18:07:03.885+00:00Pin StandI have Helen Deighan's<a href="http://www.crosswayspatch.co.uk/Book3-Coil-Pots.htm"> book</a> about coiled pots and dyeing, and actually bought the wherewithal to make one (or more) from her at the Knitting and Stitching Show last year, but the energy hasn't been there since to get around to making one.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8vQ1nn-HeM9jK2-HDDm0e5bo_LQHS9pJDxW1o54YZqjKfP62a_Ib7vgOaEopOg1u0vKrzGLNIDa2ioNJ7V2SYL5m6-u9wcgVLwPhx6sKwEYe5iOfFb86h4PhUAJl0JUpHowGfFMF2bY/s1600/IMG_3314.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481574286459488882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR8vQ1nn-HeM9jK2-HDDm0e5bo_LQHS9pJDxW1o54YZqjKfP62a_Ib7vgOaEopOg1u0vKrzGLNIDa2ioNJ7V2SYL5m6-u9wcgVLwPhx6sKwEYe5iOfFb86h4PhUAJl0JUpHowGfFMF2bY/s400/IMG_3314.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Blogland showed me a variant, and I was really lucky to win this delightful textile bowl in Shelley's <a href="http://mermaidspurse.blogspot.com/2010/02/snow-felting-giveaway-winner.html">blog giveaway</a> earlier this year, and it has been in constant use since it arrived as a to-hand con tainer for my sewing equipment. One of its strengths is that it can double as a sort of pin cushion or pin keeper, as I discovered yesterday evening. Thanks so much, Shelley, for your creative kindness x<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvVCn2le7LBJQAT-67MmxkgcrZQ7hoFM4KpdzMF-p-QupU7EB3MshpDRrhNO3bbSorfBHuI55MsUhP3s0hfyXN7cUctz41lQlGGlt_WVG1te3IYMJPJrWqKNRV_3-v3qvOjOIf3S26XI/s1600/IMG_3922.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvVCn2le7LBJQAT-67MmxkgcrZQ7hoFM4KpdzMF-p-QupU7EB3MshpDRrhNO3bbSorfBHuI55MsUhP3s0hfyXN7cUctz41lQlGGlt_WVG1te3IYMJPJrWqKNRV_3-v3qvOjOIf3S26XI/s400/IMG_3922.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br />I had a lucky spell around then, because I won another giveaway - a lovely multimedia piece by <a href="http://hebartjournal.blogspot.com/">Helen Suzanne Alexander</a> who also has a website <a href="http://hebart.co.uk/">here</a>. She made it up into a lovely sketchbook , which is going to be a pleasure to use -<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhZGjX4yUeYgY9X8UUjKE8SLx2lIj-mZz_3pHt6TUjwUhmT5IhYAZkumKCyROHhQRqC9zS5acP0_6ddho2JDg_LmbCB2pgLQG_9XLjiPiAJLI7A1M3qhASaOKxiFxOF746g5bHg38axc/s1600/IMG_3315.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481574300685659282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhZGjX4yUeYgY9X8UUjKE8SLx2lIj-mZz_3pHt6TUjwUhmT5IhYAZkumKCyROHhQRqC9zS5acP0_6ddho2JDg_LmbCB2pgLQG_9XLjiPiAJLI7A1M3qhASaOKxiFxOF746g5bHg38axc/s400/IMG_3315.JPG" /></a><br /><br />at the moment it is waiting for either a special project, or else for me to finish my present book. Thanks so much, Helen, - I so appreciate your work.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6-gCqQUi2_G8sUXZrMPvzUbUqbMDChqXl37iVOhQDU-s7sMF1h6bIQ55lSBjuShoqIOHgefs8R6PyoUNpcGjBLoe28AfKIKFs4YHHrmkNFQ-QmQTgauQDS4XMei3mnNctqt37dhZtJY/s1600/IMG_3316.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481574308249918418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6-gCqQUi2_G8sUXZrMPvzUbUqbMDChqXl37iVOhQDU-s7sMF1h6bIQ55lSBjuShoqIOHgefs8R6PyoUNpcGjBLoe28AfKIKFs4YHHrmkNFQ-QmQTgauQDS4XMei3mnNctqt37dhZtJY/s400/IMG_3316.JPG" /></a>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-78339431827506527082010-06-04T21:39:00.000+00:002010-06-04T21:40:08.918+00:00Eucalyptus-dyed Silk<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02lCZxFmvW1I-u1IxskCP0HzxE_uxQS89TYsn-0JuYREGWu6u6nIqWhihp4mHZnVjUam6eT_7IVWLeNf_hWdMJlVEqrlM0Q9ZAIUxz5dWkjiBQHsCUnfl2naClPRT9hFpFguWMliNdoI/s1600/IMG_3895.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02lCZxFmvW1I-u1IxskCP0HzxE_uxQS89TYsn-0JuYREGWu6u6nIqWhihp4mHZnVjUam6eT_7IVWLeNf_hWdMJlVEqrlM0Q9ZAIUxz5dWkjiBQHsCUnfl2naClPRT9hFpFguWMliNdoI/s400/IMG_3895.JPG" /></a> </div><br />I promised the results today, and here they are. Above, the fabric on the far left is the plain white habutai as I bought it. The middle piece is that which I enfolded with eucalyptus leaves before steaming for 45 minutes, then steeping overnight in the water I had boiled more leaves in. The piece on the right is that which just had the overnight steeping. The colour overall is a charming peachy-gold cream, a little like caramel or coffee. It has been hot here today and I could not face ironing the silk, but it dried on the line incredibly quickly.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHnCbBSC7dZn0L0MhKak3632rntAT0IaACfXmrS4taqJBpgfj8w1hZi2ZWocVQsMJhuLG_O5ZNkkm9zTTppCFp-icMAM4ILa4fAutNgqirVi4Bddsn4qdfWqUJjRvtYRu-TW_fp07ccw/s1600/IMG_3901.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHnCbBSC7dZn0L0MhKak3632rntAT0IaACfXmrS4taqJBpgfj8w1hZi2ZWocVQsMJhuLG_O5ZNkkm9zTTppCFp-icMAM4ILa4fAutNgqirVi4Bddsn4qdfWqUJjRvtYRu-TW_fp07ccw/s400/IMG_3901.JPG" /></a> </div><br />Above is the darker cloth which has come out paler in this shot, but you can see the patches of deeper colour where the leaves lay against the silk. They are not clear images but darker patches. I think I must repeat this experiment without the overnight soaking in the dye water.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hwleugpv-OdGEQSConVw8WohvDZqub26I499phh-WH88QKni_WbO5EW6toZpdl2AqHBN3HfS1hjX7nso6rQg68U-jxehZ76mp3zHU4aQr6iAPpMtpCfNMDXkLW6L3ZO7brmN6Iu6b0I/s1600/IMG_3902.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Hwleugpv-OdGEQSConVw8WohvDZqub26I499phh-WH88QKni_WbO5EW6toZpdl2AqHBN3HfS1hjX7nso6rQg68U-jxehZ76mp3zHU4aQr6iAPpMtpCfNMDXkLW6L3ZO7brmN6Iu6b0I/s400/IMG_3902.JPG" /></a> </div>Here, the fabrics are reorganised with the undyed again to the left, then the overnight-soaked cloth and last on the right, the silk which was pleated with the leaves and then steamed before steaming.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FHzoURHaMOXlrfFQia8EjGyXfIBiXkO0COYeVEh890Jw6UKtaJGA3bIIyYk7L3_HcQ-GFanlHaEcW4b4khQ64YMApQuEUOsysfxj0SXxUstC49jUeSyGRe8Fl_wQnA9rkSdd_mMZfRo/s1600/IMG_3905.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FHzoURHaMOXlrfFQia8EjGyXfIBiXkO0COYeVEh890Jw6UKtaJGA3bIIyYk7L3_HcQ-GFanlHaEcW4b4khQ64YMApQuEUOsysfxj0SXxUstC49jUeSyGRe8Fl_wQnA9rkSdd_mMZfRo/s400/IMG_3905.JPG" /></a> </div>The effects are subtle (though less so than the photos suggest) but lovely and would probably sit well with indigo-dyed material as well as rust-dyed - I must dig out my samples to confirm this. I have another length of habutai steeping in a glass jar on the windowsill, with the remaining leaves and their coloured water, to see what the sun will do to them. It was a great experiment to have done with some lovely results, and I am looking forward to playing some more. It's like magic to pick leaves off the ground and colour fabrics with them.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-25246299279948226252010-06-03T15:25:00.006+00:002010-06-03T17:39:51.952+00:00Armchair Travelling and DyeingThis morning I was looking at Facebook, and my cyberpal Jude mentioned some lovely cloth available in a BigCartel shop, like <a href="http://herewitht.bigcartel.com/product/natural-dye-of-silk-5">this</a>, which I absolutely love but can't afford to treat myself to at the moment. One thought followed another and one click followed another, too. Our next door neighbours have a pretty tree in their front garden<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW_6yPzJIH_z3D39QIosDD6r97wIMZO-RjquzocmxEIxooWkDeKxvTm2SeFsIqgyL3sjn67jKc2qXXwCDu68c2ssG1TyICMUePDTY8btmPpC71A7bxQ6keoq04I20SUxeWGCne1l5zYo/s400/IMG_3884.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div> which is currently strewing leaves across our lawn and drive.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VT_uH6Lc0mQLTE90B4gt7YOKyadMw_h8BJqyYpQwezBvMJtG76x7fiwDAOpgeqQLc9wbiOFFNSasjMF_YxvgnOqGJmyrQyB0oms283pD7uOU5R820ruWrXIZmptZTJEc4VPcKyivYSY/s400/IMG_3886.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>I thought about using them to dye some silk of my own, and went to gather some up. I have habutai silk which has been washed ready for dyeing, thinking of an attack of the blues - or indigo dyeing. So I hunted and Googled for information, and decided to more or less follow <a href="http://www.indiaflint.com/page11.htm">India Flint's</a> recipe and jumped right in. I took the silk to the garden and spread it out on the grass, then folded it in concertina pleats, layering in the leaves. I added it to a bowl of water and vinegar, and proceeded to cook it in the microwave. Unfortunately the microwave was feeling it's age and conked out after a while, so I had to think again. This time I put my precious bundle on a colander to steam it over a saucepan to steam it, which made me think I could kill two birds with one stone and so I gathered another couple of handfuls of eucalyptus leaves off the lawn and put them in the water to separate out the pigment.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRTdDt7eQEG8Pir2o3M1mHFmEaU7W25_2NftBPJR_DovlnwrVZvVANemIrO-F-MB2AvrJmDzvjRPTDZDX4lZlTMllIr2adS6xMkqZsx6eXf2BGlUWReDpkgbhuVUq_tFsjA6cZlvQc0c/s400/IMG_3888.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxO1lTiYrVbxdRVzJfeoaXVDyRpDpIjFrI02d8kFvhT3cXVMzwTEZS0QPU6loudL-xx50-67jM2tPeh0PJbOu_BFBMHlRsu9k-A4_DGuMZ7IT6bg25rGZVzqH1H5khC_0L3WhYL0itfs/s400/IMG_3890.JPG" /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The boiling and steaming is done, so my original piece of cloth is now soaking, together with another piece, in the coloured water, leaves still in place. I'll leave them there until tomorrow and then we'll see what effect this treatment has had. As you can see, the leaves have coloured the water, and the silk had also taken pigment from the leaves in situ. I risk losing the transferred colour, I suppose, in the steeping, but it's all an experiment anyway. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The good news at present that the microwave was just having a hissy-fit and is now working again - it must be 34+ years old and mechanical, and they just don't make them like that any more!</div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-21511424337588934452010-05-02T23:03:00.000+00:002010-05-02T23:03:23.745+00:00Postcard size<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8L2OKV95N7iY-B9zpRnxUT-jE8Zd0sA3cJ7a1Rvth53cw9X6X-cTfSaU29m9qKJN-NCSzvufq_IHlVv7mKrITZixe9hzSpaEqp7ORnqyhdYgY3T9k4oUS0IdUgk5PEFh70hROuxrjZ_U/s1600/IMG_3514.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8L2OKV95N7iY-B9zpRnxUT-jE8Zd0sA3cJ7a1Rvth53cw9X6X-cTfSaU29m9qKJN-NCSzvufq_IHlVv7mKrITZixe9hzSpaEqp7ORnqyhdYgY3T9k4oUS0IdUgk5PEFh70hROuxrjZ_U/s400/IMG_3514.JPG" /></a> </div><br />A mini-quilt sized and sent as a postcard: silk dupion stitched with metallic machine embroidery threads; a development from the Bolingbroke Casket design.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-5184937408671886912010-04-22T00:43:00.001+00:002010-04-22T00:48:40.031+00:00Pixillations<div style='text-align:center;margin:0px auto 10px;'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXks_2GY_pah6mVPgkhlso_81uZ_t6uyz8LtsEqstJJ10yS8bxgN5-NOPOYZ0cIXIzdgmHVtdLYH-2qt8LpIR3TIYwSnufmxjcqG3W58A8LjaZ3e4vnlDska9etfZFNPkkYmOS-RPyJw/s1600/IMG_3409.JPG'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXks_2GY_pah6mVPgkhlso_81uZ_t6uyz8LtsEqstJJ10yS8bxgN5-NOPOYZ0cIXIzdgmHVtdLYH-2qt8LpIR3TIYwSnufmxjcqG3W58A8LjaZ3e4vnlDska9etfZFNPkkYmOS-RPyJw/s400/IMG_3409.JPG' border='0' alt='' /></a> </div><br /><br />Thia is what you might see when you try to play a badly scratched copy of G-Force (rented from Love Film, who promptly sent another copy).<br /><br />I thought it might prove quite inspirational, but maybe it's pattern recognition instead:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYHOTJkx1VXeO1gnsKG1FMXVlbLs3_7OWC-8yIgvwF_OSl26B-OOJoqopiywCvQO7KhzhkrPhN21ZSEcF1v41waxYlkIECbJ7GVGTyC3jkPsodKTkywjjzsuPavE6VL_7vTge0yeLoR0/s1600/IMG_3416.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYHOTJkx1VXeO1gnsKG1FMXVlbLs3_7OWC-8yIgvwF_OSl26B-OOJoqopiywCvQO7KhzhkrPhN21ZSEcF1v41waxYlkIECbJ7GVGTyC3jkPsodKTkywjjzsuPavE6VL_7vTge0yeLoR0/s400/IMG_3416.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462756919966700162" /></a><br /><br />Slow progress, but progress all the same!Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-86883460511296894092010-04-07T10:56:00.000+00:002010-04-07T10:56:41.460+00:00Colourful Crochet<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKr0J4T3vYWUN6BHdWSkADcOeA5wI2VM_VLZeN9UYksL6PrsjX4Y4fL73OWrZM9iqSaGw4aVngAhbCdMwQvapoTqaWadm8Dfsnc63kyd3B79ien6GODULTay5tipjlh0CIOsbTEQFHYbY/s1600/IMG_3417.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKr0J4T3vYWUN6BHdWSkADcOeA5wI2VM_VLZeN9UYksL6PrsjX4Y4fL73OWrZM9iqSaGw4aVngAhbCdMwQvapoTqaWadm8Dfsnc63kyd3B79ien6GODULTay5tipjlh0CIOsbTEQFHYbY/s400/IMG_3417.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br />My Gourmet Crochet CAL blanket is growing well. However, I now need to work at a lot more building blocks before I can enjoy growing it more. I'm really pleased with the colourfulness and random elements of the design, and it is very snuggly at four big squares square, which is where I've reached now. Lots more big squares, little squares and rectangles required. Warm, woolly wonderfulness¬<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-55803531435211723912010-03-30T22:17:00.000+00:002010-03-30T22:17:15.068+00:00Window Treated<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK-Bq2uJJGBf7aAHdZ0DryNd54z8eKgmrFkzpxjFFJyAs1_slFuGVGc-KxhFTpMFS4OPWYIV6pqtGzFN5TiNyTZtzPjZrUWdbKGq0B7Y45atHUETwpjGp2Jw1Yc_owaQv0Mmw_xyTcRE/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK-Bq2uJJGBf7aAHdZ0DryNd54z8eKgmrFkzpxjFFJyAs1_slFuGVGc-KxhFTpMFS4OPWYIV6pqtGzFN5TiNyTZtzPjZrUWdbKGq0B7Y45atHUETwpjGp2Jw1Yc_owaQv0Mmw_xyTcRE/s400/IMG_3395.JPG" /></a> </div><br />My living room boasts an enormous picture window which overlooks the living room. The recess is 3.12m by 1.65m. Such a large window is best covered by full length curtains, but a radiator placed under the windowsill made this inadvisable. I have been fretting for years about what to do with it, but now it is a well-dressed window and another job can be ticked off my list.<br /><br />The window is covered by a single roman blind. It was a horrible sewing job and one which I would tackle differently with hindsight. Imagine wrestling all that fabric through the sewing machine throat - it was a struggle! We used a very nifty piece of blind engineering by Super Gliss which raises and lowers the blind via a chain attached to a special track. The blind tapes are fed through a tape which also houses fine fibreglass rods, which make the pleats a little crisper. I made full-length dress curtains on either side of the window, hung from a handsome steel curtain rod and curtain rings from John Lewis, and finally completed the "outfit" with a simple pelmet hung from the same pole by the same rings, which gives the illusion that the blind is also hanging from the pole. I used a textured navy cotton velvet chenille which is lined and interlined with a bonded purpose-made fabric, also from John Lewis. Now we can keep cosy and I can move on to the next projects - the living room leather sofas could do with some new cushions so cover-making will be fun to plan.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-23793462201799485952010-03-24T12:05:00.004+00:002010-03-24T15:20:53.463+00:00Actual Stitching Content<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgattvm8Gf4MnzsKWkiOO8RkFDNhyBGuoWspbRN1KOfvjDFFuvHKuRtvmPoJLqs6oeGmuxMHMQBRQW63_-V4eG3UWVJRx_v1loZlPTpGgwCQs6OY0-arhAFLO2yX_gOcItIJqPfWCpaH70/s1600/IMG_3123.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgattvm8Gf4MnzsKWkiOO8RkFDNhyBGuoWspbRN1KOfvjDFFuvHKuRtvmPoJLqs6oeGmuxMHMQBRQW63_-V4eG3UWVJRx_v1loZlPTpGgwCQs6OY0-arhAFLO2yX_gOcItIJqPfWCpaH70/s400/IMG_3123.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"></div>I have not been well enough to get to meetings of the <a href="http://greatwesternembroiderers.blogspot.com/">Great Western Embroiderers</a> for some time, but keep in touch with their activities. I knew an exhibition of work inspired by Swindon's Borough Council's <a href="http://www.lydiardpark.org.uk/">Lydiard House</a> and was thrilled to visit there in the company of my friend, <a href="http://www.margaretharris.co.uk/">Maggie Harris</a>. It is an unexpected treasure of a house and park. Photography is not normally permitted but, for the purposes of exhibition preparation, on this occasion it was allowed.<br /><br />So much inspiration, but little time and a ginormous roman blind to be made meant I had little time to work on an exhibit. I thought long and hard, however, and revisited through my photographs a number of times. I had noticed a barrel-topped stationery chest on Lord Bolingbroke's desk in the library, which appealed to me for some reason. I wondered about trying to make one in textiles and then decorating it with a design from somewhere else in the house or in the estate church, St Mary's.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJPW98NfXpIiLZ_y1nHnugHuxQ8KQTq3wfMgjwtJ5KOpLqlzLWiQMREj8DUdS5FfADTlsR7CPOFDv6hrYBR9eBb4rz1jB78bRUUI9NXZTo_O101DsOwaOrcO_8jLTSMLmBVOL44WpgPo/s1600/IMG_3184.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452171243259956626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJPW98NfXpIiLZ_y1nHnugHuxQ8KQTq3wfMgjwtJ5KOpLqlzLWiQMREj8DUdS5FfADTlsR7CPOFDv6hrYBR9eBb4rz1jB78bRUUI9NXZTo_O101DsOwaOrcO_8jLTSMLmBVOL44WpgPo/s400/IMG_3184.JPG" /></a> Eventually I homed in on the carved oak box pew, which is tucked away within the highly decorated and lovely church, and decided that this could be effectively adapted to adorn my Bolingbroke Casket (readers across the pond: this is not a container for mortal remains! We use the word for a small, ornate container over here).<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bIjaqVXkmJNjfhx3YN4gepPQjT51bhDNsdhcQBI9_GwOhLw24b1KQQEDwmZFDBpkUBVP4M8QZfQVkJsZLjgwC9x4ZGhgCGoio_sBOU4tedpz5pfnIJ_i7mvX0LLHV-TBNmc7UN_vgDU/s1600/IMG_3328.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bIjaqVXkmJNjfhx3YN4gepPQjT51bhDNsdhcQBI9_GwOhLw24b1KQQEDwmZFDBpkUBVP4M8QZfQVkJsZLjgwC9x4ZGhgCGoio_sBOU4tedpz5pfnIJ_i7mvX0LLHV-TBNmc7UN_vgDU/s400/IMG_3328.JPG" /></a> </div>The Casket is fashioned from a sandwich of dupion silk, pelmet vilene and black felt, and stitched in a combination of metallic and polyester threads.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsdS188m3DBI_ezFd4EdshmLBHapvulsz17bTHDBC-5YS3dbX7_UnPrub-84pj0etRR5GECisVZ4Bw3tFoPUbkNPRb7_ThddonFvV4-uf3S46oB8lRHV2IRNzqim2W7vhan0AffsMNoE/s1600/IMG_3330.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsdS188m3DBI_ezFd4EdshmLBHapvulsz17bTHDBC-5YS3dbX7_UnPrub-84pj0etRR5GECisVZ4Bw3tFoPUbkNPRb7_ThddonFvV4-uf3S46oB8lRHV2IRNzqim2W7vhan0AffsMNoE/s400/IMG_3330.JPG" /></a> </div>I traced the design outlines onto greaseproof paper (in lieu of the tracing variety)and then traced the outlines with machine stitching before tearing the paper away. It was then a matter of free-embroidering to colour in the appropriate spaces and emphasizing some of the outlines, before meander quiliting the rest of the surface and satin-stitching around the edges. It was then stitched together to form the shape and a magnetic class was mounted to keep the lid in place<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://0.0.0.1/"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgfqPAYIzW263V9BBZo22G50bTGR0kFkIz9N8Hw5AiC91ZaVqzLdskUDlmG4mX4_RCpO7qNxRNYO5kQlackOXrkbk1z4gzdGB2MpjD83rbKDntml5xIiY3ahkiOIInGvvEx1IzxymUrw/s400/IMG_3341.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br />It looked very much at home in the display case at yesterday's exhibition opening by the Mayor of Swindon. <br /><br />It is a very wonderful exhibition and I was so impressed to see the diverse methods employed to interpret and respond to the house and church, gardens and artefacts to be seen at Lydiard. It is scheduled to last until the end of April, but I understand that there is a possibility the exhibition period may be extended beyond that. It's such an inspiring place - a number of other items and views caught my eye yesterday! It was also wonderful to catch up with old GWE friends.Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-33902587979688826832010-01-07T15:34:00.003+00:002010-01-07T16:15:52.653+00:00New Year, New Project<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Happy New Year! I'm having a slow start to 2010, but have been making the most of sofa time in the warm cosiness of home while enjoying the snow through the windows. I have some knitting projects outstanding from before the festive season, but I decided to join in with something new, as well. Gourmet Crochet is running a <a href="http://gourmetcrochet.blogspot.com/">CAL</a> which suits my needs as I have cut my thumb and it's easier to crochet than knit (or do housework)! I've just realised I crochet right-handed even though I'm left-handed - weird. Anyway, it's called the Variations on a Theme Mystery Afghan CAL, and another snuggly blanket is very appealing just now. Also, I can use all sorts of odds and ends of yarn left over from other projects. I decided to work it in four ply sock yarn, and my first squares are in an opal sock yarn I dyed a few years book before knitting <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall02/PATTbroadstreet.html">Broad Street Mittens</a> and a pair of <a href="http://http//www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaywalker#">Jaywalker Socks </a>for myself.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1tv5bm6Q5V5jEyQ8eP79lGmYhsTj85olXqXQ0VUX8Tu8TQTvuL7VDl6IbB1NcEQ-Wt7F_KH1B990i2I9g1u1lRYcYVUiBJFmBLsN9wzu0Edl7zceRqrt7XkryIJeQWzohElj6xlVFJY/s1600-h/IMG_3021.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1tv5bm6Q5V5jEyQ8eP79lGmYhsTj85olXqXQ0VUX8Tu8TQTvuL7VDl6IbB1NcEQ-Wt7F_KH1B990i2I9g1u1lRYcYVUiBJFmBLsN9wzu0Edl7zceRqrt7XkryIJeQWzohElj6xlVFJY/s400/IMG_3021.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">This is square no: 1, made yesterday evening along with square no:2, below. It would be interesting to make no:1 in two colours to emphasize the look of rows of flowers, so I might do this in the future.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt6JXi8XDBhfqvy9rzIjKiPFArsp4ELLTWr9WOTER8o1WuvWqbTwkMqPm5fXIMFBoKR3dgdJiJZ3vKRHu69PRcGztJTqZysbp6uXcigcx5l1YO47mCxAOsYKpvKc7PIsU0gSrzNf-GHQ/s1600-h/IMG_3020.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt6JXi8XDBhfqvy9rzIjKiPFArsp4ELLTWr9WOTER8o1WuvWqbTwkMqPm5fXIMFBoKR3dgdJiJZ3vKRHu69PRcGztJTqZysbp6uXcigcx5l1YO47mCxAOsYKpvKc7PIsU0gSrzNf-GHQ/s400/IMG_3020.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" align="left">No: 2 is a simpler two-row pattern which was easily memorised and made good evening-in-front-of-the-tv work. I'm torn between making multiples of these two patterns and patiently waiting for pattern no:3 to appear on Cathryn's blog.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both">Other projects in mind are <a href="http://origidij.blogspot.com/2009/12/keeping-it-simple.html">Dijanne Cevaal's KISS</a> quilt project, a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=269539431110&ref=mf">Slow Cloth</a> and something for the <a href="http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=25&view=review">Festival of Quilts</a>, not to mention the roman blind for my living room and other curtains long overdue to be completed. However, this weather plus low energy levels make me reluctant to get off the sofa and so something more strenuous. And then there's the knitting. No excuse for boredom, is there?!</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9117746699713860412.post-87308639690367962622009-11-27T17:36:00.000+00:002009-11-27T17:36:58.718+00:00A Small and Feisty Sweater<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqk0AnkNBw1oouRbr6UybODFeOYUfWLAurD7DuLa_vFP7E281cB3G0NSe1PHil0jtRjxgNLXyd4BkiBtRHgwfZgmarwaZ8XFQB7BHlOY8-KU8_CfjJjKZoNM0XauEFVYWFIhzlsQGxdhE/s1600/IMG_2938.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqk0AnkNBw1oouRbr6UybODFeOYUfWLAurD7DuLa_vFP7E281cB3G0NSe1PHil0jtRjxgNLXyd4BkiBtRHgwfZgmarwaZ8XFQB7BHlOY8-KU8_CfjJjKZoNM0XauEFVYWFIhzlsQGxdhE/s400/IMG_2938.JPG" /></a> </div>A little bit of knitted blue - a 12month size sweater knit to Stefanie Japel's pattern, Feisty. I had some trouble getting going with this, I think because I haven't been too well so my concentration was poor and I must have cast on four times! However, once I really got going, it was quite a quick project to complete. Just need to find some buttons to go with it now.<div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Sue Krekorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076417498229441909noreply@blogger.com2