It was wonderful to have my friend here for a visit and - after a week together - it's equally wonderful to be home alone again. Life has a different rhythm when you mostly live alone that I am reminded how much I enjoy every time I have company.
Airport "rules" ask you to be at there ninety minutes before your flight - even though you've already checked in automatically twenty-four hours previously- which I find ridiculous because you're not at the airport until you're actually at the airport - and you may not make it - however, that's not up to me. What it means though is that I was back home on the couch when my friend's plane was just taxing down the runway for the first leg of her trip. That didn't seem fair. BUT, oh lucky me that I had the shorter journey.
![]()
![]()
I'd intended to take a break from sewing and work on the outfit jewelry yesterday and instead, I sat and knit so I practiced photography with these pictures and attempted to tell the story of the yarn. I'd appreciate feedback on how the story is presented and does it work and what should I keep doing and what more could I do. In some of the images, the light and clarity could have been managed better but I can also see that my practice is starting to pay off. None of these have been edited. Learning how to do that will improve things even more.
![]()
![]()
I realized the other day that I have knit longer than I have sewn. Fabric is so primary in my life that it had never occurred to me before that it wasn't my first love. I learned to knit in grade school although I've taken several long breaks from it over the years.
![]()
When I retired from traditional quilting, I bought myself a set of very expensive interchangeable needles as a retirement present and started exploring different techniques for casting on, casting off, sewing together, and generally creating a better quality knit garment. I studied how to design your own knitwear and developed several patterns based on my favourite stitches and favourite sewing patterns. They're a great combo.
P.S.... when I retired from art quilting, I bought myself a dress form and started exploring fit and design. I think it's so important to celebrate the milestones in our lives.
![]()
![]()
Although I know how to do all sorts of difficult things with yarn, I prefer to knit for meditative enjoyment rather than challenge. As with sewing, the garments I wear the most have architectural elements and clean design details like this double row of holes created by making one stitch each side of a central stitch. This garment is knit from top to bottom and widens from the underarm toward the hemline. My favourite stitches are ribbing and seed stitch and I like a knit fabric that has a soft hand and is firm and stable.
![]()
![]()
Isn't it interesting how a change in the direction of the light source completely changed the colour of the yarn. All I did was move around the table and take the picture from the opposite side. I love how knitting seems to have a topography all its own as the piece develops and then a flat, crisp, pressed look once it's finished and blocked.
![]()
![]()
The design is 129-15 - Take Me To Spain by Garn Studio. This company provides a huge variety of free patterns that are excellent both to knit and to design with. I prefer this style of asymmetrical hemline because it softens the width of my hips and is more flattering than a horizontal one. I'm knitting this first as a vest and then may explore adding sleeves to make it into a sweater. And knitting it differently.
It's just part of who I am that when I'm reading a technique book or following a pattern, my mind is analyzing if there is another, possibly better, way to put the item together. In this case, I think I would get a better fit if I either cast on at the hemline and used decreases to create the asymmetrical look or used a provisional cast on at the underarm and knit upward to shape the bodice and shoulders and downward to create the body and hemline. Sometimes, I just want to know how that would work so I try it and see. I could use a basic black sweater so I may just do that with this pattern. Curiosity is a good thing. It can teach us so much.
This vest is to replace the turquoise one I showed you in the last post. While I love that vest, for reasons I'm not free to disclose right now, I'm not completely comfortable wearing it to the workshop so I've decided to knit this vest instead. I also finished the Marcy Tilton pants and have a top cut out that is intended to go with. I'll tell you more about those in the next posting.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - being a maker
Airport "rules" ask you to be at there ninety minutes before your flight - even though you've already checked in automatically twenty-four hours previously- which I find ridiculous because you're not at the airport until you're actually at the airport - and you may not make it - however, that's not up to me. What it means though is that I was back home on the couch when my friend's plane was just taxing down the runway for the first leg of her trip. That didn't seem fair. BUT, oh lucky me that I had the shorter journey.
I'd intended to take a break from sewing and work on the outfit jewelry yesterday and instead, I sat and knit so I practiced photography with these pictures and attempted to tell the story of the yarn. I'd appreciate feedback on how the story is presented and does it work and what should I keep doing and what more could I do. In some of the images, the light and clarity could have been managed better but I can also see that my practice is starting to pay off. None of these have been edited. Learning how to do that will improve things even more.
I realized the other day that I have knit longer than I have sewn. Fabric is so primary in my life that it had never occurred to me before that it wasn't my first love. I learned to knit in grade school although I've taken several long breaks from it over the years.
When I retired from traditional quilting, I bought myself a set of very expensive interchangeable needles as a retirement present and started exploring different techniques for casting on, casting off, sewing together, and generally creating a better quality knit garment. I studied how to design your own knitwear and developed several patterns based on my favourite stitches and favourite sewing patterns. They're a great combo.
P.S.... when I retired from art quilting, I bought myself a dress form and started exploring fit and design. I think it's so important to celebrate the milestones in our lives.
Although I know how to do all sorts of difficult things with yarn, I prefer to knit for meditative enjoyment rather than challenge. As with sewing, the garments I wear the most have architectural elements and clean design details like this double row of holes created by making one stitch each side of a central stitch. This garment is knit from top to bottom and widens from the underarm toward the hemline. My favourite stitches are ribbing and seed stitch and I like a knit fabric that has a soft hand and is firm and stable.
Isn't it interesting how a change in the direction of the light source completely changed the colour of the yarn. All I did was move around the table and take the picture from the opposite side. I love how knitting seems to have a topography all its own as the piece develops and then a flat, crisp, pressed look once it's finished and blocked.
The design is 129-15 - Take Me To Spain by Garn Studio. This company provides a huge variety of free patterns that are excellent both to knit and to design with. I prefer this style of asymmetrical hemline because it softens the width of my hips and is more flattering than a horizontal one. I'm knitting this first as a vest and then may explore adding sleeves to make it into a sweater. And knitting it differently.
It's just part of who I am that when I'm reading a technique book or following a pattern, my mind is analyzing if there is another, possibly better, way to put the item together. In this case, I think I would get a better fit if I either cast on at the hemline and used decreases to create the asymmetrical look or used a provisional cast on at the underarm and knit upward to shape the bodice and shoulders and downward to create the body and hemline. Sometimes, I just want to know how that would work so I try it and see. I could use a basic black sweater so I may just do that with this pattern. Curiosity is a good thing. It can teach us so much.
This vest is to replace the turquoise one I showed you in the last post. While I love that vest, for reasons I'm not free to disclose right now, I'm not completely comfortable wearing it to the workshop so I've decided to knit this vest instead. I also finished the Marcy Tilton pants and have a top cut out that is intended to go with. I'll tell you more about those in the next posting.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - being a maker