Stitches in Time....

Let me briefly describe a project that we'll be announcing soon at Artisan Knitworks:  My little company began, some of you will remember, as a celebration of the lives and stories of small producers of yarn, fasteners, and other supplies for fiber artists.  The idea, before the recession made very many things quite difficult, was to do up a series of story boards with photographs to deliver up the makers' stories alongside their wares.  Well, that part of things awaits my retirement.

In the meantime, though, I'm going to publish a booklet -- the size will depend on all of YOU -- each year, in advance of the Third Coast Fiber Arts Festival in late October, that will contain stories and photographic illustrations submitted by our customers and vendors.   It will be divided into sections (the names are not fixed right now, but will be things like Laughter, Bumps in the Night, etc.) and edited by me.  (Don't worry -- I used to earn my living as an editor!).  Some part of the proceeds will go to a shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.  Be thinking whether you want to share a story (500-1000 words).  More soon.

svb

Tunisian Crochet......!

I've been thinking again about Tunisian, and especially the incredibly easy and versatile Simple Stitch, which is what we used to call Afghan Stitch when I was much younger......What an incredibly fall-off-a-log easy way to create warm accessories in a flash!  Here's a shawl I did awhile back literally over a weekend, mostly on a Saturday, on a big wooden hook made by BagSmith, size S, I think...using a strand of ancient (30-year-old) LaGran by Classic Elite mohair in Green Apple (WHY do I remember these things after three decades?) and a strand of Noro Silk Garden, supplemented at the two ends by a strand of glittery Dune by Trendsetter to vary the landscape.   The fringe is just a bunch of chain stitch, nothing fancy -- nothing a beginner couldn't learn to do in five minutes' time.

.....or if you prefer, you could cook up a really simple Tunisian hat in about 30 minutes flat.  This one will be featured in an upcoming class -- done on a huge Boye hook, beginning with fat yarn and only 8 stitches. 

So now I'm thinking about a huge huge huge Tunisian simple stitch coat worked from one cuff to the other cuff on a cabled Tunisian hook -- maybe with three strands, color-shifting as I move along -- I need to think about the array of yarns.  It might be most fun of all to work a kind of Biblical Coat of Many Colors, holding one strand (the mohair) constant, and throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, within a certain range of colors, of course, then using mismatched vintage buttons to close it.  I can even see a long, attached scarf.  I will keep you posted.  Need first to gather a pile of yarn -- and to do that, I need to unpack all of the stash in the basement (we moved!!!).  

For those who want to play, I'm offering a Tunisian class at the studio in a couple of weeks -- see the website!!!  www.artisanknitworks.com       svb

Vogue Live, Chicago -- First Entry

I promised photographs from our recent trek to Chicago for the Vogue Live, Chicago expo, held at the fabulous, old Palmer House Hilton in the loop........I've collected images in three separate entries, so have a wonderful time looking.  And have a look at the Vogue Live website.  These things happen periodically in places like Manhattan and Chicago. 

The vendor areas occupied the 3rd and 4th floors in the hotel and looked more or less like this:

I have dubbed this guy the show's mascot (see the full-length view in a later entry):

I saw some of the most drop-dead beautiful stuff I've seen in years -- as with this collection of crocheted scarves and shawls made by a French company using Madgascar artisans (a fair-trade company, I hasten to add).  Enlarge the photos to get a close look at the workmanship -- all of which was basically unaffordable for ME, but probably not for people with a bit more money, and I really do applaud the determination to give women what their labor is worth:

.....and finally, just LOOK at this amazing full-length coat:

Now go on to the next two entries!        svb

Vogue Live, Chicago -- Part 2

We found all kinds of friends, and more than a few interesting CRITTERS:

Here's the handsome Damien of Blue Heron Yarns and his partner Miguel (also handsome):

...Here is the glamorous (you owe me ten bucks, Leslye) Leslye Solomon of New York, who owns Woolstock -- a great yarn operation -- and who designs great sweaters (and teaches a fabulous Continental knitting class, not to mention creating a fab video on the subject):

Also get a look at this guy -- a yarn bowl -- we bought maybe a dozen in different styles, made by a nice couple from Russellville, Kentucky:

........but my all-time fave critter is this guy.  You figure out how they did it.  I gave up.  For a close-up of his face, see the first Vogue Chicago entry.

Now go on to Entry Three!     svb

Vogue Live, Chicago -- No. 3

From the great Vogue Live, Chicago expo at Palmer House, Chicago this past weekend.  Here are some of the more outrageous moments.   

First, one of several small crocheted baskets made from old video tape -- priced at 500 dollars and up (the one shown here is only 5 inches in diameter and carries a price of $ 550 !!!!!).  I vividly remember Kathleen, who once worked for us, making things out of video tape maybe five years ago -- if only she'd known to put huge price tags on it.  I call this outrageous.

   ...and then there was this felted art-knit, which is at least unusual and diverting, entitled "Together":

....and some pretty cool art-knitting in mobile form (click on this one to enlarge it):

...not to mention these water-color drawings of knit stitches (I'd like to own one of these):

.......and then there was the collection of KNITTED PRESIDENTS -- one of which was the 44th President of the United States.  Recognize him???

So you see, it wasn't just about yarn and garments and inspirational classes!    svb

Vogue Live, Chicago...

On Friday, Larry and I drove (fast -- I was behind the wheel!) to the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago'sdowntown loop to attend Vogue Live, which began with an event in Manhattan some years ago and has now spawned a number of regional Vogue Live expos.  I didn't take the time to register for a class, even though the offerings were appealing.  (In any case, the two I might have taken were closed when I finally found time to look carefully).   Instead, we went to the market, maybe 75 vendors, which occupied the 3rd and 4th floors of the hotel.  I'll say more when I have pictures to post, which should be tonight or tomorrow.  But, for now, let's just say that there were high-quality vendors, but perhaps too many SHOPS.  When I go to an expo, I want to see the makers themselves rather than a collection of yarn shops.  That's not to say we didn't find anything interesting.  We did.  But it was mostly from the makers who DID attend.  And of course it was a joy to talk again with the members of the Windy City Knitting Guild, who created Polly Esther Cotton (the big sister of our own Rita Merino).  So -- more when I next sit down to write.  You might want to check up on the Vogue LIve events, though.  The class offerings are interesting -- a lot more instructors from Europe than at, say, Stitches' various expos.

In the meantime;  Here is a great shot out the hotel window!!!!  svb 

Third Coast Dates and More.....

It looks like the Second Annual Third Coast Fiber Arts Festival will occur on Friday and Saturday, October 25-26, 2013, in the same wonderful location, with a fresh list of fabulous fiber-arts workshops and vendors galore -- this time all on street level (better light for those previously housed on garden level).  Stay tuned for details.  And mark calendars.

In the meantime:  Let's knit and crochet!  I'm going to create a 3/4 length nubby cotton coat from Prism Calypso in three reddish/burgundy/teal colorways.  I'll keep you posted. 

I also have in mind getting the Detroit City Council to declare the Saturday of the festival Knit and Crochet Day Detroit.  This past year, I did up a resolution patterned after the one that the Atlanta Knitting Guild crafted -- adopted by the governor of Georgia (Knit and Crochet Day Atlanta) to mark the Saturday of the then-new Stitches Expo South.  So why not in Detroit?   If anyone has a good idea as to how to get the resolution before the city council, PLEASE drop me a note at artisanknitworks@comcast.net, or leave a comment here.  Jocelyn Brown of the News suggested last year that I simply call Charles Pugh.  But we ran out of time, and the City was dealing with a major  budget crisis at the time.  I still have the resolution -- need only to change dates.  Ideas?  If we could get this simple resolution adopted, we could send it off to Pure Michigan, etc., and increase the event's reach and exposure.

More soon.

svb