Meanderings of a Mermaid

Announcing the Wearable Art by Texas Artists show running from September 9-29, 2014. The  Arnold Gallery in Mason, Texas is hosting this show. Thirteen very diverse artists will be exhibiting and I really wish I could copy the pdf poster to show you who all will be there. On opening day there are special events running all day including a spinning demo in the morning and weaving in the afternoon. I only wish that I could be there. Instead I am sending four of my creations.   This  shawl is just lovely to wear with a shawl pin in front.  This poncho with a diversity of yarns was really fun to knit. One of the main yarns is a multi-coloured, multi-fiber yarn that I spun myself. Here, not only can you see the funky handspun (yes, me again with an art yarn) "collar". Not sure what to call it. I bet it would look smashing on the little black dress. I am also caught giving the photographer a lesson on how to take the picture.  These fun fingerles...

This winter I hope to have the opportunity to teach a few knitting classes. Three that have been formulated are introduced below. All designs are my own.   One class will cover how to add beads to your knitting. Here is a very simple beaded lace fabric used to cover a candle holder. I haven't thought of a good name for this little thing yet.  Students who would rather make a wristwarmer, can use the same pattern and wind up with some cool accessories. I called these Goddess of the Sea Wristwarmers. This Woodland Trail Sock was a joy to design and to knit.  The sock class is aimed at beginners who have never done a sock before. To make the heel during the duration of the class, we will be using worsted weight yarn.  And last but not least, the poncho. This is a study in cables, for the beginner. Two very simple rectangles. The easiest little cable you can imagine. A seed stitch border. It all comes together to create the Rocky Rapids Poncho....

A lot of crafty things are happening. Because I am so busy in the studio, not a lot of time is spent getting online. I have started to flick and card the white Rambouillet fleece. This was so heavy with lanolin that I have washed it on two separate occasions. So far the carding is going well, albeit slowly. Stay tuned for photos of that. I will be spinning it for a fancy sweater or jacket project.  I probably posted pictures of this quilt top last summer. At that point I had the central blue parts done.  The graphic design is called Tippicanoe. I am going with a marine theme for this quilt. It is a king sized coverlet. This summer so far I have added the narrow green frame around the blue blocks. Then I still wanted it wider, and so I found this medium brown. Plus I had just enough of the yellow and orange fabrics, from the centre of the canoes, to use in a big block in each corner. Today I did most of the machine quilting of this blanket. That is not an easy task...

 It's a wild and wet day and wouldn't you know it, some wet wildlife came to visit. Here is a yearling moose. I didn't dare get up off my recliner, so thank goodness my camera was close at hand. As he looked right at me, I tried not to move much as I took this shot. He grazed at the lush grass for a bit and worked his way across the edge of the deck. In a minute or two the encounter was over.  Earlier this spring a neighbour  and I have seen a mother and yearling in the area. Maybe this yearling is our previous sighting? Mother was no where to be seen today. Maybe she has let her young one know it is time for it to be on its own? If it wasn't for the rain and for the deck bench, it'd be a great shot.  And for the crafty amongst you, this is the third sock in the series of traditional Lithuanian socks I started knitting a year ago. The design is from Donna Druchunas and is called Compass Rose Sock. Here it is with the ends not sewn in and not yet blocked...

 The latest addition to the weaving studio is the Leclerc Artisat floor loom. It has a weaving width of 36 inches and will take the place of the Schacht Mighty Wolf. The latter is packed and will be heading up to camp to live in the studio there. Both of these looms are the same size and have the same number of shafts. The Mighty Wolf has convenient wheels that pop down when the loom is folded up, making it easy to move around. The Artisat, shown above, is made of lovely maple and is quite a sturdy loom. I couldn't wait to get a project going, just to test her out. This loom also folds up nicely to reveal more space in the guest bedroom.  This advancing twill pattern is a four shaft design. Although the Artisat has eight shafts, right now I only have heddles for four. This is a mercerized cotton warp and rayon slub weft. The pattern is a little subtle because of the variegated or dappled nature of the yarn, but I think this is an interesting effect. I am not sure what...

Tika lived to be 15 years, seven months and a week. What a good life he had full of adventure and healthy living.  Rest in Peace Tika

It's too bad the show got so busy and I couldn't pull out my camera later on. I was surrounded by a lush jungle of gorgeous plants: all ready to planted out at some lucky person's ranch. You should've been there, since it felt so fresh and healthy! Anyways, this shot shows my modest little table, covered in knit and woven items, as I set up for a sale. I have not done this before and know that there is a limit to the amount of $ one can earn in the country before tax laws kick in. The vase in the centre, (handmade out of birchbark and sweetgrass), is holding several simple spindles that I made to sell inexpensively. Here is a close up of one of the 5$ spindles. They are all a bit different. Due to the very lightweight woods used, the prototype needed more weight in order to spin for some time. So I dove into my Bin of All Things Thrift Store, and found ribbon with beads already sewn on. These beads not only sparkle and spin prettily, but make a lovely, soft cl...