Sunday 20 February 2011

Catching up at last


 
During the last week I haven't actually done much new work, but I have finished off a couple of items and, at last, photogaphed the felt bags I made before Christmas.     They are seamless and the flap is fastened with a press stud.   Both bags are approximately 7" wide and 6.5" deep and have a shoulder strap which is 35.5" long.  The colours are wonderful.
 










I've also finished off another nuno felted scarf.  The wool is felted onto a hand dyed shibori scarf  and I've decorated the pink wool with cream silk yarn.  The texture on the back of the scarf is very interesting too.
  



As well as the feting, I have made a brown fabric bag or purse - this time out of cotton/polycotton fabric.   It is decorated with couched yarns and machine embroidery.   It is fully lined in brown fabric  and has a long cord shoulder strap which allows it to be worn across the body.   I am very pleased with the results and think I'll probably make one or two more - the shape is quite novel.

detail of texture










I've done quite a lot of knitting as well, this week,  using some more of that novelty yarn, so I'll be photographing the scarves for the next blog - I must put them on the web site too.  
 


















Sunday 6 February 2011

Knitting

Since I last posted, I have been doing some knitting - just for a change.   When I went to the show at Harrogate before Christmas I saw some lovely, twirly, hand-knitted scarves.   I bought a pattern from the stall and I've used some wool that I already had to knit a pretty novelty scarf.   It is made from very fine wool in three colours, pink, blue and lavender - the result of mixing these is a sort of heather colour.    It is quite unusual and very easy to wear - I'm thinking of making another one.

As well as this one, I saw a friend with an attractive, ruffled scarf, in purple and cerise - she said it had been hand knitted.   I trawled the internet and  I spotted, as well as a possible match for that one,  a yarn which produced an  intriguing, almost frilly lacy knitted scarf.  I was lucky enough to find a shop locally which sold both these yarns and I knitted a scarf with the 'lacy' yarn and my sister knitted up the ruffled one - wow!  The results were really rewarding - here's a picture of mine.   It feels really soft and warm and drapes beautifully.




On Saturday, we went to a Craft Fair in Walton Vale.   It seems we're doomed there - this was our third time at this venue and each time the weather has been atrocious.   This time, it rained unremittingly all day - no-one in their right mind would have gone out if they hadn't been forced to.  Needless to say, there were not a lot of customers.    As usual, we met some interesting people and renewed acquaintance with some of the 'old' faces.    I sold a few Valentine's Day cards which I had made last week too.

Also this week, I completed a nuno felt scarf and experimented with a lattice work felt scarf which is quite funky.  I'll have them photographed by the time I write the next post.  In the meantime I'm experimenting some more with the embellishing machine I bought before Christmas - it certainly has possibilities.