Woolgathering

O, frabjous day!

Yes. I have completed my homework. I have partaken of both caffeine and chocolate. And now I am going to get out my sock kit… and soothe my shattered nerves.

(I know I have gone wrong with my piecing because the seams have fallen all wrong and I have too many thicknesses in one place. Two places, actually - but who is counting? Will teacher make me unpick it all and begin again? Oh, the unhappy memories…)

I had a small epiphany at the weekend. About embroidery. I don’t know if anything will come of it, but watch this space. I have an idea that I will keep ticking over at the back of my brain.

Well, I survived my patchwork class. I even came out of it without tears (there were just the two swear words uttered) and I brought home two squares stitched from a pair of triangles each.

We got homework!!!!!

I was wiped out after class. I haven’t felt like that since I was learning Calligraphy many years ago. The level of concentration (for me) was intense and the pace relentless. We didn’t even get a cup of tea!

EDIT: the scariest part was the use of the P word and the I word. Precision was never my strong point, I’m your naturally gung-ho slapdash kind of a girl. As for *r*n*ng. Yeah. Right. I think I have an *r*n somewhere but I can’t recall the last time that I plugged it in. Sheesh. Nobody said that there would be *r*n*ng!

I plan to persevere: to learn these basic techniques and to make the class project (a cushion cover) and I will carry on to a project of my own just to prove to myself that I can beat this thing and to explore my own creativity within it. But, honestly? No, I don’t see me taking it up long term. Give me two long and not-sharp needles any day of the week

It’s not that I don’t see or appreciate the work that others put into their patchwork. Truly, I stand in awe. I recognise that is something I could never do - to put that amount of concentrated work and dedication into a project, it simply isn’t within me to do that.

The thing is - to me patchwork is somewhat like crochet. The final appeal is insufficient to drive me towards learning to do it. For example - I like the fabric produced in knitting. I dislike the fabric produced in crochet - I’d never wear a crocheted item, ever. So, I don’t do crochet, because it offers me no joy. Similarly, I can admire the craftsmanship, but I’d never want to own a quilt. I think, to me, patchwork quilts are museum and exhibition pieces.

My challenge now is to change that mindset. I need to find something that excites me and makes me want to progress, if only for a short while. The making of my own patterned fabrics and construction of something possibly freeform and organic from those does whisper to me. It’s not a loud call yet, but there’s something beckoning. I know it is going to be a fascinating journey, even if it terminates in a cul-de-sac. I will at least have learned something new, also have learned something about myself and my internal processes, practised some self-discipline (I need that), and possibly have acquired a small work of original art…. or a duster… in the process.

In Knitting News - Blink is giving me some grief and I have decided to rip it back to row 44 and go with the pattern as written. There’s something just not clicking in my brain and I find myself completely unable to adapt the pattern to suit the width that I want. So we’ll have a long Blink instead of a wide Blink. It’s going to take  a blinking long time to tink back from row 60, that’s all I have to say at this juncture.

Depressed? Slightly. I’ll compensate by unwrapping this Amazon parcel that has just arrived.

When I was trundling down the drive with my bin bags this morning it occurred to me that today would have been a good day for exposing my cyanotypes. Blue sky, sun, minimal wind. I was busy beating myself up about not having prepared the fabric - due to not having a clue as to how I can dry my fabric in darkness.

Anyway, as it happens - the clouds are already gathering. The chances of clear skies around midday would seem to be minimal. In fact, I am already doubting the wisdom of putting my washing out on the line.

It’s the Equinox today. (Yes, I know many people think it always happens on the 21st, but it doesn’t.) The sun, when we see it, will be sinking ever lower in the sky, making it less suitable for my exposures as time goes on. I have an inkling that I may have to wait until next summer to play this particular game.

Craft Club tonight. Quilting. I’ve packed my needles. Oh, my… scary stuff indeed. I shall be all nerves and thumbs.

Actually, I packed a crate full of stuff. I am still short of a couple of items, which I might try to find at the shop today (dressmaking pins and a thimble) and those quilting needles are still not here - let’s hope that postie brings them today.

It is odd, the way that things come together in our lives, is it not?

Last Monday evening I was woebegone at the thought pf patchwork quilting. Today I am enthused and excited. Not only that but I am able to state that this blog is diversifying at this point and will be adding fabric to fibre.

What happened? See this post at Fairhand, regarding Shibori and Indigo Dyeing and the PS3 Water ATC Swap.

Since I wrote that post I have been busy thinking; developing my ideas and doing some shopping. My ideas are still vague - for I have no idea what I am capable of until I try this out. At this stage I can say that I am working up ideas to create blue and white patterned cotton fabrics for cutting up to piece a small quilt with. I have 3 metres of white cotton fabric coming - plus a beginner’s indigo dyeing kit from Fibrecrafts. That’s for the Shibori. I think I’d like to do an organic piece, a wall hanging or cushion cover size. I hope to quilt random shapes as directed by the print pattern that I achieve.

But while I was at Fibrecrafts I recalled something else I have been wanting to try - cyanotype printing. Again, I bought the beginner’s kit. I envision fabric cyanotypes using found treasures from the beach - feathers, seaweed, shells etc.

Perhaps I could piece alternate squares of each type of fabric. My original idea was to flat dye some of the cotton to alternate the Shibori with. I guess a lot depends on how successful I feel that I have been with these techniques…

…and/or others

Others? Well, I was so close to getting free delivery that I kept on spending (I had a little windfall recently) and I finally bought some marbling materials. I have long wanted to marble paper for my various papercraft activities - but I can of course marble on fabric too. I made sure that I got several tones of blue ink (I just got the cheapest ones to experiment with), and also added a metallic pewter grey shade (rather pricier, so only one shade of that range) which I have an idea might be useful leavening.

Then I succumbed to the Silk Papermaking beginner’s kit as well (but it seems that I forgot to order the Natural Dyeing kit.)

That should keep me gainfully occupied all winter!

Also on the shopping front last night (led astray by SpinningGill) I committed to the quilting idea and bought a rotary cutter, some quilting needles, and Imperial graph paper. The Craft Club is funding most of that as group supplies. The rotary cutter is mine. Gill got one too, and we ordered a third as club supplies. I need an A2 or larger cutting mat as well, I think.

Now I need a way of marrying these new pursuits to the old ones and creating something involving fibre/yarn/fabric/dyeing/printing. Assuming I ever get the hang of a needle, that is!

On the knitting front - nothing happening. Mr L came home and we reacquainted ourselves, caught up on our sleep, then spent much of yesterday and today making paper logs for our winter fires. The Sanday Spinners don’t seem to be having a stall at the Farmers’ Market tomorrow and I don’t feel ready to mount my own stall so I think I shall not be selling tomorrow (I’d likely make a loss.) I’ll probably keep building up stock for the Xmas Fair. I’m feeling tired and nerve-jangled and not at all like sitting behind a table being bright and friendly… and away from my husband again.

Right! Coffee now (well-earned after making another half dozen fire bricks) then some Amazon shopping (I need technique books) and a quick tidy of the utility room in readiness for marbling and dyeing activities. Making these paper log brick things has fired me up to finally get around to paper-making. I need to protect my bags of shredded paper that I have been hoarding - prevent ‘im indoors from hijacking it for the paper log maker! I’m going to start with shredded waste paper but I hope to move up to seaweed and rhubarb skins and other fibres once I have the basic technique under my belt - then he can have all the waste paper that he wants for the fire