For the Strathmore Invitational...

[neotoma]

These are the two pieces that I am putting into the Strathmore show --

	Scribble Lace Shawl -- Reds Knit using two balls of Berroco Medley (color 8924) and one hank and a bit (about 650 yds) of Jaggerspun 2/18 Wool.
	Chocolate and Cherries Handwoven on a four-harness table loom, this table runner is made using the traditional Bachelor's Buttons overshot draft. The background is 10/2 red cotton thread, and the pattern is handspun 2-ply chocolate wool. I bought twin Jacobs/Merino lamb fleeces from Dancing Leaf farm, scoured and combed it myself, and spun the wool on my Majacraft Tiny Tim wheel.

It will be interesting to see if they sell, and what sort of comments I'll get. Also, the reception will be nerve-wracking, but I do intend to go.

Comments

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

Those are exquisitely beautiful. Wow!

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Thank you

[mofic.livejournal.com]

How totally gorgeous! What a talent you have.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Well, these are the ones I can sell, since the patterns are a) mine or b) public domain. The shawl is so simple that anyone who has read Debbie New's book can come up with it, and the weaving is a colonial overshot pattern.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

They're amazing! And I'm particularly impressed that not only have you created art, but out of raw materials of your own creation.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

The Scribble Lace is a techinque from Debbie New's Unexpected Knitting (http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=6-0942018222-0). She's done amazing stuff (http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/DebbieNewCards.htm) and she's well worth taking a workshop from (http://neotoma.livejournal.com/42570.html), if you get a chance.

This shawl is a larger (90 stitches instead of 60) version of a stole (http://neotoma.livejournal.com/54540.html) I made last year.

The reason the overshot is made with handspun wool is that I warped for a class, and didn't like any of the available yarns that were the right size for the pattern yarn. I did have two different fleeces that I hadn't done anything with, and spun some yarn for sampling from both. The white fleece (a Blue-Faced Leicester cross) was okay, but not dramatic -- the chocolate wool from one of the Jacobs/Merino fleeces was much nicer against the red. I only spun one bobbin (an hour at most) and plyed it. It turned out very nice in the project.

[nugatorytm.livejournal.com]

I love the way your projects turn out, because you take the time and effort to be meticulous in your fiber arts, and boy, it sure shows! I wish I had a sixteenth of your talent.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'm capable of not being a perfectionist with my fiber arts -- after all, I'm either giving them as gifts, or selling them. Being sloppy in either case implies that I don't *care* about the person who will get the item, with is bad if it's a customer, and horrible if it's a gift.

And if by some chance, the item is for *me*, there is no way I'd wear something sloppily made.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

Well, color *me* impressed--it isn't actually everybody who merely finds something interesting to do with their unemployed fleeces.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I wish I had more time and discipline. I've had those fleeces for about two years, and I haven't done much with them -- which means I have close to 12 pounds of clean wool sitting in boxes.

[gwendolen.livejournal.com]

Wow, beautiful. Great work. I especially love the shawl.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

If you knit at all, the shawl is dead easy. It's all knit stitch, on big needles.

[gwendolen.livejournal.com]

I know how to knit but only the basics and so far have knitted a few simple shawls, nothing fancy though and that shawl looks quite fancy.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

It *looks* fancy, but that's because yarn and not the structure of the fabric.

You need a thick-and-thin yarn,like a Berroco Medley that has slubs - a multi-color is good -- and a lace-weight yarn.

Cast on 90 stitches using the thick-and-thin yarn on the biggest needles you have -- 6.0 mm or larger (circulars are best, since they keep the weight in your lap). Knit one row. Drop the yarn but do *not* cut it.

Take the laceweight yarn, and knit four rows with it -- just knit back and forth (garter stitch).

Then drop it, and knit one row with the thick-and-thin.

Repeat knitting four rows with the laceweight and one row with the thick-and-thin until you have it as long as you want. Cast off after a row of thick-and-thin.

Weave in the ends.

[gwendolen.livejournal.com]

Hm, that really sounds easy. Guess Iknow what I'll try once the autumn-yarns are in and I'm back to knitting.

I already used some thick-and-thing yarn for a shawl which turned out great (one of my favourites). Oh, maybe I have some of that yarn left over. Need to go and look *g*.

Now I only need to figure out what laceweight-yarn is in German and the I should be set. Guess en I talk to the epert at my favourite yarn-shop she'll know what I mean.

The very light look comes from using big needles for thin yarn, doesn't it? I woudl guess that normally you would use my 3.0 oder 3.5 mmneedles for it, wouldn't you?

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Now I only need to figure out what laceweight-yarn is in German

Schachenmayr Yarn's Regia 3-ply is about the right thickness. Anything similar, or even lighter would work.

The very light look comes from using big needles for thin yarn, doesn't it? I woudl guess that normally you would use my 3.0 oder 3.5 mmneedles for it, wouldn't you?

Yes, and the thick-and-thin yarn forms the 'scribbles' once it's not under tension. Laceweight yarn would be knit on 2 to 3 mm needles, or even smaller ones.

[gwendolen.livejournal.com]

Schachenmayr Yarn's Regia 3-ply is about the right thickness. Anything similar, or even lighter would work.

Cool. With all those tips I should be able to recreat your lovely shawl. I think I have to stop at the wool-store this week because now I'm itching to try it out :-)

Another question: Garter stitch is one line knit one line curled, right?

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Garter stitch is knit back and front, when knitting flat -- it doesn't curl at all.

[saramwrap.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I always feel like the lone hold-out when it comes to being crafty with yarn. Everyone I know is knitting and crocheting! The patterns in that table runner are very pretty!

I just got the shanties... whee! It's fun to hear recognizable tunes in an unfamiliar tongue. Thank you! I wanted to point you to this gem (http://kocharhook.com/nick/sow/?p=14), in turn.

And finally... I've friended you, so I can stalk your crafty genius! ;)

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Not everyone is crafty with yarn. My Mom can neither knit or crochet -- but she does quilt.

I *love* colonial overshot patterns. My favorite is the one in this icon, Cats Tracks and Snail Trails; it is one of the few historical asymmetrical overshot patterns.

You're welcome to stalk. I might try to push a fiber art at you, though.

Thanks for the French song, because it's nifty. I don't know if I'll get out for another shanty sing, but it certainly was fun, even if I didn't get the nerve up to lead a song.

[saramwrap.livejournal.com]

I just bought the entire Malicorne CD... I see mp3s in our future!

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Wow, lovely!! The shawl is so cool, and the table runner is awesome. You're a power knitter to do the wool yourself. Woot!

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Well, weaver, anyway. Handspun yarn makes good weft yarn, which is what I used it for. Warp yarn has to withstand a lot of stress, and needs to be tightly spun, which I'm not good at yet.