Decomposition: Stacks

Here is the final product from my installation of Stacks, the next phase of my Decomposition series.  For more information about this phase, or to watch the behind the scenes video, check out my sneak peek post.  You can also see previous phases of the series at Colony I and Colony II, and the Decomposition: Colony sneak peek post.

The Decomposition series is a study on the intricate textures of fungi and how they blend in to their natural environment. At a glance and from a distance, these knitted replicas meld in as a part of the magnificent cycle that transforms living plants to detritus and further into minerals that nourish other living plants as they draw these minerals up from the soil. For instance, when viewing the installation at a distance, the pieces appear natural and as though they are meant to exist there. However, on a closer encounter one sees that these are not fruiting bodies at all. The delicate knit stitch stands out and draws you in for closer inspection, much like the intricacies in the texture of fungi draw me in. These elements spur on a stream of questions that carry me meditatively in to a place of introspection. While this is a personal project, I hope that it excites the same way of thinking amongst its viewers, elevating to a greater level of awareness of one's surroundings.

Stacks was inspired by a common fungus found on young and thin barked trees, called split gill fungus.

On My Needles || Palladio

This is the first time I have knitted something other than an accessory with an "art yarn", if you would call Berroco Captiva that.  I've seen the booklet that this pattern was published in a million times at LYS and every time I am enamored by the garments and consider buying it... but don't... and then by the time I visit again I've forgotten and the same thing happens all over again.  This time I remembered though!  And I knew that I just had to buy it - there are 3 or 4 items that I would love to make from it and if that's not justification enough... I don't know what is.

The pattern is called Palladio, and it is by Amanda Keep.  This pattern is part of the Berroco Captiva #318.  I love the yarn so far - it's very shiny and elegant looking, with wonderful drape.  I chose a sea foam greenish color, which suits me fine because the sheen of the yarn and the color just makes me think of mermaids for some reason - it's really pretty.  It's also a pretty quick knit, as I've only worked on it for a few short sittings and I'm about halfway done with the front side.

Another thing I'm working on is the next phase of my Decomposition series.  It's pretty fast moving, and I'm hoping to execute this one in the fairly near future.  Part of that depends on weather conditions, but I have a plan.  And it involves the phrase: "Dad, can I glue some stuff to the dead part of your Japanese maple?"  Dad, if you're reading this I'll explain when I see you this weekend...  and I'll prune the dead part after I'm done.  :)

I'm also planning for another phase....

Aaaaannnnnd there's another top secret project in the works but you'll have to wait a while to see more on that.  Partly because I want to make sure it works.  But also partly because it's awesome... and I want you to see it in its full glory rather than just bit by bit.

I know I've been posting less lately, and most of what is lacking includes posts on work that I admire by other folks, or "inspiration" posts.  I've spent more time on my projects and trying to improve the ol' blog, so I guess you could say I've been more inspired by what I'm doing lately as opposed to outside influences.  That seems like a good thing, don't you think?  I won't completely discontinue the inspiration posts, but hope to incorporate some more original content as I develop ideas.  Thanks for reading, and I will leave you with the only Halloween decoration that is currently in my house.  October is almost here!

Off the Needles || Effortless Cardigan

My Effortless Cardigan is ready for wear!  This is the coziest sweater, and I absolutely love how the colors turned out.  Eventually, I wouldn't mind purchasing more of the Swish Tonal yarn in a different colorway to make another bright, happy, cozy cardigan with.  This is going to be the PERFECT piece for fall, and I'm ready for 90 degrees to go away so I can basically live in it for the rest of the year.

The pattern was so simple, and the absolute best part about it was the fact that there is ABSOLUTELY NO SEAMING.  Every section was knitted into the next.  You either reserved stitches on a stitch holder to join yarn to later or you picked up stitches along an edge.  This was the perfect technique for me, because as I've mentioned before I tend to finish knitting the pieces for a garment and then let them sit on a shelf in a tote bag for months (or years) before I stop being lazy and seam them together.  I HATE seaming.  But the Effortless Cardigan had none of that.... it truly was EFFORTLESS.  And fast - I highly recommend this pattern!

I will post later this week about my current projects.  Knitting this time of year is so very enjoyable.  Happy Fall!

 

On My Needles || Ishbel

This pattern moves unbelievably fast, and uses less than a skein of sock yarn.  I fell in love with this midnight blue shade of Sweet Fiber yarn's Super Sweet Sock in the Fountain colorway at Loops in Tulsa.  My intention was to pick up some Malabrigo sock yarn for the project, but this skein really stood out to me and I'm glad that I decided to use it.  (The leftovers will look great in my Bee Keeper's Quilt as well).

Ishbel is a shawl pattern by Ysolda Teague, with a nice scalloped or actually, rather pointy edging.  It went so fast I actually finished it several days ago, but I will have to order some blocking mats before I can show the finished product which might take a little while.  I'm excited to get it steamed out so I can see the lace pattern better... until then I guess I'll just have to further enjoy that dreamy color for a while.

I've also been working on some other sculptural projects, one of which you can catch a glimpse of below.  This is definitely a trial and error process, but I've learned to be patient with it because I want a high quality end result.  Hopefully you'll see more on this soon!

Decomposition: Colony II

I'm excited to show you Colony II, the second installation from Phase I of my Decomposition series!  This site was so foggy and eerie, but was filled with decaying western red cedar logs and stumps and coated with moss.  The color contrast between the mist, the mushroom caps, moss and burnt orange wood fiber was breathtaking.  It made all the difference on the outcome of this particular installation.

If you missed the first installation and want to find out some background information on my project, you can find it here:  Colony I.

I also posted a sneak peek of some behind the scenes photos which may be viewed here:  Decomposition Sneak Peek.

Decomposition: Colony I

I'm excited to finally show you the first phase of my Decomposition series.  Phase one is called "Colony", and these photos depict the first of two installations that I had the joy of constructing.  View the full documentation of the installation in my portfolio.

I have yet to develop a formal statement about the series which will incorporate knitted replicas in the form of several types of wood decay fungi.  I've hinted at it here and there in previous blog posts, but I will explain a little further:

The series is a study on the intricate textures of fungi and how they blend in to their natural environment.  At a glance and from a distance, these knitted replicas meld in as a part of the magnificent cycle that transforms living plants to detritus and further into minerals that nourish other living plants as they draw these minerals up from the soil.  For instance, when viewing the installation at the distance of the bottom photo the pieces appear natural and as though they are meant to exist there.  However, on a closer encounter one sees that these are not fruiting bodies at all.  The delicate knit stitch stands out and draws you in for closer inspection, much like the intricacies in the texture of fungi draw me in.  These elements spur on a stream of questions that carry me meditatively in to a place of introspection.  While this is a personal project, I hope that it excites the same way of thinking amongst its viewers, elevating to a greater level of awareness of one's surroundings.

The second installation of "Colony" will go up on this blog a week from today, so check back to see it! I hate to choose favorites, but I was actually even happier with how the second one turned out than I was with the first.  I am also exploring inspiration for the next phase and hope to begin construction on that very soon.

On My Needles || Effortless Cardigan

Look at that photo and tell me you don't love that colorway.  Green is my favorite color anyway, but to have so many glorious shades of it in one piece is pretty magical... or at least for me.  The yarn is Knit Picks Swish Tonal in Canopy.  I can already tell I'm going to love wearing this cardigan, so much that I might have to make another eventually.The Effortless Cardigan is just that: effortless.  Completely.  Since it's all knit in Stockinette stitch (with exception of the rib section at the bottom), it's a perfect mindless project for traveling or watching a movie.  I decided to start on it so I would have something to work on during our vacation to the northwest, and it really helped pass the time on our flights and in the car, or just during downtime at the hotel/campsite when I was too tired to do anything else.

At this point I'm about to bind of the body section and then all I will have left is the sleeves!  I can't believe how fast it's gone.  I'll probably be able to share some photos of the finished product in the next week or two, and with the way the weather has been going recently I might be able to start wearing it (for real!) by then too!  Thank you Mother Nature for giving us a 20 degree break from that horrendous summer weather.

Decomposition || Colony Trial

These little guys have kept me busy lately, reinforcing the cap shape with wire and wrapping the stems.  I'm finding that I wish I had made more of them, but I still think the project outcome will be fun and as expected.  If it works out, there is always opportunity to make more of them for a larger scale installation eventually.

This first phase is titled "Colony" and after we return home I plan to get to work on some Ganoderma - a lot more color, a lot more technical and shape dependent.  I have some exciting ideas for how to execute that phase though, so I can't wait to get started on it.

In any case, while we were in Arkansas camping last month, I took a few pieces along with us on a hike just to test them out.  Here is a sneak peek of a "Colony".  After we return from Oregon, I'll post the real deal.

Off the Needles || Feel Everything Mantra

Feel Everything.  Be present.  Be aware. I finished this mantra the other day.  Great color work practice.  This series is probably some of the most fulfilling knitting I've ever done, and I'm looking forward to charting out some new phrases.  Any suggestions?

A Pyramid and a Rock

Yes, you are looking at a knitted sculpture in the shape of a giant rock.  The piece is in fact a giant replica of a smaller rock, a fragment of one of the Pyramids at Giza taken by a young boy (the artist) on a trip with his family (he did put it back... eventually).  The backstory on this sculpture is pretty interesting, if you have a moment to read about it << here >>.

Andy Holden created this piece, in addition to some other knitted work shown below.  Can you imagine how long it took to knit all of that fabric?  That's a lot of surface area.  I'm definitely going to keep an eye on his web site, in hopes of seeing more knitted medium used in the future.

(Image Source)

On My Needles || Another Mantra

I enjoyed creating my first Mantra Scarf so much that I recently decided to chart out some different phrases to knit up as well.  The one I'm working on currently is for my best friend Sarah, but I have decided to continue making these and to offer them in my online shop once I have enough inventory to open.  The mantra woven into this piece is "Feel Everything", a phrase that has stuck in my head since I started listening to Fiona Apple's new album. I've been using fair isle technique for weaving in the floats, and this is my first attempt at English/Continental style knitting.  It's somewhat difficult to get the hang of, but I'm getting used to it (and my fingers are cramping up less).  I must say it's odd knitting with two strands of yarn, one in each hand, but I'm glad I've been able to practice a new technique and improve my skills through this process.  My hope is to finish this scarf later this week (time permitting - Oregon is coming up fast and I still have over a hundred bits of fungi to assemble for my first Decomposition installation.)  In any case, have a look!  :)

Off the Needles || Loope

So remember that tunic I finished a few weeks ago?  I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for me to post some proof, so I'll take an edge off the suspense and indulge you.  This is the Loope Tunic, designed by the Berroco Design Team, and published in Berroco #289 Lustra.  It's a great pattern book with a  couple of others I'd like to try... at some point.

I started this tunic about a year and a half ago, and as it usually goes with large projects, I got through all the knitted sections and then got lazy about seaming so it sat in a tote bag on a shelf for months and months.  As a byproduct of my rejuvenation-by-sock, I decided it was time to finish up this wool/tencel fiber beauty.

Initially I fell in love with the color in Loops, and then was drawn to the book and then left the store after impulse buying everything to finish this project.  Lustra is a gorgeous yarn that is part animal fiber and part plant fiber.  The tunic is slightly itchy, but the sheen is luxurious.  Since knitting this pattern, Lustra has become a favorite of mine for knitting loose cowls too.

When my grandfather passed away a few years back, I inherited his ties that he used to wear when he and my grandma went square dancing.  They've been sitting in my closet since then, waiting for the perfect new purpose.  For the neck ribbon of the tunic I saw the perfect opportunity to use one and threaded it through to secure the neckline.  I love how it turned out!

If only the weather were conducive to wearing sweaters at this point in the year.  In case you can't tell, I'm seriously burning up during this photo shoot.  It. is. way. too. hot.  in Oklahoma.  Soon enough.....

On My Needles || July 2012

I tend to keep a number of projects going all at once, so rather than highlighting a single work in progress, here are some updates on the items I've got going.  Not included are the mushroom caps I've been working on for my Wood Decay Fungi project, which I'm now leaning toward titling "Decomposition".  With that project I'm finally past the knitting stage and am working on getting the caps assembled and ready for installation.  Hopefully you'll see something on this by summer's end. Foundations

As I've mentioned before, this is an original pattern that I am designing as a gift for a friend.  The finished garment is a baby blanket, although it could probably be knit up in a super bulky gauge in cotton and would make a really cool rug.  I'm not going to say too much about it until it's finished and in its home, but as I'm a tree hugger, think about the title and that together and let your imagination run wild!  The yarn I'm using for this project is Knit Picks Swish DK in Bark.

Aran Braided Sock

I've been working on this for a few weeks now, since I finished my first pair of socks.  It's going somewhat slowly since I just pick it up here and there (mostly during my lunch break at work), but I love how the color striping lays out on the diagonal.  You've got the braid texture from the cabling and also the spiral of hues running down the length of the sock; it's gorgeous!  Can't wait to finish these up and start wearing them. The yarn is Staccato Sock by Shibui, which is a super wash merino blend with silk and nylon.  The color is #161.

Mantra Scarf

I've decided to expand on Mantra and develop charts for some new phrases and make an entire series.  Since I've been a little inspired by Fiona Apple's new album as of late, the phrase "Feel Everything" really stood out to me and I decided to use it as the next phrase.  I'm working on my continental style knitting so I can more efficiently weave in the floats.  If I can get it down pretty well then I think I will enjoy making a lot of these.  My yarn of choice for Mantra is Berroco's Ultra Alpaca.  The main color (background) shade is called "Moonshadow" in this current scarf, which I love.  It's not too far along yet, but here's what I've got so far.

Off the Needles || Urbanite Garland

Fairly often, I will look through my stash baskets and fawn over the gorgeous single skeins I bought just for the satisfaction of having yarn so beautiful, or perhaps for another project that lost steam long ago and never regained its momentum.  I have a few skeins of Berroco Seduce for reasons closely related to the latter - I need to revise a pattern but can't manage to sit down and just do it, so there they lie. The other day my eyes set on one skein of Seduce in particular that was a rich, copper color (one of my favorite colors) and I suddenly had a brilliant idea on how to use it.  I sat down, started knitting and jotting down pattern notes and behold--  a few days later I have this headband that I am absolutely in love with.

It reminds me of a number of things: the "Roaring Twenties" flapper hair pieces, a bohemian clover garland, an 80's sweat band (let's forget about that one), and the ever modern hipster headband that rivals the fedora in every way.  So, hence comes the name, "Urbanite Garland", a combination of those things... a little bit boho and a little bit glam.  a little bit hip and a little bit... functional?  (damn those 80's)

I'm planning to get the pattern typed up to share here and on Ravelry (for free!), but in the meantime here are some photos of the finished product.  I knitted some small twists into the main fabric, which only show up when you look very closely because of how ornate the yarn is.  I like how subtle they are though.  The thin strip on the back of the head is also cabled into a series of twists.  This might be a great pattern for a stylish work out headband too if you knit it up in some organic cotton.. I intend to experiment a little bit with a few different yarns, so I'll post about how it goes!

On My Needles: Baudelaire Sock

J and I spent the weekend camping in Arkansas, which was a much needed excursion.  Aside from enjoying some peace and quiet and geeking out over minute details of the natural world as I often do (hikes sometimes take twice as long as they should because I constantly stop and look at things.... I'm married to a very patient man)..... I also picked up a project that I have not worked on in quite some time, the Baudelaire sock from Knitty's Summer 2006 issue.  I have a couple of things about this project: First, SHAME ON ME for taking so long to complete this.  I started this thing in the winter of 2010.  Of course, it was my very first sock and I probably could have chosen something a little less intricate for that milestone.  Honestly though, it's been sitting there all by its lonesome on my knitting shelf like so many other projects that I start.  I'm so bad about this!  (There is a beautiful Berrocco tunic in Lustra all knitted up and just waiting to be seamed together, abandoned for almost a year.  ugh)  However, I finished the first sock on our camping trip and am about to start the heel of the second so it should be done in the next day or two!

Secondly, WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME for not trying to knit socks sooner?  They are fast, fun, the yarn is always gorgeous and they feel amazing!  I had an aversion to wearing shoes in my college days, so this may be part of the reason but now that I work outside a lot and need close toed shoes, I see the value in a nice sock.  As soon as that first finished sock went on my foot I had an instantaneous vision of myself lazing about watching Harry Potter or what-have-you on my couch wearing these ridiculously comfortable and beautiful socks!  Of course, some slippers might need to be thrown into the mix there because (at least for now) I don't want to walk around in them on my wood floor that hardly ever stays clean for more than a day after I mop it.  Needless to say, I am now addicted to socks!  It's a good thing too, because I have a few skeins of sock yarn in my stash that I bought simply because the colors were too tempting to pass up (and probably spent a little more than I would have otherwise).  Plus, most of my socks have holes in them now, so there you go!  Win-win, right?

Here are a couple of insta-photos of sock number one and sock number two in progress.  I'll get some more after I finish the second one.... and don't be surprised if you see a new sock project go up soon after this one is completed.

I have a couple of feature ideas for the blog that I may be trying out soon, just to get things a little more structured.  For now, I will leave you with these:

Okapiknits

Wow, wow, WOW.  My jaw might have dropped a little bit when I came across this shop via Pinterest.  Absolutely beautiful, unique, inspired designs.  I love it how such a traditional craft can be manipulated in a way that is completely new and revolutionary.  Check out the Okapiknits shop.

Greyhound Cowl Knitting Pattern

If you know anything about greyhounds, you know that they have very little body fat. They are also a sweet, quiet, calm, affectionate breed that will make your jaw drop with their warp speed sprints, but will also warm your heart as a loyal companion. I would recommend a greyhound to anyone as a pet/furry (but shedless) family member, but I digress. Back to the body fat issue.

In climates that actually experience winter, some additional layering is necessary for the hounds so they don't freeze their butts off. I believe that the general rule is: if you need your coat, your hound does too. And there are specialized services/shops that sell custom coats just for greyhounds! It's glorious! My Emma has a nice little red fleece number that keeps her body warm, but the past couple of weeks dipped in the temperature range, so I decided to make her a nice little neck warmer to give her a little more comfort when we go out. Leg warmers may be next, but I haven't decided how to go about that while still giving her the mobility she needs when running around. It's probably not even necessary. Anyhow, the cowl is working out great for the days when the wind chill is just too low. I thought I would share the pattern in case any other knitting greyhound lovers are out there that would like to try it.

For Emma, I made it a little big so it would scrunch up or cover more of her head and neck. I also did not want for it to be too tight. Lastly, the pattern features an opening so that the collar can stay underneath the cowl, but the leash can be hooked to it from the outside. Here is the pattern!:

Greyhound Cowl

Needles: US 11 double pointed needles Yarn: heavy worsted, approx. 200 yards max

Starting rib: CO 45 st K2, p2 to end of round. Repeat until piece measures 2". (it's ok to end with 1 k st so that there are 3 k st together. The rib does not have to be even)

Start increases: Row 1: kfb, k to end of round Row 2: k to end of round Row 3: k to end of round Row 4: k to end of round Repeat these 4 rows 2 more times

Make leash hole: Row 1: kfb, k halfway through round, yo 4 times, k to end of round Row 2: k to yarn overs, drop all yarn overs except for 1, k into remaining yo, k to end of round. Row 3: k to end of round Row 4: k to end of round

Continue increases: Follow pattern for increases 6 times.

Finishing Rib: K2, p2 to end of row Repeat until rib section measures 2" Bo all st

That's it! Good luck!

Conceptual Knitting

photo source

Knitting, conceptual?  This craft can mean so much more than just a garment or accessory.  I love the term "conceptual knitting", because it lends weight to the fact that knitting is so much more than just a craft... it is an art form.  Rather than just superficial value, pieces can have underlying significance, meaning and beauty.

My mom sent me a link to the Leafcutter Designs web site the other day, and I love this idea: a "conceptual knitting" project which materializes the shade of the sky, every day for a full year.  In the end you have a scarf that represents the full year in weather (which in my mind personally, has affected your well being day by day by day).

It reminds me of the Asian Philosophy course I took in college.  As a science major, humanities courses were far and few between for me and the ones that I did take ended up being some of my favorite courses from my entire college career.  Granted, with the Asian Philosophy class I was pretty smitten with my instructor (mostlyr because the material was so profound and moving to me...) but I was very inspired when it came time for our final projects.  We were to creatively interpret one of the concepts from the duration of the course.  I knitted a scarf representing the concept of "OM"... several different balls of yarn in different shades of blue, all tied together, all knitted in to one garment.  different, yet the same.  I also knitted the "OM" symbol into the garment, using various stitches.  Again, all connected, all part of the same piece, all one.  Maybe I should revive this concept.  The final product up with my instructor as a gift of gratitude for my enjoyment of the class.

In any case, here is a pdf pattern of the "Sky Scarf".  I hope it keeps you present and connected.