Mimi's Knittervention

So a good friend of mine has been on a knitting rampage.

Rampages are often caused by: *super wooly-fuzzy yarns
                                                   *extra stress in life
                                                   *searching for a sense of completion
                                                   *mantra of knit one, purl one...
                                                   *having someone whom you want to wrap in your handmade goods
                                                   *and many other possible options.
Mimi's rampage is a good one, brought on by a new nephew due in the mid part of the summer.  Her drive to completion is solely based on her need to wrap this kid in the cutest things she can.  This little one will be the first gentlemanly bundle the family has seen and this likely means he will get away with all sorts of things outside of Mimi's yarn stash.

After an extreme day of knitting, this was Mimi's reward:

Now, certainly people have children all the time these days, so what is so fantastic about anyone knitting a baby blanket?  You have asked this of the wrong person.

The history of this particular knit blanket is special due to all the stories that occur in the presence of its making.  Likewise the task of knitting itself has a long and colorful history.  I mean- think about this, who just figured out that you can play with sticks and string and come out with cloth.  This was a skill developed over centuries with implications in fashion, design, history, social status, gender...it is loaded.  And to think Mimi is JUST knitting a blanket.  No let's think about this more, she is providing this kiddo with a wrap, a cloak, a device for protection.  This is an age old concept, we must protect our young and provide them with devices that will do the same.  Sure, we can head to the mall or baby gap and purchase a blanket, but Mimi's hands have touched every single part of this one.  So it is special.  There is value in this skill of providing.

Now, I hear that this blanket is growing- there will certainly be more pictures to follow.  Additionally I know that Mimi will be DIY-ing other items for this nephew in the months to come.


  

Kool Aid Dye Tutorial

Picture me dressed as the Kool Aid pitcher jumping out of your computer right now.  

Also picture that the costume is complete knit from yarn.

Thus begins a short but sweet tutorial on dyeing yarn with kool aid.

Grab a packet and find a wool yarn that is a boring color.

Step one involves taking the yarn and getting it into a skein.  There are many ways to do this.  I have a little device that turns and will spin the ball of yarn into a skein in no time.  You could use the back of two chairs or grab a partner who can sit still and wrap around their arms.

In the end, you should have something that looks like the above photo.  I highly recommend tying small pieces of yarn around the loops in several locations to avoid a real mess.  There is nothing more stressful than a knot.  Once you have this item looped together carefully, think about your color choice. What would turn this olive green into something spectacular?  Hmm, well perhaps that image of me in the knit Kool aid pitcher costume will come through your screen or jump through your kitchen wall with the perfect packet in hand.

BAM! Just like a sweet version of Emeril, make that Emeril mixed with Martha Stewart.  We will all kick this yarn up a notch.  Soak the yarn in water, so that it is absorbing the water and still sitting in a shallow bath of water.  I used the microwave safe casserole dish that was in the pantry.  Anything that is microwave safe and can give your yarn some room to breath will work well.  Also, please be aware that as this is kool aid, this is casserole is not forever tainted with some terrible chemical (well- then again, I don't know that Kool aid is organic by any stretch.)  It certainly doesn't ruin your microwave or your dish.  Also note that Kool aid will only work on animal fibers.  So cotton won't dye as it is a plant fiber.  Silk and wool are both animal fibers and will absorb the kool aid color.

The next step after soaking, is to sprinkle the Kool aid onto the yarn in whatever manner you believe will yield a cool effect.  Better breathe if you are a perfectionist, because a dye bath is full of surprises.  

You are likely to get something completely unexpected and with any luck, better than what you started with.

Once you have sprinkled on your Kool aid it is time to microwave.  Place the container into the microwave and set for 4 minutes.  Once through allow to rest for about the same amount of time.  

Repeat these steps until the water surrounding your yarn is clear.  Once the kool aid has been absorbed out of the water, you should have thoroughly pulled the dye into your yarn.  

Then you should run cool water over the yarn and allow any excess color to run out.  Once the yarn is cool to touch, carefully pull the skein out of the dish, so as not to disrupt the nice shape and create a tangle.  Ring it out in the sink until it is as dry as you can get it.  I then hang the skein in the bathtub or if you have a handy dryer rack you can allow it to dry on the rack.  

Once the skein is completely dry you may want to get it back into a ball in order to use it for knitting, crochet or as a cat toy.

Best of luck and more images to follow of finished products!

A heck of a deck

 I apologize for the lack of a before image but it should be known that we began the impromptu project based on the lack of stability of the previous deck.  It came down slowly because we found some less than Bob Villa approved methods for propping parts of the deck up.  The car port is now a structure beside the deck, not something that the deck leans on.  Likewise, the deck is now bolted to the side of the house instead of leaning on it.

 Along the way of cutting, we discovered a couple of chipmunks living in the woodpile.  These guys seemed pretty confident about running back and forth from our new pile of wood to the pile that was the previous deck.  I offered them a couple pieces of banana which allowed for a quick photo.  The bananas were gone the next day.  As well the chipmunks stuck around a couple of days and then seemed to disappear.  Not sure if we scared them away or they are expecting more bananas.  Time will tell.

The project is finishing up nicely; now not just a set of steps but also a very sturdy platform!  AB roughed out the railing and I made a couple of planters out of scraps.  Expect a post once it is truly finished and we are having our first sunset watch!

Because we felt like it

I hope that this will be the beginning of a very beautiful partnership. The item being displayed is one that AB and C have created in collaboration. C's use of knitting and felting (a.k.a.- darn, I put my wool sweater in the dryer)are combined with AB's woodturning skills. He also chose the appropriate pink ivory wood to coordinate appropriately. I am a little slow to post this object on Etsy due to its sentimental value as well as my pure love of many things pink. However, this is a collaboration that I do hope will continue in all colors and sizes. Most importantly it is all hand made. Please enjoy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolwood

Lets see about Etsy

My current task is to get advertising!

Not always an easy task as an artist who really just wants to "make" things.
Today I have newly posted some items that I believe are great explorations of materials and have a sense of humor. I believe that dressing everyday provides an opportunity to explore one's self and to investigate the beliefs of others.

The New York Times recently had an article on scientific research that discovered you could improve your ability to focus and learn by wearing a white coat that you associated specifically with a doctor's coat. If you believed it was a painters coat, you didn't improve as much as if you firmly believed the coat was a doctor's. Your chance for gained focus only increased if you actually wore the coat.

All very impressive signs that what you choose to wear can matter and if you pay attention you never know what you will discover.

Enjoy!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolwood

Wearable Woolen Wonders

I am slowly getting acclamated to my new northern home. I can say that my favorite thing so far is the public library system, where I am currently posting and the joys of having free books and movies is awesome. In fact my second day in town I went to the library to get my new card. While most of my life is still in boxes, I have begun to unpack things that are gnawing at me. I have had a box labelled Etsy just waiting patiently for me to get active on. So this post will be the first of those that attempt to discuss the merits of the hand made object. The one featured here is a hand-felted spectator. While it is covered in wool; I expect that it can be worn year round. All the wool has been given a technique related to shibori- in this case, no dye was used, but instead where there were ties, the wool held the shapes. I then hand sewed the felt pieces to a very sturdy headband.

Finished cherry and maple travel mug

I can't wait to drink my coffee and not ruin the nicest gift EVER!