for little noel

Here's a wee thing I made back in December for a coworker expecting a baby boy between Christmas and New Year's. (They named him Noel, sweet no?)  Such a tiny knit, but then so was the babe; it fit his first few months til he started filling out his rolls and outgrew it.  Caitlin generously gave me perfect buttons from her stash to enhance the literary vibe I was going for, since Noel's Papa works at the library.  Loosely based off this pattern.  I loved the yarn, soft as a worn sweatshirt, machine washable, and makes a denim-y, tweedy fabric that is so cute on little ones.  It's made from 100% recycled fibers! 

jaime, lenore

 

 
*top 2 photos weavings by Jaime Rugh*
*bottom 3 photos of artist Lenore Tawney*  

Top 2 photos show the beginning of my collection of weavings by Jaime.  I remember being so happy to discover her blog and learn more about Jaime's creative process this past winter.  I find her approach to art making really inspiring.  Of course, I couldn't believe my luck when I won an amazing giveaway package from her, which included the weaving in the top photo.  That began our correspondence which includes Charlie's sweater, dear cards, emails, bits of ribbon and toy stop signs, and the tiny tree weaving (2nd photo) which is especially dear to me.  

All this new weaving in my life reminded me of an artist that was a huge inspiration for me when I first learned to knit.  I was studying at an arts program in Chicago and discovered the work of Lenore Tawney right as I was making my very first piece of knitting, a misshapen swatch of lumpy grey wool I took all over Chicago and referred to as "my pelt."  I was very moved by Tawney's hanging works and, lacking a loom but armed with one pair of size 8 bamboo straight needles, set off to teach myself any and every stitch possible so I could make my own hanging fiber sculptures.  

I figured out first how to knit lace, then distort it so I could make fabric with giant ragged holes.  I made a huge 8 foot piece suspended from the ceiling, a kind of net. I created several hanging pieces inspired by Tawney's using an odd double knitting technique to swallow up objects in the textured stitches: sea glass, stones, paper, and whole eggshells.

I had no interest whatsoever in making clothes.  It makes me laugh now.  

But I was very free with it, and fearless.  I had no idea what gauge was, and no concern for perfect even stitches.  (Though after knitting such large pieces by the end of that semester my stitch quality was really good.)

Lenore Tawney was amazing.  I've been inspired all over again by Jaime and Lenore, so I signed up to take a weaving class!  Here's to being fearless.  xx.

Charlie's sweater

*thank you so very much for your kind comments on the previous post.  it means a great deal to me that you shared your well wishes.  When I wrote about being hugely grateful for small things...your reaching out means more than you know. x.*

 I fell in love with the blog Found While Walking this fall, and was really happy when in December I won a giveaway Jaime had.  She sent over the most incredible package (I'll show you soon) and it was such a bright spot for me this winter.  I told her so, and she responded with a flattering request: a commission for a sweater for her very cool little girl, Charlie.

This is the result, and it was a labor of love.  I loved the challenge of designing something I thought Charlie would love, and picking up those cheery stripes of peach, coral, gold and rust during a sad time gave me a dose of energy and sweetness.  The only hard part was waiting to see if Charlie liked it...  But I think she did.  Isn't she a cutie!! :)



Here are a few more thoughts on my design and construction process, if you are interested...

The design, color palette and construction were all chosen with Charlie in mind.  Being an avid collector, Charlie needed a sweater with lots of pockets, obvs.  I had an image I played in my mind of her running on a beach, collecting rocks and shells, and stuffing them in pouch pockets.  I was also inspired by Elly's version of this.  I knew I wanted a garment for her that was soft, easy, cozy, comfy, special, and beautifully made.  I also wanted something to compliment her coloring, be pretty, but also versatile enough to last, and even be handed down to her little brother one day.

I saw this colorway from noro on sale, but truthfully, it included a really garish pea green and a brilliant turquoise that clashed with the other colors.  It was the only color of noro left at the yarn store, and it was actually pretty ugly.  But I thought if I simply cut out those colors, it would be really beautiful. I striped it with a neutral colored wool that made the colors glow.  I did make use of a bit of those strong greens, check out the pocket linings, its a happy secret, like a jewelry box.

I knit the body and sleeves flat to the underarms, then joined and knit the yoke in the round.  Strange, I know, but I wanted the stripes to line up perfectly at the sides, and seaming gave me total control of that.  The jog in the yoke stripes was hidden at the raglan decreases.  I kept the raglan line really simple to keep the focus on the colors.  The neck was designed to be just a little scoopy, so it wouldn't itch her neck, but still offer enough coverage to be warm.  The pockets were knit as one giant pouch pocket, and then seamed into three compartments.

Thank you thank you Jaime and Charlie, for giving me the little push I needed to make again. x.

on heartbreak

Hello! To the few good people who have read my blog in the past, I hope this post finds you and finds you well. Its been a long, long time since I last posted, and I'd like to explain. I've been trying for too long to find a way to write this, and I see now the only way is to be plain. In mid August my partner of almost 7 years ended our relationship. He is a beautiful and wonderful person, and out of respect for both him and me, I'm not going to share too many details. What I do feel ok sharing is that it was not my choice, and I have spent a long winter heartbroken, in a lot of pain, and trying my best to heal. If you are a dear reader of mine, it most likely means we have been commenting on each others' blogs for a while now. I have often wanted to blog this winter, and check in, but have not been sure how. I have been so raw...writing coherently seemed beyond my reach. If I could gather you all up, from New Zealand, Wales, Sweden, across the US and wherever else you live* and bring you to Portland for a pot of tea and a nice long chat, I surely would, and tell you the whole story. Since what we have is the internet, however, the very very public internet, I don't feel ok sharing much more about it. I hope you understand.

This process, though painful, has been a very rich and humbling experience. I am learning about this small wild animal called grief, and how to live with her, even embrace her, because she is stubborn and will only move on when she is ready. When your heart is broken open, (I hate this saying, it sounds so casual and clean, like 'darn, i broke a mug on the kitchen floor'... a shredded or mutilated heart sounds more accurate!) it is broken open wide, wide, wide...you feel so much pain but you feel alive too. Little things take your breath away, you are too raw to stifle tears, even in public places sometimes...and you become aware of tiny things you are hugely grateful for.

So. I am grateful for you. I am grateful for this blog. And a story: I am grateful for one of my favorite designers, who generously sent me a pattern for one of her hats that I loved... a month after A. broke with me. She didn't know what a kind gesture it really was! I had not felt capable, nor ready to make much of anything, save for a small thing I will show you soon...but I went to the yarn store and it felt so nice to be there... I cast on and slowly settled in to the stitches, and remembered how healing knitting can be. Then I added the blue pompom because the blue was scrap yarn, and scrap yarn is beautiful, because it looked a little funny and I needed the humor, because pompoms only exist to make you smile, and I needed more of that too.

Since making this hat, I have made other things, some very special, and I am happy to share them with you soon. It feels nice to be back. xoxoxo.

* haha- it sounds like I am deluded enough to think I have many readers all over the world! I know I have just a few, but you are the best, and do seem to live all over!

rank & title

photography by Julia Platt-Hepworth clothing by Caitlin Clark

rank & title is the gorgeous clothing line of my dear friend Caitlin Clark. Caitlin and I met a few years ago at a sewing class and we have been fast friends since. She is one of the sweetest, most stylish people I know and also one of the most caring. She also runs this charming blog, is the right hand lady of designer Sarai Mitnick, of Colette Patterns, and creates many of the amazing sewing tutorials on the coletterie blog. (This girl has skills!)

From our many sessions of crafting and tea drinking, I've witnessed Caitlin make her dream of creating her own line of clothing a reality. rank & title is such a perfect expression of what Caitlin cares about: hand-crafted clothing made with extreme care and skill, designed to be simple, modern, versatile, and special. (I think the Forbeau dress, pictured above, is soooo gorgeous.)

Do check out rank & title! Her creations are swoon-worthy!

alpaca

Mmm, alpaca socks. Tucked away now in a drawer for the first golden chills of Fall. These were delicious to make, rich honeyed fiber with that downy halo like sunlight. The yarn is alpaca sox by classic elite, and it is lovely stuff. (Though it is not machine washable.) I used judy's magic eight cast on, short row heels, and jeny's surprising stretchy bind off. Next time I'd like to try short row toes to match the heels.

I dream about a collection of socks made with short row toes and short row afterthought heels in a contrasting color. I am notorious for wearing holes in my heels and wonder if afterthought heels would make it easy to unravel just the holey heel and knit a new one in its place, like a cobbler resoles shoes? I know Elizabeth Zimmerman created socks where the entire foot pad could be reknit, but I personally feel they do not look as beautiful that way. The dream: beautiful hand knit socks that last a lifetime. I think it is possible. Plus, think of all the color combinations! Cream with tomato red toes and heels. Tweedy pale grey with bright blue toes and heels. Warm grey with peachy coral toes and heels. Of course, you could knit the toes and heels in the same color for solid socks, too. What color combinations would you use?

after the bath

...and still you are beautiful. Thank you rose, you were good medicine.