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Tuesday 18 September 2007

latest results

I have been fairly quiet these days - with good reason. it's not that I was lazing around, far from it - I had to finish several projects and (what's new?) I set myself tight deadlines - too tight maybe? so far I managed all of them - just about! only two more to go and I think I might just make it in time! last year, wenn the steering group of the Online Guild decided to offer a workshop for "spinning for embroidery", I agreed to do a project or two as well. I wanted to do a "textile" bum bag for a while, so I decided on this as my first project. I like the result much more than the plastic thingy I've worn during several holidays - and I enjoyed working on it too. I am also doing an embroidered scarf, handspun and handdyed silk yarns on woollen mousseline, which I am going to introduce on thursday - which concludes my work for this workshop. during the first week we had crewel embroidery and I liked the shown camel in full regalia so much, that I decided to make my own - not a camel, but an elephant, decorated with the usual indian attire for a riding animal. of course I didn't have all that much time yet, but I managed to spin some fine grey-marled alpaca and a mix of one thread of this alpaca and one fine thread of brownish tussah silk, to stitch in a bit more than just grey. of course the real fun with this project is the deco, for which I am going to use some of the leftovers of my silk scarf and some newly dyed fine silk yarns - still to be done. the howdah will be embroidered with thicker tussah silk in natural beige, I hope this will look like a basket material when finished. (Kokiri, my elephant lady, does have feet - and the parasol looks a bit different in the drawing too - but it didn't fit onto the scanner in one go.....)

what totally baffles me is the reaction to this workshop. usually we have lively discussions, plenty of questions and a lot of resonance. this month must be one of the quietest that I have experienced in the group so far. now, either everybody is veeery busy spinning and stitching - or there is hardly anybody interested in this kind of work - I guess it's the latter:(( I don't know why though - I had great fun designing my projects and even more now in following the crewel work. we had a few people writing that they will eventually start something, but I don't set out much hope in seeing finished projects. nothing to be done about it - at least our time wasn't a total waste, as each of us has finished projects to use or to give away!

when I am not working on those projects I am working on DS's new winter sweater, in the strong colour mix I showed earlier. it's easy to knit, very soft and pleasing to touch - and the kg of fibres was done very quickly too. not mashine washable - but what the heck, we don't often have really cold weather and the sweater won't be worn all the time like a fleece.
I am also working on some gadgets that are called "huettenschuh" in german - socks with leather soles underneath. the sock is knitted like any other handknit sock, but in thicker yarn, a 6ply. the soles I bought ready-made, they are suede underneath to give a better grip, have a border sewn around with holes it it to first crochet around and then sew them to the sock. I have some of my own (nice and warm), but Michael wanted some too, so he'll have them as a small (we are not prone to give away new cars, long holidays or expensive jewelry in our family:)) present for our 10th wedding anniversary next week..... which leaves the cushion for his favourite chair in front of the radio and his alpaca dubbelmossa still to be finished - for which he received vouchers a while ago!:)) I better get them finished before the next christmas is looming!
next on my list is the dyeing for the hummingbird challenge, 5 colours, which will be spun and later knitted into a lace shawl with "feathery" patterns. and of course I have to spin more of the grey alpaca, together with black and white - to work on the projects for christmas! I have to dye two colours for the pattern I want to knit, though I am not sure yet which one to choose. two purple/lilac tones or two reds - with white, grey and black. I was thinking of dyeing with just one colour - but put in some white and some of the grey to get two different shades that work well together.

3 comments:

Dorothy said...

Hi Bettina, I love your bum bag! You've created the only attractive bum bag I've ever seen.

I know what you mean about how quiet the embroidery workshop is, I think there's a lot of new ideas for many people (I never thought of spinning / dyeing for embroidery before)it may take a while for people to get started on the projects. I'm sure I will get back to what I have learnt from this workshop when I have more time.

By the way, your huettenschuh are known as "slipper socks". I have a much loved old pair from Afganistan that were handknitted in in a traditional colour pattern. They are wonderful to wear in about the house in winter. A good project for this time of year!

Anonymous said...

Hallo Bettina,
hattest du eine fertige Tasche genommen und bestickt oder selber gemacht. Hatte versucht dir ein Email mal zu schicken, kam zurück.
Gruß Juliana

Woolly Bits said...

ah yes, Dorothy - slipper socks, thanks! sometimes the right expression just won't come, though I've read about them in english before! I think they're rather comfy, as long as I am inside the house and don't run out all the time = during winter!
and maybe in time there will be some pix with finished embroideries, I hope some will take it up and show us their works! (thanks for the praise for the bag, I am quite proud of it:)