Daily Fiber

Finished Object Friday: Knitting – Reblogged

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Laura Kate

While visiting my daughter’s family last month, I had a chance to get the recipient’s reaction to her new vest. You can judge for yourself, but it looks to me like she is really pleased.

“Why, thank you Grammy!” “You are welcome, my love.”

Here is the post, originally published on Juny 12th.

Yes indeedy, today is Saturday But I assure you that I was able to finish this project yesterday, qualifying it as a Friday finish.:

I first wrote about this project in early May, having purchased the yarn while visiting Madison WI in mid spring. This Polkastripe vest is intended for my granddaughter.

The basketweave slip stitch pattern and general design I am using comes from Norwegian designer Anna Schei.

Ravelry: Polkastripe pattern by Trekkentar Deg

This pattern downloaded in pdf format. Consequently I was unable to use a translator to turn the instructions into English. No matter – what was important to me was the color chart. For the construction of the vest itself, I relied heavily on another baby vest pattern, also downloaded for free from Ravelry.

Ravelry: Milly Tank Top pattern by MillaMia Sweden

I recently learned that Lu likes wearing vests, and is practicing her buttoning skills. So I made sure that her summer vest included a front opening and button closure.

The pocket design is my own. You can read about it here.

Who Needs Pockets? – Daily Fiber (wordpress.com)

Now I can jump into some real summertime knitting: socks! Check back in on Monday for the next cast on.

painting

Back to my Routine

Posted on August 10, 2021 by Laura Kate

Hi friends!

I have returned from a long vacation in parts north of here. So many great moments and much material for fibery inspirations!

It’s been hard to get back into the routine of posting to my blog. Yesterday, just as a warm-up, I finished this little painting.

It started life as an exercise in painting a stormy sky. I had left enough white space below my sky to add some foreground. Mitch Zeissler’s wonderful photograph taken in the Florida keys provided my reference image. You can see his work here:

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/114841099/posts/3308979988

Thank you!

I will be back soon with posts about cool yarn I found, some fabric painting and a knitting lesson just for beginners.

See you then.

painting

Dreaming of Summer

Posted on July 20, 2021July 19, 2021 by Laura Kate

This scene is made up. Last Wednesday at open studio, our group was practicing different skies using watercolor paints. When I finished this “sky,” one of the artists said “Why that looks like a landscape.” Upon close examination, I realized she was right. So I converted three of the “clouds” into stands of trees. By painting yellow on top of sections of the sky I got the land masses between the trees. The white space at the bottom of the painting became a still pond with reflected sky.

I like the big sections of white paper.

Because it is imaginary, I called this a dream painting.

knitting

Cast-on Monday: Sock Time

Posted on July 19, 2021July 16, 2021 by Laura Kate

With the heat of the summer beginning to settle in, it’s time to start projects that are A: not heavy in your lap. B. suitable for year-end giving and C. car trip worthy. Socks fit that description beautifully.

Today I am starting a sock pattern that has been in my library for some time. Hermione’s Everyday Socks, available on Ravelry, are simple to knit, but have a lovely texture created by working purl stitch sprinkled evenly throughout.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-everyday-socks

I have chosen to use a monochromatic colorway from Ewetopia that drifts from light to dark and back again. I’m hoping that the color doesn’t vary so much that it overwhelm the subtle stitch pattern. This yarn is called Wisco Sock, and is milled and dyed in Wisconsin.

Here is a link to the yarn producer: About — Ewetopia (ewetopiafibershop.com)

The colorway is Superior, as in, the Lake. I’m very drawn to it – not a green but not a blue, rather a cool-ish grey such as how the lake surface may appear on a cloudy day. While I started these socks as a potential gift, it could be that I will selfishly keep them for myself.

painting

F.O. Friday – Painting

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Laura Kate

This project has been sitting around since mid May.

Back then, I sketched a picture that was a composite of two photographs: A group of fuchsia blossoms and a hummingbird.

Eventually I used this image during a class I attended on collage technique.

It was more convenient to transfer the image in reverse.

But had always intended to paint it. Today I finally finished. Here is my process:

**Transfer of drawing and first wash of flowers**

**Bird body and wings painted, second wash on flowers**

To finish it, I worked in a pale background wash, added final details to flowers and deepened the darks on the hummingbird.

This was a very good learning experience. If I were to paint it again, I would choose more transparent pigments. The cobalt blue was more granulating than I liked, and the alizarin crimson did not give a clean delicate hue on the flower petals. Instead I would use a mixture of ultramarine blue and Thalo blue and use quinacridone magenta, very thin, for the petals. I would also apply the background wash first. It was very tricky to work it around the finished flowers.

The parts I do like: The composition, the texture of the feathers and bird wings, and the shading on the petals.