Tag: improvising

Posted in knitting

WIP Wednesday: Abstract Rainbow Blanket

Posted on by Laura Kate

This piece of knitting has been in the background of my life for about three months. It is going to be a lap blanket, fashioned in the style of a log cabin block and knitted out of stash skeins.

I’ve modeled my blanket after a Garn Studio Drops design called Abstract Rainbow

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/203-2-abstract-rainbow

The main difference between the actual pattern and my work is that I didn’t follow any instructions. I just improvised based on the look of the DROPS pattern.

So here I am so far:

I quickly used up all of my stash acrylics within the first four stripes. Stubbornly refusing to buy yarn, I cadged my friend into giving me some of her acrylic skeins in similar colorways. After using all the yarn she gave me, the blanket was still not big enough. I gritted my teeth and purchased one Hobby Lobby cream colored skein.

The blanket is now about 42 inches square and I am sitting here with the left-overs, pondering my next move.

My brain tells me that a crocheted border would allow all the leftovers to be worked in. But my gut is resisting this move. I can’t help myself; I have a prejudice against the craft of crochet.

Okay knitters, what would you do? And how big does a lap blanket have to be?

Posted in quilting

SAHRR 2023 Round 6: So Close

Posted on by Laura Kate

It’s the last round of the Stay At Home Round Robin quilt challenge and I’m feeling glum. By the time I finished sewing on the coping strip, row and setting triangles of round five, my scrappy quilt measured 90 inches tall by 68 inches wide.

It is large and full and colorful. Clearly it wants to be a queen-sized bed quilt. And it’s crying out for more areas of background fabric to give some calm in the storm.

I am having trouble imagining how I could wedge in some pinwheel blocks as selected by Quilting Gail.

SAHRR Round #6

But I’m no quitter. I made four not-big pinwheels, trusting that they will fit in.

Somewhere.

One thought I have is to insert the pinwheels into square-in-square blocks of background fabric, then slip those blocks into the corners of the last rows.

Anyway, I’ll try to cheer up. After all, I have almost two weeks to finish the top before the quilt parade deadline.

Posted in embellishing, hand embroidery

More Improvised Embroidery

Posted on by Laura Kate

Today I wanted another shot at embroidery on a watercolor painting.

I came up with a fantasy-like, pre-historic plant form.

Here are the stages of the work.

Tentative shapes, in two colors of thread.
Expanding on the theme.
Completed the thought. Added a few underlines.

Am I done now?

Just had to add a little more paint.

What do you think? Did I go too far? Or not far enough.

It could have been worse. I considered adding beads.

At least the activity was relaxing and restorative.

Posted in embellishing

Embroidery Experiment

Posted on by Laura Kate

Today I have for you two little paintings with a little something extra. After the paint dried, I worked some embroidery stitches into the design

Two Pansies:

Two Pansies with embroidered faces.

Test paper with additional glazes added. Semi-abstract.

Same painting embroidered with fly stitch.

The second painting was extra fun. I used a variegated cotton thread by Sulky. The thread was held double.

What fun stuff are you making today?

Posted in colorwork, knitting

What I’m Knitting Now

Posted on by Laura Kate

I can’t describe this post as a cast-on, because I started this project immediately after I had cast off and kitchener stitched my last Christmas gift item.

My inspiration for this project is a slipped stitch pattern used in a shawl design.

https://www.i-knt.com/product/3879940/co-zzy-shawl-eng

The two yarns I chose are Rowan Felted Tweed (purple) and Tosca Light by Lang (multicolor.)

The Rowan was acquired in Madison at Sunset Yarns, although it is readily available from many on-line sources. The Tosca Light? Honestly, I can’t remember, but it was probably found at a Wisconsin yarn store. It is no longer available (according to Ravelry, the yarn is “dyed and gone.”) I’m in love with the long color changes that unfold as I knit.

The thing is, I don’t want to knit another shawl. There is simply no more room in my “shawl drawer” for another one, no matter how beautiful. Instead, I plan to knit a sort of serape/poncho kind of thing based on this design from Cheryl Oberle.

This jacket is knit in two matching rectangles that will be seamed together at the center back. I simply replaced the arrowhead lace section with the slipped slip pattern from the Cozzy shawl. Next I filled in the rows between pattern sections with alternating stripes of the multi and purple yarns.

Oh, and I threw in a few rows of eyelet lace for good measure.

It’s all going pretty well so far, as you can see in the first photo. The tricky part will come next, as I finish up the first half and start knitting the sleeve down.

I’ll have an update in a few weeks. Until then, happy knitting!