Knit and Tink

My knitting skills aren’t great, but they are improving. It appears that I have a lot of patience because I just keep knitting, no matter how much tinking I have to do.

I’m using a gorgeous yarn from Shalimar for this wrap. It’s a merino, cashmere, silk blend and it’s very soft and warm. I love the way it looks, but it’s taking a long time and I’m getting a bit tired of doing the same thing.

My knitty friend said she always has a few projects going so she could choose what she felt like working on. Great idea . . . it’s the way I create artwork, so why not knitting. I jumped on that bandwagon and off I went.

This cowl is a made from Capra DK, from Knit Picks. It’s a beautiful marino and cashmere blend. It’s pretty chilly during my husband’s morning bike ride to work. This cowl will keep him nice and warm and it’ll be easy to store in his bike pack.

Years ago, I collected novelty yarns to use as embellishments in my art quilts. That phase didn’t last long and I barely used the yarn collection. My knitty friend suggested cutting it up and tying it back together to form new art yarn. Wow, that sounded like an interesting idea. I sorted through my bin for yarns that I thought might work together and chose fifteen different yarns. I cut and tied, knitted a sample, deleted several eyelash yarns, and knitted another sample. After a few versions, I think I have a good assortment that will make beautiful art yarn.

 The balls are beautiful!

I need tie enough yarn for a shawl.

Here's a wonderful Della Q circular needle case from Etsy. I love the numbers on the needle slots and it has plenty of space for cables, It also has a zippered pouch on the outside for markers, scissors, etc.

What are you passionate about?

We recently remodeled our kitchen and dining room. Some people think that sounds like fun, but in reality, it was a lot of stress and work. I wanted everything, but had to stay within a budget and the two are often at odds. I have to say that we really did a great job, we came in under budget (gasp) and the kitchen is both beautiful and functional.

While the remodel was happening, my whole life revolved around it. There was a lot of creativity involved but it was a very different type of creativity. When the remodel was done, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had a hard time getting back into my normal creative activities. I was experiencing a major creative block. I tried not to worry about it too much. I started dyeing and screen-printing fabric, yards and yards of beautiful fabric! It worked, one thing led to another and the creative block is a distant memory.

Fiber art, photography, and dyeing are all at the top of my list of passions. Between the three, my creative needs are usually satisfied.  I don’t think my inquisitive nature will allow me to stop experimenting with other mediums though. People that know me well expect a lot of questions. I’ve actually tried to stop being so inquisitive, but it didn’t work (haha). I guess I need to add knowledge to my list of passions.

If you find yourself in a creative slump, figure out what you are passionate about and start doing it. The rest will come.

If you would like to see some of my new work, I’ll be part of a juried exhibit at the Elverhoj Museum in Solvang, CA. The opening reception is November 19^th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. The exhibit will be on display until February 5, 2017.

 Several people have been inquiring about my blog. It made me realize that I missed it and want to give it another go. So, ask any questions you want . . . I understand.