Posted on 01/01/2020 7:41:42 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
The Monthly Fiber Arts Thread is a monthly gathering of people that love yarn and fabric of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first project, to experienced fiber artists and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
It is impossible to hijack the Monthly Fiber Arts Thread. Knitting, crochet, quilting, weaving, general crafting - there is no telling where it will go, and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our Fiber Arts Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a Month Ping List. We do post to the thread during the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Fiber Arts fans are welcomed any time!
Qiviut- You and I learned to knit the same way. I never heard of flicking, so just watched a few youtubes to find out what you are talking about. Very interesting! I have been knitting the thrower way since I was 11...found my mom’s WW2 knitting needles in a drawer and got her to show me how to knit. I no longer knit on straight needles, just circulars, so that helps with wrist comfort. Improving speed would help, especially as I consider my stash and how many more productive years I have to get through it all... not to mention the fiber for spinning... agh ;)
How are things up there in Alaska? Are you on the coast or in the interior?
Very nice pattern - I just downloaded it for future reference. Love the honeycomb stitch.
Thank you!
When my friends and I get together we often switch from the complicated knitting projects that require counting, swearing, or tinking to a simpler projects. One friend found the Lion Brand Go for Faux fake fur yarn - (sometimes in a three pack at Walmart $9 on line) and I can knit a chemo hat on 10 1/2 needles in an afternoon from it. The caps very soft and easy to knit.
“I’ve been crocheting much of my life, and most of the things I make now are donated to various charities.”
Since I retired four years ago, I have much more time for that. I currently donate to ‘Comfort for Critters,’ ‘Project Linus,’ ‘Warm Up America,’ my local ‘Humane Society’ (no-kill shelter) and ‘Clicks for Babies’ which make purple caps for newborns to remind the dopes among us to NOT shake your baby if it’s crying and driving you bonkers! ;)
3,700 caps made so far; new campaign starts collecting caps in April, 2020. :)
Oooo! I’m going to check out the fake-fur yarn! Would be a fun trim for crocheted hats!
My friend is leader of a large 4H or FHA group here in TN, and I think I’ll donate to her. These kids can’t really afford much, and there must be $25-50K worth of “stuff” here. (It adds up fast; quilting ain’t cheap.)
My friend was an obsessive buyer of fabric and tools, and stashed it everywhere she could — hiding the purchases from her husband. We knew the cancer wasn’t going away this time, and we’d often laugh at what her husband would do when he was tasked with selling the house. Every week or so he’d call me and say, “I found some more fabric. I’ll bring it to you.” I guess the new owners might find some stashed in the ceiling tiles one day.
I have been a knitting fool since early December! I decided every one in the family would get something home made, and use only my stash. It worked out well, as I knit or crocheted 6 hats, 2 scarves, and a shepherds purse with butterflies and hearts in it for a little one to count.
The best response was from my 2 year old grand son, who upon opening his dinosaur hat immediately said “I’m a dinosaur mommy!” He wore it all day.
I have only diminished my stash slightly, and now my honey has given me a gift certificate to my favorite yarn shop. I am currently looking for inspiration. Probably something delicate and lacy.
Wow! That’s Beautiful!
Definitely “Fiber Art”, but of a different sort ....
Here’s How to Keep Your Cat Forever [for dogs, too]
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/style/self-care/etsy-death-pet.html?action=click&module=Features&pgtype=Homepage
A clue about the the article content:
But on Etsy there is a much more affordable alternative: a community of artists offering a form of hand-spun healing called chiengora. The word is a portmanteau of “chien,” the French word for dog, as well as “angora,” the name given to yarn spun from the soft belly fur of the angora rabbit. “Catgora” is yarn from cats.
More Basset Hound Fashion:
Ok - we’ve had a post for dogs, so here’s one for cat lovers!
This is called the “Meow Yarn Collection” & the colors are based on cat breeds/color patterns. I have had calico cats so I love the calico color cat yarn - there’s also (for example) Tortoiseshell, Maine Coon, Orange & other Tabby colors, Abyssinian, Blue Persian, Lilac Point Siamese .... and so forth. One day, I’d like to do something in ‘calico’.
https://ancientartsfibre.com/collections/meow-yarn-collection?page=1
I recalled seeing this yarn before, but didn’t remember where. While searching for Alpaca yarn, I came across this ‘Ancient Arts’ site & there was the Meow yarn!
Cat Lovers, Unite!
(Or, ‘Untie’ and untangle when cats are involved!)
Actually, I was in Michael’s just the other day, looking for some yarn to finish up a baby blanket. Fortunately for me, there was one skein left of the color I needed ... at first I didn’t think they even had the yarn (LB Pound of Love). Got to the cash register & tried to pull up the coupon on my phone - it showed a 40% coupon, but wouldn’t go to the view with the bar code. The clerk took pity & had a coupon she could use - turned out I didn’t need it anyway since the yarn was on sale. :-)
The baby blanket for which I was buying the yarn is a C2C and I found a really cool border for it - borders are always a difficulty with C2C. I have another blanket to finish today (blankets are for TWINS - boy & girl!!!), a new washer/dryer (delivered yesterday) to figure out so I can wash them & then I’ll post pics.
You’re so ambitious! I’m just working on Infinity Scarves for ‘Warm Up America’ these days.
I’ve done 12 pairs of mittens, working on a “Soldier’s Hat” & trying to finish up those two baby blankets. I’m having to rotate projects to keep my hand from cramping up. The baby blankets were a “surprise” ... was working on one for a cousin’s baby & the twins happened. My mom loved the cousin’s baby blanket (pink) & wanted it for one of the twins. Then I had to come up with a boy’s blanket. I still have to send my cousin a blanket, but got a pretty one out of “inventory” that I’d forgotten I had.
The mittens are mostly replacing those basic crochet mittens I gave everyone about 5 years ago - they all needed new ones so they’re getting knitted ones this time. Then, I found out a close relative is going hiking in the Canadian Rockies this summer - I just ordered Alpaca yarn to make her a hat & mittens. The clothing list from the outfitter says they should have a fleece or wool gloves and hat. Alpaca is very light, warm & durable, plus it’s not as scratchy as wool. The Soldier’s Hat is a pattern I found on Ravelry - very basic & people knit them for Israeli soldiers. This is a great pattern for a ‘survival’ hat - keep it in your pack in the event something happens & you need to stay warm. The yarn color is pretty enough, she could use it for regular wear, too.
So, I’ll have a bunch of pictures & pattern links to post coming up - might save them for next month’s Fiber Arts thread since we’re getting close to the end of the month. I do have one “Gomer Pyle” yarn (surprise! surprise! surprise!) mitten picture to post - craziest thing that’s every happened to me with yarn ... I’ll keep you in suspense for now :-)
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