Spinning Progress

Hand spun Merino yarn

A little over a year ago I learnt to spin. I initially learnt so that I could use the spinning wheel we'd been donated at The Heathlands Project with the members there. However, I very quickly became addicted and within a couple of months I had my own wheel and a rapidly growing stash of hand-spun yarn.

First attempts...

Experimenting with adding feathers

My first attempts were very lumpy and bumpy and uneven, although not without their own charm! With practice my spinning has improved and although I'm far from expert I can now spin a reasonably even and smooth yarn. I even treated myself to a chunky flyer so I can also spin chunky yarns now (which, surprisingly, is harder than spinning fine yarns.)

Making rolags with white wool tops and nepps

Spinning with the jumbo flyer

Chunky yarn

Chunky yarn

I've enjoyed experimenting with spinning different fibres and it's been a great way of working through my fibre stash, although in reality what has happened is that I have transferred it from the fibre stash to the yarn stash. I think this year I will have to work on using up some of my hand-spun yarns.

Rolags for my Magpie Yarn

Magpie Yarn

Magpie weaving using my hand spun yarn and other materials

I'd always been intrigued by spinning but had shied away from trying it as I thought it would be far too time consuming to produce any useful quantity of yarn. I've been surprised by how quickly I can create a skein of yarn that I can then go on and use for other things (or sit and admire.) As with  many textile processes I'm drawn to the somewhat alchemy like nature of spinning; creating something precious from something everyday. I like being able to produce the materials I use in my work myself.

Fleece bought at Woolfest

Being spun...

...into yarn

Over the past year walking, being out in the natural world and collecting and using natural materials has become increasingly important in my work. Spinning feels like an extension of this, working with natural fibres to create yarns that I can then dye or use as they are. One of the things I want to explore further this year is natural dyeing. I've already dyed up some of my hand-spun and am looking forward to doing more, particularly when the weather improves and things start growing again!

Dyeing with logwood

Dyeing with Kool Aid

Dyeing with Kool Aid

In something of a contradiction to my previous point about connections with the natural world I did experiment with dyeing my yarn with kool-aid; about as far from natural as you can get. However, it's a very easy process and I'm pleased with the results. Having seen what it does to yarn though there's no way I'd actually drink it! Even without dyeing spinning is a great way to experiment with colour, blending different fibres together to create unique yarns with subtle (or bold) variations in colour and texture.)

Bowl made from my chunky hand spun yarn

Fingerless gloves knitted from my hand spun yarn

Fingerless gloves knitted from my hand spun yarn

One of the main reasons that I've got so into spinning is that it is incredibly relaxing. It's a very gentle movement and very tactile, I can happily spend an hour or two feeding the fibre through my hands and creating something beautiful and useful. I find it a good way to unwind if I'm feeling tense or stressed, the repetitive actions are soothing and there's the added bonus of a finished product! On that note, I'm off to do some more spinning...

Hand Embroidery: Embellishing Printed Fabrics

Participants work: Textile marker and stitch on printed fabric

One of my favourite elements of my work is running workshops. I love taking an idea to people, sharing it with them and seeing how differently everyone interprets it. Last year I was asked to do a couple of textile based workshops for Tullie House's Saturday Sessions, the first of which was in February.

Set up and ready to go in the lovely Meeting Room at Tullie House

Ready to go

Selection of fabrics to work into

For a while now I have been taking printed fabrics and working into them with textile markers and hand embroidery. It struck me that this would be an excellent workshop idea. One of the comments I get a lot is that people would like to stitch but they can't draw or make their own designs. I happen to think this is rubbish and that with a bit of guidance everyone can come up with a creative design but I also think that when there's an easy solution to an issue why not try that first?

Using textile markers to add colour to the fabric and give a base for stitching

Adding colour and personality with textile markers

The aim of this workshop was to give people a starting point to explore colour and hand embroidery. By using printed fabrics the scary element of making one's own design is removed so the focus can be on experimenting with stitch and colour. At a time when the rise of the adult colouring book seems unstoppable it seems clear that the creative desire is out there, it just needs a bit of nurturing and encouraging.

Adding stitch to our coloured in fabrics 

Adding stitch to our coloured in fabrics 

Deciding which stitch to choose first

Despite a few technical hitches at the start of the day it was a really lovely workshop with a lovely group of people. The atmosphere was very relaxed and quiet, with everyone focused on their work quietly enjoying the slow meditative qualities that hand stitch offers interspersed with lots of interesting conversations. One of the participants described the workshop as a treat which as well as being a great compliment I thought was very apposite; in our busy lives it can be hard to find time to sit still and work on something as time consuming as a hand embroidery so it is a treat to have a whole day focused on just that.

Work in progress

Work in progress

Work in progress: Effective use of feather stitch to build texture and depth

I always find that workshops are very much a two way learning experience, I hope that my participants learn from me and go away enthused and with new ideas and skills but I usually find that I come away with something new too. On this occasion I discovered new artists to research and learnt about some of the characters in Carlisle's textile teaching past. I even had time to work on one of my own pieces which I really appreciated.

Bright and bold colours and stitching

Stitch, buttons, sequins and colour creating a beautiful and unique piece

Working on my own piece...

I also always enjoy seeing how people handle the same media so differently and am often inspired by their approaches. One of the participants chose to cut up some of the motifs from her chosen fabric and this really changed the technique and opened up new possibilities. I also sold a piece of work so that's always a nice confidence boost! At the end of the session I felt full of inspiration and ideas and excited about the next workshop at Tullie House (which if you are interested is making mini Textile Banners on 23rd April!)

Simple, bold colours add an interesting twist to this piece

And it changes again when the motifs are cut out

I love the colours in this bird and the careful choice of stitch

Bright and chirpy!

Knit fast, Die Warm

My completed jumper

I began this jumper in January last year (2013) and have finally finished it. I don't have a great track record with finishing jumpers in a timely fashion, I get distracted and do other things and so although this project has taken over a year and a half for the vast majority of that time it's been sat in my knitting bag doing nothing. I realise it is therefore somewhat contradictory to have 'knit fast' knitted on it but it amuses me, and it is very warm. Also, one cardigan took me seven years to complete so actually this was pretty speedy in comparison! Knitting is my therapy, I do it to relax and for enjoyment so I don't really mind how long something takes.

Knitted hot water bottle cover

Getting started

A few years ago I designed and made a hot water bottle cover with a very similar design on the front. I thought at the time it would make a good jumper but knowing the chances of me making it any time soon were slim it stayed as an idea for quite a while. Eventually, many projects later, I decided the time was nigh and I started to look for basic patterns that I could just add my chart to. I was going to design a pattern myself but decided that this would increase the length of time it would take me to complete the jumper by too much, I actually quite wanted to wear it.

Chart knitted, now all the black...

After a bit of interwebbing I found a free pattern on the Lion Brand website that I thought would work. It is knitted all in one piece and is nice and slouchy, which is what I was after. I'd never knitted a jumper that was all one piece before and I don't think I would again. Because the sleeves aren't set in (the jumper is a classic 'T' shape) it is a bit bulky under the arms but this is a minor niggle and I think I will get used to it. I also found that the sleeves were very short (or I maybe just have monkey arms) so I ended up extending the cuffs by about 30 rows. I used Fashion Aran by King Cole, a wool/acrylic mix. It feels very nice, hopefully it will wash well too. I also re-charted my design as the needles were a bit wrong on my first attempt for the hot water bottle cover. I used knitters graph paper and drew out my design in pencil, altering it until I was happy.

The jumper on

Monkey arms

One 'slight' mistake I made was starting the chart too soon, so there is quite a big gap between the neck edge and the design due to a slight mathematical miscalculation and being over cautious ( I didn't want to run out of space for the chart.) However, I have decided to embrace this space as my necklace space, and I shall just wear a pendant necklace kind of thing when I wear this jumper. I should also have worked backwards and done the back first because then I would have got my chart in the right place and had something to look forward to; because I did the chart first I then just had acres of boring black stocking stitch!

Cuff detail

Side detail

Overall I'm pretty happy with how it's turned out, I wanted a cosy casual jumper with a funky design and that's what I've ended up with.

Design detail

A Giraffe in Stanhope

Sheep!

We had a lovely mini-break last week in Stanhope, County Durham. It's the fourth time we've visited and one of the things that I love about it is that although it is very remote there is so much to see and do and it's only an hour and a bit away from us. We were also very lucky with the weather this time and were treated to gorgeous sunshine and clear blue skies. We made the most of this by getting out and about and doing a bit of walking, which was both relaxing and inspiring. The landscape is awesome in the truest sense of the word and alive with wildlife and sheep (which I have become obsessed with trying to identify since buying a sheep poster at Woolfest a couple of weeks ago!)

More sheep

Blue skies

Wide open spaces

One of our trips was to Durham where we walked along the river and enjoyed mooching around the city, exploring the alleys and little paths. In the cafe where we had lunch we saw this wonderful embroidered map from 1796 which prompted lots of discussions about how county borders have changed, traditions of embroidery and samplers and the merits of various dyestuffs.

Embroidered map

Detail

Detail

No holiday would be complete without a few souvenirs and naturally mine are textile based! In Durham we visited the Fowler's Yard art studios and had a lovely chat with the proprietor of the Woolly Workshop, who has got me all excited about giving spinning a go. We also visited Allendale Forge Studios which also got me feeling all inspired and creative. I came away with some more threads to have a go at doing a bit of natural dyeing, having invested in a book and some dyestuffs (again at Woolfest.) 

Threads, silk, fabric and beads

Threads for experimenting with

Pretty beads

As well as some sketching and stitching I also made a giraffe whilst we were away. Before we left I was given a kit that the person had bought but got fed up with without finishing the giraffe. Although the pattern was simple it was a bit fiddly so not ideal for a beginner. However, I do think that the finished giraffe is rather sweet!

Crocheted giraffe

Crocheted giraffe

Crocheted giraffe