Hong Kong_8th International Shibori Symposium

I am so lucky to be able to attend this event in Hong Kong. Some pre-conference talks and exhibitions have already started.

In the last couple of weeks, Edith Cheung from Cloth Haven gave a talk on the use of wool in Traditional clothing, and Yoshiko Wada gave one on 'Slow Fibres'.

Below are some of the images from the exhibition: 

Animal Fibres: Art Informs Shibori. 

All the images are taken by me and if you use any text or images, please link back to here. Thank you.

Amanda Ross: Rise Up (Handwoven, Hand-dyed, Felted Shibori)

Hiroshi Murase: The Large Surcle Shibori (Yataramiura Shibori, Somewake Boushi shibori, Fulling)

Charlotte Buch: Untitled 1 (Feltmaking)

Jeung-Hwa Park: Panel 2 (Machine Knit, Tie, Felt, dye)

Jeung-Hwa Park: Panel 1 (Machine Knit, Tie, Felt, Dye)

Mie Iwatsubo: the Wave (Knitting, Shibori Stitching, Felting)

As above

Tomoko Iwaizumi: Fire of Passion (Felting, Shibori)

Jorie Johnson: Zebra Crossings (Hand feltmaking, Itajime clamp resist acid-dyed, Japanese lacquer application)

Sarah Martin: Mound #1 (Felting, Tegumo Shibori, Dyeing, Discharge)

As above

Takumi Ushio: Shelter (Felt)

This is only a small selection of work on show and all of them are breath-takingly beautiful. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Knitting like a maniac

I got into a panic about Christmas presents and the thought of fighting with the crowd and spend my money on something worthwhile was wrecking my brain. Then I saw Neki's post on 'lovely things'.

I got into this tunnel vision state, attacked my stash and (machine) knitted like a maniac. I managed to use all stash yarns for the following handmade items so I feel very virtuous indeed.

Knit Felt shawl: Avril Silk stainless and Colourmart cashmere

Kusha Kusha scarf: Avril Silk stainless and Colourmart cashmere

Scarf with random colour blocks and eyelet details: Colourmart cashmere

Scarf with eyelet details: DEA yarns cashmere

Not quite circular shawl with eyelet details: DEA yarns cashmere

All in all, I am very happy with the results and I hope that the recipients will be too. Fortunately, I don't think that they read my blog so it will stay a surprise!

3 is the magic number!?

I have learnt to do a lot of things through books, from friends and also by taking classes/workshops. This includes my textile pursuits as well as in cooking.
Usually for the first attempt, I would follow the instructions quite closely and it sort of acts as a 'control' sample. For the second time, I start make changes because I may have discovered a better/easier way; I want to adjust the design from the original, some fine tuning; or I want to try different fibres/ingredients combinations.
Lately it has come to my realisation that it often takes 3 trials to achieve the satisfying/ideal outcome.
I did a workshop last month on machine knitting and made 'Bri's cardi in wool. Somehow, I miscounted in the decrease in the second panel. I was not happy to just finish it so I re-knitted that panel.

This month I decided to knit the same garment in a linen/silk yarn from Avril. There was a yarn break in the first panel. Just before linking the panels together, I decided that I may give the garment as a gift and will not be able to mend the yarn break well enough so that it is not noticeable. I re-knitted the panel. So far, 3 panels per garment.
Now when the garment is all finished, even the unravelled yarn looks beautiful!

I also wanted to start my next hand knit project. I wanted to take it with me on the next trip and wanted to make sure that I know what to do. I have not knitted many 'lace' pattern before. I cast on and started knitting. Somehow, when I get to the 4th row of pattern, I had miscounted the total number of stitches. I unravelled. This happened twice! I cast on again. I will get some markers before I start the pattern repeats again.........
Is this why people say 'third time lucky?'

Defection?

Lately I feel like I am being drawn to the other side. I have always thought of myself as a weaver rather than a knitter, but I have caught the knitting bug and can't stop.
It is not only machine knitting but also hand knitting. Maybe it is the cold in Melbourne, maybe it is the portability of hand knitting as I have been in lots of waiting rooms recently, or maybe I am just going through a phase......
I am also pleased that I am using yarn from stash, especially the beautiful stuff from Avril.
This amazing knit item is one of Setsuko Torii's designs in her book 'Zoom on Knit Textures'. I have substituted a different yarn for the Pafu (pompom yarn) but using the 3 strands of wool stainless steel yarn.

The combination of stocking and moss stitch in the knit gives this very subtle corrugated texture in combination with the unique characteristics of the yarn.

Some 4 ply alpaca from stash, and I knitted this cowl for a gift. I found the pattern on Ravelry; an amazing place and believe me, I have spent a bit of time there as well. Probably why another reason I have been so quiet on the blogger front.....

I have been trying to put some order to my stash and I was confronted by how much yarn I have in stash. Machine knit is great way to use up odd balls/cones for a quick and beautiful present. I knitted a modified version of Kozue with some possum lace-weight yarn for a friend visiting from Europe. It was a shock for her to be in COLD Melbourne.
Mum also wanted one and I did a cashmere version for her.

Another skill that I have put into practice is maintaining my machine. 

 Some very simple tools and I can look after my relatively new acquisition:

It is an oldie but a good one. It has a light carriage and has been a life saver on my shoulder. It does not have any fancy punch card function but enough to allow me to knit the Kozues, and the part circular shawl.
I also participated in a knit-along for the first time. It was the Kakomu, a hand knit pattern that I opted to knit up on the knitting machine. Yes, I have caught the knitting bug but not so much infected that I would knit miles of stocking stitch.........

'Love the machine knitting...

.......does it really do such cool stuff?!? Who knew.'
This came in an email recently from a friend. I guess there are many people who think that way.
On the last weekend of May, I attended one of two days of the MKAV (Machine Knitting Association of Victoria) seminar. There were demonstrations, a market hall, exhibition display and a parade of knitted garments by novices to experienced knitters, amateurs and professionals. All in all it was an interesting and full-on experience. My brain was bursting with new techniques and ideas. I wish I had put down my name for the second day as well but I am definitely attending next year!


I attended the workshops/demonstrations by Diane Chambers (ribber work) and Tony Bennett (design process).
Diane's workshop was titled 'get your ribber out of a rut!' Interesting technical tips and how-to's with the ribber was good but some of the information just went over my head as I have not really gotten the ribber out of its box yet, let alone letting it get into a rut!? It will happen but not just yet.....
Tony's talk was named 'picture perfect', I understood. He uses images of ordinary items/objects, taken from his daily walk as starting point to develop new designs, much like the Pics to Pick challenge except it is his own choice of images.
He showed us the original image and a step-by-step development, sometimes from a simple punch card to the blending of yarns and colours to finally come up with something that is quite inspirational and unique, and he demonstrates the final fabric in simple garment forms so that the fabric is the star of the show.


So here are some photos, and I hope that you will agree they are pretty cool stuff:

In the shadow, sample by Tony Bennett,
inspired by image of fencing wire shadow

Grate expectation, sample by Tony Bennett,
inspired by security grilles in a shop front.

Sunburnt country , human knitting machine
by Angela McGregor and others

So cheers to the organizers to a successful event, and much enjoyed by this novice.

Speed by machine

This would have been a hand knitting project that takes months (by me that is) to complete and the extensive amount of stocking stitch would have driven me insane. However, the beauty of the piece has an attraction that made me keep thinking about it.
Finally with some encouragement from Soozs (and she has given a lot of that to me lately), it became a bit of a challenge to figure it out by machine.

75g of 2/28 lace weight cashmere and 4 hours later. Completed and I can gaurantee that it will be worn heaps this winter!

In vain, I have struggled.....

Thank you Meg and Neki for your encouragement but I failed dismally and it became a total implosion of yarn consumption.

I had a need for retail therapy, so I bought yarn.
I was not tempted by chocolate nor hot cross buns over Easter, but I bought yarn.
I needed to get mother's day present, so I bought yarn.
I was on Ravelry and discovered this thing called destashing, and I bought yarn.
The Australian dollar has been strong, so I bought yarn.
I discovered Madeline Tosh yarns, so I bought yarn.

However, I am happy to say that production rate was up and I have results to show for them.

From stash, I finally made/finished these:


Twisted Rib Cowl, hand knitted - a belated birthday present.
Used up 2.4 balls of yarn, Morris and Sons Quartet 8ply.

  

The Irish Scarf, handwoven - a birthday present received on time.
Used up 1.5 balls of each colour, Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed.

  

The Noro Stripey scarf, handwoven - an early birthday present.
Used up 2 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite and
some odds and ends of 2/28 cashmere yarn.

Rooftop Cowl, hand knitted - onto my 6th one!
To be gifted and I think that this one will stay in Melbourne.
This will finally use up all the alpaca.

From new purchases, I made these:

Another Twisted Rib Cowl, hand knitted.
Madeline Tosh pashmina - an one skein project.
Gorgeous feel and drape. For myself.

The part circular shawl, machine knitting. Mother's day present.
3 Skeins of Madeline Tosh Light from detash on Ravelry.

A crochet edge to the shawl.
I think that this took longer to do than all of the machine knitting!

I love the detail when all the eyelets converging at the top.

New recruits......

We had a wonderfully productive sunday afternoon of maching knitting by 10-year old 'A' who came over with her dad. Both of them have never done it before but at the end of 4 hours, they each had finished pieces!

'A's' younger sister also helped to push the carriage but she was a bit young to do a piece on her own. She knitted a scarf 40 stitches wide by 1000 rows, based on card #8, tuck stitch.
Her dad knitted 2 panels of 50cm by 120cm to be linked partially together to form a wrap. That was on card #3, tuck stitch.
I am off to Christine's this evening to do the linking and hopefully, she will show me how to block the pieces as well!

Mixed frills

My shoulders have been playing up and the last item of machine knitting I finished was the purple frills. This piece was full of frustrations as the colour was perfect but the yarn was not of great quality despite being pure wool. It was made to go with 'Curly' and they were birthday presents for 2 little girls. In the end, it turned out ok. There were lots of broken ends to weave in, which is NOT my favourite task!

I was also keen to try out this version of the silk/stainless steel yarn and wool. However, I was also aware that more machine knitting is not a good idea. In the end, Christine had very generously offered to knit this up for me!

She is a real champion of the craft - generous with her time, equipment, enthusiasm and most of all encouraging with novices. I admire her energy at the MAKV stand, promoting machine knitting at craft shows, demonstrating alternative styles of knitting with simple shapes and interesting yarns.

This was knitted with some Avril grey silk/stainless steel yarn and a merino(70%)/cashmere(30%) variegated shades of grey by 'the bunny lady'. This is her nickname by another friend and I have adopted it. Once I remember the 'real' name, I will let you know.

She makes wonderful spaced dyed yarn in this mix and also beautifully dyed fleece for spinning and felting right here in Victoria (Australia)!

Ruffling with the knitting machine

Yesterday I helped out Christine at the MAKV stand at the Craft and Quilt show, with some demostration of handmanipulation techniques.

Very simple one, just lifting some stitches from a few rows below to the current row and knitted them together.

I used a 'Brother' machine. A very simple machine that only did stocking stitch and any variations are by tension change or hand-manipulation.

The effect reminded me of the curly seaweed that you get at Japanese restaurants! well, especially in this colour.

This is made of 2 ply Bendigo Woollen Mill 'classic' wool and I dyed this colour with Barb. We used acid milling dye and the microwave.

It also satisfied my search for various methods of creating ruffle effect with machine knitting. More on this obsession in another post.

Not so plain beige

I am doing machine knitting at textile school this semester. The first project was to familiarise ourselves with machine knitting again and to experiment with punch card #3 on the Singer machines.


This was the inspiring sample. I often wonder how to achieve similar textures or patterns in different ways of making cloth, ie with weaving and knitting. I like the folded effect that one can achieve with double weave and this is my version in machine knitting. I am sure other people have come across this before but I figured it out on my own and it was satisfying.
I thought, it was all very well to do a small sample but what would it look like as the 'real thing'? I tested and had probably half a dozen discarded samples. In the end, I got this scarf.

It was knitted without weights as it would stretch the stitches and the folds would flatten out and also become less even.
I kept my fingers crossed the whole time that it won't jump off the machine (well, figure of speech as I needed both hands - one to steady the knitted section and the other to move the carriage).

The texture gave this colour a bit more 'life'. This yarn was in my 'discard' stash. I had given up hope of making anything interesting out of it, and then this happened!

I also like the way the edges are slightly 'frilled'.

I am going to try it again with a few other colours, varying widths, but that may have to be later in the year........

Plaited possum and cotton

I finally got it done - a plaited scarf using one strand of 2/20 mercerised cotton and 2 strands of possum yarn. The colours are close and the difference in yarn ratio created enough rippling to mimic the collapse weave /ribbed like effect.

I only have 2 claw weights that came with the machine but found what I think is a cast on comb? The cotton section is so delicate that it needed an even weight across the width of the whole piece. even then, I couldn't knit more than 15 full passes without it jumping off the needles.

The rippling effect was beautiful. I wonder what it would be like if it was done on a ribber. I haven't learnt any double bed knitting yet - only how to maintain it and how to set it up.

I know one of the effect of single bed knitting is the curly edges. No matter how much I steamed it , it did not flatten out. I have not knitted (hand or machine) enough to learn how to block things either.

The washed sample below has flattened out a bit but the overall effect is still there. There are still a few more ideas to try out with this technique and I think that they will create some interesting textures!