Tottie Talks Crafts Blog » knitting

Book Review: Knitting with the color guys

tottietalkscrafts — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:39:01 +0000

The other morning, a wonderful package arrived in my studio.

In it, there was a review copy (courtesy of the publisher: LINK) of a completely delicious new book from Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably:

Knitting With the Color Guys: Inspiration, Ideas, and Projects from the Kaffe Fassett Studio.

No books or dogs were harmed in the making of this photograph

We have come to expect perfection and lusciousness from Kaffe Fassett, and once again, the Wizard of Color has lived up to expectations.

Oh my word, this book is gorgeous!

The projects are glorious, the photos are the stuff of dreams, and the models (Rushka Chorr-Konn and Floss Barnett Howland) are beautifully REAL.

The projects range in difficulty from absolute entry level to “wheeeeeee this is fun” and “hallelujah! I CAN do this!”

No sweaters…. but scarves, fingerless gloves, stoles, and leg warmers are featured along with all manner of beauteous throws, blankets and cushions.

Many of the larger projects are modular, which makes them wonderfully portable as take along knitting.

This is a book that is well worth owning.

VERY drool inducing indeed!

Raise high the knitting needles in salute, once again, to Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably. Thanks, Color Guys!

Can Edward and Anastasia Bear be knitted with thicker yarn and larger needles?

tottietalkscrafts — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:04:47 +0000

Yes! They can!

Edward and Anastasia Bear are 2 little bears that I have designed for ‘Your Knitting Life’ magazine (formerly known as ‘Knitting Today’), and they’ve been in each issue of the magazine since it started.

They are small… they’re 6 inches tall, and are knitted on 2.75 mm needles using Regia sock yarn.

Recently, on Ravelry, someone asked if Edward and Anastasia could be made larger, and the answer is, ‘You betcha’!

The humungous Edward Bear in the photo is 18 inches tall. If you knit with 8 or 9 mm needles and super bulky yarn or 2 strands of medium weight yarn held together, you will get one very large Edward Bear! Stitch through the hips to make them bendable.

The pattern for the basic Edward is available for free from the ‘Your Knitting Life’ website: Edward pattern link.

You can see pics of the all Edward and Anastasia installments here: Pics

Minoan Goddess of the Bees Knitted pattern is now a pdf

tottietalkscrafts — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:32:25 +0000

Poor little Minoan Goddess of the Bees! She wasn’t being at all well served!

This morning, I received an email, and a pm, from someone who was right ticked off with a terrible photo that was up on my website.

It was a tiny photo of my knitted Minoan Goddess of the Bees.

OOPS!

So, I spent the day, not only re-doing the photo, but building a beautiful new pdf of the knitting pattern for the Minoan Goddess of the Bees.

She looks lovely now!

Many years ago, I was reading a book about ancient Greece.

There were a couple of tiny drawings of little figures that were engraved on pottery and furniture from Crete about 1700 BCE.

I fell in love with the tiny images and have been working with them ever since.

They were called, ‘Minoan Dewdrop or Bee Goddesses’ sacred to the goddess, Persephone.

They are known as ‘Melisae’.

The pattern for the knitted Minoan Goddess of the Bees is available at: http://www.crone-findlay.com/knitteddollpatterns.html

4 panel blanket woven on the triangle loom

tottietalkscrafts — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:41:27 +0000

I love geometry, and am intrigued by sacred geometry. I think that’s why I like working with looms that are different geometric shapes.

Last autumn, my nephew and his bride asked me to weave them a blanket as a wedding present.

Hmm- there were so many options on how to weave the blanket.

I settled on using my triangle loom that had recently arrived from Dewberry Ridge looms. Link

I set it up to the 5 foot configuration and started weaving:

I decided that 4 triangles on the 5 foot configuration of the loom, stitched together with the hypotenuse of the triangles forming the outside edge of the blanket, would work best.

I wanted to try giving it a bit more texture and interest than just plain weave, so I went with Over 2/Under 2, and loved it.

The yarn is gorgeous Kertzer wool that has been discontinued. It took 12 balls of

Kertzer Rejuvenation, 100% wool, 100 gm/3.5 oz, 200 m/220 yds, color # 8006 to make the blanket.

I used 2 strands of yarn held together to weave the triangles for the blanket.

To stitch the 4 triangles together, I laid them on the dining room table and stitched 2 triangles together (remembering to have the hypotenuse on the outside, and not stitched), then stitched the other 2 triangles together.

Then, I stitched the long center seam together.

I used the ‘V’ or ‘Baseball’ stitch to do the stitching.

This video shows how to do it:

After I stitched the 4 triangles together, I spool knitted about 21 feet of spool knitted cord for the outside edges.

I stitched it onto the blanket edges….

Here’s a video that shows how to do that:

I thought that loops at the corner would be pretty, so I added them

It was a crazy amount of work to make the blanket.

The weaving took 12 or 13 days of full days at the loom, and the spool knitting, fulling, stitching etc added several more days.

So, this is NOT a quick and easy project.

I hope that my nephew and his bride like it, and if they don’t, I gave them my permission to give it away, so that someone else can enjoy it.

No point in having it fill up a cupboard and not be used, so hopefully, it is keeping someone warm and cozy!

Alternate uses for triangle loom and easel

tottietalkscrafts — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:36:44 +0000

I love my triangle loom-( I have the Dewberry Ridge adjustable one that is a wonder of engineering and fine craftsmanship. LINKIE

I know this, because I do some woodworking myself, so I know how hard it is to create such precise joins! And the math and geometry is amazing.)

Anyhow… back to my starting point here…. so, I love my triangle loom and the easel it hangs on.

(Although, I have to admit that I have royally bopped myself by smacking into the loom and having it fall on me- yow! And, ahem… I’ve done this MORE times than I care to admit, and each time, I reel away, muttering- “Man! that thing’s heavy!” And it HURTS when you, pardon the pun, ~nail yourself~ with it. I even got myself on the head with it one time. oi vey.)

ANYHOW>>> back to my starting point! I keep wandering astray here!

Okay, so I loves me my loomie…. right… and sometimes I bop myself with it, right, which has NOTHING to do, whatsoever, with what I want to show you….

Which is- that I love that I can multi-task with it!

I mean… after all, if you are going to be living with a big loom, that no matter how much you love it, it still jumps out and thumps you, you better be able to use it in more ways than just weaving with it, right?

So, here’s the deal….

My brilliant daughters are both gifted craftswomen and artists, and they are doing another craft show together this weekend.

So, Daughter #2 (technically, she’s my daughter-in-law, but I love her like she’s my very own, so she’s Daughter #2, not just ‘DIL’) is a fabulous spinner and maker of gorgeous yarns and rovings.

She has knitted up some lovely lace shawls for the show, and mentioned that she needed to do the dreaded blocking. (ugh)

This one is a combination of shetland and camel that she spun.

Looks pretty gnarly before blocking!

I had a flash of inspiration-

I asked her what size she wanted to block them to, and she said 4 feet on the hypotenuse for one of them and 5 feet on the other….

AHA!!!! my triangle loom will work PERFECTLY for blocking the lace shawls!

So I whipped out the different sections to change it to 4 feet (as I had been weaving cowls using the 3 foot configuration -here’s the link to the cowls LINKIE)

And, in 2 shakes of a lamb’s tail, we had her shawl on the loom and blocking!

The shawl is now a thing of beauty!

AND… I have discovered that the easel for the tri loom is also wonderful for multi-tasking-

I have a grotty, ugly old warping board that needs to be supported when I am using it.

I foolishly gave away the folding screen that I used to hang it on when I warp. (in a vague attempt at downsizing and de-cluttering)

I figured that I have another folding screen, and that it would work just as well, right?

Wrong! it goes all shrinking violet on me when I try to hang Mr Plug Ugly Warping Board on it. Rats!

So, when I got the brilliant notion of using the tri loom easel to support Mr Plug Ugly Warping Board, imagine my delight at having it be PERFECT!

(The fractious folding screen had me in conniptions, so you need to understand just how VERY happy I was!!!)

And, yep, that is the evil un-co-operative folding screen to the right.

and eegads… the studio is one honkin’ mess… well, it was either clean the studio, or write this blog post.

(I obviously opted to blog instead of clean. )

ANYHOW>>>>

I am pleased…. warping is, once again, a pleasure!

I love the way the long low winter sun makes such neat shadows:

And, here’s the back of the easel, showing how Mr Plug Ugly (but oh so essential) Warping Board hangs so nicely on the easel.

Multi-tasking is a very satisfying thing when it means that I get to use my tools in ways that they weren’t originally designed for.

Happy dancing!

I have started a group on Ravelry

tottietalkscrafts — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:08:39 +0000

I’ve started a group on Ravelry where I will be gathering up and posting all kinds of links to tutorials, designs, patterns, free patterns, and more.

I’ll be working on it, bit by bit to get information into it….

and you are so welcome to join!

Noreen’s Ravelry group

Edward Bear has two new fans

tottietalkscrafts — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:41:51 +0000

The phone just rang, and it was my sister.

She went grocery shopping and found ‘Knitting Today’ on the stand.

She thought… hmmm… Isn’t this the magazine that has Noreen’s teddy bears?

She was delighted to flip it open and find Edward Bear in his new raincoat, boots and hat.

Another lady was browsing the knitting magazines, so Sis said:

“Excuse me…. I just have to show you what my sister does…”

and showed her the photo of Edward looking spiffy in his raincoat.

They had a lovely chat, and as my sister turned to toodle off, the lady reached over and said:

‘You don’t need to buy ALL the copies of the magazine! I want one, too!”

She reached over and plucked one of the copies out of Sis’s basket, and grinned.

And, then she went off to see Mom.

Well…. Mom fell madly in love with Edward Bear, so, guess what?

I need to knit an Edward Bear for our mother, and of course, one for my sister… and, oh yes, I promised one to my daughter, too….

Hmmm… I wonder if Sis would rather have an Anastasia Bear?

I need to stop everything and knit up some small, but wonderful bears for the women in my family.

We all have a well developed sense of whimsy, and Edward and Anastasia definitely are all about delight.

Off to grab my needles….

Win a copy of Vogue Knitting’s new Stitchionary

tottietalkscrafts — Wed, 26 May 2010 05:50:36 +0000

Knitters of the world rejoice!

Sixth & Spring Books

have just released

their latest

‘Stitchionary’-

The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from

the Editors of Vogue-Knitting Magazine.

It’s a big honking bundle of joy-

a coffee table size book in fact,

and is just gorgeous. It’s a compendium of all kinds of recipes for knitting inspiration and creativity.

There are color photos for every swatch, as well as written instructions and charts.

The editors have cleverly established categories and themes that are very logical, so working out what you want and need is really easy, when you are contemplating design decisions.

There are Easy/Mesh patterns that are great for entry level knitters, or for a quick project.

Then there are All over patterns in a range from easy to challenging.

Panels can be a focal point, and just used as the only lace in a piece or can be combined with other elements.

Edgings- well… edgings are a treat, so it’s great to have lots of them….

Motifs- yum…. you can just dive into these- bliss!!!

Combos are patterns that bring together lots of knitting techniques along with the lace.

And Chevrons are ‘V’ shapes that are really interesting to build a design around- they are an ancient design embellishment used in many art forms.

Oh, my word…. this book is a chunk of heaven, and one lucky reader (that would be Wendy) won a copy! Sorry…. but the contest is now closed!

Don’t despair…. I will have other lovely books to give away…. I promise!

Happy knitting!

When does

Designer Profile- Alissa Barton the Knitting Fairy

tottietalkscrafts — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:06:47 +0000

Alissa Barton and I became friends a long time ago, when we ‘met’ on a very neat email group.

The first time I saw her signature, ‘The Knitting Fairy’, I went- WOW! because, way back in 2000, my design for my Knitting Angel Link was featured in Vogue Knitting. I had asked my son to set up an email addy for it, and he set it up as Knitting Fairy instead of Knitting Angel. (That email addy is long gone btw)

So, I thought that it was really neat synchronicity that there was another Knitting Fairy out there, thousands of miles away in real time and space, but right by my heart in other (possibly MORE “real” ways! ).

Ah… Synchronicity. It’s so amazing.

Anyhow…. I have been meaning to share my love of Alissa with you for a long time and I have finally gotten around to it! My questions to Alissa are in green and her answers are in black.

copyright Alissa Barton used with permission

1. How did you come to create your ‘Knitting Fairy’ company?

Knitting Fairy is the name given to me by my friend’s three small girls years ago. I was teaching them how to knit and I would fix their mistakes while they slept. They loved coming to stay at my house because they thought the Knitting Fairy lived there! I started the company a few years later when my students kept asking me to write out the patterns I was making for myself. It’s grown quite a bit since then and those little girls are expecting their own families now.

2. Do you have a favorite product or aspect of all that you do and make with and for ‘The Knitting Fairy”?

I love designing shawls. I don’t tend to go for the Pie in the Sky type designs, I much prefer to design things that are fairly simple, straight-forward shapes that knitters of all levels can make and enjoy. I am also quite well known for my quirky tea cozy designs. I love their whimsical nature.

3. What aspect of being a designer, workshop presenter and artisan is most challenging to you?

The most difficult thing is trying to stay on top of current trends so that I am designing and teaching things that people actually want to make and wear.

4. What part of it is the most rewarding to you?

I LOVE seeing people happily wearing one of my designs, it’s a big thrill!

5. How long have you been designing and crafting your fiber arts professionally?

I have been teaching knitting for about 20 years, I began producing my own designs in 1994.

copyright Alissa Barton used with permission

6. What triggers your creativity? What is most inspiring to you?

I never really know what is going to spark a design or idea. I am always looking at the world around me for new ideas. Sometimes I take an idea that is suggested to me and run with it, sometimes they just rattle around in my brain until I find the time to sit down and let them out.

7. Are the fiber arts your main focus?

Yes. I just love doing anything with fiber. There are times when I wish I could paint or draw, and I try to learn but I end up back with yarn in my hands in order to express myself.

8. What is your favorite way of getting your work out into the world?

I love selling my designs at fiber festivals and shows. It’s a real treat to meet people and discuss their plans for making my designs. I love helping them choose the colors of yarn to use. It’s amazing to me how little confidence people have in picking colors for themselves. People are so afraid they will “do it wrong”, when there really is no right or wrong. What is the worst thing that will happen if you make a sweater in a color that doesn’t suit you? You have to give it away or re-dye it. Even if you rip it all out there is really nothing “lost”, it’s just an adventure and you get to learn new stuff along the way. How can that be bad?

9. Does where you live influence your work in any way?

Absolutely! I live in the Dallas, Texas area. We don’t really have a need for woolens. It might be cold enough to wear a wool sweater 5 or 6 days a year. I make and wear a lot of shawls. Also, we knit and wear lots of cottons and blends.

10. Where can people buy your work?

I sell my patterns through my website www.KnittingFairy.com and in various shops across the US. I also design and sell patterns for Brooks Farm Yarn, these patterns are available from them at shows and on my website.

11. Do you maintain a blog or website or etsy shop? If so, what are their urls?

I have a blog which is at www.knittingfairy.com/blog

12. Do you have a crafting or arts community that influences you and is important to you? (online or ‘real life’). Is it important to you to be in touch with your peers?

We are very blessed in this area to have many local knitting, spinning and crochet guilds. I attend as many meetings as possible. I also meet regularly with my fiber friends to knit, spin and socialize. I am very lucky to work with the fine folks at Brooks Farm Yarns, their beautiful yarns are always an inspiration. I have the best job on the planet!

13. Do you have an all time favorite piece that you designed?

I always have a favorite, usually the most recent design. Today, that would be my Counterspell shawl. My best sellers would be the Triple S Shawl and the Ducky Tea Cozy.

14. Is there a project or product that has ever flumoxed you and just refused to work out?

Always! To knit is to rip, right? To me, working out and around problems is the fun. If it just won’t work, then I learn what I can and move on to the next thing.

15. Is there anything that I have missed that you would like to share with the readers of Tottie Talks Crafts?

I would just tell people to not be afraid to try something. You never learn anything by doing what you already know. Stretch yourself, try something new! After all, it’s only yarn.

Lily is back!

tottietalkscrafts — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:14:20 +0000

I am so pleased!

One of my most favorite dolls of all the thousands of dolls that I have designed, is ‘Lily’.

Somehow, I managed to loose the file that had her pattern in it, and oops, had sold all my paper copies of her pattern.

Oh my word!

It’s been driving me nuts that I couldn’t find her file, so I spent most of the day searching through all my files. whew.

I was THRILLED when I found her file!

So, I set to work on rebuilding it, as it was an earlier version, and now I have created a pdf of her pattern.

Whee hah! My darlin’ Lily is back in town! woohoo!

I’ve put her on my website. You can see her at:

Noreen’s Dolls

wheeeeeeeeeee