Knitting and Printing

I have finally finished some of my KNITTING projects. Mark's socks are a Christmas gift - for 2011!! And Liam - well he just arrived in January so I have been madly knitting his wee socks as well. I finished the lace project from the Virginia's Knitters Retreat. The yarn is thick so I only needed two repeats of the pattern (wool, silk, bamboo and sequins). I found this yarn in Palm Springs. I don't get it - it's too warm for knitted much there - maybe January is colder; but two knitting shops. Here is my work.

Fabulous Felted Fusion

At the Edmonton Weavers Guild (clubweb.interbaun.com/~ewg/) on March 17th. Eight students worked madly all day producing felted scarfs. It was a very diverse group of students - some knew a bit about felting and for others it was a first try. In the morning they made a scarf of just wool roving with decorations of bits of roving from their neighboring students and silk throwsters waste (ask me about this product). Following the layout of the roving and wetting it down everyone spent the morning rolling and rolling their soon to be felted fabric. And voila...the magic of soapy water on wool came alive with resulting Fabulous Felted Scarfs. The afternoon was a second method of laying the roving onto silk and again rolling and rolling. Even the teacher (that would be me) was tired at the end of the day. Eight students produced sixteen Fabulous scarfs. They were all really pleased and so was I. I have been invited to teach another felting class in May. If you want to join me, contact me for registration. Glenn kindly took photos that are posted here.

Saskatchewan Stitches Conference

May 24 to June 3. Put these dates on your calendar for the Saskatchewan Stitches Conference. This is the 10th anniversary for this conference. It includes all sorts of cloth and string classes from a Painted Fabric Corset to Sunprinting Fabric by myself to Bra-making, knitting, rug hooking and many quilting classes. I have been fortunate enough to be invited to teach again this year...my fifth year...of teaching and even taking a class occasionally. I have made many friends from Saskatchewan and elsewhere. I have had the opportunity to learn lots about knitting and now I am addicted. I have even made myself snazzy bras embellished with fabulous laces - custom fit and all. Check out this conference at www.hausofstitches.ca and register soon so that you get into the classes that you want. My classes this year are all to do with painting fabric. The Corset class will get you going using many of those embroidery stitches on your machine that you have never tried. Beverly Johnson designed the corset pattern that will be included in the student kit. The Sunprint class will include painting with light sensitive fabric paint as well as Paintstiks and foil. Students will design their own art quilt for this piece.
Here are photos of these projects. Now I can't wait to get to Humboldt!

Fabulous Felted Fusion

Well finally I am back here again.  It is Valentine's Day so I will wish everyone sweet wishes today.

The scarfs in the photos are pieces that I made for the November 2011 Edmonton Weavers Guild Sale.  The pink one didn't sell and I am happy because it matches my winter jacket.  I feel very dressed up when I wear this one.  This was one of the projects that I worked on during the summer of mad felting with friends.  The warm deck was just the place to do this work - me rolling felt underfoot while reading 'girly' novels.  I must have read quite a bit because I did produce quite a few scarfs like these.

There was quite a bit of interest from guild members about the technique that I used to produce these scarfs.  As a result of that, I have been invited to teach this technique.  I call the class 'Fabulous Felted Fusion'.  The class will take place on March 17th at our guild home.  At the time of writing, the class is full.  There is still interest from several potential students so hopefully the class will be held again later in the year.

As I write this my sweetheart is having his afternoon siesta.  He has had a tough year end with a slip on the ice resulting in broken ribs and punctured lung.  He is taking care of himself now and hopefully recovered from that escapade.  He needs a vacation.

I am madly knitting tiny socks for my new wee 'great' nephew born on January 27th.  Photos of those will be in an upcoming posting.

I have been working on a mapping project in my journal this year.  I have been inspired by Jill Berry in an online workshop as well as her book, Personal Geographies.  Now I am seeing 'everything' looking like maps.  I wonder what kind of a map I can make from the baby socks?  Have a look at Jill's blog and website.  Try some 'mapping' and let me know what you come up with.  I will post some of my maps in upcoming days.  It seems that I have much to show but in the meantime I had better get at my work.  Send me photos of your projects.

Is this Me?

Finally signing in after weeks of being 'underground'.  Have a look at this blog http://suebleiweiss.com/freeprojects/minijournal.pdf for a recycled mini book and try it yourself.  Let me know what you used.  I have used telephone books, tracing paper and 'maps' inspired by Jill Berry.  Made in a workshop by Nadia Munarolo-Kurjata
What have you done? Let me see your work and I will get a photo of my wee mini-journal on line ASAP.
Merry Christmas!

Blueprint Quilt

Well now have a look at the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors in letters to the editor.  This quilt is published on that page along with my love note to CPS.  When I received a call from Barbara Delaney asking for permission to publish this photo, I did nearly fall off of my shoes.  Who knew that my work would be displayed in this fabulous publication.

And other than this, I am still felting madly for the Edmonton Weavers Guild fall sale for November 5th at the Strathcona community league.  This weekend is Open House at the guild home so pop around and have a look at the interesting works of our guild members.

My Monarch work is on exhibit at the Muttart Conservatory in a group showing of the Edmonton Calligraphic Society.

I have also just returned home from a brief holiday and have some of my felted scarfs at Bonnie's Fashions in Blairmore, Alberta...really close to Frank Slide.  Drop in there for a look.  And I couldn't resist purchasing yarn at a wee shop in Coleman.  Otherwise I behaved myself on the shopping front.  My darling and I did spend lots of time geocaching and found 10 caches on this vacation.  All of you geocachers can enjoy this bit of information.

Well on with the hunt for some bookkeeping work and felting and geocaching and preserving the summer harvest from my garden.

Madly Felting

Yes that is what I am doing.  I am madly felting my nuno scarves getting ready for the annual Edmonton Weavers Guild sale on November 5th.  That seems like a long ways away.  However, the weather has occasionally cooperated this summer so I can 'felt' outside, rolling the bubble pack with my feet while reading my book.  Nothing at all like multi-tasking.
I also finished weaving several rugs for the sale and here they are.  Two are wool and two more are cotton.  Now I must put another warp onto my loom and get madly at it again. 

If you just can't wait until the Weavers Guild Sale to purchase these items, send me an email and I can arrange your purchase.

This dragonfly is part of the invasion of the dragonflies this summer.  I think they are eating a few of the mossies that have infested Edmonton this summer.