Yarn Crafts and Arts!

[Rhea]

What are you working on? What skill do you wish you could detangle?

I want to tat some drink coasters so I can empty my water glass and place it upside down so it’ll dry. But I’ve never tatted.

 

[Rhea]

Here’s a thing I’m making. I’ve been working on it for many years. I do a square or two, then put it away for a while, then do a few more. I might finish it this winter.

It’s crochet, pretty thick and heavy, sized for a lap blanket.

 

[Angry Floof]

OOOOH that is outstanding. Looking forward to pics of the finished product.

Tonight I paused the xmas scarf projects in order to finish off the cardigan I made for my niece. It was terrible work and the yarn made for a heavy sweater. I wanted it to be light and fluffy but the yarn is too heavy. I was going to frog it and make something better, but my niece visited today and tried in on and she loves it as it is. It fits almost perfectly but I'm giving it an edge in tunisian crochet to add width so she can wrap it better and it will be cozier, plus the collar opening was a bit too wide. She even loves the mistakes I pointed out. I'll post pics later.

 

[Rhea]

Contemplating on that lap blanket above whether I join the squares with blue yarn (meaning I may have to make fewer squares) or join with a contrast color like dusty rose or ivory. The blocks are about 10 inches square.

One of the sad artefacts of taking years on a project is that there’s no way to get more yarn.

 

[Angry Floof]

Do you also get indecisive when you're in creative mode? The internet is my bff when I have a crafting decision to make. So much useful feedback to be had in crafting groups.

 

[whollygoats]

Good evening.

I am a widower of a former knitter/spinner. I lost her almost fifteen years ago and I still miss the house being filled with fleece, and wheels, and knitting projects cubed. I have a 1911 Canadian Production wheel sitting unused in my front window. I was a willing unindicted co-conspirator to her mad runs to 'spin-ins' in remote corners of the region, being the 'get-away driver' so she could either knit, or use her compact wheel, on the move.

Anyway, I'm dangerous enough to make a complete ass of myself in a fiber discussion....but then, asses are damned smart animals.

Rhea....Those squares for the lap blanket. You dyed them with natural indigo? It looks like natural indigo colouring.

 

[Rhea]

<3 Lovely introduction to your spouse’s fiber self. Thanks for sharing.

I did not dye my yarn, this is, as we say in the back woods, “boughten yarn.” Dying is fun and I’ve done it on fabric, but not yet on yarn.

 

[Rhea]

Do you also get indecisive when you're in creative mode? The internet is my bff when I have a crafting decision to make. So much useful feedback to be had in crafting groups.

I do. I have occasionally abandoned a project over indecision. Noodled and noodled and then realized the kid outgrew what I had cut out while I was pondering how to sew it up. . Bad mom. Son never got to wear the bright green jacket with the dinosaur buttons.

 

[whollygoats]

<3 Lovely introduction to your spouse’s fiber self. Thanks for sharing.

I did not dye my yarn, this is, as we say in the back woods, “boughten yarn.” Dying is fun and I’ve done it on fabric, but not yet on yarn.

Oh...I know 'boughten yarn'. Ivy had a hierarchy of local yarn outlets. But, once she had her first spinning wheel, it became a goal of hers to master as much of the process from fleece to finished garment as possible. Dying was important, and, of course, it took a 300 mile trip and a weekend seminar to learn dying with indigo. I was tasked with learning the plants and growing them, just as I had been tasked glass bead making for her innumerable fine lace bobbins. I fully expected retirement to be to acreage with fluffly quadruped morons....but we never got there.

Here is an attempt to provide a foto of her last Fairisle project:

Failed.

 

[gmbteach]

I currently have a couple of things. A scarf or something I started when I was bored and haven’t really touched because I moved it for the cleaning lady.

I also have a cross stitch of a cat that I started back in the 1990’s. It’s been on its stand for years. Whenever I want to do it I can’t find the threads, and when I know where the threads are I have no inclination to do it!

 

[Angry Floof]

Making some MUTHA Goddess dolls. The big cream colored one was the first pattern I tried but turned out wonky and looks like a weird snowman-wasp hybrid. I think I'll cover that one in colorful crochet flowers to hide the wonkiness and call her Frida. The white one and the little brown one are from an updated version of the same pattern and better shaped, although I fuckered up the little brown one and made her bottom too small somehow. The blue one is my own updated version of the updated version. I'm hoping to make it more hourglassy in shape and less thoraxy at the waist and with a slightly bigger butt/hips area. I may have to start over as the curviness I added makes it look even more thoraxy.

They'll all be decorated in some way. I'm thinking of a bunch of mixed mythologies, such as the blue one with a belt of skulls (Kali) and some Greek/Roman wisdom goddess symbolism on the white one.

 

[Angry Floof]

I kept stopping to play stupid games so I'm just now starting on her arms as she waits.

 

[Angry Floof]

Two goddesses done. I decided to give her two arms instead of the circle for these two. I had to write a new pattern so that the small size can be made with worsted weight yarn, which otherwise makes about a 12" or 13" doll with the pattern I used for the blue one (sport weight). I refined the shape a bit on that one, too. She got a big ol' butt now! (OOOH, did I just body shame the Mutha Goddess?? )

 

[Angry Floof]

Does this look like a cat?

 

[rousseau]

Yarn crafts and arts.

I can only assume Rhea chose this word order to torture me in perpetuity.

 

[gmbteach]

Does this look like a cat?

View attachment 14561

Yes! Looking good!

 

[Rhea]

Yarn crafts and arts.

I can only assume Rhea chose this word order to torture me in perpetuity.

LOL. It was a functional choice. Yarn crafts are monumentally more prevalent than yarn arts. The artist-level work is that which is done over hundreds of hours, while the crafts are those completed in tens of hours.

In my mind, anyway. I do yarn crafts. I’ve done some large afghans that have taken many tens of hours and are beautiful to me. Then I see some of my sister’s work, and we are not in the same ball-park. Like wall hanging with intricate patterns of yarn or thread and interwoven beads. Or my grandmother’s crochet thread table-cloth. Those are works of art, far beyond the scale of the fun and also beautiful smaller and less detailed projects.

- - - Updated - - -

Does this look like a cat?

Cute! Yes!

 

[rousseau]

Yarn crafts and arts.

I can only assume Rhea chose this word order to torture me in perpetuity.

LOL. It was a functional choice. Yarn crafts are monumentally more prevalent than yarn arts. The artist-level work is that which is done over hundreds of hours, while the crafts are those completed in tens of hours.

In my mind, anyway. I do yarn crafts. I’ve done some large afghans that have taken many tens of hours and are beautiful to me. Then I see some of my sister’s work, and we are not in the same ball-park. Like wall hanging with intricate patterns of yarn or thread and interwoven beads. Or my grandmother’s crochet thread table-cloth. Those are works of art, far beyond the scale of the fun and also beautiful smaller and less detailed projects.

- - - Updated - - -

Does this look like a cat?

Cute! Yes!

Torture..

Forever.

 

[Rhea]

Finally took a picture of this bedcover I made. Proud of it - it took me a very very long time and it’s only single bed sized, but I love it.

 

[Rhea]

Torture..

Forever.

Or desensitization therapy?