Crazy wool-technique

Crazy wool means simply that you use wool or other fibers in whatever way that comes to your mind. I attended a class about it for 4 evenings. I just loved it!

The first panel

This panel was made on top a sturdy base fabric. Then I spread all sorts of yarns, lace and ribbons on it. The top layer is a water-soluble fabric. the whole lot was sewn together using  free stitching on a sewing machine.

Here it is after the sewing and after the soluble fabric has been washed away:

Another one made in the same way but smaller:

The second panel

This time we added also felting wool. I have lots of at home in all sorts of colours. I chose my favourites, pinks and purples.

There is a water soluble fabric both below and above the wool. Again I stitched it all together.

Here the soluble fabric is being washed away:

Then I felted the panel by hand, using also steam.

The finished panel measures 27 x 27 cm. Before the sewing and felting it was 35 x 35 cm.

The panel fitted perfectly on a cushion I had. I stitched it on it by hand.

Tampere handicraft fair 2013

Spent last Friday at this fair. It is the largest in Finland and their website says it is the largest in Europe but that would be hard to believe. Big, though - 3 large halls full of crafts and all sorts of craf supplies.

You were not allowed to take photos of the stalls but I just photographed the corridoors in between...

I loved to se eso many yarn sellers! So many different brands in one place. I didn't buy that much but studied many to know what to buy online later. Like the Finnish brands Pirkka and Wetterhoff are ones I haven't used before. There were many Peruvian yarns and of course the main large European manufacturers and some American ones. There was also an interesting looking brand from iceland I hadn't heard of before.

I bought some novelty yarns. I love to add those to everything at the moment!

Dropas Nepal (65% wool, 35% alpaca) was on sale and I bought several colours. I'll use them to try out the original fairisle texhnique.

Here some of the other ones I bought. The pink Lumio has reflecting thread in it. Others for socks and some pale green merino for a baby.

You could spend any amount of money on wool! Some of them are just so expensive, too. Fortunately there are many price levels to choose form. One thing that had changed from what it was years ago is that now nobody would expect handmade to be cheaperthat store bought. Most of the time it is more expensive to make it yourselves. But you loose out on all the joy of  working and seeing the final result if you just buy your hats and scarves at H&M!

One thing I had decided - no stopping at the quilting fabric stalls! And I kept the resolution! Last year I bought many lovely pieces of Christmas fabrics and I still haven't made anything of them.

BUT I have a brand new sewing machine, bought a few weeks ago to replace the 30-year-old one. So I had to get some material! One of these will become a dress for my granddaughter (4) and the other is lovely coarse Nepalese fabric. I don't know yet what to use it for but it coul dbe many things, like cushions, bags or even a coat.

People in Finland have a lot of imagination! These photos are from the Novita mittens competition entries. Last year I took part in their sock competition but didn't enter this year.

I noticed that stalls selling supplies seemed to be doing much better than ones selling ready-made items. Such a large part of the people were people who have crafts as a hobby. I counted that there were 39 stalls selling yarn but there seemed to be even more selling paper craft supplies like scrapbooking or beads.

Wool in glass vase

Most of us who knit & crochet a lot have the problem of where to keep all the materials who gather. A large glass vase offers both storage room and serves as decoration. This one is from Ikea, 70 cm high. I collected wool that goes with the other colours in my living room and filled the vase with them. Now it stands in the corner and brings (even) more colour to my decor!

Mittens in Tunisian crochet

 

I have been doing Tunisian crochet before but this was my first projet doing it on the round with a double-ended hook. I enjoy the technique, it could be used for many interesting projects.. 

The thumb gore. You pick up the same loop twice to increase.

Binding offy ou take two loops at once - forms a pretty row of stiches.

Little girl's hat in freeform knitting/crochet

I love knitting and crocheting without much planning! I made this hat for my granddaughter for her 3rd birthday.

The hat is 50 cm in circumference. I have used many different yarns but all are at least 70% wool and about the same in thickness, double knitting. I cast on 106 stitches and used 3½ mm needles and hook. The hat is one rectangular piece, sewn together at the moddle back. the top seam has been joined by double crochet. Apart from that, I have used whatever knitting or crochet came to mind!

Here some close-ups:

Continuing...

WORKING ON CHANGING THE LAYOUT OF THE BLOG !

Last year I wrote that I wasn't going to continue this blog and concentrate on my Finnish one instead. But lately I have started to be a bit more active on Ravelry. That made me realise I need an English blog, too. So, instead of starting a new one, I continue this one! Especially the pattern for a crochet flower continues to bring people here.

Here photos of some of my recent projects:

Crochet jacket I wore at a wedding in May:

 

Left-over weaving linen crocheted into coasters:

Freeform knitting in socks:

Crochet dress for my little granddaughter:

In the spring I started working on an afghan out of all sorts of leftover yarns I have. It got too hot to work on it in the summer, so now I plan to get on with it!

And more to come, I have several projects on the way. Just got lovely new wool yesterday for a little girl's cardigan. Will make a pattern to publish in Ravelry.

Uuteen blogiin...

Olen huomannut, että kahdella kielellä sekaisin bloggaaminen ei ole hyvä asia. Nyt aloitin uuden blogin pelkästään suomeksi. Tämän jätän auki, ja jos aikaa jää, jatkan tätä englanniksi. Otin täältä pari eniten luettua sivua mukaan uuteenkin.

Tervetuloa tutustumaan! http://ristirasti.blogspot.com

Pudota silmukoita - Drop stitches

I love watching the knitting programme Nitty Gritty. I got the idea of dropping stitches to shape a piece from there. See photos below the Finnish text.

Oletko katsonut Nitty Gritty (Neulontakerho) -ohjelmaa Liv-kanavalta? Se tulee perjantai- lauantai- ja sunnuntai-iltaisin. En tosin ole onnistunut löytämään ohjelman nettisivuilta juuri mitään. Onkohan se tehty niin, ettei materiaali näy USA:n ulkopuolella, vai ovatko meillä näytetyt jaksot liian vanhoja? Mutta tallennan kaikki jaksot. Vaikka osassa projekteissa keskitytään hyvin helppoihin tekniikoihin, niin aina saa ideoita, miten jonkin asian voi neuloa eri tavalla kuin mihin olen tottunut.

Yksi sieltä oppimani idea oli neuleen muotoilu pudottamalla silmukoita. Eli kun neule on jo tehty pitkälle, "silmäpako" levittää sitä. Käytin tätä tässä liivissä:

Päiväpeite isoäidin neliöistä - Granny square bedspread

Sain lopulta valmiiksi päiväpeitteen, jota olen muitten käsitöitten ohessa tehnyt n. 3 vuotta! 532 isoäidin neliötä n. 30 värillä.

I finally finished the bedspread I have been working on for about 3 years! 532 granny squares in about 30 colours.

Isoäidin neliöt - Granny squares

 

Tein kummitytölleni villatakin isoäidin neliöistä hänen 2-vuotissyntymäpäivilleen. Tässä ensimmäinen versio:

I crocheted a cardigan out of granny squares for my goddaughter's 2nd birthday. Here is the first version of it:



Hihat olivat hiukan liian lyhyet, joten lisäsin yhden rivin neliöitä. Samoin lisäsin pääntielle ja napituslistaksi pari kerrosta kiinteitä silmukoita.

The sleeves were a bit short for her, so I added another row of squares to the arms. At the same time added a couple of rows of double crochet for the button strip and around the neck.




Värit olen järjestänyt siten, että kahta samanlaista ruutua e ole vierekkäin. En halunnut, että väreihin tulee mitään selkeää toistoa. Virkkasin neliöt yhteen viimeisellä kerroksella. Tässä ei ole ommeltu mitään.

I have organised the colours in suh a way that they don't form any pattern. No two similar squares are set next to each other. I crocheted the squares together on the last row of each. No sewing has been used at all.

Nopeatekoinen virkattu lumihiutale

Jouluun ei ole enää pitkälti. Jos nyt aikoo tehdä kortteja tai muita tervehdyksiä, sen pitää käydä helposti ja nopeasti. Tässä virkattu lumihiutale, jossa on vain kaksi kerrosta. Klikkaa kuva isoksi, sen voi ruudulla vielä zoomata. Tottunut virkkaaja näkee siitä, miten se on tehty. Novita Wool-langasta tai vastaavan vahvuisesta virkkuukoukulla 4mm hiutaleen halkaisija on 10-11 cm. Se mahtuu siis kirjekuoreen, jos sen haluaa lähettää joulukortin sijasta joko sellaisenaan tai korttiin kiinnitettynä.

Olen kovettanut hiutaleet sokeriliuksella ja kiinnittänyt hopealangan, jolla sen voi laittaa joulukuuseen. Koristeen kiinnitin langasta korttipohjaan.

• 8 kjs renkaaksi (kannattaa jättää langanpää seuraavalla krs:lla virkkauksen sisään, ettei sitä tarvitse päätellä)
• 1. krs: 4 kjs (joista 2 ensimmäistä muodostavat 1. pylvään),* 1 p, 2 kjs*. Toista vielä 10 kertaa, lopussa kiinnitä alusta 3. kjs:aan piilosilmukalla.
• 2. krs: *4 kjs, tee nirkko virkkaamalla 1 ps koukusta laskien 3. ketjusilmukkaan, 2 kjs, kiinnitä nirkko 1 ps:lla seuraavan pylvään päälle. 7 kjs, 1 ps koukusta laskien 3. kjs:aan (=1.nirkko), 4 kjs, 1 ps ensimmäiseen näistä 4 kjs:tä(=2. nirkko),  4 kjs, 1 ps ensimmäiseen näistä 4 kjs:tä (=3. nirkko) Kiinnitä nirkot vielä toisiinsa niitten alta 1 ps:lla. 4 kjs, 1 ps seuraavan pylvään päälle. * Toista vielä 5 kertaa, eli hiutaleeseen tulee 6 sakaraa. Katkaise ja päättele langat.

Kovettaminen:

• Kuumenna kiehumapisteeseen sama määrä vettä ja sokeria pienessä kattilassa. Yhteen hiutaleeseen menee hyvin vähän liuosta, siksi kannattaa tehdä useampi hiutale ja kovettaa ne kerralla. 1 dl vettä + 1 dl sokeria riittävät ainakin 10 hiutaleeseen, hiukan riippuen langasta. Kasta tulikuumaan liuokseen läpimäräksi, mutta älä jätä likoamaan. (Jos lankasi on tekokuitua, anna jäähtyä hiukan, ettei lanka "sula"). Nosta kattilasta, purista ylimääräistä liuosta hiukan pois. Asettele kuivumaan tasaiselle alustalle, johon hiutale ei jää kiinni. esim lasilautanen, muovinen leikkuulauta tms. Älä laita imukykyiselle alustalle kuten pyyhkeen päälle. Muutaman tunnin päästä irrota ja käännä. Anna kuivua kunnolla.
• Jos teet paljon hiutaleita, voit laittaa uuniin alle 50 asteeseen, mutta varo, etteivät ne pala!