Madder the Color of the Paleolithic Age

When it comes to fiber it's hard to be fixated on one color or one color scheme, there are so many fascinating colors. As I chose a harmonizing palette I like to mull over the origins of the pigment. And talk about what is in the stash. I've been reading in Selvedge Magazine about kelsch fabrics of a hundred years ago and how either the natural linen color or woad for blue and Rubia tinctorum, the roots of the madder plan was used for these fabrics. Which sounds quite old., but in fact madder as a dye stuff  is much older. Madder was a color of Paleolithic times...the Stone Age....which began about 250,000 years BC and ended closer to 10,000 years BC with it's first phase...later phases of the Stone Age Came. And our Stone Age artistic fore-bearers used a bit of the red tones to embellish their works . Some of the 'colorful' history of the dyestuffs that made up madder can be found on the web. Some of the madder colors I've been working with now include: Jadite yarn 533 and a few others. In fact I can't help but seize any skein I see, in case the perfect project hits. 

Patterns Make Less Sense When You Are Paying Attention

My newest stash from Purl Soho just came and I grabbed the pattern from Brooklyn Tweed for the Cinder scarf. The patterns are very cute and I'm a bit perturbed that it came crushed in the box to fit, but that's the neat Purl Soho packing for you and it seems to be smoothing out. I'll be lucky if I don't douse it with coffee this morning. But I'm glancing at the pattern, and I'm always watching out for new patterns to teach my newest acolytes and this one seems pretty easy to start someone out on cables with a bit of a twist (pun intended). Anyway, just got started reading on the C16, and it says hold 8 stitches  back and do K2P2 and then repeat 3 more times, isn't 4 x 3 12 stitches instead of 8, or could they mean K1P1 and repeat 3 more times, but the whole pattern is in K2P2. Ok, I may have to pick up the phone, I've read it three times, and now written it down, and I still don't get it. And I'm determined to have holiday gifts knitted by the fall leave turning. Especially since UPS seemed to go astray with my newest layette, but that's a sad story for another night. Suggestions?

Cotton Fibers Creation

Having just finished the Heirloom Crib Quilt from the Erika Knight Natural Nursery Knits, I can't wait to get another one started! I used a taupe colored Soya Cotton for the knitted lace squares, and I'm going to bump up to the Rowan handknit dk cotton in baby blue, yes for a new boy, for the next one. I used Italian lace and some Liberty of London fabric, and fringed with lace from Britex Fabrics. The collecting of the pieces parts has been as fun as actually creating the blanket. I'm thinking of doing one in purples, the fabrics to choose from are so juicy!

Kiera's Scarf

The best reason to look up from your knitting when watching lLast Night is to see the fetching scarf Kiera is wearing when running out for a latte. Didn't get a great view, looks to be straight garter stitch, light blue, navy, white, with the robin's egg blue (a very in color this year) the dominant color of the pattern. Would be a lot of fun to experiment with a variety of different colorways and stripe thicknesses. Can't wait to bust through this hat project and make some sketches.

To Lord Raglan: The Sleeve to Fit the Occassion

FitzRoy Sommerset, became the first Baron Raglan, having already been injured in service, and then at Waterloo sustained an injury so severe he lost his right arm. To diminish attention to the fact that he had only one arm, he used to wear his garments very loose in the shoulder and henceforth, the Raglan sleeve acquired his name. It's an elegant sleeve. Raglan sleeves can be done in a variety of sharp detailing to make them your own, and they fit well on all sorts of body types, also befitting Lord Raglan, who was quite unique for many of his accomplishments and after his injury quickly learned to write lefty and went on to many more years of distinguished service even after his injury. 

Toiles Peintes and Sketching My Designs

Toiles Peintes is a French term meaning "painted linens" it actually was that a piece of heavy linen on which the tapestry under design construction was made to be sketched, and designed to be rigid enough, and durable enough that the design would be suitable for hanging. I actually prefer to do these on rolls of Japanese paper, as it's very handy to be able to cut off pieces of irregular sizes, I feel much more economical, and it suits the brushy style I like to write and draw when sketching.It's a great concept for those early knit sketches, especially to help me remember what I want to change up if I am adapting the design to a cushion or a hat or a pot holder. And I like to decorate my yarn stash room with these. My newest find is an antique album, and I use these sketches, or occasionally the swatches themselves  in place of the picture openings to create a unique heirloom all of my own.

Munsell's Coloring Wheel System

It's not always possible to match it all up. Usually I rely on eying the colors, or eying the stash more like it. I own several color design books, for decor, for paint, for photography, just for combining colors and learning what is "cool" and what is "hot" or autumnal, seemed pretty obvious at the start. But I'm starting to think the typical Munsell's Coloring Wheel System is not exactly powered for the light reflection of fibers. There are many ways that perfect color just doesn't match...or luckily visa versa. Will surf around for posts on matching color fiber.