30 September 2013

Snowflake Monday

Ice Wash Snowflake Cowl

I recently made my first indigo vat. I've been apprehensive because the initial steps of the process were, well, um, unsavory. When I first learned about indigo way back in about seventh grade, I wondered who the heck peed on his mom's weaving, enabling her to discover this ancient dye process.

When my adopted son was about 8 years old, and perhaps all the way until, well, perhaps even now, I realized boys will be boys. It's not always fun, it's not always squeaky clean, and if there's a way they can play with their pee, boy, do they. Little snots! Have you ever witnessed a boy (or a man) drawing in the snow with pee??? I am tempted to believe they love this more than football and golf!

In the long run, I couldn't coax myself to process raw indigo materials with one of the required ingredients... um, urine. So I bought pre-reduced indigo crystals. Someone else did all the dirty work. I added water and a couple more chemicals, and I now am absolutely addicted to indigo dyeing, even though it smells like pee while I'm mixing and dyeing. The vat is outside in the open air, and I so far have not forgotten to wear my protective mask while working with indigo. When I'm done dyeing with indigo, the cotton yarn goes into the washer with the jeans and industrial strength detergent, then a quick trip through the dryer with lovely scented softener. The indigo yarn ends up beautiful, soft and fresh-smelling.

I've been having so much fun all summer long dyeing my own thread and yarn, I may never buy commercially colored yarn or thread again! Onion skins, hibiscus and alkanet have been my favorite dyes to work with, but now indigo may have claimed the top spot. I absolutely LOVE my first batch of indigo yarn!!!

My First Indigo Yarn!

Indigo was the most significant natural dye by the end of the 19th century, but it has been around for thousands of years. In 1969, denim was described as one of the world's oldest fabrics but eternally young. Once a symbol of the working class, denim has become one of the most enduring fashion trends.

Blue is my favorite color, and I've long wondered if I could duplicate the ice wash jeans appearance popular during my younger years on yarn and thread without literally beating up the fiber. On my first indigo dyeing attempt, I got exactly the look I have dreamt about for so long.

Because ice wash is a perfect name for a snowflake, I decided to make a quick and easy hexagon motif with the first hanks of worsted weight cotton yarn I dyed by hand in my indigo vat. (And I am not having any trouble so far remembering to wear my gloves while I work with the indigo.) I might design a more intricate hexagon for worsted weight once I have enough matching hanks to complete a larger project. Right now, I don't think I'll ever get bored with this yarn.

I came up with a snowflakier variation (with picots) for this same motif and worked up join-as-you-go instructions. I joined motifs and made fun projects including today's Ice Wash Snowflake Cowl. I also created a more traditional thread snowflake adaptation.

Autumn and Emma of the Sisters of the Snowflake group on Yahoo had asked if I might consider designing a snowflake specifically for the group. The thread adaptation of this pattern, the Sister Snowflake, will be featured in the Yahoo group, which is free to join and features weekly snowflake crochet-a-longs, project photos and chatter.

You may do whatever you'd like with motifs you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Ice Wash Snowflake Cowl in Progress

Finished Size: 3.5 inches from point to point for the plain variation; 5 inches from point to point for picot variation
Materials: Approximately 150 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn for the cowl; approximately 8 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn for just one motif; size H crochet hook

Ice Wash Snowflake Cowl Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in ring, * ch 1, 2 dc in ring; repeat from * 4 times; 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form final ch 1 sp of Round. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: 1 sc over hdc just made, ch 3, * 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, ch 3; repeat from * 4 times; sl st in starting sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 3 sp, * ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 1, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.
NOTE: To join a second row of motifs, work the join 3 times instead of 2 and work only 3 total unjoined points. When joining to 2 points previously joined, make sure to catch at least 2 strands in the join.

To join more than one motif, follow the instructions below for Round 3 on additional motifs after the first one is complete.

Round 3, Joining Round: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 3 sp, * ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 1; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Ice Wash Snowflake Motifs with Picots

For the picot version of the motif, following the instructions below for Round 3.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 3 sp, * ch 4, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 1, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

To join more than one motif, follow the instructions below for Round 3 on additional motifs after the first one is complete.

Round 3, Joining Round: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 3 sp, * ch 2, 1 sc in picot of 1st snowflake, ch 1, sl st in 2nd ch (immediately before sc) (picot join made), ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 1 time to join next picot on 1st snowflake; ** ch 4, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from ** around 2 times; ch 4, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 1; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.
NOTE: To join a second row of motifs, work the picot join 3 times instead of 2 and work only 3 total picot points that are not joined. When joining to 2 picots previously joined, make sure to catch at least 2 strands in the join.

Unblocked Ice Wash Snowflake Motifs

Blocked Ice Wash Snowflake Motifs

Finish: For the cowl, I made 18 motifs and joined them in two rows. Cowl also could be made with 3 rows of motifs by making 27 motifs and may be made as wide as desired by making more than 9 motifs for each row of motifs. This project does not require blocking and pinning, but looks much lacier if blocked and pinned.

After making and joining 2, 3 or desired number of rows of 16, 24 or desired number joined motifs, join in a circle by joining 17th (or 25th) motif to one end of row and then the opposite end as shown below. 18th (or 26th and 27th) motif is then joined on 5 points, with only one point free-standing.

Ice Wash Snowflake Cowl Motif Joining

Ice Wash Snowflake Rock

Ice Wash Denim

27 September 2013

It's a wrap!

main panel for color cycling quilt

It's tiny, and it's old, but it's finally DONE!

I'd joined a WIP (work in progress) quilting challenge on Ravelry back in the spring with the intent of finishing at least one of my numerous unfinished quilts within a three-month period. Didn't make it. Gardening and the bicycle got in the way.

I signed up again for the summer challenge, determined this time to finish at least one quilting project.

The plan was to finish working name WIP Leaf Me Alone. But once again, too many other commitments got in the way, although I did finish cutting out the tiny leaf squares for the foundation of each of the remaining blocks.

Squares Galore

The Dress, and The Quilt-to-be

Gone Green

Welcome to the Jungle is still high on my list of things I want to finish this year. I'd planned to submit it for exhibition in the 2013 Denver National Quilt Festival and the 2013 Quilts at the Capitol. The top is done. (YAY!) Quilting and binding still needs to be done. I hope it will be ready for the 2014 Denver National Quilt Festival. It's a big quilt, and although I'd like to see if I can free motion quilt it, I'm still leaning toward hand quilting. This project likely will take a lot longer than any goal I set.

Welcome to the Jungle

One recent rainy Saturday, I sat down to work on Leaf Me Alone, and suddenly I realized if I did a smaller project instead, I could boost my enthusiasm and self-confidence, plus, I could practice free motion quilting again. So I neatly put away the bits and pieces of Leaf Me Alone and pulled out Bike Me, which I have been considering renaming Hard Luck Cafe for several months now, thanks to last summer's big cycling reveal. This quilt has been a thorn in my side ever since THE news. How could something I once loved so much morph into something that now turns my stomach?

I had come up with a great way to get rid of the yellow bands that at one time symbolized something special and now leave a sour taste in my mouth. (I still support the fight against cancer every chance I get, but I no longer associate my efforts with the legend-turned-liar whose shame has nearly toppled a great organization.)

I dreamed - at night, in bed, asleep - I could photograph the tread on The Lizard's huge 29er bike tire, then use my Photoshopping skills to make new graphic narrow fabric frames to applique around the existing photos and cover the unwanted yellow frames without having to take the entire quilt top apart.

Getting a good look at the wall quilt for the first time in many years, I decided the only thing I like about Bike Me now is the overall Delicate Arch frame background, which I can print again very easily. I've shot many more photos of The Lizard on his bike since I put this thing together, and I have MUCH better photos I can use now.

Sunrise Cycling

Sunflower Cycling

Wildflower Cycling

Autumn Cycling

Spring Cycling

I consulted with The Lizard, and he agreed. Bike Me now gets the most unusual WIP status of any project I've ever done. It's in The Lizard's rag pile and will be used to clean up a future lube job on one of the bicycles!!!

thorn in my side

rag pile

grease wipe

The only problem is our photo printer is not compatible with our 18-month-old laptop. I refuse to buy a new printer as long as the old one works perfectly well. Which it does. Just not with newer computers.

The old, dinosaur computer does still work well enough to print photos as long as I do all my photo editing on the newer computer. The old computer doesn't have the guts or muscle for memory-hog photo manipulation anymore.

This project now is relegated back to the drawing board for a few months. I'll select my new favorite cycling photos this winter, play with them in Photoshop to prepare them for printing, move them to the old computer, hook up the old printer, print the new photos on fabric, colorfast the photos, and then make a whole new wall quilt, better than ever, hopefully before the 2014 Ride the Rockies. Maybe even before the 2014 Ride the Rockies route is announced in February!!!

In the meantime, I still had one more cycling quilt top up my WIP sleeve. And it was even smaller in size than Bike Me! It would be a breeze to finish! With but days to beat the summer challenge deadline (September 30), I sat down to the freshly serviced and properly calibrated 1986 Viking Husqvarna and whipped this baby out in about six hours.

sunflower seed stitches

Binding took another two hours, and Ta Da! Finished! Done!!! Dance with joy! Sing with gusto! Then settle down and get busy on another WIP!

After finishing, I realized I had not listed this particular WIP on the Ravelry challenge, so I might not have earned fat quarters from other quilters in the group. At first, I was a little disappointed, but then I realized the whole point of the challenge was to finish a WIP. I've had this wall quilt top on my rack since 2005 (buried beneath Bike Me, and I forgot it even existed). Now it's done. DONE! Mission accomplished, reward or not. Plus, it feels SPECTACULAR to have finished a quilt on deadline! That's reward enough all by itself!

Done!

26 September 2013

Quilts at the Capitol

Quilts at the Capitol

I had planned to try to enter this year's Quilts at the Capitol, but got sidetracked by time-sensitive garden work. I have no quilt on display this year, but I recently enjoyed the exhibit one rainy morning before work. I could have stayed all day!

My favorites feature mostly rainbow-type themes, but the best one of all, in my opinion, is a flag quilt by Jane King that looks so real, I didn't realize it was a quilt until I noticed the exhibit number in the corner. A beautiful quilted eagle graces the quilt, and the quilt, dedicated to service men and women, has prayers for their safety and for our country tucked inside.

I also was so impressed with the varied collection of Dear Jane theme quilts, I may have to share those photos in an upcoming post.

On a Clear Day

Invisible Damage

something's missing

a hole in the ceiling

The copper dome of the Capitol building currently is being repaired, so the top of the circular stairway has an eery feel, particularly this close to Halloween!

More than 100 intense years of freeze/thaw cycle resulted in extreme rusting of the picturesque gold leaf dome. Repairs began in 2012 and are expected to be complete in 2014.

Amish Circle Quilt by Linda Starkey

I Spy Quilt by Dr. Cajah Sullivan Reed

Wallflower by Peggy Andrews

It's Lightning Sherbet by Toni Fitzwater

Moonglow by Linda Wyse

Color Me Wild Sampler by Meg Rowland

Rainbow Quilt by Nire Aschenbrenner and Carol Aschenbrenner

Wild & Crazy Number 1 by Barb Czarniecki

Woodland Creatures by Eleanor Phillips

Feathered Star Border Exchange by Karen Roxburgh and Material Girls Bee

Supernova by Cathy Duggan

On the Wings of a Prayer by Jane King
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