Homefree

Playing with fibre ; having fun

An exercise of the creative force within us all; purely about process;  whatever results is a worthwhile product.

Get some fibre.  Get some tool to 'work' the fibre.

The options are many.  Fibre: yarn (wool, acrylic, blend, bamboo, hemp, linen, banana leaf etc!), string, twine, fabric ripped into strips, fabric cut into strips, ivy, rope, scarves, nylon stockings, licorice shoelace candy, unravelled sweaters, kelp, cut up plastic bags,  cut up plastic containers, cut up rubber boots, elastic bands, clotheslines, cassette tape, electric cord, mens ties, shoelaces, hair, grass, herbs........

The tool:  crochet hook, knitting needles, chopsticks, tree branches, crutches, your own arms, someone else's arms (still attached to the someone), icicles (you'll have to knit quickly), pretzels, pencils, your own hand as a hook, drumsticks, coat hangers, curtain rods, oars, ski poles, tomato stakes, spindles, straws......

The intent is to have fun.  To play. Choose the fibre and the tool with this in mind.  You can change your choice at any time.  Play as if no one is looking. 

Cast on (or chain) a bunch of stitches.  Doesn't matter how many.  Whatever feels like enough.

Now knit a row.  Or crochet.  Or purl.  Or single or double or treble crochet. Or knit half and purl half.  Mix up the crochet stitches.  Knit half way along a row and turn and knit back and then knit one third along and then knit back and then knit right across.  Knit knit knit.  Drop a stitch and let it go.  Knit knit knit.  P2tog.  K3tog. Purl purl purl.  (K2tog) 3x  Drop a stitch and let it ladder.  Purl Knit Purl Knit.  You get the idea.  Use the stitches as steps and dance across the fibre.

Play.  Relax.  Enjoy.

When you've done enough - cast off. 

What is it?

A piece of playful knitting.

Trash or treasure.

The experience is now part of your tapestry.

Birthday!!

Eldest son was born on this day early on a summer morning.  You started it all, Karm!  Happy Birthday.

Dolls

English pedlar dolls.  Base is wooden clothes peg.  1/12 scale   Fascinatingly finicky and detailed;  most satisfying.

 House Sol Gallery Christmas show  Georgetown Ontario  1970's

Ballerina  appox. 24 inches tall  Beads at joints.  Very posable ; more than once has shifted position and startled a mere human.

Georgetown, Ontario  1970's

Mermaid  approx 18 inches tall  Beads at joints.  The beaded piece of fabric could not have been anything else but a mermaid's bodice.

Georgetown,  Ontario  1970's

Rock people.  Sunbathers.  Almost - but not quite - too hot to knit.

Victoria  BC  1990's

Cheerful knitter.  Scarf or shawl pin.
Made from the top of a wellington boot.
She brings smiles.

Victoria BC  2007

Balloon doll.  The intent was to have her knitting but she seemed content to meditate instead;  which suited her gradual return to the moment.

Victoria  BC  2008

Millie   12 inches high (to scale she says she's a full six feet)  Knit from tapestry wool (she chose the colors), the blonde hair I put on her was removed within twenty minutes and that was when the quirky smile appeared.  She has mohair shawl with a pin made from round of wellington boot rubber; but don't tell her that - she thinks it's  black gold.

Victoria  BC  2008

Knotted from a piece of interfacing material the simplicity - and purity - of this doll touched my spirit. 

Victoria  BC  2008

The Family.  Father  and mother and son and twins-to-be.  Linen,  felted lining, joined at base with french knots.  They are more flat than round; cookie-cutter'ed in the best sense of being representational.

Victoria  BC  2008

Vegetables at breakfast

Felt like bacon and an egg for breakfast.  Ogden Point Cafe does not do bacon and eggs.  This mental scenario took place in car on way to cafe followed by the realization that they do have eggs - hard boiled - in their spinach salad, and they have real bacon bits as a topping option on that salad. 

Found myself having bacon and eggs surrounded by spinach and mushrooms and tomatoes.  Vegetables.  It was delicious. 

'Gardening' : first, get comfortable..........

When presented with a house and property and turning it into a home and garden,  the practice that has proved beneficial and worthwhile over the years has been to live with both structure and land across all four seasons before making any major changes or decisions.  To observe how the light changes  over twelve months,  where the  wind does and doesn't  go,  which parts capture the sun and  the moon.  To watch what is already there and how it is added to and subtracted from by nature.  To see how my input is received and welcomed or not.

The next step - and this is most important - once the spot is chosen as most suitable for contented living (in both the home and the garden) - plop down in  it!  Add the details around it. 

"Plopping down" means providing comfortable seating.  Truly comfortable seating: it is quite amazing and alarming how many most is not!  When you find a chair in which you can really relax in - clone it.  Or something. 

In one garden,  stumps rounded by the ocean were ideal:  they were a happenstance find on a beach;  once sat upon and then sat into (there is a difference) and sat into for a contemplative  period of time - they were carted home.  Thank goodness for a strong friend with a truck. 

In another garden two tub chairs did not look comfy but they were.  In that same garden so was a wide wooden swing.  Some deck chairs are great; some not: test drive! 

Which brings me to the present garden; a year of unusually windy conditions had me looking for a sheltered spot in the garden.  The front stairs provide a sunny nook but the steps are too narrow to sit upon for any period of time.  (We did once turn conventional porch stairs into wide steps and that is where people tended to sit although there were seats on the veranda - I think it had something to do with how you could sprawl and rest on an elbow. )

So when I noticed that there was a space behind the holly tree that was tucked out of the way of the wind - I checked it out.  The picture above is what you see from the front.  The space  is small and cosy and fits one chair.
It is a work in progress, this pocket.  I cut a hollow out of the holly.  I'll add some garden art to the wall of the stairs.  I disturbed the ground with my 'moving in' so now it is a wait and see ; there is a fern plant that I could not re-locate but I expect it will perk up.  There look to be some violet leaves.  I may stick some sweet woodruff along the side.

This is what it looks like when seated in the chair; there is a two-tiered rock foot rest;  the cats have come to visit;  the front garden is visible through the holly branches but in a private sort of way.

Since making the spot two days ago it has been sunny and warm and a bit breezy - the kind of weather for sitting in the open air places in the garden. 

This new nook is ready for when needed.

Simple socks ; interchangeable cuffs

Here are the simple socks from yesterday's post with an interchangeable cuff.  I crocheted a chain of that vibrant wool and then did two rows of solomon knots.  I tie it on the ankle: the sock was started at the ankle without any cuff.  Have not decided yet if I will make the second cuff in this wool a match or not.  Likely not.  Will know when I pick up the fibre ...

Here is the sock wool knit into a K2 P2 rib for a couple of inches and then I increased one in each stitch, continued in the rib which was now a K4 P4 rib, cast off after three or four rows.  The ruff edge can be worn toward the foot as shown or upward toward the leg.  (This technique might work nicely on a cowl) 

Both cuffs and how the sock looks without them.

Simple socks ; square toes

Awhile ago I had one of those "aha" moments.  I was trying on a sock to see if I had knit enough foot length to start the decrease for the toes when I suddenly realized my foot did not end in an egg shape, it did not even end in a flat egg shape - the toe end of my foot (both feet, actually) are flat and rather rectangular.  Socks decrease to a nose cone on a plane shape.  Hmmm.

Shoes with square toes are so much more comfortable.  Sandals with their open toes are best of all in this respect.  Hmmmm, again. 

 So I just kept knitting until the sock was long enough to cover the big toe.  I had some notion to angle the end to accommodate the slope of the toes but then I realized I would have a left and right sock.  And if I did decide an angle was needed  I could sew up the end on a slope.

I was more than pleased with the result.  As one walks the toes spread into the space and at rest there is wriggle room.

This is the second pair of socks made with square toes.  I expect I will do so from now on.

Here is how the sock looks in my sandal.

It is the 'recipe' I have been using for more than thirty years. 

And this pair is an experiment in interchangeable cuffs which I will post about soon.

Are(not) these knitting needles?

A continuing quest to identify these as knitting needles.  Why do I think so?  Well, I got them in the box with other knitting needles at a thrift store and they must have been put there with some indication that they were for that purpose.
They were not in with the cutlery so they are not two sets of chopsticks and one koan chopstick of the "what is the use of one chopstick hovering..." sort.  They were not in with the tools or camp equipment. 

Most of all - they knit wonderfully!  On two needles or four.  The larger end is the working end.  And they are relaxing to knit with so they may well be ergonomic in design.  Has anyone seen anything like these? 

Tutorial : Yogurt

Recent suggestion by a doctor that  probiotics  would be a beneficial addition to my eating habits and homemade yogurt was a good source got me making my own yogurt again.  He claims any commercial yogurt lacks the necessary amount of healthy bacteria.  Another doctor named a brand of yogurt with extra pro'b's added but when I checked the ingredients on this - whooof.  I get nervous when I don't recognize or can't pronounce such things.

So here is how I learned to make yogurt in India many years ago with slight adaptations.

Put one pint of milk in pot (I use a heavy bottomed one: makes cleanup a snap) on stove over medium heat and let it just come to the almost boil stage - bubbles will form around the edges and the top of the milk looks thickish.                                          

Remove from heat immediately and let stand (I set timer for 15 minutes and then make first test) until you can dip a finger into the milk and have it still quite warm but not hot enough to  make you  pull  hand  out.

I find this method of testing  very satisfying in its simplicity and  reliance  on  my  direct  gauging.

Put two tablespoons of the last batch of yogurt into an insulated travel mug that will hold a pint of liquid. 

If this is the first time making homemade use the plainest commercial yogurt you can find for the starter.

Pour the cooled milk on top of yogurt starter.
Put lid on mug.

Put mug in a spot where it will not be disturbed for the next twelve hours.

In India we used a bowl instead of a mug, wrapped it in a cloth and set it away in a cupboard for overnight.

I  put cold water in the pot and let it sit for a few minutes; then it cleans up nicely with a scrub cloth.  I have had milk stick to pans and practically need a chisel to get it out.  Search around for a pan that doesn't do this: the frustration is not worth it.

This is what it looks like after twelve hours - yogurt!

Put in a container that closes and refrigerate.

Ready to eat.  Tasty 'medicine'.

Oh-yen (Only hat you'll ever need)

We've been having a cool spring extension and so my ongoing wearing of this hat was leading me to think - "Wow, this could be a year round head covering."  Then we had two days of summer weather - but - mornings and evenings are bracing and hat is proving to be one that one can wear year round.  It actually even works in the hot sun with its visorability to shade face or neck and the lightweight cashmere  has that magic of wool of keeping one cool as well as warm.

It's made from a thrift store cashmere sweater and I told how to do it - it's so simple and quick! - here

If you make one I would love to hear from you and what you think of the hat.  I find it slips in a pocket or purse, can be worn many different ways, is light and comfortable to wear and does what a hat ought to do.

I've made ones from recycled t-shirts, denim (for the bottom I used a fabric with a bit of stretch), rainwear material and have a thought to try one in clear plastic for the top and a solid colour for the bottom.

The one shown in the tutorial is available for sale in my etsy shop.