Late Summer Playtime

I've always got a knitting project(s) on the needles, especially with all the traveling I have been doing this summer.  I can't imagine sitting in the airport or on the plane staring into space.  So here are a few of things I knit up during the summer while sitting around waiting in various airports.

I love this pattern I found on Ravelry, called the Swiss Cheese scarf.  What a great way to use up a lot of those small but precious balls of left over handspun yarn from other projects.

And a pair of socks on the needles is a must have.  A nice little project to take along - fits easily into the purse.

And upon returning from Pam De Groot's class at the Eugene Textile Center, I scoured my local environs for plant materials to do some experimenting with a few of the things I learned in my workshop. I thought I was done with that eco-printing but I'm having some fun.

We have been having brutal weather here in Southern California -- 90's seem to be the new norm around here -- and frankly, I've had it, so I am off to New Mexico next week -- Santa Fe, Chimayo and Taos -- with my special peeps for our annual girls retreat for a week of relaxation, bonding, conversation, wine, roasted chilis, fine dining, knitting and stitching and, of course, the Taos Wool Festival.  The weather report promises 70's but we'll see.  

Freedom Construction

Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of taking a workshop from Australian felt artist, Pam de Groot, "Freedom Construction". The class was held at the Eugene (Oregon) Textile Center and was one of the highlights of my summer.  Not only is Pam an amazing artist, she is also a wonderful and patient teacher and a delightful person.  Here is what I brought for my class, my suitcase stuffed to the gills with my "raw" materials.

After two days of work, I had a ginormous garment hanging from the ceiling to the floor, ready to be felted to a garment that actually fits.

After another two days of felting, fitting and dyeing -- the finished garment -- Ta Da!

During the workshop, we created fabric (nuno felt), then constructed a garment, a tunic or dress. The garment was felted to a desired size and then dyed and eco printed.  Natural dyes were used in the class.  We had a dyepot of onion skins, another one with logwood and one with black walnut.   I dyed my tunic in the black walnut dyepot.

I feel so lucky to have seen the advertisement for Pam de Groot's class and then to have signed up immediately.  And I hope that some time in the future, I will again be lucky enough to take another class with Pam.

The week before I went to Eugene, OR, for the workshop with Pam, I had made a short tunic, using my own felt techniques. I was not happy with the results and almost threw it in the trash.  However, upon returning home, I used some of what I learned in Pam's workshop to complete, fit and dye the tunic.  I now feel like I turned a lemon into some lemonade.  

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In another week, I will be winging my way to New Mexico where I will meet three of my peeps for our annual week of relaxation in Chimayo and Taos.  While there, we will also attend the Taos Wool Festival.

And in between travels, I will complete my preparation for the Artistic License Fair that will be held on Friday, October 23rd, and Saturday, October 24th, at Estancia Park in Costa Mesa.  

Also on tap is the Weaving and Fiber Festival (also known as the Torrance Show) sponsored by the Southern California Handweavers Guild.  The Torrance show will be held on Sunday, November 1st, at the Torrance Cultural Center.  My Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio will be a vendor at this show.

And finally, I have been invited back to participate in the holiday fair at the Chemers Art Gallery in Tustin on Saturday, December 5th.  This is a beautiful art gallery with many great artists and is well worth attending.  Many of the artists will be at this holiday fair and will be showing and talking about their work.