a long overdue update…

Hello! I hope I still have a few reader out there.. I feel terrible for neglecting this blog for so long, but rest assured, while I haven’t been blogging as much, I have been as creative as ever! I’m still knitting, although not as much. The weather has been steadily getting warmer, and I don’t feel as much pull to pick up the needles. What I have been doing a lot more of, is sewing!

I’ve loved sewing all my life. With the help of my talent mum, I made each one of my formal gowns for special occasions. These days, I’m more interested in making things that I can wear every day, and I hope to show you a few items in up coming posts.

Today, I wanted to share something a little different. While shopping last week, Reagan and I stumbled on a cute little fabric shop. Inside we found some of the most gorgeous fabric I think I’ve ever seen. After browsing for a while, Reags came up to me with a beautifully patterned Italian silk, and asked me if I could make him a tie out of it. Although I’ve never made a tie before, I was sure I could nut it out. I pulled apart one of his old ties for a pattern, and got to it.

There was enough left over to make a matching pocket square. I love the colourful pattern, and I think it’s a perfect statement piece. Reags is very happy with it, and I’ve been assured he’ll get a lot of wear out of both items.

tammer shrug completed…

I’ve finished my Tammer Shrug from Dairing! It’s made with 100% silk (which has a nice texture to it, like raw silk), and I love it! It didn’t turn out exactly like the patteren promised, but I don’t mind at all.

The arms don’t reach my wrists (as intended), but instead hug my elbows. I made the bottom section longer than the top, so when worn one way, I have a long shrug with a little collar (seen above).

Or if I flip it over, the longer part falls much further down my shoulders (seen above). I think I prefer this version, but I will always have the choice, depending on my mood.

The entire shrug is knitted in gater stitch, and I really like how the silk shows off the stitches. This was brilliant to work, all in one piece, with easy shaping. Perfect to do while sitting on the lounge watching TV.

Reagan and I drove to Kiama for my photoshoot (hehe). It’s an easy 2 hour drive from Sydney, and a really cute little town. The perfect excuse to get out of the city for a day!

love to knit…

I’m not sure if this is very obvious, but I tend to have a few projects on the go, all at the same time. My boyfriend asked me the other day why I am always starting something new, and not just working on the things that I’ve had sitting around for ages. My attention span is not always long, and I like being able to pick up something different, if I find myself getting impatient with my current muse.

Also, I don’t like having a deadline (as such) for the things I’m making for myself. It turns it into much more of a chore, and that slows my progress.

So, true to form, a few nights ago I cast on my latest project. I ordered this gorgeous kit from the Dairing website. It will be a lovely, slouchy shrug when its done, knitted with 2 different coloured strands of 100% silk (how luxerous!). I love the way the silk is working up, its soft and supple, but still holds it’s shape. I have a long way to go until it’s finished, but I’m just doing a little more each night, and I’m sure it will be done before long.

I love to knit, don’t you?

introducing the first silk scarf…

I was close to having kittens when my silk painting supplies arrived the other day! I was so excited to start, I went home and washed, dried, and stretched my silk, ready to paint! For my first one, I followed this tutorial, which I found very helpful. However, if you read the tutorial, at the bottom, it says something along the lines of ‘wash the gutta lines out, and heat press’… You don’t want to do this! Heat set your inks before you wash the gutta out!

Stretched, with gutta lines applied

 

On goes the first colour!

 

About mid way through painting…

 

All done!!!

Once all the squares were painted, I let the scarf dry in the sun. Then I took it off the frame, and used the iron on ‘silk’ setting, and ironed it for about 20 minutes. The ink bottles indicated that after 5 minutes of heat setting, it would be fine to wash. I just wanted to be certain that no colour was going to run… After that, I washed the scarf in a bucket with cold water and a little shampoo, rinsed it off, and hung it to dry.

Wearing my new scarf!

I am in love with it! I can see lots and lots of silk scarves in my future, for me, and for presents!!

 

 

Want to see more? Have a look at these great posts by other bloggers:

• Silk Painting Tutorial (almostdeepwaters.wordpress.com)
• 10 Ways To Wear A Silk Scarf (abeautifulmess.typepad.com)

silk scarf musing…

Beginner’s Guide to Silk Painting by Mandy Southas

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at painting silk scarves for a while now, so I ordered “Beginners Guide to Silk Painting by Mandy Southan” from The Book Depository. As soon as it arrived, I poured over the pages and read all of the instructions for the different painting techniques. I am so excited to start, I’ve ordered my supplies from Dharma Trading Co, and am patiently waiting their arrival.

While I wait, I’ve been searching the internet for some inspiration. I have included some pictures and links of my favourite styles and designs below.

 

(Left) The bright colours of this scarf really caught my eye. I love the abstract feel it has, it looks simply done, however I’m sure there is more work in it than meets the eye. The designers name is Klara, and you can view the Etsy shop here.

(Right) A simply design with striking colours from Ann Taylor. The colours on this one look smooth, almost like they were printed on the scarf. I love the rough edge between the white and blue. You can see the original page here.

(Left) This one is gorgeous! Still organic with movement, yet slightly more structured in design. The large rose pattern is wonderful, and really stands out against the mustard background. I also like the signature in the corner. The designers name is Takuyo, and you can view his Etsy shop here. He has heaps of brilliant designs, and I’m sure I will be drawing a lot of inspiration from him.

(Right) So delicate! The colours are beautiful and subdued, it reminds me of a garden in early spring, when it’s still a little cool. The silk of this one looks a lot thinner to the other examples I’ve shown, however I love how light and airy it looks. The designers name is Zita, and you can view her Etsy shop here.

 

(Left) I love how a simple design can still be interesting, depending on the colours you choose. Mustard and grey is such a classic combination, and it’s everywhere at the moment. I can see mustard and grey scarves in my future! This one is designed by Joanna Read Cotter, and you can view her Etsy store here.

I can’t wait to start creating scarves! I’ll be sure to document the process along the way and share it with you!