at the flickr embroidery pool [blog link]

Beginning spinners make it their goal to produce fine, even, predictable yarns which make for lovely knitting, crocheting or weaving. Many spinners talk about the calming, meditative effects of their craft, and while there is lots of opportunity for creativity with color and texture, certain spinners take it to another level completely by incorporating found objects, hand felted elements, beads, charms and anything else they dream up. Witness the work of Yarn Punk: Spring Eternal and Gnome Yarn below

Vitreous Humor by Insubordiknit:

Stoneleafmoon offers a tutorial on making your own creative batts for this type of spinning (drum carder required):

And Pluckyfluff offers her yarns for sale, has written a book on creative spinning, and teaches workshops on extreme spinning (spinning wheel and basic spinning abilities required): Lost in Adorable below:

On her very inspirational blog, she has come up with themed challenges (the latest one was “sniff and spin”) to involve other spinners; quite fascinating to compare the various interpretations.

The Yarn Museum is a great place for inspiration as well…now, what does one make to do justice to these unique yarns?

The Yarn Lover’s Guide to Hand Dyeing: Beautiful Color and Simple Knits by Linda Labelle published by Potter Craft (November 13, 2007).

When I spin or crochet or knit it is my meditative time, I sit and chat or watch tv or just think - it is how I relax, but when I dye yarn it is “play time” for me - time when I can experiment and try out new things. I am currently crocheting a baby rug for my soon to be born 5th grandchild and I have been dying the wool as I go. Experimenting would be the correct word in regard to the dyes. I have been using this book as a sort of guide - however it shows dyeing of large quantities of wool or other natural fibres, whereas I have only been dyeing small lots, (very small). I have been dyeing small lots mainly to experiment with colours and because I am making it up as I go along - seeing what colours go with the colour before and trying out various combinations. Having fun. I have been dyeing small mill ends wound around my fingers. The dye I use is a cold dye called “Earth Palette” which comes from Gladstone in Australia. The chemicals are already pre-mixed in powder/crystal form, with a separate “fixer” which I add. I am trying out various methods which are shown in the book such as fully immersing the yarn in a jar or a bowl, I am also mixing small quantities of two colours separately and placing one side in and letting the wool soak up the dye halfway and then pouring the other colour carefully on top - I am really enjoying this method as you end up with lovely colour variations and when I crochet this in to the blanket there is a lovely overall pattern and blend of colour on the squares.

I have a few proper skeins of wool and mohair blend which I have spun, and I intend to dye in a multi colour effect. I am using this book again, not so much as a reference but more as inspiration, although as a beginner to the dye world, I have found the book to be very easy to follow with good images to help me along the way - being a visual person this is very important. The book is well written using different methods and the patterns are certainly enticing if quite simple. The Eucalypt dye is rather interesting and I certainly don’t have to go far to gather the leaves. I will have a go at that some time but it does appear to be rather time consuming to just do it on small lots. I am quite interested in trying the food dyes and will do some of those for the rug.

there is a big area of the book that is completely missing, explanations of the chemicals. This had me pondering for a bit till I looked it up on the web that was Synthropol - it is evidently a detergent. Some of the terminology and none of the chemicals used in the book are explained very well for beginners like me, luckily I am getting quite proficient at using the online search tools.

All in all I find the book very inspiring and challenging. I was thinking of digging a small trench up in the yard and lining it with plastic and laying my skeins in that and pouring gently the dyes in strips and using primary colours to get maybe a rainbow effect. I would then cover and leave for a couple of days in this heat to take up and blend the colours. And I will also be trying ‘painting’ the wool as well. The main thing about this book for me is that I am so excited to try new things and it has really pushed my creativity in some new directions.

About the reviewer: Janette lives in Australia and is spending her retirement doing the things she loves. Gardening, playing with yarn and making things for her grandchildren.

Fabulous inspiration for our fibre & mixed media inspired jewellery Whiplash competitions - last day to enter 15 November.

Crochet Jewelry: 40 Beautiful and Unique Designs by Waejong Kim and Anna Pulvermakher, published by Interweave Press (October 28, 2007)

Interweave books tend to follow a formula that means you know what you are getting beforehand. They are always very strong on technique with detailed information on tools and materials, and within the projects themselves there is lots of detailed pictures and illustrations of technique. This book follows this same formula and because jewelry is very material intensive with lots of bits and pieces they have a very detailed section on what all the findings and notions are actually for. And because crochet is the main medium - there is a very good pictorial how-to crochet, with basic stitches, shaping techniques and cables and rounds.

The projects themselves are incredible varied. Many of them utilise advanced jewelry and/or crochet techniques and are quite challenging, but there is an equal amount of simple and quick projects. While most of the projects in the book utilise fibre to create bright chunky style jewelry, however I learnt that crochet does not have to mean chunky - there is some very fine wire crochet used as well to create light and delicate pieces. Each chapter concentrates on necklaces or bracelets or rings or earings etc.

Caption: Loop’n-’link bracelet – for beginners, and is infinitely adjustable—make as many links as you like and work a necklace or belt to match.

My favourite projects are the chunky bright and fun designs like crochet covered beaded necklace, and the felted french knot rings. I think that the simple beaded crochet glasses keeper is very clever, the mixed media gemstone lariat with crochet motives attached is lovely, the organic bracelet is perhaps too chunky for me, but I like the idea behind the freestyle crochet then felted cuff with beads attached to it. There are many projects in here which I really don’t like - not my style at all - but there is enough different projects in here to suit most people.

This tutorial explains how to felt an item that you have knitted or crocheted first. It can also be used to recycle an old wool scarf or sweater, which you can use as is or refashion with your sewing machine.

You will need

- a completed knitted or crocheted project, or an old wool item
- top loading washing machine
- a meshed bag with zipper or drawstring

Fibers that felt: 100% wool (but not Superwash wool); other animal fibers such as: alpaca, mohair, cashmere and llama

The Basics

- Prepare your item: weave in all ends.
- Place in a bag: preferably in a zippered meshed laundry bag.
- Wash: fill your washing machine to the lowest level and select the longest hot water cycle.
- Check periodically: Let agitate to allow the wool to felt. Check after 5 minutes. A fully felted item will not show stitch definition. Continue to wash until you achieve the desired size or felted effect.
- Squeeze out water: Do not allow to proceed to the rinse cycle. Rinse by hand in cold water. Gently squeeze out excess water. Roll in a towel to remove more water.
- Air dry: lay flat to dry or if it’s a bag, pull and shape the bag as desired, then lay flat and stuff with plastic bags or a rectangular object to hold a shape and sit up or hang depending on the bag design.

Notes

- I prefer a meshed bag with a zipper than a pillowcase. Air bubbles can form in the pillowcase causing part of the bag to float on the surface resulting in uneven felting.
- The more friction there is the quicker the wool felts. If you cannot select a low level water setting, you can still felt the bag in more water but it will take a lot longer and you may want to add a few pairs of jeans to increase agitation, but don’t use towels as the lint may embed itself in your felt.
- Different brands will felt differently. Most worsted wool will felt in roughly between five to 30 minutes. Reset the wash cycle before it goes to rinse to felt for longer periods. Test before mixing brands. Not all 100% wool is the same, I have found that I don’t like the texture of some once felted. You may add a small amount of detergent but I have found that this is not necessary and it’s better environmental practice.
- Don’t use the spin and rinse cycle as sometimes this causes problems. Your piece might end up with heavy creases that are hard to smooth out after the fact.
- It can take a couple of days or more to dry a bag. You can direct a fan towards the bag to speed up drying, but this will use more electricity.
- Generally, knit with needles that are a size and a half or two larger than what is recommended by the yarn manufacturer. I have knitted with the recommended needle size and still obtained excellent felting results. Knitting with larger needles will give you more opportunity to play with size.
- Some imperfections in your knitting will disappear once the item is felted, e.g. Twisted stiches, dropped stitches.

Caption: Picture above shows how neatly an edge sewn in mattress/invisible stitch disappears.

- Your item will shrink more lengthwise (see photo below). Lengthwise you can expect shrinkage to almost half the size and widthwise about ¼ shrinkage.
- Knit a swatch containing your chosen colours to see how differently they will felt. Darker colours generally felt faster.
- Consider how itchy the felt will be and if its appropriate for your application.
- Experiment by knitting or crocheting in some non-felting fibers.
- Consider rinsing your wool item in Eucalan wool wash. It does not require further rinsing, it is environmentally friendly, deters wool-eating pests, and if lavender is present, it is also a moth repellent.

Before and After

About the maker: Laura has worked with felt for two years. She has always been involved in the arts, first through photography, and then web design. She now designs her own hand-knitted and machine-knitted bags which she then felts. She is self-taught. See her work at her blog.

To submit an article or tutorial please read our submission guidelines.

Stitch Dissolve Distort: with machine embroidery, by Valerie Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey, published by Interweave Press.

If you are into machine embroidery, mixed media with fabric and thread and textile design then this book is for you. This book goes into incredible detail on how to use stitch, distort and dissolve methods to experiment with design and fabric. The book is broken into three main sections which look at each area in turn, of course stitch is the main thing that underpins the last two areas. In the first sections the basics of machine embroidery are covered and then other techniques are introduced, such as adding texture with paint stitching, looking at different weighted threads, using different types of sewing machines including sergers/overlockers.

Getting inspiration for free-style stitching is discussed and shown, such as using ink drawings and texture stamps to copy, and looking at ways to put more texture into your embroidered piece, with different stitches and experimenting with sewing machine tension. One aspect of this that really interested me was using different fabric to stitch onto, such as gauze and netting and muslin and then burning away sections, also adding silk paper and woven paper for a very textured layered finish.

The middle section - dissolve (washing away), looks at using water soluble materials to stitch upon and then when you wash them away it leaves the stitching behind. A totally new thing for me and very intriguing process. The materials and processes are explained very well, with some really wonderful results given as examples. This method can be used to create fringing and jewellery, to create motifs for attaching to another piece. Water soluble paper is also discussed and can be experimented with by partial dissolving, creating resists and then using these to ad to other projects.

In fact this combination of different mediums is really an interesting part of the book, with handmade paper being used in conjunction with soluble films, and chiffon fabric, paper napkins used with silk cord and paper beads to create delicate and wonderful pieces.

The last section deals with the distortion of the fabric or embroidered piece. Ways of attacking the fabric - melting, embossing, cutting or distressing the fabric either before or after stitching takes place. All of these methods are used to add texture and different elements to the finished piece. Pulling threads from woven fabrics and finished embroidered pieces to create gaps or holes. Attacking with a heat gun to melt fibres, using dry felting tools on chiffon creates interesting textures. There are so many fantastic ways of experimenting - it is dizzying to think of it.

There is much much more in this book than I can possibly say here. This is an incredible resource for those who are interested in fabric texture and freestyle embroidery design. I just recommend this book for its visual ideas and some would say extreme crafting methods but I think of it as pushing boundaries and crafting outside of the normal realm.

“A Dream”

Often called Mississippi’s Grandma Moses of stitchery, Ethel Wright Mohamed was born in 1906 and died in 1992. She used beautiful and intricate stitches to tell the stories of her family’s life on fabric. Through this unique and beautiful “painting with thread” she has given us a view into the history of the Mississippi Delta’s way of life. She called her work “memory pictures.” This history includes her marriage, eight children, and numerous scenes of family memories that they all shared. She included their beloved housekeeper, Mittie, who helped raise the children and care for the family.

“Waiting for Stork”

You can visit the The Ethel Wright Mohamed Stitchery Museum in Belzoni, Mississippi. This summer there is also an exhibition of her work at the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, Mississippi, titled “The Needle’s Song: The Folk Art of Ethel Wright Mohamed.”

Thanks for the links, Stephenie!

Making your own felt is a very satisfying and fun process. You can get the kids involved, experiment with your design and do it at home with very limited equipment. give it a go with this excellent tutorial and another one here.

blog green is a subversive cross stitcher and has taken the inspiration from subversive cross stitch and run with it. Check out her work of the radical cross stitch posse at this post [via extreme craft].

More radical cross stitching at the flickr pool.

image from the subversive cross stitch pool.

I am sort of addicted to the cross stitch pattern generator … can you tell?

Ana Ventura wrote a post about Teresa Cunha and her gorgeous embroidered slippers.

Ana Ventura escribió un post sobre Teresa Cunha y sus preciosas zapatillas boradas.

The new cross stitch collection from Folkology features folk art patterns based on antique Hungarian needlework. They have extended their table linen pattern collection with designs suitable for doilies, and a new quick project format: the tile patterns.

Blue-dye artisan fabrics are handmade by a family workshop in the Eastern part of Hungary. This family has been producing these textiles since 1878. They use wooden motif blocks from the beginning of the 20th century, and a printing machine manufactured in 1907. The fabrics made by this family workshop are juried by the Hungarian Folk Handicrafts Commission, guaranteeing the authentic quality of the designs and manufacturing.

Blue-dyeing is a resist-dyeing method where the white cotton or linen fabric is first printed with a resist paste using wooden motif blocks or sometimes a block printing machine. The fabric is then immersed in the indigo solution. The printed areas resist the dye and come out crisp white.

Katalin has generously given Whipup readers a promo coupon valid until April 15th, use the coupon code WHIPUP5 during checkout (you will be able to apply it at Step 2 of checkout) to get $5 off any order of $20 or more (before shipping). ::folkology

In to the Woods, embroidery on linen

Tilleke Schwarz is a Dutch artist working in embroidery and also drawings on paper. Look for her work in the upcoming traveling exhibitions Fiberart International (U.S.) and the Knitting and Stitching Show (U.K./Ireland) over the next two years. There is also a wonderful article about her in the current issue of Selvedge magazine.

Count Your Blessings, embroidery on linen

She has a book being released this week — write to info@tillekeschwarz.com for ordering info directly from the artist, or wait a few weeks, when it will be available online at Twisted Thread.

On Color, 66cm by 70cm, embroidery on linen

Exhibition duration: 24 February – 20 March 2007
c/o – Atle Gerhardsen, Holzmarktstraße 15-18, S-Bahnbogen 46, 10179 Berlin

Image: Kent Henricksen, ‘The hunt’, 2007, Embroidery thread and silkscreen on cotton

The title of this current exhibition, “Gales and Gasps”, alludes to air, and depicts people in free fall, with dream like imagery yet also dark and foreboding. Kent Henricksen’s artistic materials consist of reprints of French Toile de Jouy fabrics, which he overlays with embroidery. [see where we wrote about Kent's previous solo show, and Kent is also featured in the book 'By Hand'] [via made by milla]

Ulrika, a Swedish artist, performs random acts of “public embroidery” - small images or short words that she cross-stitches on seats in public transport. What a great way to make a long journey just a little bit brighter. Embroidery kits can be sent for free, or download patterns at the website. Send photos of your own public embroidery for the public embroidery blog. [via wooster]

Exhibition: Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting at the Museum of Arts and Design, 40 West 53rd Street, New York, NY. (::madmuseum)

Review writer: Stacey Hirvela

The exhibition Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting blurs the line between art and craft, causing the viewer to seriously question which is which, and if it matters at all. The emphasis of the exhibit is on the “radical lace” portion of the title. Artist Hildur Bjarnadottir states in the exhibit, “Lace is never for lace’s sake. It is a way to tell a story.” Appropriately, there are examples of “lace” made from porcelain, glass, fiber optics, carpet, rubber, car parts (a stunning piece), “Filigree Car Bombing” by Cal Lane, where found automobile parts are cut into lace patterns with a blow torch and more traditional materials used in new ways, such as cotton fiber and rope. It becomes clear that these artists see lace as more than a hyper-pretty, frilly accoutrement – it is a serious way to explore artistic concepts, such as line quality, repetition, space, and figure-ground relationships.

Image: Hildur Bjarnadóttir, Untitled (skulls) (detail), 1999, Crocheted cotton yarn, wood table

Image: Cal Lane, dirt works

The knitting portion of the show stays mostly true to its “subversive” title, commenting on feminism, thrift, warmth, the war, and the craft itself. Dave Cole, relishes the use of uncommon materials for knitting (the lead-knitted teddy bear in the show begs to be touched), and there is a video playing of his giant American flag being knitted with John Deere excavators and telephone poles. Many of the pieces are machine-knit, but Althea Merback’s one-twelfth scale “microknits” (she uses stainless steel medical wire for inserting IV needles) are beautifully done by hand.

Image: Dave Cole, lead knitted teddy bear

Image: Dave Cole, giant knitting machine, film still

The curation, siting, and interpretative materials are excellent. A statement from the artist accompanies each piece in the show, shedding insight on the work and the artist’s modus operandi. The visitor is left with much to think about and much to be inspired by. There is definitely enough here to keep non-crafting family and friends interested on a visit; serious makers will probably prefer to go at their own pace or make multiple visits. In any case, no one should miss the absolutely delightful exhibit of contemporary Netsuke on the bottom floor of the museum. These are beautifully done and full of imagination, with sweetly comic examples like Masami’s Gorilla In A Turtleneck sweater, fascinating grotesques like Hiraga Tanetoshi’s Two Bats Embracing, and breathtaking, expressive examples like Kiho Takagi’s Nautilus Owl Cradle. Both “Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting” and “Contemporary Netsuke” are up at the museum through June 17, 2007.

Plastic canvas is a lightweight, rigid version of needlepoint canvas. And it’s likely that you just shuddered a little, reading that last sentence, as you envisioned a grannylike tissue-box cover.

But bear with me for a minute! Plastic canvas has hidden superpowers, and it deserves some creative exploration by modern crafty minds.

The first thing I want to show you is this: not all plastic canvas is created equal. It’s made in three sizes: 7-count, 10-count, and 14-count. The count refers to the number of squares in an inch. And as you can see, this makes a huge difference in the appearance of the finished product. The larger squares can be stitched with worsted weight yarn or crewel wool, and result in a fuzzier, more homespun appearance.

10-count or 14-count canvas, on the other hand, can even be stitched with perle cotton embroidery floss, and yields a much finer-looking result.

You can use plastic canvas to construct just about any 3D shape, and that makes it useful for so much more than hiding tissue boxes. (There’s a great tutorial for cutting out plastic canvas shapes here.)

To get your creative juices flowing, for example, consider business card holders . . . and iPod cases . . . and glasses cases. One of the great things about using plastic canvas to make cases for your valuables is: the canvas, covered with yarn stitching, creates a nice shield that absorbs impact. I’ve had my iPod sheathed in a plastic canvas sleeve for two years, and it still looks brand-new.

You may have seen plastic canvas employed to make gift or jewelry boxes as well. And while the stuff does make great boxes, I’m more excited about its potential for making organizers of all kinds. You can construct boxes to hold your spools of yarn, or a multi-chambered pencil holder to organize your pens and paintbrushes. You can build your own set of stackable in-boxes. You can even construct a cube-shaped unit with a pull-out drawer, a la IKEA, to hold your ribbons and trims.

The greatest part of all these fabrications is, of course, that they’ll be covered with stitching. Now, many of us envision needlepoint as those tiny, slanted stitches. This is known as the Continental Stitch, and it’s only the tip of the needlepoint iceberg. There are dozens of interesting needlepoint stitches to try — and many of them work up much faster then Continental. In fact, you can explore more of these here and here.

…Not to mention, you can cover any plastic canvas surface with Continental stitch, and then embroider a design on the top of that. You can also applique fabric to plastic canvas. And you can stitch with your craziest novelty yarns to create outlandish textures. There’s way more to your needlepoint life than Continental Stitch.

I think there’s also jewelry potential in plastic canvas. A nice square, covered in interesting stitching, backed with felt, would make a great pendant or pin. Join a bunch of them together into a bracelet. (Incidentally, a sheet of plastic canvas makes a dandy earring-organizer.)

Plastic canvas is also a natural for book and journal covers. You can make a snazzy cover for your drugstore spiral notebook in no time, or you can construct one for your day-planner.

And then there’s toy-making! Imagine constructing a finger-puppet theater. Or a rocket-ship. Or a train. Or a nice, fenced corral for toy horses. Plastic canvas is so kid-friendly — the stitching is done with big, blunt needles — so you can easily involve kids in the stitching and assembly.

Seriously! Go get some plastic canvas, and explore the possibilities. Nobody will laugh at you, I promise.

Shhhh…. I´m not here, I´m not writing this post… Usually i write about crafts spanish and portuguese, but this felt aligator is amazing and i want to share with you this discovery!

Jessica Thistlethwaite ( from Boston) is her second semester in the textil arts program at Capilano College in North Vancouver. This alligator scarf was a project for her first semester weaving class. It is made of hand dyed (acid dyed) felted Corridale wool, with needle felted details.

Other amazing felt link: Sarah Rosensweet.

Shhh… No estoy aquí ni estoy escribiendo este post… Yo debería de tratar los temas relacionas con la artesanía española, portuguesa, latinoamericana…. Pero no me he podido resistir al ver este trabajo tan impresionante en fieltro.¡Creo que os sorprenderá!

Jessica Thistlethwaite, de Bostón, está cursando un programa de artes textiles en el Collage Capilano en el norte de Vancouver. Fue allí donde realizo esta bufanda-cocodrilo utilizando la técnica “húmeda” con la que se trabaja la lana fieltrable.

Estoy segura de que también os gustará este otro enlace.

Meah Warburton is a an Irish tapestry weaver. currently living in the South of France.

Make sure you see her new blog where she showcases her work process.

Hillary Clinton wincing, excerpt from Laughing Stock (2006), cotton, thread. 13″ x 13″.

Artist Christa Maiwald, in addition to her work in other media, creates fantastic embroidered portraits of celebrities and everyday people.

Present Tense (2004). Cotton, thread. 52″ x 66″.

Maiwald’s embroidery pieces, hand sewn on cotton and linen handkerchiefs, are executed with a richly detailed elegance reminiscent of early Christian mosaics, but the delicacy of technique and materials is offset by images that are funny, mysterious, crude - at times all three. — from absolutearts.com

(images used with permission of the artist)

Learn how to embroider a design on your knitting at weasleys sweaters