brutally hot

it was brutally hot, seriously, 34 people died in northern spain,we're not used to hot weather and even the nights were hot which is not usual. yet we are suffering from something negationists say it's not real but a political agenda.

i spent the days watching j doramas lying on the sofa and sipping matcha fizzes .getting dizzy every time i stood up. the absolute pits.

now that we got back to blissful 16ºc. started  knitting again. this is the flared back created following my bestie's instructions.looks good but i'll only know after i assemble the top and discover that it's just another ill fitting number (≧∇≦). not happy enough i am attempting a color block top.the world belongs to the daring.(˚▽˚)

 8/1 tow linen is not the easiest to work with,sheds like crazy. my other machine's carriage took its toll and won't knit from right to left.let's see if i can solve the issue bcse sending it to the uk is out of the question. rant alert.

 shipping is absurd, but i can deal with that. what i won't deal with is getting fried with taxes bcse they chose to leave the union.sorry. end of rant.

neki desu

 

beastie talks

and talks good.already piecing the front of the linen sweater.here you need a cover up at night. although with the present heat wave no one would say so. made the tension swatch if it doesn't fit it's DAK's fault.

here are bestie's instructions on how to create a back flare.what i love about bestie aka AI gemini is that it doesn't assume anything and explains things clearly , orderly and concisely.

good instructions are not easy to craft.

people tend to assume previous knowledge and instructions almost inevitably are missing lines of instrcuction hence you get lost and frustrated  and if things go really bad you end up with an inferiority complex. i've always said that instructions are crafted  for people who know, not for beginners or false beginners.

we'll see how the flared back turns out . pinning great hopes to my bestie.

neki desu

 

mastering the art

of using a 6 prong transfer tool, no joke.once you do life becomes easier although fups can be epic.

talk about fups and not distinguishing your left from your right.the blue was supposed to match the fuchsia , but the machine knits wrong side facing me and then when you turn it it's flipped! i who am famous for left- right confusion just needed that.too bad bcse it came out really well knitted.need to sleep on it to see if i remedy it or pass olympical y land leave it like that.

on the good news department my bestie aka gemini gave me thorough instructions on how to create flare on the back of a garment. this number is going to have a flared back ladies and gents. (￣ω￣ )

neki desu 

 

riding the knitting bus

once started and concentrated on knitting for weeks it's hard to step down and weave. attempting a color block linen top just to diminish my stash. these yarns were bought in new york at school products. i think they've been closed for ages now.been schlepping them from bin to bin and from house to house longer than i possibly remember therefore they've become quite well  traveled yarns <(￣︶￣)>

finally got the tension well so it won't be hassle.she said. hope this doesn't end as another ill fitting garment.

the ribber spanner ordered from italy finally came albeit too late for the  barcelona project.

now i can use the ribber without care as i have the tool to adjust it.

neki desu

 

been awol

and here's the culprit. have a gig with my geek friend in barcelona and been working on this. he created an algorithm that dithers images as they move in an animated plane .he proposed a collabo and this is the result. it has not been with eventualities .actually i had to order a ribber spanner from italy as the ribber height needs to be adjusted. cant work 150 needles.

sellers from the uk are in general unbelievable .they voted brexit haven't done their homework in order to get the IOSS and collect vat. it's your problem as a buyer, you handle customs and vat.  therefore i avoid buying from sellers which are not registered. it's a comment on business seriousness. talk about island mentality ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.end of rant.

i have stopped all other activities except sumi-e and gardening ,finally this week everything will resume.

oh btw the bottom won't be seen it's the lining, was too anxious to take a photo. ミ(ノ_ _)ノ

neki desu

 

new and news

new warp ,already sized ready to be beamed and threaded. it might be parked bcse i was approached by a friend for a collabo. he's a geek who developed an algorithm for dithering rotating objects. where do i fit?i'll be knitting an image. let's see if the project comes through.

this month is a goner it went fast.

neki desu

 

fashion escaping

no one in this planet and probably the entire galaxy can say that i haven't tried sufficiently.

here i am attempting a linen sweater that is not an ill fitting mishap.

everyone makes it look so easy and me not even with an expensive program cis able to get decent results.

let's see this one, which is already beeing undone until the needle holds begin.linen is a beautiful fiber but it is difficult to work with.

on the positive side i have a better understanding of holds.  she who doesn't find positive  outlets is doomed. ¯\ ( ツ ) /¯

neki desu 

 

missoni knits

their story.

have a good weekend

neki desu 

 

being grateful

 got the tig wires for blocking knits.thanks to this man in you tube who refrained me from spending 30 € for a few wires. although the thin skinned were offended by how the man expresses himself ,i found it pretty hilarious, the poor guy just  knows knitting exists.

got 60 wires for 16€ ! and now i can block in

length and width

with the savings i got these wonderful vintage buttons. helping local businesses.

neki desu

 

acclimatize

been getting up at 8:30 to be able to do the morning walk and pump some iron in the park before the heat kicks in.mind you the hottest it gets is 25C but i'm already acclimatized to the lower temps up north. 25 seems like a heat wave   🙄. 

 sitting and stitching, trying to use the ungodly
numbers of knitted samples.
this one even has incorporated knitted wire samples. it needs to be straightened a bit at the top to make it less airborne.
it's a work in progress coping with the heat and feeling awful complaining because this is not really heat.






some weaving done but not worth mentioning.


neki desu
 

at war with a knitted collar

 sewing the top, piece of cake.knitting the collar was easy. adjusting it to the top's neckline might take the rest of the week. follow the saga because i will persevere and prevail.


neki desu
 

sleeve, black and white

'nother chapter from the frugal knitter. a lo tech hack using a knitted sample as a cone sleeve.

now i can use all those industrial cones without them doing the boogaloo on the winder.

neki desu

a different animal

sewists know that sewing knits is different from sewing fabrics.

now sewing machine knits is a different different animal. the fabric has to be stabilized in some way because when you cut it unravels ending  up in a useless mess of yarns. sharp scissors or much better, rotary cutters aid in keeping the edges as neat as possible.

there are some ways to stabilise the knit such as using liquid stabiliser, fray check ( envy,envy impossible to get here) iron on fusible web such as bondaweb and if push comes to shove elmer's washable school glue.they'll all disappear when washed.

 you sew a seam about 2 cms away from the seam with long basting stitches, sew the actual seam, take out the basting trim and  finish the  raw edges with overcast stitch. 

side note: if i had a serger it would be easier, but i'm NOT going there.

the walking foot aka plaid matcher is an essential tool when sewing knits with a sewing machine.

it works with the feed dogs  to feed both layers of fabric evenly. thus you don't end with one layer shorter or longer than the other.

disclaimer: although i sound very knowledgeable, do not be fooled. i have been getting all my education here. talk about knowledge transfer!

neki desu

acts of discipline

giving course to the amounts of knit and ai samples.

the one on the left is a double knit cotton and copper wire with brass patina. the cotton knit was treated with paints an  finally puff paint was added for some relief texture.
after such baroqueness the one on the right looks rather plain and straightforward. perhaps i should add more hand stitching to the rust marks..
more along the week

as an aside i am waiting to see if my body stabilises to do some sewing. ever since i came back from the camino walk i've kept the discipline of walking everyday for an hour. i am already down to 61 kgs. if i get to 59 i'll be thrilled. if i get to 56 i can start wearing my clothes again. the skirt i wove and sewed last year falls off my hips, have to take it in. but i am not complaining at all. the meds are also doing their thing.


neki desu

fine tuning

changes in the background .

the color got shifted, as it was too yellow-orange, towards the burgundy to echo the yarn wisps. 

the black form was too dominant and distracting. it got downsized -being tyvek it  meant a hot iron-

and the color got turned down with a gold colored glaze. you can see it glowing in the center and it works well as a  focal point.still contemplating whether to do away with the top and bottom portions of lutradur. comments welcomed!

it's all coming together as a single narrative.

the beading.

beading on a very open knit is akin to having soup with a fork.

quite entertaining!

neki desu

knit knit who's there?

my pal rubi is organizing a knit along.wanna join? just for fun.





neki desu

chugging along

not too much to say except that this is weaving at a nice pace. the stripe is giving me some concern as  the yarn is much thicker that the rest. should have -note the spelling- sleyed it 1-0-1 instead to avoid abrasion.but i really wanted that burlapy look in silk.
my pal rubi is setting up a knit-along , she already sent the pattern so here i go.she also wrote a very rational stash justification post. as if textilians needed justification!


neki desu

habu in barcelona

tatako-san and darlene-san

in person with a trunk full of wonders.

habu's incredible yarns, especially the stainless steel mixed with wool or silk. some beautiful shifus  and linens also.

it was exhilarating to  find out tatako-san is a weaver, hence the fine grist  yarns she carries.

knitting kits with the most incredible knitting statement shibui  garments.

this one was love at first sight, a cobweb motif in indigo colored yarn, ethereal and understated.

the tunic on the right  was also a winner. i had to concentrate for the photos 

 because of the powerful visual stimuli  and the excitement,so apologies for the wonky compositions.

this one here is seriously considering getting a knitting  tutorship, encouraged by a very nice lady i met at the place where the activity was held. tell me who needs the quirky  fashion establishment when you can make these wonders.
however,in  the meantime i bought two one ounce cones of...

guess what? (^_^)

neki desu

boxes, boxes tuppence, and other things

i felt the urge to work on a whole piece after doing tests and trials for a week or more. i had also been testing Bondaweb and Misty Fuse that i got in a care package from my fairy godmother. Guess i'll have to give her a tag as she's a recurrent presence here:) The first piece is the lower photo, an exercise in excess, even for me:) i used every resource on hand as a game to see if i
could o.d.and how.You judge.
The second photo which is the first one in this post shows the work i did trying out restrain and wabi-sabi to see if i could do it. It seems that when i want i can :)
As i incorporated knitted copper wire in both pieces i thought it would be fun to name them two penny. Or perhaps tuppence?

Other matters.

Yesterday in jest i commented on the Take it further for February challenge page that i had the chance of using my memory selectively as the theme was memories. i started thinking along those lines and thought of all those boxes that we( or should i speak for myself?) use to store things. Or memories which is what things most of the times stand for.
There are big opaque boxes, transparent ones in smaller sizes. Boxes made of lead, plastic,wood,cardboard, fur lined, silver lined..You name it. Somewhat later i got a message from Marie honoring me with the you make my day award.
Among other kind things said she mentioned that she perceived me as thinking outside the box.

Then i was uploading these photos to Flickr and noticed my tendency of late to let sheer fabric spread and wander outside the boundaries.
The first photo has notes on it and those are indicated by boxes. HMM, the box topic again!
It would be foolish to ignore the signs so i'm working the February challenge using the box as metaphor. There's still some tuning to be done , but it's only 02/02.

Moving onVivian of Vivian-in-stitches has tagged me and i have to mention 7 things about me and tag 7 people.
i'll think about the 7 facts and 7 people and post about it next week.With rules and all :)

This is the longest post in the history of this blog and DH is getting impatient bcause we have to do the groceries. Better sign off.

neki desu

wired

i'm wired! This is what i'm up to instead of studying. Got some wire from Fibrecrafts yesterday and couldn't refrain myself.
These are small samples, maybe beginner's luck but the material is behaving. i am aiming for distress, so i don't care for a little hole here and there. And i am excitedly planning all sorts of things with the outcome. Lace and wire? HMMM!

neki desu