Mandy Moore's Blog, page 9

WWW: Weaving and Crocheting Shopping Bags, Unique Fundraiser, and a Museum Roundup

I love this report of plastic shopping bags being reused and crocheted or woven into mats for the homeless by residents in an independent and assisted-living facility in Gainesville, GA.

Some may with they had access to this fundraiser for ‘underappreciated’ knitted items (this particular endeavor is local to Waterloo, Canada).

Museum roundup:

On the morning of Sunday December 9th, museum members can enjoy Knitting at the MFA (Boston, Massachusetts). Please note that tickets are required.
ST Presents Museum Confidential: The World-Famous Crochet Museum an audio podcast about the World Famous Crochet Museum in Joshua Tree, California.
Yes, it’s been all over — at Tate Modern (London, UK) the first major exhibition of Anni Albers work is on view through 27 January 2019.
In Norway, there is a Museum of the Norwegian Knitting Industry (via From petrol to knitting, seven of Norway’s quirkiest museums )
Uzbekistan may follow Azerbaijan, establish own carpet museum

Thank you to Maurice for recommending the espinner link! Jillian beat me to posting about it! Do you have a link you think should be here? there’s an easy form!

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Electric Eel Mini Spinner 2 Kickstarter

Electric Eel Mini Spinner 2!

Here’s a Kickstarter I backed as soon as I saw it, the Electric Eel Mini Spinner 2!I was a little late to the party, so I’ll be waiting for mine a bit. This Kickstarter closes December 20th, so if you want to be in the first round click over and sign up. The Kickstarter packages start at $60.

The first Electric Eel Mini Spinner, was really popular. I know a lot of people who bought one, some liked it some weren’t so happy with it, but that’s the way all wheels are. A student brought the first version to a class I taught in Florida, so I got to put my hands on it, and I liked it more than I thought I would.

I liked it enough to back the second version. There are many improvements on the first version, including the sound. This version is much quieter. There a several smart additions to this little wheel, a specific place to use a clamp, a magnetized orifice hook, direction switch, and a spot to hook your fiber when you need to stop mid spin. There’s a good description and a little video on the Kickstarter page.

I love the idea of a spinning wheel I can put in my purse. It will be great for traveling and I can’t wait to use it in knitting classes to demo for non-spinners. I know the bobbins are small (1-2 ounces), I know it’s not wicked fast or powerful like a WoolyAnn, a Hansen, a Device, or an Ashford, but it will work in lots of spinning circumstances for me. Plus, it’s purple!

Once I get it in my hot little hands, I’ll let you know in more detail how it spins.

 

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WWW: Spider Silk; Espionage and/or Multitasking; New Fiber Art Exhibit

The Tangled History of Weaving with Spider Silk explores some of spider silk weaving’s history.

While this article is a few years old, I think The Wartime Spies Who Used Knitting as an Espionage Tool pairs nicely with this new one, Unique multi-tasking combinations.

Knitty has featured coded designs, see Morse code mittens (First Fall 2011) and the QR-key scarf (First Fall 2013).

Twisted, Twined, and Woven: Contemporary Fiber Art is a new exhibit at the Cahoon Museum of American Art (Cotuit, MA USA) that looks how textile art is evolving. It is on view through December 22.

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Thanksgiving is for Zen Spinning

My Thanksgiving Zen spin – Homestead Hobbyist and Nest Fiber Studio

In the U.S. it will soon be Thanksgiving. It’s a day for family, friends and food, and frankly trying to do too much.

I see so many of my friends put too much pressure on themselves to have perfect houses, perfect tables, perfect food, and end up exhausted and stressed. When they take time to spin on Thanksgiving, the pressure is on to spin for holiday gifts.

I am here to ask all of you spinners to take some time for Zen spinning on Thanksgiving. Spin with no project or outcome in mind. Take some time for yourself. Spin your favorite fiber with your favorite draft, and bask in the beauty of spinning with those you love around you.

For those of you celebrating, I wish you a day of joy and a little bit of spinning!

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WWW: creativity, quilts, and collaboration

It turns out creativity is difficult to define.

That’s the finding of why it’s a challenge to describe what what an artificial intelligence is doing.

If you didn’t see it earlier this year, neural networks have already been used to create knitting designs, skyknit.

If you’re confused by AI, this chart and article from the MIT Technology Review may help.

The New York Times released a short documentary, While I Yet Live about the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The story of these women, their bold voices, their quilting, and their craft is one of love.

Fiber artist Kimber Follevaag and photographer Sylvia Darcy collaborated to create the gallery show “Cage Doll”. This show explores explore the barriers that hold women back as well as the power women draw on as they flourish. The exhibit is open November 15-17 from 6-8 p.m at the Washington Cracker Building in Spokane, Washington (USA).

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Combo Spin vs. Combo Draft

Combo Draft with Frabjous Fibers’ BFL

I’ve had a bunch of emails lately asking about Combo Draft and Comb Spin.

The word Combo has become like the word Worsted, one word many meanings and applications, and it can be confusing!

A Combo Spin is a way to select, divide and ply enough braids to make a sweater.

It typically uses braids that are in the same color family, divides them into smallish sections (16 per braid). The sections are spun randomly, and then plied.

The first time I heard about it was through this episode of the PassioKnit Spinner’s podcast. It really caught on with spinners and there have been several  Combo SAL/ KALs using this method. I have yet to try it (sad trombone), but I’m hoping to this winter.

Combo Draft is a way to combine braids while drafting. It is one of my favorite method of spinning color. I first heard about it from Felicia Lo, who is a color magician. To Combo Draft, hold two (or more) thin vertical strips of two different braids together and drat them as one fiber. It creates a marl in the single, and when plied together those singles create a fantastically speckled yarn.

Both are great ways to stretch braids that aren’t the exact same colorway into enough yarn for a big project.

Have you done a Combo Spin? What did you think? Do you Combo Draft? What do you use the yarn for?

 

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www: animal cuteness

I write these posts the day before (it’s currently early on Election Day in the U.S.). I can’t foresee the future, so I hope you’ll enjoy some animal cuteness I found.

First up is

A Reminder for Our U.S. Readers

Don’t forget

 

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WWW: reasons to knit/crochet/spin/weave

Every week a new study shares how making things by hand reduces stress and improves mental health. More articles also remind us that it can change lives through empowerment. Today’s WWW post shares some of these stories.

Pedro Gonzalez of Dallas knits a sock at Holley’s Yarn Shoppe in Dallas. He can knit a sock while he watches a movie. (Carly Geraci)
Balance, Mindfulness, Mental Health

How knitting can instill peace, lower blood pressure and create some pretty things (Texas, USA)
Psychiatric rehab helps patients find balance (Ontario, Canada)
Santa Rosa exhibit highlights artistry of adults with mental health challenges (California, USA)
DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: You can really knit your way to happiness and a stress-free life (UK)
(this one is on apps/tech not making things) Meditation in the Time of Disruption

Penine Niyobyose of Gisenyi (Rwanda) at her knitting machine
Changes lives by providing income:

Visually impaired TVET graduate knitting her way to prosperity. With a knitting machine, 27 year old Penine Niyobyose of Gisenyi (Rwanda) has started a business that has helped her support herself and her younger siblings.
Sustainable fashion: Empowering weavers (India)

Crocheted octopi comfort and calm premature babies at Poole Hospital in the UK.
Knitting for others:

Charity knitting is another way to pay it forward and change lives. When I’m not crocheting cat toys for foster kittens, I’m likely knitting preemie hats. Why? I was born early and spent many days in NICU. Most of the clothes for my first few months were handmade (the rest were too large). Here are a few articles about recent charity knitting/crochet initiatives.

Knitting for others (from our Knitty archives!)
ASDA West Bridgford staff knit clothes for premature babies (UK)
Crocheted octopi comfort preemies in hospital NICU (first linked in a previous WWW, here’s a link to the crochet pattern . [I didn’t have an octopus, but I did love my (store bought) elephant. You could knit Opus by Cate Carter-Evans or if you prefer land-based creatures, maybe knitting Flo by Franklin Habit could bring comfort to a preemie?]
Lewes library group knits beanies for troops (USA)
Granny Beanie’s eyes may be degenerating but she can still knit – Ballito (South Africa)

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Labeling Handspun; PLY Away 4 Registration is Open

So little info on this skein of yarn.

One of the things I do to get ready for winter spinning, knitting and weaving is label my miscellaneous skeins of handspun. I’m pretty good at labeling my yarn, but a few still get through.  I’m not always thorough at labeling either.

I tag my just-to-spin skeins with a tyvek wristband and the basics of the yarn – fiber, company, yardage (before finishing), and that’s pretty much it. I like to go back and add a little detail to these skeins.

 

 

 

My current tag

I do this so when I want to knit or weave with my handspun that’s wasn’t specifically spun for the project I know what I’ve got. WPI, YPP, Ply, Bumps Per Inch, plus any other details I have. I use a big hangtag, and work over a few days or weeks. It’s very relaxing and I get a great sense of accomplishment.

Other Organizing

When I pull out all of my spin-to-spin skeins, I’m forced to go through my immediate stash. This is the stash I was going to spin right away. The reality is it could be a week old or a month old. Some of the fiber will stay, some will get filed away into deeper stash. Fiber is very patient.

I clear out odds and ends of fibers and yarns, deciding to keep them for carding or trash them. This is the perfect time to organize my end-of-the-bobbin single yarns too. I wind them onto storage bobbins and judge if I have enough to make a jumble yarn.

When I’m all organized, I feel like I’m ready for any project winter throws my way.

 

PLY Away 4!

Are You Coming to PLY Away 4?

PLY Away 4 registration is open ! A few classes are already sold out, so register if there is something you are excited to take.

I was able to arrange my schedule (Thanks Jacey!) so I could take a class. I’m taking Judith’s Paper Spinning class, so excited!

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