Sunday, April 22, 2018

Playing with Light

I've been working on a new project lately.  Actually, no, I've been OBSESSING over a new project lately.  Something a bit crazy, but completely magical.  A bit out there, but completely fantastic. A bit... well... illuminated.

It started with a project at school - paper mache - and seeing students use balloons to make their forms gave me an idea.  Why not blow up a balloon around my own forms so they can be hollow? Then I can put a light inside!


I gave it a try and after trying a couple of different yarn weights, decided that a lace/fingering was the right pick for this project.  After coating in a glue and water mixture, I popped the balloon and the form held! 


Now, the possibilities were endless. I could make a bunch of these and hang them from the ceiling! Or make free standing sculptures with more balls attached! Or change the color of the light! So many fun things were ahead. 

I decided to knit smaller balls and attach them, to create "cell-like" forms that (to me) represent memories and dreams.  


As I shared on social media, more people began to give me ideas, many of which were that I should make them hang from the ceiling.  I ordered some hanging fixtures and gave that a try with my colored lights. 


I liked it, but it didn't feel right.  Somehow, the freestanding just worked better for me and my ideas. 

Another friend suggested mirrors one day, saying that they could work well with my ideas of space, dreams and surrealism.  I thought about it and got intrigued.  Enough to go buy mirror tiles at the hardware store and give it a try.


I fell in love and knew that that this was the route to take for awhile.  I built more forms and began playing with multiple mirrors, until finally I got something that I am extremely proud of.  Proud enough to enter in a major fiber show in Houston.  Proud enough to share with you all.  Proud enough to keep making more.



The above photos are the final results and I am so happy with them.  The way the light plays with the reflections and the way the forms all glow from within.  Something is happening and I cannot wait to explore more.  

The next step is to do some research.  Learn about dream cycles and memory.  Make these forms truly represent our dreams and emotions, through size and stitch pattern.

This has been fun!

~Lisa 


Sunday, April 8, 2018

On My Needles and In My Studio

Well, 2018 hasn't been a fantastic year for blogging, but that doesn't mean I don't at least think about it.  I will try and get better, but when there is little progress from week to week it's hard to think of topics to discuss.

Luckily I have some things going on right now that I can share!

First up is a FO in the form of socks for my friend Jayde.  Finished the week of March 26th, they have reached their recipient safely and fit well.  I love the pattern - Hermoine's Everyday Socks - as it is just subtle enough to show off the stripes but also add interest, and the yarn is definitely a favorite.  I wish I had more (time to stash hunt on Ravelry!)


Shown with original artwork by Jayde Archebold. 
Check out her site and shop if you like what you see :)

As soon as the socks went off, a new project went on.  This lovely shawl is for a friend who is moving to London at the end of the summer.  I think the weight and size will work well for her over there, and the pattern - Madeleine Shawl from Vintage Modern Knits - is knitting up so quick that I am already on the decreases!

The yarn is worsted, single ply from the UK titled Mapuche.  I don't really have any other info, as it was a gift and the tag was bare bones. 


The other knit project currently consuming my mind is this fantastically interesting knitted sculpture project.  I came up with the idea a few months ago and have been obsessed since.  I am creating ball sculptures that, to me, represent fallen memories and dreams, and are completely hollow (thanks to balloons and glue) and have a light inside! They started out as standing, table top pieces, but I recently acquired some hanging fixtures and have been playing with hanging them.  I can't decide which I like more, but I do know that I am going to keep making these!

Shown with a yellow "bug light" bulb inside.

Finally, I have been developing a few new colors of yarn! Although I haven't been able to dedicate a good chunk of time to dying full skeins, I do have a few minis I created as tests for color.  My plan right now is to roll out a new "series" of colorways based off my EnchantKnit Forest paintings, with the first two being in the purple family.  

Frozen Summer Harvest is on the pale purple and blue side with pops of pink and green, while Sleeping Moon Ice is on the darker side, with indigo and navy showing through.  When I finally get full skeins I bet they would knit together really well!


Sleeping Moon Ice


Frozen Summer Harvest

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Is it summer yet? I know spring just started, but I am really ready for a break from school! April has many many events happening and I am trying to take it one day at a time and also get some knitting in.  I hope I can make that happen!

~Lisa