So, half of the returning yarn is now knitted up, into a Mobius cowl. As you see, red and the camera are at odds again, so the color you see in action, in artificial light, is way too orange for the real yarn
and the one you see against wood, in daylight, is way too gray for the real yarn
It's about halfway between. Very warm red to pink, hand dyed, variegation. It's full of shades and shadows and shapes, so the camera has its work cut out. I arranged it two different ways here, too, just because I could. You can turn the turnover part to the side, too. I haven't blocked nor pressed it at this point, just wanted to see if I like it more curly. I do, but I think I'll still do a bit more finishing, just for the sake of knowing.
It's a Mobius cowl, and if you want to make one, here's the deets: I didn't use a pattern, just figured it out as I went. Not sure what the weight of yarn is, but the gauge in this stitch is approximately 4 sts to the inch in both directions.
I used size 8 needles, cast on 51 stitches and proceeded in Shaker stitch for 24 inches. You need an odd number of stitches for this stitch, in multiple of 2. Since it turns over at the end of the making up, you could just do plain old garter stitch for this, since the Shaker part is only half visible. I think it's interesting, but not vital.
Then I turned the starting end over, and cast off the finishing end by picking up from the left needle and the starting edge at the same time, knitting together, then casting off. Worked across both ends at the same time that way. So both ends are cast off together, no stitching involved. You really don't need a pattern for a lot of nice knits, just a willingness to experiment.
This cowl is very warm, partly because it's wonderful yarn, from Shepherd Susie, partly of the openwork stitch which traps warm air, and partly because the Mobius shape gives endless folds. It's also fun to arrange around your neck in various formations. And it can pull high on the back of your head if, like me, you'll do anything not to wear a hat. Or pull up over your mouth to breathe through when the wind is cutting. It is also a kitty magnet, works just like a warm nest for them, ask me how I know this.
The Mobius strip is one of those mysteries, where you take a two sided object, fold it over once, attach the two ends and it's now a one sided object. Endlessly entertaining, as well as a nice cowl to wear. You can try this with a strip of paper, prepare to be mystified.
And now that it's done, the warm weather has obligingly gone away, so I get to use the cowl right away.
Ages ago I was given a wonderful gift, of a fiber share, that's like a CSA but done by a sheep farm raising animals for their excellent fleece. Lovely spun yarn, some hand dyed in variegated reds, some left natural, and I used a lot, and shared some around. Seemed greedy to keep it all.
So having traveled from New England to Canada, or maybe the Canada part was cut out, to here, some of it went up the street to a friend with big ambitions to use this fabulous yarn.
Yesterday she came down to visit, announcing she was clearing her cluttered spare room, and giving away some yarns she ought to share. And she handed over the bag of yarn I'd given her way back, thinking it was from her sister. Hm. So, glad to see it again, and instantly made a hank into knittable balls, and set to work.
Here's my soon to be cowl, in Shaker stitch, moving right along. In fact the pic is several hours old, and the piece is now much bigger, knitting along to audiobooks. I did try it in a honeycomb stitch, adapted to straights from a pattern using circulars which I don't like, and anyway don't have big enough ones.
But I found that this yarn, what with the variegation in color and the texture, didn't work with the honeycomb stitch, and I started over. As usual, the camera doesn't convey the richness of reds, and this is much stronger than the color shows here.
I cast on 51 stitches, need an odd number for this stitch, and size 8 needles, and went from there. Just winging it, really, and it's looking okay up to now. Shaker is a great stitch, all garter, but looks much posher, and it's interesting to knit -- one row knit, next row knit one then knit under the next stitch, do that to the end. That's what creates the interesting loops on the right side. It's a good stitch for a scarf, since it traps air, which keeps it warm, without being heavy. It drapes well, too. When the length is enough to finish, I'll knit the two ends together as I cast off, making a firm ending. I might at that point turn one over to make an interesting shape, a mathematical mystery whose name totally escapes me, but it will return as soon as I hit publish, guaranteed*.
This is more fun than framing, which I have been doing for two upcoming shows. Then I promised to write some pr for the same shows, Creative Collective ones. And I have to get moving on making paper to use in the artist book demos coming up in April, which is not so far off after all at this point. I think people will enjoy handling handmade paper, along with various other items.
And a frantic search for a piece by Unified Field, that's the joint artist Stefi M and I used to be when we weren't being just ourselves, because it suddenly had a buyer. Which meant we had to find it. Whose house? crated? whose studio? did we still own it? etc. etc. and I did unearth it, in excellent condition, already framed, labeled, wired, priced, ready to go. So it now lives in California, I believe, and the buyers are happy.
I totally failed to get a pic of it before it left, of course, and it predated my digi days. So I can't even show it. I'm such a washout! It was a set of images, polaroid shots, of artworks we'd created together, then mounted on black paper, but with torn surface areas. It all sounds chaotic, but in fact it was a good harmony of blues and blacks and greens and great background texture, and if I can ever locate a pic, I'll give you a link. Title is Poseidon's World.
And the moral of the story is: art lasts, and can find a home even years after it's made. Of course, I have had people try to buy a work they remember from years ago only to find that I've broken up and reused the piece, or sold it in another form, or something! Not a curator, more interested in what's happening now and in the immediate future, really.
It is nice, though to think of my work, in various different media, painted, monotypes, stitched, knitted, crocheted, sculpted, assembled, living in a number of different countries, like seeing your kids, all individuals, go off and settle in their own places.
I guess it also means it's never too late to check with an artist if a piece you saw ages ago and still like is still available. You never know, it might be!
*Mobius, mobius!! remembered it as I was about to hit the button. There should be two dots over the o, but who's counting.
