Dawnwich Transformations

It occurred to me if I wanted to be consistent with my other solemn vows, I’d vow not to buy another book until I had read ten.

But that’s obviously taking it too far.

February 9th, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments (1)

I had intended to make some scarves and hats for the show — I’ve been sketching out embroidered and appliqued patterns for ages.  I forced myself to stop knitting wire for a while to make at least a few scarves.  And don’t you know, I think I could do *this* for hours at a time too.

These are built on warm green fleece, with vintage buttons from my grandmother’s stash and some embroidery.  They look gray in the pictures, but they are a nice dark green. The one piece of random embroidery has some fabric I bought for mermaid scales on dolls — I’m not sure that it’s the right choice for this.

February 1st, 2009 | Category: sewing | Leave a comment

Like I said, when I got started knitting this stuff, I couldn’t stop.  I’ve been staying up past midnight knitting away.  This one is a longer necklace with a knit copper section, red and brown glass beads, and (the invevitable) clock pieces.

January 30th, 2009 | Category: jewelry, knitting | Leave a comment

This has just a bit of knit lace and some more clock pieces added to a trim that’s been in my stash for decades.

January 29th, 2009 | Category: jewelry, knitting | Leave a comment

Again, I was thinking steampunk when I made this.  This choker is on a red velvet ribbon, and it has various beads, clock pieces, and weird stuff from the hardware store on it.  The hardware is strung on a copper wire which is sewn onto the ribbon.

January 28th, 2009 | Category: jewelry, knitting | Leave a comment

After spending a little time getting the hang of knitting the wire, and knitting with beads, I started to get more ambitious about the style of knitting.  Here is a knit lace in silver wire on a black velvet ribbon.  The dangles are pieces of old watches that I bought from a retiring watch repairman.

This was intended to show some steampunk inspiration, although I saw such great steampunk pieces at the con last week that I’m not sure that a little velvet and some clockwork is enough to claim the label.  It is however, a damn nice piece of jewelry if I say so myself, and I am loving the lace in silver wire.

January 27th, 2009 | Category: jewelry, knitting | Leave a comment

I recently learned how to knit with wire.  It’s pretty easy — basically, you take wire, and you knit with it.  It does take some getting used to since wire behaves so differently from yarn.  You have to think more about the individual stitches. Also, it has wreaked havoc with the skin on my fingers.  I’ve got blisters and callouses and torn cuticles and worse than my usual winter dry peeling skin, but I don’t mind.

I’ve been experimenting with this since I learned — different knitting patterns, different wires, different beads, different forms.  I could do it all day.  Most of my projects are the sort that takes months if not years to do — this might be the first time I’ve fallen in love with something I can do fast.

Here are pictures of some of the bracelets I’ve been working on…

Now that I have a little inventory, I think I’ll finally set up an Etsy store.  My name on Etsy is dawnwich if you want to look for me — my name everywhere is dawnwich.

January 26th, 2009 | Category: artwork, jewelry, knitting | Leave a comment

Here is the first project, part of my Christmas knitting.  The yarn is a fuzzy merino ribbon, and it is a somewhat messed up version of Morning Surf Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer from Ravelry.  I gave this to my older sister.  In spite of not going exactly according to plan, I thought it made a pretty cute scarf.  The two pictures are of the same scarf, believe it or not.  The color is sort of in between the two, closer to the darker one.

January 25th, 2009 | Category: knitting | Leave a comment

I’ve been doing really well with my not-buying vow for the yarn, clothing, and the other art supplies.  I’ve been working steadily and not buying stuff.  But, er, e-quilter had a 60% off sale, and some of the fabric that’s been in my wish list for ages was on it, so, well, I guess I might have bought it.  So now I have to make 27 sewn projects before I’m allowed to buy fabric.

With all my christmas knitting, I’m down to six more projects before I will allow myself to buy yarn.  Man, I’ve got the Noro I’m going to buy all picked out.  Plus some other things.  I’ve got one project on the needles and a couple more ready to go.

I exhibited at the art show at Arisia, a Boston SF con.  I took the week off work and made as much stuff as fast as I could.  It was a great week, and I sold three things at the show so I’m pleased.  The show was kind of slow, so I was even happier to have sold something.

I’m working on getting all the pictures of my work up… I’m going to start posting tonight, and then schedule to posts to go up once a day until I get everything done.  This should keep the blog lively for a quite some time.

January 24th, 2009 | Category: artwork | Leave a comment