Knitterly Notes

 

Have I ever told you I love to knit?  

And so I have…here and here and here. The only thing better than knitting, is to draw or paint what I’m knitting or crocheting. I loved making this little painting of my hands knitting a scarf. Mind you, this lace scarf was begun several years ago…but I have finished it! And I’ll give you a proper reveal soon!

So here’s the photograph I worked from to create the above painting. I thought you might like to see the reference photo and how it gets translated into line and watercolor. I also thought you might like to see some of the projects I’ve been happily working on of late.

 

I knitted this little cupcake hat for my niece’s one year birthday back at the beginning of March, the early days of my U.C. diagnosis. That’s my beautiful sister with her fifth child, Brynley.

Then I finished this pair of socks, which I wore and wore through the chilly days. For some reason, I kept messing up on grafting the toe together. I’ve done the kitchener stitch successfully many times before, but a brain glitch prevented me from getting it right on both of these socks. Of course, I made it work somehow so the socks hold together without being uncomfortable.

So, on THIS sock, finished just recently, I was delighted to work the Kitchener stitch correctly! Yay! Maybe my recent surgery re-worked my brain as well!

And I love the colors in this yarn!!!!!

This is a random photo of the basket of yarns I used for my Resurrection Shawl. 

And this is the beginning of another multi-yarned confection, all in creams and whites! I have quite a vision of this shawl in its finished state…we’ll see how it all turns out.:)

And a photo of me knitting on our front stoop. This was taken prior to being in the hospital, hoping and praying that the medications I was on would put the U.C. into remission. There’s something about this photo I like… 1. I love knitting outdoors, even if it means wearing a coat and knitted hand mitts. 2. Knitting became synonymous with “hope” during my recent illness. Knitting and Hope…I like that.

Well, that’s enough for now…I’ll share more “knitterly notes” with you soon. I’ll be stocking the Shoppe with some new items soon…more on that coming up!

**Thank you so much for visiting me here on Drawn2Life!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing in these creative ventures with me!

***And…if you ever wanted to take up knitting, try my little photo tutorial HERE. I haven’t yet transferred it over from Drawn2Knit. It will happen someday. For now, check there for free patterns and tutorials.

****ANNDDD….if you’d like to try your hand at drawing/sketching OR need a little boost or encouragement to get back into it…check out my Drawing Your Life Mini Lessons. These were offered last year and still receive a lot of traffic.  I hope it’s helpful to you all!

Little Bird

A little pink bird sits in the Christmas tree in my studio sunroom.  He looks out at me from the white branches (fake table-top tree:) as I sit every morning to sip  guzzle coffee, to read and reflect. This is one of my newly acquired ornaments this year. I’ve spruced up this little tree, as it is “my tree”.

I announced to the family two years ago that I wanted to have, instead of a Frasier Fir tree, a white fake tree for the living room.  I had seen this absolutely gorgeous tree in a friend’s photograph of a Paris store window and I wanted a bit of Parisien holiday in my house. But  my family revolted! Gasped in horror.  No way I could win.  So, just like my dear grandmother, I decided I would have my own little table-top tree, white for me (hers was green) and decorate it however I like.  It is in process…I hope to add a new decoration to it every year.

This year, along with the pink bird and a few other ornaments, I added a crocheted tree-skirt.  I’ve typed up a little FREE pattern for it, so that any crocheters who’d like to can make it for their table top trees. My tree is nowhere near what I remember the Paris shop tree looking like…but I like this little tree so very much, with it’s pinks, lime greens, and blues, a very happy site in the studio!

*The second drawing I made December 2010, when I first got the tree. I remember now that it sat on a table very close to my drawing table and wound up with art supplies underneath it. Now it sits in one of the many windows in the room to be enjoyed by those driving or walking by on my neighborhood street. I’m prolly stretching it…but perhaps it’s a teensy bit of Paris for my Kernersville street.

Blankets & A Process

Forgive the dreadful photos (especially this one)…I was drawing/painting in the wee hours of the morning (have no idea why I’m up so early these days:( ) and taking photos at that time is  near impossible, but there it is.

The blankets are out in full force around our house and in use! Perhaps for you too.  Most of our blankets I’ve crocheted at one time or another. My favorite is this big, huge granny square blanket made with lots of leftover yarns.  To see a couple of other drawings of this blanket, click here and here.  Should you be a crocheter and want to make this blanket, click here! It’s one of  my FREE PATTERNS available to you!

So I thought I’d show you a drawing in process where I’ve made use of a page that I began for another drawing (see this Knitting Brown drawing). I drew the knitting needle and decided to abandon ship and start over.  Why? I don’t know. Hm.

Anyway, I started a continuous line drawing on the abandoned page.  Continuous line is lovely for early morning drawing: restful, thoughtful, meditative. It should be noted that I have several continuous lines on the page. I typically take a line as far as I feel it can go. Then pick up my trusty Bic pen and begin somewhere else. I just love that way of drawing.  It frees me from feeling I have to have everything “correct” or have to have every detail. The witchy looking thumb was weird…but oh well, not gonna stress about it…let it go!

Then I splashed on some watercolor.  When I have lines on a page, no matter how wonky looking, I tend to be very loose and free with the paint.  Choice of colors is aligned with similarity to the local colors around me. For instance, the chair I sit in to think, write, draw each morning, is burgundy.  It has a matching twin.  The closest color on my palette to “burgundy” is quinacridone magenta, a favorite delicious color which is much more exciting than burgundy.  I have a yellow pillow in the same fabric as the hassock, but they aren’t quite so bold a yellow as I used here: cad yellow is way more vibrant and fun! So this is how I “think” when I paint.  I do not attempt exact colors of my surroundings.  I let my surroundings guide me, but pick what is close but perhaps more jazzy.

Another note about color:  I’m always thinking about connections…between colors of each of the “things” in my drawing.  I love looking for the echoes of burgundy in the blanket, the hints of green in the blinds, the blues showing up in shadows of the burgundy chair.  Making color notes in your drawing this way allows it to be cohesive and a whole unit. That’s also why I love splattering…splatters of colors from the blanket over the chair area allows them to be connected to each other.  I love connections…in BOTH continuous lines AND in color!!

*I also went back into the drawing with my Bic pen to add the tip of the Bic pen.  Sometimes continuous line doesn’t allow some necessary details you may want added in later. Tee Hee!

I wanted to add oil pastels to this.  Just a bit of the juicy dark colors, especially in the blanket since oil pastel has a natural textured look which mimics the look of yarns.  Defined the cropped out area too, as this was my first focus in the drawing.  It kept spilling outside the borders of this drawn rectangle.  I don’t mind these things…I just go along with Pen wherever he goes. Oh, and the oil pastel over the cropped box, helped the witchy thumb look less, well, witchy.

In the end, I decided to go back into the drawing with Bic pen to add a few of the lines on my sketchbook page.  And by this time, the light is a bit better in the house for taking a photo and I think you’re getting a better look at the color.

So, draw up a chair,  a blanket too, and sketch what you see.  Splash on some color.  Add a few accents. Redefine what you need.

It’s all good, in the land of sketchbooks.

I Love Yarn!

Did you know that I love yarn?? Did you also know that today is “I Love Yarn Day“? Woo! Hoo!!!!

I haven’t shared much of my yarn goings on these days…so TODAY is the day!! I finished a vest that is waiting to be blocked and buttons added.  I need to do this as the weather is just about right for it! I’ll show you when it’s all done!  And with what I had leftover from the vest, I’m knitting a simple lace scarf.

Can you see why I love yarn??  Color, color, COLORRRR!!!! And Noro yarns are some of my all-time favorites!! If you’re interested, you can read about my love of yarn here and here and here.

Did you also know that I like to design my own knitted and crocheted things?  Check out my new page for the FREE patterns you can download!

And check out my Etsy Shoppe for many other patterns you can purchase! Here’s a little gallery for you of some of those patterns: (i can’t seem to get the first three images OUT of the gallery. Oh well. Just look at the other 9!)

I hope you have a wonderful I Love Yarn Day!

Maybe you can knit or crochet a bit! And then perhaps you can draw what you’re knitting! Even better!

On My DPNS

Say What? For those of you who do not knit, DPNS may be a new word.  It’s actually an anacronym for Double Pointed NeedleS.  These are knitting needles which have points on both ends (instead of just one end) and are only about 8″ long.  I LOVE working on DPNS!

They are used for knitting in the round, meaning that you work around in a circle, rather than back and forth on a flat, rectangular piece. They allow you to create hats, tubular scarves, sweaters and sleeves without seaming, handbags and all kinds of other rounded shapes.  My recent craze is knitting these awesome bird’s nests and eggs:

Aren’t they fun?? I can’t decide which I love most…the PROCESS of making them or the END RESULT!  Both are de-light-ful!!  Being a crocheter as well, I’ve often thought that it was only in crochet where you could begin in the middle of a circle and work your way out.  BUT NO! These eggs and nests have showed me how simple it is to start at one “end” of an egg, increase to the desired circumference, and then decrease to the other end.  All in one piece!  Then the nest is really the same concept!  You just squash one half of the “egg” shape down into the other half and voila! You have a nest! So, so fun to make.

If any of you are knitters and you want to make this, click here for the FREE pattern from Purl Soho.  It is off of their blog, the Purl Bee, which is one of my absolute favorite spots for inspiration and patterns (both free and for purchase) for knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, etc.  It is visually one of the most beautiful craft blogs on the web!  As an artist, I adore feasting my eyes on how they have photographed the creations and the type of projects they seem to choose are wonderful.

Oh my…in linking you to The Purl Bee, I see a Big Cuddly Bunny I’ve just gotta make for Maddie!  And I have THIS PATTERN on order for more bunnies…so full of character, I just can’t resist!!  Drawings and photos forthcoming!!!!!

Baby Step #9: Pyramid Gift Box Pattern

How an idea comes to life…

1.  A shape pops into my head.  Pyramid!

2.  A question follows on its heels.  How can I make that shape in knitting?

3.  Paper & folding ensues.  Ahh…so that’s how!

4.  Another question pops up.  What can the shape be used for other than a sachet?

5.  Leaving shape open on one side.  Yeah, righto.  A gift box!

6.  Yet another question.  How can I make it festive?

7.  Jar of leftover bits of yarn, ribbons, and raffia says “Use Me!”  Oooh, yes!

8.  Button bin starts yelling too!  Even brads work pretty well for a gift box! (Lime green polka dots are brads!)

9. Et Voila!

To view and/or purchase this knitted pattern...CLICK HERE!!

**A Note on Baby Steps:  It needs to be said that each Baby Step I’ve posted here, actually has SEVERAL baby steps imbedded in the making of each one!!  So, for instance, in creating a pattern for others to use, you have Step One: Idea.  Step Two: Working out the idea ( in pen & paper, yarn & needles, etc.)  Step Three: Sitting with the completed “prototype” to see if you are satisfied with it, or whether it needs something else.  Step Four:  Typing up the pattern in humanly readable terms rather than the chicken scrawl you have on a throwaway piece of paper.  Step Five:  Photographing the finished project.  Step Six: Adding photo and EDITING the pattern for mistakes. Step Seven: Downloading pattern to Yarnworks site, Etsy, Ravelry, etc.  Whew!!

The KEY to creating by the Baby Step method:  DO NOT let yourself look ahead to all the zillions of steps you need to make.  JUST BE PRESENT IN THE ONE STEP YOU NEED TO MAKE NOW!!!  This helps me so so much!  I get too overwhelmed by all the ideas swirling in my head and all the steps necessary to make the idea a reality.  I have to HAVE PATIENCE and MOMENT PRESENTNESS.  Not easy for me.  But it is so rewarding to see the idea come to life and to share it with others!

Love, Love, Love!!!!

Be still my beating heart!!!

This past Monday was a day off from school for my kids.  Maddie and I often declare such days, “A Making Day”.  Sometimes we work on something together, sometimes we work on our own projects silently, with music going, but nevertheless together.  These are sweet memories I will always cherish.

After making lots of other things, like origami, and crocheted rosettes, she disappeared to her room in the afternoon.  Hours went by and the only time I saw her was when she came down to ask me to tie the knot at the end of her needle and thread.  I didn’t think much of it, as I too was busy making stuff.

Long after dinner, she came downstairs asking me to close my eyes, hold out my hands.  And this is what she gave me.  Oh my heart.  Bursting.  Hugging. Exclaiming. Praising. Wonder.  Amazement.  A plushie gift made from beginning to end…FOR ME.  Oh my.

I thought at first it was an elephant.  But it is a Koala Bear.  Then I remembered her question to me that very morning, “Mom, tell me one of your favorite animals.”  I named my pink gingham Koala Bear Kaylee.  Kaylee the Koala Bear.  I. Love. It. So. Heart-to-bursting. Much.

It wasn’t until I was tucking her in, that I saw her little pattern she had hand-drawn.  Oh. My. Heart.  I think it might just fly apart with wings of sheer joy at the artist-maker in her…conceiving an idea on paper, drawing it out, choosing fabric she thinks I might like, hand stitching it together, stuffing it lovingly, sewing all the parts together, drawing the super cute eyes and ears on because, as she says, she forgot to SEW the eyes and ears on.  I much prefer the drawn ones!

I asked her to sign the back of it for me and date it.  She said, “Why?”

Because it is a lovely piece of art that needs your name on it.  And because i always want to remember this day. <sigh>