Self-Patterning Yarns: A New Approach at NCFF

     Sue Grant and I were very pleased to have the opportunity to teach our dye workshop on self-patterning yarns at North Country Fiber Fair in Watertown, SD the weekend of Sept. 17 -19.  An enthusiastic group of participants showed up on Saturday afternoon, wearing clothing to dye in and ready to try a new technique.The method involves painting color onto pre-knit "flats" of undyed wool yarn.  After the dye is set and the flat is allowed to dry, the yarn is unraveled and knit into whatever seems appropriate -- scarves, socks, gloves, hats or shawls.  The only limit is the dyer's imagination, and some amazing projects were done that afternoon.

This was an enthusiastic bunch, anxious to try something new and not afraid to get their fingers dirty.  An interesting color combination -- Prairie Rose and green -- was achieved after some experimental mixing, and  several flats were painted using them. 

Another flat was dyed horizontally -- rather than the more conventional vertical orientation -- and the resulting landscape of sky and earth in saturated colors is sure to produce something interesting when it is knit.

The best part of this process is the part that happens later -- when the flats are dried, unraveled and knit.  I hope everyone who took this class (and several people stayed afterwards to dye a second flat, so there are plenty of flats waiting to be knit up!) will send pictures of their projects when they're completed.  Keep checking this blog, everybody -- we'll post everything we get from you.. And thanks so much for coming and trying the technique -- Sue and I had fun, and we hope you did, too.

Weekend at North Country Fiber Fair

     NCFF (North Country Fiber Fair) is an annual gathering of spinners, weavers, dyers, knitters, fiber animal owners and fiber fanatics.  It is held each fall in Watertown, SD and has become one of my favorite opportunities to hang out with people crazy enough to enjoy the same things I like.  Visitors come mostly from a 5-state area (North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin) and while the show is traditional in some respects (a wide assortment of vendors selling all things fiber, classes and workshops on fiber related topics) there are always some surprises.

There is always a "spinning circle" where anyone can set up a wheel or get out needles and yarn, sit down and enjoy a conversation with somebody interesting.  This year's circle was really huge -- the photo only shows part of it, since it was much too big to get into one shot.  It was fun to see the variety of wheels brought to the circle -- everything from one-of-a-kind antiques (many family heirlooms) to the latest Ladybugs and Victorias. 

      The Market at NCFF included not only everything from yarns and fibers to niddy-noddies and nostapines -- one could also do her live fiber animal shopping in the same place.  In case you were wondering, an angora rabbit resembles nothing so much as a big fluffy mop with a face on one end -- as this handsome fellow illustrates.  He was a perfect gentleman, sitting quietly and allowing people to stroke his luxuriously soft coat or take his picture.  Sue took this one, and I think it's just about the best rabbit photo I've ever seen..

  My friend Sue and I were lucky to be able to attend a dye workshop led by Grete Bodogaard, a well-known regional fiber artist.  Grete took us through the intricacies of dyeing with indigo, a natural plant-based dye that's been in use since the middle ages.  Today it's best known as the coloring in blue jeans.  We worked with "instant" indigo, a modern product that shortens the process by months and thankfully freed the workshop participants from the necessity of peeing in a communal "pee pot"  until there was enough urine accumulated  to make the dyestuff work.

       Grete taught us a variety of Shibori dye methods.  Shibori is a Japanese technique that involves wrapping, twisting, tyeing, scrunching and otherwise distorting the fabric or fiber before placing it in the dyebath.  The resulting color patterns are unique and -- to a great extent -- unpredictable, so each dyed piece was a surprise when it was pulled out of the pot and unwrapped.  I'm looking forward to trying some of the tricks I learned from Grete and passing them along in classes and workshops I teach this winter.

     One of the neatest events at NCFF is the "Fiber Sandwich" project.  Participants, including vendors, producers and anybody else with spinnable fiber to play with, are asked to contribute 4 ounces of whatever they like.-- wool. alpaca, chengora (dog), cashmere, angora, etc.  All the donations are pulled into "fluffs" and spread out on a long table.  The huge pile is then divided into "slices" and any spinner at the event can pick up a slice and spin it in whatever way she or he wishes.  The completed skeins of yarn are sold in a silent auction, with the proceeds supporting  the show.  Additionally, anyone purchasing a skein of this yarn is challenged to make something with it and bring the piece back the next year.  The project judged best will be awarded a prize. 

Shooting Your Stuff at Stitches

     Going to Stitches Midwest every summer is probably the most completely self-indulgent thing I do on an annual basis, and it is always a real treat to spend several days completely surrounded by knitters, knitting and things for and about the craft.  This year, in addition to classes on working with hand-dyed yarns and
 designing knitwear, I signed up for two days of hands-on knitwear photography training with Alexis Xenakis.  Alexi , as he is called, is the genius photographer for Knitters magazine, and one of the most respected textile photographers in the country.  How could I pass up this opportunity?

    On Day 1 we met -- ten students plus Alexi and his assistant, Lisa -- and spent an hour or so talking about light.  Just light -- what it can do, why we need to pay attention to it, and how to make it work the way you want it to work.  Everyone had brought knitted objects to be photographed, and soon Alexi -- hauling his "big boy" camera and tripod -- led us out into the hotel's hallway for some practice.  Somebody brought this knitted owl, and Alexi first set him next to one of the big marble sculptures in the hallway -- not a very cozy spot for an owl..

The carpet was a little better -- at least the texture was softer, which seemed much more appropriate.  But still, not quite right...
     Maybe the tree in the corner???   After all, owls DO perch in trees.
   

 Still not very "right" -- although owls ARE known to prefer the dark.  Still, THIS owl wasn't QUITE with it.  What's needed?

Wow!  All that was needed was LIGHT to make the owl look right at home!  Okay, first lesson learned.....make sure you get the light right.

Next, we all moved outside the hotel.  Think the driveway has limited possibilities for good photos?  Think again.  We modeled our own and each other's knits.  This beautiful entrelac shawl was worn by its maker, leaning against a trash can.  Doesn't she look glam??

One of the people I met in this class was the author/.artist who created my favorite cartoon book, "It Itches."  Franklin Habit is a talented photographer, cartoonist, knitter and blogger, and it was fun to spend some time with him.  He also made a great model.  Even though it was a sunny day in August, he cheerfully put on this red-and-grey wool cap and scarf, climbed onto the huge industrial-looking sculpture in the middle of the driveway and stood there for what must have seemed like hours while Alexi and the rest of us clicked away.

And then he held up one end of the "scrim" that diffused the sunlight while Lisa (in pink) got a light reading.  Setting up an outdoor shot took a long time -- shooting it was just the end result.

Alexi's version of this photo did NOT include the stuff in the background.  Now I know why I need a better camera!

Working with this highly skilled pro was a real treat.  I learned a lot, not the least of which was that the great detail and depth of field needed for good knitwear pictures can be achieved only with a MUCH better camera than my little compact Canon.  I was amazed, however, at what I DID manage to produce.  Not magazine quality, to be sure, but much better than what I was shooting before. Just watching Alexi work made me pay much more attention to the little details -- was the sun glaring off the water in the background?  Was there a shadow on the shoulder of that sweater??

     On day 2 we stayed indoors and watched Alexi and Lisa set up indoor shots on a mannequin and "table top".  We didn't even use our cameras that day -- just listened and took notes as he described how to set up a makeshift light box and how to utilize different backgrounds to compliment the piece being photographed.

As we got to the end of the shooting session, David -- the 4-year-old son of one of the class participants --arrived with his dad.  Alexi scooped him up and stood him in the curved railing in the hotel entryway and clicked off a series of shots.  This little guy was so great about letting us take his photo that nobody got a bad picture of him -- or of his pretty blue sweater.