Knit One, Poet Too

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine Lover Mice

Valentine Lover Mice, originally uploaded by bluemoonart.

And while we're on the theme of mice, here is another sweet couple, just for Valentine's Day~

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, originally uploaded by oxfraudm.

Oh so cute - Two mice and a Valentine heart.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Spider Silk Tapestry

"Step into my Parlour", said the Spider to the Fly, originally uploaded by bytegirl24.

This amazing tapestry was woven entirely from spider's silk. I just watched NOVA's new program, Making Stuff 'Stronger," and this segment was featured.

From the American Museum of Natural History's website:

'A spectacular and extremely rare textile, woven from golden-colored silk thread produced by more than one million spiders in Madagascar, goes on display Wednesday, September 23 in the Museum's Grand Gallery. This magnificent contemporary textile, measuring 11 feet by 4 feet, took four years to make using a painstaking technique developed more than 100 years ago.

This unique textile was created drawing on the legacy of a French missionary, Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar in the 1880s and 1890s. Camboué worked to collect and weave spider silk but with limited success, and no surviving textile is now known to exist. Previously, the only known spider-silk textile of note was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, and it was subsequently lost.

Producing the spider silk—the only example of its kind displayed anywhere in the world—involved the efforts of 70 people who collected spiders daily from webs on telephone wires, using long poles. These spiders were all collected during the rainy season (the only time when they produce silk) from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and the surrounding countryside. These giant spider webs are a well-known feature of the capital, and frequently surprise international visitors. A dozen more people were needed to draw the silk from the spiders with hand-powered machines, with each spider producing about 80 feet of silk filament. This intricately-patterned spider silk features stylized birds and flowers and is based on a weaving tradition known as lamba Akotifahana from the highlands of Madagascar, an art reserved for the royal and upper classes of the Merina people (who are concentrated in the Central highlands). Silkworm silk has been used for a long period in Madagascar, however, there is no tradition of weaving spider silk in Madagascar. In this unique lamba cloth, the individual threads used for weaving are made by twisting 96 to 960 individual spider silk filaments together.'

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Bob-B-Q

Bob-B-Q, originally uploaded by rsislandcrafts.

I love these guys -

Photo note:

"You are all cordially invited to a Bob-B-Q !!

Bob (from Mochimochiland) has decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with a bar-b-q since the weather in Florida is so gorgeous right now.

He will be celebrating with family and friends this year. His two best buds Little Weed and Big Weed will be joining him for this wonderful day!

Bob is planning on serving steak and grilled veggies. There will also be plenty of snacks and drinks to keep everyone happy!

I decided to crochet Bob in an amigurumi style instead of the suggested knit in the round. I made Little Weed following the actual pattern, but converted it to crochet for Big Weed."

thanksgiving socks

thanksgiving socks 020, originally uploaded by gray la gran.

This photographer says:

"finished "pillars" socks."

Pretty yarn! Love the variegated gold, and the textured openwork detail up the sides of the socks.

Hand knit lace wall hanging

Hand knit lace wall hanging, originally uploaded by phydeaux designs.

Note:

"How cute it this? :P I actually designed and knit these last Winter/early Spring (more colors are on the way). I love the colors for Autumn!

Gorgeous colorway from Lisa/Wabi Sabi Yarns (goooorgeous). :)

I cut a little dowel from balsam wood, and hand tied a super skinny organic cotton ribbon to use as the hanger. I love how these turned out."

Pretty!

Matthew's knitting turkey

Matthew's knitting turkey, originally uploaded by katbaro.

Hah!

Photo note:

"Strangely enough this picture was shown on The Colbert Report on 12/3/08"

felted bowl 3

felted bowl 3, originally uploaded by knitalatte11.

Photo note:

"voila waiting to be filled"

knitting and felting a bowl for thanksgiving

knitting and felting a bowl for thanksgiving, originally uploaded by knitalatte11.

I love knitted bowls, and did several myself. I use mine for keeping sew-up needles in, and other necessary items.

Photo note:

"step 1 knit a bowl on 4 needles"

Felted Thanksgiving Oven Mitt

Felted Thanksgiving Oven Mitt, originally uploaded by the purl bee.

Photo note:

"Oven Mitt
Make your own! Find more info here:
www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2007/11/16/whits-knits-felte...

Snow Day Crochet 5

Snow Day Crochet 5, originally uploaded by throughtheloops.

This scarf and hat combination is very pretty~

Photo note:

"First Snow of the Year.
Six inches before Thanksgiving!!!
Crochet Hat
Pattern: My Own
Yarn: Main Color STR Medium Weight
Flower Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino

Crochet hats are even faster than knit hats! Good thing, they are fighting over the hats in my house."

fit to be tied

fit to be tied, originally uploaded by hizknits.

This is wonderful, and I can spot Noro yarn a mile away~

Photographer's / knitter's note:

"the brooklyn tweed-inspired scarf with Noro and a green "solid" from Philosopher's Wool (left over from this sweater). Knit over Thanksgiving 2007 in Eugene, OR."
.

the perfect weekend

the perfect weekend, originally uploaded by wikstenmade.

Photo note:

"the day after thanksgiving. hmmm, what's more perfect than watching a childhood favorite movie with some knitting, a glass of wine, and leftover pie?"