After my negative rant of the last post, I felt the need to share something positive today. This picture was too cute not to share, so here he is, my very own Garden Gnome in his pointy gnome hat, tromping through our raised beds, compacting the soil and causing all kinds of trouble a few days ago.
And below I have another pointed item to share, a finished object (hooray for me!) destined for Winterharbor Studio. Hand knit from recycled sari silk yarn primarily in a deep red color with splashes of bright colors throughout. This is probably the first and last time I will work with this yarn. I love the effect this fiber gives, but it's difficult to work with. The yarn separated now and then so I had to weave the loose strands into each other occasionally so it would be seamless. If you have to frog it (I did) the tangle of loose threads is a major challenge to separate and keep your sanity. And this sari silk is so overdyed that it bleeds like no tomorrow. I have a bag of loose fibers to blend into spinning batts and it always manages to bleed and change the color of the finished yarn after I'm done. Sometimes I like the results, more often I don't. But it does make for a pretty shawl if you have the patience to work with it-the "Rejuvenate Shawl":
Comments (3)
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Joanne (11:54 PM on Mon Apr 21, 2008)
You made very pretty shawl. I really like the color. I am waiting for my order of sari silk yarn to arrive. I had no idea what I was going to make with it. But after seeing your shawl, I may have do something like it. For color bleeding you may want to use about a half cup of plain white vinegar in hot water to stop the bleeding. It is used as a mordant for dyeing to set colors. Take care and keep crafting.
ingermaaike (11:31 AM on Fri Apr 11, 2008)
Your garden gnome is such a cutie! And indeed is the silk yarn a pest to work with but the results are heaveny.
Lillyzoofelt (11:40 AM on Wed Apr 23, 2008)
Hey there is a gnome in your garden! too cute.