Shear Echo Three

I have to say, Shear Echo has been rather exploratory for me. Prior iterations of Shear have had their variations, but Echo Series takes that design foundation of parallelograms, and demonstrates the most variation of all of them.

The design might just be perfect. I've been able to scale it into higher density and lower, by way of lighter and heavier yarns. I never do that, at least with the previous versions. I believe it is because the math is essentially harmonious. I won't bother getting into the specifics of that, but essentially the ratios of pattern repeats and row totals seem to scale quite elegantly.



If you've been following me on Instagram, you may have noticed how I started with one design for Echo Three, and ended up changing it. This was because I tried to change that math, and it just didn't work. You can't turn a multiple of three into a multiple of two. It's mathematically impossible. Well, okay, it can, but not within the confines of the row totals necessary for a proper fit of a hat on a human head. The convergence of the multiples simply doesn't happen enough to meet the target numbers. I'm starting to sound like a crazy person, so I'll just move on to the next paragraph.

I decided to model the work inside out. I've been reluctant to do this in the past out of fear of confusing people. I think people are capable of noticing that my branding tag is on the outside and come to that conclusion without difficulty. If I were to flip it right side out, you'd (probably) instantly recognize the triple columns I always do that converge into a trefoil. I like how subtle it looks with the purl side out.

When I recycled the sweater for this yarn, I made sure to get every inch of it because it was a sweater vest. No sleeves. One of the things I worried about while knitting this hat was whether or not there was enough yarn here to make two. Now that I've finished the first one, I can say now that there is. Why two? because I need to make one for myself. That's why.

So this item is one of one, and will not be made for sale again.
Etsy Shop Listing

Divide Bravo Nine

My Instagram feed has been green lately. I'm sure you've noticed Divide Bravo 9 flashing it's brightness over the past week among the olive drabs. It almost seems out of place among my usual color saturation preferences. I've always felt it was too bright. Maybe I also harbored some irrational resentment because it was recycled from an A&F sweater. But hey, that's not its fault.



The design hasn't changed, but it's interesting to note that this yarn opens up the design a little bit. It's slightly bigger in proportion than previous versions. I think this is due to the two-ply structure of the yarn. When I did this design with that amazing Italian wool I had before, it did the same thing. I don't have too many of these plied yarns, as manufacturers of the sweaters I recycle tend to prefer a more practical yarn structure consisting of two or more thread/lace weight strands machine-knit together. Consequently, the multi-strand versions of Divide Bravo have tended to be more stable, keeping shape longer. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, quite the contrary. I love how plied yarns create a fabric that opens up and drapes with wear. It basically means more slouchiness. And I like slouchiness.

Etsy Shop Listing

Armer Class

I've been calling these "Armers," much in the same way I've been calling my leg warmers "Leggers." They function pretty much in the same way, adding warmth to the area of a garment where all the drafts happen (the openings). If you ride a bike, then you know what I'm talking about.

The idea has been rolling around in my head to make these since last year, so it's nice to have these done and ready for the upcoming Fall/Winter seasons. I knit these to fit snug at the shoulders so I can layer them underneath a shirt. In the past, I've found wearing sweaters over shirts to be too warm, specifically in the chest and underarm. Maybe it's just me, I don't know. Anyway, I'm anxious to see how these will work themselves into my wardrobe.

In other news, I'll be opening my Etsy Shop this week, and no, these won't be for sale because I made these for me.

Worth Doing

My studio has been a mess lately because of this apron. Now that it's finished, I can get back to the other stuff that got back-burnered because I got a sudden urge to use up all this denim I recycled.



If you've been keeping up with me on Facebook, or more recently on Instagram, then you've seen all the in-progress images that I've been posting. There are a few you haven't seen, though. Namely the sashiko section I used to stabilize the lower hem. I've been pinning some images while researching Sashiko technique, and have found more decorative demonstrations than reinforcement stitching which is what I've tried to do here. I say "tried" because despite the gathering tendencies of spiral stitch, the edge still curls slightly. I think I'm just going to leave it curled. I plan on adding more stitching to other areas, but I want to get a few washings in first, and see how things develop.



The white thread is a 100% cotton recycled from a Façonnable men's sweater, and the black is a 100% silk recycled from a Banana Republic women's sweater. You may notice from those images that each garment was knit with a multi-strand structured yarn, so I had to separate each strand to use the thread individually.

This project was pretty hard. I could have used my sewing machine, but the beauty of hand stitching cannot be denied. And if you don't know me by now, then yes: I do hard things. They're worth doing. Now I think I'm going to clean up my workspace.

Just Make

So that denim I showed you the other day was sitting around within my field of vision the past week because I wanted to sew something out if it.

I don't know what to call this, but I'm currently using it as a mouse pad. The physical parameters indicate that it's a bag. That's fine. If I feel like sliding a piece of paper into it with web passwords, then so be it. If I want to use it as a divider inside another bag, fine. There's no specified purpose for this object. Making it was far more interesting to me.




Measure, cut, iron, stitch. It's like a creative meditation.