Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tan on Tan on Tan


I am knitting a new cowl. I adore cowls and I think they are just so practical. I could have a hundred of them and would probably want more. This is one I started as a knitalong project for Ravelry's Jane Thornley group. Our requirement is that the project be based on a triangle. I am also using this project as a stash buster, and I was more than surprised that a couple skeins of a ribbon yarn that is terrible to knit with and never seemed to go with any other yarn, works perfectly in this family of browns. Because this is supposed to be a quickie project, I am using it as a carry-along yarn throughout. ...The better to help it blend in, and blend the other yarns into the mix. It makes for a chunky yarn and with large needles it knits up quickly. I am now at a point where I can be a little nervous about my dwindling yarn remnants, and whether they will last long enough to allow me to knit to my plan. ...It would be nice, but is life ever that easy?


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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Views On Being An Artisan


Taking another look at this clothing phenomenon of up-cycling, deconstructing, reconstructing clothing in ways that seems like the designer is on acid…
It appears that this is also dubbed the “Indie” style of design, which refers to the DIY culture of crafter/creators that are independent of bigger business, often selling from street fairs or etsy. Usually they are eco-smart and using recycled clothing with an unusual flair for combining patterns and fabrics that is reminiscent of my grandmother’s house, and it’s almost droll combination of unrelated patterns and colors.
Some are saying that this is a resurgence of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 1900’s. Yes, we have moved away from the handcrafting things that we use, as well as growing and preparing he foods that we eat. I think that the more we are in touch with nature and the creation of what we require is a good philosophy to live by. I deplore mass-consumerism, and the mediocrity it results in. I am truly disgusted with what I see in the stores now, …sleazy and poorly made clothing and shoes, and tasteless packaged prepared meals that we kill the nutrition of even further by throwing them into the microwave. Although the American Arts and Crafts Movement advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship, as well as using simple shapes, it was also paired with a political viewpoint of Progressivism. Well, here we are, we hear it every day. ...What I can’t see is how Socialist political views are attached to artistry and craftsmanship, when they clearly ignore the individual artisan in favor of large labor forces, ergo mass-production and mediocrity, which means accepting surrounding ourselves with clutter that gives us no real satisfaction.
I like the idea of being an "Indie" designer and craftswoman. I get enormous satisfaction from creating from scratch, whether it is the meal I prepare for my family, or the clothes on our backs, and the decor of my home, I know I can feel proud of what I have accomplished.