patterns and spindles

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Needles Q&A. Про иголки.

In this post I have couple of knitting videos. So I got some questions regarding needles.
вот в этом сообщении есть пара видео по вязанию паутинки. Мне начали задавать вопросы на тему иголок

?1: why am I using 2 circular as straight? почему 2 круговые спицы используются как прямые?


In that size it was cheaper to buy straight at the time and there were no not bending straights on our side of the globe in 1.2mm that can be easily found
 в таком размере 1.2мм на нашей стороне шарика найти игодки прямые которые не гнутся и не ломаются и ведут себя как старые российские-совецкие носочные игодки найти сложновато. потому вяжем на чем есть, а дикие ;30 платить за прямые по спец заказу за пару было влом

?2: do you think it would be of value to purchase something that is dark in coloration such as the carbon fiber needles so that your stitches might show up more in the lighter colors of yarn; or would it be best to use the stainless steel - then it would't matter what color of yarn one used?
 есть ли смысл вкладываться в иголки темного цвета, например карбоновые для того чтобы видеть петли светлой пряжи лучше ? или может быть лучше всего использовать иголки из нержавеющей стали, если да, то это важно каккой цвет пряжи?

I use stainless. I do not use dark needles. I knit on tactile more than on visual. When one looks all the time at small needles-stitches they get tired faster. Many Orenburg knitter knit and do not look at it, they track fabric below the needles, not stitches themselves. When it comes to me I simply do not even see much stitches, I simply can not. Let’s put it this way, I have a differen range of vision, so I adapted to see wit my fingers if I may say. Carbon needles are slower for me than stainless. So no, do not use it. And in below 1.5mm I did not see any anyways. Have addi turbo, they bend and do not break. Have chia-go that break, after I broke 3 or so I kind of set those aside for a long term storage-de-stash.
Я не пользуюсь темными карбоновыми иголками. У меня все иглы из нержавейки. Прямые 2мм из спиц велковых сделаные в Оренбурге самые удобные для меня, все остальное от 1мм и выше – нержавейка. Есть  addi turbo которые гнутся но хотя-бы не ломаются, есть chia-go которые ломаются, после 3-х я их куда-то сунула надолго ;). Карбоновых иголок меньше 1.5мм или 2мм тут все равно не купишь, поэтому у меня их и нету. Я вяжу по ощущению в пальцах. Я на етлях не концентрируюсь, от этого глаза устают. Я веду узор по вязке непоспедственно под иголками, то есть вяжу по узору. И По ощупи, так как много в Оренбурге вяжут- не глядя. Если по честноу я петли когда вяжу осбо то и не вижу, проще говоря у меня просто другой фокус зрения, ну как адаптировалась так адаптировалась ;)


?3: What brand of needles are you using in the video? Какие иголки используются в видео?

Some no-name China made stainless needles. 1.2mm from e-bay or something, packaging and labels are long gone and lost.
Granny used to say I could knit on a skewers if needed. I literally do not care much about tips of the needles, they need to be smooth. Russian sock needles do just fine and they are nothing super special.
Безгодные иголки китайского производства купленые или с e-bay , вобщем не помню, упаковка дывным давно потеряна. Бабашка говорила что мн было пофиг на че вязать хоть на шпажках хоть на чем. Мне вобщем-то действительно не важно какие концы у тонких иголок, главное чтоб они скользили хорошо. Обычные носочные иголки российские вполне подходят.

?4:  What is their over all length?  Какая длина у иголок?

Circular are 14cm needle itself, about 50cm cable len.
Круговые иголки сама спица порядка 14см, кабель порядка 50см.  Cable len is irrelevant, I use 2 of them and I do not use the cable when I knit, free end just lays out of the way.
Длина на самом деле не важна у кабеля. У меня их 2, второй конец просто не рабочий лежит.


?5: Is this the length you would recommend?  Какую длину игл Вы рекомендуете?

20cm or 25 or 30cm straight. One will not need any longer ones. Circuler – as it goes for me, whatever is cheaper in len. Len that is on sale goes J some like longer cable if they use it from time to time to check the lace.
20, 25, 30 см прямые иголки. Более длинные просто не нужны. Круговые – на что распродажа пошла, то и берите, кабелем все равно не пользуетесь.
Кто-то любит брать кабель длинее если они смотрят узор часто.

?6:  It appears as though they have a slight bend where the cable connects? Так ли это что сама игла малось согнута у кабеля?

Yes, it’s true. It’s is irrelevant so for my particular knitting style. I do not use that needle part to be honest.
Да. Это так. На самом деле загнута она там или нет не важно, я это место на игле все равно не использую. С чисто прямыми вязать быстрее.

?7:  The stalks look long, what length are the stalks?  (With some brands one can order 4", 5", or possibly even 6" stalks.)  Какая длина самой иглы у некоторых брендов можно заказать 4, 5, 6 инчей (инч – порядка 2.5см)

About 14cm.
Порядка 14см сама спица.


Saturday, February 22, 2014

Non traditional. Told y'all :) it is

Non traditional... Color wave, wool applied to Orenburg stole pattern. Was not kidding, told y'all..
So...
 

So what is it? Traditional gray or white if it is it's advanced version stole that is geared to train to work large shawls. This simple center was doing one thin only - re-set the knitting hand after knitting larger yarns and stabilize one particular pattern. Get it hardwired.
White is this.Looking for the good name for it. For now it's just code-name flowers stole.
It is training pattern. The stole is knit from bottom up as a wide stole. Simple version can be adjusted to the size by teeth. Stole, small or large shawl is geared to train one thing - the beaded shawl gauge. 
when the item is knit on 2mm needles as this non traditional modern piece it's long and wide. Beaded shawl - smaller gauge-1.2mm needles. and finer yarn. This is the world of training patterns.
It is a 2-way stole. How to name it...

Monday, February 17, 2014

Orenburg museum exhibition. More photos

Orenburg museum published more photos in their photo gallery.
Ekaterina Godovova
Exhibit and visitors. the place is packed!
my work
more visitors

Exhibition opening
Ekaterina and her students

Valentina Fedorova and Roza Gumerova at the exhibition
Olyushka element

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Orenburg museum exhibition. KAL Russian way

Many if you know that I keep a large backlog of patterns, many of them I’ll have no time in my life to make myself. And many told me, show your Russian empire. Why did I hold on that? Because to get to the shawl like that one needs to be trained and have the hand, gauge, yarn set to get to one of these, and the knitting school needs to be beneficial to get on 1000+ size in fine gauges. And be a dino of sorts when folk stopped doing it because of financial reason was not too much fun to think of it either… royal lace of Russia was gone. I mean it. “WAS”. Because I have now materials and what is most important people to pass this on. It is difficult for me to bring the past of revolution and red terror times.
This is how our conversation with Ekaterina Godovova has started, better to say it was with Irina Bushuhina from Orenburg museum first.This is Russian Empire. the shawl is 3-color or white. over 1000 stitches a row. and if you can do something like that and make it in 2m range I sure want to talk to you as well, because … there are not many of folk has left who are capable of making royal lace of Russia. This shawl is our KAL with Ekaterina this year.
So there was year long KAL Orenburg way going on that I was not talking about. Exhibition in Orenburg museum has opened on 7-th. same day as winter Olympic games :)
Ekaterina and I had a bit of year long KAL. And then she and after that museum folk banged “ok, nuf hiding, send your shawl our way, would you”. So here it is, Cranes went abroad with another stole, bunch of patterns went in form of charts. Entire 4 seasons series in presented on this exhibition. Her students work when she taught at Orenburg school of Arts. She is Olga Fedorova successor. When we talk about Olga students, here is the level of work and that’s how such level represents itself on Orenburg museum level.
this is 4 seasons Autumn in 2 colors
Here is summer in white
and there is a lot more, first floor of the museum is full of it.
When I get feedback like that, I’m humbled
“Лиля, привет! С посылкой все нормально. немного помятая, работы целые. Скажу больше. Мне как - то не ловко за свои работы. Очень бисерная вязка.Ты умница!!! Мне очень приятно от нашего знакомства. Знаешь: ты наверное меня еще многому можешь научить. Я не могу подобрать слов,чтобы описать свои впечатления по поводу твоих работ. белый платок просто вызывает восхищение. А серый палантин : он по плотности вязание крупнее моей вязки. Белый же плотнее моей. в общем я в шоке хорошем и добром , положительном шоке. МОЛОДЕЦ!!!!!!!”
 they put my stuff in masters category. in glass case.
this shawl is 1/4 of Russian Empire. My mother does not like Order of St. George as much as softer cranes version.
Russian empire has Russian royalty regalia and Russian military Orders and medals coded on it.

When Valentina Fedorova is asking to have photo of my work, I’m humbled.
Valentina Fedorova and Roza Gumerova  were the speakers at the exhibition opening

We do not have all the photos all together. but there are some on internet to see, for example doll collection. I did send these dolls from USA and they got new outfits :)
this and more. there is over dozen of them.

Here is a little work video. lace makers get cuts doing household tasks just like everyone else.
Knitting speed falls in this case. there are some kinds of tape that make it more manageable. 'New skin' aka bf6 I do not like that much as it does not stop bleeding and it can end up on white which is not good.
Shawl in the video in work is Cranes. It's 1/4 of Russian Empire. So that's a bit of an answer to the question how do  I knit something like that.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Olympic games open today. Shawls were made as usual

Olympic games 2014 Sochi is opening today.
Orenburg shawls were made for the event. That's quite typical in history to make it for events like that.
These are traveling in different exhibitions. Orenburg museum had presentation on Dec 20-th

Here are some photos


From exhibitions and presentations by Orenburg arts meseum




Sunday, February 2, 2014

Orenburg inspired bactus story. Or can bactus scarf be done Orenburg way?

So, here comes the bactus. Or better to say Orenburg ethno-rock in the yarn world.
Bactus is a narrow triangle scarf  or a shawl if it's made wider and longer.

Orenburg yarns for gossamer are very fine. 60/2 silk like visually or finer. That's for holiday and celebrations in white, for ladies who are in Onore de Balzak age lovey gray color is used and they love it. Some do not and prefer white. I came to appreciate gray shades of lace as I grow older, I'd say the Balzak age 30-35 and up has something to do with it. It has being some time ago (yeah, we look as old as we look and who needs to know ID age :) ).
Can bactus be done in fine yarns? Oh yeah... I'm all over that one and spinning.
Can it be done in lace weight? Oh yeah! Same as crescent. And that's a modern shape. And the gauge is the exact gauge of Orenburg warm shawl. One stitch is changed in particular place and we have bactus shape. Literally. I'm so not joking about it. It's where I placed 'shaping lace' and that's it. 1 stitch and where it's placed.
Can it be done in fingering? Oh yeah! I had me lovely bison fiber and made art kind of a yarn that had a wave to it and thickness variation. I held 2 strands together and got me nice warm scarf that is just handy for out winter came back thing right now. I did show that thin at yarn store and I came in one made out of camel-wool fingering yarn. Another one that was sitting in my stash for some time, darn it got even discontinued colorway by now. That's how long I did not know what to do with that red color. Because I guess I'm not into red colorway and that color alone is outside of my personal lace colorways by far. And some totally love red and pink and beads and that's their comfort thing. I like white, earthy tones, coffee and milk, shades of autumn leaves, shades of spring grass, shades of winter whites, pale Easter colorways. Love colors of the water and sea. Colors of sunset sky...
Can I draw lace in color? Maybe I should...

Bactus KAL starts today on ravelry and I can not wait to see what colors will that bring.
I put there one pattern and I'm publishing more. Because I did like the cozy and practical feel of it.
Why did I use thicker yarns? Maybe it all started with that bison that was out of my box to spin. And maybe I did not feel like I'm making tweed like yoga blanket. Or maybe it's about cold coming back and forth this winter and one day +17C and next is -10C is kind of hard... I wonder if any of my plants are going to live through that winter I planted last autumn...
Long story short I could not select one pattern as usual, I did draw 6-7 and then more. Warm shawl borders and element of the frame simply work in it. And I kept the lace in the warm shawl realm. I placed my "shaping lace" in 2 places. And I went to fingering yarns, and then in sports weight. 2 bactus scarves are made for Shuttles Spindles and Skeins in Boulder out of sports weight local made in USA wool yarn Nature Spun. I used that for my Russian Northern color work and my kid loves the scarves, mittens and so on.
I came out of my box and took that yarn to lace. I probably would not think about it unless I was thinking how would I teach one to make lace who never has held lace yarn before short of all any gossamer, one who never made anything with any yo, k2tog at all and was making a worsted weigh scarf. How would I make them feel that they are not afraid of it, what would help them relax and let go. And that yarn should be on a budget so the knitter has room to make mistakes and not pressures of  'oh no, that's $45+ yarn per skein'.
What I'm after in here is not the lace making per say. What I'm after here is the fear of 'I can not do it' and how to overcome it. What I want to create is the feeling 'I can do it and I'm not afraid'. One that come out of 'hey, I can do it, I'm really doing it'.

So here is the bactus-hybrid shape. It's like a triangle with wings, but longer.
It has a pair shape and the size is adjustable. you see here size maxi in fingering. 900 yards in fingering.
below is it's Valentine pair in sports yarn, it's 2 skeins project. Another one is Blues, also 2 skein project. 368 yards in sports.







And here is bactus made of sports yarn nature spun.















And of course I'm spinning yarn to make that shape from Orenburg goat down. Bet Volgograd down will be good too :)