Workshop Results

Marián´s shawl

Although much time has passed (better late than never) since we started the workshop by Erich Engeln Trachtentuch B are finally finished all three shawls and I'm very happy.

This was the first workshop that I organized and was attended by three friends of mine. This shawl, no doubt, was too complicated to begin with. I saw that right away because it cost them to start it and, incidentally, one was left undone. But after they took the trick, they opened the third knitting eye and Marián knitting even two of them.

Ana´s shawl

I hope that eventually we all learned something. Overcome you self, make realistic goals, read graphs, knitting for they and teach as do it. And I think this is not the end of our knitting story.

Marian´s first shawl

Textile fairs TextilArte

The next two weekends at the Hotel NH Nacional, Paseo del Prado 48, Madrid will take place textile fairs TextilArte.

Saturday, December 11 (11.00-20.00) + Sunday, December 12 (11.00-15.00)

Saturday, December 18 (11.00-20.00) + Sunday, December 19 (11.00-15.00)

There you will find fashion and accessories, also dolls, home textiles, books, yarns, equipment, etc.

Information about the fair you will also find on the website of the Association of the textile in Madrid, fair blog and Facebook.

Scarf XXL

Since a month ago at last I finished my scarf XXL of Latvian wool. I had begun in the summer, but I left it unfinished. And that was not for heat, but because the scarf already occupied so much room I could not put it in my needlework bag.

I made the scarf as Strawberries in snow, but without beads, of other material and larger. I still think it would make a pattern, but as you see I have not done yet.

As the yarn I used was fairly rough, I washed the scarf with shampoo and rinse with hair softener. It's an old trick but that works. Now it not itch so much, why I use it as a scarf.

My first spin

My first spin

Today I had a very inspiring experience: I've spin! Long ago that I wanted to learn it, learn this ancient and simply art to twist fibers that undoubtedly practiced and enjoyed many of my ancestors.

This desire is rare in our industrial world and at the same time usual and somewhat surprisingly late in the craft community. It has emerged thanks to the portal Ravelry and my desire for new challenges.

I also take this opportunity once again to say thanks to my teacher Lala and her textile study Indigo where you can find beautiful and unexpected things.

Big boxes, little boxes

Yesterday we went to pick up boxes that we had ordered the "Box Factory" where artisans are making it. We were very happy because the boxes were very nice and well crafted.

Already on the way to the car my husband tells me: Look, an old trunk. And it was there, with its locks, its wooden ribs, its metal reinforcement corners. The only thing missing was leather handles on both sides. They were cut for unknown reasons.

Beads

Yesterday in a Chinese shop that is close to my work I found these beads and, of course, can´t abstain. The colors are nice and the beads I've always liked a lot, so I bought a few sets.

It seems me that at least two types of beads in each box will fade the coulor after his first encounter with water or after a while in the sun. But I just won´t use them. The price of Chinese is nice enough so that one can afford such luxuries.

These beads I won´t  use in any knitting project . To that end I buy half a kilo in Pontejos and the beads which are also larger. With these I want to embroider. Or make a brooches like my  Latvian sisters of needle. Their work is fantastic. You can see them here and here too.

The postman always rings twice. Magazines

This week the postman brought me the Spinners' magazine Spin Off. It is full of interesting articles and enticing advertising. When I see this type of magazine I get, as we say in Latvian, a white envy  of the U.S. craftmen. They have it all. And with it I think not only the thing to buy, most of all those things we could get also living in Spain, but to continue that tradition - spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidery ...

By the way, looking at Wikipedia I found that spin off "is a Saxon word that refers to a project created as an extension of an earlier [..]." Sounds promising, right?