Sommaire pour March - April 2018 de PieceWork

Welcome to PieceWork’s 25th -anniversary celebration! We are so happy you are with us to mark this milestone. Linda Ligon, founder of Interweave, started PieceWork in 1993 for those who care about handwork and who value its past and present roles in the ongoing human story. To bring you poignant, inspiring, and entertaining articles on the history of handwork traditions and the people who created the work, with how-to techniques and step-by-step projects using those traditions, has been and is PieceWork’s mission. A LOOK BACK Arrayed here are the previous March/April issue covers. A lot has changed over the years, but much hasn’t. Veronica Patterson’s moving words that graced the first issue’s cover are as true today as they were twenty-five years ago. Thank you to all who have been…

Inspired by the preceding article The instructions below are based on Miss H. P. Ryder’s pattern for the Richmond glove. I used a “heavy” laceweight modern yarn, which is similar to Berlin wool and will also work with the finer needles (no.15) suggested for Andalusian wool. Unlike Miss Ryder, I have used the same needle size throughout, as I felt the finger tips were fine enough using those needles. Difficulty Level Yarn Weight Finished Size 6½ " glove circumference and 11" long from center of gauntlet to tip of middle finger. Yarn Blacker Yarns Pure Blue-Faced Leicester Laceweight (100% Bluefaced Leicester wool; 383 yd [350 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]): ivory tree coral, 2 balls. Needles Size 0 (2 mm): straight and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary…

THE TWINED-KNITTING VERSION OF THE LONG-TAIL CAST-ON Three strands of yarn are used: 2 of the main color for the stitches and 1 of the contrasting color to lock in the stitches for a decorative effect. This is virtually the same as the long-tail cast-on, but with 2 yarns held in the back and taking turns to form the stitches. Step 1. Make a slipknot of 3 yarns (both ends of the main-color ball and 1 end of the contrasting-color ball), leaving 4-inch (10.2-cm) tails. Hold the needle and the 2 main-color yarns in your right hand. With your left hand, hold the contrasting-color yarn around your thumb. Step 2. Insert the needle into the yarn wrapped around your thumb. Step 3. Wrap one of the yarns in your right…

EXHIBITIONS Phoenix, Arizona: Through May 13. Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion, at the Phoenix Art Museum. (602) 257-1880; www.phxart.org. Berkeley, California: April 6, 2018–October 2019. The Fringed Shawl, at the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. (510) 843-7290; www.lacismuseum.org. Denver, Colorado: March 25–July 22. Drawn to Glamour: Fashion Illustrations by Jim Howard, at the Denver Art Museum. (720) 865-5000; www.denverartmuseum.org. Baltimore, Maryland: Through June 10. Beyond Flight: Birds in African Art, at the Baltimore Museum of Art. (443) 573-1700; www.artbma.org. Lowell, Massachusetts: Through April 21. Quilts Japan: The 13th Quilt Nihon from Tokyo, at the New England Quilt Museum. (978) 452-4207; www.nequiltmuseum.org. New York, New York: Through April 14. Norell: Dean of American Fashion, at The Museum at FIT, Special Exhibitions Gallery. (212) 217-4558; www.fitnyc.edu/museum. Bedford, Pennsylvania: Through March 25.…

Inspired by the preceding article Cross-knit looping is an adaptable and easily learned technique; it’s also easy to transport and a good way to use short bits and pieces of yarn or thread. With nothing to cast on, cross-knit looping can be added as trim to any type of fabric. Below are details for making flowers and a three-dimensional figure in cross-knit looping. Photographs of a hat and another scarf embellished with figures made by this technique are in the preceding companion article. SCARF MATERIALS • Wool or cashmere broadcloth, 1/ 3 yard (0.3 m)• A selection of crewel wool or other needlepoint yarn, pearl cotton thread, or yarn/thread of choice• Tapestry needles, large• Embroidery hoop, small INSTRUCTIONS Hem or finish the side edges of the broadcloth, if needed, or…

Inspired by the preceding article I was delighted that PieceWork asked me to design a pair of socks based on the Kurdish socks Barb Sobkoviak purchased in a small shop in Northern Iraq—they are a wonder of design and workmanship. The beauty created in the midst of challenging living conditions is nothing short of spectacular. Inspired by the rich stitch textures and bold color patterning on the toes, I experimented until I got results that look just like the genuine article. Well, almost. I did center the Fair Isle charted pattern and eliminated a couple of little quirks that made the original a bit off-center. I also regulated the number of stitches in the zigzag textured stitch pattern, as the original vacillated in number with no apparent reason or need.…

“Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.” A worn rope moves through the fingers of a Ukrainian woman at an Orthodox Church in Seattle, Washington. The rope has colored strings tied between various knots and what appears to be torn cloths handsewn around the rope. The prayer rope is clearly precious to this elderly woman. As the liturgy proceeds, she moves it slowly through her hands, knot to knot. “May Christ our true God, Who rose from the dead, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, have mercy upon us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.” As the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (circa 344–407) comes to a close, her fingers hold the last…

beg—begin(s); beginning BO—bind off CC—contrasting color ch—chain cir—circular cn—cable needle CO—cast on cont—continue(s); continuing dc—double crochet dc3tog—double crochet 3 stitches together dec(s) (’d)—decrease(s); decreased; decreasing dpn—double-pointed needle(s) fsc—foundation single crochet foll—follow(s); following hdc—half double crochet inc(s) (’d)—increase(s); increased;increasing k—knit k1b—knit 1 in back of stitch k1f&b—knit into the front and back of the same stitch—1 stitch increased k2b—knit 2 in back of next 2 stitches kwise—knitwise; as if to knit k2tog—knit 2 stitches together k3tog—knit 3 stitches together k5tog—knit 5 stitches together LLI—insert left needle into back of the stitch below stitch just knitted, knit this stitch lp(s)—loop(s) m(s)—marker(s) MC—main color M1—make one (increase) M1k—increase 1 by knitting into the front and then the back of the same stitch before slipping it off the left-hand needle M1p—increase 1 by purling…

Colorful Cords Discover a traditional Japanese braiding technique with Halcyon’s BraidersHand Kumihimo Disk Kit. The lightweight and portable kit includes everything a beginner needs to create intricate braids: a 6-inch (15.2-cm) wide kumihimo disk made of dense foam, instructions, eight EZ bobs, and eight strands of 1-yard (0.9-m) long bamboo yarn.www.halcyonyarn.com. Warmth for Spring As winter gives way to spring, cool evenings still require a warming wrap as one dashes about town. Arranmore Light yarn from Kelbourne Woolens knits up into cozy but lightweight knitwear to keep the after-dusk chills at bay. The merino, cashmere, and silk blend, milled in Northern Ireland, is spun up into tweedy colorways, which evoke the Irish coast.www.kelbournewoolens.com. Brilliant Hooks Denise’s Interchangeable Crochet Hooks Kit-Brights offers crocheters a colorful option for hooking both traditional and…

Form a slipknot and work an odd number of buttonhole stitches into it. Work a row of buttonhole stitches into the first row, catching under the crosses formed by the stitches in the first row. Depending on the steepness of the bowl shape desired, increase the roundness of the form by adding an extra buttonhole stitch through every other loop. After the equator of the form is reached, you may decrease by catching two crosses instead of one every other stitch. You can form a straight-sided tube by continuing to stitch under each cross and not increasing or decreasing at all. Make a dragon, bird, or lizard starting with the head and stuffing with cotton batting as it is made. This saves fuss and fuming, especially if there are constricted…

These twined-knitted (or two-end) gloves are made with the Swedish technique called tvåäandsstickning, which was developed in Sweden around the seventeenth century in the Dalarna region. By utilizing a strand of yarn from each end of the ball and using the yarns to work alternate stitches, a thick, warm fabric with embossed motifs can be made. The Swedish knitters used Z-plied yarns; (i.e., yarns spun in an S direction, then plied together in a Z direction). (This refers to the angle of twist in the yarn matching the slant along the middle of the letters.) Using Z-plied yarns ensures that the yarns open and soften (untwist individually) as the knitting progresses because twined knitting adds S-twist to the yarns. The typical gauge for traditional twined knitting is high, usually 8…

Inspired by the preceding article The number is symbolic of Christ’s thirty-three years of life. The thirty-three knots are divided into three eleven-knot groups, separated by a red bead. The division by three symbolizes the trinity. Tying traditional orthodox prayer knots is a complex procedure and involves multiple movements for each completed knot. We will present many of the movements here with pictures, but we recommend checking out the video listed in Further Resource to achieve a successful knotting experience. Tension is critical when tightening the knots. The goal is to have even tension among the varying strands before cinching down the final two loops. If the tension is too tight, one can’t continue to draw the two strands through the knot; if the tension is too loose, the knot…

In Latvia, mittens have served a much greater purpose than simply keeping the hands warm. In Mittens of Latvia, Maruta Grasmane explores such mittens as a record of the past. Their symbolism is widely evident in Latvian folklore. Perhaps you have heard the story of a man who lost his mitten in the forest. Animals of all sizes began to find a home there, but when a rooster jumped into the mitten with a startling “cock-a-doodle-doo!” the creatures were frightened and jumped about in such a way that the mitten was destroyed. Latvian mittens also offer another world filled with knowledge for knitters and culture enthusiasts alike. In the introduction to this book, Grasmane quotes Latvian poet Imants Ziedonis: “For Latvians mittens are rooted so deeply in customs, traditions and…