Craftside

How to spin yarn with in-line crochet bits from the book Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques by Lexi Boeger

I am such a huge fan of mixing up different techniques, and today's mash-up is spinning and crochet, featured in the new book Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques.

Click on this page from Hand Spun to enlarge and read how to spin yarn with bits of in-line crochet.

More about the Quarry book:

Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques

by

Lexi Boeger

In her newest book Hand Spun, art-yarn pioneer and Pluckyfluff creator Lexi Boeger offers yet another exciting collection of new and innovative spinning techniques. This well-rounded book also covers a handful of traditional styles for the spinner to master and then turn on their ear. The many uses of these beautiful one-of-a-kind yarns are demonstrated in Boeger's trademark, surprising, and inventive projects.

 

How to spin extreme tail style yarn from the new book Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques by Lexi Boeger

The first Craftside Wednesday Giveaway of 2012 is... a copy of the super cool and inspiring book Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques!

To get yourself in the running for the first book giveaway of the year, simply answer the question:

What was your favorite book of 2011? What book did you make something from, become inspired by or otherwise savor?

Leave your answer in today's comments section by midnight ET on Wednesday January 25, 2012 and you are in the running!

And this wouldn't be Craftside without an inside peek into Hand Spun. Check out this tutorial on how to spin yarn with extreme tails:

Click on these pages from Hand Spun to enlarge and read the full directions on how to make extreme tail spun yarn.

More about the Quarry book:

Hand Spun: New Spins on Traditional Techniques

by

Lexi Boeger

Hand Spun contains a collection of never-before-published spinning techniques along with interesting, creative, hip projects. The essential momentum behind this book is to satisfy fans of the author's first two books in their desire for new materials to learn. As Intertwined becomes more well-known, these handspun styles are flooding the internet craft community. Hand Spun offers fresh, new, and exciting material for these spinners to move on to. Where Handspun Revolution, the author's first book, was the spark that ignited the genre of Art-yarn, and Intertwined is considered the bible of creative spinning, Handspun builds upon the now common knowledge of novelty spinning, digging deeper into the traditional underbelly of spinning, not as a means to teach traditional techniques, but rather as a way of turning very traditional forms inside out: Using time-tested techniques to deliver cutting-edge forms. This book also covers fiber-preparation processes, from scouring raw fleece to several carding techniques.

Pluckyfluff creator Lexi Boeger has forged a new genre in the craft of handspinning. She has been a working artist, writer, and designer for 20 years and brings the perspectives and knowledge gained in these fields to the craft of spinning. She has brought creative spinning to the attention of the international art world through art yarn exhibitions and workshops, and has helped to permanently blur the line between art and craft. Boeger currently produces new works from her studio in California.

 

Look, Learn & Create Video with Scatha G. Allison author of Jean Therapy

Check out this week's episode of Look, Learn & Create shot at The Swap-O-Rama-Rama at Maker Faire 2009. It features Scatha G. Allison showing us some of the spectacular pieces form the book including the featured skirt on the cover.

DOMESTIC ARTS FOR CRAFTY GIRLS SERIES:

Jean Therapy
Denim Deconstruction for the Conscientious Crafter
By
Scatha G. Allison with Marla Stefanelli
(Foreword by Wendy Tremayne, creator of Swap-O-Rama-Rama)

More than 20 projects and an array of gallery creations are imaginative and practical fashions--hardworking denim at play.

Pair cast-off denim with a crafter's unyielding creativity and you have a craft with limitless possibility. Denim is the perfect fabric for many arts and craft methods: it is durable, washable, and dyeable; it can be cut, sliced, shredded, poked, prodded, and cinched. Jean Therapy teaches basic techniques -- building anything from skirts, bags, vests, and accessories -- and illuminates these basic techniques with dozens of clever, funky, and stylish variations.

Jean Therapy includes straightforward, illustrated instructions for more than 20 projects, running the gamut from simple accessories to reconstructed pants, skirts, and halter tops, each featuring design and personalization tips and techniques. Each project has a main beauty shot, detail shots, and a number of technical step illustrations that show creation and assembly details.

It also includes a detailed chapter on customizing and tailoring clothing for a perfect fit -- a key ingredient when working with repurposed clothing.

Scatha G. Allison (San Francisco, CA) is an artist and designer with a background in painting, installation, and mixed-media work, and is known in the San Francisco design community for her distinct cutting, draping, and patterning skills, specializing in couture techniques and reconstruction. Her clothing line, Miss Velvet Cream, is currently available in San Francisco boutiques Venus Superstar and Queen of the Meadow, Show Pony in LA, and La Rouge in Portland.

She is just such a talented and inspiring chick! 

Well, I love cuffs and I was sorting through my denim stash and I ran across this Ralph Lauren tag with a flag on it and it just jumped right out and said, "make me into a cuff!"

So I said, "OK"

Here is how I did it:

I cut the waistband off the jeans with enough to fold under.

I went to the leather scrap bin and found a strip of gold lame that I thought would make a fun strap.

I also went to the junk jewelry stash and pulled out a watch band that I could harvest a buckle from.

I glued the cut edge under.

To make the strap I simply poked the harvested buckle through the strip of lame and glued it in place to secure.

Then I simply ran the gold strap under the flag patch and the belt loops and buckled it.

I should also tell you I added a snap on the under side of the lower corner. Because the patch was off center the strap wanted to be off center. This caused the cuff to want to open out a bit at the opposite side (under the tiny flag tag, so I just stitched a little snap on.

 

If you like this flag cuff and want to see how I made one from recycled book covers pop on over to this post.

Today's question:

What is the most interesting or unique way you have seen the flag motif used?

As a thanks for answering you will be entered to win a free book!

Free Patterns and Eye Candy from a few of our Fiber Authors

Today I thought I'd share what a few of our authors have been up to and a bunch of their free patterns that are just an example of what's inside their books!

First off here are two links packed full of pictures of the yummiest fiber from a camp that author, Lexi Boeger teaches.

Intertwined
The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns and Creative Spinning
By

Lexi Boeger

Intertwined is an inspirational handbook for yarn lovers everywhere, created in an eye-popping, showcase style and packed with sparkling, full-color photos.

This book will be a delight to the enthusiastic fiber crowd that is growing by leaps and bounds. It captures all the excitement of experimental, handspun yarns, and includes recipes for handspun yarns, project ideas for knitters and crocheters, tips on how to use one-of-a-kind handspun yarns (whether you spin them or buy them at yarn boutiques), and a gallery of handmade creations. The book also features profiles, anecdotes, essays, and thoughts on fiber arts and the creative process. Contributors range from Alpaca farmers and cutting-edge spinners to well-known knitwear designers.

There is has been a resurgence in interest in spinning and in using one-of-a-kind yarns, particularly by the all new knitters and crocheters, and there are no other cutting-edge, inspiring books out there to satisfy this enthusiastic audience.

The recipient of a bachelor's degree in fine art from UC Davis, author Lexi Boeger is the founder of Pluckyfluff.com, an Internet-based forum for unusual handspun yarns and fiber art. She is the innovator of highly original new techniques in handspinning and is carving a place for handspun yarn in the realm of pop culture.

Check out this flicker set from Evonne's day at Lexi Boeger spinning camp.

and another attendee, Gwen Powell's photos.

Can I just say yuuuuuuummmmmm!!!!!

And

Margaret Hubert has a free pattern, Five Yarn Jacket- available at Lion Brand Yarn.

from:

Plus Size Crochet

Fashions That Fit & Flatter
By
Margaret Hubert

At last, a book of crochet patterns devoted entirely to the plus-size woman!
Plus-size gals are a group that seems to be neglected in the plethora of crochet books on the market. The author, Margaret Hubert, has often been approached at trade shows and through her classes by women in this size category, begging her to design patterns that would fit them. A plus-size crocheter cannot simply take a smaller pattern and increase the number of stitches or rows to get a garment that fits and flatters. There are lots of proportion considerations when designing patterns for larger sizes.

Plus Size Crochet Fashions That Fit & Flatter has 20 crocheted garments and accessories for plus-size women. The projects are stylish and flattering for various large figure types. There are also hints and tips to help the crocheter accommodate her special needs.

Only crochet book for plus-size women
Similar to the books in our popular “Hooked” series: easy to use with lay-flat wire-o binding, stitch detail photos, project specs at a glance
Includes crochet basics section with step-by-step photos

Margaret Hubert designs both crochet and knitting patterns for yarn companies and magazines such as Crochet, Interweave’s Knit and Crochet, and Woman's Day. She teaches at yarn shops, retreats, and national gatherings. She is the author of ten other books including the five books in CPi’s “Hooked” series.

And

over at author of:

Wool Pets:
Making 20 Figures with Wool Roving and a Barbed Needle

Laurie Sharp, Kevin Sharp

Anyone can make cute and cuddly creatures from a handful of fluff and a barbed needle!
Needle felting is a new craft and is gaining in popularity. There are only a few books written on the subject and most of those focus on 'flat' needle felting on a surface. This book is about sculptural needle felting--creating 3-D animals and figures using the felting needle to sculpt wool.

The book shows the techniques and describes how the felting needle works with wool fiber to create felt, while explaining the differences between this art form and other forms of felting. The reader will learn how to hold the needle, what sort of materials to use, and why.

There are about 20 complete projects including various birds, bugs, four-legged animals, and people--each one unique and irresistible! Laurie also shows the reader ways to display their felted creations as mobiles, ornaments, or arranged in shadow boxes.

Laurie Sharp is a full time artist and has been needle felting for over 5 years. She raises her own sheep, shears and processes the wool for most of her projects. She has been featured on HGTV’s 'That’s Clever'. View her web site: www.woolpets.com. Her work has been shown in a number of galleries in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and business partner, Kevin Sharp. Kevin is a professional photographer, and provides both beauty and how-to photography for this book. His work can be viewed on www.sharpphotography.com.

Laurie has a new kit for these cuties with a snippet of how-to make them at her blog:

and last but certainly not least pop over to author of the soon to be released:

Creative Cloth Explorations:
Adventures with Fairy-Inspired Fiber Art

By

Patti Medaris Culea

This book is the fifth installment on making creative cloth fiber arts from popular art doll designer, fiber artist, and workshop instructor Patti Culea, following Creative Cloth Doll Making, Creative Cloth Doll Faces, Creative Cloth Doll Couture, and Creative Cloth Doll Beading. Readers will learn to make flat figures, fabric books, and a fairy-style fan.

This book builds on the previous four by delving into how to make fun and elaborate-looking projects using similar materials for unique projects and book structures. Culea covers the basics and provides new techniques–such as using Shiva paint sticks and stencils, working with silk rods and waste, and using lace and trims–while teaching you to how create a flat-figure doll, a memory journal with embellished cloth pages, and a beautiful fan. Professional tips, ideas for embellishments, cutting-edge techniques, and complete patterns for all the projects are included.

Patti Medaris Culea studied art in Los Angeles and Japan and began as a painter and portrait artist. She has a full-line of cloth doll patterns and her work has appeared in books, magazines, and galleries. She is the author of Creative Cloth Doll Making, Creative Cloth Doll Faces, Creative Cloth Doll Couture, and Creative Cloth Doll Beading.

Patti has a free download for this neat little Natania Name tag at the bottom of the right hand column of her blog:

Oh and don't forget to enter in yesterday's post a comment with a creative idea about how to use one thing for another for a chance to win your choice of any Quayside Publishing Group's book!

Head to Toe Fiber Yumminess

It's confirmed! Lexi Boeger, AKA Pluckyfluff will be signing copies of her book

Intertwined:
The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns and Creative Spinning

at the Yarn Barn of Kansas Booth at CNCH  - (Conference of Northern California Handweavers)
at noon Saturday May 3rd

So in celebration of the book signing I thought I'd share with you this sneak peek of one of the super cute projects from Intertwined. These shoelaces are such a great idea:

But if you're a tad more traditional in your knitting projects, Pluckyfluff's blog is packed full of the coolest beanies!

While you're over at Pluckyfluff's blog check out her workshop schedule-those spinners sure make some wonderful stuff! All that yarn is so luscious.

And since we're on the subject of yummy fiber and knitting I thought I'd
share with you this wonderful cover illustration from the book
Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art
by
Susan M. Straw with the forward by Melanie Falick

The patterns and fabrics of American knitting are an intricate, and intimate, part of the nations history, reflecting the styles and the interests, the concerns and the comforts that touched every homebody, every newborn and newlywed, every homesick patriot in the field.

This is the history that Knitting America celebrates. The first fully detailed, full-color, comprehensive history of knitting in America from colonial times to the present, the book conveys the social and historical realities that the craft embodied as well as the emotional narrative that unfolded at the hands of the nations knitters. With vintage patterns and designs typical of each era, Knitting America comprises a knitted history of American society. Here are the trends and the shortages, the historical happenings and the social movements, the advertising and economic developments that affected knitting and style.

Also included are 20 historic knitting patterns for todays knitters. Beautifully illustrated with vintage pattern booklets, posters, postcards, black-and-white historical photographs, and contemporary color photographs of knitted pieces in private collections and in museums, this book is a treasure of history and craft, an exquisite view of America through the handiwork of its knitters.

This is a cover illustration by Mary Highsmith for Home Arts Needlecraft, February 1928.

I bet every needle artist feels this way at some point, I know I do!