Flaming Peacocks Batman!
So it is done: I spun more silk, knitted and finished the Peacock Feathers scarf:
Details: Pattern from Fiddlesticks, by Dorothy Siemens, knitted in handspun bombyx silk, size 0 needles, about 64" point to point, and 31" neck to tip.
It's a beautiful pattern, one that I wanted to do the instant I knew I could knit lace, but I really don't wear shawls. I thought a scarf would better suit me, and now I have a travel scarf: easy to pack, small, capable of being bundled into a pillow on a plane or train, easy to whip out should I need to appear modest (!) and just a little something if there is a cold draft on my neck. Traveling. You know how unpredictable it is, and how uncomfortable it is. I take my comforts with me.
There were no real glitches in the pattern itself, although I did get off track once in the knitting. I had to rip back a few rows, which caused me much consternation until I figured out a slick way to do it: I slipped out the needle, and ironed the scarf. Then I carefully pulled back three rows, to a purl-back row. All the stitches stayed in neat little loops until I pulled them out because the ironing blocked them in place. A quick zip through them with the needle, and I was back on track.
I did a variation on the edging:
I thought the crocheted loops specified in the pattern would just be an invitation to catch it on anything and everything, so I did a knitted picot bind off, found here. This bind off works better for me, and I think it will catch less than the crochet loops in the pattern, but clearly I will have to be careful when wearing it and not flail around in my usual fashion.
I like the drape, the handle, the size and the weight of it all:
But of course, not the color:
Holy Candleflame!
I painted the scarf with thickened dyes:
Details: Lanaset dyes, mixed to a 2% solution, then added to an alginate painting base. The scarf is stretched out on plastic, then each color added in succession:
Then it is folded in plastic, and steamed:
This is not an original idea. I recalled seeing an article in Spin-Off (Spring 1997) about a crocheted pineapple shawl, painted to look like peacock feathers. The beautiful silk shawl was done by Ann Welch, for a conference of the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners in 1991.
Margaret Stove also has a painted shawl in her book Creating Original Handknitted Lace: hers is a sea-themed circular shawl called Sea Spray and Scallop Shells. Rumor has it that Lacis is reprinting Margaret's book. Margaret will be teaching this Fall at SOAR in Michigan. I can't wait to meet her, and see all her beautiful knitted lace.
While I was painting the scarf, I wondered whether it would ever be possible to knit-paint-then-reknit the scarf like Nancy does with her work, and have the colors come out right. I don't plan to try it on this one, and my gauge is not even enough to begin to think about a large project like this, but it was interesting to think about. If one could do it, I think it would be beautiful.
I also thought of friend Freyalynn, who spins and knits modular motifs with well-planned color placement (see her Misty Mountain Shawl in the Fall 2003 Spin-Off). This pattern would be hard to pre-plan all the color in the spinning, but a modular adaptation is possible. Hard, but possible. Must think further.
All this, of course, illustrates my design process: work begets work. I would not think up half the stuff that I do by just sitting and contemplating. The work itself inspires the next step, the next idea, the next project. That time issue means that I have to write things down, or I will forget them before I have the time to experiment. I keep a very messy journal full of little notes, some of which I can no longer discern. No matter! There's plenty of inspiration left that I can read :).
Like June, I had a garment in mind to wear with this scarf:
A red silk jacket I bought more than a year ago while I was in San Diego.
The jacket and scarf will be going with me next weekend to Ontario, and the Handweavers Conference. Ann Welch, the spinner of the Pineapple Shawl from Spin-Off 1997 is from Kitchener, Ontario, not too far from St. Catharines, where I will be. Ann's shawl took a prize at the same conference, sixteen years ago. Small world.
Also, small world story again, Dorothy Siemens, the designer of the Peacock Feathers Shawl, is from Toronto, which is close to St. Catharines. So my scarf will be making a pilgrimage home, so to speak.
There are no accidents. There are no coincidences. Wonder what this all means? Holy Candleflame Batman! Perhaps I will find out.
Details: Pattern from Fiddlesticks, by Dorothy Siemens, knitted in handspun bombyx silk, size 0 needles, about 64" point to point, and 31" neck to tip.
It's a beautiful pattern, one that I wanted to do the instant I knew I could knit lace, but I really don't wear shawls. I thought a scarf would better suit me, and now I have a travel scarf: easy to pack, small, capable of being bundled into a pillow on a plane or train, easy to whip out should I need to appear modest (!) and just a little something if there is a cold draft on my neck. Traveling. You know how unpredictable it is, and how uncomfortable it is. I take my comforts with me.
There were no real glitches in the pattern itself, although I did get off track once in the knitting. I had to rip back a few rows, which caused me much consternation until I figured out a slick way to do it: I slipped out the needle, and ironed the scarf. Then I carefully pulled back three rows, to a purl-back row. All the stitches stayed in neat little loops until I pulled them out because the ironing blocked them in place. A quick zip through them with the needle, and I was back on track.
I did a variation on the edging:
I thought the crocheted loops specified in the pattern would just be an invitation to catch it on anything and everything, so I did a knitted picot bind off, found here. This bind off works better for me, and I think it will catch less than the crochet loops in the pattern, but clearly I will have to be careful when wearing it and not flail around in my usual fashion.
I like the drape, the handle, the size and the weight of it all:
But of course, not the color:
Holy Candleflame!
I painted the scarf with thickened dyes:
Details: Lanaset dyes, mixed to a 2% solution, then added to an alginate painting base. The scarf is stretched out on plastic, then each color added in succession:
Then it is folded in plastic, and steamed:
This is not an original idea. I recalled seeing an article in Spin-Off (Spring 1997) about a crocheted pineapple shawl, painted to look like peacock feathers. The beautiful silk shawl was done by Ann Welch, for a conference of the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners in 1991.
Margaret Stove also has a painted shawl in her book Creating Original Handknitted Lace: hers is a sea-themed circular shawl called Sea Spray and Scallop Shells. Rumor has it that Lacis is reprinting Margaret's book. Margaret will be teaching this Fall at SOAR in Michigan. I can't wait to meet her, and see all her beautiful knitted lace.
While I was painting the scarf, I wondered whether it would ever be possible to knit-paint-then-reknit the scarf like Nancy does with her work, and have the colors come out right. I don't plan to try it on this one, and my gauge is not even enough to begin to think about a large project like this, but it was interesting to think about. If one could do it, I think it would be beautiful.
I also thought of friend Freyalynn, who spins and knits modular motifs with well-planned color placement (see her Misty Mountain Shawl in the Fall 2003 Spin-Off). This pattern would be hard to pre-plan all the color in the spinning, but a modular adaptation is possible. Hard, but possible. Must think further.
All this, of course, illustrates my design process: work begets work. I would not think up half the stuff that I do by just sitting and contemplating. The work itself inspires the next step, the next idea, the next project. That time issue means that I have to write things down, or I will forget them before I have the time to experiment. I keep a very messy journal full of little notes, some of which I can no longer discern. No matter! There's plenty of inspiration left that I can read :).
Like June, I had a garment in mind to wear with this scarf:
A red silk jacket I bought more than a year ago while I was in San Diego.
The jacket and scarf will be going with me next weekend to Ontario, and the Handweavers Conference. Ann Welch, the spinner of the Pineapple Shawl from Spin-Off 1997 is from Kitchener, Ontario, not too far from St. Catharines, where I will be. Ann's shawl took a prize at the same conference, sixteen years ago. Small world.
Also, small world story again, Dorothy Siemens, the designer of the Peacock Feathers Shawl, is from Toronto, which is close to St. Catharines. So my scarf will be making a pilgrimage home, so to speak.
There are no accidents. There are no coincidences. Wonder what this all means? Holy Candleflame Batman! Perhaps I will find out.
posted by Sara at 6:49 AM
21 Comments:
Zowie! I love this pattern, although I barely knit, much less knit lace.
I do have to say that as I was leaning every nearer to see the detail and scrolling down, the color really shocked me... I know these are your signature colors, but interested in why you didn't go with the traditional blue/green peacock colors?
What a lovely scarf. I just finished this pattern as a shawl and I'm really happy with it but I'm dazzled by what you did with dyes. It's absolutely gorgeous!
I've often thought about knitting a white shawl with the idea of dyeing it after completion. You make it look so easy. Beautiful! It will be fabulous with a red jacket.
Totally stunning. I am in awe of your talent and abilities.
Really, it pains me to look at the shawl - it is simply that stunning. Much much more you in the hand-painted version. Not that the white isn't nice...but...oof... the hand-painted colors kick it. Rock on.
Yay! I love your deviation from traditional "peacock colors"!
Wowsers. Your shawl if fabulous! If there are truly no accidents then I must have been guided here for the inspiration. I may have stumbled upon the way to liven up the ho-hum shawlette that I just finished.
Oh Lamby, that came out so cool. What a terrific idea to paint the motifs. You rock !
Only one word for your work - stunning!
I am totally impressed with your own way of doing things.
As usual, you have inspired me! My favorite shawl is a Faroe design, knit in a very boring oameal wool. I have alginate, I have dye, I've been inspired! I love your flame colors. Very pretty! The shawl-ette is wonderful.
At first when I saw the white I thought I was at the wrong blog. I saw that Margaret Stove painted scarf in person....I took a workshop with her after that VK article came out. Your colors (unsurprisingly) are more fabulous.
Fantastic!
the colorway is absolutely colossal!!!!!-i can't even imagine the counting involved.
Dazzling, Sara! I have been toying with the knit, dye, reknit idea too but I'm going bonkers trying to figure out the math.
Wow! Your scarf is absolutely beautiful. And as usual, you inspire me onwards. I only wish I was a faster knitter(!)
Yahoo! That shawl is soooo gorgeous, Sara! Glad I'm not the only one who is brave enough to dye lace after all the work of knitting it. It's much more personalized now and looks wonderful on you. Congrats!
I just bought Fiddlesticks' Paisley Long Shawl pattern but it'll be awhile before I get to do something with it. Dorothy's patterns are so professionally written and packaged. Worth the money for all the enjoyment of knitting.
Gorgeous and inspiring as always!
I am in awe! What a great idea and so beautifully executed! I love love love it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Sara, I'm getting the impression that you like orange-related colours.
Something about this post, other than the beauty of your shawl of course, had been tickling the back of my mind, and this morning, I finally realized what it was. You had started with the LIGHT colour, and then moved to the darker colour, which is the opposite of what I always tend to do for some reason, when working with multiple colours -- something I'd never really thought about, just always done.
Absolutely fabulous from start to finish, but then what else?! The colors are a striking variation on a theme and will really pop against your lovely jacket. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip, and you will surely stand out, even in that crowd.
Your shawl is fabulous! I love how you painted it! The gradations of color are just beautiful.
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