Knitsisters

2011-09-19T18:33:00.004+01:00

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED, PLEASE COME AND SEE ME AT:

www.heikeknits.wordpress.com

and find lots of new and exciting things!!

Inspiration to Design - Part Two

2011-09-16T11:57:00.000+01:00

Barbara Walkers Treasuries of Stitch Patterns

Knitters of all experience levels can benefit from experimenting with stitch, shape and structure. The basic knit and purl stitches make up most other techniques, so once these stitches are learned, they can be arranged in countless ways to create wonderful new fabrics. You can accomplish this by simply playing with the stitches, or by using a stitch manual to try out some of the many techniques that are available.

Fair Isle Swatches

Record your Experiments

Keep your references close to hand to compare the texture you create to the qualities you are trying to capture. You don’t need to stick to just one technique or yarn; tension swatches are great tools for inserting as many methods, yarns and fibres into your work as possible. These small squares of knitting allow you to physically test the fibres and stitches that you feel will suit your theme – without knitting entire garments.

When you have knitted enough of these samples to satisfy your creativity, it is time to select the most successful combinations, measure your tension, and move on to your pattern.

If you tend to knit numerous samples, keep notes in your sketchbook to remember needle size, yarn name, quality and shade numbers you used in each one. There is nothing more frustrating than making a beneficial mistake in a sample, and not remembering how to capture the exact texture.

Lace and Texture Swatches

Taking Measurements

When calculating your tension, make sure you first block your swatch lightly. Next take a few measurements at different points of the swatch to get an average, because hand knitting is often uneven. You are looking for the number of stitches and rows per centimetre or inch.

Once this is determined, you can write a pattern for anything by using that particular stitch on same size needle. It will be necessary to take tension measurements for each technique, needle change or yarn swap within the sample; if the tension is significantly different, it could greatly affect the size of the finished garment.

Picture taken from Knitting Daily

Sizing

Take as many body measurements as possible, especially when you design a fitted garment. Once you have the number of stitches knitted to one centimetre, or inch, all the measurements can be converted to stitches with simple maths. For example, multiply the measurement at the cast-on edge by the amount of stitches per centimetre to get the amount of stitches necessary to cast on.

The same simple maths is used for rows, although in this case, it may be easier to simply knit to the desired length. You will know the number of stitches you begin with at the start of shaping, the number you need to end up with, and the amount of rows there are to shape your knitted piece. So you can calculate the number of increases (decreases) needed and the intervals at which they should be applied.

From Moodboard to finished Morocco Cushion

Now go and be creative! Happy Knitting!

Inspiration to Design - Part One

2011-09-08T11:38:00.010+01:00

Most of us have wandered in awe around a yarn shop, hypnotised by the hues and texture of the sumptuous yarns on show, choosing balls of wool simply because we feel we need to own them and with no idea of what we might make with them. Here lies the problem for most yarn hoarders, often unsure of what to do with all their pretty bundles and a little shy of experimenting and having a go at designing something from scratch themselves.

Yarn Heaven

The Creative Process

Before you start a new knitting project, you need to think about your creative process. Many knitters are extremely logical, due to the mathematical nature of knitting. This sometimes leads to the belief that there is no room for creativity in their designs, because an ‘artistic’ work method might be seen as random or whimsical.

In fact, most designers plan their projects up to the minutest detail so the final creation will work aesthetically and practically. The creativity comes from your initial inspiration and the way you develop this idea and apply it to the final fabric.

Creative Tools

Inspiration is a very personal thing and everyone finds it in different places. To create a wonderful design you must try and develop your own creative senses by being receptive to everything you see around you. It is therefore useful to have some creative tools at hand to help you.

Most important is a sketchbook of some kind to capture your ideas. However, you don’t need to worry about your drawing skills, if you find something interesting, evocative or beautiful – perhaps while on holiday, a walk or even out shopping – note it down, take a picture, or if possible take it with you.

A digital camera is a perfect tool to document your inspiration. You can take as many shots as you wish and delete any that don’t turn out well.

A stitch dictionary is also an invaluable acquisition, as it is impossible to remember every stitch ever invented and it isn’t cheating to use techniques in your projects from these compilations.

One of my Sketchbooks

Creating a Mood Board

It is a good idea to build up a personal collection of images and any other visual material you come across and like. For example, you might like blue & white china and collectables, so you will collect as many relevant and interesting pictures as you can.

Photographs, postcards and cuttings from magazines can all be added to a board to give you an exciting and stimulating focal point for your ideas. This is referred to as a ‘mood board’.

The informality of this conceptual board means important components of the scheme can be put together before you choose yarn, or begin knitting. It will allow you to decide which parts are important before executing the final design and this save time and re-knitting later.

The final component to be added to your mood board is the yarn you decide to use, make a small bobbin and pin it to the board as reference. When you are happy with it take a photo, which, together with a photo of the finished project, will form part of your design archive.

Morocco Mood Board

Creating your own colour palette

Your colour palette should come from your inspiration and the subsequent mood board you created. Your inspiration will also guide you as to how much emphasis you need to give to each individual colour in your design. To be successful you really need to imitate the original colour balance as closely as possible.

For best results start off with several colours in your palette and then narrow it down to a select few as you progress. Try not to stray too far from your original inspiration, but it is perfectly all right to tweak the colours in your palette if you think that this will result in a more pleasing design.

You will also find that when you look at available yarns you will have to compromise on some colours. Even though good yarn stores have a great selection of colours to choose from, it is likely that the exact shade you picked out, as a key colour cannot be perfectly matched. In this case you have to compromise and go for the nearest shade available.

Morocco Sketch on Graph Paper

Working with proportional graph paper

Stocking stitch, in any weight of yarn, always has a greater row tension than stitch tension; a stitch is wider than it is tall. Therefore for knitting patterns proportional graph paper is preferable to squared paper because it has been specially designed to imitate the shape of the knitted stitch.

Look at your proportional graph paper as if it were a piece of knitting, with each rectangle representing a stitch and each row of rectangles representing a row of knitting. The right way to use it is with the rectangles running horizontally across the page.

The most helpful thing about using this type of graph paper for knitting patterns is that it accurately shows what your design will look like when it is knitted. For example, if you draw a perfect circle onto proportional graph paper and knit it, you will achieve a perfect knitted circle. But if the same circle is drawn onto squared graph paper and knitted it will be oval.

Watch out for Part Two next Friday!

The Colour Orange

2011-09-02T16:57:00.009+01:00

Pumpkin, gold, flame, copper, brass, apricot, peach, citrus, tangerine.

Orange Moodboard

Orange, a close relative of red, sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger "love it" or "hate it" response than other colours. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy.
Interestingly, some tones of orange, such as terra cotta, peach, and rust have very broad appeal.

Nature of Orange:

As a warm colour orange is a stimulant — stimulating the emotions and even the appetite. Orange can be found in nature in the changing leaves of autumn, the setting sun, and the skin and meat of citrus fruit.

Japanese Acer

Orange Color Palette:

This colour palette features shades of orange going earthy with browns and yellows, as well as sophisticated with neutrals.

Orange Colour Palette

Culture of Orange:

Orange brings up images of autumn leaves, pumpkins, and (in combination with Black) Halloween. It represents the changing seasons so in that sense it is a colour on the edge, the colour of change between the heat of summer and the cool of winter.

Because orange is also a citrus colour, it can conjure up thoughts of vitamin C and good health.

Using Orange:

If you want to get noticed without screaming, consider the colour orange — it demands attention. The softer oranges such as peach are even friendlier, more soothing. Peachy oranges are less flamboyant than their redder cousins but still energetic.In keeping with its transitional appearance in nature, you might use shades of orange to indicate transition or a bridge between two opposing factors.

Orange is often synonymous with autumn yet the brighter oranges are a summer colour. Use shades of orange for seasonal-themed fall or summer materials.Orange is mentally stimulating as well as sociable. Use it to get people thinking or to get them talking.

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

Using Orange with Other Colours:

While orange and black are traditional Halloween colours, orange really pops with a medium blue. Red, yellow, and orange can be a fiery hot combination or, in tamer shades, a fresh, fruity experience. Make it tropical with green.Use caution mixing orange and pink unless you want to recreate a vibrating, 60s psychedelic look.
Try a dash of orange with deep purple or a dash of purple with a bit of orange, tempered by lots of mellow yellow or white for an eye-catching look that's not overpowering.

Orange & Purple Spun Fibre

Orange around the globe:

American Indians associate the colour orange with kinship.

Orange is the Netherlands' national colour, dating back to the Dutch War of Independence and the rebel Prince of Orange.

In Ireland, the use of orange dates from the reign of William of Orange, the Protestant English king and a Dutch stadholder.

In China and Japan, orange is used to symbolize happiness and love.

Orange County, California

Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

Have fun experimenting with orange!

Love Wool Week 2011

2011-08-27T17:22:00.007+01:00

Love Wool Week 5 - 11 September 2011

The Campaign for Wool

The Campaign for Wool was initiated by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who had observed that the wool industry was facing enormous and unprecedented challenges.The Campaign is multi-national, multi-sector and inclusive, and tries to embrace all sections of wool users from the very largest companies to specialist artisans.
The Campaign for Wool began in October 2010 in the United Kingdom, with the launch of ‘Wool Week’. Over 70 fashion brands, half a dozen national department stores and almost 1,000 carpet independents participated in the week long promotion of wool.
2011 will see the Campaign for Wool take on a global appeal and continue to build more momentum and support.

Why the Campaign For Wool is important

It’s all about the sheep...Sheep on the fields and fells - this is the true origin of wool, it grows whilst sheep graze and is shorn to offer a truly natural and sustainable supply of quality fibre to our textile industry. Importantly that grazing conserves our beautiful landscape, so that we can truly inhabit a green and pleasant land.
Support LoveWoolUK and you are supporting the sheep farmer and his flock, both in the UK and overseas, and maintaining our precious landscape.

Lincoln Longwool - Poll Dorset - Zartbles

What is Lovewool UK?

LoveWoolUK is a unique free style celebration intended to harness the wool enthusiasm of people across the UK so that they can become part of the Campaign for Wool. Anyone or any organisation can take part - all they have to do - is do something with wool!

Wall of Wool

When will it happen?

Wool Week is from 5th September to the 11th September this year and any day that week is a LoveWoolUK day! We want people to choose a date and a time that suits them - wool is a flexible fibre - so this is a flexible event!

What can you do?

Knitting, felting, crafting, spinning, dyeing, weaving - whatever the interest, whatever the expertise, whatever the number of people, as long as real wool is the core - it is up to you - we just want people to have fun.

Crochet Turkish Slippers

Where will it happen?

All over the UK - living room, beach hut, cliff top, coffee shop, schoolroom, library, high street. It is a fluid, free style event that is a collective approach to a wool celebration and it is entirely in the hands of the wool lovers themselves. We hope to see wool activity everywhere!

So join in and have fun!

Crochet Rocks

2011-08-17T13:41:00.005+01:00

It is a very well know fact that my first love is Knitting and that will never change. I love nothing more than spending days in my studio looking at inspirational books, photograph's, Barbara Walker's pattern treasury etc., and swatch and sample my time away. I do, however, sometimes need a change of scenery, so to speak, and that's when I get out my hooks and doodle with some crochet.

Sample Board for Learn to Crochet

A Little Crochet History

According to Annie Louise Potter in her 1990 book, A Living Mystery, the International Art & History of Crochet, published by A.J. Publishing International, the word crochet comes from the Middle French words croc or croche, meaning hook. Crochet is the art of creating fabric by pulling loops of yarn or thread through other loops with the aid of a crochet hook. Starting with a simple chain as a foundation, various stitches are added until the crocheted piece has basically been built upon itself. Crochet can be worked in rows or rounds with stunning results. Descriptive stitch names include chain, single, double, treble, filet mesh, ribbed afghan, pineapple, popcorn, and slipper.

Samples for Crochet Workshop

Early History of Crochet

The history of crochet tells us it may have been done in the beginning using only the fingers rather than today's hook method. Eventually, primitive bent needles with cork handles were used. Later, crochet hooks were carved of wood, ivory or bone and eventually made of silver, brass, or steel. In the beginning, hooks were not sized as they are today.

Crochet Corsages

The Beginnings of Crochet

Since there are no known records or actual crocheted items dating to much earlier than 1800, no one is completely sure when and where the history of crochet first began. It has been suggested that early crochet evolved from another form of stitching called Tambour which involved yarn loops being pulled through fabric. By eliminating the fabric, crochet "in the air" may have been born.
The earliest written reference to crochet seems to be a mention of something called "shepherd's knitting" in The Memoirs of a Highland Lady by Elizabeth Grant in 1812. The first published patterns appeared in 1824 in the Dutch magazine, Penelope, and in 1842 Mlle. Riego de la Branchardiere began publishing complex patterns and instructions for crochet that resembled bobbin lace and needle lace.
In crochet's early days, it was considered a pastime of the upper class, whereby they could create delicate and detailed items to decorate their homes or their clothing. The rich felt that the lower classes didn't need the luxury of decorative household items or fancy clothes, so the poor were generally discouraged or even prohibited from learning crochet. Instead they were encouraged to knit in order to make basic necessities or repair socks and other apparel.

Items from Crochet Workshop

The History of Crochet, Irish Lace, and the Great Irish Famine

During the Great Irish Famine that decimated Ireland from 1845 to 1849, however, Ursuline Nuns there began teaching local women and children thread crochet. Items these locals created were then shipped to and sold in America and Europe. This was the advent of a style of crochet now commonly known as Irish lace, which was probably instrumental in helping many Irish families survive the famine.
A worldwide cottage industry began to develop around crochet, especially in Ireland and Northern France. Since these items were purchased by the emerging European middle class, the upper class began to label crochet as a cheap imitation lace only suitable for the masses and touted the older style of lace made by more expensive methods as being superior.

Intricate Irish Lace - Google Images

Crochet Becomes an Art Form

When Queen Victoria learned to crochet, some of the stigma was removed, and as crochet moved into the 20th century, it finally became an art form on its own. Once patterns became more readily available to everyone, a more standardized stitch size also became necessary. Soon crochet hooks were being made in various sizes in order to accommodate the required size of stitch or gauge called for in the pattern.

Crochet Continues to Evolve

The history of crochet continues as new stitches, as well as new techniques and designs, are being developed by a whole new generation of crocheters. Magazines and books are now devoted to crochet, and extraordinary new yarns are being spun in every imaginable style, weight and color. The lowly bent needle has itself become a thing of beauty, created by artisans in many styles, sizes and materials from wood to acrylic to polymer clay.

Selection of Crochet Hooks

So, if you are not already hooked...go and find a crochet course and get started with this amazing technique. More and more knitting designs have added crochet and this winter crochet home accessories can be seen everywhere. Here is my latest crochet item, a shawlette (or small Poncho) designed by Annette Travers, a colleague of mine. I used two colours of Habu Silk and the third colour, also Silk, was a gift from Australia brought back by a friend. (Pattern available from Fibre&Clay when purchasing yarn).

Silk Shawlette with beaded edging

Refuge - Keeping women and children safe - An Appeal

2011-08-12T15:04:00.003+01:00

About Refuge
A refuge is a safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence. The address is confidential and no men are allowed in the building. A refuge is a place where women can be sure they are safe, and where they can access emotional and practical support from staff who understand what they have been through.
Every woman in the refuge is escaping abuse, meaning they can share their experiences and offer each other support.

History
Refuge opened the world’s first women’s refuge in 1971 in Chiswick, London. It was a time when no-one talked about domestic violence, when what went on behind closed doors in every street was considered private, no-one’s business.
Women and children flocked to that safe house in West London. For the first time, someone was saying it was wrong to beat your partner. What had gone on for centuries behind closed doors was at last being challenged.
Refuge has led the campaign to end domestic violence ever since.

Refuge today

Today the charity supports many more women and children than it did in those early years. The refuges are always full, and there are more calls to the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline (run in partnership with Women’s Aid) than they can answer, and there is always more to do.

Who can go to a refuge?
Any woman who has experienced domestic violence – emotional or physical – can go to a refuge, with or without children.
Women can arrive at a refuge in shock from their experiences. They may have lived with abuse for months or years and become isolated from family and friends. Even knowing you are safe does not make the transition to life in a new environment easy.
Staff in all refuges are there to support women both practically and emotionally. They understand the trauma women have experienced and are there to listen. Where funding is available women also have access to psychologists who can provide ongoing emotional support. There is also peer support – which can sometimes be the most beneficial support a woman can receive.

Why Refuge is so important

• One woman in four experiences domestic violence at some point in her life.

• Two women are killed each week by a current or former partner.

• Domestic violence accounts for almost a quarter of all violent crime.

• In 90% of domestic violence incidents children are in the same or next room.

• On average a woman will be assaulted by her partner or ex-partner 35 times before reporting it to the police.

The Knitter and Simply Knitting have put together a wonderful Ebook with a large selection of square designs to make a wonderful blanket. For a small donation (I would suggest £5) this book could be yours. There are over 20 different designs of written and charted patterns from Martin Storey, Alan Dart, Jenni Atkinson, Jane Crowfoot and Amanda Jones to name but a few. All of the donations will go straight to Refuge.
Please click on this link to connect directly to the Just Giving page for Refuge, http://www.justgiving.com/refugeblankets and enjoy making your blanket using all those left-overs from your Stash.

Thank you.

Marrakesh - Final Part

2011-08-09T11:21:00.002+01:00

Sadly, the last day of our trip had arrived. During the night Marrakesh had a hefty sand-storm which had blown away the extremely hot weather and we woke up to much cooler and fresher air, perfect for a day of sight-seeing.

Koutoubia Mosque - build in 12th century and visible from anywhere

As in all cities, a really good way to see everything is a trip on an open topped double Decker bus, so we decided that was the way to go. As we had only limited time left, it gave us a chance to hop on and off wherever we fancied, trying to see as much as we could.

Typical busy street

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly our visit to Jardin Majorelle.

Jardin Majorelle - Colour

Jacques Majorelle, son of celebrated furniture maker Louis Majorelle, first came to Marrakesh in 1919 to continue his career as a painter. He acquired land in 1924 and began the landscape which is now known as the Majorelle Garden. In 1947 he opened this garden to the public, a tradition that continues to this day. Jacques Majorelle sadly died in 1962 from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Amazing Cacti

The garden was somewhat neglected until it was acquired by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge in 1980, who lovingly restored it and have given it to the Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent to ensure its continuing existence. The garden is one of rare individual expression and mystical force, with an abundance of vegetal shapes and forms representing five continents and reflects Jacques Majorelle's significance as one of the most prolific plant collectors of his time.

Fantastic Foliage

A wonderful few days were coming to an end. We had experienced one of the most colourful and historically rich cities in North Africa. Go, visit and experience for yourselves...you won't regret it! And for all of you who have been wondering what I bought...

A small selection of purchased items

All photographs from our trip can be viewed here and then clicking on the postcard.

Marrakesh - Part 2

2011-08-06T15:19:00.001+01:00

After a good night's sleep in our cool room at the Riad, we set off early the next morning in 4 x 4 cars on a trip into the high Atlas mountains. We were met by our lovely and very knowledgeable guide Khaled who gave us ample information on the mountains and the Berber people who live there.

Khaled our guide

Driving higher and higher into the mountains, we stopped often to get acclimatised with the high altitude. This gave us the opportunity to take in the amazingly rugged scenery. At one of our stops we were invited to take part in a tea ceremony being performed in a Berber house by the eldest woman of the household, quite an experience. This was followed by lunch in the last village cars can drive to. This village is the point from where trekking expeditions starts, 3800m above sea level. From there it is a further 400m climb to the highest peak which still had a little snow left, quite amazing in temperatures of 45C.

Toubkal Mountain - Snow just visible

We got back to Marrakesh tired but elated by all the things we saw and after a quick shower it was off to the Souk. Well, what can I say...the experience was quite amazing! What a buzzing place it is with all the traders at their colourful stalls selling everything you can possibly imagine. The Moroccans are very friendly people, always smiling and inviting you to look at their beautiful items for sale. At no stage did we feel hassled into buying, a friendly "No thank you" was good enough.

Herbs and Spices in the Souk

A very lively place

Anyone for some Yarn?

You can see why I felt totally inspired and found it extremely difficult to hold back on the spending!!

A feast for the Eye

Watch out for the final installment of Marrakesh.

Marrakesh - Part 1

2011-08-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday Anna-Maria and I set off late afternoon for our 4 day trip to Marrakesh, leaving a cold and rainy Wales behind.

Sunset from our Plane - Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

On arrival we were greeted by 39C at 10.30pm and thought "How lovely to be warm without a Cardi", little did we know!!! A very charming young chap escorted us to our home for the next few days, Riad Catalina.

Riad Catalina/The Courtyard - Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

After a welcoming drink of Mint Tea we unpacked and settled down in our very comfortable, typically Moroccan room and had a great night sleep. Re-freshed after a fantastic breakfast, during which we met other guests staying at the Riad (we all became firm friends), and on hearing that the forecast was between 50 and 55C, we decided to book ourselves on some excursions into the mountains over the next couple of days. We were hoping it would be cooler there! First day was spent by the pool followed by a delicious meal at the Riad Restaurant.

Rooftop Pool - Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

Next morning we were up early and joined a group of other people on a trip to the Ouzoud Waterfall (2nd largest in Africa) and a Cave in the shape of Africa.

Ouzoud Waterfall

Approximately 120 steps led us down through beautiful greenery, with lot's of people picnicking and generally having a great time, to the bottom of the Falls. Being sprayed on was very welcomed by everyone. After a delicious lunch we were off to the cave, which promised to be spectacular. We had been told that guides would lead us through the cave and on looking back from the other side we would be able to see the opening to show the outline of the African continent. On arrival we realised that the way to the cave involved a further 100 or so steps. Half way down my knee locked, I had to admit defeat and let Anna-Maria go on with some of the other's. She reported back that it had been spectacular and well worth the climb.

Africa shaped Cave - Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

My knee recovered on the way home (with the help of trusted Ibuprofen!) and we were delighted to discover that the temperature in Marrakesh had indeed been about 10C higher - a staggering 53C!!!

Part 2 to follow...

All about Black

2011-07-27T14:07:00.000+01:00

Shades of Black

What Colours Are Black?

These words are synonymous with black or represent various shades of the colour black: coal, charcoal, ebony, ink, jet, lampblack, midnight, obsidian, onyx, raven, sable, soot.

Black Mood board

Considered the negation of colour, black is conservative, goes well with almost any colour except the very dark. It also has conflicting connotations. It can be serious and conventional. The colour black can also be mysterious, sexy, and sophisticated.

Nature of Black:
Black is the absence of colour. In clothing, black is visually slimming. Black, like other dark colours, can make a room appear to shrink in size and even a well-lit room looks dark with a lot of black. Black can make other colours appear brighter.

Black and white - a perfect combination

Culture of Black:
In most Western countries black is the colour of mourning. Among young people, black is often seen as a colour of rebellion. Black is both positive and negative. It is the colour for little boys in China. Black, especially combined with orange is the colour of Halloween. In early Westerns the good guy wore white while the bad guy wore black. But later on good guys wore black to lend an air of mystery to themselves.

Using Black:
Use the colour black to convey elegance, sophistication, or perhaps a touch of mystery. Dark charcoal gray and very dark brown can sometimes stand in for black.

Using Black with Other Colours:
Be careful using black with very dark colours. It can work, but if the colours are too similar they blend together. Black works well with bright, jewel-toned shades of red, blue, and green. Black is the ultimate dark colour and makes lighter colours such as yellow really pop out. Photographs often look brighter against a black background. Black and gray is a conservative combo as is medium or light blue and black.

Contrast Study

Language of Black:

The use of black in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their colour of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects.
Good black
Black tie - formal (as in formal party attire)
Black belt - expert (especially in martial arts)
Black wash - bring things out in the open In the black - having money, doing well in business
Black box - equipment or apparatus
Pitch black - dark as night, very black
Bad black
Black out - Loss of consciousness or the act of erasing something
Blackout - loss of electricity or turning out the lights
Black-hearted - evil
Black sheep - an outcast from a family or from society
Black market - illegal trade (goods or money)
Blackmail - obtaining something by threat
Blacklist - list of people or organisations to boycott, avoid, or punish

Black & White Photography can look so serene

Black in Fashion:

In Western fashion, black is considered stylish, sexy, elegant and powerful. The colloquialism "X is the new black" is a reference to the latest trend or fad that is considered a wardrobe basic for the duration of the trend, on the basis that black is always fashionable.

Courtesy of V&A museum

I leave you with a photo of Elsa Schiaparelli's iconic 'Trompe L'oeil' sweater which was part of her 1927 A/W show.

All about White

2011-07-21T13:37:00.001+01:00

White Moodboard

Egg white, off white, lily white, milk white, snow white, as white as a sheet, china white, white gold, pearl white, whitewash, lead white, titanium white, white-hot, white sands, white chocolate, white cliffs...

Morocco

White is purity, cleanliness, and innocence. Like black, white goes well with almost any colour. To the human eye, white is a brilliant colour that can cause headaches for some. Too much bright white can be blinding.

In most Western countries white is the colour for brides. In the East, it's the colour for mourning and funerals. White is often associated with hospitals, especially doctors, nurses, and dentists. Some cultures viewed white as the colour of royalty or of deities. Angels are typically depicted as wearing white. In early Westerns the good guy wore white while the bad guy wore black.

Daisies

Using White:

In most cases white is seen as a neutral background colour and other colours, even when used in smaller proportion, are the colours that convey the most meaning in a design. Use white to signify cleanliness or purity or softness. Some neutral beige, ivory, and creams carry the same attributes as white but are more subdued, less brilliant than plain white. Use lots of white for a summery look. Use small amounts of white to soften a wintry palette or suggest snow.

Using White with Other Colours:
Used with light or pastel tones, white is soft and Spring-like and helps to make the pastel palette more lively. White can make dark or light reds, blues, and greens look brighter, more prominent. Red, white, and blue makes a patriotic palette.

Shades of White

Interesting information about white:

According to Pantone Inc., white is the best selling colour for the classic American t-shirt.
More shades of white are available commercially than any other colour.
White clothing typically becomes translucent when wet.
The appearance of white in a dream is thought to represent happiness at home. White castles are a symbol of achievement, destiny perfectly fulfilled, and spiritual perfection.
Originally, scientists wore beige coats. In the late 19th century, medical professionals chose white ones. The colour white was chosen because of the idea of hope and expectations for healing and recovery that the physicians would bring.

Photo Courtesy of Marta McCall

Now go and experiment!

London Weekend

2011-07-17T15:20:00.000+01:00

This weekend I travelled to London with a dear friend. First stop the V&A Museum, one of my favourite places to visit in London. Always so inspirational, inside..

V&A Inspiration

and out:

Inner Courtyard

Even if you only spend short periods of time during any one visit, you leave with a sense of relaxed achievement, of having refreshed your senses and a head full of new design ideas. This time we did Gem-set jewellery and were not disappointed with what we saw. It was truly mind-blowing and very inspirational, I just wish I could draw better!! To finish off, a visit to the museum shop where I found this ring for my 'girl' who loves all things embellished with the Union Jack and this ring got the right reception when presented to her.

Patriotic Jewellery

Next came a little retail therapy followed by dinner at one of my favourite restaurants, 'Momo's'. Delicious Moroccan food in a relaxed and calm atmosphere, interspersed with sounds and smells from North Africa... what better way to end a busy day!

Momo's Terrace

Saturday, bright and early, we set off for this years Knit Nation event at the Imperial College London. In it's second year, this event is organised by Cookie A, a wonderful and innovative Sock designer, and Alice Yu, owner of Socktopus. The event has become a firm favourite with knitters from far and wide, offering not only a marketplace full of covetable goodies and yumminess from independent dyers, spinners and notion sellers, but also a host of amazing names from the world of knitting teaching amazing workshops. This year saw young Scottish designer Ysolda Teague with the garments from her latest book, 'Little Red in the City', on book signing and knitterly chatting sessions, as well as Susan Crawford presenting a pre-glimpse into her forthcoming second installment of 'A Stitch in Time'.

Ysolda signing copies of her book

It was great seeing so many old friends and making some new ones, but very hard to resist spending lot's of money on all those tempting goodies on offer. We tried to be good and not overspend, but still came away with a few items. I bought some lovely yarn by 'Wollmeise' and 'Madeleine Tosh', as well as some useful little notions, and couldn't resist 'West Knits' books.

My Knit Nation

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend, and now I am keen to use this lovely yarn I bought!

The colour Red

2011-07-12T17:34:00.000+01:00

Beautiful Summer Dahlia

Shades of Red:

These words are synonymous with red or represent various shades of the colour red:

blood red, blush, brick, burgundy, carmine, China red, cinnabar, crimson, fire engine red, flame, Indian red, madder, maroon, rose, rouge, ruby, russet, rust, scarlet, tomato, Venetian red, vermilion.

Shades of Red

The Nature and Culture of Red:
Red is hot. It's a strong colour that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil.
A stimulant, red is the hottest of the warm colours. Studies show that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure.
The expression seeing red indicates anger and may stem not only from the stimulus of the colour but from the natural flush (redness) of the cheeks, a physical reaction to anger, increased blood pressure, or physical exertion.
Red is power, hence the red power tie for business people and the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs (very important people).
Flashing red lights denote danger or emergency. Stop signs and stop lights are red to get the drivers' attention and alert them to the dangers of the road ahead.
In some cultures, red denotes purity, joy, and celebration. Red is the colour of happiness and prosperity in China and may be used to attract good luck.
Red is often the colour worn by brides in the East while it is the colour of mourning in South Africa. In Russia the Bolsheviks used a red flag when they overthrew the Tsar, thus red became associated with communism. Many national flags use red. The red Ruby is the traditional Fortieth Wedding Anniversary gift.

Red dyeing powder

Using Red:

Use the colour red to grab attention and to get people to take action.
Use red when you don't want to sink into the background.
Use red to suggest speed combined with confidence and perhaps even a dash of danger.
A little bit of red goes a long way. Small doses can often be more effective than large amounts of this strong colour.
Multiple shades of red and even pink or orange can combine for a cheerful palette.

Using Red with Other Colours:
Although not normally considered an ideal coupling, in combination with green, red is a Christmas colour — a joyful season.
Cool blues provide contrast and tone down the heat of red.
Light pinks and yellows are harmonising colours that can work well with red if not too close in value such as dark red with a pale or golden yellow.
Be careful using purple. It can be an elegant combination but too much could be overpowering.
Add a dash of red to a soft but sophisticated pink and gray combo.
For some countries, including the UK, red, white, and blue is a very patriotic trio even if the shades of red and blue differ from those used in the flag.

Typically British Red

Interesting information about red:

Red is the highest arc of the rainbow.
Red is the first colour you lose sight of at twilight.
The longest wavelength of light is red.
In the financial arena, red symbolises a negative direction.
Eric the Red is the Norwegian Viking credited for colonising Greenland...he earned his nickname from his bright red hair and beard.
Feng shui recommends painting the front door of a home red to invite prosperity to the residents.

Inspiration

Now go and paint the town red!

Knitsisters July Newsletter

2011-07-07T11:24:00.002+01:00

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

With the summer holidays just about upon us, this is the time to think of stocking up on cotton yarns to take on holiday or sit in the garden with. Knitting small items with cotton yarn means, that even in warm weather you can still enjoy your favourite past time.

This month at http://www.knitsisters.co.uk/ all cotton and linen yarns are on sizzling hot summer specials:

KB Cotton instead of £4.95 reduced to £2.50 per 50g

KB Cotton Tweed instead of £8.85 reduced to £4.95 per 100g

MD 100% Pure Linen instead of £11.95 reduced to £7.95 per 50g

And to carry it all: All Tote bags instead of £19.95 reduced to £14.95

So come on in and snap yourself a bargain!

Things to do in July...

Knit our Free Pattern: As we can never have enough storage, this month I have come up with a pattern for a small storage basket which can also be used as a yarn bowl. This can easily be enlarged by following my instructions given in the pattern notes.

To download go to http://www.knitsisters.co.uk/ and you will find the pattern in the Free Downloads section.

Read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a story set in depression era America when everyone is running away from something. Some people join the circus to escape and Jacob Jankowski hitches a ride on a freight train. In an instant his life changes, by morning he has landed a job with the most spectacular show on earth, by nightfall he is in love. This is story telling at its best, very well researched and a real page turner.

Watch The Hour on TV, a thrilling six part drama which takes us behind the scenes of the launch of a topical news programme in London 1956, written and created by Bafta award winning Abi Morgan. On BBC 2, starting 19th July. Watch a trailer here!

What’s on:

16 June-21 Aug Kaffe Fassett Exhibition, Charleston House, Firle, East Sussex

Now – 29 Oct Oh that summer would last forever – Jen Jones Welsh Quilt Centre, Lampeter, Wales

15-17 July Knit Nation, Imperial College London

23-24 July Fibre East, Scald End Farm, Thurleigh, Bedfordshire

Until 10 July Yohji Yamamoto exhibition, V&A Museum, London

Until 17 July The Cult of Beauty – The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900, V&A Museum, London

Whatever you do, enjoy your summer.

Happy Knitting!

Heike

A little bit of this and a little bit of that..

2011-07-04T17:03:00.000+01:00

Apologies for only posting once last week, but parents were visiting and time just flew by. Mum and Dad have gone back to Germany now and I thought I better post today.
Whilst my Mum was here I managed to finish knitting a couple of things:

Western Cape Cardigan

I am a huge fan of Coco Chanel and find her style very inspiring. So when back in January I ordered some yarn from Quince & Co, I immediately thought of designing a cardigan in a Chanel jacket style. The yarn is called Chickadee and is beautiful all American Wool. At Wonderwool Wales I bought a few cards of vintage buttons which I thought would go perfectly with this...voila!!

Storage Basket

For Knitsisters July Newsletter I created this storage basket in KB Cotton Tweed. As the knitted fabric was quite floppy, I came up with a simple idea on how to stabilise it. If you would like this FREE pattern, subscribe to the Newsletter via Knitsisters website.

I have so enjoyed having my parents to stay, many hours of knitting with my Mum and my garden looks totally weed-free, thanks to my Dad. He also managed to make a fabulous wood-stack (precision German style) with all the logs that were lying around in our drive.

Precision Wood stacking - Thank you Pap's

Unbelievably, today I received the first pre-view photos of Rowan's A/W collection...is it really that time already? Here are a couple of photos to wet your appetite.

Rowan Magazine 50

Rowan International Members will be receiving the Magazine as a limited edition hard copy, which will make a lovely coffee table book.

Yellow - The Sunshine colour

2011-06-27T14:20:00.003+01:00

Lemon Yellow, Canary Yellow, Buttercup Yellow, Chrome Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Saffron Yellow, Golden Memories, Mellow Yellow, Daffodil Yellow, Mustard Yellow...

Shades of Yellow

The list goes on! Yellow is not a colour I choose with ease and sometimes, I think, we forget how beautiful this colour really is.

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.

Lillies in my Garden

Yellow around the Globe

In Chinese culture, colours corresponded with the five primary elements, the directions, and the four seasons. Yellow was associated with earth and the center (in relation to direction).

The Chinese have placed a predominance upon the colour yellow not seen elsewhere in the world. It was the colour of emperors during both the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty.
Huangdi, also known as the Yellow Emperor, is thought to be the founder of Chinese civilization, due to the tremendous amount of inventions that took place during his reign.
In India, yellow is the colour of the Vaisya caste, or farmers, and is the colour Hindus wear to celebrate the Festival of Spring.
During the tenth century in France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow.
In the United States, taxi cabs and school buses are associated with the colour yellow.
During the 1357 Japanese "War of Dynasty," warriors wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a pledge of courage.
Jews wore yellow armbands in Nazi concentration camps.
In Aztec culture, yellow symbolized food because it was the colour of corn, the primary food of the Aztec people.
Yellow signifies “sadness” in Greece’s culture and “jealousy” in France’s culture.

Courtesy Google Images

Yellow is psychologically the happiest colour in the colour spectrum and is the symbol for liberalism in many countries. For years yellow ribbons were worn as a sign of hope as women waited from their men to come marching home from war. Today, they are still used to welcome home loved ones. Its use for hazard signs creates an association between yellow and danger, although not quite as dangerous as red.

Using Yellow:
Although it can work as the primary colour, yellow often works best as a companion to other colours.
•Use bright yellow to create excitement when red or orange may be too strong or too dark.
•Yellow can be perky.
•Use yellow to suggest freshness and citrus fruitiness.
•Golden yellows can stand in for gold.

Yellow Rose in my Garden

Using Yellow with Other Colours:
•Use yellow to perk up a more subdued cool palette of blues and grays.
•Use lemon yellow with orange to carry out a healthy, summery, citrus theme.
•Very pale yellows can work as neutrals alongside darker or richer colours.
•Yellow and blue are a high contrast, eye-popping combination.
•Mix yellow with neutral gray and a dash of black for a high-tech look.
•Try a hot, exciting mix of red and yellow.
•For an earthy palette, especially for fall, mix yellow, olive green, and brown.
•While yellows and bright or light greens can be part of a natural, fruity colour palette, be careful not to use colours too close in value or they will appear washed out.

Yellow and Blue - Perfect

Yellow has been used in many well known songs:

"Blue and Yellow" by The Used
"Double Yellow Line" by The Music Machine
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John
"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss
"Mellow Yellow" by Donovan
"Tie A Yellow Ribbon" by Tony Orlando and Dawn
"Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles
"Black and Yellow" by rapper Wiz Khalifa

and my favourite: http://youtu.be/1MwjX4dG72s

I leave you with a yellow mood board to get your artistic juices flowing!

With my Pinny on!

2011-06-22T16:23:00.001+01:00

This evening my parents are arriving from Germany for a 10 day visit, and for some unexplained reason, I am behaving as if the Queen of Sheba herself is gracing me with her presence. Why is it, that every time my Mum comes to stay I go into a completely manic overdrive mode of cleaning?!?

Does this happen to any of you dear readers?, or am I the only person stepping back into 'little girl' mode and feeling the urge to please Mum?

Anyhow, I am almost done...the house hasn't been this shiny for a while..I guess since my Mum's last visit...just the shopping to do and then I can have a cup of tea before dashing off to the Airport to collect my dearest visitors.

Before I go I would like to present 'The dotty bag'!! Yes, you guessed it, this is the bag I have wanted to make for so long...and finally I have!

Felting Fun

2011-06-19T16:13:00.001+01:00

Ever since I was given a book called 'Complete Feltmaking' by Gillian Harris, I have wanted to learn how to do it in order to make a bag similar to the one on the front cover. I suppose I could have had a go by myself, but as with most things, it's more fun to learn something new with a group of friends, and this is what 7 of us did last Thursday.
A few months ago I met Di Stone on one of my workshops at lovely Fibre & Clay, we started chatting and it transpired that Di was really a Feltmaker Artist.
Never one to let an opportunity slip by, I asked her if she would consider teaching a group of friends and I how it's done...luckily for us she agreed. So last Thursday we all met for a days workshop on felting. Di had brought some fabulous samples of her work which we admired in awe, never thinking that we could achieve anything like that...little did we know.

Some of Di's beautiful work

We started off like this:

Lies and Gaele hard at work - Di is overlooking

Towel down, bubble wrap down, lay out Merino wooltops thinly..

Ready for some hard rubbing

..netting over to hold in place, wet slightly and rub in soap and then bubble wrap over and start rubbing to create friction to make fibre mold and bond to create felt fabric.

Karen and Sue working on their first piece

After our initial piece we went straight on to learn how to work the Merino tops into some silk, muslin or cotton fabric. This produced really interesting results, with everyones piece looking very different.

Gaele's heart worked into cotton

There really wasn't any time for lunch as we were enjoying ourselves too much and started to see endless possibilities for making things, so after lunch some of us made these:

Little Pixie Boots

and other's tried their hands at these..

Bunch of Flowers

By the end of the day our arms and shoulders ached, but we came away with lots of new ideas on how to use wool with a completely different approach, and we all know what that means...more stash ;)

My days work

Oh, and just to let you know, I have started work on a bag similar to the one on the front cover of that book..photo to follow.

Shades of Purple

2011-06-15T15:58:00.001+01:00

Purple is not the colour that I would choose naturally very often to work with, but when putting together some mood boards and other items for this post, I realised that actually I do really like this colour and it's many shade variations.

A Purple Mood Board

These words are synonymous with purple or represent various shades of the colour purple: amethyst, eggplant, indigo, lavender, lilac, magenta, mauve, mulberry, orchid, plum, pomegranate, puce, royal, thistle, violet, wine.
Purple is royalty. A mysterious colour, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing colour.

Knitted Mood Board

Pantone selected the colour Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as the 2008 Colour of the Year telling us: "Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

Photograph by Anna-Maria Gittins

Purple has a special, almost sacred place in nature: lavender, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers are often delicate and considered precious. Because purple is derived from the mixing of a strong warm and strong cool colour it has both warm and cool properties. A purple room can boost a child's imagination or an artist's creativity. Too much purple, like blue, could result in moodiness.

Crochet Purple Flowers used as Frame

The colour of mourning for widows in Thailand, purple was the favorite colour of Egypt's Cleopatra. It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cultures. Purple robes were worn by royalty and people of authority or high rank and the colour has always been associated with the Catholic Church. The Purple Heart is a U.S. Military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.

Using Purple:
• Deep or bright purples suggest riches.
• Lighter purples are more romantic and delicate.
• Use redder purples for a warmer colour scheme or the bluer purples to cool down.

Using Purple with Other Colors:

• A deep eggplant purple with neutral tans or beige is an earthy, conservative color combination with a touch of the mystery that purple provides.

Mix with Neutral for a Classic Look

• Green and purple can be a striking combination in deep or bright jewel tones or use lighter shades for a cheerful, springlike feel.

Mix with Brights for a Striking Look

• Pink and purple has feminine appeal.

Feminine Colours for this Chevron Pattern

As you can see, on closer inspection purple is growing on me.

Crochet Bunch of Flowers

Knit in Public - Part Two

2011-06-12T14:57:00.001+01:00

Saturday morning I got up to lovely sunshine, and with a spring in my step I loaded up the car and set off to Llangollen. Sian and I decided that we would not need to bother putting up the Gazebo cover as the weather would not let us down and the sun would be shining all day! We had clearly not paid any attention to the weather report (or were not believing it!), as no sooner had I got all my lovely yarns and other goodies out...oh yes you guessed it: It started to rain!

The Cover is up!

Sian to the rescue...we set up her fabulously large Gazebo and all was well. The only downside was that she and I had our wires crossed about who had stored our lovely signage, hand-painted by my talented artist husband two years ago, and therefore we possibly didn't attract as many people as we could have. However, we had a steady stream of people in the Courtyard all day and lots of my knitting friends came to join us in some knitting and chatting, and most stayed all day albeit the almost autumnal temperatures.

Lovely with the sun out!

In all it was a very successful day with a fair amount of money raised for the local children's hospice and I cannot thank everyone enough for all their support and fun during this day. Some of my friends travelled from as far as Harlech, Knutsford, Chester and Newton-Le-Willows. Thank you all, you are true knitting spirits!

C'est moi!

World Wide Knit in Public Day 2011

2011-06-09T18:35:00.000+01:00

I cannot believe it's that time of year again...yes, this Saturday is the annual World Wide Knit in Public Day (WWKIP Day) 2011 and we are celebrating with the rest of the world.
For the second time we have organised a great event in Llangollen/North Wales, at the Courtyard.

The Courtyard welcomes you!

The event is sponsored by Courtyard Books, Courtyard Cafe and http://www.knitsisters.co.uk/ and everyone will be warmly welcomed.

Getting ready!

We will have stalls, a raffle and the Cafe promises some specials made for this event. Proceeds will go to Nightingale House Hospice and the weather man has promised a fine day.

This is coming too!

So come and join us, bring your knitting or crochet and enjoy some special time with like minded 'yarnies', chatting and knitting over a cuppa.

First Prize!

Second Prize!

See you there!

Delicious Pink

2011-06-05T13:44:00.000+01:00

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

Pink is not one of the most obvious colour choices for me, although I do like it in certain shades and small doses. As I am doing the Race for Life in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be the right time to write a post about this pretty colour.

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the colour of love." The use of the word for the colour we know today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century.

Although pink is roughly considered just as a tint of red, in fact most variations of pink lie between red, white and magenta colours. This means that the pink's hue is somewhat between red and magenta.

Photo from Google Images

Roseus is a Latin word meaning "rosy" or "pink." Lucretius used the word to describe the dawn in his epic poem On the Nature of Things (De Rerum Natura). The word is also used in the binomial names of several species, such as the Rosy Starling (Sturnus roseus) and Catharanthus roseus. In most Indo-European languages, the colour pink is called rosa. In Persian, it is called "صورتي", meaning "Colour of the face".

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s or earlier. An article in the trade publication Earnshaw's Infants' Department in June 1918 said: "The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because being related to red it was the more masculine and decided colour, while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty colour, or related to the Virgin Mary. Since the 1940s, the societal norm was inverted; pink became considered appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century.

Though the colour pink has sometimes been associated with negative gender stereotypes, some feminists have sought to 'reclaim' it. For example, the Swedish radical feminist party Feminist Initiative and the American activist women's group Code Pink: Women for Peace use pink as their colour.

Photo by Anna-Maria Gittins

The pink ribbon is the international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink was chosen partially because it is so strongly associated with femininity.
It has been suggested that females prefer pink because of a preference for reddish things like ripe fruits and healthy faces, but the associated study has been criticized as "bad science".
The phrase "pink-collar worker" refers, in the West, to persons working in fields or jobs conventionally regarded as "women's work".
Using Pink:
Both red and pink denote love but while red is hot passion, pink is romantic and charming. Use pink to convey playfulness (hot pink flamingos) and tenderness (pastel pinks). Multiple shades of pink and light purple or other pastels used together maintain the soft, delicate, and playful nature of pink. Add strength with darker shades of pinks and purple and burgundy.
Using Pink with Other Colors:
All shades of pink get sophisticated when combined with black or gray or medium to darker shades of blue. Medium to dark green with pink is also a sharp-looking combo.

Summer Bag by Knitsisters

Download Summer Bag pattern FREE at http://www.knitsisters.co.uk/

Meeting Mr Lowry

2011-06-01T12:22:00.050+01:00

Meeting Lowry - Manchester

Laurence Stephen Lowry (1 November 1887 – 23 February 1976) was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years.

Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of Northern England during the early 20th century. He had a distinctive style of painting and is best known for urban landscapes peopled with human figures often referred to as "matchstick men". He also painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits, and the secret 'marionette' works (the latter only found after his death).
Because of his use of stylised figures and the lack of weather effects in many of his landscapes he is sometimes characterised as a naïve 'Sunday painter'.

Going to Work

A large collection of Lowry's work is on permanent public display in a purpose built art gallery on Salford Quays, appropriately named The Lowry. This is where we spent most of 'Bank Holiday' Monday.

The Lowry

Lowry was born at number 8 Barrett Street. It was a difficult birth, and his mother Elizabeth, who had been hoping for a girl, was uncomfortable even looking at him at first. Later she expressed her envy of her sister Mary, who had "three splendid daughters" instead of one "clumsy boy". Lowry's father Robert, a clerk for the Jacob Earnshaw and Son Property Company, was a withdrawn and introverted man.

Lowry often maintained in interviews conducted later in his life that he had an unhappy childhood, growing up in a repressive family atmosphere. Although his mother demonstrated no appreciation of her son's gifts as an artist, a number of books Lowry received as Christmas presents from his parents are inscribed to "Our dearest Laurie." At school he made few friends and showed no academic aptitude.
After leaving school, Lowry signed himself up for some private art lessons in the evenings on antique and freehand drawing. In 1905, Lowry managed to secure a place at the Manchester Municipal College of Art, where he studied under the French Impressionist artist Pierre Adolphe Valette. In 1915 he 'graduated' to the Salford School of Art where he was to continue studying until 1925. Here, he developed his interest in industrial landscapes and began to establish his style.

Coming home from the Mill

With the death of his mother in October 1939, Lowry became depressed and neglected the upkeep of his house to such a degree that the landlord repossessed it in 1948. He was not short of money and bought "The Elms" in Mottram in Longdendale, Hyde, Cheshire. Although he considered the house ugly and uncomfortable, he stayed there until his death almost 30 years later.

In his later years, Lowry would often spend holidays at the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland, County Durham, painting scenes of the beach, as well as nearby ports and coal mines.

When he had no sketchbook with him, Lowry would often draw scenes in pencil or charcoal on the back of scrap paper such as envelopes, serviettes (napkins), and cloakroom tickets and present them to young people sitting with their families nearby. Such serendipitous pieces are now worth thousands of pounds; a serviette sketch can be seen at the Sunderland Mariott Hotel (formerly the Seaburn Hotel).

By the Sea Side

In 1957 an unrelated 13-year-old schoolgirl called Carol Ann Lowry wrote to Lowry at her mother's urging to ask his advice on becoming an artist. He visited her home in Heywood, Lancashire some months later, and befriended the family. His friendship with Carol Ann Lowry was to last the rest of his life.

Lowry died of pneumonia at the Woods Hospital in Glossop, Derbyshire on 23 February 1976 aged 88. He was buried in Chorlton's Southern Cemetery in Manchester, next to his parents. He left his estate, valued at £298,459, together with a considerable number of artworks by himself and others to Carol Ann Lowry, who, in 2001, obtained trademark protection of the artist's signature.

During his life Lowry made about 1,000 paintings and over 8,000 drawings and the largest collection housed in one place can be seen at the The Lowry in Salford Quays, the gallery houses 55 paintings and 278 drawings by the artist, with over 100 on permanent display.

Recently Sir Ian McKellan introduced a programme on the BBC titled: Looking for Lowry, which inspired us to go and visit. I find a lot of Lowry's paintings unusually charming, even though most of them are set against an often drab and depressing background.

Shades of Green

2011-05-27T14:59:00.003+01:00

Photograph by Anna Gittins

These words are synonymous with green or represent various shades of the colour green: apple, aquamarine, beryl, chartreuse, emerald, fir, forest, grass green, jade, kelly green, lawn green, leaf green, lime, mint, moss, olive, olive drab, pea green, pine, sage, sap, sea green, seafoam, spring green, viridian.

Photograph by Anna Gittins

Green is life. Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience.

Green is a restful colour with some of the same calming attributes of blue. Like blue, time moves faster in a green room.

Photograph by Anna Gittins

Green is the national colour of Ireland and is strongly associated with that country. Green also has close associations with Islam. Because of all the green in nature the colour is reminiscent of Spring. Coupled with red it's a Christmas colour.

Using Green:
•With both a warming and cooling effect, the colour green denotes balance, harmony, and stability.
•Use several shades of green for a fresh, Springtime feel.
•Olive green, also called olive drab, is a not so drab summery green that may have military overtones for some people.

Yarn bought at The Knit Studio

Using Green with Other Colours:

•Green with blue produces echoes of nature - water and forest and can denote new beginnings and growth.
•Green with brown, tan, or beige says organic or recycled and can be a good colour combination for packaging of those type of products.
•Tri-colour combinations of green with yellow and black or white are sporty, outdoorsy colours. Purple with green can be high contrast, lively.
•Lime green with orange and yellow is a fresh and fruity palette.

Lace Baktus

Oh yes, you guessed it: "I like green almost as much as I like blue".